February 2010 Issue 86

Gallery of snow pictures in Burngreave.

As local people have seen, there was a fierce house fire on Pitsmoor Road on 5th January. All members of the family managed to get out of the house, although one man had to jump from a first floor window.

The Council has received £2.1m from the government to build 19 new houses at Ellesmere, on the site of the demolished old people's home.

This month sees the Messenger expand to another part of the Burngreave ward to cover the Wensley Estate, adding over 500 homes to the Messenger’s distribution.

Byron Wood School celebrated their £35000 revamp with a visit from the Lord Mayor in December. Parents cooked a feast to celebrate the opening of the new facilities.

After 15 years as headteacher at Firth Park Community Arts College, Mo Laycock has decided to take early retirement in July 2010.

The Every Child A Talker (ECAT) project aims to strengthen early language development in children to age 5 and to increase the involvement of parents in helping to develop children's language in the home. It is part of a national programme

The M22 bus, which runs from Firth Park to Sheffield covering many side streets and estates in the area, is changing from Friday 29 January. Sheffield Community Transport will take over from Powells and run two services on different routes.

Order now in time for Christmas! The weeks of snow and ice left many residents wishing they had a grit bin near their house.

Sheffield Law Centre is holding its 25th AGM at Sorby House on 25th February 2010

After three years of delays, Carwood's Community Centre finally opened its doors again for residents to use.

Three years after the Norther General started charging staff for parking, residents are furious little has been done to address parking problems in the area.

Local resident and writer Rob Smith travels to Africa to find his roots.

Right at the top of Wincobank Hill is the site of an Iron Age hill fort that dates back thousands of years. Nowdays you can just make out the rim around the top of the hill where the walls would have stood.

Wensley TARA is there to support residents and to make Wensley a good place to live.

After twenty years of serving the community, Doug and June Clarke have stepped down as volunteer co-ordinators of Christ Church Pitsmoor's Lunch Club.

Dr Hopwood retired from Burngreave Surgery in November after more than 30 as a GP. We met up to discuss his working life serving the Burngreave community and his plans for retirement.

Cold, damp and mouldy – not the kind of conditions most people would choose to live in, but that’s exactly how Jane Ferrigan describes the house she shares with her 12 year-old daughter.

Advocacy Now is due to close at the end of January. The centre, originally funded by Burngreave New Deal for Communities, has been in operation since 2004.

Young Somali people gathered at Sorby House on 9th January 2010 for a day of activities that truly inspired them.

Young people gathered at Burngreave Vestry Hall on 23rd January for an information event about health and opportunities.

With the help of Activity Sheffield, sports team Burngreave Tigers have been impressing Sheffield with their skills, winning matches in a whole range of sports and also securing a top city wide award.

On December 3rd, representatives of the Friends of Devon Gardens, John Chapman, Phil Jakob, Nigel Orrell and Gaynor Carr, were delighted to receive a Highly Commended Award at the Sheffield First Environment Community Awards 2009 presented by the Lord Mayor at the Town Hall.

On the 13th December, the Yemeni Community Association (YCA) hosted an amazing Eid celebration at Firvale School.

If you like playing football, Wensley will be the place to be on Tuesday nights. From January 26th Activity Sheffield’s inflatable pitch will be on the field near Wensley Close every week.

On 20th January, the local Police faced a formidable force – Saalik youth football and Activity Sheffield’s five-a-side teams – at Fir Vale Sports centre.

Staff and pupils from Byron Wood Primary School organised yet another fantastic performance of the nativity.

The big slide is back at Pitsmoor Adventure Playground. The children are delighted.

The turnout was fantastic for the Whiteways Primary School Winter Mela on 15th December. The school opened its doors to over 200 parents, carers and the community.

A British asian firefighter from Sheffield is backing a major new drive by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) to recruit more female and black and minority ethnic (BME) firefighters.

Local residents and Hallam undergraduates Derrick Okrah and Farhan Ahmed are looking for other students and faith leaders to take part in a new multi-faith student society, SAMEEM.

Fir Vale’s Iqra Promotions attracted a large audience to see Napoleon – former rapper with the Outlawz and 2pac Shakur – in December. He now travels the world as a motivational speaker.

Take a walk on the Abbeyfield Park Tree Tales Trail and you will actually meet the answers and so much more – because every tree has a tale to tell.

The Community Forestry Team and volunteers working on the Parkwood Springs Forest Garden were delighted to find a thank you poem posted at the site in December.

Burngreave resident and published poet, David Norris-Kay, has recently published his latest anthology, ‘From Time-Buried Years’.

Children from Burngreave took part in a poetry slam at Burngreave library on December 7th.

News from the North East Community Assembly. Contact 0114 203 7562.

News from Burngreave New Deal for Communities

Grimesthorpe Road, which starts on Gower Street, at the side of the Vestry Hall, ends just over a mile away at what once was Grimesthorpe Village, now just another suburb of Sheffield.

Anne Gilbert (nee Gray) was born in March 1914 (the first of five children), just a few months before the start of the “Great War” (later to become known as the First World War). Five of her uncles fought in that war; three of them returned from it, but two (Ben and Ebb) were killed, at the age of 21.

Burngreave’s latest cafe venture comes with years of catering experience and takes the term “meals on wheels” to new heights!

Burngreave resident Arwa Havard has started a new business that could benefit many local people. She is running relaxation classes for groups and therapeutic massage for women.

Point Blank is a community organisation which delivers a wide range of arts-based activities with individuals and communities facing disadvantage.

Fir Vale School is looking for organised and reliable individuals to act as invigilators initially for the 2010 exam season.

• Grade 3 £15,039 – £16,830 pro rata

• Closing Date: 22nd February 2010

SADACCA Study Support offers a unique resource to children and parents throughout the city.

For elderly and disabled African Caribbean people.

Every Tuesday morning at St Peter’s, Lyons Close, S4 7EP

For young people year 6 upwards at the Vestry Hall. Professional Tutor!

Tuesday 9th March 2010 – A day of celebration full of fun activities and workshops.

A Sheffield Theatres Production. Thursday 11th – Saturday 27th March. Based on interviews with dozens of women this new play lifts the veil on a world of custom and tradition.

Saturday 27th February

Additional content not found in the printed edition.