Sheffield conference reflects on “thuggery” of the Rotherham riots and mending wounds within the community
The aftermath of the far-right violence in Rotherham was a “harsh reminder of how fragile progress can be" according to a South Yorkshire charity.
Yesterday (December 5) community leaders gathered at Bramall Lane Stadium to discuss how to move forward following the riots of earlier this year.
The Sheffield based charity FURD, Football Unites Racism Divides, hosted a conference called Uniting Our Streets and Communities.
The non-profit organisation has been a driving force of inclusion for over 30 years, helping refugees and asylum seekers foster a sense of belonging.
Co-CEO of FURD, Mehrun Ahmed, said: “Here in Sheffield, and across the north, we’ve built relationships within and between our communities. We’ve seen solidarity and shared joys and achievements, and yet this summer was a harsh reminder of how fragile progress can be.”
Just three months ago, a far-right mob descended on the Manvers Holiday Inn housing migrants. Sentiments at the conference showed just how raw and pertinent the violence in Rotherham remains.
Councillor Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “What I saw was far right hate and thuggery playing out on our streets. I saw anti-Muslim hate. It’s really important, I think, to name exactly what happened.”
Abtisam Mohamed, MP for Sheffield Central drew on her own fear, calling her position as a Muslim woman and a political figure “an extremely dauting experience”.
Alongside recognising the terror and damage caused by the riots, the conversation was underpinned by the systemic issues that contributed to far-right anger and the increasingly marginalised space occupied by people of colour.
Cllr Hunt went on to say: “The far right tapped into enormous reservoirs of discontent in some communities, people who were frankly suffering after 14 long years of underfunding for their communities.”
Ms Mohamed, said: “We need to have a government accountability that will address these areas and try to resolve them and I’m confident that people can work on some of these issues, because we can’t keep scapegoating minorities for problems in society.”
For local leaders the deprivation of areas targeted by rioters over the summer illustrated the need to repair communities in crisis.
Cllr Hunt said: "Community cohesion is something that we need to live and breathe all the time, to seek to bring people together, and communication is extremely hard to do when people have not got the right opportunities that they want to be able to thrive.”
Ms Mohamed took a moment to maintain that the Sheffield community should not be defined by the riots.
She said: “I took heart, [however], from the very big show of solidarity in Sheffield, and the number of people who did come out to say, this isn’t in our name.”
Male life expectancy dips in Sheffield
Life expectancy for men born in Sheffield has fallen since the pandemic but remains the highest in South Yorkshire.
New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), on male life expectancy from birth in local authorities across the UK between 2021 and 2023, place the average male life expectancy in Sheffield at 78.43 years.
This represents a decrease from an average of 79.12 in 2017-19, and is comparable to areas such as Cannock Chase (78.42) and Southend-on-Sea (78.89).
Life expectancy in Barnsley stands at 76.54 years, in Doncaster at 76.93, and in Rotherham at 77.8.
Leeds also experienced a drop in life expectancy, to 78.32 years from an average of 78.32 prior to 2021.
All these figures represent a post-pandemic decrease, with Doncaster faring the worst with a fall of 1.37 years.
Blackpool has fallen below Glasgow to become the city with the worst male life expectancy in the country, while towns and boroughs in the South East, such as Hart, Uttlesford and Richmond-upon-Thames, remain overrepresented in the top 10.
This is in line with trends observed earlier this year, in an ONS report on life expectancy decreases between 2020 and 2022.
Julie Stanborough, then deputy director of health and life events at ONS, said these figures show "a clear geographical divide when it comes to areas with the best and worst outcomes."
She said: “None of the 10 local areas with the highest life expectancy were located in the north of England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. By contrast, of the 10 local areas with the lowest life expectancy, none were in the south of England."
Sheffield Wednesday supports campaign for LGBTQ+ inclusion in football
Sheffield Wednesday’s dedicated LGBTQ+ support group, Rainbow Owls shared the overwhelming positive response they received from their participation in the Rainbow Laces campaign.
The Rainbow Laces campaign was created by LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall with the aim of making sport safer and more inclusive for all. They encourage people to wear rainbow laces to show support and spread awareness.
