Sheffield Sharks loss against Bristol Flyers in Delpeche Derby
South Yorkshire’s premiere basketball team centre Marcus Delpeche played against his twin brother Malcom Delpeche in the twin's derby.
Sheffield Sharks took an unfortunate defeat last Sunday at Ponds Forge, with a 65-73 loss against the Bristol Flyers.
The Sharks finished 7th in the regular British Basketball League season, with Bristol Flyers taking the win and securing their place in 3rd.
Marcus said: “I didn’t get to play much in the fourth quarter. I was trying to support the team, but overall I was happy.
“I missed a couple of free throws that I was annoyed about, but overall it was ok."
When asked about the upcoming playoffs, he said he felt good about future games, but the loss against the Flyers was a reality check:
“It shows we have a lot of holes that we need to work on to bounce back.”
Bennett Koch scored early in the third for Sheffield, but Bristol held their opponents scoreless for four minutes, creating a 14-point advantage.
Bristol's Malcolm Delpeche was able to create push back opportunities and create a 10-point gap at the end of the first.
He said: “We wanted to finish the season strong and have momentum going into the playoffs.
“It’s nice to end the season with three wins in a row, and we have finally found our stride holding the Sharks down to a low margin in the first quarter."
When asked about the win against his brother, he said it was tough but someone had to win:
“Best of luck to the Sharks in the playoffs. We may end up playing them again, but for now it is what it is.”
The home leg will take place on Friday 28 April, with the Sharks’ away game at Leicester’s Morningside Arena on Sunday 30 April.
Sheffield school introduces road closures to tackle dangerous speeding
A Sheffield infant school is fighting back against speeding cars putting children at risk of being run over.
Broomhill Infant School is now trialling a scheme of closing the road outside the school during pick up and drop off times.
Headteacher Jane Barnes said the scheme is designed to tackle high levels of pollution and traffic that are putting children at risk.
She added: "We have had incidents where parents have said they were almost run over crossing the road to come into school.
“More often than not it is cars passing through driving faster than the speed limit.”
The scheme, which is run by Sheffield City Council, has already been trialled at a number of schools across the city. The roads will be closed for one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon from Monday to Friday during term time only. A permit granting access to these streets will be granted to residents.
Ms Barnes said prohibited parking spots outside the school, which existed before the scheme was introduced, did not provide enough protection for pupils.
“I can’t tell you the amount of times I have asked cars to move from the prohibited spot outside the school.
“It means our children can’t see when they cross the road to come into school and it is still happening. It is putting our children at risk every single day," she added.
Ms Barnes said pollution is also a concern, with parents and children coming into school wearing face masks for protection..
Claire McDonald from the charity Mums for Lungs said it is children who are most affected by air pollution.
“At the moment we know that air pollution affects children more than anyone else," she said. “Children breathe in more deeply and frequently than grown ups, and when they take polluted air deep into their lungs it stunts their lung growth.”
Poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK, according to Public Health England.
It is estimated that long-term man-made air pollution in the UK has an effect equivalent to 28,000 to 36,000 deaths a year.
Hundreds of Sheffield parents protest against King Edward VII School being forced to become academy
Parents, teachers and students turned out in numbers to Saturday’s City Hall protests against the proposed academisation of King Edward VII School (KES).
The secondary school, located in the Broomhall and Crosspool area of the city was handed a compulsory academisation order by the Department of Education following a January Ofsted inspection which downgraded the school from Good to Inadequate.
Protesters claimed the decision to change the school was forced through too quickly and presents an unnecessary upheaval to what many described as a successful school.
Emma Wilkinson, who’s daughter attends the school, said: “I don’t think the school is failing. I think that inadequate judgement is wrong, it doesn’t reflect the school that we know.”
The Ofsted report from a two day visit to the school in September 2022 judged the school Good in three of its categories, but requiring improvement for its quality of education and Inadequate in terms of safeguarding.
The report means KES will now go into the process of being overtaken by a Multi Academy Trust.
Brigantia Learning Trust has been included in the agenda for the April 25 Department for Education’s Yorkshire and the Humber advisory board meeting.
Many of the protesters strongly disagreed with Brigantia’s proposed takeover, with signs on display reading “No to Brigantia” and “Hands Off KES”.
Toby Mallinson, joint divisional secretary for the Sheffield National Union of Teachers, claimed Brigantia is not a suitable candidate for KES.
He said: “They’ve got two secondary school’s but they’re a very different demographic, and neither of them got sixth forms and they’ve got five schools altogether, which is very small.
