Murdered woman’s stalking allegation leads to disciplinary action against police officers
Two police officers have been served with misconduct notices over stalking allegations made by a woman against a man from Sheffield several months before she was killed. Keen horse rider Gracie Spinks was found in a field near Staveley Road, Duckmanton, Derbyshire, at around 8.40am on June 18. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said a police sergeant and constable have been served with misconduct notices concerning how the investigation into how a stalking and harassment allegation was handled. The 23-year-old victim is thought to have been killed by 35-year-old Michael Sellars, who she had reported to Derbyshire Police in February for stalking. The IOPC said three other Derbyshire Police officers could face misconduct proceedings over the steps they took after a bag of weapons, including a hammer, an axe and some knives, was discovered in May near where Ms Spinks was later found dead. A police sergeant has been served with a gross misconduct notice relating to the action taken over the stash of weapons, and two other constables have been served with misconduct notices. Ms Spinks was last seen alive by her mother at 7.30am on June 18, leaving the family home in Chesterfield to drive a few miles to Blue Lodge Farm stables in Duckmanton, where she kept her horse. She was discovered unconscious with stab wounds at the stables half an hour later. The body of unemployed Sellers, who was her former supervisor at a warehouse where she once worked, was found in a nearby field off Tom Lane a few hours later. Toby Perkins, Labour MP for Chesterfield, previously called for stalking victims to be the “law’s upmost priority” following Ms Spinks’s death. IOPC regional director Derrick Campbell said: “We have made good progress, but our investigation is ongoing and there is more work still to do. “After consideration of evidence so far, we have reached a stage where we have now served disciplinary notices on five officers. “The purpose of such notices is to advise officers their conduct is subject to investigation, and do not necessarily mean that disciplinary proceedings will follow. “The serving of notices will be kept under review. “We aren’t able to provide more detail at present, but we appreciate the impact Gracie’s death has had on the local community and beyond and the importance of keeping people updated with our investigation’s progress. “We are keeping Gracie’s family informed and we note the work they have undertaken with others to campaign for Gracie’s Law to help better protect victims of stalking.”
New Cancer Charity CEO “incredibly honoured” by appointment
Weston Park Cancer Charity have appointed Emma Clarke as their new CEO after six months in an interim role. The previous CEO, Sam Dixon, led the charity for seven years before leaving in May 2021. Emma Clarke, who originally joined the charity in 2019 as director of services and grant-giving, brings a wealth of experience to the role. Ms. Clarke said: “I am looking forward to leading the charity and our amazing team to make sure that the one in two people diagnosed with cancer benefit from leading research, the best treatment and compassionate care. “Until this is achieved, we will not stop, because that’s what the people of this region deserve.” David Whitney, Chair of Weston Park Cancer said: “Emma is passionate about the work of our charity and will bring her inspiring leadership qualities to this key role, as we continue to strive to make a real difference to the lives of people facing cancer and their families.” Weston Park Cancer Support is located on Northumberland Road, a short walk from Weston Park Cancer Centre. It is home to the charity’s face-to-face services and reopened in September 2021. It provides complementary therapies for people currently undergoing cancer treatment alongside offering patients emotional support. In 2021 alone, Emma was responsible for the launch of the new Chesterfield transport service – which provides free, safe travel between the University of Derby’s St Helena Campus in Chesterfield, and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, for anyone undergoing cancer treatment. For further information visit https://www.westonpark.org.uk/
Community shop in Heeley nominated for BikeBiz Award
A Sheffield community bike shop, A Different Gear, has been nominated for the BikeBiz Independent Award 2021. The BikeBiz Awards recognise various businesses in the cycling industry and are sponsored by Tannus Tyres. As a brick and mortar bike retailer with three or less stores, A Different Gear qualified for the Independent Bike Dealer Award. The shop is owned by the Heeley Trust, so any of the profits earned by the store are used to regenerate old buildings in the community. Other projects under the trust include Heeley People's Park, Big Boulder & Heeley Festival, Heeley Institute, Sheffield Online, Meersbrook Hall, Sum Studios, and Sheffield Media Productions. Tori Gray, the shop manager, said: "I am excited that we've been recognised for our hard work and dedication. It was a new experience for us as we rebranded in 2020 and with COVID affecting us the way that it did." The bike shop started providing services to its customers in 1998, under their original name 'Recycled Bikes'. At the time, it was a workshop which provided support with bike projects and second-hand parts. In 2020, it was rebranded to A Different Gear and expanded into providing accessories and reconditioned bikes.
