'People from all walks of life use Sheffield Botanical Gardens'

Born in Ethiopia to a mother who worked for the Foreign Office and rode horses for Emperor Haile Selassie and a father who drafted finance legislation for ex-Commonwealth countries, Holly moved around the world with her family before settling in Sheffield.

She has lived in the city for more than 35 years after meeting and marrying a born and bred Sheffielder. She joined Lupton Fawcett in June.

Based at its Sheffield office, she is an experienced solicitor, specialising in employment law in the charities and schools, healthcare, construction and professional services sectors, as well as data protection / GDPR.

WHIRLOW HALL FARM

I love the outdoors and like to spend as much time as I can outside. Whirlow Hall Farm is just up the road from home and is a fantastic jumping off point into the surrounding countryside. There are some lovely round walks through the fields and down to Whirlowbrook Hall Gardens which, as a keen gardener, I enjoy.

The educational trust which runs Whirlow Hall Farm Trust does some great work promoting the importance of outdoor learning, particularly for those from challenging backgrounds who struggle in mainstream education. It is so important that children learn where their food comes from and how it is produced.

If you feel like a well-deserved treat there is a well-stocked farm shop and a child-friendly café – both stocked with produce grown on the farm and from neighbouring local producers. The farm even has its own vines and you can buy great wine to go with your local goodies.

SHARROW VALE ROAD

Food is another of my passions and I love the vibrant and lively buzz of Sharrow Vale Road. It’s the Notting Hill of Sheffield with its fantastic range of independent shops from clothes boutiques to butchers and bakers to some fantastic pubs, cafes and restaurants.

Favourites include The Lescar, a characterful pub with good food and a warm welcome and where my friends and I enjoyed some great comedy nights pre-Covid. We are looking forward to supporting live events again.

While we’ve not been able to travel over the last 18 months, we can enjoy some great international cuisine without leaving Sharrow Vale Road. The Mediterranean offers authentic Spanish and Mediterranean tapas, fresh fish and succulent seafood, while Akentannos is run by a Sardinian and specialises in traditional Sardinian cuisine. It is buonissimo!

BOTANICAL GARDENS

Of everything I have achieved, I am proudest of my 19 years supporting fundraising for Sheffield Botanical Gardens.

I was a trustee for the Gardens Trust for 19 years and part of the small team which successfully raised £1.22 million matched funding over a time span of 8 years to access a National Lottery Grant of £5.06 million by 2007. As a result of the generosity of local and national charitable trusts, businesses and individuals, the Gardens were restored to their former 19th century magnificence and reopened to the public in June 2007. Work very much continues to add to the Gardens restoration and amenities.

I was so lucky to work opposite the gardens for 10 years. Not only are the gardens beautiful but they are used daily by an extraordinary number of Sheffield residents of all ages and from all walks of life. The ethos of the Gardens was free to all and, with the importance of green outdoor space never so apparent as over the past 18 months, long may that continue.

MILLENIUM GALLERIES

Sheffield has some impressive museums. I never tire of dipping into The Ruskin Collection at Millenium Galleries – it is so eclectic and changes twice a year.

Created for Sheffield’s workers over 130-years-ago; the collection was designed to inspire creativity at a time when England’s manufacturing cities were becoming wealthy, whilst their workforces lived in poverty. Ruskin founded a museum specifically for Sheffield’s workers and filled it with a collection of artworks, illustrated books and minerals, all chosen to reflect his exploration of beauty.

Sheffield is synonymous throughout the world for its association with steel and cutlery so the steel and cutlery collection is another must. Like so many modern collections it is fun, interactive and educational. The collection is made up of 13,000 items representing Sheffield’s long manufacturing craft history and reflecting the stories of generations who contributed to the city’s success I love bringing friends and family from out of town here when they visit.

FRESHGATE FOUNDATION

I am a proud trustee of the Freshgate Foundation, a grant-making charity established in 1941 by Harry Brearley, the inventor of rustless – later stainless - steel in Sheffield.

Harry Brearley was a fascinating man who achieved great things from very humble beginnings. The son of a steelworker, he left school at 12 to labour in the local steelworks, studying steel production techniques in his own time, and ultimately leading a research project into metallurgical problems for two of Sheffield’s principal steelmaking companies.

With an initial investment of £20,000, Harry’s vision was to provide a new opportunity to those like him who were born into modest circumstances to enable them to experience the finer things in life such as heritage, travel, education, the arts and music.

Since 1941 the initial investment has significantly increased, and the dividends earned have been used to support local causes. To date, grants exceeding £2m have been made to many hundreds of charitable groups.