Terrified Sheffield residents face eviction as rental charity battles to keep the bailiffs at bay
New data showing the "gut-wrenching" effects of the current cost of renting a house in Yorkshire has been echoed by the Sheffield lead of a national charity.
The Sheffield service lead of Shelter said the charity was doing at it could to support households, with 90% more people facing an eviction notice than the same period last year.
Tracey Nathan said: "Every day our frontline advisers are giving vital support to people in gut-wrenching situations - from the mum who’s skipping meals to pay the rent to the family terrified they will be spending Christmas in a grotty homeless hostel.
"At Shelter we are doing all we can to help people keep the bailiffs at bay, but we’ve got our work cut out."
Her comments came as data was released by YouGov and the Office for National Statistics (ONS), highlighting the struggles that many residents, across the Yorkshire and Humber region, are facing.
The problem is not just limited to Sheffield. Across England more than half a million people have received, or been threatened with, an eviction notice in the last month.
Record high rents and soaring living costs mean the fear of becoming homeless is looming large over millions of people stuck living in insecure private rentals.
Polly Neate, chief executive for Shelter, said: "Shelter’s frontline services are working seven days a week to help people weather the storm, but as more people turn to us, we need the public’s support more than ever this winter.”
This crisis comes as people continue to feel the effects of the cost of living crisis and as of October 2022, inflation is at 11.05%, the highest rate in almost 40 years.
This is putting an additional squeeze on renters as they try to stretch their budgets to cover energy bill rises and increasing grocery bills.
Anyone facing homelessness can get free and expert advice through Shelter’s emergency helpline, webchat service and online advice pages. Visit www.shelter.org.uk/get_help to find out more.
Sheffield pub works with Women’s Aid to donate Christmas presents for women and children in refuge centres
A Sheffield pub has launched a Christmas campaign encouraging customers to donate presents to women and families who are escaping violence over the festive period..
In conjunction with Women’s Aid, The Fairway Inn have decorated their 'gift-giving' tree with tags that can be taken by regulars and swapped for presents.
Pub landlady and general manager, Jeanette Levick, 52, of Birley, said: “This is our little gift - Christmas can be a great time of year for most people, but it can make those in refuge feel even more isolated, especially when they have children and pets, but little money to make Christmas special.”
To protect the women and children who are being supported by the charity, the tags, which each represent a person in the refuge, only have the gender and age range of the recipient .
Claire Smith, 35, operations manager, for Marston's who own The Fairway, said: “The lady who we're working with from Women’s Aid has just been so overwhelmed that we’ve even thought about doing this - she didn’t even believe us at first and now can’t thank us enough.”
The gifts will be delivered to the charity at undisclosed location to protect anyone who accesses their services.
Ms Smith said: "I know what it's like to feel alone and it’s just so unfair to think that people are spending Christmas away from family and friends.
“It can be such an isolating time of the year for so many people, especially with the football on which can fuel domestic violence, so we just wanted to give something back.”
The pub isn't new to fundraising and has helped multiple charities from the Andy Man’s Club to Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, which has had its end of life unit for children shut down.
The family-orientated pub encourages their customers to come forward if they feel unsafe and actively run the Ask For Angela initiative, where people can approach bar staff and say the name Angela to get out of scary situations.
Ms Levick said: “We don’t just serve and supply alcohol, I feel like it’s also our responsibility to make sure everyone gets home safe as we are a welcoming space for families, so I hope by running this scheme, we can raise more awareness for women's safety.
“Our customers really do get engaged in everything we do and all our staff have been amazing.”
There are still a few tags left on the tree and staff are urging people to donate gifts of any value before the deadline on 20 December. To donate, visit or contact The Fairway Facebook page.
Iranian students say they have been let down by the University of Sheffield
Leaders at The University Of Sheffield's Persian Society have spoken out about the lack of support given to Iranian students struggling to cope with the ongoing conflict in their home country.
The society has set up its own 'listening ear' service where students can speak to committee members in their native language, Farsi, to ask for advice and support.
Speaking to Sheffield Wire, committee member Kian Eshraghi-Yazdi said he is frustrated that he and his fellow students are forced to plug the gap the University is failing to fill.
"It's not like we are dealing with trivial things, we are dealing with the life and death of our families and our friends in Iran," Kian said.
"It shouldn't fall to student led societies to have this much responsibility when it comes to the mental health of students."
Kian, along with another member of the society who wishes to remain anonymous due to the risk speaking out poses to her family, believes The University do not understand how serious and dangerous the conflict in Iran is for its students.
