Memorial for Little Mester Stan Shaw unveiled
Outside The Cutler’s Hall in Sheffield, a plaque with the inscription “Stan Shaw, 2nd December 1926 - 26th February 2021” was finally unveiled last week.
The tribute to the much loved local legend celebrates his role as the last 'Little Mester' - a self-employed master craftsman that made Sheffield famous for handmade and finished cutlery and blades.
“If he’d been alive today he’d have been very shocked by this, and I don’t think he’d have wanted it,” said Jane Lees, 55, Stan’s daughter. “He was very quiet and unassuming - he’d just get on with things.”
After he died, age 94, the media clamoured over Stan's star-studded legacy; his clients included George W. Bush, Queen Elizabeth II, members of Elvis' band, and a list of other large names. "They all thought Dad was the celebrity," said Jane.
Stan's widow, Rosemary, was 19 when she met her husband, who was then 24. She claims he was quiet and shy, and took his time to finally ask to walk her home one night.
The unassuming, gentle man had spent ten years of his childhood in and out of hospital with hip issues. “He wouldn’t go out with anyone until he knew he wouldn’t be a burden,” said Rosemary. The couple went on to have three children, Andrew, Kevan, and Jane, during 66 years of marriage.
Stan always feared that due to his health, he wouldn’t live to meet his grandchildren - but four were born before his death in 2021. He made each a knife for every birthday and Christmas until they were 18; a total of 36 knives.
The Little Mester's career began at Ibberson cutlery in 1941, when he was just 14-years old. He had spotted handmade knives at Sheffield market and quickly fell in love with the craft.
“Dad worked for all the famous cutlery firms - he’d swap jobs every three or four months if someone wasn’t paying enough, he’d command his price. But I remember he was getting paid pounds and pence,” said son Kevan Shaw, 58. “He was really worried when firms were getting shut down.”
In his early fifties, Stan made the decision to go self-employed. On a government grant he established himself as the city’s most notable cutler and pocket-knife maker, working in the field for over 80 years.
He was made an honorary Freeman of the Company of Cutlers in 2003, with a unique collection of his knives (made for his fellow Freeman David Beevers) put on permanent display in the Hall earlier this year.
He worked until November 2019, and still had four years of planned orders on a waiting list when he died, which will remain unfulfilled.
After his death, fundraising by the Stan Shaw Memorial Appeal aimed to collect £10,000 for both the Cutlers Hall plaque and a planned heritage trail identifying all of the locations that Shaw had worked at during his lengthy career.
The Little Mesters Brewing company launched a special ale - the ‘STAN’ IPA - alongside the appeal to help their fundraising efforts. Ben Shaw, the company’s co-owner, previously told ShefNews: “When the Stan Shaw Memorial Appeal got in contact with us about crafting a beer for Stan, it was a no brainer, we wanted to do it.
“We thought about what he would like and what he would want to drink, and we came up with an IPA that was authentically him.”
The plaque’s unveiling last Friday (December 2) was a result of fundraising by the Stan Shaw Memorial Appeal, spearheaded by Councillor Anne Murphy, alongside a grant from the JG Graves Charitable Trust.
The cast-iron tribute in his honour, designed by sculptor Gordon Young, features emblems representing Stan’s knife-making skills. At the ceremony, speeches were made by Stan’s family and the Lord Mayor of Sheffield.
Councillor Anne Murphy, thanking all who had donated to the cause, said: "We want to have a lasting memorial to the men, women, and families that Sheffield's trade was built from.
"Stan was a lovely, humble man, and you wouldn't have know from talking to him that people all over the world came to see and purchase his knives. We're really fortunate that we can commemorate Stan in this way."
This recognition has not gone unappreciated. “It’s kept me going,” said Rosemary. “If I feel low I can flick open the photographs and I can reminisce, it’s lovely. I’ve got all the events recorded.”
Son Kevin added: “When I was a kid, he had a green shed at home - a proper workshop, green shed, workbenches with all my dad’s kit.
"The shed has been left untouched since Stan last worked there. Whoever buys that house - it’s a museum exhibit.”
South Yorkshire befriending charity b:friend launch their attempt at Christmas number 1
The befriending charity b:friend are hoping their single "Footprints in the Snow", will raise awareness of loneliness in the elderly this Christmas.
According to Age UK, 1.4 million older people in the UK are often lonely. B:friend's aim is to reduce loneliness and isolation in the over 65s.
