Latest News
This page contains news from Sheffield's Friends Of Groups working in partnership with the Parks and Countryside Service.....
If you would like to contribute to this page please contact the Community Partnerships Team
Grants for local community groups
Seventeen local community groups were awarded £24,093 between them from Sheffield City Council’s Small Grants Fund in November and December.
Among the successful groups were Asperger’s Children and Carers Together who receive £3000 for room hire to help them support 110 families across Sheffield and the Friends of Richmond Park who were granted £1000 towards room hire and other administrative costs to raise awareness of the need to regenerate the park.
Norton and Woodseats Cricket Club received £2000 to pay for a drainage scheme to improve safety and increase participation in their club. The Council has also awarded £1299 to the Darnall Well Being Centre, which they will use to raise awareness of health issues and to try to increase community participation in healthy activities, including a cycling trip to Clumber Park.
Other successful groups were the Surehealth group, granted £1525 to set up weekly yoga sessions in Foxhill; the St Andrews Neighbourhood Group, awarded £1146 to pay for room hire, insurance, and a day trip as part of their work with the local community in Broomhall; and the Miracle Trust got £888 towards their work on a project, based in Arbourthorne, to improve young people’s self-esteem.
The Council granted £500 to the Arbourthorne Forum to contribute towards the publication of their newsletter while they explore sponsorship options. Beighton Welfare Recreation Trust received £420 towards the cost of banqueting chairs to help furnish their function room. £2400 went to the Abbeydale Community Trust to fund sewing classes as a way of encouraging women to attend English classes. The All Inc Trampolining Club, which runs sessions for young people with special needs, was awarded £1569 for hall hire and coaching courses.
The Stephen Harrison Academy was granted £2006 to pay for their snooker tables to be re-covered; they provide tuition and tournaments for adults with learning disabilities and mental health problems. The Self Care Independence Project and Manor Castle Healthy Living Network received £2340 to pay for activities and counselling as part of their work to help people manage anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.
The Castle Weavers Cooperative helps people who don’t often leave their homes to get out and about, they have been awarded £1000 towards room hire. The final grant of £3000 went to the GP Referral Self-Help Group to pay for gym instructor fees and venue hire. The group provides support for people who have been referred by their GP to do exercise. The NHS funds a 12-week programme and the group then encourages people to continue exercising.
Councillor Pat Midgley, Cabinet Advisor for Social Inclusion said: “The Council is working hard to close the gap between the most deprived areas of Sheffield and other parts of the city. It is great to be able to support organisations that are making a difference in their local communities by promoting community wellbeing and tackling disadvantage and discrimination.”
Each year the Small Grants Fund awards around £200,000 to up to 350 organisations. An organisation or group can apply for a grant of up to a maximum of £3000 in any 12 month period. Some of the most frequently requested items that are funded by small grants are room hire, transport costs for people who are disabled, trips, speakers and tutors, out of pocket volunteer expenses, materials and equipment, administration costs.
For more information or an application pack go to www.sheffield.gov.uk/smallgrants , write to The Voluntary Sector Liaison Team, Town Hall, Sheffield, S1 2HH, telephone 0114 273 4113 or email vslt@sheffield.gov.uk.
Rt Hon David Blunkett Opens New Playground
October saw the opening of the new Woolley Woods playground. This follows two years of hard work from the Friends of Woolley Woods Park and Sheffield City Council Parks and Countryside Service.
The Rt Hon David Blunkett formally opened the playground (on Saturday
20th October) and was given a tour of the new facilities, which includes some challenging climbing features. The friends group are delighted with the new playground and facilities, as are the young people in the area who couldn’t wait to have a go!
The improvements to the site have been made possible with a Big Lottery ‘Reaching Communities’ grant and with money raised by the friends group from Help A Hallam Child, The Sheffield Town Trust and other funders.
New Website For The Friends of Charlton Brook
Members and volunteers of Friends of Charlton Brook (FOCB) joined forces with the Park Rangers on Sunday 21st October to plant over 5000 native bulbs in the brook. A further 4500 non native bulbs are to be planted on Sunday 11th November at 10am and FOCB would like to invite the local community to come along and help. FOCB now also have a website which promotes our work which can be found at www.friendsofcharltonbrook.co.uk
Further information from Michelle Tilney on 0114 2848779 or
email: Friendsofcharltonbrook@hotmail.co.uk
The Forgotten Valley Project
Did you know that there used to be 5 water-powered wheels along the Shire Brook Valley and an industrial complex to rival Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet? Or, that there were several coal mines and a railway running through the valley. Or, that you can still find tiny parts of the original ‘Birley Moor’ and ancient meadows?
