Author: Laura

By Dan Barron and Sam Dixon, Heart of the Community Team

As the Heart for the community project is ending, we wanted to be able to give something back to the volunteers that have participated in the project over the last 3 years. We have met some wonderful people who have stood up to positively impact their community. They have put the interest of others before themselves and have brought a real sense of community to Rotherham.

We didn’t just invite the Community leaders we invited volunteers who do the small tasks that go unnoticed at times and those that help out when they could. The heart of the community has been about bringing the community together and highlighting that people can support positive change in different ways. We wanted to give a shout out to the unsung heroes. We created an event specifically for our volunteers to relax, have some food and music at the Rotherham Titans Rugby club and enjoy the afternoon. Including Rotherfed staff we had 41 people join us for the celebration.

This project wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our incredible volunteers. Their commitment has transformed isolated communities and created lasting positive change.

Their passion and selflessness have been the driving force behind this project’s success.

“Thank you for everything you have done and the impact you have had on the community and myself. You will be missed, and I’ll remember when I’m taking over the world. Lots of Love and well wishes.”

Talk n Train

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for the Community Tree. We will miss you both so much. Lots of Love from the committee at the community Tree. We love you loads xx.”

       The Community Tree Committee

“Thank you for all your help and putting up with me and a big thankyou for all of the support from DEHT Greenspaces. We love you both xxx.”

             Nicola (The DEHT committee)

“Thankyou for your help and assistance over the
last few years and for tolerating the absolute DIN!! Created at the coffee
mornings at Warreners Centre on Wednesday mornings. Very Best wishes to you
both in your future ventures xx.“

Warreners Drive Residents

“Thank you for all you have done.”

Margaret

“The venue was perfect for our volunteers to be able to socialise and talk openly about what they are achieving in their communities. The place had a real earthy feel and made a real difference as there was no corporate feel to it.”

RotherFed

By Julie Fletcher, Neelam Rhuksar and Maria Jones, The Making Our Money Go Further Team

A retired lady recently rang More Making Our Money Go Further Project to enquire about whether she was entitled to any benefits, in particular Attendance Allowance. She had seen one of our posters that had been passed on by her friend who attends a community group in Rotherham. She expressed concern about the Winter Fuel Allowance being withdrawn by the government and said that she was anxious and worried about having the money to be able to heat her home and given the rise in living expenses, how she was going to manage through the winter period.

During the consultation, she shared that she had worked all her life as a nurse and had recently retired. Since retirement, she has been facing significant personal challenges which included being diagnosed with breast cancer and having had a mastectomy, being diagnosed with an overactive bladder and arthritis in both feet, knees and legs which has caused walking to become problematic. Despite her struggles, this lady was unaware that she might be eligible for additional financial support.

The lady was listened to over the telephone, and it was clear from the discussion that she was suffering with anxiety due to the challenges that she had been managing with her health. She was reassured that the Citizens Advice Bureau would carry out a benefits check and advise whether she was entitled to Attendance Allowance and that she was told that to contact us was the right thing to do.

The lady was referred in through the online Portal. Citizens Advice advised her that she may be entitled to Attendance Allowance and provided a number to ring to obtain a form. Once the form arrived the lady telephoned and enquired whether she would receive assistance from the Citizens Advice regarding filling the form out. The lady was once again referred into Citizens Advice for assistance with this and an appointment was arranged for attendance at the Citizens Advice Bureau to complete the form. Subsequently, lady was successful in being granted Attendance Allowance at the high rate.

She was overjoyed by this decision as this is a crucial financial aid for her to be able to pay for a service on her car as this is her lifeline to getting around now, and a much-needed financial boost as the colder months approach. She expressed her gratitude for the help and assistance provided by Rotherfed. Her experience highlights the importance of the More Making Our Money Go Further Project and the difference this can make in people’s lives by offering personalised support and assistance by making people feel less worried about their money situation, making them less stressed about money and feeling less isolated/along about their financial situation.

By Rachel Cole and Rob Gooding, The Tenant Involvement Team

This is a lovely active group who see the Centre as an extension of their homes and say they would be lost without it; this is apparent in the Centre too as it has a lot of homemade furnishings around making it feel homely. As a lot of the residents live alone the Centre gives them the opportunity to get together and have a chat, without having to go far. On a weekly basis they hold coffee mornings, craft sessions, film afternoons, games and bingo. They also meet at the Centre for lunch on Sundays, they have this delivered in.  As well as activities in the Centre they have trips out as a group when they can. 

