“It’s done me the world of good” – Sheffield’s over-60s football team on the benefits of the beautiful game
Most professional footballers will retire around their mid-30s, but Mosborough’s Silver Foxes, an over-60s football team, are proving that love of the game has no expiration date.
Over a hundred men have joined the Foxes’ ranks since the team’s formation in 2019, and it’s been transformative for its members' mental health.
Organiser Dave York said: “I think it’s been a massive influence on a lot of people’s lives.
"We’ve got people with serious illnesses, people who have suffered bereavements and so forth, and when we speak to them they always say how helpful this group has been to them."
Playing with the Silver Foxes has had plenty of benefits for its members' physical health, too: player Tony Cronshaw told us: “I was about six stone heavier when I first started, and if I fell down it would take about six of them to pick me up!
"But coming here three times a week - I was getting lighter, I was getting a bit faster, and it’s done me the world of good."
As well as playing amongst themselves, the group have played friendly matches against teams from as far away as Plymouth, and have even competed in other countries, once playing in a spring tournament in Portugal.
There are even some international footballers in their ranks, with 5 players being capped for England at over-60s level.
Despite this, chairman Glen Kay was quick to stress that not all members need to be world-beaters: “It’s as easy or as competitive as you want it to be. Some guys are quite happy to come along and just play for the enjoyment of playing, but some of the guys have got a competitive nature.”
To make the club as inclusive as possible, the group is divided into three subgroups, based on ability and fitness level - walking, strolling, and standard 11-a-side football.
Plant-based options promoted during Sheffield Student Union’s ‘Plant Made March’ scheme
Vegan food and drink options will be promoted throughout March in the Sheffield Student Union building, in a bid to encourage more people to buy plant-based options.
As part of the move to advertise more sustainable choices on its premises, Sheffield's Student Union has introduced discounts on the vegan options being sold within its food outlets.
Discounts will apply for the duration of the month in union outlets such as, Coffee Revolution, Bar One, and Interval, where a 20 percent discount will apply to the plant-based options on the menu. A 10 percent discount will also apply to vegan bubble tea options at Pearls.
The new initiative, 'Plant Made March,' has been implemented by Welfare and Sustainability Officer, Jo Campling, as part of her role in representing student's thoughts on issues of environmental sustainability.
Emphasising the importance of sustainable food options, Miss Campling said: "The reasons for advocating for plant-based options in the Union is largely because of the huge environmental impact of these choices.
"The idea of the scheme is to encourage people to make one plant-based choice, and then hopefully they'll also get it the next time."
Through promoting more individual choice towards plant-based food options, Sheffield Student Union hopes to create more widespread, environmental change throughout the student community in Sheffield.
While Miss Campling suggests that individuals should not be viewed as culpable for the climate crisis, she proposed that the large scale of Sheffield Student Union may make the organisation somewhat responsible if attempts are not made to prioritise sustainability.
This discount scheme therefore acts as the Student Union's next step towards environmental sustainability, after beef was removed from the building's food outlets last year.
Alongside these discounts, sustainability will also be promoted during March through posters and table talkers, shown throughout the Student Union, giving information on the environmental benefits of plant-based diets.
Piotr Zieba, a student at the University of Sheffield, supported the discount scheme for promoting vegan options.
He said: "People potentially feel that if they're not paying for meat then they're getting ripped off, so maybe if they're paying less then they're more likely to try vegan options."
While the promotion of sustainable food options is a main aim of the project, prioritising the affordability of food for students is also a key aim of the project, particularly during the nationwide cost of living crisis.
Miss Campling said: "The project is making food more affordable as well as promoting plant-based food, because of course with the cost of living crisis it is quite nice to have cheaper food."
Students at the University of Sheffield also supported the discount scheme both as a way to promote environmental sustainability, and to make food more affordable.
Elouise Garland, a student at the University of Sheffield, said: "Discounts are definitely an incentive for people who aren't vegan to at least try vegan options."
