Parkwood Springs and Doncaster areas to receive levelling up funding
The Government announced that Parkwood Springs, Mexborough and Moorends will receive funding from the Levelling Up Fund for regeneration plans.
Parkwood Springs is receiving £200,000 which will be used to redevelop the popular site and to clear the old ski village structures and debris.
The council will be working towards securing additional funding for the project, while an ecological assessment will also be carried out.
Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Executive Member for City Futures: Development, Culture and Regeneration at Sheffield City Council, said: “We recognise the vast potential that Parkwood has to offer in Sheffield, both as a major tourist attraction for the region and as a site that will be central to contributing towards improving the health, lifestyle and opportunities for local people.''
The report setting out these plans for Parkwood is due to be presented to the Council’s Co-operative Executive on 15 December.
The government also announced that Doncaster will receive £25m for projects in Moorends and Mexborough.
Mayor Ros Jones said: ‘‘Whilst I am pleased that the Government has seen the merits of our bid for Doncaster North, I am disappointed that our other bid for Edlington has not been given the same support. Levelling Up Funding should be targeted at areas that need it most and have a strong case for regeneration.’’
This will include the improvement of cycle provision and pedestrian crossing as well as the forecourt outside Doncaster railway station.
Mexborough First Cllr Sean Gibbons said: “This is fantastic news and means that Mexborough will now receive a further circa £15m to level up the town and deliver much needed regeneration & investment.’’
He added: “We will continue to work in partnership with Ros Jones, City of Doncaster Council senior officers and other partners to regenerate our principal town and create jobs and growth.”
Is it too early to put your Christmas tree up?
It is a common belief across the UK that Christmas just keeps on getting earlier.
Whether that be the cheerful John Lewis Christmas advert being released on November 9 this year, or the honey-rich tones of Michael Bublé appearing on November 4 on Asda's festive ad, it seems as if early November is the new start of the Christmas season.
At the heart of the fierce festive debate is the Christmas tree, a staple of any Christmas-celebrating living room since it first reached the UK back in the 1840s.
The question at the heart of this, and the one we posed to the Sheffield public is this: When should the Christmas Tree go up?
Is November too early?
According to a poll conducted by Sheffield Wire, 72% of people believe that it is currently too early to put up your tree.
However, according to Christmas Tree World, the ideal date to put up your tree is this Sunday, as for many Advent begins on the Sunday closest to the feast of St Andrew the Apostle, which took place on November 30 and lasts for four weeks.
For Keeley Dowse, who works at the Christmas Shop on Fargate, it is "never too early" to put the tree up.
She added: "We've found over the last couple of years that people want to buy Christmas decorations earlier to spread the cost."
The shop opens in October and shuts a few days after Christmas Day.
Other Sheffielders were not so keen to get in the spirit early. A former supermarket manager, said "Yes, I think it is. I don't believe in celebrating too early."
When asked when the right date was, he said: "Around the 20th, but we're old fashioned. When they start in September that's a bit too early!"
A local charity worker agreed: "Yes it's way too early. You can't be putting your Christmas tree up this early." He suggested December 10 as the ideal date to get the box of baubles and trinkets out and get decorating.
Research conducted by confused.com found that 47% of Brits put their Christmas decorations up between December 1 and December 10.
What's your take? Let us know in the comments.
“What can we do without a security guard?” – Supermarket employees struggle to cope with rise in retail crime
A surge in retail crime was reported by the police this week, with 11,400 incidents of shoplifting in the year to June. Retail employees have told Sheffield Wire that not enough is being done to protect them.
Sarah is an employee at a large supermarket chain operating in South Yorkshire. She told us that despite repeated incidents of shoplifting and violence, her shop was still operating without a security guard.
"On a nine-hour shift, we usually see between two and ten shoplifters. The worst come with concealed weapons and sweep hundreds of pounds worth of meat and wine, sometimes several times in one evening.
"What can we do without a security guard? We just have to let them walk out of the store."
