The Paul Hunter Foundation have got together with Sheffield City Council and the Police Safer Neighbourhood Team to offer free snooker at Abbeydale Snooker Hall.

When: every Tuesday starting the 8th of September 2009

At: Abbeydale Snooker Hall inside Abbeydale Picture House, 387 Abbeydale Road,  Sheffield, S7 1FS

Time: 7:00pm to 9:00 pm

Please help spread the word.

For more information click here.

Help us to plan what  we do next.  We want fewer priorities which will see more results. Here are main issues people have identified:

• Young people
• Saving St Peter’s building and green space
• The identity and appearance of the Abbeydale area
• Local transport and road safety
• Supporting local shops and encouraging people to shop locally

Leave a comment below to let us know what you think we should focus on.

ACT is run by volunteers. If you’d like to work to make a difference then please get in touch or come to one of our monthly meetings at St Peter’s at 6pm on the first Monday of each  month.

YOU TOLD US …

At the Broadfield Bonanza last August we asked people what local issues ACT should be addressing.  The following were identified as priorities for 2008/09:

• Appearance of the area
• Local transport/road safety
• Local shopping

WE ACTED …

Our Shop Local work has included 2 meetings for Abbeydale Road businesses and support for trade through spending locally.

We now have a website www.act4action.org.uk or www.act4action.org.

To see through the improvements to Broadfield Park we have worked closely with Sheffield City Council and South Yorkshire Police.

We have promoted Abbeydale people and projects in Sharrow Today and The Edge newsletters.  We have taken the ACT stall to the Sharrow Festival, Common Ground BBQ and the Community Assembly event at the Medina Centre.

A number of the ACT group completed the How Your Neighbourhood Works course, designed to build knowledge of structures, services and decision making in the local area.

In January we organised a “walkabout” of Abbeydale Road and invited along Central and Nether Edge councillors.  This was to highlight areas of concern, but also opportunities.

Along with Nether Edge Neighbourhood Group we conducted a traffic survey of the Abbeydale Road/Bedale Road junction, which we aim to repeat later in the year.  This will be to measure the potential impact the Tesco supermarket has on traffic in the area.

A member of ACT has attended community safety meetings to contribute to discussions regarding the Abbeydale neighbourhood.

We have met with the Central Community Assembly team to discuss how Abbeydale will be represented.

A representative of ACT has joined the management committee of Sharrow Community Forum of which ACT are a sub-group.

We are developing plans with the Community Foresters to create a community garden on Abbeydale Road.  Nearby schools and residents will be invited to get involved.

We are working with Common Ground, who manage and develop the St Peters space, to support their work in keeping St Peters open for the local community.

We have been successful in fundraising, securing grants from South Yorkshire Community Foundation (£700) and Shine on Sharrow (£500).  This money is to spend on running costs, publicity and events.

One of the issues of concern ACT has identified is young drivers speeding along Abbeydale Road in the evening and parking in the bus lane with all the problems this can cause.

There is a perception that these problems have improved in recent months. But if you see any offenses then please report these to the local Police Community Support Officer, Sarah Hague. She has told us that is a pattern emerges then it may be possible to organize some targetted enforcement activities. Contact Sarah Hague on sarah.hague@southyorks.pnn.police.uk.

We can also report that the council are running a project involving both changes to the road layouts and signs and public education to improve safety on Abbeydale Road,  London Road and  Wolesey Road. We hope this will bring improvements.

Come to Mount Pleasant Park between 10am-1pm on Thursday 28 May to explore the new-improved park with a range of free activities on offer.

Click here for more details.

1. The green space next to Lowes on the Abbeydale Road

We’ve had various correspondence with Cllr Colin France updating us on issues raised during our Walkabout in January. Here’s a summary.

The council parks department manage this space and are apparently open to community involvement. We are hoping we can bring together Grow Sheffield, student volunteers and perhaps local local schools to do something with the neglected space.

2. The junction of Carterknowle Road and Abbeydale Road

The highways engineer  appreciated the problem and has investigated our concerns. Unfortunately he thinks narrowing the junction does not appear feasible without removing the central island at this location. We had suggested narrowing the kurb to make it easier for pedestrians to cross and to slow down traffic turning left from Abbeydale Road. But narrowing the kurb would mean larger vehicles would be unable to make the left turn into Carterknowle Road unless the island was removed, but removing the island would make it more difficult for pedestrians than at present even with a tightened kerb.

3. Speeding on Abbeydale Road (especially along the stretch from the Catholic church to the Picture House)

There will be a major council-led information and engineering programme starting very soon on this stretch of road. The aim is to slow down traffic and make the area safer for children.

4. Fly-tripping by Broadfield Park

The parks officers have agreed to clear this rubbish before the park re-opens.

5. The junction of Abbeydale Road and Bedale Road

The dangers to pedestrians crossing Bedale Road and the build up of traffic at this junction look likely to increase with the arrival of Tesco. The council have identified this as a priority issues for the highweays department. So something should be done soon. One to watch!

We have reluctantly decided to cancel this evening’s meeting (2 February) due to the weather and the state of the roads.

The meeting was due to follow-up last weekend’s successful ‘walkabout’ with local councillors and shop local meeting.

If you are on our email list then we will keep you informed of future plans or you can keep up to date via the website.

On Sunday 25 January we having a Walkabout of Abbeydale Road between 10am to 12noon. We will identify problems, eye-sores, positives and opportunities for action along the Abbeydale Road.

The Walkabout will be carried out in two sections, one starting at the Abbeydale Rd/Carterknowle Rd junction and one starting at the Abbeydale Road/London Rd junction. The plan is to meeting in the middle somewhere near Chippinghouse Road.

Anyone can come along. We are hoping some of the local councillors will join us.Please let neighbours, family members and friends know about it.

There will also be a follow up meeting on the 2nd February at 6pm at St Peters Hall on Empire Road to discuss the next steps.

ACT (Abbeydale Communities Together) wants to support local businesses through a ‘Shop Local’ campaign.

The most significant part of this process, however, is to consult with local retailers first to determine the best way forward.  There are a number of ways we can support local retailers – through providing a forum for retailers, advertising, promotion, and through links to training opportunities, support organisations and advice.

How can local businesses be supported?

Join us and give your views

on 5pm-6pm Sunday 25^th January 2009

at St Peters Community Hall on Empire Road

There is a strong belief that local shops are an important element of community life.  Any decline in the fortunes and eventual closure of local retailers impacts on the neighbourhood in a number of ways.  It strips an area of its identity and leaves property unattended and prey to vandals and the ravages of time.  The demoralising effect this can have on an area is significant and above all depressing.

It is therefore very essential that local traders are supported by and work with the local community and organisations to sustain a thriving and diverse neighbourhood.

The most important thing is that your views are heard.  With this in mind and with the continuing threat from national retailers, like Tesco, we would like to offer all local traders an opportunity to meet and plan for the future.