Chris Ledger, founder of Rainbow Owls, said: “We find that safe space for people who might not always feel comfortable going to a football match.”
Sheffield Wednesday is just one of the many clubs that are supporting the campaign, with Sheffield United’s LGBTQ+ support group, Rainbow Blades and Sheffield and Hallamshire FA also partcipating.
Chris spoke about how Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United are "ahead of the curve" with supporting groups like Rainbow Owls and Rainbow Blades. He said sometimes these groups can fade into the background because of the extent of work they require, but the visibility of both groups is really positive for Sheffield.
As well as wearing rainbow laces, Rainbow Owls have organised events such as a watch party of the recent Lionesses vs USA match on Saturday, a podcast episode consisting of a panel discussion on tackling homophobia in football and pre-match workshops with school children for the campaign.
Rainbow Owls watch party Source: Chris Ledger
Chris said that these community outreach programmes "foster an accepting environment for future generations.”
Sam Elliot-Olechnowicz, campaigns officer at Rainbow Owls said: “Continuing to support this campaign is essential to driving cultural change, challenging discrimination, and showing solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, both within the club and beyond.”
While there is still progress to be made with inclusivity in football, Chris emphasised the need to focus on the positive impact of the campaign.
In a Premier League match against Nottingham Forrest earlier this month, Ipswich Town manager, Sam Morsy, did not wear a rainbow armband because of "religious reasons" according to the BBC. However, many clubs came together to show their support for the campaign with a number of people choosing to wear an armband.
Pawsome Weekend for Cat Lovers in Sheffield: CatVideoFest is here!
Whether you are a cat lover or just a consistent scroller on the Internet, no one can resist a cat video.
Catvideofest is coming to the UK for the first time, raising money to support the Sheffield Cats Shelter.
The festival originated in the United States in 2019, and shows a 75 minute compilation of cat videos, ranging from funny and heartwarming to memes and animations.
This year, Sheffield is one of three cities to host the event. They will be raising money for the Sheffield Cats Shelter, one of the oldest cat shelters in the UK. The shelter has been running since 1897, providing vital care and rehoming to cats across Sheffield and surrounding areas.
The festival has raised more than $150,000USD since starting, which goes towards support for adoptions, fostering, volunteer sign-ups and more. They have plans to evolve around the world.
Cat shelters have been facing hardships since the start of the cost of living crisis and many families can no longer afford the care needed for their cats. Rescues have been trying their best to keep up with the rising demand for their service.
Despite surviving two world wars and the pandemic, Sheffield Cats Shelter is struggling to keep up with the needs of the community.
Becki Hollingworth, Cat Welfare Manager of the rescue said: “It was a very pleasant surprise to be a nominated charity to raise funds for CatVideoFest.
“All rescues around the world and around the country are definitely struggling at this point in time with the cost of living crisis.
“I think it is a really good way for people to just support us and the work that we do.”
CatVideoFest opens at the Showroom Cinema at 6pm this evening, and will be attended by the shelter’s friendly cat mascot Travis. It will continue into Sunday.
The Gleadless Valley Regeneration Project: “We need to tackle this” says council
Rehabilitating Gleadless Valley's image should be a key part of its regeneration project said Sheffield Council leader, Tom Hunt.
Gleadless Valley, one of Sheffield’s most deprived areas, was assigned £80 million in council funds to assist in improving local amenities and social housing, with plans created by three urban design companies.
That was seven years ago. Gleadless Valley remains an area most heavily affected by poor housing and unemployment, with no action by the council or local services.
Residents still face many of the key issues reported in 2017, when the project was announced, including anti-social behaviour (ASB), crime and fly tipping.
Regarding fly tipping and the condition of the area, Councillor Hunt said: “We need to tackle this as part of the regeneration.
“Maintenance of public areas around the housing will make a big difference to the overall impression of the area and quality of life for residents.”
Dave, 67 and Trevor, 68, two long-standing residents were both former members of the Gleadless Valley Tenants and Residents association. They left the association because they felt they weren’t being listened to by the council.