Daniel, an employee at a different supermarket, told us that shoplifters have threatened him and his colleagues with violence on several occasions:
"It's especially bad when we don't have any security in the store. There have been incidents where culprits have threatened my colleagues with hypodermic needles."
Sarah doesn't feel that the solution is a simple one.
"The issue is bigger than the shoplifters themselves. Unless the root causes are properly addressed - austerity, poverty, and a decade of public service cuts - then I think we'll continue to have empty shelves."
Last month, police launched Operation Pegasus, a campaign to clamp down on retail crime. As part of the campaign, major retailers, including the Co-Op, Boots, Primark, and John Lewis, have agreed to share information on crime in their stores to aid police operations.
However, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Billings admitted in a blog post on Tuesday that more work than this was needed to tackle the problem:
"The missing link in all of this is how we stop members of the public becoming unwitting participants in these crimes by buying stolen goods. The gangs need a market and that market is us whenever we buy something in a pub or club without being curious as to where it came from or without caring about the retail staff who were intimidated and distressed along the way."
Shop, Stop, and Drop event encourages locals to donate
The New Hope Food Bank is holding a shop, stop, and drop event in Halfway this weekend.
The event is to encourage people in the local area of Halfway and Eckington to drop off any donations they can to help out the community. Items like food and Christmas presents are most in demand as the holiday season approaches.
However, with the ongoing cost of living crisis, demand for food from food banks has risen but donations have dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Hope Food Bank co-ordinator, Michelle Taurins, said: "The donations have significantly plummeted." Pre-pandemic, the food bank would have to empty donation bins twice a week. Now, they are lucky to fill even one.
Many essentials are having to be bought by the volunteers themselves in order to be able to fulfil their commitment to give out balanced food parcels.
Alongside the short term relief that is provided through food parcels, the New Hope Food Bank also gives out information packs directing people to where they can get advice on their money worries.
Mrs Taurins said: "We don't want to just be handing out food, we want to be helping people to get out of poverty."
The food bank's volunteers have been out in the local community today handing out shopping lists of the items that are most in demand.
Mrs Taurins explained her reasoning behind choosing to hold the event on Black Friday. She said: "Using Black Friday weekend, when people who can afford to spend in excess, [they] might just take a minute to think about those that actually can't and can't even get a meal on the table."
As Christmas is a time for joy, the New Hope Food Bank hopes that local residents can come together to help out those who are the most in need.
Mrs Taurins said: "We need to be a community and we need to be helping each other and if each person just gives in one tin, it all helps towards being able to facilitate the service that we do."
The food bank has been running since 2012 and has managed to provide more than 327,000 meals to local residents.
Donations can be dropped off at the Halfway Park and Ride between 9am and 3pm today and tomorrow.
Period Poverty charity’s plea for donations as times become tough approaching Christmas
Period Poverty charity, Irise, are pushing for donations from local businesses as the demand for period products are rapidly increasing in the run up to Christmas.
Irise is a Sheffield-based period poverty charity who work globally to ensure that everyone has access to period products and to bring together young people who are held back by their periods.
Calum Smith, Head of Operations from Irise, said: “It’s an expensive time of year anyway, and I think also you can now get free period products through most schools in the UK and when you’re out of school it is harder to access most of the time over the Christmas period.
"At the minute, we’re providing support for around 2,000 people a year in Sheffield, but we estimate about 5,500 people are affected by period poverty in Sheffield alone.
"So we want to be able to meet that whole need but we need more products to help with that.
"So one of the things that we are asking businesses to do is to host a donation drive that you might do for a food bank, but for period products and where it’s appropriate, or where people are interested, we are also asking for cash donations.
"That’s because we can access products at wholesale prices or discounted prices - so for the price you may buy a packet of pads in the supermarket, we can buy four packs.
"If it works for people to give money instead of products, we can get four times as much for the same price.”
Period poverty can be defined as restricted financial or physical access to sanitary products. OnePoll found that in a year, 137,700 children in the UK missed school because of period poverty.
There is also an issue of stigma surrounding periods. Action Aid found that 22% of women aged 18-24 in the UK feel embarrassed during their period - a statistic that rose from 8% in 2022.
