http://alt-sheff.org/rss_news.php The guide to Sheffield's radical, alternative, ethical business and groups http://alt-sheff.org/stories/585/ http://alt-sheff.org/stories/#585/ March 2020 *** "The Plebs News" is published by Dave Berry for Sheffield Central Labour Party. The March 2020 edition has news and politics in the time of pandemic. It covers issues like the buses, International Womens Day, Sheffield Students Union employing staff on low paid zero hours contracts in cafes and bars, without unsocial hours rates, or even sick pay for casual staff. There are various articles, links, and even suggested reading and viewing during lockdown. The Plebs News http://alt-sheff.org/stories/584/ http://alt-sheff.org/stories/#584/ March/April 2020 *** Extinction Rebellion is working hard to grow and become more diverse and massive. When coronavirus eases, we still face climate chaos. The recent budget yet again doesn’t properly tackle the eco-crisis. A promised national net-zero infrastructure plan was delayed at the last minute. The hypocrisy of taxing renewables remains, while fossil fuels and airlines are subsidised, and huge sums are ready for building new roads. Despite hosting the COP26 later this year, our government is setting a terrible example to the world by not taking its own carbon emission pledges seriously.Only ’people power’ will force the changes the planet needs. At the moment meetings and campaigns are continuing online. Fancy joining them? Contact XR Sheffield, or see the link below for newcomers.Extinction Rebellion - Join us http://alt-sheff.org/stories/582/ http://alt-sheff.org/stories/#582/ March 2020 *** Julie Dore, Sheffield City Council leader had planned to step down in May at the local elections, but says she will stay on during the Coronavirus crisis at these "extremely worrying times". Elections have been postponed by central government until 2021. http://alt-sheff.org/stories/579/ http://alt-sheff.org/stories/#579/ 13 Mar 2020 *** A new proposed strategy for Sheffield street trees has been developed by partners including Sheffield Tree Action Groups (STAG), Sheffield City Council, Amey, independent experts from Natural Capital Solutions, Leeds City Council and the Woodland Trust. It is focussed on sustainable management of urban trees, environmental, health and wellbeing benefits. Public feedback is welcome at this stage. Watch an interview with Liz Ballard, chief executive of Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust and chair of the strategy group, at Sheffield Live. http://alt-sheff.org/stories/580/ http://alt-sheff.org/stories/#580/ Updated 7th April 2020 *** USEFUL LINKS AND INFORMATIONIf you know something useful to add, please email the Alt-Sheff organising group at contact@alt-sheff.org.uk, thanks :) USEFUL LINKS AND INFORMATIONIf you know something useful to add, please email the Alt-Sheff organising group at contact@alt-sheff.org.uk, thanks :) Contents:① HEALTH② DELIVERY SERVICES & COMMUNITY SUPPORT GROUPS - SHEFFIELD-WIDE - NEIGHBOURHOODS ③ NOT SURE WHERE TO VOLUNTEER? ④ WORRIED ABOUT VOLUNTEERING? ⑤ INFORMATION FOR WORKERS ⑥ INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE IN THE ASYLUM PROCESS ⑦ INFORMATION FOR ROUGH SLEEPERS ⑧ NEWS, TRAVEL & HOW TO KEEP IN TOUCH ⑨ WHERE TO FIND MEDICAL SUPPLIES, FOOD, ETC⑩ EVENTS THAT ARE NOT CANCELLED ⑪ INFORMATION FOR EVENT & WORK ORGANISERS⑫ HOW TO LIVE THROUGH THIS, STAYING HAPPY & HEALTHY① HEALTH: The NHS online Coronavirus helpline website asks you questions, checks if you have coronavirus symptoms, then tells you what to do next: www.111.nhs.ukGovernment advice is: Only use health services when it is important to do so. If you:• are staying at home and start to feel much more ill or• have stayed at home for 7 days and still have symptoms of Coronavirus, then:• get advice from NHS 111 online (see above) • if you need to speak to someone, call 111• you should not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital, as you could pass Coronavirus to others.• only dial 999 or go to Accident and Emergency if there is an emergency.Sheffield City Council : In view of self-isolation, as well as targetted help for vulnerable people, the Council and voluntary organisations have set up a Contact Centre for members of the Sheffield public. Their Help Line is open 8.45am-4.45pm, Mon–Friday, on Sheff 0114 2734567. Operators will provide advice, signposting and referrals, to help callers resolve whatever issues they are facing. Changes to services due to coronavirus are here: Sheffield City Council.See also the Council’s Newsroom website.Age UK is responding to coronavirus by offering help and information for everyone. Updates include how you can look after yourself and loved ones, and help older people in your family or neighbouring area. More detailed reports cover the science and research behind the Government’s coronavirus decisions and guidelines for over-70s. See the Age UK national website.The Age UK Sheffield website: AgeUK.org.uk/Sheffield is also being daily updated, sharing the latest