“I’m just gobsmacked”: Woman appeals to find relatives of a WWI serviceman from Sheffield
A British woman living in Belgium took to Facebook to find information on a World War One serviceman after tending to his grave for many years.
Joyce Mackenzie, 69, was overwhelmed by the attention the post received, and said: "The people have been amazing, and with the information I have received in private, online and in the photos, I'm just gobsmacked."
She stumbled upon the graveyard in Vogenée, Belgium, near her home, where the grave for Reginald Dodds was left untidy and neglected, leading her to decide to tidy it herself.
"Nobody asked me to do it, I just did it because it was a downright disgrace," she said.
The post on the Sheffield Community group filled with details on Mr Dodds from excerpts from his obituary published in the formerly named 'Sheffield Daily Telegraph', to family gravestone inscriptions, as well as people praising Mrs Mackenzie for her kindness.
Reginald was a Sergeant Observer for the RAF, and died at 19-years-old on 10 November 1918, just one day before the armistice that ended the war was signed.
He was the son of William Harvey and Bertha E Dodds and lived on Abbeydale Road, Sheffield.
Locals in Vogenée organised a centenary commemoration service in 2018 to mark 100 years since Mr Dodds died, and that day Mrs Mackenzie received a diploma to thank her for her efforts of remembrance.
She said: “It was such a long time ago, but it’s just a young guy from Sheffield who went off to war and didn’t come back, and now he’s all here alone in the middle of nowhere in Belgium, but he’s not forgotten."
Last year, she battled a serious case of pneumonia which motivated her to reach out on social media.
“I was so badly ill last year, I really thought I was going, so I thought it really is time, it’s now or never," she said.
Information on those who died in service can be found on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) website, to commemorate their contributions.
Megan Maltby, head of public engagement at the CWGC, said: “Every grave we care for matters, and each represents and individual story of service and sacrifice that deserves to be remembered.
"It is lovely to hear that Joyce is remembering this fallen serviceman, Reginald Dodds, in her community."
Although Mrs Mackenzie is yet to discover any relatives of Mr Dodds, she remains hopeful that people might manage to find new information.
To see Joyce's Facebook post and share any information click here.
“Be the best versions of ourselves” is message to football team ahead of US tour
A Penistone girl's football team who are hoping to travel to America next April in a "once in a lifetime opportunity" have passed the halfway mark in their fundraising journey.
Penistone Church's under-16 women's team have raised just over £11,000 of the £22,000 needed to get them to Orlando for a chance to play against top-level opposition teams, as well as finding out what American scholarship life is like.
The club have been hard at work over the last 12 months, taking part in various fundraising activities, including a 14-kilometre hike, raffles and shirt giveaways.
It has also been making sure the team understands the significance of the trip as the girls will be representing England and Penistone on an international stage.
Manager, Liam Harding, who has been supporting the team through their fundraising journey, explaining how "proud" he is of everything they have achieved.
Player, 14-year-old Izzy Lomas said: "It will feel surreal to know that you're representing a large number of people in a big way."
There is a real team effort from all the players, who are all pushing and doing as much as they can to get the trip funded.
Scarlet Corker, 14, said: "It doesn't feel real to be honest, because it just started as an idea but it has really picked up since then."
Liam is keen to keep up the momentum, to help the team raise the rest of the money.
"There is still however a long way to go," he said. "It suddenly dawned on me that I've still got another £11,000 to raise, so while it's brilliant, exciting and a milestone, there is still a lot to do."
The manager is also aware how many teenage girls leave the sport and is keen to develop the team socially, morally, and mentally, as well as improving self-esteem and reducing depression & anxiety.
A report by Women in Sport revealed that over a million teenage girls who once considered themselves 'sporty' often disengage from sport following primary school.
The organisation feel this is due to "a fear of feeling judged by others (68%), lack of confidence (61%), pressures of schoolwork (47%) and not feeling safe outside (43%) were some of the reasons given for not wanting to participate for this group of girls".
Liam understands it takes a lot of motivation just to get out of bed for his players, so by giving his team an opportunity to play in a competition abroad will keep the players focussed.
Player, Izzy Lomas, feels the trip has "given us something to look forward to and play for".
Members of the team have credited their coaches for their success so far. Ella Darrington, 14, said: "They are really persistent, which helps a lot, if it weren't for them we'd be really sloppy."
The team has also been putting on extra sessions to prepare the girls for the heat and quality of opposition they will face in America. Freya Wright, 15, has seen the coaching team becoming increasingly "passionate as they want what is best for us".
