There is a North/South divide in Sheffield. Shame on us!

[go4it 10]

My bold

 

Sorry, but you really are talking through the wrong orifice. I've been marginally involved in getting money for projects in "deprived" areas for years, and it really isn't just chucked at us. For a kick off, a lot of the money comes from national or regional pots, which means you're bidding against every other deprived area which qualifies.

 

If it was as simple as people going round asking us what we wanted and then just handing over the money, the lives of local community activists would be a hell of a lot easier than it is in reality.

 

As for the Endcliffe park group raising all the money for the playground themselves, do you really think they managed to get together £293,000 by rattling tins and having jumble sales? They did exactly what every other group does - applied for funding and got it:

 

"Funds for the playground were raised from a number of sources including the Big Lottery, Veoila Environmental Trust, Hallam FM Cash For Kids and Arts Council England."

 

Which is exactly what groups in deprived areas do - and we also do it for nowt! Or do you the Council also goes round handing us handfuls of dosh for our voluntary work?

 

 

So the improvements in Parks in North Sheffield, in particular the 'Three Parks Programme' were down to unpaid community workers who applied for money and decided to use the money to fund playgrounds (amongst other things)?

 

Yes The Friends of Endcliffe Park did apply for funding. They worked very very hard for a number of years.

 

The point of this thread was that the OP was saying that playgrounds in South Sheffield were better than North Sheffield. They're not due to the money spent on them in the North- which has come from various pots and sources, with various bodies and organisations sticking their heads in. This money is easier to come by if the outcome is for a deprived area, hence the South miss out.

 

On another matter another thing to crop up near playgrounds are 'shelters' - for young people to sit and chat. These again are present in the North of Sheffield with hardly any (if any I haven't seen one) in the South - again in order to reduce anti-social behaviour and crime. These things cost a small fortune and are now covered in graffitti and smell of pot smoke.

[cgksheff 44]

........

The point of this thread was that the OP was saying that playgrounds in South Sheffield were better than North Sheffield. ........

 

Oh no they weren't!

 

Go back and read it again.

 

I made the same mistake.

 

The 'North' & 'South' are badly chosen indicators for poorer and more affluent areas ... not geographic regions.

[go4it 10]

Oh no they weren't!

 

Go back and read it again.

 

I made the same mistake.

 

The 'North' & 'South' are badly chosen indicators for poorer and more affluent areas ... not geographic regions.

 

more aff / less aff, sign in / sign on - whatever

[irenewilde 10]

I learned instead that some of the money was going elsewhere, including improvements to Millhouses Park (where there is a skate park). At a council meeting I pleaded with the Cabinet Member to at least let the children of Arbourthorne have a little bit of this money for a slide or a swing for them to play on. The Cabinet Member refused my plea, and said Arbourthorne children could go and play on Manor estate or Norfolk Park.

So, it's not always the case that deprived areas of the city gets money for parks and recreation grounds, as my experience testifies.

 

And why shouldn't Millhouses Park have *some* of the money? Or is this a case of inverted snobbery? Out of interest, where did the rest of the money go?

[Switchblade 10]

Nice people make nice areas, money or not.

 

Well Hanover Square was once in a very nice district with mostly well to do residents.

[lonelylad5656 10]

If you look at a map of sheffield it is very easy to spot the social class dividing line, its the big green road known as the a61 or the sheffield ring road. On one side the housing is largely private, the other side largely council. I have never encountered a city such as sheffield that is litterally divided into 2 between the haves and have nots. I think the thread title should read east west divide, cos that what it is.

 

Map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=sheffield&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Sheffield&gl=uk&ei=aUZKS5ihI9T54AaBpJmMAw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CAwQ8gEwAA

Edited January 10, 2010 by lonelylad5656

[cgksheff 44]

How blind can people be?

 

There are absolutely no Council provided playgrounds for those that live below ground, all for surface-dwellers only.

[Dozy 11]

So the improvements in Parks in North Sheffield, in particular the 'Three Parks Programme' were down to unpaid community workers who applied for money and decided to use the money to fund playgrounds (amongst other things)?

 

Yes The Friends of Endcliffe Park did apply for funding. They worked very very hard for a number of years.

