impact report 2023-24
COMING TOGETHER a message from our ceo
At the time of writing this report we are reminded of the vital importance of our role in standing up for the less heard voices in our community and building unity and strength through our day-to-day community work
As the threat of race riots loomed in the Summer of 2024 I was very proud to see our city stand in unity, say ‘not in our name ’ and provide a clear rebuff to the far right making it clear that our diversity is our strength
The recent change in government and the release of Lord Darzi’s report on the critical state of the NHS also points firmly to the value of community infrastructure when he says:
“Creating the conditions across our communities that make it easier for people to be physically active can significantly improve the health of our nation The infrastructure needed to deliver these conditions already exists, it is however, chronically under-resourced, relying on short-term investment that means organisations who support people at street level with non-judgemental intervention, cannot plan or scale what they do. This needs to change ”
A call to action no less and a strong lever for further devolution of power and resource to our region, city and neighbourhoods
Key Achievements
As we look back at 2023-24 we can be very proud of what we have achieved The staff and volunteers who make us tick, our dedicated trustees, our invaluable partner organisations and the communities that shape so much of what we do This report details our acheivements, but here’s just a flavour of the highlights:
Celebrating 25 years of Zest amplifying commun
the thriving community enterprise we are today
An inclusive leisure programme that goes from s
Securing three years funding from BBC Children
A continued focus on community led cultural ce
A thriving volunteer base that encompasses eve
IS TO ENABLE EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO LEAD HEALTHY AND SUCCESFUL LIVES our vision
At Zest we believe everyone has a chance to be someone Nobody should slip through the net and feel forgotten, neglected and lost. We believe we can help fulfil the role of support in our communities and in doing so empower individuals and groups
IS TO DELIVER ON THREE CORE PRINCIPLES our mission
1
2
To provide a healthy living centre delivering responsive services to tackle local inequalities. These must include:
Health and wellbeing
Employment and skills
Sport, leisure and recreation
To foster communities where everyone feels welcomed, valued and can fully participate in the life of the community.
3
To play an active role in supporting other disadvantaged communities in Sheffield.
UNDERPIN EVERYTHING WE DO our values
COLLABORATIVE
We collaborate by default in order to identify issues, push for change, develop collective solutions and achieve the best outcomes for our local communities
INCLUSIVE
We strive to keep our services and facilities affordable, physically and culturally accessible
PERSONALISED
To achieve the best personal outcomes, we navigate individuals and families through a tailored journey of support that can involve accessing a range of joined up wellbeing support services
ASSET BASED
We empower local people and address local need by identifying the strengths within our community.
“
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS something for everyone
We celebrated our 25th anniversary during the year. It was a great time to acknowledge everything we do as an organisation and what we’ve achieved in the past.
Thankyoufor everything.Zest isamazing”
” “
Zestisthebest
We celebrated with a big birthday bash highlighting some key moments on our journey and invited people to sign our giant birthday card We were overwhelmed by the many kind comments left by those who use our services
anypeople’slives , mineincluded
We used the opportunity of our birthday to shout out about the many wonderful things Zest does as an organisation with our Something for Everyone campaign We highlighted the amazing work our teams do to support our local communities with our health, work and training services, our family support networks, our community events and the work we do to support our young people It was also a great opportunity to thank our volunteers who make it all possible
library & cafe
The library continues to go from strength to strength as it prepares for 10 years of independence. This year it has attracted three new volunteersone going on to gain employment elsewhere. Here’s just a few of our library highlights.
Library supported Adult Literacy sessions, which started with Zest partner Read Easy.
The library has supported five inhouse Zest groups over the year, including toddlers, dementia-friendly groups, craft groups, and English lessons
We’ve held four significant events in the library this year, including our 25th birthday party, our AGM, and a fabulous presentation from local author Joanne Clague
THE FOOD WORKS UPPERTHORPE
The Food Works Upperthorpe continues to be an amazing resource for everyone who visits the Zest Centre Providing delicious value meals to the community, the cafe has been a major support hub during the cost-of-living crisis with its Pay What You Can Afford and Just Meals offerings
Volunteer-led, the five-star hygiene-rated cafe is also a skills services provider where people can get barista training, knife skills, and food hygiene Level 2 certifications
3,500 Volunteer hours
7,000
Kilograms of carbon saved through hot meals served
6,000 Hot meals served
4,500 Hot drinks served
Leisure
FEELING GOOD ABOUT HEALTH & FITNESS
WhataFriendlyand welcomingplace.I lovehowmulti(culturalitis. Serviceuser) “ ”
The UK leisure industry is a vital contributor to the national economy, generating significan revenue and employment opportunities acr various sectors, including hospitality, tourism fitness, and entertainment.
