Sheffield man hopes to fundraise £40k for human trafficking victims
A Sheffield YMCA worker is aiming to raise £40,000 for human trafficking victims before his 40th birthday by running four half marathons in a month.
The Snowdrop Project is a Sheffield-based charity which provides long-term support to survivors of modern slavery and exploitation.
Jonathan Buckley, 39, decided to fundraise for the organisation after he volunteered to drive trafficking victims to safe houses for the Salvation Army.
He said: “For us, these weren’t just people you saw on the news in boats crossing the channel, or on trucks. They were real people with real stories and real lives too.
“You always think, what happens to them next? Do they just get lost in the system, do they go back to their home countries, what happens to them?”
He discovered the Snowdrop Project through friends who volunteered there, and decided to raise money for long-term support of human trafficking victims.
So far, including gift aid, Jonathan has raised £2,000 of his £40,000 target. He admits raising £4,000 is more realistic than £40,000, but he is determined to raise as much money as possible.
He said: “Encouraging people to part with their cash has always been a gift I have had.”
Jonathan aims to completes the Sheffield Half Marathon, which took place on April 7, Rugeley Half Marathon, which took place yesterday, and the upcoming Roche Abbey Half Marathon and East Yorkshire (Hull) Half Marathon.
He said: “Carrying the Olympic torch last Sunday was hard. I’ve not carried it since I carried it in 2012, and that was only 300 metres, rather than 13 miles. My arm muscles hurt quite a bit on Sunday night.
“The torch has been behind the TV for the last ten years, so it was good to get it out again!”
Jonathan said doing back-to-back races is a challenge, but he has friends and family members joining him on the way to cheer him on.
“Having planned this for the past five or six years, it’s good to actually do it. Come May, I think I will be at a loose end and wondering what is next!”
The Snowdrop Project said: "As a small charity, we rely on the generosity of supporters like Jonathan to fund the work we do.
"We're lucky to have an incredible community of people who fundraise and donate to enable survivors to rebuild their lives after exploitation."
You can donate to Jonathan Buckley’s Just Giving fundraiser here, or donate directly to the Snowdrop Project by visiting their website.
New female film club helping tackle loneliness in Sheffield
A new club in Sheffield is helping to tackle loneliness by hosting events for women to watch films together and meet new people.
The club, named ‘Film Girls Galore’, was set up in January this year by Tasha Jagger, a freelance film journalist and civil servant.
Working in collaboration with Showroom Cinema in Sheffield, the club has so far hosted two events, with the next screening on 28 April.
Miss Jagger said the response to her initial tweet, asking if people would be interested, was “amazing.”
She said: “Their response took me away. It was such an uplift to have some amazing responses.”
She went on to say that she finds “solace in going to the cinema alone”, however, “sometimes the loneliness can hit quite hard.”
“No one really tells you that finding friends in your 20s is hard and I’ve struggled quite a lot. I wanted a space to get out of my comfort zone and mix my love of films and the art of making friends together.”
Films the club has watched so far include Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Dune Part 2.
Miss Jagger said: “I was super anxious prior to the first event, with many doubts – will people come? But it’s amazing how social media can bring people together too.”
She described the club as a “safe space for all of us to still have our alone time but also be able to talk about these films with others.”
She said Showroom has always been her favourite cinema in Sheffield – “it just feels like home.” She was previously a Showroom Young Programmer, and said she’s built “a lovely relationship with the cinema.”
When she initially tweeted about potentially running the club, Ryan Finnigan (Showroom’s head of cinema and programming) got in touch and offered his support. Miss Jagger said: “The Showroom is an amazing space for such events to occur.”
In the future, she hopes to put on some special screenings and also plans to start a podcast.
Film Girls Galore can be found on Instagram - @filmgirlsgalore.
“It’s time Sheffield addressed this issue”: Sheffield City Council announce restrictions on “harmful” advertising
The council has promised to ban advertising that has a “harmful influence” on people “who are already in a more disadvantaged position”.
Sheffield City Council announces plans to improve advertising across the city by banning the promotion of unhealthy brands.
The new proposal is imposing restrictions on advertising unhealthy food and drink, gambling, alcohol, vaping, and fossil fuels.
Zak Viney, the organiser of Green New Deal Rising, said: “The disproportionate placement of adverts in areas of high social deprivation seems like a bad joke.
