Civil Society Minister inspired by housing estate

Published by rtownsend for Sanctuary Housing Association in Housing and also in Communities

Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd learned how a “people-focused” approach to regeneration is benefiting residents on Sheffield’s Shiregreen estate.

Mr Hurd met local people from the estate which has undergone a £99 million regeneration by Sanctuary Group since transferring to the leading housing and care provider from Sheffield City Council in 2006.

The Minister was shown how a new sense of community spirit has been fostered in Shiregreen through focusing on community projects, innovative partnerships and creating jobs and training opportunities as well as investing in its physical infrastructure.

Shiregreen project director Colleen Eccles said: “It is fantastic that Nick Hurd has shown a personal interest in our work and our creative partnerships with local volunteers, schools and other organisations.

“By adopting a people-focused approach to regeneration we believe we have created something special here and I really enjoyed introducing him to the people who are passionate about making Shiregreen such a great place to live.”

During his visit, Mr Hurd talked to residents about how they have benefited from a £150,000 Neighbourhood Challenge grant won by Sanctuary to test innovative approaches to social and economic regeneration in the area.

He also met members of Shiregreen’s Community First panel, a Government-funded programme that provides support for local groups and initiatives.

Mr Hurd’s visit of Shiregreen included a tour of “The Hub”, a vibrant community centre located at Hartley Brook Primary School offering a range of support services and activities to residents, including healthy cooking sessions.

Since transferring to Sanctuary, Shiregreen’s 2,300 homes have benefited from a major modernisation programme. The area’s landscape has also been transformed through the £13 million “Streetscene” project which saw the community work together with artists to turn their ideas into reality