Doncaster mosque working to dispel myths about Muslims
A Doncaster mosque is refusing to allow the latest far-right protests to stop them from building bridges with the wider community.
The Sultania had planned to host an open day earlier this month but was forced to cancel it after far-right protests were planned across the country following the deaths of three children in Southport.
The initiative, led by Imam Habeeb Minhas, aimed to foster understanding, dispel misconceptions, and strengthen relationships between the Muslim community and the local community. He explained those who were due to attend were disappointed by the fact it had to be cancelled.
“We sent over 300 emails to people across Doncaster, including MPs, councillors, and other organisations - all of whom shared their regret that the event was cancelled," said Iman Minhas.
The recent riots have not dampened Imam Minhas' spirits, and he and his team strive to continue their inter-faith community work and are planning to host the event next year.
Imam Minhas, who emphasised the importance of spreading awareness about Islam, said: "The main focus is to educate the masses and to build bridges between our community, the mosque, and the wider non-Muslim community.
"We wanted to create a space where dialogue could flourish, and people could ask questions regarding Islam."
The aim for the open day is to offer visitors a unique opportunity to explore the venue, ask questions, and gain insight into Islamic practices and beliefs. Attendees will also be invited to listen to the Adhan [the Islamic call to prayer] and observe the daily prayers, providing a first-hand experience of the spiritual aspects of Islam.
Imam Minhas said: “I’ve always had the vision to reach out to the wider community of Doncaster because of the potential to connect with them.
"This is where I had the idea to host a 'Discover Islam' day."
To replicate the original event, the rearranged open day will also feature a variety of interactive stalls, allowing visitors to engage with different aspects of Islamic culture. Participants will be able to have their names written in Arabic calligraphy, try on traditional Islamic clothing such as the hijab or thobe, and learn more about the history and practices of Islam.
Imam Minhas explained one of the key goals is to reach out not only to those who are already supportive of Islam but also to individuals who may hold negative views or have concerns.
He said: "We want to give those people a chance to voice their concerns and ask questions, whilst also allowing us to express our side.
"It gives people a chance to speak to an Imam and other Muslims directly, as opposed to learning about the religion through, sometimes negatively biased, news."
Jack Roberts, 23. a Journalism student at the University of Sheffield, who lives in Doncaster, expressed his support for the event.
He said: "I definitely would have been open to attending this open day. At the end of the day, we all call Doncaster home, so why should we burn bridges with each other?"
The Sultania Mosque’s initiative reflects a broader effort to promote unity and understanding in an increasingly diverse Doncaster. By opening its doors and inviting dialogue, the mosque hopes to create a more harmonious community where all residents feel welcome and respected.
That’s a wrap!!
It has been an exciting day of ups and downs for all of the political parties involved in the local elections in Sheffield and Barnsley.
The biggest shock of the day was the Conservative Party being completely wiped out of Sheffield. Labour gained the Tories only seat in the Stockbridge ward.
Sheffield's Liberal Democrat leader, Shaffaq Mohammed, is "disappointed" that his party has lost two seats in the area but the Liberal Democrats remain as the second largest party in Sheffield.
For Barnsley, the biggest blow came for the Conservative Party, after they lost their seat in Penistone East. The seat had been held by the Tories for almost 20 years by John Wilson, the former leader of the Barnsley Conservatives.
Ahead of the South Yorkshire Mayoral results tomorrow, Oliver Coppard is feeling quite confident that he will be able to maintain his position.
Mayor Coppard said: “People want to see change happening, that we’re taking the decisions that lead to them having better lives.
“That’s what government should be about. That’s what leadership should be about in politics. I hope that’s what we’ve done. I’m hopeful that that will be an endorsement of what we’ve done over the last two years and what we want to do over the next four years as well.”
Huge thanks to our Sheffield reporters, Peter and Ollie, and our Barnsley reporters, Richard, David, and Jack, for keeping us up to date with live reactions from the count!
After a long day, Amy and Kate are signing out!
Labour makes statement wins but Sheffield remains without a majority party
A whirlwind day at Sheffield's Local Election count sees no party take overall control, but Labour gains offer an insight into some of the key issues that will be at hand come the general election.
Labour increased its control of the council winning six additional seats, including the Conservative's only Sheffield council seat in Stocksbridge and Upper Don, sending an additional shot across the bow to the Conservatives on what has already been a wretched day across the nation for Rishi Sunak's beleaguered party.
The count also saw upsets for Labour's closest rivals the Liberal Democrats, who lost Ecclesall ward to exuberant celebration from underdog Green candidate Peter Gilbert and losing two seats overall.
