Local Elections 2023 - Sheffield Wire

Live: Latest updates from Sheffield & Barnsley Local Elections 2023

“Sustainable” walking and cycling routes planned for Nether Edge

9:56am

Sheffield City Councils plans are now underway for a series of new walking and cycling routes in the Nether Edge area. As part of the Connecting Sheffield project, the routes have been planned to span from Nether Edge to the City Centre and work will begin after 8 April, when consultation ends. The changes will be funded by the Transforming Cities Fund. "The plans for Nether Edge into the City Centre are an exciting development in our journey to creating better routes for walking and cycling. The changes we are making are necessary for the future of travel in the city, not just for us but for our children," said Councillor Julie Grocutt, Cabinet Member for Transport and Development at Sheffield City Council.

Creative Commons Licence - Tim Dennell

The aim of the new routes is to pedestrianize the area. New cycling and walking routes will pass between Nether Edge and Broomhall, providing access straight to the city centre with a focus on increasing sustainable accessibility to the universities. Plans have also been included for the street running next to the Porter Croft Primary School. This will see a reduction in traffic, which will be restricted to designated school pick-up and drop-off points. The change is designed to make the street less polluted and safer for people who walk or cycle to the school. The Transforming Cities fund is a government initiative which seeks to increase sustainability in British cities through reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, and helping people to live healthier lifestyles. The council have also consulted with local Sheffield residents.

Creative Commons - Richard Copley

"We’ve had lots of comments on our interactive map about cycling and walking on Wostenholme Road and Washington Street, especially from cyclists who don’t feel safe in peak time traffic. "Segregation here will provide a far more appealing route for cycling and leaves the footways for pedestrians who will also benefit from not being so close to traffic fumes," said Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner for the Sheffield City Region. When the decisions have been finalised, the consultation will be published on the Connecting Sheffield website.

Kennel owner pleads Sheffield City Council not to revoke her dog breeding licence despite conviction

5:35pm

A distraught woman today pleaded with a Sheffield council committee to not remove her dog breeding licence, which is being reviewed following convictions against herself and her partner for illegally importing docked puppies. Carmen Pintea, 37, who said she lost her job as a social worker because of the conviction, claimed at the Licensing Sub-Committee meeting today that she did not know about the plans to dock and then import the dogs. In January Ms Pintea, of Barbarian Corso Kennel, pleaded guilty of failing to notify the Secretary of State of an import of three puppies. She was fined £120 and ordered to pay £800 towards the Council’s costs. At the same hearing, her partner, Claudiu Belceanu, 43, pleaded guilty to illegally importing the dogs, and arranging for their docking and ear cropping. Ms Pintea asked the committee not to punish her twice for the same mistake and said the business is her only means of providing for her children. "What happened was not my fault,' Ms Pintea said. "It will never happen again. Nobody will ever make decisions in my place ever again." She also said she plans to appeal her conviction. She maintains that the dogs are pets, and she said she pleaded guilty to failing to notify the authorities, which is required for the commercial movement of dogs, because she was ill-advised. Following today's meeting the Sub-Committee will now decide whether Ms Pintea can keep her breeding licence. The licence review and the convictions were prompted by an investigation into the pair's activity by Sheffield City Council's environmental protection service. The investigation found Ms Pintea had breached several of the conditions of her breeding licence, including selling a dog she had not bred. The investigation also raised concern over the rabies risk created by the imported puppies. Officers were originally told the puppies were imported from Romania, where docking and cropping are both illegal, but underwent the procedures in nearby Serbia after being attacked by another dog. If this is true then rabies control measures will not have been met. Ms Pintea later claimed the puppies had not been moved to Serbia. She today said the story about the attack was a lie her partner told her because he knew she wouldn't like the truth. She also claimed there was no health risk because she keeps every new arrival to her kennels separate from her dogs for 21 days, to check for disease. "The dogs are my life," she added. Ms Pintea also challenged claims she was keeping more dogs than her licence allows for, saying she has more dogs than she is allowed to breed because she sometimes keeps them once retired. Mark Parry, the council's Environmental Enforcement Team Manager, said the court case shows it was right for this review to be called to examine the welfare of Ms Pintea's dogs. A decision is expected later today.

Naked Threat campaigners secure criminalisation of image-based abuse

5:26pm

Image: The Naked Threat. Credit: Lydia Kerin After a relentless 'Naked Threat' campaign headed by Refuge, the UK government announced it would amend the Domestic Abuse Bill to explicitly criminalise the threat to share sexual photos or films without consent. The bill will become law later this year and the crime will be punishable by up to two years in prison. The announcement has been celebrated as a big win for predominantly – though not exclusively – women in the digital age. It will protect the 1 in 7 young women (aged 18-34) who Refuge’s research identified as experiencing this form of abusive control and will provide them with the much-needed legal support which is currently lacking. Threats to share intimate images or videos can have disastrous effects on mental health and emotional wellbeing, causing feelings of fear, anxiety, isolation. 83% of women from Refuge’s research said the threats themselves impacted their mental health or made them feel ashamed or frightened, with over 1 in 10 feeling suicidal. When discussing Refuge’s campaign, Love Island Star and victim of this abuse, Zara McDermott, on BBC Women’s Hour likened the threat to share as being ‘held hostage to these images’.

