Nether Edge Farmers’ Market raised thousands on 25th anniversary
Nether Edge's quarter-yearly farmers' market is estimated to have raised around £2,600 for charity as it commemorates its 25 year anniversary on Glen Road.
The market held yesterday (26 March) celebrated the area's flurry of independent businesses who each paid a fee to sell their products on individual stalls.
The stall-fee goes to Nether Edge Neighbourhood Group (NENG), who donates the proceeds to two local charities.
The last market donated half of the proceeeds to Sheffield Young Carers, which supports young carers and young people affected by drug and alcohol issues in their family. The rest went to Ben's Centre, a shelter providing food and warmth for people who suffer from substance abuse.
"It's always people charities. It's always about the people," said Marion Gerson, a volunteer for NENG.
Ms Gerson, who oversees stall-holder applications, described the team as "part of the glue for the community".
"It's quite hard work but I do it because I enjoy it," she added.
This year, Sheffield businesses Beanies Wholefoods, Coocoo C'est Moi, Buttons Attic, JAM Artworks, and Autumn Harvest Mushrooms were among the many that made an appearance.
Ms Gerson said the day was really important for stall-holders, who usually perform well at the event as one of the best of its kind in the city.
Rebecca Wainwright, owner of Buttons Attic, also praised the market.
She said: "It's always such a great event, a busy bustling market with wonderful shoppers and fellow stalls, I love it when my little shoppers are wearing my makes too - it makes my weekend."
According to the Farmers’ Market Planning Group, the market began in March 2008 as a way of "putting Nether Edge on the map." They hoped it would become a place for people to "meet, greet, and eat" alongside upholding the ethos of "thinking globally, acting locally."
"It's just a feeling of belonging. It's actually one of the few things I find that has a sense of neighbourhood to it," Ms Gerson said.
The market has been scaled down since the pandemic, meaning stall-holders have more space and less competition and tend to do well as a result.
The market has raised over £90,000 over the years, with this year's final total yet be confirmed.
The next farmers' market will take place on 18 June.
Call for public bus ownership by protesters outside South Yorkshire Mayor’s office
By Ella Harget-Dash and Tobias Gavelle
Protesters held a rally outside South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority offices last week, calling for buses to be brought back under public control.
Last Tuesday's rally was the first of many planned by the Better Buses for South Yorkshire campaign, who are urging the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to take control of South Yorkshire's buses to improve reliability and frequency.
Matthew Topham, a campaigner for Better Buses for South Yorkshire, said: "One of the biggest issues we hear from passengers around the region is that buses just do not turn up when you need them, or when you want them."
Around 40 to 50 protesters attended the event, holding signs with slogans such as 'give us our buses back', 'Just let buses turn up on time' and 'work for us, not for profit'.
Green Party council candidate for Ecclesall ward, Peter Gilbert, spoke at the event, telling protesters we will never have a leading transport system until we regulate our buses.
Mr Gilbert said: "The big focus of the Better Buses for South Yorkshire campaign is to put pressure on the South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard, to carry on with the work he says he's been doing about getting the buses into public control."
Mayor Coppard was elected last year and has already capped bus and tram fares in South Yorkshire at £2 per single fare.
Mayor Coppard said: "I completely understand and agree with the protesters that the public transport system in South Yorkshire is fundamentally broken.
"Right now, private sector bus companies that largely run our network can decide where to run buses, when to run buses, and how much they charge for those buses. I don't think that's right"
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority are currently undergoing a franchise assessment process, which is the legal process that must be taken before buses can be taken into public control.
Northern lights seen over Sheffield last Friday
A local resident in Sheffield has uploaded a video showing the Northern Lights display seen last Friday, 24 March, with many other sightings being recorded across the UK.
Harry Lyons, 28, a recent Physics PhD graduate, had been surprised to find the Northern lights, known as Aurora Borealis, so far from their usual artic hangout when it appeared in North England last week.