“Two of those are in requires improvements themselves, so they’ve got their own problems to sort out. They have not got the capacity and should not be put in charge of one of the most iconic schools in the city.”
Kes has over 1800 students, and would increase Brigantia Learning Trust’s current student count by over a third.
In a survey issued to parents asking which Trust they would like to see takeover the school, 86 percent of the 400 parents said they would rather see the process stopped outright.
A spokesperson for Brigantia trust said: “The Department for Education has informed Brigantia Learning Trust that a discussion is due to take place with the Advisory Board and Regional Director at their forthcoming meeting in April regarding King Edward VII School. Brigantia Learning Trust will await further communication from the Yorkshire & Humber Regions’ Group regarding their decision.”
Many parents were calling for a new Ofsted report to be issued and for the current plans to be put on hold.
Ms Wilkinson said: “I think we could just be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. It’s a big overreaction to a school that doesn’t need to be faced with that.”
Protesters will present a petition with over 2500 signatures to the Department of Education today (Monday 24) asking for the proposed academisation to be scrapped.
Cabinet Office investigate after ‘life-saving’ government alert not received by many across the UK
The Cabinet Office has said it will launch a review into the government emergency alert test after it didn't go to plan yesterday afternoon.
The alarm was set to go off at 3pm as the biggest public communication exercise ever completed in the UK. The alert aims to warn the public if there is a danger to life nearby and appears as a notification on mobiles and tablets with advice on how to stay safe.
Despite the alarm being described as potentially 'life-saving' by Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, many phone users across the country reported that their alert came earlier than the predicted 3pm, whilst others got the alert more than 10 minutes after the time slot.
Those on the Three mobile network reportedly didn't receive any alert at all.
A spokesperson for Three said: "We're aware that a number of customers have not received the test alert. We're working with the government to understand why and ensure it doesn't happen when the system is in use."
Since the alert was tested yesterday afternoon, some people have reported that they are now experiencing issues with making and receiving phone calls.
The Cabinet Office has said that engineers had not spotted a trend of mobile phones failing to work after the test, but were in the early stages of reviewing the results.
A UK Government spokesperson said: "We have effectively completed the test of the UK-wide Emergency Alerts system, the biggest public communications exercise of its kind ever done.
"We're working with mobile network operators to review the outcome and any lessons learned."
The problems come after the alert system had previously come under fire for the potential risks it could pose to those facing domestic abuse.
Many charities, including Women's Aid, had warned the government that the alarm could alert abusers to secret second phones that women might be hiding. They advised women to switch off the notification in their phone settings to avoid the risk of it being found.
Women's Aid shared video guidance on social media and said: "The emergency alerts sound will take place this Sunday at 3pm, even if your phone is on silent. If your phone is switched off it will sound when switched back on."
To find out more about the government alerts visit the Gov website here.
To find advice or seek support on domestic abuse visit the Women's Aid website here.
South Yorkshire Mayor “very sorry” to see Labour MP Diane Abbott’s comments suggesting Jewish people do not face racism
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has responded to the now suspended Labour MP Diane Abbott after she suggested Jewish, Irish and Traveller people were not subject to racism “all their lives”.
Mr Coppard, a Jewish man and member of the Labour and Co-Operative party, said that he was very sorry to see the comments as the majority of his grandparents’ immediate family were murdered as a result of their faith.
“Different groups may experience racism differently. That does not diminish its effect, or our responsibility to name and fight it,” he said in a tweet on Sunday 23 April.
Abbott’s remarks were published in a letter to the Observer on Sunday and she has since apologised.
“I wish to wholly and unreservedly withdraw my written remarks and disassociate myself from them,” she said in a statement. “The errors arose in an initial draft being sent. But there is no excuse and I wish to apologise for any anguish caused.
“Racism takes many forms and it is completely undeniable that Jewish people have suffered its monstrous effects, as have Irish people, Travellers and many others.
“Once again, I would like to apologise publicly for the remarks and any distress caused as a result of them.”
In a previous interview to the Huffington Post in 2018, Mr Coppard discussed the state of the Labour Party in the year the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council issued an open letter stating that the then leader of the Labour party Jeremy Corbyn was “repeatedly found alongside people with blatantly anti-Semitic views.”
The South Yorkshire Mayor said: “Until now I have always believed that the Labour Party is the best defence against the type of hatred that we saw in 1930s Nazi Germany, and the bigotry now growing again in other parts of the world.
