Global recognition for Operation Makesafe

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 30, 2016 01:04:13 PM


The work of South Yorkshire Police and students from Sheffield Hallam University on Operation Makesafe, a child protection training package, has been recognised in a global study on the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism.


The study, commissioned by ECPAT and published in May this year, contains detailed studies about child sexual exploitation in the travel and tourism industries from across the globe.


Contained within the report is reference to South Yorkshire Police’s work alongside Sheffield Hallam University students on Operation Makesafe.

Operation Makesafe is a South Yorkshire Police child sexual exploitation training package that has been delivered to a number of industries, including hotels and bus companies.


Businesses are taught about the warning signs of child sexual exploitation, how to spot potential perpetrators and how to report suspicions to police, as they continue to crack down on this crime.


In November last year, SYP worked with students from a combination of International Tourism, Hospitality and Events Management courses to translate the training materials into a number of languages, meaning that the training could be offered to more people.


Sergeant Katherine Wallis, who is named in the expert paper by Sheffield Hallam University, said: “It is a privilege and an honour to be mentioned in a global study about child sexual exploitation and I am thrilled that Operation Makesafe is getting this recognition.


“This paper is a fascinating insight into how other countries across the world are tackling this horrific crime and I’d urge anyone working with children or interested in the field to read the report.


“I am indebted to the support of the university and to the hard work of the students, who have helped us make the Operation Makesafe package more accessible to a wider range of communities because of their contributions.”


Ray Nolan, Senior Lecturer in Sheffield Hallam University Business School, said: “Students can not only benefit but can contribute to the fight against child sexual exploitation in the travel and tourism industries.


“Our students already work with South Yorkshire Police, the National Working Group and Sheffield Child Safeguarding to develop the training material in addition to our students who have completed the training and taken the knowledge into their workplace and discussed it with their managers and colleagues.


“This project has helped to raise awareness and has generated a more informed intelligence picture which is contributing to the fight against CSE and particularly for our international students who quite often have not encountered such topics before, have been keen to take this knowledge forward within their professions all over the world.”


You can read the global study here: globalstudysectt.org/global-report/ and the Sheffield Hallam University paper that contributed to the study here: globalstudysectt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Expert-paper-Shef...


To report concerns about child sexual exploitation, you can ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or the national helpline Say Something on 116 000.


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Celebration time in Wath-upon-Dearne

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 30, 2016 09:25:39 AM


Wath-upon-Dearne folk will be digging out the bunting yet again next weekend for their third major celebration in a month.


Following the Wath Festival and the annual church garden party, the town gala rolls around on Saturday, July 9.


Organised by Wath-upon-Dearne Community and Montgomery Hall Partnership, the event promises an afternoon of family fun and entertainment and runs from 1pm to 4pm.


Entertainment from the Barnsley Concert Band will provide a musical backdrop, along with the local Junior Schools Choir and singer Georgia.


Fun and games include the tug of war, filed sports and children’s games, as well as the chance to check out a fire engine and police car.


Town centre shops are taking part in a treasure hunt, and there are also prizes to be won in the giant raffle and big tombolo, including football tickets, shopping and restaurant vouchers and pampering treatments.


Children’s attractions include fairground rides, swings and slides and a bouncy castle, plus ice cream face painting and the village stocks.


The gala will also include the return of the flower show, with entries to be in place for judging at Montgomery Hall from noon, and the popular dog show, which will set tales wagging once again.


Entrants and their owners should be there by 11.30am.

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£17m pot for regeneration in Rotherham town centre

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 29, 2016 11:30:58 AM


Rotherham Council is putting together a £17m pot for regeneration in the town centre and the masterplan should identify the capital projects that will be brought forward.

The key development sites are detailed here.


A brief for the new masterplan states: "The proposed Masterplan represents an important opportunity for Rotherham. It will allow the Council and other key land owners to explore possibilities to enhance and support growth in this key area of the town and to set out its expectations for the content and timing of development proposals.


"The production of a Masterplan has the potential to kick-start the wider regeneration of the town. It is envisaged that underutilised sites which face connectivity issues will be transformed and contribute to a new and vibrant town centre.


"The Masterplan will support the delivery of schemes within the Rotherham town centre by providing greater certainty to existing businesses and potential investors, allowing development to take place in a co-ordinated fashion. It will provide detail on the options for delivery and implementation for key parts of the town centre. This will include soft market testing, viability assessments, cost estimates and implementation plans and funding options."


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Event to celebrate children's social work

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 29, 2016 11:02:41 AM


Representatives from Barnsley Council will be attending a conference in Sheffield celebrating children's social work in Yorkshire and the Humber this week.


The Festival of Social Work is being hosted by the region's 15 local authorities to highlight innovation and allow social workers to share good practice and learn from each other.


The councils – working together as Children's Social Work Matters – hope the event will inspire and educate professionals through a series of speeches, workshops, video testimonies and a question and answer session with social services directors and senior managers.


The day will include a keynote speech by an entrepreneur who grew up in care, a senior family judge and an expert in adolescent behaviour. Around 200 delegates including frontline children's social workers are expected.


The workshops will see a number of the region's award-winning projects showcased, including work with clinical psychologists to tackle child sexual exploitation in South Yorkshire and a programme where family court judges work intensively with West Yorkshire families affected by drugs and alcohol abuse.


Rachel Dickinson, Executive Director for People at Barnsley Council and the regional lead for Children's Social Work Matters will be opening the conference. She said: "This region aims to build a reputation – among both professionals and members of the general public – for using innovation to tackle the many problems facing vulnerable children in our society.