coronavirus information and advice, free. For help at home, they run a paid-for service which is highly recommended by customers ("At Home with Age UK Sheffield" service).Domestic abuse support: Help is available from police and specialist services, equipped to attend even where someone is showing symptoms of coronavirus. If you need help call The Sheffield Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 808 2241 (freephone) Mon-Friday, 8am-7pm, Sat 9am-5pm, or National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. In an emergency, always call 999② DELIVERY SERVICES & COMMUNITY SUPPORT GROUPSIncluding charities, community and voluntary sector, and especially for elderly and vulnerable people. Where to volunteer and how to start or support organisations ... SHEFFIELD-WIDE:Sheffield Mutual Aid Facebook group has a lot of discussion and questions answered.Sheffield City Council: Information and updates on Council services affected by Coronavirus Voluntary Action Sheffield (VAS) Covid-19 page for updates on Voluntary and Community Sector planning and response in the city, and government advice. Phone: 0114 2536600, or email at info@vas.org.uk. -> VAS is coordinating long term care for people who need to be quarantined and have no support. Mutual aid groups identifying such people should refer them to their local VAS community hub (listed below). -> The VAS online Sheffield COVID Support Map shows where to find support from a network of community "hubs", and "street level" groups such as mutual aid. It’s a work in progress, you can submit details of anything not yet shown.Citizens Advice have useful links on their website for general and coronavirus advice, consumer advice, and help to claim Universal Credit.British Red Cross are continuing phoneline support for urgent casework: Sheff 0114 2427385.The Sharehouse Market pay-as-you-feel store is probably still open, Monday – Sunday 13:30 – 15:00. Unit 5 Woodbourn Road, S9 3LQ. Phone: 07542 379246, email: info@thefoodworks.org.Food banks: see this list, and information on how to donate or access emergency food supplies in Sheffield.In Sheffield there are at least 5 foodbank organisations, covering 13 sites:Burngreave Foodbank (with another centre at Darnall) Sheffield S2 Foodbank (with centres at St Swithuns on Cary Road, and Salvation Army on Duke Street)Sheffield S6 Foodbank (with additional centres at Crookes, Parson Cross, Broomhall, Sharrow & Hillsborough)Gleadless Valley Foodbank (based on Blackstock Road)Handsworth Foodbank (with another centre at Woodhouse) And in the wider region:Rotherham Foodbank (with another centre at Maltby) Barnsley Foodbank (with ten centres in total) Doncaster Foodbank (with another centre at Rossington) Chesterfield Foodbank (with additional centres at Loundsley Green & Brimington) Clay Cross Foodbank (with two centres in Clay Cross) Sherwood Forest Foodbank (with centres at Mansfield & Mansfield Woodhouse) South Normanton Area Foodbank (with centres at South Normanton & Alfreton) The Dukeries and District Foodbank (based at New Ollerton, Newark) Foodhall, 121 Eyre Street, Sheffield S1 4QW. www.foodhallproject.orgFoodhall is a visionary experiment, a volunteer-powered community hub, diner and kitchen, in the heart of Sheffield. With multiple projects and experiments always going on, the main aim is to bring people together around food. For years they have been part of the new emerging food economy, providing food and support to the public. Pay-as-you-feel arrangements apply to meals, workshops and events, and getting involved is more valued than whether you have any money. In normal times they open Wed, Thur and Fridays 10am-3pm, offering hot drinks, snacks and a communally prepared lunch for all at 12.30pm. -> You don’t need a referral for Foodhall, unlike food banks,Foodhall isn’t a charity, it’s a mutual organisation (although it works with charities). It’s part of the National Food Service, campaigning to ensure this most basic need is met, in our fractured society. -> During the crisis they aim to help the most at-risk, and isolated peopleand anyone who might not normally need essential support. Dozens of hot and cold food parcels are being taken daily to people in self isolation. There is a good interview on Sheffield Live! with Baillor Jalloh speaking to Foodhall’s Louis Pohl. -> Foodhall’s current activities are: -> Drop-off point for surplus food and important supplies including toiletries, PPE, and other essentials: Full list of items needed here: (Google document) -> Community kitchen preparing meals, to be frozen, for collection -> Pick-up point for food parcels collection (Wed, Thur, Friday 10am-2pm, address: Foodhall, 121 Eyre Street, S1 4QW) -> Collecting donations to be redistributed (small team of trained volunteers) -> Processing and delivering to our community and other at-risk groups (Mon-Friday 10am-4pm) -> Coordinating with others (food surplus charities, community groups and mutual aid groups in Sheffield) -> IMPORTANT: if you are able to donate anything, please arrive Wed, Thur, or