Volunteer for Irise and University of Sheffield student, Emeli Hanson, 22, said: “I believe that no girl should suffer her period without adequate products, and, therefore, the stigma around the issue becomes increased."
As Christmas approaches, people have less money to spend, meaning the demand for period products from charities like Irise increase.
The award-winning charity is therefore working with local businesses to ensure that they can help as many people as possible.
Miss Hanson said: “I’ve been working on a project to connect Irise to local businesses in order to facilitate further product donations and monetary donations in the community, particularly at Christmas which is a time of increased demand.”
Irise has also teamed up with the University of Sheffield to organise campaigns and fundraisers, like raffles and bingo, to combat the issue of period poverty and the stigmas surrounding it.
Beth Dixon, Chair of the Friends of Irise Society at the university, said: "We fundraise for Irise International but we also try to do things at a university level as well, so changing the language people use about periods, try to overcome the stigma.
"[Period poverty is] a major issue, especially when money is even tighter, especially at winter anyway with heating bills, as well as buying Christmas presents, it's actually a big issue."
Foxhill Forum offer an “Essentials Pantry” in response to the cost-of-living crisis
Meet the Foxhill charity helping the local community afford essentials.
Miah Sanghera, 26 is part of a small team providing tinned food and toiletries to residents of Foxhill and Parson Cross.
The Essentials Pantry offers a variety of tinned items, as well as cereal, tea bags, long-life milk, and toiletries such as hand soap, deodorant, laundry detergent, and period products.
The new service has a steady group of users and has helped approximately 20 households and around 75 specific individuals so far.
The project was launched after the Forum noticed more people coming to their door asking for help amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Foxhill Forum describe themselves as "a charity organisation aiming to create a community where local people are involved and empowered to play an active role and make a difference."
As Project Coordinator, Ms Sanghera has previously worked on projects combatting holiday hunger, providing support to children on free school meals during the holiday period.
Ms Sanghera said: "Everyone’s feeling the pinch, whether they are employed or not.
"At the core of the forum, one of our main principles is to help local community," she said.
"We want to be able to help people where we can so that the money they have can go towards other, more expensive things like fresh produce."
Ms Sanghera said that they are not trying to be a foodbank. Instead, they provide people with the essentials to get them through to the next pay day.
The pantry is open to donations. Ms Sanghera said that the project’s aim is to be sustainable, and it will continue as long as it can.
The service is funded by Sheffield City Council community fund and Soar's Let's Build Health Grant.
According to Sheffield City Council, the grant giving team invests £2,985,372.53 annually into Sheffield’s voluntary sector.
To access the service, the only requirement is that you live in Parson Cross or Foxhill.
For more information about accessing the Essential Pantry, email miah.sanghera@foxhill-forum.co.uk or call 0114 231 5522/ 07817 658375.
Two troubled teams take each other on as Owls travel to Birmingham
Sheffield Wednesday travel to Birmingham City tomorrow, with both teams wounded yet determined to end their winless droughts.
To say it has been a disappointing start for the Owls is an understatement, having gleaned just one win in 16 league games since the season began and fans openly revolting against owner Dejphon Chansiri.
But manager Danny Röhl is hoping the international break has offered his side a chance to recuperate and recalibrate.
At yesterday’s press conference, he said: “I didn’t see it as a break - it was hard work for us.
“It’s a long way to go, we know this, and now it’s about getting closer to the line and starting to take points.”
The hiatus has allowed Wednesday’s squad to be given a clean bill of health, with all injured players now back in training.
It has also provided time to appoint a new goalkeeping coach, Salvatore ‘Sal’ Bibbo, whose impressive track record includes five years developing Arsenal’s shot-stoppers Petr Cech, Bernd Leno and Emi Martinez.
Speaking to swfc.co.uk, Bibbo said: “I’m ready for the challenge ahead, I can see the energy here and I want to be part of a real positive future for the football club.”
