Golf a main ‘driver’ in sport economy reveals Sheffield Hallam report
Golf is bringing in billions of pounds to the UK economy, according to a study that ‘surprised’ Sheffield Hallam University researchers.
The report, funded by the R&A, one of golf’s governing bodies, set out to find how much golf would contribute to the economy if it had its own account and measured the change between 2014 and 2019.
It revealed that consumer spending on golf rose by 20% over five years to £5.1bn.
Professor Simon Shibli, one of the researchers involved in the report, said: “What surprised me is that golf, a single sport, accounts for 10% of consumer expenditure on sport.
“So here you’ve got one sport, out of over 100 recognised sports, contributing quite a sizeable proportion of the overall sports industry.”
As well as measuring golf’s economic effects, the report also investigated the sport’s social impact.
The report found it contributed £1.04bn in ‘social value’, including the improved mental wellbeing of players.
But not all are convinced by the findings. James Glover, general manager of Hallamshire Golf Club, said the rise is down to ‘golf tourism’ at the country’s biggest courses, with more local clubs being less affected.
He said: “If you looked at most golf clubs, most of them don’t run a huge, if any, profit, most are just covering their expenses.
“I don’t dispute the figures, but I think if you were really looking at it, you would see there’s perhaps a regionalised bias for where that increase is coming. I’m not sure we’re seeing a huge amount of that in Sheffield.”
While acknowledging the massive role of golf tourism, Prof Shibli said the evidence goes against the elitist image of the sport and suggests grassroots growth.
He said: “Certainly it’s easy to stereotype golfers as middle-aged businesspeople or accountants indulging in their hobby.
“But the reality is, if 17% of the population of Scotland are playing, it is a sport of the people. It’s probably a more democratic sport than it’s given credit for.”
Prof Shibli also pointed out there was a clear public interest in the report, as it also found that golf raised £1.3bn in tax money in 2019.
He said: “What goes into golf from public sources is measured in the low millions, and yet it’s generating over a billion in revenue.
“So the more money you put into golf, the more you encourage it, the more the government will get back.”
More on the report can be found here.
“A place for the living as much as the dead”: The volunteer conservation group revitalising Wardsend cemetery
A long-term conservation project is underway at Wardsend cemetery to clean up the long neglected site and uncover Sheffield’s forgotten history.
The Friends of Wardsend, a local volunteer group, aim to make it a place for heritage, nature, performance and remembrance. They meet on the first Saturday of the month to clean the graves, litter pick, and generally maintain the site.
Howard Bayley, of Friends of Wardsend, said: "It’s important to conserve this place for the memory of the people that are buried. But also we wanted to create a space for the living as much as the dead.”
The cemetery was opened in 1857 as an expanded burial ground for St Philip’s Church after its own churchyard became overcrowded.
The cemetery was in use until a final burial took place in 1977. It was officially closed in 1988.
Hugh Waterhouse, local historian and a member of the group, has plotted individual graves in the cemetery since a large number of them are unmarked. The group then worked to create a burial list which was then made available to the public.
Howard says the project has been challenging due to the long neglect of the cemetery which he believes is down to lack of funding in the north of Sheffield.
“There will be lots of graves that we struggle to find because they're either very overgrown or there are no markers anywhere. So it would be a bit of a rough guess. But yes, we’re very proud of what we’ve done over the last year or so.”
The burial list has meant that relatives have been able to learn where their ancestors are buried, and Friends of Wardsend have been in contact with people internationally, including Australia and Canada.
Beverly McDonnell, a 60-year-old Sheffield woman, had her relatives’ grave located by the group.
She said felt “emotional” seeing it for the first time.
“I never knew them. They’re my mum’s grandparents. But I’m so pleased to have finally found it at last.”
Beverly is not the only success story.
87-year-old Anne Diver volunteers with the group to maintain the cemetery and her family’s graves were also uncovered with the help of the burial list.
“It was weird that there wasn’t a stone. It was just a bare piece. I don’t know whether it was knocked down or moved because of overcrowding,” she said. “But there was nobody there to protest about it.”
Anne has a total of 24 relatives in 5 different graves at the cemetery.
“I remember coming here as a little girl and my mother standing over our family grave, just crying."
Friends of Wardsend hope that, in the future, the area will be fully-accessible for everyone wanting to experience the natural beauty of heritage park.
You can find out more about their mission here on their blog and get involved on their Facebook page. You can also make a donation to their work here.
