Thanks to funding from Compassionate Sheffield, we will be putting on two events to bring the community together, to remember and share experiences from the pandemic.
We look forward to welcoming people from the communities in Darnall and Tinsley to these two events, which will give us all an opportunity to share our experiences from the pandemic. Join our staff, volunteers and local faith leaders to get together, create memory books and light candles in memory of loved ones. We’ll have representatives and resources from Sheffield Mind, Compassionate Sheffield, Cruse Bereavement Care and IAPT here, sharing support and guidance if you want help with managing your feelings.
Food and drinks for us to enjoy together will be available at this free event. Please contact us if you’d like any more information before the events.
In November/December 2022, three medical students from Sheffield University spent their social accountability placement with us.
Fathimah, Nancy and Amran helping to deliver the Community Connector around Darnall
Over 4 weeks with us, as well as learning from our team about the services and support we offer, Amran, Fathimah and Nancy also helped out at a range of our activities and listened to feedback from some of our service users. The students also helped to distribute the Community Connector newsletter in the local area and helped out at Darnall Allotment Project. They shared some of their thoughts about Darnall Well Being at the end of their time with us:
As part of our placement, it was really lovely to help organise and welcome people in, as well as getting to know a different demographic in Darnall.
As a large number of people in the area are Muslim, offering women-only sessions is important, as it means that more women will be more likely to feel comfortable and engage with the community.
I think the most important part of the Men’s Health session is socialising, and having lunch and a cuppa together. Some of them live alone so you can tell they really appreciate being listened to and interacting with others.
The three students also put together this video to share some of their experiences with us and our service users:
The students shared the key things that they learned from Darnall Well Being in a presentation back at university. These included:
The importance of recognising and being aware of health inequalities
Especially between people of different ethnic backgrounds, noting that they really appreciate the efforts DWB have taken in trying to bridge differences by providing language support, increasing awareness through newsletters, engaging with local services that people frequent and providing activities that are either free or as cheap as possible.
The importance of social determinants of health
How social prescribing can aid in reducing poorer outcomes. They pointed out that the regular activities that DWB hold means that people are regularly engaged in physical activity or at least something that engages the mind.
How important community is
After speaking to so many different people from different backgrounds, they all mentioned that they enjoy interacting and meeting new people. This was especially true for those living by themselves or with just their partner. And how important it is for their mental health to just leave the house and meet others.
Fathimah helping out at Happy Memories Dementia Cafe
Amran, Fathimah and Nancy at Men’s Health group, December 2022
Finally, the students shared that they will take away from this experience the importance of not underestimating the social aspect of medicine. They felt that their placement with us really helped them to see the bigger picture; that medicine is about going in to help people and improve their quality of life, and so it’s important to recognise how big a factor the community and social side of someone’s life is in their care.
A blog post by Amran Jimale, a third year medical student at the University of Sheffield.
Amran, who did her social accountability placement with us in December 2022, was really interested in the different ways that we reach the community, and she wanted to share her experience with our Green Social Prescribing craft activity.
Macrame feathers made by participants in December 2022
In December 2022, I had the pleasure of joining a craft session at Victoria Quays in Sheffield, where we made feather leaf macramé. It was a fun and lively event, with people of all ages and backgrounds coming together to learn and craft. But beyond the social aspect of the event, I also saw the powerful effects that crafting can have on health and wellbeing. As we worked on our macramé projects, we chatted and laughed, and the meditative and focused nature of crafting provided a much-needed break from the constant stimulation of daily life.
Crafting has been shown to have numerous benefits for health, including reducing anxiety and depression, and improving self-esteem and cognitive function. It can also provide a sense of accomplishment and purpose, as well as a creative outlet for self-expression.
Macrame in action
A finished macrame leaf
I really enjoyed myself and it was a great opportunity for members of the community to come together, socialise, and make something beautiful. I hope to attend more events like this at Darnall Well Being.
The latest edition of the Community Connector newsletter is out now!
Community Connector Winter 2022
We have worked with local organisations including Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, Tinsley Forum and Sheffield East LAC, to put together a winter edition of the Community Connector newsletter. Over 30 local groups and organisations have taken this opportunity to share their news with the community, and we’re grateful to all of them for taking the time to send us content and photos to include in the newsletter!
Unfortunately, we weren’t successful in obtaining any new funding to produce or deliver the Community Connector this time, so we’re extremely grateful to Jump North printers for match funding the small amount we had available. This enabled us to print 2,000 copies in total! Since we weren’t able to fund delivery of the newsletters, we’re now busy getting copies out to as many different local venues as we can, to make sure all this news, support and information reaches as many local people as possible. Darnall Well Being will also be giving copies to everyone we come into contact with in the community, and copies will be going to all local schools.
