Christmas Trip to Manchester

The next coach trip will take us to Manchester Trafford Centre on Saturday 28th November.; tickets are £5 each! We will depart at the usual time of 8:30am from the usual place on the junction on Derby Street & Lichford Road.

The Trafford Centre is one of the biggest shopping centres in the UK, getting you in time for Christmas shopping.

If you don’t want to shop til you drop, there is plenty more to see and do in Manchester. You may want to take your kids to the Abbotsfield Park Miniature Railway, visit the John Rylands Library or get cultured at the Museum of Science & Industry.

Come and buy your tickets at our next ‘General Meeting’ at the Heeley Community Centre on Thursday 19th November from 6:30pm. See you there..!

General Meeting

The next General Meeting is on Thursday 21st August, 7pm-8.30pm.

We will be discussing the organisation of the first Heeley Rise TARA Junior Christmas party.

Come and help!

Celine

Coach Trip - Skipton Christmas Market - Sunday 15th December 2013

Our next excursion will be on Sunday 15th December, and we'll head out to Skipton for the Christmas market.

The coach will leave Lichford Road (just off Derby street) at 8am to make the start of the market before the crowds. We'll leave Skipton at 5.30pm after the torch procession.

Fingers crossed for some good dry weather!

You can buy your ticket at the next public meeting on Thursday 21st November from 7pm, Heeley Community centre.

Price: £5 per adult in the TARA; kids go free, but they must be with an adult; only 2 kids per adult.

More info on the Skipton Xmas market

General Meeting

The next Tenants and Residents meeting will take place on Thursday 15th August at the Heeley Community Centre, 302 Gleadless Road, from 6:30pm.

It’s an open night, so the agenda is yours! It’s yours to raise concerns you might have around the area, housing, roads, nuisance or any other problem issues. There will be a housing officer at the meeting to answer any questions.

We also welcome  new ideas that help to improve our area for everyone. There are a number of projects going on, such as the current developments to the children’s play area with the local Wildlife Trust.

Some people were offended by our last flyer when we mentioned the risk of the TARA folding if we had no committee. We apologise for that, however, the TARA is always on the look out for helpers to volunteer with community projects, ideas, delivering flyers, organising coach trips and so on.

We do also have money to give away for local people for projects. So if you have an idea, come and ask!

Tea and biscuits await at our next meeting. We look forward to seeing you.

Community Garden

Celine, one of our committee members has been working hard on the little bit of community garden at the top end of Derby Street. Looking good so far!

We also want to thank her partner Scott Albright for his hard work on creating the new sign, and organising the wonderful stone in the garden.

Do go and have a look at what’s been done, join in and have a dig, plant some food to grow & take some away. You might even want to create a garden near you?

Coach Trip to Whitby Bay

We have a large coach booked with Coopers, going to Whitby Bay on Sunday June 2nd, leaving the junction of Derby Street and Lichford Road at 8:30am. Tickets are £5 per person. These can be bought after the Annual General Meeting. Do come along and reserve your tickets.

Annual General Meeting 2013

The current committee has done some fantastic work in recent years, organising the blossom trees in some areas, bulb planting, climbing wall, running the coach trips and so on.

However, we’re tired, as we have been running the Tenant and Residents Association since 2007, a total of 6 long, but very positive years!

Unfortunately, there are are an average of 6 committee members, so only a handful of people (who happen to be working) doing all the organising, getting involved and promoting activities. 

Imagine the dismay, when as a TARA, we provided wonderful picture calendars last Christmas for all tenants and residents, and the only response received was, “oh, we thought it was junk mail so we threw it away”. 

As the chair of this TARA for the last few years, I am informing you that if you wish to see good things being continued in the community, improving the area where we live, and building a good community cohesion, you need to seriously think about rolling up your sleeves, joining in, taking part in meetings and even getting in on the act with the committee, or there may be none of these things happening again. I hope to see more of you at the AGM this coming Thursday night.

New Climbing Boulder in Heeley

All thanks to the Heeley Development Trust, situated in the Heeley Millenium Park, is this slanting climbing boulder, installed in December 2012. It's situated opposite the Sheaf View Real Ale pub, at the bottom of Gleadless Road and Sheaf Bank. An artificial boulder with the rock having a similar look at feel to the rocky outcrops of Burbage and Stanage Edge. This is a superb boulder to play and climb on.

General Meeting on the 15th November

Heeley Rise TARA would like to invite you to a general meeting to take place at the Community Centre, next to the GP surgery on the 15th Nov.

It’s an opportunity for tenants and residents to come together, raise any concerns about housing, the local environment, anti social behaviour, talk about small community projects, learn about grant funding, trips and contribute ideas.