Dave described the state of the area as “an eyesore”.
“People come in and dump rubbish by the barrowload, and they don’t care who sees them.”
Trevor said: "The council set up cameras as a deterrent, to try and scare people off but they were ripped down by vandals.
“The amount of graffiti, the litter, the fly tipping, the area just isn’t looked after at all.”
Statistics of waste removal from the area indicate that volunteer led initiatives have removed over 2500 refuse sacks of waste picked up from outdoor, public spaces in 2024.
Projects like this are part of the council’s initiative to encourage what they call “community led approaches”, where residents support their own community projects.
Tom Hunt said that the council aims to “look for ways to make visible changes quickly, targeting littering hotspots and working with police to target fly tipping."
Sheffield residents react to MPs’ votes on Assisted Dying Bill
Sheffield residents have had their say on how their MPs voted and whether it aligns with their personal beliefs on assisted dying.
A week after the vote constituents have a better understanding of where their representatives stand regarding this significant and deeply debated legislation.
Savanna Cockerill of Sheffield Hallam said: “I think it is a step in the right direction for allowing patients with terminal illnesses to get the end of life they prefer rather than deteriorating and waiting to die further down the line.”
The MP for Sheffield Hallam, Olivia Blake, voted in favour of the Bill.
The Bill is to allow adults who are terminally ill, subject to safeguards and protections, to request and be provided with assistance to end their own life.
It was introduced by MP Kim Leadbeater and passed its second reading in the House of Commons on 29 November 2024, in a vote of 330 to 275. The Bill is currently at the committee stage.
Hugo Van Nierkerk of Sheffield Central said: “I am personally for assisted dying but can completely see how the vulnerable and elderly people of society would feel a burden.”
Sheffield Central MP, Abtisam Mohamed, was one of the two Sheffield MPs who voted against the Bill.
There has been a mixture of support and opposition in Sheffield with a split in vote from the six local MPs, with four of the MPs voting in favour and two voting against.
Terminally ill patients seeking an assisted death would need a prognosis of less than six months to live. The process would require approval from two independent doctors and a High Court judge to ensure all criteria are met and safeguards are upheld.
Sheffield’s Bramall Lane welcome back the Lionesses
The Lionesses returned to the Steel City for their final international friendly of 2024 and once again Sheffield showed what this game means to the city as 22,842 packed themselves into Bramall Lane on 2 November.
Bramall Lane has become a happy hunting ground for the Lionesses. Their last visit to the stadium ended in a 4-0 victory over Sweden, that catapulted the Lionesses to a memorable tournament victory against Germany in 2022.
Sheffield is well known as being the birthplace of football with Sheffield FC recognised by FIFA as the oldest club in the world. The rules were written within the city by Sheffield FC's founders, Sir Nathanial Creswick and William Prest, with some rules surviving in todays game such as the freekicks, headers, throw-ins and handballs.
Bramall Lane is the oldest professional football ground in the world that still hosts professional games and was the first home of Sheffield FC before Sheffield United took it over in 1889, so there was no better venue in the city to host such an illustrious game.
Grace Clinton opened up the scoring after just six minutes, capitalising on Forward, Chloe Kelly's, glancing header that cannoned back off the post only for Midfielder Clinton to smash home from close range to secure the 1-0 win for the Lionesses.
England had their chances to extend their lead, but struck the post and cross bar on numerous occasions during the remaining 84 minutes of the game.
Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses went into this game on a four-match winning streak after qualifying for the 2025 European Finals in July this year and capped off an impressive year with a win against Switzerland.
In the post-match conference, Wiegman had nothing but praise for her Lionesses but warned there is no room for complacency and that every position is still up for grabs keeping her players always on their toes.
She said: “These are young players who have earned the opportunity to show me what they can do in these games, others showed it in training sessions. So, let’s see how they play for their club and now they need to show that they can be consistent and make sure they are the best and make sure that they play at their best and it could be enough to be selected.”
Switzerland's manager, Pia Sundhage, was impressed by her squad's performance, coming to a packed stadium, with a great atmosphere will do nothing but push her players forward, to strive for greatness as they now look ahead to summer and a new challenge.