"Our local authorities are taking bold steps to do things differently and are currently involved in many ground-breaking programmes and pilots to protect children and families.


"We set up Children's Social Work Matters in 2011 to help raise the bar across Yorkshire and the Humber and to champion the vital role of children's social work.


"This conference gives us the perfect opportunity to do that. It's the right time to share and celebrate our successes."


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Rotherham man jailed for child sexual offences

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 29, 2016 11:04:36 AM


Jason MaddenA 39-year-old Rotherham man has been jailed for 12 years, with an extension of four years, for sexually abusing five children, as well as possessing and distributing indecent images of children.


Jason Madden, of Leopold Street, Dinnington, appeared before Sheffield Crown Court today (Tuesday 28 June) to receive his sentence after pleading guilty to ten counts of indecent assault, two counts of gross indecency and one count of sexual assault at an earlier hearing.


He also entered guilty pleas to five counts of possessing indecent images of children and one count of distributing indecent images of children to 12 other users at the same hearing.


He was given an extended sentence of 16-years, to serve 12-years behind bars with a four-year extension.


The court heard how Madden abused his victims, four boys and a girl who were between the ages of five and 13-years-old, on separate occasions over a 12-year period in Rotherham.


In 2014, officers executed a warrant at Madden’s home. The computers and electronic devices seized revealed thousands of indecent images of children.


A joint investigation by south yorkshire Police and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council was launched and it was during this investigation that victims began to come forward and disclose historic sexual abuse by Madden.


Investigating officer Acting Detective Sergeant Gareth Gent said: “Madden preyed on young children for his own sexual gratification – a truly heinous crime.


“In some cases, his victims revealed that he had given them money and told them not to say anything, exploiting these vulnerable young children even further.


“The victims have been remarkably brave throughout a complex and lengthy police investigation and I am pleased that Madden entered guilty pleas at court. This has spared the victims, some of whom remain young children, from the further ordeal of a trial.


“I hope that today’s result offers them some comfort in the knowledge that this man is now behind bars for his crimes, and I hope it encourages other victims of sexual abuse to come forward and speak to police.


“We are determined to bring perpetrators of child sexual abuse before the courts and will do all that we can to ensure these criminals can cause no further harm to children in South Yorkshire.”


Ian Thomas, Rotherham Council’s Strategic Director of Children’s Services said: “This conviction is a good outcome for what is an appalling case and the courage, patience and bravery of these victims to bring this case to court should be commended.


"Once again this verdict is testimony to the many people working across the council and the police coming together with a shared commitment to victims of these type of crimes. We will all continue to work together to keep our children safe, and to root out abuse wherever we find it, and whoever perpetrates it."


Please note that victims of sexual offences are granted anonymity for life under the Sexual Offences Act. Anyone who identifies a victim of a sexual offence, or posts information that could lead to the identification of a victim, could face prosecution.


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Success in Local Awards Initiative

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 24, 2016 12:42:57 PM


An Apprentice from Dearne Valley College is celebrating after receiving high praise and recognition for his achievements at a local awards initiative, which concluded in a special presentation at Rotherham Town Hall.


Jack Hopkinson, who is nearing the end of his Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools Apprenticeship at Jump Primary School, was presented with a special ‘Runner-Up’ at the Rotherham Apprentice of the Year awards; an accolade that was only given after Jack narrowly missed out on the winner’s title.


The judges strongly believed that Jack’s achievements deserved acknowledgement at the event, which was hosted by the Rotherham Business Growth Board, the Rotherham Advertiser and other partners to recognise the fantastic achievements made by young people across the region. Entrants were nominated by their employer before being shortlisted to face an interview with a judges panel, which including representatives from the Rotherham Advertiser, the Business Growth Board, the National Apprenticeship Service and local business people, among others.


A spokesperson for Dearne Valley College said: “We are extremely proud of Jack, who has overcome barriers, and made huge strides in his Apprenticeship. He has brought many benefits to his employer, including using his passion for sport to help create links with sports clubs to open up opportunities for the school’s pupils, and has even helped the academy group to recruit another seven Apprentices; he is a fantastic role model for others who are considering the Apprenticeship route.


Following the awards, Jack plans to complete his Apprenticeship and is celebrating further after securing himself a full-time Teaching Assistant role with his Apprenticeship employer. Jack was also named Dearne Valley College’s Apprentice of the Year at their awards held in March of this year.


Visit the Dearne Valley College website for more information about Apprenticeships and to view live Apprenticeship vacancies at www.dearne-coll.ac.uk. For those considering the Apprenticeship route or any of the courses that Dearne Valley College has to offer, join the team for their upcoming Taster Day taking place on Tuesday 5th July, 9.30am-12.30pm. Simply visit the College’s website to secure a place.


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Crafty communities come together to celebrate Rotherham

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 25, 2016 10:02:37 AM


Rotherham’s District Commander is throwing his weight behind an art project aimed at uniting communities.


The Art Bomb, which has been set up by Rotherham Ethnic Minority Alliance (REMA), encourages people from groups across the town to get creative and donate craft projects for a two-week gallery.


Items can be made from any material, from knitted items to clay, and must be submitted by Wednesday 13 July to go on display at various locations throughout Rotherham.


Chief Superintendent Rob Odell (pictured) said: “We fully support REMA’s project which aims to unite communities and get people involved in an exciting, borough-wide project.


“The Art Bomb is part of a larger scale project which promotes tolerance and encourages people to be kinder to each other.


