Burngreave Works and Wellbeing, a non-profit organisation in the heart of the Burngreave community is on the path to becoming its own charity following their communal work.

CEO, Tammy Piercey, has been working in the ward since it first started in 2011 alongside her colleague Zaheer Ahmed who has worked in the community since 2002.

The organisation works hard to help people in the Burngreave area who are unemployed, teach them employability skills, help them become financially independent and even assist in buying clothing for interviews.

Tammy Piercey said, “We’re not the job centre, we are community based. So people aren’t numbers to us. They’re real people and we try and support them in the best way we can.”

By transforming into a charity, donations from external and local supporters will be able to help cover costs and improve the welfare of their community members. This additional support will help cover housing, public transport and clothing costs.

A member of their community said, “I came to Burngreave works at seventeen. They’re very easy going, very accessible and very friendly people that work here. Tammy and Zaheer have always been friendly and they definitely understood me. They did their best to help me get into employment.”

Burngreave Works and Wellbeing begins to help people from the age of sixteen and have people still to this day visiting them decades later.

To date they have supported over 2000 people. Of these people more than 55% have secured sustainable employment.

Staff member, Amreen Ahktar said, “They are well known in the community. People recommend them word of mouth, through family. Whoever you speak to someone, somewhere in this area will have a connection with Burngreave Works.”

She added, “It’s so nice to help people and see people progress from the first time you meet them, into them getting into employment and helping them achieve their dreams.”

The wellbeing organisation also offer communal activities including crafts sessions, yoga sessions and community walks divided by gender, due to the culture in the area.

Burngreave is one of the most ethnically diverse areas in Sheffield situated in the north of the city centre and has become a key communal area heavily influenced by migration from Somalia, Yemen and Eastern Europe.