He said: "Photographing the Aurora has always been on my bucket list but I always assumed I would need a trip to Iceland."
Mr Lyons described the event as taking place throughout most of the night, but peaking during the period from midnight to 2:00am on Friday morning.
The hobbyist astrophotographer thanked aurorawatchuk for tweeting a red alert warning for an aurora sighting being likely. On discovering this, Mr Lyons set up his camera in the hopes of catching the display.
However, he claimed he would not have been able to see the wonder without the help of his equipment.
Mr Lyons added: "With my eyes I could see a very faint glow in the green areas, but nowhere near what the camera could pick up.
"Being able to do it from home was very exciting. Seeing some of the colours and pillars of light show up on the camera was quite magical, for sure."
Other sightings of the northern lights have taken place across the UK, with shots taken on the Yorkshire coasts, for example. There have even been glimpses of the aurora as far south as Hampshire.
As for poor visibility, Mr Lyons claimed the light pollution in Sheffield left much still to be seen, as the steel city lights blocked out the night sky.
Mr Lyons said: "You would stand a much better chance at a dark sky sight in Scotland, Wales, Norfolk, or Northumbria, where your view to the North is as dark as possible and your eyes can really adjust to dim light.
"North England is unfortunately one of the most spread-out, light-polluted spots on the planet."
“Everyone deserves to see themselves as the hero”: Kid-lit author of non-binary children’s book coming to Sheffield
A bookstore in Sheffield is hosting a reading event with an author who has written a children’s book about being non-binary.
Juno books, a queer feminist bookstore in the city centre, will be hosting L D Lapinski to read from her new book on 16 April. She will also be signing copies on the day.
Lapinski is the author of JAMIE, a book which follows an 11-year-old non-binary child who finds out their secondary school is separated into one school for boys and another for girls.
She said: “Everyone deserves to see themselves as the hero, but everyone also deserves to see people who aren’t themselves being the hero as well."
Growing up, LD Lapinski said all of the heroes in the books she was reading were white, middle-class, cis-gender and heterosexual. They all lived in London or Oxford and there was little representation for people she could relate to.
She added: “But now we have such a wonderful variety of characters and settings and authors in Children’s literature. It really is a golden age of kid-lit. I think it’s wonderful that kids can see not only themselves but their friends taking centre stage.”
This comes amidst an ongoing discussion about the inclusion of LGBTQ+ issues in school sexual education programmes.
In Prime Minister’s Questions on 8 March, Miriam Cates, said: “Graphic lessons on oral sex, how to choke your partner safely and 72 genders—this is what passes for relationships and sex education in British schools.
“Children are being subjected to lessons that are age-inappropriate, extreme, sexualising and inaccurate. This is not a victory for equality; it is a catastrophe for childhood.”
The statement's link between gender identity, LGBTQ+ teaching and sexual behaviour has caused groups such as Humanists UK to worry that the upcoming urgent review of government sex education guidance may target LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
Humanists UK Education Policy Researcher Dr Ruth Wareham said: "We are seriously concerned that this review is designed to row back on LGBT-inclusive relationships and sex education rather than tackle very real problems like harmful and inaccurate faith-based teaching on sex and relationships."
Sheffield Hallam MP Olivia Blake sponsors motion to celebrate Dolly Parton song anniversary
A motion to celebrate the anniversary of a hit Dolly Parton song has been sponsored by the MP for Sheffield Hallam, Olivia Blake.
Parton's 'I will always love you' is celebrating its 50th anniversary at Dollywood, and MP Olivia Blake has sponsored an early day motion (EDM) to recognise the occasion.
Ms Blake, who was one of the first six signatures on the EDM, said: "Dolly Parton is an icon. I know her music holds a special place in a lot of people’s hearts but the impact she has had goes beyond music, funding lifesaving Covid vaccines and helping inspire a whole generation of young people to love reading.
"I am proud to join MPs in marking this special anniversary."
Dolly Parton has previously worked to make an impact in Yorkshire, as in 2007 she began to send books to 13,000 children in Rotherham as part of a wider reading initiative for children.
