Plus-sized drag star to perform at Leadmill
Dragrace UK winner Lawrence Chaney will perform her show in Leadmill this Tuesday.
The show called “Overweight and Over It” is a call to body-positivity, self-appreciation and self-confidence.
Through the show, Lawrence will discuss life as a queer, plus-sized person by showing unknown aspects and battling stigma.
Jephthah Ekogiawe, LGBT+ Officer at the Students Union of Sheffield said: “ Body image is something many students and members of the LGBTQ+ community struggle with and I think students seeing the show sends the right message that their success does not depend on the “body type” they have.”
Often called an “icon”, Lawrence Chaney denounces this trend of people body shaming others without even realising it.
This show can help students to understand how others can feel, and can help themselves to feel more confident and comfortable with their sexual identity and physical appearance.
Sheffield FC and Eagles RLC Join For Stadium Move
For the first time in over 20 years Sheffield FC are returning to the city with a brand new state of the art stadium.
The oldest football club in the country will share the site with Sheffield Eagles RLC.
The proposed stadium, which is aiming to be ready for autumn 2025, boasts a capacity of 5,000 and will be located in Meadowhead, on the same site as the former Sheffield Transport Sports Club. The proposal also includes a plan to include a club museum for Sheffield FC.
Richard Tims, Sheffield FC's chairman, said: “This is about being proud of the region’s sporting heritage and making it a hub for sporting excellence and community engagement in Sheffield and the South Yorkshire region."
Sheffield FC have been forced to postpone matches due to bad weather at their current ground in Dronfield, including a game yesterday, against Ashington AFC, following a waterlogged pitch.
Fan, Philip Staton, 70, of High Street, said: “The ground is always flooded. You wouldn't believe the amount of games that are called off."
The proposal for the new Home Of Football Stadium features artificial turf, which would make the pitch resistant to wet weather conditions.
The current ground is just south of Sheffield’s county border with Derbyshire.
Sheffield FC fan and club historian, Andrew Dixon, highlighted the importance of bringing the club north into Meadowhead, and back to the city.
He said: “Crucially, we will be back in Sheffield. I love Dronfield but it doesn't feel right for Sheffield Football Club to be playing in Derbyshire.”
Mr Dixon also compared the similarities between this stadium switch and a previous one made by the club, leaving their old site on East Bank Road.
“For well over a century, the club led a nomadic existence, playing at several grounds. So securing our own home was essential to the survival of the world's oldest club and I hope that the next move will see some success on the pitch. We're definitely due some after the last few years,” he said.
Sheffield Eagles will celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2024 which will coincide with the new stadium project.
The Eagles currently play in the Rugby League Championship, the tier below The Super League, which is the pinnacle of professional Rugby League and a division they haven't played in since 1999.
“There will be more facilities, a gym for players, an indoor supporters club and bar, the ground will be developed and it’ll allow us to push for the Super League. For us, there are no negatives. We’re beyond excited. It's something we've wanted for a very long time,” said Eagles fans, Kate Peat, 54 and her husband, Alan, 52.
Despite the plans for the Meadowhead site exciting some fans, others are worried about the travelling implications.
Mark Webster, 41, of Ellenbro Road, who believes having a ‘Super League standard’ stadium is essential, said: “There’s one negative and it's a strong one. The lack of public transport links to Meadowhead.
"As a non-motorist, it's going to be difficult to get home after games. It's ideal for motorists, and there are buses from the city centre, but they’re not very frequent, but I'm sure this is something the developers will address."
Sheffield FC and Sheffield Eagles have announced that full planning permission will be submitted early next year.
They have also invited the public to two meetings in which they will discuss the plans in more detail. The first on Tuesday, 28 November, and the second on Wednesday, 6 December: IMPORTANT: PUBLIC CONSULTATION EVENTS | Sheffield FC
Billy Root gives first-class edge to Fans World Cup
Sheffield’s own Billy Root delighted cricket badgers from across the world this week after joining them at the Barmy Army Fans World Cup in Sri Lanka.
First-class cricketer, Root, who is the brother of former England Test captain, Joe, represented the Barmy Army’s own team at the tournament, which took place on 20 and 21 November.
They finished as runners-up, losing by 23 runs to Pakistan in the final.
Barmy Army media manager, Chuck Adolphy, said the players revelled in competing alongside and against a cricketer of Root’s calibre.
He said: “Billy really got stuck into the tournament, which was great to see. It was like having a small dust of stardom and you very much felt that when he got out on the pitch.”