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- Cargo Bikes are one of the top sellers for A Different Gear. Source: A Different Gear
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- E-Cargo Bikes available for hire for rides around Sheffield. Source: A Different Gear
“We lost our complete front line” – Reaction to a fresh injury blow for the Steelers
Sheffield Steelers star Brendan Connolly was placed on the EIHL official injury reserve list on Thursday morning - adding to the club's growing list of injured players. David Simms, the media officer for the Steelers, described Brendan Connolly's absence as a major blow for the team. "It feels right now that we’re getting jabbed at every corner. Before Brendan went down, we lost our complete front line: Marc O. Valarand, Tanner Eberle, and Robert Dowd, "When you lose a player not only of his ability, but of his presence, his leadership… it’s always a big blow. He’s one of the core, key characters in our group… he's our Roy Keane, if you like." Despite losing multiple players to injury, Simms remains hopeful for the future of the team and season: "When one door shuts, another one opens, "Brendan got his first chance playing pro hockey because somebody retired or somebody got injured. One of our former players, a Swedish lad called Andreas Valdix, came and helped us out over the weekend in the Continental cup and he’ll play for us again this weekend,"
Simms said: "If he has a great weekend, he may well be the Connolly replacement." Steelers fans everywhere will be hoping that Valdix puts in a performance tomorrow night when they play Nottingham Panthers.🍊🏒 Forward @VallyTown15 added to the Steelers IR list as Andreas Valdix extends his stay at the club
More HERE: https://t.co/SDTvB2EKZN#BleedOrange — Sheffield Steelers | #BleedOrange (@steelershockey) November 25, 2021
Foodhall Sheffield surpasses £2000 fundraising target to regain music licence
Foodhall Sheffield have surpassed their fundraising goal of £2000, needed to regain their music licence, after hosting 6 weeks of fundraisers. Their total currently stands at £2150 and now they can host late night events again. Foodhall is a social eating space, community kitchen and DIY arts and events space. They tackle food waste, food insecurity and social isolation. The community at Foodhall is a safe space for LGBT+ people, people of colour, workers and unemployed people, migrants and refugees. Emmott Baddeley, a Foodhall volunteer said: “We've raised £1650 via our online Crowdfunder, plus £500 in cash from our fundraising event hosted last week which means we've now smashed through our target. However, we don't want to stop there, as every little bit donated goes right back into our work of building space for communities.” Their fundraising events included music from local DJs around Sheffield and selling food cooked and baked by their volunteers. Emmott added: “Our funding has taken a severe hit so now that we're set up to continue our late-night events, the longevity of our project is looking much more well secured!” Being able to pay for their music license means that they can continue social justice work across Sheffield. As well as surpassing the target, Foodhall have seen a significant increase in volunteer applications and more volunteers doing shifts in the new location. Emmott continued: ‘We hosted our first party which had to end early. But was so lovely. The atmosphere was amazing, everyone was so happy and relaxed’. Tomorrow, the 27 November, Foodhall are hosting Pickle Fest hosted by Megija Anna Cekule as a launch party for their secured funding. You can attend Foodhall’s events which are advertised on their Facebook and Twitter pages and donate via their Crowdfunding page.
