August 2005 Issue 53

Bitter disappointment followed the early closure of this year’s Abbeyfield Multicultural Festival following what police described as a ‘suspicious incident’. Green City Action (GCA) later confirmed it was a bomb scare, with more than one warning being received.

Burngreave Community Radio (BCR) failed to make it on air in June, after OFCOM turned down their application for a license.

The approval of the Masterplan in May was not the end of the journey, just the beginning. As promised, the Council are now setting up project groups which will be involved in putting the plans into action.

Last year the Small Grants project funded over a hundred local activities with grants of £500, £5,000 and £25,000. But the grant panel has only met once since March, endangering some groups’ ability to provide summer activities.

The Messenger shared everyone’s sadness at the premature end to the festival. Green City Action told us they hope to hold another event in the park in the near future.

A petition signed by nearly 3,000 local people opposing the proposed developments at Parkwood landfill site was presented to a meeting of Sheffield City Council on 6th July. The petitioners object to planning applications for a leachate treatment plant, an electricity generator which would burn gases produced by the decay of waste, and to the proposal to expand the dumping of active waste.

I am proud – like many other Burngreave residents – to have protested against the G8 meetings. The G8 countries are eight of the world’s richest and most powerful: USA, Germany, Japan, UK, France, Italy, Canada and Russia. They met in Scotland on 6th July to discuss world trade, climate change and their ‘war on terror’.

On Monday, 4th July, St Catherine’s Primary School started a week of Making Poverty History. We are trying to put pressure on the G8 leaders to make decisions that will change lives.

As we go to press the result of the New Deal elections is about to be announced, but its not been a smooth road to the ballot box.

After a lot of negotiations and frustrations Burngreave now has its own recycling point for glass – three recycling bring banks in Gower Street car park. There is also a paper bin for those who don’t have blue bins. If these facilities are well used and undamaged the site will hopefully be expanded to collect other recyclables.

Wednesday 27th July, St Peter’s Church, Lyons Street, 5.45pm for 6.00pm start.

Last issue we reported the sale of St Catherine’s Church Hall on page 7. We have been informed by the Church’s Council that the sale price was incorrect.

Drugs are a major issue in Burngreave, dealing and drug use are still the one thing people would most like to see improved. The recent launch of the Burngreave Drug Project’s (BDP) Complementary Therapies service adds to the outreach work they’re already doing and builds on surveys and community work done by Sheffield Black Drugs Service (SBDS), all supported by New Deal and the North Sheffield Primary Care Trust.

The early history of the Northern General Hospital is not always obvious to many people visiting the large modern complex today. However, if bricks could talk, some of the older hospital buildings, like the old clock tower, could tell a story or two about their origins as the Fir Vale Workhouse, a place that inspired fear and dread in the hearts of many.

Survey results comparing New Deal areas against the national average have shown New Deal seems to be having a positive effect. More people in New Deal areas think their area is improving than people in the UK as a whole. Most people have heard of New Deal and think it’s helping.

Come and see the well dressing displays made by local volunteers and children from Firshill Primary School. Also a guided walk in the cemetery, displays in the chapel and tea and scones for everyone!

Sports, news, summer, football

Summer events

Athletic Taster Sessions Learn to cycle Four day Swimming Crash Course

The third annual Burngreave mile run around the area.

Residents have been expressing their views of Burngreave in paint at the Ashram, Spital Hill, resulting in two wonderfully colourful, cheerful and lively murals.

Pitsmoor Adventure Playground has been redeveloped with Pitsmoor Adventure Playground has been redeveloped over the past few months with new structures over the past few months.

NonStop is a community arts organisation specialising in nurturing the creative talents of individuals and groups through training and support.

Firshill Junior and Infant school yearly summer fête.

unit on Holtwood Road had a very special Six of the guides, the young guide leader and the new leader all made their promises to be faithful Guides.

We are a small group of local people who like to go walking in the countryside.

Burngreave New Deal for Communities (BNDfC) staff took part in the ultimate challenge.

Who Gets What?

The Council never has quite as much money to spend as it needs to have. So it often has to decide how to target, prioritise, select where to spend (and consequentially where not to spend). Burngreave and Fir Vale areas are one of the few areas of the city where there has been, and still is, an active investment programme for private housing.

Readers of the Messenger share their views and have their say.

No Xcuse kicked up a storm during their mid-afternoon Abbeyfield set, delivering 40 minutes of quality live hip hop,

After two years of dereliction, the Messenger is delighted to report, that, during the festival, the newlyrefurbished bowling green was officially opened by Abbeyfield Bowler Winnie Bentley and Lord Mayor Roger Davison.