Sheffield Hallam asks public to help shape future of university during new campaign

As part of the Heart of the Region campaign, the team at Sheffield Hallam are encouraging those living in the city to fill in a short survey to help them understand how the university can better support communities in the region in the future.

It comes after the university signed the Civic University Agreement pledging to the Sheffield City Region to put the economy and quality of life in the local community at the top of its list of priorities.

Sheffield Hallam said it wants to be a ‘beacon’ for what a university stands for within its community and therefore is asking members of the community to have their say.

Professor Sir Chris Husbands, Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, added: "Sheffield Hallam has a vital role to play in the development of our region. We develop skills, we nurture innovation and we transform lives - but we also have an incredibly important civic responsibility.

"We want to be a beacon for what a university can do for and with its community. By taking part in a short survey, you can help us to understand how we can better support communities.”

Nearly half of all students from the UK who study at Sheffield Hallam University are recruited from within a 25-mile radius of the centre.

The university generates over £40m for the city region’s economy and leads a number of projects including South Yorkshire Futures, a programme which is backed by the Department for Education and aims to improve education and raise the aspirations of young people in the region – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

It has also secured funding to deliver a number of regional initiatives including extending Sheffield Children's University and developing speech and language services for children under five.

Elsewhere, university researchers are helping people to lead healthier lives, through the world-leading Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC).

The Civic University Agreement was a key recommendation in a report published by the Civic University Commission, set up by the UPP Foundation and chaired by Sheffield Hallam's Chair of Governors, Lord Bob Kerslake.

To find out more or to take part in the survey visit www.shu.ac.uk/region.