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Student Tom shares challenges with cabinet minister
A PARTIALLY sighted Barnsley College student met with a cabinet minister to explain what improvements need to be made for people with additional needs. Digital T level student Tom Ashforth attended a round table discussion with David Johnston, minister for children, families and wellbeing, to share his experiences in post-16 education as a partially sighted student. The event was organised by the Thomas Pocklington Trust, a leading advocate for blind and partially sighted young people....
King’s Award honour for Barnsley charity Image
King’s Award honour for Barnsley charity
A LOCAL charity has been honoured with the King’s Award. H.O.P.E (Helping Others Positively Engage) in Community were presented with the award for voluntary service by the King’s representative, Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire Dame Hilary Chapman. At a service at Barnsley Baptist Church on Union Street, the charity was recognised for their work supporting the local community, which they do by running various projects including classes on how to cook on a budget, weekly baby...
Dedicated Barnsley team to tackle child exploitation Image
Dedicated Barnsley team to tackle child exploitation
A POLICE team whose officers will tackle child exploitation has been set up in Barnsley after there were more victims in the town than anywhere else in South Yorkshire. Projections, following a Freedom of Information request submitted to the police force, show there could be 320 cases of the crime this year. It’s a 237 per cent increase from 2020 when 95 cases were recorded. The figures have risen year-on-year since that date, with 136...
Barnsley band takes Yorkshire title
BARNSLEY Metropolitan Band have been crowned the Yorkshire champions in the British Brass Band Championships. The band impressed the judges with their performance of the test piece, Corineus by Christopher Bond. They received awards for the Best Percussion Section and the Roye Roe Memorial Trophy for the winning conductor, Alex Francis. Alex has been conducting the band since 2007. He has overseen their remarkable progress from fourth section to the top of the third section....
Developers’ cash to boost green spaces Image
Developers’ cash to boost green spaces
MORE than £130,000 will be used to improve two ‘key locations’ in Wombwell thanks to Section 106 funding from developers. Section 106 funding is money set aside by developers for the local area and, after being signed off by councillors last week, the funding will be used for a number of projects which include improving paths and the Trans Pennine Trail. The investment will see a new ‘flexipave’ surface and vegetation clearance along the footpath...
Church bucking trend with innovative approach Image
Church bucking trend with innovative approach
A GREAT Houghton church is starting to see some promising signs of growth within its congregation after implementing new weekly initiatives to boost numbers. The Church of St Michael and All Angels originally had in place a congregation of around ten people attending one church communion service at 9am every other week and a knit and natter group on a Tuesday. The Curate for St Michael’s, Rev Christine Moorey, was keen to show to people...
Hospital celebrates ‘great set of results’
MORE than 2,000 Barnsley Hospital staff who responded to an NHS survey about working conditions helped propel the facility to being crowned the best acute trust in the country. The survey - conducted nationally in NHS organisations -- is the biggest gauge of staff opinion in the UK and involved staff answering a series of 118 questions about their experience of work, along with questions relating to staff engagement and morale. Alongside positive ratings for...
From Barnsley back garden to West End stage ...
FROM performing to her family in her nan’s garden as a youngster to playing in front of sold-out crowds at one of London’s largest theatres, Hollie Jane Stephens is aiming for the very top. The 27-year-old from Stairfoot has already travelled the world thanks to her musical and dancing exploits - even performing on the same stage as music juggernauts Michael Ball and Alfie Boe. She’s now performing at The Bridge Theatre in London in...
Nick takes bin woes to town hall
A FUMING local resident hand-delivered his uncollected rubbish to the town hall after getting fed up of bin disruptions across Barnsley. Nick Tudor, from Pilley, did not have his brown recycling bin collected for six weeks prompting him to head to Barnsley Town Hall with his rubbish to see if they would dispose of the waste. Admittedly, the 34-year-old didn’t expect much to come from the publicity stunt but to his surprise a council employee...