To Zest and the communities we support, our leisure facilities are the hub of what we do. A place where people can learn and develop essential life skills, feel good about themselves and come together as a community.
Leisure
ACCESSIBLE, ATTAINABLE & ENJOYABLE
Our focus has been on expanding our leisure offerings to better serve the community We’ve increased the capacity for children's swimming lessons by adding more sessions, streamlining payment processes, and developing focused teaching techniques for Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) children with the introduction of an early intervention parent and toddler session in partnership with Rygate.
We’ve revamped the timetable, introducing a men-only session and adding a Saturday Parent and Toddler session for working parents unable to attend during the week These changes have been met with great success, through responding to customer feedback and helping to optimise efficiency
Participation in gym and swim activities has shown substantial growth, with gym attendance rising by 36% and swim attendance by 30% from 2022 to 2023 The introduction of new fitness classes, and continued success of a senior fitness class has attracted more than 500 extra customers over the year Implementing a flexible approach to private pool hire on a temporary basis has also enabled us to support transgender communities and implemented a system to support the local ME group, demonstrating commitment to inclusivity and community support
45%
Increase in parent and toddler participation through introduction of new classes
51%
Increase in swimming lessons generated income
5,000
More lessons attended by children
78%
Increase in average lesson capacity
21%
Of children’s lessons attended by people from ethnic minority backgrounds
Leisure
CUSTOMER ANALYSIS
Our results over the past year speak for themselves. Timetables have been updated to be more inclusive, catering for specific groups, while ensuring comprehensive accessibility for everyone in the community.
Performance Overview
Customer Demographics
Leisure LOOKING AHEAD
The future is exciting. Here are just some of the things we ’ ve got planned for the year ahead:
Implementation of a new Swimming Lesson Management System to enhance efficiency, improve communications with service users and strengthen reputation to drive business growth
Development of environmental sustainability strategy as part of a renewed business plan
Expand the variety of gym classes to meet diverse customer needs
Integrate the new Sheffield exercise referral system – Move Well, formerly known as SPARS, to offer a more holistic approach to exercise referrals and attract more customers to our services
Extend opening hours, including bank holidays to increase accessibility for the community
Enhance swimming lesson services for neurodiverse children by providing an improved one-to-one service
Introduce additional merchandise opportunities to enhance customer experiences and boost overall income
Navigate a programme of major capital works and improvements to the Zest Centre
young people
BUILDING TRUST AND CHANGING LIVES
The Zest youth offer is centred on provision of locally rooted neighbourhood youth clubs shaped by local young people We offer a range of workshops, positive activities, trips and residentials that help people feel more confident and resilient, improve their life skills, develop a stronger voice and enable young people to feel safer in the community.
young people
HERE TO HELP WHEREVER AND WHENEVER WE CAN
We’ve had real success with 24 more young people, 18 years or under, attending our activities and accessing our support, and three young people supported to become volunteers The hard work has been rewarded with the announcement of a further three years of funding from Children in Need.
Of people supported were from ethnic minority backgrounds
72% 28%
The number of females we worked with during the period
The number of males we worked with during the period 153 60 13%
Increase in the number of young people up to 18 yrs we worked with
213
The number of young people up to18 we worked with 91%
HIGHLIGHTS young people
As well as climbing, bowling, ice skating, go karting and visits to Alton Towers and Laser Quest, young people have also had opportunity to be more creative with arts and crafts classes, painting and cooking courses introducing them to new skills.
We’ve also introduced a number of awareness sessions including self-confidence sessions We’ve also delivered sessions on how young people feel when in certain circumstances such as how they feel about meeting new people, moving to a new school or area
There have been various joint trips throughout the year with two youth clubs from the Walkley and Hillsborough ward to encourage young people to meet new friends and promote partnership working
SELF CONFIDENCE SESSION: WHY I’M BEAUTIFUL
Young people had to finish a sentence which started “I am beautiful/handsome because ” They had to list five reasons The exercise proved quite difficult for some young people as they struggled to find reasons, so we helped them through it The purpose of the exercise was to ask young people to look deeper within themselves and identify what makes them feel good about themselves Many said they had never thought about it but would in future
Young people have had access to a community based trusted adult who is able to build effective relationships with young people The service has been used by young people attending to have a general chat with some enrolling onto counselling sessions
LOOKING AHEAD young people
Young people play a major role in what we do at Zest. They are a part of our planning process and feature in much of our cross-team functionality as we develop support networks across all our departments. The challenges we continue to face are always significant, but our youth team continues to look to the future with optimism. In the year ahead the team are looking to build the skills needed to help young people with their everyday needs by:
Strengthening local partnerships with the YAFA youth club and SWFC Community Programme
Developing the young workforce including establishing a development pathway with Reach Up Youth
Developing a workforce with the skills needed to support young people's day to day issues
Supporting board members to gain better insight into our youth offer and its future development
Communities TOGETHER WE’RE BETTER
The communities team delivered 11 different projects over the year. These projects supported children and their families, as well as our diverse communities
This year has seen us really work on our community development, bringing other communities and partners in to our localities.
