To mark Dementia Action Week 2025, we have done a variety of activities.
We celebrated what Dementia support we have offered so far in 2025:
Then in our team meeting, Jo Anne van Levesley staged a flash mob and treated us to a tea party! Whilst we enjoyed the surprise biscuits and cakes, Jo reminded us all of the key messages from Dementia Friends:
Dementia is not a natural part of aging.
Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain.
It is not just about losing your memory.
It’s possible to live well with dementia.
There is more to the person than the dementia.
Jo sets up the flash mob
Jo talks to the team about the 5 key messages
Being a Dementia-friendly organisation matters to us, which is why every member of the Darnall Well Being team completes Dementia Friends training as part of their induction when they join the organisation – and most of our volunteers have done the training, too. A number of the team have also completed their Bronze, Silver and Gold Dementia Stars training, and more will be undertaking theirs later this year.
Darnall Well Being team Dementia Friends
Jo also shared information about Dementia Action Week and reminders of the key messages from Dementia Friends at Making Memories Dementia Cafe this week. She did this in a fun, inclusive way, so that the messages were relevant for both people with Dementia and their carers at the cafe. And she made Dementia Friends badges available at Darnall Primary Care Centre for people making a donation, alongside her information display.
As part of the Economic Recovery Fund project, we put together a handy business directory of local businesses in central Darnall, to encourage people to support local businesses. Paper copies can be picked up at venues around Darnall, or you can read it here:
The latest edition of the Community Connector newsletter is out this Spring! It contains lots of information and news from around the area, and has been put together by Darnall Well Being and Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park. This edition was funded thanks to the Economic Recovery Fund from Sheffield City Council.
The Community Connector is available to pick up from local libraries, cafes, GP surgeries and community organisations. You can also read it online here:
At the end of February 2025, we hosted a networking event focused on local Welcome Places, centered around Sheffield directories, at Darnall Primary Care Centre. The event had 16 participants and featured guest speakers from Sheffield City Council and ShefFood, who provided insights into the directories. Their presentations covered the creation of the directories, online access, navigation tips for signposting clients, and guidance for local organizations on how to be listed as service providers and maintain current information.
February’s Welcome Places networking session
This was the fourth networking event in the series as part of our Community Development project. The aim of these events is to bring the Welcome Places from Darnall, Handsworth, Attercliffe, and Tinsley together to network, and hear from various guest speakers about available support. The focus is on learning and enhancing skills related to available resources and creating stronger connections among local organizations.
Sheffield Directory
Sheffield Directory https://sheffielddirectory.org.uk/ is a website created for the people of Sheffield and hosted by Sheffield City Council. It brings together all the information that adults, families, professionals and volunteers might need in one, easy to access place. It is available 24/7 and provides details on the universal services on offer in our city, empowering everyone to get the right help at the right time.
It is made up of two parts: Advice and Information Pages, and Directory Listings.
Information Pages are split into topics, and give useful advice and updates on council, voluntary and community services. Directory Listings hold a wealth of organisations, services and groups, their location and their contact details.
Users can search using key words in a search box, and results can be filtered. The site includes an accessibility tool, Recite Me, making it accessible for all.
In a diverse city like Sheffield, ensuring access to food is a community effort. Various organisations and initiatives come together to support those in need. Whether you’re facing a crisis, trying to stretch your budget, or simply want to engage with your community, there are numerous places in Sheffield where you can find food provision and support.
ShefFood, Sheffield’s Food Partnership, have created a comprehensive map of all the different options available across the city.
We hope that this map will help Sheffield tackle food insecurity in more creative and long term ways, eventually moving beyond the food bank model and helping people out of crisis.
The map is a great first step when looking for food support, whether you or your client is in an emergency or whether someone would like to eat their lunch in a more social setting, this map is for everybody.
