October 2007 Free to everyone in Burngreave www ... in oppressive practices within the system today....

Story & photos: Camille DaughmaThe Reverend Jesse Jackson –America’s foremost black CivilRights leader - stopped inBurngreave on 26th August 2007.The modest gathering at EllesmereGreen gave him a warm welcomeas Rev. Jackson called all thechildren to stand with him on theplatform. He affirmed that thechildren were the future and thatself-belief was the key to abrighter tomorrow.The Rev. Jesse Jackson earlier spoke to astanding-room only audience at theCathedral - part of the “Equanomics” tourto promote economic justice in the 200thyear since the trade in slaves wasabolished in Britain. Commencing thepresentation were slides of slaves whohad visions bigger than their situation.They did not let their oppressors spoiltheir optimism; this optimism broughtabout the beginning of change.His address centred around economicequality amongst the black and ethnicminority communities. He reminded ushow it all started…“The movement to abolition startedwhen the first black man said, ‘I’m notgoing on that boat’.”And the ultimate goal…

“We are here, and free, today because ofthose who struggled and died for us.Today we are all free but not equal. Thegoal of the struggle was never freedombut equality. Freedom was a prerequisiteto gaining equality.”He went on to say:“The legacy of our slave ancestorscontinues in oppressive practices withinthe system today.“We must learn to livetogether as brothers andsisters. We are all part of thesame fabric and should use ourlinkage to each community toturn pain to power.“Until we realise that shared power plusracial justice equals democracy andbelieve we can change our situation,nothing will happen. We must have thecapacity to be honest with ourselves, andlearn from our errors.“Why do black people do so well atfootball, basketball, golf, tennis, etc?Because the rules are public and the goalsare clear.“Purchasing power makes useconomically viable, which contributesto building the economy. With ourpurchasing power, we can bring abouteffective change. We need to realise the

power to bring about change lies with us.“A tokenistic approach to appeaselegislative requirements about equalopportunity is not the answer. It is notnatural to have one side of town wherethey achieve less, there are lesshealthcare services, less life expectancy,less jobs, access to less capital, less hopefor the future. It’s normal - not natural.“We owe it to the next generation, as ourchildren are losing the will to fight-we’ve come too far to give up now. Weneed to invest in our children, take ourchildren to school, meet with theteachers, exchange numbers, turn off theTV 3 or 4 hours a week, take them tochurch. Be delighted, not surprised, whenour children do well. Don’t limit yourdreams to the ghetto, but run all the wayto the White House.”He left us with encouraging words…“KEEP HOPE ALIVE.”

Voice of the Burngreave CommunityIssue 72 • October 2007 • Free to everyone in Burngreave www.burngreavemessenger.org

Jesse Jackson in Burngreave More photos from the day on our website: www.burngreavemessenger.org

2 BURNGREAVE MESSENGER

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OPPORTUNITIES AT UTU

Swamp Circus and The Open PerformanceCentre are offering FREE evening classes inCommunity Leadership and Circus Skills for the people of Burngreave.This is your chance to learn some fun new skills (juggling, unicycling, tight-rope walking…), while engaging with issues in yourcommunity. With your help, we’ll be devising a fun, exciting performance aboutregeneration in Burngreave, giving you the opportunity to speak outabout your community and to have your say about decisions affectingwhere you live.By the end of the course, you’ll have achieved a nationally recognisedCertificate in Community Leadership from the NOCN. You’ll also beequipped with the skills to become a community leader yourself.The course will be running on Thursday evenings, beginning October18th at the SADACCA Community Centre on the Wicker. We’re beingfunded by the Academy for Community Leadership, so it’sCOMPLETELY FREE! We’re open to everybody aged 18+, andabsolutely no prior experience is necessary – justan interest in your community and a desire to havefun.For more information, call 01709 828 477.

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The Burngreave Messenger is acommunity newspaper, funded by NewDeal, with editorial independence.Allcontent is copyright BurngreaveMessenger Ltd or its voluntarycontributors, not to be reproducedwithout permission.We aim to increaseand encourage communication inBurngreave. Each edition is put togetherby an editorial team who write articlesnot otherwise credited.This month’s team: Ian Clifford, CamilleDaughma, Rohan Francis, Naheem Hanif,Lisa Harrison, Matloub Husayn Ali Khan,Saleema Imam, Douglas Johnson, JamieMarriott,Wajdi Raweh, Lisa Swift.

Messen

ger Info Editorial meetings: 6.30pm at

Abbeyfield Park HouseNext meeting: Wed, 17th OctoberAll welcome.Copy deadline: 14th NovemberNext issue published: 1st Dec.Burngreave Messenger LtdAbbeyfield Park HouseAbbeyfield RoadSheffield S4 7AT(0114) 242 [email protected]

Vestry Hall opens at lastFrom the moment the Vestry Hall wasshut, local residents have worked andcampaigned for it to be refurbished andreopened. It’s great to see that this hasfinally happened.With the buildinglooking great, and high hopes for whatwill be on offer inside, lets hope themanagement of this community asset canbe community led, and that it remainsaffordable for community use.Special thanks toCamille DaughmaCamille first contributed to theMessenger in August 2005 as aphotographer, she went on to be one ofour top writers, and has contributeddozens of articles, sat through countlessmeetings and produced outstandingphotos.Now Camille is moving out ofBurngreave, although she will still beworking in the area.We’d like to wishher all the best in her new home, andsay a special thanks for all her work.Wehope she’ll come back now and again tohelp us out.

ISSUE 72 • OCTOBER 2007 3

Story: Douglas JohnsonI heard about this meeting late inthe day as the word got roundand, with some uncertainty, Iheaded up towards the CactusClub on Spital Hill. Approachingthe club, I was called upon to signa petition about its recent closure.Rob Smith opened the meeting byaddressing the 40-odd people attending.He reminded us why we were here - inresponse to the recent closure of the cluband removal of the drinks licence. CastellFanty told us how he had asked people tomeet but neither the invited police northe councillors attended. Peopleexpressed anger at how the authorities –the police, the council and New Deal -had closed down first the Gower, then theAvit Bar, and now this. The obviousquestion surfaced – why use such heavypowers against the clubs for black people?As Castell asked,“Why do they see four black youthstogether and call them a ‘gang’; they seefour white youths and call them ‘lads’?”There was reminiscence of the 1980swhen people had marched on the TownHall and when SADACCA had fought along, long battle to get their licence.But the real call was for organisation,unity and leadership amongst the blackcommunity.“I believe that any structure coming froma struggle that has risen from the bottomup, and not from the top to the bottom, isthe making of a legitimate structure,” saidRob Smith.Another man said, “look at the Somaliand Kurdish groups – they’ve built up

their communities themselves,” to cheers.“We need leaders from the Afro-Caribbean community.”“We’ve got to get our own house in orderbefore we can attempt to tackle any of thereal issues.”Rob made clear, “If black-run businessescannot thrive, then the area andeverything around it dies and that is notadvantageous for the black businesses orany other of its communities. If blackbusinesses cannot flourish because itsown people have become its worst enemy,then we have a real issue.”Continuing the theme, another spoke ofthe need for black people to use theirmoney and their votes and use theirinfluence over the authorities - a clearreflection of the message Jesse Jacksonhad preached recently.The meeting only ended after a day ofaction was demanded. Rob summarisedby saying, “We have been dormant as anation for too long. In order to addressany of those issues and finally tackle whatis wrong, we must found a black African-Caribbean organisation with honestrepresentation and leadership here inSheffield.”Since then, organisers are now planning abigger meeting and a day of unity inNovember. They are in talks with NewDeal managers and church leaders, aswell as those responsible for bringingJesse Jackson and the Equanomics tourto Sheffield.For updates on the meeting date, checkout the Messenger’s website atwww.burngreavemessenger.org or contactRob Smith viawww.butterwouldntmelt.org.uk

Black community stirred into action

Woodside landoffered cheapThe council’s plan to sell offhousing land at Woodside forredevelopment was dealt a setback recently. The council hasput out its offer to a panel of fivedifferent developers, but councilworkers told members of theBurngreave New Housing Group inSeptember that only onedeveloper had decided to bid.Even this was less than theminimum the council demanded. The Council told the meeting it would

now be willing to sell the land at areduced price of less than £1.16 million inorder to achieve the necessary buildingstandards. Reminding councillors of theoriginal plan to let the land lie fallow for anumber of years, residents asked ifWoodside could be kept in publicownership until the new plans for Councilhouse-building kicked in. In reply,Councillor Ibrar Hussain stated thatpeople wanted houses to rent now –possibly not realising that houses to rentwill be in short supply under their currentplans. The council will now reduce the askingprice and will bring details of the newbids to the next meeting of the group.


Story & photos: Camille Daughma“Leaving is like having my handchopped off”, Mrs Janet Keenstarted off, trying to hold back thetears with a smile. Janet hasworked at Firs Hill school as adinner lady for 27 years and isnow taking her well-earnedretirement.

