Year 1 (2023-2024)
Phase one – Sense making (September to December)
We will carry out sensemaking in each of the following areas:
- Issues
- Relationships and politics
- Previous investment
- Current funding
The challenges facing these areas are complex and before we can make detailed plans on what each area needs, or level of investment, we need a full understanding of the history of the neighbourhoods and their communities, understand key organisations, relationships, demographic changes, current funding and past funding, and learning from previous investments and schemes.
A third party evaluator will be commissioned to support the work and produce a report after performing interviews, research and asset mapping with Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) leaders.
We will be working with Citizen Network to develop a network map for the whole of Sheffield, identifying key people and assets. We will begin the work with neighbourhoods in the North East.
Phase two – Investment in the VCS (October to March)
We will help sustain key VCS organisations in the North East by delivering direct awards and small grants. The funding will be for one year, with a commitment to long-term funding in years 2 – 5 following the sensemaking and production of area plans.
Phase three – Community engagement (January to March)
The community engagement approach will be multifaceted and tailored to audiences to reach as many people as possible in the North East. The methods will include deliberative workshops and focus groups, interviews, and surveys. All the engagement will be culturally appropriate and help to remove barriers to participation.
Phase four – Planning (March)
Following the engagement we will have a clear idea of the issues people want to solve and the possible solutions. The VCS will bring back together the community to turn the insights into four year plans for each neighbourhood.
Year 2 – 5 (2024 – 2029)
Phase five – Doing (Quarter one 2024/25 onwards)
We will give long-term investment to VCS to collaborate, self-govern and deliver plans in each neighbourhood with frequent engagement.
We will continue an annual small grants programme to help fund smaller grassroots organisations or groups of people to connect.
We will continue and build on capacity building of the VCS and communities.
Phase six – participatory budgeting (Quarter one 2024/25 onwards)
Participatory budgeting is a democratic process in which community members decide how to spend part of a public budget.
It is being proposed that 1% of the Health and Care Partnership budget will be part of city wide participatory budget by 2028, with the method being tested in the North East from year two, with year on year increase in money devolved to communities.
Read the full North East Neighbourhood Plan 2023 – 2028 below.