Please look out for it in the community – venues it will be available at include:
Darnall Library
Darnall Primary Care Centre
Tinsley Highgate Surgery
Tinsley Forum and Library
EIS and Ice Sheffield
Galeed House
PMC
Darnall Children’s Centre
Darnall Road Baptist Church
Church of Christ
Living Waters
Star Works
Darnall Allotment Project
Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre
Local shops and cafes
You can also download the Community Connector here:
We aim to produce the next edition by the Easter school holidays. If you are a local group or organisation that would like to share news or information in the next edition, please contact us at communityconnectordarnall@gmail.com.
We’re very happy to be able to offer weekly yoga sessions for women living in Tinsley and Darnall.
Yoga can help to support stress management, mental health, mindfulness, healthy eating, weight loss and quality sleep. These sessions are also a great opportunity to meet other women in the local area.
Sessions are for all abilities, and can be done on a chair or mat.
For more information, please contact our office on 0114 2496315.
The weather may be getting colder, but we still have plenty of Green Social Prescribing activities available to book!
A Green Social Prescribing walk in Castleton, August 2022
If you live in Darnall, Tinsley or Handsworth and you’re feeling stressed, low in mood, anxious, lonely or isolated, Green Social Prescribing can help. Thanks to funding from South Yorkshire Community Foundation and South Yorkshire & Bassetlaw Integrated Care System, we are able to offer friendly, guided walks in green spaces around Sheffield and in the Peak District.
The walks offer a chance to explore new areas with a group, as well as taking part in simple activities to help you connect with nature and calm your mind. We provide free transport to and from the walk destinations, and provide a free hot or cold drink at each location.
Details of some of our upcoming walks are below, with more still to come:
Once you’ve booked onto a sesssion with us, all you need to do is bring some water and a packed lunch. And please make sure you’re wearing sturdy footwear and clothing suitable for the weather!
Lots of local people have found the sessions really beneficial so far – just a couple of comments from the many we have had from people who have been on the walks with us:
Good, fun, enjoyable and exciting, fun – walk easy but scenic, refreshing
Participant in GSP walk at Longshaw, June 2022
Walking is the only thing that makes me happy, like peace & quiet, like to stay physically active, countryside good for wellbeing
Participant in GSP walk at Hathersage, July 2022
If you would like more details about Green Social Prescribing, or if you want to book onto any of the activities, please contact Jo Hopkinson on 07904 281825 or our office on 0114 249 6315.
For World Mental Health Day, we’ve put together a flyer to help people manage their mental health.
To mark #WorldMentalHealthDay, we have put together a flyer to give to everyone who comes to our activities or gets 1-1 support from our team. All of our activities give people an opportunity to talk about and improve their mental health; our flyer gives details about more of the support we offer, and we’ve also shared links to other organisations in Sheffield who offer additional mental health support.
Our women’s Pilates sessions started in April 2025, thanks to our partnership with Places Leisure.
Pilates can be helpful for improving core strength, flexibility, posture and balance. It can also help with pain relief, especially lower back pain, and stress reduction. Pilates is a low-impact exercise that focuses on controlled movements. These sessions are for all abilities aged 18+.
These sessions are very popular, so please make sure you arrive in plenty of time to join the session, as places are limited in both sessions.
A great opportunity to meet other local women and improve your fitness, whilst having fun!
Running on Tuesdays at Darnall Primary Care Centre in partnership with Sheffield United Community Foundation, our fun circuit training sessions are for all women living in Darnall and Tinsley, aged 16+. Contact details to book your place are on the flyer below.
Darnall Well Being has developed a unique men’s session, which includes a light exercise session, a healthy lunch and a talk topic. The talk topic is an interactive part of the day, where everybody can ask questions and share their experiences.
Men’s Health Group exercising together
The exercises in the session can be practised within the home and empower other members of the family who don’t attend. After the workout, members are invited to eat a light lunch of sandwiches and snacks together. Concluding the session, staff deliver valuable information on a range of topics, such as healthy eating.
Men’s Health group meets every week on Thursdays in Darnall. Contact us for more information and to book your place.
Client testimonial
I think this is a great idea, which helped me really to eat healthy and to watch everything I eat through the rest of the week. I am absolutely delighted to be one of the people who benefits from this great help and service which actually turned my views and habits about food upside down. The healthy food provided in this lunch club won’t be anything without the spirit of the staff behind this great job, they are very friendly, very helpful and they have inspired me and my two friends who attend with me to regularly follow a healthy diet forever, we all enjoy it very much. Big thank you for everyone behind the lunch club. – Tariq Elkhalifa, Hisham Idris, Siddiq Elhilow.