"The people in our society are at risk. While we're half a world away, it is still not safe for a lot of people here. Our members have friends and family back in Iran and will return their one day."
Leaders of the Persian Society claim they are struggling under the pressure from both their courses as well as trying to support their members who are fearful of what is happening in Iran.
The Student Union at the University of Sheffield said they have responded to the crisis in Iran and are helping those students affected by offering a fast-track support service.
Liam Hand, president of the Student Union, said: "We have worked with our SU Persian Society to facilitate a vigil, and have offered them further support in highlighting the issues surrounding the Iranian protests."
Persian Society leaders challenged the claim the Students Union helped them organise the event, stating that while they granted permission for it to take place, there was no collaboration and feel they are taking credit for their work.
After seeking support from the University, one student said they were only offered a monthly art therapy session.
The Persian Society are hopeful upcoming talks with the Student's Union will help to improve the support available.
Duff wins Manager of the Month ahead of Barnsley’s clash with Oxford
Michael Duff may have won the League One Manager of the Month award for November but acknowledges the work he has to do at Barnsley is far from complete.
Duff said he was pleased to win the award yet warned against complacency ahead of the Tykes’ away game against Oxford United tomorrow.
He said: “It’s always nice to be recognised, but I’m not going to sit back and think ‘right, that’s it, I’ve done it, I’ve cracked it’.”
When asked about the so-called ‘curse’ of Manager of the Month, Duff joked: “We’re not going to bother going to Oxford, we’ll just take a 2-0 defeat and then crack on next week!
“No, I am superstitious, but not that superstitious.”
It comes after Barnsley's good form in the last month, winning five out of six of their last games, which has seen them rise to fourth in the league table.
This included a 2-1 win over promotion rivals Peterborough last Friday.
On Barnsley's success, Duff said: "We started the game on Friday on the front foot and looked like a team that was confident.
"The feeling afterwards in the dressing room was really good, so hopefully they've bottled that up and can carry on into Saturday."
Although he said that Oxford would be a tough game: "They're one of the better teams in the league, the league position doesn't tell you that, but history tells you that."
Oxford are currently fourteenth in the table, having had a poor start to the season. Although they are undefeated in their last seven league games.
Barnsley midfielder Herbie Kane agreed with his manager that Oxford will be a challenge.
He said: "You've got to go in each game with the same mentality and same desire to get the outcome you want."
Barnsley vs Oxford will kick off at 3pm tomorrow at the Kassam Stadium.
The full match can be watched on iFollow, while highlights will be shown on ITV4 at 10pm.
Danny Schofield’s Doncaster looking to bounce back at Newport County after successive defeats
Doncaster Rovers are looking to put their bad form to one side after two League Two defeats on the spin to Colchester United and Walsall.
If they were to put a run together, Danny Schofield's Donny could still push into those League Two playoff spots.
But inconsistent form has been their undoing for most of this campaign with eight wins and eight losses after 20 matches.
Doncaster Rovers youngster Kyle Hurst remains confident his side will still come good.
He said: "Confidence is always high as a team, as staff. Altogether, we remain confident. We show it in training, it's all a part of a process and we know that as players. We've just got to keep doing what we've been doing."
It will be a tough away trip this Saturday regardless of Newport County's current 18th placed spot, with the Welsh side only losing one out of their last six League Two matches.
Newport are also managed by ex-Sheffield Wednesday player Graham Coughlan and former Doncaster player Aaron Lewis has become a stalwart in the Newport line-up amassing 60 appearances for The Exiles.
Schofield assessed his side's chances, hoping the passionate Donny away support can spur his underperforming Rovers side on.
He said: "We always want the fans to be a big part of what we're doing. We really appreciate the supporters, particularly at home but certainly away on a day like Saturday with England playing."
The long away journey down to Wales will impact many Doncaster fans watching England's World Cup Quarter Final match versus France on Saturday evening.
With other matches up and down the Football League being moved to avoid clashes with the National Team, Newport County insisted the match would still kick-off at 3pm.
Even with Schofield and Hurst remaining positive, the Doncaster fanbase remain unhappy with the fall of their side.
Jack Jones, a keen Donny fan, said: "I'm not confident at all going into this weekend. It all points to a Rovers defeat again. Danny Schofield has got his work cut out."
Kick-off is at 3pm tomorrow at the Rodney Parade Stadium. Highlights will be shown on ITV4 at 10pm.
