London Museum Trip

Ladies, Let's Talk Politics

On Saturday 21 July we held a special four-hour event called "Ladies, Lets Talk Politics". It was funded by the Women's Vote Centenary Fund, which was set up by the government's Equalities Office to celebrate 100 years since some women were first given the vote in Britain.

We wanted to encourage Black and Minority Ethnic Women to get more involved in politics and make their voices better heard. 60 women came together at the Church of Christ in Darnall. 

They heard how they could overcome barriers to getting their voices heard in party politics (from women speakers belonging to The Greens, Labour and the Socialist Workers). Speakers also explained how to make a difference on single issues. They spoke about combatting race hate, helping faith communities make a positive difference in their neighbourhoods and campaigning against war crimes in Syria. 

Most of the women felt inspired to get more engaged in politics or community activism and they agreed to meet again in the autumn to support one another. If you would like to join them please contact zahira@darnall.org.uk.

How to be a good neighbour in Darnall

Join a discussion with a local panel at the Church of Christ in Darnall tomorrow evening at 6pm. For more details contact colin.harvard@sheffield.gov.uk or phone him on 07775 407063.

Please note that although someone from the Forum will be taking part in the panel this is an event organised by the Council and we are not in any way associated with the leaflet publicising it which the Council has circulated.

Who got the jobs at the new IKEA store?

When the new IKEA store was approved there was concern about the impact it might have on air quality in Darnall Ward, where pollution already often reaches harmful levels. The Council decided, after considering all the evidence, that 'on balance' it would be a good thing to allow the new store to open because 'the jobs and training' that it could provide would be 'likely to particularly benefit the local deprived communities of Tinsley and Darnall,' and 'help to address social and economic inequalities' between Darnall and other more prosperous parts of the City. The Council also said that the new jobs created here would 'help offset some of the health impacts' of the new store.

So who actually got the jobs? In the store itself just over 6% of the jobs went to people who live in the S9 area. In the call centre, which is located inside the store, 11% of the jobs went to people who live in S9. S9 includes Darnall Ward but is a bigger area.

Is this 'a healthy outcome' for the people of Darnall Ward, as Councillor Denise Fox, the chair of the Council's 'Economic and Environmental Well Being Scrutiny and Policy Committee' would like us to believe? 

Our MP, Mr Clive Betts, said that he was 'extremely disappointed' when a 'misleading' article published in The Star just before the store opened gave the impression that 'a high percentage of people recruited by IKEA came from Darnall and Tinsley,' when this was not true. He also said that he was concerned that no-one in the Council could 'see that anything has gone wrong at IKEA' because he wanted to be reassured that the Council has 'learned lessons'.

Have things gone well, or did they go wrong? Are there lessons that need to be learned? What do you think?

New Women Only Gym Session

Migration Matters Event

Migration Matters have been working with some of our learners. Here's another chance to catch up with them.

Photos from Last Saturday's Women's celebration Event in Darnall

These are some of the pictures taken at last Saturday's women's celebration event in Darnall, sponsored by Awards For All and the Meadowhall Centre, which was postponed because of bad weather in March. Unfortunately, data protection rules limit the sort of pictures we can make available on the blog.