Business leaders discover "Seeing is Believing" in Sheffield

On Thursday 29 September, as part of The Prince's Seeing is Believing programme, a group of business leaders visited community groups in Sheffield to see first-hand the continuing social consequences of the economic downturn. 

Led by Gary Lumby, Director of Small Business Banking at  Yorkshire Bank & Clydesdale Bank PLC, the 14-strong group visited three projects in the city to explore how businesses can make a positive difference to employability issues.

Latest unemployment figures for Sheffield show that unemployment in the area is still higher than the national average. The consequences of the recession are still being seen in our deprived communities, with rising unemployment, crime, homelessness, increased debt and concerns about social cohesion.

The group visited:

Ashiana -  a group with nearly thirty years experience of working with Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) women and children arriving in Sheffield fleeing domestic and sexual abuse. 

CHILYPEP - The Children and Young People’s Empowerment Project works alongside children and young people aged 0 to 25, to find fun and creative ways of involving them in the decisions that affect their lives.

SOAR - Southey and Owlerton Area Regeneration (SOAR) is a community regeneration charity that provides a range of services designed to improve a person’s health, well-being and employability

The visit concluded with delegates discussing possible ways in which businesses could support the local community in tackling the issues around employability.