Category: Good News Stories

The Big Local Gala took place recently. This year’s event was tied in to celebrate the King’s Coronation too. 

It was a fantastic event with over 1500 people attending. There was plenty for everyone to do including fairground rides, axe throwing, a circus workshop, face painting, a magic show, stilt walker, inflatables, stalls, an ice cream van, and a BBQ.  The weather was kind to us and stayed dry all day.

The Big Local project first launched at a Gala in 2012 and has continued every year since, apart from during the Covid period.  Although Big Local will finish this year, it is hoped that the Gala will continue for many years to come.  An events committee has been set up and they are now constituted with a bank account, this will enable them to apply for their own funding to keep the Gala and other events running.  During the Big Local project, a Year 11 fund was also set up and this is money that has been collected/donated at events, this money will now help to fund future activities and events.

The community looks forward to the Gala each year and once again this year they all had a great time.

Quotes from community:

“It was lovey, thank you to everyone who organised it”.

“It’s been brilliant, as always”.

“Thank you to all the organisers, we really enjoyed the day”.

The Silverwood Colliery Heritage Group is a dedicated community organisation that seeks to preserve and promote the rich mining history of Silverwood Colliery and how mining still has an impact on the local community today. The group is led by a committed group of volunteers who all work together to make the vision of having a dedicated heritage centre of their own a reality.

The importance of keeping the history alive is vital to understanding the local communities, for preserving the cultural heritage and recognising the lessons from the miners struggles.

As Neil Bingham, the groups chair, has previously told us “We strongly believe that Silverwood Colliery has a story and a history that needs to be told and displayed for a new generation to see. A story of Hard Work, Pride Solidarity, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Hardships. Memories good and bad, a story of a place that brought unity to our community’s a place that deserves to be remembered, respected, and honoured.”

The group were approached by Clifton Park Museum to put a display into their “Test Space”. This space hosts temporary exhibits that showcase the work, lives, or history of local residents.

To prepare for the event the group ensured that the displays that they had identified to be in the exhibit were fully ready and approached the museum to use their expertise to ensure the display would have the maximum impact on visitors. The exhibit was promoted across social media platforms and local networks.

The exhibition itself offered a captivating experience for visitors, combining historical artifacts, interactive displays, and engaging storytelling. It included displays that showcased the colliery’s history, the lives of miners, the working conditions, and a video that included footage to show some of the most important historical events from the site.

This highlights a remarkable litter pick event that took place in the Ferham neighbourhood of Rotherham, specifically focusing on Union Street.

Despite the modest number of community members participating, the efforts and dedication of those involved led to a significant impact. The litter pick not only demonstrated the collective power of a small group but also showcased the transformative effect that can be achieved in a short amount of time.

The Ferham community continues to face a persistent issue with litter on Union Street. Residents attending the pick highlighted Union Street again which was the location of our previous pick of the area. Although only a few members of the community participated in the litter pick, everyone was ready to get stuck in. The event was organized through a collaborative effort between the Heart of The Community, a member of the S61 Litter picking group and the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust and love where you live who provided the necessary tools and resources.

On the designated day, the community members gathered at Union Street armed with gloves, litter pickers, and sturdy bags. Everyone rolled up their sleeves and meticulously picking up litter from sidewalks, green spaces, and hidden corners until we found a litter trap on Union Street. We had found a corner that was overgrown with greenery and weeds and had become a net for catching litter.

In just over 1 one hour, we managed to collect 11 bags of litter. The transformation of the small patch of land on Union Street was quite noticeable. The area for the most part was now visibly cleaner, and we have reported it to RMBC to see if we can get the greenery cut back so that litter can be easily accessed on the next litter pick.

It was a successful litter picking event that had a small impact on Union Street. The involvement of a small group of community members served a small demonstration of what collective action can lead to tangible change. The event prompted conversations among residents, raising awareness about the importance of keeping their surroundings clean and fostering a sense of ownership for their neighbourhood as the issue continues to persist.

Rotherham Healthy Lifestyles believe physical fitness is important at any age, but it becomes even more important as we grow older. However, older individuals from diverse backgrounds often face unique challenges when it comes to accessing fitness programs that address their specific cultural and social requirements. Recognizing this gap, Rotherham Healthy Lifestyles took the initiative to apply for funding from the National Lottery to continue their tailored fitness sessions for men over 50.

