£2.3 million funding available to Sheffield venues to reduce their carbon footprint
As part of Sheffield City Council’s city goal to reduce carbon emissions and create a sustainable city, £2.3 million has been assigned to benefit cultural and community buildings.
The project, which will run until March 2025, aims to support 140 organisations to reduce their energy bills.
This grant, which is part-funded by the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, will identify possible saving improvements and help venues invest in solutions to reduce energy costs. Organisations will also benefit from one-to-one advice and support.
Councillor Martin Smith said: “This project brings together the support of specialist advisors to help organisations identify effective changes, with grants to bring those changes into action.
"It will give organisations the confidence and support they need to make sustainable changes, something that is crucial if we are to look after our planet and let our business and communities thrive.”
One of the venues benefiting from this funding is the Cupola Contemporary Art gallery, and have saved on energy costs by installing insulation, lower ceilings and motion sensor lighting.
Karen Sherwood, the founder and owner of Cupola Contemporary Art, said: “I felt I was talking to somebody who understood what I might not know. Without support and match funding, I wouldn’t have been able to implement the same programme of improvements.”
The Council is currently taking applications from organisations to receive the funding.
Black animals are harder to rehome says Sheffield-based sanctuary
Black animals have a harder time getting adopted due to the superstition surrounding their colour, according to local North Anston animal sanctuary.
Based in south Sheffield, Thornberry Animal Sanctuary was founded in 1988 and rescues animals from abandonment, and neglect.
While the sanctuary have had great adoption success stories, and have strong support from their local community, at times they have struggled to find homes for black animals, specifically cats and dogs.
Dating back to the European witch craze, black cats have often been regarded as an omen of bad luck, deterring people from adopting them.
Cattery and Small Animals Manager, Courtney Berry, said: “They’re a lot like marmite – people either love them or they don’t. We get a lot of them and they are very difficult to rehome.”
Additionally, at this time of year, it is particularly difficult for animals to be rehomed and as Christmas is a high travel period, animals can’t be homed with those who have upcoming trips booked, resulting in animals staying in the centre for longer periods of time.
In the kennels, black Lurchers and black Greyhounds are notorious for sticking around.
Hannah Armes, Thornberry’s Kennel Assistant said: “It's just the colour – people are put off by black dogs. The other colours of Lurchers and Greyhounds usually go quite quickly, but the black ones are less desirable,”
Desirable dogs have also been sent to Thornberry due to owners not foreseeing certain characteristics of their animal, or their medical costs.
A misconception around animal adoption is the underlying costs of taking care of small animals. According to Battersea pets, cat care is roughly £1587 per year, and rabbits at a similar cost of £1550.
Thornberry Animal Sanctuary hopes to hold classes in the new year to educate new pet owners on caring for their animals.
Entirely run on donation, fundraising plays a big part in keeping the centre afloat. Thornberry regularly holds events to entice the local community to support the centre and the animals it houses.
In early November, the sanctuary celebrated its 35th anniversary with a dinner gala. Last weekend, they held their annual Christmas fair, where they promoted local businesses.
Thornberry invites the local community to volunteer to help them day-to-day. Anyone is welcome to volunteer and can find an online application form on their website.
Thornberry Animal Sanctuary will soon open up a charity shop in Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre.
Protests continue outside city mail depot after people go three weeks with no post
A group of disgruntled Sheffielders have held the latest in a long series of protests over what they see as a failing postal service.
The group have been holding weekly protests outside the Sheffield South Delivery Office in Woodseats Road, since June.
Kate Billington, founder of Save Our Post, Save Our Posties, started the group after going nearly three weeks without any post in May.
She said: “Never have we paid more for a stamp and yet never had we received a more appalling service from Royal Mail.
“It feels like our postal service has been reduced to a game of chance.”
The group supports the postal workers and place the blame on the Government
Miss Billington said: “Many are now feeling distressed and so demoralised with the slashing of staff numbers and unreadable workloads imposed on them and feel they can no longer carry on.”
A number of staff from the depot showed their support for the protests by honking their horns and coming down for some food and conversation.
Leah Byatt, a social carer, 29, said: “Our posties are at an all time low. They were getting a lot of abuse and people were blaming them for the issues with the post.