Community Mental Health Worker testimonial:
I referred my 65yr old, male client to DWB – he lives on his own and experiences low mood and is socially isolated. He attended their Men’s Group as this was based in the community near his home and was also culturally appropriate. DWB worked closely with me to encourage him to attend the group, offered to collect him from his home and sent him text reminders.
As this client was clinically depressed, isolated and hard of hearing these were vital factors that helped engaged the client. The joint work with DWB has contributed in helping this client maintain good mental health and help him make steps towards improving his quality of life.
In March 2024, local GP Dr Farrell joined Men’s Health Group and here’s what he had to say about his experience:
The quick witted nature and frequent banter from the Men’s Health Group made for a very entertaining session. Alfred’s ease at facilitating discussions around health and well-being, along with his motivational manner in encouraging us all to participate in accessible exercises was great to see. The complex health problems of some of the participants means that these sessions are often the only opportunities they get to interact socially and physically with others in their community.
We offer two monthly carers’ support groups – one for all carers, and one specifically for carers of people living with Dementia.
If you’re an unpaid carer for someone, why not come along to our Carers’ Support Group? This monthly group is run in Darnall, in partnership with Sheffield Carers’ Centre. It’s an opportunity to meet other local carers, share stories and experiences, and find out about help and support available to you. You just need to contact us to book your place, so that we can manage numbers – then come along and join us!
We also offer a support group specifically for carers of people living with Dementia. These monthly sessions are a chance to get to know other local carers, support one another and learn more about Dementia. As above, please contact us to book your place, so that we can manage numbers at the group.
I really did find the information, help, assistance, support and group lovely – I willbe back.
WS, Dementia Carers’ Support Group attendee
Our Dementia Carers’ Support Group was visited in March 2024 by Dr Donal Farrell, a local GP, who shared this feedback from his experience there:
During the Dementia Carers’ Group, it was great to see familiar faces from the Making Memories Music Focus Group and with the theme being ‘Yorkshire’, I learned a lot, including about the local lingo. Opportunities for those with dementia and their carers to actively engage in discussions and tasks in a fun and friendly way was great to see. Drawing on the wisdom of the more experienced participants was a great way to get everyone involved.
This women only session is based around a chair and sitting down. It is gentle exercise to music. This session is an ideal starting point if you are just thinking about becoming active. It is also good for people with less mobility.
We hold women’s chairobics sessions in person in Darnall on Tuesdays and in Tinsley on Thursdays. See the flyer below for more details, and please contact us if you’d like to come along and join one of our friendly groups.
Darnall ChairobicsLocal women getting active at chairobics
Quotes from participants:
I like the exercises – it makes me happy and I feel better, because all the movement is good for me – hands, shoulders, feet. I have told my friend and she is now coming as well. I’m not trying too hard to lose weight but I feel healthier.
I like this group because it makes me feel better. I have ME. I have depression as well. Coming here the exercise makes me feel better. I get a lot of pains and the exercise helps. Also getting out of the house and meeting people. This is the only place I come out to.
We’re very happy to offer two different Dementia Cafes for the community!
Our Making Memories Dementia memory cafe at St Mary’s Community Hub is a great opportunity to meet others every 2 weeks on Wednesday afternoons for a friendly chat, a cuppa and some fun activities, along with hearing from guest speakers.
We also run a monthly Happy Memories Dementia Cafe in Darnall on Mondays, with hot drinks, cakes and activities like we have in Handsworth, but which also offers language support for those who need it. Regular language support is available for Urdu and Somali speakers, but we can help with other languages, too.
If you’re not sure what to expect from a Dementia Cafe, here’s a short clip of Making Memories attendees playing Beetle together:
And you can hear directly from some of our Dementia Cafe attendees here:
Listen to Bess and John’s experiences of coming to Making Memories
Hear more about our Dementia Cafe in Arabic
He was animated, engaged and recalling his own history and happy doing it…. The locality of the cafe to his community means he’s been able to rekindle acquaintances with people he knew from his earlier life.
HJ, son and carer of Making Memories Dementia Cafe attendee
We also run a separate Dementia group with a focus on music – JoJanGles. This friendly group meets every 2 weeks on Wednesday afternoons in Handsworth. This group was started thanks to research work we were involved in with the University of Sheffield. A video about their research, showing our group in action, can be seen here:
Please contact us if you would be interested in coming along to this group, which continues to meet every two weeks.
We also run two carers’ support groups at Darnall Primary Care Centre. For more details about these groups, please click here.
