Community Engagement

Community Engagement Coordinator - John Ward

The Bottom Up Approach
Gleadless Valley Community Forum exists because of and is accountable to local people in Gleadless Valley. We believe in a bottom up approach; in local people getting involved in all the projects and initiatives that agencies such as Sheffield City Council are developing across the area, to make sure that the real needs and wants of local folk are reflected in these developments and initiatives.

We want to ensure that the Voluntary, Community and Faith sector in the Valley remains strong, active and effective.

To do this, the Forum offers help and guidance to new local community groups, by advising on set up and development, assisting with the writing of a simple set of rules or constitution, helping with the recruitment of staff and volunteers and signposting to funding and providing fundraising training. The focus is always on empowering local people and groups through capacity building and one to one support.

Spreading the news
To get “the message” out there we produce a quarterly magazine - Gleadless Valley News - which is delivered free to every household in Gleadless Valley. The magazine has an ethos of promoting all the good work that is happening in the area. We always welcome articles, letters or photographs you want to send us, particularly those which help to show and highlight all that is good in Gleadless Valley.

The Forum also organises events such as the Christmas Party in the Newfield Green Tenants' Hall and the annual summer 'Funday' in Herdings Park.

We actively support and promote the continued development of Herdings Park and all the green spaces in the area, and we are founder members and key drivers of the Gleadless Valley Community Safety Partnership, the 'Healthy Valley' health improvement project and many other local initiatives, where Forum staff represent the views and opinions of local people.

Getting involved
The Forum is always looking for local people to get involved as part of the Board of Voluntary Directors, or as volunteers who would like to give something back to the community through helping out at fundays and summer fairs. Or you could join the Community Safety Partnership or Friends of Herdings Park groups. It is important that the work done across the Valley reflects real need, so we need local people to come to those groups and offer their voice and opinion.
If you're interested, just contact John Ward in the Forum office on 0114 239 4466.

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Community Engagement Services and Facilitation
The Engagement Team offers a full range of services to voluntary and statutory organisations around Sheffield. While those services are free to VCF organisations in Gleadless Valley we offer them at competitive rates to organisations beyond the Valley.

These services include:

Facilitation of training, team building and away days
Introductory training to Community Engagement
Advice and training on community engagement techniques
Development support

And much more.

Contact Steve Rundell on 0114 2394422 for further information

Small Grants Fund

Small grants are available from Sheffield City Council to support your project