Queer feminist Sheffield bookstore to host sex education book club
An independent bookstore in Sheffield will be hosting a book club to raise money for charity and provide a safe space to discuss sex.
Juno Books will launch the scheme in January as a space for people who may have questions about their bodies or feel unable to speak about topics like sex that may otherwise be considered taboo.
The book club is fundraising for Fumble, a registered charity which provides free sex education resources to young people.
Kerry Miller, a sex education researcher and the book club organiser, said: “People that I didn’t really know that well would send me really personal stories about contraception they’d been on, stuff that didn’t work and problems they’d had and it was kind of alarming.
“There clearly wasn’t a space where people felt like they could talk about those things.”
According to January 2022 poll statistics from Sex Education Forum, 28% of young people had not been educated on how to recognise a heathy relationship and 46% stated they had learned nothing about sexual pleasure.
Kerry said: “My generation didn’t really have sex ed and I think it’s not massively better now, but I had this feeling that a lot of us had missed out when we were at school.
“I thought a book club was a good way to do it because people don’t have to come to a space and talk about something they may not be very comfortable with, they have the book to hide behind as a starting point.”
A poll run by Fumble revealed 79% of young people admitted to not knowing what kind of online sex education content was reliable and safe.
This statistic, alongside others regarding exposure to explicit content and lack of privacy, resulted in Fumble creating a manifesto which included building “a happy, healthy place online for sex education.”
Juno Books, on Chapel Walk, is a queer and feminist community bookshop which aims to provide a platform for the voices of people who may not otherwise be heard.
Sarah Scales, joint owner, said: “There are people who have missed the opportunity for sex education at school who are in their twenties or thirties or older who want to talk about it in a safe and friendly environment and we’re hoping we can provide that.”
The book Sex Ed: A Guide for Adults by Ruby Rare, a sex educator and body-positivity advocate, will be the first discussed by the club.
Kerry said she picked the book because it is very informative while being engaging and easy to understand with illustrations throughout.
She said: "It's really body and sex positive and very inclusive so it felt like a perfect starting point for what I want the club to be."
The first book club meeting is set to take place on 8 January 2023 and is priced at £15, which includes a copy of the book, access to the group and a £2 donation to Fumble.
Snowbi Wan Kenobi or Snowbody’s Perfect? Council announce names for new gritters
From Snowbody's Perfect to Licence to Chill, the winners of Barnsley Council's gritter-naming competition have been announced.
The local authority launched the contest in October for school children across the area to name their 12 new gritters which have been commissioned in time for the Christmas period.
Doncaster Council held a similar competition in 2017 to name two of their snow clearing vehicles with the winning entries announced as David Plowie and Gritsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Anti-Slip Machiney.
Cllr James Higginbottom, Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment and Highways, said: “We’ve had lots of creative gritter names put forward in our competition making it really difficult to pick just 12.
“I look forward to seeing our newly named gritters out about this winter keeping Barnsley’s roads moving.”
Over 200 entries were made for the competition, and the winning names are:
- Barnsleigh - The Ellis C of E Primary School and Cawthorne C of E Primary School
- Buzz Iceclear - Holy Rood Catholic Primary School and Trinity Academy St Edward's
- Can I Grit it? I Cannon 'all - Cawthorne C of E Primary School
- Hagrit - Jump Primary School
- Licence to Chill - Shafton Primary School
- Monk Grit-on - Athersley South Primary School
- Sir David Scattenborough - Holy Rood Catholic Primary School
- Sir Steve Ploughton - Jump Primary School
- Snowbi-Wan Kenobi - Springvale Primary School
- Snowbody's Perfect - Queens Road Academy
- Snowy McSnowplough - Gooseacre Primary School
- The Grittest Snowman - Springvale Primary School
The winners will be awarded with a prize from the gritter's supplier Schmitt and have the opportunity to sit inside one of the new vehicles.
Student volunteer launches fundraising campaign to raise visibility of Sheffield’s homeless
A student has started a crowdfunder to raise money for the only homeless charity open on Sundays in Sheffield.
The ‘Keep Sundays Warm’ initiative was launched on behalf of The Sunday Centre, which is a charity offering weekend refuge to those struggling with homelessness.
Campaign lead and charity volunteer, Elena Baeza Ruso, 20, of Crookes, said: “I didn’t just start this campaign to raise money.
“I want people to start seeing that homeless people aren't invisible - they’re human too.”
After moving to the UK from Spain to study, Ms Baeza Ruso started to worry about the homeless people on the streets over winter as she struggled to adapt to the weather.