“I started working as a dinner lady atHerries School where my cousin workedat the time. I stayed there for four yearsthen was transferred to Firs Hill Schoolin 1984 as it was nearer my home.” Janetsaid she had enjoyed it so much shedidn’t want to leave. “I had informed the staff at Firs Hill thatif at any time they are desperate, give mea call.”Now a grandma, Janet will be retiring tobe a full time nanny to look after hergranddaughter, with her husband alsoretiring in April 2008.“My most memorable day here was the100th Birthday of the school whichinvolved students dressing up in ‘Olden-days’ type dress.”She remembers fondly the sports dayswhich were held at the now SheffieldUnited Academy field. She really enjoyedit.Her two sons Darren and Shaun, who shedescribes as smashing boys, attended FirsHill School as well. They are now grownup and working - Darren 30, as a motormechanic at Pentagon Vauxhall, and

Shaun 29, at Clarks and Partners. “Theygave no problems,” she recalls, “beengood lads, touch wood.”She is now looking forward to bringing upher granddaughter, though she will surelymiss it at Firs Hill School.Mrs Keene would like to say to both staffand children, “I will miss you loads, butwill still keep in touch. If in difficulty giveme a ring.”On visiting the school the warmth andlove felt for Mrs Keene was apparent bothamong staff and the children. Herdedication over the years, did not gounnoticed.

Goodbye Mrs Keen

Great great Granddad Frederick Currie1914-2007Formerly of 41 Nottingham Street.Arrived in Sheffield 1958, lived inPitsmoor ever since, from AbbeyfieldRoad to Nottingham Street.He worked as a building labourer, felledtrees and helped lay the foundation forThe Royal Hallamshire Hospital.He worked as a machinist with BritishHetchinson then with LaycocksEngineering.Granddad Freddy breathed his last onthis earthly plain at 10:15 pm at theNorthern General Hospital with hisgrandson David and granddaughter inlaw, Merclyn by his side.He is outlived by four sons: Stepford,Lionel, Randolph and Moses. Also threedaughters Joyce, Lucille and Lorna.He has 20 grandchildren, 50 greatgrandchildren, six great greatgrandchildren plus many nieces andnephews and cousins.

Poems...ListeningWe hear the sounds of every day,

not listening to what they say,

so listen for the church bells ringing,

early morn when the birds are singing,

the whistling wind, the swaying trees,

bleating sheep, the buzzing bees,

the sound of a horn as a ship passes by,

cows in the meadow, a human sigh,

a laughing child while he’s at play,

a rumbling train steaming on its way,

some crowing cocks, a barking hound,

all wonderful things we hear by sound.

Our lifeSometimes we think our life’s a bind,

nothing goes right, we don’t feel kind,

think to ourselves this is the end,

grumbling at neighbours, mate and friend,

words we utter sometimes quite curt,

never thinking how they might hurt,

if only we could give some thought

think to ourselves, that life is short,

say we’re sorry, then begin the day,

looking at life in a different way,

realising we are not perfection,

you and I there is no exception,

think of others in distress,

of ourselves think less and less

we all could be much more forgiving,

then our life would be worthwhile living.

Granddad Currie with three of his greatgreat grandchildren latifah, Johnathonand Phatimah.May the Lord grant him eternal peace…

By Sylvia Reaney

Vestry Hall opensStory: Saleema ImamPhotos:Anwar SulimanTen years on, the regeneration ofthe Burngreave Vestry Hall isnearing its conclusion. A smallgroup of local invitees gatheredon the 11th of September to viewthe transformation.A hanging art installation greets you inthe entrance and a plasma screen on thewall links to music and art created by theIT space users.In the main hall on the first floor, RoseArdron from BNDfC reminisced aboutpast happenings in the hall – fund-raisingpram pushes and fuschia society displaysamongst them - and hoped that the futurewould see similar imaginative uses. JohnClark reminded us that the buildingneeded the whole community to use itand own it.We then split into two with half startingat the top and the others in the basement.Some of our group took great delight ininspecting the pipe works in the boilerroom and the server for the newcomputer suites and voice internetconnections. The two state of the art ITsuites - one housing PCs, the other AppleMacs for music and media studies, openout onto the newly excavated light well.A light airy feeling pervades the wholebuilding. The polished wood dance floor

has beenreinstated in themain hall whichretains its originalhigh windows andstill looks bigenough forbadminton. Theoriginal stone andwrought ironstaircase has beenretained as havesome of theVictorian mosaicfloor tiles in thebasement.A new top floorhas been created in theroof space with officesand a multi-purpose spacewhich can be divided into two.At the Community Open Dayon Thursday 4th October (seebelow), people will be able toregister their interest forcourses which should begin inNovember after the half-termbreak. Three weddingreceptions are already bookedbefore the end of the year.Park Wood High School head teacher wasvery impressed by the building andexpressed his intentions of using thefacilities for some school meetings.On 20th September, 20 residentsattended a first meeting towards setting

up a new management group to overseethe use of the building and to plan forfuture funding and activities according tocommunity desires. Many people hadhoped to see a kitchen better equippedfor cooking for events but everyonelooked forward to the Vestry Hall beingcommunity-led.


Community Open DayOn Thursday 4thOctober the newly-refurbished Vestry Hallwill be opening its doorsto everyone who lives inthe Burngreave area.Before falling into disrepair inthe 1990s, the Vestry Hall wasone of the best-known, best-loved and most widely-usedbuildings in the area.

Now, thanks to a £3 millionrefurbishment programme,funded by Burngreave NewDeal for Communities, theVestry Hall is re-opening itsdoors as a communitylearning and activity centre.

The Community Open Daywill be your chance to:

• Come and have a lookround• Find out what the VestryHall has to offer• Tell us what types ofcourses you would beinterested in doingYou can call in at the VestryHall any time between10.00am and 6.30pm andreceive a guided tour roundthis wonderful new building.

Why not come on down?

Thursday 4th October 10.00am - 6.30pm

Contact: Tony Tingle, Vestry Hall Manager on (0114) 213 3800.

Main stairway before...

...and after refurbishment


Your local collection points:

• Mondays 8pm – 9pmHallcar Tavern, Carwood Estate

• Tuesdays 8pm – 9pmThe Rock Public House, Rock St.

• Thursdays 11am – 12noonThe Welcome Centre, Nottingham St.

The Credit Union offers a safe place to save and

great value loans.

To find out more, come to one of the collection

points, or call in at Sheffield Credit Union:

The Gallery, Castle MarketMonday-Friday 10.00am – 1.00pm

Or telephone: 0114 276 0787.

Pitsmoor & Burngreave residents can call us on

07982 732 542

The Pitsmoor and Burngreave residents’

information line is funded by Burngreave New

Deal for Communities until 31st March 2008.

Sheffield Credit Union

Pitsmoor Branch


Testing citizenshipStory: Lisa Harrison From April 2nd 2007 immigrationrules changed, but there are fearsthat some local residents may notbe aware of how difficult it now isto apply for settlement, in manycases requiring months of tuitionand planning. The changes mean that all foreign citizenswho wish to live permanently in the UKmust either pass the ‘Life in the UK’ test,or take combined ESOL and citizenshipclasses. Many people may not realise thatthey can get free support and advice tocope with the changes.Abdillahi Hassan, who has passed the‘Life in the UK’ test, told the Messenger,“The test is not easy. I failed it oncebefore, but then I saw an advert in theMessenger for the Pakistan Advice Centre(PAC), so I called and got help. I knowthere are lots of people in the Somalicommunity who are finding the testdifficult. It’s good that we can get thesupport here.” Masarat Bibi, who passed the ‘Life in theUK’ test after attending classes at the PACMulticultural Advice Centre for just sixweeks, said, “I’ve been learning English atcollege for a year and a half. Learning forthe test helped me with my English,because Shahnaz, our teacher, explainedthe meaning of the questions.”

In order to pass the test at least 18 out of24 questions must be answered correctly.Topics include politics, religion andhousing services. Mr Hassan stated, “It is necessary to gethelp. You cannot learn for the test byyourself. It is thanks to our teacher thatwe both passed the test.” It is incredibly important to seek helpearly if you are applying for settlement, asmost people will need time to prepare forthe Life in the UK test. The PACMulticultural Advice Centre can help withthis. Contact them on tel: 261 9130 tofind out more.