Sheffield women to reclaim the night this Saturday
Women in Sheffield will march through the city this Saturday, to show solidarity with victims of violence against women. Tomorrow at 6pm the people of Sheffield have been invited to gather at the cathedral and march through the city to take a stand against gender based violence. Hannah Budd, 20, the University of Sheffield women's officer outlined why this year has been overwhelming for women. She said: “we want to express some of the anger that a lot of women have been feeling this year, after seeing so many murders in the news and seeing the horrific statistics about how much domestic abuse has increased throughout the pandemic." For the Sheffield student community, the issue of spiking has been on everyone’s mind and is motivating members of the student body to march. The women’s officer encourages those who have been spiked to not be silenced and to report the incidents. The Students Union are also working to deliver consent workshops for men. The Reclaim the Night movement started in Leeds in 1977, to protest the Ripper killings and the curfew that was placed on women in response. Miss Budd stressed the importance of taking to the streets after lockdown last year stopped women from marching. The women’s rights advocate hopes that the march will provide a safe space for women to express their emotions. She said “there will be an outpouring of emotion, a space to be angry, to grieve and to show support and solidarity.” The march falls on the third day of the UN’s 16 days against gendered violence and another vigil for victims of violence against women and girls will be held on Sunday 5th December on Devonshire Green. All women, and all those who feel ‘woman’ applies to them in some way are welcome, alongside their dependents or carers.
Paul Heckingbottom: What to expect from Sheffield United’s new manager
New Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has vowed to breathe new life into a Blades side languishing in the bottom half of the Championship table. Previously in charge of the club’s Under-23s side, 44-year-old Heckingbottom has been promoted to the top job to replace the outgoing Slaviša Jokanović, who was sacked yesterday after less than six months in the role. Speaking at a Bramall Lane press conference yesterday afternoon, Heckingbottom said: “I know the players and I really think that this season can be an exciting one regardless of the start, regardless of where we are right now.” An academy graduate at Manchester United as a player, Heckingbottom also made 46 appearances for the Blades’ bitter city rivals Sheffield Wednesday between 2004 and 2006. Following Chris Wilder’s departure as manager in March last year, Heckingbottom assumed caretaker charge of United for the final stage of the Premier League season. He only managed to oversee three victories in eleven matches, however. The former Hibernian, Leeds and Barnsley boss has announced that he will persevere with a back three formation as he attempts to turn the Blades’ season around. He said: “There will be variations, whether 3-5-2, 3-4-3 depends on the game but want to try and build on that. I want to get the most out of this squad.”
James Ray, a contributor for Football League website 72.co.uk, is unconvinced about the Heckingbottom hiring. He said: “I think it’s strange. When he was at Hibs and Leeds he didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, he was unable to succeed. It sounds like he’s a popular bloke and he’s a well-liked person, but it seems like an odd appointment.” Heckingbottom has unveiled an approach built around hard work and collective application, with an onus on everybody coming together to achieve success. His era as manager of the club will begin with a visit from Bristol City to Bramall Lane on Sunday, with both sides locked together on 23 points in the Championship table. Blades fans will be hoping to enjoy a ‘managerial bounce’ under Heckingbottom’s administration. "Sunday's game & this season is most important. We have to go and attack it,” said Sheffield United’s new manager.Thanks for all the messages of support and well wishes. Looking forward to a packed Bramall Lane on Sunday, we have work to do 🔴 pic.twitter.com/WTBqfNXo6a
— Paul Heckingbottom (@pheckingbottom) November 25, 2021
JustEat drivers to protest “outrageous” pay cuts
