In Partnerhip with New Charter Housing
A Little History
The Brushes Estate is the second oldest (formerly council) estate in Tameside, the Hague Estate being the oldest.
It was built in two parts between 1929 and 1939 – the top half of the estate was built to house the skilled working classes, such as teachers and clerks. The second half of the estate was built to re- house Castlehall's poor quality housing area. Castlehall was a very poor area at the time and residents brought the stigma of that with them giving the estate a poor reputation.
In the 1950’s the estate was booming but as with many council estates by the 1960’s and 1970’s it was going into decline. In 1985/6 almost a quarter of the estates residents had left the estate.
BARTA & Brushes Estate Management Board
In the late 1980’s BARTA (Brushes Area Residents and Tenants Association) was formed by a group of residents of the estate who wanted to get involved and improve the area in which they lived. This group were very successful but felt they would like a more direct involvement in the running of their estate.
In 2001 a ballot took place on the estate and the majority of residents voted in favour of becoming an Estate Management Board.
In 2003 the Brushes Estate Management Board (EMB) was officially formed with a number of residents actively involved in the joint running of the estate with New Charter Housing Trust. Its aim was to play a more active part in the day to day running of the estate.
The Estate Management Board is set up as a registered company, with members acting as chairperson, secretary and treasurer. In addition there are board members and coop-tees on the board and there are three employees seconded from New Charter.
The Estate Management Board work in partnership with New Charter Housing on all aspects of tenancy management including allocating properties, rent recovery, repairs and maintenance and tenancy issues.
The Management Board meets every six weeks to discuss these issues and work on initiatives on the estate, including any investment works and social events.
The Brushes Social Group
By 2006 the social events were becoming increasingly demanding and the group formed a sub group which included some board members but also some of the younger estate residents who wanted to get involved in fund raising and helping organise social events on or around the estate.
The ‘Social Group’ organise seasonal events such as a Father Christmas Grotto, Bonfire and Fireworks Party and an Easter Egg Hunt over the Stalybridge Country Park. In addition we have also had Summer Fun Days and a Neighbours Day Street Party.
We have also hold a weekly Lottery every week and do door to door collections with a group of volunteers every week to raise money for the estate. Every week we pay out approximately £130 in prize money.
This Money has helped along with donations from New Charter and other Donations and Grant funding to pay for our most recent project the development of Bailey’s Back a piece of land in the centre of the estate. This land is used as a children’s play area. We have recently installed a children’s adventure trail and a MUGA (a caged ball area). We are currently in the process of developing this area further with more planting, disabled access and a ‘sensory garden’.
For the first time this year Brushes Estate got involved in Britain in Bloom and was entered in the local community part of the competition.
Everyone got involved in cleaning up the estate, hanging the hanging baskets, digging flower beds and getting half barrels for the islands around the estate. We are planning to expand on this work further for 2008