'So many women are held hostage by these images.'
Influencer Zara McDermott and @NickyMorgan01 joined us discuss the @RefugeCharity campaign to get threats to share intimate images made a criminal offence https://t.co/2TXZjWwZeg pic.twitter.com/zCPlAyglYS — BBC Woman's Hour (@BBCWomansHour) February 28, 2021

This comparison was also echoed by survivor Laura*, 23, receptionist, from Manchester, who said her ex-boyfriend’s threat to share her intimate images made it ‘so hard to leave’. She remained ‘trapped’ in an abusive relationship for over three years because of the power he exerted over her. She said: “I realised it wasn’t about sex for him, it was about control and power.”

It is important to note this is often the case; Refuge found of those women who experienced threats to share, 72% were threatened by a current or former partner. Of these women, 83% also experienced other forms of abuse, demonstrating how threats rarely occur in isolation and often form part of a wider pattern of control. The new legislation will therefore afford victims protection before they experience the trauma of having their intimate photo/video shared. Significantly, it defines these victims as victims in law. It will raise awareness of the myriad of ways domestic abuse can manifest, remove existing societal stigma and validate the abuse suffered which is not always strictly violent. There is still much work to be done. A continued emphasis on prevention and protection is needed, along with a cultural shift in the understanding and acceptance of sexting and the sharing of intimate photographs between partners to ensure this law has its full impact. Both as a result of a lack of legal protection and the cultural taboo surrounding such images, few men or women report the threat of sharing to the police. Refuge found of those who did, less than 14% felt they received a good response. In light of the announcement, Refuge now wants social media companies to create more robust systems to report illegal threats made on their platforms and take action, meaning an increase in prosecutions against perpetrators. We have much further to go, but acknowledging progress in the women’s movement can be encouraging. Domestic abuse was almost wholly invisible in the UK not so long ago; marital rape was only criminalised in the UK in the 1990s. Each victory for women, therefore, no matter how small, represents progress in the movement towards equality and deserves to be celebrated. Appreciating progress in the battle for gender equality without embracing complacency is a delicate task, yet on International Women’s Day it is one as poignant as ever. Help and support can be found on Refuge’s website nationaldahelpline.org.uk, or you can call their Freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. *name changed to protect victim’s anonymity.

Lockdown gave us time to focus on ourselves. Can post-covid society keep this benefit?

4:41pm

Image credit: Ed Brown This time a year ago, the concept of a ‘lockdown’ didn’t really mean much. Since then, it’s come to have a profound and unprecedented impact on all of our lives. But you shouldn’t be surprised if you feel like you’ll miss it at least a little when it’s all finally over – in fact, you’d be in the majority. A YouGov poll conducted on 1 March reported that 45 per cent of people say they will miss "some aspects" of lockdown, with eight per cent saying they will miss many aspects of it. In comparison, only 42% of people say they won’t miss any of it at all.

Source: YouGov

At first, this might seem peculiar. For something that began on 23 March as a trifling three weeks off work and an excuse for a G&T before lunchtime, lockdown soon escalated into a defining feature of the pandemic and the 2020 experience at large. For many, it has been gruelling, intrusive and uncompromising. That people expect nostalgia for a period accompanied by record-breaking loneliness and the worst recession in 300 years is sure to raise more than a few eyebrows. But it’s less of a mystery if we take a look at the sort of lives that most of us were leading beforehand. Prior to the pandemic, Britain boasted the worst work-life balance in the EU, and most Britons were officially sleep-deprived (we caught an average of just 6.8 hours a night, falling short of the recommended threshold of 7). Living at home all day is not easy – but neither is living at work, especially when only half of working people could even say with certainty that they believed their job made a meaningful impact on the world. For many people, a key component of the lockdown has been focusing on skills and interests they simply would not have had the time to indulge otherwise. "I wanted a hobby that would be useful to me later in life and would occupy my time in a more fulfilling manner than being sat on the Xbox," said Joey Holmes, 23, who used the opportunity presented by lockdown to start making woodwork. "Before I knew it, I’d accidentally applied myself to something, and practised to a point that people wanted to buy them," he said. Joey has now set up his own business, Holme Valley Woodworks.

An example of Joey's woodwork. Dog not included. (instagram: holmevalleywoodworks)

Joey’s experience seems to be a trend. Wendy Andrews, 45, used her lockdown time to write her book How To Recover From Pet Loss as part of her mission to combat disenfranchised grief. Pet bereavement, she said, is not taken seriously enough at the best of times, with grieving owners often thought to be overreacting; but "lockdown has exacerbated feelings of grief for many, as they don't have access to their usual support network of friends, family, and work colleagues." Wendy is not alone in using lockdown to focus on mental health. The increase in free time has sparked a renewed commitment in maintaining positive mental wellbeing. Hannah Walton, 21, is remarkably candid. "The year before, I was in a deep depressive state and didn't think I'd achieve anything important with my life," she said. When the pandemic hit, Hannah started volunteering for organisations supporting students and young people. She eventually started the One/Third Project, a student mentoring programme which works with young people who have suffered disadvantages or disruptions during their education. "I learned how to be more patient with my growth as a person and how to embrace my solitude," said Aditya Tiwari, 22. "I read a lot and wrote too. Eventually, I wrote a book of poems that captures both the possibilities and challenges of the non-metropolitan queer perspective from central India." Susan Eckert, 51, spent lockdown pursuing further education to create a program aimed at helping women overcome stress, anxiety, and low self-esteem. "I feel blessed that I was able to leverage the downtime in such a positive way that will ultimately enable me to help others," she said. But - importantly - people didn't need to turn to business to work on their mental health. "Things around me came to a halt, giving me time to breathe and just be - without feeling guilty about it," said Snigdha Bansal, 23. Others simply used their lockdown time to pursue hobbies and aspirations which would have otherwise been difficult or impossible. Gemma Bainbridge, 22, used her time to research midwifery courses. "The amount of practice I was putting in paid off, as I interviewed for my first choice university and got in first time, even though midwifery is a super competitive degree," she said. Natasha Rose Mills, 33, focused on publishing her children’s book, Mr Broccoli, whilst Zofia Rogers, 20, taught herself how to DJ. Lockdown has provided the unique opportunity for us to develop our skills on our own terms in a way that life beforehand didn't quite allow. Is there a way to carry this advantage beyond 21 June? "Many of us struggle to combine working 40 hour weeks, being active in our local community, having time for our hobbies, building and maintaining relationships, and keeping mentally and physically well," said Nannette Youssef, 25, a Green Party Councillor for Norwich City Council. Last year, the City Council passed a Green Party motion to demand the government implement a Norwich trial run for a program called Universal Basic Income (UBI). UBI is a simple concept; cash grants, given by the government to every adult citizen, periodically, indiscriminately, and unconditionally. It's an idea that until recently was on the fringes of the political conversation, despite successful trial runs throughout the 20th century. Contemporary political figures - notably, Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang - have helped push UBI toward the mainstream. "UBI is so important," said Coun Youssef. "It is a wage for existing, not working. A UBI would provide financial security and independence for everyone, including those who do traditional unpaid labour, such as full-time careers or parents." "It would mean people can spend more time on education and training, starting their own business without having to worry about paying for basic necessities. It would boost businesses, particularly the small and independent businesses who have suffered the most under Covid-19." Debilitating crises like the coronavirus are never easy - but they can bring about lasting, positive change. In 1945, from the devastation of World War Two, Britain's NHS was born. In 2021, after the struggles of the pandemic, a UBI could be exactly what we need.

