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Sheffield Digital joins Pride of Place Infrastructure Board

by Claire Fletcher

We are representing the digital sector at a new forum that will provide policy advice to the city’s leaders and decision makers.

Sheffield Digital has been invited to participate in the new Pride of Place Infrastructure Board. This is one of three boards recently set up to bring city stakeholders and communities together to provide policy advice to the city over the next six months.

What is Sheffield Pride of Place?

Sheffield Pride of Place (PoP) is a business-led forum connecting the private, public and voluntary sectors in Sheffield, to create economic opportunity, address societal issues and deliver long-term transformative change in our communities.

It has been set up by Business in the Community, the national business-community outreach charity, with financial support from Aviva and the engagement of a range of stakeholders including Henry Boot, Mott Macdonald, the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, Sheffield City Council, Voluntary Action Sheffield, NHS Integrated care partnership and SADACCA.

The PoP Board has launched three stakeholder groups which will focus on key areas of development in line with the City Goals. The three boards will look in detail at:

  • The Economy
  • Social Mobility
  • Infrastructure

How will we input?

Sheffield Digital has been invited to represent the digital sector as part of the Infrastructure Board, looking at ways of improving digital connectivity and skills in our communities.

In addition to digital infrastructure, the board is also looking at transport infrastructure and green infrastructure (with co-founder of The Floow, and long time Sheffield Digital member, Sam Chapman among the stakeholders in the former area).

The three boards are operating independently of each other, but there is significant information sharing and opportunity to input into the other themes. 

Chris Dymond is representing Sheffield Digital in these fora, which are taking place each month between September 2024 and January 2025, and we will provide a full update once the process is complete.

In the meantime, Chris is keen to hear from members and the wider community if anyone has information or opinions to share at the intersection of the three themes and Sheffield’s communities and neighbourhoods. You can find him on Slack, at our weekly Geek Brekky events, or you can email Chris.