Injury crisis and a 6-0 defeat adds pressure to Sheffield Wednesday’s relegation battle
Sheffield Wednesday’s hopes of avoiding relegation received another blow on Saturday as Ipswich Town fired six goals past them.
The loss sees Wednesday stuck at 23rd in the Championship table, but results elsewhere in the league keep them only one win away from safety.
The battle to avoid the bottom three promises to reach an exciting climax in the coming weeks, with only nine points separating 12th place and the relegation zone.
Reflecting on the loss, manager Danny Rӧhl said: “[Ipswich] should be our role model. We want to be competitive with these teams, this is what we have to improve.
“We have no excuses in the next eight games. This is where we have to take points.”
Braces from Omari Hutchinson and Ali Al-Hamadi helped push Ipswich closer to a Premier League return, having only been in League One last season.
Wednesday managed just one shot on target and were hit with an injury crisis during the game.
Captain Barry Bannan was taken off at half-time, and key attacker Ian Poveda only saw a few minutes of the second half before being scuppered by a muscle injury that puts his Colombian call-up in doubt.
Rӧhl is hoping the international break will provide both with the opportunity to recover before their next duel with Swansea.
Elsewhere in South Yorkshire, bottom-place Rotherham held back relegation contender Huddersfield in a goalless draw to receive their first point in ten games.
But with just 20 points overall, the Millers will need to win at least seven of their final eight games to remain in the Championship.
Henderson’s Relish roof tiles project raises £9,000 for students seeking sanctuary
The University of Sheffield has raised £9,000 by selling engraved tiles from the old Henderson’s factory.
The project is part of a collaboration between Henderson's Relish, APG Works, and the departments of Architecture and Engineering to support scholarships for students seeking sanctuary.
The bursaries support students who have been displaced or affected by a conflict in their home country, including those from Ukraine.
This project is part of the University's work to preserve Henderson's House.
What is happening with the old Henderson's factory?
Before the pandemic, there were plans to convert the former factory to a pub. However, these plans have since been scrapped.
Rachel Parnham, relationships manager at the University of Sheffield, said: “Henderson’s House is an iconic part of Sheffield as the historical home of Henderson’s.
“If we hadn’t taken any action, the building wouldn’t be there anymore. Our goal is to preserve the building and make it watertight.”
The current building work aims to reuse as much of the old materials as possible, including bricks from the old factory building. The building work was set to be completed this spring, but the project has seen multiple delays.
Ms Parnham said: "Because the roof tiles couldn't be reused in the preservation project of 'Henderson's House' it provided a great opportunity for a charity initiative. Our former Director of Estates and Facilities Management Keith Lilley wanted us to show our support as a department to students seeking sanctuary in Sheffield.
"The cleaning of the tiles is very time consuming - it has to be done by hand due to their fragility and it takes time to clean off decades worth of grime.
"The project has only been made possible through the generosity of estates staff giving up their time to do the cleaning and a fantastic technician in the architecture department who cuts and engraves the Henderson's logo onto the tiles. It's also been a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talent of two of our students Katie Cottle and Ameli Vidanearachchi.
"The original roof tiles have been replaced on the project but retained and repurposed as a commemorative piece of Henderson's history that can be purchased with the proceeds of the sales going to students seeking sanctuary in Sheffield.
"To date this has raised over £9,000 and these are still available to buy. Whilst the objective has always been to preserve as much of the historic fabric as possible this has been carefully balanced with ensuring that the building is structurally sound and can be brought back into use."
The tiles are hand cut and engraved with Henderson’s relish logo before being placed in a presentation frame with an illustration of the building.
Sheffield student artwork competition
There are two illustrations to choose between, depicting a traditional and a modern version of the building.
The designs were created as part of a competition by Sheffield students, Katie Cottle and Ameli Vidanearachchi.
Ms Parnham said: “We couldn’t decide between them, and we loved their distinct differences.”
Katie Cottle is an architecture masters student at the University of Sheffield.
She said: "I really enjoyed being commissioned to illustrate this iconic building as I have walked past it many times on campus. It felt really important to commemorate and record this important part of Sheffield’s history before the renovation began.
"The Henderson’s Tile Project is an inspired idea that I am excited to be a part of. It not only raises money to support students seeking sanctuary in Sheffield, but also is demonstrating a way to reduce the amount of construction waste being sent to landfill by up-cycling the roof tiles."
