Our aim is to breathe new life into forgotten basketball courts and rejuvenate neglected public spaces – driving urban regeneration as well as encouraging communities to be active in an uplifting, safe and positive environment.
Existing space(s) will be transformed: re-worked, re-imagined and re-presented to (and by) the community as something to be proud of, with a focus on engaging Portsmouth’s diverse population.
We want to empower, motivate and engage those living, working and visiting Portsmouth, enhancing this lively and vibrant community driven city.
As a society we undervalue public spaces, yet we know the improvement of these spaces enriches and improves people’s lives. Inviting and attractive neighbourhoods promote wellbeing and we want to create spaces that local people can be proud of and want to spend their time in.
We’ve identified several areas in Portsmouth which could benefit greatly from revitalisation and anticipate this will happen over a number of phases. We’ve already received backing from Portsmouth City Council and, after identifying the synergy between sports and street art, will focus Orchard Park: Phase 1 on Goldsmith Avenue’s popular (but neglected) basketball court.
Basketball acts as a safe and relaxed way to deliver messages of community, determination and focus and has a widely growing audience. We believe that by regenerating this court it will naturally attract use and increase participation from young, diverse communities – improving the well-being, confidence and self-worth of local young people.
Address:
Goldsmith Avenue, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire. PO4 8QU
View here on Google Maps
More info:
Goldsmith Avenue/Orchard Park Southsea is in the South East region of England. The site sits across two Portsmouth City electoral divisions: north of Goldsmith Avenue is within the Milton ward, and Orchard Park in the constituency of Portsmouth South.
______________________________________________________
Basketball England, Portsmouth City Council, Victorious Events, Portsmouth Creates, Byngs Autos, Network Rail (Southern), Black Anchor Films, Garden Angels, WildCAT Sales & Marketing, Alice Coffey
Alongside the above partners and sponsors, we're also excited to collaborate with (and thankful to) Victorious Events who've generously donated £20k worth of ‘in-kind’ help to the project. And, in the run-up to Portsmouth's first light and street art festival 'We Shine' in November, FORM+FUNCTION will be lending our expertise to Portsmouth Creates – sharing and developing a mutual passion Portsmouth’s vibrant cultural scene.
______________________________________________________
Did you know?
Portsmouth had a huge Basketball following back in the 80’s – the professional team were once merged with Portsmouth Football Club and were known as Portsmouth FC Basketball Club? They won both the ‘87 & ‘88 League Title but a later decision was made to put all their money and efforts towards the football club, so it exists as we now know it. However, basketball remained popular in the city whether it was at parks or organised sessions. We even used to host the ‘To the Hoop Basketball Camp’ where professional players would provide coaching at Portsmouth Grammar school for a week during summer. We were even fortunate enough to be coached one year by Masai Ujiri who is now President of the 2019 NBA Champs the ‘Toronto Raptors’.
______________________________________________________
The project aims to deliver cohesive and wide-reaching benefits to the community, and so will be funded and completed in 2 phases:
Full Macadam resurfacing of Basketball Court + BB Timeline + Planters with Seating + Additional Park Entrance
The Orchard Park BB court is the ONLY court in Portsmouth to specifically cater for 3x3 basketball play. This style of game is simple, flexible and currently ranked the number one urban team sport in the world. It will also be showcased at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Basketball England are promoting this particular style of play and have been campaigning to improve outdoor facilities across the UK. They are also supporting the Orchard Park Project Crowdfunder with a special, limited edition run of Chain Net Apparel x BBE x artist tees, and 40 #ProjectSwish basketballs.
While celebrating Portsmouth's BB heritage, our project will also increase user safety within the park by cleaning up and bringing activity to darker, under-accessed corners. The current entrance to the park is only from the Orchard Road side, and Portsmouth City Council are kindly looking into installing an additional pedestrian access gate on the Goldsmith Avenue side – next to the pedestrian crossing. This additional entrance point will encourage fuller use of the whole park and bring safe activity to areas currently attracting anti-social behaviour.
Works:
- BB court complete re-surfacing with sports industry standard Macadam tarmac
- New line mark painting, new court fencing, new backboards and fixed equipment repair
- Portsmouth’s BB Heritage Timeline design and installation on site next to court
- Tidy existing flower beds and relocate plants/shrubbery to new freestanding planters - designed by Portsmouth's own Garden Angels - to help with ongoing maintenance and provide integrated spectator seating to watch the courts from
- New pedestrian entrance on Goldsmith Ave side (next to zebra crossing) to increase access and tackle anti-social behaviour in currently under-used areas of the park
Costs: £30,000
Estimated start date: June 2021
Estimated completion date: July 2021
Our £15,000 Phase 1 stretch target means we can:
- Commission an artist and professional production team to decorate the newly resurfaced BB court with a unique-to-Portsmouth large scale artwork on the court surface. Applied by professionals, with the correct paint, to the correct surface - means the colour vibrancy and condition will withstand lots of lovely play-related wear and tear.