Cuts in ESOLDespite a hard fought campaignto save English teaching forspeakers of other languages, twoof Burngreave’s main providersface massive cuts this term. Funded through Sheffield College, theYemeni Community Association (YCA)and the Yemeni Economic ReliefOrganisation (YERO), provided classesfor over 370 students last year, but thisyear it will be just over 150. The courses that are being cut will be atEntry Level One and Two. While levelThree is required for those needing‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’, the cutsmean less people will be able to worktowards the higher level. A tutor at YCA,Anesar Shaibi, told the Messenger: “This affects the most vulnerable, like theolder generation, some of them need tolearn English so they can cope on theirown. They are learning skills for life here,so they can do basic things like call foran ambulance.” YCA explained that when the term startsthey will have to turn people away, DianeHaimeed said, “It will be heart-breaking,and it will be us as providers who will beblamed. So many of the people who willlose out we have worked with for years,and we will feel like we have let themdown.”The YCA have had to make five tutorsredundant because of the cuts. Thecampaign against the cuts is set tocontinue, and people are working to findfunding to make things better next year.

Immigration feesThose applying for IndefiniteLeave to Remain have found theymust pay twice as much to apply,following changes in April thisyear.The cost of making an application beforeApril was £335; however it has now morethan doubled to £750. There is also a feeof £34 for taking the Life in the UK testand a handbook costing £9.99 which isrequired to enable applicants to pass.Pitsmoor CAB has seen a number ofclients who haven’t been aware of thechanges and increased fees, and have notstarted to prepare for the tests. Ifsomeone’s existing leave expires beforethey have completed the newrequirements, it is possible to apply forFurther Leave to Remain. However, thebad news is that the application fee hasincreased from £335 to £395, after whichapplicants have to pay the £750 ILR fee. Pitsmoor CAB can assist people if theyhave queries regarding immigration.

Changes affectresidents Story:Wajdi RawehI spoke to Yemeni residents whohad been affected by immigrationchanges. They did not wish to benamed.One woman has two small children,which makes it difficult to study for thetests at this time. She said “I’m worriedthat if I wait too long, and take the testlater, they will make it even harder to getleave to stay.”A 64 year old man and his wife, travelledto Liverpool and paid £170 each for afour-day intensive course and test for‘Life in the UK’, with hundreds spent onfood and accomodation. His wife wasdevastated when she did not pass.It is a tragedy that this is happening topeople, and others whose stories wecouldn’t include. The Home Office shouldspeak to the people and explain why theyare doing this.

For advice on immigrationand other issues, contact:Northern Refugee Advice Service- Drop-in Tues. & Thurs. 10.00 a.m. -1.00 p.m. at Sheffield Advice Link,North Gallery, Castle Market,Exchange Street S1, or by appointmenttel: 241 2730Yemeni Welfare and AdviceCentre Drop-in Mon, Tues, Thurs9.30am-2.00pm at Fir Vale Centre,Earl Marshal Road, tel: 2561223Pitsmoor Citizens’ Advice Bureau(CAB): Drop-in Mon, Weds, Fri -9.30am-1.00pm, 30, Spital Hill. tel:275 5376PAC Multicultural Advice Centre:Drop in: Mon, Tues, Thurs: 9.30am-3.30pm, Fri: 9.30am-3.00pm, Weds(women only) 9.30am-3.00pm, 58Owler Lane, tel: 2619130.Immigration advice by OISCregistered advisors only.


Music taking overBurngreaveStory: Fagr Al-Afif and Zanumb BibiSa,rinitySinger and lyricist Sa,rinity Powellhas become a familiar face atBurngreave music events thissummer, from the BurngreaveTalent Competition to theAbbeyfield and Fir Vale festivalsand even Jesse Jackson’sexclusive visit to Ellesmere Green.Is she destined to become thenew face of the Sheffield RapScene? I went and asked hermyself accompanied by mycolleague, Zanumb Bibi. Sa,rinity told us how much she lovesperforming in Burngreave although shestill feels nervous before going on stage:“I get nervous and scared at times but Ifeel more confident as the show goes onand the feeling I get from performingmakes it worth it.”Her passion for music started at a youngage alongside an interest in writingpoetry. An English teacher told her thather poems had the potential to be lyricsand so Sa,rinity started experimentingwith the flow and delivery of spokenwords and writing lyrics inspired by theexperiences and events in her life.“When I’m listening to music, it becomesa gateway to my trapped emotions andenables me to express my feelings throughmy lyrics.”She listens to many different styles ofmusic although finds her own musicdifficult to define, “I can’t call it Hip-Hop,and it’s not exactly rap – a guess it’s hardto put it into any kind of category, I’llleave that to ya’ll to decide”- she addswith a smile.Sa,rinity’s fortunate to have had thesupport of the Burngreave rappers, DB(Dem Boyz). Ralph Sque, a member ofDB, heard her rap and asked if she wouldjoin them. He also encouraged her toenter the Burngreave Talent Competitionwith high hopes that she would win. “Winning the competition gave my careera big boost and helped me to get outthere, performing at other local events.”After a summer of live shows and with acatalogue of many songs I guess Sa,rinityis on a roll. Her first single, ‘Tears on mynotebook’, will be available to downloadthis November. www.myspace.com/sarinitypowell

Dem BoyzDem Boyz is a collective of localmusicians and song writers Ralph Sque,Flash, Chaps, Conkera, Mercy andSa,rinity. Their music has achieved greatresults so far with performances at the FirVale festival and The Burngreave TalentCompetition and they have big hopes anddreams of making it to the top.Solo offerings from DB members are inthe pipeline, including ‘The Relentless’from ‘Chaps’, available soon, and arecurrently looking forward to releasingtheir next group album.

When asked what he would say to otheryoung people, Flash said:“Follow your heart, but education isimportant. We love doing music and it’sthe most important thing now, but youneed a plan B. You need education, and ithelps with lyrics, without knowledge youcan’t write them.”DB love performing live and are lookingfor people to sponsor them and bookthem for gigs. Contact Ralph Sque 07877873 144 or Flash 07799 246 821www.myspace.com/demboyzuk

Story: Kadie-Ann

Metz ’N’ Trix, the famous Bhangragroup, performed at the Fir Valeand Abbeyfield Park Festivals,where they drew great crowdsand big expectations.After going wild to Metz ’N’ Trix at the FirVale Festival I got a chance to interviewthem. They loved the festivals and thecrowds, saying:“Well the two festivals was sick, but thisone had to be the best, because the crowdwas better and very rowdy, which wasgreat.”They look up to many people who inspirethem and have made something of theirlives. They said:“We look up to Eminem, 50 Cent andthen there’s classics like James Brownand Michael Jackson. Our message is allabout going forward and achievingsomething in life.”I asked them what made them decide tocreate Metz ’N’ Trix:“Well it just happened naturally, one daywe were just messing around and the nextday we were in a music studio makingmusic.”Talking about the future, they told methey want to continue making music andtouring the world.“We’d like to collaborate with peoplefrom different genres, like AmyWinehouse. If we added a little Bhangra,that track would be buzzin.”Finally, they told me to look out for theirnew singer AJ, “He’s fresh on the sceneand appearing on our new album ‘GetReady Get Set 2’ so watch out for it.”Their new album will be out late 2007,early 2008. www.myspace.com/metzntrix

Get-ready forMetz ’N’ Trix

Kadie meets Metz ’N’ Trix.


Pathfinders HitBurngreaveStory: Maureen GriffithsPhoto: Nicholaus HallOn the afternoon of Saturday 1stSeptember Burngreave streetscame to a standstill as 80uniformed Pathfinder youngsters,6-16 years of age, led bydrummers, marched down toEllesmere Green to display drillingand marching skills and presentgospel music to the community.Pathfindering is a worldwide youthsociety movement spearheaded by theSeventh-Day Adventist Church in theearly 1900s. It’s similar to the Scouts -the young people not only enjoy physical,social and educational activities but thereis a strong spiritual emphasis whichencourages them to become good citizens.The Community response was great aspeople not only looked out of theirwindows and took pictures but someactually joined the procession andinteracted with the group.One lady said, “It’s so good to see youngblack people in such a positive way.”

An Asian gentleman said, “Religion is agood thing, no matter what the religion.”Another gentleman said, “It reminded meof when I was a lad in the scouts.”A big thank you goes to the CommunityPolice organised by P.C. Ray Oakley, alsothe volunteer marshals for their hardwork.The young pathfinders said, “It was greatto be able to make a noise in the middle

of the road with police support!”On Saturday 13th October 2007 onEllesmere Green at 3pm A “Health &Fitness” event will be held by thePathfinders Followed by a “CommunityCultural Evening” at 7pm in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church Hall, AndoverStreet - All Welcome.To find out more about Pathfinders,Contact Maureen Griffiths 07748 914 696

Study SupportBurngreave Study Support Projectsare enrolling students for theAutumn term. GCSE results fromlast year’s study support studentsshow some excellent results:“Study support has allowed me to studythe course I want at Longley Sixth FormCollege. None of this would have beenpossible without all the extra help andsupport I received. I want to go on tostudy law to help members of mycommunity with their rights.” - LeilaShaibi (9 GCSEs)

“I feel study support made a positivecontribution to helping me gain thegrades I wanted. You gain motivationwhen you see peers and group organisersfrom the BME community. - HilaalHassan, (10 GCSEs)“Coming in during the holidays, eveningsand weekends was hard but worth it. Iwant to do a law degree and these gradeshave started me on my path to success.” -Leila Rahman (10 GCSEs)“Study Support helped build up myknowledge in my weak subjects andboosted my self-esteem. This enabled meto achieve 8 GCSEs. The teachers wereextremely supportive and took out timeto help me when required.” - HasseenaHussain, (8 GCSEs)“The Homework club provides a stagebetween school and home which is badlyneeded and it is very important that thissupport should continue to be given. Ibelieve we could benefit further by moreresources” - Najma Ali, Y5“Besides improving my academicachievement, the study support club alsoprovides us with outdoor activities suchas football, basketball and trips to Altontowers.” - Abdimajid Said, Y5.