A Sheffield Homes Housing Officer will attend from 6:30pm, and then the main meeting will start from 7pm for about an hour, we finish at  roughly 8pm. We can sometimes go over if people have an important issue to raise and discuss.

The TARA is run by an elected committee of volunteers; we aim is to encourage local people to come together and help improve our community.

We pride on taking a positive ‘can do’ approach with the aim of enjoying our time and getting things done.     Please come along to the meeting, find out what we are about, meet new people and learn what is going on locally. See you there!
   

Heeley Advice Centre Reaches out for help!

Heeley Advice Centre has secured some major new funding allowing it to employ a new Advice Worker to restart outreach sessions in the Gleadless Valley and Arbourthorne areas.

These extra outreach sessions will allow the Centre to give much needed Advice to more local people on their own doorstep. The Advice Worker will give generalist advice but will also assist with welfare benefits, debt, consumer and housing queries. If you need independent advice on any of these matters, keep a look out for the outreach sessions starting in April or get in touch with the Centre (contact details below)

Heeley Advice Centre is also looking to recruit new Volunteers, could you spare any time to help give advice, carry out receptionist duties or help with the administrative tasks that these sessions require? Full training and support will be given to all those interested.

You would become part of a team of 8 paid workers, 4 volunteer receptionist workers and 7 volunteer advice workers working in a busy, much needed local resource. Go on, think of the difference volunteering one morning or a day a week could make to your life and to the lives of others!!

If you think you would be suitable, or able to offer some other help to the Centre, then please contact Sue Congreve or Heeley Advice Centre on 0114 2588751 or email heeleyadvice@live.co.uk or call in to Heeley Advice Centre, 344 Gleadless Road, Heeley Green, SHEFFIELD. S2 3AJ.

Easter News from Heeley City Farm

There's loads going on at the farm over the Easter holiday for people in our local community to get involved with, kicking off with our annual Spring Fayre on Sat 31st March at 11am. Bring the family down and get musical with the Yorkshire Tea Bag Skiffle Band or coo over all the new baby animals we have, including four sets of twin lambs. We are expecting lots of new arrivals over the next two weeks as part of our programme to help save endangered farm animal breeds; the farm was recently given Rare Breeds Park Farm status by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and we are working with them closely to do our bit!

Welsh Badger Faced twin lambs one boy, one girl born to Gladys

If you can't make the Fayre we have an Easter Egg Hunt on Sat 7th April starting at 11am and the kids can make some last minute Easter cards in reception. During the week children can volunteer to help look after the animals and as we are a Learning Destination for Sheffield Children's University they can pick up credits for their passports for every hour they work on the farm. There will be two Roundhouse Activity Days on Monday 2nd April and Friday 13th April 10am - 3pm which kids can also get credits for or do just for fun! The Roundhouse at the farm is in need of some repairs to its structure before the roof goes on - if you want to join in with daubing the walls wear wellies as lots of mud stomping is needed.

For more info and news from the farm join our mailing list below - if you sign up before the end of March 2012 you will be entered into the draw to win a cake from The Farm Kitchen.
Heeley City Farm Mailing List
See you soon!

Come to the AGM on 17th May 2012

    The TARA is made up of a small group of volunteers who have been involved since the association was formed, but we need new and fresh blood to join us, perhaps even take over the reins for the future.
    Every tenant and resident who is a member of the TARA can play an important role by taking part in activities and helping to make decisions about our area.
    So what decisions need to be made? Well, have you noticed the blossom Trees on Derby Street we got planted? We help organise the trips, we’ve got a play area improved, we got a vegetable patch organised, and there is a play area and climbing boulder about to be put in, and does anyone remember the free bulbs and planters we gave out?
    We have found it’s the same small handful of people coming along, and we often wonder if local tenants and residents are really bothered about the area they live?
    We think people are! We’re very lucky to live in an area that has great views across the valley, we have good local transport and shops, and some really nice friendly people living in the area, but we know it’s not perfect!
    Come along to our AGM and join us, we’re providing a hot pie and peas so you wont miss out on your tea..!!

  

Rise to the Challenge with our new climbing boulder

    Why not go and have a climb on the climbing wall that’s been installed on the open field at the top end of Derby Street.
    Whilst not the same as the one pictured below, it was designed by zigzag climbing walls and  funding was obtained with support from Sheffield Homes. It’s sure to be a treat for young people.

