The Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby National Championships were taking place at the English Institute of Sport this weekend. The game began in Canada in 1977, but has become more popular in recent years. 8 rolling substitutes make up squads of 12, with 4 players on court per team at any time. The aim is to get the ball across the opponents goal line.
Twenty seven years ago today Liverpool were playing Notts Forest in the FA cup semi final. By the time the final whisle should have been blown 82 people had lost their lives 790 were injuried 14 of whom would not make it back home alive. Today we joined with the people of Liverpool to remember the 96 who lost their lives, 776 who were physically injured and the countless who were affected by what has now become known as the Hillsborough disaster.
Thousands of steel worker jobs are at risk, as India’s Tata Steel plans to sell it’s UK business. The decision was announced at a board meeting in Mumbai last night. Tata’s Port Talbot steel plant, as well as sites in Corby, Shotton and here in South Yorkshire are believed to be affected. High energy costs and cheap imports from China have been blamed for the recent cuts in demand.
All schools in England are set to become academies by 2020, or have plans to do so by 2022. This was announced in George Osborne’s budget statement, as well as a longer school day and the possibility of Maths becoming compulsory until the age of 18. Over two thousand secondary and two thousand four hundred primary schools are already academies. The status was originally introduced for schools in urgent need of improvement. Since 2010, schools have been given extra funding to become academies. They are independent, state funded schools that receive funding from central government, rather than the local authority. They do not have to stick to the National Curriculum, but are overseen by academy trusts. The National Union of Teachers held demonstrations across the country to say ‘No to academies.’
The “Drew Review” has finally been released, which is a report, by Professor John Drew, former chief executive of the Youth Justice Board. The Review was commissioned by South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings and covers the period from 1997 to 2016. The findings show that South Yorkshire Police’s Handling of abuse is inadequate, however it also shows that a lot has improved.
South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, has received Home Office funding to allow South Yorkshire Police to continue to support the Greek authorities search for Ben Needham. Ben went missing on the Greek Island of Kos almost 25 years ago. His mum, Kerry Needham has always believed he’s still alive, and likely to be in Greece. Last year, police officers and Ben’s family visited Greece to take part in a TV appeal. Since then, the police have followed a number of new leads, and people have come forward with more information. Now, the four hundred and fifty thousand pounds will allow the work to continue until October 2016.
The Sheffield College is leading an international campaign to bridge the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The European project, ‘Mind the Gap’, launched today, is aimed at female students aged 16 to 18 and their teachers, to encourage more women to enter traditionally male dominated professions.
Nigerian women’s football international Ayisat Yusuf-Aromire attended the opening event of the Football United Racism Divides Female Football Festival today, at the U-Mix Centre in Sheffield. Ayisat, who is a board member with the Fare Network, the campaign to combat discrimination in football, helped at the free girl’s coaching session. She played for Nigeria in the Women’s World Cup and at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, has played in Scandinavia to play for Swedish and Finnish professional clubs.
The Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind support local people who are visually impaired. Members of a walking group run by the organisation visited Bishop’s House in Meersbrook Park. They were trailing audio transmitter equipment to allow them to explore the museum. Jane Peach from the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind told Kathryn Smiles more about the visit.
Over 300 people have been caught drug driving in South Yorkshire over the last year. The figures come as today marks one year since the law change, with additional legislation, making it easier for police officers to test and arrest someone if they are over the limit. Since the second of March 2015, it’s been an offence under Section five A RTA to drive whilst over the prescribed limit. Previously, it was only an offence under Section 4 of the Road Traffic Act. Kathryn Smiles had this report.