Ukrainian refugee living in Sheffield appeals for family to sponsor stranded niece
A Ukrainian refugee living in Sheffield has desperately appealed for a family to sponsor her niece who is trapped in the war-torn country.
Nataliia Holovina, a school teacher who left for the UK last July, said she wanted her niece, Vlada Yakubiv, to be protected.
She said: “It will be good for her parents because their daughter will be safe. This is the most important thing.”
The 18-year old’s parents - a primary school teacher and a factory worker - have both lost their jobs, and current rules in Ukraine mean adult males cannot leave the country.
Ms Holovina said: “It is very difficult for them to leave without any income after they lost their jobs.
“My niece told me - I want to help my parents.”
Ms Holovina's niece, Vlada Yakubiv, who is a trained hairdresser and has completed eyebrow beauty courses, would like to find work to support herself and her family while in the UK.
Ms Yakubiv originally lived in the city of Mykolaiv in the south of Ukraine, but had to flee with her family to live in a small house with Ms Holovina's daughter and grandson due to Russian bombing.
Ms Holovina said life in the country was very hard at the moment, and that she still suffers with anxiety at the sound of planes even when in the UK.
She said: “I decided to come here because every day this brings military planes over the roof of my house. It was so terrible. When I arrived here, I was afraid of the sounds of planes for four months.
“My youngest daughter is 26 and lives in Kiev. Two months ago a Russian rocket was intercepted near the house and all the windows were broken.”
The 47-year old said she is feeling better now thanks to being sponsored.
She chose her sponsor family because of her background working with children, and feels they've helped her greatly.
Ms Holovina said: “This is an amazing family. They always support me and help me in everything.”
The UK government statistics show that, as of 28 February 2023, there have been 883 visa applications made under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship scheme in Sheffield.
Ms Holovina said her niece is worried that she won’t be able to find a sponsor, and that she is concerned that those who were willing to have a Ukrainian guest have already done so.
Anyone who would like to help or view Ms Yakubiv’s original post should visit the Facebook page here.
Sheffield Street Trees Inquiry finds ‘Thousands of healthy and much-loved trees were lost’
Thousands of healthy trees in Sheffield were chopped down unnecessarily, according to an inquiry released today which also accused the City Council of lacking transparency and misleading the public.
The felling took place between 2016 and 2018 and led to daily angry confrontations between protesters and contractors in some of Sheffield's leafiest middle-class suburbs.
A number of people were arrested during the long-running dispute including two pensioners and a middle-aged woman who was arrested for blowing a toy trumpet.
Head of the inquiry, Sir Mark Lowcock, who presented his findings in a live report on the council's website, said: “Thousands of healthy and much-loved trees were lost, many more could have been.
"Sheffield’s reputation was damaged, public trust and confidence in the council was undermined and it has not been fully rebuilt. People on all sides suffered anxiety, stress injuries, wider physical and mental health problems and other harms which some continue to carry.”
Sheffield City Council acknowledged it got several things wrong in the handling of the street trees dispute and have reiterated their apologies.
It said: "We have taken huge steps already to ensure past mistakes are not repeated and we hope the release of this report will further help us to learn lessons as we move forward from the dispute"
The controversial decisions stemmed from a £2.2 billion contract which Sheffield City Council signed with infrastructure services contractor, Amey, in 2009 to resurface pothole-ridden roads and maintain roadside trees over a 25 year period.
The plan was to cut down dead, diseased, dying and dangerous trees but many healthy trees were also destroyed in the process.
The report said the public mood at the time was against the Council and protestors were met with a heavy police presence.
Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Sir Lowcock has made several recommendations regarding reconciliation and future risks but said: "Identifying a lesson is not the same as learning it".
Photos take by Paul Selby
Short dance film ‘Chinese Laundry’ wins best in category at the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival
A short dance film displaying the exceptional story of a British Chinese immigrant in South Yorkshire has won the ‘Made in Sheffield’ category during this weekend’s Sheffield Adventure Film Festival (ShAFF).
Produced and acted by Tala Lee-Turton, 'Chinese Laundry' is based on her experience growing up in a Chinese takeaway shop in Barnsley.
Tala, on making the film, said: “It's something that I always thought about, but never really thought of starting until I got a commission opportunity which I applied for and surprisingly won.”
The film's background takes place in the Peak District which is said to reflect the "cyclical banality and frustration experienced from within the daily grind of the dry cleaners, contrasting with aspirations to feel freely Chinese and British."