The Shire Brook Valley Heritage Group was formed in 2005 from a group of enthusiasts to help Sheffield City Council Ranger, Chris Smith, update a local history leaflet for the area. Whilst researching the leaflet it became clear that much of the local history of the Shire Brook Valley was hidden to the wider public and so the group applied for a grant to help them publicise the importance of the area and called their project the ‘Forgotten Valley’.
The group were awarded a total of £29,750 by the Local Heritage Initiative and Nationwide Building Society in July 2006 and the project has now come to an end with their book launch and celebration at the Shire Brook summer festival on the 21st July 2007.
For more details about the book, and where you can get copies, please visit the group’s website at: www.shirebrookvalleyheritage.btik.com or contact Chris Smith in the East Ranger Team on 275 1176.
Partnership Working Brings Rewards
Working with communities is a big part of our work at Parks and Countryside and we work with local organisations on many different projects each year, bringing real rewards to local communities. There are far too many projects to list here but below are just six examples of projects that we have been working on this year …
Pitching in at Firth Park… Two grass mini football pitches in Firth Park have been resurfaced thanks to the Friends of Firth Park and Parks & Countryside securing a grant from Evolve EB. This is an important part of the wider regeneration of the park which will include completing the circular walking route in the park, improving sports facilities and making improvements to the area around the Clock Tower.
Rivelin Mill Dam Re-Opens…The Rivelin Valley Conservation Group and Parks & Countryside have come to the end of a 9 month restoration program of Rivelin Mill Dam which has seen extensive rebuilding and landscaping of the original site in order to develop a new Dam.
Jumping for Joy in Endcliffe Playground… Major funding has been secured by Friends Of Encliffe Park from Veolia Environmental Trust scheme and The Big Lottery Children’s Play for a new playground in Endcliffe Park. The target sum of £220,000 is now in sight for the group and the next phase will see the group working closely with the Parks and Countryside Service to finalise the plans for the new playground which will be open next summer.
Transformation at Norfolk Heritage Park… The Friends of Norfolk Heritage Park have been successful in securing £10,000 from Awards for All for a project which will transforming a small-disused area of the park into a wildlife garden, add to the park’s sculpture trail and provide an interpretation leaflet about Norfolk Heritage Park, its history and wildlife.
Skateboard Fun in the Park... Parks & Countyside worked with Meersbrook Park Users Trust to install a new skate park in Meersbrook Park after the Friends group raised funding from Barclay Spaces For Sport and other funders. The concrete double bowl is one of the only skate parks of this type in Sheffield and has been really well used since it opened in the summer.
Playtime at Woolley Woods Park… Work is about to start on a new playground for Woolley Woods Park after almost £60,000 of Big Lottery funding was awarded to Parks and Countryside and £15,000 was raised by the Friends of Woolley Woods Park. The play facilities are much needed in the area and will include a youth shelter for older children.
Footpath Frenzy!
The Friends of Cholera Monument Grounds and Clay Wood celebrated as they launch a new footpath on the historic site. The Friends group and Sheffield City Council Rangers’ Service held a launch event on Saturday 2nd June to mark the completion of the path.
A family activity called ‘Footpath Frenzy!’ will be taking place between 1pm and 3pm. Visitors to the site can follow a photo trail around the new footpath which has recently been installed in the grounds.
Councillor Bryan Lodge, Cabinet member for Transport and Streetscene Sheffield City Council said: “The works have vastly improved access for visitors, especially those with wheelchairs or pushchairs. Work has included the installation of a new footpath from Clay Wood to the Cholera Monument, the removal of steps in Clay Wood and upgrading of a section of footpath.”
The Friends of Cholera Monument Grounds and Clay Wood working alongside Sheffield City Council’s Parks and Countryside service raised the funding for this project from Evolve EB funding.
Jeanne Foster Chair of the friends group said: "The new pathways provide easier access for those walking the Norfolk Heritage Trail from Manor Lodge to the Cathedral and encourage people to go to the monument, sit awhile and enjoy the view."
Rivelin Dam Re-Opens
The Rivelin Valley Conservation Group and Sheffield City Council are celebrating the completion of works to improve one of the city’s green corridors.
