CQC Sheffield Maternity Services

Maternity services in Sheffield have had their rating of "inadequate" lifted but from a low base - Sheffield Teaching Hospitals maternity unit has now been assessed as "requires improvement".

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Shipping Containers

A shipping container complex in Sheffield is to be reviewed by the council after a series of failures led to delays and unexpected costs. The eight containers on Fargate which provide space for pop-up shops opened five months late and cost council tax payers more than four hundred and twenty thousand pounds.

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Quality Street Food Bank

I filmed a story with residents in a Sheffield street who have decorated their terraced houses in giant chocolate replicas to raise money and encourage donations to S6 Foodbank. Boyce Street in Walkley is now 'Quality Street'! You can give here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/qualitystreetsheffield6 

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Drunk Driver Jailed

A drunk driver from Barnsley who killed one passenger and seriously injured another has been jailed for eight and a half years. Daniel Crawshaw had been on a 7 hour drinking binge before crashing into a wall near Huddersfield.

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Barrow Hill Roundhouse live

I was lucky enough to be sent to Barrow Hill Roundhouse in Chesterfield to report live on a spectacular new video projection art work with live brass band showing 150 years of railway heritage! As you can see I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Stannington No Gas BBC Breakfast Lives

I reported live for BBC Breakfast for the first time about the hundreds of homes in Sheffield that are still without gas supply a week after a burst water main flooded the gas network.

My first live was at 6:50am. 

Then we moved to outside the pub for my 8:05am live:

I was also on the Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio 2:

markansell · Stannington No Gas Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Live

It was freezing cold and I really feel for the residents living there having to put up with no gas for a whole week.

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Dan Bradbury golf

I filmed an on the day story with the parents of Wakefield golfer Dan Bradbury who completed a fairy-tale victory with success in the Joburg Open. He was only playing thanks to a sponsor invitation in only his third professional start. The 23-year-old made the most of his opportunity, winning by three shots.

I wanted to film as much of the story as possible outside as the natural light this gives you better quality pictures than indoor footage. I had to work quickly as started filming at 12:45pm and needed to edit the story for that evening's Look North.

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Qatar World Cup

I reported on how Yorkshire people were watching England at the Qatar World Cup. I filmed at Penistone Church FC where Three Lions defender John Stones played as a youngster.  I also used footage that colleagues had gathered in a school in Knaresborough and a pub in Leeds. It was a bit of a rushed edit in Leeds but with the help of Craft Editor Andrei, we got in done just in time.

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School Talk

I had a very enjoyable morning speaking to schoolchildren at Ecclesall Primary about my job. The Foundation children, who are aged 4 and 5, are learning about different professions and have had visits from people who do different jobs. I talked about being a BBC News and Sport reporter and showed them the camera and tripod I use to film stories. They listened really well and asked me some good questions. I also showed them the short video below which has clips from some of the stories I've covered for BBC Look North in recent years...

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Food Poverty

I reported for the Rockwell Community Centre in Bradford on how they're trying to help families with the costs of food shooting up in recent months. The story was for BBC Look North's outside broadcast where the whole programme came from the centre.

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Donation Day Relay

I filmed and ran at a 'Donation Day Relay' in Sheffield last Sunday. Hundreds of items of food were donated by runners as part of a unique entry fee for a race at Grenoside Woods. Hillsborough and Rivelin Running Club organised the event with participants bringing along items to be donated to S6 Foodbank instead of paying to enter. 

It was hard work to run and film it but good fun and I was pleased to use two shots I filmed with a small Insta 360 camera on a selfie stick while running. Instead of having my voice-over, I purposely let the people involved in the story tell it.

Here's the write-up on the BBC News website which includes my photos.

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Alan Bocking

I had the pleasure of filming with a 95 year old man from Doncaster who was given a terminal cancer diagnosis over a year ago has raised £20,000 for charity. Alan Bocking, who has stomach cancer, was told he had 2 months to live in August last year but is still walking everyday to fundraise for Macmillan Cancer Support. You can donate by clicking here.

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Sport live at speedway

I presented the sports news on Look North from the Owlerton speedway track in Sheffield this week. It was great to find out more about the sport. Sheffield Tigers went on to win the League Cup Final. When you're presenting the sports news live from location there's always a lot to think about and it's a different challenge from presenting in the studio where you have autocue and fewer distractions.

