November 17th Day of Online Events from the Sheffield Cohesion Advisory Group
Cohesion in Sheffield – 2021
The Sheffield Cohesion Advisory Group would like to invite you to attend a day of events. All the events are being held online and you can attend one, two or all three. There is no charge for attending. You need to book for each event separately.
Date: 17th November 2021
10.00am – 1.00pm What is the state of social cohesion in Sheffield today?
The pandemic has shown up many cracks in how cohesive Sheffield is. There have been lots of stories about communities coming together to support those most vulnerable and build local resilience. The pandemic has also highlighted the inequalities that have resulted in some communities being far harder hit than others. This session is an opportunity to hear about what Sheffield City Council is doing to support social cohesion as it implements its One Year Plan to rebuild from the pandemic. We will also hear from Gulnaz Hussain, a Sheffield Race Equality Commissioner and discuss what Sheffield needs to embed social cohesion in the city. Jon Yates will share the influential ideas from his book “Fractured: why our societies are coming apart and how we put them back together again”. The Cohesion Advisory Group and Voluntary Action Sheffield, together with Sheffield City Council, helped to set up Cohesion Sheffield. We are currently exploring the resources Sheffield needs next to help catalyse the vision of Sheffield as a place where everyone feels welcome and valued, in a community where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We welcome your opinions and there will be an opportunity to share them at the event. To book your place please click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-is-the-state-of-social-cohesion-in-sheffield-today-tickets-198145327007
2.00 – 4pm Levelling up – an inclusive agenda?
This will be a participatory workshop led by John Page from the Runnymede Trust who state, “Levelling up should not mean a choice between action against racism and action to improve life chances within differing classes. Instead, it requires action on both (and their intersections) to be truly successful.” The relevance of social class will be explored. This will include a discussion about whether it might be good for Sheffield to make social class a protected characteristic – see https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/protected-characteristics/ for more information about protected characteristics. Some local authorities have voluntarily adopted protections related to social class in addition to those that are legally protected. To book your place please click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/levelling-up-an-inclusive-agenda-tickets-198157613757
4.30 – 5.30pm Religious Education and social cohesion in a changing curriculum
Kevin O’Grady, Religious Education Specialist, will lead this session of particular interest to secondary school and FE teachers in Sheffield. It will explore best practice for supporting social cohesion and discuss how changes to the Religious Education curriculum can continue to build bridges between people from different religious backgrounds. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/religious-education-and-social-cohesion-in-a-changing-curriculum-tickets-198176339767
The Cohesion Advisory Group (CAG) is an independent resource rooted in faith and community experience. We assist Sheffield City Council and other statutory and community partners in their approach to community cohesion through sharing information, convening themed discussions, and contributing to strategic and service development. Members of the group act in a voluntary capacity, bringing experience, knowledge and understanding of their own and from the wider community. The work of Sheffield Cohesion Advisory Group is currently supported by a small grant from the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commission.