To help people reach food security, it is important to look at all types of food support, which are defined and explained on our website. For example, Reduced-cost shops offer food at reduced or pay-as-you-can prices, making nutritious options more affordable for everyone. They are fantastic places to shop for a lot cheaper, and the organisations often focus on reducing food waste by saving surplus food. It is great for your pocket and the environment, so it is a win-win for all.
Sheffield’s commitment to ensuring food provision and access is evident through its wide array of services and initiatives. From food banks and social eating spaces to community gardens and delivery services, there are numerous ways for residents to receive the support they need. Whether seeking immediate assistance or seeking to engage with your community, these resources are here to help. Embrace the spirit of Sheffield and explore these options to find the support that best suits your needs.
Darnall Well Being was visited by a group of senior civil servants in September 2024.
They visited our organisation in Darnall on their way to a workshop at Magna. The civil servants took the time to listen to the experiences of a number of our volunteers and service users, as well as hearing from members of our team and Board, as well as partner organisations. We were able to share with them our experience as a community anchor in the area since 2000, giving an overview of our delivery approach, our co-location with GP practices and the collaborations we are involved with in the city.
Thank you to volunteers and service users Noushaba, Saada, Kevin, Dave and Zoyah for coming along to share their stories – and to Jean, who really captured how we are embedded within the community when she said “Darnall Well Being is like family for me. I’ve helped a lot of people through you helping me”.
Volunteers and service users speaking at the session
We’re grateful also to our partners Rob Copeland at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, Sanjay Nijhawan at Working Win and Donal Farrell, a local GP, for joining us to talk about why what our organisation does matters to social capital, cohesion and health. The visitors were particularly struck by Donal saying “I spent 7 years at medical school learning about disease, but I’ve learned more about health and wellbeing here than in any of my training.”
Helen Sims (Voluntary Action Sheffield) and Mark Gamsu (Citizens Advice Sheffield & DWB Trustee) joined our CEO, Lucy Melleney, in summing up the session, focusing on what central government could do towards infrastructure investment; trusting local leadership and existing solutions to act as a catalyst for change, bringing people together with consistent engagement, trust and connections.
The civil servants were really energised by hearing about the lived experience direct from local people and our team, and felt that the session acted as a perfect articulation of the power of assets like our organisation in delivering real change in health and wellbeing. They also told us that it was helpful to have so many different angles shared with them, and that their visit prompted lots of discussion on the train home.
We’d like to thank all of the civil servants for their time and engagement with the session! Our visitors included:
Clara Swinson (Second Permanent Secretary, Head of Mission Delivery, Cabinet Office)
Jo Farrar (Chief Executive, NHS Blood and Transplant)
Joanna Key (Director General, Regeneration, Housing and Planning, MHCLG)
Jonathan Marron (Director General, Regions Group, Department for Education)
Lucy Chappell (Chief Scientific Adviser, DHSC)
Mark Chivers (Director General, Government Property, Cabinet Office)
Matt Thurstan (Chief Financial Officer, MHCLG)
Matthew Style (Director General, Secondary Care and Integration, DHSC)
Pete Benton (Director General, Health, Population and Methods, Office for National Statistics)
Vicky Elliot (Joint Head, Leadership College for Government, Cabinet Office)
Emily Middleton (Director General, Digital Centre Design, DSIT)
Laurie Brennan (Head of Policy & Partnerships, Sheffield City Council)
We were proud to celebrate the dedication and hard work of our volunteers with a special event at Handsworth Old Rectory on Tuesday 11th February 2025. The afternoon of recognition featured a three-course lunch and the presentation of certificates to those who have contributed to the success of our volunteer programme over the past five years.
Volunteers with their certificates
23 local volunteers came together for the celebrations, along with a number of our staff and trustees. Attendees heard from Jack Czauderna (Darnall Well Being’s founder and still a member of the Board), Janet Harris (Acting Chair at Darnall Well Being) and Nic Adams (Voluntary Action Sheffield), before being thanked and presented with their certificates by Lucy Melleney (CEO at Darnall Well Being).