It is expected that the scheme will be built upon in future months, in the aim of making more sustainable food choices available throughout Sheffield's Student Union.
Update on Sheffield stabbing
Part of Shirecliffe Road, between Longley Avenue West and Musgrave Road remains cordoned off, but police expect it to be opened in a few hours.
The stabbing, which saw a 17-year old hospitalised with serious injuries. took place around 6am today.
Our reporter, Chloe Boden, said: "The police refused to comment, and the road is still closed, but they [the police] expect it could open up in a few hours."
More updates to follow.
“It’s just so frustrating”: Sheffield residents unable to shift excess recycling
Across Sheffield, blue recycling bins are "overflowing" as residents are forced to stamp down, fold and even leave recycling in the rain to fit it in the bin.
Blue bins, which hold plastic and cardboard, are currently collected by Sheffield City Council on a monthly basis, but many believe this is nowhere near often enough.
Paul Fores, 38, a salesforce product owner from Woodhouse, described his annoyance with the irregularity of bin collection.
Mr Fores said: "It's just so frustrating. You see people stacking up paper boxes down alleyways and in front of their house, just hoping that they can get it removed.
"I'm expecting a baby in a few weeks and we've got boxes and boxes of stuff. Trying to find somewhere to put all the empty boxes in nigh on impossible."
3.6 billion parcels were shipped in the UK in 2022/23, according to Statista, almost double the 1.7 billion that were shipped in 2013-2014, this constantly rising figure leads to an ever increasing demand for recycling.
Mr Fores continued: "We have to end up stacking a load of cardboard in the corner of the kitchen because there's nowhere else to put it and it ends up making your house look a mess.
"Just let me recycle more. That is all I want."
Sheffield's policy of monthly collection is far less often than other cities across Yorkshire; in Leeds and Bradford, for example, recycling bins are collected on a fortnightly basis.
Only 29% of household waste between January and March 2023 was recycled in Sheffield, whereas in Leeds the figure sat at 39%.
Mick Rooney, councillor for Woodhouse, said: "In an ideal world we would do it [collect bins] more often, but the problem is we do not have the money.
"The more often you take out the bins, the more it costs."
Fly-tipping is one of the biggest issues when there is insufficient space for recycling, and Councillor Rooney mentioned that it had increased across the city.
He said: "It makes the place look horrible, it puts wildlife in danger and if it's left long enough it will deteriorate and possibly poison the ground and watercourses as well."
The labour councillor suggested people should got to supermarkets or use on-street bins, rather than resorting to fly-tipping.
According to a survey conducted by Recycle Now in 2020, 93% of UK households believe "everyone has a responsibility to help towards cleaning up the environment."
Matt Bates, 21, a student who lives with seven other students in Broomhill, said: "It's always overflowing: we've always got recycling and it's piling up. When we try and take it out all the bins are full.
"Its not nice when your kitchen is a tip.
"If we want a clean kitchen we'd have to throw it in the general waste, but we're young people so we want to recycle. We don't really get the opportunity to because the bins are always full."
Veolia, a recycling company who have been partnered with Sheffield City Council since 2001, were contacted but declined to make a statement.
Neepsend and Furnace Hill: £67m funding boost throws up mixed feelings for residents
A £67m funding package, which promises to provide 1,300 new homes in Sheffield city centre, has been met with ambivalence from residents, who warned “we’re not getting the facilities” to accompany it.
Announced last Friday by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove at the Convention of the North conference in Leeds, the funding from Homes England promised to “kickstart the transformation” of former industrial areas Neepsend and Furnace Hill.
But residents of the adjacent Kelham Island neighbourhood, which encompasses the newly acquired Neepsend Brownfield plot, said that the neighbourhood’s current lack of amenities needs to be addressed.
“We don’t have a park, we don’t have shops, we don’t have a pharmacy, we don’t have a post office,” said 65-year-old Ben McGarry, who chairs Kelham Island & Neepsend Community Alliance (KINCA).
