Inclusive Sheffield tennis club aces Yorkshire Tennis Awards
A Sheffield based tennis coaching programme has received recognition for their efforts towards promoting inclusivity in the sport.
Ability Tennis holds sessions for people with physical, learning and sensory disabilities, and was awarded the Tennis For All (Inclusion) and the Connecting Communities Awards at the LTA Yorkshire Tennis Awards last Thursday.
Founder Ben Howarth, who also received a personal commendation from Yorkshire Tennis President Geoff Newton, said: “It just felt very nice to be around positive people who have all done something in tennis.
“If you’ve done something and you enjoy it, just giving back and getting more people involved in doing something you love is just really important.”
The programme holds regular weekly sessions for all levels of ability across Sheffield, and prioritises teaching in a way that engages people with disabilities in the sport.
These include teaching in a wheelchair for the weekly wheelchair session, and using specialised sponge balls to act as audio cues to aid people with visual impairments.
At the centre of the programme’s success however, is the strong sense of community felt by its members.
At the programme’s wheelchair tennis session at Graves Leisure Centre, longtime participant Lottie Davis-Browne said: “It’s the friendship, it’s having structure in your week. We all sort of understand what each other are going through.”
For Mr Howarth, this positivity and understanding is also crucial to his work, he said: “The enjoyment that you see is far more rewarding than getting the award itself.
“The day-to-day is what keeps me going.”
For the coaches and players, encouraging others to attend and get involved is a huge part of their efforts, and they are determined that there should be no barriers to inclusion.
Mr Howarth said: “If anybody is interested, either volunteering or wanting to take part in sessions, people are welcome to come. They don’t have to take part straight away.
“They can bring down their carers and just have a cup of tea and watch what we do if they’re nervous.
“That first step’s the hardest thing to take sometimes, and everyone is welcome.”
The coaches can be contacted via: https://abilitytennis.co.uk/
Sheffield charity’s mission to help the city’s homeless
A homelessness charity has criticised the government's approach to tackling rough sleeping as the number of people living on the streets has increased in every region of England in the past year.
The government announced on Wednesday rough sleeping has risen by 27% in England between the autumns of 2022 and 2023.
Charlotte Talbott, Chief Executive of Emmaus UK, said: "More and more people are being forced out of their homes at a time when councils are cutting services due to severe funding deficits. The government must act to prevent more people being forced into homelessness."
The government have declared £107m is being offered to local councils nationwide to create an additional 800 homes for rough sleepers. Also £109m will be made available via Homelessness Prevention Grants for councils to prevent evictions and fund temporary accommodation.
Sheffield City Council will receive £3m of this funding after more than 4000 people or families applied to be registered as homeless in 2022, the highest figure ever recorded in the city. The funding will be used to support volunteer organisations Action Housing and Support, Target Housing and the Young Women's Housing Project, and is said to enable the creation of ten properties for those without a permanent home.
Green Party Councillor, Douglas Johnson, who is the Chair of the Housing Policy Committee for Sheffield City Council, said: "This new funding is not going to be enough and of course it will take some time to get this new accommodation into place but nevertheless it is a step in the right direction."
In 2019, the then Prime Minister, Boris Johnson made the promise to eliminate homelessness and rough sleeping for good as part of a £260 million funding package. Fast forward to 2024, and the number of people sleeping rough is on the rise for the second consecutive year.
In the autumn of 2023, 3,898 people across England were registered as sleeping rough on a single night, a 120% increase since records began in 2010. These snapshots are calculated by estimating the number of people sleeping rough on a specific night, meaning the figures are likely to be an underestimate with many homeless people going unseen.
A record high 109,000 households were also registered as being homeless in temporary housing in England between July and September 2023 - up 10% from last year - including 142,490 children being recorded as homeless during this period.
Ms Talbott, the Chief Executive of Emmaus UK, said: "We know that these figures are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the true number of people experiencing homelessness."
In the face of this worsening issue, the South Yorkshire branch of Emmaus are striving to make a difference by restoring the identity and livelihoods of formerly homeless people.
Lesley Morgan, the Community Leader of Emmaus Sheffield, says: "We have definitely had an influx in referrals in the past twelve months. We always tell people they can stay for however long they want, and if someone's had a lifetime of abuse and failure and have found somewhere where they're comfortable, they don't want to move on. We have one resident who's been here for 14 years, it's good that he's comfortable but it blocks other people from using the service."
