Local Elections 2023 - Sheffield Wire

Live: Latest updates from Sheffield & Barnsley Local Elections 2023

Police say Barnsley stabbing was an “isolated incident”

4:13pm

Police have deemed a Barnsley stabbing an "isolated incident" after a woman was killed by her son. Renars Geslers, 32, has since been charged with murdering his mother and is currently awaiting sentencing. His mother, Agita Geslers, 61, was found on 25 May in a property on Brierfield Close after emergency services were contacted at 12:30am. They found her with serious injuries and took her to hospital but she died a short time later. Mr Geslers, of Hoyle Mill Road, Barnsley, was charged with her murder and appeared at Sheffield Crown court in October in front of Sheffield Judge Jeremy Richardson to deny the charges. He has admitted to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, a plea accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service following medical reports that revealed he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. Mr Geslers will be sentenced on 28 January 2022 at 2pm. DCI Mick Hakin, who is leading the investigation, said: "I want to reassure the local community that enquires so far indicate this to be an isolated incident." He also asked for those with information to contact the police on 101, quoting incident number 15 of 25 May 2021, or calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Plan B: Covid pass creating concern for older generation

4:13pm

New COVID restrictions being introduced across the UK have sparked concern about the inaccessibility of downloading COVID passes via smartphones. An NHS COVID Pass will be required to enter large venues from 15 December. But some older people said they were struggling because there were no clear guidelines to access a digital vision, and some said their phones were too old to download the app. One interviewee from the city centre told Sheffield Wire that she even had to ask her grandkids for a tutorial. “People at my age never used anything like that, It’s new to us.” Another said: “The government can’t force us to get digital proof just for now, we need to learn how to learn to live with the virus for the rest of our life.” Plastic cards were suggested as an alternative.

Barnsley take on Preston for manager Ryan Lowe’s first match in charge

4:11pm

Barnsley travel to Deepdale for Saturday’s game against a Preston side buoyed by the appointment of new manager Ryan Lowe. The Tykes head into the game on the back of a five match winless run, however, the club’s form has improved slightly over the past two games with draws away at Peterborough and at home to Huddersfield. Carlton Morris scored the first goal of newly-appointed Poya Asbaghi’s reign during the game at Oakwell and the Iranian manager will be looking for his side to build on this against Preston. Barnsley remain 23rd in the Sky Bet Championship with only administration hit Derby below them. Aapo Halme is the only injury doubt for the away side. Ahead of the game, Asbaghi said: “I’ve seen good foundations, a solid structure. That’s normally where you need to start. It gives the players confidence, they trust upon that solid organisation. “It will be a challenging fixture for us, they all are. This is a high quality division. But we are feeling good, we have a strong belief in everything that we are doing. Goalkeeper, Brad Collins praised the side’s defensive improvement: “We certainly look more solid as a collective, as a unit, we’re not conceding as many goals so it’s been a good start from that point of view. “But it’s about taking it game by game. There are so many games left to play, a lot of points to play for and the confidence is growing day by day." Ryan Lowe will take charge of Preston for the first time. The Lilywhites are currently 18th in the second tier with Ched Evans, Andre Hughes and Sepp Van der Berg likely to miss the match through injury.

Sheffield therapist offers free reflexology sessions to clients who can’t afford to pay

4:10pm

A woman from Sheffield has started providing free reflexology sessions to clients who can’t afford to pay full price. Zoe Hartwood, 39, from Netherthorpe, began offering reflexology and other complementary therapy sessions on a ‘pay as you feel’ basis when she started her business, Hartwood Well Being, earlier this year. Considering well-being to be a human right irrespective of income, she believes the current capitalist system we live in isn’t working and wants to challenge it with a ‘financially accessible’ pricing structure.

