‘You feel a weight lifted’: The Sheffield boxing gym with mental health at its heart
Image Credit: @hashtagmentalmate
'The Mental Health Emergency' was how the charity Mind titled its report into how the Pandemic had affected the nation's mental health, in the months following the first lockdown.
The charity included the alarming statistic that two-thirds of those struggling with mental-health problems, prior to March 2020, had seen their condition worsen as a result of the initial lockdown and as we emerge from a third, many are anxious at the prospect of restrictions being eased.
It is, therefore, more crucial than ever to ensure that there are provisions in place to help support people with their mental health as normality returns and the Mental Mate Boxing club is playing an important role in providing just that
Based at the Knox Gym in the Wicker area of Sheffield, Mental Mate is a boxing club run by Daniel Barton that promotes more than just physical health.
Since January 2020, Daniel has been intent on helping people across the city aid their mental wellbeing through boxing-based exercise classes on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings but his initial inspiration behind launching the club stemmed from his own battle with mental health.
"I had my own mental health issues and I used boxing as a bit of a tool to keep it at bay.
"It was then just a thought, it helps me so would it help anyone else too?"
For Daniel, boxing was an important outlet and it was simply the physical toll of the sport that provided the biggest help.
"It's just that physical release, you feel a weight lifted from just punching the bag and you're physically and mentally tiring yourself out from doing the exercise.
"But its kind of just the relief you feel and the satisfaction of punching something for twelve rounds or so."
However, COVID put paid to the prospect of hosting classes in person and for someone who thrives on being active, Daniel found the insular nature of lockdown difficult.
"For me, it was not being able to go out and get to the gym, that's what got to me."
"I need to get out and do something because otherwise your mental health drains away, you just feel worse and worse the longer your stuck in the house not being active."
In order to boost the mental state of both himself and those who attended the classes, Daniel took up running and ran one-to-one sessions which proved to be a real help.
But with cases falling and restrictions easing, he is now able to get back to hosting group sessions at the Knox.
In line with the club's ethos of promoting physical and mental health in tandem, Mental Mate offers a range of sessions that help with both aspects of wellbeing.
Daniel takes care of the physical aspects and puts attendees through their paces with bag sessions and pad work, as well as core exercises that include squats to aid overall fitness.
When it comes to aiding mental health, on Sunday mornings a member of the Sheffield Mind team comes down to the gym to run sessions alongside the physical training, that provide a platform for attendees to talk through how their weeks have been any struggles they may have.
"There's a sense of family down there.
"There's a non-judgment aspect and people feel more comfortable about opening up because they know that everyone else is sharing similar issues."
Daniel has recently had a number of people volunteer to help with mental health counselling and he is always happy to take on anyone who is willing to simply "listen and have a conversation with somebody".
Such has been the popularity of the classes that there is now a waiting list to join the club which has meant that Daniel has expansion on his mind and he is excitedly considering putting on more sessions.
Fundamental to the success of Mental Mate is the fact that there is evidence of real progress, both tangible and intangible, among those who enjoy the haven of the club every week.
"Its obviously really rewarding to, mainly, see them mentally improve but also physically because 99 per cent of them haven't touched a pair of boxing gloves in their life.
"So seeing them progress in that regard is just as rewarding."
Mental Mate's mission to boost mental and physical wellbeing is a goal that is being achieved continuously thanks to Daniel's enthusiasm and evident desire to help others.
"People sometimes just need a chat, and it can be as simple as that.
"Other times people need far more than that, but we've found people just having a chat and a punch tends to make a big difference to them."
“They’re still alive” states ex-Sheffield Wednesday defender ahead of this weekend’s relegation decider
(Photo credit: Sheffield Star). Former Sheffield Wednesday centre back, Miguel Llera, believes the club must come together on Saturday to fight for their Championship future. The 41-year-old was part of the Owls side who won promotion from Sky Bet League One in 2012, which was the last time they featured in third tier of English football. With Wednesday’s fate hanging in the balance, Llera believes it is imperative that they give it their all in the final game of the season against Derby at Pride Park. He said: “They need to be in the Championship. This club is important for the city, it’s all about the fans, which is something I’ve known since my first game. It would’ve been difficult without them in the stadium because they are like a 12th player. “The most important thing is, they’re still alive. The fans, the club and the players have to be together until the 95th minute to try and stay up. Whatever happens on Saturday, the club needs to be working towards next season.”