A journey through the history of International Women’s Day

4:40pm

(Credit: Miguel Bruna via Unsplash) The history of IWD signifies the sustained efforts of women in overcoming adversity, discrimination and asserting their place in society. In 1909, on February 28th, the first Women's Day was held in New York City by the Socialist Party of America at the suggestion of the Head of the party's Woman's National Committee, Theresa Serber Malkiel. Malkiel was an activist, suffragist and educator who championed the rights of women, believing that her party could not succeed if women were not perceived as equal within it. She fought for the rights of women, both working and non-working, and challenged racist ideologies within her own party to strive for equality. The actions of Malkiel would set the tone for the annual event that would spring off from this demonstration, International Women's Day.

Theresa Malkiel

International Women's Day was officially founded in 1910 by Clara Zetkin, and was first celebrated in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. The first UK Women's Day event was held in 1914 in Trafalgar Square - a march in support of woman's suffrage that protested against the first world war. It was widely adopted in 1967 as part of the feminist movement and officially recognised by the United Nations as a holiday in 1975. Since then, things have changed significantly and IWD has been used to highlight various problems faced by women. Freelance journalist and primary school teacher, Unaisa Baker, 21, from Redbridge, London spoke about the importance IWD holds for her. She said “I think it’s very important. I think there are very few opportunities for women to be recognised generally and especially worldwide. I think it’s very important because it’s very rare that we’re recognised anyway without males by our sides.” When speaking on the event's historical effect, Unaisa said, "I think that it’s gotten better over time, the effort put into it has increased. Five years ago, when it was International Women’s Day, I don’t remember much being done. It was just kind of… I’ll post it on social media and talk about it. I think it’s definitely become a bigger deal. It’s become more recognised internationally across different countries, not just European countries" She noted further that the event is vital to her, saying "I think it’s empowering for me personally, to be able to see such coverage and recognition for my gender. It’s encouraging, it’s inspiring and it’s motivating to understand that whatever I do, it's recognised and encouraged.” While there has been progress made on social issues affecting women, there is still much work to be done. The theme for 2021's event is "choose to challenge", with the United Nations notably focusing on women in leadership roles. Currently, over 20 women occupy leadership positions around the world with their being 90 elected leaders since 1960 when the first female leader, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, was elected in Bangladesh (then known as Ceylon). While women have come to occupy more positions of power, with nations like New Zealand and Germany having political representation in the form of leaders Jacinda Ardern and Angela Merkel, many still face discrimination across the globe.

For example, IWD marches have been attacked by those who oppose these demonstrations several times over the past ten years - In Egypt, in 2011, hundreds of men harassed the women's march in Cairo as the police and military observing the event stood by, and in Pakistan, in 2020, the Aurat march was attacked by people throwing stones after a failed attempt to have the parade banned. In Mexico, nearly 80,000 people took part in a march to bring attention to rising levels of violence against women, but this too was attacked and more than 60 people were left injured in the aftermath - with reports of petrol bombs and police using tear gas. Despite increased advocacy for women's rights, many are still left unprotected - such as working mothers. According to the PregnantThenScrewed organisation, working mothers, by the time their first child is aged 12 or older, earn 33% less than men. Additionally, research from the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2015 found that 20% of working mothers were subjected to harassment or negative comments from their colleagues, employers or managers when pregnant or returning from maternity leave - close to 390,000 women. According to Payscale, women made only $0.81 for every dollar a man makes in 2020. International Women's Day has become increasingly more mainstream, and as such, has become a target for brands and their PR campaigns. While largely harmless, these campaigns occasionally provide examples of how necessary the messages of campaigns like IWD are, and how these brands can unintentionally and bemusingly perpetuate harmful stereotypes.