Zoe qualified in reflexology 5 years ago and is "rebelling against capitalism"

“[Capitalism] doesn’t encourage people to live their best lives. They’re stuck working in jobs they don’t necessarily like because they have bills to pay and houses to run,” she said. Driven by a desire to help people, Zoe feels there is a lot of injustice in the world. She says she doesn’t want to contribute to that injustice by being “monetarily motivated”. “We didn’t have loads of stuff when I was growing up, and maybe that attitude has gone with me – that you don’t need money to be happy." she said. Zoe is effectively able to provide treatment on a volunteer basis as she works another job to provide her primary income. While she has prices listed for her sessions, she asks that people only pay what they can as a ‘donation’ that suits their income level, even if that means not paying anything.

Running the sessions from her home, Zoe hopes her therapies can make a real difference to people's lives.

Shunning the traditional focus on money, she says her interactions with business coaches over the years made her feel like they were taking a cynical approach, targeting people’s suffering to make a profit. “I worked with a few business coaches who said, ‘if they want to work with you, people will find the money’, and I simply wasn’t comfortable with that,” said Zoe. “I don’t want to use somebody’s pain to get money.” Working with local organisations, Zoe is trying to widen the awareness of her services through local groups who work with under-privileged people and those with mental health struggles. Through the practice of social prescribing, where health professionals refer patients to support in the community, she aims to reach more people who need her services, and hopes other healthcare providers will follow her lead. “It would be nice to grow into a movement of therapists in Sheffield with the same mentality,” said Zoe, however her primary goal for now is to help as many people as she can.

Sheffield coffee shops battle rising costs

4:09pm

In the last few months, coffee roasters and cafes in Sheffield have faced a united struggle with product suppliers, staff shortages and tax increase on key items. To compensate for these problems, many businesses have had no choice but to increase their coffee prices. "I haven't spoken to one place in hospitality that hasn't had to put their prices up," said Olivia Hunt, manager of Copa Caffè on Ecclesall Road. Sipping a coffee in her cafe early on a Friday morning, Hunt said business was quieter than usual. The pandemic was already having an impact on the hospitality sector and this week, the price of coffee beans hit a 10-year high. The price increase of coffee is now even more important for the independent coffee scene in the city. "We've had to put our coffee prices up, not through any choice of our own, but simply to compensate for the supplier prices going up and also tax on our products has dramatically increased", Hunt added. Copa Caffe raised most of their coffee prices by 20 pence, two weeks ago. "We'd already spent a few months not getting as much profit as most coffee places and then when all the supplier prices went up, we had to put our prices up to stay competitive," says Hunt. "It's supply and demand at its essence."

'Everything has gone up in price'

Although Covid isn't a direct link to the price increase at Copa, Hunt said the new Omicron variant may become a problem. "After Boris' Covid announcement on Wednesday evening, we haven't been nearly as busy as we usually are. People have started working from home again. "It wasn't a factor to consider at the time of our price change, but it may become one." Copa's coffee is supplied by Sheffield Roasters 'Cuppers Choice'. Established by two brothers Jasper and Thomas, they supply Copa with fresh coffee every week.

Copa Caffè staff working throughout the pandemic

Hunt mentioned that packaging and labour hours were also accountable for their coffee price increase. "You have to take into accountability that when you pay for a product, you pay for the product itself, but also what the product is put in and the time it take for someone to make it. "You're actually paying for a lot of different facets. "Everything has gone up in price, even the takeaway cups. We can't physically get what we normally can and we have to buy more expensive products. "This month I couldn't get our normal large cups and I had to pay £30 more to get these different cups." Hunt said that Copa have tried to be as reasonable as possible with their price increases. "Coffees like Macchiatos and Cortados, which are smaller drinks, we have actually shaved 20 pence off the price. We are losing money on these drinks but making it back on the rest. I didn't want to shock everyone with the price increase."