“The government have let the service dwindle over the years and ever since it’s been privatised it’s just got worse and worse.”
Earlier this year the depot reduced its opening hours to 8am-10am, and the community feels both residents and postal workers deserve better.
Miranda Allen said: “You’re paying for something you’re not getting, if this was any other company they’d be getting investigated, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone taking responsibility.
“We like our posties and we know our posties and we want to support them as well.”
As the group came together to sing songs and share festive treats, along with some of the postal workers, Miss Billington said she was delighted at the turnout.
She said: “It’s a little bit surreal and I’m probably a bit sleep-deprived and I’ve been up late having ideas and making banners.
“It’s great to see these people here, it’s a popular cause and I think once people realise Royal Mail has been privatised we generally get people in agreement.”
“It’s sort of like a chain reaction”: What Protesting Means to the Student Population
In an effort to express their voices, students have been partaking in protests within recent months.
Tomorrow will see a march for climate justices, starting at the University of Sheffield's student union at 11:30am, which will conclude a series of events which took place over the last week intending to raise awareness of climate related issues in both Sheffield and internationally.
The march rounds up a week of lectures, panel-discussions, and banner-making, all intended at raising awareness of climate related issues, both in Sheffield and internationally.
These events were part of the Don't Cop Out! campaign, set up by Jo Campling, Sheffield student union's Welfare and Sustainability officer and allow students to have the opportunity to contribute to a "global voice" from Sheffield.
Miss Campling highlights that the Don't Cop Out! events are intended to make a point for change, due to the perspective that talks such as COP28 can often lead to little change.
She said these events were a chance to see what can be done in Sheffield to "add to the global voice."
In light of this, students within Sheffield have also emphasised the need for an output to be able to express their opinions and show their support for causes which they regard as important.
Adan Akhtar, 18, an Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Sheffield, highlighted the need for protests, calling them an "opportunity."
Mr Akthar has currently been working within the Don't Cop Out! campaign and has also previously taken roles within protests for Palestine.
Creating banners to be used during the Don't Cop Out! march tomorrow, Mr Akhtar highlighted how this event allowed an output for expression which he had not been able to find previously within his friend groups and also within educational, teaching settings.
He said: "I've always cared about the climate, I know that it's a pressing issue and that we need to be talking more about it. But whenever I've tried doing it with my friends and even with some of my teachers, it's like they accept the fact that there is climate change happening and that there is an issue.
"It's like a passive acceptance on the fact that there is not enough people taking action towards it."
Alongside this Mr Akthar emphasised the opportunity that protests provide as he discussed his experience of becoming increasingly engaged within protest activism when he moved to Sheffield, from the UEA.
Reflecting on his experience of joining protests he said: "at the start you’re kind of scared because you don’t want to get in trouble so you’re just a bystander, like at any sort of protest or march going on you’re just on the side and just observing.
"And then the next thing you know you’re already in the centre, you’re also protesting along with them, so it's sort of a chain reaction."
Alongside being part of the Don't Cop Out! campaigns, Mr Akthar has also attended Pro-Palestine protests, which took place within Sheffield in previous months, and indicated the importance he felt to protesting a range of political issues.
And, while not all students have took part in the recent protests within the university, it appears to be evident that many support them.
Ziran Wang, an international marketing and management student at the University of Sheffield had also seen Pro-Palestine protests in Sheffield.
Reflecting on a Pro-Palestine protest at the Wave building on November 20, Miss Wang said she did not want to partake as she was unsure of on the "facts of the war."
She said that rather than being part of a protest she would prefer to, "listen to others."
Lang Qianhu, a student of creative and cultural industry management at the University of Sheffield, said that though she has never encountered a protest, she feels they are an important "opportunity for students to stand up for their own opinions."
One student, who did not wish to be named, also said they hadn't taken part within any protests previously but did say they could be interested to be part of one in the future, particularly on topics that they felt impacted them directly.
Sheffield’s creative community to have a voice in new cultural strategy for city
2024 promises to be a year of culture in Sheffield after the announcement of a new collaborative culture plan shaped by the city’s creatives.