The group aims to continue to improve the physical well-being of participants from across Rotherham through a variety of activities that promote cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, and balance. These sessions are designed and led by qualified fitness coaches who have experience in coaching older individuals. By offering age-appropriate exercises and techniques, the program seeks to increase the overall fitness levels and quality of life for participating men.

As well as the physical benefits, the project also aims to create social connections among the participants. Regular exercise sessions provide a supportive environment for individuals to interact, share experiences, and build meaningful relationships through online sessions as well as in person.

Thanks to the National Lottery funding, Rotherham Healthy Lifestyles, men over 50s fitness sessions will continue to grow over the next year. This project not only focuses on physical fitness but also addresses the unique needs and challenges faced by older men, both within underrepresented community and the wider community. By promoting social connections across multiple faiths, promoting physical well-being, and addressing health disparities, this program will undoubtedly have a lasting positive impact on the lives of many individuals.

Crafty Talk are a local craft group based at Manor Lodge on Highlow View in Brinsworth, S60 5JD. They meet every Monday and Thursday from 10am-12pm.

Working with RotherFed, Rotherham Council and local Neighbourhood Offices, they have undertaken a project to repurpose the old laundry at their Neighbourhood Centre into a functional storage room for the group. The group supported by RotherFed staff and Rotherham Council neighbourhood offices applied to the ward housing hubs to provide Crafty Talk with a dedicated space to store their supplies and materials.

Crafty Talk is a busy community group comprised of around 15 passionate individuals who share a love for arts, crafts, and creativity, they meeting two mornings per week. They aim to provide a platform for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together, exchange ideas, and engage in various craft activities. Crafty Talk faced a common challenge many communities groups encounter, limited space for storing their craft supplies and equipment in the community centre. This constraint reduced their ability to expand the range of activities on offer. Recognizing this need, Crafty Talk started to look to find a suitable solution that would optimize their workspace and give them some much needed storage.

The project has provided Crafty Talk with an essential resource. The dedicated space now enables the group to store their craft supplies, tools, and materials conveniently, allowing them to expand their activities and serve the community more effectively. The transformation has not only improved Crafty Talk’s operational efficiency but has also contributed to a more organized and inspiring environment for their members and visitors.

Crafty Talk’s continuing collaboration with RotherFed, Rotherham Council and Neighbourhood Offices perfectly shows the power of community engagement and resourceful problem-solving. By repurposing an unused space in the centre into a practical storage area, the group has enhanced their ability to engage in creative activities and positively impact the community. This inspiring project serves as a testament to the transformative potential hidden within our neighbourhoods and highlights the significance of collective efforts in building vibrant and resilient communities.

Open Arms sessions have been running at Canklow Pavillion on a fortnightly basis since April 2023. We decided at quite short notice to hold an information session during the school holidays for families to come along to and find out more about the project. We arranged for Making Our Money Go Further to attend with us and they brought along a hamper of shopping to give away to the person who guessed how much it would cost. We also arranged for an ice cream van, who works in the Canklow area, to come along and we had vouchers people could exchange with them for a free ice cream. Posters were put up in local businesses and publicised through social media platforms.

On the day, Wednesday 31^st May, the weather did not look too promising, so we were not sure how many people would attend. We were therefore so pleased when we started seeing families heading towards us outside the pavilion!

In total we had around 10 families come and talk to us about the project, have a go at guessing the price of the hamper, and enjoying a free ice cream. Some people we spoke to were referred into Citizens Advice for support on the day, while others have said that they would prefer to come back and speak to them at our regular drop-in session instead. We were pleased by the success of the event and plan to do more family friendly activities at the sessions.

Friends of Dalton, East Herringthorpe & Thrybergh have been at it again! This time the group were successful in being awarded the Kings Coronation Grant from Rotherham Council to host a celebratory event alongside the rest of the country in honor of our newly crowned King.

The aim of the grants were to ensure that community groups and organizations can deliver a range of activities for local residents to enjoy and celebrate the Kings Coronation.

Well… Following on from last month’s successful Easter event the DEHT group put together, yet another volunteer led event. It was supported by 4 volunteers who had given up their time not only on the day to make sure that the event ran smoothly on the day but also over the weekend to prepare the neighborhood center with a selection coronation decoration and set the room ready for the big day.