IthinkIinfluenced iotherstogetinvolved ntheircommunityand helpeachother (volunteer) ” “
Communities
INSPIRING, ENRICHING & EMPOWERING
We have grown and developed our early years and children’s provision, creating a bigger service to meet the needs of the communities we serve
We have delivered a range of courses, activities, groups, and events in the local community and throughout the wider city We have worked hard to gain the trust of lesser-heard communities, working with people to improve these communities, and act as a conduit so everyone ’ s voices can be heard by the council and other agencies
25% 75%
Of people supported were from ethnic minority backgrounds
400%
Increase in HAF programme attendance Malin Bridge / Loxley
102
The number of people supported to volunteer
1,471
The number of young people we worked with
The number of people 18+ we worked with 75%
1,292
communities HIGHLIGHTS
“ It’sbroughtconfidence andcouragetohavetheir voicesheard (volunteer)”
This Community Can (TCC) brought together our communities with a range of wonderful events.
Jamaican Independence celebrations, Coronation Party, the Joyous Gospel Choir event that reached out to new participants and partners, and our work with our new local Ukrainian communities were all organised by our wonderful TCC team
We started a project supporting dad’s who experience mild mental health challenges
Through this we identified a clear need for dad and toddler groups, the first one we started had 16 dads attending, having kept the promotion small
“Ihaveneverbeentoanythinglike thisbefore,andIlovedit.” (gospelchoiraudiencemember)
Number of dads attending our very first dads and toddler group
CASE STUDY: HAF PROJECT
There had been a low uptake in the Malin Bridge/Loxley area for the Holiday Activity Food (HAF) programme Only 30% of the eligible children locally were attending any provision
The Zest team supported the local school to deliver a full summer programme of activities
It became apparent that families in the area were more willing to attend school provision due to existing trust relationships
The result of the collaboration was an amazing uplift of 400% in attendance from this area, including families that were previously disengaged from school The outcome highlights the importance of working partnerships and what can be achieved by working together
People supported by Empowering Parents Empowering Communities. Led to new contract and three new employees
I don’t know what we’d do without HAF (parent) ” “
LOOKING AHEAD communities
The future challenge at Zest and across Sheffield is that the most vulnerable families are supported. We are working with the council and local agencies to shape this work to ensure it meets the needs of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
In the coming year, focus will shift to retain our existing services, with some contracts coming to an end in March Buoyed by the autumn budget, we are expecting to see our work with children and education expand, particularly our Early Start and Family Hub work
Local anchor and community work will continue, with grassroots groups growing in Upperthorpe, Netherthorpe, and Langsett Our focus in this area will be community integration and strengthening Cost of living support will be integral in this area and supported by the Shared Prosperity Fund.
In addition, we will be working to expand primary provision, restarting a free homework club for primary children, as well as after-school and holiday activities.
BUILDING BETTER LIVES TOGETHER HEALTH
Delivering high quality community-based health and wellbeing services for groups and individuals in our community. That’s what we do in a nutshell
Our main programme, People Keeping Well, is part of a city network of locally based, ‘health creation’ activities and services underpinned by community development.
“ Ifeltindependentandin scontrolofmyownhealth.I’m ohappyIreachedouttozest, I’veturnedmylifearound . (Serviceuser)
”
health
PROVIDING ASSURANCE AND SUPPORT
We’re also active in supporting Zest-wide events with other departments, such as our Eid celebrations We also continue to work on strengthening links with community groups making connections this year with local care homes, mosques and GP practices to ensure as many people as possible know about the services we offer.
Increase in the number of people helped during the period 35%
Increase in the number of people supported to volunteer 50% 233%
Increase in the number of young people up to 18 yrs we worked with
1,340
The number of people 18+ we worked with 63% Of people supported were from ethnic minority backgrounds
heaLTH HIGHLIGHTS
mycoachingsessions. haveempowered metolookaftermyhealthmoreand gavemeconfidencepreparing healthiermeals.
