Health

Icy roads bring upsurge in complaints

Icy conditions have led to a spike in complaints about newly resurfaced pavements which are proving to be especially slippery due to the tarmac used. A Streets Ahead spokesperson told Sheffield Live! “Although a rough surface can sometimes be advantageous during periods of snow and ice, we do have to maintain footways in order to ensure that, at any point in the year, they do not provide a trip hazard and they are compliant with national standards. The surfaces we apply are smoother than the old surfaces but they are standard materials which are used extensively across the country.” Baillor Jalloh reports.

Exhibition challenges infant loss taboo

An exhibition exploring the taboo of silence around stillbirth, miscarriage and sudden infant death syndrome is on display at The Art House Sheffield. Remembering Baby is inspired by academic research and highlights the hidden side of infant loss. It features memory boxes, notes from bereaved parents to their children and artwork illustrating their loss. The exhibition uses visual and audio art to explore how both parents and medical staff experience and encounter death “at the very beginning of life”.

Campaigners dispute £500k cost to save memorial trees

Tree campaigners have dismissed Sheffield Council’s claim that it will cost around half a million pounds to save the war memorial trees on Western Road. A Council report has assessed the financial impact of retaining the Western Road trees and making surrounding road and pavements safe, funds which the Council says would require it to re-prioritise spending on core services such as adult social care. However campaigners say the price is grossly inflated. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!

Drumming up awareness of mental health

A mortgage advisor from Chesterfield has been playing a percussion marathon at Yellow Arch Studios to raise awareness of mental health issues. Martin Conlon aims to raise hundreds of pounds for the charity Mental Health UK. Conlon said he was doing it to honour the memory of his son who died, age 23, after suffering from mental health problems. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/musicathon1

Sheffield ranked second in city stress index

Sheffield has been ranked as the second most stressed out city in the UK, according to a new survey released by insurance group AXA. According to the report 86 per cent of people who live in Sheffield say they are stressed at least some of the time during a typical week, the second highest score in the UK behind Cardiff. The research which forms part of AXA’s Stress Index, is based on a survey of 4000 adults in the UK. The report also found seven per cent of Sheffield residents feel stressed constantly, 41 per cent say their personal finances are the main cause of their stress, 37 per cent are worried about their health and 36 per cent are concerned about the health of their friends and family. Sheffield Live! reporter Baillor Jalloh spoke to stress expert Eugene Farrel.

Charity call for mental health education in schools

Sheffield mental health charity Interchange is supporting proposals for mental health education to become part of the schools curriculum. Counsellor and education services manager at Interchange, Leah Booker, said education is needed in schools to increase awareness and understanding of mental health. She spoke to Sheffield Live! after a debate in Parliament to discuss whether mental health education should be a compulsory part of the curriculum. Over 100,000 signed a petition started by Adam Shaw of Sheffield supporting the idea. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!

 

Council signs up to charter for ethical homecare

Sheffield Council have signed up to UNISON’s Ethical Care Charter including commitments to care workers’ rights and an end to zero hours contracts. Under the charter, the local authority will work with Sheffield’s care providers to help them replace zero hours contracts with guaranteed hours and to reflect travel time between home care visits in care workers’ pay. The authority has also pledged to work with care providers to help them move towards paying the Living Wage Foundation’s recommended minimum £8.45 per hour to all of their employees. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!

Awareness week puts hate crime in the spotlight

An information stall on all forms of hate crime has been set up in the Moor Markets as part of National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2017. Hate crime reports have soared over the last eighteen months with peaks after the Brexit referendum and following terror attacks in London and Manchester. Reporting of disability hate crime has doubled in the last two years. Azz Mohammed spoke to Saskia Peat, coordinator of Sheffield Safe Spaces.

Sheffield drivers to face 20mph city centre speed limit

A new 20mph per hour speed limit is to be introduced in Sheffield’s city centre following a Council-led public consultation. The aim is to cut speed and accidents as well as reducing pollution. Sheffield Council are planning for the new speed limit to come in to effect by the end of the year. Sheffield Live! reporter Azz Mohammed spoke to Councillors Jack Scott and Moya O Rourke.