Category: In Your Community

By Noor Salih & Sharon Smith, Community Energy Advisors

I contacted an elderly lady who had spoken to our Making your Money Go Further Project as she was having some issues with her Utility provider.

The client had spoken with a different support provider at the beginning of the year as she believed her bills were expensive compared to her neighbours. She received some support however this was not followed-up as the project ended and her case was not passed onto another advisor, an issue that she found very annoying.

The client has had a smart meter installed that has not worked for over 2 years. She has two meter boxes outside her property and she believes there is another inside but does not know what it is for.

She has recently received a warm home discount payment after applying last year despite probably being eligible for some time and not knowing about the scheme.

She was promised by her energy provider that someone would come to her property in June to read her meters however this never happened. She has difficulty accessing the meters as this requires her to lie on the floor to see one of them. She is not happy with the support and service from her current provider and wants help to switch.

Her current payments are £86.00 per month but as the meters have not been read and the bills have not, as yet been seen, I could not confirm whether this was sufficient to cover usage or whether the bills were accurate. She is going to locate her latest bills and will ask her daughter to take meter readings. On receipt of this information we will arrange to meet face to face to discuss what steps to take next without putting her warm home discount at risk.

By Rob Gooding, Community Organiser

On Saturday 28th August Swinburne Social club held their BBQ fundraiser, this was supported by both the HRA and Lottery RotherFed staff teams in both the planning and delivery, this event was first thought of a year ago during the first lockdown as a way of bringing community spirit back to Swinburne place and increasing the group’s membership. Due to restrictions we never managed to hold the event, the group felt that now restrictions had lifted this was a perfect time to hold it, the group held a raffle as well as serving food.

The event was a huge success being attended by 23 people and raising the group £78 which will be used towards the first daytrip that the group will arrange. Winston treated attendees to some homemade South African dishes including sausages and spiced chicken. After the event the group decided it was such a success that they plan to make this an annual event.

Continue reading “Swinburne Social Club BBQ”

By Rachel Cole, Projects Officer

A few weeks ago, Rotherfed received an email from Friends of Rosehill Park saying they thought it was the right time to close the group. Rachel followed up with Nikki Slasor who runs the group and they have decided to keep the group running and asked for help with a community event in the park. The local elected members, Cllr Jill Thompson and Cllr Bob Bird had been to see Nikki and had agreed to fund some activities for the children at the event, making it a free event. The main purpose of the event was to try and find out what people would like to see happen in the park i.e., regular activities and what changes they would like to see.

The event took place on Sunday 22 August at Rosehill Park from 11.30am until 3.30pm and I went along and supported this event. Using their budget, the Councillors paid for a penalty shoot-out, sand art, miniature train ride, crazy golf and an ice cream for every child. The group also did a tombola, a wine and water stall and a raffle. Rotherfed purchased the water and the bottle bags for the wine and water stall. There was also an Olympic Trail around the park organised by Yorkshire Sport and the Rawmarsh Runners.

Continue reading “Friends of Rosehill Park”

By Dan Barron, Community Organiser

Early this month were able to support the A Reason to Like Mondays group to host a Summer Social Event in Clifton Park. The event was being hosted in the summer holidays when the group would not usually be active as children aren’t in school. We had a great turn out of 11 parents and carers and 15 children who had attended on the day.

It was a lovely sunny day in Clifton Park the children were all playing with all the field sports equipment so much so that Claire W had said “we didn’t plan on staying this long but the kids are having fun” and it was the same for other parents too.

The children had not seen some of their friends for a while because of COVID 19 and the event gave them an opportunity to play games, eat some food and speak with their friends. For some of the children this was their first time being back out at an event and it did take them some time to adjust but eventually they joined in with the others.

Claire D said “It’s nice to meet up with the group again to see everyone and to see the kids getting along”. The group are looking into hosting more social events to help promote membership and be bring the group together for outdoor events in future.

Continue reading “A Reason to Like Mondays Summer Social Event”

By Noor Salih & Sharon Smith, Community Energy Advisors

Our Energy Know How team have been working on building partnerships and groups to ensure we can do our best to help the residents of Rotherham become more Energy Efficient. Our main focus coming up to Christmas is to ensure that our most vulnerable are aware on ways to heat their homes warm for less. Green Doctor (Ground Work) are an organisation who have kindly donated 100 ‘winter warmer pack’, which contains blankets, hot water bottles and other things to wrap up and keep warm for the upcoming winter months. This is crucial to our clients as many will sit in cold homes worried about their heating cost, which will an impact on their mental and physically health.