It will be tough for the good news to placate fans, however, who remain seething with the behaviour of club owner Chansiri.
The son of a Thai tuna tycoon, Chansiri’s actions have begun a civil war within the club, leading him to publish a lengthy tirade attacking fans and demanding they now fund Wednesday themselves.
In response, the 1867 Group of Owls fans launched a petition demanding Chansiri sell the club, which reached 2000 signatures earlier this week.
The 1867 Group posted: “Under [Chansiri’s] tenure, we have witnessed a series of poor decisions, mismanagement and controversies, which have brought us to the brink of financial ruin. We are staring relegation in the face yet again.”
Birmingham City are facing their own turmoil, with Wayne Rooney yet to bag a win after he controversially took over as manager six weeks ago.
Since his appointment, the Blues have dropped from 5th in the Championship table to 18th.
The two troubled teams will both be desperate to take the three points to strengthen their hand and give their restless fans a reason to cheer.
Kick-off is at 3pm tomorrow at St Andrew’s Stadium.
Frustrated residents call Fargate a “nightmare” after road blockages for multimillion-pound revamp
Shop owners and visitors have expressed frustrations after Fargate roads were cordoned off for construction.
Shop owners on Fargate claim business has been bad after the pedestrianised streets were blocked off for several months due to the ongoing redevelopment.
Visitors also said that the blockages have made it difficult to commute down Fargate, stating that the narrow makeshift pathways have caused jams.
"Fargate is a nightmare at the moment with all the construction," tweeted a Sheffield resident.
A representative at a High Street shop said that sales have plummeted because the scaffolding outside the store almost completely blocks off accessibility and makes commuting difficult for wheelchair users.
Ali, the manager of an electronics store added: “Sales have gone down almost 70%. Before we would receive around 70 to 80 customers a day but now it has gone down to 20.”
Another shop raised concerns about vans parking on the pavements and obstructing the entrances, and another owner complained of dirty shop floors from people tracking mud and dirt in from the construction outside.
A holiday shop on Fargate, which opens annually for the holidays, has seen sales dwindle compared to previous years, with a saleswoman stating: “Due to the barricades, people think that the roads are closed.”
Abdul, a salesman, said that the barricades get shifted around often and the side with fewer barricades receives more footfall - unfairly affecting shops on the opposite side of the road.
He added: “There is a bump on the road outside our shop that has been worked on three times. I’ve seen many old ladies, people with prams, and wheelchair users trip over it.”
Meanwhile, visitors expressed fears over colliding with delivery drivers going and down the narrow walkways.
Ian, a shopper, said: “Now that the roads are narrower, it has become more dangerous. I’ve witnessed several near accidents.”
Construction began in April after Sheffield City Council announced a £15.8m plan, spearheaded by Sisk, to revitalise Fargate, which was once a premium street. The plans feature fresh landscaping, green planting, outdoor seating and lighting.
Mum’s fury after ‘vulnerable’ autistic son is attacked with machete by teenage gang
An 18-year-old man with autism has been attacked by a gang of teenagers armed with a machete and knives in a Sheffield underpass.
His distraught mother has claimed that this type of gang attack is commonplace in the area and that police aren't doing enough to respond.
Speaking to Sheffield Wire, his mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, said her son is very vulnerable and has been bullied since secondary school for his race and learning disabilities.
She said her son was approached by seven boys, four with knives, who were originally coming to attack his friend. The group of boys circled and attacked her son after his friend ran away.
She said: "He put his hands out in self-defence and was cut on three or four fingers of his right hand. The nerves in his fingers were also cut.
"He was left very upset and was asking me 'why is it always me mum?'"
She added her vulnerable son, who has ADHD and autism, was “really struggling” since the attack.
The incident took place in Tinsley last Monday, and the victim's mother said there were gangs in the area who were “always bullying and always intimidating.”
She went on to criticise the police, which she claimed took an hour to arrive and were waiting on an ambulance which didn't appear.
She said the police ended up taking her son to A&E but have since failed to make any progress in the case.
“I am a very good citizen, but in return I don’t get help from the services I should get," she said.