"No one ever asked for a plague of advertising on our streets, promoting over consumption in an age of economic inequality and climate breakdown. It’s time Sheffield addressed this issue”.
The campaign group, Adfree Cities, has helped to bring the council’s attention to the problems with adverts in Sheffield.
The group’s research has shown that 32% of outdoor ads in Sheffield are placed in the five most deprived areas of the city.
As car and flight companies will also have their advertising banned, the council hopes the policy will have positive environmental impacts. The council hopes these restrictions will reduce polluting vehicles and align to the steps being taken to achieve NetZero.
The proposed policy only covers what can be promoted on Council owned assets and land. However, it will not regulate decision making around applications for new advertising structures, which are governed by national planning regulations.
A resident from Burngreave, Annie Feetham, has expressed her concern about the kinds of adverts the council is allowing to be displayed.
She said: “Advertising has become so ingrained into our communities that I often don’t consciously acknowledge that I have seen them, but they have an incredibly negative impact on our mental well-being, influencing our thoughts and behaviours and distracting us at every turn.”
Sheffield City Council prides itself on listening to public opinion and adapting policies to improve the lives of the city’s residents.
Miss Feetham said: “Sheffield Council has a bold history of leading change. As the city undergoes a host of redevelopment and transformation projects, I hope they take this opportunity to creatively imagine a better city.”
Sheffield author William C Graves reveals the spooky events of living in a haunted house
When William C Graves, purchased his house at 19, little did he know how strange the next few years would turn out to be. From mysterious hands appearing on a baby monitor, unexplained footsteps and mysterious voices being heard, the Sheffield author has revealed the spooky goings on of living in a haunted house.
William can still remember with clarity the day he woke up to find the front door ajar. His first thought was that he had been burgled. Outside the house he found a bag owned by his tenant and his personal belongings strewn across the floor. He walked around the house to inspect what had been stolen but the sight he was met with was far more frightening than any burglary.
A set of five knives that he owned were driven into the oak wood flooring, in a neat line, outside the kitchen doorway. “They were all about two inches deep across the doorway. To drive a knife into the floor, you wouldn't be able to do it by hand, you'd have to hammer it into the floor,” William says.
This would turn out to be one of many terrifying occurrences that both William and his family would witness in the semi-detached, three-bedroom, Sheffield home. “I didn't sleep very well for the next few weeks, but the scariest thing that happened to me was a night where I was living in the house alone at the time,” he says.
William was at home alone with his parents’ dog, Guinness. As he prepared to go to bed, he attempted to turn off the living room lamp. To his shock, the lamp stayed on. At first, William didn't think much of it, until he unplugged the lamp only for it to remain lit. “I put the plug on the floor, left the lamp on, and went upstairs to bed.”
But while he was in bed, and Guinness asleep on the landing at the top of his staircase, William heard a scuffling noise that he initially thought was Guinness’ wagging tail. “I sat up a little bit in bed, and I was just about to call her (Guinness) inside when I heard, as clear as day, a man's voice from the stairs say, ‘Come here!’ It was so crisp, like a strong whisper. It was clear as day. I froze.” Grabbing a golf club, William went downstairs to investigate, and much to his surprise, the usually obedient Guinness did not follow him. “Whatever was down there, she didn’t want to know about it.”
Despite investigating, he found nobody inside the house. “Every door and window were locked," William says. "There was no way somebody could have made it in and out without alerting me.”
William has chronicled 19 years of living in a haunted house in his book “The Lady in the Bay Window.” The book which contains 25 anecdotes has now raised over £25,000, sold over 6,600 copies worldwide and become an Amazon best seller.
When the author first purchased the house in November of 2004, he was warned by the previous owner that “something wasn’t right” with the house. William, who labels himself a “sceptic with an open mind” said he didn’t think much of the comment. “I'm quite a sceptic. I do have an open mind because I've seen things, I heard things that I can't explain. Not just me, multiple witnesses have seen and heard things as well. I try and debunk anything that's happened in the house, but there are things that even I can't debunk that happen.”
Despite having lived through terrifying paranormal encounters, William remains jovial. The encounters are not always scary, he explains, recalling a time when his friend had been using the toilet when a hanging light fixture floated and turned in the air, startling his friend.
His first paranormal encounter in the house was when his friend claimed to have seen an old lady looking down at them in displeasure. His friend described the old lady as wearing a dark cardigan and having short, grey-permed hair. He would be one among the four people who encountered the old woman.
