In a time where it could be very easy to feel disconnected from our community, we’ve heard some brilliant stories of our tenants offering a helping hand to local people.
It’s wonderful to know that people are really looking after each other during the Coronavirus outbreak. And a fantastic example is Nicole: an inspirational and kind neighbour who’s making a real difference in her community.
Earlier in the year, we agreed to provide Nicole with funding to host a street party for her community in Sharrow. She wanted to organise an event that got everyone involved – a bouncy castle and bubbles for the children, a nice quiet space for the adults to get to know each other, and different food and drinks for the whole neighbourhood to enjoy.
She said: “I’ve lived in this area my whole life and it’s just so different to how it was when I was growing up. We need to be talking a bit more and feeling more like a community, which is why I wanted to host a street party and create an event that was appealing to everyone.”
However, with her event having to be cancelled, she asked if she could use the money to buy essentials for her neighbours, instead.
“I went out and with the money I would have used for the street party, bought items of essentials that I thought people would need like pasta, rice, toilet rolls, potatoes and then spilt them into bags. I did tailor the bags a little – for example, I know someone in the community is diabetic, so wanted them to have the right things.”
Nicole has also joined our team of volunteers. If you’d like to make a difference locally, we’d love to work with you to support those that need some help during the pandemic.
If you’d like to get involved as a volunteer, we have a range of opportunities, support, and funding available.
Our volunteering opportunities
You can read more of Nicole’s story in The Sheffield Star.
If you’ve got a story to share about a superstar neighbour, let us know on Twitter or Facebook.