The Green party failed to capitalise on fatigue of Labour's majority in some parts of the city and lost some seats alongside gaining some, retaining 14 seats.
Shaffaq Mohammad, leader of the Liberal Democrats Group in Sheffield, was philosophical after the mixed-bag of his party's results, thanking colleagues for their efforts while highlighting the similar losses of safe seats by Labour and the Greens. He said: "For all three leaders we've got to go away now and reflect on what happened."
On if today's result will affect the way the council is run his response was stoic: "It's going to be as you were if I'm being honest."
With no overall control it seems likely that the incumbent leader of the council Tom Hunt will remain in place after confirming his intention to run for the position again with Labour remaining the biggest party.
Today was not wholly positive for Labour, losing safe-seat Darnall to independent candidate Qais Al-Ahdal who campaigned on a pro-Palestine ticket.
This defeat has been a theme of Labour's day across the country, losing control of Oldham council after losing seats to independent candidates with a pro-Palestine platform.
Cllr Hunt said: "I know that many people in this city are deeply upset and care passionately about what is happening in Palestine. We have been on record for many months now calling for a ceasefire, calling for humanitarian aid to be allowed to flow freely into Gaza and calling for the resumption of a peace process for a two-state solution.
"The shift in policy that I want to see is from the Conservative government who need to be doing a lot more to put pressure through the international community to call for that resumption of the peace process for a two-state solution."
Reflecting on the day overall Cllr Hunt was bullish about Labour's prospects. He said: "It's clearly been a good day for the Labour Party across the country and a terrible day for the Conservatives.
"Bring on the general election."
Spiking victim who woke up in cupboard feels ‘failed’ by health services
A spiking victim claimed she was refused help by A&E staff after being missing for over five hours and waking up in a cupboard.
Imogen Turnbow, 23, alleges she had her drink spiked at a pub on the south coast in 2021, leaving her with memory loss.
"I was with a friend and we had bought drinks from the bar and went on the dance floor for about 20 minutes," said Imogen, a wine bar manager. "They went to the toilet and that is the last thing I remember.
“I woke up in a cupboard in the upstairs area of the pub. I panicked, I didn’t have my phone, I was in the dark and had no idea what time it was. I was stumbling around and in the process and I set off a bunch of alarms. I was missing for five to six hours.”
Imogen followed the steps outlined on the NHS website for spiking victims, but was turned away from A&E. It has not been officially determined whether she was spiked by injection or through her drink as she was refused testing.
"The nurse was really rude and said they can’t do anything," said Imogen. I wanted someone to talk to after that traumatic experience but they refused to talk to me and told me to go home.
“I called 111 but the operator was horrible to me. She said I should be more vigilant. I hung up because I was gobsmacked by her response.”
Imogen lost the feeling in one of her legs for two weeks and her periods stopped for three months, which she puts down to the emotional and mental stress she suffered.
Imogen, who feared she could have been sexually assaulted, said: “I was worried that the worst possible thing had happened to me. I did a pregnancy test which was negative."
The manager of the venue promised to check CCTV footage and inform the bar staff to prevent future incidents.
"He told me the CCTV extension lead had been pulled and there was no footage, which is crazy," said Imogen. "I talked to one of the door staff and he had no idea about the incident.”
She didn't report the incident to the police as she felt they wouldn't believe her, after how she had allegedly been treated by medics.
Imogen has since campaigned for more awareness around drink spiking, working with Pagoda Security Training and taking part in a podcast with Stamp Out Spiking. She also has an Instagram account, @mybevmyrules, which she uses to raise awareness and provide support.
Sheffield Wire has contacted the NHS Trust involved for a comment.
“I came here for a better life”: Indian students caught in crossfire amidst UK visa crackdown
Anxiety is rife among Indian students who submit almost half of the applications for an employment visa scheme which is under threat from the UK government.
Indian students made up a whopping 43% of applicants of the 104,501 post-study visas issued in 2023.
But UK Home Secretary James Cleverly recently called for a review of the graduate visa scheme to ensure that it is not being abused. The Migratory Advisory Committee is set to reveal the findings on May 14.
The move could be devastating to students who have spent exorbitant amounts of money to study in the UK, at which point they were promised a two-year period during which they could gain work experience or look for work.
22-year-old Chitra Balagopal, who graduated from the University of Essex and is currently a teacher, says: “You've spent a lot of money to come to a foreign country to study something that you want to study, but if after you’ve had your education, you’re not allowed to do a placement or gain work experience, it’s not helpful for an individual’s career.”
