ERF - Spotlight On

Abbeydale Live

Building on the success of their Autumn festival the Abbeydale Traders Association hosted an incredible day of music, food, joy and community in April 2024 as more than 50 acts performed in 14 venues across Abbeydale Road. Their aim was to boost grassroots talent, draw in visitors, raise the profile of ‘Independent Abbeydale’ as a destination and provide a free festival of live music. Acts like Nicola Farnon, the Langsett Dance Orchestra, University of Sheffield Big Band, Montuno, and emerging performers from WaterBear Music College were featured in venues that included the ERF funded Abbeydale Road parklet, which became ‘Busker’s Corner’ for the day. Broadfield Park was transformed into a kids’ area, with entertainment from crowd favourite Benoit the Magician and activities throughout the day.

There couldn’t have been a more perfect road to stage this event, with Abbeydale Road known for its vibrant independent businesses that draw a crowd from across the city and beyond. It was an incredible success, and feedback was overwhelmingly positive not only from attendees but also from businesses – many of whom had their best trading day since opening. Bars sold out of beer, restaurants sold out of burgers – to the extent that they had nothing to sell come Monday. For a programme that was set up to encourage broad business benefit across the high street, there can be no greater achievement. This is an event that Independent Abbeydale want to ensure is a centrepiece of the city’s event programme – so look out for it in years to come.

New Orienteering Routes in Chapeltown

Using ERF1 funding the Chapeltown team created a family friendly walking trail – the Chapeltown Trail – that drew people to and around the centre of Chapeltown.  Building on the success of that idea, they used ERF2 funding for a set of new orienteering routes designed to attract new and existing audiences to come and explore the green spaces surrounding the retail area as well, encouraging people to see Chapeltown as a destination with lots to offer in hospitality and leisure.  Eight new routes were established at different levels of difficulty, including entry level intended to be family friendly and as accessible as possible.  Vibrant leaflets were designed using their ‘Choose Chapeltown’ branding and taster events aimed at children were held in the run up to the international orienteering event the ‘JK25’ which used Chapeltown Park as one of its stages. 

You can find the Chapeltown Park and Westwood Country Park routes on the GoOrienteering website.  Printed copies were also distributed to libraries, outdoor shops across the city and other local outlets.

A truly collaborative effort, the routes were devised by South Yorkshire Orienteering in with the Choose Chapeltown team.  They worked with Sheffield City Council’s Parks Team to establish land ownership and permissions, ensure the suitability of the routes and to install the markers where these were needed.  South Yorkshire Orienteers have committed to checking and maintaining these routes on an annual basis. 

These routes are a fantastic legacy for the area that can be enjoyed for many years to come, encouraging people not only to explore the green spaces Sheffield is renowned for as The Outdoor City, but also to explore the retail area and support local independent businesses as well.   

Our Darnall Our Home

From the outset the team in Darnall wanted to tackle what people saw as a persistent litter problem that blighted the area.  Using ERF2, the team commissioned an anti-litter marketing campaign encouraging people to keep ‘Our Darnall Our Home’ clean and tidy – for the benefit of residents and businesses alike. The team were keen to work with local litter picking groups, organisations and individuals from all walks of life, to encourage ownership and action to tackle the issue on an ongoing basis. The campaign was launched with a community litter pick day that celebrated the work already done through ERF with a view to creating a new ‘coalition of the willing’. This took people around the retail area, the three new artworks and the improved green spaces with the library acting as a hub for the activity.

The result is an impactful visual campaign that speaks directly to the local community, often in their own language, by people who live in the area and are leading the way in making their local streets look and feel great.    

Crookes street art and green spaces

As well as delivering unique and wonderful events, the Crookes team were set on improving the look and feel of the high street.   As well as installing new benches and planters the team wanted to lift up the high street with splashes of colour and create new green spaces on the high street that local people felt they had permission to use and were pleasant places to spend time.

In all, 18 new pieces of art were installed, mostly on the shutters and doors of local independent businesses.  A wide range of artists were commissioned and the results are impactful, interesting and eye-catching – each with its own character and style.

