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Thursday 2 September 2021

Please sign the petition - Stop cuts to community led learning in Sheffield

 Community Organisations (including Darnall Forum) across Sheffield have relied on funding from Sheffield Council for the last 15 Years to underpin Community Support for local people.

Whether you want to update a CV, learn a new skill, gain basic English, Maths, IT or Digital Skills - we've been here for you; if you have done this in a friendly local venue, helped by staff from your own community, you have been helped by this funding and by local community organisations. 

The Council have proposed changes to this funding that will result in the loss of jobs, lack of local classes designed in conjunction with and to support local people and a potential loss of community organisations that are able to give information, advice and guidance. Other services such as childcare, food bank referrals, drop-in sessions are all at risk if this goes ahead.

Proposed cuts to Community Organisations:

Sheffield City Council released the invitation to tender last Tuesday (20th July). With no prior notice that the tender would be extremely different this time around. The original deadline was given as 6th August. Thanks to the support so far SCC did extend this and offered a briefing on curriculum development on August 10th.

Essentially, there is no longer core funding for a learning champion. The learning champion is the person out and about, talking to people where they are, finding out what they need. They then arrange the courses, enrol people on, support them during and after the class, workshop or course. But to get some people to that point takes work - the learning champion might help someone sort childcare, talk to them about getting a bus pass - help them help themselves to overcome whatever barriers they may be facing.

The loss of this and the way the process has happened is completely at odds with the messages coming from the council recently – collaboration, co-designing services, building a new relationship and equitable partnership with the voluntary and community sector. 

The key issues:

  1. No prior communication of the nature of the changes being made to the funding model - which puts community organisations and their services at risk.
  2. Across Sheffield there are at least 19 staff now at risk of redundancy - these redundancies remove the key figures in Community Adult Learning.
  3. We are concerned it will impact on many of the most vulnerable members of our community - those that depend on local community organisations for education, socialisation and access to vital services that support them to achieve their personal goals. 

The Ask:
We seek an urgent meeting with Terry, Paul, and Kate to discuss the following with providers:

  1. Pause the process or change the timescale to give providers more time - This was achieved and we did get a short extension to the deadline however this was not funded and the contracts still ended on July 31st
  2. or extend our current contracts for 12 months to enable us to transition to the new model
  3. If the issues lie with Sheffield City Region (SCR), Sheffield City Council (SCC) to organise a meeting with providers, SCR and SCC leadership to understand the issues and to co-produce the solutions. We did get a meeting with SCC who listened to our concerns - but if SCC maintain the issue is with SCR then we need to be supported to have a meeting with both about the process.
By clicking on this link you will be taken to 'change.org'.  You will see the same information as above but more importantly, you will see the link that allows you to sign the petition.  We need as many local people as we can to sign this to stop these cuts and allow us and other community led organisation throughout Sheffield to continue to provide the vital education that our communities need.


Thanks

Chris

Wednesday 1 September 2021

Olympic Legacy Park - Have your say!

 We have been asked to share the following information regarding a survey being undertaken about the views of residents regarding Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park.

“We would like to invite you to complete a short survey to explain how you feel about your local area as a resident living or working near to Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park. The survey is intended to understand how the proposed masterplan can support the local community and enhance the surrounding area. The findings of this survey will be used to inform our development plans going forward.

 

This is an electronic survey which can be accessed by the following link: tinyurl.com/Sheffieldconsultation.

Please note that this link is case sensitive. The survey closes on Friday 17th September.”


Friday 30 July 2021

Thursday 8 July 2021

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

 



Tuesday 22 June 2021

Covid Vaccination Centre

 


Covid bus

 

The NHS COVID BUS is coming to Darnall, Darnall Education Centre 1.30-5pm on the 26th of June (this Saturday)

 

On the day they will offer

 

-Supported lateral flow tests with your results in 30 minutes

-Free take home LFD test kits

-Free leaflets and self-isolation packs