Tala highlighted the importance of her three-person crew who shot the film in one day, with director Patricia Zhou receiving a special mention,
Of Ms Zhou, Tala said: “She was someone that had experience in front of and behind the camera. She was able to translate my vision, which wasn't necessarily as polished or as clear as it could have been, into something that was actually executable."
The film was screened last Friday at the Showcase Cinema and has received high praise for its unique voice.
Paul Hodgson, ShAFF's music judge, according to the festival's website, said: " [The film is] both a wonderful modern dance film, and an affecting immigration story."
ShAFF is renowned for representing immigrant experiences with an aim of displaying the city’s diversity.
In the 2021 census, figures showed that Sheffield’s non-white British population increased by 6.3%, and that now 25% of the city (141,825 of the population) comes from a non-white British background.
The film is available to watch here.
Northern leaders discuss fixing South Yorkshire’s broken transport systems
The state of South Yorkshire's broken transport network has been a topic of discussion this week as leaders from across the North discuss how to transform public transport.
Mayor Oliver Coppard convened a Transport Summit on 1 March to discuss the future of the region's public transport and bring together experts in the field to help fix the system that has seen thousands of train cancellations.
He said: "My vision is for public transport as a public service, the clue is in the title; trains, buses, bike lanes that create and sustain our communities rather than being at the mercy of officials in London or shareholders in Dubai.
"Getting there won’t be cheap, and it won’t be easy. But if we want to meet the government’s own ambition of a ‘London style public transport system’ by 2030 then we will need the same level of power, money and control over our public transport network as they already have down there."
Trains in South Yorkshire are frequently being cancelled with one of the area's main train lines, TransPennine Express, on track to cancel 23,000 services this year.
Speaking on the TransPennine Express train cancellations, Tracy Brabin, the mayor of West Yorkshire, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “The first four weeks of this year, over 1700 scheduled services, during that four week period were cancelled.
"If things don’t improve, by the end of the year, 23,000 services will have been cancelled. This is totally unacceptable, and ministers must get a grip.”
We asked members of the public in Sheffield what they thought of the state of the rail service in the North.
This comes as the annual Transport for the North conference will be held today (6 March) in Newcastle.
The conference will bring Northern leaders together to discuss how the lack of investment in transport infrastructure is preventing its success.
North of Tyne Mayor, Jamie Driscoll, said: “I’m alarmed at how bad our transport system has got. Kids can’t get to school. I’ve heard of businesses not opening because staff can’t get to work. The North deserves better.
“Until we get a public transport system that’s as fast as a car, that’s affordable, reliable and where everyone feels safe travelling day or night, we’ll never get the economic lift off we need or tackle the climate emergency.
"With the newly agreed devolved powers on transport, we have a once in a generation opportunity to fix this.”
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard is unable to attend the conference due to a clash in his schedule.
He has confirmed that while he could not be at Transport for the North, he instead attended a SYMCA board meeting at which "huge sums of funding for active travel" have been agreed.
In his Twitter statement, he said: "As rail fares go up by the largest increase in a decade, scores of passengers stand on platforms across the North, stranded and let down by cancelled or delayed trains.
"I know my fellow Northern Mayors will make it clear that the current state of transport across our regions can’t continue. The system is broken - it’s holding back the well-being of our communities and the growth of our economies."
Sheffield Wednesday fan launches successful football fitness app in wake of rare cancer diagnosis
A passionate Sheffield Wednesday fan has launched a successful football fitness app after a rare cancer diagnosis encouraged him to become more active.
Lee Brown, a mental health community leader from Sheffield, created this new app to try and get football fans out and about after beginning to embrace the outdoors.
The app, called the 'Virtual 92', allows fans to use their daily exercise - whether that be walking, running or cycling - to tick off all 92 grounds on a virtual map up and down the country.
He said: "The positive outlook I had on my cancer battle and doing the fundraising got me into walking.
"It showed the benefits of physical and mental health of exercise. That's where I got the idea from."
Mr Brown was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Gist back in 2016 which left him with a tumour the size of a football in his stomach.
Even in spite of constant chemotherapy and multiple surgeries, his positivity remained thanks to a new-found love of walking and the outdoors.
It has even led to Lee raising £20,000 for Gist Cancer UK alongside raising an extra £100,000 for other local causes.