She said: “When I walk outside, I’m freezing even with a coat on.
“So just thinking about all those people with nowhere to go is really horrible.”
Ms Baeza Ruso first approached The Sunday Centre as part of a university project, but after meeting those running the charity, she soon started volunteering with them in her free time.
She said: “I approached a lot of charities and got turned away for being a student.
“But volunteering at The Sunday Centre isn’t just something I have to do for university - I choose to do it because I love being here.”
Despite there being lots of charities offering shelter across the city, The Sunday Centre is the only homeless project open to those struggling on a weekend by offering food, clothes and company.
Volunteer and trustee of The Sunday Centre, Steve Clark, 66, of Rotherham, said: “Sundays can be brilliant days that you can spend having a meal in a warm home with family and friends.
“But if you have none of those things then Sunday can be a dangerous day where people go hungry or turn to substance abuse.”
Having volunteered for over 25 years with the centre, Mr Clark believes under-resourcing and lack of volunteers could be partially to blame for places being closed to homeless people over the weekend.
He said: “It’s great when people can volunteer but not everyone has that free time.
“That’s partly what makes Elena’s initiative so wonderful - she’s speaking on behalf of people who don’t otherwise have a voice and makes others give a bit more thought to those on the streets.”
Ms Baeza Ruso and those involved in her campaign were hoping to raise £600 in donations, which can fund the charity opening for one Sunday and goes towards food costs.
But the group has already exceeded its target, which has been increased to £700, and has organised clothing drop-offs in the city centre to make sure people don’t go cold.
Ms Baeza Ruso said: “£600 isn’t enough to end homelessness and that’s not what I’m trying to do.
“But everyone deserves to eat and feel like they belong.”
To donate visit The Sunday Centre website and the Keep Sundays Warm GoFundMe here
Barnsley choir “thrilled” to be named one of the best in the world
A choir from Barnsley with songs ranging from pop and gospel has been ranked as number one in the UK and fifth-best globally.
Barnsley Youth Choir (BYC) has achieved the stellar rankings in the Pop, Jazz, Gospel, Spiritual & Barbershop Choir category of the Interkultur rankings, beating hundreds of other groups.
Artistic director and founder Mat Wright MBE said: “We're clearly thrilled to be named as the top ranked choir from Great Britain.
“We would like to pay tribute to all singers that have taken part in ranking competitions since 2014, to volunteers, supporters and everyone that has contributed to this success.”
The choir prides itself on its inclusivity and has over 400 singers from ages four to 24 and serves a community where one in four children grow up in poverty.
Barnsley councillor Robert Frost, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, said: “This recognition is nothing more than the members deserve for their efforts and talent and, of course, the volunteers, without whom this would not be possible.
“A huge congratulations to everyone involved and to those who have supported the choir over the last seven years where these ranking points have been accumulated.”
The choir has enjoyed incredible levels of success since forming in 2009 and has raised over £10,000 for Barnsley Hospice after releasing a charity single.
This achievement comes as Cllr Frost confirmed Barnsley has submitted a bid to the government for Levelling Up funding to develop a new Northern Academy of Vocal Excellence (NAVE).
He said: “We want Barnsley to be the place of possibilities."
Cllr Frost added: “The NAVE would be a permanent home to BYC and engage with other national and international partners and organisations to provide a centre of excellence for singing in the North of England.
“It will support the local community and provide outstanding development opportunities nationally.”
If any young person up to the age of 24 is interested in joining the Barnsley Youth Choir, go to barnsleyyouthchoir.org.uk for more information.
Sheffield community creates Bounty-filled Celebrations tub for heartbroken six-year-old boy
A Sheffield mum has filled a Celebrations tub with Bountys to surprise her son who was devastated after it was announced the chocolates were going to be scrapped.
Katie Hutton, 41, said her six-year-old son, Alex, sobbed when he heard the coconut treats were being removed as part of a trial in the run-up to Christmas.
She took to social media to ask locals if they had any of the coconut-flavoured treats that they did not want and was staggered by the number of generous offers.
“My initial plan was to say that Santa had made him a special box, but the response has been so heartwarming that it would be nicer to tell him how lots of people came together to give him their Bounties,” Mrs Hutton said.
“Everyone’s generosity is the magical spirit of Christmas itself.”
The mum-of-one has amassed over 75 of the chocolates from across Nether Edge this week, and wanted to celebrate the community’s kindness as part of the Christmas surprise for her son.