Copa Caffè's coffee machine

Albie's Coffee on Snig Hill, have also tried to keep their costs reasonable by maintaining their latte prices at £2.90. But, like Copa, they have had to increase their coffee prices to keep in line with industry standards. The sibling-run business said there were many contributing factors for this decision. One reason was the cost surge in disposable coffee products like takeout cups, bags and napkins. "We go through an incredible amount of products and the cost of these have risen significantly. "We will always choose to buy recyclable and biodegradable products which adds to the price. However, we do not want to compromise our company and personal ethics to keep the product cheaper", said Robyn Hodges, the co-owner of Albie's. Hodges said the increased cost of utilities, in particular the excess cost of electricity, is a huge contributor for the coffee price increase.

'Demand for coffee is through the roof'

The damage from the loss of footfall due to the ongoing pandemic was another factor. "Volume will always result in a cheaper product and if we can't sell the volume, then unfortunately, the individual unit price will increase", said Hodges. She said that even though their coffee bean supply has naturally increased, this wasn't connected to their price increase. "We are really proud to serve coffee that has been sourced sustainably, where the farmer has been paid fairly. "We will always support these price increases and often take a hit ourselves instead of passing them on to the customer." Hodges said it was important to recognise that many factors caused the price increase on their coffee products and she hopes customers will support this decision. "We hope that guests can appreciate a business that pays its staff and suppliers a fair price to help. It will create a much more sustainable industry for all parties, and one that can thrive for years to come."

Albie's Coffee

Karen Close, owner of All is Good Deli in Penistone, said the pandemic and Brexit are the main reasons behind her price increase. "Demand for coffee is through the roof. There are coffee shops popping up left, right and centre and they're pulling on all these coffee suppliers and prices are going up." At present, Close has not raised her coffee prices but to keep up with the competitive market, said she will in the new year. "In keeping with our company's focus on delivering quality products at competitive market prices, the increase will be 10% on coffee products. "I've taken the hit for now as I've only just opened this new business and I don't want to put myself out of the market. "I need people first to invest in the coffee and taste and see how good it is, so they'll come back and buy it again."

'It's time to work in solidarity'

Despite having to increase their coffee prices, all three businesses have received positive support from the customers. Hunt said: "We've got a lot of loyal customers that come everyday and we also get lots of new customers. "They have all been really supportive. I was really worried that customers were going to complain and be upset that the prices had gone up. "It's humbling because it has actually been the complete opposite. Some customers have been said they can't believe the prices were so cheap anyway."

All is Good Deli

Close said: "From a retailers point of view, my customers don't blink an eye when they're picking up a bag of coffee. "I think for my particular customers, they are looking for quality and if they want to pay a little bit more for quality, that is what they'll do." Hunt said that with the tax increases, the ongoing pandemic and Brexit, independent coffee businesses in Yorkshire need to work together. "With everyone being in the same position, I think it's time to come together and work in solidarity through it."

Blades look to build on revitalised start under Heckingbottom

3:59pm

Sheffield United fans will be hopeful that Paul Heckingbottom’s bright start as manager will continue with a third successive league victory. The Blades welcome London-side QPR to Bramall Lane on Monday evening, in a game that could go either way. The Championship has a reputation for providing unpredictable and entertaining fixtures, with supporters often witnessing shock results during the season. On the openness of the league, Heckingbottom said: “In the Championship. any team can turn a result around against any team." The cut-throat nature of the Championship is understood by Heckingbottom, who has previous experience of managing at this level with Leeds United and Barnsley. He added: “You have to be flat out every single time, and sometimes that might not be good enough. “I think there will be a lot of changes in the table between now and the end of the season. It’s all about consistency, if you get that consistency you suddenly become a team that’s talked about.” Most recently the Blades played out an entertaining 3-2 victory away to Cardiff City. In the game, 21-year-old Morgan Gibbs-White featured as the standout player, claiming one goal and two assists. When asked about the future of the England under-21 international, Heckingbottom said: “The biggest thing about Morgan is he wants to play, he just loves the game. Those types of players are going to make the most of themselves.” Whilst Blades fans will be excited to see the Wolves loanee in action again on Monday, they will be without striker Rhian Brewster and midfielder John Fleck. Visitors QPR sit 6th in the Championship table and should offer a stern test for Heckingbottom’s in-form side. Tickets can be purchased online at: https://tickets.sufc.co.uk/en-GB/categories/home

