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Q&A with Claire Chapman
Claire Chapman joined the Sheffield First Partnership (SFP) Board in June 2009. She is Deputy Chief Executive of Sheffield Wildlife Trust and represents the voluntary, community and faith sector (VCF) sector.
We understand from your questions at the SFP Board meetings that you have a particular interest in environmental issues. Can you tell us a bit more about your background and interest in this area?
I’ve always had a love of the outdoors, and a few years ago I was fortunate enough to incorporate it into my career when I joined an ecological consultancy as Marketing Manager. Since then I’ve worked for a number of private, public and charitable organisations, with roles that focus on engaging people and businesses in environmental issues, and supporting them making sustainable change.
I’ve always had a love of the outdoors, and a few years ago I was fortunate enough to incorporate it into my career when I joined an ecological consultancy as Marketing Manager. Since then I’ve worked for a number of private, public and charitable organisations, with roles that focus on engaging people and businesses in environmental issues, and supporting them making sustainable change.
What is the one thing you really want to be achieved for Sheffield?
I’d like to see Sheffield develop a Unique Selling Point that capitalises on its landscape. Our green space is a huge part of what makes us so special, and a third of Sheffield sits within the most visited National Park in the country. Businesses looking to relocate here know that their families are going to be close to good quality, safe green space, and research proves that people who live close to parks and the countryside are healthier and happier. Leeds and Manchester can’t even begin to compete with us, so we should be singing about it, and investing to make sure that our street trees, parks and nature reserves are well looked after for everyone’s benefit.
I’d like to see Sheffield develop a Unique Selling Point that capitalises on its landscape. Our green space is a huge part of what makes us so special, and a third of Sheffield sits within the most visited National Park in the country. Businesses looking to relocate here know that their families are going to be close to good quality, safe green space, and research proves that people who live close to parks and the countryside are healthier and happier. Leeds and Manchester can’t even begin to compete with us, so we should be singing about it, and investing to make sure that our street trees, parks and nature reserves are well looked after for everyone’s benefit.
How do you see SFP helping to achieve this?
SFP can work to ensure that environmentally sustainable principles are embedded in every policy and strategy that comes across the table, and supporting other key agencies, companies and individuals in the city to be confident in promoting the message that Sheffield is green and beautiful, and a great place to live and work.
SFP can work to ensure that environmentally sustainable principles are embedded in every policy and strategy that comes across the table, and supporting other key agencies, companies and individuals in the city to be confident in promoting the message that Sheffield is green and beautiful, and a great place to live and work.
Finally, we notice that you were one of the first organisations to respond to our call for exhibitors at our up-and-coming Volunteering Together event. Can you tell us the importance of volunteers to the Sheffield Wildlife Trust?
Volunteers are vital to virtually every area of the Trust’s work, as for so many charities, and we couldn’t operate without them. Volunteers are involved in the management and running of the organisation as trustees, volunteers help manage the Trust’s nature reserves as community rangers and input in to the management of many other sites as community stewards. Our volunteers engage children and young people as Watch leaders (and indeed a number of children and young people volunteer in their own local areas) and work alongside staff within every project and department of the Trust. In return, we have a commitment to equipping our volunteers with the skills and experience they need to build a career in the environmental sector. Many of our recruited paid staff will have begun their involvement with SWT as a volunteer.
We have a list of our current volunteering opportunities on the Sheffield Wildlife Trust website and these are circulated around a number of external organisations, including Voluntary Action Sheffield (VAS).
Volunteers are vital to virtually every area of the Trust’s work, as for so many charities, and we couldn’t operate without them. Volunteers are involved in the management and running of the organisation as trustees, volunteers help manage the Trust’s nature reserves as community rangers and input in to the management of many other sites as community stewards. Our volunteers engage children and young people as Watch leaders (and indeed a number of children and young people volunteer in their own local areas) and work alongside staff within every project and department of the Trust. In return, we have a commitment to equipping our volunteers with the skills and experience they need to build a career in the environmental sector. Many of our recruited paid staff will have begun their involvement with SWT as a volunteer.
We have a list of our current volunteering opportunities on the Sheffield Wildlife Trust website and these are circulated around a number of external organisations, including Voluntary Action Sheffield (VAS).