Located in a former cutlery factory on Cadman Street, Emmaus Sheffield pride themselves on giving those in need more than just a place to stay, but providing them with a purpose by giving them a job at their furniture store.
The centre opened in 2007 and has helped 300 people so far, with all residents who live in the Emmaus community referred to as companions.
The charity relies on donations of furniture and other items as well as the sale of handmade products created by companions to pay for formerly homeless people's home, food and weekly allowance.
Ms Morgan says: "We say to people you will have a home here but we need your help to run our charity. People receive lots of training and get qualifications, and when they are ready to live independently we help them find a job and carry on supporting them for the next six months.
"Many people who come here don't even have things like identification, so we help them find their identity and train them to work in our workshop to create things we can sell."
Emmaus Sheffield currently have the space to house 18 companions, but are looking to expand after an increase in requests for accommodation in line with the rising homelessness in the city.
As a result, the charity have applied for planning permission to build another four rooms on the Emmaus residence that will increase their capacity to 22. In order for charities like Emmaus to take on the financial burden of helping more people afflicted by homelessness, they rely on collaboration with local councils in the form of funding grants. The new government measures aim to alleviate these pressures for a select few organisations in their bid to help Sheffield's homeless.
Cllr Johnson said: "There are a number of people who sleep rough in the city centre despite accommodation being offered. This is because homelessness is a very complex issue with multiple causes, including an unsettled way of life, abuse, substance misuse and mental health problems."
The lack of government resources and the cost of living crisis has proved an obstacle to Emmaus in their ambition to get their companions living independently as soon as they are ready, with some residents being forced into returning by the increasingly steep private rent prices. However, Ms Morgan says that the door is always open for companions to come back and make use of the training that Emmaus Sheffield has to offer as a uniquely drug and alcohol free project.
"A lot of people when they are drug and alcohol free after a history of drug abuse want to help people in similar positions, so we offer health and social care courses and help train people to become youth workers.
"We have got a wonderful community here and some amazing individuals that work with us, and everyone respects one another."
Supporters group warns Sheffield Wednesday against signing alleged domestic abuser
A women's supporters group have issued a strong statement addressed to manager Danny Rohl amid speculation about the signing of Nico Schulz.
Schulz has recently been ordered to pay €150,000 to women’s charities after appearing in court concerning three counts of grievous bodily harm against a former partner.
The case was then dropped, and he was not convicted.
Sheffield Wednesday Women's Supporters Group warned: “Welcoming anyone accused of violence against a woman normalises and legitimises this behaviour.
“It crushes past, present and future victims of such violence and forces them into silence. Our pain, experiences and safety are disregarded. It tells women that we don't matter.”
The club have been linked with recruiting the 30-year-old defender after he was confirmed to be training with the club two weeks ago.
Schulz has been a free agent since he was released by Bundesliga side, Borussia Dortmund last year after he was charged with domestic abuse.
Sheffield Wednesday reporter, Joe Crann, admitted that a decision to bring him into the club could lead to a divide in the fanbase as the club looks to retain its Championship status.
He said: “I think that backlash is almost guaranteed, but I think on the flip side, you also have a lot of people backing the decision. And in response to the stories I've done on it, there’s very much a split opinion.
“I think with domestic abuse being as heinous as it is, it's a very emotive topic. And I can completely understand why people would be upset with the possibility of Wednesday signing someone who has been accused of the sort of thing that Nico Schulz has been accused of.”
Sheffield Wednesday manager, Rohl, has been quick to avoid mention of the charges aimed at Schulz and has only referred to what he may bring to his side if signed.
The fan group’s letter was addressed to Rohl and was signed off by saying, “Please remember that football is about more than results. It is our community. Please think carefully about who you welcome into our club and into our city.”
Mr Crann discussed the probability of Sheffield Wednesday making the move for the 12-time German international.
He said: “I do think that there is a real chance of it happening and then we'll just have to wait and see how things play out in the next couple of weeks.”
BREAKING: Arrest made in Burngreave stabbing
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested following a stabbing of another 17-year-old boy in Burngreave this morning.
The victim was taken to hospital with “serious, but not life-threatening or life-altering injuries”, South Yorkshire Police said.