Through getting outdoors and being involved in fundraising after his cancer diagnosis, Mr Brown found a new lease of life.
He said: "I wasn't a walker, I was a footballer. I had played football since I was eight-years-old at different levels and coached in America and Australia so I was an active person.
"I wasn't into the actual walking though. That came about when I was struggling with my mental health. I got a love for it then and found virtual challenges."
You can complete the over 2000 mile journey to check the grounds off whenever you want, something that keen runner and football fan David Bayley is attempting.
Running over 300 marathons in total, the 50 year old event organiser has found a new fun motivation using the Virtual 92 app.
He said: “I took up running in 2005 and was hooked instantly going on to run 355 marathons, including all 50 states, ten marathons in ten days on six occasions and 100 mile ultra events on four occasions.
"Having completed all my goals, I was struggling for motivation. The Virtual 92 has kept me motivated and kept me going out.”
Tim O’Hare, an associate professor at University of Plymouth, has also taken up the virtual 92 challenge with exercise positively impacting his life.
He said: “Running, walking and football are central parts of my life and it is hard to imagine life without them.
"Starting running in 2013 was the beginning of a long journey to self-discovery and since then I have been able to cope better with setbacks and stressful times.”
The app isn’t just geared towards marathon runners however, Lee Brown stressed that the app is inclusive and aims to get anyone out and about.
Working with Run End to End, who boast daring challenges such as a run, walk or cycle from Lands End to John O’Groat’s, a community of football and exercise fans have taken to Virtual92 with open arms.
To learn more about the Virtual 92 app, visit their website: https://virtual92.com/
Police appeal for information after CCTV is released in connection to attempted robbery
South Yorkshire Police have released CCTV footage of an attempted robbery that took place in Doncaster on February 15.
The incident took place at Home Bargains on Centurion Retail Park, Centurion Way, just before 2.40am.
South Yorkshire Police said in a statement: "A delivery driver arrived at the store and began to unload stock before being approached and threatened by a man on a bike who asked for the contents of the trailer to be handed over.
"Nothing was taken and the man made off."
The police have made a number of enquiries since the incident was reported and are now appealing to the public to identify the man in the CCTV.
Anyone with information should call 101, quoting incident number 89 of 15 February 2023. Alternatively, South Yorkshire Police can be contacted on their website via the LiveChat or through the online portal.
If you would prefer to stay anonymous, you can contact Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111 or by completing their online form.
Sheffield Theatre’s beloved “Freddie” statue has been taken down
A statue of a Roman God which sits atop Sheffield's Lyceum Theatre has been taken down to be assessed for structural damage.
The statue was found to be rusting in a recent condition report and was taken down at around 9am this morning.
John Bates, Operations Director of Sheffield Theatres, said: "We are very fond of Freddie as he is a key visual of the building which we all know so well.
"We're glad we are able to action the results of the report to keep our building in utmost condition, whilst honouring an icon of our city's famous skyline."
'Freddie'', who is based on the Roman God Mercury, has crowned the theatre since its creation by Wendy Wall in 1990.
The current statue is a 12ft replica of the figure which stood on top of the theatre in the 19th century.
David Heugh, Chairman of the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre trust, added: "Having looked out at this wonderful vantage point overlooking the city for so many years we are delighted to give 'Freddie' the care and consideration such an iconic statue deserves."
It is expected the statue will return to its home at the top of the theatre when a full assessment of its condition has taken place.
New Yorkshire charity supporting female talent launched for International Women’s Day
A new Yorkshire-based charity focused on ‘leading and inspiring female talent’ launched this weekend.
LIFT hosted their International Women’s Day launch event in Stocksbridge Library on Saturday 4 March.
Co-founders Chloe Wallace and Lynsey Rowe created the community interest charity after realising they had a mutual desire to create change.
Ms Rowe said: “It’s come about from chance conversations we’ve had about us both wanting to do something but not knowing how or who with.”
International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating women which is held on 8 March each year.
The day acts as a call to action to accelerate and improve on female equality in the workplace, sport and everyday life.
As Ms Wallace introduced the charity and explained why it was launching, it was clear why they had chosen to use International Women’s Day as a starting point.
Citing statistics from the Home Office, she said: “There is an epidemic of violence against women and girls.
“Men make up 98% of world leaders, 75% of high court judges and 61% of lower court judges. 67% of UK MP’s and 87.5% of police and crime commissioners are men.
“Equality doesn’t exist for women. Equity doesn’t exist for women.”
