Community Assemblies
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Sheffield is now home to seven Community Assemblies, which will change the way the Council delivers services in the city.
Community Assemblies bring doorstep democracy to where you live - essentially decisions that were made in the Town Hall will now be made within communities. As a resident of Sheffield, you will have more opportunities to influence services in your area that meet your needs and reflect what local people want.
Each Community Assembly has a budget and will ask communities how this should be spent on local projects. Communities will also be able to influence decisions on how much is spent on parks, street cleaning and libraries, and more services will be added in the future.
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How Community Assemblies will work
"Quite simply, Sheffield City Council will put local people at the heart of the decision-making process for their community. By working closely with their local Councillors, they will be able to guide and shape services that will improve the quality of life for them, their families and neighbourhoods" explains Cllr David Baker, Deputy Leader of Sheffield City Council."Sheffield is a city that wants to have a greater say in how and where services are provided by us, which is why assemblies have been developed to move decision-making away from the Town Hall. There are opportunities for everyone to get involved, whether you are an individual resident, community group, or one of the Council's partner organisations or agencies" he added.
Each Community Assembly Chair (pictured above right) has signed a pledge to local people underlining their commitment to the changes and opportunities the assemblies will bring.
Community Assemblies have replaced Area Panels that existed for more than a decade, and will build upon their work with local groups and residents.
In your Community
Your views and ideas for how you want your community to be improved will be vital in shaping plans for each Community Assembly area.
‘You Say’ and ‘You Choose’ sessions will be held regularly around each ward in various locations for you to discuss with us what you’d like to see change or improve. Open to everyone, the ‘You Say’ sessions will be where ideas and projects will be developed while ‘You Choose’ sessions will pinpoint funding priorities. These will then be put forward to formal meetings every quarter where Councillors will in public say what has happened.
You can find out when and where by looking at the ‘More Information’ section below.
These views will then, along with those of our partner organisations, be used by Councillors to prioritise services for their areas.
A Community Plan will be prepared for each Community Assembly by early autumn that will outline what has been decided locally, and include targets for services that will be monitored. There will be some services that Community Assemblies cannot change, such as those to protect vulnerable children and adults.
How to get Involved
First of all, contact your local Community Assembly team to register your interest in getting involved. You can also speak to your local Councillor.
Over the next few months, ‘You Say’ and ‘You Choose’ sessions will be held across the city, and the first formal Community Assembly meetings held.
There will be a range of ways you can take part, from attending those meetings and other events, to giving your views online and finding out more in local newsletters.
Each Community Assembly will have a staff team of five people:
- Community Assembly Manager with overall responsibility for the Assembly.
- Planning and Performance Manager who will help to develop the Community Plan and make sure that services are adapted to local need.
- Assembly Officer who will communicate and consult with local residents and groups.
- Safer Neighbourhoods Officer who will work closely with the Police.
- Team Support Officer who will provide administrative and business support to the team.
More Information
To find out which Community Assembly covers your area, see the map available to download at the bottom of the page or see:
You can find details of how to get in touch with your Community Assembly on our contact us page.
If you have a question, see if we’ve answered it in our frequently asked questions.
Downloads
Details which electoral wards make up the seven Community Assemblies. (167 KB)
Map with colour coding showing the different Community Assembly areas. (700 KB)
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