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England Women Rugby League

England Women's training camp has been taking place in Leeds ahead of the start of the Women's Rugby League World Cup at Headingley. I went to film with them at one of their last training sessions before it kicks off.

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Doncaster Airport

The final flight took off from Doncaster-Sheffield last night. The 10:55pm departure to Katowice in Poland, operated by Wizz Air, was be the last to take to the skies for the airport before it closes. Last month, owner Peel Group said operations would wind down at the airport from the end of this month as it was not financially viable. 

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Terri Harper

I had a really enjoyable evening filming with Doncaster boxer Terri Harper who's been announced as an ambassador for the Club Doncaster Foundation, the charity linked to Donny Rovers. The WBA and IBO super welterweight champion was coaching youngsters before a Rovers match.

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Climate Conference

I spent the day at King Edward VII School in Sheffield last week to report on a national conference on climate change where 1,500 students from across the country had gathered. Our lunch live at the Schools Climate Assembly was cancelled just before going on air as it coincided with then PM Liz Truss resigning so the Look North lunch bulletin was scrapped. With cameraman Ed, we were able to do this report for our main programme....

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Para Table Tennis

Thirteen British para table tennis athletes, who're based at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, will be heading to Spain next month to compete in the World Championships which only come around every four years. They'll be confident of bringing back a haul of medals as the squad is made up of some of the best para table tennis players in the world.

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BBC 100 Share Your Story

This week I've been part of a BBC team speaking at schools back in Oxfordshire for a project called 'Share Your Story' where we explained the value of telling stories.

I told students the story of my mental health breakdown.

Here it is in audio form:

markansell · Mark Ansell Share Your Story

And here is my script if you prefer reading it:

"I’ve got a story to tell you about how an experience in my life made me a better journalist and really a better person. How challenges in life can actually help you to believe in yourself!

I had a good childhood. Parents who cared, three brothers who I got on well with. A happy life, until it wasn’t a happy life. A Levels and school complete, I was travelling around Mexico on my own aged 18. Suddenly late one night in my hotel room I felt really, really, strange, my throat was getting smaller and smaller. I couldn’t breathe. A panicked confusion took over my body. I was convinced I was having a heart attack and was going to die. I was petrified, panicking. Desperate to be back home. I was rushed to hospital and remember being in an air-conditioned room where a middle-aged doctor in a white shirt did several tests on me. After being assessed I was given drugs to make me relax called tranquillisers. I couldn’t understand why I was being given these drugs but through broken Spanish I worked out the doctor thought I was suffering with a mental and not a physical problem. A panic attack, not a heart attack.

I flew home early to get better, but instead I got a lot, lot worse. Sitting on a bench with my Mum outside the GP practice in Thame I came to a realisation - I was in such a dark place that I admitted to her that I could understand why people take their own lives.  I was at the start of a mental health breakdown. I couldn’t escape the feelings of desperation, of deep anxiety and yet just weeks earlier I’d finished my A Levels and life at school in my final year couldn’t have been more fulfilling as Head Boy and running a mobile disco business, DJing at loads of parties, alongside my studies. Life, from the outside, looked so good and yet inside, I was in turmoil.

I remember turning up to DJ at a pub in Thame for friend’s 18th birthday feeling petrified. I was feeling a deep panic, my stomach was churning and my throat was getting smaller and smaller again. Another panic attack. I didn’t think I’d be able to go on stage to DJ but thankfully I felt the fear and did it anyway. And when I was up there mixing between the tracks and entertaining the crowd on the mic, I felt free, the mental turmoil lifted – if only for a few hours while I was performing. 

Despite my feelings of desperation, I did whatever I could to get better. Counselling, antidepressants, living healthily. The doctor said don’t go to university in Sheffield that year, too much to cope with. I was determined to go, so I did. University was a struggle. I felt very on edge. One of the only ways I could cope was by calling my Mum every single day on the phone and taking the train home to see her every weekend.

