Our story so far

Barnsley 2030 seeks to strengthen relationships between local organisations, businesses and communities, for the benefit of everyone in the borough. By working together, we've gained a better understanding of what is important to Barnsley and how we can continue to work together to achieve our ambitions for Barnsley.

Understanding what we all want Barnsley to be like by 2030 provides an exciting opportunity for us to tell a different story of our borough and to positively change how people think and feel about Barnsley.

A lot can change in a relatively short amount of time, and by looking to 2030 we can focus on developing and transforming our borough to overcome challenges and successfully turn Barnsley into the place of possibilities.

Below is a timeline of activity which depicts the start of our 2030 journey.

At our virtual launch event people asked lots of questions, and we weren't able to answer them all during the event. Take a look at the answers to the questions that weren’t answered.

What's Barnsley like now?

Barnsley’s industrial past has shaped our borough. We’re proud of our heritage, and we know our residents are too. We take care of our local environment, and our welcoming people and communities are one of our biggest assets. 

Barnsley is open for business, with our central location, digital connectivity, excellent links to major road networks and strong ties to both Leeds and Sheffield City Region. Our attractive local offer also makes Barnsley an appealing place to live, with our thriving town centre and Principal Towns. We’re home to one of the best markets in South Yorkshire and everyone can enjoy the borough’s excellent cultural attractions, leisure facilities and our beautiful outdoor spaces.  

Barnsley is faced with global challenges such as climate change, the digital revolution and local issues such as low pay, low skills, unemployment, health inequalities and areas of deprivation. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a significant impact on the individuals who live, study and work here and the businesses and services that operate in Barnsley.

Our vision and ambitions for 2030

In Barnsley we want everyone to have a good life. This means everything from a quality place to call home, to good physical and mental wellbeing and a sense of self-worth through diverse and secure employment opportunities. It's also about having access to the best possible local facilities in a community that values our people and our place.

In Barnsley we want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn, develop new skills and, most importantly, to achieve their personal potential.

Barnsley aims to be an exemplar place to live and a great place to do business. We want to both retain and attract new people and businesses to the area, creating an inclusive and diverse community enriched with skills, knowledge and experiences. We want to meet the needs of today, without compromising the needs of the future and encourage people to connect to each other as well as to our place.

This is why our vision for 2030 is: 'Barnsley - the place of possibilities'

It's time to believe in the possibilities of Barnsley, to look to the future with excitement and optimism. Our borough is a place that fosters and grows ambition, enabling everyone to be the best they can be. 

We have worked with a small network of partnership groups and boards to develop the following ambitions:

• Healthy Barnsley
• Growing Barnsley
• Learning Barnsley
• Sustainable Barnsley

Working in partnership

Barnsley 2030 isn’t just about the work of a single individual, organisation, business, group or board. It’s about what we all do to make our borough the place that it is. Partnership working is key to the success of this project and over the lifetime of this strategy, each of us will be encouraged to consider how we as residents, learners, employees, potential investors or business owners can all contribute to achieving Barnsley’s ambitions. 

There's also a formal structure that directly supports the delivery of the Barnsley 2030 strategy. This includes the Barnsley 2030 Board and the Barnsley 2030 delivery groups and boards.

Barnsley 2030 Board

The Barnsley 2030 Board is a group of local decision makers, key organisations and business leaders across all sectors, who are all committed to achieving our ambitions. They're responsible for helping raise awareness of Barnsley’s story, overseeing the performance management, and making important decisions to ensure the delivery of the vision and ambitions.

Find out more and hear from members of the Barnsley 2030 Board.

Barnsley 2030 delivery groups and boards

There's also a small network of partnership groups and boards who are responsible for delivering different elements of the strategy, as well as providing challenge across the partnership, to ensure that we can successfully turn our ambitions into a reality.

Find out more about the groups and boards and the ambitions they are leading on by visiting the theme webpages: 

• Healthy Barnsley
• Growing Barnsley
• Learning Barnsley
• Sustainable Barnsley

Getting involved

We recognise that this structure doesn’t reflect all contributions. There will be a range of other individuals, groups and boards that will contribute to the delivery of this strategy in a less formalised way, which is equally as important.

If you want to discuss how you can contribute to the delivery of the ambitions, please contact us online.

How will we know when we've achieved our goals?

It's important for us to understand whether we're on track to achieve our ambitions for Barnsley.

Over the lifetime of this strategy, the Barnsley 2030 Board will work closely with the key delivery groups and partnership boards to monitor their activity, track their progress and address any challenges that may arise.

Monitoring activity will take place on both a quarterly and annual basis and we'll publish an annual report which will be made available on the Barnsley 2030 website. Project and progress updates will also be shared on social media.

We'd love to hear what you're doing that contributes to the delivery of the Barnsley 2030 ambitions. Please contact us online and let us know.