“The Labour Party exists to represent the interests of the many, but that cannot mean silencing or disparaging the voices of the few, and the Jewish community are few.”
Labour officials will decide whether Diane Abbott can stand again at the next election after she lost the whip, pending investigation, for her comments.
Mr Coppard has previously warned of Jewish struggles being downplayed: “When the concerns of mainstream Jewish people and groups are dismissed as overblown smears, then our commitment to antisemitism will rightly remain in question.”
Beloved West Street pub returns to its roots under new management
An historic Sheffield pub and music venue reopened its doors last week offering a new space for artists and bands.
The Hallamshire Hotel, on West Street, saw a return to live music for the first time in decades, as the once popular pub returned to its roots.
The site most recently operated as a cocktail bar and restaurant but is now under new management from the team that runs another of Sheffield’s successful music venues, The Washington, on Fitzwilliam Street.
The pub’s new general manager, Will McMahon, said the Hallamshire was perfect for building a new space for live music in the city.
He said: “We’d checked out a few venues but nothing really suited us and then this popped up. We thought the location was great, the fact that it’s got a beer garden on West street, the bar looks amazing from the front and it's amazing on the inside as well.”
During the 1980s and 90s The Hallamshire was a hotbed for musicians and artists, with acts such as Sheffield music scene staples Richard Hawley and Pulp, as well as 90s Irish rock band The Cranberries all performing on its stage.
The pub offers a large open space on the second floor and the new management have plans to convert it back into a gig room.
Mr McMahon said that while he is excited to potentially invite more successful bands to the venue, one of the main objectives is to showcase up and coming acts.
He said: “What we're trying to do is be a space for people who are just starting out, for people who will one day be the next Pulp, or the next Cranberries or the next Richard Hawley.”
The pub's new manager claimed that after suffering a post covid slump, Sheffield’s music scene is now thriving again and a new venue will give more acts the chance to perform.
“We're seeing more new bands than ever, bands that are genuinely brilliant and we're just really excited to be opening a place that, you know, one day potentially they can play here too,” he added.
Since its 80s and 90s heyday, The Hallamshire has remained a fond memory for many of its former patrons, and a Facebook group dedicated to its history is frequently used.
The venue's packed opening night, which saw live music from funk and soul cover band Barry Krisp and The Bangers, and a brand new cocktail menu, was just the first of many planned for the new pub.
Mr McMahon said: “We have some big ideas in place, a live music room being a big part of it, and so this is phase one.
“We've got the doors open and a lick of paint, some a few fresh pieces of artwork, and then phase two and phase three and the bigger plans, they'll come further down the line.”
New study calls for gardeners to receive council tax cuts to tackle climate crisis
Research from the University of Sheffield has called on the government to offer financial rewards for gardeners in a bid to tackle the climate crisis.
The study carried out by Professor Ross Cameron says that policymakers should consider incentives like cuts to council taxes and water bills to households which cover over 50% of their outdoor space in plants.
Professor Cameron said: “Gardens account for a third of all our urban areas and are vital spaces in terms of keeping our buildings and city environments cool in summer, absorbing rain to avoid flash flooding and providing an important refuge for wildlife.
“Gardens need to be green and full of plants to be beneficial to the local environment, and some types of garden are more beneficial than others.”
The research in the study Urban Forestry and Urban Greening says that some cities may have lost up to 50% of their garden space over the last two decades, contributing to global warming.
Professor Cameron added: “The paradox is that many gardens are not actually green and some trends in garden design can be very damaging for the urban environment. We have paved them over to house the car, or provide sterile patio space; factors that increase urban temperatures and increase flooding risk.”
Local gardener, Will Teare from Norton Lees, has turned his garden into a place for both wildlife and his family to enjoy.
Mr Teare said: “When we moved into our house, we thought about how we could create a garden that would help us be more connected to nature, so the most important thing for us has been that it benefits wildlife.
“Humans are responsible for a lot of the loss of habitat for wildlife and we wanted to invite it back into the garden.”
Mr Teare also spoke about how his family are enjoying their new garden.
He said: “The family gets a lot of enjoyment out of it, the birds coming to nest, or watching the frogs and newts around the pond; it brings the garden to life, and is a source of excitement for the kids.”
“I think like us, everyone can work with what space they have, have a small tree, unusual plants, or create different habitats; basically anything other than hard paving can be an asset to wildlife, and benefits us as well.
“So I think incentives to plant a garden will definitely get people to think about it!”
