Charity funding creating connection and community for Sheffield women
A Sheffield charity set up to create connection and community for refugees and asylum seekers has been boosted by a funding award.
Side by Side has received £5,000 from South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation (SYCF) Community Grants fund to develop its dedicated women’s group.
Established in 2008 as a grassroots project, then later incorporated into a charity in 2023, Side by Side bridges the gap of loneliness and isolation for refugees and asylum seekers and provided a space for people to meet, make friends and learn English through interactive sessions.
Due to demand, they created a women’s group in 2024 thanks to funding from SYCF, and as the women’s group grew in numbers, Side by Side has been awarded this latest Community Grant to set up a second women’s group.
The women’s group meet weekly at City of Sanctuary in the city centre and run morning sessions of 15 ladies and afternoon sessions of 18 ladies, with a lunchtime crossover allowing all the women to meet each other over a meal - creating a real sense of community and connection for those that attend.
They have a listening and speaking circle, that allows the women to feel seen and heard and gives them an opportunity to improve their English.
Johanna Van Der Voort, Artistic Director and Facilitator at Side by Side, said:
The women’s group has been a huge success and it’s been amazing to have that trust in us to start something new, that can benefit so many. We are so grateful to South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation.
SYCF, which is celebrating its 40th birthday in 2026, is the region’s largest grant giving charity, awarding an estimated £1.7million to more 400 groups in the last year.
Jess O’Neill, grants and partnerships manager at SYCF, said:
We’re so proud to see the amazing effort that this charity is making to create an inclusive and friendly environment for people who may not know of anywhere else to turn. At SYCF, we feel it’s vital for people new to the country to feel welcomed and included.
Meet Jess
Jess works Tuesdays - Fridays every week and oversees all of the grant programmes, so is able to help with specific and general queries about our programmes, our application systems and processes.
She also oversees our panels and our many volunteers that lead on our decision making for many of our funds.
Jess holds a weekly Teams drop-in sessions as an opportunity to chat to groups about any questions they may have, or assistance with our application system. These are held most Wednesdays 4pm - 5pm. The link to these meetings can be found on our Apply page.
Jess O'Neill
Grants and Partnerships Manager
Jess O'Neill's LinkedIn page.png)