South Yorkshire Police said that just after 5pm on Monday 13 November, a man was attacked with a machete on the canal towpath near to Tinsley tram stop.
The victim sustained minor injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.
An investigation is currently ongoing, and officers are reviewing CCTV from the area.
South Yorkshire Police said: “The investigation officer has spoken directly with the victim’s mum and continues to provide regular updates on the investigation.”
If you have any information about the incident, or were in the area at the time, please contact South Yorkshire Police by using their online reporting tool or calling 101. Please quote incident number 715 of 13 November.
Call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit Crimestoppers-uk.org.
Sheffield Covid Memorial wins Keith Hayman award for public art
The Sheffield Covid Memorial and the mural on Pond Street have both been awarded the 2023 Keith Hayman Award, which celebrates public art in the city.
The award ceremony - which is organised by the Sheffield Civic Trust - took place on Tuesday at 5.30pm at Site Gallery, and gave out two awards: one for a mural and one for a sculpture.
The annual award was created in memory of Keith Hayman, a founder member of Sheffield Civic Trust, who died in 2013.
George King from George King Architects, who designed the Covid Memorial and attended the ceremony, said that winning the award was "a really lovely surprise."
He added: "I think it’s a wonderful award because it's chosen by the city itself, including the people who interact with the sculpture everyday."
The stainless steel structure, which was constructed by a local manufacturer, takes the form of a willow tree, creating a sheltered space for people to gather and reflect on their experiences of the pandemic or leave flowers for lost loved ones.
The tube-shaped branches of the tree join together to form the trunk, which symbolises how individuals come together to form a strong community that can withstand difficult times.
Each branch has long fabric ribbons attached to it, which are embroidered with different messages of peoples’ experiences during the pandemic, tributes to loved ones, and messages of thanks to the NHS and key workers.
The design was chosen by Sheffield City Council after winning a competition last December.
“We just felt really honoured that the city would trust us to do something really important," Mr King said.
The sculpture was installed in Balm Green Gardens this March, in time for the three year anniversary of the first Coronavirus lockdown.
The winning mural, which was designed and painted by local artist Megan Russell (also known as Peachzz) is located on Pond Street, opposite the Bus Station.
It was commissioned by Sheffield Hallam University, and incorporates symbols of peace with flowers, bees and the Yorkshire rose.
(Pond Street Mural, designed by Peachzz. Source: Sheffield Wire)
Peachzz has painted many walls across Sheffield and further afield, including the temporary mural of a Parrot on London road, which was created as part of an initiative to support local businesses.
Keith Hayman was a town planner, environmentalist and keen artist, who helped found the Sheffield Civic Trust after working for the council.
The award was created in his memory to celebrate outstanding contributions to public art in the city.
"It's a lovely thing that the city has this award," Mr King said.
"Public art is so important for exposing people to culture in a democratic way."
Although Mr King does not have any upcoming projects based in Sheffield, he said that he would love to do more in the city in the future.
Appeal to communities for help mapping Sheffield’s neighbourhoods
A new project seeking to create a citizen-led picture of Sheffield’s neighbourhoods is looking for people to help map the city.
Sheffield based organisation Citizen Network Research and NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board have teamed up to create an interactive map which allows people to chart their communities and produce a defined picture of the city’s boundaries.
Local mapping expert Tom French - one of the founders of the project - believes the benefits will be wide-reaching.
He said: “Council wards have been one way of mapping areas and collecting data to inform service delivery, but when people don’t identify with that area they may not engage with the services they need. In theory if you create more definitive boundaries they can get better services.”
In particular there is a focus on improving healthcare services in the city’s neighbourhoods, as better defined boundaries will enable more meaningful healthcare to be delivered to communities.
Mr French said: “We need to ask how people can deliver healthcare with neighbourhoods to improve their lives, so by creating this map everyone can have goals to contribute to neighbourhood models of healthcare.”
As the NHS looks for better ways to deliver healthcare to people in Sheffield, focus has shifted to social prescribing, a form of healthcare that places greater emphasis on community based remedies.
