Dear Messenger
It was great to see that the communities in Burngreave are getting involved when New Deal comes to our community to ‘consult’, especially on the day at the Recreation Centre on Verdon Street. Unfortunately, I run a business so I couldn’t attend the beginning of the meeting, but I did hear a person speak about the need to look after our elders. This an important fact to adhere to, because they built our community. More work needs to be for our elders – we too will grow old, so… do to others what we would like done to us. What I and many in our community don’t want to see is progress forgetting the visions, work, and sacrifices that have built our communities through our elders’ own hands. Our elders are part of our history, our dreams and they’ve given so much for the future generation, and it’s time to look after our elders with great reverence. Without them we wouldn’t be here now to step into the 21st century.
But, I didn’t agree when that same person started saying New Deal has done a lot of work. Not that I want to rain on anyone’s parade in bringing the £52 million. What one needs to understand, and what New Deal needs to appreciate is this fact – it’s the people of Burngreave that put in the hard work. Their sweat, their commitment, their dreams and the sacrifices they make, really drive and make Burngreave what it is now and what it will become in the future. This is exactly what makes Sheffield a great city and Burngreave a place where thousands of dreams are born and celebrated.
If any thanks need to be given for any hard work, it is to the people of Burngreave from all communities that take initiative, go for the jobs, contribute voluntarily, attend daytime and evening meetings – sometimes investing from their own pockets when funding runs out so projects carry on, and so youths are not in the street or an elderly person is helped to visit the doctors, or they build business forums and creative arts network tools, or provide constant information that’s distributed to thousands in Burngreave. These are the real heroes and the people one should aim our thanks to. These are the very people we should be celebrating.
Finally, what needs to be done, which I don’t think anyone has mentioned, is the fact that the great New Deal Master Plan for our communities is very vague. New material needs to be designed to simplify, go into depth, which describes, illustrates and talks in the language of the people. I hope New Deal can maybe work together with the Messenger to re-design such materials ie leaflets, brochures, maybe in the diverse languages of our diverse communities. I don’t know but it would be helpful and much appreciated. Thank you.
Adam Taha