Professor Cameron is writing a book on how introducing plants into your life can have long term benefits to your health.
The book is called ‘How plants can save your life’ and will be published by Quercus on 25 May 2023.
Sheffield councillors sign open letter criticising ‘abhorrent’ Government plans to house asylum seekers in prisons and ferries
Sheffield councillors have signed a 200-people cross-party letter criticising central government’s ‘abhorrent’ and ‘inhumane’ treatment of asylum seekers.
The letter follows controversy over the government’s ‘Illegal Migration Bill’ which could see asylum seekers being housed in former prisons and decommissioned ferries and barges.
Councillor Minesh Parekh, one of the signatories, acknowledges the need for the Government to address illegal crossings, but believes it is not fulfilling its duty of doing so through building “a new asylum system with fairness, dignity, and justice at its heart.”
The letter highlights the case of Hussein Haseeb Ahmed, 31, who is believed to have lost his life due to diphtheria, a bacterial infection affecting the respiratory system, after being housed in ‘extremely overcrowded and completely unacceptable conditions’ at a former Ministry of Defence site in Manston, Kent.
The bill, which is aimed at reducing migration through unsafe and illegal routes, namely regarding crossings in small boats through the English Channel, is set to go through its third reading in the House of Commons.
Cllr Parekh, added: “The government is currently at loggerheads with several local authorities over asylum accommodation plans, and is attempting to push through emergency legislation to allow it to shortcut council planning processes.”
The large number of signatures suggests country-wide support from local councils for increased scrutiny over Home Secretary, Suella Braverman’s, handling of the small boat crossings.
Despite data from the UK parliament suggesting an increased lenience towards asylum seeking applications, with the refusal rate falling to 24 per cent in 2022, its lowest point since 1990, it does not take into account the current application process.
One of the main criticisms in the letter involve the lengthy process which often leaves individuals and families in ‘limbo indefinitely’.
This refers to over 90 per cent of applicants in 2021 having had to appeal an initial refusal of their application. In turn, asylum seekers will often have to wait longer than a year to finally get their application approved, costing an estimated £980m of taxpayer money per year.
On top of this, a report from the Refugee Council suggests safe routes for the five main countries of origin, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Eritrea, and Sudan, have been ‘drastically reduced’.
Cllr Doctor Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini from Oxford, the co-founder of the Migrant Champions Network, commended the efforts of local councillors to denounce this process.
She said: “The fact is that communities up and down the country want to stand in solidarity with people seeking sanctuary and provide them a warm welcome.”
In Sheffield, this was evidenced by the counter protests held in February outside a hotel in Rotherham where anti-immigration demonstrators had garnered.
Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, said: “The majority of the men, women and children who cross the Channel do so because they are desperate to escape war, conflict and persecution.
“No parent sends a child on a desperately dangerous journey without a good reason.”
Morning Briefing: Stories to look out for today
Complaints as government alarm test on millions of phones yesterday did not work for all
Phone users on the network Three have complained after not receiving the 10 second alarm yesterday. Some people received the alarm late, with people waiting for up to 20 minutes.
King Edward’s School: Parents protest against school’s academisation
Hundreds of furious Sheffield parents gathered outside City Hall on Saturday to protest against the forced academisation of King Edward’s School. The Department of Education ordered that the city’s oldest state school must join an academy trust following an Ofsted report which highlighted issues with safeguarding and bullying.
Hendo’s Relish: Sheffield’s Iconic Factory to be rebuilt brick by brick
Work has begun on the reconstruction of the historic Henderson’s Relish factory based on Sheffield University’s campus. The iconic redbrick building will be rebuilt ‘brick by brick’ following its demolition. The university has plans to turn it into a café, restaurant and leisure space.
Sheffield family claims hospital staff ‘laughed’ and ‘refused to help’ dying son
A grieving family voiced their anger at Sheffield Children’s Hospital after they claim medical staff laughed at them and refused to put their son on a nebuliser.
Five-year-old Mohammad Ayaan Haroon, known as Ayaan, was rushed to hospital earlier this month, after his father found him struggling to breathe.
The young boy was given X-rays and treated at A&E for a suspected chest infection before he was sent to the ward under observation, but sadly died in intensive care on 13 March.
His father, Haroon Rashid, 41, said the staff were unprofessional and laughed at them. He said: “They failed my son. They didn’t give him the treatment he needed. The medical staff was even laughing in my face; they showed no compassion at all."