The tiles cost £125 and can be purchased from the Print and Creative Services Desk in the Students' Union.
For more information on the University’s work to preserve the former Henderson’s Relish building, visit the estates website.
Friends band together to run the Sheffield Half Marathon in memory of an ‘inspirational’ racing driver
The death of an "inspirational" Rotherham racing driver by suicide has led a group of friends from Sheffield to raise money for mental health in his memory.
Jake Cook, a father of two, had competed in a variety of competitions, including the Formula Ford EuroCup and British Formula Renault Championship. His death led to 14 of his school friends coming together to honour his memory by raising money for the mental health charity, MIND.
His friend Jojo Quattrocchi, 32, said: "It's been something so tragic but we've managed to try and spin that into something positive by running for Jake's family, for MIND, and just sharing our solidarity for mental health and how we can maybe break these stigmas."
When asked about their memories with Mr Cook, the friends had an abundance of experiences they wanted to share. James Brodie, 30, bonded with Mr Cook over their joint love of auto racing.
He said: “He was just the sweetest guy. Even though I live down in London now and he was living up in Sheffield, we would stay in contact and we sometimes messaged each other about F1.
“He was just someone who I really enjoyed that world with.”
Olivia Parker, 30, spoke about what Mr Cook was like in school. She said: “He was very hard-working. He was very determined because not only was he incredible at sport and at such a high level, but he was also very intelligent.
“He was also very humble. He was never someone to particularly brag or rub it in your face.”
Miss Parker detailed why they had chosen a marathon to raise money and pay tribute to their friend: “He had competed as a Formula racing driver for his whole life. He was an extremely sporty and inspirational person and I think we thought what more could we do in his honour than a sporting challenge?”
The group decided to start a fundraiser for the mental health charity, MIND, to help increase awareness of men’s mental health. Men make up 80% of suicides that happen in the UK each year.
Originally, the group had set their fundraising target at £5,000 but after receiving generous donations, they decided to double it to £10,000.
Miss Parker said: “It’s really been quite amazing to see the generosity of people coming together. I think people really understand that MIND is a charity that they want to contribute to.”
MIND puts 83 pence from every pound they receive directly into helping people with mental health difficulties.
In spite of the progress made by mental health charities in the past few years, there is still a stigma around being open about mental health, especially for men.
The group are all taking a different approach to training for the marathon but are updating each other along the way.
Mr Quattrocchi, who is starting his own mental health charity, has found the process challenging but enjoyable. He said: “I’ve never run 10K in my life. I've gone years without running and it has been really good, personally, to get back to feeling the benefits of running, and then obviously the end goal is to finish it, all in honour of Jake."
The group will be running the half-marathon on 7 April.
You can donate to their fundraiser here.
Morning briefing: stories to come throughout the day
Here are three stories to look out for on the Sheffield Wire today.
Jack Dannatt's film for National Coal Mining Museum exhibition.
Group of friends running Sheffield Half Marathon in memory of their friend.
Adnans takeaway food hygiene rating dropped from one to zero - podcast and news.
Henderson's Relish former factory site roof Tiles Project raises £9,000 for students seeking sanctuary.
A new film club for women to make friends and watch films together is setting up in Sheffield.
MPs signed for Early Day Motions calling for a full inquiry into the policing of the 1984-5 Miners’ Strike.
Man hides on roof during attempted break-in in the city centre.
Paralymprian Damien Barker's fundraiser for Norway Olympics.
Supertrams turns 30.
Sheffield Labour councillor suspended for anti-semitic posts
Peter Price, who has been a Labour councillor for 52 years has been suspended by the Labour Party for his social media posts.
The Labour Party has confirmed Councillor Peter Price, representing the Shiregreen and Brightside wards, has been 'administratively' suspended from membership of the Labour Party, pending investigation.
This has the automatic effect of suspending the Labour whip, which means he will not be able to vote as a councillor. He also cannot stand for the Labour Party, but he was due to stand down in May.
Steve Cooke, a Labour Party activist, who claimed to have seen the posts in question from Cllr Peter Price, said: "I believe Cllr Price's social media activity brings the Labour Party into disrepute and undermines our efforts to tackle antisemitism."
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Keir Starmer has changed Labour so that it is unrecognisable from the party of 2019, and has pulled out anti-semitism by its roots. We will continue to fight anti-semitism, it has no place in the Labour Party or wider society.”