The Imagination Library was founded in 1995 to provide children with a book each month until their fifth birthday and has sent 604,963 books to UK children since its conception.
The project ended in Rotherham in 2019 due to the council withdrawing its financial support.
The early day motion was tabled by Jim Shannon, the Democratic Unionist Party MP for Strangford, who noted "the sentiment behind this song and what it means to so many."
The motion went on to state the MP for Strangford's wife was included in the many who it means something to.
The motion has since gained 38 MP's signatures.
While the motion has been well recieved by some, not everyone has taken it in a positive way stating there are bigger issues in the UK that need attention.
Sheffield man pleads not guilty to ‘acid murder’
A Sheffield man has pleaded not guilty to murder after a victim was found shot and drenched in acid in Wigan.
Michael Hillier, 39, of Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, appeared in Manchester Crown Court today (27 March) following the death of Liam Smith, 38, of Kilburn Drive, Wigan, in November last year.
Rachel Fulstow, 37, of Andrew Drive, York, also appeared in court charged with perverting the course of justice.
Mr Smith's body was found on his own driveway in Wigan on 24 November last year.
The family of Mr Smith, who has two children, aged 11 and 15, said: "Two young boys will now have to spend the rest of their lives without their adoring father, and the rest of our family will be forever haunted by this senseless act."
They added, he was a: "Dearly loved, Son, Brother, Uncle, Cousin, Grandson and Friend."
Mr Hillier has been held in custody since his arrest.
The trial is set to begin on July 10 and is estimated to last three weeks.
Both Mr Hillier and Ms Fulstow will be appearing in court via a video link as the trial continues.
Sheffield’s Reverend and the Makers release new single at revived city centre pub
Popular Sheffield band Reverend and the Makers have released a new single, 'A Letter to my 21 Year Old Self', in an exhibition at the recently re-opened city centre pub Fagan's.
The exhibition, which took place last Thursday, saw the walls of the Irish pub adorned with letters from famous friends associated to lead singer John McClure, writing to their past selves. The exhibition saw letters from Jeremy Corbyn, Mel C and Steel City artist Pete McKee.
John McClure's own letter, which makes up the song's lyrics, saw him wrestle with what others think of him - 'Don't concern yourself with what anyone thinks, maybe be kinder to yourself and know your worth.'
Jeremy Corbyn's own letter states that his younger self should never allow 'hatred to spread unchallenged' with Mel C commenting on fame being a 'beast.'
'A Letter to my 21 Year Old Self' touches on themes of looking back at the past and reassuring a younger version of yourself that things will be ok, a subject matter that Mr McClure said left him 'crying' during the songwriting process.
He said: "Well, I've got a pal who I write all my songs with, called Danny. We go to football together, he's a Sheffield Wednesday lad.
"We're doing this tune together one day, he goes 'Why don't you do a tune where you're talking to yourself when you're 21?' Me, I'm a lyricist. I just need concepts, I was writing like mad. It's the first time I've ever written a song that I'm crying whilst writing it."
Reverend and the Makers broke onto the scene in 2007 with top 10 UK single 'Heavyweight Champion of the World', catapulting the Steel City band to stardom.
Now, 16 years on from their debut album release, the band are still tasting success - selling out Sheffield Academy earlier this year.
For McClure, who lived with Arctic Monkeys frontman and fellow Sheffielder Alex Turner during the band's early days, Sheffield continues to be a place of inspiration so late in his career, and a place where he feels comfortable despite his fame.
He added: "Well, I'm just me. I've only ever left Sheffield to live anywhere else twice.
"If I was too famous, I'd be an absolute monster. I've enjoyed being mid-table all my life! In Sheffield, I've got a vibe. People like Richard Hawley, they've lived in Sheffield all their lives and been successful here. As my Mum used to say, there's something in the water. I'm looking at them and thinking: 'Well, you can be here and be successful, be artistic. Why can't I?'"