When Ayaan was moved to the ward, Mr Rashid told medical professionals his son needed a suction machine and a nebuliser, but the medical staff ignored him.
He said: “I told them I would do it myself, but they refused and claimed I wasn’t competent to do it. I had been trained by this very hospital to carry out this type of practice at home, but they wouldn’t help me save my son."
Ayaan had a long history of respiratory illnesses and had been treated at Sheffield Children’s Hospital since he was born.
Mr Rashid said: “I have a lot of experience with this hospital and never had an issue.”
During the week Ayaan was in hospital, Mr Rashid claims he made repeated complaints to staff for unprofessional behaviour, but none of them were taken seriously. He has now filed an official complaint to the hospital for what he labels “medical negligence”.
In a statement expressing his condolences to the family, Dr Jeff Perring, Medical Director at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said:” There will be a thorough internal investigation of the care and treatment Ayaan received at the hospital between 5 and 13 March which will cover the concerns raised in Mr Rashid’s complaint.”
The family is now hoping to carry out an external investigation into their son’s death, with the help of Zaheer Ahmed, the uncle of Yusuf Mahmud Nazir, another young boy who died of so-called medical negligence in South Yorkshire.
They will be meeting with the Chief Executive of Sheffield’s Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Ruth Brown, to discuss the next steps.
Sheffield City Council frantically counting their pennies after losing £300m per year in grants
Sheffield City Council has lost £300m per year in annual grants since 2010, working out as a loss of £13,000 per household, new figures have revealed.
The drastic cuts mean many vital local services have been stripped to the bone.
This comes after a unanimous decision was reached at City Council’s 2023/24 budget meeting, despite an initial failure to approve proposed amendments.
With council tax now up to the legal maximum level (without a referendum) of 4.99%, local governments are clutching for pennies, as they now have to make up for the lack of funding provided by the government.
According to new research from Legal and General (L&G), cost of living pressures is widening the inequalities that the levelling-up agenda is aiming to address.
The research revealed the extent to which rising costs have battered household finances, particularly for the poorest in society.
These figures show 47% of households in the UK are concerned about not being able to keep up with rent and mortgage payments.
John Godfrey, Director of levelling-up at L&G, believes there is light at the end of the tunnel. He said: "Legal and General has already invested billions and is continuing to invest in towns and cities across the UK, including Sheffield."
Sheffield’s Labour and Co-operative Councillor for Crookes and Crosspool, Minesh Parekh, 29, said local governments are now in an ‘angering position’.
He said: “We have serious and great ambitions for our city and we want people to thrive. We know there are huge pockets of deprivation and huge pockets of poverty, and you can’t tackle that without sustained long-term investment and autonomy of funding.
“It feels like particular pockets are focused on and supported, particularly in the South East, so everyone else is left to scramble and do what they can do for themselves, which is not a way to run a country.”
These announcements come days after the government said it would hand out more than £800m in further levelling up and regeneration funding as part of the budget.
Sheffield medics initiative to increase fitness levels
Low fitness levels are top of the agenda for Sheffield health professionals after a decline in exercise following the Covid pandemic.
At an event hosted by Move More Sheffield last Thursday (23 March), medics shared the best ways to get through to patients get physical.
GP Jo Maher said fitness levels are far below where they should be and can have significant consequences on people's health.
"The fact is that being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease, for cancer and for poor general health," she said.
In Yorkshire, the percentage of adults who were physically inactive jumped from 25.6% to 29.2% during the first year of the pandemic.
Local GP Fran Norman said: "Everything closed down. People were told to stay in their houses, so of course people weren't moving as much.
"Habit forming's really important. Coming out of the habit of being physically active [means] it's then really hard to get going again."
The dip in fitness has also affected children, with just 45% getting the recommended amount of exercise across England (at least one hour a day) in 2020.
Levels have now returned to pre-pandemic levels, but these are still less than half of all children at just 47%.
Inactivity varies across different demographics. Mixed race people are the most active with 68% considered physically active, while Asian people are the least active at just 50.4%.
Dr Maher explained that poverty also plays a role in fitness levels.
She said: "Unfortunately we know there's a very strong link between people who live in more deprived areas of the city don't have the same opportunities to access physical activity as people in the more wealthy areas."
"I'm afraid this plays out in the number of years people can expect to live a healthy life."
Move More runs outreach projects for poorer areas, trying to give their residents more opportunities for exercise. These include Active Burngreave, which runs Romani dance classes, fitness clubs for young men and a Somali disabled women's group.