Author: Laura

Energy Know How

Laura/ / Energy Know How, Good News Stories, In Your Community

By The Energy Know How Team, Sharon Smith, Lynn Clarkson & Madiya Shokat

We called in at the Social Supermarket which is run from the minster in town as we had not visited for a while.

The church was quite busy and the groups that have developed in addition to the social networks were setting up, they now have a sewing group, and the craft group has been running for quite some time.

We were welcomed and given a table near to the refreshments area. We were able to speak to quite a few people, all of which were very concerned about current world events and the upcoming consequences on their energy bills.

Free draught proofing measures and energy saving tips were offered which were well received as well as providing thermostats to help people to monitor the temperature in their homes.

One person mentioned he had quite a lot of arrears on his gas, he explained he had previously been on a prepayment meter however, this was updated to a smart meter and was not put in prepayment mode. He has, because of this, accrued arrears of over £1000 as he struggles to budget for quarterly bills.

He is in the process of complaining to his energy provider as he was not clearly informed of the process. He hasn’t had a complaint reference number so was encouraged to ask for this to ensure his complaint had been formally recorded. We also agreed to email him a link to the British Gas energy trust scheme which may be able to help him with his arrears.

This client was very appreciative of the information provided, the staff and volunteers at the Social Supermarket were also pleased to see the energy team and were given an additional supply of our leaflets to distribute to the clients that need them. We will continue to support this valuable service – this was a very rewarding visit

Open Arms

Laura/ / In Your Community, Open Arms

By The Open Arms Team, Lee Lazenby

With regards to outstanding amounts due to energy providers, the Open Arms team have seen an increase in the threat of disconnection, court summons, and the likes particularly from one energy provider. 

On two separate occasions, the participants in question do not owe money but their accounts have been mismanaged in some way or another. Whether this has happened due to the introduction of new technology, insufficient staff training or a lack of communication between departments is unsure as no reason has been given. 

Both participants do not have online accounts, so the company was contacted by telephone, and the situation was discussed in detail which led to speedy resolutions. 

On another occasion, one elderly gentleman had been trying to pay his bill for several months but was unable to do so due to non-receipt of his bill in the post. The company in question was adamant it had been sent out.  Instead, he received two reminder letters requesting payment just weeks apart and within the same month a debtor’s letter arrived in the post. 

Again, the Open Arms team stepped in and assisted with the situation and a pre-payment slip was requested for the participant to pay the outstanding balance.  Furthermore, a 60-day stop was put in place to stop any future debt letters and enforcement action being received.  This reassured the elderly participant immensely and instantly put him at ease.  He thanked us profusely and was profoundly grateful as this had been causing him difficulties in his relationship. 

Rotherham Deaf Futures

Laura/ / Good News Stories, In Your Community, Tenant Involvement

By The Tenant Involvement Team, Rob Gooding & Rachel Cole

We often talk about the importance of our community engagement sessions, but a recent success story from the Deaf Futures session perfectly illustrates why our presence on the ground matters so much.

During this session we met a resident whose quality of life was being significantly hindered by a health issue. Due to chronic knee pain, she was struggling with basic mobility at home—specifically, getting on and off the toilet.

Using Rotherham Councils online reporting tools, we assisted the resident in submitting a request for home aids and adaptations.

At the following engagement session, the resident returned with a smile and a major update. The council had processed the request and successfully installed a raised toilet seat.

Despite what seems like a small adaptation, it has restored her independence. She expressed her gratitude for listening and taking action.

Open Arms

Laura/ / Good News Stories, In Your Community, Open Arms

By The Open Arms Team, Lee Lazenby

During the February Half Term school holidays, we organised a family activity to raise awareness of the project and support the community, within the Ward we were delivering the project, and hosted a Patsy’s Fun Show at Dalton Parish Hall on Monday 16 February 2026.  We initially promoted the session within the Ward to allow the community within Dalton & Thrybergh to secure a place. We continued to promote the session on social media sites and once again this became fully booked. 

Trudi entertained the children with a circus workshop and balloon modelling. Although Patsy, a well-known leading children’s entertainer, who has been in show business since she was 7 years old, and a third-generation entertainer was not the main entertainer that day, she was on hand to talk to the children and catch up with some of her followers. Refreshments were provided which included a selection of fresh fruit and cakes and sweet treats. All the children had a great time and were provided with information relating to Open Arms events taking place at Dalton Parish Hall the following week.  As the participants left, they were given the choice of having a chocolate. Everyone enjoyed the sessions and one participant, who arrived late because of some issue, said that whilst the day had started off not great, the session had cheered her up and she left with a smile and a happy child. The event was to capacity with 23 adults and 42 children attending. 

Feedback Quotes: 

Brilliant event for everyone! Thank you 

Great session.  We always love attending open arms sessions.  The staff always go above and beyond for the parents and kiddies. Thank you x 

Fun session for the children playing with things they wouldn’t usually play with.  Really good service with free drinks and snacks.  Would recommend to others. 