______________________________________________________
Creating a Sports Hub + Community Relationship Building + Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour
With Phase 1 complete we'll be swiftly moving into Orchard Park: Phase 2. This will see us build on our regeneration of the BB court and its immediate surrounding area, by leasing a slither of adjoining land from Byng's Autos and creating a permanent on-site sports hub.
This is a key aspect of our on-going vision for the area for a number of reasons:
- To create meaningful and lasting relationships with the communities which use the park, and have a base to encourage new ones to get involved
- To have a visible, physical presence and demonstrate positive activity; proven to tackle antisocial behaviour (which the park currently suffers badly from)
- To allow Chain Net Apparel to run coaching sessions, store equipment and host tournaments/events and visitors to the city
For safe (and simple) access from the sports hub to the park we’ll be knocking a hole through the wall bordering the BB court and installing a gate.
More details on Phase 2 to come. In the meantime, any questions/bright ideas please get in touch.
FORM+FUNCTION: [email protected]
Chain Net Apparel: i[email protected]
______________________________________________________
Chain Net Apparel
Founder – Craig Hughes
Several years ago Craig was reading an article regarding funding cuts to GB Basketball. The idea of people not wanting to aspire to play basketball in this country or the sport declining as a whole didn’t sit right him so from there he started to plan how he could potentially make a difference and show people what beauty basketball can bring and also show how this can positively impact people’s physical and mental well-being.
In 2018 Chain Net Apparel was created as a clothing brand but more importantly as a hub for UK Basketball. So far the brand has been able to sponsor several major basketball events in this country, raise money for charities, increase exposure for Portsmouth basketball by setting up market stalls and speaking to the community about where their local facilities are and also where they can go for an organised session. Chain Net Apparel now has two brand reps, Ashley Hamilton who is a professional player in the British Basketball League (BBL) and also represents Team GB at an international level. Craig is now pleased to welcome a new brand rep Melita Emanuel-Carr who is also a professional player playing in the Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL) and represented England in the Commonwealth Games, Australia 2018.
Craig qualified as a Level 2 Basketball Coach in 2020 and currently coaches the Portsmouth Under 16 team. His teaching focus is basketball, but just as important is teaching youth players important life skills such as confidence, respect and teamwork which, when combined with physical activity, has invaluable results.
The next steps for Chain Net Apparel are to contribute to improve outdoor facilities and ensure the courts are filled with ball players.
FORM+FUNCTION
Director – Annabel Innes
Annabel is a curator, designer and creative with over 15+ years experience in the creative industry. Born in Portsmouth she moved to London as a teenager where she spent the next 12 years learning, working and making mistakes.
Since returning to the south coast she has initiated and facilitated a number of local community projects including COVID-19 Art Ads, Safe to be SPOOKY! and the sometimes.shop (all profits of which go to Portsmouth based domestic abuse and stalking charity Aurora New Dawn).
She founded social enterprise organisation FORM+FUNCTION in late 2020 to coherently engage her ever growing ‘little black book’ of local, national and international creative collaborators - for the benefit of those living, working and visiting Portsmouth.
As My Dog Sighs recently commented, she’s a woman who ‘gets shit done’.
Previous clients & agencies include:
Nike, Rihanna FENTY + Puma, Converse, Sonos, Patagonia, Swatch, Uniqlo, CALM, Activision, Nokia, Lego, Harrods, The Design Museum, Whitechapel Art Gallery, YCN, EURO RSCG KLP, Rosie Lee Creative, HarrimanSteel Ltd.
Relationship Manager – Jamie Wilds
Jamie has extensive experience perfecting the art of relationship building both personally or professionally, which has paved the way for a well established career in both construction and recruitment. This experience proved such a resounding success that she founded and started Wildwood Recruitment back in 2016 and sold the company in 2020.
Although she has now decided to go it alone in the professional world, with her new Sales & Marketing Company Wildcat Marketing Jamie is a real foodie at heart and regularly journals about her plant-based and gluten free way of life.
Jamie has many strings to her bow including extensive experience in social media management, developing and sustaining key relations including public relations and client relations, account management and people management.
______________________________________________________
for any more information or enquiries please contact:
FORM+FUNCTION: [email protected]
Chain Net Apparel: i[email protected]