“I would encourage people to sign up and share this celebration of our diverse town.”


For more information visit www.facebook.com/LoveisLouderRotherham/ or follow @Lv_is_Louder


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Welcoming Dan Jarvis MP

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 24, 2016 12:37:48 PM


Barnsley Sixth Form College welcomed Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis to a debate between students, to discuss the talk of the UK, the EU Referendum.


The debate on the afternoon of the referendum, gave the students the opportunity to express their opinions on what has been a momentous day. The day included EU quizzes and activities, while students were able to sample food from a number of European countries.


Barnsley Sixth Form College Principal Liz Leek addressed the pupils before they engaged in discussion in the presence of Dan Jarvis MP. Students were encouraged to take part in political events and take their experiences with them.


Liz said: “The pupils worked really hard forming compelling opinions and despite not having the opportunity to vote, some of their arguments were well researched and executed.”


From September 2016 Barnsley Sixth Form College will be offering a new A Level in Government and Politics. Students will study subjects such as People, Politics and Participation and Governing Modern Britain.


For further information about A Level courses available at Barnsley Sixth Form College please call 01226 216 123, email info@barnsley.ac.uk or visit www.barnsleysixthformcollege.co.uk.


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Road scheme revised following local concerns

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 24, 2016 12:20:08 PM


Published on Thursday, 23rd June 2016 in Roads - road-works news


Thurcroft residents are being advised of traffic disruption when a major road through the village is reconstructed from the end of June.


Work is set to take place on the B6060 Green Arbour Road between the junction with Katherine Street and Locksley Drive from Monday (27 June).


Concerns from local businesses led to the Council carrying out further consultation with traders and ward councillors for Thurcroft.


Following this consultation the Council has revised its plans which will now mean a shorter period (six weeks) the road is closed, but a longer construction period of 16 weeks. Works taking place outside of the full road closure period will be undertaken using two-way traffic lights, so delays are possible.


Rotherham Council’s Assistant Director for Community Safety and Street Scene, Karen Hanson, said: “We appreciate there will be disruption to the area whilst these much-needed and major works to repair the road are carried out.


“We have listened to the concerns of local people and business owners, and have looked to reduce disruption with this shorter road closure, in what is a major piece of work for our highways team.


“These are very necessary works, and we have listened to feedback from local residents who have been concerned about the carriageway in this area.


“We apologise for any disruption that these vital works may cause. We have aimed for part of the work to take place during the school holidays when traffic should be lighter than at other times of year, with the majority of the road closure aimed to take place at this time,” added Karen.


The work to Green Arbour Road is the second part of a three-phase plan to fully renew this vital section of the Borough’s highway network. Because of the heavy clay soil conditions in Thurcroft, the reconstruction will involve excavation and reconstruction of the carriageway (up to a depth of 800mm) to ensure a long lasting solution.


Members of the public who have any comments or concerns about the roadworks can contact the Council's Streetpride service.


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Preparing for Space

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 24, 2016 12:42:57 PM


We usually send them 400 km up, but next week ESA will be sending six astronauts 800 m underground into the rocky caves of Sardinia, Italy. The caving course recreates aspects of a space expedition with an international crew and has become an essential part of ESA’s astronaut training.


This year’s participants are ESA astronaut Pedro Duque, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Richard Arnold, Japanese astronaut Aki Hoshide, Chinese astronaut Ye Guangfu and cosmonaut Sergei Korsakov.

Spacewalk or cavewalk?


Caves offer a dark and alien underground environment with many analogies to space. Deep underground, our senses are deprived of many sounds and natural light. The procedure for moving along a cave wall resembles spacewalking and cave explorers need to stay alert, take critical decisions both as an individual and as a team, just as in space.


The CAVES – Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising – course focuses on multicultural approaches to leadership, following orders, teamwork and decision-making.


By the end, the astronauts have a better understanding of how they function in a multicultural team and what they are skilled at, as well as areas for self-improvement.


“We are very pleased to include the first female astronaut and first ‘taikonaut’ in this CAVES course,” says mission director Loredana Bessone, “creating an even better mix of cultures and experience to put the astronauts’ behaviour to the test.”

Using xFerra


As with any astronaut mission, science and technology are an important part of the undertaking. This year the team will test new equipment to make 3D maps of the caves they explore using photograph-based measurements. They will set up basecamp further into the caves than ever before and talk with (above)-ground control via xFerra, a novel and powerful communication system that can transmit through 800 m of rock.


In previous years astronauts explored and charted areas in the Sardinian underground network and returned with a new species of crustaceans.

Exploring a cave


The astronauts will arrive on 24 June and start with a week of training learning to run experiments and traverse the underground caverns using a similar tethering and buddy system as on spacewalks.


On 1 July the astronauts will head underground for a six-night expedition, where their senses will be deprived in the blackness and quiet of the underground. Cut off from the usual day–night cycle, as well as civilisation, they will rely on each other and communication with the surface to achieve their goals, operating like astronauts on the Space Station.


Follow the underground adventure on Twitter with hashtag #CAVES2016, and on the CAVES blog – the crew promise to send daily video updates of their progress.


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The CRISPR-Cas9 Cancer Therapy

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 24, 2016 11:38:30 AM

A team of Physicians at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine now has their project of modifying the immune cells of 18 different cancer patients with the CRISPR-Cas9 system approved by the National Institute of Health.

Targeted genome editing using engineered nucleases has rapidly gone from being a niche technology to a mainstream method used by many biological researchers.