Speakers at the celebration
The event marked the conclusion of a five-year grant from the National Lottery’s Reaching Communities fund, which has enabled Darnall Well Being to maintain and develop our thriving volunteer programme. Volunteers have played a crucial role in supporting health and wellbeing activities in the Darnall ward throughout, helping to deliver activity groups and support public health outreach efforts.
Over the past five years, volunteers have participated in valuable training, supported the community through the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and, in a number of cases, progressed into employment. From Mariam, who has gone into employment with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, to Mags, who provides office support for us now that she has retired, to Janine, who supports Dementia Café sessions and who recently saved her neighbour’s life using First Aid skills that she learned in her volunteer role – the volunteer programme offers something for everyone. The volunteers’ dedication makes a lasting impact on our local community, and this celebration was an opportunity to express our thanks for their commitment and hard work.
Enjoying the event
“We are incredibly grateful for our volunteers, past and present, who have been at the heart of our activities programme,” said Fran Arnold, Communications & Contracts Manager for Darnall Well Being. “This event is a chance to reflect on their achievements and celebrate the difference they have made in people’s lives.”
We’re pleased to be holding a special event in February with our partners at Primary Care Sheffield. Join us at Church of Christ in Darnall to come and talk to local organisations about how you can self-manage your Diabetes. Learn tips about monitoring and taking care of your feet and eyes, as well as finding out about technology that can be used to help you manage your Diabetes. And hear from local services about the support they can offer you, too.
Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided. No need to book – just come along on the day! If you have any questions, please contact us.
Sheffield Hallam University has been awarded £10 million to lead an ambitious new project bringing together partners from across society to build stronger, more resilient communities.
The Centre for Collaboration in Community Connectedness (C4) will bring together partners from research, community, policy and civil society to develop and scale up successful community leadership approaches.
Led by Professor Sarah Pearson and Professor Peter Wells from Sheffield Hallam University, the Centre will find and share the most effective community action strategies, providing invaluable insights for both local and national policymaking, to help create equal opportunities wherever people live.
Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of its work to create opportunities and improve outcomes, the Centre will examine the diverse landscape of community activities, analysing what works, and what doesn’t. The goal is to establish robust evidence and infrastructure, enabling successful approaches to be scaled up and replicated.
The Centre’s research will focus on key areas including:
Community: where people live and their connections with their neighbours
Relationships: identifying which social interactions are most meaningful in tackling poverty, isolation and mental health
Social Capital: looking at the benefits derived from networks and relationships
We are pleased to be one of the regional partners on this ambitious project, which is led by Sheffield Hallam University, Other regional and national partners are: Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface, Local Trust, London Metropolitan University, Queen’s University Belfast, The Brixton Project, University of Stirling, Black Mountains College and The Young Foundation.
by Thahmina Begum
This project builds on the success of the innovative pilot project that we co-designed with researchers from the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research and the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre. Fifteen local people were trained to become community researchers, learning qualitative research skills, and this enabled them to carry out research in their own community about frailty and social prescribing.
Sarah Pearson, Professor of Social Research in the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University, said: ” Connected communities are defined as those with high levels of social bonds and cohesion, where people have good relationships, a sense of pride and belonging, and the ability to cooperate within and between places to address challenges and seize opportunities.
“The Centre represents a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between academic research and community action. By working closely with communities and decision-makers, we aim to create a more connected and resilient society.”
Louise Ryan, Senior Professor of Sociology and Director of the Global Diversities and Inequalities Research Centre at London Metropolitan University, said: “I am excited to be part of this immensely ambitious initiative. My research in London, over many decades, highlights the importance of social connections and relationality across diverse residents and neighbourhoods. Collaborating with colleagues across different geographical sites in the UK offers valuable opportunities for new insights to inform policies.”