Llera states he really enjoyed his relationship with the fans during his time at Hillsborough from 2011-14. “The connection was great, my personality and character fit really well to what the fans are looking for. My passion and performances were something that’s expected from a Sheffield Wednesday player, because you need to make the club part of your life.” If the club are relegated on Saturday, Llera believes only the players who are committed to getting the club back to the Championship should remain. “They will need to figure out which players want to be at the club and play in League One, so they can bounce back like Hull. They would need to bring in people who will have a link with the fans and create a good environment. “Having passion will bring happiness, if they don’t want to play then let them go. When fighting for promotion, everyone has to be on the same page with the same dream.” Llera admits getting promoted in 2012 is one of the highlights of his career and hopes for a positive result on Saturday. “It’s an amazing memory. Having 35,000 fans there was a moment of my career I’ll never forget. Hopefully the fans will be celebrating staying up this weekend."🔜 All eyes on the season finale...#swfc
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) May 5, 2021
‘Cautiously optimistic’ Tramlines organisers ready for festival
Tramlines organisers are excited for this year's festival and insist public health and safety will be a priority. The annual music festival in Hillsborough, Sheffield, was announced to run this year soon after the Covid roadmap announcement in February, with the organisers picking the planning back up for the now sold-out festival. Alex Deadman, PR Manager for Tramlines said: “It’s been great to have a bit of normality, a lot of us have worked on the festival for a long time and our year is dictated by some degree by tramlines. Now that it’s happening again it feels like a normal year again. “We are now fully sold out which is really positive and it’s really great to see that so many people kept their ticket from last year and it shows some faith in us and helped us a lot. At the moment things are cautiously optimistic.” The organisers said their primary concern for this year’s event, taking place on 23 to 25 July, is people’s safety and they will be following the government guidelines closely.
Images credit: Fanatic 2018
Commonwealth boxing title fight confirmed in Sheffield for June
The Commonwealth Light-Flyweight Title has been added to an action-packed boxing card which will take place in Sheffield next month. It was announced yesterday afternoon that Scottish fighter, Neil McCubbin will challenge Matt Windle for the belt. It is the latest clash to have been added to fighting promoter Dennis Hobson's June 11 card with all of the fights taking place at the Sheffield Arena Car Park. As you may have guessed from the location, the fights will be available as a drive-in, for spectators to watch the drama unfold. The fight will also be live streamed on Fightzone, a new subscription based service for boxing fans in the United Kingdom. McCubbin versus Windle will be the final week of five consecutive fight nights confirmed by Dennis Hobson, who's event at the end of last year received national recognition for its innovative approach. Talksport spoke to Hobson ahead of his first drive-in card last November, at the time he said: “I’ve been involved in boxing at all levels, and have staged shows from Rotherham to Las Vegas, but I think we could well be making history with this one." There are a number of other exciting fights over the next few weeks including domestic heavyweight contender, Kash Ali who will be fighting Tomas Salek for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) European Heavyweight Title on the second showing, May 28. Dennis Hobson Jr, the man behind it all has been a boxing promoter for 24 years and has organised shows all over the North including some of the Steel City's biggest venues such as Bramall Lane and Hillsbrough. The promoter comes from a boxing background with his father, Dennis Hobson Senior a well-known bare knuckle boxer in Sheffield during the 1960s. If you would like to attend the show, call 0114 243 4443.
Finding the comedic side of death: Art exhibition centred around grief to open in Sheffield
An art exhibition is set to open in Sheffield to encourage people to engage in positive conversations about grief and bereavement.
The exhibition titled, "It’s Okay, You Can Laugh", will be held on 22 May at Trafalgar Warehouse in Sheffield to encourage discussions surrounding grief after a year of so much loss to the pandemic.
The founder and curator of the exhibition, Sophie Shukla, 22, said: “The topic of death is often treated with pity and it leaves people feeling awkward, never knowing what to say. It becomes an uncomfortable experience for both sides of the party.”
Miss Shukla lost both of her parents at a young age and wants the exhibition to find a comedic side of death as well as open up conversations in a positive and friendly atmosphere.