The cricketer has hit seven first-class centuries representing Nottinghamshire and Glamorgan after following his brother, Joe, through the ranks at Rotherham Town and Sheffield Collegiate.
“There were a few jokes thrown around seeing a Root dominate on Galle Fort,” said Mr Adolphy.
The jokes referenced Joe’s form on England’s last tour of Sri Lanka in 2021 when he hit over 400 runs across two matches at Galle International Stadium, including a double-century. All the matches played this week were held at the ground.
The Barmy Army have become well-known at cricket grounds across the world after nearly 30 years of loud and unconditional support for England.
They currently have over 6000 paying members along with their own travel agency known as Barmy Travel. The company will be accommodating about 200 people to the Caribbean next month, with England set to tour the West Indies.
Seven teams from six nations took part in the second edition of the Barmy Army Fans World Cup this week. Sri Lanka cricket legend Mahela Jayawardene was on hand to present the winner’s trophy at the end of it.
Mr Adolphy said: “Unfortunately cricket in Sri Lanka has recently been in strife, so a lot of it has been about putting cricket back on the map there.”
The country were recently suspended as members of the International Cricket Council and finished ninth at the Cricket World Cup in India.
The Barmy Army are hoping Root’s starring role at the recent tournament, will allow the Fans World Cup to grow in the future.
“The main takeaway this week is there’s something there that really brings people together,” said Mr Adolphy.
“We’ve set a high bar this week but we’ll keep pushing to make it a bigger and better event.”
New Sheffield river exhibition makes a splash
A new multi-media exhibition celebrating Sheffield's rivers has opened today at Weston Park Museum.
City of Rivers explores how waterways have shaped Sheffield's history and landscape, drawing on artwork, natural history, poetry, music and personal testimonies.
Lucy Cooper, Exhibitions Curator at Sheffield Museums, said: “Sheffield’s rivers are the heartbeat of the city, impacting everything from nature and wildlife to our work and hobbies.
"We’ve had a great response from individuals and groups with contemporary content for the exhibition, including art, photos and objects. It’s been fantastic to bring these together with works from historic collections to celebrate all aspects of the city’s waterways.”
The exhibition boasts over 300 objects and artefacts ranging from paintings and sculptures to taxidermy and maps. It covers the multiple ways in which rivers have contributed to life in Sheffield throughout the past and into the current day.
Dominic Cisalowicz, Learning Deliverer at Sheffield Museum Trust, said: “It’s full of great detail about the rivers of Sheffield. They’re so important to the city.
"I really enjoyed looking at the maps and seeing how Sheffield has grown over the years and how the rivers have shaped that.
"It’s interactive, which is good for all age groups who visit it. The animal side is really good because I don’t think people actually realise how much wildlife there is in Sheffield sometimes."
So far, early visitors to the museum have been enjoying the wide range of material on offer.
Lydia Yang, MA Education student at the University of Sheffield, said: “I think it’s very interesting and very helpful for young people to know the human and natural history of Sheffield.”
The exhibition has been developed with a wide range of city and community contributors, including Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, Friends of the Porter Valley, Sheaf & Porter Rivers Trust, Shirebrook Valley Heritage Group, and South Yorkshire Industrial History Society.
Patricia Hall, a retired hairstylist, said: “It’s very interesting and it gives you an insight into what’s happening to our rivers. There’s a lot of pollution but they’re trying to do a lot of work to bring wildlife back into focus, so it’s a good thing and the more people that share it the better.”
The exhibition will run until 3 November 2024 and is free to enjoy.
Pop-up barbershop aims to bridge the gap between Sheffield’s black community and students
Local barbershops will be giving free haircuts for students and members of the community in Sheffield SU to raise awareness for black men's mental health.
The 'In the Cut' event aims to raise awareness for black men's mental health and the role of the black barbershop as a healing space, and will be held on the 28th November from 11am-3pm.
The atmosphere of a black barbershop will be recreated with 3 local barbers from 'Fades' and 'Top Chopper Hair Studio' offering free haircuts and music and games.
Organiser Macole Lannaman, 27, said: "We’re trying to bridge the gap between black students of the University of Sheffield and the black community of Sheffield.
"Black men are sometimes not as receptive to going to see therapists and psychiatrists and the barbershop is a space where they can seek healing from situations at home, it is an abolitionist approach to healing."
He said because many black students who have moved to Sheffield do not know the black community and do not know where to find barbers and hairdressers. He hopes this event will connect them.
Nazeer Oyeleye, 21, is a civil engineering student at the university who used to travel for 40 minutes by bus to get his hair cut because he didn't know of any local barbers.
