February 2014 Issue 110

Fir Vale School is proposing a change to their admissions procedure from September 2015 to pursue a policy of “fair banding” and has issued a consultation document.

From 27th January, the Hail-and- Ride M20 bus route was altered to run via Spital Hill, depriving Verdon Street of any buses at all.

Businesses from Nursery St, the Wicker and Don Valley have voted to pay higher business rates so flood defences can go ahead.

Burngreave Housing Office will be moving to Sorby House ahead of schedule at the end of February.

Editorial: The Messenger is put together with the help of volunteers. We also have several groups to join.

Local residents joined hundreds of protesters outside Sheffield Town Hall on Wednesday 8th January in an attempt to save libraries from closure.

The controversial landlord licensing scheme for Fir Vale was approved by Councillors at a Cabinet Meeting in January.

Work has been planned to start in March to resurface the roads and pavements and to upgrade street lights in Wincobank and surrounding areas.

The construction of Fir Vale Primary School is well under way at Skinnerthorpe Road, with the building's steel frame now in place and with the remaining elements on target for completion by September.

Government plans to ban khat have caused concern in Burngreave after Theresa May, the Home Secretary, announced plans to categorise it as a Class C drug.

Perched on the hillside overlooking the Wicker arches, Spital Hill Works was once home to a collection of Victorian manufacturers working in steel and silver. Now, after years lying almost completely empty and exposed to vandalism and fire, the crumbling remains of one of Spital Hill's most neglected buildings could be about to receive some much needed attention.

Spital Hill businesses will receive investment to refurbish their shopfronts and regenerate the area.

The recent wet weather has led to a number of postponed football matches so local team Earl Marshall Under 11s are having to wait for their perfect ten wins in a row

Zeeshan Maughal and Aseel Lahsoon were crowned champions in the Senior Novice Championship, hosted by the Amateur Boxing Association. The championship took place in Cranwell in Lincolnshire on 7th December 2013 and 50 senior amateur boxers competed with each other.

Legendary Burngreave body builder, Lloyd Stewart, has brought home the trophies again, winning two world titles in 2013.

The Verdon Street Pilsung Taekwondo club has been a Burngreave fixture since the 80s, helping many youngsters learn self-confidence, and getting some onto the British national team.

Chronic pain is often defined as persistent pain lasting in a certain area for more than 6 months and remaining for years.

For ladies who would like to lose weight.

This is a chance to learn new cookery skills, socialise and gain new skills to self manage your condition.

For men and women working in Sheffield

Christ Church, Pitsmoor’s Thursday lunch club, serves nearly 40 meals to older residents.

The current club has been meeting since 2000 and serves a home cooked lunch to about 20 local people aged 50 plus. It is self-supporting never receiving any grants

There are limited places on the Club's own transport for people with walking difficulties.

The Dementia Welcome Cafe is a cafe set up to help people with dementia to have a better quality of life.

Fir Vale based group, Adira, worked with the Church Of God Of Prophecy to donate gifts to Haven House women’s refuge this Christmas.

Saturday 14th December, was the first Christmas Bazaar at Christ Church Pitsmoor in many years.

On Christmas Day, Burngreave Ashram volunteers provided a Free Meal

Many Karen families from Burma (also known as Myanmar) are now living in Burngreave. They celebrated their New Year at Forge Valley School early in January.

On 15th December families from Christ Church, St Peter's and the local area held a Christingle service,

Burngreave Tenants and Residents Association organised a Christmas Fayre in the Vestry Hall in December.

On 18th December over 30 women from the Feeling Good Project at Verdon Recreation Centre, gathered to celebrate the festive season.

Two weeks before Christmas Asha and Chloe had an idea. They wanted to do something wonderful all by themselves, but how would they do it?

Edgar Lowman's George and Brian cartoon, guest-starring George's mum…

Children at Byron Wood Primary School are taking part in an innovative new programme which gets them out of class and experiencing their natural surroundings.

Since the autumn halfterm, mums from Firs Hill Primary School have been meeting to learn sewing skills in order to tell their stories in fabric.

Year 4 children from Firs Hill School went down to London on 11th December, accompanied by Mr Foster, to take part in the 5th annual London Chess Classic. Classic

the winter fun festival at the Ripple on Firth Park Road.

Paul Hopkinson, Pye Bank head teacher reitres

Fir vale School raised £4000 in one evening for an orphange in Gahan

Parkwood Academy opened a new community fitness suite at the school in January.

The WEA Level 1 class is organising a fundraising day for a school project in Kenya and you are invited!

craft storytelling,singing games and food at St Peter's Church

Mental health campaigners Maat Probe Group continue to fight hard to have Respect (de-escalation rather than restraint) used nationally. In August last year they went to Whitehall to talk to Health Trusts from around the country and in October they took part in an IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission) event to review work around deaths in custody.

On Saturday 7th December a group of constituents, including people from Burngreave, visited our MP David Blunkett in his Firth Park surgery.

Sheffield Law Centre has moved from its office on Joiner St near the Wicker after 20 years.

Burngreave’s Creative Writing Group have been busy with their thoughts and their pens. They meet every two weeks to discuss writing, sometimes their own and sometimes published authors.

The Grand Départ (the opening stage ofthe Tour de France) will come through Burngreave this summer. Stage One will be from Leeds to Harrogate. Stage Two will be from York to Sheffield on Sunday 6th July.

Hamilton College at Forum House ran into difficulties in January with the suspension of courses and staff redundancies.

On 29th November over thirty local residents helped to clean up the streets as part of a voluntary litter pick.

The scaffolding around Abbeyfield Park House will soon be removed with the repairs to the roof scheduled to be completed by early February.

At the last meeting of the Burngreave Ward on the 27th November 2013:

A memorial service for Jean Clack was held at Christ Church Pitsmoor on 20th December 2013, attended by a congregation of family and friends.

Alan Billam who spent much of his life in Grimesthorpe has published a book in memory of his father— its a limited edition of 200 copies.

Peggy Doman came to the UK in 1956. For most of that time she has lived in Pitsmoor.

Friends of Burngreave Cemetery had a stall at the Heritage Lottery ‘jamboree’ at St Mary's Community Centre Friday 17th January.

In December Pitsmoor Adventure Playground reopened after being closed by the Council for 2 months.

Over 100 women and children marched through Fir Vale on 26th January to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.

Chamu Kuppuswamy is a Volunteer Ranger with the Peak District National Park.

Julia Pidd (nee Postlethwaite) died in October 2013 aged 86, after a number of years of ill health.

Just before Christmas a tree was stolen in Firs Hill

Free community walks for adults

Centres to give the best start to you and your family

We need as many local residents as possible to fill in our Tool Bank questionnaire before 10th March and you could win a prize.

Friends of Burngreave Cemetery And Chapel welcome applications for the next ‘Artist in Residence'.

Celebrating the social, political and economic achievements of women in 2013/2014 at Verdon Recreation Centre.

In September 2014, a new primary Oasis Academy will open in Fir Vale. We need outstanding teachers and support staff to realise our vision.

Sheffield Housing Company are asking people for their views on the design of future housing and on the Fir Vale area where they are proposing to build new homes.

Watoto Pre-School are looking for four trustees who would enjoy the opportunity to contribute their expertise to provide robust and dynamic governance and help the Board achieve its ambition to grow and sustain the charity.

A list of all the pages featuring extra photos and additional content exclusive to the February 2014 online edition.