Wall Calendar for 2013

     The TARA committee are in the process of ordering these new fabulous wall calendars for 2013; and will be given free of charge to all households in the area we cover.
    We’re sure you will agree these will look great on your walls, but which will also give us a chance to remind you we do exist and will have our contact details and meeting times as an aide memoir!
     We will distribute in December of this year, ready for your use over the coming year in 2013.

   

Dig in for Free Food

     Everyone has noticed food is getting more expensive and we are not getting as much for our money these days. How about a great way of growing your own with other local residents using a community garden?
    The TARA has got the first one going at the top end of Derby Street (pictured above), and when we have a good solid group of volunteers, we can do more.
    Thanks to a grant via Sheffield Homes Dragon’s Den, we have £1,500 to spend for tools, materials and seeds, and we also have the ideas to create raised bed areas in some washing line areas that hardly get used!
    The idea is simple, you dig in and do some work, even if it is only a little weeding, and you get to take a share of some crops. Take an onion, and plant an onion seed for somebody else to enjoy!
    If you are interested in having a go, you can either go along and do something in your own time as it is well overdue for a big weed, or get in touch to join us!

Coach Trips for summer 2012

    Heeley Rise TARA would like to know where you want to go for this year’s trips. Do we have two trips, three or perhaps even four?
    Each year we have always asked members who attend the AGM to come up with suggestions, and this year we have decided to ask your suggestions via this newsletter.
    For many tenants and residents, especially under the present financial climate, a day trip is perhaps the best chance for a short break and a trip away from Heeley, to get out of Sheffield and go somewhere nice!
    In the past, we have been to Bridlington, Lincoln, Scarborough, Skegness and York, and we have got there by the famous yellow buses owned by Coopers Coaches.
    We either can either book a coach with a toilet, or we could book a coach with a lift and ramp for wheelchair or scooter users. It seemed the choice for the on board toilet was most popular, although it wasn’t working on our last trip .!!
    So, to make life easier, make your choices on the back of the AGM form below, and don’t forget to order your tea time food for the AGM in May! We need your support to keep the community together..!!   

Heeley Millennium Park Climbing Boulder

Carrield Farm Community Garden AGM

(FRIENDS OF HEELEY & MEERSBROOK ALLOTMENTS)

 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & SOCIAL FRIDAY 23rd MARCH at 8pm at THE INSTITUTE

(Hartley Street – between Ann’s Grove School and Heeley Church)

If you would like to get involved, or just find out more about the group and the Community Garden then please come along and join us.  Our guest speaker will be from the Community Supported Agriculture Hazlehurst project. Refreshments provided.

TARA Meeting - 17th November 2011 @ 6:30pm

The TARA is meeting on the 17th November, at 7pm, at the Heeley Community Centre on Gleadless Road. All are welcome to take part. Entries for the agenda are welcomed, and you are free to email us on the link above. Some things we will discuss are the Derby Street Green Fingers Group, find out how much money we have got and what we need to spend, discuss settign up an allotments group, we would also like to establish an opportunity for individuals from ethnic minority groups to have their own space and join in to help bring our community closer together. We hope to see you there. Oh, and we are goign to have hot food on offer, so you dont need to have your evening meal, have it with us. It will be meat but it might not be halal but we will endeavour to find out what we can do about this :-)

Proposals for an Allotment Group

Are you interested in forming an allotment group for all those who have a plot on Derby Street? This can be formed under the Heeley Rise Tenants and Residents Association, and we can become affiliated to the Heeley and District Allotments Society.

Allotments Officers now have an increasing focus and expectation of more of our land being cultivated, which means the plots of Derby Street will no longer be useable as leisure gardens but that 75% is expected to be cultivated plots with regular food growing.

The land we use is particularly difficult given the quarry and rock outcrops we experience, but the allotments team are on hand to give advice and support to help us through. Regularly meetings will enable us to swap seeds, swap crops and discuss ideas and problems. From time to time we're sure an allotments officer will be free to join us in our discussions.

It is proposed that this group will be granted a right to form under the TARA as a separate group at the TARA's next general meeting on the 17th November, from 6:30pm, at the Heeley Community Centre. Do come along and join us.

2011 January Newsletter

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New Parents Group

We are having a meeting to organise a parents group and start children's activities in our area. We'll be meeting Saturday 8th May 2010, 10-11am, Heeley Community Centre.

If you have kids or want to help, come and get involved!

If nothing else, there'll be free drinks and biscuits ;-)

Gardening Monday 3rd May

We have bought the tools, we have bought the plants...Come and join us to plant the old rose bed at the top of Derby street.
Monday 1st May 2010, 11-1 and 2-4pm.
Come and have a blast!