After completing her master’s degree, Chitra applied for a graduate visa earlier this year at a cost of £822. She described the process as “quick but expensive.”
“It was costly compared to how much it cost before and what it is now. It’s hard for people like us to work and get that money prepared for the visa application.”
Indian students have also been largely impacted by visa changes banning care workers from bringing dependents and the increase in the minimum salary threshold for a Skilled Worker Visa. The threshold has been raised from £26,200 to £38,700.
Chitra believes that these changes will significantly impact prospective students’ decision to come to the UK for higher education.
“Students would prefer to study in a country which is more open to them coming in, studying, then getting some work experience. They would opt for a country that is welcoming instead of just shutting them down and not letting them grow at all.”
While the topic of potential visa changes has been a cause of worry among Indian students, the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU), an umbrella organisation representing Indian students in the UK, has taken the initiative to launch its campaign “Fair Visa, Fair Chance.”
The campaign, led by NISAU UK chair Sanam Arora, aims to protect the graduate visa scheme.
“It is very sad that a mere few years on from the re-introduction of post-study working in the UK, we have to once again make the case to defend it. The Graduate Visa is a key requirement of Indian students and a critical offer of the UK's international higher education system," she told the Economic Times.
“We campaigned for seven years to bring it back last time and will fight to protect this essential pathway again. Without the Graduate route, university finances may collapse. The impact of this not just on international students but also on UK's home students will be bad, given domestic students and the world-class research that happens in UK universities is heavily cross-subsidised by international students,"
NISAU UK has been invited by the Home Office to make a case for protecting the Graduate Visa scheme and present its findings from the annual India-UK Achiever’s Honours programme.
Chitra also believes that any further changes will throw current students into a state of turmoil. When prices for the visa shot up, she had second thoughts before applying.
She says: “I need to earn, I need to do what I studied, and I need to earn back the money I invested in my degree. I need to pay a loan. I have so much to do, and I can't just give up and go back. That’s what I stayed in the UK for.”
28-year-old Suriya Nair* shares a similar plight. Currently a Master's student at the University of Essex, Suriya came to the UK leaving behind her husband and daughter. She hoped to apply for a Graduate Visa to earn back money to pay off her debts.
“I took out a loan and pawned my belongings to make the money to come to the UK. I need to find work to pay off my loans and my daughter’s tuition fees.
“My family was hesitant to send me to the UK all alone. I have never been outside of India before, and I had to leave my child behind. I came here knowing that once I finish my degree, I can work and send home the money. Now I’m not sure how I can pay off my debts if the Graduate Visa is taken away.”
Suriya is only one among a myriad of Indian students who save money in the hope of a better future in the UK.
“I came here for a better life for me and my family. If the visa changes come into place, not only would I not get to pay back all the money I owe, but there will also be no return on investment for all the time, money and effort I put into travelling to another country.“
Suzanne Arpitha Roy Imandi, a Master’s student at the University of Sheffield, found herself being forced to rearrange her career plans.
She says: “I had it all planned out when I arrived here and then suddenly with the policies changing, it seems like all my plans are going for a toss. I was planning to do my PhD but I would need a gap year before I can start a course. I need to find a job to gain work experience. This is why I need a graduate visa.
“If it becomes obsolete, I think there is no other way, right? We are all going to have to go back home. That's going to affect education and our future and ruin all our plans. That would defeat the purpose of us even coming here and studying.”
*name has been changed to protect identity
Controversial changes to visas for graduates ‘could threaten thousands of futures’
A scheme giving graduates the chance to work in the UK has been a beacon of hope for 100,000s of people wanting to move to this country to study and build a better life for themselves, but campaigners say planned changes would end this.
The proposals by Home Secretary James Cleverly to the UK Graduate Visa route have sparked concerns among students and professionals alike, signalling potential repercussions on both personal and national levels.
Ahmed Abdelraouf, an Egyptian national currently residing in the UK on the Graduate Visa, embodies the hopes and challenges faced by many.
Reflecting on his journey, he acknowledges the pivotal role of the Graduate route in shaping his decisions regarding further education and career prospects.
For him, pursuing a postgraduate course became a clear choice with the assurance of extended stay and professional growth opportunities in the UK.
Since completing his studies he has continued to work at the University of Sunderland as an International Development Officer. His story underscores the personal stakes involved, as aspirations of building a life and career in a foreign land hang in the balance.