A recent addition to the Centre is a poppy display which the craft group have done at their sessions. The main part of the display is lots of knitted poppies which they have made and then framed, they are really proud of this, and it does looks lovely.

This year the group held a Christmas Fair at the Centre, and this took place on Friday 29 November.  Rachel produced a leaflet for them and delivered this around the bungalows, it was also included in the RMBC ebulletin.  During the past year, the craft group have been making lots of items including candles, candle holders, keyrings, Christmas tree decorations etc which they then sold at the fair to raise money for their group. As well as these they did a tombola, which was very popular. RMBC Councillors have also agreed to purchase the group some craft equipment.

The group will be enjoying a trip to Rotherham Civic for the pantomime in January. 

By Lynn Clarkson, Madiya Shokat and Sharon Smith, The Energy Know How Team

Lynn met a client at Brampton Parish Hall dementia cafe group. The lady has been having problems with British gas. She sent her meter readings to British gas by telephone, however, has not had a bill sent for the past two months and is anxious that she will have a large bill to pay. The lady has spoken to British gas over the phone, however, has still not received a bill. We discussed the client downloading the British gas app to her mobile phone so she can monitor her bills. I confirmed that usually when you send meter reading on the app you usually get a notification that your bill is ready to pay the following day, and you can access the bill and pay online. The lady said that this would help her, and she is to ask her sister to assist her downloading the app on her phone. I gave the lady my contact details and asked her to contact me in a weeks’ time if she is still having problems and I will meet up with her to try and assist further.

By Janet Malsch and Lee Lazenby, Open Arms Team

At the start of November, a lady called in to one of our Open Arms sessions at Wath Library.  Ms S was seeking assistance and information about our services. Drawn to the welcoming environment, she decided to reach out. 

Over a brew, she bravely shared her story. For the past five years, she had been in an on-and-off abusive relationship, which had left her unable to cope with anxiety and mounting debts. Determined to make positive changes in her life, she sought advice on how to address her financial challenges. 

The CARD adviser attending the session, suggested two options.  Either she attends the debt drop-in session at their main office in Rotherham between 09:30 and 12:30 or return in two weeks with the relevant paperwork as she needed more time. Ms S lived locally, so she opted to go back to the library. 

On returning, the advisor referred her to the CARD debt team for further support. During her visit, she also had an open and heartfelt conversation with the Open Arms team, once again, expressing her struggles and her determination to move forward. 

She later shared her gratitude, saying the support and care she received made her feel heard and valued, and now feels confident about tackling her financial situation in the hope of it leading towards a brighter future. 

This story highlights the impact of creating a safe, welcoming and supportive environment for individuals in need and the power of small gestures in fostering hope and confidence. 

By Debra Gill, Tenant Involvement Innovation Officer

Bridgette held her very first digital drop-in session on Tuesday 29th October, and had an immediate response from library users. During October she assisted a gentleman who confided that he was going to be made redundant and needed help to navigate the online process of applying for jobs. He has returned to sessions weekly, and Bridgette has gone through how to upload his C.V from his mobile phone and assisted him using the library desktop computers to look at job websites.

Bridgette also answered a request to help the Buddies community group set up a new mobile phone and to create a WhatsApp group so they could all connect online. At the first session 5 of the group attended, and Bridgette helped them set up the group and spoke to them about keeping the group safe and only adding trusted contacts. The following week 7 members attended, and Bridgette helped them all connect, and built a great rapport with all group members.

Buddies have invited Bridgette to attend their weekly Monday meetings, and she joined them for coffee and a catch up whenever she can.

By Madiya Shokat, Lynn Clarkson and Sharon Smith, Energy Know How Team

During one of our regular visits to Maltby foodbank I was approached by Mr M. He had an issue with his former energy supplier and wondered whether I could help. I said I would look at the bills and assess them – Mr M agreed to email them to me which he did a few days after. I assessed the multiple bills which were emailed to me from Mr M however I was unable to make sense of the May bill which included all the previous cancellations and re-billing – The September bill clearly re-charged for the standing charges which had previously been refunded.

I emailed Eon a formal complaint detailing my concerns and included a signed consent form from Mr M.

I quite quickly received a response from Eon acknowledging that the bills were confusing however it was their right to correct bills when they had been issued wrong and confirmed that the standing charges had previously been refunded in error and that Mr M should and was now being charged for them.

I suggested that he should not be penalised for an error by Eon staff and that as a gesture of goodwill they should uphold the previous decision to refund them, cancel the £70.00 owing and pay some element of compensation to Mr M.