Job losses as Barnsley firm ceases trading Image
Job losses as Barnsley firm ceases trading
A BARNSLEY-based company which employed around 200 people has ceased trading with immediate effect. Euramax Solutions Ltd, based on Ashroyd’s Way in Platts Common, was founded in 1950 originally under the name Ellbee. In 1993 it was acquired by OmniMax USA and rebranded as Euramax. It was brought back under the control of a UK-based parent company, Modular Group Investments, (MGI) in 2021. The firm, which manufacture uPVC windows and doors for holiday homes and...
Barnsley dancers eye up world record Image
Barnsley dancers eye up world record
A LOCAL burlesque group’s members are hoping to ‘put Barnsley on the map’ with their record-breaking plans. Burlesque Be Fit UK, based in Gawber, run weekly sessions for newcomers and beginners to learn to dance. Now though, tutor Eleanor Gillott hopes to break a world record, as she gets the group involved with World Burlesque Day on April 21. “We got involved with the world event last year,” she told the Chronicle. “This year we’ve...
Council warns ‘drastic measures’ may be required
EMERGING risks which could further jeopardise Barnsley Council’s financial position have been deemed significant by local authority bosses who warned ‘drastic measures’ may be required in the coming years. A meeting of the local authority’s audit and governance committee, which will take place on Wednesday, will delve into the current financial predicament faced by the council - just two weeks after its budget was set for 2024/25. A report warned ‘significant&rsqu
Jailed dealer hid drugs under his false teeth
A BARNSLEY man who hid wraps of heroin under his false teeth during his arrest has appeared before court. Jamie Lloyd, 38, of Castle Street, has been sentenced to time in prison after he was found in possession of over 90 wraps of Class A drugs. Just after mid-day on Thursday February 8 officers patrolling Barnsley in an unmarked car saw a red Volkswagen Golf struggling to navigate the snowy conditions. Officers followed...
Evening buses back on the road
THURNSCOE residents will be rejoicing this week after finding out evening buses will be coming back to the area - months after Stagecoach pulled the service due to antisocial behaviour. In October 2022, Stagecoach suspended all services running into the Thurnscoe area after 5pm after missiles were launched at passing buses. Following a six-month hiatus, the bus operator working alongside South Yorkshire Police brought back the service to Thurnscoe in a ‘trial period’ in May....
New snapshot reveals ‘at risk’ historic sites Image
New snapshot reveals ‘at risk’ historic sites
MORE than a dozen historic sites in Barnsley are considered to be ‘at risk’ - including two in a ‘very bad condition’ - the Chronicle can reveal. Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register gives an annual snapshot of the health of England’s valued buildings and places. The public body said the programme shines a light on historic sites most in need and has brought local people together in caring for and enjoying their heritage. The...
Barnsley teens brave the shave to support Owen Image
Barnsley teens brave the shave to support Owen
A GROUP of teenage football players have rallied around one of their teammates who has been diagnosed with cancer for the second time by shaving their heads to help him through his treatment. Owen Jenkinson was just 13 when he was first diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma - a bone cancer which mainly affects younger people - just days after helping his AFC Pogmoor team to promotion. Incredibly, Owen returned to the football field less than...
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Muchly brings Crufts title home to Barnsley
A DARTON dog owner was handed an early birthday present after claiming a prestigious ‘Best of Breed’ crown at Crufts. Jenny Shorer-Wheeler has been entering her beloved pets into shows for the last 25 years. Her Norwegian Buhund, Muchly, has been winning awards for the last two-and-a-half years - and he wowed judges at the NEC in Birmingham to win the accolade last week. The duo qualified for the ‘Best in Group’ showcase on the...
Soaring cost of sheltering homeless people
THE cost of providing shelter for homeless people or those at risk of sleeping rough has been put at more than £1m in the last three years, the Chronicle can reveal. According to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, Barnsley Council’s costs climbed from £135,381 before the pandemic to £518,167 in the last financial year - a 282 per cent hike. More than £440,000 was spent between March 2021 to April 2022, while between April...
Barnsley’s Delilah hits right note on Netflix show
A BARNSLEY hip-hop artist has teamed up with award-winning director Guy Ritchie to feature one of her best-selling songs in his latest project. Delilah Bon, the alter ego of local star Lauren Tate, was thrilled to see her song - I Wish A Bitch Would - played on the second episode of Netflix show The Gentlemen. It comes after the release of her latest single and music video for Maverick, which was filmed at the...