Delivery drivers for a company called Stuart Delivery, who deliver for JustEat, are protesting outside Sheffield Town Hall this weekend over 25% pay cuts. Couriers from the third-party company are protesting their pay being slashed from £4.50 to £3.40 on most deliveries under a new payment structure that will also require couriers to cover their own vehicle costs. Driver for Stuart, Bahador Roshan said: “We work all our lives to push our lives to the next level and get better. It is not just losing money, it is losing hope for the future, it is like a nightmare for us.” The protestors are calling for a minimum pay of £6 plus mileage per delivery and paid waiting times after ten minutes. On Sunday drivers will form a motorcade leaving Queen Street at 11am and arrive at Sheffield Town Hall at 12 noon. Mr Roshan said: “We just want to be able to run our lives. When we talked to Stuart they said they want to keep our business going. This is what it is, we keep our fists on your neck to keep our business and we don’t care about you.” A spokesperson for Stuart Delivery said that the changes to their pay model would only affect deliveries under 0.5 miles which according to their performance data make up 4% of total deliveries The spokesperson said: “We will continue to guarantee par per hour that is among the highest in the sector.” However, protesters say that even such short deliveries of 0.5 miles can take a significant amount of time with delays to food preparation and traffic in the city centre. Alex Marshall, President of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) said: “At a time when the government is raising minimum wage, it is outrageous that these workers - who are deprived of basic rights such as holiday and pension and are forced to pay their own vehicle expenses - are facing a pay cut of nearly 25% for most deliveries.” “Striking and protesting is the only way to force Stuart and JustEat to end the exploitation and stop treating our workers as disposable." Delivery driver’s continued to work throughout the pandemic, which the IWGB and drivers say they have not been acknowledged for. Mr Roshan said: “I put my own life at risk and my family to keep people inside their houses. It is not fair. Olivia Blake MP for Sheffield Hallam has backed the strikes and will make a speech at the protest alongside council members and workers.She said: ““Stuart couriers have helped keep Sheffield going through the pandemic. For them to be rewarded with a pay cut like this is not acceptable. Every worker deserves a living wage, job security, and proper employment rights.”
Olivia Blake MP for Sheffield Hallam
Barnsley ‘stuck in the slow lane’ as councillors delay action on bus services
A proposed motion to bring buses back into public control in Barnsley was delayed yesterday after councillors amended it. In this proposal, the local council would take charge of bus routes, fares and standards, instead of individual operators. Matthew Topham, of the campaign group Better Buses for South Yorkshire, said: "The leaders of the region are dragging their heels." The original motion asked the local council to commit to findings from the South Yorkshire Bus Review, which took place in 2020 and consulted nearly 6000 people, Mr Topham said. The review gave councillors three years to make a final decision on public control, with no progress so far. Greater Manchester set off their campaign in 2018, sparking other regions around the country to follow suit. This week, following an email action on the group's Twitter page, over 200 local people contacted the Barnsley Cabinet asking them to pass the motion unamended. Cllr Steve Houghton, Labour leader of the council, said the costs of public control needed to be understood through a further preliminary assessment, before the proposed statutory assessment could go ahead. Mr Topham said prior to the council meeting that this type of setback would undermine what the campaign are wanting to achieve and, following the meeting, frustration continues. He said: "Public control was identified as the best way to deliver improvements to our services by the Mayor’s bus review, with a statutory investigation identified as the next step. "Why have our councillors decided to leave the handbrake on and introduce yet another delay?" Many other organisations are involved in campaigning, including South Yorkshire Freedom Riders, Unite Community, Yorkshire Pensioners Association and national campaign organisation, We Own It. The news comes as last week Sheffield City Council passed the motion's recommendations, with passenger protests outside Dan Jarvis' mayoral office. After the action in Barnsley yesterday, Mr Topham said: "Once again, South Yorkshire is stuck in the slow lane."
Protesters chain themselves to the ground at Doncaster Amazon warehouse
By Lauren Kelly and Jacob Waters Two Extinction Rebellion protesters have chained themselves to the ground outside the Amazon warehouse in Doncaster. The protest is expected to last all of Black Friday weekend, with 12 activists blocking the entrance and exit for delivery vans.
Where is everyone in Sheffield this Black Friday?
