Useful Links For Friends of Groups

This page includes lots of useful links for Friends of and Community Groups involved in the regeneration of Sheffield's parks and green spaces:

 

If you would like your group or organisation to be listed on this page, or if you cannot access a link from this page, then please contact Joanne Buck at parksandcountryside@sheffield.gov.uk 

 

 

The Sheffield Funding Advisory Service aims to help members of local voluntary and community groups to develop their fundraising skills so that they can plan and develop their own fundraising activities in the future.

 

SCEDU had been supporting community based enterprises with advice, consultancy, loans and grants since 1995 and focuses on the more socially deprived areas of the city.

 

Voluntary Action Sheffield (VAS) is an independent voluntary organisation supporting the development of the voluntary and community sector locally.  VAS provides a wide range of support and services to groups, helping those that are starting up, as well as organisations that are already established.

 

VolResource aims to make it quick and easy to get to useful information on anything to do with running a voluntary organisation (whether a community group, charity or other non-profit body).

 

Volunteering England is the national volunteer development organisation for England.  They work across the voluntary, public and private sectors to raise the profile of volunteering as a powerful force for change.

 

A registered charity providing lots of useful information to download for voluntary and community groups.

 

 

 

Art in the Park is an independent organisation, organising and running monthly community art events in green spaces in the Sheffield areas of Upperthorpe, Netherthorpe and Langsett.

 

'Fuelling a Revolution - The Woods that founded the Steel Country’ is a five-year programme to restore 35 ‘Heritage Woodlands’ lying within the South Yorkshire Forest to their former glory, so that they can be enjoyed and fully appreciated by all sectors of the community. 

 

Heeley City Farm is community-led initiative, which features include a community garden, training and education centre, community café, vegetable and herb garden, children’s play area and grazing fields.

 

The Help Yourself Database is a free resource provided by Sheffield Libraries, Archives and Information Services and can be used to search for other community or environmental organisations in your area.

 

Manor & Castle Development Trust is working towards the regeneration of the Manor & Castle areas and provides many useful training courses.

 

Pedal Pushers is an organisation made up of cyclists of all kinds from all over the city who want to see cycling taken seriously as a means of transport, and given the facilities it needs.

 

The aim of this group is to work with and complement other local natural history societies and to promote an interest in birds within the community.  The specific aims of the SBSG are to maintain a local recording system, to co-ordinate fieldwork and the conservation of local species and habitats.

 

Sheffield First (including Sheffield First for Environment) is the strategic body for environmental development in the city.

 

The Sheffield Wildlife Trust is part of a partnership of 47 Wildlife Trusts.  The partnership also includes the national association of the Royal Society of Nature Conservation, the Urban Wildlife Partnership and Wildlife Watch, the junior branch.  This network of local and national charities work in concert to create a better future for wildlife and people in town and country across the UK.

 

The South Yorkshire Forest Partnership works to deliver a package of urban, economic and social regeneration.  This vision will create high quality environments for millions of people by diversifying land use, revitalising derelict land use, revitalising derelict landscapes, enhancing biodiversity and providing new opportunities for leisure, recreation, cultural activity, education, healthy living and social and economic development.

The Whirlow Hall Farm Trust is both an educational charity and a working farm.

 

 

 

CABE Space aims to bring excellence to the design, management and maintenance of parks and public space.  CABE Space works with local authorities and other bodies responsible for public space to help them provide a better service.  The site can be found at CABE Space Sheffield

 

Cleaner, Greener, Safer is a Government initiative to be used a resource for Government, community groups and charities who are working hard to deliver projects, funding and ideas to help make all our communities cleaner, greener and safer.  This site hopes to brings together information and support to inspire individuals, communities, local authorities, businesses and others to use, improve, maintain and own their parks, green spaces and streets.

 

Encams is a national charity committed to creating and maintaining high quality local environments.  Litter prevention and removal are at the core of the group's activities, but the charity also addresses a range of other issues including dog fouling, gum removal and fly-posting.

