Pride in Place Canvey Island

22/05/2026

📢 New Children and Young People’s Board to give young voices a real say in Canvey Island’s future

A new Canvey Island Pride in Place Children and Young People Board has been launched to ensure that the voices of local children and young people play a role in shaping the investment and regeneration plans for Canvey Island.

The new board builds on the existing youth board structure delivered through the Schools Sports Partnership, which already represents every school on Canvey Island, including the Island’s two secondary schools and 12 primary schools. The expanded board will now have a much broader remit, moving beyond sport to focusing on wider priorities for young people and their communities.

Importantly, members of the Children and Young People Board will not just be consulted but will have an active role in decision making, including responsibility for managing their own £5,000 budget to support youth led projects and ideas for the Island.

The new board met for the first time in May, with a launch event taking place at Cornelius Vermuyden School. Ahead of the launch, focus groups had already been held with young people to gather their views, with early feedback highlighting priorities such as the seafront, more activities to do locally, improvements to Canvey Lake, sport and education.

The Children and Young People Board will work closely with the main Canvey Island Pride in Place Board, ensuring a two way flow of information. Representatives from the youth board will attend Pride in Place Board meetings at key points, helping to ensure that young people’s views directly inform decision making. Membership of the board is open to children and young people with applications made through schools.

The launch session on 8 May introduced young members to the Pride in Place programme, gave them the opportunity to discuss how their £5,000 budget could be used, and set expectations for their role as ambassadors. The second half of the session focused on leadership skills, teamwork and activities, supported by the Schools Sports Partnership team.

19/05/2026

Great news for Canvey Island achieving official bathing water status. The seafront is a priority area that the Board will be looking at in the future.

Designated sites include first-ever site on the River Thames in London

09/05/2026

Have you heard of Desire Lines? 🚶‍♀️‍➡️

They’re the routes people naturally take — the shortcuts we all know.

Last year, we worked with specialists to understand how people really move across Canvey Island. That insight still helps inform conversations about safety, accessibility and design.

Photo by Tessa Hallmann 📸

05/05/2026

Engagement doesn’t stop when an event ends.

The ideas shared by residents last year continue to shape discussions today — and new voices will always be welcome too at our next engagement events.

03/05/2026

30/04/2026

Last year residents from across the area shared what matters most to them on Canvey — from better transport links to activities to do and better retail choices.

These ideas don’t have an expiry date. They’re part of the ongoing picture of what people want for their neighbourhood.

Photos kindly provided by Michaela Freeman and Tessa Hallman 📸

27/04/2026

“More community clubs for young people.”

This was one of the hopes shared by residents at last year’s engagement events.

The Pride in Place Board exists to keep these hopes at the centre of local decision making — not just at events, but all year round.

24/04/2026

Last year, residents shared their visions for Canvey Island — writing them down alongside at our engagement events.

These messages still matter. They help shape the conversations the Pride in Place Board is having now about priorities for the area 💬

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing how resident voices continue to influence local plans.

10/04/2026

New Chair appointed for the Canvey Neighbourhood Board.

We’re pleased to announce that Steve Bish has been appointed as the new Chair of the Canvey Neighbourhood Board.

Steve brings more than 20 years’ experience in sport, education and community partnership work. He grew up in Essex, represented Great Britain as a professional badminton player and has dedicated his career to improving opportunities for children and young people.

Locally, Steve founded and continues to lead the Castle Point and Rochford School Sport Partnership, supporting 52 schools with physical activity, PE and school sport – building strong relationships with schools, community groups and local councils across Canvey Island.

Steve takes over from outgoing Interim Chair Kate Willard OBE and will lead the Board as it works to ensure the £20 million Pride in Place investment delivers real, lasting benefits for Canvey.

Welcome to the role, Steve!

25/03/2026

£20 million Pride in Place funding confirmed for Canvey Island! ⛱️

The Canvey Island Neighbourhood Board celebrates the Government's confirmation of £20 million Pride in Place funding for Canvey Island — a long term investment designed to deliver visible, meaningful improvements across the community over the next decade and create a lasting legacy for the future.

Read the full story: https://www.castlepoint.gov.uk/w/-20-million-pride-in-place-funding-confirmed-for-canvey-island