On Tuesday 30th June, the South Yorkshire CANN network gathered at the Irwin Mitchell offices in Sheffield for our latest quarterly meeting. While it was an intimate group with fewer than a dozen of us in the room, it was a session filled with heartwarming moments, friendly competition, and deeply valuable collaborative connections.
As voluntary and charity organisations, these meetings give us a vital space to share our current challenges. Yet, as always, the discussion reminded us of exactly why we do this: at the heart of it all are the little humans and their families who need a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. So often, our network members are exactly that light.
A massive thank you to Maxine Beckett and the team at Irwin Mitchell for hosting us so brilliantly!
Inspiring Presentations from Our Network
We were incredibly fortunate to hear from two fantastic guest speakers who highlighted the incredible, diverse support available across South Yorkshire:
- Evette Hodgson from Rewrite Futures: Evette gave us an insightful overview of their specialist Alternative Provision. They provide a low-demand environment focusing on English, Maths, social skills, and emotional wellbeing for children who are unable to access mainstream education due to anxiety, SEND, and Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA).
- Rebecca Ellis from Jessie’s Fund: Rebecca introduced us to the wonderful work they do supporting disabled and seriously ill children through music-based interventions. They shared some incredibly uplifting and moving videos from their YouTube channel, showcasing the profound impact of music therapy, school projects, and creative expression.
Fun, Games, and a Unique Prize!
It wouldn’t be a meeting with our Co-Chair Nina Rose without a bit of a lively twist! Nina turned up with an unexpected challenge for the room—a keepy-uppy header challenge.
While some of us failed miserably at the footy skills (taking the personal win just by managing to catch the ball!), the competition was fierce. A huge congratulations to Sophie Shemeld from the Guide Dogs Trust, who won the header challenge and took home the ultimate prize: a beautiful, fresh bouquet of raw broccoli! 🥦
Strengthening Our Partnership
Beyond the fun, the round-robin updates from our attendees—including PAPYRUS, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Guide Dogs, and SHASBAH—underscored a growing regional demand for specialist support. The conversations cemented how essential early intervention, shared referral pathways, and joint collaborative working are to ensuring no family falls through the cracks.
Thank you so much to Nina, Max, and everyone who took the time to come along. It may have been a smaller turnout than usual, but it absolutely delivered on engagement, warmth, and community spirit.
Save the Date for November!
We are already looking forward to our final gathering of the year, and we would love to see you there:
- Next Date: Tuesday 24th November 2026
- Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
- Venue: Irwin Mitchell’s offices, Riverside East House, 2 Millsands, Sheffield, S3 8DT
Keep doing the amazing work you are all doing, and see you in November! If you are a not for profit and want to get involved, let us know!