Derby Street rose bed (at the top)

If you live at the top of Derby street, you'll have noticed a new fence being built around the old rose bed. Work started last week and is expected to be done by next week.

This means that it won't be so easy to walk across and the plants will have a better chance to grow.

But that's not all! We're also planning to replant the bed, come springtime (I'm not mad enough to go out there in this snow!).

A few of us from the TARA will be starting with weeding on Wednesday 17th March (11am-12noon) for a short blast. Fancy giving us a hand? Just turn up and help make the area look sweeter!

We'll also talk about what to plant at the annual general meeting over free food and a cuppa the day after, Thursday 18th March, at the Heeley community centre from 7pm. Come and share your ideas!

Annual General Meeting

The next AGM of Heeley Rise TARA is on Thursday 18th March, from 7pm, at the Heeley Community Centre.

Join us for free food and drinks!

We will be deciding on this year's trips and gardening projects.

Please come and support your TARA, your TARA needs YOU!

For details, email celinepagnier@yahoo.co.uk

bulb planting

Last December, a few tenants and residents from Derby street, Derby Terrace and Penns Road put their boots and warm jackets on to dig in some spring bulbs (daffodils and crocus) on the grassed bank up from Jeffery street.




It had only just started snowing and I'm sure we all thought we were mad! But if we hadn't braved the weather, we wouldn't have been able to put anything for flowers to come out in spring. So, it was well worth the effort!



Fingers crossed for spring. Keep an eye out for bulbs to come out in March, we hope that it will make a stunning display that can be seen from Gleadless Road.


If you want to join in future planting, we have a few gardening projects coming up for 2010 and we'd love more of our neighbours to get stuck in!


The brave (or the mad!) team. There was also our youngest volunteer Brendon, 8 years old, who gave us a good hand digging in and putting bulbs in. Well done and thank you Brendon!

Trips to Bridlington and York

Heeley Rise TARA have booked accessible 49 seater coaches, with lift access, to take local tenants and residents to Bridlington Seaside on the 1st of August, and day trip to York on the 29th August. Tickets are per person, per coach trip, and cost £5 for adults, £2.50 for kids.

For info, call the T.A.R.A. Hotline (0114) 258 9706 or visit 174 Derby Street

Tickets can be purchased some evenings around tea time, or sometimes during the day. You are best to telephone Krystyna via the hotline to make arrangements, or try pot luck and visit.

TARA Meeting on the 23rd July

The TARA hasn't met since the AGM in March. One of the reasons was that we discussed having less meetings rather than a meeting each month, but there is a concern and a feeling that the TARA could potentially loose focus. The TARA is therefore meeting on the 23rd July, at 7pm, at the Heeley Community Centre on Gleadless Road. All are welcome to take part.

Avenue of Blossom Trees

Today marked a glorious day for local tenants and residents who turned up in force to plant a long row of crab apple and amelanchier blossom trees along Derby Street. We were even joined by our local PCSO, Cathal Berney, dropping in on his day off, as well as a resident passing through from the Arbourthorne area. The effect of our work today is sure to create a beautful avenue of colourful blossoms along the street each spring, creating an eye catching entrance for visitors passing through the area in years to come.

This work was the culmination of several months of planning starting from when the T.A.R.A. was first formed in March of 2008. Ed Thatcher, Community Forester became involved in our meetings to advise on the varieties we could consider, and after consultation via our tara newsletter as well as a letter from Ed, we decided that November was the right time to go ahead to order our chosen trees and get them planted.

The day arrived, it was both sunny with some blue skies, along with a huge splattering of a cold wind chill. It was the kind of day which meant that if you didn't keep moving you'd quickly get cold. One tenant, Trevor, who is close to reaching his 70th, spent the whole day digging up and planting a number of trees; clearly a fit man who never stopped getting on with life. Carl, who is ex forces, was found recounting his wonderful stories on exercise doing daily marches and digging in trenches chest high every day for 5 days in a row. Fortunately, it was the trees we were digging in, and there were no tenants or residents to fight. Meanhile, Celine our secretary, seemed to be maintaining some sort of aikido stances whilst she was punching in the tree posts with the slammer whilst Krystyna, our Chair, idly watched by, recovering from her last ailments of a difficult bug.

In all, a wonderful day and a feat accomplished, there were a long row of trees in the open grassy area and no longer did Derby Street look bare as you cast your eye up the road. It wasn't hard to imagine how the street will look in years to come when the leaves blossom into wonderful colours of reds, pinks and white.

Christmas Shopping Trip to Lincoln Market

Mark your diaries for Saturday 6th December, as this will be a great opportunity for a shopping trip to Lincoln's Famous Christmas Markets.

