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Councillor Chris Weldon, Chair of Successful Neighbourhoods Board

Chris is Chair of the Board and the Sheffield City Council's Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Regeneration. He worked in the steel industry for 27 years before becoming a full time officer with theTrade Union AMICUS. As Chair of the Board I want to see us pursue our policy of closing the gap between areas of the City which are prosperous and offer opportunities to their residents and those that are not. So all Sheffield residents can benefit from the regeneration of the City and any economic activity that flows from the £1billion we are to spend in our neighbourhoods over the five years.

Ian Drayton, Deputy Chair of Successful Neighbourhoods Board

Ian is the Deputy Chair of the Board and a voluntary, community and faith (VCF) sector representative on the Board and is also the Partnership Manager for the award winning Southey and Owlerton Area Regeneration Partnership (SOAR). Ian previously worked for Sheffield Community Enterprise Development Unit (SCEDU) developing social enterprises. In the past he worked for Yorkshire Water as Health & Safety Manager and was also a Trade Union convenor. "I believe we need to ensure the sector's contribution to economic regeneration in the neighbourhoods is recognised. And to ensure the sector delivers on its regeneration agenda i.e. connecting people to economic opportunity, ensuring people have an effective voice in service delivery and maximizing income earning potential".

Joanne Roney

Joanne is Lead Advisor to the Board and Executive Director of the Neighbourhoods and Community Care Directorate of Sheffield City Council, which includes responsibility for housing market strategy and investment, neighbourhood regeneration, local Area Agreements and Adult Community Care services. She is responsible for delivering over £1 billion worth of regeneration in neighbourhoods over the next 5 years and planning the redevelopment of all areas outside of the City Centre. Joanne is a national member of the Chartered Institute of Housing and a Board member for Burngreave New Deal for Communities.

John Clark

John is voluntary, community and faith (VCF) sector representative on the Board and also the Chief Executive of Burngreave New Deal for Communities. After 20 years in the public sector working for the Employment Service Job Centre John moved into the voluntary sector. Working firstly as Chief Executive of a community led body successfully delivering SRB and objective one funding in the north east. For the past 31/2 years he has worked for New Deal for Communities and has overseen its successful transition from what was considered to be a failing programme, to a programme that is recognised nationally for delivering real community regeneration for local people. John's view of successful regeneration is having an open and honest approach, listening to local people and ensuring that agencies respond to their views by reshaping services to deliver the aspirations and priorities of the community. "As VCF Sector representatives we need to recognise where there are opportunities for local communities to influence and/or challenge the level and quality of services being delivered so services respond more effectively to the priorities of local people. As a sector we must work together to drive up standards of service in our own organisations, so that we can compete with private and public sector organisations when opportunities arise to tender for the delivery of services directly".

Debbie Mathews

Debbie is a voluntary, community and faith (VCF) sector representative on the Board and is also Director of the Manor and Castle Development Trust on the Board (MCDT) a development trust that administers and manages regeneration funding and activity. Debbie has had a range of jobs in the regeneration field in both statutory and voluntary bodies, working with young people, as a Community Health Development worker and with unemployed adults. "I see the major challenge is ensuring that the City's success in building the economy is shared by all. The sector has a key role to play in making sure people living in the poorer neighbourhoods are connected to the economic and social benefits of a growth economy. Secondly, we need to use the sector's voice at the Board to 'bend' mainstream resources, to make them flexible enough to meet local needs effectively; replacing the funding for regeneration activity which has traditionally been used to fill the gaps in services

Chief Superintendent Jon House, District Commander for Sheffield 2

Jon is the District Commander, responsible for all aspects of policing at Sheffield 2, the biggest metropolitan Basic Command Unit in the country. He took up the post in January 2005, when he was initially District Commander for Sheffield North. Later in the year, Sheffield North merged with Sheffield South to become Sheffield 2. Jon has a background in response and proactive for Hertfordshire Police, also working as a Detective Chief Inspector in the Watford area. Prior to this he also served in The Metropolitan Police.

Christine Gardner

Christine is a voluntary, community and faith sector representative (VCF). She also has a long history of working in community organisations both as a volunteer and a worker. She has formerly served as a VCF representative on the Sheffield First Partnership Board." I see my role as working in partnership with the public and private sector to ensure the involvement of our sector in making the Successful Neighbourhood Strategy work; to change it if necessary, to monitor its delivery and ensure it is acceptable to local communities".

Fergus Beesley

Fergus has worked in Sheffield for the past 18 years and has retained an abiding enthusiasm and commitment to ensuring it becomes one of the leading cities in the region and that the communities within it are vibrant places in which to live and work. As Chief Executive of Sheffield Community Enterprise Development Unit, Fergus Beesley was responsible for the management of the organisation and its staff of 50. His role encompassed SCEDU's subsidiary operations, including the ongoing development of the Key Fund, the Social Enterprise Network and Mowbray Street Managed Workspace. Fergus is now Executive Director of Groundwork Sheffield a charity which aims to develop Sheffield as the Green capital of the UK