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A new app has been created to cover events and discounts in Kelham Island

It launched yesterday


A new app has launched in Kelham Island promising users fast and easily-accessible information about what is happening in the area

“This is Kelham” is an innovative app covering a whole range of events in the bustling areas of Kelham Island, Neepsend and Shalesmoor.

The neighbourhoods are renowned for their local businesses, bars, pubs, museums, art guided tours and even food tours.

Users of the app can get instant access to the best offers and discounts, as well as track hidden gems easier.

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Josh Rowley is the local police officer behind the app. He said: "The app covers everything that is involved with Kelham Island and Neepsend.

"There are news articles, reviews by local people from local businesses and residents.

"There is a calendar of events by date, time, location on ‘What’s on’, you can buy tickets or find all sorts of volunteering activities such as Rivelution."

The process of receiving benefits works on a loyalty card system by building up points set up by businesses. Once the target of 30 points is reached on the app, users can receive rewards from queue jumps at events to vouchers and free products.

Other benefits of the app include the opportunities to find jobs in local businesses as well as find flats to rent. Projects are developing towards giving more discounts to students.

Mr Rowley said: "I think locally Kelham Island deserves more recognition, people in certain parts of the city still don’t know how good it is and the other thing is that a lot of people don’t see Sheffield at the minute as some place to visit.

"If people start to get to know Kelham and Neepsend better they will have more reasons to visit Sheffield as a whole."

Matt Pinder, 26, a blogger who has co-developed the app with Rowley, said: "The strongest feature of this app is content – the reviews made by the people who know the area well."

Mr Rowley added: "We will be telling the stories, not only where you can find the place and when it opens. So on top of that we will be talking to people and businesses and making readers understand them.

"We’re doing a regular sort of feature with local reviews and it will be by people who lived here for a long time."

Kelham Island, a creative space for composition, art and of rich heritage, was considered a red flag zone of Sheffield a few years ago.

However, it has now been named the best neighbourhood in the UK in the 2019 Urbanism Awards due to the steadfast involvement of residents in projects such as those created by the Community Alliance of Neepsend and Kelham Island (KINCA).

"The money to develop the app is our own investment and the money that will be made will be spent repaying this investment and then going into KINCA.

“We want to support positive development of the area- so if we can start to do more things with our influence. How much we can support KINCA might change the direction at some point.”

The app was launched yesterday, and more info is available here.