 Good participation and helpful people around. Fun activities.  Super involving. 

Lovely activities.  Fun for the kids.  They felt involved and nice to have a coffee and a biscuit. 

Brilliant! We have been to lots of the Rotherfed venues, and my kids have loved them.  Really enjoyed Patsy’s circus workshop.  Would happily pay to come to these and makes a lovely change to do something the kids enjoy, other than internet based.   

Building Bridges

Laura/ / Good News Stories, In Your Community, Rotherham Ripple Effect

By The Ripple Effect Team, Sam Dixon

The Ripple Effect was invited to speak with members of the Ladies BAG group and have a conversation about how people feel about the flags; how safe they feel being residents in Dinnington and we spoke about the divides that exist within the community itself. 

“It seemed like a big thing locally when the flags went up. What did you think?” Members of the group had an awareness of both of the “reasons” behind the flags; however, they felt that locally there was more of a negative focus on immigration as being people’s reason. Not only did flags go up in Dinnington there was a lot of vandalism, individuals painting red crosses on white mini roundabouts and on many white spaces. The general consensus was that its okay to be patriotic but there’s a right way to do it. One resident spoke about the world cup coming up and historically as a family they have always displayed the St Georges Flag. Now they are rethinking what they are going to do as they are afraid of the racist perception that may be reflected onto them.  

“I also wouldn’t give the flag to a charity shop or anything because I’m not sure how people would then see me… or how somebody could use that flag in the future” 

It was recognised that not everyone understands all of the facts and figures surrounding immigration and the impact that it has on the borough as a whole. People see and hear things from social media and by word of mouth that doesn’t always show the real picture. 

“I’ve been on the waiting list for a house for 12 years for a house around here. Whenever I bid on a property It looks like I’m at the top of the list then all of a sudden, I get pushed right down the list. I know when people get status, they are homeless and they need somewhere to live…… But it feels unfair. The system is wrong”

What is it like around here after dark? Are there any areas that you feel more comfortable in than others?” Most members of the group agreed that they don’t go out after dark 

“Its’s full of louts” 

When we discussed this further as a group and asked questions about the perceptions of the “louts” it was accepted that the problem was probably more down to the fact that young people have a lack of spaces to go. Locally there is little to no youth provision, something that is recognised across the community and partnered organisations. 

The conversation moved on to how young people develop their opinions and where their influences come from. It was discussed how much influence has over young people and how people find it easier to hide behind a screen “keyboard warriors” rather than learning how to express themselves effectively. 

The feedback from the session was really positive. The group said they found the session 

“Interesting” 

“Informative” 

“(I am) frustrated at the government and social media” 

“The session has got me wondering why people are more willing to believe the lies rather than the truth” 

“I feel better about understanding immigration” 

“It would be interesting to ask these questions.  Are you proud to be British?, Were you ever?, Are you ashamed?

The conversation carried on a little afterwards talking about “Racial Bias”, where it comes from and someone’s personal perspective/experience can affect whether their view is positive or negative. It was agreed however that with this bias there is no hate attached to it. 

The learning we’re taking away from this is a suggestion from one of the groups that a fact sheet with sources would be a useful tool for people to be able to take away after a session like this. As a project we have already discussed in what form this is going to be produced, and what sources we are going to use that will be recognised by our communities. 

We also were very free in the direction the conversation was going which went off topic too however it gave an informal approach from us which they felt comfortable with, and we enjoyed discussing other topics with them to build rapport. After discussing other topics, we would gently redirect everyone to what we were originally discussing. This approach worked well with this group as they are very talkative and enjoy discussing various things. 

We are hoping to continue having conversations with this group and will hopefully set up another session with different questions. We are hoping to continue building rapport with this group and as they get more comfortable with us, we can ask more interesting questions and see if people do have particular issues with certain aspects of migration policy. We can then answer questions from reliable sources and guide them to better understanding than they already have. 

The group were also open to attending the Eid/Easter party.

Open Arms

Laura/ / Good News Stories, In Your Community

By The Open Arms Team, Lee Lazenby

Our project has had a fair few great results in the project’s fourth year 2025/2026. The last one to date was an individual who turned up in disarray after a relationship breakdown they were not only alone and destitute but without a roof over their head. The individual had not experienced anything like this before and was not aware of any services available. The individual expressed a feeling like they were hitting their head against a brick wall, and no one was listening. 

Upon attending an Open Arms session Citizens Advice provided options legally.  Lee, from Rotherfed, listened to the individual and began addressing concerns and signposted to various organisations and charities across the borough of Rotherham who would be able to assist and make their life easier at least in the interim. Various support services were used following which Lee received a phone from the individual thanking her for signposting to obtaining a food parcel and secure washing facilities. What was a welcome surprise, and the icing on the cake, was that the individual was overjoyed had been placed in temporary accommodation provided by the council. All this was sorted in less than a week thanks to the dedication of the staff, other charities and organisations involved across the borough of Rotherham. Teamwork at its finest. 

