August 2014 Issue 113

The Tour de France inspired a special two-day Abbeyfield Festival.

After many complaints from residents of Brunswick Road, Spital Lane and Verdon Street about drug dealing, drug taking and anti-social behaviour, Sheffield Council Housing and South Yorkshire Police organised a joint public meeting on 4th June.

Sheffield College have applied for planning permission to convert the old library and housing office on Spital Hill into classrooms for teaching further education courses.

In our first issue we reported on new plans to improve Spital Hill. Fifteen years later, we report on the opening of the new area around Spital Hill.

At last the new Ellesmere Green was formally opened on 22nd June.

The annual Firth Park Fun Day returned on Sunday 29th June and brought loads of fun activities.

Local members of the Normandy Veterans Association recently joined two parades at the war memorial in Barker's Pool to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy in June 1944.

The Adult Learners’ Week Awards, organised by Sheffield City Council's Lifelong Learning, Skills and Communities department,were held at the Town Hall on 19th June.

Patrick died on 16th June this year. he was born on 20th February 1938

Myra Davis, a founder member of Assist, sadly passed away on 25th May 2014.

Burngreave children and families have raised thousands of pounds for Burngreave Library in June and July, showing just how important the library is to local parents and children.

The annual Summer Fair at Parkwood Academy took place on Saturday 21st June. It was a brilliant sunny day and well over 1000 people turned out to support the event.

On the 1st July, toddlers, parents and staff from Owler Brook came together for a Barnardo’s ‘Big Toddle.’

tThe teams of local Pitsmoor and Burngreave-based football club, Earl Marshall Juniors, are training regularly as they prepare for the new season.

Burngreave residents Adam Hussain and Sonam Nawaz visited Poland to find out about volunteering in the region.

Khaliq Miller was chosen out of 24 children across Sheffield to be in the British diving squad.

Parents, volunteers and staff at Whiteways Primary School hosted a summer mela which took place on our very own school grounds on Wednesday 25th June 2014, raising a staggering £499.92

The Summer Fayre is one most exciting events of the year at Owler Brook Primary School.

Sheffield City's Council's new Community Wellbeing Programme, has groups and activities in Burngreave and Fir Vale that are empowering hundreds of local residents to help themselves and others and tackling ill health.

Women celebrated the end of the first year of the Feeling Good on Verdon Street Project in June.

Among the many important projects from the Community Wellbeing Programme (CWP), the Pain Support Group and Women’s exercise have been particularly successful.

On 16th June Byron Wood Primary School held its annual Family Fun Day. This is the first time I have helped to sell food at the Fun Day, I made pakoras for the families.

On 5th July while the Tour de France was breezing through Yorkshire, the Pitsmoor Adventure Playground was running its own time trials for the under fives.

Summer activities for families, young people and children in Burngreave.

George is concerned about his ability to still be able to play the piano in Edgar Lowman's latest installment of his George and Brian cartoon strip.

The Council has put up a number of anti-littering signs in Page Hall, warning people they could be fined £75 for dropping rubbish in the street.

Sheffield Council has begun to take action against landlords who have failed to complete their Selective Licensing applications in Page Hall.

On Wednesday 2nd July, St Cuthbert’s Church had an open day to exhibit their new facilities to the local community.

Plans for new housing on Earl Marshal Road is in the preplanning stage, so now is a good time to have your say on what you think the new development should be like.

Following funding cuts, volunteers from the BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) Network organised a public meeting at the Vestry Hall, in June, to discuss ongoing issues of inequality in Sheffield.

Since the Ski Village on Parkwood Springs closed, the site has been ravaged by vandalism, plundering, tipping and a succession of fires.

Internationally renowned and Fir Vale's very own Ahmad Hussain has announced the date for the release of his hugely anticipated follow-up album ‘My Beloved’.

Local musician – and sometime Messenger reporter – Rob Smith has launched a new EP, with the prospect of a full album later in the year.

On the 24th of June, media students and teachers at Longley Park Sixth Form College celebrated the success of their courses with a Hollywood style awards show.

A new book about Burngreave Cemetery and its history of mining links with the community was launched at the Vestry Hall on Saturday 21st June.

Burngreave BME Autism Support Group meets up once a week at Verdon Street to offer support and advice to parents of children with autism.

Travelling theatre company, Mikron, asked the Burngreave charities SAGE Greenfingers, Green City Action and Grimesthorpe Allotments Association if they would support a performance of their latest play.

For over 20 years, the Senior Citizens group have been meeting at Verdon Recreation Centre. Local resident, Delia Chadwick, keeps the friendly group for over-50s going every Wednesday and is hoping new members will join

The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) have recently got funding from The Health Lottery to improve health inequalities

The 100 Black Men Walk for Health Group celebrated its 10th anniversary on June 7th 2014 at Sheffield Hallam University

Another successful clean-up took place in Page Hall on 30th June.

The streets around Pye Bank School were spotless on Saturday 12th July, after a two-hour litter-pick by pupils, parents and staff.

The members of Burngreave Community Cemetery Chapel have used the theme of Embroidered Postcards to recognise the Centenary of the Great War, 1914 -1918, in an exhibition at the Cemetery.

A display of sweetheart postcards and other artwork associated with World War I

This year's annual well dressing in Burngreave Cemetery had a topical ‘Tour de France’ theme.

Guided walk featuring the War Memorials in Burngreave Cemetery

Islamic Relief, Children in Need, Hallamshire hospital, Haiti, Syria

I was wondering if you would do a short story on some honey bees the Council has killed. Bees are so very important to wildlife and already endangered. The Council chose to kill a whole colony that had landed on Stockton Close, even though local bee-keepers take them away for free.

Messenger volunteer and local resident, Douglas Johnson, recently won an award for his work with Sheffield Law Centre in Social Welfare law, one of 11 categories in the annual awards.

Get your computer fixed or upgraded for the cost of a donation to charity.

4th ‘blockbusting’ year of the Cheap Thrills Film Festival at Burngreave Cemetery Chapel on 20th September 2014.

Upcoming events at St Peter's Church.

Local councillors, Jackie Drayton, Ibrar Hussain and Talib Hussain share surgeries on a rota basis.

Our volunteers help support people to do gardening, cooking, art and craft activities and DIY tasks.

FREE early learning places for 2, 3 and 4 year olds.

Extra content and photos for the August 2014 issue of the Messenger.