She added: “This exhibition was produced during peak COVID time and was seen as an opportunity to allow both people who have lost someone and people who haven’t to feel more comfortable discussing the topic of death as it is something everyone goes through.”
There will be different types of mixed media to make up the exhibition, focusing on the topic of grief. Each piece will represent to the individual what their grief means to them, including pieces in video format as well as oil paintings and poetry.
One of the artists, Lai Lam Fave is a Singaporean born, London based artist working with photography, performance and installation.
Her practice explores human interactions within the multi-facets of society, pushing the boundaries between performance and reality. Fave’s work highlights our connections towards one another, questioning the genuineness of our thoughts and actions, laughing at the absurdity to search for meaning in our existence.
Fave said: “It was exciting being a part of this exhibition, as it was so closely related to the art that I produce. A friend from university sent me a poster to this open call as my recent performance, "Birthday Bash" revolves around the themes of comedy and grief. It was a tribute to my grandpa who passed away the morning after celebrating my sixteenth birthday.”
Miss Shukla said: “The exhibition doesn’t just focus on the death of people, it is loss in any form. I feel like everyone in some way is grieving for something during the pandemic, for things they have lost and missed out on, even just a hug from a family member. This will be a good opportunity to discuss that sense of loss.”
Without graphic designer, Max Armstrong, 23, Miss Shukla said the exhibition would not have been possible.
Mr Armstrong said: “I’ve really enjoyed giving my time to create the promotional graphics and help advertise the exhibition. I think the subject matter it explores is highly relevant and important right now. Seeing how the past year has really taken its toll on the arts, it's great to see exhibitions like this coming back and existing in physical spaces again.”
Tickets will be £3 and need to be pre-booked with only a limited number available at the door, and 20% of proceeds will be donated to The Good Grief Trust.
The exhibition will be COVID secure with social distancing measures in place to adhere to the government guidance at the time of the event. There will be a one-way system and hand sanitiser at the door and there will be some seating available.
Merchandise will be available to buy at the exhibition, as well as a bar and a DJ playing disco music.
Tickets for the exhibition can be purchased here.
Former Blades goalkeeper Steve Conroy passes away
Credit: Sheffield United Former Sheffield United goalkeeper Steve Conroy passed away yesterday aged 64, following a long battle with illness. Conroy, who was born in Chesterfield, first signed for United in 1972 as an apprentice, having represented both his hometown club and England as a schoolboy. Regularly employed as back-up goalkeeper early in his career, Conroy made his first-team debut under Jimmy Sirrel in August 1977. Soon after he established himself as first-choice keeper at Bramall Lane, and was regarded highly by the Blades faithful, making the most of his 135 United starts in this period. However, after suffering a broken arm in an Anglo-Scottish Cup clash against St Mirren in December 1979, Conroy was ruled out until the 1980-81 season, which saw United plummet into the fourth tier for the first time in the club's history.
Conroy struggled with injuries from this point in his career, and after a short stint at Leeds United, in 1983 he signed for near-neighbours Rotherham United on non-contract terms. A two-year spell at Rochdale followed, before returning to Millmoor, where his time as a professional footballer ended in 1985. Conroy remained a well-liked figure at United, spending some time on the club's coaching staff, before returning regularly whilst working in the licensing trade. Our thoughts are with his wife Shirley and Steve's loved ones.Without that injury he'd have been our first choice for a long time. Great keeper and a good man Steve
— Loney Blade (@BladeLoney) May 4, 2021
Veteran with PTSD broke a passer-by’s nose, Sheffield Magistrates’ heard
A veteran, who suffers from PTSD, broke another man's nose when the man intervened to stop a fight between him and his girlfriend, Sheffield Magistrates Court heard yesterday. Chris Harrison, 52, of Binsted Road, had just returned to Sheffield from a day of shopping at Manchester on 18 July 2020, with his then girlfriend, Julia Beddingfield, when they decided to visit some bars and had too much to drink, Prosecutor Geoff Ellis told the court. The couple then got into a fight and Harrison assaulted Ms Beddingfield causing her actual bodily harm. Upon witnessing this, Joel Raffo stepped in to stop him but was punched in the nose by Harrison. He had to have his nose surgically reset, the court heard. Mr Ellis told the magistrates that Mr Raffo was an innocent by-stander who had sustained serious injuries including the broken nose, black eyes and heightened anxiety for which he had to take medication. Defence Solicitor, Mr Westwood told the magistrates that Harrison was not well when the incident occurred, having been the victim of an attack himself a few month earlier, when Harrison was glassed by a stranger while celebrating his daughter's 18th birthday. Mr Westwood said Harrison was very remorseful for his actions and has tried to better himself by partaking in activities to help with his PTSD, he has also recently moved to Bradford because he could not cope with all the bad memories he had in Sheffield. A teary Harrison watched from the dock as he was given an 18-week suspended sentence for his assault on Mr Raffo and Ms Beddingfield and had to pay £1000 in compensation to Mr Raffo for his doctor's fees.
