Community Fundraising Update

A Huge Thank You

We wanted to share an update on the funds raised to date, how they have been used, and, most importantly, to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported the Green Belt campaign so far.

This update reflects the financial position up to 20/1/2026, at which point all funds raised had been fully used to meet campaign costs, leaving a net balance of zero.

As we move into 2026, we are starting afresh and will await the Inspector's decision before determining whether any further fundraising is required, and if so, what form any future activity might take.

The total fundraising amount is made up of:

• GoFundMe donations
• Private donations (Sean Bean & Individual Community Member Contributions)
• In-person fundraising activities

Thanks to your incredible generosity, funds raised to date have been used to cover:

• Barrister fees.
• Planner fees for the original objection.
• Planner fees for hearing support and attendance.
• Planner fees for the second objection.
• GoFundMe platform fees.
• Raw material and production costs for fundraising items (such as producing the calendars)

The topline breakdown of money raised and spent is below.

Date	Through	Amount
	Account Interest	£5.62
	Rebecca White Raffles Monies not directly deposited into the GoFundMe	£280.00
	In-person Fund Raising Includes S13 Calendars, Candles, Glitter Ball, Christmas fair, wreath making and other fund-raising activities	£4,970.30
	Community Member/Working Group Direct Donations	£1,548.24
5/5/2025 - 01/01/2026	GoFundMe	£9,475.00
21/08/2025	Sapphire McCarthy Funeral Donation	£800.00
14/10/2025	S Bean	£5,000.00
17/11/2025	Member of Community Donation Direct payment to barrister	£21,432.48
Total amount received		£43,511.64

Date	Company	Amount
	Fundraising costs Printing, Candle raw materials etc.	£1,300.75
5/5/2025 - 01/01/2026	GoFundMe Fees	£366.37
30/6/2025	James Bailey Planning Ltd	£4,800.00
31/7/2025	James Bailey Planning Ltd	£1,200.00
30/9/25	James Bailey Planning Ltd	£5,401.66
31/10/25	James Bailey Planning Ltd	£3,597.47
3/11/2025	Cornerstone Barristers	£21,432.48
30/11/25	James Bailey Planning Ltd	£900.00
31/12/25	James Bailey Planning Ltd	£2,700.00
3/1/26	Offset barrister costs Barrister fees - allocation of remaining campaign funds	£1,812.91
Total amount spent		£43,511.64

Every penny raised has gone directly towards these costs. We are fully committed to transparency and redacted invoices are available on request.

We also want to highlight just how much goodwill and generosity has gone into making this campaign as strong as possible.

Professional planning objection work of this scale is typically well beyond the reach of volunteer-run community campaigns. However, thanks to a significant and deeply appreciated discount from our planning consultants, the total invoiced for this work was approximately £15,500 (excl. VAT). This reduction made a critical difference and allowed us to proceed with robust, expert submissions that would otherwise not have been possible.

In addition, to enable us to instruct a barrister of the highest calibre, a member of the Handsworth community stepped forward to pay the remaining barrister fees not met by fundraising. These fees were themselves significantly reduced from an estimated highest cost of £50,000 - £70,000 to just under £22,000. As a result, this individual made a personal donation of nearly £20,000.

This act of generosity ensured that, as a community, we were represented at the highest possible legal level. Anyone who watched the hearings will, we believe, agree that the impact of having our barrister represent us was significant. While this individual does not wish to be named, we felt it was only right to acknowledge the outstanding contribution they have made. They have made real personal sacrifices to support all of us, and we cannot thank them enough.

To be absolutely clear: as the hearing stage has concluded and all known costs have been settled, there is no immediate need to continue fundraising, and the GoFundMe for the Green Belt campaign has been closed. All funds raised to date have been used to meet the costs incurred during the hearings, with no remaining balance.

We are currently awaiting the Inspector's report and decision regarding SES29 (Finchwell) and SES30 (Bramley). This is expected around the end of January 2026. We will share updates as soon as they are available via the Facebook group, website and mailing list.

What happens next will depend on the Inspector's decision and what options are realistically available. It will also depend on who is able and willing to be involved at that stage, what fundraising we might need to undertake, and through what channels.

For now, we are keeping a watching brief and staying aware of any local or national routes that may become relevant, rather than setting out a fixed plan.

As the consultation process on the proposed additions to the Sheffield Local Plan has come to a conclusion for now it seems an appropriate time to close the original GoFundMe. The focus group would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported the effort to oppose the proposed removal of Green Belt Land in S13. Your generosity, encouragement, and belief in this cause have meant more than we can ever properly express.

This campaign began with one determined individual whose passion for S13's Green Belt brought people together. Sapphire's unexpected passing has and continues to be a profound loss to all of us, and we continue this fight proudly in her memory and in the spirit of everything she stood for.

Thanks to the funds raised, we have been able to:

• Submit professional, evidence-based responses to both Sheffield City Council consultation processes
• Employ experienced planning consultants to represent the community
• Instruct a barrister to represent S13 at the Local Plan hearings
• Cover essential hearing support and attendance costs for planners & barrister.
• Fund the raw materials needed for community fundraising activities

Every contribution helped ensure that local voices were heard clearly, professionally, and on equal footing in a complex and demanding process.

While this fundraiser is ending, our shared concern for protecting these green belt spaces for current residents and for future generations remains clear. We will share updates once the Inspector's decision is known.

Thank you once again for standing with us, for trusting us, and for helping turn concern into meaningful action. This campaign has shown what a community can achieve when it comes together.

We are very much hoping Sheffield City Council will see how important these spaces are to our community and how unfeasible their plans are in practice, so further action will not be necessary.

However, we will keep the community updated on the outcome of the Government Inspectors' decision through the website, subscriber newsletter, and Facebook group. Should further action be required to protect our community, we will let everyone know what the next stage is and how you can support it.

Please note: donations made via GoFundMe were used to support overall campaign and professional costs and were not a binding agreement to deliver any specific product or outcome.