Women belong in the kitchen.
— Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) March 8, 2021

https://twitter.com/BurgerKingUK/status/1368849339607638017 The intention behind this thread, which seems tries to encourage parity between men and women within the food industry, has backfired in the eyes of many. The brand's use of a stereotypical phrase, often utilised by sexist trolls, to lure people into their secondary tweet may have attracted attention and very quickly trended over Twitter, but has sparked fierce debate online and arguably proved detrimental for the movement they are advocating for. https://twitter.com/Toadsanime/status/1368886893266501634 Senior PR Account Executive, Jessica Pardoe, 23, when speaking about IWD, said "I think it's great for celebrating women, but I don't love how commercialised it's become in the last few years. A lot of brands seem to be jumping on it for the sake of it, and for a shot of marketing rather than for genuine compassionate reasons." IWD has met opposition through its history, from those who have ignored female voices in the past, to those who have attempted to silence proponents of the movement through violence, to derisory comments from sexists, and even become subject to franchises seemingly appropriating the movement for free press. Despite this, the event and those in support of it continue to go strong and has served as an important part women's history. IWD has contributed significantly to the acknowledgement and development of women's rights and amplification of their voices in its 110-year history, but it's clear to many that there is still a long way to go until equality for women is achieved, and that more must be done to attain this.

Schools Reopening: The teachers perspective

4:20pm

Image: CDC on Unsplash Today is the start of Boris Johnson’s long-awaited four-step plan to lifting lockdown in England, which will begin with the reopening of schools up and down the country. However, this plan has been met with a lot of criticism. The Prime Minister’s four-step road map will measure the country’s progress against Covid-19 by reflecting on data every 4 weeks, followed by a week notice to be given to the public. The government will monitor the progress from evidence that jabs are reducing hospital admissions and deaths, and how efficiently the vaccine is being deployed. So far, 21.7million people in the UK (33% of the population) have received at least one dose of the vaccine and over a million people have been fully vaccinated. From today, all primary and secondary pupils will return to school. Practical higher education courses can resume, as well as children’s outdoors sports and activities. The new rules also allow one designated visitor for people living in care homes and wraparound childcare. Next month, we can hope for the “rule of 6” to be reintroduced and organised outdoor sport for children and adults. Two primary school teachers, Miss Sperling from Coventry and Ms Spiers from Southam, have been working throughout lockdown and dividing their time between online and face-to-face learning. Both teachers have shared their thoughts about going back to school full-time, with the consensus of "feeling ok" about the decision. Throughout the pandemic, the government prioritised face-to-face teaching and had managed to keep schools open during the Autumn term. This was done even when all other non-essential businesses were forced to close, and people were told to stay at home unless “absolutely necessary”. According to JHU CSSE, there were only 1295 new positive Covid cases when schools opened in September 2020. Despite surging cases leading up to the New Year and a new variant of the virus, the PM, known affectionately as 'BoJo', assured parents that children would return to school on the 4th of January 2021. Within a day, he announced to the nation that he was ordering the closure of all schools and universities. A sensible idea as the spread of coronavirus in England was the worst it had ever been, with 68,000 positive covid cases. Although, Miss Sperling shared her annoyance saying: “Getting told on Monday evening that you need to start doing remote learning from 9am the next day was ridiculous.” On the 7th of March 2021, the recorded cases had dropped dramatically to a little over 5000; but is this still too high to reopen schools? Ms Spiers said: “I’m ok with being back, as everyone will be in the same room and you can monitor what children are learning and how they are learning it.” Whereas Miss Sperling joked: “The only thing I needed was to brush up on my teaching, after almost 3 months without teaching a full class.” What risks and challenges will teachers face? Miss Sperling believes the transition back to school will be quite smooth – implementing what they had learnt from the first lockdown. She said: “My school had a bridging week at the start of the month. We invited children who are vulnerable or have Autism Spectrum Disorder, so they could get reaccustomed to school.” There has been a lot of speculation over how schools will adhere to social distancing measures, many assuming that desks will be separated by Perspex screens and children will be forced to sit 2m apart. Ms Spiers explained that this in not the reality, with social distancing nearly impossible in primary schools. “There is always a concern,” she said, “as you don’t know how safe children are being at home.” Miss Sperling said: “I think no matter when the schools reopened, there would be some sort of risk," “The school I’m at is in a tiny village, so all of the children have been playing out with each other, which we can’t police as a school.” What social distancing measures are in place? In many schools, they have implemented a bubble system, meaning children can only interact with their classes. They have separate play times, eat in their classrooms, and have specific areas to play in at lunch. Miss Sperling explained: “We also have each class entering the school in different places, using different gates," “The children have to wash their hands when they enter the building, before and after break, before and after lunch, and at the end of the day before they leave.” She explained: “If children show any symptoms they are not to come to school and if they show symptoms at school they are to go in isolation until they are collected. Children are then not allowed back until the quarantine period is over or they get a negative test result.” Research shows that while children are less susceptible to sickness from the virus than adults, they can spread it. However, evidence also suggests that schools did not play a part in the huge outbreaks we have experienced in the past. [sources] Is it a good idea to reopen schools? Ms Spiers believes that it is the correct decision to reopen schools. She explained that many children need a consistent and fair routine and some do not have the right learning environment at home. However, she added: “I feel stringent lockdown restrictions should continue, to ensure the household routine is not adding more risk for school staff," “Teachers having vaccine priority would have also increased the safety of schools.”