And yet from the outside no one would know I was suffering with deep anxiety. I went to all my lectures, got top grades for my essays, DJ’d at student club nights, got involved in student politics and made good friends. When I was feeling particularly brave I plucked up the courage to tell my best friend Matt what felt like my secret, that I suffered with mental health problems. He, and other close friends I confided in, were shocked. They didn’t think someone who was, in their eyes, so confident and successful could have a mental health problem. Although many of them couldn’t understand, their friendship, really helped me get through university. Being with my friends on a night out was like an escape, I could forget my fears and enjoy myself. I’m still close friends with Matt and many of those other friends now, 19 years on!

As the months and years went by, and after a lot of counselling and support from friends and family, I became stronger and more resilient. In my second year at uni my brother Andrew invited me to go to Finland on holiday. I was petrified about being away from my comfort zone. The last time I’d been abroad – in Mexico – I’d had a panic attack and thought I was going to die. I went to Finland anyway and even enjoyed it. Gradually, I broke free from the dark cloud which followed me everywhere.

I came to realise that I could cope with life. I finished my degree and started my career in radio and TV News.

My breakdown changed me forever but for the better. I can really empathise with others especially people who are going through a tough time. This makes me better at interviewing people. I really listen and really try to put myself in their shoes.

This was my life changing experience and I learnt an incredible amount about myself. On the rare occasions when I start to feel the dark cloud following me, I am able to use the techniques I have developed that work for me so I can overcome the feelings of anxiety. These include talking to loved ones, doing exercise, meditating and praying.

My breakdown was really my breakthrough.

So whatever the challenges are in your life – now or in the future – I want you to know that they can help you believe in yourself."

Food Recycling

More than eight thousand households in Sheffield are having their waste food collected weekly. It's part of a trial to prepare the city for when weekly food waste collections become compulsory. Food rubbish collections are better for the environment than it going to the incinerator as it's turned into bio-fuel and nutrient-rich fertiliser.

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Football Award

A football fanatic from South Yorkshire has been named the Football Association's 'Nationwide Mutual Respect Award' winner for her commitment to football for three decades and for her inclusion of players with disabilities. Emily Rowles from Rotherham devotes her life to football, volunteering as a coach for children and women at Kiveton Park FC as well as playing for the club. 

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Cancer Recovery

A new treatment service has launched in South Yorkshire which aims to give people diagnosed with cancer the best chance of overcoming the disease. It's called Active Together and tailors an exercise and nutrition programme for each patient along with psychological support. The project is being funded by the charity Yorkshire Cancer Research and will benefit a thousand people a year who're given a cancer diagnosis.

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Queen - York School

I've been to Manor Church of England Academy in York to talk to students about how they're feeling about the Queen's death. Teachers been holding assemblies and talking to pupils about the monarch's passing.

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Princes Trust

This week we filmed with Ben Jewers-Pettinger from Leeds who is a Prince's Trust Ambassador. He's gone from not leaving his house for 2 years due to suffering deep depression and anxiety to speaking with Prince Charles before he became King.

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Leeds Festival

I reported on the disorder at Leeds Festival. Tents were set on fire and we were told bottles and rocks were thrown as trouble flared at the festival.

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School Uniforms

I've been filming at a Yorkshire charity which collects and redistributes school uniforms. Uniform Exchange says demand has never been so high. They gave out 3,500 school uniforms to children in Kirklees last year - stopping the clothes going to landfill and helping families at the same time.

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Wildlife Weather

I had a really interesting trip to North Yorkshire with superstar cameraman Mark Graham to find out how our wildlife is coping with the unpredictable weather and climate change. Wildlife artist and film-maker Robert Fuller has hidden cameras in his garden and he's captured some fascinating footage...

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Women's Euros Semi-Final

I've had an absolutely incredible last few months planning Look North's coverage of the Women's Euros and then reporting on the tournament. It's brought such a positive atmosphere to Sheffield and Rotherham which has hosted 8 matches. It's been the most enjoyable story to report on since the Tour de France came to Yorkshire 8 years ago. This week I was live from the fan zone where my Swedish and footballing skills were tested....

I was with the Sweden fans as they marched to Bramall Lane for the semi-final versus England...

I reported from the Fan Party after England won 4-0...

And I was live with experts the following day....

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Gay Conversion Therapy

In emails leaked to BBC Look North it's emerged that the Diocese of Sheffield has taken legal advice after a church in the city, which is accused of carrying out gay conversion therapy, has not shared information that the charity Barnardos needs in order to carry out an independent investigation into it. The emails say the Diocese is frustrated by the lack of progress in the investigation. Matthew Drapper, whose complaint that he was subjected to gay conversion therapy at St Thomas Philadelphia church led to the investigation, says it feels like another betrayal.

