Wednesday 22 April 2009

Do the swish

Wednesday 22 April 2009 0
Due to the recession lots of us don’t have that much money left over to spend. But thanks to the new craze of ‘swishing’ that shouldn’t be a problem.

Swishing is the new way to swap your old clothes and accessories for a whole lot of new ones. Galaxy are supporting this campaign by holding a swishing party of their own.

They’ll be at Crystal, 23-32 Carver Street Sheffield on Thursday 30th April with the Hirsty’s Daily Dose cast. The swishing kicks off at 7.30pm and is for over 18s only. To get tickets go to http://www.galaxyyorkshire.co.uk/come-to-our-party-5306.

If you don’t fancy that then why not hold your own swishing party. All you need to do is get a few friends together and ask them to bring about 5 garments round with them and get swishing.

It’s a great way to save money, and also makes a great night in. If there are any clothes left over you could always give them to a charity. You’ll be getting a new outfit and helping someone.

Hannah McCann a former swisher said “Due to everyone been skint lately, swishing is a great way to get a new outfit. Not only that but it’s a good laugh and a great night out. Any thing that was left over we bagged up and gave to Oxfam.”

Story by Deborah Reilly

Thursday 2 April 2009

Mumps - Students Beware!

Thursday 2 April 2009 0
Sheffield University has been hit with an outbreak of mumps. An email has been sent out to all students warning them of the virus which is being spread from students still attending University with the common disease.

The email stated that the University is ‘currently experiencing an outbreak of mumps in the student population. At the end of February the total number of cases notified was 28. By the end of Monday, March 30th, the number of cases had risen to 75 with more cases presenting yesterday.

For all those that do not know what mumps is: Mumps is a viral infection of the parotid salivary glands. Mumps is caused by a contagious virus, which is transmitted through the air from the coughs and sneezes of infected people.

It takes 14 and 21 days for the symptoms of mumps to develop, after coming into contact with someone who has the virus. Mumps is normally a mild illness, but in a minority of cases there can be severe complications, such as deafness, infertility and meningitis.

Students at the University have been urged ‘to have an MMR booster if they had not already had 2 MMR vaccinations’. Those that have caught the virus are told to stay at home to prevent the epidemic from spreading.

Beware students, the disease can cause infertility and also the guys painful testicular swelling!

1-0 Sheffield Hallam (for now).

Sunday 29 March 2009

Sheffield's Big Spring Clean.

Sunday 29 March 2009 0

Sheffield City Council launched a campaign last week in a bid to get locals to clean up the city.

The ‘Big Spring Clean’ is the biggest clean-up operation that Sheffield has ever seen, with hundreds of people, from school children to local businesses being encouraged to roll up their sleeves and get involved.



With Spring just around the corner, Council bosses are urging local people to make a conscious effort to tidy up the city by picking up litter and keeping their local area tidy and rubbish-free. They are offering to provide plastic sacks and litter picking equipment to anyone that wants to get involved. Even Cabinet members have been doing their bit, by litter picking at Darnall Community park last week.



The campaign which began on 21st of March, will go on until the 19th of April.
Councillor Sylvia Dunkley, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Streetscene said: “Sheffield people take great pride in their city and we are calling upon everyone to get behind this campaign and show what a real difference they can make.”



Over the next four weeks it is hoped locals will show their support for this campaign to help keep Sheffield green. Cllr Dunkley added: ”I know there is already a lot of excellent work carried out by many groups and individuals to keep their local areas tidy, but we want to focus everyone’s commitment to this four week period and join in Sheffield’s Big Spring Clean.”
“We can all do something to help” she said.
Lucy Owen








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Saturday 28 March 2009

Rise in tuition fees branded 'crazy' by students

Saturday 28 March 2009 0
University students are to be even more out of pocket following a proposal to raise tuition fees.

Some students would find themselves with debts of up to £50,000 which they could be paying off well into their 50s.

Students studying in Scotland and Wales already pay less on fees, with talk of the fees being totally abolished and wiped out.

Universities have been saying for some-time now that they do not receive enough money from students.

The government have backed this up by saying graduates benefit from having gained a degree - through wider career opportunities and earnings - so ought to contribute something.

Vice-chancellors said they should be allowed to charge £5,000 a year in tuition fees, above the current cap of just over £3,000.

Student ambassadors in several universities have branded the proposals ‘crazy’.

This was certainly echoed by concerned students at Sheffield Hallam University.

“It’s not a case of will I get the grades, but a case of will I have enough money to finance myself at university,” said Shelley Foster, an Art and Design student.

Journalism student Anil Pattni said: “It worries me a great deal, how can being in massive debt appeal to people wanting to come to university.”

"I think it's crazy, it's like the government don't get enough money out of us as it is," said Adam Kelly, a 3rd year Sport and Exercise student.


Story by Jack Nesteruk

School children keeping it green


The colour of our money or more the lack of it has made us forget about the other global disaster. Global warming! With the recession hitting everyone hard, not only has the Government put a hold on plans to deal with global warming so have the public.


However not everyone has forgotten about the dangers of global warming. Green-fingered school children in Netherthorpe will be making their area even greener next Monday as they plan to plant four trees during the day. Accompanying the pupils on the activity will be City Council’s Chief Executive, John Mothersole.