Fans of the band flocked to Fagan's for this single release, with some even saying they had McClure round their house a few nights before for an impromptu acoustic performance.
One fan said: "He performed in our garden, had his guitar with him. To be fair, he forgot his microphone!
"I said: 'Don't worry John, I've got a karaoke machine upstairs!'"
This single release at the famous city centre pub coincides with the new Reverend and the Makers album release next month on 28 April. The album is titled 'Heatwave In The Cold North.'
The album will see Reverend and the Makers play Neighbourhood Weekender Festival in Warrington in May alongside a late summer date at Kendal Calling Festival in July.
With some artists losing their way towards the end of their career's in terms of creativity, John McClure is very much still in his stride, even with six albums under his belt.
He said: "I'm in a purple patch. I'm hungry, hungry like the wolf!
"Something's clicked in my life and let's hope it continues!"
Sheffield campaign groups will protest today against new migration laws
Sheffield campaign groups are holding a protest this evening against the Government's new Illegal Migration Bill.
Activists from Stand up to Racism and Take the Knee will gather in front of the Town Hall at 5.30pm to challenge the bill, which will be read in Parliament today.
The Illegal Migration Bill means anyone who comes to the UK illegally will be unable to claim asylum, access modern slavery protections, or stay in the country.
Yasmin Plews, co-founder of Take the Knee, said: "It is important to challenge these laws, as they are being put through parliament without informing the nation as to how they will plunge thousands of vulnerable people who have escaped war and torture into danger and in some cases, death."
The government has already found itself in hot water following its announcement of the controversial Migration and Economic Development Partnership, in which Britain agreed a deal to send tens of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Ms Plews said that, if passed, the new bill would mean that refugees seeking asylum will have the internationally recognised human right to travel safely to Britain taken away from them.
She added: "It has already caused far right groups to harass and bully refugees staying in horrible conditions in hotels across the country."
Groups such as Stand up to Racism and Care4Calais are pushing for a Safe Passage amendment, which would create a visa for safe travel for refugees who have viable asylum claims.
They believe such an amendment would stop people from getting into small boats and risking their lives, get rid of people smugglers’ profits, and keep the UK compliant with its international obligations.
Ms Plews said: "This bill is further proof that this government wants to whip up racist division to scapegoat refugees and immigrants."
Stand up to Racism has also organised another protest this evening in Parliament Square, London, and campaigners across the UK are hoping to spread their messages that refugees are welcome in the UK and that the Government's policies do not represent them.
Police issue plea for dashcam footage of reported shooting of teenager
South Yorkshire Police have issued a fresh plea for drivers and cyclists to check their dashcam footage after a 15-year-old boy was shot earlier this month.
Officers were called to Teynham Road in the Shirecliffe area of Sheffield at 7.13pm on Wednesday 8 March following reports of a shooting.
A 15-year-old boy was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg, and was discharged later in March.
Detective Inspector Chris Ronayne from the Armed Crime Team said: “Incidents such as this quite rightly cause concern within our communities and over the last three weeks we have been working hard to understand the circumstances surrounding the shooting."
As the investigation continues, officers have asked drivers and cyclists who may have been in the area at the time to check their dashcam footage for any potential evidence.
DI Ronayne said: “As part of this, we are reiterating our appeal to motorists who may have been travelling through the local area around the time of the shooting.
“If you were travelling on Herries Road between Norwood Avenue and Teynham Road, or Penrith Road and Longley Avenue West, between 7-7.30pm on Wednesday 8 March I’d urge you to check your dashcam footage to see if you have captured anything that might be useful to our investigation.”
Any footage should be submitted to enquiries@southyorks.pnn.police.uk, quoting incident number 886 of 8 March 2023, or by contacting the police via the live chat portal.
Homeless charity The Sunday Centre appeals for donations amid mounting cost of living crisis
A homeless shelter in Sheffield has appealed for donations after the cost of living crisis is continuing to put a strain on the rising need for its services.