“I think there's an old lady here who's quite nice. The male figure, the heavy-footed figure that we've heard around the house seems to be quite a bit more assertive, not necessarily aggressive, but quite assertive,” says William. He invited a psychic to his the medium confirmed, without being told about any of the paranormal events, that he detected the presence of an old lady and her husband, who had died in the house. The description of both matched the ones of his friends and family.
“Things don't happen all the time. We tend to have what we call the week of madness every couple of months. We'll have a week of things that happen,” says William.
The most recent incident happened three weeks ago when William claims a disembodied hand was captured on the baby monitor of his 10-month-old son. The hand was seen passing through the barricade of the cot, reaching inside to pick up a dummy.
William has dedicated his book to his mother, who was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer, while he was writing the manuscript. Sadly, she passed away before she could read the final copy of the book, but all proceeds have been donated to Cavendish Cancer Care.
William was prompted to write his book while he was recovering from an operation and a friend had enquired about recent paranormal experiences. William explained he had an American one-cent coin thrown at him in the shower, describing how he felt excited rather than scared. Listening to the story, William’s friend turned while and explained that after he had visited the house a week before for electrical work, he had found a single American one-cent coin in his work trousers.
The friend suggested that William should write a book recording his experience living in a haunted house. “I started writing that night and it took me three years of doing five drafts and two edits because I wanted to make sure it was perfect before it hit the shelves in effect,” says William.
He said the most difficult part about living in a haunted house is knowing that when something odd happens, it’s not an isolated incident, but despite the terrifying debacles, William continues to live in the house because he believes that the spirits are malevolent. “I know that there's some sort of force at work in this house. I don't know what it is I've never seen the old lady. I've seen shadows. I've heard voices. I've heard footsteps. I've seen poltergeist activity; I've seen a coin thrown at me. I saw the knives on the floor.
“I've also seen spring-loaded door handles go down and doors open with nobody on the other side of the door. It's not physically possible without someone being there to hold the door handle, and I've seen that. So, I would say I'm still sceptic, the first thing I look for is to debunk something.”
Following the publishing of his book, he had people contact him explaining their own experiences living in haunted Sheffield houses. William now hopes to write a second book compiling these stories.
Whether you are a believer or a sceptic, William’s real-life experience only goes to prove that sometimes facts are stranger than fiction.
Uncertainty of future for historic Sheffield Coroner’s Court
Part of Sheffield's Old Coroners Court on Nursery Street has been demolished and is set to be turned into a block of flats.
The building overlooks the River Don and dates back to 1913 and also contains the mortuary, post mortem rooms and a viewing chapel.
Hallamshire Historic Buildings (HHB) have received a video and images indicating "this might be the end for the Old Coroner's Court."
Facebook user Emmie Lillie Daviiess said: "its a beautiful building, why cant they just repair it. Its such a shame."
In 2019, HHB created a petition to protect the building with an Article 4 direction which serves to protect development rights.
Plans for demolition of the building were previously rejected back in 2019 by Sheffield's Council's planning committee, but the following year were overruled by a planning inspector.
Now that building work has started HHB is unsure of the future of the building.
Student rocketing team achieve new best in 3D printed rocket thrust tests
A University of Sheffield student-led rocketry team's 3D printed engine achieved the highest thrust out of any other UK collegiate team at a rocket test last week.
The test, completed on 14 March, saw Project Sunride successfully fire their rocket engine three times, which went on to also achieve a thrust of almost half a tonne, at the Airborne Engineering rocket tests.
Following the test, the team now hopes that this research can contribute to the UK's growing space industry.
The engine was 3D printed by Aconity3D from aluminium and was tested for the first time this week.
Oliver Dew, the propulsion lead of the project, said: "We chose an aluminium alloy which is quite a novel material to use for this application, as it is really bad at high temperatures. So what is interesting about this is that we've managed to keep it cool enough to succeed in this project.
"We've demonstrated some really good technology."
The team's newest rocket engine has been built using technology they developed in July last year, when the group produced the first metallic 3D printed liquid rocket engine to be successfully tested by students in the UK.
The team will also visit Parliament on 19 March, to exhibit their new research and to present the rocket engine. From this, the team also aim to integrate the engine into a rocket which they will launch at the FAR experiments competition in the U.S.
NHS gambling clinic opens in Sheffield
A new NHS gambling clinic has opened in Sheffield, offering support to the growing number of people struggling with gambling addiction in the area.
Psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, and peer support will all be available to people who use the service.
Adam Bradford, campaigner and creator of the gambling safety app, Bet Protect, told Sheffield Wire:
"I think it's long overdue. We've always thought that there needed to be some support in the north, because there only used to be one place, which was in London and it had a very long waiting list, so I think the fact that more centres are being added is a good move - it means support will be accessible to more people.
"I think it was very needed, and unfortunately for a lot of people the specialist help hasn't been there. There were Gamblers Anonymous groups where you could go and get peer-to-peer support, but if you really needed that more specialist help there wasn't anything available."
In a statement, NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard said: "Gambling addiction is a cruel disease which has the power to destroy people’s lives, and as referrals continue to rapidly increase for these services, it is right that we increase the support available in line with demand.
"The opening of the new NHS gambling clinic is a significant milestone and amid record demand for help, it is timely for patients who desperately need this vital treatment."
It is the 15th specialist clinic of its kind to be opened in the UK. Altogether, the clinics aim to treat 3,000 people a year.
The new clinic can be contacted via telephone on 0300 300 1490, or emailed at referral.ngs@nhs.net.
Sheffield Varsity 2024 kicks off this week
Sports teams from the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University will face off once again for this years’ annual Varsity matches.
Sheffield Varsity is a series of sports competitions between the two universities that take place in March and April, with the aim of celebrating and promoting sport in the city.
There will be 45 sports teams competing this year, with around 12,000 people expected to come and watch.
The first match this year will be the mixed ice hockey at Utilita Arena on Wednesday 20 March.
Ben Hodgkins, president of the Sheffield Sabres, Sheffield University’s American football team, says this is his third and final Varsity match.
He said: “For a lot of us, it’s the end of an era and the last chance to play with this team. We want to win. It’s been a long time since The Sheffield Sabres have won a varsity game so we want to do all we can to change that, and kick off the varsity period on a high.
“Every year, the Varsity game is billed as the biggest and this year is no exception. Me and the team just want to win, and break this streak that’s been plaguing us for the last decade.”
Sheffield’s first Varsity matches took place in 1997. The matches were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, but returned in 2022 for the 25th anniversary.
Ben said: “Varsity is the accumulation of everyone’s hard work throughout the year. It’s the last opportunity for us to go out there, play with our mates and represent the University. And what better time to do it than against our city’s rivals.
“It’s also a time for people to learn and see first hand what sports this university offers and we may even catch the attention of some eager people next year.”
The Sheffield Sabres will compete against Sheffield Hallam University at 6pm on Friday 22 March at Sheffield Hallam Sports Park.
When asked what the crowds can do to support the team, Ben said: “Just get behind us! In this sport you feed off noise and any support we do get is always appreciated.
“Every big hit and every massive play should be celebrated. It helps us want to do it again. I know the lads on the sidelines will be on it, so just try to match their energy.”
Musical takeover of University Library shines a spotlight on arts and humanities degrees
A student-led musical showcase in Sheffield's University Library aimed to promote musical opportunity and clap back at declining investment in arts and humanities funding in education.
The Let Them Play event was created as a series of free performances organised by student officers within Western Bank library in association with Reimagine Education and Fund the Arts.
Vicky Grant, head librarian said: “Let Them Play is part of a broadened movement for Reimagine Education which we wanted the library to be part of. It’s part of the movement to be able to articulate quite clearly that there is a future for students that are doing arts and humanities degrees.
“We know that a lot of the emerging job opportunities in society relate to a lot of digital creativity so the more we can harness creativity in our university the more we can communicate that message boldly.”
Student ensembles included musical performances from the University of Sheffield’s Octagon record label musicians, a jazz fusion group, and a gospel choir.
Maria Jose Lourido Moreno, education officer for the Sheffield Students' Union, explained how people studying in the library stayed during the performances which was beyond their dreams of what they wanted to achieve.
She said: “Right now there has been a 50% cut in the entirety of England for all university courses based on the arts which means a lot of people who are doing a lot of artistic things like our performers will not be able to continue playing at the same extent as they used to be.”
Education is holistic, Miss Moreno explained, it cannot exclusively be essays and exams because opportunities to be in societies, listen to music and go to events are an essential part of it.
She said: “This event specifically is an embodiment of what the university could be in the future.
“One of the things I want people to do is imagine for a day that they live in a universe in which the arts are essential to everything we do.”