Three green spaces were improved from the corner of Bute Street to the Ball pub.  New wildflower patches were created and sown, to create a nature corridor across the high street and add ecological diversity and interest.  Benches and bug houses were installed as well as young trees planted, native Rowan as well as plum trees can be seen on what is now known as ‘Crookes Community Orchard’.  The spaces will grow and flourish over time, especially with the support of a newly created gardening group who have come together to care for and maintain the spaces so that they can be enjoyed long into the future. 

The Spital Hill Women and Digital Project

The Women and Digital Project was developed during the delivery period, as a practical pilot in response to insight gained from working with the Spital Hill Network (the traders forum).  It was observed that many of the businesses (up to 20%) were owned by female sole traders, often in the fashion retail, hairdressing and food preparation and takeaways.  It was found that these women faced a number of challenges in running their businesses – including risks around lone working (including the risk of theft as a result of vulnerability), communication and language barriers and digital exclusion. 

The team settled on an approach to learning more about these challenges that included a personalised client introduction, basic digital learning, on-line and in person on a one-to-one basis, and equipment provision to kick start engagement. The approach to support these women was initially to develop relationships by meeting in the workplace, using translation and informally gauge their current online usage.  A survey was undertaken and it was clear that while many women used smart phones for family and household management and communication, they did not do so to manage their business.  Yet, the women clearly understood that online interaction was key to their skills and business development.

Partnering with local charities Aspire and Reyt Repair, the team used ERF to offer female entrepreneurs a digital start-up package which included the provision of laptops, basic training and device maintenance and a link in to Business and Opportunity Sheffield courses.  Aspire provided equipment (largely drawn from former NHS/ public sector and large corporates stock and repurposed and recycled for community use).  Reyt Repair were engaged to oversee systems installation and gave owners basic training in getting on-line, setting up emails, searching on-line and creating social media business sites.  They also offered 12 months of free maintenance of the devices, as well as further personalised, one-to-one training on request.  Two well attended open sessions were held in July 2024 at Burngreave Vestry Hall with one-to-one follow up on demand training within business premises.  A follow-up seminar on the benefits of being online (as well as looking at AI technology) was delivered in English, Somali and Arabic on 14^th November 2024.  The seminar was attentively received by over 50+ female business owners and emerging entrepreneurs ranging from 18 to 60 years of age.

This innovative and unique mini-project garnered positive testimonials that demonstrated the impact the provision of this technology and training had on this cohort of women.

"I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for the laptop I received in July from Spital Hill Network's Women and Digital programme. It has been incredibly useful for my small business, which revolves around my sole trading account with this device.  I have efficiently managed my product sales, set up a website to attract more customers and made meticulous records of my receipts and documents for tax purposes.  It has truly made a significant difference to my day-to-day operations and streamlined my processes, especially when preparing annual tax returns for HMRC.  Thank you once again for your support and for providing me with such a valuable resource.  I greatly appreciate the efforts of everyone involved and your ongoing support and training."

"The computer has been really useful for me in my business, specifically in changing the profile from a ladies clothing retailers into a food/cafe premises which has been my long-term ambition for the last five year.  It has allowed me to do all the research and take the next steps towards understanding hygiene compliance and all the regulations for food outlets.  It has allowed me to draw up an accurate budget for premises conversion.  Spital Hill Network continue to offer support and we're really looking forward to the courses.  Thank you."

"The laptop and training I was given by the Women and Digital project run by Spital Hill Network has been useful in getting to know my competition and other takeaways menu pricing - something I hadn't even considered before.  The initial training has helped me access a computer for the very first time which, as a dyslexic person, has been a big personal step forward.  The network introduced me to Business Sheffield and from them introductions to the Productivity Grant.  Using the computer helped me find the right catering equipment and suppliers to complete my application to make my business activity more streamlined and productive.  I’m also considering starting up another business and the laptop will give me to access to Companies House and business set up - thank you!"