di Excel City Apartments and Guided Walks (brand of ExcelProperty Partners Ltd)
In this episode (our 26th) of the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast, our guest is Sally Wilson, Production Manager, Together in the City, Sheffield Theatres. Sally talks about the amazing project called 'Together in the City' that involved work away from the theatres in Sheffield City Centre and instead worked with communities across Sheffield, especially in the northern areas of the city. The initiative which started during the covid-19 pandemic saw Sheffield Theatres working on this unique project with more 19 individual creative projects across 26 project groups in and around Sheffield. As the projects evolved, different art forms were developed by participants in the various communities. This incredible community-focused project concludes with celebrations on the main stage of the Crucible Theater on Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 April 2022. Details of times for shows online at: https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/together-in-the-city Through exhibitions, installations and workshops in the Crucible foyer, as well as performances on the main stage. Listen to this episode of the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast as Sally Wilson shares memorable moments of the incredible journey of 'Together in the City' from idea to community engagement through to the 2-day celebratory event in early April 2022 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield City Centre. PS. Don't miss out! Remember to subscribe for FREE to the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast hosted by Excel City Apartments in Sheffield.
In this episode of the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast, our guest is Lucky Vatnanai, Manager of the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy in Sheffield. The snooker academy was founded in June 2020 by Ding Junhui, a top-ranked professional world ranking snooker player, who was in the 2016 finals of the World Snooker Championship. Located on Haymarket Street in the heart of Sheffield City Centre, the academy with its 18 snooker tables offers a unique practice facility to several professional snooker players. In addition, there is a spacious meeting area for coaching training and conferences. As Manager of the snooker academy, Lucky is responsible for all day to day operations at the facility as well as managing logistics for the holding of events at the academy. In the podcast, Lucky talks about actions taken to ensure the safety of snooker players for all events held at the facility. As covid-19 pandemic restrictions are lifted, he also shares insights about his plans for greater engagement of people in Sheffield with snooker at the academy. In his role as Manager, Lucky, who has played snooker at a professional level draws on that experience to ensure the facility and players at the academy meet expectations of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. What does a snooker academy have to do with teams in large organisations? Listen to the podcast to find out! PS. Subscribe for free to the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast hosted by Excel City Apartments in Sheffield.
In this episode of the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast, our guest is Darren Forde, CEO & Founder of Samdai(pronounced 'same day'). Founded in 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 global health pandemic, the business offers a same-day delivery service for fashion and beauty purchases in Sheffield. Samdai deliveries are quicker than those place online with local stores using national courier services. Initially, the business focused on offering a solution to the pain experienced by local business owners whose customers were no longer going into stores. At the same time, businesses could not reach their customers. Partnering with Samdai helped businesses to stave off closure and customers to have quicker deliveries of purchases made with local stores. Listen to this episode of the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast (https://spoti.fi/2YVhIti) and hear Darren Forde, Samdai's Founder and CEO, and also a former professional rugby player, talk about his business. He covers: *Backstory to the idea of 'Samedai'. *Early days of moving from 'idea' to 'actual business'. *How he pivoted the business from being a simple same day delivery service to upgrading to a vibrant online hub for local people and businesses. *Benefits to local businesses and people across Sheffield City region from membership of Samedai's VIP club. Self-described as offering “Sheffield's Best Discount Membership”, its VIP club offers discounts to members at top entertainment, stores and hospitality businesses in Sheffield for a modest annual fee. You can subscribe for free to the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast (sponsored by Excel City Apartments), so you will know about future episodes are released. Enjoy listening to this interview with Darren Forde, CEO & Founder of Samdai, (http://www.samedai.co.uk) an independent business in Sheffield.
This episode has been published and can be heard everywhere your podcast is available. In this episode of the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast, our guest is Matt Hulley, Owner and Director of Just Preserves (https://www.justpreserves.co.uk). Based in Sheffield, Just Preserves "combines traditional methods of large pans and handmaking with quality ingredients to produce jams, marmalades, chutneys and pickles from their HQ on Chippinghouse Road, part of the Antiques Quarter of Sheffield". Listen to this episode of the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast and learn how Matt learnt how to make marmalades, chutneys and pickles, having not had any experience of doing this before buying an exisiting business for the founders. With a range of over 24 products, Matt continues to use traditional manual processes for the production and is planning to add new products to the range. Products are stocked in a selection of independent shops in Sheffield as well as used by others in the food trade, such as cafes. Remember also to subscribe to the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast, so you will know when future episodes are released. Enjoy listening to this interview with Matt Hulley, Owner and Director of Just Preserves!
This episode has been published and can be heard everywhere your podcast is available. In this episode of the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast, our guest is Rachel Briggs, Co-founder of United We Climb (https://unitedweclimb.com/about). Based in Sheffield, United We Climb is registered as a Community Interest Company (CIC). The organisation partners with other companies involved in climbing and outdoors activities to develop new experiences for under-represented and under-served communities across Sheffield. The CIC designs and offers training to members for climbing in indoor and outdoor venues. Areas covered during training include: traverse or sideways climbing, bouldering (without ropes), harnessing and learning to climb down from heights. Listen to the podcast and learn how and why Rachel and her co-founder created United We Climb, her own experiences of climbing as a child and how the organisation works with people interested in climbing in Sheffield and beyond. In this interview for the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast, Rachel also shares with us some insights into plans for the future. Remember also to subscribe to the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast, so you will know when future episodes are released. Enjoy listening to this interview with Rachel Briggs, Co-founder and Director of United We Climb!