Switzerland will be the host nation at this years 2025 European Championships and they may come against the Lionesses once again, but this time on their home soil.
Sheffield restaurant offering free pizza for toys to help kids in need this Christmas
Customers got a free pizza this week at a Sheffield restaurant, if they brought a toy for a disadvantaged child.
Rudy’s Pizza launched their ‘Toy swap for pizza joy’ scheme this week at their Division Street restaurant and other branches across the country to collect toys for children that otherwise might not get one.
Any customer who brought an unwrapped toy for a child aged between 5-12 could swap it for a pizza of similar value, with up to four toys being exchanged for pizza.
Rudy’s Pizza partnered for this campaign with Cash For Kids, a charity that works to improve the lives of disadvantaged kids and young people in the UK.
Lauren Baxter, Partnership Manager at Cash for Kids, said: “Once again as cost-of-living pressure continues to hit families across the UK, we are seeing a huge level of demand for support. This year to date application levels are already over 20% higher than in 2023. “
“We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Rudy’s Pizza this year. Giving away a free pizza in exchange for donating a gift to a disadvantaged child is such a lovely way to thank supporters for their kindness.”
Fiona Cooper founded The Joybank in Sheffield, a charity that promotes the importance of playing with toys for children’s development.
She said: “Toys are as important as food for children.
“Many studies have shown that children can learn through interaction and toys offer hands-on possibilities that can instill basic skills that can benefit children for the rest of their lives.”
The illumination of the Sheffield Cathedral has set a festive tone for Christmas
Adorned in colourful lights, Sheffield Cathedral has created a sense of community and festivity, despite lower ticket sales this year.
The Cathedral has collaborated with Luxmuralis, who specialise in immersive art experiences, and have set up light installations in heritage buildings in the UK for five years.
This year, there is a retelling of the nativity story produced in a contemporary style through the use of modern art, and sound scape.
The Illuminations first began in 2019 to bring new audiences into the Cathedral. This year marks the fifth year with the event taking place from 3 December to 7 December, with their last show running tomorrow.
The show saw lower ticket sales this year, but has still managed to attract over 7000 visitors this week including many families who visit with their children.
Mary, a visitor at the cathedral event said that the visuals and sound are a bit different than last year, but just as lovely.
She said: “I am coming to the event for the second time with my son, and I think it is a great place to visit with children because of the festive environment.”
Ben Rossi, the Development Manager of the Sheffield Cathedral has been leading the Illuminated event. The cathedral’s collaboration with Luxmuralis brings together the ancient heritage of the cathedral, and the experience of technical art directors to invite audiences of all faiths and paths of life.
As well as the illumination show, there are contemplative quiet spaces around, with candle stands to remember loved ones.
Ben said: “There is a kind of spiritual experience going on around the building, people take away different experiences unique to themselves.”
The illuminated event has also helped the Sheffield business community, as local bars, restaurants and local businesses around the city centre, encouraging cross marketing around Christmas time.
Lockable pouches introduced as school cracks down on phones
Some school pupils will not have access to their phones for the entire school day as lockable pouches are made compulsory.
Firth Park Academy in Shiregreen made Yondr phone pouches compulsory this week in a bid to crack down on students' phone usage.
Children keep the pouches with them all day, locking their phones away at the beginning of the day, and only being able to get them out at an unlocking base.
An increasing number of schools are starting to ban phones entirely, with Forge Valley school on Wood Lane banning bringing phones into the school in September.
Firth Park Academy said that the new phone pouches are “so that our students can focus on their learning and on developing relationships with their peers face to face.”
Some parents have concerns about the complete banning of phones, since it means that if they want to contact their child, they will have to go through the school.
One parent, Leanne Bolsover, said: “I wasn’t happy as the school never asked me how I felt about it.” Ms Bolsover expressed her concern about not being able to reach her son, saying that he has had to call her several times after being locked in a changing room.
Ms Bolsover said her daughter was told that if she didn't bring her pouch in, a “teacher will have to scan her” to check for a phone.
A spokesperson for Firth Park Academy has denied all claims of scanning.