Liam said: "We live it, we love it, you would be hard pushed to find more motivated coaches than what Church have got."
While the amount of people watching women's football, and the overall level of funding given to girls grassroots football clubs is increasing, according to Women in Sport: "The allocation of resources in sport is not fair, whether we talk about money, time, profile or technical expertise, men’s sport has the lion’s share".
According to another player, Lacey Furniss, 15, the Penistone team are determined to "show that girls and women can do the same things as men and deserve the same opportunities".
Liam is determined to get the team to be at the top of their game for next year and prove a point that his girls can compete at a high standard, and not waste "an opportunity that most players who operate at this level simply won't get".
The club has recently announced that their tour provider will be Starbridge Sports.
The organisation will give the Penistone U-16's games against quality opposition teams, as well as samples of scholarship life which Liam feels is the main motivation for some of his players.
"With a couple years of hard work, many of our players could aspire to a scholarship overseas," he said.
For the coaches and manager, this trip will be the culmination of years of hard work and will power, not just to raise the money, but to also keep the girls focused and playing the game, and emotions will certainly be running high when the team steps out onto the pitch.
Liam said: "I might be crying, there might be a tear in my eye.
"I will probably be nervous for the girls, but I'll be overwhelmed, because although we have been actively fundraising and doing things two years, the actual idea came about almost three years ago."
To support the team via their Crowdfunder click here
Featured photo credit - Mike Carnevale
Proud mum-of-three runs London Marathon for Sheffield charity
After watching the race on TV for years and entering the ballot 10 to 12 times without success, it became one mum's life goal to run a marathon before she reached 40.
Amy Hardiman, a remote business and lifestyle support partner, drew her motivation towards running the marathon from her three kids, wanting to show them what she could achieve and "push them out of their comfort zones".
She ran her first 8km just 18 months ago in preparation for the big day, then followed online London Marathon training programmes since Christmas.
Amy ran the marathon to raise money for the Sheffield-based Snowdrop Project, who support survivors of modern slavery and exploitation to recover and rebuild.
She said: "I just felt so lucky to be there. And just doing those miles knowing that people have walked in harder times helped me get through it."
She is looking to raise £2500 for the charity, believing more awareness is needed to recognise everyday situations in businesses where modern slavery takes place.
Amy said: "The funding goal has been really tough. The charity has been brilliant, but it's really tough to get people to part with their hard-earned cash at the minute."
The technical aspect of preparing for a marathon was something that Amy wasn't aware of before, aiming to increase her maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), which is crucial for a marathon runner to maximise their oxygen capacity.
Further motivation arose from what she called a "midlife crisis", being tough at home for her to balance her life as a mum with her training schedule.
Amy said: "I think I'll be glad to have my Sundays back because it wasn't just popping out for a quick run. It was taking up pretty much the whole day."
Once the marathon had begun, the constant cheering and atmosphere along the route was a surprise to Amy, with people having house parties outside their houses near the course and others setting up picnics for the day just to cheer everybody on.
The sun was shining, elevating the experience for the runners and spectators, despite Amy joking that: "I'd have rather it had been a bit cloudy as a runner".
Amy said: "There wasn't any part of the course that was quiet, and if they saw anyone walking they would try to shout out their names to get them going again."
The most challenging part of the race for Amy was the start line, which was silent and unusual for her as she expected a motivational speech or pre-race warm-up before the race began.
Kilometres 10 to 25 were the toughest for her, because of the mental challenge of realising how far she'd gone already, with a long way still to go.
Amy said: "You could really feel everybody's nerves and there were a lot of people doing it for charity so they were thinking about their loved ones and their causes, so I was really taken aback with that."
The highlight of Amy's race was seeing people she knew along the way, including her husband and her daughter, as well as seeing the finish line, where she said: "there's nothing like it".
One special moment Amy picked out was after she felt sad that she hadn't seen her friends, a friend from school runs with the kids jumped out screaming her name and shared a massive hug which kept her going.
Amy said: "There were moments thinking I just want this to be over, but there weren't any moments where I thought I can't do this."
When asked how the marathon resulted in a major success, Amy put it down to carb loading and fuelling up as well as extensive mental preparation.
Her husband was Amy's biggest motivator, telling her what her current pace was and how far she would have to run to reach targets throughout the race.
Amy said: "After you've had kids you want to be more than just mum, and when you've got little people looking up to you, you just want to show them that anything is possible really."
At the finish line she didn't collect her medal straight away, opting to collect her thoughts and spent a couple of minutes thinking about what she had achieved.