Extra patrols paying off in war on yobs Image
Extra patrols paying off in war on yobs
SPIKES in antisocial behaviour which were recorded in Barnsley town centre have been reversed thanks to extra police patrols, according to enforcement teams responsible for stamping out low-level criminality. Latest figures revealed that from October to December 2023, 76 incidents were reported in the town centre - a fall of eight per cent when compared to last year. Council wardens work until 10pm from Monday to Thursday and until 11pm on weekends, but the police...
Call for action over ‘race track’ fears Image
Call for action over ‘race track’ fears
RESIDENTS living on a busy Mapplewell street which is quickly becoming a ‘race track’ have called on the council for more to be done to slow motorists down following a number of serious collisions. Over the last six months there has been a number of crashes on Darton Lane - two of which have required support from Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Last Monday, a car collided with a telegraph pole on the road, leaving residents fearful...
Barnsley school trust ‘under pressure’
A SCHOOL trust which educates almost 2,000 Barnsley youngsters at nine primaries across the town has admitted it’s facing sector-wide financial trouble after whistleblowers claimed dozens of employees are fearing for their jobs. St Mary’s Academy Trust (SMAT) oversee All Saints’ Academy in Darfield, Darton Primary, Dodworth St John’s, Elsecar Holy Trinity, Queens Road Academy, Royston St John’s, The Mill Academy, West Meadows and St Mary’s Church of England P
School helps launch new road safety bid
BARNSLEY Council bosses have doubled down on their pledge to ensure no motorist is killed or seriously injured on the town’s roads - after it was revealed more than 130 people were hurt in 2022. The latest figures show that eight people were killed on Barnsley’s roads in 2022, whilst a further 131 were severely injured. The council’s ambition is to reduce the number of fatalities by at least 50 per cent by 2030, with...
Lost miners remembered at memorial event
RESIDENTS and MPs from across Barnsley came together to lay a wreath in memory of two miners who lost their lives on the picket lines. David Jones died on March 15, 1984 aged 24 and Joe Green was also killed on the picket line on June 15, 1984 aged 55. Ex-miners came together at the NUM building on Huddersfield Road on Saturday to pay their respects, while also marking the start of the 1984-85 miners’...
‘Crime’ experience for Barnsley students Image
‘Crime’ experience for Barnsley students
BARNSLEY College’s public services students attended a ‘Battle of the Barristers’ event in the town hall last month. The event allowed students to assess a real-life crime and examine the evidence gathered by law enforcement, to prepare an argument as the prosecution team and defence counsel. The Mayor of Barnsley, Coun Mick Stowe, played the role of the judge and students took part in lots of psychological exploration and reams of forensic explanation before concluding...
Firm earns workplace wellbeing award Image
Firm earns workplace wellbeing award
A GRIMETHORPE firm has been rewarded for supporting the physical and mental health of its staff. Royston Glass, based on Springvale Road, bagged the Bronze Award for Workplace Wellbeing from Barnsley Council. Employees at the company - which specialise in bespoke glass splashbacks and worktops - have benefited from various wellbeing initiatives. Through the Be Well @ Work programme, council officers helped the company to explore what would make a difference to the people that...
Chippy’s the plaice to be for Danny
A FISH and chip shop which has been a mainstay of Cudworth for almost 40 years received a visit from a social media star this week. Danny Malin, who runs the hit Rate My Takeaway channel on YouTube, returned to his hometown of Barnsley to visit Laki’s Fish Bar, on Barnsley Road. Run by the Georgiades family, the shop recently reopened after a fire gutted the building last May. And Danny - unsurprisingly given its...
Police appeal for help in search for missing teen
GOOD NEWS: Brandon has been found safe and well. OFFICERS in Barnsley are appealing for help to find a missing 13-year-old. Brandon was last seen on Sunday at 1.15pm at Churchfield in Barnsley. He is described as a white teenage boy with blonde hair. He is believed to be 5ft 6ins tall and of broad build. Brandon was last seen wearing a Hoodrich branded black track suit, a blue top and black...