CEO of the charity, Colette Bunker says, "we have about 750 volunteers who pop round to an older neighbours house for a cuppa and a chat to keep them company once a week.
The aim is the create meaningful and long lasting friendships".
The single has been written by Andrew Bradley, 39, who works as a Pre-Development Engineer for Strata Homes in Doncaster. The company chose B:friend as their charity of the year for 2022, and he was keen to put his 20 years of signwriting skills to use.
He said, "As a writer, I'm always looking for ways to be creative about the approach to songwriting and meaningful approaches that create a reaction in people.
Initially the idea was to do a Christmas carol concert which we decided against so we put forward a song and everyone at b:friend charity engaged with that and really enjoyed it".
When asked what the hope for the single was he said, "if we can get about 1000 downloads, we might be able to just about crack into the top 40 which we would class as a massive success, and raise near enough 1000 pounds for the charity as well".
The downloads will be priced at 99p, and Colette Bunker said "of course we need funds to survive as a charity but we're hoping to spread awareness about loneliness and isolation in the elderly particularly at Christmas time".
The single will be available to download from 8 December, but the music video is out now and you can watch this below.
You can find out more about b:friend at letsbfriend.org.uk.
Former Derby County man Darren Moore says he understands the “magnitude” of the club
Darren Moore's Sheffield Wednesday side are looking to break into the top two of League One this weekend as they travel to Pride Park to take on Derby County.
The Owls come into this game in fantastic form, having three straight league wins under their belt. Wednesday also secured a late 2-1 win against Mansfield in last Saturday's FA Cup clash, and will face Newcastle United in the third round.
Wednesday sit one point below promotion, just behind Ipswich Town and league leaders Plymouth Argyle. Their hosts are also enjoying a run of good form, with the Rams unbeaten in their last five league matches.
Manager Darren Moore said: "‘Irrespective of what game or team we play, we are always looking to win the game, it's always that mentality."
Speaking of his familiarity with Derby having played there in his professional career, as well as their manager Paul Warne, the Wednesday boss said: "I understand the magnitude of the club, I know every corner of the club, so I understand the size and task of the job there."
Cory, from the Derby County podcast Rams Review, said: "This is a massive game for Derby. A win would really serve as a catalyst for the next part of the season.
"I'd like to see Jason Knight start in midfield, as well as Tom Barkhuizen. They have both come back from injury and can be a real difference-maker for us."
Moore and Warne have faced each other six times in their managerial careers, with both having three wins and three defeats respectively.
Both Wednesday and Derby are struggling with some injures. For the Rams, Curtis Davies and James Chester are both side-lined, with Erian Cashin, Craig Forsyth and Jake Rooney likely to form the back three.
For the Owls, Moore reported that George Byers is still recovering from injury, but Akin Famewo is now fully recovered and back in the squad.
Kick-off is at 12.30pm tomorrow at the Pride Park Stadium. Highlights will be shown on ITV4 at 10pm.
Has train chaos hit the north the hardest?
It’s 4pm on Tuesday November 29, and there are no more trains from Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield.
I was left with no choice but to travel to Stockport - a station comparably well connected to the rest of the UK, thanks to the conditions in which it was built.
While no Act of Parliament exists to say it is true, every Stockfordian knows that the station was built on the promise that all trains going through must stop, and so it does.
It’s usually a fifty minute, direct journey, one which I, and many other Gen Z’s, require to link university to home.
Even when a scheduled train does turn up, a poll by Sheffield Wire revealed 90% of commuters from Stockport to Sheffield have been forced to stand throughout the 40 minute journey, despite having booked a ticket. This is due to reduced carriages, cancellations and overbooked trains.
While I take this as a given as I clamber into a gap between the loos and the emergency exit, the fumes an eclectic mix of Yorkshire dales and public toilets, I think to myself this can’t be the reality of Northern train services. Or is it?
Lynsey Hansley, a journalist and Northern-convert who has investigated Britain’s transport divide, said: “In Transport terms, the north really is a different country,"
The Government’s “Levelling up in the United Kingdom” report, published in February 2022, revealed 30% of all public transport infrastructure is spent in London alone. That being said, the government has also stated by 2030 the North will have a London-style transport system. However, with months of chaos and cancellations, currently costing the Northern economy £8 million a week, this seems unlikely.
So how does it compare down south?
Today, December 2, between 8am-6pm, there are 50 trains running between Brighton and London, a one hour journey. Comparably, there are 20 trains scheduled from Sheffield to Manchester, over a third of which are cancelled or even worse, rail replacement.