This widespread adoption has been largely fueled by the emergence of the clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) technology, an important new approach for generating RNA-guided nucleases, such as Cas9, with customizable specificities.

Genome editing mediated by these nucleases has been used to rapidly, easily and efficiently modify endogenous genes in a wide variety of biomedically important cell types and in organisms that have traditionally been challenging to manipulate genetically.

Furthermore, a modified version of the CRISPR-Cas9 system has been developed to recruit heterologous domains that can regulate endogenous gene expression or label specific genomic loci in living cells. Although the genome-wide specificities of CRISPR-Cas9 systems remain to be fully defined, the power of these systems to perform targeted, highly efficient alterations of genome sequence and gene expression will undoubtedly transform biological research and spur the development of novel molecular therapeutics for human disease.

CRISPR is the gift that keeps on giving—when it’s not fighting blindness, tackling HIV, or even recording real-time immune responses, it is taking on the emperor of all maladies: cancer.

But what’s even more fascinating about this use of CRISPR is that the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Recombinant DNA Research Advisory Committee (RAC) has approved the first-ever use of CRISPR in human cancer therapy, a monumental step in the history of the gene-editing technology.

While receiving funding from the Parker Immunotherapy Foundation, physicians at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine plan on working with the T-cells of 18 patients who have either melanoma, sarcoma, or myeloma by performing three distinct CRISPR edits:

Offensive: T-cells will be modified to have a gene that produces a protein that will help T-cells identify and target cancer cells.

Read More:   http://futurism.com/approved-first-ever-human-trials-involving-crispr-gene-editing-in-fight-against-cancer/

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High Sheriff meets Inspiring Youth volunteers

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 24, 2016 12:11:18 PM


The High Sheriff of South Yorkshire, Dr Julie MacDonald, made a special trip to force HQ yesterday (Wednesday 22 June) to meet Inspiring Youth volunteers and learn more about their work.


A dedicated group including retired police officers, police staff, serving officers and community volunteers all help to run the Inspiring Youth project, which aims to help young people build skills and improve on their education.

The team contribute many hours of their time without pay, which is one of the key strengths and successes of this project that is now in its 10th year.


Bobby Dev, Youth and Community Liaison Officer, said: “The project is gathering huge interest each year, and this year alone over 1000 students from 17 different schools are participating in the scheme.


“The High Sheriff is keen to get involved and support this project. Dr MacDonald has asked to accompany the volunteers during their coaching sessions in schools and see for herself why so many young people are actively taking part and enrolling for this scheme.


“The High Sheriff offered to assist with getting businesses to support this project by offering the young people opportunities for work experience/apprenticeships that later could possibly lead to future employment opportunities.

“After two hours, the High Sheriff thanked all the volunteers for their tireless efforts of engaging with the young people in our communities.”


Mariam Abdi from Burngreave, one of the community volunteers, said: “I wish I had known about this project a few years ago, it’s fantastic. My son is taking part and I am looking forward to helping recruit more Somalian young people from my community.”


If you are interested in becoming a volunteer and promoting this project, please visit the Inspiring Youth pages for further information.


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Have you seen missing Rotherham man Steven?

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 24, 2016 10:56:53 AM


Officers are growing increasingly concerned for the wellbeing of Steven Bibby who was last seen yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, 22 June).


Steven, 38, was last seen at around 4.30pm in the Dinnington area around High Nook Road.


There was some contact with Steven later into the evening, however there has been no further sightings of him since this time and officers are worried for his welfare.


Steven was last seen wearing a black puffa jacket and light coloured trousers.


Have you seen Steven? Or do you have any information as to where he might be?


Please call police on 101 if so, quoting incident number 1018 of 22 June 2016.


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Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s giraffe’s star in awareness campaign

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 23, 2016 12:40:25 PM


The animal with longest neck was the star of events on the longest day of the year at the award-winning Yorkshire Wildlife Park.


The towering beauty of the giraffes came into sharp focus with games, competitions and chances to learn more about one of the most fascinating creatures in the animal kingdom. Tuesday, June 21st was World Giraffe Day and part of a week with a TV show and events around the globe to raise awareness of the plight of the species whose numbers have dwindled to below 90,000.


The four YWP giraffes, including Jambo a critically endangered Rothschild giraffe, lapped up the attention from visitors, on June 21st which is usually the longest day of the year –though this year as a Leap Year the summer solstice fell on June 20th.


The Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foundation is supporting the efforts of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), which is dedicated to protecting giraffe habitat and running conservation projects. YWPF is supporting campaigns to provide £70,000 desperately needed to protect at risk herds in Kenya and Namibia.


Cheryl Williams - YWPF CEO said:


“We are very proud of the giraffes here at the park and know that visitors are constantly amazed by their size and grace but they are in danger and we need to work hard to protect them,” said YWPF CEO Cheryl Williams, “We are keen to do our bit for the GCF cause and hope the public will help with donations as they get close to the giraffes and learn more about them. ”


Funds raised at the park will go directly to community-based schemes in Kenya to help preserve the numbers of Reticulated Giraffes by mapping herd movements so that they can be protected and supported. Field research will provide vital information to establish effective conservation programmes.


Experts say even small donations can be vital with £15 paying for the batteries for a GPS device to monitor a giraffe’s movements and £150 covering a local field ranger’s salary for a month.


A BBC documentary by Sir David Attenborough which will be shown on Thursday highlights their plight and in which the naturalist comments “these gentle giants have been overlooked” and have become extinct in seven African countries.


