By the Tenant Involvement Team
A new community group in Rotherham East is making big strides, with plans to launch regular coffee mornings and bingo sessions at the Swinburne Neighbourhood Centre. Led by an experienced community member who has been involved with Rotherfed for many years and, supported by a core of enthusiastic individuals, they want to add more inclusive activity to their local area.
Rotherfed staff recently met with the group for their first meeting, providing essential resources like a model constitution, safeguarding information, and handbooks on roles and responsibilities. The staff also helped the group book their first two weekly coffee sessions, which will be held every Monday and Friday.
In addition to the coffee mornings, the group is hoping to expand their offerings to include a mid-week bingo session on Wednesdays. This longer session will allow attendees to play bingo and then enjoy a shared meal, creating a welcoming and social atmosphere.
While there have been some initial booking challenges with a pre-existing group at the centre, Rotherfed and the housing team are actively working to clarify the situation with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC). Both parties are committed to finding a solution and will be meeting with the group again next month to provide an update.
Despite these hurdles, the new group is focused on a positive start. Group support will also be assisting them with new promotional materials to help spread the word and encourage new members to join.