Eva Betts, who commutes to London from Brighton every day, said: “Even though the service is poor, with frequent delays and of course, strikes, it feels like the network and infrastructure is quite broad.
"There are always a lot of trains, and a lot of ways to get to different places - particularly getting into and around London.”
The Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Sioned-Mair Richards, is disappointed. She said: “There is far more spent towards infrastructure in the South than the North, and our links to Manchester have decreased rather than increased over the years. Sheffield has become the forgotten city.”
These sentiments do little to dispel the myths that the HS2 project is little more than a Tory vanity project. One year following The Integrated Rail Plan, the government’s plan for delivering rail investment in the North and Midlands, the Yorkshire mayors have criticised the lack of progress.
Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, highlighted that the Transport for North’s route has been cancelled, re-announced and altered by the government over 60 times since it was first announced in 2014.
Ironically, Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, struggled to attend a long-awaited meeting with the Northern Mayors and Transport Secretary Mark Harper.
Travelling from Leeds to Manchester on Wednesday, 60 trains were cancelled by Transpennine Express alone, with only half the train being sent to ship crowds of people waiting on the platform. This is by no means an anomaly.
In a joint statement, the mayors said: “We’ve made it clear to Mark Harper that he can and must step in and clean up this mess."
An investigation by PA using Office of Rail and Road data found that the majority of trains run by northern operators are delayed, with the Avanti West Coast stated the worst performing rail company for cancellations.
Interestingly, First Group - a £800m company listed on the London Stock Exchange - has a majority stake in both Transpennine and the Avanti West Coast main line. Despite the chaos that has ensued, the government extended Avanti’s contract for another six months in October.
Are politics and profit prevailing train efficiency? Perhaps, but it’s clear that the North won’t stand for it much longer.
Schools in Sheffield achieve national awards for commitment to healthy eating and education
Schools across Sheffield have attained bronze and silver awards as part of a national award scheme promoting nutritious school dinners and health-focused education.
Local schools won their Food For Life award, an initiative put in place by charity The Soil Association to encourage organic, healthy school meals and health-focused education across primary schools in the UK.
Lowedges Junior Academy (pictured) attained a silver award. Bronze awards were achieved by Lowfield Primary, Mansel Primary, Arbourthorne Community Primary , St Theresa's Catholic Primary, Oasis Fir Vale, Phillimore Community Primary and Wybourn Community Primary.
To attain these awards, these schools have had to prove that their school dinners use organic, healthy, locally-sourced ingredients.
It also involved incorporating nutrition-focused education into the curriculum either through gardening, workshops, or school trips.
The awards were achieved as part of ongoing work between local schools and Eat Smart Sheffield, a project commissioned by Sheffield City Council to promote healthy eating among children.
Recently, Eat Smart Sheffield revealed that over 40 schools across Sheffield have enrolled onto the Food For Life programme.
Lisa Aldwin, programme manager of Eat Smart Sheffield, said the project gives advice to schools about how they can prioritise nutrition in their teaching and practice.
Education around healthy habits and living has become a core part of the curriculum for many of the schools involved.
Jo Searle, a teacher at bronze-winning Phillimore Community Primary School in Darnall, said: “Food Education is now firmly part of the school curriculum. As a school we run family cooking days during school holidays which are highly popular.”
Children want to be healthy, they want to help the environment and they want a better future
Chermaine Samphire, trainee teacher
Chermaine Samphire, who is currently on placement with Firth Park Academy, explained how she helped a previous school she trained with to achieve its bronze award.
She said: “The school is making changes that benefit the children and their families through healthy lifestyle changes both in school and in the wider community.
“Children want to be healthy, they want to help the environment and they want a better future - you can see this when talking to the children and seeing them engage with the program.”
In addition to helping schools achieve the Food For Life award, Eat Smart Sheffield also delivers workshops and advice to local schools and parents about eating healthily and child nutrition.
They provide resources, such as a pamphlet about advice to eat on a budget amidst the cost-of-living crisis, and also liaise directly with headteachers about the importance of balanced school dinners.
South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Responds after “Exposure of Prejudice” at London Brigade
South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue is looking at the report revealing discrimination within the London Fire Brigade to see what they can learn from it.
Chris Kirby, Chief Fire Officer of the South Yorkshire Brigade, said that the service has "clear policies in place on bullying, harassment and discrimination" but are looking to improve their policies to further combat these issues in the workplace.
