Polling stations across Sheffield opened on Thursday for the local elections with the requirement, for the first time, that voters show photo identification before being allowed to vote. Elections are taking place for Council seats in many parts of England with Sheffield having 29 of the 84 council seats up for grabs. Sheffield Live! reporter Baillor Jalloh spoke to some of those voting to get their views on the introduction of the voter identification at polling stations.
As part of Deaf Awareness Week, the RNID charity, which supports people with hearing difficulties, is calling for more support for people who are deaf or have hearing loss. The campaign aims to increase public awareness in the workp;ace and daily lfe about the nature of deafness and the communities, cultures, languages, and sign languages of deaf people. Sheffield Live! reporter Bailor Jalloh spoke to Teri Devine, director for inclusion at RNID.
Pupils and parents faced another day of disruption this week as teachers in England went on strike again over their ongoing pay dispute with government. Members of the National Education Union (NEU) in England were out of their classrooms on Tuesday for the fifth day of national strike action this year. On previous strike days, dozens of schools in South Yorkshire were either fully or partially closed. Sheffield Live! reporter Baillor Jalloh spoke to Toby Malinson, joint branch secretary for the NEU Sheffield branch.
A report by MPs on the Women and Equalities Committee has called on the government to speed up the process to tackle what it described as “appalling” higher death rates in childbirth for black women and those from deprived areas. Hora Soltani, professor of maternal and infant health at Sheffield Hallam University said the report is timely and it is important the disparities are addressed. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Junior doctors across South Yorkshire joined others from across England in a four day walkout over pay and conditions. The British Medical Association (BMA) is calling for junior doctors to be given a 35 per cent pay rise to make up for years of below-inflation increases. However, the government has argued the union’s pay demands are unaffordable. Sheffield Live! reporter Baillor Jalloh spoke to BMA representative Peter Jackson.
Sheffield charity Element Society has completed a successful crowdfunding to teach cost-of-living kitchen skills and provide ingredients for 1800 meal parcels. The project, started during lockdown, was originally funded to give young people the kitchen skills to cook from scratch, so they were able to help support their families with healthier food options. Sheffield Live! reporter Baillor Jalloh spoke to Element Society project advisor Shaun Davies.
A Burngreave-based business owner has called on the local authority and Yorkshire Water to investigate the cause of a burst water main in Spital Hill which he says is affecting his business. Yousif Karda, owner of Sudan Tech on Spital Hill, told Sheffield Live! burst water pipes in the area were becoming frequent, with road closures affecting footfall for local businesses. Baillor Jalloh reports.
A new play area and public space, Pounds’s Park, has opened on the site of the former fire station between Rockingham Street and Carver Street. Named after the city’s first chief fire officer, Superintendent John Charles Pound, the park includes two pyramid towers, slides, a climbing boulder and other play equipment. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
The annual Sheffield Ceramic Festival returned to the city at the weekend with more than 50 ceramic artists, potters and sculptors exhibiting their work at Kelham Island Museum. The festival is into its eighth year and most of the profits are set to be donated to charities including De Paul, an organisation which works with homeless young people. The two day festival attracted hundreds of people from across the city. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
A long-awaited Islamic centre and mosque in Burngreave has formally opened its doors to the public, having been under construction for over a decade. The Sheffield Grand Mosque, on Grimesthorpe Rd, is set to be a landmark of Islamic architecture and design. It boasts four halls that cater for community activities, Islamic study, sports such as gymnastics, football and karate training, as well as prayer halls for both men and women. Sheffield live! reporter Baillor Jalloh spoke to volunteers and worshippers at the mosque.