 

The point of this thread was that the OP was saying that playgrounds in South Sheffield were better than North Sheffield. They're not due to the money spent on them in the North- which has come from various pots and sources, with various bodies and organisations sticking their heads in. This money is easier to come by if the outcome is for a deprived area, hence the South miss out.

 

On another matter another thing to crop up near playgrounds are 'shelters' - for young people to sit and chat. These again are present in the North of Sheffield with hardly any (if any I haven't seen one) in the South - again in order to reduce anti-social behaviour and crime. These things cost a small fortune and are now covered in graffitti and smell of pot smoke.

 

Never heard of the "Three Parks Programme", so I can't comment.

 

I've already explained that pots of money available for deprived areas are available to ALL such areas, so we still have to bid against others in a similar situation. It's no easier for us to get the money than it is for people in the south of the city.

 

Of course there's more money available specifically for deprived areas - do you really think it would make sense for money to be targeted at more affluent areas, who already have the sort of facilities that deprived areas lack? If a park in the north of the city gets £20,000, should another park in the south automatically get £20,000 because otherwise it wouldn't be fair?

 

If Endcliffe Park managed to get £293,000, I hardly think they can be regarded as "missing out".

 

Do you have something against reducing anti-social behaviour? If youth shelters help to cut down on it, what's wrong with them being in the parks? If they are needed in parks in the south of the city, then I'm sure the army of unpaid, hard-working, community-spirited locals will apply for the funding.

 

You do seem to suffer from a strange form of jealousy because you perceive that people who have very little get more than the people who already have plenty!

[Riche 10]

We live in S10 Poshpool West side mo fo's, were posher than both the north and south put together and we get better school results too so we can get the best paid jobs. Owned you Chavs. OK Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya .................................

Edited January 10, 2010 by Riche

[Cyclone 10]

I argue against people labelling all people because of the area they live in. Surely anyone with a modicum of intelligence realises that not all people that live in a bad area are bad, and vice versa.

 

Was Tony really suggesting that it was all the people, or just a prevailing attitude?

[Riche 10]

S10 WEST SIDE SUCKERS eat my ROLEX, 3 Bed semi with hot tub, Double garage PVC windows and massive SONY flat screen:D Got rid of Subaru that was just chav.

[go4it 10]

Never heard of the "Three Parks Programme", so I can't comment.

 

I've already explained that pots of money available for deprived areas are available to ALL such areas, so we still have to bid against others in a similar situation. It's no easier for us to get the money than it is for people in the south of the city.

 

Of course there's more money available specifically for deprived areas - do you really think it would make sense for money to be targeted at more affluent areas, who already have the sort of facilities that deprived areas lack? If a park in the north of the city gets £20,000, should another park in the south automatically get £20,000 because otherwise it wouldn't be fair?

 

If Endcliffe Park managed to get £293,000, I hardly think they can be regarded as "missing out".

 

Do you have something against reducing anti-social behaviour? If youth shelters help to cut down on it, what's wrong with them being in the parks? If they are needed in parks in the south of the city, then I'm sure the army of unpaid, hard-working, community-spirited locals will apply for the funding.

 

You do seem to suffer from a strange form of jealousy because you perceive that people who have very little get more than the people who already have plenty!

 

 

I think what this thread has highlighted is the amount of paid people power invested in the North of the city. Whenever a playground is opened you can guarantee that there will be a development worker, council worker, Sure Start, Wildlife Trust, Park Ranger etc etc all present - all of whom have somehow contributed to it as part of their paid job.

 

Down South we will always be OK, there are enough people who can get off their backside and work together for the community.

 

My issue is that we invest too much in the North doing everything for everybody, everything short of spoon feeding and wiping mouths.

 

I don't have anything against anti-social behaviour - what I am against is the silly waste of money and resources which people will think will reduce it. Those shelters costs thousands of pounds - young people don't need somewhere to go they need something to do. Again this is where all the organisations - Sheffield Futures, Activity Sheffield, Wildlife Trust etc etc comes on board and with thousands of pounds tried to solve the problem.

 

I'm full of admiration for the Friends of Endcliffe Playground, and also 'the army of unpaid volunteers' that you refer to. They are the ones that run activities for young people, often for free. It's amazing that the South can achieve for free what it takes the North hundreds of thousands of pounds to replicate.