Roundabout Roses is a breathtaking display of steel roses which symbolises the growing scale of youth homelessness across South Yorkshire. Each flower on show at Sheffield Cathedral represents one of the 1,800 young people Roundabout has supported in the past three years.
Demand for the charity’s services has soared since the cost-of-living crisis began and today the charity supports more than twice the number of people it did six years ago. Roundabout currently supports 380 young people every day, and since 2021 it has worked with 1,800 young people aged from 16 to 25.
Fundraising manager and campaign creator, Emily Bush explained: “With Roundabout Roses we wanted to create something beautiful but shocking at the same time.”
She went on to say that unless homelessness affects you directly, it can be easily overlooked. However, she hopes that this powerful display can highlight just how many young people in South Yorkshire are affected. Emily emphasised that the Roundabout Roses are designed to reflect the young people that Roundabout supports – those who have been through so much but have kept going.
She added, “So many of them go on to work in jobs which support other people because they want to change the system. They want to be that bright light for someone else”.
The reality of Roundabout’s work
Amongst the roses, the exhibition also features stories of young people that Roundabout has helped, including Lydia:
“My relationship with my mum had always been turbulent but when Covid hit, I stopped going to school and ended up living with my dad and great-grandparents. My dad had his own struggles and the lockdown only made things worse. Things reached a breaking point, and I left home. I started sofa surfing, carrying my belongings in black bin bags and sleeping where I could.”
Lydia was referred to Roundabout at the age of 17, after telling her college tutor about her situation. The charity helped her secure a place in a female-only hostel and today she has her own flat, and has benefited from Roundabout’s mediation service and counselling. Lydia is now a peer educator for the charity, sharing her stories with young people across Sheffield. She is also starting a degree in working with children, young people and families at Sheffield Hallam University.
She added:
“I feel like this role gives meaning to everything I’ve been through. If I had received this kind of information earlier, maybe I wouldn’t have suffered for so long. Roundabout has been like a family to me. I honestly don’t know where I’d be without them”.
Fundraising for Roundabout
After their successful launch at the Art in the Gardens event last weekend, the ornamental roses are on display at Sheffield Cathedral until the end of October. Each of the ‘forever roses’ is for sale and represents a young person that has been supported by Roundabout since 2021. It is hoped that #RoundaboutRoses will raise around £70,000 by encouraging people to ‘pick your own steel rose and help young people grow’. This money will pay for vital charity services, from shelter to support, and life skills sessions to trips, for vulnerable young people at risk of homelessness.
The Revd Canon Justin Dodd said:
“Sheffield Cathedral is committed to being an active partner in tackling homelessness in the city. We’re delighted to be hosting Roundabout Roses and the remarkable stories of transformation and resilience that each handcrafted steel bloom represents.”
Julie MacDonald, trustee for Roundabout, added:
“When people take home a Roundabout Rose, it will be a symbol of hope. Each time they see it they will know they have made a difference to a young person’s life. There is so much demand for Roundabout’s services. We have seen record numbers several times this year and we now have waiting lists for some services. Money raised will help us to give vulnerable young people the support they deserve.”
How you can help
Roundabout roses can be reserved at the Sheffield Cathedral gift shop and online at roundaboutroses.co.uk Flowers are available in a variety of heights, so they can be used in gardens, on graves, or as household ornaments and they can also be engraved. They will also be available to purchase at pop up shops and upcoming key events across Sheffield.
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