Sheffield’s main high street, The Moor, was deserted this Black Friday, with most shoppers deciding to find the bargains online rather than in person. Online retailers have been offering discounts in the weeks leading up to today, meaning independent retailers, without websites, are being disadvantaged. Al Bermawi, manager at Moor Perfume, said: “We have discounts but we feel as though the Moor is being a bit slow today “Customer habits are hard to change. But, the whole Moor market management should encourage people to shop in small local businesses”.
We contacted The Moor’s Management, but they were unavailable for comment. It comes as Sheffield was named as having the best high street recovery score of the 63 largest towns and cities in the UK . Brands being online creates a competitive advantage, with Boohoo’s half-year revenue growth of 45% and ASOS’s full year sales up by 20%, according to Space48. Adobe’s Digital Economy Index found that UK shoppers spend 12% year on year for Black Friday online. But, the survey also found that the majority of shoppers, 53%, do not plan on shopping on Black Friday at all. Most were sceptical about the discounts on offer, with 39% saying that they felt this year’s discounts would be smaller than previous years. Sheffield Wire will be providing updates on the busyness of the city centre’s Black Friday, which can be followed via our Twitter feed.#Blackfriday scenes from #SheffieldCityCentre. An anti-climatic start this morning. Will you be grabbing any bargains today? 🛍 pic.twitter.com/wdq67ZHDXj
— Sheffield Wire (@Sheffield_Wire) November 26, 2021
Football for Foodbanks: popular Sheffield charity to expand to Manchester
A Sheffield charity has announced that it will be expanding to Manchester later this month - less than a year after it was founded.
Football for Foodbanks launched in August 2020 after founder Matty Cassell noticed an increase in people wanting to play football again after the U.K’s first national lockdown.
https://twitter.com/FootballForFood/status/1390531000590028802?s=20The charity rents football pitches across Sheffield to ensure matches are as accessible as possible. Players are charged an affordable extra fee compared to the cost of renting the pitch with the extra proceeds going to a local foodbank.
For example, if a pitch would usually cost £30 for an hour 5-a-side game, and 10 people are playing, the usual cost would be £3 each.
Football for Foodbanks instead charges each player £4, meaning a quarter of the money would go to those that need it.
Last month, the money raised was enough to supply families around Sheffield with 450kgs of food - the equivalent to 90 bags of shopping.
Tom Moore, who will head up the new Manchester division said: “Since turning up for a kick-about to get fit post lockdown, I’ve seen Football for Foodbanks grow into a cracking little community of players and volunteers from all over Sheffield.
“Moving over to Manchester has given me the opportunity to continue that good work across the Pennines. I’m massively excited to share an initiative that has given me such a huge boost, to try and help bring communities closer together as we ease out of lockdown.”
Despite launching in the shadow of lockdown, Sheffield’s Football for Foodbanks has experienced a huge increase in the number of people signing up.
After starting with just a handful of teams, there are now over 300 players in the men’s division with a new women and gender minorities league being launched to widen participation even further.
Alice Rhind Tutt, who runs the women and gender minorities division said: “We had a lot of people signing up after lockdown saying they were looking for something new to try.
“People are looking for somewhere to exercise but also socialise. That’s something we’ve all missed out on massively over the last year.
“I think especially in terms of casual football matches there’s not a lot of opportunities to go and have a kick about. A lot of it seems to either be leagues or expensive. Most places expect a lot of commitment, for example playing every Wednesday at 6pm.
“A lot of adults just can’t manage that. Especially if they’re a parent.”
Football for Foodbanks instead provides a barrier-free alternative.
Each week the charity posts upcoming games in its Facebook group, with members simply having to comment “in” to secure a place in an upcoming game.
Football for Foodbanks’ Manchester division’s first game will take place on 20th May.
Sheffield’s Football For Foodbanks will also be playing on the same day at Sheffield High School for Girls, with proceeds going towards tackling period poverty in the local area.
Alice Rhind Tutt said: “Aside from food donations it’s also important to point out that Foodbanks accept hygiene products. Lots of people don’t know this so we’ve decided to focus on that for our upcoming game”