South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue have responded with reassurance for the local community after publication of the report on the culture within London Fire Brigade.
They have criticised the London Brigade, saying "there is absolutely no place for the negative behaviour and attitudes described in the report".
The Independent Culture Review revealed that the Brigade has a problem with racism and struggles with a culture of bullying, even getting so bad as to cause someone to be diagnosed with PTSD.
It also detailed an incident where a black firefighter discovered a noose hung above his locker, and another occasion where a Muslim firefighter had sausages and bacon placed into his coat pockets and then had a terrorist hotline sign placed on his locker.
Minority groups, including women, disabled people and LGBTQ+ members of the team do "less well" in their careers at the London Fire Brigade.
The review was commissioned by the London Fire Brigade after firefighter Jaden Matthew Francois-Esprit took his own life in 2020, reportedly due to racial abuse at work.
Fire commissioner, Andy Roe, says he is taking on the 23 recommendations set out in the report and will test providing staff with body cameras for home fire visits after complaints of misconduct from the public.
Commissioner Roe said: "Anyone accused of discrimination, harassment and bullying will be immediately suspended and dismissed if the accusation is upheld".
Additionally, all complaint cases from the past five years are being reviewed to ensure they were dealt with appropriately.
The report concludes by saying "The exposure of prejudice in the workplace at one of the world’s largest firefighting and rescue organisations should put other brigades on notice" and goes on to imply that other fire brigades likely have similar issues.
The full Culture Review can be found here
Sheffield Reclaim the Night protestors harassed by onlookers during march
Protestors who took part in Sheffield’s Reclaim the Night march said they were harassed during the demonstration on Saturday 26 November.
Several women and non-binary attendees reported men catcalling and confronting them soon after the protest began.
A young student attending the event said, “It was honestly so scary.
“We’d just set off and there were rowdy men shouting at us, wolf-whistling and getting in the way… it explains why we’re doing the march in the first place.”
Reclaim the Night demonstrations take place anually in cities across the UK to protest against sexual harassment and gender-based violence.
Around sixty people joined the march which set off from outside Sheffield Cathedral. It then moved through the Fargate shopping area and along West Street before reaching the University of Sheffield Student Union building.
When protestors were in Fargate, I watched one man stand in the way of protesters and ask why they were marching, before calling them sexist. I heard other onlookers make comments asking women for their social media accounts soon after.
A non-binary person said offensive and misgendering remarks were made towards them during the event.
“At the start, there were people who shouted ‘that’s a man’ at me and some of my other non-binary friends,” they said.
Reclaim the Night protests began in Leeds in 1977 after women were told to stay inside at night whilst the Yorkshire Ripper was at large. He was finally arrested in Sheffield.
One woman said she had been attending Reclaim the Night marches for over 40 years.
“It’s depressing to think that we still have to protest about exactly the same thing,” she said.
“I thought the women handled the harassment from members of the public really well - they used humour, and were careful not to get drawn into any argy-bargy.
“What men fear most is that women will laugh at them, but what women fear most is that men will rape and kill them.”
This year’s march marks the start of the University of Sheffield Student Union’s series of events commemorating the UN's 16 Days of Activism Against Gendered Violence campaign
The union says that Saturday's event aims to commemorate the history of the march, resist violence against women, and reclaim the streets of Sheffield.
Islamophobia Awareness group continues to tackle religious misrepresentation in Sheffield
An exhibition has been raising awareness of "harrowing examples of abuse" suffered by Muslims across South Yorkshire.
The Islamophobia Awareness Exhibition drew to a close at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue's headquarters this week, with a virtual version still available online.
It outlined the contributions of Muslims to British society, aiming to educate members of the public on positive Muslim contributions to society.
The organisation - called Islamophobia Awareness Month - tackles the presence of Islamophobia in today's society, particularly the representation of Muslims through the media, throughout the year.
Leslie Hayhurst, 52, people officer at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said: "It needs to be more about understanding similarities, not differences, to prevent harrowing examples of abuse."
She said SYFR is continuing to train its staff to be aware of hate crime so they know how to recognise and deal with it.
This year's exhibition theme, #tacklingdenial, focuses on the acknowledgement of Islamophobia in society and has seen over 200 events and more councils and organisations publicising the event.
Nahid Roshanali, 28, who is a part of IAM, said: "People don't want to address Islamophobia" and that the exhibition is "encouraging people to become supportive and to create those changes."
