Last month the Government unveiled its Levelling Up White Paper, which sets out a plan to transform the UK by spreading opportunity and prosperity to all parts of it. But how could South Yorkshire benefit? We asked a range of local business people to give us their thoughts.
ABOUT Urbana Town Planning
Urbana is Sheffield’s leading town planning, urbanism, and development consultancy, headquartered in the city but working nationwide. Their mission is to use their passion and expertise to make amazing places through development, delivering the best results for their clients and the built environment.
What does Levelling Up mean for URBANA?
Levelling Up to me is actually a fairly meaningless phrase in the context that it’s currently being thrown around in. However, we have to be pragmatic about these things, and for better or worse we have to be grateful when central government decides it might want to be so generous as to spread a bit of cash around. Working with the process will always yield better results for Sheffield and the city region.
So, with that being said, Levelling Up is still an opportunity for us all. 12 key ‘missions’ have been set out by Michael Gove which cover a huge range of outcomes.
For us as a business, and for Sheffield, my view is that investment in research + development and more localised powers to improve public transport is likely to make the most tangible differences. In the meantime, the city will get some immediate cash to deliver important regeneration schemes in the city centre, which we’ll all be able to enjoy and benefit from.
ABOUT The Levelling Up Futures Programme (LUFI)
The Levelling Up partnership is a collaboration between Sheffield Chamber, Sheffield Business Together, Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield Council. It brings together three projects.
They are:
Sheffield Hallam University’s GROW mentoring programme which pairs recent graduates with a pupil in Y10-13 to offer one-to-one peer support and guidance to encourage young people to focus on their education and future.
The Big Community Challenge which aims to ignite social and entrepreneurial spirit through a city-wide social action activity. Pupils in Y7-9 are loaned £25 start-up funding to develop their ideas for improvements to, or awareness of, issues which are important to them or their communities.
Social Mobility in Education which brokers employer encounters, with young people from Y7-13 from disadvantaged backgrounds at risk of not achieving their full potential, to provide inspiration, challenge limiting assumptions and raise attainment and aspiration. The programme was created by Sheffield Business Together.
Levelling up:
We spoke to Carolynn McConnell, social mobility project lead at Sheffield Business Together, about what Levelling Up means to See It Be It.
“Covid didn’t create the divides and inequalities in our society, but it certainly shone a spotlight on them. Levelling up is about addressing these inequalities, but to do that we must bring sectors together.
“No one government or business can transform a community alone. A collaborative approach between the public, private and voluntary sectors is the only way to guarantee success.”
How does this affect your company?
“Sheffield has secured funding through the community renewal fund to bring sectors together to address social mobility through the Levelling Up Futures in Sheffield Programme.
“The partnership between Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield Business Together, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Sheffield City Council, brings together existing Sheffield initiatives to offer tailored support to ensure everyone has the same life chances as their peers.”
If employers are passionate about levelling up, then they can pledge their support. Participation is free and you will be fully supported by the programme team.
For more information contact: Carolynn.Mconnell@bitc.org.uk
ABOUT HLM Architects
HLM Architects are architecture, landscape and interior specialists with deep sector insight. Their services cover architecture, interior architecture, landscape architecture, master planning and environmental sustainability.
They have a proud history of producing architecture that helps improve people’s lives and use creativity to unlock potential within each project to be the best it can be.
HLM Architects always think about the entire life of a project and the impact it will have on the people who will experience it. They strive to create buildings that respond appropriately to the surrounding context and climate, focusing on exploiting opportunities to make memorable places.HLM’s core drive within the industry is knowing that what they do has the potential to make people’s lives happier, healthier, and more fulfilled.
What does Levelling Up mean for HLM?
Karen Mosely, managing director at HLM said: “Levelling Up has for many years been just a phrase, so it’s good to see some measurable actions being identified. Whether there is extra funding or just a redistribution, two things are critical; continuity of commitment over the coming years to successfully deliver against the strategy set, and ensuring decisions are made locally by those who are close enough to know how to unlock the potential of people and places to maximum effect.”
ABOUT Sutton McGrath Hartley
Sutton McGrath Hartley (SMH) was established in 1995 and provides Chartered accountancy, tax, financial planning and legal advice. In recent years the company has expanded following mergers with other firms across Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
The SMH group contains individual companies that work closely together to ensure clients don’t have to go to multiple advisors when seeking professional advice, providing a holistic and expert approach tailored specifically to the client’s needs.
What does Levelling Up mean for SMH?
MD of SMH, Jonathon Dickens said: “The announcement that Sheffield will be one of the first cities in the country to be awarded a Levelling Up grant is fantastic news for the region. Sheffield is a thriving and growing area with massive economic opportunities, which deserve thoughtful guidance alongside the investment to unlock the proposed 'jobs and opportunity for all'.
“At SMH we are passionate about helping people manage their finances holistically – from year-end accounts, VAT returns, payroll and audits, through to their personal pensions, mortgages, and legacy.
“Similarly, with the injection of Levelling Up funds, finance must be managed fairly across the region, with mindful awareness of the complex nature of our local economy. Just like your Will and Pension planning go hand in hand, so do education, job opportunity and high-street spending. With the potential for a wide range of innovation and growth, I'm excited for the new prospects Levelling Up will bring.”
ABOUT WHYY? CHANGE
Whyy? Change are a leading training provider based in South Yorkshire. They offer a range of apprenticeship solutions to help businesses upskill and develop their employees.
They are proud to offer accredited qualifications as a part of our apprenticeship framework, created by some of the world’s leading accreditation bodies including Lean & Six Sigma, Leadership (CMI) , HR & Learning (CIPD), Marketing (CIM), Quality HSE (Bureau Veritas) and Functional Skills (Pearson Edexcel).