Seats to the coach will cost £5 for TARA levy payers, and £10 for non-TARA levy payers. You can purchase your tickets by popping to 174 Derby Street most evenings at around tea time. Alternatively, contact us on the TARA telephone number and leave a message if you need to make alternative arrangements.

The coach will leave the junction of Derby Street/Lichford Road at 8:30am on Saturday 6th December, returning at an agreed time with the group in the afternoon. Few spaces available so do come and get your tickets.

We're off to Scarborough

How would you like to go and dip your feet in the sea, visit the lifeboat station, gather seashells on the seashore or just relax in a pub looking out to the North Sea? Well, the newly-formed Heeley Rise TARA is organizing its first trip this Summer for tenants and residents.

A coach is booked to Scarborough from 8:30am for Saturday 2nd August, leaving the junction of Derby Street and Lichford Road. Price is £7.50 per person, with tickets for under 18’s at £5 for one or two for £7.50. No unaccompanied children under the age of 18 please! For people who do not pay a weekly levy, the cost is £10 per seat booked.

Unfortunately, we cannot give a refund if you cancel or do not turn up on the day! You can pay at the any of the meetings on Thursday 19th June or 17th July taking place at the Heeley Community Centre, from 7.30pm; or come to the Secretary, Céline, at 252 Derby Street on Thursday 26th June between 8-9pm.

If our first trip is a success, we’ll organize another one for Christmas Shopping! What about the bright lights of London? To book your place, please complete the slip below to book as places are limited to 51 people.

Dial 101 for nuisance

There is nothing more frustrating than dealing with nuisance and anti-social behaviour from people around you. The most convenient way to report incidents is by dialing 101. Doing this is not only good for you, it’s also good for your neighbours who just might be suffering in silence. It’s a service provided by the Council who work closely with the Police to prevent nuisance and anti-social behaviour.

Perfect Blossoms

We’re sure you’ll agree that in many places around the Heeley Common area there are some lovely trees that blossom with pink and white leaves at this time of year. We found that the only place that’s missing such blossoms are Derby Street.

We met up with Moira Walker of the Trees and Woodlands section to get us thinking about planting some new trees in this area. Moira has suggested that we could have as many as 30 to 50 trees all along and around Derby Street. With your views and some planning, we could have the chosen trees planted as early as this coming Autumn.

We would like you to have your say in choosing the variety and colour of trees we should go for, do you prefer white, pink, ornamental apples, or something else? We would like you to have a think about the suggestions, and if you can, go and visit the trees in the local area to decide for yourself. To help you make some choices, we have provided a list of trees and the places where they are situated.

If access is a problem, then don’t worry, as we will invite Moira to our general meeting in June/July to bring lots of photos s for everyone to choose the perfect blossom trees for Derby Street.

Where you will find them!

• Amelanchier Trees on Edenhall Road
• Mulberry Trees on Richards Road
• Prunus Pandora on the top of Erskine Road
• Ornamental Blossoms on Myrtle Road
  

Who are we?

The TARA is made up of a small group of volunteers who have formed the first committee. More importantly though, every tenant and resident who is a member of the TARA has an important role to play by taking part in activities and helping to make decisions about our area. The Chair simply makes sure the meetings run well and that everyone has an equal say, whilst the secretary does the running around dealing with the donkey work. The treasurer, well, he looks after our money, and as for the rest of the committee, they keep us all on our toes.

It's all go..!!

Life is going to get much more exciting in the coming months for people living around the Heeley Common area. This is because the all new TARA has just been set up by a group of volunteer committee members. We’re tenants and residents just like you who live locally and who are already buzzing with ideas to make it a better place for everyone to live.

Although it used to be called the Heeley Common TARA, we thought the new name of Heeley Rise would give us a fresh start. It represents the rise up to the top of the hill with its glorious views all around. We decided to get going because we knew there were things we can do to make life better for us all.

To help us achieve this, we would like people to get involved. We want to hear your thoughts and ideas, and start to do good things with your levy money from Sheffield Homes. Did you know that when you add up all the 10p’s that you pay each week into the tenants levy, it all adds up to £1,617.20 each year, and that’s without the grant money we can claim.

To do things right, we have to make sure we represent your views! We have to bring tenants and residents together by doing a regular newsletter and getting people involved in activities, such as tree planting, trips out and anything else that people think of.

We will be campaigning as a local group around issues to do with housing, anti-social behaviour, crime and activities, all helping to bring the whole community together. We are a small group of volunteers and we will struggle to do new things without your help. So why not come along, get involved and get your views heard? Together, we can all make our area in Heeley a better place to live.