SADACCA Study Support, Mon, Tues,Weds, 4.30-7.00pm. Ring Carmelita:2731975 or Ricky: 2753479Burngreave After-School Study Support(YCA) - Mon, Tues, Weds, 3.30-7.00pmRing Diane on 2611439Somali Breakthrough - Mon–Thurs 4.30-7.30, Sat 10.30am-1.30pm RingMohamud or Nisar on 2759040IT-CSSS (some classes in Somali) Mon-Fri 4.30-7.00pm Ring Mohamed:07931375764Reach High 2 - 5.00-8.00pm Friday;11.00-3.00pm Saturday and Sunday RingNasira on 244 9099.

Abdimajid Said enjoys football atstudy support

Hasseena and Hilaal enjoy a recentstudy support visit (see page 11)

Story: Rebecca NortonPhotos: Chris GregoryI opened the curtains with myfingers crossed, the sight of thesunshine made me smile. It lookedlike we’d chosen a good day for theBurngreave Bowls Tournament. We had four teams of 4 people turn upto Abbeyfield Park: Firs Hill Tenants andResidents Association (TARA), TheWardens (Street Wardens), Ryan’s Team(mix of local residents including a veryskilled young lad called Ryan) and ActivitySheffield. As Activity Sheffield were oneteam member short we were luckyenough to have Winnie join us (who isthe Abbeyfield ladies bowls captain).

After some practice and coachingfrom Winnie the competition began.Each team played each other and thepoints counted up. After some closelycontested matches the positions were:joint 3rd place: Activity Sheffield andFirs Hill TARA, 2nd place: The Wardensand 1st place: Ryans Team. Thecompetition stepped up a level for thesemi – finals. Ryan’s Team showed greatskill and beat Firs Hill TARA and thepressure got to The Wardens to allowActivity Sheffield to sneak through to thefinals.Everyone had chance to relax and enjoythe BBQ before the final match betweenRyan’s Team and Activity Sheffield. Afterthe first end it was neck and neck but

Activity Sheffield’s nerves couldn’t holdout and Ryan’s Team cruised to victoryand won the trophy. We all concludedthat it had been a thoroughly enjoyableday and everyone went home smilingwith a determination to win next year!If anybody is interested in playing nextyear of finding out more about the bowlsclub please contact Rebecca Norton on07909 936244 or [email protected]


Burngreave Bowls TournamentSunday 29th July

Story: Jenny TibblesDuring a rare hot week in thesummer holidays, Ellesmere YouthProject and Green City Actionjoined forces with young peopleof Ella Road and spray can artistsShaun and Casper to transformthe new kick-about area. Young people were invited to workshopsand the design was discussed. It wasagreed that it should have a ‘landscape’theme, with some funky cartooncharacters and lots of colour. Shaun andCasper then worked with the youngpeople to develop a design and everyonehad chance to show off their spray artskills by contributing to the finished wall.

There were many positive comments bypassers by and all those involvedthoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Art on Ella Road

We wanted to achieve a greaterunderstanding of different cultures andexpand our knowledge about differentreligions and people. Hasseena - Age 16

Day 1 – Alhambra andPalace GardensOverlooking the city of Granada standsthe Alhambra palace: the best example ofMoorish (Muslim) architecture, built byvarious Muslim rulers between 711 and1084.

The slender asymmetrical columns, lightreflecting water basins and exquisitecalligraphy are romantic, spiritual and asheer indulgence for the human eye.Alongside the Palaces were gardensfitting the Quranic description ofparadise. Volunteer T

The trip to the Alhambra Palace andGardens made me realise the significanceof an Islamic heritage I didn’t knowexisted and helped me visualise the livingstyles of the ‘khalifs’ (religious leaders)many years ago. In all rooms of ‘TheAlhambra’ there was amazing Islamiccalligraphy engraved in the walls; onething that really caught my eye was thebreath-taking wall with the ninety-ninenames of Allah (the glorified and exalted).Hilaal - Age 15

Day 2 – MosqueTour and Munira Art DemoAfter the mosque tour, we went toMunira’s studio for an art demonstration.I was amazed how she put beautifulcalligraphy designs onto a piece ofleather, it was extraordinary. I enjoyedwatching and learning. Overall, the daywas fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable.Sabrina – Age 14.One of my best experiences in Granadawas visiting the mosque to pray ‘Maghrib’(sunset) prayer. The mosque wasindescribable, the beauty and feeling thatI acknowledged whilst there wasunbelievable. I didn’t realize how muchIslamic heritage there was in Spain with aMuslim Community. Visiting the mosqueat ‘Maghrib’ was incredible as you couldsee the sun-set from the cliff top anddirectly opposite from the courtyardstood ‘The Alhambra’, looking stunning inthe night with a beautiful red glow. Hilaal

Day 3 – Córdoba (Mesquita)

I thought the cathedral,originally a mosque, was extremelybeautiful. I was really shocked thatcrusaders converted the mosque into acathedral and changed everything inside.There are some remaining features, inparticular the minbar (step on whichimam stands to deliver prayer) buteverything else from the calligraphy toreligious symbols had been erased.Sabrina.

Day 4 – Bookshop andSpanish MealThe bookshop had really good books onSpain, to improve my knowledge of thearea and help me put together a readinglist for our report. I also liked the mealbecause it gave an insight into Spanishculture. The pasta was gorgeous and thefresh orange juice was refreshing and wellworth the wait. Nazmeen – Age 13

Conclusion It was an extraordinary experience andopportunity to see a different culture. Thegroup leader Nasira handled itprofessionally, from group dynamics toitinerary changes. Hats off to her! I wouldlike say thank you to Nasira for enablingme to be a part of this. Volunteer HabibaOn reflection, every aspect of this visit toSpain was an amazing experience; interms of how communities co-exist today,it has encouraged me to learn more aboutmulti-cultural community cohesion. InMuslim Spain, Arab scholars preservedand built upon earlier knowledge; theirencyclopedias, translated throughoutEurope, enabled a flourishing multi-cultural society to take root. I feel it is notonly a glimpse of a great past but also aview into a future where people andreligions can co-exist and learn from oneanother, surely inspiration for allsocieties. Volunteer TI was honoured to lead this educationalvisit, which showed Asian young womencan achieve outside their normalsurroundings, and after school studysupport prepares them to take on newchallenges, skills and independency.Thank you to the volunteers for theirsupport, and congratulations to the girlsfor their achievement. Well done! Formany women these visits are rare. Thankyou to Youth Opportunity Fund for givingus the opportunity. Nasira (VisitLeader/Reach High 2 Co-ordinator)If you want to be involved in Reach High2 study support contact Nasira on244 9099, more details see page 9.

Visit to SpainReach High 2 study support helped young peopleto get funding and lead an educational visit toSpain to discover the rich Muslim and Christianheritage of the region. On the 28th July, eightyoung people and four adults leftBurngreave for 6 days stay inGranada, Spain. Here the youngpeople talk about their experience…


BURNGREAVE MESSENGER

CommentsThe Messenger received severalcomments about the festival. Hereare a couple from local residents. Letus know what you think by addingcomments to our website.This was my third visit to the festival andI'm afraid me and my family were verydisappointed. I don't think there wasmuch for anyone of any age to do. Lotsof people who attended the festivalshared the same feelings as myself. Thefestival was full of stalls selling food orhanding out leaflets that most of us havealready picked up or had posted throughour doors. If this is the future ofthe festival, it is the startof the end. Peter Nelson

Abbeyfield Festival 2007Deferred to autumn this yearinstead of high summer, high windscaused initial concern but theweather held for our annualmulticultural festival which filledthe park with punters from near andfar. Whilst youngsters headed for the skatingrink and the rodeo bull, exotic aromasand music attracted others to the manystalls and stage performances.