Levelling Up:
We spoke to Ray Byrne, CEO at Whyy? Change about what Levelling Up means to him. Ray said: “Levelling Up is the Government response to the stresses and strains caused by the Economy and the independence agenda of the countries within the ‘not so’ United Kingdom. My personal view is that this is our chance to drive our own destiny.
“Michael Gove recently published his white paper on Levelling Up, where one of the identified ‘missions’ is skills. This is what we do. We are a training provider accredited to deliver Apprenticeships. We sit at the heart of this mission and employ the skilled practitioners to support the agenda.”
How does this affect your company?
Ray said: “If Levelling Up really takes shape, we will have so many opportunities to support it. We have the premises, talent, and accreditations in place and as the outcomes of the agenda become reality, we are in a strong position to have a five-fold increase in the size of the business.
“In conversation with our business partners, we are hearing of the opportunities the Levelling Up agenda is stimulating and how they recognise our approach as a critical input to helping them deliver on their plans.”
You can find out more about Whyy? Change at their website: whyychange.com
ABOUT UniHomes
UniHomes is an innovative platform which provides students the opportunity to search and compare thousands of student homes nationwide, all advertised inclusive of bills.
This alleviates the stress of splitting bills amongst housemates and consolidates key household utilities into one easy to manage, monthly payment.
For letting agents, UniHomes is a free advertising portal, with an ever-growing national presence within the student market. After rapid growth, the company now operates in 36 cities across the UK, covering all major universities, and looks after tens of thousands of student properties.
What does Levelling Up mean for UniHomes?
Phil Greaves, co-founder at UniHomes said: “Off the back of the Levelling Up paper delivered by Michael Gove earlier this month, we were delighted to see that proposals were set out for funding of regeneration projects within Sheffield. As a Sheffield based business, we are passionate about growing UniHomes within the city, offering fantastic job opportunities for residents both within Sheffield and the surrounding regions.
“Operating nationally but with our office in Sheffield, we would welcome investment in connectivity within the north. This would be of substantial benefit towards igniting northern economies and providing greater opportunities for talent and skill sharing across regions. Pulling in talent from the likes of Leeds and Manchester has been notoriously difficult due to poor travel infrastructure.
“Working in the student market, we understand how vital the student population is to Sheffield. For many years Sheffield has topped the list of cities which retains the most students post-university, and the Levelling Up proposals should hopefully mean we retain even more students within the city to live and work, along with attracting more talent to attend our fantastic academic institutions.”
ABOUT The Sheffield College
The Sheffield College is a general Further Education College providing high quality academic, technical and vocational training to enhance qualifications, skills and employability across the region.
Operating four main sites across Sheffield, the college has approximately 13,500 enrolled learners and apprentices ranging from young school leavers to adults.
The college provides education programmes for young people, adult learning programmes, apprenticeships and provision for learners who have additional needs.
What does Levelling Up mean for The Sheffield College?
Angela Foulkes, chief executive and principal at The Sheffield College, said: "Further education colleges contribute to social mobility and their local economies, supporting students to go further in their careers and ensuring employers get the skills they need for growth.
"Levelling Up should mean providing sustainable longer-term funding for our sector, taking a place-based approach that recognises the specific needs of our local communities and prioritising adults to enable people of all ages in our region to train and develop their skills over a lifetime.
“Those three things would really make a difference to the future success and prosperity of our students and the College’s ability to maximise its impact on the city.
“Ultimately, what we need is funding stability to enable our students to benefit from world class opportunities regardless of their background and where they live and to support our skilled and valued staff to deliver this.”
ABOUT Sheffield Sustainable Kitchens
Sheffield Sustainable Kitchens designs and fits bespoke living spaces using a combination of high-quality, locally sourced fixtures and fittings and eco-friendly materials.
The company won the Planet Saver category at the Sheffield Business Awards 2021.
What does Levelling Up mean for Sheffield Sustainable Kitchens?
MD at Sheffield Sustainable Kitchens Zoe Loveday said: “We’re conscious of the Levelling Up that is desperately needed around sustainability and equality in our region.
“A targeted and significant Government investment in the transport infrastructure around South Yorkshire would have wide-reaching benefits for the city and its economy.
“Our fleet is over 80 per cent electric and we rely heavily on the national network of EV chargers for our business operations. The rollout of rapid chargers is currently focused on the South East of England, and this needs urgent attention to bring our region onto a level playing field with the other parts of the country.
“Government investment is also needed to support active travel more effectively in the North. This can be done by providing more cycle routes, and better infrastructure for each type of public transport, supporting more frequent connections and shorter routes, as well as functional integration between the service operators.
“Investment should also include fiscal support on the prices of journeys on public transport within South Yorkshire. At a time when people are considering their carbon footprint more than before, they should also be able to make the right choice for their pocket and for the planet."
ABOUT South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation
South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation is an organisation committed to achieving economic, social and physical wellbeing for the people of South Yorkshire.
Since its creation in 1986, the foundation has raised and distributed over £31m in grants to community and voluntary projects across the region. It is part of the UK Community Foundations network made up of 46 community foundations across the UK.
What does Levelling Up mean for South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation?
Ruth Willis, chief executive at South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation, said: “It is imperative that the work of community groups in our region isn’t forgotten after the effort they put in at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A strong community fabric can continue to thrive through relationships between VCSE and the public sector. To help support this aim, the Levelling Up paper needs to further demonstrate how the public pound plays its role in the local area whilst not forgetting the role of volunteers and the philanthropic contributions made by people keen to invest in our communities.
“Community groups in South Yorkshire are an invaluable resource for people, encompassing under-represented communities and the Levelling Up paper must show how crucial funding in a vast range of areas will be provided to deliver prosperity for our region.”
