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Paralympics rowing champion, Grace Clough, honoured as ‘Sheffield Legend’

Rio gold medal winner Grace Clough is the 20th person to receive a Sheffield Legends star on the Walk of Fame pavement outside the Town Hall. Grace, age 25, is a former High Storrs pupil and won Paralympic gold in the mixed coxed fours rowing competition. Born with a condition called Erb’s Palsy, where nerves in the shoulder are damaged during birth, Grace only took up rowing in 2013 after attending an event to promote disability sport at the English Institute of Sport. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!

Creative arts charity CADS acquires new workspace

Sheffield charity CADS, has taken over a former foundry, Eagle Works in Attercliffe, to provide low cost space for creative arts projects. The building was home to a steelworks firm which went in to administration. Now CADS is seeking to bring the building back to life. Sheffield Live! reporter Azz Mohammed spoke to Kieren Ancliffe.

Sheffield Badminton star speaks out over Olympic funding cut

Sheffield badminton and Team GB athlete Chloe Birch has spoken out against UK Sport’s decision to cut funding for badminton leading up to Tokyo 2020. Funding has been cut despite Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge winning bronze to secure Britain’s first men’s doubles medal at Rio this year. Badminton had its funding cut from £7.4m to £5.9m after London 2012, after no players managed the minimum fourth-to-eighth-placed finish that had been targeted. Yet despite the surprise success of Ellis and Langridge, the sport will not get a slice of the £345m of national lottery and government funding which UK Sport has announced will be invested over the next four years. Badminton England are appealing the decision and have started a petition on their website which has over ten thousand signatures. Our reporter Simon Thake spoke with Chloe Birch and Badminton Sheffield Chairman Alan Barber at the English Institute for Sport.

Sheffield Eagles reveal challenges of Don Valley closure

Sheffield Eagles have spoken of their struggle to secure a stadium for professional rugby league in Sheffield following the demolition of the Don Valley Stadium. It is hoped the new community stadium at the Olympic Legacy Park in Don Valley will open in spring 2017. In the meantime, lacking a temporary location in Sheffield the Eagles have been playing their home matches in Wakefield. Sheffield Live! reporter Azz Mohammed spoke to head coach and acting chief executive Mark Aston.

Sheffield tree campaigners protest outside Town Hall

Two hundred people gathered outside Sheffield Town Hall to protest against the Council’s tree felling programme before a Council debate on the issue. Members of Sheffield Tree Action Group and Save Our Roadside Trees addressed protesters ahead of the full council meeting which debated a Green Party tabled motion of ‘no confidence’. Sheffield Live! reporter Sham Powell spoke with former Green Party leader Natalie Bennett.

 

Second FA football hub opens at Thorncliffe Park

A new football hub has been opened at Thorncliffe Park following the launch last month at Graves Park of the first of a network of grassroots football hubs. The Parklife programme is a new initiative to develop sustainable community football hubs across the country, raising playing standards and opportunities for all. It is funded by The Football Association, the Premier League and Department of Culture Media and Sport through Sport England and works in partnerships with local authorities and the Football Foundation. Sheffield Live! reporter Bailor Jalloh spoke to Councillor Mary Lea, cabinet response for culture, sport and leisure at Sheffield City Council.

Figure skating championships return to Sheffield

Britains brightest ice skating talents have returned to iceSheffield for the week long British Figure Skating Championships 2016. Starting with novice skaters and moving on to older professionals towards the end of the week, the event runs until 4th December. Sheffield Live! reporter Azz Mohammed spoke with Alistair Wilson, technical director at the National Ice Skating Association of Great Britain, and novice skater Ava Mclean, competing at the event for the first time.