The geography department recently hosted a number of guests from the school of geography and planning from Cardiff University. The guests included Dr. Tom Smith (senior lecturer in human geography), Dr. Matluba Khan (lecturer in urban design), Dr. Neil Harris (lecturer senior lecturer in statutory planning) and Miss. Shoruk Nekeb (community engagement assistant) who is a previous pupil of ours. 

The guests visited the geography department to conduct the research project during four pastoral sessions on Monday mornings in May and June 2022 and worked with a number of pupils in Years 7 and 8 who live in Grangetown.  The purpose of the project was to engage pupils with their local area.  The guests ran classroom-based workshops, which required the pupils to identify areas that they use and enjoy in Grangetown whilst also addressing which areas require improvement.  They did this through emotional mapping, by using colour-coded labels and locating them on maps to represent how they feel within areas around Grangetown. 

One session involved the pupils going to Grangetown and completing a survey in groups to assess which areas are accessible to children, for example Grange Gardens.  The lecturers and professors are going to use the feedback and work completed by the pupils to form the basis of a recovery plan and toolkit to inform ‘Cardiff’s City Recovery and Renewal Strategy’.  The report will be submitted to the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) and Cardiff County Council and will address how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected children’s lives and how they use their local area. 

Overall, the pupils found the workshops beneficial as they felt they were having their voices heard about the area they call home.