He said: “I was always hesitant if I should do a postgraduate course but after they introduced the graduate route visa, doing a masters course was a no-brainer.
“It meant that I could stay for a couple more years for work and gain experience that’ll help find a job in the UK for the future. I always wanted to work and live in the UK for as long as possible.”
When the route was launched in July 2021, the Government said that it wanted to attract and retain bright international students to contribute to society and the economy after their studies in an effort to help businesses recruit highly qualified talent from across the globe to drive the economy forwards.
However, recent developments suggest a shift in this narrative, raising questions about the prospects of those who have built their dreams around this pathway.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has since been commissioned to conduct a rapid review of the Graduate Route. The review aims to ensure that the Graduate Route operates in the best interests of the UK and takes steps to prevent abuse. The Home Secretary published a commissioning letter to the MAC on 12 March 2024.
The Prime Minister, Education Secretary, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and Home Secretary have all claimed they remain committed to attracting talented students from around the world to study in the UK, and to championing the UK’s world leading higher education sector, but also want to ensure the Graduate route is not being abused.
Maria Jose Lourido, an Education Officer at Students Union Sheffield, echoed similar sentiments, emphasising the emotional attachments and personal sacrifices connected with the pursuit of higher education and subsequent plans to remain in the UK. Her testimony highlights the complex web of relationships and connections forged during her time in the country, underscoring the profound impact of potential policy changes on individuals' lives and futures.
She said: “I really want to stay in the UK. I love the UK, I have friends and I have a partner that I’ve been in a relationship with for two and a half years, so if I must leave, I’ll be leaving an entire life behind.”
However, the proposed alterations to the Graduate Visa route threaten to disrupt these narratives of hope and continuity. As Mr Abdelraouf observes, the attraction of alternative destinations with more favourable visa policies, such as Australia, presents a substantial dilemma for international students weighing their options.
He said: “The trend that we're seeing is a lot of students are not coming to the UK and instead choosing to go to a country that offers a better graduate route.
“For instance, Australia offers five years on their graduate visa. I understand Australia is more expensive than the UK, but people are more tempted to go there because they know that after studying, they can stay in the country for longer to work and make lives for themselves.”
The number of international students taking up postgraduate places at UK universities has already fallen sharply, according to commercial data that sparked further warnings about the financial health of the higher education sector.
Universities are already claiming to see a 30-40% drop in the number of international postgraduate and undergraduate applications in January 2024 compared with January last year.
Moreover, the proposed increase in the minimum salary requirement for Graduate Visa holders adds another layer of complexity to the equation. Ms Lourido points out the practical challenges faced by graduates in securing employment that meets the new criteria, particularly in sectors outside the corporate world.
She said of the proposed new minimum salary for graduate visas: “As a person going into the workplace, unless you’re working in corporate jobs, it’s impossible.
“So, it’s not as simple as international students are not allowed to stay in the country two years after graduation. It means that people must leave the country, leave everything, the lives that they’ve built in the country behind, but now they’re also having to go into exploitative jobs in order to be able to stay in the country.
“So, it’s a lose-lose for everyone involved.”
The repercussions of these policy changes extend beyond individual experiences to include broader societal and economic implications. The potential departure of international students and skilled professionals could deal a significant blow to the UK's higher education sector and labour market, depriving it of diverse perspectives and expertise essential for innovation and growth.
Furthermore, as international students bring in significantly more funds per capita – with students on a visa often paying double that of their counterparts - the financial ramifications stemming from reduced international student enrolment could reverberate across universities and local communities, aggravating existing challenges in the wake of the pandemic.
Professor Andrea Nolan, International Convener of Universities Scotland and Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, said: "Any change to the Graduate Route must also ensure it remains an attractive and competitive offer to those who wish to study here.
“Universities are committed to the elimination of any visa abuse but with very little evidence of this happening, we need to reframe the narrative and reassure prospective international students that Scotland and the UK remains open, and a warm welcome awaits.”
“Bring on the General Election” says Hunt
Sheffield City Council leader Tom Hunt has told Sheffield Wire that he intends to put himself forward to be council leader again on 15 May.
Negotiations over who will take on the role are pending following the news that no party retains overall control of Sheffield City Council for the fourth year running.
He said: "I will be putting myself forward to be the leader of Sheffield City Council and continuing with our work to deliver better public transport for this city, making sure that our city centre continues to improve, delivering on new affordable homes and helping people who are struggling with this Tory cost of living crisis.
"These are my priorities and I hope that my colleagues from across parties will back me on that."