Social prescribing is a means of enabling health professionals to refer people to a range of local, non-clinical services, which often include volunteering, sports, or arts activities. This form of holistic treatment can take pressure off the NHS and encourage community-driven solutions to improve the health of its residents.
An NHS study of social prescribing in Rotherham over a two year period between 2012-2014 found that 83% of patients experienced a positive change in their lives, while also providing a significant benefit to the NHS as inpatient admissions reduced by 21%.
By creating a fully accurate map of Sheffield’s neighbourhoods and their boundaries, it is hoped that greater citizen-led action can flourish, enabling better healthcare, community spirit, and connectivity.
Going forward, Citizen Network will be hosting in-person mapping events for those who may not have internet access or be fully computer literate, but if you would like to help build the map now you can visit https://citizen-network.org/news/mapping-sheffields-neighbourhoods.
Reclaim the Night returns to Rotherham for its ninth year
A protest to end violence against women took to the streets of Rotherham last night, with residents calling for better education and improved lighting to help them feel safe.
The Reclaim the Night campaign is all about empowering women and allowing them to reclaim spaces in which they feel unsafe.
This year’s theme of the march was ‘A Safe Night Out’. The Office for National Statistics 2022 found four out of five women felt unsafe walking in a park or an open space after dark on their own.
Jo Davidson, 62, from Rotherham, said: "I don't feel safe in the day either. I don't think it makes a difference. I think that's something that men don't understand and never really have to think about.
I walk the dog in the local wood and I'm constantly stopping, looking, listening because you feel that you have to be aware and I don't think men, even your husband, even your son, understands how that feels.
I pick a big stick up in the woods and just walk along with a stick just in case."
The movement originally started as part of the Women's Liberation Movement in Leeds in 1977, as a response to the 'Yorkshire Ripper' murders, where the police encouraged women to stay away from dark public spaces.
Danielle, 33, said: "I don't really go out much, but when I do, I don't really feel that safe.
We need to teach young people just to respect women when they're out at night."
Residents of Rotherham believe that, for women to start feeling safe at night, as well as more education, there needs to be improved lighting.
Mrs Davidson said: "We just walked around the town centre and there were bits of it that were okay, but there was a lot of it that wasn't very well lit and obviously there's a cost impact on councils to have to do that.
At the end of the day it's about people, it's about people looking out for each other."
Safer Rotherham found the highest crime types were sexual assault on females aged 13 and over and that 86.3% of victims of rape and sexual offences were female.
Angela, 66, from Rotherham, said: "Even with a man with me, I still don't feel safe."
I don't think anything will ever make a difference because we are the more vulnerable sex."
Elizabeth, 26, from Rotherham shared the extremities that women have to go to to protect themselves at night.
The trainee police officer said: "You start doing things where you brush up against things so if anything happens to you then your scent, if a sent dog, will be there. Or you always have your phone on you or your location on."
Sharon Kemp, Chief Executive of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council shared some words. Source: Holly Phillips
The march started at The Ministry Pavilion and ended with inspirational speakers, including Karen from in2change, a Sheffield-based charity focusing on intervention and crime prevention, who shared her personal experience of spiking.
Counsellor Rukhsana Haleem for East Rotherham also shared her own experience of feeling unsafe when walking in the streets. She said: "The thought came across my mind that why am I changing my routine? Why, in today's day and age when there's so much safety out there, why is it me that has to change?"
Police Officers were on hand to ensure everyone had a safe night. Source: Holly Phillips
South Yorkshire Police recently launched the 'Do More' campaign, which encouraged people to call out their friends' inappropriate behaviour and look out for women on nights out. This comes after the launch of the 'No More' campaign, which focuses on microaggressions and acts of violence that women face daily.
DCI Aneela Khalil-Khan from South Yorkshire Police said: "At South Yorkshire Police... we are trying to put a stop to this, we are trying to overcome this and we're trying to understand the traumas that the young ladies and the women have had in the past and trying to make that right."