Zoyah, one of our volunteers, shares what she learned at our suicide awareness event, which was held on Thursday 8th September at Darnall Primary Care Centre, and was facilitated by Jon Friend and Penny Capper from Sheffield Mind.
There’s no doubt that the recent events across the last few years have left a mark on us all.
Besides the pandemic’s negative effects economically and socially, keeping our mental wellbeing stable has become even more challenging. A recent study led by St Johns Ambulance revealed that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on mental health. They found that around 2 in 5 people felt that their mental health got worse during the pandemic. Another recent survey found that 40% of people have considered leaving their job because of mental health and wellbeing issues.
So we know that mental health is a worldwide crisis, but what does it really mean to have positive mental health and how can we save lives?
Something profound was shared at DWB’s Mental Health and Suicide Awareness session. We looked at Jeremy Forbes’ TED Talk on how to start a conversation about suicide. Forbes’ approach is simple: we must start by breaking down any cultural barriers and societal stigma around suicide. For example, it’s common for a lot of people to think that men struggle less with mental health than women or that depression and anxiety are mere myths in some communities – these couldn’t be more far from the truth.
People taking part in our suicide awareness event
Talking safely about suicide
In order to create a safer world for those struggling with mental health whether it’s us or the people who we love, we need to create a safe environment. People struggling with suicidal thoughts won’t always ask for help, they may seem happy all the time or have it all together, sometimes even just come across as strong. As a loved one, it’s very important to check on them but what about those battling these challenging thoughts alone?
Forbes spoke about an event in his community hosted regularly to discuss mental health and suicide with not only those who share the same job as him, but men of different occupations, as well as those who’ve known someone struggling with mental health. He created a space for all in his community to appreciate the strength of those battling mental health and to help support both those struggling and their loved ones.
We often underestimate the power a small conversation can have on someone, especially if they are experiencing suicidal thoughts. Simply remaining calm and actively listening to them can likely reduce the risk of suicide completion. Active listening is different to passive listening, because you show a willingness to hear how they express their feelings whilst asking direct and open questions. Whilst actively listening, ensure that you’re non-judgemental, hear them out. As tempting as it is, don’t lecture them on the value of life nor debate about how they feel; this will only push them away from not only you, but from seeking professional help.
At the core of every distress a suicidal person feels is the fact that they cannot take the pain anymore, they feel as if no one truly understands or appreciates them. It’s important to remember that suicidal people don’t necessarily want to kill themselves or end their existence, they just want to end their pain. Those struggling will often have quite a different perspective on life and its values based on their experiences and current challenges – the brains of those struggling with mental health issues such as depression and bi-polar disorder are quite different as we were shown by MRI scans in the session.
People sharing thoughts and ideas at our suicide awareness event
Managing your Mental Health and Wellbeing
To help support those struggling with mental health and improve your own, we spoke about the importance of having a consistent routine whilst taking time out for yourself – time that doesn’t involve any tech. This could be reading a book, painting, cooking and baking a healthy recipe with a loved one or even a simple walk admiring the nature on the way. It’s important to dedicate even just 1 hour each day to yourself; it helps bring calm and ease to the mind. Alongside seeking professional help, one of the most effective things to do is exercise and be physically active regularly. This could be joining a health walk or chairobics, or even taking up a new sport like netball. If you want to improve both your physical and mental wellbeing whilst being part of a fun group, click here to find out more about Darnall Well Being’s activities.
To reach a state of positive mental health, we first need to know what that looks like for us. We discussed that it’s a state of wellbeing, in which every individual realises their own potential and can cope with the normal stress of life and work productively.
It’s easy to think that positive mental health involves no stress, but naturally we all thrive on stress – we just need a healthy balance, but when we get too much stress that’s when an imbalance happens. Too much stress causes an adverse reaction, due to excessive pressures or other types of demands placed on us. If not taken care of, it can take meaning away from our lives and we start neglecting our physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual needs.
So be sure to take some time out each day to reflect on your mental wellbeing, check in on yourself whilst remembering to be kind to your body and mind because, as a famous Chinese proverb states, ‘the mind is the emperor of the body’.
If you need to talk to someone about suicide right now, help is available:
To mark World Suicide Prevention Day, we will be holding an awareness event in Darnall with Sheffield Mind. Please contact us to book. Jon and Penny will be leading this interactive session, and members of our team will be there to provide support and advice.
Darnall Well Being, Darnall Education & Sport Academy, and Voluntary Action Sheffield are hosting a get together for all organisations or individuals who provide opportunities for people to be physically active in the Darnall and Tinsley areas.
