Rotherham is Wonderful: There’s a lot to like about Rotherham right now
Rotherham Day, held last month on 18th September 2026, was a chance for the town to do something it probably doesn’t do often enough: Celebrate itself. There were events and activities taking place across the borough, with businesses, community groups, schools and local organisations all getting involved.
It was a good idea, because Rotherham is one of those places that can sometimes be defined from the outside by things that have gone wrong, rather than by the much more interesting and wonderful story of what is actually happening here.
And if you look around at the moment, there is quite a lot going on that is genuinely positive.
Rotherham has plenty to celebrate
Last week, at the AESSEAL New York Stadium there was a SEND Futures Fair, bringing together young people with special educational needs and disabilities, their families, schools, support organisations and local services. The idea is to help young people think about what comes next, whether that means further education, employment, independent living or simply finding the right support as they move into adulthood.
It isn’t the sort of thing that necessarily makes the national news, but it is exactly the kind of event that makes a difference to people who live here.
Then, over at Kimberworth Library and Neighbourhood Hub, children spent the afternoon making their own space helmets as part of World Space Week. It was free, aimed at children from three upwards, and is the sort of wonderfully simple community activity that libraries are very good at putting on.
A September full of local pride
It also follows a September that gave the borough plenty to celebrate. The Rotherham Show returned to Clifton Park, bringing its familiar mixture of entertainment, music, food, sport, horticulture and community activities. Heritage Open Days gave people the chance to explore some of the places and stories that have shaped the borough, and then Rotherham Day brought all of that local pride together in a more deliberate way.
What RNN liked about Rotherham Day was that was an opportunity to recognise the people who make the place what it is, from local businesses and voluntary organisations to sports clubs, community groups and residents who quietly get on with making their bit of Rotherham better.
It’s the small things that make a place
There is a tendency to look for one big thing that tells us a place is doing well. A major development, a new attraction, a big investment announcement. Those things matter, of course, but they aren’t necessarily what makes somewhere feel like a good place to live. Quite often it is the smaller things.
It is the library putting on something that gives children a reason to get out of the house. It is a community organisation helping a young person work out what they want to do next. It is a local business continuing to trade and employ people. It is a sports club giving youngsters somewhere to go. It is people volunteering, organising events, looking after green spaces or simply turning up to support something happening on their doorstep. It was what Children’s Capital of Culture was all about.
And perhaps that is why Rotherham Day was worth having. Not because one particular day can change a town’s fortunes, but because it gave people a reason to stop and notice what is already here.
There is plenty to criticise about Rotherham, as there is anywhere else. But there is also plenty that is worth celebrating, and sometimes you have to make a conscious effort to see it.
So, a few weeks after Rotherham Day, we think it is worth carrying on with the same idea.
So keep looking around you. There are some pretty wonderful things happening in Rotherham.