Exploring Community Ownership Workshop

What would a community-owned future look like in Sheffield? And what resources, experiences and people will help get us there? Hosted by Sheffield Community Land Trust (SCLT), this workshop will explore what needs community ownership can meet and look at local perspectives and questions around its benefits and challenges. We will ask how we can collectively create new affordable spaces to live and work that facilitate local wealth-building and long-term placemaking

Community ownership places land and buildings under the long-term stewardship of local people, meaning that power in decision-making and value is retained in the interests and benefit of their communities. Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are one model of community ownership, which has been successfully adopted by people and communities across the UK to provide and protect spaces including affordable homes, renewable energy, workspaces for local groups, community centres and gardens. 

In this workshop, we want to consider how we could scale up community ownership in Sheffield to collectively tackle the challenges of affordability, tenure and poor building quality. What needs and experiences should underpin this? What skills and knowledge do we need to get there? And finally what role could CLTs play in this?

The event will include a brief presentation from SCLT on our work, followed by breakout group sessions to discuss key challenges, ideas and opportunities, as well as plenty of time to meet and informally chat with like-minded people and members of SCLT. .

Event Format & Information

• Doors open 5:30pm, start time 6pm
• 17:30 - 18:00: Welcomes and refreshments, people are expected to mingle about the room and find seats for 18:00 (tables and chairs arranged in workshop format).
• 18:00 - 18:15: Introduction talk from the front of the room. People are expected to sit and listen and can move around if they need.
• 18:15 - 19:00: Group break-out discussions. People are expected to sit and discuss in groups at their tables and can move around if they need to get refreshments and use the bathroom.
• 19:00 - 19:10: Comfort break. People can sit or move around to get refreshments and use the bathroom.
• 19:10 - 20:00: Continued breakout-discussions and room feedback/ review of key points towards the end. People are expected to sit and discuss in groups at their tables and can move around if they need to get refreshments and use the bathroom.
• End time 8pm, people expected to mingle for a short time before leaving. 

Accessibility: 

Soft Ground is on the first floor of a building on The Moor in Sheffield city centre. It has lift access and an accessible all gender toilet. It has windows that open to the outside.

• Seating: Unreserved seating is available at this event, but if you’d like us to reserve a seat for you or you have specific requirements please get in touch.
• Masks: FFP2 masks will be available for free.
• Audio: Microphones will be used at this event.
• Quiet space: A dedicated quiet space is not available at this event. There is a separate seating area that is 5-10 meters away from the workshop space but in the same room. 

To reserve seats or if you have any other questions about the accessibility of this event or venue, please email us at [email protected]

 If you have any questions regarding accessibility for this event, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]