Friday between 10am-2pm. If you are unable to make these times, volunteers may be able to collect from you. Please email foodhallhelpline@gmail.com -> If you can donate money please see details here, or call Foodhall on Sheff 0114 3036040 -> Volunteers are needed now. Training is given. For safety, different volunteering groups don’t have sustained contact with one another, so food workers (in the 5-star food hygiene rated kitchen) are socially distanced from, say deliverers. Application form here -> If you or someone you know is in need of access to food please call their Isolation Food Pack Hotline: Sheff 0114 3036040NEIGHBOURHOODS:Abbeydale Road, Bannerdale & surrounding area; St Peters & St Oswalds Church neighbourhood support: 0114 2509716 or 07952 833858.[Abbeydale] Bannerdale & Carter Knowle Mutual Aid: Facebook.Aston, Aughton, Swallownest Mutual Aid: Facebook.Banner Cross/Greystones:, Facebook Also see S11, belowBatemoor & Jordanthorpe Mutual Aid: FacebookBeauchief, see Whirlow, Beauchief & Millhouses, below.Beighton & Sothall Mutual Aid: Facebook.Bents Green & Parkhead Mutual Aid: Facebook.Bradway, see S17, below.Bramall Lane, see St. Marys,belowBroomhill, Broomhall & Sharrow Mutual Aid: Facebook.Burngreave Mutual Aid: Facebook.Burton Street Foundation Community Hub: burtonstreet.org.ukChapeltown/High Green Mutual Aid: Facebook.City centre, see SHEFFIELD, below.Coverdale Neighbours Community Group: Tel. 07986 680843 (Not online?)Crookes Mutual Aid: Facebook.Crosspool St Columba Church Community Hub: stcolumbacrosspool.org.ukDarnall Mutual Aid: Facebook pageDore, see S17, below.Dronfield & S18 Mutual Aid: Facebook Ecclesfield Mutual Aid: Facebook.Eckington Community Needs: Facebook.Endcliffe CV19 Support: http://alt-sheff.org/stories/583/ http://alt-sheff.org/stories/#583/ March 2020 *** UBI Lab Sheffield is campaigning for the implementation of a Universal Basic Income (UBI). The organisation, which began in the 2016 Festival of Debate, now says UBI should be used as an emergency measure. With the proposed means-tested aid, some people will fall through the cracks, and Universal Credit won’t catch them. You can keep up to date on the UBI Lab Twitter account, and write to your MP to get them to sign this call to the Government to introduce a temporary universal basic income.UBI Lab Sheffield http://alt-sheff.org/stories/581/ http://alt-sheff.org/stories/#581/ March 2020 *** Share Instead Housing Co-op currently has one vacancy. This five-member mutual housing co-op is based in a spacious old house in Sharrow/Nether Edge with a large garden. They make decisions by consensus and aim to keep rent below the maximum paid by Housing Benefit. They eat together on weekday evenings, taking turns to prepare a vegan meal. They share the costs of food, as well as maintenance costs and bills, and also share the work involved in running the co-op and caring for the house.Share Instead has a core aim of working towards a more peaceful, sustainable and fairer world. They want the co-op to be a place that supports activities which help to build such a world. The co-op is a member of Radical Routes secondary co-op, a network of trading and housing co-ops with similar values.If you are interested in joining the co-op, please email on shareinstead@gmail.com for more details and how to apply. The process takes a couple of months while they get to know you, and involves you coming to stay for a week. http://alt-sheff.org/stories/577/ http://alt-sheff.org/stories/#577/ February 2020 *** On Wednesday 5th February, one year after Sheffield City Council declared a climate emergency, Extinction Rebellion Sheffield members disrupted the council meeting to demand action is taken about the climate crisis. Thirty members of the environmental campaign group stood in the gallery and chanted, sang and dropped banners that read “Time is running out”, “Climate action now” and “Citizens assembly now”. Some members also stood behind the Lord Mayor and the cabinet with a large banner saying “Tell Sheffield the climate truth!”The council chamber was cleared of most councillors and Extinction Rebellion Sheffield continued the protest outside, including a mass die-in. Councillors tweeted during the disruption.Previously the environmental campaign group has presented multiple questions and two petitions to the council, highlighting council inaction over the past year, not telling the climate truth to the citizens of Sheffield and failure to create a citizens assembly before the council’s own deadline of 31st December 2019. This last year of negligence puts Sheffield residents at further risk from the effects of the climate breakdown. Extinction Rebellion member Dr Bing Jones said, “Sheffield City Council is neglecting its duty. They have made no real effort to tell the people of Sheffield how risky it is to delay. The Tyndall Report that they commissioned requires massive CO2 emission cuts, now. They are ideally placed to initiate a wide and imaginative discussion but do nothing except delay." Extinction Rebellion Sheffield