This centre is supported by UKRI through its creating opportunities, improving outcomestheme, one of five UKRI-wide initiatives aiming to harness the full power of the UK’s research and innovation system to tackle large-scale, complex challenges. Through a five-year strategy, ‘Transforming Tomorrow Together’, UKRI aims to harness the full power of the UK’s research and innovation system to tackle large-scale, complex challenges. To do this, UKRI is investing £185 million in five strategic themes which will continue tackling existential threats to humanity by encouraging new ways of working across disciplines.
The latest edition of the Community Connector newsletter came out in print in December 2024. Lots of information and news has been pulled together into the colourful newsletter from numerous local organisations by Darnall Well Being and Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park. This edition also contains a centre page pullout Business Directory listing businesses in central Darnall. This edition was funded thanks to the Economic Recovery Fund from Sheffield City Council.
The Community Connector is available to pick up from local GP surgeries, libraries, cafes and community organisations. You can also read it online here:
We held our AGM for the financial year 2023-2024 at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre. As usual, it was well attended, with participants including Greg Fell (Director of Public Health for Sheffield) and Clive Betts (MP for Sheffield South East), as well as service users and volunteers from a range of our groups. As everyone came into the lecture theatre, we shared a video of our highlights from the past 12 months, which you can watch here:
After covering the official business of presenting the accounts and reporting on the year’s highlights, achievements, and future plans, there was a vote to reappoint Seven Hills Accountants. We also dealt with the retirement and election of trustees. Gina Kalsi and Mothiur Rahman stepped down, and Gina Kalsi was then re-elected. We also welcomed new trustees Lucie Hutchings, Donal Farrel and Teresa Hart and gave thanks to previous trustees Sheila Manclark, Roz Davies and Gareth Johnstone.
Following the formal section of the AGM, we then heard from a number of different service users, as well as being treated to a performance by our Somali Dance Group. In addition, we were pleased to be able to show the video made by Sheffield University about the Music in Dementia research project that we have played a key role in. We also heard from Nadia Bashir and Waqas Hameed about the Community Researchers project that they have undertaken with Darnall Well Being.
Somali Dance Group
Dementia Music Volunteers Janet and Glenys
As the EU Settlement Scheme programme came to a close this year, we shared a video made by Lucie Ward, giving an overview of her time working on the programme with Darnall Well Being, and Yasmin Saddique gave an update about our volunteer programme, before Mariam talked about what volunteering with us had meant to her, and how it had helped her to get the job she has now. Finally, we heard reflections of the evening from Dr Donal Farell and Martin McKervey before we all enjoyed a buffet and opportunity to network together.
DWB staff and trustees
Buffet and networking
Quotes from the AGM
The highlight of my week – a perfect sum up of the year’s activities
Greg Fell, Director of Public Health for Sheffield
Joanne’s Walks through High Hazels Park, Waqas who is always smiling and helpful. Alfred who is a wonderful spirit and the supporting staff who hand out the drinks of water during Chairobics not forgetting the fresh fruits for those who want them. Without these people Darnall Well Being would not be the same. They keep me coming week after week.
Janet Molineaux, service user
Thank you for such an inspiring, informative and entertaining AGM too. I left with a heightened faith in humanity!
Tom French, Data for Action
I enjoyed the authenticity of the stories and massive heart!
This #WorldAlzheimersMonth, we have continued to offer support to local people living with Dementia and their carers in a variety of ways.
Our regular Dementia Café sessions at Living Waters Church (Happy Memories) and St Mary’s Community Hub (Making Memories) have been very well attended, as usual.
Making Memories Dementia Cafe in Handsworth was joined by local singer Bob, who entertained everyone with popular songs.
Making Memories – September 2024
Bob singing at Making Memories
Added to the cafe sessions, the JoJanGles music group, which we established in collaboration with the University of Sheffield on research into music and Dementia continues to run, even though the research has finished, because the sessions proved so popular. Two volunteers who have been integral to running the group, Janet and Glenys, were selected for an award from Voluntary Action Sheffield this month. They were given the “New Initiatives” Award at September’s Community Champions Celebration event.
