Could you be the new leader that JUHS is looking for?

Could you lead an innovative voluntary organisation in Sheffield that’s working for a bigger role for our city’s diverse and fascinating heritage? Joined Up Heritage Sheffield, a registered charity, is looking for a new chairperson to take forward its exciting work. Find out more or request a job description by emailing sheffheritage20@gmail.com or v.bayliss@btinternet.com

Since 2016, JUHS has been at the forefront of developing a heritage strategy for the city, bringing together organisations and people with an interest in all aspects of heritage. Sheffield’s Heritage Strategy is nationally unique, the first produced by the local community rather than by a local authority. It emerged from a wide range of workshops, events and consultations with local organisations of many kinds.

If “heritage” makes you think first of stately homes and cathedrals – think again. It doesn’t just mean old buildings – though the built environment is of course hugely important. Heritage is anything inherited from the past that people want to keep safe and pass on to people in the future. It might be a place, a building, a landscape, a streetscape, an artefact, an archive, a tradition, a craft, a legend, an invention, a story, a song, a faith or a language. Sheffield’s heritage is green and blue, radical, historic, industrious, resilient, playful …… and our legacy is tomorrow’s heritage. And Sheffield’s Heritage Strategy isn’t just a once-for-all statement. It is centred on a ten-year action plan, designed as the basis for collaborative work with the city’s major players and local groups. The Partnership Board set up to oversee delivery of the plan is close to one year in and making good progress.

JUHS also works with major organisations in the city, including the Sheffield Property Association and the two universities – it is a partner in the University of Sheffield’s Roots and Futures project, which is working with diverse communities to better understand their views on heritage and its presentation. And it’s working with the City Council to get better recognition of heritage issues – one Council committees is now charged with championing heritage and the Council has formally resolved to use heritage to help business. We’ve also been closely involved in the creation of a Local Heritage List.

Now we need a new chairperson to lead the next stages of the work. This is a voluntary role. How much time it might take depends on the person appointed. The JUHS core group meets about once a month and open meetings with supporters are every other month. There are some ad hoc meetings with the City Council and other organisations. The Heritage Strategy Partnership Board meets 3 or 4 times a year. As well as meetings there is an important role in building and maintaining momentum and motivation. We want to be more visible in achieving change, increase collaboration amongst the public, private and voluntary sectors, expand and diversify our network of supporters and extend our work into underserved places and communities. This is an opportunity to use your influence to make a real difference to the city.