The Walkley cllr added: "It´s clearly been a good day for the Labour Party across the country and a terrible day for the Conservatives. Bring on the General Election."
Financial impact of international students on the UK economy
International students bring the UK government £40 billion every year, the equivalent of every resident being £560 better off - but campaigners say proposed visa changes will drastically cut this figure.
The economic implications of international student enrolment are varied according to economists.
Analysis by London Economics shows that first-year international students enrolled in the 2021/22 academic year are projected to contribute a total net economic benefit of £37.4 billion to the UK.
This substantial economic impact is distributed across various sectors and regions, with international students making a net economic contribution of £58 million per parliamentary constituency over the duration of their studies. Resulting in every level of the community benefiting.
As of 2021/22, the number of overseas students studying in UK universities reached a record high of 679,970, constituting a quarter of the total student population.
This surge in enrolment reflects a trend of steady growth, with the number of new overseas entrants rising from 254,000 in 2017/18 to 381,700 in 2020/21.
Despite these gains, the UK has faced stiff competition from other global destinations, notably Australia, which overtook the UK as the second most popular destination for international students in 2019.
This intensified competition underscores the importance of strategic initiatives to maintain the UK's appeal as a top study destination.
In 2021/22, annual tuition fees for international undergraduate students in the UK started at £11,400. This rose to as much as £32,081 in some cases. For home students this is capped at £9,250.
Annual tuition fees for international postgraduate students ranged between £8,500 and £51,360.
This means that over £4bn is brought into the UK economy every year from international course fees alone. This doesn’t include the visa fees or what is spent in by students in their day-to-day lives.
Campaigners say that as well as bigger businesses these changes will also impact local establishments, such as shops, pubs and restaurants.
Anne Gaillot, the assistant manager of Forum Kitchen & Bar in Sheffield believes a sudden drop in international students would cause severe repercussions throughout the industry.
She said: “I think there would be a massive financial impact. I can't quantify it, of course. But, I serve people from everywhere, all the time, this would cause a very drastic change to business.”
Beyond direct economic benefits, international students also are also seen to enrich the UK higher education experience in terms of culture and preparing students for a globalised workforce.
And politicians also point to the the UK's reputation as a leading educational hub which has far-reaching diplomatic and soft power implications, with over a quarter of the world's countries being led by people educated in the UK.
Sheffield Hallam University Students’ Union President Abiola Fasipe and International Students’ Officer Emmanuel Owusu Takyi said: “As international students ourselves we would like to show solidarity with our fellow international students. We cannot speak highly enough about the broad benefits international students bring both locally and nationally.
However, the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, has proposed significant policy changes to the Graduate Visa route, and numbers of international students applying to study in UK universities have already fallen.
Data from Enroly indicates a 37% drop in international offers for UK postgraduate courses in January 2024 compared to the previous year.
This trend is coupled with currency crises in key markets like Nigeria and increased competition from rival destinations.
“There’s no way of proving it”: victims of drink spiking frustrated with lack of resources
Lara Berridge had just finished her A Levels when she was spiked on a night out in Sheffield. It was 6pm on a Monday night in June, not a time particularly associated with risk, but as soon Lara finished her second drink, she felt drowsy. "I could tell that something wasn’t right – I felt so strange," she says. "It felt like I couldn't hold myself up. I kept falling asleep but I'd only had two Pornstar Martinis and nothing alcoholic before I went out."
"I couldn’t get outside when it was time for us to leave for another bar. My friend tried to help get me out, but I was deadweight. A boy tried to help carry me out but noticed that my nose was bleeding and that I’d been vomiting. He could tell that something wasn’t right – it wasn’t standard drunkenness. My friends called an ambulance but when it arrived, the paramedics accused me of being ‘on something’."
That was the last thing Lara remembered before being taken to hospital. She had to spend the entire night alone due to COVID restrictions. Staff took her phone and refused to give it back until she was discharged.
“I woke up with stickers covering my entire body – I was so confused," says Lara, 2I. "I immediately started asking questions. The doctors told me that ‘I’d been a bit silly, and that I’d had a silly night’. I asked to be drug tested, but they said because I was unresponsive when I came in, I couldn’t consent, meaning they couldn’t test me. They were really rude to me. They wouldn’t let my dad in to see me, so he sat in the car park all night until I came out.
“Afterwards, my mum found it hard when I eventually started going out again. She had to get over that fear. It must be hard to get a call as a parent, saying your child is in hospital.”
At the time Lara claims she was spiked, in 2021, police released data revealing 1,466 reports of spiking incidents that year. By 2023, that figure shot up to 6,732, with 957 incidents relating to needle injections.