Dancing in Driveways: The Sheffield street improving mental health through dance

4:15pm

Image: Dancing in Driveways. Credit: Sophie Henderson Neighbours in Sheffield have been using the power of dance to combat social isolation, keep fit and stay connected during Covid. When the UK went into its first lockdown back in March 2020, many communities came up with new and innovative ways to keep in touch and raise spirits. One street in Sheffield has been working to achieve this by dancing in their driveways. For almost a year, the neighbours have come out every week to dance together in a bid to stay connected and help improve their mental and physical health. The sessions are led by Charlotte Armitage, who said the idea came about when one of her neighbours started a street-wide WhatsApp group to support those who were shielding, isolated, or in need of medical prescriptions. As the country entered lockdown, Charlotte's usual work as a community dance artist, working to improve the wellbeing of children and adults, had to be stopped. "I just suggested that we all came out on the first Monday morning and danced, which we did", she said. "That night we went into lockdown which was the 23rd of March. From then on I was like: Oh hang on a minute we could just do this every morning, we could do this to keep us going. So, every morning we came out and danced just to give people something to do, some fresh air, a bit of exercise, and a chance to not feel quite so gloomy about the situation." The dancing briefly paused in September when schools reopened, but they soon restarted on a weekly basis. "In October we said actually we’re still not really released in the way we thought. We had thought we’d be much more back to normal, so we decided to start again." said Charlotte.

Community dance artist Charlotte Armitage leads the sessions. Credit: Sophie Henderson

On most days, as many as 25 people will be outside dancing to the music pumping from Charlotte's speakers, a number which rose to 50 during the summer months. The community is always finding more ways to raise spirits, from pumpkin-carving and cake-baking to their current Easter bonnet competition. Prior to the pandemic, other than a brief 'hello' every now and again, the neighbours barely knew each other. "We've built friendships," Charlotte said. "We know them well enough that you feel like they are the people who you’d have a cup of tea with when we’re allowed to, or arrange to invite over to a barbecue. We've shared birthdays and shared experiences with each other as well as helping each other out." An ICM survey suggests communities in the UK have been brought together during the pandemic, with 41% of people saying their community has become more united. The poll also saw 50% of people agree that the public's response to Covid-19 has highlighted society's unity more than its divisions, compared to 27% who disagreed with this statement. This social contact has been particularly important for those who have been more isolated during the pandemic. Margaret Mullins, 84, who is shielding with her 92-year-old husband, praised the dancing as "the best tonic you could ever have." On her birthday last April, the community surprised her by laying out flowers along the path and singing 'Happy Birthday'. Margaret has been unable to see her daughter who is working as a nurse and didn't know any of her neighbours before the pandemic. She now knows they are there if she needs help. "You know that you can depend on everybody. They'd do anything for you." she said.

Margaret Mullins said the dancing has been "fantastic". Credit: Sophie Henderson

As well as keeping the community active and connected, Charlotte said the exercise brings joy to their Sheffield street. "It's being able to have that human contact and get your heart rate up," Charlotte said. "It's so lovely to come out to see people in the flesh and to be able to speak to people face to face. Obviously, we’re distanced in our driveways but you can still wave and chat across the street." Research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found 48% of adults said their well-being was being affected by the pandemic, which increased to 81% of adults who experienced symptoms of depression or anxiety. In November 2020, 7% of adults reported often or always feeling lonely, a figure that rose among respondents experiencing depression (26%) or anxiety (24%). Margaret Lewis, CEO of Sheffield Mind, said some research suggests anxiety, depression, and stress may be lower among those engaging in group exercise. "It makes sense that when exercise is done with others it can provide a means of social support and reduce feelings of loneliness, as well as help you keep fit," she said. "Group exercise gives you the opportunity to meet and connect with other people who may share your interests, and if you’re dancing on your own street, with your neighbours, it contributes to a sense of community-connectedness. There may also be benefits for people who find one-to-one conversation difficult. Group exercise provides an opportunity to be with people, but not necessarily have to have in-depth conversations." The Sheffield neighbours have been out in all weather, with Charlotte going out early to grit the pavements during the cold winter months. "Obviously if it’s a sunny day that's absolutely glorious, but even if it is pouring down we’ve got umbrellas and we’ve been dancing in the rain," she said. "People say it makes them feel good and they like the routine of it."

Charlotte Armitage dancing in the rain. Credit: Joe Armitage

But as restrictions begin to lift and communities return to a more 'normal' way of living, what will happen to such established lockdown routines? "We're going to party," said Charlotte. "We’ve already talked about, on many occasions, the possibility of a street party which obviously will have to happen, it would be silly not to." Charlotte said while she will be returning to her full-time job, it would be a shame to stop dancing. "I’m sure we can figure out something that we can do to carry on," she said. "We’ll find a way to keep connected with each other and keep dancing."

Impact assessment recommends action to support mental wellbeing in Sheffield

4:09pm

Poor mental health in the wake of the pandemic is set to be addressed in a meeting held by Sheffield Council on Wednesday following recommendations for action made in an Impact Assessment report. The report forms part of a broader set of impact assessments commissioned by the Sheffield Health and Wellbeing Board which found that on-going depression, anxiety and PTSD amongst people post-pandemic is likely. Outlining what measures should be taken to reduce such impacts, the report advises Sheffield Council to increase the proportion of healthcare money spent on mental health services from the current 12 per cent. Equally, it suggests Sheffield's Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector should be strengthened in order to develop a framework for rapid and progressive commissioning of mental health services. The report outlines how this would help create a response to changing community mental health support needs and service demands. "There needs to be a review of the level of engagement with digital technology, particularly of people with severe and enduring mental health issues. Digital inclusion is not just about whether people have access to technology, it is also about whether or not they are able to engage with services via technology," the report stated. Held virtually, the council meeting will begin at 4.00pm on Wednesday 10 March.

