3.5 FINDINGS & STRATEGIES

Findings: Condition of Care and the Infrastructural Gaps

Following 70 years of movement around Sheffield, the African-Caribbean and the wider African diasporic community now reside in various parts of the city. The condition of care – particularly surrounding food and other wellness services – has taken a dynamic form for the African diaspora community. Affordable and cultural heritage-based food sources, such as those found in local grocery stores, markets, and restaurants, are scattered across the city.

Furthermore, Sheffield’s public services appear limiting and non-conforming to the needs of the community, especially those with mental illnesses, the impoverished and the elderly. The charitable services of SADACCA and the various organisations that reside within the Wicker building – SACHMA and Flourish Sheffield – have helped to fill the gaps within the public infrastructure of care. The operations of SADACCA and its tenant organisations (SACHMA and Flourish Sheffield) help by providing meals for the elderly and other well-being services for the wider community.

However, SADACCA’s lease over the Wicker building is tentative, which puts all these services atrisk of becoming displaced elsewhere in the city or gone forever. The various intersectional identities – particularly between different generations - means a greater need to build a sense of belonging and solidarity through SADACCA.

In our opinion, SADACCA has the potential to leverage the vast space of the Wicker building and its community connections to expand and sustain services in support of the vulnerable.

Challenges, Priorities, and the Aim

Fig 11. Research findings (Source: Authors)

During our visits to the Wicker building, we observed, talked to and interviewed people from SADACCA, which helped us identify the challenges our partner was facing. The Wicker building has many under-utilised indoor and outdoor spaces.

We learnt there is a fragmentation of social relationships between older and younger generations on the one hand, as weall as between SADACCA and the external parties (care providers and other organisations) within the city itself on the other hand.

The third challenge was the lack and uncertainty on the notion of a collective identity. In other words, the need for the community to unify to project a collective vision to challenge the colonial programme and its hostilities that have seeped into Sheffield’s diaspora community.

To address the above challenges, we worked with SADACCA to identify three main priorities for the near future. • Firstly, secure the future of the Wicker building as a key asset for the production and provision for the diaspora community and the wider community of Sheffield.

• Secondly, the provision of safe care spaces and services within the Wicker building to foster the social and intergeneration bonds of solidarity within SADACCA and the wider diaspora community in Sheffield.

• Last, but certainly not least, framing a notion of a sense of belonging and value for SADACCA and diaspora community members by recognising their contributions and legacies in

Sheffield.

In this sense, the main aim of our proposal is to support the production of quality and continuous systems of care for SADACCA, the AfricanCaribbean diaspora and Sheffield as a wider community through the creation of safe spaces and practices.