swifts

Local firefighter launches GoFundMe to support Sheffield Swift Network

We’re very grateful to announce that Sarah T‑W, a local firefighter, has launched a GoFundMe fundraiser in support of Sheffield Swift Network. 

Sarah is running a personal challenge to clock up one thousand miles during 2026 and has dedicated it to Sheffield’s swifts. She writes: ‘Over the summer, every time I have seen a swift in the sky, it has made my soul soar, and my legs go a bit faster… For me, swifts are the sound of summer and seeing them in our skies is an absolute joy. A joy I want my children to experience, and a joy I don’t want the world to be without.’ 

Sarah set up the page to help us continue our work protecting and providing homes for swifts across Sheffield. Funds raised will go directly to Sheffield Swift Network to support nest bricks and boxes in Sheffield’s schools and communities, education and outreach, and towards supporting local rescue and rehabilitation work.

We’re hugely thankful to Sarah and to everyone who has already donated. If you’re able to help, please visit the fundraiser page and consider giving or sharing with friends and neighbours.

Donate here: https://gofund.me/de6a5be3f

© Martin Abbess

More about our work

Sheffield Swift Network offers free advice to Sheffield residents who wish to provide safe nests for swifts, alongside guidance on protection measures to safeguard existing nests and swift colonies.

We also give talks and offer free site visits for schools and for community, service, and commercial buildings.

For more information or to arrange a talk or site visit, or if you’d like to offer a home to Sheffield’s swifts, contact us at sheffieldswiftnetwork@gmail.com

Download our swift information leaflets below:

Swift bricks and nest boxes:

Sheffield Swift Network
📧 sheffieldswiftnetwork@gmail.com
🌐 sheffieldswiftnetwork.org
📞 07850 799 891

A Lifeline for Swifts in the Shire Brook Valley

Sheffield Swift Network has installed 61 swift nesting bricks and 10 attraction callers into houses in Hackenthorpe and Woodhouse around the Shire Brook Valley. 

🎥 Watch the following short film featuring local residents, their connection with nature, and their hopes for the swifts’ return to the valley:

We were delighted to receive a £7,290 grant from Sheffield City Council’s Species Survival Fund, funded by DEFRA and administered by the National Heritage Fund, to improve habitat across the valley for vulnerable wildlife species.

We chose two focus areas – Hackenthorpe and Woodhouse. Keeping installations in two clusters gives swift colonies the best chance of establishing and growing. Both areas were selected for their proximity to the valley and the suitability of local housing for swifts. We worked closely with local residents in both council and private housing to identify suitable properties and match swift bricks to interested households. The bricks were installed in September 2025. 

The grant funded 61 swift bricks from Action for Swifts, 10 callers from Peak Boxes, residents’ leaflets and information cards, and the installation work carried out by Pennine Data and Electrical (Nestworks).

Residents received a simple information pack and access to a dedicated webpage, Part Bird – Part Sky, to explore at their own pace. Survey feedback showed real enthusiasm and a clear rise in awareness about these birds and their needs.

The project featured on the BBC News website. We also held a joint media day, with coverage from Sheffield City Council, local TV crew That’s TV, and produced our own film, ‘Residents’ Voices’. By sharing these local stories, we hope to encourage support for funding similar schemes across the city.

Monitoring by residents and Sheffield Swift Network will continue over the coming years as we eagerly await swifts discovering and adopting their new “forever homes” above the Shire Brook Valley.

We’d like to thank all residents who had a brick installed, Jan-Erik Bullet of Nestworks, Marta Alfaro from Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust, and Sheffield City Council – particularly staff from Parks and Countryside, Housing Management, the South-East LAC, and the Communications Team. 

Together, we’re bringing nature back to our neighbourhoods.

Want to fit a swift brick in your home?

Download our Homeowners’ Swift Brick Leaflet here:

Download

Download our Homeowners’ Swift Brick in Extensions Leaflet here:

Download

Sheffield Swift Network

📧 sheffieldswiftnetwork@gmail.com
🌐 sheffieldswiftnetwork.org
📞 07850 799 891