More photos on our website: www.burngreavemessenger.org

I go along to the festival every year andusually end up quite bored, stuffing myface with all sorts of different foods,wandering around aimlessly, and lookingat stall after stall, never quite sure ofwhat I was meant to be doing there.This year I was pleasantly surprised thatthere was just so much more to do. Itseemed as though the organisers had put

a lot more thought into theactivities for the youngerchildren - such as the rodeobull and the ice skating rinkwhich was up in the tenniscourts.I would have loved topluck up the courage tohave a go, but the fear oflooking like a plonker,falling all over the place,made me see sense andleave well alone.I feel it is a must to alsomention the singing anddancing performed bythe adults and children- a massive well doneto them too. Diane Johnson

EYP performEllesmere Youth Project performedtheir original song and danceroutines at the Abbeyfield festivaland other venues over the summer.New sessions for 10 – 18 year oldsworking with local songwriters anddancers will be starting again in October. Details from Jenny Tibbles or Yassin Usufon 243 5854 or 0788 677 7068.

All photos by Nicholaus Hall,except: Left column top andvery bottom, boxing pictureand EYP photos by AnwarSuliman.

Fir ValeFestivalStory:Wajdi RawehFir Vale Festivaltook place on9th ofSeptember at FirVale School. Thisevent seemedwell organisedand the presenceof people wasgood. I noticedlots of happyfaces. A lot ofthose present wereyoung people, and theycreated a wonderfulatmosphere, especiallythe young people fromSlovakia who weredancing spontaneously,and running andlaughing as they enjoyedthe event.I went to speak to some of thestall holders about what theythought of the festival. SadiaNazir and Najam Hussain,were doing Henna painting,and selling Islamic names incalligraphy.“This is the second time we had been tothe Festival. We think the event isimportant because it gathers differentcultures and people from different ethnicbackgrounds. It increases the knowledgeof how other people and cultures producethings, like art.”Nabeel Nazir of the Hussain Brothers,had not been to the festival before butthought it was a good way to show peoplehis new shop based at 4 Owler Lane,selling hair care products, as well asgroceries and hardware: “We want to let people know howcheaply they can buy products from us.It’s helping us get our business known.”Imran Ali brought Islamic books andreferences including the Quran, he wasgiving them away for free for people whowant to learn about Islamic culture. Hegave about ten Qurans away. Imran said,“I want to explain to people what Islamicculture is about.”The presence of the young people and therole they’ve played in the festival showedthe positive response they have to goodthings available for them to take part in.The festival also offers a great

opportunity for those whowould like to promote theirbusinesses. It certainly is agreat place for all those peoplewho have only recently startedtheir own businesses and arelooking to recruit customers.The presence of the policeofficers was not necessary inmy opinion, it would’ve beenbetter if they were not inuniform and just joined in thefun with everyone else. Wedon’t want to make thepresence of the police a habit,it would better to havesecurity people, than thepolice.

ISSUE 72 • OCTOBER 2007

Photos (top): Dave WoodallPhotos (below): Anwar Suliman


Do you need helpmaking your businessmore successful?Are you looking forhelp and advice tostart your own business?Have you got ideas about making a difference inyour community?Then come and talk to us!The Burngreave Business Support team is here tohelp you, your business or your enterprise idea growand prosper. We are a dedicated resource that iscommitted to helping individuals and businesses inBurngreave.We can offer you a variety of help and advice thatincludes dedicated advice and information on:

Marketing • Finance • Legal IssuesSkills Analysis • Funding • Business Planning

We even have grants to help get you going!To find out how the Burngreave Business Supportteam can help you or your business, please contact:Business Support Team,Forum House, 35 Spital Hill, Sheffield, S4 7LD.Telephone: (0114) 292 0462E-mail: [email protected]

Middle Eastern Cuisine UsingFresh, Affordable IngredientsWith Laila Wragg

Including:Arabic kebabs in tomatosauce, ajeh (pakoras),chicken dishes, suffiha (Arabicpizza), salads, falafel andchappati, humous, warak-de-wehli (stuffed vine leaves),babaganoush (aubergine intahini), fetoush (salad withtoasted flat bread), and filopastry sweets like baklawa,harissa, plus cakes made withhoney, nuts, and semolina.

Drop-in Saturdaytaster workshops:11am – 4pm on6th, 13th, & 20th OctoberClasses start 8th October,5.30 – 8.30pm.The Furnival,199 Verdon Street,Burngreave, S3 9QQFor more info or to sign up,Telephone: (0114) 272 7497

Fun, Easy To Make Tasty Recipes

Learn Healthy Eating


Celebration ofthe Abolitionof SlaveryStory: Myrtle WalkerSecond Step CaribbeanWomen’s Group Agewellhas been in existence since1983. We are well known forthe many activities andevents we have held over theyears.This year we are celebrating 200 yearssince the abolition of slavery from 1807-2007. The group will be performing aplay depicting ‘Bondage to Freedom’.We will be dramatising slavery and whatit means to be free. It will be aninformative, historical, yet entertainingevent which will relate to where we asAfrican and Caribbean people arecoming from.Many of the group members are localwomen. We have all worked hard tomake this event thought-provoking,

informative and educational and wewould very much appreciate the supportof the people of Burngreave to make thisa play they will never forget.The event is funded by: South YorkshireCommunity FoundationVenue: Library Theatre Tudor Square;Date: 12th and 13th OctoberTime: 7:30pmTickets: £6:00 waged, £5:00 unwagedTickets can be obtained from SADACCA,48 The Wicker. Telephone: 275 3479.Or call 225 8124.

September marked the end of an era atPitsmoor Adventure Playground as the‘Big Slide’ was finally taken down aftermore than ten years of service. Manyfearless youngsters took on its nearvertical ‘drop in’ start and slow ‘trouserhoisting’ finish.The Messenger would like to hear fromreaders who have memories orphotographs of the playground or the BigSlide.Call us on 242 0564.

Playgroundslidecomes down


Story:Albert JacksonAs the England Cricket teamhead off to Sri Lanka, wecan remember Crabtree’sown George Ulyett. I bet theAustralians do, even 130years after he played in thefirst ever Test Match inMelbourne in 1876/77.Born at Crabtree on 21st October1851, whom he played cricket forin his youth, George joinedPitsmoor Cricket Club when he reached16 and went on to play first class cricketfor both Yorkshire and England.At the Melbourne Test in 1882, after onesmashing boundary drive he shook hisbat, then walked a few steps from thewicket and held it up in the air. From thecrease the following dialogue could beheard:

“What’s oop George?”“Ah’ve broken me bat!”“Whee’rs t’other?”“At back o’t’ door!”The Australian crowdwas to mimic theconversation for the restof the game.A steel roller by trade,he also found time tokeep goal for SheffieldWednesday and later

became a cricket umpire and a publicanat the Vine in Brunswick Street, all whilebeing a husband to Emma and father to ason and three daughters. On the field hewas known as Happy Jack and wasrenowned for his dialect. His brotherJohn was Groundsman at Bramhall Lanewhere Yorkshire played some of their bestgames.

George Ulyett is just one of the manylocal characters who were buried inBurngreave and recorded in a new bookby Albert Jackson entitled ‘The GraveDigger’ priced £6.00. The book will beavailable in November from theBurngreave Cemetery Chapel - openSundays 11am-3pm or write to: The Friends of Burngreave Chapel andCemetery, 12 Burngreave Road, SheffieldS3 (Add 50p for postage).GEORGE ULYETT (1851 – 1898) Test Matches - 25, (1877 – 1890) Runs949. Wickets 50 First Class Matches - 573, (1873 –1893) Runs 20,803. Wickets 653First Class Umpire – (1894 –1895) Goalkeeper for SheffieldWednesday – (1882 – 1884)

Cricket arena atAbbeyfieldStory:Amie Rowland and Lisa SwiftThe derelict tennis courts atAbbeyfield Park were a hive ofactivity on 30th August as localpeople came to view plans for thenew cricket facility and meetYorkshire and England Cricketer,Craig White. Sheffield City Council, in partnershipwith the England and Yorkshire CricketBoards has secured £80,000 fundingfrom NPower to develop a purpose builtcricket facility at Abbeyfield Park. Local youngsters with a passion forcricket and interested local residents hadthe opportunity to comment on the plansand attempt to bowl Craig out! Thefeedback was extremely positive. Ateeq told the Messenger, “I play cricketfor King Edwards school, I’d like to playhere when its done.”Anser Khan said “I play all the time, it’llbe good to practice here when it’s done.”Brett Weldon told us, “It’ll be good whenits done, we live right next to it.” Hisbrother Dale, who is a bowler forThorncliffe cricket club, said “It’s a goodinitiative, it will get people playing more.”Other residents felt that the new facilitywill bring new life back into the Park andwill be an excellent resource for everyone.

