Category: Good News Stories

Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) Awards

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

By The Tenant Involvement Team

Two outstanding tenant volunteers from Rotherham have been honoured with national awards at this year’s Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) conference, in recognition of their exceptional contributions to their communities. This year the conference was held in Lincon.

Nominated by staff at Rotherham Federation (Rotherfed), Barry and Jordan were selected for their continued dedication to volunteering, community support, and driving positive change in council housing. With so many committed volunteers in the area, choosing just two nominees was no easy task. 

Barry was awarded the ARCH Tenant of the Year Award for his long-standing involvement in tenant representation, community engagement, and service improvement. His work includes supporting a local foodbank and a range of other community-focused activities, helping to build stronger neighbourhood connections and ensuring tenant voices are heard. 

Barry said “I was totally shocked by receiving the award for Community Champion” 

Jordan received the ARCH Young Tenant of the Year Award, which recognises volunteers under the age of 30. He was acknowledged for his inspiring leadership and commitment to mental health awareness, as well as his efforts to bridge the digital divide through regular digital inclusion sessions at Riverside House Library. 

Jordan said” I was really honoured to receive the award and I’m really proud to be part of a great group of people working hard to make improvements to our community” 

The awards were presented at the annual ARCH conference, which brings together tenants, councillors, and housing professionals from across the UK to celebrate best practice in the sector. 

These achievements reflect the vital role tenants play in shaping services, building stronger communities, and improving lives across the housing sector. 

Cultural Kitchen At Maltby

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

By The Tenant Involvement Team

The spirit of Maltby shone brightly last week as the community gathered for a vibrant Cultural Kitchen event, a celebration of the diverse residents who call the area home. More than 70 people came together at the Edward Dunn Centre to share food, entertainment, and connection, making the event a resounding success.

The delicious evening was a collaborative effort, spearheaded by the Maltby Ward Councillors, the Town Council, and the Rotherham United Community Trust (RUCT). Their shared goal was simple yet powerful: to create a space where neighbours could connect and showcase the different communities within Maltby.

The main attraction was, of course, the food. Attendees were treated to an exciting culinary journey, indulging in the rich spices and flavours of Asian and African cuisine, followed by a tempting selection of European desserts. Sharing these dishes proved to be the perfect ingredient for breaking the ice and sparking conversation among community members.

But the event offered more than just a feast. The atmosphere was lively and buzzing, with entertainment for the whole family. Local drummers provided an energetic soundtrack, an outside space was turned into a dance floor inspiring people to join in some impromptu dancing. For those looking for a bit more action, a casual game of badminton was also on offer.

The Cultural Kitchen truly highlighted the rich mix of people and activities available right in the Maltby neighbourhood. It was a testament to what can be achieved when local leaders and organisations work together to foster a sense of belonging and community pride. Events like this make it clear that Maltby is a welcoming place where everyone can find a seat at the table.

Rotherham Show

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

By The Open Arms Team

On Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th September 2025, the Open Arms Team along with other Rotherfed staff attended the Rotherham Show.  All staff from Rotherfed attended on a rota basis to showcase the services that Rotherfed provide to the community of Rotherham. The weather was good, and the event was well attended.  We saw a constant flow of people from the community attend at our stall where they were given valuable information about the work we do. We were also assisted by volunteers and some of our trustees whose help was greatly appreciated. We handed out leaflets, trolley key chains, pens, stickers, flower necklaces, sweets and blew up animal headbands for the children. It became clear that our stall was gaining a reputation by the fact that we were receiving requests from children wanting an animal headband which was their favourite and someone saying that they had seen other children wearing them and made it one of their missions to search the stall out giving the headbands. We also saw some happy faces when the parents of the children learned that as the headbands were free, as some things at the show were quite expensive.   

Whilst visiting our stall, as well as providing information about the Open Arms Sessions, the people were also invited to enter a free competition by guessing the price of the hamper.   

It was a very busy two days, and we spoke to loads of people and had over 400 entries to the competition. Some participants took it very seriously and counted the items within the hamper and even considered the items carefully and made a calculated guess. It certainly did seem that the activity gave people something to think about and was fun and entertaining and we heard lots of laughter and did make the day an enjoyable experience. One participant who guessed the lowest amount guessed £14.00 and the participant who guessed the highest price was £367.00. The correct price of the hamper was £47.81. 