The Sunday Shelter, who operate out of Victoria Hall Methodist Church in the city centre, are the only service available in the city to the homeless and vulnerable on a Sunday.
Volunteer Lucy Fox, 27, of Sheffield, said: “Since the cost of living, we’ve seen a huge rise in people coming to us for basic needs with average guests rising from 60 to 110 every week. The guests are coming to us in worse condition including soiled and no clothing.
“But with the increased demand has come increased costs from food to rent. We’ve really had to double down and make sacrifices to keep the service running, so this fundraiser is a lifeline.”
The fundraiser has been set up by Liz Grasso in conjunction with the Aviva Community Fund. The charity is aiming to raise £4,000 by 27 April which will be matched by Aviva.
The donations raised will go towards buying food for meals, clothes and essential toiletries. The organisation also accepts direct donations via its Paypal account or through clothing, but these must be practical like warm coats.
Ms Fox added: “I started volunteering as a student and never left because it’s such a wonderful community and I’ve got so much out of the project.
“If everyone could just donate what they can - even if it’s just £1 - it’ll really help us to reach our target and continue to make a difference to those that need us in the city. If someone leaves us feeling that little bit better then it’s a success.”
The crowdfunder comes after a report from Shelter has revealed the highest rise in homelessness in ten years, with the organisation criticising the Chancellor for his lack of support for struggling families.
In the last ten years, homelessness has increased by 74% with almost 100,000 households only living in temporary accommodation.
Despite this, the recent Budget has been criticised for freezing the housing benefit at 2020 levels and ignoring the crisis of rough sleeping.
Chief Executive of Shelter, Polly Neate, said: “The Chancellor could have put an end to homelessness, but instead he’s stuck his head in the sand.
“A massive growth in homelessness is surely not the type of growth the government wants, so why is it ignoring the crisis?”
Despite there being a number of homeless charities across Sheffield, The Sunday Centre is a key resource to people on a weekend by offering a warm and safe space for people to have a hot meal, pick up fresh toiletries and have access to clean clothes including underwear, but has had to start the fundraising campaign to secure its future.
This is especially necessary as the charity runs on donations from the public and community grants, but can’t keep relying on successful applications especially as the competition for funding has grown.
Ms Fox said: “Homelessness is not an issue that only runs Monday to Friday from 9 to 5, so when most services are closed on a Sunday, it can have a devastating effect on those left hungry and on the streets.
“Sunday can be a long day to go without any food.”
The Sunday Centre also stresses the importance of putting its guests first to ensure they don't feel judged.
To do this, the charity doesn't force anyone to engage in a service, and it’s fine for people to simply eat their meal and leave if they prefer. They also don’t require guests to fill out a registration form, so everything is kept private with no questions asked.
Ms Fox said: “A lot of our guests aren’t used to having choices in their lives. So even just having us here on a Sunday where they can pick what flavour tea they want and how many sugars gives them some control in their lives when they don’t always have that option.
“The people we meet are all so lovely and it’s really important that they’re comfortable when visiting us and can come and go without any pressure. Just because someone is on the streets doesn’t mean they should be treated in a demeaning way - they’re people too.”
To donate to the Aviva fundraiser visit the link here
To find out about other ways to donate visit The Sunday Centre website here
To volunteer or learn more about the support offered by the charity contact them here
City centre park to open in time for Easter holidays
Pound's Park is set to open in Sheffield City Centre in time for the Easter school holidays.
The playground, which includes two large pyramid towers, will open on 3 April.
Named after Sheffield’s first Chief Fire Officer, Superintendent John Charles Pound, the park is located on the former fire station site between Rockingham Street, Wellington Street and Carver Street.
Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Co-Chair of Sheffield City Council's Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, said: “This is such an important asset to the city centre and, although there is still some work to be completed over the coming weeks, we are really keen to see Sheffield’s community start to benefit from it right away.