Sheffield United’s next manager: The candidates
Life after Chris Wilder is a reality that is still difficult to come to terms with for many Blades fans. However, two months have passed since Wilder left the Bramall Lane dugout following a dismal campaign and it remains rather unclear who will replace him on a permanent basis. Paul Heckingbottom has been in charge during that time as interim boss and is reportedly on a five-man shortlist to take on the role full-time, but with just one win in six games there are question marks over his ability to lead the club.
The Potential Candidates
Paul Heckingbottom Along with former Bournemouth manager, Jason Tindall, the former Barnsley and Leeds manager has been in charge since the dismissal of Chris Wilder and in that time a 1-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion has proven to be the only points he has registered. He enjoyed an outstanding season at Barnsley and was awarded 'Sports Hero of The Year' by the Yorkshire Post, however Heckingbottom left Oakwell to take the Leeds United job and enjoyed a difficult four months at Elland Road. Heckingbottom has not attracted a great deal of praise from the Blades faithful, with many fans taking to social media to voice their opposition to the caretaker boss and this was not helped by a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, but he is among the favourites to take the job full-time. Slavisa Jokanovic Jokanovic is one of the outstanding candidates for the full-time role and would be an excellent appointment were Sheffield United to bring the Serbian in over the summer. For a club that will have an eye on a return to the Premier League, he is arguably the ideal candidate for United given his experience in winning promotion to the top-flight on two occasions. It is imperative that the Blades re-build this summer and with Jokanovic in charge, such a task would be made all the more simple as they would have a man at the helm who knows how to set up a side capable of competing at the top of the Championship. He succeeded where others had failed at Watford for nearly eight years, when he won promotion with the Hertfordshire side back in 2015 before a three-year project with Fulham that culminated with a return to the Premier League via the play-offs. A steady, experienced hand who could help re-build a faltering club. Eddie Howe The former Bournemouth manager has been out of work since his sacking last year and has been courted by a number of clubs in recent months, including Celtic. Howe did a quite incredible job with The Cherries, guiding them from the Football League basement to the Premier League over two spells and under his stewardship the South Coast club more than held their own in the top-flight, playing an attractive brand of football. Howe is another popular choice among Blades fans but rumours that he will ultimately fill the vacant Celtic post are starting to gather pace and it will be a tough ask to lure him to a Championship club over a side that will challenge for titles. Alexander Blessin Blessin has been strongly linked to the Bramall Lane hot-seat and fans are excited at the prospect of bringing in the German, who is currently in charge at KV Oostende where he has enjoyed remarkable success over the last year. With his side playing a high-intensity style of football, he has taken Oostende from second tier basement battlers to promotion hopefuls and has won plenty of admirers in the process. However, there has been a Brexit-shaped roadblock in that he does not have the required qualifications to earn a work permit to manage in England. Blessin also tempered rumours when he told the Sheffield Star: "You shouldn't always believe what is being told."
Isolation rule for care home residents in Sheffield ends
Image: Cristina Serí on Unsplash Care home residents in the UK will no longer have to self-isolate for 14 days on their return from 'low-risk' visits, a rule which "never made any logical sense" to a Sheffield care home manager. Strict government guidance issued on 7 April required residents to isolate in their rooms for two weeks after going for a walk or visiting friends and family members' gardens - a requirement which has been scrapped from today (4 May). However, Donna Pierpoint, manager of Broomgrove Nursing Home in Sheffield, said she has not been following the previous guidance for the last three weeks, allowing residents to have outdoor visits.