After checking the entries, the winner nearest to the correct guess was only 6p out! The winner kindly asked that the hamper be donated to a foodbank, and in accordance with their wishes, this was delivered to the Social Supermarket at Rotherham Minster and will make such a difference to their members.

Tenant Involvement Focus Group

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

By The Tenant Involvement Team

As part of our contract with RMBC we are asked to organise and help deliver focus groups throughout the year.  Rotherham Council is currently reviewing and updating its Financial Inclusion Plan. This focus group is to get the views, experiences and ideas to help shape the plan, from Rotherham residents.  Rotherfed invited three council tenants to the session and other tenants/residents could book onto the Focus Group by contacting Christine Batchford through the Social Supermarket.

The Focus Group was held on Wednesday 20 August 2025 from 11am until 12.30pm at the Rotherham Minister. The session was delivered by Rotherfed and Jackie Cobb, RMBC’s Financial Inclusion Manager.  Ten residents attended the focus group and of the ten, nine of them were council tenants. Jackie explained that the last Financial Inclusion Plan was launched in 2017, and they are now revising the plan which will be in place for the next 3 years. The council wants to continue to ensure that no individual or family is left behind. Jackie distributed the Financial Inclusion Plan and a discussion then took place regarding it. Residents gave their experiences, views and ideas on various things including Household/Energy Crisis, Social Supermarket, RMBC website and the wait times when they ring the council, Rothercard, pension credit, Employment Solutions Team etc. 

It was a fantastic session, and everyone present, participated in it, which was good to see. RMBC found it very useful and got out of it what they needed to help shape the future plan. For Rotherfed it was also very positive and great that nine council tenants attended. This is the first focus group that has not been housing related and has been held in a completely different location, and we feel the Minister worked well as it made people feel more at ease and more willing to get involved and participate.

It was an excellent focus group all round.  Each person who attended received a £10 Tesco voucher thanking them for their time.

RotherFed Digital Support

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

By The Tenant Involvement Team

After an initial meeting with the Mowbray Men’s Group, four members requested digital support, which has been facilitated by Brigette on Thursday mornings. The sessions have been going brilliantly. Although the learners were initially nervous and unsure what to expect, over the past month they have learned many things that are important to them individually.

One gentleman is rightly proud to be able to surprise his children with WhatsApp messages. His family were so impressed that they encouraged him to explore other features on his phone, and he now enjoys the sessions so much that he also attends Brigette’s Tuesday drop-in session.

Another member of the group found following verbal instructions difficult due to a language barrier. Brigette went above and beyond by creating help guides and finding resources in his native language.

Brigette not only gives more than four hours per week to support her local community with digital skills, but she also spends many additional hours creating tailored resources to ensure that every learner receives the support they need.

During our after-session phone call, Brigette said, “I can’t wait to get the kids to bed tonight and start on my resources.” We cannot thank or praise Brigette enough for the time, energy, and positive spirit she brings to this project.

Tenant Involvement

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

By The Tenant Involvement Team

As part of our contract with the Council we are asked to organise a couple of pop-up engagement events in areas that have traditionally been hard to reach, in order to open up conversations between residents and the Council.

A recent family-friendly event at The Lanes Community Centre proved that community engagement can be both effective and enjoyable. The informal gathering was a collaborative effort between Rotherfed, The Lanes community group, RMBC Neighbourhoods, Housing, and local councillors.

Instead of a formal meeting, the event was designed to be a relaxed, fun occasion. It featured a magician, party food, and creative activities like biscuit decorating for children. This casual atmosphere had a strategic purpose: it helped to break down barriers between residents and officials, creating a space for more open and honest conversations. People felt more comfortable connecting with their neighbours and local leaders, rather than feeling like they were just attending another meeting. Residents felt at ease raising important concerns about issues like bin collections, graffiti, and anti-social behaviour.

But the event wasn’t just about airing grievances. It was also about planting the seeds of change. Organisers took the opportunity to show residents how they could get involved, from joining local groups to volunteering on panels.