The YWPF was founded in 2013 with the aim to promote and advance the conservation and welfare of endangered wildlife both in their natural habitat and in captivity and to educate and inspire the animal lovers.


The charity has been central to a variety of international initiatives to help save a range of at risk species including Amur Leopards and Tigers, Polar Bears, Lions in the wild and the Painted Dog


For more information on the YWPF, which is also working with the IUCN on a climate change initiatives, visit www.ywpfoundation.com


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Super Sunday at Thrybergh Country Park

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 22, 2016 11:04:35 AM

Beautiful Thrybergh Country Park will be transformed into a superhero training centre this Sunday, 26 June.

From 11am to 4pm, Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Iron Man and Wonder Woman will take time out from their busy crime fighting schedules to help you find your inner powers.

There are activities for all ages and everyone is encouraged to dress up and get ready for lots of super fun.

Bam! Become Spider-Man by having a go on the climbing wall. Whoosh! Be a speedboat daredevil on the boating lake. Pow! Have a go at Iron Man sports. Zap! Try out the Wonder Woman Assault course. Zowie! Play field games to test your superhero skills and knowledge.

You can also meet local heroes from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, the Rotherham Fostering team and wildlife protection groups among others, who will all have stalls on the day.

The fun doesn’t stop there. You can also take part in a wildlife treasure hunt, explore a vintage bus, make your own pottery, get your face painted, have a go at competitions to win delicious ice creams and take a stroll around the reservoir.

If all these super activities are too much you can take a lunch break in the Lakeside Café, grab a BBQ or chill out with a Tutti Frutti ice cream while your little heroes play in our new under sevens’ play area.

Cllr Taiba Yasseen, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Working and Cultural Services, said, “This is sure to be a fantastic, fun-packed day for all the family. Kids won’t know where to start with all that’s on offer, while parents can relax in the beautiful – and usually peaceful – surroundings.

“Thrybergh Country Park is a lovely part of Rotherham, and the new Tutti Frutti ice cream parlour and soft play area means there’s never been a better time to visit. So come and join us for a super Sunday full of fun for everyone!”


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Aassault in the Forum bar in Sheffield?

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 22, 2016 11:04:35 AM

Officers are asking if you have any information after a 25-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted by a man unknown to her in the Devonshire Street bar at about 12.30am on Sunday 12 June.

She suffered facial injuries as a result of the incident.

Following initial enquiries and the analysis of CCTV footage, police are now asking for anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward.

A 28-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident has been bailed pending further enquiries.

If you saw what happened, please call 101 quoting incident number 41 of 12 June 2016.

Information can also be emailed to enquiries@southyorks.pnn.police.uk


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Do you recognise the woman in the CCTV image?

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 22, 2016 11:04:35 AM

Police investigating an assault in Sheffield have issued CCTV footage in connection with the incident.

At about 10.50pm on Sunday 29 May, a 24-year-old woman was reportedly assaulted while enjoying a night out in West Street Live.

The woman is believed to have been punched by an unknown woman, causing minor injuries to her head.

Officers investigating the incident have now released a CCTV image of a woman they would like to speak to as they believe she could hold important information about what happened.

PC Jenkinson, the investigating officer, said: “While I appreciate this incident happened a while ago I would like to ask people to cast their minds back to that evening.

“It was a busy bank holiday Sunday and I’d like to hear from anyone who saw what happened or who may know the identity of the woman pictured.”

If you recognise the woman in the CCTV image, or have any information, please call 101 and ask for information to be passed to PC Jenkinson.

Information can also be emailed to enquiries@southyorks.pnn.police.uk



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Join The Urban Playground in Elsecar

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 22, 2016 10:06:16 AM

Its full STEAM ahead as Urban Explorers journey to Elsecar with an outstanding parkour performance

As part of the Yorkshire Fesitval, visitors are invited to join The Urban Playground for a very special performance at Elsecar.

The free event titled STEAM, will take place at the Ironworks at Elsecar on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 June at 12.30pm and 2pm.

The piece which is presented in association with The Civic, Barnsley, combines dance and physical theatre with authentic French free-running in a knockabout comedy for the whole family. Working with young local people, they have developed a new ‘local line’ scene inspired by Elsecar Heritage Railway to be performed as part of this unique event.

In the piece Urban Explorers discover the skeletal remains of a steam locomotive. Inspired they take a journey through the silent movies of Buster Keaton, the train hijackings of the Wild West, the rooftop stunts of James Bond, the heartbreak of the First World War, and the dark future of inner city commuting.

Luca De Fusco, Artisitc Director, Napoli Teatro Festival Italia said: “Incredibly powerful and distinctive direction…strong expresstivity, originality and vigour in representing life in the contemporary world.”

The Urban Playground have extensive experience designing workshops and provide opportunities for participants of all ages and abilities to engage with parkour and dance in a safe way. They are heavily involved in the promotion of best practice for arts teaching and are committed to long term engagement.


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Supercharged cycling hits Rotherham

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 22, 2016 11:46:22 AM

Published on Wednesday, 22nd June 2016 in Cycling - information and advice news

Local businesses and residents are being encouraged to re-discover the joy and convenience of cycling following the arrival of a fleet of electric bikes in Rotherham.

The new fleet of 65 electric bikes has landed following an award of funding by Carplus-Bikeplus and the Department for Transport through the Shared Electric Bike Programme.

At the official launch event held outside Riverside House, Commissioner Julie Kenny CBE DL said, “This is a real boost for cycling in Rotherham. Cycling more can help cut congestion whilst also providing a healthy and affordable transport option. The electric bikes are also great fun to ride.”

