A Sheffield cladding group has urged the public to support a £30,000 national media campaign to help unite leaseholders living in dangerous buildings across the city.
Olivia Hill, 25, a leading figure in the Sheffield Cladding Action Group, which was established in November 2020, said: “The aim for that money is for media, advertisement and pushing the cause.
“There are 36 buildings pre-registered for the government funding in Sheffield. We are currently in contact with 15 of them. There are still a lot out there that haven’t reached out to us.
“We are really hoping promoting will help us join forces with other owners and leaseholders in the area.”
The funding may also be used to organise in-person protests calling for significantly greater protection for leaseholders living in dangerous buildings, where coronavirus restrictions might allow in the future.
Last month, the UK government announced an additional £3.5bn of support for the removal of cladding on buildings across the country.
In response to the announcement, Miss Hill, who is also a final year PhD Biological Physics research student at The University of Sheffield, said: “Unfortunately, it’s just not enough. It’s not inclusive enough to fix everybody’s problems and worries.
“It’s conditional so the buildings have to be over 18m tall to even be eligible in the first place.
“It’s only for cladding. Whereas a lot of these buildings have other fire safety defects. We are very concerned that the whole scope of the problem that has been discovered is not being incorporated in any of the funding.
“The Metis block of flats is paying over £7000 a week for fire marshals just to keep the building open. That’s more than is paid to junior doctors if they worked 24/7.”
Miss Hill, who owns a flat in Mandale House in Sheffield City Centre, which has dangerous cladding and fire safety defects, said of the current situation and future prospects: “It’s horrendous. It’s sleepless nights and constant worry. It changes so fast you can’t keep up.
“There are other buildings each day that are joining the Facebook groups.
“It’s really scary. It’s thrown everything into question because my flat is unsellable now. I am facing bills of tens of thousands of pounds. It’s completely ridiculous and unfair.
She also added: “Just last week, there was a fire on the ninth floor of the Metis which is close to home.
“It just shows you how without any action, it’s going to happen again and again, and everybody living in these buildings knows that.
“We are not being taken as seriously as it requires. It needs full reform.”
If you are able to support the fundraiser, please visit and donate at https://uk.gofundme.com/f/ukcag-fund?qid=a7070eb841840ab7504e7a0a60c79cac
If you are a leaseholder living in a dangerous building in Sheffield, or have concerns about a property, please get in contact with Sheffield Cladding Action Group’s private Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/837011046869952 or @Sheff_CAG on Twitter