School shares its love of reading
A PROUD of Barnsley-winning school opened their doors for visitors see the improvements pupils have made with their reading abilities. Laithes Lane Primary School had around 20 leaders and teachers from 14 other nearby schools to visit and witness pupils’ love of reading on Tuesday. They toured each classroom, observed reading lessons, and met with staff and children from the school. Headteacher, Georgina Fletcher, told the Chronicle: “Our pupil reading ambassadors told visitors a
Child exploitation targeted in town centre operation Image
Child exploitation targeted in town centre operation
ALMOST 100 ‘vulnerable’ children were visited by police officers in Barnsley recently as part of a scheme to stop the exploitation of youngsters. As part of the operation, neighbourhood policing teams and roads policing officers came together alongside dog handlers, Barnsley Council and community groups to safeguard those at risk through hotspot patrols and to provide early intervention to those who could be affected. The town centre was the main area of focus, with teams...
Nursery celebrates outstanding double Image
Nursery celebrates outstanding double
STAFF at a Barugh Green nursery are celebrating after they received their second ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report in a row. Cawthorne Road Day Nursery received its first top score in 2018 and, after being assessed by Ofsted in January, staff were told the outstanding news once more this week. There are currently 32 children on the roll, with ten members of staff on hand to support the young children. Helen Panton, the site’s manager, told the...
Artists exploring Maurice’s legacy
BARNSLEY Civic have commissioned the work of three artists to explore the legacy of Maurice Dobson. In association with the Maurice Dobson Museum in Darfield, and as part of LGBTQ History Month, the three local artists will be producing pieces over the next few months before a showcase in June. On Saturday, two of the artists - Rebekah Higginbotham and Simon Beech - were given a tour of the museum by poet Ian McMillan. Christopher...
Charley going to great lengths to raise charity cash
A YOUNG girl from Dodworth is hoping to raise £500 for a children’s hospital by swimming 8,000 metres this month. Charley Saunders, eight, has always loved being in the pool - and now she’s decided to use her hobby for good by raising money for the Great Ormond Street Charity. She picked up the idea whilst at Yule Swim School - and she’s set to swim 8,000 metres at Royston Leisure Centre this month. Her...
Fundraising Rachael reaching for the sky
A MONK Bretton woman is aiming to hit new fundraising heights when she takes to the sky later this year to raise money for a local care home. Rachael Addy, 39, is the activities co-ordinator at Deangate Care Home in Mapplewell and has always tried to raise funds in novel ways for the site. But she’s taking it to the next level on June 21 as she’ll be jumping out of a plane at Langar...
Chippy frying high with £100k investment Image
Chippy frying high with £100k investment
ONE of Barnsley’s oldest chippies is getting a new lease of life. Two Gates Fisheries in Shafton opened in 1935 and has been going strong since, even winning the prestigious National Federation of Fish Friers’ (NFFF) fish and chip quality award in 2020. In 2017 it was purchased by the current owner Craig Butcher, who has been developing it further and keeping it a success. “I took it from not doing particularly well to a...
Penistone pensioner continues Ukrainian support Image
Penistone pensioner continues Ukrainian support
A PENSIONER in Penistone has been travelling to war-torn frontlines to support those being displaced by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Reporter Finn Smith spoke to Andrew Cropper and the family who fled following the Russian invasion he is now supporting. Andrew, 66, has been directly involved in supporting the victims of the Russian invasion since conflict broke out just over two years ago. Over the course he has travelled across the border ten times...
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‘It was the biggest set-up I’ve ever seen’
WEDNESDAY marked 40 years since the first day of the renowned 1984/85 miners’ strike which lasted just under 12 months. Retired ex-miner Alex Mathewson, from Pogmoor, reflected on the monumental industrial action with Chronicle chief reporter Jack Tolson. From the sheer devastation at the ‘Battle of Orgreave’ to some ‘fun in the sun’, Alex reminisced about the strike. ALEX now 69, left school aged 15 and like many others his first thought was to go...
