Community Leaders Gather to Shape How Community Voice Works in Practice
On 12th February 2026, DiverseCity Development Trust convened the founding session of the REPS Community Leadership Forum, bringing together community leaders, organisers, faith representatives and partner organisations from across Sheffield.
The session was held at St Mary’s Church and designed intentionally as a listening space — without panels, podiums or formal presentations — allowing participants to speak openly from lived experience.
The participants took part in round-table discussions focused on three key questions:
What does meaningful community leadership look like in practice?
What principles are needed to build trust?
What would help — or prevent — sustained participation?
The conversation reflected both the strengths already present within communities and the challenges many people have experienced in previous engagement processes. Participants emphasised the importance of clarity, transparency and realistic expectations in building trust over time.
Shahida Siddique, CEO of DiverseCity Development Trust, said:
“Community leadership cannot be designed behind closed doors. It has to be shaped by lived experience, held with care, and built in the open.”
She added:
“Listening is not a courtesy — it is a responsibility, and it must come before structure, strategy or solutions.”
The Forum was intentionally held at an early stage, with no pre-determined model presented to attendees. Instead, the focus was on understanding experiences and identifying the conditions necessary for meaningful and credible participation.
The session formed the first step in an ongoing process. Themes emerging from the discussion will now be carefully brought together and shared as a collective summary of insights.
DiverseCity Development Trust convened the Forum to help create a space where community experience can inform future work within the Sheffield Race Equality Partnership in a clear and transparent way.