The story was broken by Lucy Ashton on X (Twitter).
New AI can predict kidney failure six times faster than experts
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool can assess patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) in under a minute, reducing assessment time by over an hour.
The tool was developed at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with the help of European specialist kidney doctors as part of the CYSTic research project.
Professor Albert Ong, Consultant Nephrologist and Clinical Lead for Genetics at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been using the tool in his specialist kidney clinic for the past two years.
He explained that ADPKD is a genetically inherited condition that as many as 70,000 people in the UK have. In most kidney diseases, kidneys get smaller but with this condition, 1 in 10 patients experience kidney failure due to kidneys enlarging as the disease progresses.
Professor Ong explained that determining the size and volume of kidneys quicker can better predict what will happen to the lifespan of the kidney. He continued, that in the time it took for one patient to be analysed, six or more could be analysed depending on the time taken to correct the machine.
Professor Ong highlighted there is no reason as to why this tool cannot go worldwide immediately.
He said: “What we have generated is being offered free of charge and is open access, but it still needs to be embedded into a computer environment.”
Presently, the procedure is timely and labour-intensive and the typical waiting time is up to six months. However, with this new tool, patients can expect to acquire results in a matter of days, enabling them to decide on treatment quickly.
At a time of anxieties surrounding the rise of technology, Professor Ong stressed: “This is to help humans improve healthcare rather than replace doctors or take over the world.”
Speaking of technology in the kidney field, David Marshall, Chairman of the Sheffield Area Kidney Association (SAKA) explained: “The kidney world is lacking in technology but with a quicker diagnosis, the quicker patients can start on the right treatment plan.
“Ultimately, provided it is proven and successful, this is fantastic,” he said.
Round up: Wire’s own chases away competition
Tom Burton, 27, a masters student at the University of Sheffield won a staggering £5,667 on ITV's the Chase on Friday afternoon.
As part of a trio that built up £17,000 and advanced to the final round, Tom and his team beat out the chaser in nail-biting fashion, as the Dark Destroyer failed to answer the final question in time.
Watch the moment he saw his victory on TV, surrounded by his friends:
Planting forests is up to a third less effective at combating climate change than previously thought
Covering vast tracks of land with forests is not as helpful at removing carbon from Earth’s atmosphere as previously believed, a new study from the Universities of Sheffield, Leeds, and Cambridge has found.
In a paper published in Science in February, researchers discovered that unexpected side-effects of planting forests, such as the dark colour of the trees and the chemicals they give off, could reduce their carbon-trapping benefits by up to a third.
“Trees have a part to play, but they’re not going to dig us out of this mess alone. We need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"We are not going to get climate change fixed by taking a long haul flight and saying ‘I’ll plant a tree,’” said Dr James Weber, atmospheric scientist at the University of Sheffield and lead author of the study.
Forests absorb carbon dioxide, and are essential to keeping carbon emissions out of the atmosphere.
But Dr Weber says that just planting trees for their carbon removal benefits misses the bigger picture: “We need to think about the whole earth system response, including carbon, the reflectivity of the earth, and the composition of the gases in the atmosphere.”
In the research, scientists used supercomputers that simulate all parts of the planet—the ocean, atmosphere, land—and to see what would happen in a scenario they called Maxforest, in which trees cover every possible part of the Earth by 2095.
When they looked at what happened to the planet during Maxforest, they discovered that the carbon-sequestration benefit of the trees was up to a third less than expected.
One reason for this is that trees are darker than grassland, which means they absorb more radiation rather than reflecting it back out. This then means more heat stays trapped on the planet.
Another unexpected side-effect is due to the chemicals trees naturally release, such as the chemicals that create the pine scent in cleaning supplies and candles. These chemicals ultimately lead to more methane and ozone in the atmosphere, which then trap even more heat.
Dr Weber cautions that even with these findings, forests are still essential to solving climate change: “We’re very much not saying that trees are bad. When we plant forests alongside reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, the negative effects we found are smaller.”
The researchers hope that identifying these forest planting side-effects can help scientists develop the best possible solutions for reducing planetary carbon emissions to zero.
“Importantly, the study finds that preventing forests getting cut down, when compared to efforts to plant new forests, is a far more efficient way to mitigate climate change,” said Dr Stephanie Roe, WWF Global Climate and Energy Lead Scientist and co-author of the study.