Open Arms Over The Last 5 Months

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

By The Open Arms Team

Rotherfed, Citizens Advice Rotherham and District Laser Credit Union and Voluntary Action Rotherham have partnered to develop and deliver a co-ordinated response to support communities. 

The project, called Open Arm (now in Year 4) is aimed to deploy Community Development Workers and Advisers to deliver information, advice and guidance ‘one stop shops’ across 5 libraries and 20 wards in Rotherham throughout the year, ending at the end of March 2026.  It will also help develop community leaders to offer support to their communities too. Drop-in sessions are free for anyone to attend. 

All support delivered will have a strong focus on financial and social inclusion, it will aim to empower communities with a foundation of support and make better use of community assets. The support provided involves a range of issues including, money management, energy advice, cost of living support, digital support and community support.

The Open Arms Sessions delivered in libraries 

Drop-in-sessions began in April 2025 across Rotherham libraries as listed below, held on a fortnightly basis from 9.30 am until 3.30 pm: 

Mondays: East Herringthorpe – Mowbray Gardens Library 

Tuesdays: Wath – Wath Library 

Wednesdays: Dinnington – Dinnington Library 

Thursdays: Munsbrough – Greasbrough Library 

Fridays: Maltby – Maltby Library 

Open Arms Sessions delivered in Wards 

We are now 5 months into the programme and as well as delivering to the above 5 libraries fortnightly, we have now delivered Open Arms sessions to the following Wards: 

Hoober Ward – 7-11 April 2025 

Keppel Ward – 22-25 April 2025 

Hellaby & Maltby East – 6-9 May 2025 

Sitwell – 19-23 May 2025 

Rawmarsh West – 2-6 June 2025 

Wales – 16-20 June 2025 

Boston Castle – 30 June – 4 July 2025 

Bramley & Ravenfield – 14-18 July 2025 

Rotherham West – 28 July – 1 August 2025 

Aughton & Swallownest – 11-15 August 2025 

Rawmarsh East – 26-29 August 2025 

5 months delivering The Open Arms Project 

To date we have welcomed 288 new attendees to the Open Arms Project in libraries and 161 new attendees to the Open Arms Project in Wards in Rotherham, making a total of 449 people. Support has also been provided to individuals who have found the Open Arms Project an asset and returned for assistance.

How the Open Arms Project has developed over the first 5 months of the Year 4 contract 

Funding was approved for the project at the very last minute, so as soon as notification was received, Rotherfed made enquiries about securing venues. Initially, we wanted to find out more about the Wards of Rotherham where the Open Arms Project had been requested to deliver to.   

So, our first step was to liaise with RMBC Neighbourhood Co-ordinators to identify appropriate venues and enquire as to whether there were any organisations/groups that the neighbourhood would like to see in that Ward, so that we could approach them with a view to inviting them along to the sessions. We have liaised with Neighbourhood Co-ordinators regarding this and continue to interact with the Neighbourhood Co-ordinators and have found their input very helpful. 

We have also discussed appropriate venues with Rotherfed staff, who were happy to assist with identifying venues, describing their facilities and assisting with neighbourhoods and identifying what information and assistance would be mostly likely required.   

Once the appropriate venues were identified it was necessary to contact them. Whilst for some venues a quick internet search revealed contact details, for others this was not always possible and quite often involved making several phone calls to reach the person in charge of hire of the venue. Some venues had online booking platforms and complex hire agreements that required completion, which all required to be navigated. It was also essential when making enquiries, that consideration be given to the facilities that are required for delivering of the session, such as having access to hot water so drinks can be prepared, wi-fi, parking facilities, a confidential room available when Citizens Advice attend so that any advice can be given privately.   

Furthermore, for the children’s activities that have been delivered over the Summer School Holidays, it was necessary to check the facilities were suitable for the various activities taking place and capacities were adhered to when booking.  

During the children’s activity weeks, the Open Arms Team at Rotherfed came together to ensure that the delivery of the children’s entertainment went ahead without any issue. Therefore, organising the children’s entertainment, sorting out the paperwork, providing refreshments and ensuring that the entertainment went ahead without issue.   