Thursday 17th May sees the official re-opening of Rivelin Mill Dam following a 9 month long restoration program. This project has seen extensive rebuilding and landscaping of the original site in order to develop a new Dam with a reduced embankment, enabling the Dam to retain the water. Several organisations who have worked together to see the successful restoration of this historical site will be out in force from 12pm - 1pm to celebrate the culmination of the project.
Councillor Bryan Lodge, Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Green Spaces at Sheffield City Council said: “Environmental improvements on the Rivelin Mill Dam are now complete, creating a better pond facility, the Pudding Ladies have taken over the cafe providing visitors with refreshments, there are the paddling pools which will again be enjoyed throughout the summer and the new toilet blocks. There have been loads of new additions in the Rivelin Valley and it is great that we can work closely with everyone to make these much-needed improvements to the area. The Rivelin Valley is one of the city’s most beautiful landscapes and a great day out. The Conservation Group and Friends have been instrumental in making such changes and ensuring that the Valley is safeguarded for many more to enjoy.“
Severe leaks at the original Dam followed a total collapse of the embankment. Roger Kite from Rivelin Conservation came up with the idea for a realistic and achievable restoration of the site, which was then funded from Sheffield City Council’s Capital Expenditure. The project received a further boost from South Yorkshire Forest who funded a new dipping platform, enabling families and children to enjoy and view the wildlife, which it is anticipated will soon live around the dam.
Roger Kite, Chair of the Rivelin Valley Conservation Group and Friends of Rivelin Valley said: “I am delighted that after five years of closure the new Dam is reopening. Our plan to bring back a substantial water body for wildlife has been successful and we hope it will go on to be a real asset to Rivelin. It should serve as a further attraction to encourage families and children to get the most out of the area. Parks & Countryside have worked very hard over the past nine months to create a space which complements the existing landscape and I hope that members of the wider Sheffield Community will join us on the 17th to celebrate this wonderful achievement.”
The design of the overall scheme has been developed in association with the Rivelin Valley Conservation Group, whose members are committed to improving the valley and have been involved in restoration work and management of the mill ponds. The project itself was managed, designed and delivered by Sheffield City Council’s Premises and Assets section and Street Force team, and South Yorkshire Forest supported the project by donating funds for the dipping platform, which was constructed from locally sourced Oak from Ecclesall Saw Mill.
New toilets at the Valley have also been completed and will be ready for public use. The old blocks and messroom buildings were demolished in the autumn and a new single block constructed in the same footprint providing new facilities for visitors to the Valley. Funding for the new facilities was again from the Council’s Capital Expenditure with the project being managed by the Premises and Assets section and constructed by Kier Sheffield LLP.
Councillor Lodge added: “This work will enhance one of our most beautiful ‘green corridors’ into the city and this site on the very edge of the National Park is environmentally sensitive, so we are pleased to work closely with the local Conservation Group on this important project.”
There are over 18 historical dam and mill sites along the Rivelin valley, these early water power sites along with those in the Loxley, Porter and Upper Sheaf valley, led to the industrialisation of Sheffield. The once industrial valleys, such as the Rivelin, now provide much of the Parks, Woodlands and Countryside that make Sheffield unique, and which so many People now enjoy and cherish as part of a modern and thriving Sheffield. A further family event is planned for the 20th May from 10am - 12 noon and will include activities such as Pond Dipping, Bird Box Building and a Treasure Trail.
The Friends of Charlton Brook Are Making A Difference
The Friends of Charlton Brook group are making a big difference in the Chapeltown and High Green area by helping to improve the green space for the local community. The friends of group have been working in partnership with the Parks & Countryside Rangers to continue the ongoing management to clear litter and debris from the stream and surrounding green space on Sunday 4th March. This proved to be a huge success with rubbish removed from traffic cones to shopping trolleys.
The newly formed friends of group are working to educate young people and other members of the local community to encourage them to ultimately help care for the dam and wildlife. It is hoped that this will further generate the development of local pride in the site and compliment and inform current and future developments as a vibrant and valued community resource.
For further details contact Michelle Tilney, Press Officer on 0114 2848779 or email friendsofcharltonbrook@hotmail.co.uk
Friends Group Use 'Thinking Tree' To Consult With Children
The Friends of Endcliffe Playground are aiming to raise the funds to create a new inclusive playground in Endcliffe Park, where children of all ages and abilities can play together in a challenging and safe environment.