Matt Smith: Rovers are looking for ‘revenge’ against Crewe tomorrow night as they look to maintain Butler’s winning start to life as manager

4:01pm

After successive home wins, Doncaster Rovers look to further boost their promotion hopes with a victory against Crew Alexandra in Cheshire on Tuesday night. Rovers have had immediate success under new manager Andy Butler, who has taken over after Darren Moore's shock departure for Sheffield Wednesday, with two 2-1 wins at home against Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle. Butler downplayed the impact his appointment has had on the team's performance, he said: "It's not a new manager bounce, it's been down to the players and their performances and attitude." Crewe are unbeaten in their last 10 home league games and have been flirting with the playoff spots throughout the season. They suffered a heavy defeat to Lincoln on Saturday however. Butler said he is aware of the threat they will pose, he added: "It will be a tough challenge, they'll be looking to bounce back after the weekend's result." Doncaster have lost their last 3 away league fixtures. When asked how he will try and change their form away from home Butler said: "Just keep demanding more from players from the last two games. I've said to a lot of the players to put the games before to bed and move on. We just have to prepare right and get the mindset right."

Doncaster Rover's Predicted line-up

Crew Alexandra's predicted line-up

Midfielder Matt Smith talked in his press conference today about playing for Butler: "I want to do well for him and I know a lot of the lads want to do well for him too because of what he was for us as a player." Looking ahead to tomorrow's fixture, Smith said: "I think it's going to be a good game. They're a difficult team to play against and we were disappointed to lose to them, so we want to get revenge on them for last time." The match will be played at Alexandra Stadium and Kick-off is 7pm on March 9th.

David vs Goliath: How this week could mark a turning point for Amazon’s warehouse workers

3:58pm

Image: Workers hold a May Day strike in Los Angeles in 2017. Photo Credit: (CC BY 2.0) Poor pay, poor conditions and lack of care has dogged e-com giant Amazon for years. This week workers in the US have gone on strike. Support for the industrial action is growing across the UK; but is Amazon too big to be reckoned with? In 2019, word got out that Amazon warehouse workers weren't being given sufficient break time. This came with all kinds of problems, but the most glaring is that they were forced to pee in bottles on the warehouse floor. As a result of those infractions, there have been so many scandals that Amazon has found itself on the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health’s 2019 Dirty Dozen list, which highlights the most dangerous companies to work for, joining the ranks of Facebook and McDonald's. The controversy led to a series of strikes in Milton Keynes. They also took place in Doncaster, Warrington, and Coventry, among other places across the UK. But there was another catalyst for these events, too: in September 2018, a 48-year-old Amazon warehouse worker in Ohio died of a heart attack on the warehouse floor. He was there for twenty minutes before Amazon's internal safety officers arrived to help him, a statement from his brother argues. By then it was too late; CPR was administered, but Billy Foister never recovered. Although Billy Foister was an American citizen, the death sparked worker strikes in the UK. But for Amazon, these strikes were little more than a drop in the ocean: according to Business Insider, Amazon turns a profit of $215,068,493 every day, around $2,500 dollars every second. This year, a group of Alabama-based Amazon warehouse workers, led by a union formed in Amazon's BHM1 warehouse, have started the most significant union battle with Amazon in the company's history, spanning the week from 7 March to 13 March. The battle has been supported widely on social media. Sites like Twitter and TikTok are awash with young people taking action against the company through refusing to cross the digital picket line. It has also driven so much online traffic to Amazon's anti-union website, Do It Without Dues, that it is unavailable to people who might access it with the intention of sabotaging unions. BHM1 is an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, where employees are expected to pick up 400 delivery items per hour, or 2,500 per day. An anonymous Amazon employee told progressive American news site, The Prospect: "It's kind of impossible to hit rates, we just do the best we can. If we don't meet rates, we get threatened to get demoted to the position where we started... they threaten you, or you can get fired". The Do it without Dues site is relatively straight-forward: it's a simple, scrollable page which lists a series of reasons that joining a union is bad, citing the $500 joining fee as extortionate. "HEY BMH1 DOERS, why pay almost $500 dollars in dues? We've got you covered with high wages, health care, vision and dental benefits, as well as a safety committee and an appeals process," the website says. Those benefits only apply to full-time employees. Later on, the website says: "If you're paying dues... it will be RESTRICTIVE meaning it won't be as easy to be as helpful and social with each other. So be a DOER, stay friendly and get things done versus paying dues." Amazon has been known to pay less tax than it should. In the financial year 2019-2020, Amazon only paid £6.3 million in corporation tax on £13.55 billion in sales. In the same year, supermarket chain M&S paid £65.4 million in corporation tax, while Tesco and John Lewis paid £176 million and £42 million respectively. Both Amazon and Tesco operate in 13 countries. M&S operates in 29 countries and also operates stores in Hong Kong. All of these facts lead to labour strikes having a diminished effect - if one Amazon warehouse shuts down, the others will mitigate the loss caused by one gap in worker productivity. But despite Amazon's efforts, the union workers have found support in both their fellow workers and other celebrities. Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello recorded a short video calling the Amazon union battle "the David and Goliath workers' rights story of the 21st century". Morello is a member of the Los Angeles' Local 47 Musicians Union, The Industrial Workers of the World, and is an honorary member of the Air Traffic Controller's Union and the Teamsters. This sentiment was echoed by other popular musicians such as Run the Jewels' Killer Mike. Unions have also gotten involved in the struggle of Britain's Amazon warehouse workers. The workers' rights group Unite West Midlands have taken to the streets in protest of the ecommerce giant. On May 19 2021, they occupied a bridge in Worcester, brandishing a sign stating: "Stop the Exploitation." Unite executive officer Sharon Graham said: "Unite has recently written to Jeff Bezos in response to claims from the company about respecting UK workers’ rights to join and form a union. Our union is calling on the company to make a clear commitment and sign up to a declaration of neutrality. The declaration would guarantee workers the freedom to talk with and form a union without fear. If the company is genuine then it should be more than happy to sign the declaration.” An Amazon spokesperson said: "We respect our employees’ right to join, form, or not to join a labour union or other lawful organisation of their own selection, without fear of reprisal, intimidation, or harassment. Across Amazon, including in our fulfilment centres, we place enormous value on having daily conversations with each team member and work to make sure direct engagement with our employees is a strong part of our work culture." The battle between Amazon and its workers looks set to continue for the foreseeable future. The Alabama strike is due to run from the 7th March until the 13th March, a time during which the unionised workers request that people refrain from buying products from Amazon.