"The Council is investing in truly unique and high-quality public spaces across the city centre, bringing The Outdoor City ethos right into the heart of Sheffield. Pound’s Park builds on the success of the Peace Gardens, the Grey-to-Green scheme in Castlegate and the work now beginning on Fargate. We are reinventing what city centres of the future can be."
Part of Heart of the City, the £480m regeneration scheme led by Sheffield City Council and their Strategic Development Partner Queensberry, Pound’s Park is flanked by a number of evolving Heart of the City construction sites
The tallest of the pyramid towers stands at 11 metres, with the playground also containing stainless steel slides, climbing structures, playhouses, a seesaw, wheelchair-accessible play equipment and more.
Cllr Iqbal said: "“Creating these spaces is not only about giving people free and attractive places to enjoy and relax in, it helps reduce vehicle congestion and emissions in the city centre, as well as creating an attractive environment that will see us attract new residents, businesses and retail and leisure brands into the city centre – driving more footfall and helping the city centre thrive for decades to come.”
Whilst most of the park will open in early April, some utilities and facilities are due to be completed later in the month.
The power and water connectivity for the new accessible public toilets and water play features will come later, but the Council has made, meanwhile, arrangements for evening lighting and CCTV.
Once the park is fully complete there will be a dedicated ceremony to formally name the new space Pound’s Park.
Sheffield City Council unveils pandemic memorial alongside moving COVID-19 tributes
A memorial the shape of a willow tree was unveiled next to Sheffield City Hall on Thursday, built in honour of those who died over the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who attended paid emotional tributes to key workers and loved ones.
Leader of Sheffield City Council Terry Fox and the Lord Mayor were among those tying embroidered ribbons to the steel willow tree in its opening ceremony.
Lord Mayor Sioned-Mair Richards said: “Sheffield was remarkable. We’ve been badly bruised by losing so many of our relations and friends, but we have come through.”
Sabia Rehman, a Muslim chaplain and bereavement support worker, was one of the speakers at the ceremony. As part of her role, she helped family members say goodbye to loved ones in hospital over the phone.
She said: “I remember leaving that room and going off into the staff room. We cried and we cried, because what we felt for the families I cannot explain.”
Craig Allsop, 35, from Gleadless, was invited to be on the selection panel for the memorial’s design after losing his mother to COVID-19.
He said: “As many people will tell you who have suffered loss, the need to give back and help others can be overwhelming.
“I hope it will be seen as much more than a monument to lives lost, but also as hope for the future, and an appreciation for all those who kept the city and country moving.”
The memorial was designed by architect George King. Stainless steel branches twist together into a central trunk to symbolise the community’s strength, and the canopy forms a sheltered space for people to walk through and leave tributes.
Mr King said although time has passed since the height of the pandemic, there is still a need to reflect.
He said: “I think everyone’s instinct is to try and block it out, and pretend it never happened. I find myself doing that as well.
“There’s a lot of people who can’t move on from it, and that’s why it's important that there’s a space like this; they can come to remember and to live through other people’s experiences through the messages on the ribbons.”
The statue’s unveiling coincided with the third anniversary of our first lockdown, and the National Day of Reflection. The remembrance day was advocated for by palliative care charity Marie Curie to encourage the nation to reflect on pandemic death.
The Lord Mayor dedicated her ribbon to the city’s key workers, while Coun Terry Fox tied his in memory of the late Labour councillor Pat Midgley, who died at the start of the pandemic.
He said: “It was really emotional. Seeing my words honouring Pat written out really hit me."
“This is a wonderful sculpture, made of stainless steel, by a firm in Sheffield. What could be better than being here to reflect on how the city came together in those really hard times?”
The statue comes as part of the council’s wider strategy to memorialise the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, grants of £2000 were made available for community groups and local organisations to hold their own remembrance activities.
The council also partnered with Compassionate Sheffield and local social enterprise Opus to hold an exhibition showcasing how people across the city experienced the pandemic.
Mr King said the willow tree has space for around 300 embroidered ribbons to be tied to it and could accommodate other themes of remembrance in future.