Parts of Shirecliffe Road, between Longley Avenue West and Musgrave Road, which were cordoned off after 6am this morning, have now been reopened.
Festival of the outdoors will see urban landscape used as cycle path
Cycling community aims to reimagine Sheffield's urban architecture at the Festival of the Outdoors on 23 March 2024.
Adam Simmonite, event manager at Urban CycloCross, said: “This is a great, fun event, and the view from the top is amazing across the city. It represents everything that the festival of the outdoors is about.”
Urban CX started in 2017 with a race around Kelham Island and the Park Hill flats. Mr Simmonite's vision to reimage spaces by turning urban architecture into cycle racing venues and bringing together the cycling community.
Everyone is welcome to take part, from experienced racers to commuters. According to Urban CX, it is an action packed event with races for all levels.
Mr Simmonite said: “It would be good to get groups engaged that do not usually get involved in the outdoors. We want people to say 'oh, I am going to have a go at that'. It is changing and adapting every year and it is good to be part of that journey and progression.”
This year, there will be categories for Adult Male, Adult Female, Bromptoneers and Junior Riders. There will also be The Cargo Bike Challenge as teams of four race against the clock.
The entry fees will be split between two Sheffield charities, the Roundabout and Work Ltd.
Have a go or volunteer as a marshall.
Entries are open: https://www.riderhq.com/events/p/tbyf9ksh/enter2
Bluebells could bloom early after warmest February on record in England & Wales
Bluebells usually flower from late March to early May, one of the last spring woodland flowers to bloom after snowdrops, primroses, celandine and wood anemones, but this year’s mild winter and spring means they may well be early.
Provisional figures the Met Office show both England and Wales saw their warmest February on record, and the winter as a whole was the fifth warmest ever recorded for the UK.
Forestry England has produced a list of some of the best places to see bluebells in its woods this spring, with top spots ranging from Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest in Kent and Westonbirt, the National Arboretum in Gloucestershire, to the ancient woodlands of West Woods, Wiltshire, and Robin Wood, Derbyshire.
“Life costs a lot more when you’re disabled”: Man to run Sheffield half for Scope
After being inspired by his sister’s struggle with cerebral palsy, a man has decided to fundraise for Scope by running the Sheffield Half Marathon in April.
The charity works to challenge disability inequality by providing practical and emotional support for disabled people.
Pierce Roberts, 21, from Horsham, said: “I know there’s a lot of people who just aren’t as fortunate as my family are. A lot of people do need that support.
“Honestly it will be such a surreal feeling knowing that I’ve contributed towards helping loads of people who need it.”
His sister, Holly Roberts, 26, was born 12 weeks premature and her brain was not fully developed, she is now non-verbal and wheelchair bound.
Their family have had to make sacrifices to care for her with mum Leola Roberts, 50, leaving her job to become a full time carer.
Mr Roberts said: “We all get on lovely as a family, it’s never been a bad thing.
“Holly’s just always been my sister, she hasn’t been anything else but my sister.”
Mr Roberts said they also had to build an accessible ramp outside their house, but knows that not everybody would be able to afford to do this so wants to raise money to help people living with disabilities.
He has currently raised £280 of his £500 goal on GoFundMe.
Noa Jorge, Public Fundraising Coordinator at disability equality charity Scope, said: “We’re immensely grateful to Pierce for giving up his time to raise money for disabled people and their families.
“Life costs a lot more when you're disabled, so in the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, our work supporting disabled people is more important than ever.”
BREAKING: Supreme Court decides Trump can remain on ballot
A unanimous ruling by the United States Supreme Court has said former President Donald Trump can remain on state ballots ahead of the 2024 election.
Colorado had attempted to ban Trump's candidacy in its state but the Supreme Court accused the state of "overstepping its authority."
Mr Trump called the decision a "BIG WIN FOR AMERICA!!!", on Truth Social.
As the primaries continue to roll along, 16 states including Colorado will vote for party candidates on Super Tuesday.
Sheffield retains the title of “real ale capital” of the world
Despite the rising cost of living, a report commissioned by the University of Sheffield states that the city will retain the title of “real ale capital of the world."
The Sheffield Beer Week will be taking place this week from the 4 to 10 March in Sheffield. This event follows the Indie Beer Fest and is one of the 362 beer attractions happening throughout the year in Sheffield.
The city counts 58 breweries, which represents one brewery per 10,000 inhabitants - more than anywhere else in the country.