The Sheffield Culture Strategy 2024 aims to provide a plan for developing the cultural sector by inviting the local creative community to influence the strategy via a city-wide survey.
The project is championed by the Culture Collective and Culture Consortium, and has received backing from Sheffield City Council, the University of Sheffield and Arts England.
Ruth Nutter, a Sheffield-based creative producer and author, called the project “a genuine opportunity to shape the culture strategy needed to realise ambitions and crystallise our creative story.”
Key objectives of the strategy include increasing accessibility to resources, helping organisations become more resilient and further integrating culture into the city’s identity.
The survey asks people what excites them about Sheffield’s creativity and culture as well as asking for extensive feedback on what areas the strategy should focus on.
Cllr Martin Smith, who is also a member of the Culture Collective board, said: “We want to make the culture sector more inclusive, connected and diverse, and by bringing the voices of those working in these industries together, we should be able to develop something that will truly benefit the people of Sheffield.”
The City Council’s endorsement of the strategy is a product of over a year of developmental work and campaigning for more funding to be directed towards the culture sector.
The next phases of the Culture Strategy will be announced in the new year, with the project to run until May 2024.
Sheffield-born boxer before his first pro fight: “I’d love to be a world champion”
Sheffield boxer Leon Musson is gearing up for his first professional fight this weekend at just 22 years old.
He has achieved a lot in his amateur career since he began boxing at Sheffield Boxing Centre where he has had 41 fights over a 10-year period.
Speaking about his time at Sheffield Boxing Centre, Musson said: “They were the start of my boxing journey. I had a lot of fights for them, I was with them for a long time.
“The training there gets you very, very fit and a lot of my fitness now I do myself and I’m not doing as much fitness in the actual gym. What I’ve found is that I can take everything SBC gave me and I’ve still got that.”
Now he is hoping to take the professional boxing game by storm when he fights at Gateshead on Saturday night.
“It’s been a long time coming. Since I was 10,11 I’ve been looking forward to this. I’m massively excited.
“I want a British title and then once I’ve got that I’ll set another goal. I’d love to be a world champion, obviously everyone wants to be world champion.”
Although Musson, like all boxers, wants to win big titles, his main ambition is to be financially secure after all the effort he has put in to make it to the fringes of the professional boxing scene.
Musson talked openly about the way that he has adapted his game as he adjusts to the switch from the amateur game to the more tactical nature of coming up against professionals.
He said: “I’ve done well at the amateurs, it didn’t suit me completely. I feel like now I’m adapting my style and skillset to the pros.”
The Yorkshireman came up through the ranks in Sheffield but moved to study at Northumbria University when he was 20 years old. Fighting out of Tyneside Boxing Club he has developed his skills to be ready for his new venture into the big leagues.
Musson described how his role has grown within the boxing club since meeting his trainer and manager, Ross Wilkinson, and how he gets involved in helping the younger fighters.
He said: “I really like working with them. I’m a massive part of the gym. I take kids to fights, we’ve got a home show coming up on Wednesday and I’m cornering for that. I regularly coach in the gym, it's got a great community feel just like SBC.
“So far, so good with the team.”
“Disabled people aren’t part of the conversation”: Sheffield organisations criticise plans to cut disability benefits
Disability charities and campaign groups in Sheffield have criticized the governments proposal to reduce the number of people eligible for additional disability benefits, which would lead to thousands of disabled people being forced to find work.
The plans to reform the Work Capability Assessment announced on 22 November as part of the Autumn Statement will reduce the number of disabled people classed as having a "more severe" incapacity
This means thousands of disabled people will no longer be eligible for additional disability benefits.
Lexy Webster, Marketing Coordinator for the Burton Street Foundation, said that there is a concern that some of their clients may have to reduce the number of hours that they could visit them, because of the planned benefits cut.
She has Autism and ADHD herself and said she chose to work at Burton Street because she wanted to be "part of that conversation.
"Although a lot of our clients are in good support systems with their families and things like that, we don’t anticipate that most of our clients will have issues. But we do have some people who are of higher capacity who could be affected by this.
"It’s going to bring some real issues for people like me and for people like our clients.”
