Having been selected last year by the UK Government for the Pride in Place programme, which will invest £20 million over ten years for two key areas in Norwich: Heartsease and Pilling Park, and Bowthorpe and West Earlham, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Michelle Sorrell as Chair of the Pride in Place board for Heartsease and Pilling Park.
Cllr Kidman cabinet member for communities said:
“Michelle brings an exceptional combination of experience, commitment, and lived insight that will be invaluable to the Pride in Place programme. I’m confident that under her leadership, the board will help ensure local voices are at the centre of shaping the future of their neighbourhood.”
Michelle is a local resident and has spent many years as an anti-poverty campaigner, community organiser, and volunteer manager. She brings extensive experience, and a deep passion for making a difference in her community.
Her journey into community campaigning began many years ago, when she decided rather than accept the barriers in life she would remove them. Among her many achievements she has founded a second-hand school uniform swap and sell initiative, organised a protest for parents about school equipment charges that received both local and national media attention, and has volunteered to give evidence in Parliament and to MPs on the realities facing families.
She works in the charity sector, bringing lived experience to policies that affect families by telling the real experience that parents and families face. When not at work Michelle volunteers with the Norfolk Anti-Poverty Alliance through the Norfolk Community Action Network, she is also active in her neighbourhood’s community group, collaborating with local leaders on issues that matter most to residents.
Alice Macdonald, Member of Parliament for Norwich North, said:
“I’m very pleased to welcome Michelle as the Chair of the Heartsease and Pilling Park Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board. As a local resident who is deeply rooted in the community, Michelle is a great example of what Pride in Place is about, with real decision-making power and funding in the hands of local people. I’m really looking forward to working with her and the wider board as we begin delivering on the priorities that matter most to local residents.”
Michelle will now bring that wealth of experience to her new role as Chair for Heartsease and Pilling Park, supporting local people to shape priorities, strengthen community connection, and drive meaningful change.
Speaking about her appointment, Michelle Sorrell said:
“I am so proud to be Chair of the Pride in Place board. I’ve been keen to bring people together to make change where we live and work for a very long time. We no longer need to wait for things to happen, we can start right now making our local area work for all of us and feel a real ownership of our corner of Norwich. I’m excited to see what we as a community can do.”
The Pride in Place programme aims to empower residents, strengthen neighbourhood networks, and support local solutions to local challenges. Michelle’s appointment marks an important step in ensuring that community leadership sits at the heart of this work.
If you are interested in getting involved, please keep a look out for information on the neighbourhood board.
