Sports writer Anthony Clavane, author of ‘A Yorkshire Tragedy: The Rise and Fall of a Sporting Powerhouse’ was in conversation at the Off the Shelf Literary Festival. Barnsley poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan interviewed Anthony Clavane earlier this week in a special festival session reflecting on the region’s sporting performance over the last twenty years. Sheffield Live! reporter Simon Thake spoke with the two writers.
The High Sheriff’s Charity Concert is be held at the Cathedral Church of St Marie in support of local charity Sheffield Young Carers. The independent charity was established in 1997 and provides vital support to some of the city’s most vulnerable young carers. Sheffield Live! report Azz Mohammed spoke to the High Sheriff of South Yorkshire, Dr Julie Macdonald.
A post office in Darnall run by Darnall Forum could close after the charity’s budget was cut by Sheffield City Council. Six years ago Darnall Forum took the lead in re-opening Darnall’s only post office after it had been closed for eight months. Now, faced with budget cuts, the community forum can no longer afford to run the business and is calling for local and community investors to help save the post office and take it into community ownership. Sheffield Live reporter Azz Mohammed spoke to Neil Bishop of Darnall Forum.
Children’s Hospital Charity. Perhaps the most extraordinary story was that of the elephant ‘A Sheffield Summer’. Designed by Jane Norburn an administrator at High Storrs School the school rallied around and raised over two thousand pounds in a bid to keep their elephant at the school. On the auction night however the school was quickly outbid and the elephant snapped up for a whopping £6,200. Just when all seemed lost, the winning bidders called to say they we were so moved they wished to donate the elephant to the school. Sheffield Live! report Simon Thake spoke to Jane Norburn.
Stuart Crossthwaite, general secretary of the South Yorkshire Migration, Asylum and Action Group has warned of chaos from closing the ‘Jungle’ migrant camp in Calais. More than a thousand police and officials in France have been engaged in clearing the camp which has housed at least 7,000 people. The UK has now begun to accept some of the estimated 1300 unaccompanied children from the camp. The first group without family ties to the UK has arrived in Britain under the “Dubs amendment” rules, which grant refuge to the most vulnerable.
Councillor Jayne Dunn, cabinet member for housing on Sheffield City Council, is asking the government to give local authorities more money to help refugees. Her plea comes after more than a hundred refugee children arrived in the UK last week from the Calais camp known as the “Jungle.” On Wednesday, French authorities in Calais announced completion of the operation to move thousands of migrants out of the camp. The announcement came as parts of the Jungle continued to burn after fires were set overnight and in the morning. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
The first of the new Parklife grassroots football hubs in England has been unveiled at Graves Park in Sheffield. The Parklife program is a new initiative to develop sustainable community football hubs across the country, raising playing standards and opportunities for all. The hubs are funded by a partnership between the Football Association, the Premier League and Department of Culture, Media and Sport through Sport England together with local authorities and other local partners. Martin Glenn, chief executive of the FA was at Graves Park for the launch. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Learn for Life, a community hub based on London Road, has been shortlisted in the Aviva Community Fund competition. The competition offers the chance for local community projects to gain additional funding, with the winner decided by members of the public voting online for their favourite community project. Learn for Life provide training, advice and support for vulnerable members of the community.
As part of Sheffield’s Off the Shelf Festival of Words, Girl Gang collective and promoter Sheffield Girl collaborated for a music-themed weekend. The event included discussion about women’s contribution to the Sheffield music scene and a participative display to generate a timeline of the history of women in Sheffield music. Shamaan Freeman-Powell reports for Sheffield Live!
Sheffield United Manager Chris Wilder is relishing the opportunity of a competitive Yorkshire derby this weekend as the Blades take on Bradford City. The game has added spice as both teams sit near the top of League One with Bradford in second place and the Blades in fourth. Former Sheffield United assistant manager Stuart McCall is also now boss at Bradford and Chris Wilder talked up both sides at this week’s press conference.