However it's not just the children at Netherthorpe Primary that will be planting trees, pupils from Angram Bank Junior School and Lound Infants School will help to plant six trees in a bid to make their area greener.


Councillor Colin France, the City Council’s Cabinet Adviser for Climate Change and Local Environment said: “It’s great to see so many young people getting involved in planting trees right across the city. They will have the opportunity to see the trees grow and make a valuable contribution towards ensuring that Sheffield remains this country’s greenest city.”


The tree-planting is part of the Council’s commitment to plant at least 5,000 trees this year to improve Sheffield’s green environment. Matthew Webb from Netherthorpe Primary School added: "Our pupils were really keen to be involved in this project, as it will allow them to do something positive that they will see every day. As a school we are passionate about making the Netherthorpe area an even better place to be."


The Lord Mayor said: “It’s wonderful to see so many young people getting involved in planting trees to improve the environment right across the city. They will be able to see the trees grow and make a positive contribution to this country’s greenest city.”


Anil Pattni

Thursday 26 March 2009

NHS Choice Roadshow comes to Sheffield.

Thursday 26 March 2009 0

An awareness campaign to inform people of their healthcare choices has been launched this week by the NHS.

NHS Sheffield is hosting an NHS Choice roadshow which began on Monday and is being held throughout the week at different locations around the city. The campaign will cover twenty four primary care trust areas over the next eight weeks, with three teams covering the South, South West and North of the country.

Alan Smith, an adviser who hosted an NHS Choice stand at Sheffield City Library on Wednesday said: “Our aim is to make people more aware of their healthcare rights. Some people may already be aware of some of the choices available as they have been advertised in GP surgeries and on television, but we want everybody to know exactly what is available to them.”

The campaign hopes to inform people of the healthcare options available that they may not have been aware of. These options include, patients having the right to choose any hospital in England to have treatment, and receiving non-emergency treatment within 18 weeks of being seen by the GP. Also, through the NHS Choice website, patients are able to compare hospital infection rates, services and read comments from other patients, as well as find local GP surgeries and other NHS services. Other services include local community support for long term illnesses such as diabetes and asthma and longer opening hours for doctors surgeries and pharmacies.

In addition, a new “Choose and Book” computer system will allow patients, together with their GP, to decide which hospital they will go to for treatment. It allows patients to book appointments online and provides a greater choice of dates and times, allowing the patient more freedom.

It is hoped that these new measures will see hospitals improve their services. Alan Smith said: “The fact that people now have more choice when it comes to their healthcare will force hospitals to effectively compete against each other to attract service users. Hospitals will ’up their game’ to make themselves more appealing to patients and visitors and will be driven to improve their services. So far, the response from the public has been very positive.”

For more information about NHS services, call 08454647 or visit http://www.nhs.uk/.








The Six NHS Choices:


  • You can expect to start treatment for a non-emergency condition within 18 weeks.

  • You have the right to choose to go to any hospital in England.

  • There’s lots of local support to help you manage a long term condition.
  • There are now more healthcare services available in or near your home.

  • You have greater access to Gps with new health centres opening and more GP practices open for longer hours.
  • Many pharmacies are open in the evenings and weekends.




  • By Lucy Owen

    Wednesday 18 March 2009

    Student Restaurant, 'Deli Delicious'

    Wednesday 18 March 2009 0
    The top floor of the Owen Building at Sheffield Hallam University was transformed into a prefab restaurant this Tuesday. ‘Deli Deli’ was opened as part of the 2nd year Hospitality Management course at the University. Diners were invited to enjoy 3 courses for just £6, so I jumped at the chance.

    The menu offered a choice of 3 dishes for each course. I chose homemade salmon fishcakes as a starter. The fishcakes were made with jalapeno peppers, which at first seemed a worrying choice of ingredient. However, the mix of the flavoursome salmon with the occasional burst of spice was very enjoyable, and innovative.



    For the main course, I chose the spaghetti carbonara. What was promised as a ‘hefty portion’ did not disappoint. The pasta was light, counteracted completely by the richness of the creamy sauce. While this balance was tasty, I must admit it felt a little too heavy after a few mouthfuls. Indeed, aware that I still needed to enjoy a dessert, I regretfully had to leave some of the pasta.


    While I opted for what I had hoped would be the light option, some of my fellow diners chose fillet steak in a red wine sauce, which, after watching it arrive at the next table, I immediately desired. Indeed, I was able to sample the steak, and I began to wish I’d chosen it in the first place.

    However, dessert was next, and my choice was by no means original - chocolate fudge cake. However, I must add that nothing on the dessert menu sounded particularly appetising. This created the impression that desserts were perhaps an afterthought in the restaurant’s preparation. While a somewhat ‘stock’ dessert, the fudge cake was delectable, and the light ice cream it came with was the perfect antidote to the heaviness of the main course.

    While the sheer amount of food left me reeling, the quality of the service was steadying. I did not expect professional treatment, but was pleasantly surprised at just how competent the student-waiting staff were at adding to the positive atmosphere. Our table all received its meals at once, and any requests were dealt with very efficiently.

    Other members of the Hospitality Management course are staging their own efforts over the coming weeks, every Tuesday and Wednesday in the Owen Building. I, for one, will be attending again.

    Posted by Joe Moody