“We don’t have the things that you would normally find when a community is set up. So we’re going to add more people but we’re not getting the facilities to go with that.”
Sheffield City Council said that the new Neepsend neighbourhood would provide a range of housing, local facilities and green spaces – something residents flagged as sorely lacking.
According to council leader, Tom Hunt, the nearby Furnace Hill neighbourhood would incorporate a mix of residential homes alongside new local facilities, commercial and leisure premises.
“I think having more residents where they're planning to have them is ideal because it's a rundown, abandoned area,” added Mr McGarry.
“But from our point of view, they've got to make sure that it's not just one beds and that there are some garden spaces.”
The council said that minimum 20% of the new homes would be “truly affordable accommodation” and that a network of new public spaces and streets would be built to improve Kelham Island’s connection to the city centre.
Ward councillor Douglas Johnson told the Sheffield Wire that the project “is the result of the last three years of work”.
He said: “I am glad that Homes England recognises the need for place-building – this means green space, schools and doctors, not just numbers of dwelling-units. Housing needs to be the right mix, to provide for long-term residents and families.”
The Neepsend plans sought to attract more young families to the area, which residents said is largely populated by students, young professionals and retirees owing to a lack of a school and the dominance of flats.
Beth Maples, a 32-year-old financial manager who moved into the area seven years ago with her partner, said this resulted in a high turnover.
She said: “We’ve had maybe six neighbours in the time we’ve been here.”
Her partner Calin Lapugean, 38, who owns tech repair company iRepairStop, added that he was frustrated by the lack of input Kelham residents have in the area’s redevelopment.
He said: “I think the main problem is that they don't actually ask anybody that lives in the area what they think they should do.
“You’d think they’d want to develop some parks or outdoor space or something. There’s nothing.”
This absence of input from residents isn’t for lack of trying on the part of KINCA. While Kelham Island used to have an area forum that met with the council, McGarry said they gave up “because it was a complete waste of time”.
“Council planning departments – certainly Sheffield ones – are being cut back and cut back,” he said. “So developers get away with whatever they want, really.”
For 32-year-old flood risk engineer, Edward Hill, his own experience with developers is a cautionary tale.
He said: “I’ve lived in my flat for seven years and it’s been an absolute disgrace from start to finish and it’s just getting more expensive.
“I'm actually trying to sell at the minute at a massive loss just to try and get out.”
Bought with the government’s Help to Buy scheme, Edwards said he was struggling to afford his building’s £2,000 annual service charge alongside a rising mortgage and £250 per year in ground rent.
Though the council promised that the homes would be "within the reach of everyone", Kelham and Neepsend residents are sceptical.
“Who knows what affordable housing looks like these days?” said 63-year-old Simon Wigglesworth-Baker, a founding member of Kelham Island Arts Collective.
“It’s gotten a bit silly,” echoed Dave Shaw, 66, who has been living in the area since 2007. “If you’re trying to get into the area it’s ridiculously expensive.”
For businesses, though, more residents means more footfall.
“You don’t tend to get footfall as much in this area,” explained Laura Taff, 29, supervisor at Neepsend Social Club & Canteen. “It’s not somewhere people travel to unless they’re coming for a certain thing.”
McGarry lamented the number of empty retail units in the area. He said: “The retail space that the builders or the developers put in is too expensive for independent shop owners.”
Kelham Island was made one of the UK’s first industrial conservation areas back in 1985, with subsequent extensions made to the boundary in 1999 and 2008. It was named by The Sunday Times as one of the best places to live in 2023.
Cllr Johnson added: “The actual building will depend on private developers being accepted to work with local and central government. At the same time, it is vital that regeneration builds and supports the successes of the Kelham Island community and does not overwhelm the neighbourhood that is already there.”
Phoenix 93-78 Sheffield Sharks- British Basketball League
The Sharks went down after a 52 point first half against Cheshire in an exciting back-and-forth battle.