Once venues were secured it was necessary to create flyers and advertise. These flyers were shared amongst partner agencies, social prescribers, with venues, Ward Councillors, Neighbourhood Co-ordinators, schools and generally in the public to promote the services. We have carried out further promotion by attending public places like attending libraries, swimming pools, local businesses, busy Ward areas and schools with handing out leaflets to raise awareness of the Open Arms Project.

April 2025  

As venues were secured Rotherfed have created flyers and continued to advertise the sessions. Further work was underway working on future venues in other Wards and compiling contact information of community organisations and/or groups with a view to inviting them to venues.   

May 2025 

Hellaby & Maltby East Ward at 3 venues: Redwood Community Centre, Hellaby Parish Hall and Bartholomew’s Community Room.  During these sessions we were accompanied by organisations; ‘Dying Matters’, Working Winn, Sharon (Energy Project Rotherfed), Clare Moseley the Neighbourhood Co-ordinator and two Police Community Support Officers to enable information to be provided to the community.  

Sitwell Ward at 3 venues Herringthorpe URC, Whiston Parish Hall and Broom Methodist Church where we were accompanied by organisations: AGE UK and Sharon (Rotherfed).   

June 2025 

Rawmarsh West Ward at 4 venues: The High Street Centre, The Steadlands, Salvation Army and St Mary’s Church, Rawmarsh and we were accompanied by organisations; AGE UK, Sharon (Rotherfed)   

Wales Ward at 3 venues: Kiveton Park & Wales Village Hall, Kiveton Park Library and Kiveton Park and Wales Community Development Trust where we were accompanied by organisations; Neelam (Rotherfed) and RMBC adult mental health strategy.   

July 2025 

From April until the middle of July 2025, the Open Arms Sessions ran from Monday to Friday 9.30 am to 3.30 pm with Rotherfed, Laser Credit Union and Citizens Advice in attendance. On Monday, Thursday and Friday a general advisor attended from Citizens Advice and on the other days Tuesday and Wednesday the other projects that the Citizens Advice run attended such as Healthwatch and Digital IT. When a general advisor from the Citizens Advice was at venues, it was necessary to book a confidential room where possible which often dictated the venue. 

Boston Castle Ward at 4 venues: Canklow Pavilion, Riverside Library, Tesco’s Community Rooms and the Unity Centre. We were accompanied by organisations; Neelam (Rotherfed), RMBC adult mental health strategy, South Yorkshire Fire Service, AGE UK and Working Winn.   

Bramley & Ravenfield Ward at 2 venues: Ravenfield Parish Hall and Bramley Parish Hall where we were accompanied by organisations; Sandra (Rotherfed), RMBC mental health strategy and AGE UK.   

Rotherham West Ward at 2 venues: St Paul’s Church and Liberty Church. For the 2 days that we were at St Paul’s Church, Peter from the Church arranged to put on a craft session where children could attend and make wooden coasters and a couple of children attended and were really pleased with their creations.  We were accompanied by organisations: John (VAR).  For the 3 days we were at Liberty Church, we hosted 5 children’s activities which were very well attended namely, Mr Dan’s Circus Workshop, Daisy’s Animal Friends Session A and B, Mr Dan’s Disco and Patsy’s Fun Show.  During these activities we were joined by Beth who carried out face painting and Kelly with her ice cream van. We were accompanied by organisations; Sharon (Rotherfed), Phil (Rotherfed)and David (VAR) and Andy (VAR). 

August 2025 

Aughton & Swallownest Ward at 2 venues, Swallownest Community Centre and Swallownest Baptist Church. For the 3 days we were at Swallownest Community Centre, we hosted 5 children’s activities which were once again well attended namely Mr Dan’s Circus Workshop, Pasty’s Fun Show, Barney Baloney music, puppets and magic and Jungle Jo’s Exotic Animal Show Session A and Session B. Once again, during these activities we were joined by Beth who carried out face painting and Kelly with her ice cream van. We were accompanied by Sharon (Rotherfed).   

Rawmarsh East Ward at 2 venues, Liberty Church Parkgate and Rawmarsh Library. For the days we were at these venues we hosted 4 children’s activities which once again were well attended namely, Trudi Knotrites Cirus Skills, Daisy’s Animal Friends Session A and Session B and Jungle Jo’s Exotic Animal Show.   