With 417 pubs, locals consume 70% of the beer produced in Sheffield.
Sam Bennett, owner of the Grizzly Grains, said: “Indie Beer Fest is a brilliant showcase of what Sheffield has to offer in terms of being a hospitality and drinks producer.”
Jules Gray, organiser of the Sheffield Beer Week, said: “This event is lots of people coming together to celebrate the wonderful city that we live in, it's something positive for the city, it supports the local economy and brings visitors that are not only “beer tourists."
Studies such as the YouGov survey found that 18 to 24-year-olds consume fewer alcoholic beverages than ever before.
But despite this, beer tourism in Sheffield remains a big part of the economy.
Lucca Leal, 20, said: “Sheffield is a beer city, especially since as students we can afford good beers for just a few pounds.”
“I’m essentially living and timed by three pills”: Leeds DJ talks living with an invisible illness
Niamh Ingram a DJ, who regularly appears at The Boiler Room and Wire in Leeds, as well as a weekend editor at the the world's biggest dance music and clubbing magazine, Mixmag, speaks out about what it's like to live with a long-term, chronic illness.
Niamh, 22, suffers from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and is also undergoing a diagnosis for ongoing neurological struggles which leave her feeling breathless, seeing black spots, and prone to collapsing. Both conditions, which affect her everyday life, leaves the Leeds-based creative juggling her medication in a bid to carry on working.
She says: “I take my latest medication three times a day - at 9am, 3pm, 9pm - but, it wears off after six to seven hours. A couple of weeks ago, I played a closing slot at Wire - by 3am my medication was wearing off. I have to shift my entire day to when I take my medication. It's so much more disruptive because I'm essentially living and timed by three pills. You’re kind of dictated by a little white pill.”
Alongside living with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Niamh is also battling against a yet to be diagnosed condition, which is believed to be a form of dysautonomia, a suspected post tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), that causes Niamh's heart rate to increase very quickly, during everyday activities, including getting up or lying down.
Niamh, who is self-employed, says: “Whether it’s DJ'ing or journalism, I don't want someone to think ‘we’re going to commission her for this but she might not be able to make her deadline because she might have a flare up’ even though I've never missed a deadline and I never will - that fear that they could find someone else is always there.”
Niamh, who is also the creator and host of the podcast Belta Media, which features interviews with some of the North's most famous DJ's, began suffering with her latest health issues after she contracted COVID in 2020. She became increasingly ill and began suffering from high blood pressure, a high heart rate, and breathlessness. “I would be having episodes, setting off all the monitors I was wearing and I wouldn’t know why,” she says.
Her GP prescribed medication, which helped for about 18 months, but in February 2023 she started experiencing mini episodes, where she’d be out of breath, feel woozy, and see black spots in her vision. “I'd sweat through layers and my clothes would be sticking to me. You know when it’s not right.”
In September 2023 the Leeds-based DJ suffered a particular frightening episode where she started feeling out of breath, projectile vomiting and finally collapsed. She was referred back to the cardiology unit in the North East but she didn't receive an appointment until the February this year at a cardio rhythm clinic, where she is now in the process of receiving a diagnosis. She says: “I was essentially told, in a very very patronising, condescending tone, that because I was 19 I’d grow out of it. When I asked ‘how should I deal with this?’ I was told ‘you’ll find out your own way’ and even though test results came back showing my heart rate going dangerously high, they said ‘if you look at it, it balances itself out and looks okay’ even though I was still having these episodes. I was very upset. It was quite an intense experience.
"To basically be told ‘you're too young to have anything wrong with you, you'll grow out of it’ is such a big thing and I know it's because there's such a big pressure on the NHS at the minute to decrease wait times but I do see people and their health concerns being overlooked. It really really knocked me. It's beyond frustrating and I think because we are young and we are women, the cards aren't exactly stacked in our favour."
Having neurological problems is challenging enough for sufferers but when those conditions aren't physically visible, Niamh believes it exasperates how someone feels. “It's very frustrating the amount of times someone has said ‘but you don’t look sick, you don't look poorly’ but I am. If I’m on a bus, I sit in a priority seat and people look and see that I’m a girl that dresses stereotypically feminine. I usually have a full face of makeup, big hoops, like you look at me, sat in that seat, and think, what’s she doing? It's a difficult one because I don't want to be looked at or defined by my medical condition - what some might call a disability."