The head-off between Cheshire Phoenix and Braun Sheffield Sharks at the Cheshire Oaks Arena last night was intense and resulted in a win for the disadvantaged Phoenixs.
Although the Phoenix's lost their first game of the year on Friday, the team came back swinging, winning 93-78 over the Sharks who are currently sixth in the BBL Championship.
Sharks’ Malek Green and RJ Eytle-Rock made a strong start creating a 7-0 lead in the first minutes.
Phoenix’s Skyler White recovered the team from the early punch by scoring three three-pointers in only two minutes, to push the match into a stalemate.
Laquincy Rideau scored a basket early in the second half, putting the Phoenix in the lead, until Jordan Ratinho scored and the Sharks went ahead again.
In the second half, the roles were reversed as the Phoenix got eight points early on. White then fired a further two three-pointers early in the second half, solidifying the lead.
Green pushed the Sharks forward by scoring several jump shots in an attempt to regain momentum.
In the final ten, the Sharks got close to clinching a result as Cheshire started to tire, but they took over in the final six minutes.
Sheffield gained ground with Rai making crucial shots but White carried his team to a comfortable victory.
Overall, Sharks’ Malek Green and RJ Eytle-Rock stood out scoring 21 and 18 points respectively.
The next game for the Sharks is against Surrey Scorchers, on Thursday March 7th 2024 at Canon Medical Arena, 7.45pm tip off.
Church of England investment fund called ‘too small and slow’
A new report has called the £100 million investment fund set up to address the Church of England’s links to transatlantic slavery "too small and slow".
The report said instead the target should be instead be £1bn, calling for a "fund for healing, repair and justice."
The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said the report was “the beginning of a multi-generational response to the appalling evil of transatlantic chattel enslavement”.
Announced in January last year, the funding programme was created for investment, research and engagement to address past wrongs of the Church.
Does Henderson’s relish belong on a chicken korma?
Heinz, Hellmann's, HP or Worcestershire? For Stephen Burke, it's Henderson's relish.
In 2006, whilst working as a Royal Navy Sailor, he began his mission to share Sheffield's staple sauce, and has since spent upwards of £2000 on the stuff.
Mr Burke, now a Civic Office manager, estimates he had delivered Henderson's to at least two thirds of the 151 countries he visited during his time in the Navy.
He said: “Other than jelly and ice cream, it goes with pretty much anything.
The question remains, does Henderson's belong on a chicken korma? Vote now on our Sheffield Wire X page.
Sheffield takes back ‘real ale capital of the world’ status
The city, which is home to 58 breweries, retained its title as the best beer town in the world, a report found.
With four breweries per 100,000 people, the steel city blew competing cities away in their bid to become the top of the hops.
Sheffield is thought to be the birthplace of craft beer and previously won the award in 2016.
The Sheffield Beer Report said "Sheffield’s brewing industry is a direct continuation of the city’s industrial heritage," and its thriving business both during and after the pandemic is a testament to the city's resilience.
Owls Glide by Millers in South Yorkshire Derby
The Owls made it three in a row after a comfortable 1-0 away win against Rotherham United.
Sheffield Wednesday needed three points against out-of-form Rotherham United to keep their survival dreams alive.
Pre-match, Wednesday boss Danny Rohl said: “We know the situation is still serious and it goes very quickly in this league in the other direction.
“But at the moment, we are going in the right direction.”
Although only seven miles and one league position separate the clubs, the gulf in class between the two sides was evident at the New York Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Wednesday spent the majority of the first half camped inside the Millers’ final third but lacked composure in and around the box.
This was evidenced after 21 minutes when Owl’s winger Poveda flashed a shot around the post after a positive run, cutting inside from the right.
The visitors did have the ball in the net from Akin Famewo but it was disallowed for offside in a questionable decision by the officials.
