A Podsmead Legacy
Blackbridge Charitable Community Benefit Society (Blackbridge CCBS) is a community organisation supporting wellbeing, learning, skills and employment advice in Podsmead, Gloucester.
Established in 2021 as part of the legacy of the Podsmead Big Local, Blackbridge CCBS is also leading the development of the community-owned and community-driven Blackbridge Community and Sports Hub.
Planning for a positive future in Podsmead
For the past 10 years, much of the community investment in Podsmead has been actively managed by the resident led organisation Podsmead Big Local (PBL). In 2014, PBL received grant funding from the Big Lottery Fund to support people, identify issues of concern, and propose and resource solutions. The nationwide Big Local programme ends in 2026 and, recognising recent achievements, PBL is now working to build a sustainable legacy that will involve all community stakeholders.
In 2017, Gloucester City Homes (GCH) were awarded funding from the Government’s Estates Regeneration Fund to develop a masterplan for regeneration of the Podsmead 1 Local Super Output
Area (LSOA) of the neighbourhood. An outline planning application by GCH for the regeneration of Podsmead sets out ambitious plans to:
- Provide new homes, shops, and community facilities in Podsmead;
- Focus on a community led regeneration that builds social capital and economic resilience by designing places where people want to live;
- Develop and support existing community strengths;
- Improve the quality of life for residents.
In November 2021, Blackbridge Charitable Community Benefit Society (Blackbridge CCBS) was formed to lead in the development of the Blackbridge Community and Sports Hub which will act as
a focal point for the neighbourhood and offer new and improved sports facilities accessible to all residents.
Blackbridge CCBS, together with Gloucester City Homes and Podsmead Big Local, will be at the core of a new, long term, Podsmead Partnership to bring together a wide range of stakeholders from all sectors to plan and invest in a positive future for Podsmead.
Following its launch in Spring 2023, The Podsmead Partnership will fulfil a strategic role in the re-birth of Podsmead, with GCH investing long term in new and existing homes, PBL building a sustainable legacy to its work over the past decade, and Blackbridge CCBS developing as a community anchor organisation for local residents.
You can download and read the Podsmead Partnership Plan ‘Planning for a Positive Future’ here:
Blackbridge Charitable Community Benefit Society 