Abbeyfield Park waschosen over other sitesacross the country due tothe commitment andpassion shown by theAbbeyfield Cricketers andthe popularity of cricketin the area. And it’s a lotto do with the enthusiasmand commitment of localcricketer and coach forthe Firs Hill school teamHedar Rasool.“We’re always playinghere and coaching thekids, there’s always agood atmosphere. I playfor Shiregreen Cricketclub now but when I was14 we had our own teamhere in Burngreave. I’dlike to see a Pitsmoorteam here again, withyoung people running itthemselves.”Firs Hill teacher Bibi Hussain said: “Ihelp Hedar with the cricket team, and youcan see there’s great talent in this area.We’d love to use this facility for afterschool practice, and in the future fortournaments.”Councillor Hussain told the Messenger, “Igrew up playing cricket, and we’ve neverhad anything like this. It’s brilliant.” Craig White commented that “The newcricket arena will provide a fantasticopportunity for young people. I haveevery confidence that it'll be a greatsuccess- especially with the enthusaismI've seen here this evening!”

If you have anycomments on thisproject pleasecontact AmieRowland on 0114 273 6952, [email protected].

What’s oop George? Ah’ve broken me bat!


Story: Lisa Harrison“I’ve been here sincethe classes started.Kickboxing is an excellent way tokeep fit.” Sarah, one of theattendees at Al-Nisa, hesitated,then continued, “Cheryl’s a verygood teacher. She is very precise,making sure that we can executeeach move properly, which isgreat for grading. If I got attackednow, I’d be able to defend myselfstraight away.”Al-Nisa Sport and Leisure is a SocialEnterprise Community Initiative, withfunding from UnLtd and BNDfC. It runsclasses in combat arts and has a femaleteacher, Cheryl Mahmoud. The foundingprinciples of this organisation are to

provide fitness, self-defense andconfidence in a women-onlyenvironment. No boys over the age of 8are allowed to attend. An environment that can guaranteemodesty is crucial to Al-Nisa’s majorityMuslim students. Aisha was keen toemphasise how unique this is: “I’ve beencoming here for a few months. There’snothing else catering for Asian womenwithin the community. I bring mychildren here too.” All women are invited to attend,regardless of background or belief.Everyone is treated the same way, whichenables full integration. Naomi, a non-Muslim member of the class, said, “I’vebeen coming here for just four weeks, butI’ve found it a very welcomingenvironment. It’s great for culturalrelations. I initially came because it’s nearto where I live and I was curious.” The premises which Al-Nisa is currentlyusing are less than ideal, as they share afacility with an Islamic school. Due tovast demand and expansion, a dedicatedbuilding is now needed. This wouldenable the students to store equipment inthe building, rather than moving it all in

and out for each class, and would allowmore sessions to take place since demandis so high. Cheryl Mahmoud, who teaches theclasses, said, “Since our classes are onlyfor women and young children, it is aunique and secure environment. Theseclasses aren’t just for Muslims though –we’d encourage any women from anybackground to attend. There are lots ofpeople out there who want to try a sportin a female-only environment. Thedemand is huge in this area and I want toget others involved, but we’d need a newbuilding to use which can guarantee asecure environment.” If anyone can help with finding a buildingor would like to sponsor Al-Nisa, pleasecontact Ahmed on 07752 094 070.

Self-defence forwomen

AL-NISA Sport and Leisure“A new concept in combat sport anddefence”

Full contact thai/kick boxing Self defence courses Boxercise – non contact exercise Fully qualified, insured and CRB clear FEMALE instructor Adult classes – strictly women only Children’s classes – mixed boys & girls(no boys over 8 yrs)

NEW beginners classes startingafter Ramadan.

Also NEW over 50`s gentleexercise sessions.

To register for any of the above please call07752 094 070

Or E-mail:[email protected]

Parents opposeschool expansionStory: Brent MoyaAn Area Panel / educationdepartment meeting on 18thSeptember provoked livelydebate over the plannedexpansion of Saint Catherine’sRoman Catholic Primary. 45parents met panel Chair CllrJackie Drayton and Cllr IbrarHussain. They were joined byEducation Deputy Director, PaulMakin and John Wade from theRoman Catholic Diocese, todefend the proposals.In reply to opposition to the proposalfrom parents, Paul Makin said: “There ispressure on schools in Burngreave with

many children going to school outside thearea. In order to deal with the continueddemand, the Cabinet thought it necessaryto expand local schools.” On the subjectof increased traffic, Makin seemedunfazed: “While we understand concernsregarding increased traffic and disruptionfrom building works, we assure you thatwe are experienced in this role, andincreased traffic will be dealt with.”Many parents raised concerns that trafficoutside St Catherine’s was alreadycausing problems: “We have an increasednumber of children getting run over andbuses struggling to get up and down theroad,” argued one parent. “You would betaking away playing space when thereisn’t enough of it anyway and there aremassive problems with obesity in thiscountry,” added another parent.On the playground size, school head MrsFiona Rigby said: “We didn’t have a

quality play space for Key Stage 1(infants) but we do now. There are highlevels of physical activity within thisschool and, if this development wentahead, then I wouldn’t have any concernfor the amount of space.” Another parent claimed that with theschool size set to double, the main hallwould not be big enough to house thewhole school at assembly time. “We aregradually moving away from the ethosthat this school has been built on.” Councillor Harry Harpham (Cabinetmember for education) said he wouldreport back concerns to Cabinet andclaims were made that, if parents werenot happy with the proposals, then theywould not go ahead. Cabinet meets on26th September and will have to considerthe recommendations to approve theproposals as well as the petition from 165people against them.

ISSUE 69 • APRIL 2007 18

A New Deal for Burngreave

18 These pages are produced by New Deal

For the past six years, I (and my long-suffering family and friends) have livedand breathed New Deal for Communities.Now I am standing down as Chair andfrom the Board. It has been a greatopportunity for me to do useful work withothers, building relationships and strivingto improve our community. I have alwayswanted us to have nothing but the bestand we deserve nothing less.I feel proud that together we have beenputting Burngreave on the map. I’ve satround the table at the Sheffield FirstPartnership Board, where the strategy forthe city is pulled together and heardBurngreave cited as an example of goodpractice in creating employment andtraining opportunities. The work of thebusiness champion and the businessforum is now used as a model for the cityas a whole. This and many otherexamples show that Burngreave iscontributing to the regeneration of the cityas a whole and that increasedopportunities and resources are beginningto flow into the area.Everyday I hear the stories of how theservices, facilities, activities andrelationships that we now have inBurngreave are providing the steppingstones that help people find and followtheir path forward in life. It’s these storiesthat make all the work of the last six yearsworthwhile.Regeneration is tough and complex; nobody knows how to get it right all the

time. Sometimes results take so long toappear that you feel that nothing ishappening and no one is listening to you.These are some of the things that I won’tmiss – that and the twilight shift ofmeetings and the endless paperworkand… I will miss the sense of sharedpurpose and energy that has come fromworking with the Board members and thestaff team. I want to thank all of them andI wish them every success for the future. Ialso want to thank everyone from acrossour community who has supported andencouraged me along the way – I couldn’thave done it without you.

Rose Ardon,Outgoing Chair of the Burngreave New

Deal for Communities Partnership

A final farewell from our Chair,Rose ArdronWANTED!

Local residents of Burngreave to bemembers of the Children and YoungPeople’s Strategy GroupThe group oversees the developmentof our work with children and youngpeople and its implementation throughprojects.We have major projects covering: • working with schools to support

young people (Family Advocacy),• community-based Study Support,• youth work in the area (Streetworx),• sports activities (Active

Burngreave),• and pre-school childcare and

Bookstart.We are looking for local residentswho are: • committed to helping improve the

life opportunities of young peoplefrom the Burngreave area

• willing to devote some time andenergy to working with others onthese issues.

The Strategy group meets once everytwo months.If you’re interested in improving thesupport to young people in the area,this is a great opportunity to have aninfluence over the next three years.There are two residents on the groupwhich also has representatives fromthe BNDfC Partnership Board (alsolocal residents), Statutory Agenciessuch as the Council, and Voluntaryand Community organisations.We also have a vacancy for arepresentative from voluntary andcommunity organisations working inBurngreave (the person doesn’t haveto be a resident).If you think you would be interested injoining the Strategy Group in one ofthese capacities and would like moreinformation, please contact me:Jon Cowley, BNDfC Children andYoung People ManagerTel: 0114 2922908 or 0773 9878589Email: [email protected]

A Big Welcome to our two newNeighbourhood EnterpriseChampions Lisa Hughes and FaridAbdulla. Lisa and Farid will be working in thewider Burngreave area to offer help andsupport to generate the growth of newbusinesses in the area.To find out more about how they canhelp you with ideas for new businessesand find the help you need to get yournew venture off the ground you cancontact the team by phone or by callingin to Forum House on Spital Hill.

You can meet the team at theforthcoming events:Shield, the Business Ideas Workshop• Get the expert help and support you

need to develop and support yournew business ideas. On 17thOctober between 6.00pm and8:00pm at Vestry Hall

Franchising Discovery Day• Monday the 8th October at the

Sheffield Megacentre. Talk witheither Lisa or Farid for further details.