This means that by getting these individuals together to discuss how to claim their Warm Home Discount, we can also give them a pack each to use for those colder days. It is still early days but we are in the process of being in a position to refer Green Doctor to visit to these residents to their homes to draught proof their properties and improve the energy efficiency overall. They will also be able to support those clients on how to switch and set up their thermostats to be timed for when they wish for their heating or hot water to enable or disable, having an everlasting positive impact on our client’s daily lives.

By Karen Jay & Claire Stinson, Community Support Workers

A lady at Social Supermarket wasn’t sure if we could help, but still felt comfortable to come and ask anyway, especially as she had heard about all the ways we had helped others. She wanted to find out what support was available to get her husband out and more independent following his stroke. I gave her the number for adult social care at RMBC. The following week she told me that he had been allocated a volunteer, and he was taking her husband out that day. Her husband had asked to go to the bank, the shop and for a walk. This means he can now manage his own money again, do the food shopping and gives him back his independence. Leading on from that, he is getting an occupational health assessment to look at what aids and any adaptations they can provide them with and also a physio appointment.

By Rachel Cole, Projects Officer

At the beginning of June, we decided it would be a nice gesture to make up some welcome back packs to give to groups ready for when the Neighbourhood Centres reopen on 21st June.  We included all the essentials including tea, coffee, sugar and biscuits as well as some hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes.  We also put in some posters/information which can be displayed around the Centres to help to keep people safe.  Unfortunately, the opening of the Centres got delayed until Monday 19 July, however, we decided to go out and deliver the packs to the Chair of the group at their homes.  The packs were very well received, and the groups were very grateful for them, they were also very pleased to see us and have a chat. They all said how much they are looking forward to the Centres reopening and to start and use them again. They have missed getting together over the past 16 months. 

“Carol and I had a really lovely surprise this morning, when Rachel and Rob called from RotherFed and brought Coffee, Sugar and Biscuits etc in readiness of the opening of the Centre which is hoped to be re-opened in the near future.

This was a very kind gesture from RotherFed which is much appreciated”.  Quote from Keith Stringer after we dropped off a welcome back pack.

By Rob Gooding, Community Organiser

Rob was invited to join the Bevan Crescent coffee morning on Tuesday 20th July where he met residents and members of the TARA. The group was really pleased at the prospect of getting back into the centre after all this time and the easing of restrictions but had decided to hold the event on Keith’s Garden due to the ages of the members and the fact that it was a glorious day. During the coffee morning the group decided to re-open the centre on the 27^th July unless it was as hot again. The group said that they would like to keep wearing masks when in the centre except when seated and that they would have a designated tea maker to minimise contact, this was a unanimous vote. Keith and the group were over the moon with the ‘Welcome Back’ pack provided by RotherFed and couldn’t thank me enough for the help and support he has received through lockdown. Keith was especially happy with the CCTV Rob supported them to get for the centre through the housing hub suggestions last year.

By Sam Dixon, Community Organiser

Crème Eggs, Dinosaur costumes and two schools with lots of very excited children!

Dan and Sam had originally planned to do community walks in East Dene and East Herringthorpe with the support of the Canklow Dinosaur group. They were to take place at Easter when the COVID-19 restrictions were supposed to be eased.

The restrictions stayed in place and we ended up with a cupboard full of crème eggs that couldn’t go anywhere. We struggled to effectively work out in our communities and have had to find new ways to engage with people.

One of our latest projects has been to engage with schools on a literacy based project and as a result of this we have discovered from the staff point of view how difficult it has been for schools to engage with children and their families so that young people can achieve their full potential. Young people are struggling to be enthusiastic about attending school, the rules for them are continually changing and for some of the youngest children in school, they haven’t attended school in a non COVID environment.

We proposed to two of the schools that we are working with that we could go into school, as dinosaurs, as a bit of a treat for the youngsters as they have come to the end of this school year. Both schools said that the Key Stage 2 children are “too cool for dinosaurs” but they would appreciate the gift of the eggs.

So in baking heat, we made two visits to lots of excited children. It was so good to be able to provide a fun activity for the schools and we know that it was really enjoyed by the children as they flocked round us and made comments like “You’re my favourite Dinosaur”.