A Sheffield charity has created a new 10 year plan to focus on the city’s heritage, and how diverse it is.
Joined Up Heritage Sheffield presented their strategy plan to the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee on Wednesday 21st February 2024.
It focuses on defining what heritage is and why it matters, with hopes of leading the city to a position where it will understand and celebrate its heritage better.
It aims to be a collective voice for heritage, working with other groups to protect Sheffield’s heritage and encourage others to take a more active interest in it.
Robin Hughes, 60, a trustee for the charity said: “The charity grew out of a concern that heritage in Sheffield was underappreciated, wasn’t really getting much prominence and wasn’t allowed to play a role in the city’s culture.”
It is the first grass-roots, community-led strategy in the country and it hopes to champion Sheffield’s diverse heritage.
In the council meeting on Wednesday, Rebecca Maddox, a representative from Joined Up Heritage said: “Heritage tells the story of who we are today, it’s not about looking backwards, but rather looking forwards.”
Officers from the council met with representatives from the Sheffield Heritage Partnership Board to develop the proposed heritage work.
The strategy plan would make better use of the economic potential of heritage sights, as well as supporting its educational value and recognising its social, well-being and environmental benefits.
It is funded by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University and received overwhelming support when proposed in the committee meeting.
Councillor Angela Argenzio, in a committee meeting, said: “We need to know our past to find our place, to have that sense of belonging.”
Mr Hughes said: “It’s not just focused on physical heritage and what we can do, but what everybody collectively can do.”
The plan proposes the introduction of a Heritage Officer to focus directly on the conservation and preservation of heritage, and to be involved in the decision making of councillors surrounding heritage.
Mr Hughes said: “Heritage connects us, its loss disrupts us, it will earn its keep. Heritage matters because people matter.”