Rotherham context
Rotherham is one of four metropolitan boroughs in South Yorkshire with good transport connections including the nearby Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
25 wards covering a wide range of urban, suburban, and rural areas. 70% of Rotherham is open countryside
Rotherham’s population of 265,000 mostly live in urban areas.
Population is ageing, with over 52,400 people aged 65 years or over.
Diverse community which includes 20,000 people from minority ethnic groups (8.1% of the population). The Pakistani community is the second largest ethnic group after White British
22% of residents live within the 10% most deprived areas of England. 12,667 children were living in “absolute poverty” in 2018/19.
Many local people made an unprecedented offer of support to their communities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic through the Rotherham Heroes programme.
The Council’s children’s services have been transformed and are now ‘Good’ with ‘Outstanding’ features
Life expectancy in the most deprived areas of Rotherham is 9.9 years lower for men and 9.5 years lower for women than in the least deprived. There are significant gaps in healthy life expectancy, meaning those from more deprived communities can expect to live for more years in poor health.
Economic impact of Covid-19 on the national and local economy. Evidence that young people have been disproportionately affected, due to education disruption and lack of access to jobs.
Since 2010, the Council has made savings in excess of £200 million in response to the significant reductions in government funding. Uncertainty over future funding levels, due to a single year financial settlement for 2021/22
The Council has secured significant funding (over £80 million) and is seeking more to deliver regeneration schemes in the town centre and across the borough
High-quality green spaces and assets, including the award-winning Clifton Park, as well as a number of country parks, woodlands and nature reserves
Adult skills are comparatively low, particularly at degree level, and educational attainment is also low in comparison to our nearest demographically similar neighbour