The Women of the World Festival is returning to Rotherham on 10 June for its second year running, with a packed programme of events. Organisers hope this year’s festival will be more extraordinary, captivating audiences with workshops, talks, performances, film screenings and pop-ups. The aim of the event is to celebrate women, girls, and non-binary people at a safe place. Sheffield Live! reporter Baillor Jalloh spoke to Noor Salih, community producer for Women of the World.
Pensioner, charity marathon runner and former boxer Ray Matthews of Rotherham has shared his memories in new book “Path to Success”. The publication narrates his early life and introduction to boxing as a means to combat bullying and goes on to tell his account of aspirations to complete multiple challenges. Among these, Matthews famously running seventy-five marathons in seventy-five days on his seventy-fifth birthday to raise £75,000 for charity. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
A plaque commemorating Rotherham’s first female councillor and suffrage pioneer, Mary Maclagen, has been unveiled at Rotherham Town Hall to mark the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
The £10.5 million University Centre Rotherham has opened its doors to students offering degrees and higher education qualifications accredited by Hull University and Sheffield Hallam University. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
The National Crime Agency has said that Operation Stovewood, the investigation into historic child sexual abuse in Rotherham, has now identified 1,510 victims of which 85 per cent are female. The investigation also reported that 110 suspects have been identified. At a briefing event, senior investigating officer Paul Williamson said his team of 144 officers were working on 34 investigations and engaging with over 260 survivors. Azz Mohammed reports for Sheffield Live!
Sheffield University have signed a £50 million deal to bring luxury sports car manufacturer McLaren to a production site near the University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Rotherham. The company will build a new chassis factory in South Yorkshire creating more than 200 jobs. Construction will begin this year, with full production of the advanced carbon fibre chassis expected by 2020. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue have warned the general public about the risk of fire from E-cigarette chargers after investigations into a house fire in Rotherham. Firefighters were called to the blaze in a house on Roebuck Chase. An E-cigarette charger, found in the lounge, is thought to have been the cause of the fire. Nobody was hurt. Sheffield Live! reporter Simon Thake spoke to Spencer Rowland of South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.
Ray Matthews of Rotherham, aged 75, has been honoured with the British Citizens Award for his exceptional contribution to the community after a series of fundraising marathons. Matthews began the challenge in July last year to run 75 marathons in 75 days, and to raise £75,000 to pay for a soft playground and specialist equipment for Newman School, a special needs school in Rotherham. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
The Building Bridges project of Rotherham United Community Sports Trust is set to benefit from Safer Rotherham Partnership support, to bring together young people from different faiths and backgrounds. The funding is part of the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s assistance to promote safer communities. Using film and arts, the project will give insight into what it is like to be growing up in Rotherham in 2016, including issues of vulnerability, racism, pride and self-identity. Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, was at Wingfield Academy to hear and speak to young children about community cohesion. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Eight men who sexually abused three teenage girls in Rotherham between 1999 and 2003 have been sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court for a total of 96 years. The men were convicted of a total of sixteen charges after a month-long trial. The judge said their victims had been “targeted, sexualised and subjected to degrading and violent acts”. One victim said she and her family had been forced to move to escape the abuse. Sageer Hussain, said to be the ringleader, was described by Judge Sarah Wright as having run a “campaign of violent rape” against a vulnerable 13-year-old. After the verdict DCI Martin Tate spoke to the press. Simon Thake reports for Sheffield Live!