Thousands of gifts have been donated by people in South Yorkshire for Samaritan’s Operation Christmas Child. The charity tries to make sure many children living in poverty around the world get a present at Christmas. The public have dropped shoe boxes full of presents off at a number of locations, and now they are being sorted and packed. We sent our reporter, Kathryn Smiles, along to an industrial unit in Handsworth to find out more.
Barnsley face Sheffield United this weekend in a South Yorkshire derby and captain Alfie Mawson has been talking about the game, as has Chief Executive Ben Mansford.
Sheffield’s Olympic-standard aquatics venue has been chosen to stage Team GB’s Rio 2016 diving trials. Olympic places will be up for grabs when Ponds Forge International Sports Centre plays host to the 2016 British Diving Championships. Britain’s best divers, likely to include Tom Daley, Jack Laugher and Tonia Couch, will on show at Ponds Forge aiming to secure their place on the plane to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games. Sheffield Live spoke to Dominic Stokes from SIV about it…
Richard MacKay of Shiregreen suffered from depression for a number of years which left him severely overweight and scared of leaving the house, earlier this year he was referred to Concord Sports Centre where he weighed 24 stone and suffered from regular panic attacks. 6 months on and Richard has so far lost five stones and regained control over his mental health, Sheffield Live went to speak to him about his journey…
The #Ill_legalhighs campaign launched back in early October by Dr Alan Billings and supported by each of the five South Yorkshire football clubs has proved very successful on social media, reaching over 2.4 million Twitter accounts in its first week. Sheffield Live was at Barnsley football club as the campaign continues…
People from different faith organisations in Sheffield and members of the public were invited to take part in a Peace and Unity walk around the city centre. They were standing in solidarity to remember the one hundred and thirty people who lost their lives in Paris, and those who died in other recent attacks. They went from the Town Hall, towards Tudor Square then back round to the City Hall, stopping on the way for quiet moments of reflection.
Christmas celebrations have officially begun in Sheffield today. The main Christmas lights have been switched on in the Peace Gardens by John Birkhill who takes part in many events to raise money for cancer charity, Mac Millan. This comes after a social media campaign for him to push the plunger on the cities’ lights. Bands have been performing in the Peace Gardens throughout the day. People have been getting involved in the Christmas party, at ‘Christmas Light’s and The Moor.’ The event included rides, Santa, reindeer and a real life nativity.
Junior doctors and members of the public took part in a ‘Meet the Doctors’ event in Barkers Pool today. The grassroots movement says the Government’s proposals for a seven day NHS is not fair and not safe. This comes after plans for a new contract which would implement a seven day service of the NHS. Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt has already offered an eleven percent pay rise for junior doctors, and a number of concessions. As part of a national campaign, Junior Doctors were encouraging the public here in Sheffield to sign the petition, and have a photo taken to share on social media.
Hundreds of people took part in a rally in Sheffield today, to call on the Government to take action and save the British steel industry. The Trade Union Council, steel workers from across the country and their families marched from Tudor Square to the City Hall, where they heard from a number of speakers. Thousands of job cuts have already been announced in Scunthorpe, Teeside and Lanarkshire. The TUC fear more cuts will hit South Yorkshire.
People gathered in the Peace Gardens to mark World Prematurity Day. Around one in ten babies worldwide are born prematurely. Landmarks around the world have turned purple to raise awareness, remember those who have lost babies, and celebrate the children who have survived. Julie Bathie, a Senior sister of the Neo Natal unit at Jessops Wing, organised the event in the Peace Gardens.