Councillor Denise Lelliott, Rotherham Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy, who is a keen advocate of cycling and the role that electric bikes play in promoting the move to cycling said, “By 2020, we want four out of five local journeys to be by bike, foot or public transport. It's a big challenge, but this new fleet of electric bikes will really help us lead the way.”

Transport Minister Andrew Jones supported the new electric bike loan scheme in Rotherham. He said, “Electric bikes are a great way to encourage new people to get into cycling and I hope this interesting scheme encourages more people to take it up. Cycling helps cut congestion and is a healthy, affordable transport option. We want to double the number of journeys made by bicycle. That is why we are also investing over the next five years in cycle training and infrastructure.”

Antonia Roberts, Bikeplus Manager added, “Carplus-Bikeplus is keen to know what contribution shared electric bikes can make to sustainable transport and find out what sort of people are attracted to electric bikes in different contexts, and why.”

The new fleet of electric bikes will be used as part of the Journey Matters mobile bike scheme, which aims to attract people into cycling as a convenient way to commute. Through the Journey Matters mobile cycling hub, electric bikes are loaned to employees of Rotherham-based business, as well as residents, for free for up to four weeks.

All the important supporting equipment such as bike lights, a lock and helmet are provided. Bikes are also maintained throughout the loan period and participants are supported through cycle training. In addition to the new fleet of electric bikes, a range of pedal and folding bikes are available for people to try for free through the Journey Matters cycle hub.

The Journey Matters team will be working closely with local sustainable travel partners Inmotion!, to drive awareness of cycling as a commuting option and to encourage businesses and their staff to give cycling a go.

To find out more about the Journey Matters cycle hub, arrange the free loan of an electric bike, and see the range of services on offer visit the website or call them on the number below.

Visit Journey Matters websiteimage

Call 01709 910713image



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Young Barnsley entrepreneurs

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 22, 2016 10:15:05 AM


Our Small World won of the prestigious Best Overall Business at this year’s IKIC Barnsley Big Challenge Awards ceremony on Wednesday 15th June held at the Holiday Inn, Dodworth.


Teams from primary and secondary schools were judged on innovation, potential for future growth, profit and the overall quality of the pitch, which teams made to a panel of expert judges that included Joada Allen-Booth from Visualised IT, Adrian Waite, CEO BBIC and Thomas Maskill, Masworth Marketing.


Ellie Kilkenny from Horizon Community College is the young entrepreneur behind Our Small World which produces a series of history books aimed at children aged 6 to 11. The judges felt that Our Small World was a business that they would all invest their own money into and could see the potential for the company for grow. Our Small World also scooped up the award for Potential for Growth and Best Final Report. As part of the winning prize Ellie has received a two night trip to Barcelona.


Best primary school Business was awarded to VP Designs from Wilthorpe Primary School. Verity and Phebe produced storage containers from recycled plastic bottles. The business also won Best Business Pitch, beating the secondary school teams. The Judges commentated that Verity and Phebe’s pitch was so good that they forgot they were listening to children instead of business women. As part of their prize they won a trip Cadbury’s World.


Cllr Roy Miller, Cabinet Spokesperson for Place, who attended the awards, said: “It’s fantastic to see such talented young people who are an important part of Barnsley’s future – a future that clearly looks bright. Barnsley has one of the highest rates of new business startups in the country and I’m pleased to see young people who have the potential to continue that trend. I hope that all young people involved now see that self-employment is a realistic option for them and something that they can succeed with. ”


Teams have been competing all year to come up with a business idea and then have successfully traded until May 2016. They were supported by their schools alongside a range of mentors from the business community and each mentor provides £25 investment. Mentors have come from businesses including Aesseal, Santander and White Apple Thinking. Andrew Rowley from White Apple Thinking won the entrepreneurial mentor award for his support of Greenacre’s Candle Express.



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Artificial Intelligence Diagnosing Breast Cancer

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 22, 2016 09:53:59 AM


Artificial Intelligence Achieves Near-Human Performance in Diagnosing Breast Cancer


Human and computer analyses together identify cancer with 99.5% accuracy


Pathologists have been largely diagnosing disease the same way for the past 100 years, by manually reviewing images under a microscope. But new work suggests that computers can help doctors improve accuracy and significantly change the way cancer and other diseases are diagnosed.


A research team from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) recently developed artificial intelligence (AI) methods aimed at training computers to interpret pathology images, with the long-term goal of building AI-powered systems to make pathologic diagnoses more accurate.


“Our AI method is based on deep learning, a machine-learning algorithm used for a range of applications including speech recognition and image recognition,” explained pathologist Andrew Beck, MD, PhD, Director of Bioinformatics at the Cancer Research Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. “This approach teaches machines to interpret the complex patterns and structure observed in real-life data by building multi-layer artificial neural networks, in a process which is thought to show similarities with the learning process that occurs in layers of neurons in the brain’s neocortex, the region where thinking occurs.”


The Beck lab’s approach was recently put to the test in a competition held at the annual meeting of the International Symposium of Biomedical Imaging (ISBI), which involved examining images of lymph nodes to decide whether or not they contained breast cancer. The research team of Beck and his lab’s post-doctoral fellows Dayong Wang, PhD and Humayun Irshad, PhD, and student Rishab Gargya, together with Aditya Khosla of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, placed first in two separate categories, competing against private companies and academic research institutions from around the world. The research team today posted a technical report describing their approach to the arXiv.org repository, an open access archive of e-prints in physics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative biology, quantitative finance and statistics.


