Dear readers — Late on Friday, the Environment Agency declared that Yorkshire is officially in drought, for the fifth time in the last eight years. Even though climate change has made droughts far more commonplace, it’s still a surprise to receive an announcement like this so late in the year. All eyes were immediately on Yorkshire Water, who insist they have no plans to enforce water restrictions. But some are wondering if the much-maligned company could have done more to prevent this. That’s today's big story.
New funding to unlock young people's dreams
A new initiative designed to support gifted and talented young people has launched in South Yorkshire. With grants up to £10,000, The Mayor’s Youth Impact Fund provides funding to help young people overcome practical barriers like travel costs, access to equipment and specialised coaching or training.
To be eligible you must be aged 11 to 19, live in South Yorkshire and be able to explain how these funds would help you achieve your potential. Candidates can apply directly or be nominated by teachers, youth workers, coaches and community leaders. Apply or nominate someone below.
The Mayor's Youth Impact fund is a scheme brought by partnership between South Yorkshire's Mayor, Oliver Coppard, the South Yorkshire Community Foundation, and the King's Trust.
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In case you missed it
According to Holly Williams, this city’s best-kept secret isn’t an artisan bakery or a trendy clothes shop, but an experimental theatre group that’s been producing globally-acclaimed work since the 1980s. Forced Entertainment was previously described in the Guardian as “one of the greatest British theatrical exports of the past 20 years” and, in 2016, they became the first company to win “the world’s leading theatre prize”: the International Ibsen Award. So why have so few local people heard of them?
On Tuesday, we published the latest in our series revealing the secret lives of some of Sheffield’s most essential workers. In the secret bin man, we found out about some of the weird and wonderful items that turn up in bins, what it's like to have a rat jump straight at your face and how it felt being on strike for 20 months.
Late last month, MI5 issued a stark message to UK universities, warning that over 100 UK academics had collaborated on projects funded by a front for Chinese intelligence. In this exclusive story, we revealed that a Sheffield academic is among their number, and heard from China experts who called the scandal “a massive failure” for universities, who they allege have failed to properly convey the risks of certain partnerships to their staff.
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The big picture: Autumn leaves 🍂
Proof, if you needed it, that autumn has well and truly arrived. This shot, by top Sheffield photographer Emma Bothamley, shows the beautiful shades at the Peace Gardens.
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The big story: Yorkshire’s fifth drought in eight years
Top line: The fifth drought in eight years is upon us, having been declared shockingly late in the year. Is climate change entirely to blame? Or could Yorkshire Water have done more to prevent it?
Fifth driest ever: On Friday, the Environment Agency (EA) announced that Yorkshire was officially in a state of drought, after the region endured its fifth driest period on record between April and September. Admittedly, we’re not alone — across England, only the north west and north east are appropriately wet at the time of writing.
- Yorkshire Water says current reservoir stocks sit at 42.7%, well below where they were at this point last year (52.9%). However, the company says that the drought does not automatically mean that water restrictions will have to be introduced.
- Last year, we saw some very wet weather in September, which led to the largest ever increase in water levels in a single week. However, at the time of writing, local reservoir levels are actually continuing to fall rather than bouncing back.
Exceptionally hot and dry: Andy Shaw — head of water production, treatment and energy at Yorkshire Water — said an “exceptionally hot and dry summer”, followed by an unusually dry September, was to blame for the current drought. Though restrictions may not be necessary, he urged customers to use water wisely wherever possible. “Small actions such as shorter showers, running full washing machine loads and checking for leaks at home can make a real difference,” he added.
Billions of litres: However, while Yorkshire Water can’t be blamed for the lack of rain or climate change, they can be held responsible for the amount of water lost to leaks every year. When we asked Yorkshire Water to produce up-to-date leakage figures last week, they promised us data this morning, which has not materialised.
We last reported on the problem of local leaks four years ago, when we revealed that 11.5 billion litres spilled out of Sheffield’s system in 2018/19 — roughly equivalent to 222,000 people’s water needs, or 40% of the city’s population. While the fact that much of our plumbing dates back to the Victorian era doesn’t help, many feel Yorkshire Water should be doing more to keep our pipes water-tight.
Public ownership? It’s no surprise — given the less-than-stellar performance of private companies like Yorkshire Water — that many argue the entire system should be brought back into public ownership. Access to water is a human right, yet the companies that supply it are beholden to shareholders and have a tendency to pay their senior staff some pretty hefty bonuses.