Mrs Hutton, an architect, said: “I was taken aback by the response, it was really heartwarming.
“I did offer to pay for them, or swap them for other chocolates, but so far everybody has insisted on leaving them out on their doorstep in a little bag for me to collect.”
Confectionery giant Mars Wrigley announced last month “No Bounty” Celebrations tubs would be available from select Tesco stores between 8 November and 18 December.
According to a survey by the company, as many as 39 percent of Brits are in favour of the controversial chocolate being axed for good.
The trial follows the company’s “Bounty return scheme” in 2021, during which the public could return and swap them for the popular Maltesers chocolates.
Online sellers have been cashing in on the announcement, with bundles of 150 of the coconut chocolates appearing on Ebay for over £20.
Mrs Hutton explained Alex will not have any competition when he opens his present on Christmas Day, as the rest of the family are Bounty haters.
She said: “Both my husband and myself really don’t like them.
“Before we had Alex, I used to take all the Bounties out and give them to a friend at work. It used to annoy us that they were in the way.”
“Nobody was in touch”: Stannington residents left with no gas and no information
Hundreds of homes in North Sheffield are still without heating or cooking facilities since a water main burst destroying a gas line last Friday.
At one stage 2,000 homes had been affected, and a week on many residents are still without gas, with some saying they haven't had any communication from their Gas supplier.
Resident Renee Long, aged 40, only received updates because she had a friend who worked for the gas board.
She said: "Nobody was in touch. If I hadn't known this lady we wouldn't have been given any information".
Ms Long and her family were forced to move out of their property into an Air BnB as the cold was affecting their ten-year-old son's health.
Cadent Gas has said it will provide £65 compensation for every 24 hours that residents have had to spend without gas but Ms Long says this doesn't come close to covering the cost of her temporary accommodation.
Authorities say they are working around the clock to resolve the issue. So far they have drained 600,000 litres of water and have 15 water tankers on the job.
Once the water has been fully cleared, gas can be returned to the approximately 500 homes which are still cut off.
Residents reported water leaking from gas meters, hobs, boilers and fires all of which will need to be cleaned and tested by a professional before they can be safely used again.
Cadent Gas says it is working closely with Northern Power Grid to make sure electricity is stable and extra support in the form of hot plates and heated blankets are available for those in need.
Sheffield City Council has declared the situation a 'major incident' which has also coincided with temperatures in Sheffield dropping below zero degrees.
Spokesperson for Cadent Gas, Stephanie Van Rosse, said: "We are looking after the most vulnerable customers, if they need any extra help we are there to help them."
More updates to come.
“He held my bank cards and driving licence”: a victim of abuse speaks out
“He held my bank cards and driving licence.
"He constantly overspent and took huge risks, so we were unable to make repayments on loans or the mortgage. I constantly worried about money."
Rachel, whose name we have changed, shared her experience of domestic abuse just as the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign begins.
She said: "I didn’t have any control over what we spent money on. I was under constant pressure to work; I’d say 60-70 hours each week for years."
"I worked right up until my son’s birth and started again the day after I left hospital, I didn’t have a choice.”
The conversation around abuse towards women and girls is being revisited in Sheffield as charities across the city hold events and share resources during the campaign.
The United Nations-led event, which runs annually from November 25 to December 10, is aiming to amplify the voices of survivors, activists and charities this year by focusing on femicide and domestic abuse.
Office for National Statistics data shows a 7.7% increase in police-recorded domestic abuse-related crimes in England and Wales.
This suggests higher reporting of abuse by victims, although women, especially in minority groups, still tend not to do so.
Janet Goodison, head of operations for Sheffield Women's Aid, said: "Women from minority communities might struggle more in reaching out for support."
According to a 2022 report from Femicide Census, on average, one woman is killed every three days by a man in the UK. But abuse is not always about physical violence and can often be really hard to spot with 69% of reports being classified as non-physical.
Michaela Suckling, the lead for the St Matthews's Parish Nursing Project, a local charity participating in the campaign, said: "Abuse can be very subtle — it's all about power and control over another person.
"At the extreme end of financial abuse, I've known men send their girlfriends out as prostitutes to fund their drug habits."
Domestic abuse, exacerbated during Covid lockdowns as victims could not access healthcare services easily, can have devastating effects not only on victims but also children.
Ms Suckling added: "A lot of women feel guilty and ashamed like they're to blame, or even if the children will be removed from their care."
If you suffer from abuse, or know someone who does, contact the national helpline on 0808 2000 247.