One regret is wishing she had spent more time in the finishers area to embrace the feeling of reaching her goal.
To make up for it, Amy wore her finishers medal and T-shirt on her school run this morning.
International Food Market coming to Sheffield with “rare” cuisines
After a successful four-day event in Barnsley, a travelling international food market is coming to Sheffield this Thursday (30 April).
The market brings together people from different communities, moving weekly to share their food with UK cities and towns.
Although the cuisines on offer change, this weekend Sheffielders can expect Mexican, Chinese, Moroccan, Greek, as well as a variety of dessert options.
It will be a chance to try something new, as a Gambian food vendor will be offering goat curry, chicken yasa, lamb plasas and unique homemade drinks.
Foday Janko, who runs his stall FOEYAMS with his wife, spoke about the start of his business.
He said: “It was my Mrs’ idea because she loves cooking. We normally used to cook, especially during COVID time, and sell to those who couldn’t go out.
“Gambian cuisine is very rare, so we thought it’s an opportunity to break out in the market and bring it on board. That’s why we started doing it.”
The Barnsley market was held at The Glassworks last weekend, and attracted huge crowds of people, particularly families enjoying the sunny day out.
There were also traders selling clothes, pet items, toffee vodka and homemade jewellery.
Foday said: “We’re like a massive big family with all the different traders.
“We don’t just do traders' discounts. You can go and eat somewhere for free, and they can eat my food for free. We travel different areas every week.”
Kevin Daniels, a cheese vendor from the Great British Cheese Company, spoke about his favourite options from what he sells.
He said: “I’m a purist and I like the flagship mature cheddar and the drunken monk, which is red wine and caramelised onion.
“The flagship, all the guys buy that, because they get to my age and they realise they’ve ruined their lives on wild women and Cathedral City. They should’ve had the flagship instead.”
The Sheffield market will be in Fargate, 30 April to 4 May.
Housing pressure grows in Sheffield ahead of local elections
Housing has become a significant talking point for voters in Sheffield ahead of the May 7 local elections, with affordability and supply under growing pressure.
Recent YouGov data suggests that housing is one of the key issues concerning the public, with 66% of voters believing that the government is handling the issue badly.
Sheffield City Council says the city has a “growing demand for affordable housing” and has launched a Local Plan to deliver additional housing by 2029 through new builds and purchased properties.
The Local Plan will set out where new homes, jobs and transport links will be built as part of a longer term solution to major issues across the city.
Students and residents in Sheffield have described the housing market as “pricey”.
Abbie Clark, 24, a medic living in Sheffield, said that the housing in the city is expensive: “It’s hard to rent here, and it’s hard to buy here; I feel like there aren’t a lot of options for young people and students.
“Personally, I would vote based on housing policies, because I know how difficult it is to save money for a deposit.”
In conjunction with the Local Plan, the Sheffield Housing Strategy aims to “improve access to homes that are affordable to rent, buy and run, and meet the needs of our communities” by 2034.
The average UK house price has risen by 1.2%, to £268,000 in the last year, while the average rents increased by 4.8%, amounting to £830 per month.
The Council states the aim is to provide more good quality homes for existing and new residents in the city.
Residents across Sheffield question whether enough homes can be built quickly enough, at prices which people can afford.
Boris, 26, who has experience working in the housing industry, said: “It’s a uni town so I feel like there have always been problems with housing, and in some cases, you’re paying more and you end up getting less.
“It’s also really tough because Sheffield has a lot of issues surrounding homelessness, it’s a problem because vulnerable people are also struggling to get accommodation.”
Currently, major regeneration schemes are being used to increase housing supply, including plans for new neighbourhood developments at Furnace Hill and Neepsend, which is expected to bring nearly 1300 homes to the city.
The main political parties, including Labour and Green Party, intend on building new and affordable housing, and plan on using brownfield sites for future development.
If you are eligible to vote, click here to find out where your nearest polling station is.
London Road reopens after house collapse at major junction
A major Sheffield road has partially reopened after a building collapse sent debris into the street early on Sunday morning.
London Road has now been cleared and scaffolding has been erected to prevent further collapse.
One lane remains closed while surveyors inspect the property, a residential flat above shops on the corner with Wolseley Road.
The shops below include female-only tattoo studio Modelajna Tattoo and Golden Stars Chinese takeaway.
Emergency services were called to the scene at around 1am on Sunday morning, but nobody was injured in the incident.
Several flats were evacuated as a precaution and businesses underneath the flat remain closed today.
