| Date & Location | Event |
| Sat 31st Jan, 8am – 1pm Shire Brook Valley Nature Reserve, Stone Lane, S13 7BR | Community Bird Event Enjoy a guided bird walk, fascinating talks on swifts and garden birds, information stalls, and a live bird-ringing demo! Everyone is welcome – from keen birders to the bird-curious. Wrap up warm, bring your binoculars, and celebrate Sheffield’s amazing birdlife! Event details are here. |
Past Events
We hope you had the opportunity to enjoy some of the below past events we have held in the Sheffield area over the last 2 years. We plan to hold similar events (and possibly more!) in 2026.
| Date & Location | Event |
| 2025: | |
| Thurs 13th Nov, 7.30pm Stephen Hill Methodist Church, Crosspool, Sheffield S10 5PL | Rivelin Valley Conservation Group Join Chet Cunago for ‘Swifts: The challenges they face in Sheffield’s urban landscape and solutions to their decline‘. Talk is followed by a short film ‘Every Swift Counts’, an insight into the secret life of swifts in rehab and what it takes to release them back into the wild. |
| Sat 6th Sept, 1:30pm – 4:30pm Bradway Village Green, Bradway Road, S17 4QX | Bradway Fun Day The Sheffield Swift Network and S17 Totley Swifts will hold an information stall at the event. Come and visit our stall and find out what you can do to help us reverse the decline of Sheffield’s Swifts. |
| Mon 25th August, 10:30am – 5:30pm Norfolk Heritage PARK, Guildford Ave, Sheffield S2 2PL | Sheffield Summer Fayre The Sheffield Swift Network will hold an information stall at the event. Come and visit us at our stall to find out what you can do to help us reverse the decline of Sheffield’s swifts. |
| Sat 12th July, 1-5pm Dore Recreation Ground, Townhead Road S17 3GE | Dore Gala The Sheffield Swift Network and S17 Totley Swifts will hold an information stall at the event. Come and visit our stall and find out what you can do to help us reverse the decline of Sheffield’s Swifts. |
| Fri 4th July, 8.15pm Green Oak Park, Mickley Lane, Totley S17 4HB. See map here. | S17 Swifts Swift Walk for Swift Awareness Week |
| Sun 22nd June, 11am – 4pm Hillsborough Park, Sheffield 6 | Hillsborough Park Midsummer Festival The Sheffield Swift Network will hold an information stall at the event. Come and visit us at our stall to find out what you can do to help us reverse the decline of Sheffield’s swifts. More information here. |
| Tues 27th May Podcast link will be available shortly after the recording | Wild Tales Podcast Recording for The National Trust Join Flora Jeferzade and Chet Cunago of SSN in conversation with Nikki Ruck from the National Trust for a 15 – 20-minute talk about ‘Swifts: The challenges they face in our urban landscape, local conservation efforts and solutions to reverse their decline’. |
| Sat 24th & 25th May, 10am – 4pm Sheffield Botanical Gardens, Dorothy Fox Education Centre, (Thompson Road entrance) | RSPB Sheffield Local Group Annual Botanical Gardens Fundraising event RSPB Sheffield local group have generously invited Sheffield Swift Network to hold an information table at their stall during the event. Visit our table and find out what you can do to help us reverse the decline of Sheffield’s Swifts. |
| Sun 18th May, 11am – 2:30pm J G Graves Woodland Discovery Centre in Ecclesall Woods. | Green Fair The Sheffield Swift Network will hold an information stall at the event. Come and visit us at our stall to find out what you can do to help us reverse the decline of Sheffield’s swifts. More information here. |
| Thurs 15th May, 7 – 8pm Webinar with the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust. Booking required – Tickets available here. | A Wild Night In webinar hosted by Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust. Joint presentation: Sheffield Swift Network and Dr Kiera Chapman – co-author of the Lost Nature Report. Join Flora Jeferzade and Dr Kiera Chapman for a joint presentation: ‘Swifts: The Challenges They Face in Urban Landscapes’ & ‘Are Housing Developers Delivering Their Ecological Commitments?’ Booking required – Tickets available here. This talk will be held online via Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent out via email prior to the event. |
| Wed 14th May, 7.15pm Lecture Theatre 2, Ground Floor, The Diamond Building at the University of Sheffield, Leavygreave Road, Sheffield S3 7RD. | Sheffield Bird Study Group A Joint presentation Sheffield Swift Network and Dr Kiera Chapman co-author of the Lost Nature Report. Free to members, £2 non-members Join Flora Jeferzade and Dr Kiera Chapman for a joint presentation ‘Swifts: The Challenges They Face in Urban Landscapes’ & ‘Are Housing Developers Delivering Their Ecological Commitments?’ |
| Wed 9th May Walkley WI – For members. | Join our speaker Flora Jeferzade for ‘Swifts: The challenges they face in our urban landscape and solutions to their decline’. |
| Sat 19th April, 11am – 4pm Wesley Hall Methodist Church, Crookes Sheffield S10 1UD | Family Fun Day The Sheffield Swift Network will hold an information stall at the event. Come and visit us at our stall to find out what you can do to help us reverse the decline of Sheffield’s swifts. |