Join us on Wednesday 28th September 2022 from 4 to 6pm at the English Institute of Sport, Coleridge Rd, Sheffield, S9 5DA.
We want to give people who work in the area a chance to meet others working on similar stuff, understand each other’s services better, share strengths and challenges, and possibly spark some ideas on how we could work together more to better serve the area.
We also think it will be a good opportunity to show off the good things happening in the area.
We will structure the session so there is time for:
Showcasing your work and organisation
Conversations about common problems or opportunities and what we can do collectively
And, some time for something fun
We will put on refreshments, and you can come and go as you please. All welcome, just please respond to the invite so we can plan for numbers, by emailing a.batty@vas.org.uk. Feel free to share this information with any community organisations or individuals who may benefit from this.
We are recruiting for a pool of four Activity Sessional Workers to deliver and support our group activities in Darnall and Tinsley.
Job Description
Post Title: Activity Sessional Worker Pay: £10.00 per hour Responsible To: Senior Health & Wellbeing Worker Responsible For: Leading and Supporting Group Activities Key Terms and Conditions To deliver and support a regular group activity during the week Paid for sessions/time undertaken during a month
Purpose of Post
To deliver and support a range of group activities that improve the health and wellbeing of people living in the Darnall and Tinsley areas.
Duties and Responsibilities
Identifying and understanding health and wellbeing needs in Darnall Ward
Engaging a broad range of existing and new beneficiaries (all ages, abilities, ethnicities, etc.) and increasing the number of local people ‘moving more’ on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis
Delivering and supporting activities each week or as and when required (e.g. Health Walk and Chairobics sessions)
Ensuring appropriate reporting, monitoring and evaluation of activities, including providing updates as and when required
When the opportunity arises to support with Public Health campaign messaging
Support Darnall Well Being team in carrying out consultation in partnership with other organisations (i.e Sheffield City Council)
Undertake all necessary training relevant to the role, e.g. Adult Safeguarding, First Aid.
This is not an exhaustive list of duties and may be subject to change due to organisational priorities.
All aspects of the role must be carried out in line with health and safety guidelines, applying equal opportunities policies, adhering to agreed protocol and procedures when working with activity groups, always ensuring the confidentiality of the service and users.
The successful candidate will work in the Darnall, Tinsley and Acres Hill areas of Sheffield (S9).
We are looking for someone who enjoys working with people to support them making a difference to their health and wellbeing, well organised and able to act on their own initiative. This is a fantastic opportunity to join an exceptional team and an organisation with good standing both locally and citywide.
To make an informal enquiry or to request an application pack, please contact:
Jo Hopkinson or Yvonne Witter on 0114 249 6315 (Monday to Thursday) OR email admin@darnallwellbeing.org.uk Closing date: Applications to be received via email by midnight Saturday 10th September 2022. Interviews scheduled for Tuesday 13th September 2022. Ideal start date – 19th September 2022.
The latest edition of the Community Connector is out for delivery all over Darnall ward now!
We always enjoy putting together this community newsletter with other local organisations – Tinsley Forum, St Mary’s Community Hub, Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park and Attercliffe & Darnall Centre of Mission. There’s plenty of content from all around the area, including activities and support available over the school summer holidays – and it will be delivered to every household in Darnall ward, so will be accessible to all!
If you have content that you’d like to share in a future edition, please contact us by email at communityconnectordarnall@gmail.com and we will be in touch when we’re putting the next newsletter together.
We are coordinating Healthy Activities & Food sessions once again in Darnall and Tinsley for children eligible for income-based free school meals, as one of Manor & Castle Development Trust’s partners. During summer 2022, we will be running free sport and creative activities, with food provided, at EIS, Darnall Library and Tinsley Allotment in partnership with: On The Move, Ignite imaginations, Darnall Library, Steamworks, and Tinsley Allotment. More details on the posters below:
Please get in touch with DWB or On The Move for more information and to book a place (for children 5-15 years old in full time education; children eligible for free school meals will be prioritised): Sofia Gkika (DWB) 07825288580, sofia@darnallwellbeing.org.uk or Lee Smith (On The Move) 07817699563, lee@onthemove.org.uk
We always like to get involved and get active for Move More Month – and this June is no exception!
As well as our regular groups providing ways to get active, we have a number of extra activities available to book this June. From Green Social Prescribing walks by the canal, at Millhouses Park and at Longshaw Estate in the Peak District, to taster sessions at the English Institute of Sport and various women’s wellbeing activities in Tinsley every Thursday in June – we have something for everyone! And we’ll be at the Olympic Legacy in Action event at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park on Saturday 18th June, too. Look out for members of our team providing information, as well as running craft and physical activities throughout the day!
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