Category: In Your Community

By Rachel Cole, Projects Officer

A few weeks ago, Rotherfed received an email from Friends of Rosehill Park saying they thought it was the right time to close the group. Rachel followed up with Nikki Slasor who runs the group and they have decided to keep the group running and asked for help with a community event in the park. The local elected members, Cllr Jill Thompson and Cllr Bob Bird had been to see Nikki and had agreed to fund some activities for the children at the event, making it a free event. The main purpose of the event was to try and find out what people would like to see happen in the park i.e., regular activities and what changes they would like to see.

The event took place on Sunday 22 August at Rosehill Park from 11.30am until 3.30pm and I went along and supported this event. Using their budget, the Councillors paid for a penalty shoot-out, sand art, miniature train ride, crazy golf and an ice cream for every child. The group also did a tombola, a wine and water stall and a raffle. Rotherfed purchased the water and the bottle bags for the wine and water stall. There was also an Olympic Trail around the park organised by Yorkshire Sport and the Rawmarsh Runners.

Continue reading “Friends of Rosehill Park”

By Dan Barron, Community Organiser

Early this month were able to support the A Reason to Like Mondays group to host a Summer Social Event in Clifton Park. The event was being hosted in the summer holidays when the group would not usually be active as children aren’t in school. We had a great turn out of 11 parents and carers and 15 children who had attended on the day.

It was a lovely sunny day in Clifton Park the children were all playing with all the field sports equipment so much so that Claire W had said “we didn’t plan on staying this long but the kids are having fun” and it was the same for other parents too.

The children had not seen some of their friends for a while because of COVID 19 and the event gave them an opportunity to play games, eat some food and speak with their friends. For some of the children this was their first time being back out at an event and it did take them some time to adjust but eventually they joined in with the others.

Claire D said “It’s nice to meet up with the group again to see everyone and to see the kids getting along”. The group are looking into hosting more social events to help promote membership and be bring the group together for outdoor events in future.

Continue reading “A Reason to Like Mondays Summer Social Event”

By Noor Salih & Sharon Smith, Community Energy Advisors

Our Energy Know How team have been working on building partnerships and groups to ensure we can do our best to help the residents of Rotherham become more Energy Efficient. Our main focus coming up to Christmas is to ensure that our most vulnerable are aware on ways to heat their homes warm for less. Green Doctor (Ground Work) are an organisation who have kindly donated 100 ‘winter warmer pack’, which contains blankets, hot water bottles and other things to wrap up and keep warm for the upcoming winter months. This is crucial to our clients as many will sit in cold homes worried about their heating cost, which will an impact on their mental and physically health.

This means that by getting these individuals together to discuss how to claim their Warm Home Discount, we can also give them a pack each to use for those colder days. It is still early days but we are in the process of being in a position to refer Green Doctor to visit to these residents to their homes to draught proof their properties and improve the energy efficiency overall. They will also be able to support those clients on how to switch and set up their thermostats to be timed for when they wish for their heating or hot water to enable or disable, having an everlasting positive impact on our client’s daily lives.

By Karen Jay & Claire Stinson, Community Support Workers

A lady at Social Supermarket wasn’t sure if we could help, but still felt comfortable to come and ask anyway, especially as she had heard about all the ways we had helped others. She wanted to find out what support was available to get her husband out and more independent following his stroke. I gave her the number for adult social care at RMBC. The following week she told me that he had been allocated a volunteer, and he was taking her husband out that day. Her husband had asked to go to the bank, the shop and for a walk. This means he can now manage his own money again, do the food shopping and gives him back his independence. Leading on from that, he is getting an occupational health assessment to look at what aids and any adaptations they can provide them with and also a physio appointment.

By Rachel Cole, Projects Officer

At the beginning of June, we decided it would be a nice gesture to make up some welcome back packs to give to groups ready for when the Neighbourhood Centres reopen on 21st June.  We included all the essentials including tea, coffee, sugar and biscuits as well as some hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes.  We also put in some posters/information which can be displayed around the Centres to help to keep people safe.  Unfortunately, the opening of the Centres got delayed until Monday 19 July, however, we decided to go out and deliver the packs to the Chair of the group at their homes.  The packs were very well received, and the groups were very grateful for them, they were also very pleased to see us and have a chat. They all said how much they are looking forward to the Centres reopening and to start and use them again. They have missed getting together over the past 16 months. 

“Carol and I had a really lovely surprise this morning, when Rachel and Rob called from RotherFed and brought Coffee, Sugar and Biscuits etc in readiness of the opening of the Centre which is hoped to be re-opened in the near future.

This was a very kind gesture from RotherFed which is much appreciated”.  Quote from Keith Stringer after we dropped off a welcome back pack.

By Rob Gooding, Community Organiser

Rob was invited to join the Bevan Crescent coffee morning on Tuesday 20th July where he met residents and members of the TARA. The group was really pleased at the prospect of getting back into the centre after all this time and the easing of restrictions but had decided to hold the event on Keith’s Garden due to the ages of the members and the fact that it was a glorious day. During the coffee morning the group decided to re-open the centre on the 27^th July unless it was as hot again. The group said that they would like to keep wearing masks when in the centre except when seated and that they would have a designated tea maker to minimise contact, this was a unanimous vote. Keith and the group were over the moon with the ‘Welcome Back’ pack provided by RotherFed and couldn’t thank me enough for the help and support he has received through lockdown. Keith was especially happy with the CCTV Rob supported them to get for the centre through the housing hub suggestions last year.

By Sam Dixon, Community Organiser

Crème Eggs, Dinosaur costumes and two schools with lots of very excited children!

Dan and Sam had originally planned to do community walks in East Dene and East Herringthorpe with the support of the Canklow Dinosaur group. They were to take place at Easter when the COVID-19 restrictions were supposed to be eased.

The restrictions stayed in place and we ended up with a cupboard full of crème eggs that couldn’t go anywhere. We struggled to effectively work out in our communities and have had to find new ways to engage with people.

One of our latest projects has been to engage with schools on a literacy based project and as a result of this we have discovered from the staff point of view how difficult it has been for schools to engage with children and their families so that young people can achieve their full potential. Young people are struggling to be enthusiastic about attending school, the rules for them are continually changing and for some of the youngest children in school, they haven’t attended school in a non COVID environment.

We proposed to two of the schools that we are working with that we could go into school, as dinosaurs, as a bit of a treat for the youngsters as they have come to the end of this school year. Both schools said that the Key Stage 2 children are “too cool for dinosaurs” but they would appreciate the gift of the eggs.

So in baking heat, we made two visits to lots of excited children. It was so good to be able to provide a fun activity for the schools and we know that it was really enjoyed by the children as they flocked round us and made comments like “You’re my favourite Dinosaur”.

By Dan Barron, Community Organiser

Dan had worked with Andrea Mason Vardy (RMBC) on creating a promotion day for the Bin Amnesty happening in Ferham to gather information from residents about their bins and when they needed to put them onto the street.

On the day we all met outside the Ferham community space, and the team consisted of staff and volunteers from Rotherfed, RMBC, Clifton Learning Partnership, Ferham Community Group as well as being supported by Cllr Ben Aveyard. Armed with translated leaflets, pen and paper we went into Ferham for a bin Door knock to listen and engage with residents.

Continue reading “Ferham Bin Amnesty”