What could £20m Pride in Place cash do for Hartcliffe and Bridgwater?

In south Bridgwater, a largely residential area including the Hamp estate and West Street has been chosen for the funding.

Leading the local ten-year programme is Sam Smith, an insurance broker and volunteer football coach who grew up in the area.

“This area did so much for me it’s about giving back and making sure other people can have a wonderful experience as well,” he told me, standing outside the gates of his former secondary school.

For Sam, helping young people is a priority.

His dad ran the local youth football team, when Sam was growing up.

A couple of years ago, on a night out, a local man said to him: “Your dad saved my life – without football, I wouldn’t have got into sport, I’d be in jail no two ways about it.”

Inspired by that conversation, Sam decided to revive Rhode Lane Wanderers.

It now has more than 100 youngsters from the estate taking part and has shown Sam something he wants to take into his new role.

“It’s making sure all these children have got a focus – whether that’s football, something in the arts, something completely individual to them,” he said.

“We want to make sure they’ve got a focus so they stay on the straight and narrow.”

So far, Sam’s been gathering up ideas from other local people with a series of drop-in events.

Youth provision has come up as one of the main themes, along with security and safety and green spaces, he said.

“People want the basics. They want cleaner streets, potholes filled, better streetlights but there’s so much more you could do with this money.

“We want people to think big,” Sam said.