Round up: Sheffield claims crafty crown
Sheffield is 'top of the hops' after it retained its title as the real ale capital of the world.
With four breweries per 100,000 people, the steel city blew away competing cities in their bid to become the winners.
We spoke to people in Sheffield about their favourite beers. What's yours?
Popular Sheffield takeaway displays highest hygiene rating despite being given lowest score
A hygiene rating of zero was given to Hang Fried Chicken on West Street last week, meaning "urgent improvement is necessary."
This rating, awarded after an inspection was carried out on January 23, makes it the worst rated takeaway out of the 1,683 restaurants in the city, and it is the only open business in Sheffield with a zero star rating.
Despite this, the restaurant is displaying a 5 star rating outside, and staff believed that this was the correct score when contacted.
Hang's previous inspection was carried out in February 2023, and it resulted in the takeaway receiving a rating of two star.
According to the Food Hygiene Agency, the key issues highlighted during the inspection in January were "cleanliness and condition of facilities and building" and "management of food safety."
The former focuses on issues such as having appropriate ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control, and the latter on ensuring food is safe to eat.
Both were awarded a score of "major improvement necessary", whilst the business was also told improvement was necessary when it came to "hygienic food handling."
However, Hang remains highly rated online, with a current Google rating of 4.6 star from 132 reviews.
One reviewer described "wonderful, amazing food."
Another said: "The staff were extremely polite, it looked like they enjoyed working there, and the dining area was spotless."
Hang have been given the opportunity to make a statement, but have declined to comment.
Sheffield charity joins celebration to launch new Period Equality and Menopause Charter
As part of International Women's Day, a Sheffield charity are taking part in an event to raise awareness of women who suffer from period poverty and menopause.
Irise International will be attending 'A Celebration of Women in Sheffield' at Sheffield City Hall on 8 March and will mark the City Council's new Period Equality and Menopause Charter.
There will be information stalls from the Council's Public Health and Cost-of-Living team, as well as hearing from Sheffield Menopause Café and Youth voice.
Beth Dixon, 21, who is a committee member for the University of Sheffield's Period Action Society, and supports Irise International, says: "Irise has been one of the major contributors to the period poverty aspect [of the Charter] and how we can end period poverty in Sheffield and break down barriers and stigma in discussion about menopause. They’re looking at educating employers better about the effects of menopause on their staff and how they can help women with that as a company.
"They will also be giving out free period products and there will also be contributions from Sheffield Menopause Cafe.
In March 2023, Sheffield became the first city to launch a Period Equality and Menopause Charter, which aims to get rid of the stigma surrounding menstruation and menopause.
The charter, which will be launched next week, was put forward by Councillor Jayne Dunne and Julia Grocutt after originally passed unanimously at Council in November 2022. The charter aims to supply free period products in public buildings, as well as work with schools to develop a free period product scheme, and launch a 'menstrual leave' policy alongside creating a workplace model that supports women suffering from menopause.
Emily Wilson, CEO of Irise, says: “We pushed really hard with the charter to think about the whole journey. It has really brought a lot of diverse people together and I see that as quite exciting and special to Sheffield that we are able to bring everyone together, get them in a room and have these conversations with so many different people. Being involved in the process is something that is a really beautiful thing for me. Obviously what’s written on the paper is one thing, but I think what’s more important and more special is the conversations that we had around it and the people that came together, so that would be Irises' take on the whole thing.”
The Charter aims to prevent women from being disadvantaged at work due to the stigma of discussing menopause in the workplace, as well as adapting a supportive workplace model, which includes manager and staff training on issues around menopause. It will aims to encourage a more progressive and inclusive approach towards supporting those going through menopause, as well as looking at period poverty as part of the cost-of-living crisis, exploring ways to supply free period products, and encouraging schools to join the Government’s free period products scheme.
Dr Maria Tomlinson, 33, a lecturer in the School of Journalism, Media and Communication, at The University of Sheffield, says: “I’ve been involved with the Charter for quite a few months now, I was invited by Jayne Dunn who has always been a very strong advocate for women experiencing menopause, so she got together a group of experts from the local area to create a Charter around menstruation and menopause. This is really exciting because it shows they have the city’s commitment to supporting women and people who menstruate and go through menopause. It’s about making sure that schools and workplaces in Sheffield support women or people who menstruate who go through menopause.
