History of the City Centre Ambassadors

Since launching in April 2001, the Sheffield City Centre Ambassadors have quickly established themselves as an integral part of City Centre life. Initially starting as a 12 months project funded through Social Regeneration Budget (SRB), European Social fund Objective One (ESF) and New Deal. The scheme gave six unemployed people clearly defined full time roles within the newly formed City Centre Management Team.

 

Due to the positive achievements of the scheme the Sheffield First For Safety Partnership and City Centre Management Team (CCMT) were able to successfully apply to the Office Of The Deputy Prime minister (ODPM) for funding. These funds were then used to increase the number of Ambassadors as part of an initiative to reduce street crime. In 2006 the ODPM funding came to an end and the Ambassadors faced uncertainy as to whether the scheme would be continued. Fortunately Sheffield City Council supported the CCMT and committed to funding the Ambassadors scheme permanently.

 

New developments in the city centre and the guarantee of funding mean that the number of Ambassadors has again been able to increase, with 25 Abassadors currently in the team.

 

The CCMT have developed a working partnership with the South Yorkshire Police (SYP) and formed the Safer City Centre Partnership, which includes the City Ambassadors Team and the South Yorkshire Police including one Police Officer, and a team of Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSO).