Letters page

Should people be paid to attend meetings?

Last week Boots the chemists rang me up and invited me to a consultation evening in Darnall. They offered £30 to discuss their shop for a couple of hours on a Wednesday evening. I couldn’t go because I was already committed to attending a New Deal for Communities meeting at Burngreave Library. Three people turned up for our meeting. I’ve not rung Boots but I’m sure they got a much better turnout to discuss the merits of toothpaste and underarm deodorant. I’ve attended over 50 New Deal meetings in the last 20 months, often sat opposite people who are been paid well over £30,000 a year. I’m not sure that paying local people to attend meetings would work. However, it is an idea that should be taken seriously. The money would be spent in the area, people would feel valued rather than taken for granted, and in the boring bits it’d be burning a hole in your pocket. It would also encourage people to stay involved in the long term, and through periods when nothing seems to be happening. The people at Boots don’t think that £30 will attract people for the wrong reasons – they just realise that time is valuable and without some incentive, they’d be talking to an empty room. 

Steve Pool

New Deal Growing Pains

When I left a Partnership Board strategy meeting a couple of weeks ago, I said to myself – New Deal is becoming something I don’t recognise anymore. In many ways – this is no bad thing. There is a lot of frustration on the ground with New Deal and the powers that be are hammering us to get on with it and get some money spent. So movement and change is necessary. So what has changed? 

For me, the biggest change has been in the Chair of the Partnership Board. Mr Iqbal – as outgoing chair of BCAF- has stood down as Interim Chair of the Board to be followed as Chair by another member of the Board, Cllr. Steve Jones. This was the shared agreement of the Partnership Board (including myself) as the clearest way forward at this time. This change feels very significant – especially when looked at alongside proposals aimed at building New Deal as an organisation in its own right, underpinned by Sheffield City Council as the Accountable Body. 

To me, the New Deal Partnership seems to be backing away from strengthening and working through structures in the community. I want to see the day when the Chair is elected by the Partnership Board from the people the community elect to the Board – or directly recruited from the community. It’s about community leadership and ownership. We must start to grow both of these in the community. 

This means how we go about things – structures, processes, communication, involvement, decision making etc. This may turn out to look strikingly different from the workings of the Sheffield First Partnership Board! And may not run at the pace that Government wants to dictate! 

In the short term, now we’ve clarified things on the Partnership Board and finally got our executive team, I think we will start to see a difference – New Deal will start to lift off as a programme and begin to mean something to people in the area. This time next year we should be starting to fly. But let’s not lose sight of what we want to see in place when the New Deal is done in terms of a strong and confident community. 

I have described people involved in regeneration as either the ‘how’ people or the ‘what’ people. The ‘whats’ concentrate on getting things done and showing concrete results; the ‘hows’ work on the way things get done and what learning and strength can be gained in the community as a result. I see myself as a ‘how’ person. Right now, it’s the day of the ‘what’ people. This is in the best interests of New Deal and Burngreave at this point, but not if too many things get trampled on along the way. 

Rose Ardron, Community representative. New Deal Partnership Board

To all musicians, singers and producers within Burngreave area; 

I set up a music competition with the help of the Messenger some months ago, I did it because many of you complained there was no opportunities and you didn’t know how to start off, or that people such as producers were letting you down. I saw this, I listened and I did what I could. This was a great opportunity if you are a singer, songwriter or producer with talent you would have received the prize of £200 worth of free recording working with the best producers and recording in England. 

I even had money aside for the winner to receive help if they needed for writing lyrics, backing vocals, producing their CD and putting it on vinyl. The competition ran for a few months and no one really entered! I was really surprised but the Messenger was patient and ran the competition again, but still no one replied! I am too busy now finishing another album, touring around England to do another competition. 

I’ve learnt; no matter how small or how large an opportunity is....you take it. You just need yourself, the knowledge, and confidence to defy all the odds. It is for you to make it happen and the world is not such a big place. Believe! Make your own opportunity; followed your heart and became true to yourself. I am always available for advice if you need to know how recording studios work, or even addresses of Record Labels. 

If you want me to see if you have talent and not waste your time then I will give time to do so, but I cannot sort out another competition. So email me at darkangel@shefffieldscene.co.uk or Mobile 07944 987017. As for me, I made it and I hope you do too. I know there is awesome talent in Burngreave. 

Yours Dark Angel