- In his first conference speech, Prime Minister Andy Burnham revealed he wanted to give mayors like Oliver Coppard the power to regulate these companies via new water boards.
- However, the Telegraph reported that several mayors have told No.10 they don't want the powers, as they fear it would put them in the firing line with voters if they can't bring down bills or fix the sewage system.
Bottom line: These problems aren't going to go away. Climate change means hot and dry summers are becoming more and more common; we need to create a water system that can cope. As Yorkshire Water suggests, one way of tackling the problem is for all of us to be more careful about how we use water, taking shorter showers and running full laundry loads. At the same time, a far more effective solution would be for the firm to do something about all those leaks. If they won’t fix the system of their own volition then perhaps public control, or even ownership, is the only option.
Your Tribune briefing 🗞️
🪧 Dozens of masked men marched through the streets of Darnall early on Sunday morning, dressed in black and carrying Union Jacks. The march is thought to be linked to a similar demonstration organised by far-right group Patriot Platform in Essex, which targeted a local coach firm said to have been involved in transporting asylum seekers. (One of the banners being carried in Sheffield named the firm Linberg Coach Travel, which has a depot in Darnall.) The group gathered in Darnall at around 5.30am and were gone by 8.40am. Apart from one incident of graffiti, South Yorkshire Police said the event passed off largely without incident, but added they would remain in the area throughout the day to provide reassurance to the community.
🎱 One of the biggest news stories this year was that snooker was staying in Sheffield, and more interesting details about how the council pulled off this coup have now emerged. The Star report that Sheffield council paid a “staging fee” to the World Snooker Ltd to ensure the tournament stays in the city, but the authority declines to reveal the sum paid. In a response to a Freedom of Information request trying to secure the sum, the council said “the detailed financial commitments and commercial arrangements associated with the Staging Agreement are contained within the exempt appendices”. In a separate opinion piece, the paper’s business editor David Walsh argues that taxpayers have a right to know how much money exchanged hands.
🍕 Crookes is one of the 11 coolest neighbourhoods in the country according to Time Out. The area joins Govanhill in Glasgow, Underbanks in Stockport and Beeston in Nottingham on the magazine’s annual list of the hippest places in the UK. The entry for Crookes, written by our regular contributor Daniel Dylan Wray (who does not live in the area, to head off any accusations of bias), highlights local businesses like Pom, No Name and Crookes Social Club. “Once considered purely a place for students,” writes Wray. “Crookes has undergone a shift in its development and demographic in recent years, quietly and subtly morphing into a wonderfully self-contained neighbourhood that is now a go-to food and drink hotspot.”
Home of the week 🏡
This stone-fronted three-bedroom mid-terrace in Crookes has a lovely south-west-facing rear garden and is full of period features and character charm. Plus, it’s just a short walk from the area’s high street which, as we have just heard, has just been named by Time Out as one of the 11 coolest neighbourhoods in the country. It is on the market for £250,000.
The weekly Whitworth ✍️
Cartoonist James Whitworth with his take on our story about growing Chinese influence at the University of Sheffield, after it was revealed an academic had been involved in research linked to the Chinese intelligence services. (For those who don’t know, 不 means no in Mandarin.)
Things to do 📅
Talk 💬 On Tuesday, join Weston Park Museum to find out more about the connection between two mummified people and local Victorian-era antiquarian, Thomas Bateman. Bateman was well-known as a barrow digger, but less is known about his interest in human remains from other countries, including Egypt. How did man who never stepped foot in the country acquire these mummies and why was he so eager to secure them? The free 45-minute tour begins at 2pm.
Theatre 🎭 Starting on Tuesday at the Library Theatre is the Tudor Players’ gloriously silly comedy adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most celebrated Sherlock Holmes story, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Packed with verbal and visual ingenuity, this zany, faced-paced spoof sees three actors playing ten characters. Tickets are £13 (£12 concessions). Book online, call the box office, or email tickets@tudorplayers.net. The show runs until Saturday.
Food 🥘 On Wednesday, join Ammi’s Kitchen at Sheffield General Cemetery’s Samuel Worth Chapel for A Taste of Sri Lanka. Ammi’s Kitchen is a Sheffield-based social enterprise transforming women’s authentic culinary skills into paid work. It brings together local women from different cultures to cook delicious, nutritious, seasonal dishes, sharing recipes that have been passed down through generations. Tickets are £22 and doors open at 6.30pm.
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