Darnall Ladies Sign Up For The Electoral Register

A ladies Day was organised by local community worker Haleema in collaboration with our community organiser, Zahira Naz.

The aim of the event was 

• To sign ladies up for the electoral register, to hear their concerns about life in Darnall, including getting their views on fly-tipping
• To offer healthy lifestyle advice
• To recruit volunteers for local projects

Ladies were treated to back and hand massages, nail paint, henna and facials. 

Ladies who attended were from Somali, Yemeni, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani heritages. 

Are you registered to vote? If you are from a BME community and would like to register, please ring 0114 249 0099 and ask for Zahira.

Is Darnall Really a Hotspot for Crime in Sheffield?

According to Monday's Sheffield Star Darnall is one of three crime hotspots in Sheffield, and someone has already come to our office to complain about it since reading the article. Each month - usually on the second Monday - we have a Neighbourhood Watch surgery at our post office, and on average about 12 - 15 incidents are reported each time, which is hardly a crime wave. So does Darnall really feel like a crime hotspot to you? 

According to The Star, "2,855 crimes were reported in Darnall in 2014-15, including 148 burglaries, 414 shoplifting reports, two kidnappings and a murder. The area was the top of the crime leagues outside the city centre."

Councillor Mazher Iqbal  told The Star that the statistics include shoplifting and car break-ins at Meadowhall and Valley Centertainment and this makes the figures look worse than they really are in the rest of the Ward. He said, "I haven't been contacted by anyone who is particularly concerned about crime in the area."

His perception is borne out by our own research. Between 2012 and the present we have carried out about 2,000 one-to-one interviews with local residents about life in Darnall. When we have asked them about their biggest concerns, crimes like burglary, shoplifting or violence against the person have scarcely been mentioned by anyone.

However, as Councillor Iqbal also told The Star, there is quite a lot of concern about so-called Anti-Social Behaviour, including littering and fly-tipping. Fly-tipping is a crime, but it's not a police matter so it isn't included in the crime figures quoted  by The Star. 

In response to what people have said to us, we are currently trying to find ways of tackling fly-tipping in Darnall and we would like to hear your ideas.

Reducing the Impact of Fly-tipping in Darnall

A partnership of voluntary and statutory organisations, who meet together in the Darnall Ward Environment Forum - are looking for ways to drastically reduce fly-tipping. Every year fly-tipping costs the tax payers of Darnall an average of £29 each to clean up.

Ideas we are looking at for reducing fly-tipping, and cutting the cost of removing it, are

• sowing wildflowers or planting shrubs in vulnerable locations to 'prettify' them so that the fly-tippers feel more guilty about dumping things there and look for somewhere else to go
• recruiting volunteers to look after planters and shrubs to make fly-tipping hotspots look cared for and not neglected
• recruiting volunteers to look out for and note down vehicle registration numbers and other ways of identifying the culprits
• enlisting local businesses to help us
• raising the awareness of local children about the problem of fly-tipping, so they can encourage the adults they know to behave better

These are not final solutions to the problem but ideas for giving people a nudge so that they behave a bit more considerately, at least when they are in Darnall and Tinsley.

Which of these ideas do you like the most?

Do you have any other ideas which we could try out? Don't worry if your idea seems a bit wacky, (so long as it doesn't actually involve whacking fly-tippers!) We want as many new ideas as possible.

Link Up Between Darnall Carnival and Darnall Lantern Parade

Local healthy organisation Darnall Well Being will be helping children make lanterns at the Carnival on Saturday 12 September ready for the annual Lantern Parade on 5 November.

Darnall Carnival 12 September 2015

Some of what's happening at this year's carnival

Tinsley Enrolment Day

  

For ESOL and ICT Classes

On Wednesday 2 September, 

9am – 4pm

At Tinsley One 
Stop Shop, 
Bawtry Road, S9 1UE

Or call Nazia on 0114 2490099 to enrol onto a class.

Meet Zak Knight at Darnall Carnival!

Zack Knight will be performing at the Darnall Carnival. Meet and Greet tickets are only £5! Ring 0114 249 0099 to reserve your place.

Meadowhall Hearts Exhibition To Celebrate Life in Darnall

A sneak preview of what the Darnall heart will look like at Meadowhall. The image is copyright and cannot be used without permission.

Click on the image to read about the Meadowhall Hearts and our part in it. We are delighted to have been asked to be part of this project.