Rotherham Council’s coronation funding was well spent as the event engaged with 55 residents from the immediate and wider area. There was a wide selection of people drawn into the event such as RMBC tenants, families, friends as well as the usual group members. As always everyone attending got to taste the great buffet the group always manage to provide for everyone, if you’ve been to one of their events then you know how good the food is! Accompanying the scrumptious buffet there are always some fun games about for the for children and a variety of raffle prizes for adults. The group managed to raise a huge £505.86 on the day with prizes such as 7 £25, meal for 4 at toby carvery, £50 voucher for windows, car diagnostics free of charge voucher and many more. The group are already in the process of planning a summer event for August. The feedback was positive, and the community is looking forward to the next event.

“Really enjoyed it”

“It was great to share the event with you all.”

“Loved every minute, well done everyone.”

“Well done, 👏great day, you all put a lot of work into it.”

Peregrine Way TARA secured funding from the King’s Coronation from Rotherham Council to host a grand celebration on the King’s coronation. With a diverse range of activities planned for members, including a buffet lunch, games, bingo, and a raffle, the event was an unforgettable experience for all participants.

One of the highlights of the celebration was a sumptuous buffet lunch, offering a variety of sandwiches and buns for members to enjoy. To infuse the celebration with excitement and friendly competition, Peregrine Way TARA had a range of entertaining games for attendees to enjoy showcasing their skills and bringing out their competitive spirit. The group even squeezed in time for a game bingo or two in. As an extra treat, the celebration featured a raffle, offering attendees the opportunity to win fabulous prizes. With the proceeds from the raffle going toward community initiatives, participants can enjoy the thrill of anticipation while also supporting a worthy cause further enhancing the excitement and anticipation surrounding the event.

Peregrine Way TARA’s successful application for King’s Coronation funding paved the way for a truly remarkable celebration. Members of the community had a joyous day filled with camaraderie, delicious food, exhilarating games, and the chance to win fantastic prizes in the raffle. This event serves as a testament to the commitment of Peregrine Way Tara to create memorable experiences for its members, fostering unity and happiness within the community.

Last year in December 2022 the Community Tree had received exciting news that they had been successful in their funding application to Voluntary Action Rotherham (VAR) for the Mental Health Support Grant. The news was met with much anticipation as the group would now have the funding to create some new social activity within the area. The funding will make a tangible difference to community life for residents.

January saw the re-launch of the Friday craft group, Crafty Coffee, previously known as Woolly Kuddles. The new crafting session offers a wide range of craft activities, with an aim for participants to make something for themselves or be able to gift to someone in need who lives locally.

Flux have supported the relaunch of the craft group with the delivery of their project “Threads That Connect Us”. Participants created patches representing local life with colloquial phrases and saying that mean something to the participants. These patches are then going to be put together to create bigger pieces of work that are going to be exhibited at different venues in Rotherham.

This opportunity has also given the group funds to start a mental health group, the ‘whatever club’. The ‘Whatever Club’ is literally that, a safe space for residents to connect to each other and do ‘whatever’, with the provision of free activities and refreshments

In a heart-warming display of community spirit, The DEHT group hosted a successful Easter event. The event, run entirely by volunteers, featured an array of exciting activities for children and adults alike, including food, music, raffles and drawing for the children. The event was held in the Warreners Drive Neighbourhood Centre, and it saw a great turnout of people from all over the community. Some of the residents went to Facebook to thank the volunteers for all their hard work and running a great event. “Thank you, Nicola, friends’ family for all the hard work”, “Really enjoyed it, thank you to you all, you’re all super stars”.

The community group managed to raise an impressive £300 from the event, which will go towards funding future community events and initiatives. The group has a long-standing tradition of hosting community events, with successive gatherings held throughout the year. Their dedication and hard work have paid off, as they recently achieved a £500 funding grant from RMBC for the king’s coronation.

Overall, the Easter event was a resounding success, with everyone leaving happy and looking forward to the next community event. It’s heartening to see community groups like this one taking initiative and bringing people together, especially during these trying times. As their attendance numbers continue to grow, the group has even bigger plans on the horizon. On May 7th, they are set to host an all-out celebration in honour of the Kings Coronation.