SheffieldForum

Personally, I really disagreed with Kate Josephs remaining Chief Exec after the Covid parties scandal… …but, I was convinced by a number of business leaders, charity heads and others I spoke to who said she is the first Chief Exec to come in and actually make a difference for them and their organisations. There’s a lot of people in Sheffield — many who were previously convinced that the Council were completely awful and beyond saving — who will defend Kate Josephs and the difference she has made in a short time. So, on that basis I’m happy to give the benefit of the doubt to her right now. And I’m sure she could make well over £250k in the private sector if she wanted.

A message from Kate Josephs, Returning Officer: “Dear Elector, “2024 Sheffeld City Council and South Yorkshire Combined Authority Mayoral Elections “I am writing to you as a postal voter in the Manor Castle ward. Because of a printing error by our third-party printer, you will have been issued with two postal vote packs for the forthcoming elections on 2 May 2024. I want to reassure you that this error will not affect your ability to vote at these elections. “Please return one of the two packs as normal and destroy the second pack. If both packs are returned then the second pack will be rejected by us. No voter will be able to vote more than once. “One of the packs contained an error in the accompanying instructions in asking you to vote for no more than two candidates in the city council election. This should have read ‘vote for one candidate’. The instructions on the top of all of the ballot papers are, however, correct. “If you have already returned one of the postal vote packs and believe you may have voted for two candidates at either election, it is really important that you get in contact with us so that we can cancel both of your original packs and issue you with a new pack. “Please accept our sincere apologies for this error. If you have any questions about anything in this letter, please contact us using the details below. “Our contact details are: Email: electoralservices@she/eld.gov.uk Phone: 0114 2736910 “Yours sincerely, Kate Josephs Returning Officer”

Happening around us! Theres lots to be positive about in the city.

Indeed. Elected councillors are on next to nothing and get a ridiculous amount of criticism and stress for it.

The undisclosed names by the disclosed job titles is strange - for instance, we know that Greg Fell is the Director of Public Health and could probably work out who the rest are with a quick Google. On the topic though - I have no qualms with these salaries personally. If we are to attract the best talent to run what is essentially vital services for the city we should be willing to pay for it to convince people with the right skills to come from the much higher paid private sector. We had many years of underpaying and not being able to compete with the private sector, which led to some... lets say poor quality... officers and executives in the past.

Pretty sure he hasn't called... ...and if he did it might not have led to this thread where we can discuss it and similarly confused people might eventually get an answer...

Oh - are you postal vote?

I've checked my paperwork and have received two sets of correspondence: 1: Polling card for local election and regional mayoral election 2: Sperate booklet pertaining to the mayoral election (which states on the envelope that they are required by law to send the booklet to each person entitled to vote in this election Are these what people are meaning in this thread as to two sets of 'voting papers'?

Did one come from the Sheffield City Council returning officer and one from the Mayoral returning officer? (Are they the same person?)

One of Sheffield's best loved artists Pete McKee is calling on the public to help him locate 25 of his past original artworks. The works are set to star in new exhibition which will make its debut at Weston Park Museum later this year. Opening in November, The Boy with a Leg Named Brian will take visitors on an autobiographical journey through Pete’s childhood in 1970’s Sheffield. You can view all the works Pete is looking for at Sheffield Museums. Pete is only looking for original artworks, not prints, and only the works listed – please don’t get in touch regarding any paintings not included in the list. The originals are easily identifiable – they will be painted on board and will either be unframed or framed in a wooden frame. If you own one of the listed originals, please get in touch with Pete’s team, who would love to talk to you about borrowing it for the upcoming exhibition. You can contact them at chris@petemckee.com

Sophie, GrumpyCatWeasel is a troll poster that we’ve probably tolerated a bit too long — nobody is really planning on sending homeless away on buses (and this topic only remains to show what a ridiculous idea it would be) . 🤣

Ahh, no — it isn’t that building for this development. The William Rowland building is on the diagonally opposite corner to your screenshot (i.e. directly behind where that shot was taken).

Theres actually a good argument by a PhD Researcher in the full article linked that automation is currently proving uneconomical for many businesses: “Cowman-Sharpe says the investment needed to retrofit an entire factory likely means the effect of automation hasn’t been that big so far. “£150 million is a lot of money,” he says. “Given the cost of energy at the moment, it could be cheaper for a lot of places to actually continue to pay a workforce.”” Over time, and as global prices adjust it may change of course.

You can meet the team helping Sunnybank nature reserve next Wednesday:

Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust have been provisionally granted £10,000 worth of funding for Sunnybank nature reserve (off Ecclesall Road) and Crabtree Ponds nature reserve (off Barnsley Road), BUT they need your help to unlock it! Basically, to be given the funding they need the public to match it - if they can raise £10k of donations from the public then they get the £10k of match funding from The Big Give Green Match Fund. HOWEVER, they on'y have ONE WEEK to raise it, starting today. Please give what you can to help plans for nature and health benefits at these locations here: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002SEV60AAH Here's what the money will go towards: £4,000 – Crabtree steps replacement £1,200 – Crabtree Woodland and Meadow Management £5,100 – Crabtree Pond Dipping Platform Installation £3,500 – Sunnybank pond restoration £2,000 – Sunnybank Interpretation board £3,000 – Sunnybank Welcome sign x2 £1,200 – Sunnybank habitat management DONATE HERE & THE BIG GIVE WILL MATCH YOUR DONATION: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002SEV60AAH From Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust: "As our cities grow, wildlife gets pushed out. Hedgehogs, birds, insects and reptiles are all losing their homes and being forced into smaller areas, resulting in declining numbers. Likewise, people in local communities are losing green spaces to new developments or anti-social behaviour. "Research shows the benefit of time spent in nature to people's wellbeing, however our busy lives and lack of access in urban areas can mean we don't have these opportunities." DONATE HERE & THE BIG GIVE WILL MATCH YOUR DONATION: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002SEV60AAH "We are lucky enough to manage a number of urban nature reserves, however without funding for maintenance and upkeep, these are in danger of becoming inaccessible to people and unsuitable for wildlife to thrive. "With your support we will be able to improve access with steps & paths, therefore protecting wildlife as well as creating new habitats including ponds and woodland management. "These actions will support wildlife and provide wider benefits such as improved air quality and carbon capture." DONATE HERE & THE BIG GIVE WILL MATCH YOUR DONATION: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002SEV60AAH