Eden in Sheffield

There is clearly great potential for Eden teams to be deployed into urban communities all over the country - there's nothing particularly unique about Manchester's problems. But the questions of where to deploy new teams, when and how have major implications.

Eden's leadership has decided that the growth of the network beyond the Greater Manchester region needs to happen relationally. The experience of the last decade has been that finding the right local partner is the critical factor in the long-term effectiveness of the project.

For many years now a good relationship has existed between The Message Trust (the umbrella charity to which Eden belongs) and churches in Sheffield. Also, in terms of geographic proximity Sheffield is about as close as you can get. With this in mind a series of low-key meetings have been taking place that have led to the identification of Arbourthorne & Norfolk Park as being the location into which the first Sheffield Eden team will be based. The local partner on the ground will be 'The Beacon'. Click here to download an Info Sheet about this project.

Hopes are high that this will be the first of many Edens in Sheffield and in the months ahead a process of broader consultation will commence with the intention of establishing a steering group of Sheffield-based leaders who will help to shortlist and prioritise where future teams should be deployed.