“The Charter mentions the guidance from the British Standards Institute. I worked with them and a panel of experts to create guidance for employees who experience menstruation and menopause in the workplace and that’s already having a massive impact - it’s been downloaded a couple of times and various organisations in the UK are implementing it.”
Menopause and perimenopause - the period of time which the body takes to transition into menopause - are not specifically covered under The Equality Act 2010. However, if someone is treated unfairly in the workplace because of menopause, it could amount to discrimination, for example, under sex, disability, or age. The new ground-breaking Charter will help ensure that this never happens, with a solid contribution towards creating a supportive workplace model for women suffering from menopause, which local businesses and organisations will be encouraged to implement.
Michelle Britton, 52, an NHS Administrator, says: “The more information there is, the more people are educated. It will allow managers to make more informed decisions about how they fit work around women’s needs. Any sort of education going forward can only be a good thing. It allows us to take steps forward for future generations. Women now are more open about menopause and menstruation compared to years ago when you couldn't have open discussions about feminine issues."
According to UCL News, an online study found that nine in ten women were never educated about the menopause and over 60% only started learning about menopause once their symptoms have started. Due to the significant impact of menopause and the lack of workplace support, The Menopause Charity estimates that ten percent of women need to leave their jobs when they go through menopause.
Mrs Britton says: “ I do think we’ve taken more steps forward recently, with a few celebrities coming forward and talking about it like Davina McCall. In the last six months to a year, there have been more women talking about it compared to my mum’s generation. However, these conversations are still within female circles. So if you are working in an office that is predominantly male, they are not going to know anything about menopause. "I just try day to day to not let it affect me too much. I’m not going to let the menopause define who I am.”
Approximately 13 million people are currently experience menopause or perimenopause in the UK, which is equivalent to a third of the UK female population. Menopause can cause a range of physical and mental symptoms that can last for many years. Symptoms include anxiety, mood swings, hot flushes, brain fog, and irregular periods.
Anastasia Linardi, 52, a baker from Athens, who currently lives in Belfast, says: “Menopause has affected my daily life and routine dramatically. The menopause symptoms are so hard to live with, and also trying to hide and act normal at the same time. It is a condition that you have to learn to live with.
“I think the Menopause and Period Equality Charter in Sheffield can be informative and supportive to the suffering individuals. I have read a lot about the menopause and that has helped me. Providing more knowledge and information will be helpful to understand the situation that the suffering individuals are getting through, and it will help to overcome the stigma."
'A Celebration of Women in Sheffield' held at Sheffield City Hall on 8 March from 10am until 12pm.
Sheffield Food Festival Announced to Return for 2024
Sheffield's iconic food festival will return to the heart of the city for 2024 over the spring bank holiday weekend.
The collection of food stalls will be in Sheffield's Peace Gardens, from May 24 -27, and will feature a selection of the city's food venues.
Noemi Antonelli, the managing director at Swans Events, who will be producing this year's festival, said: "It's fantastic to be bringing the iconic Sheffield Food Festival back to the city again in 2024."
The festival's announcement follows the recent naming of Sheffield as the UK's best food spot, according to hotel group Accor.
Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Skills and Development Committee, said: "Sheffield has so much to offer in the way of great food, places to eat and drink. The city has recently been recognised for this, a good deal of which is down to the success of Sheffield Food Festival, which has now been going more than a year."
A range of new vendors, as well as a number of Sheffield Food Festival favourites, will feature at the three-day event including:
Mattia Paradiso, owner of Paradiso Authentic Italian in Kelham Island, is one vendor who will be returning to the festival this year, after hosting his first stall in 2023. Their stall will feature a range of luxury deserts including a range of tiramisú and cannoli dishes.
Paradiso Authentic Italian will ensure that an inclusive menu will be brought to the festival, as Mr Paradiso said, "everybody should be able to have tiramisú."
Their range therefore will include vegan, gluten-free, and coffee-free options, as well as all deserts being alcohol-free.
On returning to the festival this year, Mr Paradiso said: "I am excited to return to the festival as it was a lot of fun [last year] with the music and with the sun out."
While the food is the centre attraction of the event, Sheffield Food Festival will also be offering young people and emerging talent a platform at the event, as the festival has been awarded funding from Arts Council England.
Application for traders are still open, and applications can be made at Sheffield Food Festival 2024 Trader Application Form (google.com).