Muslims make up 4.4% of UK society but a report by the Centre of Media Monitoring found that over a third of articles reported, misrepresented or generalised Muslim stories.
Now that Islamophobia Awareness month is over, the organisation is still encouraging members of the public to educate themselves through the resources available on their website: https://www.islamophobia-awareness.org/resources/ .
The information packs include information on why Islamophobia awareness matters and how people can get involved.
“The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, or is it?
A mental health charity is campaigning to raise £85,000 in a single week to help those who struggle with their mental health through the festive season.
For many Christmas is traditionally thought to be a time of joy, peace, and goodwill to all men. Yet, for those who suffer with anxiety or depression December can feel the exact opposite.
A study conducted by YouGov found more than two in five British people have felt stressed during the festive season, with one in four dealing with depression and anxiety, and women struggling more than men.
Shout, who have the UK's only text helpline, has launched their latest initiative in a bid to keep "their lifeline" open over holidays.
Last Christmas they helped 14,000 users, many of which had contacted the helpline feeling suicidal. The money raised from the fundraiser is predicted to help 8,500 people in moments of crisis, with conversations which they say could save their life.
Emma Wilson, fundraising manager for Shout, said: "There's lots of young people in particular that don't want to or don't feel comfortable ringing a traditional support line and so the text part is vital. This is new to mental health support in the UK.
"Other services at Christmas reduce their hours, have to close and they can't run a full capacity, but we are there.
Shout have a key word for users in Sheffield to text; "Steel" to 85258.
This allows Shout to see if certain issues are more prevailing in one area than another, or if more children are struggling in that area who can then be referred to local services.
"We know that these feelings don't stop for Christmas. If anything, they're going to be exacerbated," said Ms Wilson.
"The pressure of buying presents and keeping the house warm... there's a lot of people's plates at the moment and we're really there for them."
The fundraiser is matched by the Big Give, which means every pound from donations are doubled, supported by Selfridges and the Monday Charitable Trust.
Ms Wilson, who explained Shout are expecting 20,000 people to use their helpline over that festive period, said: "We also see a peak when kids go back to school in January.
"It's a really bleak time. People worry about all sorts of things over the Christmas period, so that's when we see our highest numbers when people are going back to school or back to work.
"We also tend to see the highest numbers around what's in the news. If the news is really stressful at Christmas, like when Christmas was cancelled three days before in 2020, our numbers massively spiked."
Ms Wilson explained the cost of living crisis directly correlates to an increase in anxiety, depression, low, mood suicide or thoughts.
She said: "We are seeing around 2000 people every single day, and even if people aren't directly messaging about those practical issues in their conversations with us, we tend to find we can link back to them."
"If you feel anxious or low, it's very normal to feel that way. A lot of people feel pressure to try and make Christmas perfect."
Depression and anxiety aren't the only conditions that can be impacted by Christmas.
Francesca Baker, who has experience with an eating disorder, spoke about how the festive season in particular affects her.
"I usually dread Christmas due to anxiety around eating in front of other people due to having severe and enduring anorexia, and trying desperately to recover," she said.
"There's so much pressure to eat certain foods and be jolly about it, and I just can't. It works me up a lot and means I can't enjoy the family time.
"I have certain foods I will eat, and any deviation really stresses me and makes me very worked up. I hate it because I miss out on so much fun."
The most commonly recognised eating disorders are Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder and Anorexia Nervosa.
According to the leading UK eating disorder charity, Beat, around 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder, with women in particular affected by eating disorders:
Sheffield Mind are hosting a Christmas event to help those who are struggling locally to cope with the emotional impact of season.
'Open Minds' will be held on 9 December at The Wellbeing Centre in Sharrow. It is hoped people can come together and share experiences in an informal, social setting.
Margaret Lewis, CEO of Sheffield Mind, said: "We’re keen to speak to our service users, and other users of mental health services, about their experience of getting support; what works, what doesn’t.
"In that way, we can adapt our approaches if necessary. We’ve decided to do this in a fun and friendly way, at a Christmas social.
"Sometimes New Year is busy, family arguments, isolation at Christmas, money worries, drinking too much, there can be lots of reasons why people might seek help in the New Year."
The charity's services begin in 1978, with a group of people who wanted to see changes in the way people with mental health difficulties were treated.
The early aim of the service was to work collaboratively around fundraising and supporting volunteers, to improve community-based services.