 

The vision of GreenSpace is to have a network of easily accessible, safe, attractive and welcoming parks, gardens and green spaces which meet the needs of everyone and which contribute to the economic, social and environmental well-being of people and places, now and for future generations.  The organisation advocates for better planned, designed and managed parks, gardens and green spaces and for their positive contribution to our economic, physical and spiritual health, to social cohesion and to biodiversity.

 

Groundwork is a federation of trusts each working with their partners to improve the quality of the local environment, the lives of local people and the success of local businesses in areas in need of investment and support.  Groundwork Yorkshire & the Humber is the central point for Groundwork Trusts in the region but Groundwork Sheffield should be your first port of call. 

 

This Government site sets out a vision for narrowing the gap between deprived neighbourhoods and the rest of the country.  The aims of the Neighbourhood Renewal project are to deliver economic prosperity; safe communities; high quality education; decent housing and better health to the poorest parts of the country with the ultimate aim of ensuring that within 10 to 20 years, no one should be seriously disadvantaged by where they live.

 

 

BTCV is one of the UK's leading charities working with people to bring about positive environmental change.  BTCV South Yorkshire has a list of groups near you that carry out practical conservation work – from hedge laying to litter picking and you can use this site to find out if there is a group near you who might already be working to help improve your neighbourhood.

 

BEN is established to promote equality of opportunity with respect to ethnic communities in the preservation protection and development of the environment.  BEN therefore works to integrate social, cultural and environmental concerns in the context of sustainable development, reaching out to ethnic communities in order to stimulate participation and working to support mainstream organisations so that they may gain the necessary awareness and skills to work effectively with ethnic communities.

 

Common Ground is a charity that encourages people to stand up for their place.  Common Ground pioneers imaginative ways of ‘reweaving’ the local world.  They aim to inspire people to join in exploration of the richness in everyday places, popular culture, common wildlife, ordinary buildings and landscapes and to go on to become actively involved in.

 

The Community Composting Network is the co-ordinating body for community composting in the UK.  The Community Composting Network supports and promotes the community management and use of waste bio-degradable resources.  The project aims to support community groups that are involved in the management of the organic waste they are producing and that are not-for-profit and locally accountable organisations.

 

FCFCG is a charity that supports, promotes and represents city farms and community gardens throughout the UK.  FCFCG represent 59 city farms, more than 1,000 community gardens, 77 school farms and around 20 allotment groups in the UK and provide support and advice to existing and new groups.

 

The National Federation of Cemetery Friends links over fifty groups of volunteers dedicated to preserving their local cemeteries.

 

The objectives of the Society are to help all enjoy the recreation of gardening and so promote their health, education and community fellowship.  The Society aims to encourage the formation of gardening associations, seek to safeguard their interest through improved legislation and advises and assists generally on all problems that face the amateur gardener.

 

The Open Spaces Society protects common land and public rights of way.  If you know of a blocked public path or encroachment on common land, or you want to register a 'new' green, they can help you.  Their publication, Making Space (£5) advises on protecting and creating open space for local communities.

 

The RSPB is the UK charity working to secure a healthy environment for birds and wildlife.  The RSPB is involved in the conservation of wildlife as a whole, rather than just birds.

 

The Forestry Commission is the government department responsible for forestry policy throughout Great Britain.  The aims of the Forestry Commission are to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment.

 

The Woodland Trust aim to conserve, restore and re-establish native woodland to its former glory.  Currently the Trust own and care for over 1,000 woods, covering over 50,000 acres.  The Woodland Trust has a range of volunteering opportunities, including being their ‘eyes and ears’ as a woodland warden, tree planting, becoming a voluntary speaker, a photographer or a researcher.

 

The Sensory Trust promotes and implements environmental design and management to ensure opportunities for access, learning and involvement are available to everyone.  The Trust provides information, offers advice, influences policy, assists professionals, showcases good practice, organises user testing by disabled people, provides training/education and develops projects.

 

Trees for Cities is an independent charity supporting city-wide tree planting and greening initiatives in urban areas of greatest need; their aim is to stimulate a greening renaissance in cities around the world.