Giving a voice to Sheffield’s Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee communities is the aim of a documentary project supported by recent graduates from Sheffield Hallam University

Press contact: Greg Mattocks-Evans | g.mattocks-evans@shu.ac.uk

‘Seldom Heard Communities’ is a docuseries commissioned by Sheffield Community Contact Tracers, part of Heeley Trust, with the support of Sheffield Hallam graduates.

The first episode, ‘Tickboxes’, tells the story of how various BAMER community organisations came together to battle Covid-19, forming the Sheffield BAMER Covid 19 Action Group.

Iulia Nistor, a film and media production graduate who directed and co-produced the film said: “Making "Tick Boxes" was such an eye-opening experience. I can almost call it a "call to action", as I was shamefully unaware of the social injustices that the BAMER communities have suffered for decades in the UK and beyond.

“When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, it shone a spotlight on these issues.

"Meeting the extraordinary leaders in Sheffield that have single-handedly and without any funding come together to make a change in Sheffield has truly left me speechless. I want to help amplify their voices and spread their message further."

Dr Tom Heller from Sheffield Community Contact Tracers said: "The students were excellent to work with, highly skilled and professional with a real willingness and drive to get complete the project. Everybody has done a fantastic job."

The next episode is in development, with filming starting later this month, and will focus on the impact the pandemic has had on our mental health.

Sheffield Community Contact Tracers was established in March 2020 with the initial pilot project of setting up a contact tracing initiative for residents of Sheffield before the government had a national scheme in place.

Since conducting this study, the group has grown and expanded its work, now providing vaccine and COVID confidence training workshops to communities across the city.

From delivering food to those in isolation to helping translate government guidance to help people overcome language barriers, the group has played a key role in supporting marginalised communities through the pandemic.