| Sat 12th April, 11am – 2pm Shire Brook Valley Nature Reserve, Stone Lane, Sheffield S13 7BR | Easter Trail The Sheffield Swift Network will hold an information stall at the event. Come and visit us at our stall to find out plans for fitting swift bricks in homes surrounding the reserve, and what you can do to help us reverse the decline of Sheffield’s swifts. |
| Thurs 10th April, 7.30pm Hathersage Methodist Hall, Main Rd, Hathersage S32 1BB | Hathersage Horticultural Society Join Chet Cunago for a talk about ‘Swifts, the challenges they face in Sheffield’s urban landscape and solutions to their decline’. Talk is followed by a short film ‘Every Swift Counts’, an insight into the secret life of swifts in rehab and what it takes to release them back into the wild. |
| Tues 8th April, 7.30pm St Andrews Church, Pentland Road, Dronfield Woodhouse S18 82Q | Dronfield WI monthly meeting Join Sheffield Swift Network for a talk about the challenges Swifts face in Sheffield’s rapidly changing urban landscape, and the local efforts undertaken to halt their extinction. Talk is followed by a short film ‘Every SwiftCount s’ with Sheffield Swift Rescue, and offers both a privileged insight into their secret life and what it takes to release them back into the wild. |
| Thurs 3rd April 7.30pm Central United Reformed Church, Norfolk St S1 2JB | RSPB (Sheffield Group) Alasdair McKee – Swifts. The Sheffield Swift Network will hold an information stall at the event. £4 for group members and £5 for non-members Local group officer Alasdair, presents a talk looking at the countrywide situation regarding the 60% decline in the UK Swift population. Alasdair will look at some of the reasons for this decline and measures being taken to restore a healthy population of this charismatic summer visitor. |
| Mon 10th & Tues 11th March Aldam Road, Totley Sheffield S17 | 1st Totley Scout group – 215th Sheffield Julie Gay of S17 Totley Swifts will give a talk about Swifts, migration and how children can get involved in efforts to save them. |
| Tues 11th Feb – 11:45 – 12:45 Aecom , Chesterfield | CPD lunchtime talk to Ecology, Environment, Water & Buildings & Places teams |
| 2024: | |
| Thurs 5th Dec – 7:30pm Central United Reformed Church Norfolk St S1 2JB | Short talk about Swifts in decline and local efforts to save them from extinction. Then a quiz, tea/coffee and mince pies. Members £4 non members £5. Open to public. |
| Mon 4th Nov – Doors open at 7pm Lees Hall Golf Club, Hemsworth Rd, Norton Lees, Sheffield S8 8LL | Evening free lecture Join us for a talk about the challenges swifts face in Sheffield’s rapidly changing urban landscape, and the local efforts undertaken to halt their extinction. |
| Wed 30th Oct, 11am – 3pm Sheffield’s Millennium Gallery | Paint, Draw, Make and Discover the World of Swifts Bring the children along to join the swifts on their epic journey from Africa to Sheffield in this hands-on creative session, with artists Patrick Amber and Jo Veal. Drop in anytime. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/3dYiv5nGtrQwEhnn/ |
| Wed 23rd Oct – Doors open at 6pm The Venue, 650 Manchester Road S36 1DY | Stocksbridge Community Forum Monthly Meeting Join Sheffield Swift Network for a talk about the challenges swifts face in Sheffield’s rapidly changing urban landscape, and the local efforts undertaken to halt their extinction. Talk is followed by a short film ‘Every Swift Counts’ with Sheffield Swift Rescue, and offers both a privileged insight into the secret life and what it takes to release them back into the wild. Admission Free |
| Sat 14th Sept, 1:30 – 4:15pm Sunnyvale Rd, Totley, Sheffield S17 4FB 53.313195,-1.537749 | Totley Show Sheffield Swift Network will be holding a stall |
| Wed 17th July, 8:15pm Big Oak Tree, Greenoak Park entrance on Mickley Lane, S17 4HD | Big Laverdene Swift Walk Come and meet Totley Swift Group who have been surveying our big colony of swifts here for 5 years. We have found around 50-60 nest sites on the Laverdene estate – the swifts love it and so do we! |
| Sat 13th July, 1pm – 5:30pm Dore recreation ground | Dore Gala Sheffield Swift Network will be holding a stall https://doregala.co.uk/category/articles/welcome-to-dore-totley-scout-gala-2024 |
Sat 13th July, 12noon – 5pm Stannington Park | Stannington Carnival Sheffield Swift Network will be holding a stall https://www.facebook.com/events/1151693845991640 |
| Sat 13th July, 12noon – 3pm Greystones Primary School | Greystones Primary School Summer Fayre S11 Swifts will be holding a stall, including a migration game! https://www.facebook.com/greystoneshsa/?locale=en_GB |
| Sat 6th July, 12 noon – 6pm Ruskin Park | Walkley Festival Finale Walkley & Crookes Swifts will be holding a stall https://www.welcometosheffield.co.uk/content/events/walkley-festival-finale-24/ |
| Sat 29th June – Sat 6th July (Library opening times) Totley Library, Baslow Road | Swift Awareness Week S17 Totley Swifts will be having a swift information display |
| Sat 22nd June, 12 noon – 8pm Heeley City Farm | Heeley City Farm Sheffield Swift Network will be holding a stall https://www.heeleyfarm.org.uk/Events |
| Sat 15th June, 11:30am – 3:30pm Whiston Junior & Infant School | Whiston Junior & Infant School Fayre Whiston Swifts will be holding a stall |
| Sun 12th May, 11am – 4pm Crookes Social Club | Festival of Crookes Walkley & Crookes Swifts will be holding a stall https://allevents.in/sheffield/200026410000147 |
Sheffield Swift Network 