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.

Photo Montage from our latest Women's Celebration Event on Monday 7 May in Tinsley

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

Designing Safeguarding posters

Mendi

The Romano Jilo Dancers

The Together Women stand

Local Women Nominated for Centenary Award

The six nominees from Darnall for the Women's Centenary Award, posing in front of the bust of Queen Victoria at the Town Hall with Councillor Mary Lea (far left) and Councillor Zahira Naz (to the right of the bust)

These are the six local women who were nominated by Councillors Mary Lea and Zahira Naz for the Centenary Women’s Award which was created to celebrate 100 years of women having the right to vote.

1. Lindsay Boot and Jackie Naylor, both of Darnall and teaching assistants at Phillimore School, were nominated for collecting an impressive £250,000 to regenerate the nearby Phillimore Park
2. Sylvia Hamilton was Chair of the Friends of High Hazels Park for many years and, as Chair of Darnall Forum, brought much needed European funding into Darnall.
3. Halima Mohamed has been working with the African Women’s Health Group for nearly 20 years. She has encouraged local women to learn how to speak English. She has been empowering women to do things for themselves and supporting them to educate themselves by  improving skills and learning new skills. She has helped women improve their social and mental health by offering various skills and training. She has supported 100’s of women to increase their confidence through her advocacy work over the past 20 years. 
4. Ferzana has been organising trips for women in Darnall and Tinsley for years. A lot of women would never an opportunity to travel to the beach or go shopping in Bradford, for lots of difference reasons ranging from low income to having no transport, but thanks to Ferzana hundreds of women and children every year get to travel to different places.
5. Reema Al-khayat is very active within the Darnall community and has been involved in many different organisations and projects: 

• Chevin Housing Association
• Anti-Social Behaviour group, 
• The regeneration group
• Darnall Forum 
• Volunteer at Handsworth Grange Community School 
• Volunteer Arabic teacher at High Hazel Community Centre 
• Volunteer at Darnall Well Being
• Website Development Consultation