“Identifying the presence or absence of metastatic cancer in a patient’s lymph nodes is a routine and critically important task for pathologists,” Beck explained. “Peering into the microscope to sift through millions of normal cells to identify just a few malignant cells can prove extremely laborious using conventional methods. We thought this was a task that the computer could be quite good at – and that proved to be the case.”


In an objective evaluation in which researchers were given slides of lymph node cells and asked to determine whether or not they contained cancer, the team’s automated diagnostic method proved accurate approximately 92 percent of the time, explained Khosla, adding, “This nearly matched the success rate of a human pathologist, whose results were 96 percent accurate.”


“But the truly exciting thing was when we combined the pathologist’s analysis with our automated computational diagnostic method, the result improved to 99.5 percent accuracy,” said Beck. “Combining these two methods yielded a major reduction in errors.”


The team trained the computer to distinguish between cancerous tumor regions and normal regions based on a deep multilayer convolutional network.


“In our approach, we started with hundreds of training slides for which a pathologist has labeled regions of cancer and regions of normal cells,” said Wang. “We then extracted millions of these small training examples and used deep learning to build a computational model to classify them.” The team then identified the specific training examples for which the computer is prone to making mistakes and re-trained the computer using greater numbers of the more difficult training examples. In this way, the computer’s performance continued to improve.


“There have been many reasons to think that digitizing images and using machine learning could help pathologists be faster, more accurate and make more accurate diagnoses for patients,” Beck added. “This has been a big mission in the field of pathology for more than 30 years. But it’s been only recently that improved scanning, storage, processing and algorithms have made it possible to pursue this mission effectively. Our results in the ISBI competition show that what the computer is doing is genuinely intelligent and that the combination of human and computer interpretations will result in more precise and more clinically valuable diagnoses to guide treatment decisions.“


Jeroen van der Laak, PhD, who leads a digital pathology research group at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands and was an organizer for the competition, said, “When we started this challenge, we expected some interesting results. The fact that computers had almost comparable performance to humans is way beyond what I had anticipated. It is a clear indication that artificial intelligence is going to shape the way we deal with histopathological images in the years to come.”


Beck and Khosla recently formed a start-up company (PathAI) with the mission of developing and applying AI technology for pathology.



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Park Road Infanst School Demolition in Wath

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The construction of Newhill Court, previously Park Road Infants school grounds.

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Park Road School Demolition in Wath-upon-Dearne

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The new Jungle territory that recently vacated the grounds of the Park Road School prior to the Gleason housing estate generation. The view was stunning :-)

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The regeneration of Park Road School

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A photograph of the new housing estate under construction now called "Newhill Court". The grounds were previously the old Park Road Infants School.

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The Lake in Wath-upon-Dearne

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Viewing a section of the Lake in Wath-upon-Dearne.

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Park Road Infant School Demolition Wath

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The construction of Newhill Court, previously Park Road Infants School in Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham South Yorkshire.

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Wath-upon-Dearne Soup Kitchen Committee

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The Soup Kitchen Committee taken at Newhill Hall in 1926 during the General Strike.

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New Computer Is World Champion

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 21, 2016 10:35:41 AM


The Sunway TaihuLight is now the world's fastest supercomputer. Developed by China, it more than triples the speed of Tianhe-2, which is the previous record holder.


There's a new computing champion... and unlike past years, this one doesn't depend on any Western tech to crunch numbers. Top500 has declared that China's Sunway TaihuLight, a 40,960-node system powered entirely by Chinese processors (the 260-core ShenWei 26010), is the world's fastest supercomputer. And it's leading by a wide margin, too. At 93 petaflops of processing power, it's nearly three times more powerful than the previous record-setter, the 33.85-petaflop Tianhe-2.


The new system uses a custom interconnect format to link its nodes, and there's a custom Linux variant that serves as its software foundation. The technology isn't especially exotic (the interconnect is based on PCI Express), but it doesn't need to be to achieve a breakneck pace. It's even more power-efficient than Tianhe-2 at a relatively modest 15.3 megawatts of energy consumption.


The irony? As Top500 says, a 2015 US embargo may have helped TaihuLight's chances of claiming the top spot. Many expected Tianhe-2 to get an upgrade to Intel's Xeon Phi processors and push 100 petaflops, but the trade restriction prevented that from happening. The embargo also persuaded China to step up its processor development, so any successors to TaihuLight might be that much faster.


Having said this, TaihuLight may solve engineering and science problems for everyone -- we're not going to knock a supercomputing breakthrough if it's useful well beyond its native soil.


Source: engadget.com




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Armed Forces Day In Rotherham

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News: Appeals - distributed around Yorkshire June 21, 2016 11:23:38 AM




Location: Rotherham town centre


Time: 10:00 - 16:00


Cost: Free


A chance for Rotherham's communities to celebrate the contribution by the men and women of our Armed Forces, past and present.
Armed Forces Day Parade

Servicemen and women


Join us for a celebration of Armed Forces Day in Rotherham.


Exercising their right under the Freedom of the Borough, the Yorkshire Regiment will parade through town at approximately 10.30am. The troops will be inspected by the Mayor of Rotherham, Councillor Lyndsay Pitchley.


A Hurricane flypast will take place at approximately 3.10pm, weather permitting.


There will also be displays and information stalls in and around the town centre, with street entertainment.


A chance for people to come together and thank the men and women of the Armed Forces for all they do. One of many Armed Forces Day events taking place around the country.