Vintage football shirts- keeping the connection alive during a pandemic

3:50pm

Credit- Stunner Kits A year-long pandemic has done wonders for the vintage football shirt market- why are fans turning to shirts while the doors of their grounds remain closed? “Football is the most important of the unimportant things in life.” As COVID-19 emerged, all else seemed to pale into insignificance, and Arrigo Sacchi’s remark became increasingly prophetic. After all, how could anyone concern themselves with football in the face of a killer virus and rising death tolls? Football was unceremoniously relegated to the league of “unimportant things”, but there were those who refused to accept that result. This sport is the foundation upon which so many build their lives, a social and emotional outlet for millions across the globe. Indeed, the results of a ThinkPublic survey, which found that 28.5% of football fans said being unable to attend matches had impacted their mental health, were unsurprising. Amidst all the grief and suffering, fans were also mourning the lost connection with both their team and fellow supporters. Becca Johnson said the absence of her weekly trips to the Stadium of Light was felt keenly. “It has been difficult not being able to go and watch football when it's such a big part of your life. The whole matchday experience, getting up, sticking your club's shirt and scarf on, the walk up to the ground, meeting the familiar faces along the way, I think a lot of people have missed that social experience.” For Mimo Gabarrìa, matches are almost religious ceremonies, with fans taking part in a collective pilgrimage to their place of worship. “The occasion of match day is a sacred experience for many and we have missed being able attend in our masses. The allure of chanting in the pub, walking to the stadium and moving through the creaking turnstiles is sorely missed.” Just as this void was created in the lives of football fans, searches for vintage football shirts exploded. The peak was the glorious summer of 2018, when England charged to the World Cup semi-finals and the country desperately sought 90’s shirts to adorn themselves with. However, between March 7 and May 16 in 2020, searches rose from being 87% lower than this peak to just 3% below. Despite the suspension of the sport altogether, fans were almost as eager for shirts during this national crisis as they were amidst the national footballing fervour of 2018.

Credit- Stunner Kits

Serge Scherbina runs Stunner Kits, a retro football shirt shop, with his girlfriend Polly. He said this sudden surge in popularity could be attributed to fans attempting to find alternatives to the match day experience. “Football in the UK is a way of living- it isn’t just something that you do for fun. I would agree that it is definitely something that can temporarily replace those emotions from coming to the ground, supporting your team and connecting with other fans.” For Ryan Plant, his collection of shirts has begun to represent a time when stands were full, before atmosphere and spectacle were replaced with a sanitised version of the sport. “It's no coincidence that the shirts I've found myself buying have been older, which, even if they're only from last season, are associated with times when fans could be at the ground and the sport was very different.” Josh Warwick, a co-owner of Cult Kits, believed that nostalgia was a driving force behind the growth of this market, with many looking to remind themselves of the halcyon days of their footballing youth. “People are missing football, they have got more time on their hands, so even just browsing our site is a nice nostalgic thing to do. “Often your favourite era of shirts, a bit like music, is from when you were growing up and you first started to fall in love with football. Looking at or buying these shirts allows you to remind yourself of being a kid, discovering football and nothing else really mattering.”

Credit- @thatfootballphotog for Cult Kits

Such childhood reminiscence also lends itself to reflection on family. For Paul Van Dijk and Martin Albert, football shirts are intertwined with memories of their fathers. Paul has used the past 12 months as an opportunity to invest in the shirts that were so important to him in his youth. The most treasured item in his collection, however, is the Feyenoord away kit from 1998/99. This was the first shirt from his beloved club bought for him by his dad- a reminder of that connection between father and son borne out of a mutual passion for Rotterdam’s finest. Martin found that looking through the older shirts in his collection allowed him to reminisce about games and grounds visited with his father, who passed away several years ago. In this way, shirts become more than pieces of polyester. A collection turns into a memory bank, with each shirt unlocking another recollection of the relationship between family and football. This nostalgia extends beyond just fond memories of growing up. Rather, Serge believes that fans are becoming increasingly invested in vintage shirts as they are visual reminders of footballing authenticity, before the sport became trapped in corporate clutches.

Credit- Stunner Kits

Serge said: “Nostalgia is the engine of our business, especially when it is obvious that football is not what it used to be two decades ago. "It is too monetised these days- back then it was rich with personas, personalities and character, so these shirts bring out good memories. “We want to carry the message that football is not what it used to be. If you want to remind yourself of what it used to be, and what it still can become again, you can come by and talk with us, look through our shirts and relive the glory days.” Of course, football shirts cannot indefinitely satisfy the fans’ hunger for the return of the sport, nor can they turn back the clock to the game’s past. Even so, their ability to evoke a powerful nostalgia- be it for one’s youth, a golden footballing era, or simply being able to attend matches- makes them invaluable to the fans waiting for victory against the pandemic.

