The main objective of Zest is to increase the economic prosperity of the people and businesses in areas of social and economic deprivation, particularly the Netherthorpe, Upperthorpe and Langsett areas of Sheffield. We have a Local Economic Development Strategy with five key aims being:

• to promote awareness of, and access to, appropriate service provision
• to create a culture of participation and progression
• to raise skills levels
• to provide access to employment
• to promote enterprise, including social enterprise

Zest is a social enterprise. It is a company limited by guarantee and a charity, which is run and managed by the local community.

Zest is based in Upperthorpe and currently employs around 80 Staff with an annual turnover exceeding £2.3 million.  

Zest has 4 premises; the Zest Healthy Living centre, 54/56 Upperthorpe Road, 58-62 Fawcett Street and the Shipton Street Zest4Sports Centre.  

Our current services include the innovative Zest Healthy Living Centre; Zest for Work and Zest4Sport.    

In addition Zest is the lead body for Sheffield’s third sector youth consortium; is a Director of Prosper and has a Director on Sheffield’s Wellbeing Consortium. 

From 1 July 2007 Zest took over operational management of the Zest Centre, formerly known as Upperthorpe Healthy Living Centre. The centre comprises of three refurbished and linked Victorian buildings.

The Zest Centre is a vibrant community-led project for the long-term holistic health improvement of local people ensuring social inclusion, reducing health inequalities, and increasing local people's use of health, education, leisure and recreational facilities. Complementing local, city-wide and national health and social strategies the Zest Centre builds on the strengths of the local community and facilitates local, social and cultural change by widening people's horizons.

Inside the centre you will find a swimming pool, gym, fitness classes, health improvement schemes, advice services, a public library, a café  and a number of other services.

Zest is the trading name for Netherthorpe & Upperthorpe Community Alliance or NUCA. 

NUCA was established in 1997 as a community forum and by 1999 was successful in its bid to deliver an area regeneration programme (SRB 6/ERDF) worth £15 million, for which it was accountable body.  The programme addressed priorities around community capacity, social inclusion, employment and training, community safety and health.  This programme ended in 2006 and received an excellent external evaluation by Atkins Global.   The programme made a substantial impact on the renewal of the area - key changes being:

• The good level of community capacity evidenced by the continued development and success of Zest.
• The establishment and continuation of a number of successful projects including the Upperthorpe Healthy Living Centre, One Stop Shop, Youth services and improvements to the public realm.

 In 2007 Upperthorpe Healthy Living Centre Trust transferred full operational management of its centre to Zest.   Zest has shifted its focus from grant funded work to delivery of services and contracts.  In 2008 NUCA adopted a new trading name of 'Zest' to reflect its increasing role in the delivery of public services.   It now works at a local and city wide level and delivers a wide range of services including the DWP Work Programme, NHS Sheffield’s citywide Children’s Weight Management Service, the Zest Healthy Living Centre plus a wide range of health, employment, sport and community services.  

Zest is recognised as an example of best practice in its field.  

Zest is managed by a board of trustees/directors who are elected on a rotating basis at the Annual General Meeting. They are elected annually by our members.  

Membership of the Charity is open to individuals, Community or Voluntary Groups/Organisations who are interested in promoting the Objects and who live or work in the Netherthorpe, Upperthorpe and Langsett areas of Sheffield and / or are service users.

The board has up to five member trustees and five non member trustees.   Member trustees are elected at the AGM on a rotating basis and the non member trustees are selected by the Trustee Board.   In addition up to two other trustees may be co-opted onto the board.

At present there are seven Trustees:

• Abdulrhamah Abdulrub (Chair),
• Edna Iggo,
• Gina McLennan,
• Dave Thornett
• Matt Roberts
• Brian Hamlin

The Trustees and the Zest managers meet regularly to provide robust governance and direction for the charity.   They agree on strategic objectives, review performance and manage risks.