JoJanGles Music Group together
Janet and Glenys receive their award
The Carers’ Group that we run in partnership with Sheffield Carers’ Centre have enjoyed a walk together in High Hazels Park, whilst the people they care for did craft activities back at Darnall Primary Care Centre.
Carers’ Group in High Hazels Park
Doing puzzles at Carers’ Group
Craft creations at Carers’ Group
Dennis and Lynda’s sunflower
In addition, this September participants have been sharing photos of sunflowers that they have grown as part of a competition to see who can grow the tallest one. Dennis and Linda’s is pictured here – looking good! We are looking forward to seeing all the sunflowers to find out which has ended up being the tallest.
And Christine and Lynda have knitted a batch of 50 flowers, as the logo for the Alzheimers Society.
The knitted flowers
As always, we are so grateful to all of the volunteers who help to support our Dementia groups. We only have funding for one paid worker to run all of our Dementia groups, as well as offering 1-1 support to referrals that we receive; so without the involvement of our volunteers, we would only be able to offer a fraction of the community support that we currently do.
If you’re interested in finding out more about volunteering with us, have a look here or contact Yasmin Saddique, our Volunteer & Activities Coordinator.
We’re very pleased to have been shortlisted for the Community Impact Awards in the 2024 Sheffield Business Awards! It’s an honour to be listed alongside these brilliant local charities:
Read all about it! The latest edition of the Community Connector newsletter is out in print now. Working with Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, Sheffield City Council’s East Local Area Committee, Tinsley Forum, St Alban’s House Christian Community and local resident Shabir Aziz, we have put together a newsletter packed full of information, support and activities around the local area. There’s also an update on the Economic Recovery Fund project in Darnall.
Printed copies of the newsletter will be available to pick up in public venues around the local area, or you can read it online here:
Our partner organisation Darnall Allotment Project has been announced as one of 100 winners nationwide of The Nature Hubs Fund, a new initiative that aims to widen community access to green spaces. Hubbub and Starbucks received over 600 submissions for funding when they announced the Nature Hubs grant applications were open for applicants in November 2023.
Vegetables growing at the allotment in summer
The grants, awarded by environmental charity Hubbub and funded by Starbucks, have been allocated to community groups and projects that will increase local access to green space, upskill communities, bring people together in nature and / or build climate resilience. In total, over £560,000 in grants is being awarded to 100 Nature Hubs projects across Great Britain with the aim of bringing nature closer to people and people closer to nature.
Awarded £5,000, Darnall Allotment Project will use the funding to deliver their Grow Together sessions and improve the allotment.
Sarah Emberson at Darnall Allotment Project said: “Creating, maintaining and encouraging involvement in green spaces within our local community is so important, not only for our mental and physical wellbeing but also to foster a strong sense of community and connectedness. We’re delighted to receive this Nature Hubs grant from Hubbub and Starbucks and are looking forward to seeing the huge impact that the development of this project will have on our local community.”
Gavin Ellis, Co-founder at Hubbub said: “Access to safe and inclusive green spaces, particularly in urban areas, is so critical to our mental, physical and social wellbeing. Improving the green spaces in our towns and cities also helps to improve biodiversity, cool our streets and provide fantastic opportunities to grow fresh produce. The Nature Hubs initiative is designed to make these natural spaces – and the many wonderful ways to engage in environmental activities within them – much more accessible for everyone.
“We received so many incredible applications from community groups across Great Britain and are really excited to work with all of our new Nature Hubs partners to see the impact that these varied and ambitious plans will have on local communities.”
The Nature Hubs scheme is funded by Starbucks and is part of Hubbub and Starbucks’ wider ambition to build stronger, greener communities across the UK. The fund aims to improve access and connection to nature in the communities Starbucks serves, by creating green spaces within a 5km radius of Starbucks stores.
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