Outreach programme celebrates year anniversary with memories, culture and connection

Sheffield’s outreach initiative Changing Seasons is celebrating its first anniversary after connecting, and reconnecting hundreds of community members together.

What started as a small idea to create space for the British Chinese & East South East Asian (ESEA) community to share stories, connect, and be seen, has grown into something special.

The outreach initiative was set up to raise awareness of dementia and associated care and services within Sheffield’s (ESEA) community after language, long working hours, cultural differences and isolation were highlighted as some of the barriers why Sheffield’s Chinese community may not be accessing mainstream health provision and each other.

Started back in 2024’s ESEA Heritage Awareness month, Changing Seasons reached out to the ESEA community to celebrate Sheffield being a diverse city, and a safe and supportive place for the older generation and now boasts a diverse network of hundreds of community change-makers, local businesses and community members.

Wake Smith Solicitors’ Stephanie Chung helped launch the initiative with Jonathan Rowley of Hamnett Wealth, Kerre Chen of Independent Sheffield, and Dominic Ng of Bauer Media and representatives from the Chinese Community Centre (SCCC) and Sheffield Chinese Association (SCA).

Stephanie Chung, who specialises in later life legal matters, said: “This is an inclusive community event celebrating the strength and resilience of Sheffield’s British Chinese and East South East Asian community.

“This year’s theme is Reframing Resilience, and the event will be a warm and welcoming space for sharing stories, meaningful conversations, honouring personal histories, and coming together across generations through cultural displays, and a celebration of heritage, identity, and community spirit. This is the time to reflect on our past, and imagine our future together.

“At its heart is an exhibition of treasured memories, photos, and voices from local community members — many of which have been lovingly collected over the past year.

“This has been a fantastic journey of reconnection post-pandemic for the last year, of making space for voices too often unheard and we have made real progress connecting the community, offering mych needed connections for people. The event is free, heart-warming and for everyone – whether you’ve been part of our journey from day one or are joining for the first time.”

The Changing Seasons initiative hopes to empower the ESEA community to build a future where social inclusion thrives and generations unite, in tandem, honouring the 30th anniversary of the Sheffield Chinese Community Centre later this year.

The free anniversary event, which takes place in ESEA Heritage Month 2025, in collaboration with SCCC, SCA and Besea.n will showcase part of a full two-year exhibition to be launched in February 2026 at Weston Park Museum to coincide with the Chinese New Year celebrations.

The event, runs from 6-8pm on Thursday September 18 at China Red in Sheffield. Visit https://lnkd.in/e3S2HJCE to book your place.

For further information on ESEA events visit www.changingseasons.co.uk or for information on later life legal matters visit www.wake-smith.com or call Stephanie Chung on 0114 224 2114.