Sheffield Live! 93.2 FM will today join forces with London based community radio station Resonance to celebrate Sheffield music. Kafka Chic will be aired at 15:30 today on Sheffield Live! 93.2 fm. Kafka Chic is a radio- docu drama which explores Sheffield’s Musical history. As part of the Sensoria festival Sheffield Live! will play out Kafka Chic at the the same time as Resonance. Contributors include Philip Oakey (Human League) , Martyn Ware (Heaven 17) and Steven Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire). Kafka Chic was produced and written by Michael Somerset Ward and Dean Homer.
Paul Scriven former Leader of Sheffield City Council was today granted the title Lord Scriven of Hunters Bar in the City of Sheffield. He made the announcement at a gathering of Liberal Democrats from the Asian community last night here is Sheffield. He was joined by the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who reminded him what his job would be in the house of Lords.
Sangita Basudev and Jonny Harold report for Sheffield Live! TV
Gas safety week was launched today at The Moor Markets in Sheffield. The Road Show promotes gas and appliance safety awareness to the people of Sheffield.
Gas Safety Week is a national event which highlights the importance of checking gas appliances and making sure that people are safe in their homes.
Russell Kramer, CEO of Gas Safe Register, talks about why holding events like this are important.
Sheffield’s Liberian community walked through town this weekend to raise awareness of Ebola. Akai Bazzie, who is the Senior Pastor of Christ Abiding Ministry for UK said they were marching for three things. To raise awareness of the disease itself, to raise funds for people who are affected and to ask for donations of materials such as gloves and hand sanitisers . The Ebola virus has killed about 1,000 people altogether in West Africa over the last few weeks. The Liberian people have been the worst hit by the outbreak so far.
Sangita Basudev filmed the events for Sheffield Live.
Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat MP for Sheffield Hallam, has offered support in a bid to secure a new college in South Yorkshire.
The College would offer apprenticeships to young people and give them skills to help build the planned HS2 high speed rail line. The line would connect London Euston station to the Midlands, North West England and Yorkshire, almost halving commute times from Sheffield to London. The bid, from Doncaster, has been short-listed by the government as one of four possible locations for the HS2 college alongside Derby, Birmingham and Manchester.
If Doncaster bid was successful, the college would be equipped with cutting-edge technology and state of the art facilities. It would also provide training courses for the specific requirements of the rail project, which is expected to generate more than 2,000 apprenticeships.
As a Sheffield MP, Nick Clegg has written to the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills to outline his support for the bid. In his letter, Nick Clegg MP states that the region – in particular Doncaster – is the “spiritual home of British railways” with the Flying Scotsman, Sir Nigel Gresley and The Mallard all being built there in 1923, 1937 and 1938 respectively.
The high speed service would have trains running from London St Pancras twice a day with a commute time of 1 hour 09 minutes.
A fire service campaign which intends to make people aware of the danger of electrical chargers has won European backing.
The campaign was started up by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue following a house fire in which five members of the same family sadly lost their lives.
It is thought that the fire was probably caused by a faulty charger.
Linda McAvan, MEP for Yorkshire and Humber, is backing the campaign to help stop fires, such as the one in Netheredge, from happening again.
“We are doing all that we can to reduce fires in the home at a European level. MEPS have legislated to standardise chargers for mobile devices to both reduce environmental waste and to save you money.”
The legislation was voted on by MEPS in March this year and was approved by ministers in April.
South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s Station Manager Darren Perrott, said:“Most people probably have several electrical chargers lying around at home at any given time, but all we’re asking for is a little bit of common sense when charging them.” Mr Perrot continued “What we’re particularly concerned about is unbranded chargers which can be bought cheaply over the internet. You should only buy chargers which are compatible with the device you are charging, and never leave things charging overnight.”
As Sheffield prepares to welcome the world’s largest sporting event into the City, organisers have advised spectators to plan ahead in order to get the most out of their day.
Hundreds of thousands of cycling enthusiasts are expected to descend on the City next week for the Tour de France which has gained a worldwide appeal since its formation in 1903.
Spectators will have the opportunity to savour the full race experience on 6th July at special designated Spectator Hubs along the route, with each hub equipped with a live coverage screen, refreshments, entertainment and facilities. Admission to the hubs is free as organisers set to make this the most inclusive Tour to date.
Councillor Isobel Bowler, the City Council Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Leisure said: “we aim to provide a safe, enjoyable and well-managed experience for all spectators when the Tour arrives in Sheffield. The spectator hubs will be set up along the course as well as in the city centre and we have worked with local community groups to ensure as many people as possible are involved”
Two official hubs will be in place at Don Valley Grass Bowl and Oughtibridge, alongside 4 additional hubs at High Bradfield, Abbeyfield Park, Wincobank Common, and Meadowhall.
Activities on offer at the hubs include free entry to the first ever Bradfield Beer Festival at High Bradfield. The Greentop Circus performances at Abbeyfield Park. Drumming workshops from group Unbeatable Energy at Wincobank Common and a Fan Fest at Meadowhall.