He said: "Every time I get a haircut from the barbers and I like the look of it it makes me feel like a new person, I enjoy going out with my hair and showing off.
"A lot of other people I know are very social with their barbers."
Back at his home in London, Mr Oyeleye said he, his dad and brother have always all gone to the same barber and for his entire first year at university he would wait until the holidays to travel home and have his haircut.
The event coincides with men's mental health month and is in partnership with SACHMA, a Sheffield based charity offering health and social care services to residents.
SACHMA will have a stall sharing the services they offer for the black community and inviting eventgoers to discuss mental health.
They have their own Black Barbers Project working with barbers to teach them about early mental wellbeing intervention and support them in spotting the signs of men who may not be coping as well as they could.
Westways Primary schoolchildren appeal to drivers for safer parking
Schoolchildren from Westways Primary School in Crookes have tested a new parking initiative urging motorists to make safer parking decisions, particularly within school areas.
The scheme was rolled out by the South West Local Area Committee, following the success of a previous initiative within the South East of Sheffield.
The children from years 5 and 6 created polite parking notices which both thanked drivers who parked correctly and also urged those who parked incorrectly to make more considerate choices in the future.
Parking notices read: "Please be aware that if you park here I might get hurt and other cars might crash because we can't see behind your car."
Michelle Dwaine, who organised the campaign, said that the scheme was aimed at ensuring that schoolchildren feel safe and secure.
Reflecting upon the initiative, Cllr Minesh Parekh said: "It's about engaging with school students at an early age, teaching them about road safety and what safe parking looks like, whilst also trying to change the behaviours of drivers and motorists."
This is the next step in a campaign over the last year and a half to reduce traffic surrounding Westways Primary School, which had involved closing the road up to the school to traffic during peak school times.
Cllr Parekh said that though closing the road had combatted traffic to an extent, it was important to now attempt to change the behaviours of motorists.
He said: " It is really great to do [the campaign] on a school street because it reminds people that here of all places you should be considerate of your parking and think about the people that have to use this street, particularly children who can't see over cars.
"I do think that rather than a traffic warden walking around telling people you shouldn't park there, this is more impactful and people will remember much more long-term school children coming round telling you that you are making our street unsafe."
The scheme is hoped to be conducted on a larger scale in schools throughout the city and it is anticipated to be trialled again within Ecclesall in January.
“It’s not theft, it’s abduction” – charity owner demands stricter laws on stolen pets
Beauty's Legacy has earned the backing of celebrities and has been at the forefront of the fight against pet abduction, an issue that has torn apart families.
The birth of Beauty's Legacy can be traced back to Lisa Dean and the disappearance of Beauty, her beloved cat, in April 2016. Frantically searching the streets, Lisa mobilised a community effort, with 41 people joining the cause in less than a week.
After offering a £150 reward, she received a call from someone who had her cat. Hours after bringing her home, she tragically passed away.
This experience fuelled her determination to help others facing similar crises. The charity has since gained a celebrity following, with Chris Packham, now patron, shedding light on the issue through a Sky documentary. Claire Balding has praised her "determination, bravery and commitment to the cause."
According to Lisa, pet abduction is not just theft; it's a crime that inflicts severe financial, physical, and emotional shock on the victims.
She said: “There is no measure for the emotional impact it can have on a person, and you cannot just, simply, replace an animal which you have an attachment to in the same way you can replace a personal belonging.
"The law needs to change - low risk, high profit," says Lisa, pointing out the alarming fact that, despite the emotional devastation caused by pet theft, there has been only one prosecution.
Criminals can make up to £2,000 per stolen puppy, making it an attractive venture for those involved in crime rings.
The most common route for dog trafficking is the A1, making it much harder to track down and recover them. Lisa advises people to widen their search area as soon as possible.
During the lockdown in 2020, crime rings shifted their focus from traditional criminal activities to dog theft, capitalising on the increased demand for pets.
In a 2021 study, Trading Standard Scotland reported that the illegal puppy farming across Scotland alone is estimated to be £13m.
Lisa states, "It's not theft, it's abduction. You can't measure worth, value, or impact."
Beauty's Legacy has been recognised for its outstanding efforts in combating pet abduction, earning Lisa the Special Recognition Award at the Animal Star Awards.
As Lisa and hundreds of volunteers continue their fight, they hope to bring about legislative changes to protect the beloved pets that bring immeasurable joy to countless families.
Appeal for missing pony in Grenoside, Sheffield.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/777128680673959/?ref=share_group_link
Parkwood Springs and Doncaster areas to receive levelling up funding
The Government announced that Parkwood Springs, Mexborough and Moorends will receive funding from the Levelling Up Fund for regeneration plans.