The conference hosted several female speakers who gave talks on topics regarding women’s issues and female empowerment.
Kay Degans R.N. spoke on female sexual health myths, creating an open dialogue about STI testing and female pleasure for people who may otherwise feel uncomfortable speaking about it.
Gemma Rose, a sex worker and activist, gave a seminar on why it is important to support strippers and provided a platform for women to ask any questions they had about sex work in a space free from judgement.
Chloe Wallace also gave talks on female success in the workplace and victim blaming.
A series of workshops were held as part of the event with the aim of teaching women who want to learn new skills but don’t know how to get started.
These included an aromatherapy workshop hosted by Fulham Ketch Fitness and a sugarcraft workshop with Hatfield Woodhouse Sugarcraft Group.
Ms Wallace said: “LIFT exists to provide women with opportunities that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.’
The LIFT conference will become an annual event to provide a learning platform and allow women to speak out about issues that are important to them.
Tickets to the launch event were £22 and it was sponsored by Fulham Ketch Fitness, OneSource HR, TA Creative and McGilveray’s Restaurant Bar.
City Council budget unanimously approved despite initial failure
A unanimous decision was reached at City Council’s 2023/24 budget meeting despite an initial
failure to approve proposed amendments.
Wednesday’s meeting echoed a shared sentiment of continued budgetary pressures caused by a lack
of central government funding.
Cllr Terry Fox, the leader of the council, said: “Let’s not kid ourselves, every one of us has had to
make hard decisions, and compromises, to get ourselves into this position.
“We’ve never stood back from backing our communities and backing our local residents.”
This comes after the recent controversial increase of council tax to 4.99% - the legal limit
without having to trigger a referendum - and tight savings plans meant to boost a hole in
reserves created since last year.
In part, these pressures characterised the rest of the debate as all four parties failed to pass
any of the initial amendments.
Praise was given at the start of most of the councillors’ speeches, but it soon
became a contest of blame-shifting, with Labour and the Liberal Democrats in particular
going back and forth throughout the meeting.
Cllr Bryan Lodge spared no time in criticising both the Greens, with their tax-heavy approach to
parking and late-night levies, and the Liberal Democrats’ austerity-ridden policies.
He said: “The Green’s amendment seems to be a tax-everyone budget - it’s almost like the happy
police, they’re taxing everything.”
Cllr Lodge also addressed Cllr Shaffaq Mohammed’s comments on trade unions as a 'sacred cow that
has never been touched'.
These comments were followed by targeting Labour’s decision to include reserves as a part of last
year’s budget while leaving smaller businesses to suffer the consequences.
Cllr Mohammed said: “Last year was quite a shocking place to be. The fact that you set budgets using
reserves - that is how you go bust.
“The problem with this council is that it keeps looking backwards. Times have changed, and this
council needs to change and unfortunately, the labour party has to be dragged, kicking and
screaming.”
Cllr Jayne Dunn, who spoke in direct response to Cllr Mohammed’s comments, said: “We need our
doctors, we need our teachers, we need our nurses to have more money in their pockets, so they
use the small businesses.
“Businesses don’t fail overnight; they have been chipped away over 13 years and you have got blood
on your hands there.”
The decision was finally reached after the meeting was paused and the parties agreed to a 5th
amendment designed to incorporate the strengths of all its predecessors.
Morning Briefing – Stories to come throughout the day
Inquiry from ex-UN chief into Sheffield tree felling project set to be released today
An independent inquiry into the Sheffield Street Trees dispute led by former UN humanitarian chief, Sir Mark Lowcock, is set to be released at 10:30am today.
A livestreamed press release by Sheffield City Council will follow shortly afterwards.
The report will investigate the controversial tree-felling programme which in Sheffield which has been ongoing since 2012.
Northern Mayors set to hold meeting about rail cancellations
Mayors in the North of England are hosting a summit to discuss the TransPennine Express (TEP) cancellations after about a quarter of services have been cancelled so far in 2023.
More than 20,000 trains are set to be cancelled.
This comes after rail fares in England and Wales were increased by an average of 5.9% on Sunday.
Sheffield City Council's plans to improve transport, cycling, and walking in Neepsend met with controversy
The Connecting Sheffield: Neepsend-Kelham-City Centre scheme aims to improve pedestrian and cycle paths, making for an attractive and vibrant area.
An opposing campaign has emerged in the local area, naming the road scheme 'rediculous'.