A few emails were exchanged and Eon offered as a final settlement £130.00 in total payment out of which they would take the outstanding balance and pay Mr M the difference of @ £67.00

I let Mr M make the decision on whether to accept the offer or ask for a deadlock letter and ask the energy ombudsman to rule and he wanted to accept the offer to bring the situation to a quick ending however he did request that his account and personal information be deleted by Eon on conclusion of this matter.

The acceptance and request for deletion of details were conveyed to Eon and Mr M is just waiting for his letter of apology and cheque for the credit balance.

A good outcome that Mr M was happy with.

By Janet Malsch and Lee Lazenby, Open Arms Team

Joanne, a retired lady, recently visited the Open Arms Project after her Winter Fuel Allowance was withdrawn by the government. She was welcomed warmly by our team with coffee, biscuits, and a friendly atmosphere before meeting with one of our Citizens Advice advisers.

During the consultation, Joanne shared that she had been facing significant personal challenges, including a brain haemorrhage, which had taken a toll on her. Despite her struggles, Joanne was unaware that she might be eligible for additional financial support.

Thanks to a thorough benefits check, it was discovered that Joanne was entitled to Pension Credit—a crucial financial aid for her. Not only did our adviser help her apply for this benefit, but they were also able to backdate the claim to the end of June. This resulted in a substantial payout, providing Joanne with a much-needed financial boost as the colder months approach.

Joanne expressed her gratitude to the team for their support and guidance. She is now in a much better financial position, allowing her to feel more secure and prepared for winter. Her experience highlights the importance of the Open Arms Project and the difference we can make in people’s lives by offering personalised support and advice.

By Rachel Cole and Rob Gooding, Tenant Involvement Team

Two community skips were held on the White Bear Estate on Tuesday 22 October, 9am until 3pm or until full.  RMBC Officers invited Rotherfed staff along to support this.  

The initiative, aimed at helping residents dispose of unwanted items and declutter their homes, it saw enthusiastic participation from the local community filling two skips with a vast assortment of rubbish, all before 12pm. The Mears caretakers also assisted by collecting waste from residents’ gardens and picking up bulky items which they couldn’t get to the skip themselves. 

Community skip days are always a much-needed service, enabling households to get rid of bulky waste that is typically hard to manage, and it supports residents that have no way to take rubbish to the tip. The overall aim of this is an attempt to help reduce fly tipping in the area and make the estate cleaner and safer for residents.   

As well as the skips, staff litter picked around the area.  It was a great clean-up day for the estate. 

Whilst on the estate, as well as helping with the clean-up, Rotherfed staff were able to chat to local residents, who they had previously contacted at the summer event, about forming a group/tara for the estate. This estate would really benefit from a resident’s group as this would enable them to apply for funding and put more activities, day trips etc on for the residents. We have now arranged a meeting with 3 residents for next month to hopefully move this group forward and support them to become constituted with a bank account, which will open up so many opportunities for them.  

The possibility of having a free Christmas grotto on the estate next month is also being looked into.  

By Dan Barron and Sam Dixon, Heart of the Community Team

One of the group’s core activities involves hosting weekly community events. The group offers three weekly exercise sessions, all the sessions are inclusive and open to all including families. These gatherings serve as platforms for open dialogue, information sharing, and relationship building. By providing a space for residents to connect the Talk and Train Group has played a positive role in strengthening community bonds and fostering a sense of belonging.

The group has actively participated in significant industry events, such as the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) conference. This engagement has allowed the Talk and Train Group to network with other organisations.

The group have been recognised for the importance of physical and mental health community group. The sessions provide opportunities for individuals of all ages and fitness levels to participate in enjoyable and beneficial physical activities. By promoting a healthy lifestyle and encouraging regular exercise, the Talk and Train Group is contributing to the overall well-being of the community.

Building on their successes, the Talk and Train Group is actively pursuing funding opportunities to expand their programs and services. By securing additional resources, the group aims to increase their reach, enhance their offerings, and make a greater impact on the community. The group’s commitment to continuous improvement and its vision for a thriving community are evident in its ongoing efforts to secure funding and expand its initiatives.

Talk and Train have been working with the Sanctuary Gardens community hub over the last 6 months and have now merged into one group. The volunteers at Sanctuary gardens will still run their activity as normal, whilst talk and train will be the over-arching umbrella that will support the financial side of all of the activity.

The Talk and Train Group has established itself as an asset to the community, providing essential services, fostering engagement, and promoting health and well-being. Through their community events, advocacy efforts, and exercise programs, the group has made a positive difference in the lives of residents. As they continue to grow and expand their initiatives, the Talk and Train Group is poised to play an even more significant role in shaping the future of the community.