Parkwood Springs is receiving £200,000 which will be used to redevelop the popular site and to clear the old ski village structures and debris.
The council will be working towards securing additional funding for the project, while an ecological assessment will also be carried out.
Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Executive Member for City Futures: Development, Culture and Regeneration at Sheffield City Council, said: “We recognise the vast potential that Parkwood has to offer in Sheffield, both as a major tourist attraction for the region and as a site that will be central to contributing towards improving the health, lifestyle and opportunities for local people.''
The report setting out these plans for Parkwood is due to be presented to the Council’s Co-operative Executive on 15 December.
The government also announced that Doncaster will receive £25m for projects in Moorends and Mexborough.
Mayor Ros Jones said: ‘‘Whilst I am pleased that the Government has seen the merits of our bid for Doncaster North, I am disappointed that our other bid for Edlington has not been given the same support. Levelling Up Funding should be targeted at areas that need it most and have a strong case for regeneration.’’
This will include the improvement of cycle provision and pedestrian crossing as well as the forecourt outside Doncaster railway station.
Mexborough First Cllr Sean Gibbons said: “This is fantastic news and means that Mexborough will now receive a further circa £15m to level up the town and deliver much needed regeneration & investment.’’
He added: “We will continue to work in partnership with Ros Jones, City of Doncaster Council senior officers and other partners to regenerate our principal town and create jobs and growth.”
Is it too early to put your Christmas tree up?
It is a common belief across the UK that Christmas just keeps on getting earlier.
Whether that be the cheerful John Lewis Christmas advert being released on November 9 this year, or the honey-rich tones of Michael Bublé appearing on November 4 on Asda's festive ad, it seems as if early November is the new start of the Christmas season.
At the heart of the fierce festive debate is the Christmas tree, a staple of any Christmas-celebrating living room since it first reached the UK back in the 1840s.
The question at the heart of this, and the one we posed to the Sheffield public is this: When should the Christmas Tree go up?
Is November too early?
According to a poll conducted by Sheffield Wire, 72% of people believe that it is currently too early to put up your tree.
However, according to Christmas Tree World, the ideal date to put up your tree is this Sunday, as for many Advent begins on the Sunday closest to the feast of St Andrew the Apostle, which took place on November 30 and lasts for four weeks.
For Keeley Dowse, who works at the Christmas Shop on Fargate, it is "never too early" to put the tree up.
She added: "We've found over the last couple of years that people want to buy Christmas decorations earlier to spread the cost."
The shop opens in October and shuts a few days after Christmas Day.
Other Sheffielders were not so keen to get in the spirit early. A former supermarket manager, said "Yes, I think it is. I don't believe in celebrating too early."
When asked when the right date was, he said: "Around the 20th, but we're old fashioned. When they start in September that's a bit too early!"
A local charity worker agreed: "Yes it's way too early. You can't be putting your Christmas tree up this early." He suggested December 10 as the ideal date to get the box of baubles and trinkets out and get decorating.
Research conducted by confused.com found that 47% of Brits put their Christmas decorations up between December 1 and December 10.
What's your take? Let us know in the comments.
“What can we do without a security guard?” – Supermarket employees struggle to cope with rise in retail crime
A surge in retail crime was reported by the police this week, with 11,400 incidents of shoplifting in the year to June. Retail employees have told Sheffield Wire that not enough is being done to protect them.
Sarah is an employee at a large supermarket chain operating in South Yorkshire. She told us that despite repeated incidents of shoplifting and violence, her shop was still operating without a security guard.
"On a nine-hour shift, we usually see between two and ten shoplifters. The worst come with concealed weapons and sweep hundreds of pounds worth of meat and wine, sometimes several times in one evening.
"What can we do without a security guard? We just have to let them walk out of the store."
Daniel, an employee at a different supermarket, told us that shoplifters have threatened him and his colleagues with violence on several occasions:
"It's especially bad when we don't have any security in the store. There have been incidents where culprits have threatened my colleagues with hypodermic needles."
Sarah doesn't feel that the solution is a simple one.
"The issue is bigger than the shoplifters themselves. Unless the root causes are properly addressed - austerity, poverty, and a decade of public service cuts - then I think we'll continue to have empty shelves."
Last month, police launched Operation Pegasus, a campaign to clamp down on retail crime. As part of the campaign, major retailers, including the Co-Op, Boots, Primark, and John Lewis, have agreed to share information on crime in their stores to aid police operations.
However, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Billings admitted in a blog post on Tuesday that more work than this was needed to tackle the problem:
"The missing link in all of this is how we stop members of the public becoming unwitting participants in these crimes by buying stolen goods. The gangs need a market and that market is us whenever we buy something in a pub or club without being curious as to where it came from or without caring about the retail staff who were intimidated and distressed along the way."
Shop, Stop, and Drop event encourages locals to donate
The New Hope Food Bank is holding a shop, stop, and drop event in Halfway this weekend.
The event is to encourage people in the local area of Halfway and Eckington to drop off any donations they can to help out the community. Items like food and Christmas presents are most in demand as the holiday season approaches.
However, with the ongoing cost of living crisis, demand for food from food banks has risen but donations have dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Hope Food Bank co-ordinator, Michelle Taurins, said: "The donations have significantly plummeted." Pre-pandemic, the food bank would have to empty donation bins twice a week. Now, they are lucky to fill even one.
Many essentials are having to be bought by the volunteers themselves in order to be able to fulfil their commitment to give out balanced food parcels.
Alongside the short term relief that is provided through food parcels, the New Hope Food Bank also gives out information packs directing people to where they can get advice on their money worries.
Mrs Taurins said: "We don't want to just be handing out food, we want to be helping people to get out of poverty."
The food bank's volunteers have been out in the local community today handing out shopping lists of the items that are most in demand.
Mrs Taurins explained her reasoning behind choosing to hold the event on Black Friday. She said: "Using Black Friday weekend, when people who can afford to spend in excess, [they] might just take a minute to think about those that actually can't and can't even get a meal on the table."
As Christmas is a time for joy, the New Hope Food Bank hopes that local residents can come together to help out those who are the most in need.
Mrs Taurins said: "We need to be a community and we need to be helping each other and if each person just gives in one tin, it all helps towards being able to facilitate the service that we do."
The food bank has been running since 2012 and has managed to provide more than 327,000 meals to local residents.
Donations can be dropped off at the Halfway Park and Ride between 9am and 3pm today and tomorrow.
Period Poverty charity’s plea for donations as times become tough approaching Christmas
Period Poverty charity, Irise, are pushing for donations from local businesses as the demand for period products are rapidly increasing in the run up to Christmas.
Irise is a Sheffield-based period poverty charity who work globally to ensure that everyone has access to period products and to bring together young people who are held back by their periods.
Calum Smith, Head of Operations from Irise, said: “It’s an expensive time of year anyway, and I think also you can now get free period products through most schools in the UK and when you’re out of school it is harder to access most of the time over the Christmas period.
"At the minute, we’re providing support for around 2,000 people a year in Sheffield, but we estimate about 5,500 people are affected by period poverty in Sheffield alone.
"So we want to be able to meet that whole need but we need more products to help with that.
"So one of the things that we are asking businesses to do is to host a donation drive that you might do for a food bank, but for period products and where it’s appropriate, or where people are interested, we are also asking for cash donations.
"That’s because we can access products at wholesale prices or discounted prices - so for the price you may buy a packet of pads in the supermarket, we can buy four packs.
"If it works for people to give money instead of products, we can get four times as much for the same price.”
Period poverty can be defined as restricted financial or physical access to sanitary products. OnePoll found that in a year, 137,700 children in the UK missed school because of period poverty.
There is also an issue of stigma surrounding periods. Action Aid found that 22% of women aged 18-24 in the UK feel embarrassed during their period - a statistic that rose from 8% in 2022.
Volunteer for Irise and University of Sheffield student, Emeli Hanson, 22, said: “I believe that no girl should suffer her period without adequate products, and, therefore, the stigma around the issue becomes increased."
As Christmas approaches, people have less money to spend, meaning the demand for period products from charities like Irise increase.
The award-winning charity is therefore working with local businesses to ensure that they can help as many people as possible.
Miss Hanson said: “I’ve been working on a project to connect Irise to local businesses in order to facilitate further product donations and monetary donations in the community, particularly at Christmas which is a time of increased demand.”
Irise has also teamed up with the University of Sheffield to organise campaigns and fundraisers, like raffles and bingo, to combat the issue of period poverty and the stigmas surrounding it.
Beth Dixon, Chair of the Friends of Irise Society at the university, said: "We fundraise for Irise International but we also try to do things at a university level as well, so changing the language people use about periods, try to overcome the stigma.
"[Period poverty is] a major issue, especially when money is even tighter, especially at winter anyway with heating bills, as well as buying Christmas presents, it's actually a big issue."