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Women's Euros Live

The Women's Euros has brought a carnival atmosphere to Sheffield. Sweden and Switzerland supporters took in the beautiful weather at the Fan Party in Devonshire Green on Wednesday ahead of the match at Bramall Lane. And both sets of supporters marched to the stadium one after the other.

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Heatwave

This weekend I've been reporting from Sheffield on the heatwave.

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Commonwealth Games Baton Relay

The Queen's Baton Relay was in Yorkshire this week as part of its UK tour ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Injured Army veteran Ben Parkinson from Doncaster was among those carrying the baton in Sheffield. The relay has also been travelling through Rotherham, Huddersfield, Bradford and Leeds. I went along and it was good fun.

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Women's Euros pkg & live

I've really enjoyed leading BBC Look North's coverage on the Women's Euros. I've been to Burton to film with the England squad and interview our Yorkshire players and have also filmed with girls who just love playing football as I did as a child and still do now! It's got me really excited about covering the tournament.

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Free School Meals

The families of school children in Rotherham who are entitled to free school meals will get supermarket vouchers to buy food during summer holidays. They'll be worth fifteen pounds per week per child. The number of children in Rotherham who qualify for means-tested free school meals has risen more than a third to nearly twelve thousand children since the start of the pandemic. It was an eye-opening experience to speak to teachers and parents at Badsley Primary School in Rotherham to see how the cost of living crisis is impacting on families.

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Disability Fashion

I really enjoyed gaining an insight into the world of fashion when top-notch cameraman Mark and I spent half a day filming on a shoot. The story was about a Yorkshire model and a photographer who are both disabled and are appearing at Northern Fashion Week next month. Steve Cockram is registered blind and Sarah Dransfield who is an amputee are determined to show that disabilities should not hold anyone back working in the fiercely competitive world of fashion.

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I absolutely love the way my colleague Mark filmed and edited the story and I learn something new about both every time I get to work with him.

Women's Euros

The Women's Euros starts on 6th July and two of the tournament venues are here in Yorkshire. Sheffield's Bramall Lane and Rotherham's New York Stadium will host eight matches including a quarter and a semi-final. Assuming the Lionesses progress through the tournament, they'll play their semi-final in Sheffield.

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Matt Fitzpatrick

I put together a report and did a live on Yorkshire golfer Matt Fitzpatrick winning the US Open. It was a pleasure to cover such a positive story for the city I live in and love. It wasn't my best live but good enough!

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Pawnbrokers

I filmed a story on people in Rotherham cashing in their £150 council tax rebate cheques at pawnbrokers because they cannot afford to wait for the money. A large queue formed outside the Cash Shop in Rotherham, which deducts a £15 fee for the service.

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Hallam Chase

I had the challenge of filming and racing at the Hallam Chase in Sheffield which is believed to be the world's oldest continuously held fell race. It's well known among runners as one of the toughest challenges out there and is truly historic, dating back to 1862. The race involves running down and then up two really steep big hills on the outskirts of the city. This has to be the hardest story I've ever filmed as I had to think about so much - gathering enough material before the start of the race including some of the interviews, running a really challenging race holding a 360 camera on a selfie stick and then filming interviews and footage of the winner collecting her medal etc after the finishing the race. The edit was also a challenge as it's very time-consuming to process the footage from the 360 camera as you have so many different angles to choose from and so much footage! It took me four hours to edit but I was pleased with the result.

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Dialysis at Home

A woman from Doncaster who uses a dialysis machine at home to help keep her alive is calling for the NHS to cover the cost of her increasing electricity bills. Dana Holmes has chronic kidney disease and says her health has improved since using her dialysis machine at home rather than in hospital and is convinced it saves the NHS money. Dana gets £96 a year from the NHS to cover the electricity costs of using the machine but she says since energy prices have shot up, it's leaving her more than £20 a month out of pocket.

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Knife Crime

I've been reporting extensively on knife crime in Sheffield since 2018 when eight men were stabbed to death in the city. The latest statistics show that knife crime in South Yorkshire has gone up by 4% - that's the sixth highest rate in the country according to the Office for National Statistics. I've been filming with a former gang member in Sheffield who told me that the police have to do more to tackle the problem along with the early intervention education that he's leading.