Paula, tattoo artist and business owner of Modelajna Tattoo, posted to Instagram: "I'm so incredibly happy that no one was hurt and I'm hoping people will be able to come back to their homes as soon as possible."
Sheffield City Council is leading an investigation into the cause of the collapse.
They are reportedly meeting with contractors today to establish the next steps for the premises.
Supporters of Sheffield Eagles voice mixed opinions on the team’s new stadium move
Sheffield's top rugby league team have announced an immediate move from their former location, Steel City Stadium.
The Championship club will now be based in The MEPS International Home of Football Stadium in Dronfield, 3.2 miles away from their current home.
In an official statement on the club's website, the team said the move will: "Significantly enhance the matchday experience for supporters, offering a venue better suited to rugby league, creating a more engaging atmosphere."
Sheffield FC, the world's oldest football team, are currently housed in the stadium. The Eagles will share a ground with them from next month.
Supporters of the team have taken to Facebook to express their opinions on the matter.
One commenter posted: "I do think there will be more chance for an atmosphere and to build and grow. My understanding is the club will be financially better off as a result, as they earn from match day sales, less rent etc."
The club added that: "The move is also expected to deliver a significant financial boost for the club as alongside the revenue generating opportunities, the club will substantially reduce ongoing facility costs."
Adding to the financial incentives, one fan commented: "Hopefully the extra income that will be saved and gained will be put into the squad."
Housing a capacity of 2,000 fans, the stadium sets to be an exciting move for Eagles fans.
Some supporters however, share more negative feelings on the move.
In one comment, a fan said: "Great for people who don't drive... not. Why move?"
Many have expressed concerns on how they would organise transportation to the new stadium.
One commenter said: "Buses are unreliable and trains are more expensive than the bus sometimes."
Based in Dronfield, some supporters are unhappy that the Eagles will no longer be playing in Sheffield.
One comment said: "It’s sad the club seemingly has no commitment to Sheffield."
The Eagles however share excitement about the new location. The seating has been refurbished, alongside the dressing rooms and the lounge located outside the stadium.
Sheffield Eagles will host their first game in their new home on Sunday 24 May, playing against London Broncos for Round 14 of the Betfred Championship.
Art therapist is embracing the imperfect to help others heal
A Barnsley woman is helping others turn their life around through art therapy drawing on her own experiences when she was at "rock bottom".
Sarah Stevenson, 45, created her company, Drip Room Art, in one weekend after a difficult divorce in 2023 led to her being drawn to art, something she had previously studied, to express her emotions.
She had always wanted to make a career of her art but never felt confident enough to pursue it until this major life change.
Miss Stevenson said: "I would put my son to bed, sit with the baby monitor and just paint for hours,
"Throwing paint, mixing colours, letting everything out, it was the only way I could process what I was feeling."
For her and her five-year-old boy, art was a way to heal, with habits such as, "What colour do you feel today?", helping her son to express his emotions and to aid her understanding him.
To begin with, she found he would identify with colours such as blacks and reds, whereas now it is all "sunshine and rainbows".
Now she wants to use her healing to help others, leading her to become a qualified art therapist.
Miss Stevenson has used Drip Room to host events, one-to-one sessions and even recently added 'rage rooms' to her repertoire.
On Sunday 26 April, she hosted her first rage room event, where a group of women were brought together to let it all out by throwing, splatting and flicking paint at blank canvases.
She hosted the event at Bumblebugs Photography studio in Barnsley in collaboration with founder, Kathryn Simpson.
When asked what made her willing to collaborate, Mrs Simpson said: "I met Sarah at a Mum's in Business meeting a few moths ago and as soon as I met her I knew I had to do something to help her along the journey,
"Her story is heart-breaking and seeing her rebuild from nothing, with the sheer determination to succeed is something I want to support, she is inspirational to so many other women who have similar stories."
Miss Stevenson has found that her creative methods allow people to open up more than standard communication would or, in some cases, work when communication cannot.
For example, she has been working with a mother and daughter who have escaped domestic violence, finding the seven-year-old girl finds it easiest to sketch when words fail her.
For Miss Stevenson, this company feels like what she was "brought on this earth" to do, leaving her with the belief that she went through all of her pain with the purpose of helping others learn how to deal with theirs.
Most recently, she has created 'The Reset Pages', a daily workbook and accompanying app that can be found on her website.
The venture gives people daily tasks over a four-week period incorporating, journaling, and artsy challenges to push themselves out of their comfort zone, which Miss Stevenson has deliberately made accessible to those less creatively inclined.