Anna Campbell, activity and event officer at the Students' Union, has a degree in music and wanted to create an event to rebel against ideas in the mainstream media that humanities and arts degrees are not important.
She said: “It’s so important to give the students this platform because it is a skill they love and are investing in and we should be supporting them to grow in that skill, but also I think it’s really important for students across the university because we all listen to music, we all go and watch shows.”
The co-organiser explained that student body’s need to stand up for their fellow students against policies that harm the arts.
She added: “I’ve got plans to try and take over some of the other university spaces to promote music in different spaces and give students a chance to listen to music they’ve never heard before and give our performers a chance to play.”
Seven men jailed after violence outside asylum seeker hotel
Seven men have been jailed following a protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers.
Thomas Mills, 47, Brian McPadden, 61, Paul Lafferty, 42, and Jonjo O’Donoghue, 21, were found guilty of violent disorder at Liverpool Crown Court in January after the demonstration outside the Suites Hotel in Knowsley, Merseyside, on February 10 last year.
The four defendants had all admitted being present at the demonstration but denied being part of the violence which resulted in three police officers being injured and a police van being set alight.
A fifth defendant, Daniel Fulham, 39, who told the court he was in the area walking his Jack Russell dog, was found not guilty of violent disorder and of a lesser offence of abusive or threatening behaviour with intent to provoke violence.
The four defendants, all from Kirkby, Merseyside, apart from O’Donoghue, who is from Liverpool city centre, were part of a larger group who threw missiles and paving slabs at police and set fire to a police van during the incident, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
Sheffield foodbank calling for healthy donations
As the number of people reliant on food banks in the UK reaches 3 million, a Sheffield food bank is appealing for 'healthy' donations as part of National Nutritional Month.
The focus for this year's campaign is centred around creating eating habits to support a healthy lifestyle.
Rachel Snow, who works at Burngreave food bank in Sheffield, says: "People shouldn't have to eat unhealthily just because they don't have access to food."
She is encouraging those who donate to read food labels and opt for the healthiest option available. "Sometimes the healthier option might be more expensive, but the nutritional value of this is worth every penny," Ms Snow says.
‘Hidden’ ingredients such as oil are often highly requested as they are a necessary, yet costly element when cooking a meal. If people can donate healthier, unsaturated oils, that can make a lasting difference to nutrition.
"Many of our clients are living through very stressful times financially, and receiving healthy food that is still familiar and comforting is so important".
Donna Vanzyl, a dietician at Kingston Hospital, says that the conversation about nutrition for those who are from lower income households is very nuanced as each individual's living arrangement can vary greatly.
Data has revealed more than 5 million people in the UK are living in appliance poverty, meaning they don’t have basic access to fridges, freezers, washing machines and cookers.
Ms Vanzyl was also keen to point out diversity in the UK means that on top of catering to nutrition, culture must also be taken into account.
Ms Snow agreed, highlighting religious dietary requirements must be considered a priority, on top of nutrition, especially during Ramadan which began on March 10 and runs until April 9. Ms Snow is encouraging those who can to donate suitable options. She says that often tinned meat is not halal so the food bank has to offer vegetarian options.
When choosing long life options Ms Vanzyl advises opting for higher fibre carbohydrates such as brown bread over white, tinned fatty fish, and as much colour from canned vegetables as possible. She says the more colour on the plate, the more micronutrients in the meal, which are essential for a balanced diet.
Ms Snow was keen to reiterate, though, people should not shy away from donating the odd treat too, to lift spirits of some of the hardest working in society.
According to Ms Snow the number of food parcels given out doubled in the last year, and that people often forget what a large proportion of the population are relying on foodbanks.
Though Bunrgreave food bank accepts fresh food donations where they can, they can only do so sparingly due to their lack of facilities, but if those who access the service are concerned about nutrition they can visit local pantries that have fresh food.
Sheffield’s Supertram comes back under public control on its 30th anniversary
On its 30th anniversary, Sheffield’s iconic Supertram will return to being under control of the local authority.
South Yorkshire Future Trams Limited will officially take over all tram services from Stagecoach on Thursday 21 March.
In the future, there are hopes of expanding services. In the short term, this handing over of power will have little effect on people’s journeys, but residents will see a few changes, including a new Supertram logo, a brand new app, and some fares being discounted by 10% for the first 100 days of operation.
Sheffield’s Supertram comes back under public control on its 30th anniversary