"When studying for a degree and being constantly told the who, what and when, it's often hard to remember that we can make a difference to communities, even if we feel underrepresented": TAP student Anne Gela, reflects on their internship with Hillsborough Together.

Read below about TAP student, Anne's wonderful experience working with Hillsborough Together, which is an organisation funded by Sheffield City Council aimed at supporting High Street Recovery and focusing specifically on aiding Independent High Street Businesses.

In a degree that is constantly surrounded by numbers, facts and figures, it is very hard to imagine how I can contribute to the community in a transformative way. Through the TAP program, I gained insight on how I could exchange my knowledge with the surrounding community in a way that would help make a difference to the people and the space and where people felt like they had a strong connection with place. TAP workshops provided me with an insight into an appreciation for the arts, heritage and culture that may not cross our minds every day and which really help us to understand how society has evolved and learn about each other and the struggles people encounter so that we can better the communities we are immersed in. 

From hearing different stories, backgrounds and experiences from multiple people, I acknowledged the importance of places needing to be created and adapted in a way that would promote people’s well-being and sense of belonging. Feeling like you have a place where you belong is vital to a person’s well being. Coming from a Minority ethnic background, growing up without the understanding of the importance of understanding of culture was quite a struggle. When I was growing up, I would have benefitted from accepting and learning about my heritage, instead of dismissing it to ‘fit in’, In fact, I needed a place where I felt comfortable being myself and a place where I could learn and express myself in the way I wanted to.

This all provided me with a positive and open mindset going into my internship, that I could help make a difference even if my work felt minuscule. The first time meeting the internship host is always and will be something that you get nervous about, but with the help of the TAP team’s support and guidance and their informative sessions, I was confident before that first meet. From the first meeting, it all went so fast from there; there was a quick turnaround to get started with the hosts and the rest of the other TAP students. It was exciting to hear about the project we were doing and the difference it could make. We had to keep in mind constantly that the project we were doing would have a lasting effect on the local and small businesses in that community. Sometimes it felt like we were just collecting facts and figures to create a report, which is usually what I do for my degree, but, in fact, this report would help navigate businesses in the community to operate in a way that would help them and make them more efficient and create a brighter future for them.

It may have felt short-term, as it was just a Summer internship, but the effects are no doubt long-term - the work we did could be used by businesses now and new ones in the future, as we hope the data report gives them an insight into the area and its footfall. Not only did I collect the numbers for the project, but I really gained an insight into the Hillsborough community. Seeing the same local faces every day for two weeks straight and recognising who came at what time and what day, made me feel like I was a part of that community. Doing fieldwork for two weeks straight, meant I was there every day. I’d start to pick up on who came in the morning or who came in the afternoon; who went to what shops and who went to get coffee everyday. I had a good idea on who knew the area and who knew the people in it and I could instantly tell, they definitely felt like a part of the community. They knew the people. They knew the area. They knew they belonged. They had that sense of belonging and I started to recognise the importance of the work we were doing.

It wasn’t just for the small businesses, but the wider community; for the owners and the shoppers. We also had the opportunity to talk to shoppers and the businesses and really get a sense of the connection between the two. I really started to see the importance of a strong community and it was amazing to see. With the work I did, I hope for the community to thrive even more, for the connections to grow people and for the area to develop and adapt even more so that more people can feel like they are a part of that community. 

When studying for a degree and being constantly told the who, what and when, it's often hard to remember that we can make a difference to communities, even if we feel underrepresented. The things we learn while we’re at university can be exchanged back into the community and not only can I help benefit them, but I can also learn things besides from the contents of my degree and develop myself, in a more open minded way through the exchange of knowledge.