Lisa Hughes – 07917 014 313 • Farid Abdulla – 07825 626 046

ISSUE 69 • APRIL 2007 19

A New Deal for Burngreave

For more information on BNDfC please contact 279 6932 19

Update...Burngreave PoliceteamYou may have seen a couple of newfaces around Burngreave this last month.PC Jonathan Simpson has left the areaand has been replaced by PC Ian Talbotwho started his new role in August. Ian is an experienced officer who hasworked at Attercliffe for the past two yearsduring which time he has workedextensively in the Pitsmoor andBurngreave areas.The team has also welcomed a newPCSO (Police Community SupportOfficer) Supervisor, Lyndsay Cutler, whohas supervisory responsibility for fourPCSO officers working in the Burngreavearea. Lyndsay has come from Barnsleywhere she has had considerableexperience in working with problemsconcerning anti-social behaviour and thedevelopment of community issues.The Burngreave and Pitsmoor areascontinue to be low crime areas. As withother areas in Sheffield it has recentlybeen subject to a spate of lead thefts.Individuals have been arrested in respectof these thefts and the property has beenrecovered. Dene Tingle, the Crime Reduction Officerfor the Safer Neighbourhood area, hasbeen engaged to offer advice to peoplewho have been the subject of thesecrimes. If you need to speak to Dene hecan be reached on 296 4426Officers from the Burngreave teamparticipated in the rescheduled AbbeyfieldFestival on 2nd September. The teamvalued the opportunity to meet with manylocal residents and were kept busychatting and giving advice throughout theevent. If you would like to talk to anyone in theteam please call 296 4489 and leave amessage if they are not in they will callyou back. If you want to report a crimetelephone 220 2020 and of course, in anemergency, call 999.A Residents Forum to discuss the issuesaround Police/Community relations will beheld Wednesday 17th October at VestryHall. A buffet will be served from 5.30pm.Please come along.

• Sat 3rd Nov 2007• 4pm -9pm • Petre Street playing fields

FREE event. Come and enjoy:• Pyrotechnics fire works display• Live music• Local and continental food• Stalls• Local services information

Strictly no pets.No alcohol and no personalfireworks.If you would like to take part inthis years’ event please contact:Leroy Betts 07917 014 312.

CrimestoppersIf you have information about criminalactivity in your neighbourhood and youdon’t want to get involved or give yourname you can call Crimestoppers.Crimestoppers is the only charity directlysupporting the police to help detectcrimes and bring offenders to justice.Crimestoppers take information about anycrimes, for example, driving whilstdisqualified or without insurance,receiving stolen goods, burglaries or drugdealing. Your suspicions are enough forthe Crimestoppers call agent to researchyour information and pass it on to thepolice.When you ring your call will not appearon itemised phone bills from a land line.Crimestoppers call agents don’t havecaller line identifier (CLI); don’t have the1471 facility; and never trace calls.Call agents are forbidden from telling thepolice the gender, apparent ethnicity orage of any caller. If a caller hasinadvertently said they live “next door,” or“are related” to the person they’ve given

information about, this is automaticallykept out of the report sent to the police.If the information you give leads tosomebody being arrested and charged,you can claim a cash reward of up to£1,000 and still stay anonymous.When you call you ask for a referencenumber and ring up later on to find out ifanybody has been arrested and charged.If someone has been, you will be askedto choose a bank from where you want tocollect the cash, you go to the bank on achosen day, give the reference numberand you will be given the cash. Nosignature and no record.If English is not your first language,Language-line is available so aninterpreter can join in with theconversation to ensure you fullyunderstand the questions.When you ring Crimestoppers you willspeak to a person not a machine. The number is 0800 555 111 and theservice is available 24 hours a day, 365days a year.

Burngreave's 4th AnnualBonfire celebrations

20 BURNGREAVE MESSENGER20 This page is produced by Andy Shallice – Area Co-ordinator for the Burngreave Area Panel12–14 Burngreave Road, Sheffield S3 9DD • (0114) 276 9134 • [email protected]

Councillors’ Surgery Dates Your local councillors, Jackie Drayton, Ibrar Hussain and SteveJones (pictured left to right below), share surgeries on a rota basis.

Burngreave Area Panel contact: 276 9134

Councillors’ surgeries are on the second and fourth Saturdaymornings of each month.13th October: Jackie Drayton, 11am–12 noon Burngreave Libraryand 12.15–1.00pm: Firshill TARA27th October: Ibrar Hussain, 11am–12 noon Burngreave LibraryNext Area Panel Public MeetingThursday 4th October at 2pm – note afternoon time – at Roe Lanecommunity centre on Firshill Crescent. Items include Brigitt Cowenfrom Sheffield Homes giving an update on Homes/council housingin the area; Crabtree Pond and Roe Woods reports; and an item onDIY streets. All welcome. For more information see the the AreaPanel website: www.sheffield.gov.uk/in-your-area/area-action/burngreave-area-action.

Two roads in Pitsmoor – Firshill andPasshouses – will be part of a major newnational scheme called “DIY streets”.The aim is to “help residents to re-designtheir own streets affordably, puttingpeople at their heart, and making themsafer and more attractive places to live.”It wants to “create an equality betweenpeople and cars that is decided by theresidents themselves”. The Area Panelsuggested Firshill and Passhouses Roadsbecause the residents had recentlypetitioned for a change. The Council willput up half the funding, with the restfrom Sustrans through grant fundingfrom the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.How did we get to this stage?Calls for traffic calmingEarlier this year, a petition asking fortraffic calming signed by virtuallyeveryone on Firshill and PasshousesRoads was submitted to the AreaPlanning Board. The Area Panel wasaware that traffic calming schemes arestrictly considered, with the number ofcars using the road, any recent injuriesfrom road accidents and any informationon traffic speeds all having a bearing. Thelocal police team were of the view that itdidn’t require any ‘engineering’ solutions– but more patrols. Likewise, althoughHighways staff could see the problemswith traffic avoiding other humpedstreets (Abbeyfield Road), they weren’tconvinced that Firshill and Passhouseswere in more need than other streets inthe city.The Area Panel decided to try to getmore information from residents thatmight support their case. About a thirdof residents replied. One said “Very oftencars get into Passhouses Rd in a not

advisable speed. They come down offScott Rd and speed up into PasshousesRd without any care to the fact thatsomeone could be crossing the road”.Another wrote, “A lot of young peopledrive up and down the road at highspeeds. Sometimes they do ‘skids’ at theend of Firshill Rd”. Someone counted thenumber of cars and pedestrians on thestreet for an hour in the morning – 56cars passed by the shop on the cornerand 167 pedestrians! We asked whatpeople thought was a solution – mostsaid traffic humps, and more policepatrols and cameras. A few suggestedbetter street lighting, no informal sellingof cars, improving the park, and closingthe street by the shop.Unfortunately, when the Planning Boardconsidered the response to the petition inJune, they decided not to support thepetition due to more urgent prioritieselsewhere in the city. So what now?Simple really – it’s now in the hands ofeveryone on Passhouses and FirshillRoads to decide, working with Sustransand Council officers. We’ll keep youinformed.

Bring out yourrubbishThat time of year again – throw out theunwanted rubbish that can’t be re-usedor recycled. It’s still geared to thosewithout access to their own transport totake stuff to the bring-it or recycling sites.Remember, you’ll get a leaflet fromGreen City Action a few days beforehandand all your ‘allowable’ rubbish has to beout on the street before 11am.25 October: Bolsover, Wheldrake,Cammell, Vickers, Ellerton, Lindley.Mortlake.30 October: Earl Marshal Rd, Drive,Close View, Whiteways Close, Drive,Grove and Road, Margate Drive.31 October: Crabtree Ave, Close, Cres,Drive, Lane, Road, Cannon Hall,Goddard Hall, Hampton, Firvale Rd,Hallam Rock.1 November: Barnsley Rd, NorwoodClose, Drive, Road, Firshill Ave, RoeLane, Conningsby Rd, Pitsmoor Rd.6 November: Burngreave Rd, MelroseRd, Coupe Rd, Burngreave St, CatherineRd, Burngreave Bank.7 November: Abbeyfield, Holtwood Rd,Osgathorpe Rd (bottom end), Stair,Devon, Firshill Rd.13 November: Scott Rd, Passhouses Rd,College Court + Close.14 November: Osgathorpe Rd (top) +Drive, Sturton, Skipton, Pexton, Blayton,Kirton, Ellesmere Rd N, Gayton Rd,Firview Gdns.15 November: Page Hall Rd, Rushby St,Owler Lane, Selby, Dunmow.

Residents take on the traffic on Firs Hill Road


Deliver it green…

Green CityActionApple press for hireThe weather may have caused manyproblems this year but it has alsoproduced a glut of apples. We have agreat apple press for hire for thosewho wish to make their own applejuice. The tool bank is now open 1pmto 4pm on Wednesday and 10am to12 noon on Saturdays with a widerange of tools for hire.