More more information about Meadowhall and the artist Laura Hallett go to:
@LoveMeadowhall or https://www.meadowhall.co.uk/ and #Laura_Hallett or http://www.laurahallett.co.uk/

Darnall Area Trust Fund Annual General Meeting

The AGM of Darnall Area Trust Fund will take place on  Wednesday 9 September at 5pm in the Living Waters' Church on Main Road, Darnall.

Representatives of any voluntary and community group in the Fund's area of benefit are invited to attend. Each organisation is entitled to one vote.

Grants are not available for individuals.

Macmillan Coffee Mornings

Zahira Naz, our comunity organiser, writes: 

Having a Macmillan Coffee Morning is the perfect chance to catch up over a cuppa and a slice of something delicious for a great cause.

One in three of us will face cancer, and the money we raise at the Coffee Morning will help make sure no one has to face it alone.

Please pledge your support. Details will be confirmed soon. 

Seaside Trip from Tinsley

49 women and children enjoyed a trip to Blackpool on Friday, organised by the local community organiser Zahira Naz. In an area like Tinsley it's often quite difficult for families to visit the seaside due to financial reasons, lack of transport or cultural barriers. For most families this trip was the only time during the summer holidays when they will have a family day out. 

Wi-Fi in our community

In today's world digital skills aren't just nice to have. They're essential tools for everyday life. Whether you want to find a new job, check your bank statement or access public services, knowing how to get the most out of the Web is one of the most important skills that you can master.

That's why we've teamed up with BT and Barclays for the 'Wi-Fi in our community' campaign. Alongside 100 other libraries and community centres across the UK, we will provide you with the guidance and tools you need to get up-and-running. We know it can be  difficult or even quite scary to learn something new but with a helping hand everyone can make the most of being online.

http://www.wifiinourcommunity.bt.com/wifi/

I am a PhD student at the University of Sheffield architecture school. I work alongside Prof. Doina Petrescu. We are researching inequality and injustice in Sheffield and we have a questionnaire related to this topic. The more people we can reach, the better the picture of inequality in Sheffield we will get.

It should not take more than 12 minutes to respond to it. Here is the link for the questionnaire.

Thank you very much for any help you may provide in this matter. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me.

Pouyan Akbari

Summer Bazaar in Tinsley Draws 300 Women and Children

A summer bazaar was organised yesterday in Tinsley with the help of Zahira Naz, community organiser for Darnall and Tinsley. 

A major Concern in the area is a lack of activities for women and children especially in the summer holidays. A group of young people aged 13 to 18 years helped organise the event. 

The event was very successful with over 300 people attending, who came to buy delicious food, bangles, clothes, shoes, scarfs and Aloe Vera products. Some ladies even had manicures done whilst the  children enjoyed the bouncy castle, ice cream, face painting and Mehndi.

Zahira had a fantastic opportunity to conduct further deep listenings with over 200 people, who spoke about  their concerns and loves in the area.  Councillor Dianne Hurst also attended the event and Zahira introduced her to the volunteers who talked about the lack of facilities in the area for women and young children. 

Newground Together Helping Us To Support Jobseekers

Poster for our Newground Together Employment Support Project

Meadowhall Hearts

The Meadowhall Hearts awaiting the creative input of the artists

Meadowhall is celebrating 25 years of bringing people together and to celebrate they are commissioning artists to create 25 fibreglass heart-shaped sculptures, one of which is being devoted to images celebrating life in Darnall. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see displayed on our heart let us know by tweeting #darnallforum or emailing darnallforum@gmail.com. The hearts, which will be 2 metres by 1 metre, are pictured with Alex. Meadowhall and British Land support our community work in Darnall and we are delighted to be involved in this way in their special celebration.

Zack Knight Confirmed for Darnall Carnival

Zack Knight is the UK's newest homegrown multi-talented Singer, Songwriter and Producer. Having recently come off his regional radio tour with his last single "Runaway Now" he willbe at Darnall Carnival on Saturday 12 September. Watch this space for further details or phone Zahira on 0114 249 0099.

Darnall Neighbourhood Watch

There will be no neighbourhood watch surgery in Darnall Post Office this month, because the volunteers who normally run it are on holiday. 13 issues were reported at the last surgery on Monday 13 July. The next surgery will be on Monday Monday 14 August from 10 till 12, and thereafter on the second Monday morning each month,