Film producer wants town to have a bigger voice

Ian Sharp, who moved to London to become an actor, has returned "home" to help create more opportunities for Scunthorpe people

A successful film producer joined people from "all walks of life" to talk about the future of Scunthorpe.

Ian Sharp, who has worked with broadcasters including Netflix, Disney and the BBC, attended the Scunthorpe Tomorrow event at the Oasis Centre on Thursday.

The meeting, which brought together businesses, local organisations and individuals, was held to highlight skills within the area and grow opportunities.

Mr Sharp, a co-owner of Scunthorpe United, said he was “exceptionally proud” to be from the town.

"As a region, we need to shout more about what we are capable of, so I hope I can do that in my own small way."

Mr Sharp moved to London to become an actor after being inspired by contemporaries such as Sheridan Smith, from Epworth.

He appeared in TV series such as Happy Valley and the West End show Les Miserables, before establishing a production company.

But he said people did not "necessarily have to go to London now", because there was "a lot of opportunity" within the region.

The idea behind Scunthorpe Tomorrow was to create a "family", or "community", to give local people a "bigger voice" and help them take those opportunities, he added.

The event featured a panel discussion about the future of the town

Scunthorpe Tomorrow was established a year ago, but the event was staged to invite a broader section of people to get involved.

The meeting, which included a panel discussion and workshops, looked at how organisations could make the most of an “abundance” of skilled local people.

Tyrone Curran, the hub leader at the Oasis Centre, said: “We are providing a space for people to discuss, contribute and explore what the future of Scunthorpe looks like.

"We’ve got people from all walks of life, different sectors and different communities.”

Mr Curran says the event has helped people make "a lot of connections"

Mr Curran said local people were hitting a “ceiling” because of a lack of connections with organisations that could support them.

“There is the whole question around skills, how do we equip our young people, how do we give them the opportunity to go and get those experiences," he said.

Another challenge discussed at the event was how to ensure that local companies were chosen to work on big projects in the area.

Members of the group pledged to make more connections locally and to bring new people to the next meeting.

Mr Curran said: “We’re just trying to give people something that they can each do to play their part in helping Scunthorpe forge forward.”

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