Story:Afrah Alkheili
The Burngreave Community Action Forum was established in 1997, to be the voice of influence for the community and communities in Burngreave. The Forum has had a difficult time in recent years. Its managing organisation, Burngreave Community Action Trust, collapsed in 2006 with the loss of it’s funding and the staff team. Now with their new Development Manager, Steve Gayle, and administrator Daniel Stanley there is a possibility of new life for our community forum.
After several years managing a national social housing consultancy, Steve decided to move closer to home where he could use his knowledge and experience of working in communities to make a difference.
Steve expressed his passion to bring people together by working in partnership with residents and existing organisations right across Burngreave.
“The Forum has suffered from a long period of inactivity, we now need to work hard to help make residents aware and share in what we are doing”
Steve hopes BCAF will continue to encourage residents, community organisations and service providers to participate in making Burngreave a better place by raising issues and working together.
He aspires for there to be healthier relationships between BCAF and the community and agencies working, in Burngreave; he expressed his anticipation for BCAF to “develop into a strong network of community organisations”, making sure that the issues raised by residents are dealt with by those who have the power to change things.
In relation to representation on the Coordinating Committee, the group that manages the affairs of BCAF, the target now is to encourage more involvement from the variety of different groups and interests living and working in Burngreave; in particular young people.
BCAF is there to challenge and be challenged but it can only act if people raise issues and voice their concerns. Some of the issues BCAF hopes to be focusing on in the near future include the development of new housing in the area, community safety and the succession planning for New Deal.
You can contact BCAF at 12 – 14 Burngreave Road, Tel No. 276 5268 and/or email enquiries@bcaf.org.uk.