The reforms are part of the government's plans to get more people who claim benefits into work.
Laura Trott, Chief secretary to the Treasury said: "Ultimately there is a duty on citizens if they are able to go out to work they should. Those who can work and contribute should contribute.”
Ms Webster said: "It makes it sound like these people are sat around, and that these people are not involved because they don’t want to be, and that’s not the case at all.
"There’s a lot of barriers, and there have been for a very long time to people being able to access work and access support with work."
She added that disabled people who work from home have to "advocate for themselves at quite a high level", because their employers are not around to see their day-to-day struggles.
“Disabled people are being spoken about. They’re not part of that conversation.”
David Hayes, from the Sheffield branch of Disabled People Against Cuts, (DPAC) told Hallam FM that the reforms would cause "an awful lot of anxiety".
"If we are unfit for work, then we are unfit for work. Disabled people, like everybody else, just want to get through this cost-of-living crisis."
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), around 2.4 million people claim benefits for being unable to work, and that number is expected to rise to 2.8 million by 2028-9.
The proposed reforms will save the government £1billion a year, while leaving an estimated 370,000 people thousands of pounds worse off.
Tom Walters, of IHS, said: “Of the 370,000 people who will lose out from this reform, the overwhelming majority are expected to nonetheless remain on benefits, just with a lower level of income.”
The Burton Street Foundation provide a range of services and activities for disabled people in Sheffield, supporting around 250 clients every week.
Sheffield Cathedral carol concert brings festive cheer in aid of city’s homeless and vulnerable
Co-written with Peter Spriggs
A rousing Christmas carol concert brought merriment to a community of hundreds at Sheffield Cathedral this afternoon in support of the city’s homeless population.
The Archer Project, a charity based at the Cathedral, hosted the feel-good singalong to raise money and awareness for the vulnerable people they support, some of whom were in attendance.
The donations kindly supplied by today’s audience will be spent meeting the Project’s core objective - ‘from sleeping bag to employment’ - which aims to help the homeless back into work.
Lucy Wilks, Events and Corporate Partnerships Officer for the Archer Project, said: “Homelessness is a difficult time all year round, but particularly in the winter in the freezing conditions.”
She encouraged people to spend the season spreading joy to those who are an often-forgotten part of society, even if that is something as simple as saying hello.
The Archer Project was launched in the 1980s to provide hot drinks and breakfast for those who used the Cathedral for shelter and warmth.
Its service later expanded to combat the drastic increase in unemployment, poverty and homelessness the city suffered as a result of industrial decline.
Today the Project works to supply food, clothing and showers to those who have fallen on hard times, working with housing services, medical teams and mental health services to help people get back on their feet.
In recent years, its workload has unfortunately increased under the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis.
Ms Wilks said: “There’s a common misconception that all homeless people are drug addicts or alcoholics, but homelessness can happen to anyone.
“We have people from all walks of life who use our service.”
The Christmas carol concert was introduced by Tim Renshaw BEM, CEO of the Archer Project, who spent 14 nights sleeping rough to connect with the ordeals of those he helps.
His book about this experience, ‘14 Nights’, highlights the importance of interacting with homeless people and that just a smile can make all the difference to their day.
The service then launched into choral renditions of Silent Night, Do You Hear What I Hear?, and Feliz Navidad, which had everyone on their feet bopping along.
Asked what people can do to help this Christmas, Ms Wilks concluded: “One of the things that people can do is just tell people about us. We’re here, we’re able to offer that support and that safe space.”
Are Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces fading?
For the last decade, the Rainbow Laces campaign has had a huge impact on LGBTQ+ visibility in football, but fears are growing about the future of the movement.
The campaign, organised by LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, involves players wearing rainbow-coloured shoelaces on their boots, and captains wearing rainbow-coloured armbands, for all matches within a certain period each year in a show of support for the community. All 20 Premier League clubs have publicly supported the campaign, as well as many others from lower down the English league system.
There has been clear progress in LGBTQ+ inclusivity in football since the campaign began. In 2021, Australian player Josh Cavallo became the only active top-flight player in the world to come out as gay, and last year, Blackpool’s Jake Daniels followed suit, becoming the only active openly gay player in English football history.
