'Make your voices heard' says new Pride in Place chair
THE new Chair of the Pride in Place programme, which will see central Rotherham receive £20m in funding from central government, has been announced.
Eleanor Lockley, a Rotherham resident who is a researcher at Sheffield Hallam University, will lead a Pride in Place Board responsible for producing a ten-year plan for the area and work closely with Rotherham MP Sarah Champion to give local people the power to decide how funding is spent.
The chair of the programme’s remit is broad and includes leading the process of recruiting and convening the Board, but Eleanor (44) told the Advertiser her main priority is giving local people what they want.
She said: “My career has been all about working with communities to address inequalities particularly across health and learning.
"And that is what Pride in Place is all about – it’s working with local people to decide how the money will be spent to make Rotherham a better place to live.
"But to do that we need to hear from people, listen to what is said and then deliver a legacy for the community.
"I cannot stress enough that we need people to come forward and tell us what they want, how they want the money to be spent, and what creates the most positive impact.”
As a mum of two, resident of the Rotherham East ward and a governor at Herringthorpe Junior School, Eleanor’s voluntary role as Chair of the scheme will put her at the heart of the town.
She said: “I care deeply about our town and our communities, and I want to make sure all of our residents have a stake in our future. I want Rotherham people’s voices to be heard.
"It is important to manage expectations, though.
"Yes, £20 million is a lot of money but it needs to be spent in a way that has a long-term impact.
"There can be ‘quick wins’ where people notice a difference straight away – for example street cleaning – but if things go back to normal soon after then can we say that was a success?
"We need to find out why people behave as they do and then change those behaviours.”
While a map is available online on the Rotherham Council website to see the Pride in Place zones, the Advertiser understands that work is still on-going to decide how far the zones will stretch.
And it is hoped a way to communicate with Eleanor and the board will be swiftly created.
However, in the meantime, Eleanor said: “We need to understand your needs and wants for your area, so if you see us out and about, please stop to tell us your ideas!’
Sarah Champion added: “When I first set out to implement the Pride in Place scheme, I recognised just how important it would be to have the right Chair to lead the project.
"For me, this is not just another fund.
“It can be transformative.
"But to do that, it must be driven by the views and wishes of Rotherham’s people.
"We needed a Chair who would share this vision.
"Eleanor really understood and bought in to this, and I was deeply impressed by her commitment to amplifying the local voice and embedding it at the very core of every Pride in Place project.
“I am really excited to be working alongside Eleanor to deliver on the promise of Pride in Place and to help drive the change that our communities and our residents really want to see.”