December 2008 Issue 79

On 18th October Fir Vale School hosted the Fir Vale Festival, which brought the whole community together. It drew out all the different talents we have in Fir Vale.

Coupe Road resident, John Duignan, presented over 60 signatures to Full Council in November, protesting about the poor maintenance of Burngreave Cemetry. As one of the first public cemetries, its 27 acres are home to many important habitats

Since the Northern General Hospital started charging its staff to park in September 2006, residents have complained about the parking chaos on their streets.

• Upcoming writing course

• Next issue's deadlines

In twelve months since the shooting of Jonathan Matondo on Nottingham Rec, there have been community meetings, council meetings, extra police patrols, and a gang strategy. And everyone agreed something should be done in the Park.

The Youth Council Burngreave would like more young people to take the opportunity to join this month. The main purpose of this group is to represent other youths in the area for positive change.

A year on from the death of Jonathan Matondo in October 2007, Burngreave resident Negus Nelson was acquitted of his murder after two trials. He was the only person to be charged, despite police claims that more than one person was responsible for the killing. Where does this leave the investigation?

Moshin Khan, who grew up in Burngreave, is one of Brendan Ingle's current prodigies and has been boxing since age 11 with the full support of his family.

News from Big Business

Beauty Beneath ladies hair salon, on Hinde House Lane in Fir Vale, opened at the end of October and is run by Afshan Islam. The salon is soon to expand with beauticians using the upstairs room, thereby giving women one environment for all their beauty requirements.

The Pakistan Advice and Community Association opened its new premises on Page Hall Road on 30th October. In a well attended ceremony, around 280 members of the local community met in the centre’s new community space.

Two youth council members from Burngreave went on a life-changing trip to Beijing in September. They joined a global conference of 100 disabled and able-bodied young people from 20 countries, plus 100 youngsters from China.

In September, Burngreave New Deal for Communities announced it would be cutting existing and planned projects. The programme was over-committed by £2.6million, meaning more spending was planned than covered by Government funding. On top of this the Government made an extra cut of over £880,000, resulting in a possible overspend of £3.4 million.

On the 20th January 2009, Barack Obama will be inaugurated as the first black president of the USA. Preparations are under way to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day in the light of this historic occasion.

“St. Catherine’s Catholic Primary School recently held a living library in our school hall, which was a great success. We had lots of visitors to the library to meet with our ‘living’ books.”

Walk good is a Jamaican phrase which simply means ‘have a good journey’. One of the most memorable journeys taken by Jamaicans over sixty years ago was that on the “Windrush” ship in 1948.

Tom Gould, celebrates his 90th birthday on the 16th December. Born in 1918 on Botham Street, off Grimesthorpe Road, Tom is one of the oldest residents on the Firshill estate.

On Sunday 12th October, a beautiful sunny morning, St Catherine’s Church re-opened after major refurbishments.

The new Watoto Pre- School centre was officially opened by the boxer Johnny Nelson.

On Friday 10th October the whole school gathered to watch a short role play by year 5 and year 6 pupils. The play demonstrated how Muslims celebrate Eid.

On Saturday 8th November 2008 on Nottingham Rec, people gathered to carry out improvements to their park, planting three new trees in the park

A new charity shop, Rainbow’s End Burngreave, is opening in Sorby House in the old Ladbrokes shop on Spital Hill. It will soon be a registered charity and is run by a group of local people.

Ellesmere Children’s Centre is the first community based childcare centre in Sheffield to achieve the Gold Standard for quality of service.

The area panel meeting of 9th October 2008, at St Catherine’s School on Roe Lane, was unusual in having a Lib-Dem councillor present: Councillor David Baker had come to present the plans for the new regime of community assemblies. It was not well received.

The Council’s 2005 masterplan for regenerating housing in Burngreave and Fir Vale included demolition and rebuilding of homes on Woodside, Ellesmere, Catherine St, Skinnerthorpe Road and Earl Marshal. There were also plans to demolish and rebuild shops in Fir Vale.

In a presentation for the Area Panel in November 2008, Tesco revealed that building on the Spital Hill store could start in October 2009, with the store open around the beginning of 2011.

Following the success of the Race for Life in June 2008, local walkers continued training and Activity Sheffield organised a walk at Wentworth Castle in Barnsley.

Parents have voted by over 2 to 1 in favour of Parkwood School becoming an Academy, but on a low turnout.

If you happened to be strolling through Burngreave Cemetery on Friday 10th of October, you may have stumbled across a very positive and eclectic group of people. ‘Creative Outpost’ is a multitalented group of volunteers who are motivated by the revival of Burngreave’s Chapel and Cemetery. They see it being used in diverse and electrifying ways.

The Sheffield Companions Club on Barnsley Road finally closed in October. The ground floor area has now opened as a wholesale and retail Halal Butchers.

When Kier Hodson dreamed up a “50 word saga” for a school competition, he never imagined it would end up in print!

Over 30 people came to the Vestry Hall on October 14th to participate in Transition Sheffield's 3×3 Film Festival

Sylvia Pennington is a woman with a mission, or to be more precise, several missions. She has lived in Burngreave since the 1940’s, worked and raised a family here, had more than her fair share of personal tragedy to face but has remained cheerful and committed to helping other people around her.

On Monday 10th November, members of the Kashmir Earthquake Relief fund were delighted to receive cheques for £12,150 from Councillor Jackie Drayton.

Sunday 26th October 2008 saw the Firvale Pumpkin of the Year Championship take place. The event, officiated by Barry Ashmoore and Kevin Cooper, took place at Wincobank allotments.

Wicked witches, ghouls and spooks gathered at the Carwood Community Room on Halloween.

Latest news from Green City Action including:

• Green Carwood

• Mission Accomplished

• Tool Bank opening hours

News from Burngreave New Deal for Communities including:

• Programme review

• Children's festive party

• New board member

• Legacy not History

• New rules on spend

• Small grants scheme

• Free office furniture and equipment

Latest news from the Area Co-ordinator for the Burngreave Area Panel, including:

• Councillors' Surgery Dates

• Details of the next Area Panel meeting

We may think that multicultural Burngreave is a fairly recent thing, but a collection of graves of Muslim people in Burngreave cemetery dating from 70 to 80 years ago shows how long Burngreave has been a mixed community.

The arrival in Britain of large numbers of Indian, Arab and Somali Muslims at the turn of the century was due to their role in the British merchant navy.

Readers' letters:

• Well Done Kyle

• A Day Trip to Cleethorpes – 1949

• The Pain of Losing a Child

• Road Improvement Suggestions

• A Knitting Request

Following road works on Nottingham Street and Pilgim Street, workers left behind their traffic diversion signs.

An invitation to a free Christmas dinner with friends.

BCAF Quarterly Forum Meeting, Saturday 6th December 2008.

An opportunity to join a friendly, informal women’s group, that will focus on the positive mental health benefits of singing together.

Burngreave Electric Challenge Gala, Saturday December 13th 2008.