Hundreds signed up for Theo’s Glow Run in aid of Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity

3:58pm

Glow sticks and fairy lights will be illuminating a Sheffield park this Tuesday as hundreds of people raise money for Sheffield's Hospital Charity. The event called Theo's Glow Run is set to start in Endcliffe Park at 7.30pm on Tuesday, 14 December. Runners, joggers and walkers are encouraged to dress up and head down to the park to complete 5km early next week. Rachel Thomas, 24, is the events fundraising officer for the charity and she said: "With it being December, it can be quite dark around Christmas time, so the whole idea is to light up Endcliffe Park." On average, the event usually raises just over £30,000 and Rachel said: "We really hope to raise just as much this year, but we do understand that it's a difficult time, with restrictions changing and things like that, but fingers crossed we raise between £20,000 to £30,000." Team Theo's Glow Run first took place in 2017 and this is the fourth year it has been on, after it was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. Last year, the event took place virtually and people were encouraged to dress up and complete the run around their local area. The event is now sold out, with over 500 people taking part. Donations to the Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity can contribute towards funding workshops on the ward when children are in isolation and can also help towards building a new Emergency Department.

Covid Plan B could be “devastating” for hospitality trade

3:55pm

COVID Plan B has caused a rise in last minute Christmas party cancellations, with one Sheffield restaurateur worried about the impact that will cause. Stacey Sherwood-French, co-owner of Sheffield restaurant JÖRO, said: “We are just about covering lost reservations with waitlists, though if it gets much worse we will be facing considerable losses.” The new restrictions which came into place earlier this week have created major concerns that another Christmas will be affected by Covid restrictions. “It’s a worry for sure but all we can do is keep our diners safe as best we can. We missed out on one Christmas, to lose another would be devastating,” said Ms Sherwood-French. Ms Sherwood-French said the restaurant was also seeing an increase in guests contacting them in advance to see what precautionary measures they were taking, with many still worried about the virus. Though restaurants aren’t within the new measures, many have kept safety measures in place. Like other restaurants, JÖRO said staff were still wearing masks in the restaurant, social distancing is still being followed and they’re conducting routine Covid tests.

29,000 children in Sheffield to benefit from free food vouchers this Christmas

3:53pm

Sheffield City Council is offering food vouchers to 29,000 families in need across the winter holidays. Families with children who are eligible for free school meals will be given a £50 coupon to help cover the costs of food and energy. The scheme is aimed at those who claim income assessed Early Years Support (2-4 years old) and young people leaving their care setting (Care Leavers) are also involved. Councillor Terry Fox, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “With the rising cost of food and energy and an uncertain winter ahead, we must continue to support vulnerable families, so I’m pleased to be able to continue this important voucher scheme. “I hope it alleviates some of the worries families may have had about how they were going to put enough food on the table and keep their house sufficiently warm during Christmas time when finances are often stretched further than normal. To help provide this support, Edenred UK is working with the Department of Education (DfE) to provide supermarket vouchers to families whose schools cannot provide food directly to their families.

Edenred UK online code redemeption scheme

There are eight supermarkets available to redeem vouchers - Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose, M&S food, Aldi and McColl’s. Eligible families will receive an eCode for supermarket redemption, or the school will print off the voucher, or ‘eGift card’, and post it to a home address, or arrange a collection. The vouchers will be funded through the government’s Household Support Fund set up in October 2021 to help local councils directly help those who need it most. This scheme will provide winter support for people who live in Sheffield and struggle to afford food and other essentials. Sheffield City Council has also opened a free school meal scheme, which schools can apply for online to provide free meals for up to five children per family.

