The charities being supported in 2009
The Children's Hospital Charity - Sheffield
The Children's Hospital, Sheffield is one of only four dedicated Children's Hospitals in the country. It has now been recognised for the past two years by the Healthcare Commission as the best children's hospital in the UK, receiving a double ‘excellent' rating in both years. The Children's Hospital is a provider of world class medical care to young patients from all over the UK and beyond and we are so lucky to have this fantastic resource in our city.
The Children's Hospital Charity exists to support and enhance the Trust's excellent work and its reputation as a world class centre of excellence for the care, prevention & cure of childhood illness by:
- Supporting medical research into the diagnosis and treatments of children's illness and by assisting in the dissemination and applications of such research
- Assisting in the development of new facilities to extend the range of treatment and services being co-ordinated by Sheffield Children's NHS Trust
- Providing specialist medical equipment to enhance the care programme of the hospital
- Improving the environment for our patients, their families and visitors
All of the work of Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity is focused on keeping the Hospital at the forefront of paediatric care and bringing real benefits to all of our young patients who need the specialist services of Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust.
Sheffield Carers Centre
Sheffield Carers Centre is delighted to be chosen as one of Broomhill Festival's charities for 2009!
There are currently 56,000 people in Sheffield who are looking after a family member or friend with a disability, illness or frailty. Around 1,200 of these carers live in or around Broomhill.
The Carers Centre was set up 15 years ago to be a citywide focal point for carers and former carers. The aim was to find carers in need of support and to help them feel recognised and valued, by offering them information, support, a break from caring and a place to voice their needs. We provide a telephone helpline, bi-monthly newsletter and a website.
We offer many social, recreational and therapeutic activities in the centre, free of charge to carers including aromatherapy sessions to relieve stress, chairobics, coffee mornings, art, strolling groups, counselling sessions and legal and benefits advice sessions. We also have six carer support groups in various areas of the city, which meet on a monthly basis.
Receiving a donation from Broomhill Festival will enable us to increase these activities which make such a massive difference to the lives of people who do such a worthwhile job.
The Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind
We are the primary independent provider of services to local sight impaired people, even those not yet registered. Founded in 1860 and at the Mappin Street Centre since 1939, the society has recently announced a plan to totally redevelop the site to give the people of Sheffield a brand new, purpose made centre. The society is currently operating from temporary premises at Darnall.
This completely independent charity is funded entirely from local sources, donations and legacies. Services are provided by a dedicated and highly motivated team of paid staff and volunteers and most of their services are provided at no cost.
The Society is committed to:-
- Providing a high quality programme of Welfare, Education, Training, Recreation, Counselling and Care services to assist the sight impaired people of Sheffield in improving their quality of life generally, wherever possible by encouraging self-help.
- Being the primary source of support for the sight impaired people of Sheffield.
- Promoting co-operation between government departments, local authorities, national charities, local charities and support groups to enable the sight impaired people of Sheffield to receive the most suitable support in an efficient manner.
Friends of the Porter Valley
Friends of the Porter Valley is a conservation group concerned mainly with the area of parks, woodlands and farmland of the valley which is in the south-west of Sheffield. Yorkshire, U.K. A major project is the restoration of an Ancient Monument in the valley, the Shepherd Wheel.
The group was set up in July 1994 and became a registered charity in 1995. Our purpose is to preserve and enhance the natural and historical characteristics of the Porter Valley, from Hunters Bar to Porter Clough.
Shepherd Wheel is a wonderful example of a small-scale knife-grinding workshop, and represents one stage in the early manufacture of Sheffield's famous cutlery. The first mention of a "whele in Porters Field", which may be Shepherd Wheel, is in a will of 1566. Porter Wheel, as it used to be known, is referred to by name in a later will of 1584. It takes its current name from Edward Shepherd who leased the wheel from 1749.
It is anticipated that the wheel will operate at regular intervals throughout the day at weekends, and open by request during the week for educational visits. As well as restoring the infrastructure, the project will create an activities space and shelter, and employ someone part-time to co-ordinate these activities.