In February the group consulted over 400 people who came along to a event held in Endcliffe Park. Over 30 images were displayed in a gazebo next to the playground. People were invited to consider the pictures which showed different types of play equipment and environments and different types of play opportunity. They were asked to stick up to five stickers (red for adults and yellow for kids) on the pictures which most appealed to them. Some of the pictures had so many stickers on it was hard to see what was underneath!
Alongside the public consultation event an in-depth consultation workshop was held with 12 (randomly selected) children, ranging in age from 5 – 12 years old. Penny Thompson, a lecturer in the Science Learning Centre at Sheffield Hallam University, devised and ran the event, “We used something called a “Thinking Skills” approach and the aim was to get the kids thinking and talking about what they wanted to see in the playground, but we also spent a lot of time thinking about what other people with different needs might want.”
Using the Thinking Skills approach the children were asked to wear different coloured “thinking hats” – for example, they wore a red hat when they explored their feelings about the current playground, a green creative hat when they thought about all the wonderful things that a new playground might include and a purple hat when they were thinking about some of the barriers which others might face in using the playground and how these might be overcome. The children’s comments were written up onto appropriately coloured speech bubbles and posted like leaves on the branches of a thinking tree.
On 3rd May the Friends will be running the final part of the consultation process at the Ryegate Centre, and later in May at the Children’s Hospital. Combining the two approaches above, they will be talking to children with special needs and their families about how we can make the playground a fun and exciting place for them to be.
New Trees For Firth Park
20 big new trees, including Norway Maple, Lime, Oak and London Plane, have been planted to form an avenue along Firth Park Road. These will compliment the 20 trees that were planted near to the Vivian Road entrance 2 years ago.
The tree planting has been fully supported by the Green Watch Ranger Service and Tinsley Tree Project (TTP), a local environmental and educational tree project. This forms part of the Community Forestry programme for the area, sponsored by the Council’s Brightside and Shiregreen Area Panel through NRF funding. This is all part of the continued regeneration of the park.
Joining in the planting were local Councillors Peter Price, Joan Barton and Jane Bird, and members of the Friends of Firth Park.
Karen Wood, Community Forester for the Brightside and Shiregreen Area said: “These are magnificent specimen trees and have been especially planted to form an avenue which will be visible from the road. They are just about to come into leaf.”
Karen has had several positive comments from local residents who are really pleased to see the trees being planted.
Woolley Wood Park Win The Lottery
Woolley Woods Park is set to benefit from almost £60,000 of Big Lottery funding after Sheffield City Council’s Parks and Countryside department were awarded a Reaching Communities grant. The money is a welcome addition to the £15,000 already raised by the Friends of Woolley Woods Park.
Two new pieces of play equipment were installed in the park during an earlier phase of the project last year and they are already proving to be a great success with children in the area. The Reaching Communities grant will enable the completion of the new playground with brand new facilities for children of all ages and abilities, a picnic area for families and a shelter for young people to be able to sit and meet one another.
The dedicated Friends group worked closely with staff from Parks and Countryside and also from Brightside and Shiregreen Area Panel to help to put together a bid for funding.
Joanne Buck, Assistant Community Partnership Officer at Parks and Countryside, said: “This grant will make a big difference to the community of Wincobank, especially to families and young people in the area. The area has suffered previously because there was little for young people to do and play equipment in the park was outdated.
“The project has really brought the community of Wincobank together with The Friends of Woolley Woods Park driving the project forward.”
Chair of the Area Panel, Cllr Peter Price said; “I would like to congratulate and thank members of the ‘Friends’ group and other local residents who have worked very hard to secure a future for the park. It is a clear demonstration of what we can achieve when the council and communities work together."
It is hoped that the new playground will be completed during the summer and an opening ceremony is being planned for later in the year.
Community Orchard in High Hazels Park
Volunteers from The Friends of High Hazels Park, local schools and rangers from around the city helped to plant over one hundred fruit trees in High Hazels Park. The scheme organised by the Darnall Green Spaces Regeneration Project and Androo Thornton Community Forestry Officer aimed to establish a community orchard, which is on the masterplan for High Hazels Park. Many varieties of trees were planted including apple, damson, plum and pear, the orchard will hopefully flourish into a fruitful site that will be accessible to everyone in the local community, and become perfect place for scrumping.
Thank you to all the volunteers, Tinsley Tree Project and the teachers and Y4 pupils from Greenlands Junior School and Phillimore Primary who helped to plant trees.
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