Over the last 5 months as you can see, we have attended several venues in quite a few Wards within Rotherham which has supported the community and raised awareness of the assistance that is available at libraries every fortnight.   

The Open Arms team continue to deliver the services amongst other Wards from September onwards and in the 5 libraries. It is envisaged that during the school holidays, within the duration of the project, whichever Ward we will be delivering the project we aim to organise a family activity which will raise awareness of the project and support the community.   

Energy Know How Referral

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

By The Energy Know How Team

The client made contact with Lynn following a referral from a friend. The client confirmed that they have COPD and severe arthritis and is also a carer for their son who is receiving support for an illness. They live in a council property and only have electricity for energy, paying £40 per week. The client is worried about bills increasing with winter approaching and also feels confused around the benefits they receive in particular pension credit. We discussed a referral to Citizens Advice for a benefits calculation and the client was interested in and will give it consideration before a referral is made. We also discussed energy saving measures and the client confirmed that they have a booklet with energy saving tips some of which they now use. We also discussed Green Doctor services and some of the low level energy saving measures they provide which the client was interested in and consented to a referral to Green Doctors. 

The client confirmed that the information provided had been useful and she had got more information out of the call than she was expecting. The client is to contact me should she decide on a Citizens Advice referral which will be forwarded to our Money Matters team.

Fitzwilliam Estate

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

By The Tenant Involvement Team

August has been a busy month on the Fitzwilliam estate for the residents, with a coach trip to Cleethorpes, two community skips and a family fun event.

Cleethorpes Trip

Two coaches full of residents enjoyed a trip to Cleethorpes at the beginning of the month.  After the success of last year’s trip, the TARA organised another one this year. A small charge was made for the coach and the local Coucillors also helped pay for the coaches with some of their CLF funding. Everyone had a great day in the sunshine, and they are already looking forward to next year’s trip!

Community Skips

Two much needed community skips were organised for Wednesday 13 August. The skips were placed on Calladine Way outside of the shop fronts. The skips allowed residents to get rid of any waste they might have at their properties and both skips were filled within 3 hours. The caretakers also helped with this by collecting large bulky items from residents’ homes. RMBC staff, Rotherfed staff and the local Councillors also supported with getting the skips filled and the rubbish removed. They TARA also made sure that the green space opposite the shops was clean and tidy ready for the family event the following week.

Family Fun Event

The family fun event was held on Monday 18 August and whilst the weather wasn’t as sunny as it had been previously, it stayed dry, and everyone had a lovely afternoon. Over 50 residents attended and took part in the activities that were on offer including arts and crafts, facepainting, an assault course, football darts and taekwondo skills. RMBC youth and library services, FLUX and Children’s Capital of Culture also attended with activities and Sam’s Army Mission were there giving water safety advice. Everyone also enjoyed a free pizza lunch which was provided through HAF. The TARA spoke to residents to gain their feedback on what the TARA have been organising and what they would like to see happen in future. This was only the second event the TARA had organised and ran, and they were really pleased with how it went. They will now be looking at other events/activities/depending on what funding they can secure moving forward.

Making Our Money Go Further Session at St Bartholomew’s Church

Laura/ / Good News Stories, In Your Community, Making Our Money Go Further

By The Making Our Money Go Further Team

The group at St Bartholomew’s Church had the opportunity to taste test branded and non-branded items which they really enjoyed and were quite good at tasting the difference. They said they had acquired the taste after all these years and could tell the differences however many admitted they preferred Aldi version of the non-branded items. The group said they found the taste test and knowing the price difference very useful as they know a lot of people struggling with money and advising them around tasting non branded items would help them save money from shopping every week.  Some of the group members wanted to take home some of the Aldi brands to taste again and get family to taste to see if they could tell the difference so some items including 3 of the packets for Aldi Wheetabix. Neelam also showed them and read out the nutritional values on both the branded Wheetabix as well as the Aldi version of Wheetabisk which are basically the same which the group found shocking as some assumed the Aldi version will be less nutritional. This was a big highlight for them as it has changed their perspective of thinking that the more expensive brands are more nutritional than the non-branded items.  There was discussion around this and they said they would tell their family members how the nutritional values are the same and it is worth trying the Aldi version as it costs half the price than the branded Wheetabix.