Future community uses for containers to be decided

The future community use of eight containers is to be decided at the Strategy and Resources Committee on Monday, November 20^th.

Proposals from six community groups for the containers, which used to sit at the top of Fargate, are to be considered.

The proposals include expanding facilities which support those affected by homelessness, poverty, mental health and addiction, supporting grassroots football clubs and opening up community opportunities in a park in the North of Sheffield.

A panel of Council officers, experienced in construction projects and community services, joined Councillor Richard Williams and Councillor Janet Ridler from the Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee, to assess all 11 applications.

The applications were assessed against a range of criteria, including whether the project aligned with the Council’s objectives, the strength of the project team and value for money.

The proposals which scored highest have been selected and put forward for consideration by the Strategy and Resources Committee. These include:

• St Wilfrid’s Centre – 1 container - One of the largest and most comprehensive facilities for isolated, vulnerable, homeless and socially excluded adults in South Yorkshire, St Wilfrid’s Centre plans to use the container to improve access to their services by opening up a café and shop to provide a safe and supportive space for users.
• Hillsborough Arena – 1 container - Create a space to provide accessible health services for individuals with learning disabilities, offering workshops on independent living, vocational training and educational opportunities.
• Friends of Glen Howe Park – 1 container - Improvements to facilities in the park, replacing the toilet block with a community hub to be used as a base for the Friends group and offer the opportunity to host outdoor and educational events.
• Hallamshire and Redmires Football Club – 2 containers - The grassroots club of the year hopes to improve its storage and changing facilities, including private changing areas and toilets, in a bid to remove barriers women face in playing and participating in football.
• Wisewood Junior Football Club – 1 container - Wisewood plans to expand its facilities to support their aim to increase club members and also offer up community opportunities for the local women’s running club and surrounding junior schools.
• Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme – 2 containers – This project will focus on youth engagement programmes, providing a facility to help young people living in deprivation and at risk of exclusion from school.

Cllr Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council and Chair of the Strategy and Resources Committee, said:

“Thank you to every organisation and community group that submitted an application for the containers and for all the important work they do across our city.

“We committed to ensuring the containers find new homes in communities across Sheffield. The panel has applied a fair and balanced process to identify the most viable projects for consideration at committee later this month. We look forward to hearing more about these exciting projects and learning about how they can benefit the communities they serve.

“We have communicated with all the organisations which were not successful in this particular project and offered them information and advice about how they can access support and funding through other avenues.”

The full report to be considered by the Strategy & Resources Committee is available to view online.