Chris Ledger, the founder of Rainbow Owls, Sheffield Wednesday’s LGBTQ+ supporters group, praised the positive influence of the scheme over the years:
“The impact is absolutely enormous. If you go back just a few years, Robbie Rogers [a former USA international] came out as gay and felt like he couldn’t continue.”
“A lot’s changed in the last decade, in terms of visibility on the pitch.”
However, a report published by Stonewall to mark the campaign’s tenth anniversary revealed that true equality was still some way off. Only 33% of those surveyed felt that competitive sport is a welcoming environment for gay and bisexual sports personalities, while just 35% agreed that live sports events provide a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ fans.
In fact, there are fears that attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community at the highest levels of football are regressing. This year in particular, the Rainbow Laces campaign seems decidedly muted. A look at the social media comments of any football club or organisation that supports the campaign will still reveal dozens of homophobic comments, often with hundreds of ‘likes’.
Liz Ward, Director of Programmes for Stonewall, posted on X (formerly known as Twitter): “We’re facing a really scary backlash in men’s football, whilst other sports (cricket, rugby, etc) are more keen than ever to show their support.”
Moreover, The Athletic reported yesterday that the Premier League had halved its annual funding for Stonewall, which previously stood at over £100,000. Adidas, the biggest kit manufacturer in English football, has also significantly reduced the funding it provides to the organisation.
Asked about this issue, Mr Ledger said: “It’s concerning. I think one of the things that happened is last year it was moved from December to October to facilitate the Qatar World Cup, and so this year there’s been a bit of confusion about when it happens. Everyone needs to have that united stance, and to talk about things in the same way.”
Mr Ledger also expressed concerns about ‘sportswashing’ - the practice of using the mass appeal of sports to divert attention from wrongdoing.
“I think it’s a real shame that sportswashing continues to have this stranglehold on football at the highest level. Every month, or every two months, something comes up that these countries are adding to the game.”
“There’s a real sense of fickleness, like with how things have happened with Jordan Henderson [former Liverpool captain and outspoken supporter of LGBTQ+ rights who faced criticism after transferring to Saudi club Al-Ettifaq earlier this year].”
In particular, the governments of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, both of whom criminalise homosexuality, have had this criticism levelled at them by fans. Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup, while Saudi Arabia was recently announced as the host of the 2034 tournament. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is also the majority shareholder in Premier League club Newcastle United.
Kian Ward, an LGBTQ+ football fan based in Sheffield told Sheffield Wire: “I’m really disappointed - it’s made me quite angry, with the World Cup last year in Qatar and now it’s going to another country where homosexuality is illegal and heavily frowned upon.
“These countries have these beliefs and that’s fine, but when the game’s trying to be inclusive and a large portion of football fans won’t be able to attend it’s a shame.”
This week, Sheffield United's Anel Ahmedhodžić became the first Premier League captain for seven years to not wear a rainbow armband during the designated Rainbow Laces period. Neither club nor player have given a reason for this, and Stonewall were unavailable for comment.
Breaking News: Armed police outside McDonalds in Sheffield City Centre after dog attack
Armed police were called to Fargate this afternoon, following reports of a dog attack.
A crowd was formed around the scene and a number of marked and unmarked police cars were in the area.
Police were called at around 2.38pm today after reports of two dogs attacking another dog in High Street, Sheffield.
Two dogs have been seized by police and are under control and one of the dogs involved has suffered a minor injury. No further injuries have been reported at this time.
A man has been detained under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act and officers may be seen in the area conducting enquiries.
An eye witness who works nearby said: "A lot of people were scared and crying in case they saw the dog get shot. They had the guns and shields."
The incident caused disruption on Fargate. One shopper said: "Our Christmas shopping has been delayed by half an hour, it's ridiculous."
A scene was temporarily in place but has since been stood down with trams and buses now running as normal.
Birley Spa War Veteran Launches ‘Re-Wilding for Veterans’ Project in Kenya
A Sheffield war veteran has moved to Kenya to begin a company aiming to benefit Kenyan society, its first project is focused on supporting veterans.