Diversity in journalism: “the situation is starting to change, but it’s still shocking”

3:44pm

Whilst diversity is improving in journalism, it is a still a problem that needs addressing. Assistant Editor of The Daily Mirror, Darren Lewis, shares his personal experiences and thoughts on taking a step in the right direction. The figures speak for themselves. In a society which often claims to promote change, evidence suggests that improvement is still desperately needed to achieve true diversity in journalism. Research undertaken by the National Council of Training for Journalists (NCTJ) shows that 94% of journalists are white. 57% of those are male, compared to 43% who are female. However, the real situation in newsrooms appears even more unequal than these figures suggest. The concentration of writing positions in London and urban areas, where ethnic minorities live in greater numbers, shows significant under-representation in the media. Just 1% of journalists are black. The same statistic goes for Asian reporters. Speaking to a journalism student from a BAME community, she said: "I was so afraid to pursue a career in the profession because of my race. "I'm scared to even speak about it sometimes because I'm worried what my lecturers may think of me. "Being a student in a subject which is so misrepresented makes you think about things others wouldn't think about, like racial bias. It's horrible sometimes".

NCTJ shorthand book, a compulsory asset to journalists.

Speculation has arisen as to why representation continues to lack diversity. A balanced socio-economic demographic is also missing from UK newsrooms. A study from Vuelio, an organisation which promotes diversity in journalism, discovered that 51% of the UK's top journalists went to private schools, more than seven times the national average. Also, Alan Milburn’s State of the Nation Report found that 11% of journalists were from working-class backgrounds, compared to 60% of the population. Darren Lewis, Assistant Editor of the Daily Mirror, 53, has been an activist in recent years in encouraging diversity in the newsroom. This has been partly due to his personal experiences. Despite being fortuitous in having excellent people around him on his journey, he realises that more effort is needed to help ethnic minorities break into the profession. He said: "When I went into sport reporting, particularly football, you didn't have anyone who supported you or looked like you. "When I got into journalism, there were people like me, but they weren't in national newspapers. "I didn't have anybody who I could go to, who had been part of my experience before and offer me advice about how to deal with any given situation. "Hopefully that will change because there are some people getting the experience that by 10 years time will be beneficial to the next generation coming into the game".

Quote from David Yelland about journalism.

During the 1990s, race relations appeared to be up in the air. Riots were happening in America, and acts of racism still occurred frequently across sporting events in the UK. Darren opens up, with compassion, about some of his experiences he witnessed in the newsroom. This was when he was breaking through as an enthusiastic news reporter during the early stages of his career: "I didn't have a lot of racism towards me, because of the people I had. But if someone said something racist in the newsroom, no one would be pulled up on it. Nobody was there to say they were wrong", he says. "We say the 90s, but this has been a problem for the last 10-15 years. People would get away with saying racist stuff. "If they said the things they were saying in our present age, you would get in trouble."

Black Lives Matter trainers, created by @a_kid_named_sterling_

Recent progress to the way we think and act has contributed to a change in opinions regarding diversity.

Left side of the BLM trainer

The death of George Floyd in 2020 horrified spectators across the globe, and was influential in changing attitudes across various organisations. Darren believes this was perhaps the match that sparked media companies alight regarding representation in newsrooms. He says: "When I started society was still very much not bothered about racism, and I don't think this has changed until the last five years or so. "The George Floyd Incident was influential to a lot of organisations because many wanted to cover what was happening as a reaction to the event". "However, in a lot of cases, these journalists couldn't empathise because they didn't have enough people to delve into communities and address what these people were feeling and share these frustrations. They weren't from a BAME community". "It's why some media companies are working hard to get people in place who can continue to give content, yet empathise in a different way which hasn't been identified as often as it should've been". Despite the lack of representation in journalism, efforts are being made to make a change. This is happening through various outputs, such as news outlets actively seeking applicants from diverse backgrounds. A survey involving 136 news industry leaders by Oxford University suggested that in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, improving ethnic diversity (42%) is highlighted as the most pressing diversity priority in 2021. From the same report, the respondents say their news organisation collects and shares diversity data about staff (64%) and leadership (54%). More than four in ten (41%) say they now monitor the make-up of their contributors and interviewees. Schemes such as the Journalism Diversity Fund, run by the NCTJ, have been set up to support diverse candidates gain professional journalism qualifications. Each recipient is also paired with a professional working journalist as a mentor, and 80% of all JDF alumni remain in the industry. PressPad, since its launch in 2018, was set up to help individuals from low-affluent backgrounds gain work experience in journalism. Coinciding with this, it offers budget accommodation to help people through placements. The BBC introduced their 50:50 project in 2018, inspiring journalists and producers to represent women and men equally in their content. On social media, accounts like 'We Are Black Journos' are platforms celebrating and connecting black journalists to help promote their outstanding work. Clearly, progress is happening, but the concern is this still isn't enough. The statistics have followed a similar pattern for years. Darren Lewis believes the industry needs to ensure younger people from diverse backgrounds aren't disillusioned from pursuing a career in news. He said: "the situation is starting to change, but it's still shocking. There are younger people coming in who have a different view on life, so that is helping. "A lot of people used to think journalism wasn't right for them because of representation and do you think that has changed in 2021? I don't think so, and I think that's a big part as to why the stats are so bad. "No one should ever feel their race is holding them back. You should never feel afraid. Your talents should be the main reason you get spotted." If we continue to see a rise in media companies working to achieve diversity, there may one day be a day where we see equal representation for all in the media. Should we steer our focus points though, the UK media industry may never fully diversify and represent the demographic it serves.