Specialists believe spiking can cause residual trauma as victims may develop anxiety about going out again, which potentially leads to developing trust issues. Those who sexually assaulted after being spiked can develop depression, post-traumatic stress, and suicidal thoughts.
Several campaigns have been launched across the country to raise awareness, educate on preventative measures, and pressure the government into refining spiking laws.
In 2021, students at the University of Sheffield created the campaign ‘Claim back West Street’ which sought funding and support from the local council to improve safety conditions on a popular street for student nightlife.
The campaign was backed by Sheffield Heely MP, Louise Haigh, who told the students: “Repetition is really important in making sure we are amplifying these messages to make a change in the city.”
Spiking has always been difficult to monitor and prosecute due to old-fashioned laws, and the unreliable nature of testing, as tests carried out in hospitals are not admissible as evidence in court.
Callum* was spiked in Sheffield, in March this year, during a night out with his girlfriend, Natasha*. Like Lara, Callum, and Natasha, both 20, hadn’t drunk anything before visiting the first bar.
“We went to the bar and Callum bought us a drink each," says Natasha. "I put my drink on the side while I was talking to my friends, but ended up giving my drink to Callum because I didn’t want to drink it anymore.
“I noticed that a strange man in the corner of the room was staring at me. It made me feel extremely uncomfortable. We left that bar to go to another, but by the time we entered, I noticed that Callum wasn’t there at all."
Callum only has vague recollections of the evening. “I remember stumbling around – I think I lost my phone,” he says.
Natasha says: “He was slurring his words and repeating everything he was saying. I thought it was time to take him home.”
The couple bought some food from a local takeaway and then got in a taxi and went home.
“When I was getting ready for bed, Callum went downstairs. An hour went by and I went downstairs and found him asleep on the sofa, chips in hand. I tried to pick him up but he was a deadweight. When I did manage to lift him, I dropped Callum and he fell on the floor, where he started to vomit on himself. It was reddish brown, but we had been drinking vodka and lemonade.
“I was so scared for him. I started panicking and rang another friend to help me. He carried Callum to the bathroom, where he vomited until 6 am. He was there for five hours."
Callum hasn't been on a big night out to a club since. “It’s completely put me off," he says. "When I do go to the pub, I keep my drink in my hand.”
In a 2022 report by the Home Affairs Committee, a survey of 1,895 victims and 1,413 witnesses, reported the highest number of spiking incidents in the East Midlands, North West, and South West. The report highlighted needle-spiking hotspots in Nottinghamshire, Merseyside, Northumbria, Avon and Somerset, and Sussex.
Survey respondents reported more mental health than physical health impacts, with 835 victims reporting both, and a low proportion saying the incident had no impact.
Last spring, 21-year-old Eve*, who studied at Nottingham Trent University, went to a rave. “We were rushing to go out, so I only made one drink before I left the house, and wasn’t able to finish it,” she says.
“When we got there, I got one double vodka lime soda. In the dance space, I realised a boy was weirdly close to me. I felt his erection pressed up against me and tried to move out of the way as much as possible, but it was busy. Twenty minutes later, me and my friends went into a toilet cubicle together and I started to feel weird.
“I knew I hadn’t drunk a lot. I’d taken recreational drugs before and knew how they felt. I hadn’t taken any that day, but it felt as though I had. I remember feeling so confused and I knew something wasn’t right.”
Eve decided to go home and went outside for a taxi to take her home to her university accommodation.
“I was out of it, but I knew what was going on – it was so weird," she says. "My brain was there but my body wasn’t quite matching up: it wasn’t correlating. My eyes were rolling back in the cab. I couldn’t control my body properly. I called my flatmate telling her how scared I was.
“When I got home, I couldn’t open the door – it’s like I’d lost my motor skills. My flatmate had to let me in, she took me to my room and I began balling my eyes out in relief to be home. I couldn’t see properly and was unsure of what was going on. Eventually, my boyfriend came to look after me.
“I was crying and moaning because I was so scared. It was a full-blown panic attack. In the morning, I felt awful – like I had a massive hangover. I was so embarrassed about why I had acted the way I had. I didn’t go to the hospital because I was scared.
“Because you have no proof or evidence of it being 100 per cent true, you don’t really want to tell people about it. They would just question it and assume you were drunk. With hindsight, I do wish I’d just gone to hospital. I’ll always question what happened and have that doubt.
“Venues need to have more preventative measures, such as covers. It would make people feel a lot safer. A lot of girls put their hands over their cups because of the lack of protection. In Nottingham, I was never offered anything.”