She said: "Creativity does not have to be perfect and you don't have to create a perfect picture; it's about the expression and understanding the link between colours and emotions."
Sheffield business-owners come together for zero-waste market to reduce plastic
Local makers joined forces on Saturday for The Sheffield Sustainability Market, to celebrate Sheffield as one of the greenest cities in the UK.
On 25 April, South Yorkshire businesses gathered in Victoria Hall for the second year running, organised by Sheffield Action on Plastic (SAOP).
SAOP is a local environmental community organisation who work with the Sheffield community to reduce single-use plastics.
The group is entirely run by volunteers and led by Greg Hewitt, 37, who set it up after moving to Sheffield and noticing a lot of single use plastic.
Mr Hewitt said: "The Sheffield Sustainable Market is all about bringing businesses together to showcase sustainability and adopt plastic free measures, so people can come along and know that they're shopping sustainably.
"They're doing the right thing and they're supporting local makers knowing that there's no no single use plastic at the market."
The market takes place twice a year and is one of the many things SAOP do to help reduce plastic in Sheffield.
"We get about 450 to 500 people coming to the market, they are very popular, and we collect feedback at the end and people tell us how they really love the market," Mr Hewitt added.
One of the vendors there was Matthew Reynolds, the owner of The Bare Alternative, South Yorkshire's biggest low-waste lifestyle and refill shop, on Abbeydale Road.
Mr Reynolds set up the store in 2018 to ensure people have zero-waste products and sustainable alternatives to everyday products.
"We sell a range of products like refills, so you bring your own containers for dried foods like pasta and liquids like laundry detergent and washing up liquid, so that's all about cutting out plastic from your shopping.
"We also do sustainable alternatives as well, so things like bamboo toothbrushes and chocolate, we look at the sourcing of the ingredients to make sure that the cocoa is ethically sourced."
Another stall was SY Ecofit, a group founded by local residents with a shared commitment to bring South Yorkshire closer to net zero by improving the energy efficiency in homes and community centres.
Lizzie Stygall, a project developer, for SY Ecofit spoke about the organisations plan to decarbonise Our Cow Molly, a local dairy farm.
"The process that we're looking at will actually take cow slurry that's on the farm and convert that into energy, hot water, and then as a by-product will also produce a fantastic fertilizer, and we're actually sequestering methane.
"Doing that, we're turning the very harmful greenhouse gas, methane into energy and the less harmful carbon dioxide, so you're producing something from waste", she said.
Outside of the market, SAOP run a free 10-week email course 'Unpacking Plastic' to help people learn about sustainability alongside advice on living with less plastic.
The course was created by Emma Andrews, a volunteer with SAOP, who said: "I've got a teaching background, so Greg asked me if I do some educational work around plastic, and that's how the online course came about."
As well as their education efforts, SAOP work closely with the council and local businesses to help champion sustainability within Sheffield.
They offer a reusable cup hire service for events to reduce single-use disposable cups, as well as pushing the council to ban traders in the city centre from using single use plastic cups.
Steel City to host Tour de France Femmes in 2027 Grand Départ
Sheffield will welcome the best of women’s cycling in 2027 as the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift announces its first ever stages outside of the European continent.
The women's tour was fraught with difficulty for decades but returned after a successful virtual event during the Covid-19 Pandemic resurrected hopes for the event.
Zwift's sponsorship and upcoming expansion of the event to the UK shows it is here to stay.
Setting off from Manchester, the cyclists will travel 154.4km across the Peak District to the finish in Sheffield at the Attercliffe Common (near the Sheffield Arena), climbing 3,000m in total.
Lilja Raine, 21, the Chair of Loughborough student cycling said: “The Peaks are very different to other climbing sections and, aside from Snake Pass, the uphills are short and sharp, lasting minutes, rather than hours like in the Alps. It’s a very different experience.”
She is an avid cyclist from Chesterfield who grew up riding many of the spots along the route.
Some of her favourite places to cycle like Winnats Pass are included on the route which will take place on Saturday 31 July, 2027.
This is the second stage of the ‘Grand Départ’, with the first stage taking place from Leeds to Manchester.
The last time the Tour came to Sheffield was in 2014 when the men’s event ended at Attercliffe but approached from the other direction.
Kate Josephs, CEO at Sheffield City Council, said: “We're the birthplace of football and remain the global home of snooker; having another top level sporting event coming to the city shows the standing of Sheffield on the world stage.”