‘Re-Wilding for Veterans’ will see five veterans travel to Kenya to partake in holistic activities and aims to support veterans who might suffer from PTSD, alcoholism, or substance abuse issues
Birley Spa native, Robert Lindley, served 24 years in the Royal Signals as a Yeoman of Signals. In 2010, he was assigned a post in Kenya, where he met his wife Stella and settled with their family in Nairobi.
Mr Lindley, 47, joined the army at 17, after leaving school, he said: “In 1993, there didn't seem to be much opportunity for employment and it just seemed that you either left Sheffield or you'd end up in a job with very little development.
“I think Sheffield gets overlooked a lot. Most money that leaves London and comes up north will generally go to Manchester Liverpool Leeds, Newcastle, and further up in Scotland.
“The way I looked at it was either the army or probably end up in jail."
As the pair raised their family in Nairobi, they recognised that the education system wasn’t comparable to the system in England.
According to The Times Higher Education university world ranking, there is currently no African university ranked in the top 200, with the University of Nairobi ranking between 601-800.
Mr and Mrs Lindley and their son Jason founded the Red List Conservation to provide the Kenyan public with more economic and educational opportunities.
Statistics have found that in 2021, 36.1% of the population are living on less than $2.15 (approx. £1.71)
’Re-Wilding for Veterans’ will serve as the company's introductory project. In June 2024, five veterans will travel to Kenya to take part in a series of activities, including mountain climbing, working with local children, and gaining an education in Kenyan wildlife.
A University of Manchester report found that the risk of suicide was 2 to 3 times higher in men who had left the Armed Forces under 25, than someone who hadn’t served. The National Library for Medicine reports that 20-30% of veterans suffer from PTSD.
Help for Heroes provides a variety of services aimed to support veterans after discharge from services. They aspire to help veterans for life – stressing that some may not suffer immediately after discharge. The charity’s psychologist and clinical lead, Gill Wrigley, said: “It's possible that people might suffer in silence. They might not realise or recognise that they deserve help,”
The Red List Conservation plans to fund other projects, including a reptile sanctuary with educational services. They hope to eventually create an education centre that focuses on the conservation of wildlife in Kenya.
Sheffield City Council pass motion to ban “disaster” single-use vapes
A motion asking the Leader of the Council to write to the Health secretary requesting the banning of single-use vapes passed on Wednesday.
Disposable vapes are not only very harmful to the environment, with 1.3 million of them thrown away each week in the UK, but there are worries they appear to be increasingly marketed towards children.
Sue Alston, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Fulwood who started the motion, said: "The single use vapes are a major concern for the environment. They are a disaster: these things can't be recycled.
"People litter them. They can cause fires if they get put in the general waste - when friction is put on them they can set on fire."
According to a recent survey conducted by ASH, an anti-smoking organisation, more than 20% of children between 11-17 have tried vaping.
They also reported that 40% of those who tried vaping had never smoked before.
Cllr Alston said: "It's really quite worrying, the numbers of very young people or children [who vape]. It's clear from the marketing what the manufacturers intend.
"If you're marketing something as candy floss flavour, you're not marketing it to 40-year-old smokers who are wanting to give up."
Single-use vapes are relatively inexpensive, costing around £6, and are widely available in supermarkets, corner shops and petrol stations.
Josie Lee, 21, a Sheffield student who uses disposable vapes, said: "I think kids are vulnerable and won't understand the full consequences.
"I know there's an age limit but I don't think people are ID'ing (sic) properly for them. I've seen a lot of kids buying vapes who are obviously underage and, especially in the smaller corner shops, they always get sold them."
Miss Lee, who works part-time in a bar, began vaping after realising that it would give her a break each hour from a job that can be tough and demanding.
When asked if single-use vapes should be banned, she said: "Yeah. I know that's controversial coming from someone who does vape, but I just think they're really dangerous.
"I would love to stop and I can't. I wish I'd never started it."
The government are currently discussing bans on the sale of disposable vapes, with these likely to come into law in the new year.
Totally Wicked, one of the UK's most popular vape companies, who have a shop in Sheffield and sell disposable vapes such as Elf Bars and Lost Mary vapes, were approached to comment but refused.