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€150 million EBRD loan paves the way for Slovak motorways

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News: NEWS IN EUROPE - distributed around Yorkshire June 21, 2016 10:45:50 AM


The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the construction of new sections of the D4 highway and the R7 expressway in the Slovak Republic with debt facilities of up to €150 million.


The funds are part of a larger package totaling €875 million provided to the concessionaire Zero Bypass Limited under a public-private partnership (PPP) scheme. Other participants include the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Slovak Investment Holding, Instituto de Credito Oficial (ICO in Spain) and Unicredit, CSOB, SMBC and Credit Agricole as commercial lenders.


The investment includes sections Jarovce to Ivanka Sever and Ivanka Sever to Raca of the D4 highway, totalling 27 kilometres and which are parts of the comprehensive Trans-European Network development programme. Together with the R7 expressway, they will provide a connection between the D1 and D2 highways in the Slovak Republic. The R7 expressway, with a total length of 32 kilometres from Prievoz to Holice, will connect the D4 and D1 highways and provide access to the city of Bratislava from the south east. It will also improve the connection between the industrial zones and urban districts of the country.


Sue Barrett, EBRD Director for Transport, said: “This is a very important project and the EBRD is pleased to join forces with other financiers to make it happen. The new road sections will play an important role in easing traffic congestion around Bratislava, open up access to other parts of the country and connect the Slovak Republic with Trans-European Networks. Bringing together public and private partners, it demonstrates the benefit of PPP solutions for large infrastructure projects where each party can participate to the best of their strength.”


Zero Bypass Limited is owned by Macquarie Corporate Holdings Pty Limited, Cintra Infraestructuras International S.L.U. and Porr AG. Following an open tender process, the company won the contract to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the newly-built sections of D4 and R7 for 30 years.


The EBRD has been investing in roads as part of its work in transport development since its establishment 25 years ago. Previous investments in the Slovak Republic include a loan for the construction of the R1 motorway., The EBRD has invested over €2 billion in the Slovak Republic since the start of its operations in the country.



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Research links aerosols to recent slowdown in global warming

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News: WEATHER FORECAST - distributed around Yorkshire June 21, 2016 10:25:20 AM


A pivotal piece of Met Office research is shedding light on the contribution of volcanic and man-made aerosols in the recent slowdown in the rise of global surface warming


There has been much discussion about the causes of the observed slowdown in surface warming trends since the start of this century. New research, published today in the journal Nature Climate Change, suggests the slowdown could have been predominantly caused by regional variations in the release of man-made aerosols, particularly from China, along with effects following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, in the Philippines, in 1991. Atmospheric aerosols are microscopic particles suspended in the Earth's atmosphere, which can cool the climate by reflecting sunlight back to space and by altering clouds.


Previous studies have established a link between the slowdown in the rate of surface warming trends and the negative phase of the so-called Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) - a pattern of ocean and climate variability in the northern Pacific. But what caused the negative phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation was previously unknown.


Doug Smith, of the Met Office Hadley Centre, is the lead author on the paper: Role of volcanic and anthropogenic aerosols in recent slowdown in global surface warming. He said: "Our research builds on previous work, but crucially we show that the regional distribution of man-made aerosols could have driven changes in winds over the Pacific Ocean that influenced the negative phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and hence the observed slowdown in the rate of surface warming.


"The results suggest that the slowdown could have been predicted. Future reductions of aerosol emissions - that are expected as China seeks to improve air quality - could promote a positive phase of the PDO and a period with accelerated rises in global temperatures."


The research team highlights there are some early signs that the PDO may already be moving to a positive phase, which could influence global warming trends. The authors add that improved monitoring of human-emitted aerosols and a better understanding of their effects is needed to increase confidence in climate projections.




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Don’t let your night out end in a criminal record

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire June 20, 2016 02:08:46 PM


Imagine this, you’re out with your mates, happy and tipsy, then things start to get loud and then aggressive before finally, something gets damaged. You’re arrested, and now you’re facing community service.


The impact this could have on your life, from work to personal relationships, is massive and committing antisocial behaviour, or any kind of violent crime, could have life changing consequences.


That’s the message South Yorkshire Police is broadcasting throughout the Euro 2016 football tournament.


Don’t let your night out end in a criminal record, ensure you have ‘no regrets’ as you watch the football over the coming weeks.


Superintendent Colin McFarlane, force lead for antisocial behaviour and violent crime, said: “Thousands of people have no doubt been enjoying the Euros already and may have been doing so with friends at the pub or having a few drinks at home.


“We of course want people to enjoy themselves, but we also want people to remember that alcohol can leave you vulnerable in many ways.


“Not only does it impair your judgement and awareness but it can also make you an easy target for crime.


“Drinking alcohol can also make people more like to commit antisocial and violent behaviour.


“This can have devastating impacts on not only your own life, but on other people’s lives too.


“Think about your behaviour and how much alcohol you’re consuming, make sure you know your limits.


“Committing antisocial behaviour or a violent crime could lead to a fine, a criminal behaviour order or even a prison sentence.


“Being drunk is not an excuse for criminal behaviour and you will be dealt with in the same way as any other offender.”


Incidents of antisocial behaviour tend to increase over the weekend when most people are out, with a concentrated peak between 11pm-1am. Alcohol is often the common factor here - make sure you don’t wake up with more than a hangover.


Always call 999 in an emergency or if a crime is in progress. For non-emergencies, please call 101 or report an incident online at southyorks.police.uk/reportcrime.


For more information on antisocial behaviour please visit southyorks.police.uk/antisocialbehaviour




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