"The guidance never made any logical sense. If the rest of the population could start going out, why couldn’t care home residents?" she said.
"They’ve all been double vaccinated now, so what was the point of that if it doesn’t allow them some freedom?"
Donna Pierpoint, Manager of Broomgrove Nursing Home, Sheffield
Where will Yorkshire’s football fans be able to return to the stands?
Credit- Wikimedia Commons Yorkshire's fans look set to be able to get their footballing fix from 17 May, when the government roadmap moves to step three and crowds are permitted at outdoor sports events. However, with the EFL season concluding this weekend, supporters of Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United and Doncaster Rovers will miss out on the chance to return to the stands and experience live football again. Although Sheffield United have endured an abysmal Premier League season, there is a silver lining for the Blades' faithful, as the final day fixture against Burnley on 23 May could see up to 10,000 fans admitted to Bramall Lane.
Credit- 19andy76 (Flickr)
Credit- Oliver Smith (Flickr)
Disability groups welcome government U-turn allowing ‘vulnerable’ groups to attend test events
Disability rights groups have welcomed the government’s U-turn on allowing “clinically extremely vulnerable” people to attend test events such as the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield.
Initially, those in the “clinically extremely vulnerable” category were prohibited from attending test events under the government’s Events Research Programme (ERP).
The ERP is studying the risk of Covid-19 transmission at nine large-scale public events across the U.K., including last week’s full-capacity club night in Liverpool and the FA Cup semi-finals as well as the snooker championships held at the Crucible.
Campaign groups such as Level Playing Field, a charity that seeks to extend disabled people’s access to sporting events, were outraged by the original plans to exclude those with disabilities.
The group noticed a warning on the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) website earlier this month saying fans were told by email: “Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to allow you to attend this event if you are classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, pregnant or living with somebody who falls within these categories.”
That led to the organisation writing an open letter condemning the WPBSA and the ERP for “an attack on freedom of choice and human rights.”
Chair of Level Playing Field Tony Taylor said “Sadly, from what we have seen so far, The World Snooker Championship has decided to take away that freedom to people they deem as ‘vulnerable’.
“They have taken away the free will of a person to decide if an event is safe for them or not. This should always be a personal choice and not one that openly discriminates against vulnerable people.”
Following pressure from a number of charities, the government was forced into a U-turn that would allow those classed as clinically extremely vulnerable to attend test events.
That meant those in the clinically extremely vulnerable category were able to attend last night’s World Snooker Championship final between Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy.
Level Playing Field said: “The policy change will no longer exclude CEV people from attending government test events and, in its place, will empower CEV fans to make their own decisions and risk assessments, which they have done throughout this pandemic and life.”
“This decision is the correct one, and this exclusion should never have been in place at the start. Having the right to choose how you live your life is a fundamental human right.
“The original government guidance had the potential to set live sport on a dangerous path of exclusion and discrimination.”
Woman who bit and racially abused police officers fined £300 at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court
A Sheffield woman who racially abused and bit a police officer on the arm was given a 12-week suspended sentence and fined £300 at Sheffield Magistrates' Court this morning. Trina Talbot, 49, had been drinking in her Harborough Avenue home on 19 April last year, when two police officers showed up after a domestic incident complaint was made against her. They tried to take her to the police station but she was feeling unwell so refused and became verbally aggressive, said defence solicitor Mr Hague. Talbot then sat on her sofa as PC Green struggled to handcuff her and proceeded to bite her on the arm. When PC Green tried to warn her colleague, PC Jalil, that Talbot had tried to bite her, she said: "I haven't tried to bite you, I have bitten you, you stupid c***", Mr Hague told the magistrates. Talbot then proceeded to racially abuse PC Jalil, calling her a "black c***", the court heard. In mitigation, Mr Hague said Talbot was aware of how serious her actions were but was impaired by her alcohol consumption. She did not want the officers approaching her as they did not have masks on and Talbot had a series of health concerns, including the fact that she was recovering from cancer. The court was told: "Talbot is very candid. She knows her circumstances are not an excuse but perhaps an explanation for her actions." Magistrates also ordered Talbot to attend 10 rehabilitation days for alcohol treatment. £200 of the fine will be given to PC Green and PC Jalil as compensation.