Preventative measures are offered in some bars. Paper and material covers can be placed onto open cups for free, companies such as NightCap offer practical products such as a scrunchie that turns into a cover. Some bars also offer drink spiking test kits free for anyone to use.
In 2021, there was an unprecedented increase in Nottinghamshire of reports of women being spiked with needles.
Freedom of information data revealed between 2018-2023, Greater Manchester police received 1124 reports of drink spiking, with only three charges. Nottinghamshire police received 439 reports but made no charges.
A 2021 e-petition that urged for tighter venue security and to make it a ‘legal requirement for nightclubs to thoroughly search guests on entry’, gained 175,000 signatures and was debated in Parliament.
The government response said: “The law already allows licensing authorities to impose conditions such as searches. Decisions on this should be made locally, taking account of circumstances, and there are no plans to change the law.”
Eve says: "It's terrifying. You can't get away from spiking - it's happening everywhere. It's almost impossible to feel safe anymore on a night out."
*Callum is a false name
*Natasha is a false name
*Eve is a false name
GB Deaf swimmer left to raise £20,000: “Due to a failing policy I am isolated and hidden”
Despite strides being made in some aspects of deaf sport, Great Britain's funding for the Deaflympics continues to lag behind according to one campaigning competitor.
While other countries fund their athletes to attend key events, as they would for any elite level sports team, the United Kingdom does not.
Nathan Young is a 25-year-old swimmer and coach from the Wirral, Merseyside, who has represented Great Britain in the Deaflympics for a number of years.
He is running a campaign on X/Twitter (@NYDeafSwimmer) in which he has posted for the last 1,069 days to get the attention of the UK government and get policy changed.
He has gained the attention of some MPs with Nigel Huddleston, MP for Mid Worcestershire, congratulating him on his sporting achievements.
Over the years, Nathan has had to raise around £20,000 just to enable himself to represent his country. He says: “I’ve never had support, everything I’ve had I have had to fight, beg and spend many hours campaigning for.”
Due to the lack of acknowledgement from government bodies, Nathan says: “I do not see myself as an athlete and I think that is very sad but this is my reality.”
He describes an intense frustration, seeing swimmers from other countries with a team of support behind them.
“If I take a coach I have to find one and pay for them, not to mention paying for everything else like travel and food.”
According to the swimmer, the ultimate goal for his campaign is to achieve funding, acknowledgement and respect.
“Right now I am isolated and hidden so I am continuing my campaign every day until policy is changed and accountability is taken.”
Nathan says that being profoundly deaf he struggled to play team sports. Though he enjoyed football, he couldn't hear instructions or his team mates which caused animosity from other members.
"I desperately wanted to fit in and have friends, I could swim and my mum asked if I could join the local swimming club and that’s how it all started," he recalls.
But deaf swimming is very different from mainstream swimming. Nathan says that in training he is reliant on the coach facing him, otherwise he is oblivious to the instructions being given. If a coach is not aware of this they can quickly become frustrated, thinking that he is purposely ignoring direction.
As his career expanded, he had to move to new clubs to get the training he needed. This was a difficult process, as he had to find patient coaches that made an effort to facilitate his lip reading. He describes one coach he had who used to throw floats at his head to get his attention, which humiliated him greatly.
“My most recent coach is the best I’ve had, but he still struggles to give me the attention and time I need sometimes.”
Nathan also struggles in competitions, relying on other competitors to know when to get on the block, and take his marks. He says: “Having to do this, it’s embarrassing, just mentally very difficult for me to do.”
Theatres tackle ‘neglect’ of language deprivation for next generation of Deaf actors
A daughter of Deaf parents who works for the RSC has told how attending a play with them which integrated sign language transformed their understanding of Shakespeare.
Mesmerised by the Deaf actor signing the opening, her parents could not believe that it was Shakespeare at all, but by the end of the play were acting out the parts of the play.
This inspired a lot of the work to access within the Royal Shakespeare Company for Josefa Hunter MacKinnon, the Creative Programme Developer, who said: “It was amazing, that transformation of their understanding and empathy for the characters and the plot of what was going on.”
“I feel that people get a real enhancement when they see integrated BSL because Shakespeare writes so visually and BSL is visual, when you see the signs whilst they're interpreting Shakespeare it makes what he's saying so much clearer because you're picturing it.
“We had one sign in Hamlet where they were talking about being drowned and you had this beautiful image of Ophelia floating to the bottom through the interpreter's gesture. So that's something that you don't normally see when you do Hamlet but you get a really strong image of it through sign language.”