It is hoped the route through the Peak District will attract people from across the country and further, displaying its scenic villages and unique landscapes.
The infamous Jenkin Road or ‘Côte de Jenkin Road’ will be one of the final challenges along the route, where gradients reach close to 20% around tight S-bends.
Cycling veteran and secretary of the Whirlow Wheelers, Peter Billington, 69, gave his thoughts on riding in the Peak District and what it means for the region.
Witness history on the roadside, feel the roar at the finish line, or catch every climb live on television.
Just be sure not to miss it!
‘Life-saving’ Sheffield yoga group celebrates 25 years of classes
A yoga group in Sheffield which holds classes for people who live with chronic fatigue is celebrating 25 years.
The group began in 2001 in Millhouses when its founders realised they were unable to take part in traditional yoga classes.
Sheffield Yoga for ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis aka Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) holds bespoke online and in-person classes every week for anyone to join.
One symptom of ME is orthostatic intolerance, which means that sufferers are unable to stand for long periods of time meaning that even gentle or beginner yoga classes aren't suitable.
Sheffield Yoga for ME (SYfME) therefore focuses on movements that can be completed whilst lying down- or even from bed.
Carol, 69, who helped found the group and also suffers with ME said: "Sometimes it is the only time people get social interaction, we are a community group as well as a yoga group."
Sufferers often describe feeling that their condition is not taken seriously so these classes are invaluable in building solidarity.
Carol said: "Some people have no one, doctors and their family don't believe them and they are completely isolated."
ME affects 400,00 people in the UK and 75% are women.
These adapted classes help participants by reducing muscle pain and increasing flexibility, with the group reporting that 94% of their participants felt that the classes improved their symptoms and 97% felt that their classes reduced their social isolation.
One participant said: “The consistent and accumulative impact of the Yoga for ME sessions over time has been life-changing and life-saving, as in addition to having ME/CFS I am recovering from the trauma of critical surgery, being both widowed and suffering other bereavement.”
During the pandemic the group started to hold online classes which have continued since, as the condition means 'some people are too ill to travel, but this way it means they are still able to join in.'
“It has been wonderful to be able to join in an online class from home and makes me feel much less isolated," said one class member.
Find out more here.
Sheffield woman calls for greater epilepsy awareness following public seizure
A 23-year-old woman with epilepsy has stressed the importance of comprehensive first aid training and public awareness, after she experienced a seizure on Walkley Road last week.
Chloe Atkins was making her way towards Asda on South Road, Walkley last weekend when she began to feel confused and sat down on a bench to collect her thoughts.
According to a family who had been dining in a restaurant across the street, Chloe then proceeded to fall face-first off the bench and onto the floor - although she has no memory of this.
Chloe was having a generalised seizure, which is caused by abnormal electrical activity that affects the whole brain and results in a loss of consciousness.
“It’s constantly on my mind because you’ve always got to risk assess where you are,” explained Chloe.
“My seizures are relatively controlled, but when I’m going out I’ve got to think about, if I had a seizure, what would happen?”
Fortunately, the family who witnessed Chloe’s fit were equipped with good knowledge of seizure first aid, but this is far from the norm.
Chloe was keen to emphasise that, for people living with epilepsy, harmful misconceptions and stigma are a part of everyday life.
In her experience, if unsure of the symptoms, passers-by will often assume that a person having a seizure is under the influence of drugs, alcohol or both.
Others may be afraid that, by helping, they could make matters worse.
Chloe believes this can be remedied by better education about epilepsy, including how to tell if somebody is experiencing a seizure and what to do next.
She said: “I think it scares people, so, even if they do know what to do, they’re a bit taken aback.
“If you haven’t seen someone have a seizure before, it’s probably quite frightening.”
In most cases, a generalised seizure will be preceded by one or more focal seizures, where the person remains conscious and aware of their surroundings.
Focal seizures are difficult to spot, but visible symptoms can include lip-smacking movements, picking at clothes, and limbs suddenly becoming either stiff or floppy.
Once it has been established that the person is having a seizure, Epilepsy Society recommends that people use the acronym, CCC: stay calm, cushion the head, and call emergency services.
Responding to Chloe’s drive for increased understanding of the condition, Young Epilepsy said: “As a national charity, here for the more than 100,000 children and young people living with epilepsy, we are constantly pushing for greater awareness and understanding of epilepsy and the impact on children and young people.”
To address this need, the charity has launched a campaign aimed at educating the public on how to recognise seizures and what they can do to help.
Further information and guidance can be found on their website.