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.
Sheffield College Students Union elected its new officers for 2016/17 with more candidates standing than ever before. The Union, which was relaunched in 2012, confirmed the election of eleven officers whose roles include student support and representation on the College’s governing body. Sheffield Live! reporter Azz Mohammed spoke to Amy Smith, new president of Sheffield College Students Union.
Deputy Council leader Leigh Bramall defended plans to turn Sheffield’s central library into a five star hotel in an interview with Sheffield Live! The deal was signed with Chinese construction firm Guodong UK Ltd in July to build the city’s first five star hotel, as part of £220 million pounds investment pledged over three years. A new modern central library is to be built elsewhere in the city centre. The council estimate up to £30 million pounds would be needed to bring the library up to modern day standards. Simon Thake reports for Sheffield Live!
Handmade Cinema was awarded Most Innovative Organisation at the Voluntary Action Sheffield Make a Difference Awards for transforming the way young people watch films. The community cinema, founded in 2012, engages with it’s audience by creating a real life feel around the chosen film, allowing children and parents to take part in craft, film-making and other activities based on the film’s theme and ideas. Sheffield Live! reporter Azz Mohammed spoke to Ellie Ragdale, creative director at Handmade Cinema.
Sheffield Carol Day, an event to celebrate local Sheffield carols was held in the Winter Gardens on Saturday to mark the countdown to Christmas. The event organised by local folk collective, Soundpost, included local groups performing their favourite carols and encouraged to join the singing and celebration. Sheffield Live! reporter Shamaan Freeman-Powell spoke to local singer, Gina Walter, about the history of Sheffield carols and caroling.
Hundreds of people gathered on Rustlings Road on Saturday for a rally to protest against felling of trees lining Sheffield streets. The event follows the removal of eight trees on Rustlings Road in the early hours of 17 November, where three people were arrested. The council say the trees are damaging pavements which would cost £50,000 to repair, but an independent report found no “arboricultural reason” to remove all but one of the eight trees. The event was organised by the Sheffield Tree Action Group. A council spokesperson said “”We would like to offer an apology to the people of Sheffield who were affected by the way in which we took the trees down on Thursday of last week. We are sorry for the disruption and distress caused by the work starting at 5am”. Shamaan Freeman-Powell reports for Sheffield Live!
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service held an open day event at their Eyre Street station today to raise awareness of their work and to raise funds for charity. There wash a car wash for charity donations, an exhibition of old fire service vehicles from the National Emergency Services Museum, and a demonstration on road collision safety. Shamaan Freeman-Powell reports for Sheffield Live!
Sheffield City Council confirmed this week that the Central Library could be replaced with a five-star hotel as part of a Chinese investment deal. The Council signed the deal with Chinese construction firm Guodong UK Ltd in July, with £220m pledged over the next three years. If plans go ahead, it would be the city’s first five-star hotel and the library would move elsewhere in the city centre while Graves A about the proposals.
International Day for the elimination of violence against women, also known as White Ribbon Day, marks the beginning of an annual 16 day international campaign against violence against women. This year South Yorkshire Police are supporting White Ribbon Day with officers and an independent sexual violence advisor available in the police mobile hub in Sheffield City Centre to provide support services and answer questions from the public. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Sheffield’s public health unit is getting behind the national HIV Awareness Week to raise awareness of the disease and the benefits of getting tested. The week long campaign which runs up to 1st December, World AIDS Day will highlight the impact of HIV on people’s lives and promote access to the screening tests available. Sheffield Live! reporter Simon Thake spoke to Greg Fell, director of public health at Sheffield City Council.