Niamh has suffered from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a group of rare inherited conditions that affect connective tissue, her whole life, but was only diagnosed when she was 14. EDS has affected Niamh's everyday life. She suffers from joint dislocations, chronic pain and fatigue, and just going on an 'average' night out requires a plan and is 'significantly more exhausting' for her. She says: "It's a difficult one because I don't want to be looked at or defined by my medical condition. I don’t particularly want to know that I’ve developed this new neurological cardiac situation, but equally, I want people to be aware of it, because my body doesn't necessarily work in the same way as the standard person.”
Niamh is unsure how this latest condition will affect her in the long term, but her next steps are to trial a new medication and is awaiting a Tilt Table Test. She says: “Obviously it’s a lot, and I'm releasing this now, actually having spoken to people about it last week, it’s actually quite a big deal and I’ve always minimised it a lot. I’m at a place now where I have people around me who understand me. I feel confident in saying how I actually genuinely feel."
Info box
This can happen during everyday activities, as small as getting up or lying down. The condition can improve with lifestyle changes, but usually medication is needed. Symptoms of PoTS include dizziness, fainting, chest pain, shortness of breath, or shaking and sweating. Symptoms can worsen when feeling hot, eating, not drinking enough, exercise, or during your period.
Local charity exhibition shows real-life stories of Sheffield’s homeless
In an attempt to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, Sheffield City Council is one of many cities to be given grant for housing.
The funding will go towards delivering 800 homes to provide safe living for those in need, and will be used in areas that need the most help.
This is part of the £107m being offered to councils across the country to help create more accommodation for people sleeping rough.
Cllr Douglas Johnson, the chair of the Housing Committee said: “This extra £3 million will go to support three voluntary sector organisations to provide more accommodation for people whilst they are homeless.
“The three projects are Action Housing and Support, Target Housing and Young Women's Housing Project. These projects not only provide accommodation but also support to people to keep them out of homelessness for the long-term.”
According to data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, more than 4000 people applied to Sheffield City Council to be registered as homeless in 2022, which is the highest figure ever recorded for Sheffield.
Outside of the council’s plans, local charities are also helping to address the issue.
Sheffield Volunteering are holding the Wish You Were Here exhibition created by the Archer Project at The University of Sheffield’s Student Union this week.
The Archer Project is a charity that offers pathways away from street homelessness to a settled and secure life. It's exhibition features postcards written by those living on the streets, to raise awareness about homelessness in Sheffield.
Amy Coull, the volunteer administrator for Sheffield Volunteering said “some of those involved have died since the exhibition came out.”
The postcards include personal and sensitive messages to loved ones, detailing their tough living situations including living in stolen cars, parks, and under bridges.
Miss Coull said: "This exhibition shows the honest and brutal reality of homelessness."
Tom Harris' postcard said: “It's so scary and all I want is to be left alone. Using is the only time. It's ok cos when the drugs are in me everything's glowy.”
Danny's said: “Been looking at the bridge too. Thinking about jumping off it. Please let me see you and the kids soon!”
Alongside the exhibition Sheffield Volunteering has partnered with Helping Hand Sheffield to collect pairs of new and unused underwear to donate to the Archer Project, a charity which offers support for Sheffield homeless and vulnerable.
They are specifically asking for men and womens underwear in sizes small and medium.
Amy said: “It doesn't matter if they're plain black boxers or lacey pink briefs, pants are pants and we need all the pairs we can get.”
If you'd like to check out the exhibition, it's located in the University of Sheffield’s Student Union, Broomhall, S10 2TG. Donations for the pants drive can be given to the Sheffield SU volunteering Office, Western Bank.
George Galloway sworn in as MP
The Rochdale by-election winner has taken his seat in the House of Commons today after securing the first ever constituency for the Workers Party of Britain.
Mr Galloway won 39.7% of the vote, beating Independent candidate David Tully and Conservative candidate Paul Elison, to win his fourth seat for a third party.
The contest was dominated by the conflict in Gaza. Labour withdrew their support for Azhar Ali after a recording of him suggested at a meeting that Israel allowed the 7 October attack to go ahead, in order to "green light" an invasion of Gaza.
The by-election was called following the death of Labour MP Sir Tony Lloyd, who had held the seat since June 2017.