Consultancy firm presents options for Sheffield’s John Lewis building

3:51pm

A consultancy firm published a report today outlining various options for Sheffield's John Lewis building. The Barker’s Pool site has been closed ever since the retail giant abandoned it in July this year. Almost 300 jobs were lost, leaving a void in the centre of the city. Consultancy firm Fourth Street has offered up various options, such as changing the site into flats or even demolishing the building completely. Dan Anderson, the director at the forefront of the project, summarised their findings. He said: “In our professional judgement, the best option is to remove the building and introduce a civic building at the far end, to frame what could be a fantastic world class public space. "Whether it’s a park, a piazza or plaza, whatever you want to call it. “That is only our recommendation, it’s not the council’s decision yet as we now need to discuss this more widely with the public.” This public consultation will begin early next year, with a number of options on the table. Coun Mazher Iqual, who is in charge of development and regeneration in the city, is excited with what is to come. He said: “The first starting point for me is, let’s be bold and let’s have a conversation across the city. “I’d like something iconic there, that says this is what Sheffield is all about.”

Barnsley town centre plans for five-year revamp

3:38pm

A five-year-plan for Barnsley's town centre is set to be presented for approval next week to establish it as a great place to "live, learn and do business." The plan for 2021 to 2026 is aimed at growing Barnsley in regards to business and investment opportunities, subsequently improving the community. Cllr Tim Cheetham, Cabinet Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture, said: "We want to do more. If we stand still, the borough’s economy will stand still. Our borough will have better homes, jobs, services and transport links, and this plan makes sure everything we do in our town centre is moving us in the right direction."

Want to have your say on how we can create a more #SustainableBarnsley?
Centre for Sustainable Energy will be asking local people what you think about the transition to a more environmentally friendly borough. Sign up to tomorrow's online event here: https://t.co/C3TuozO5PG pic.twitter.com/sJVhuCecpu — Barnsley Council (@BarnsleyCouncil) December 8, 2021

The town centre plan's goals are linked to the 2021-24 Council Plan and it is a result of the Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council talking to businesses located in the town centre. It tries to meet the objectives of:

Growing Barnsley (inclusive economy)
Healthy Barnsley (wellbeing)
Learning Barnsley (diverse life-long learning opportunities)
Sustainable Barnsley (net-zero carbon targets for the borough by 2045)

The town centre plan calls for a clearly defined strategy and action plan for the town centre and a town centre management function to support businesses. The plans say: "Without a doubt our Town Centre needs to look visually amazing, “continually current” and inspiring – all areas need to be clean and well-kept to further enhance that overall perception and contribute to civic pride."

South Yorkshire set for another week of bus strikes

3:36pm

Stagecoach have confirmed that South Yorkshire bus drivers will undertake another week of strikes after negotiations broke down between the company and its employees. The previous strikes started on 28 November and were intended to last an entire week. However, the initials strikes were extended because of further disagreement over pay from both bus drivers and engineers. As a result, from 11 December until 17 December, the strikes will impact services in Barnsley, Rotherham, Dearne Valley and West Yorkshire, with services in these areas resuming on Saturday 18th December. In Sheffield, services will be affected from 12 December until 18 December. During the strike action (12/12/21-18/12/21), the following services will run on a reduced service: 1 - High Green - Batemoor (Monday to Friday) 57 - Sheffield - Stocksbridge (Monday to Friday) 25 - Woodhouse - City Centre - Bradway (Monday to Saturday) 120 - Halfway - Crystal Peaks (Monday to Saturday) Phil Medlicott, Managing Director for Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: “We can now confirm that the latest pay offer has been rejected and further strike action will take place starting this weekend. "We have worked tirelessly to protect the jobs of our people during the pandemic, and we are also leaving no stone unturned in our current pay discussions with Unite. We believe our people should be properly rewarded and at the same time the long-term sustainability of the bus network for local communities should be protected." Mr Medlicott bemoaned the lack of cooperation from the opposing side: “There needs to be flexibility on both sides. We have now made several different above inflation offers, so it is frustrating that there has not been the same approach from union representatives."