Annie Ashford-Barden, our Regional Adviser for the South West of England, writes about how our Ivybridge CAP is turning hotspots into creative spaces for young people this month.

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In Ivybridge, a town in Devon home to one of the largest secondary schools in England, the end of the school day brings a familiar challenge. With students travelling in from across a wide rural area and limited transport options, the town centre quickly fills with young people who often have nowhere specific to go.

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What can look like a quiet, semi-affluent town on the surface hides a more complex reality. Some young people face poverty, social exclusion, and a lack of structured opportunities. Over time, this has contributed to rising concerns around anti-social behaviour, underage drinking, shoplifting, and the influence of negative peer dynamics.

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Rather than responding with enforcement alone, CAP and local partners took a different approach, meeting young people where they are, and offering something engaging, creative, and genuinely appealing.

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Turning hotspots into creative spaces

In 2025, Ivybridge CAP secured funding through the CAP Innovation Fund, generously provided by Asda to pilot a graffiti art project in known anti-social behaviour hotspots. The aim was simple but powerful: reduce incidents by creating a positive alternative, while building relationships between young people and trusted adults.

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The first session, held in September, attracted between 40 and 50 young people. What followed was more than just an art activity. Detached youth workers, teachers, police officers and other partners used the sessions to start conversations, listening to what young people wanted from their town and how they experienced it.

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Those conversations have since been shaped into a two-year strategy, currently with the town council for review.

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Building connections beyond the sessions

The impact didn’t stop at the events themselves. Local organisations quickly became involved, including a church youth group that now encourages participants to attend a free Friday night youth club, offering a consistent, positive outlet beyond the initial engagement.

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The final sessions were held in an area with a high number of elderly residents, deliberately designed to bring different parts of the community together. Residents were invited to join, enjoy refreshments, and take part in the creative activities alongside young people.

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One local resident, Lucy, reflected:

“This is fantastic. The kids work hard at school all week. The weekend feels like a relief and it’s so lovely that they can do things like this. I love that it’s outside and so creative.”

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Participants created their own canvases to take home, giving them a sense of pride and ownership, something often missing from more traditional interventions.

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Reaching the right young people

Crucially, the sessions attracted exactly the audience they were designed for: young people who regularly spend time in hotspot areas and may be involved in low-level anti-social behaviour such as drinking, vaping, or littering.

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Despite some initial hesitation, many engaged positively with the professionals present. Over time, this helped to build trust, break down barriers, and foster mutual respect between young people and local services.

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A model that works

Since the first event, the graffiti sessions have continued to grow, with strong attendance from both young people and partner organisations. What started as a small, creative intervention is now demonstrating something much bigger:

When young people are given space to express themselves, feel heard, and connect with their community, behaviour begins to shift.

These sessions are a powerful reminder that reducing anti-social behaviour isn’t just about enforcement, it’s about engagement. By combining creativity, partnership working, and community involvement, CAP and its partners are helping to build safer, more connected neighbourhoods in Ivybridge.

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