Building Safety Sessions

Laura/ / Good News Stories, In Your Community

By The Tenant Involvement Team, Rachel Cole & Rob Gooding

As part of our contract with RMBC we must deliver two Building Safety engagement sessions a year with at least 8 tenants attending each session.  This was our third session.

Over the past year, we have worked closely with RMBC staff to build a good relationship with the tenants who live in the flats.  We have listened to the tenants; spoke about any concerns they might have and have helped them have a voice.  We feel that tenant involvement has improved significantly as we are getting to know the tenants and gain their trust.

RMBC put together a letter informing tenants that the next building safety session was set for Wednesday 25 February, from 6pm until 8pm in the meeting room on the mezzanine level.  A buffet was provided by RotherFed. 

We carried out two door knocks prior to the session.  The first one was at the beginning of February where we knocked on all tenants’ doors to advise them of the session and give them a letter.  The second door knock was two days before the meeting.  From both door knocks we got the opportunity to speak to tenants generally about any issues they might have about the building and their flats, which included problems with damp and mould, people accessing the building who shouldn’t be in, drafty windows, radiators not working etc. From the tenants we spoke to, they feel safe in their homes and are very happy with the work RMBC are doing for fire safety.  However, it’s the other issues that are making them feel unsafe in their homes and they would like to see representatives from other departments i.e. housing, anti-social behaviour at the six-monthly meetings so they can voice their concerns.  A few tenants also feel that the building in general is being neglected, it is a listed iconic building, and they feel it should be better taken care of. 

One couple told us that Beeversleigh flats opened its doors to the first residents in January 1971 and cost £227,000 to build, the flats were named after the Housing Committee Chairman, Alderman Bill Beevers and they shared the newspaper article with us.

The session took place, and 16 residents attended which is a great turnout.  Rotherfed and RMBC Officers including fire safety, housing, repairs and anti-social behaviour attended. RMBC fire safety staff gave an update on the incoming PEEP regulations which come into force on 6 April, mandatory occurrence reporting, they gave dates of the South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue drills which are taking place and spoke to tenants about a structural survey that will be taking place on the building. They then opened it up for Q&A. Tenants then had the opportunity to speak to other officers’ present and raise any problems/concerns that they had. The meeting was a very positive one. 

Drop-in sessions will continue on the last Wednesday of the month for a couple of hours. RMBC staff and Rotherfed staff will continue to attend these and the local PCSO’s have also expressed an interest in holding their own drop-in sessions to support the tenants. 

Open Arms

Laura/ / Good News Stories, In Your Community, Open Arms

By The Open Arms Team

Lee spoke to the Tenancy Support Officer from the council about a lady who had a concern regarding an unpaid bill for council services which she disputed. She had been given 7 days’ notice to pay.

After hitting several brick walls, she called into the outreach the day before seeking help with obtaining a way forward so, Lee had signposted her to the debt team the following Monday.

After this chance meeting with R.M.B.C. she took advantage of the situation, rang the participant there and then, explained the current situation and the participant was over the moon and gladly give her permission for the Tenant Support Officer to interject as she was a council tenant.

She agreed and within just half an hour later, an email was received from her and then forwarded on its way for discussion with the relevant parties whom she had not been able to contact for one reason or another. 

She was so relieved as she did have a prior appointment on the Monday and would have been struggling to make both. 

Tenant Involvement

Laura/ / Community Events, In Your Community, Tenant Involvement

By The Tenant Involvement Team

Over the last two months, our team at RotherFed have worked with five fantastic community groups on the Miss Penlington Community Chest Grant. Supporting the group to write funding bids and assisting through the application process.

All five groups submitted a funding bid, each group had a different focus and priority, from new equipment for the group to arts and crafts sessions.

Maltby Dark Nights

Laura/ / Good News Stories, In Your Community, Rotherham Ripple Effect

By Sam Dixon, The Ripple Effect Project

RMBC and Flux have been working together at the Edward Dunn Centre to deliver a youth club for 11- to 15-year-olds from the Maltby area. The aim of the project is to bring young people together to have fun in a safe environment, connect with others and receive a light meal.  

Around 15 young people attended the January event on a very dark and dismal evening. Chip butties were provided as well as creative and engaging activities. A competition was held to design a logo for the project, and it was won by a young resident who designed a logo that included a sloth. 

Rotherham Ripple Effect did some nail painting and engaged in conversation with some of the young people. We asked. 

It seemed like a big thing locally when the flags went up. What did you think?

What is it like around here after dark? 

Are there any areas that you feel more comfortable in than others?  The young people had quite a lot to say on all matters, it was great to see that they had enough confidence to share their opinions.

It was quite surprising to hear 3 different points of view from young people who live in the same community. This is the first time an engagement has been done through this project, and it will be interesting to examine the wider communities’ thoughts and feelings as the project progresses.