Apprentices sign onwith growing GCAteamThe GCA team continues to grow andwe are pleased that two local youngmen have signed on as apprenticestewards. Denzil Ramsey and NathanRichardson have started work and willcomplete a comprehensive trainingpackage during the next 18 months.Both from Burngreave, these youngmen join our team of stewardsworking on our green spaces for thebenefit of the whole community.

The Deliver It Green project, fundedby BNDfC and the Area Panel ismaking a real impact now with itsemphasis on getting the work doneand Harleston Street was one site thathas benefited from a facelift recently.The steward team worked hard toreclaim the old roadway that hadbecome overgrown with grass andweeds making it a safe and tidywalkway for residents to use. Thisfollowed on from the installation of120 metres of new footpath linkingVerdon Street with Rock Street andthe GCA renovated playground onDenholme Close Open Space.

Recycling Banksat last!Story: Saleema ImamLocal recycling banks that we've beenasking for over the last five years havefinally appeared on the Roe LaneCommunity Centre car park, (on FirshillCrescent).“They are already proving very popularwith residents”, says Sheila of FirshillTARA, who requested them at a FirvaleFriday meeting a few months ago.

Clothing, plastics, cans, mixedglass, paper and card can all berecycled there.

At this time of year trees are readyto take a rest, so now’s the time getout your spades and wellies, and getready to get planting. Last year’stree planting season was a greatsuccess, and we hope to see plentyof new faces throughout this year’sprogram of tree-related activity.

What we achieved lastseason…Last season was the most productivefor Burngreave Community Forestrysince I started in September 2005. Intotal 2,356 new trees were establishedin the area, of which 110 were heavystandards (over 8ft high). During 27dedicated sessions 129 young peoplewere engaged and over 200 schoolchildren were involved both at schooland on woodland sites. In all, twenty-five sites benefited from practicalenvironmental improvements and 405volunteers were able to participate in76 events. We worked with a host oforganisations including BTCV, GreenCity Action, the Area Panel, SheffieldFutures and the Youth Council, tomention but a few who have workedhard with us to help increase the treepopulation in the area. At this rateBurngreave will boast a degree of treecover to rival any other area of thecity.

Get involved…This season a similar range ofactivities are planned and will beaccessible to all. Woodlandmanagement is proposed in woodlandalong Bagley Dyke next to theNorthern General Hospital and anexciting forest gardening project onParkwood Springs will be launched.Tree planting will be taking place on

sites across Burngreave and along withadult volunteers, young people andschool children will be given theopportunity to participate. Pleasecontact me if you wish to suggest apotential tree-planting site.

Trees for free…Burngreave Trees for Free is offeringapple and pear trees again this seasonfor residents interested in growingfood at home. In addition tree andshrub species will be available tocreate hedges, an excellent way ofmarking boundaries whilst providingvaluable habitats for wildlife. If youare interested or require moreinformation please call the numberbelow with your name, address,contact number and treerequirements. Please note, BurngreaveTrees for Free is only available toresidents of Burngreave.Many thanks to all involved, I wouldespecially like to say thank you for theaward that I was delighted andprivileged to receive last January. Ilook forward to working with you inthe coming monthsPlease call Tim Shortland on 2734190for details of events thisseason.

It’s the tree planting season again!


Dear Messenger,

I refer to your article and the accompanying letters referring to the

proposed building of a Mosque and Madressa at the top of Earl

Marshal Road. You state in your article opinions have been sought

from the community. How is it then, that nobody sought my

opinion? I live nearest to the present Mosque and I suffer great

inconvenience on a daily basis and have done so ever since the

Mosque came into operation.

I’m also part of the community, but I was not consulted when the

present Mosque came into being and no doubt I will be ignored

about the planning and siting of the future Mosque.

I’m very pleased for any people who have a faith, but it should not

be followed at the expense of others who have their own faith.

I have dirt and filth thrown into my garden and the driveway to my

home is constantly blocked. When I ask people to move, they

become abusive, rude and sometimes threatening.

I understand that all main faiths encouraged people to be

respectful towards older members of society and to respect their

property, but this quality is sadly missing in some of the people I

have dealt with when they are waiting for their children to leave

the Madressa.

I can accept that they want their children to be safe, but this

shouldn’t mean that their children should run through my garden

or that their parents should throw rubbish into it. I also should be

able to use the drive leading to my house, but apparently people

using the Mosque can safely ignore all the parking rules and

nothing can be done about it.

The newly proposed Mosque will apparently only have parking

spaces for 10 cars, so this horrible problem of rubbish, noise and

bad mannered people parking their cars across my drive will go

on and because I am in the minority I will be ignored.

Name and address provided

Write to: Abbeyfield Park House, Abbeyfield Road, Sheffield S4 7AT

Dear Messenger,

The recent debate over Umar Mosque/Madressa on Barnsley Road

reminded me of a similar debate and complaints by local residents

(including Muslims) against a Mosque (Prayer House) during the

Ramadan in 1997-98 when the local Muslim community had

converted a house on Abbeyfield Road into a Prayer House and

Educational centre. So, planning permission was sought and was

granted (after support from a local Councillor) and strict

conditions were imposed to keep number of worshippers/students

to a maximum of 40. This centre mainly catered for elderly

Muslims, children and women. Eventually, the house reverted back

to residential use.

From 1998-99, some members from the former Abbeyfield Road

Islamic centre began to attend/support Umar Mosque. After a

difficult struggle the Mosque developed a good reputation, and

recruited a high calibre Imam. Umar Mosque began to thrive and

some Muslims were well aware of the future possibilities of

complaints from residents (as the Mosque/Madressa was mainly

located in a residential area).

However, prior to the Imam’s appointment, a cross-section of

Muslims (including myself and two Muslim Councillors from

Burngreave and Firth Park) from within Burngreave attended

meetings between July 2000 and October 2000 at the Sheffield

Dear Messenger,

In response to the article in the June Messenger regarding the

proposed building of a 3 storey Madressa on the Masjid Umer site,

I and many other residents felt this rather biased and not reflecting

the full picture, and would make the following comments:

No one is objecting to there being a small local mosque, however,

over recent years Masjid Umer has been utilised as a Madressa

(teaching establishment), contrary to the original planning

application. This has led to problems of people from outside the

local vicinity sending their children there when there are adequate

facilities in other parts of Burngreave and Sheffield.

“… over 700 people attend the Madressa” - The original planning

application was for a local mosque not a city-wide Madressa, with

no indication, at the time, that the mosque committee wanted to

develop a Madressa on a scale completely unsuitable for the site

or vicinity.

“…vast majority of the young people that attend are from

Burngreave” - Comments on the Council Planning Department

Website show that many in favour of this application come from

around the city: Firth Park, Heeley, Walkley, Dronfield and as far

as Leicester, York, Leeds and Hull.

“…there is a genuine traffic issue, but the issue is only between

7–7.15pm.” – at the recent Area Panel meeting in July, the Area

Co-ordinator and Councillors acknowledged, “problems of travel

and parking issues in the area around the Northern General

Hospital,” and parking issues due to the Madressa are among

issues documented by residents on the Council website and at the

Area Panel meeting. A three-storey purpose-built Madressa on the

proposed site would just add to the problem.

Those voicing concerns are not against having local mosque(s), but

against an ill-thought out application for a 3 storey teaching

facility, which is clearly not suited to its current location. We hope

those involved in the application think again and take into account

the feelings of both Muslims and non-Muslims and look for an

alternative more suitable venue that won’t add to the current

problems experienced by local residents.

Name and address provided.

Medical Centre (Dr. Q. Zaman’s Surgery), Spital Street. These

meetings came about as a result of broad agreement for the

proposed project at the BNDfC roadshow meeting on 10th April

2000 and the SHWAM report’s mention of ‘...Muslim School...’ (Dr

Zaman had previously floated the idea to build a Mosque/Islamic

Centre on the land adjacent to Handley/Spital Street, in 1997). The

group drafted a terms of reference and Architectural Feasibility

Study by Burnell Briercliffe Architects estimated at a cost of £40k

for the Islamic Cultural Centre – which was later called

‘Burngreave Community Well-Being Centre’ (BCWC) with a letter

to BNDfC (Theme Groups) and Sheffield First. The group did not

receive a response from BNDfC & Sheffield City Council.

Unfortunately, the BCWC Steering Group was unaware that this

proposed plan would later transpire into the Multicultural centre in

the form of Forum House on Spital Hill under the auspices of the

Black Community Forum (BCF) by early 2001. Had the BCWC

development gone ahead it would have been better for the Muslim

community, it would have brought people together and the

problems being faced by Umar Mosque would have been avoided.

MATLOUB HUSAYN ALI KHAN

In response to residents’ concerns, the plans for the Mosque &Madressa have changed and include the reduction in roofheight to match buildings nearby, relocation of access routesto reduce disruption, and allocation of pick-up points forparents and children. More information can be found at:www.sheffield.gov.uk, planning application ref: 07/01306/FUL.

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