The goal didn’t come for Wednesday in the first half, but they were certainly on top, boasting 60% possession and 11 shots to Rotherham’s solitary effort.
Leam Richardson’s side started the second half with more intensity during the first ten minutes and had a few flurries around the away side’s area, but they didn’t create any clear opportunities.
The lack of quality in the Millers’ attack was met by a collective groan from the home fans on the 64th minute, when a seemingly promising counterattack culminated in a 30 yard back pass to their goalkeeper, Viktor Johansson.
Danny Rohl’s men finally broke the deadlock in the 66th minute when Ike Ugbo swept the ball in from close range after a quick passing exchange from the Owl’s on the edge of the box.
The last half an hour was fairly straightforward for the Owls, despite Barry Bannan clearing an effort off the line to keep the clean sheet intact.
Second half substitute Mallik Wilks also hit the post for the visitors with a headed effort in added time.
After the match, Rohl said: "From the beginning we were on the front foot, and we created a lot of chances and at half-time I had a clear message.
I said to my team it was great what we were doing, but it was about what we did in the box.”
The win for Wednesday was crucial and has pushed the Owls to within three points of safety.
When Rohl took the helm in December, they were struggling on 13 points at the foot of the table.
Wednesday play host to Plymouth Argyle tomorrow for another ‘six pointer’ in the relegation scrap.
Teenager hospitalised after early morning stabbing
A teenage boy has suffered serious injuries after being stabbed in Sheffield.
Police were called to Shirecliffe Road in the Burngreave area at around 6am today.
The boy, 17, is currently in hospital after having suffered serious injuries, but, according to South Yorkshire Police, "they are not life-threatening or life-altering."
Part of Shirecliffe Road, between Longley Avenue West and Musgrave Road is still closed whilst police carry out their investigation.
No arrests have been made, police said.
More updates to follow.
Preloved fashion event highlights the importance of sustainability
An evening event where old clothes will get a new lease of life is being held by The University of Sheffield accommodation services in collaboration with St Luke's Hospice.
There will be a sustainable fashion show hosted by Residence Life along with Accommodation and Commercial Services Green Impact, tonight, at The Edge in Endcliffe.
It will promote responsible ways of shopping for clothing and textiles, with students modelling personally selected outfits from the St Luke’s store on The Moor.
Prior to the show, there will be a Makers Market, where students, staff and local residents will be selling their items all made from preloved products.
There will also be clothes swap where people can exchange old garments for something new.
Sustainability Coordinator, Andrew Woffindin, who has worked closely with students and staff on the show, said it will be bigger and better last year's successful night.
When asked on the decision to partner with St Luke’s, he said: “It’s a local charity for local people. The hospice is absolutely second to none in giving care to those in their last moments.”
The show will be co-hosted by Social Media Influencer, Faye Wagstaffe, who runs the Instagram page Charity Shop Gal, that offers advice on how to style preloved and vintage items.
Wagstaffe gave up purchasing new clothes in 2019 after feeling that the fast-fashion industry was out of control.
She said: “This show really showcases the best of preloved clothes and sustainable outfits and shows people that you don’t need to buy new clothes.
“We’ve got to the stage of over consuming cheap and poorly made clothes. Buying second hand means these garments get a new lease of life don’t end up in landfill.”
Statistics published by Clothes Aid showed that 350,000 tonnes of unwanted clothing goes to landfill each year in the UK.
Wagstaffes’ own mother received care from St Luke’s Hospice, and she described that helping with the event was her way of giving back. St Luke’s is the only stand-alone adult hospice in Sheffield.
Jemma Dalton, Gift in Kind, at St Luke’s on The Moor said: “We touch a lot of people’s lives in the city and we’re so well supported, it’s fantastic.”
By getting involved with the event, Dalton hopes that St Luke’s will become more accessible to the wider community in Sheffield.
The event is running from 5-9pm at The Edge High Tor. Tickets are now sold out. A waiting list can be joined here.