(MrsC, SocialDiningGroup) ”
We continue to provide a range of culturally sensitive women ' s physical activity groups for local women, and many this year have learnt to ride bikes and even moved to road cycling
Our LGBTQ+ older people’s group celebrates its 2nd anniversary this year and continues to meet monthly, welcoming anyone 50+ who identifies as LGBTQ+
CASE STUDY: MRS M
Mrs M needed a knee replacements due to arthritis She was advised to lose three stone before receiving surgery She faces ongoing mental health challenges, including depression and anxiety, and feels isolated She felt stuck and unable to move forward
Following a self-referral, the Zest health team listened to her wellbeing needs and issues and where she wanted to start Mrs M wanted to get active and joined our mental health boxing group and really enjoyed it, although found it challenging due to her arthritis. She has also joined Zumba and yoga women ’ s groups, and appreciates the adaptations the yoga instructor makes to help her participate. Mrs. M also attended a women-only mental health course and is currently booked onto an anxiety course at Zest. She has started making friends in these groups and meeting people at Zest café afterwards.
Mrs M lost one stone in around four months and is looking to keep as active as she can and eat well in order to make the weight needed for her surgery She also bought an exercise bike and is interested in attending healthy eating courses She has also been referred to a specialist physio who offers support specific to chronic pain
Funded by the NHS via Synergy, we ’ ve begun to deliver our Mental Health Peer Support project, providing community-based mental health support to students and people who live locally
What’s helping is meeting people. I’ve been so isolated. It’s expanded my world” “
HEALTH
LOOKING AHEAD
Over the next 12 months, we will continue to seek funding for mental health initiatives and will be looking to establish a number of new groups, based on the client feedback we received this year. These include:
A more culturally appropriate dementia café, serving food and providing diverse and inclusive activities
A diabetes support group
A chronic pain café, for those managing long-term pain
Menopause support groups
BUILDING CONFIDENCE FOR THE FUTURE work & training
Zest provides a range of tailored employmen support services and training courses to help individuals develop employability skills, secur work, and progress in their careers. Our free, impartial Information, Advice, and Guidance (IAG) service supports customers with personalised action plans, regular progress reviews, and access to IT resources fo searching.
We also offer mental health support, including anxiety management and managing depression courses, alongside the Multiply programme to boost adult numeracy skills.
Reallyfriendly,kindand caringstaffwillingtohelp youinwhateverwaytheycan . (Courseattendee) ” “
PROVIDING SKILLS
GUIDANCE FOR LIFE work & training
AND
Zest helps to create volunteer and work placements, as well as offering mock interviews to build confidence. We also support employers by matching them with suitable candidates We are committed to delivering high-quality, up-to-date guidance, with a focus on health and well-being
40% 60%
Of people in Parents / Carers group were from ethnic minority backgrounds
The number of S6 foodbank vouchers issued by Zest 672 39
The number of people supported to volunteer
123
The number of people on our employment contracts
66
Participants on three hour numeracy skills workshops 61%
HIGHLIGHTS work & training
It has been a busy year for Zest for Work (ZFW) with the team being just one of three projects shortlisted for an employment and skills award at Sheffield Community Awards. Other highlights have included:
Secured new funding to support local people into work and training.
Hosting an NHS Skills for Success event in February
Installation of Community Access Point for additional advice service capacity
Being the first provider in the city to achieve its targets on ESF pathways
Working in partnership with down2youphysiotherapy, Green Tree Therapy, Purple Shoot, Learn for Life and IDAS
Working with local employers Leahyrst nursing home, NHS and South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue. Helping people find work
CASE STUDY: TINA
Tina, a survivor of domestic abuse, was unemployed, had relocated, and was without a support network. She struggled with PTSD, depression, and anxiety while trying to rebuild her life without medication
Tina completed Zest’s Mental Health courses, learning to manage her mental health She then joined Zest employment support programme to improve her employability skills and she started volunteering in an administrative role
Tina has gained confidence and resilience She now volunteers, feels a sense of belonging, and is accessing further training to improve her future employment prospects
And we were also delighted to announce manager Lynsey Golland celebrating 21 years at Zest.
aIfeelveryfortunatethatIwas tbletoencounterZESTandthe eamn.TheyweretherewhenI eededitthemost . “
LOOKING AHEAD work & training
The Zest for Work team are prepared for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead over the next 12 months and beyond.