If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s mental health, you can contact the following:
-Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, on 0808 801 0677.
-Shout on 85258.
-Sheffield Mind 0808 801 0440.
Inquiry launched after death of five-year-old Rotherham boy
A family have spoken after an inquiry was launched into the death of a five-year-old little boy who was turned away from Rotherham General Hospital due to a lack of available beds.
Yusuf Mahmud Nazir fell ill last month after contracting tonsillitis which spread to his lungs, causing pneumonia.
The youngster's uncle, Zaheer Ahmed, who described his nephew as “a playful and joyful kid who loved dressing up and eating donuts” told Sheffield Wire the family won't rest until they get answers.
He said: "I don't want this to happen to anyone else as his death could have been avoided."
After Yusuf first fell poorly, his family took him to Rotherham General Hospital, but they were told he couldn't be admitted as there wasn't enough doctors or beds.
The little boy was later seen by a GP who prescribed him antibiotics that initially helped, but Yusuf fell ill again a few days later and was taken to Sheffield Children's Hospital, where his condition deteriorated quickly.
He then sadly died five days later, surrounded by his heartbroken family.
Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust requested an internal inquiry, but the family, who have taken legal advise, are demanding a separate third-party private investigation.
Mr Ahmed has had a meeting with the Chief Executive and Chief Nurse of Rotherham General Hospital, who offered their condolences, as well as an apology, and have assured the family they have taken immediate measures.
He said: “They added an extra doctor in the A&E and reduced waiting times in the paediatric department."
MP for Rotherham, Sarah Champion, reached out to the family and has raised the case in parliament.
Mr Ahmed said: “She isn’t taking this matter lightly and is speaking to the Health Secretary and the Prime Minister. She is doing an amazing job."
Yusuf’s parents buried their son in the privacy of close family and the school is now in the process of organising a memorial to celebrate his life.
Student to solo row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic ocean
A University of Sheffield student is attempting to become the first woman of colour to row solo and unsupported across an ocean.
Ananya Prasad is raising money for The Mental Health Foundation and the Deenabandhu Trust raising £50 per mile of ocean.
The event is part of the Talker Whisky Atlantic challenge, held every year in December, and Miss Prasad discussed her main motivations in pursuing this daunting challenge.
She said: "I hope to inspire a lot more women and women of colour to do this and put themselves out there, whether it's in their personal life or sports or their work.
"There have been less than 30 women who have done that at all. And none of them have been women of colour.
Miss Prasad has close ties with one of her chosen charities, the Deenabandhu Trust, which was founded by her uncle in 1992.
She said: "It is a school for children who are from very impoverished backgrounds or orphaned.
"A lot of these children have gone on to become architects or engineers or healthcare professionals.
"Without that, they probably would not have had the opportunity they would have been exposed to a lot of poverty, not many opportunities and exploitation.
"So it's a way to give back to them as well."
Economics undergraduate Miss Prasad isn't averse to a challenge, having scaled multiple mountains in the past.
"We hold ourselves back more than you think. We're capable as humans of a lot more than we think we are.
"You have to work hard for it. But it's just about putting yourself out there."
Miss Prasad is scheduled to race in 2024 and has raised £556 of her £150,000 total in just a few days through her GoFundMe page.
Tree disease leads to “last resort” felling operation
A highly destructive disease which is ravaging large trees has led to a felling operation in a Peak District nature reserve.
Wyming Brook is home to larch and sweet chestnut trees, which are particularly prone to the disease known as Phytophthora ramorum.
It has no cure and so the only solution is to chop down the affected species of tree.
James Hargreaves, from Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust which manages the reserve, said: “It’s unfortunate and felling trees is always a last resort but it has to be done.”
“The disease came from abroad decades ago and is pretty much ravaging large trees across the country.”
As a result of the felling operation Wyming Brook Drive, the main road running through Wyming Brook, and the car park off Redmires Road, will close.
It is unclear if the closures will allow for vehicle access, as is it not definite whether other car parks will remain open.
The operation will be in two phases, the first beginning in January or February and lasting until Spring.
This allows the sections of the reserve closed due to the operation to reopen for spring and summer, with the second phase beginning next September.
Reopening for the spring allows the brook to be open during the time when the number of visitors peaks, as well as minimising the impact on local wildlife, as spring marks the start of bird-nesting season.
Mr Hargreaves said: “We are hoping to facilitate as much normality in the area as possible but there is the possibility that horse and bicycle access will be disrupted."