Yorkshire
The Village Centre - Wybourn’s new Community Centre coming soon!
Located at the heart of Wybourn close to the area’s Children’s Centre and Wybourn Community Primary School, Wybourn Community Centre will be a new focal point for the neighbourhood and host a community café and space for a range of community groups, events, education courses and other engagement activities.
The centre will replace the temporary community hub, The Corner House, also owned by Great Places and managed by a steering group comprising of local community members. Work on the project is due to be completed by next Spring/Summer.
Great Places will manage the new centre for the first two years, reporting to a board of local stakeholders and community members. The board will guide the direction of policy and activities which will take place there, reflecting what is wanted and needed in Wybourn.
The plan is for the centre’s management to be handed over to this board after two years.
We’re looking for customers to get involved in the board and be part of shaping the future community and we’re currently planning our recruitment campaign to find and elect board members. If you’re interested and would like to be kept up to date on this and have your say, please email: Community.Investment@greatplaces.org.uk
The centre will also be home to a collaborative one-of-a-kind Community Art piece led by community artist Coralie Turpin which will adorn the external walls of the centre. The final piece is the product of four community consultations that have taken place in Wybourn, and an online survey circulated for residents to share ideas on what artwork they would like to see in place. Residents also shared historical information on Wybourn along with what’s great about the area.
Appointed community artist Coralie Turpin has taken the collated information and ideas and designed a largescale unique mosaic that will reflect Wybourn and its community spirit. Customers are now being invited to get involved in the project by taking part in creative workshop sessions painting the mosaic tiles which will make up the finished piece.
If you would like to attend one of the sessions, please contact: Community.Investment@greatplaces.org.uk
Youth Projects at Richmond Park Community Centre
Richmond Park Community Centre (RPCC) played host to the Sheffield Healthy Holiday Activities with Food Programme over the summer holidays.
The programme ran for 14 days at RPCC over the holidays, consisting of morning and afternoon sessions of targeted youth activity including Science Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) workshops, creative art, and health and well-being sessions.
All sessions included the provision of a full meal for attendees and were open to young people who receive free school meals. The programme was a success with many young people attending and receiving meals.
Did you know that the Richmond Park Community Centre is available for use?
We will be holding more activities there over the coming months but we want to know what Richmond Park residents would like to see taking place.
Perhaps you would like to use the space to hold your own sessions? From coffee mornings, exercise classes or craft catch-ups, we’d love to hear your ideas or help you set up your own activity! Please contact Felix Dyer for more information: felix.dyer@greatplaces.org.uk
The programme was a success with many young people attending and receiving meals.
Financial struggles? We’re here to help
We understand it’s a tough time financially for many with the revision of Universal Credit, the end of furlough, energy costs set to rise, and a general rise in inflation. We are here to help, and will soon have designated Financial Inclusion Advisors to provide in depth support and advice.
Until then, we have outlined below some resources that may be useful, and how you can access them.
Universal Credit
If you are struggling to get your head around Universal Credit, there is a dedicated section on our website that’s easy to navigate and full of useful information. It has a range of top tips, case studies of people in a similar situation and practical advice on how to make a claim. You can also speak with your Customer Relationship Manager for more information.
National Energy Action
Our continued partnership with National Energy Action (NEA), a national charity, has supported households across South Yorkshire. Customers can be referred for an emergency top-up, or if they do not qualify there’s still help available from NEA Advisors about energy efficiency savings and how to switch to better value for money suppliers. They can also help you access fuel grants and trust fund applications to reduce any existing fuel debt. So far this financial year 15 South Yorkshire residents have utilised this service and made combined savings on their energy bills of £1315.74. That’s £87.71 a household!
Feel like you need some extra support or advice? Contact your Customer Relationship Manager for more information.
St Vincent’s Furniture Store
Our partnership with the St Vincent de Paul Society continues to help redistribute preloved furniture to those in need. The store received a £5,000 award from our Community Resilience Fund during lockdown to support the running costs.
Customers referred to the service can be provided items by St Vincent’s, ranging from beds and tables to kettles and ironing boards to help settle into homes.
The service is completely free, but if customers can, they are able to make a small donation towards the delivery cost.
Employment Support
Personalised support finding employment, training and volunteer opportunities is available from our Employability Coach, Gill Rimmer, you can contact her by email: gill.rimmer@greatplaces.org.uk
Want to know more about any of the above? Please speak to your Customer Relationship Manager, or email: Community.Investment@greatplaces.org.uk
Food Works offer and volunteering opportunities
Food Works is an organisation that receives unused food from businesses and individuals every year.
The organisation has city wide with a main base in Handsworth, and other hubs dotted around Sheffield. It’s business model is to make sure this food is doesn’t go to waste and is put to good use, preserving the time and energy that has gone into producing it and so reducing the environmental impact of our food.
The service offers boxes of food for small donations to residents who have had a referral. There is also an option to get regular meals, ready prepared, to warm up from home for as little as £1 per meal. The organisation also offers a volunteering programme where residents can use their time to learn a wide range of skills.
Recently, we supported a customer who was looking to get back into work after a period of being out of employment. This customer regularly volunteered at the Food Works warehouse where they receive the surplus food, sort, and redistribute to different areas of their business.
Another customer worked in the community allotment at Green Estates Manor Oaks site over the summer months, where they are taking local unused pieces of land to grow fresh food for the local community. Volunteers can take fresh produce home through the growing season.
The aim of the volunteering opportunity is to help residents gain experience to add to their CV. There’s a wide range of opportunities available and customers can get involved in roles such as warehouse assistants, van drivers, kitchen assistants or farm assistants. The volunteering opportunity can also help with feelings of isolation, as working within a team of people and having support is a big part of the role. Food Works are open to offering trial sessions to those who are interested but would like to experience it first before committing. If you’d like to know more about how to get involved you can find more information on their website https://thefoodworks.org/ alternatively, you can call: 07542 379 246 or email: info@thefoodworks.org.
If any customers need any help with getting into volunteering or finding out more about the works, they can contact Employability Coach Gill Rimmer on 07917 527343.
Maltravers Road Repairs and Maintenance
At Great Places we’re committed to making sure that our housing meets the needs of our customers - now and in the future.
Investing in our existing 24,000 homes is a crucial part of this and it’s been busy few months for the teams involved in delivering this year’s improvement works programme.
Maltravers Road is just one of the projects that has recently been completed as part of our programme, receiving some TLC from contractor Fortem in June.
The focus of the work was to ensure our customers remained safe, but another consideration was to improve the aesthetic of the outdoor space. Gardens, pavements, steps, and grab railings were tired and in need of replacement. The changes made meant that the area was a lot safer to walk on and looking at the before and after pictures we’re sure you’ll agree it now looks a lot nicer too.
The customers were delighted with the finished result and commented on how the changes made were visually more appealing, and easier to maintain moving forward. If you or someone living with you has a disability or is struggling to live independently, we may be able to help you adapt your home to make everyday tasks easier. To find out more please visit our website: https://www.greatplaces.org.uk/help-and-advice/aids-and-adaptations