Full details of the Tour route, road closures and other important information can be found at www.welcometosheffield.co.uk/tdf2014, while the interactive map at www.letouryorkshire.com/travel can be utilised to help spectators further plan their day. Further guidance can be found on Twitter @TdFYorksTravel
Great strides have been made in Sheffield to cut crime over the last 12 months, according to South Yorkshire Police District Commander Chief Superintendent David Hartley and highlighted in a recent BBC Two documentary.
The documentary “Police Under Pressure” – depicted the challenges being faced by South Yorkshire Police staff as they aim to reduce burglaries and vehicle crimes in the city amidst a number of budgeting cuts to the Force.
Since the programme was filmed in Autumn 2013, officers have managed to successfully drive both of these crimes down to a level where there were almost 3,000 fewer crimes reported at the end of 2013 compared to 2012, across all offences.
Chief Superintendent Hartley said: “There is not a shred of complacency from me or my colleagues at Sheffield when we look at some of the reductions achieved – we still have more to do”.
Commenting on the importance of public protection, Hartley continued: “Our job as the police is to stop as many people as possible from having to suffer the upset and trauma of being the victim of crime, and we do that by tackling those who prey on others. We may use targets and statistics, but this is all about striving to keep people safe”
Ongoing work to tackle burglaries in Sheffield includes “Operation Kingbird” which has seen covert cameras set up in “trap houses” to attempt to catch criminals in the act. This operation, running in partnership with Sheffield City Council, has been deployed to tackle burglaries in areas of Sheffield with above-average crime rates.
Mr Hartley concluded: “work such as operation Kingbird show that we constantly strive to find the best way to bring crime down”
GP surgery’s in Sheffield have said that they may have to close if funding cuts continue to be phased in over the next few years.
Cuts to the Minimum Income Practice Guarantee (MPIG) pose a real threat to the survival of up to five surgery’s in Sheffield.
Sheffield could see up to 13,000 patients being directly affected because of the withdrawal of MPIG funding.
The additional funding supports GP surgeries which serve populations with more complex and demanding health needs. The Government began withdrawing MPIG funding in April 2014 and plans to phase it out totally over the next seven years.
NHS England says 100 GP surgeries across the country are threatened by closure as a result, whilst the British Medical Association has warned that the number of surgeries seriously affected will be far higher.
Some practices under threat could lose more than £100 per patient per year, while others will lose £20 or £30 per patient.
Devonshire Green Medical Centre and the Hanover Medical Centre are two of the affected surgery’s in Sheffield. MPIG funding cuts could be in the region of £140,000 between them.
Staff are concerned that they may have to close. Dr Graham Pettinger, who works at both practices said: “At the moment, NHS England have a poor understanding in my view on the impact this is going to have on practices and the patients in Sheffield and across the country on a whole.” Dr. Pettinger continues “This is an extremely serious threat to our survival – if we are unable to find replacement money then the practice may have to close its door to the patients and the community.”
Paul Blomfield, MP for Sheffield Central, challenged Health Minister’s on this issue. He said: “Local GPs have expressed serious concerns to me about the consequences of this vital funding being withdrawn. The Health Minister’s answer to my question was shockingly complacent. He’s putting patients at risk and I’ll now be seeking a meeting with Ministers to press this issue further.”
Mr Blomfield added “Our local GP surgeries are the first port of call for most people who are unwell or have health difficulties. No-one wants to see service cutbacks having to be made which is why I’m raising this issue now before the situation gets critical. The Government should be talking to GP surgeries now and rethinking this decision.”
A spokesperson for the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw area team of NHS England, said: “We are committed to making sure patients have access to high quality GP services. The minimum practice income guarantee (MPIG) payment is being phased out to make funding for GP services more fair for everyone.” They continued “This is a national plan. Future funding for GP services will be based on the numbers of patients that a GP practice serves and the health needs of those patients. These changes started in April this year and will happen over a seven year period.”
Dr Graham Pettinger speaks to Sheffield Live! George Torr
With just under a month remaining until the Tour de France proudly rattles through Yorkshire, academics from the University of Sheffield have created an innovative website designed to offer a fresh perspective on the world’s most prestigious cycling event.
This will be the first time the Tour has come to Yorkshire and the University of Sheffield are eager to celebrate it. Their new interactive website – Deconstructing the Tour – gives an academic viewpoint of the Tour de France. It drawing on the event’s diverse history and evolution through video clips, sound files and blog posts.
Perhaps owing his career to the Tour, the first set of videos on the site comes from Emeritus Professor of French David Walker. A cycling enthusiast from a young age, Walker became interested in the Tour and began learning the vocabulary of the event, alongside taking a serious interest in France’s language and culture.
Noting the importance of the event in France, Professor Walker said “The Tour de France is significant as a cultural event in France and dates back before the invention of modern bikes. “ Walker continues, “It can initially be traced back to young apprentice artisans travelling around France to work with skilled masters in their field to learn their craft. This was a process known as the ‘Tour De France”.
Running between Saturday 5 July and Sunday 27 July 2014, the 101st Tour de France will cover 3,656 kilometres split into 21 stages, with the 2nd stage culminating at Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena on July 6th after a 201 kilometre flat race from York.
The Deconstructing the Tour website will be regularly updated with new content between now and the start of the race, and can be found at www.deconstructingthetour.group.shef.ac.uk/