Ms MacKinnon, who is also Access and Inclusions co-ordinator at the RSC, explained that for the generation of people without the cochlear implant there was a level of language deprivation that made British Sign Language essential.
Ms MacKinnon said: “It’s a form of neglect as there's no way for them to access language if they don't grow up in a sign language environment. Those knock-ons mean that it's really difficult for Deaf actors to access Shakespeare. This is the point that I'm getting to because you can't directly sign ‘to be or not to be’. There's no sign for that.
“To do that, you have to know the script to the level of PhD students or directors that work on the scripts. So it's not as accessible as Shakespeare is to anyone hearing in a mainstream school who's grown up knowing Shakespearean expressions.”
When it comes to auditioning for a Shakespeare role one Deaf person would need four rehearsal interpreters in the room, the access and inclusion co-ordinator explains, meaning that at the moment there is still no way that you could do a read-through with a Deaf person with the same equity as the rest of the cast.
Ms MacKinnon explains that the RSC is looking for funding for a 20-year project which she has named the BSL Translation Project to provide more support translating BSL for d/Deaf Actors.
She said: “We have had Deaf actors before, but we announced that Charlotte Arrowsmith was our first BSL Deaf actor for Troilus and Cressida in 2018. Charlotte was cast to play a Deaf character who used sign language and we learnt so much from that experience.
“I don't think we got it all right but each year we have used Deaf actors in our shows although we try not to cast one Deaf actor now because it's very isolating.”
Deaf Actress Paula Garfield set up Deafinitely Theatre in 2010 to provide greater opportunities and support for d/Deaf actors as well as running its own youth workshops.
Dilara Earle, youth coordinator at Deafinitely Theatre in London, said: “These workshops are great to make it accessible for Deaf young people to realise that there's a vocation out there that they might be really good at but wouldn't have been otherwise uncovered by teachers at school because their communication is limited with their own families or at their own school.
“Conversely, you get children who are in mainstream schools but have not been confident or had the chance to join the d/Deaf community or use sign language and you see them come in and it's slowly eased in for them and you see them leave much more confident about their Deaf identity.”
Deafinitely Youth workshops are open to the spectrum of Deafness, Ms Earle explains, including children of Deaf parents and always provide two interpreters per session to allow people with BSL skills to fully access what is happening.
She said: “We find a few young people who I feel have guilt and shame about not knowing that much sign which is not their fault.
“I focus a lot of my time on getting them to work together so it doesn't become like a case of those with a similar deafness will stick together. People mix and they support each other in their communication or their Deaf identity journey.”
The director explains that more awareness is needed to bridge the gap between young people and Deaf young people to eradicate negative preconceptions.
She said: “In general it would be lovely to see more small grassroots opportunities that would feed back into bigger opportunities for young people to access the performing arts and learn about it throughout their secondary or primary education and then have more choices when they leave school.
“I work in TV as well so I know from experience when you don't have access to something it's going to be very difficult to win a spot.”
Deaf Actor, Richard Peralta, uses both of their hearing aids and has performed in productions of Much Ado About Nothing at Sheffield Theatres and Ramps on the Moon as well as in Wendy and Peter Pan at Leeds Playhouse.
The actor explains that even relatively simple aspects of theatre can be a challenge for d/Deaf Actors, they said: “Even just being in a rehearsal room, traditionally we have our script in hand and we're looking at the script as we're working out our scenes.
“Even just having a smart television in the room with the dialogue visible to everyone, especially if you are a BSL user when you have to use both of your hands to sign as you can’t hold a script, really helps the process.”
As Agent for Change for Sheffield Theatres, Mx Peralta provides feedback to support and improve access for d/Deaf actors to keep awareness growing within the company.
They said: “One of the main things I've noticed about young Deaf actors within the industry is they're more keen to stand up for themselves and fight for the opportunities. They'll work with agents and say: I understand this particular role is of a hearing person, but are you open to considering a Deaf person or BSL user or even just a hearing aid user for that role where they could partially sign or use their voice, speak and sign?
“That advocacy is very much there from younger actors, but at the same time, that's bringing older actors, in my opinion, into it as well, because some of the older Deaf actors I've met have been amazed by seeing other Deaf actors advocate for themselves and for these roles.
“More Deaf actors are fired up about finding work, getting work, and being keen on saying we deserve more roles.”
For more information on Access performances visit RSC, Deafinitely Theatre, or Sheffield Theatres.