In this (19th ) episode of the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast, our guest is Neil Maycock, Director of Digital ImpactSolutions Ltd. Based in Sheffield, Neil founded this business 14 years ago. His company focuses on boosting the SEO rankings of clients so as to increase the ease with which they can be found by customers searching for the services or goods offered by Neil's client businesses. Because of the covid-19 pandemic and associated lock-downs in the UK, Neil adapted his business to finding new clients for his growing business. Not only did this 'pivot' open opportunities that broadened the geographic location of clients, but the size of businesses that engaged his services to boost SEO rankings. At present, the seo and digital marketing services offered by Digital Impact Solutions Ltd serve client businesses in the UK and Europe. Listen to this podcast to hear Neil Maycock talk about his love of marketing, particularly digital marketing, and how delivering value for customers through search engine optimisations led his clients, on occasions, to outperform competition for keywords. This includes outperforming at least one corporation with huge budgets and a large marketing team. In this interview for the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast, Neil also shares with us some insights into plans for the next few months and years. Remember also to subscribe to the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast, so you will know when future episodes are released. Enjoy listening to this interview with Neil Maycock, Director of Digital Impact Solutions Ltd!
Our guest for this episode is Mark Storey, CEO of the charity SCCCC (familiarly called S and 4 Cs) that works in partnership with others to support and improve the well being of older people in Sheffield. Did you know that in 2020 during those early days of the covid-19 pandemic, SCCCC was able to provide face coverings , as part of the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), needed to protect staff and its service users, but also to help other organisations struggling to acquire PPE. In this conversation, Mark talks about his role as CEO of SCCCC, effects of the first lockdown in 2020 because of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020 led to the charity not delivering all services as well as the remarkable way in which the charity took action to pivot and launched a pen pal programme to keep service users in contact with others. Listen to this episode to understand why this less well-known gem in Sheffield has received royal and local awards in recognition of the work it does with senior citizens and other service users in the local community.
Episode 09 of the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast features an interview with Lara Bundock, CEO of the Snowdrop Project Ltd, a charity founded in Sheffield to support victims and survivors of modern slavery. Believing that no one should be left isolated or vulnerable to exploitation, support by the charity is tailored to the individual needs, strengths, likes, history and hopes of each survivor or victim of modern slavery. In this episode, you will hear about: *The backstory to the founding of the Snowdrop Project and why Snowdrop was chosen as the name of the charity. *How the charity works in partnership with other organisations to provide 'wrap around' support to victims and survivors of modern slavery to motivate them to become empowered as they gain their freedom to 'live' again. *How the charity has resourced its work over the years to expand support from 10 to 15 persons in the early years to working in 2020 with over 240 survivors (167 adults, 77 children). *How the charity has created a workspace hub for rental to other charities in its new permanent home in Sheffield City Centre. *Volunteering opportunities with the Snowdrop project and how to make contact for further information. Listen to Lara Bundock, founder and CEO of the Snowdrop Project as she describes how the charity evolved over the past 10 years from an idea based on a need to break a viscious circle to a Sheffield-based charity with expanded capacity and influence beyond Sheffield City Region.
Episode 08 of the Sheffield's Hidden Gems podcast features an interview with Professor Matthew Gilbert, MD of LimitState Ltd, a specialist software company based in Sheffield. The business develops specialist software for structural and geotechnical engineers to enable them to rapidly determine the critical failure mechanism and margin of safety for a wide range of engineering problems. Software designed by LimitState is used by infrastructure firms and government bodies for engineering projects in over 30 countries across the globe. In this episode, you will hear about: *Peregrine, a new and innovative software tool, that could help to reduce the quantity of materials consumed in infrastructure projects. *How software can help to reduce time taken for construction. *LayOpt, the free interactive software tool you can access to create your own structures online -and have fun in the process. *Job opportunity for a software developer at LimitState Listen to Matthew Gilbert as he describes how the company evolved from an idea, then a project within the confines of the university, to a fully-operational specialist tech business in Sheffield.
In this episode, our guest is Catherine Rannus of Belightful Music TM. Catherine is a musician who has created tracks with healing elements within her music for relaxation of mind and body as well as changing energy level in listeners. As the owner of a music business, she has been part of festivals and brings a most unique interpretation to music for clients. In addition to having the distinction of being a pianist in residence at hospitality venues in the Sheffield City Region, Catherine has been in a band and enjoys playing alongside DJs. Hear about how Catherine has evolved as a musician who now helps business owners with their audio branding, and find out how you can gain access to her albums and video clips. Listen to this episode of the podcast featuring this 'hidden gem' Belightful Music TMfrom Catherine Rannus. Episode 03: released on Monday, 8 March 2021.