Adam issues ‘ticking time bomb’ health warning
A MAN who had his stomach removed because of a rare gene mutation is warning others they may be carrying a ‘ticking time bomb’. Richard Adam Shaw - who goes by Adam - discovered in 2017 that he suffers with a mutation of the CDH1 gene, after doctors told him to get tested when he lost two uncles and one aunt to a rare form of stomach cancer in 13 years. This mutation is hereditary...
Tenants promised multi-million pound improvement package
COUNCIL house tenants have been promised a multi-million pound package of improvement works in the coming year - after a study found hundreds of rented homes require major refurbishment to get them up to a government-set standard. A total of £18.6m will be set aside for 2024/25 following a study carried out by Berneslai Homes, the organisation responsible for the council’s 18,000-strong housing stock. The Chronicle can reveal that ‘major adaptations’ are needed - predom
Pub regulars aiming high for Clareese Image
Pub regulars aiming high for Clareese
STAFF members at a town centre pub are aiming high with their fundraising goals in memory of a young woman who died from epilepsy. Jyneen Haughie’s sister, Clareese, died aged just 22 in September last year after suffering with epilepsy throughout her life. In her memory Jyneen, who runs The Corner Pin, has been raising funds and awareness for the Epilepsy Society. To date, more than £5,000 has been raised - but when a group...
Councillors oppose new estate plan Image
Councillors oppose new estate plan
PLANNING permission is being sought to build more than 160 homes on ‘safeguarded land’ in order to stop a ‘chronic failure in housing delivery’ across the town - but it doesn’t have the backing of the area’s councillors. If approved, the properties will be built north of Hemingfield Road in Hemingfield, while a number of existing structures will be demolished to make way for the new estate. A total of 138 neighbouring properties have been...
Wildlife warning issued: ‘we can’t keep hoping for the best’
DEVELOPING land synonymous with the resurgence of wildlife near reclaimed ex-mining sites must be scaled back in order to ‘protect’ flourishing populations of bird species which call Barnsley’s wetlands their home, conservationists have urged. A string of Dearne Valley wetlands - most notably Billingley Ings - have come under the spotlight since a planning application for warehouses was submitted to Barnsley Council before Christmas. Newlands Developments want to build four v
Prominent gang member jailed for drug offences
A PROLIFIC gang member whose drug dealing ravaged Dearne Valley communities has been jailed - after he was found to be using an encrypted messaging platform to distribute heroin and cocaine. Jamie Bermingham, 44, was wanted by officers in connection with Class A drug offences, following a complex investigation as part of Operation Venetic. Operation Venetic is a National Crime Agency-led investigation into the UK dismantlement of Encrochat - an encrypted communications platform that used...
Levelling up wait goes on for former pit villages
ALMOST three quarters of people living in ex-coal mining communities said they’d seen little or no progress towards levelling up in their area, a new study has revealed. Nearly 2,500 people were surveyed in former mining areas across England, Scotland and Wales - including in Barnsley - using company Survation to capture their views and experiences. A total of 73 per cent of people in Yorkshire said they’d seen little or no progress towards levelling...
Crippling addiction rates prompts new role Image
Crippling addiction rates prompts new role
CRIPPLING addiction rates relating to alcohol and drug abuse in an area of Barnsley have resulted in public health bosses stepping in to provide a dedicated worker to reduce the number of people requiring support. More than 300 people across the North East ward of the town - which covers Brierley, Cudworth, Great Houghton, Grimethorpe, Little Houghton and Shafton - accessed drug and alcohol treatment last year. The council gave the green light for £70,893...
Drugs recovered in Barnsley police day of action Image
Drugs recovered in Barnsley police day of action
POLICE flooded Barnsley for an action day on Wednesday which resulted in 15 arrests. Operation Duxford - which involves officers from across South Yorkshire - returned and focused on drugs, speeding, antisocial behaviour and illegal vehicles. More than 200 cannabis plants and four large bags of cocaine were found, while an unlicensed waste carrier had his van seized. The force also used its heat-detecting drone to carry out surveillance on suspected cannabis growers at three...