The team has moved back across the road to the main Zest Centre, freeing up space in the Shipton Street premises for a range of community-focused activities
We are delighted our Mental Health Educational Project has been extended until March 2026
We’re also looking forward to launching a new pilot project The six-month ‘Certified Return to Work’ programme will start in the autumn and aims to support people with complex barriers and who are out of work
Extending our reach to include Stannington and Stocksbridge for outreach events and to provide employment and training support
Economic recovery SUPPORTING THE LOCAL ECONOMY
“The streetart looksgreat tandreallybringstheplace olife.tIlovethemuralby helibrary. (passerby)
”
Covid and the cost of living crisis had a devastating effect on the traders, with record numbers of retailers shutting up shop as costs increased and customers deserted the high streets in favour of online purchases and large shop
With the support of Sheffie Council’s Economic Recov (ERF) initiative, Zest set ab helping to encourage peop to the high street with a se initiatives including the int of street art to deter and c graffiti, late-night opening seasonal market events.
Economic recovery HIGHLIGHTS
Zest worked closely with local traders and community groups in Walkley, Upperthorpe and Infirmary Road to develop the programme.
Initiatives included cash injections to renovate shop fronts and make them more appealing to shoppers, improvements to high streets including new seating, street banners, sponsorship to support seasonal events, and a large-scale street art initiative linking Upperthorpe and Walkley with more than 30 street artworks to brighten up the area by covering surfaces blighted by graffiti.
Part of the project included revitalising Walkley Festival. The hugely popular festival had been suspended for a number of years due to lack of funding Being able to bring it back helped to lift the community spirit
6
Number of refurbed shopfronts
28 Artists employed on ERF projects
32
Number
2,500
Combined festival and events’ attendance
7
of artworks created to brighten streets
New seating and benches in Walkely and Upperthorpe
New shopfronts funded Planters introduced
Bike racks installed
Seasonal market events
Festival relaunched Street art inspired by school children
Shop local banners
New seating areas provided
LOOKING AHEAD Economic recovery
Phase 2 of the ERF programme concludes towards the end of 2024, but already there are a number of projects taking shape and more on the horizon. These include:
Plans for six trees to line the pavement on Infirmary Road
Custom bin wraps for Walkley and Infirmary Road
Further extension of the Arts Trail to include two large scale murals and at least six shop shutters
We are also planning to provide a legacy to the project by supporting a newly formed social enterprise to continue providing seasonal market events in Walkley as well as taking on the running of the hugely successful festival - which this year attracted more than 2,000 visitors
city health
LIVE LIGHTER HIGHLIGHTS
Zest delivered the final year of the five year city-wide ‘Tier 2’ adult child and family weight management service, commissioned by Sheffield City Council. In what was a very successful final year the programme saw record numbers of referrals into the adult serviceup from 3,391 to 3,847.
1,176
Number of adults and young poeple worked with
Increase in the number of referrals 13%
400 107
Number of succesful adult completers
Number of families completing the course
306
The number of frontline workers completing brief interventions training
future planning WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR ZEST
Zest is part of a collaborative drive to create a fairer and more prosperous city for all its citizens by increasing productivity and lowering inequality. To achieve this Zest will be using 3Cs to illustrate how we intend to help shape a better and brighter future for everyone in our community over the next 12 months and beyond.
City Goals Alignment
Sheffield City Goals were developed with the citizens of Sheffield to define the kind of city we want to live in. One of the key themes is to shape our city around fairness, equity, wellbeing and combating poverty.
Zest will be working to ensure our vision, mission and ambition aligns to this theme and other relevant goals. At a local level we want to ensure we are clear on how we can play our part, take local responsibility and stimulate systematic change
Community Conversations
Tied to Sheffield City Goals, is the work needed to build on our community development foundations and engage in a set of more formal conversations with our community We need to be clear on what is important to them, that we understand their challenges and aspirations and that we can use this insight to shape our future neighbourhood and define our ambitions together for the next 3-5 years
Capital Investment
Zest has been working with Sheffield City Council over a number of years to ensure the Zest Centre remains a pivotal community asset for future generations This is centred on major investment as part of the City Leisure Strategy, which recognises the valuable role we play in providing accessible leisure and community services
This work will be further shaped over the coming 12 months, including a renewed lease, phased capital investment plan, and a refreshed Business Plan that better defines how we will achieve our ‘triple bottom line’ (Economic, Social, and Environmental)
financial review
Here is a summary of our financial performance highlighting how our restricted and unrestricted funds are broken down. We continue to attract and utilise a mix of public funds (grants and contracts) to deliver activities and services to our community.
Company financial turnover for the period 1st April 2023 to 31st March 24 was £1 87m There has been an increase in trading income from our leisure services This is offset by ongoing inflationary pressures as wage and energy costs continue to rise We have also seen a welcome increase in our freely available reserves in line with our target and expect there to be a call on these reserves in the year ahead as funding pressures continue
8 £213, 025