Other parents also spoke of how they did not feel consulted, with one claiming that they were only told about the rule two or three days before it came into effect.
If students do not agree to lock up their phones they risk being sent home, and parents will have to pay to replace a lost pouch.
The ban follows the school’s last Ofsted inspection in April, where they were again judged as ‘good.’
Sheffield Hospitals Charity’s festive scheme expands for its second year
A festive scheme by Sheffield Hospitals Charity’s encourages locals to support their community when disposing of their Christmas tree this year.
Following the success of the initiative in selected postcodes last year, which was fully booked, the charity has expanded the campaign across Sheffield.
The charity supports patients, staff, training and ground-breaking research in various Sheffield hospitals and community care facilities, such as the Northern General, the Royal Hallamshire, Western Park Hospital.
Director of Fundraising at Sheffield Hospitals Charity, Max Newton, said that this year's donations will support people with dementia, and help to fund three main projects: keeping people with dementia out of hospital, providing training for NHS staff and carers, and making hospitals more dementia friendly.
The scheme, in partnership with Just Helping, will also help keep Mayfield’s alpacas warm this winter, as recycled trees are to be used as bedding at Mayfield Alpaca Farm.
He said: “Essentially, you put your Christmas tree up and by the end of December, you want to get rid of it. Maybe it stays in the garden rotting or you have to take it to the tip. We solve all of that - book in with us, make a donation and we’ll come and collect it for you.”
Freya Kingswood, Community and Events Fundraising Manager at Sheffield Hospitals Charity said: “Our collections are a sustainable, hassle-free way to get rid of your real Christmas tree once the decorations come down whilst also supporting patients and staff across Sheffield’s NHS.”
To get involved, residents can book a collection slot online through Sheffield Hospitals Charity's website for a donation of their choosing.
Local charity The Yorkshire 4x4 Response team will be lending their vehicles to help make this initiative possible, and will receive 15% of monies raised after costs from this scheme.
Max Newton said: "It is super quick and easy, you can do it all on your phone, even on the bus on your way home from work."
The expanded collection area now covers the following postcodes: S5, S6 1, S6 2, S6 3, S6 4, S7, S8, S10, S11, S35, S36 1, S36 2, S36 8.
Sheffield artist brings colour to Ecclesall Library to tackle graffiti
A ‘bright and colourful’ mural has been unveiled at Ecclesall Library in a bid to tackle graffiti on the building.
Nicole White, 36, from Sharrow Vale, who painted the mural, hopes the artwork will also encourage more people to use the library.
The artist and several other local creatives were approached by the South West Local Area Committee (SWLAC) to paint the shutters at Ecclesall Library, which had been vandalised.
Nicole said: “I was really excited because I grew up in Ecclesall. I used to walk past the library on the way to my friends house, so I had a special interest in the project and it would be so nice to leave a mark there.”
The project, which aimed to turn a ‘negative into a positive’ was initiated after consultation meetings were held with the community who unanimously agreed to have a mural painted.
Nicole, who first began painting murals while travelling in Peru, designed two images and library users voted for their favourite.
The final design received 300 votes and a spokesperson for SWLAC described the process as a ‘massive team effort’ in getting to the final product.
Nicole explained working on shutters presented challenges such as access during the day, ridges on the surface, and bitter weather, but with the use of masonry paint, scaffolding and persistence, the mural came together nicely.
She said: “Painting murals is really hard work. It’s a real creative graft.
“Doing big murals is quite an endurance and it can be an emotional journey as well as just painting it. It’s about being persistent."
Nicole has received positive feedback during and after the process. It has also inspired other areas of Sheffield to use street-art as a deterrent for vandalism.
A spokesperson for SWLAC labelled Nicole's work as ‘phenomenal’, praising the idea that she brought street art, elements of a library and nature together in the final mural. The committee also noted the library now stands out and makes people look, which will hopefully increase its foot fall.
Nicole said: “My favourite reaction was after a person panicked one day because the shutters had been rolled up. So he went into the library and said ‘where’s the mural gone?’ It's good to know the artworks appreciated.”