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Walk 4 Health

I had the great pleasure of filming with Walk 4 Health, a walking group in South Yorkshire for people from minority backgrounds which is aiming to widen access to the great outdoors. Walk 4 Health was created in Sheffield in 2004 initially for black men but now welcomes people from all minorities. Every month they head out into the countryside. The 7 kilometres I walked while filming the story was so much easier with my small, mobile journalism kit (which is made up of an iPhone and a rig) rather than my old, heavy filming equipment.

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Running & Filming Leeds Half Marathon

When I was told I was going to be reporting on Leeds Half Marathon I said to the producer Jennifer that I could run it and film it at the same time! I realised it was a bit of a mad idea but to her credit she agreed. Cameraman Dan Nelson provided me with a small 360 camera (where it films all around you) on a selfie stick and I filmed about 5 different sections of the race while I was running including an interview with Leeds Rhinos coach Jamie Jones-Buchanan who I spotted halfway through. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of running the race then putting this story together with Dan. An exhilarating and exhausting experience!

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Yorkshire at Headingley

County Cricket returned to Headingley last week for the first time since the racism scandal that rocked Yorkshire County Cricket club. They took on Kent following big changes in the personnel at the club.  All members of the coaching staff were among sixteen people to have left Yorkshire. It was after a report found former player Azeem Rafiq was a victim of "racial harassment and bullying" at the club.

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Women's Snooker

It was Women's Day at the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield on Wednesday and a chance to showcase the talents of some of the best female players in the world, including Rebecca Kenna from Yorkshire. I interviewed Rebecca and asked her why it's such a male-dominated sport.

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David Oluwale plaque stolen

This week I covered a breaking story that a blue plaque honouring a Nigerian man who drowned after he was chased by police had been stolen. The memorial to David Oluwale, on Leeds Bridge, disappeared just hours after it was unveiled. I headed down to the bridge and sent this report for the Look North lunch bulletin. I also sent photos to colleagues on the BBC website and they were used in the online article.

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Wheelchair Taxi

I was pleased to be able to report on an important, original story in Sheffield last week about a wheelchair user who says he's furious that some taxi drivers are refusing to take him on journeys. Professor Duncan Cameron says he's regularly turned away by black cab drivers even though it's against the law. He's calling on Sheffield City Council to take licences away from drivers who fail to pick up wheelchair users like him. I also took photos for the story which was featured on the BBC News website article.

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Sheffield Snooker Pros

While almost everyone knows the World Snooker Championships take place in Sheffield what people are less aware of is the great number of professional snooker players who live in the city, year-round. Sheffield is becoming really popular with players from China and countries in South East Asia thanks in part to having the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy in the city. I was given access to film at the academy and interview some of the players which I thoroughly enjoyed. They even let me have a go!

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Imran Ahmad Khan Guilty

This week I reported on the Wakefield MP Imran Ahmad Khan being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.

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Rotherham United Wembley

I had the great pleasure of reporting on Rotherham United's EFL Trophy win at Wembley on Sunday - my first time working at the national stadium. It was a really exciting match - the Millers were seconds away from losing the final when they turned the tie. This is my first report on the final which went out on the Sunday night. I can't upload the my pkg which went out on Monday's Look North as it includes match footage which Sky Sports has the copyright of.

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Ottis Gibson Yorkshire Cricket

I've been to do an exclusive interview with the new Head Coach of Yorkshire Cricket, Ottis Gibson. With days to go until the start of the new County Championship season, Yorkshire County Cricket Club is attempting to rebuild in the wake of the racism scandal. Gibson only joined at the start of March and has had to put-together a new coaching team after sixteen members of staff were sacked. He told me they're trying to be the team that represents Yorkshire in its entirety.

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Knife Crime Live

I reported live from Unity Gym in Sheffield about knife crime. It's four years since 8 men were stabbed to death in the space of a year in the city. I did extensive reporting on the subject including from the Violence Reduction Unit in Glasgow on how to tackle knife crime. It was really good to revisit Unity Gym with experts Saeed and Kaltum.

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Stroke

More than thirty five thousand pounds has been raised to help a woman from Rotherham who nearly lost her life after suffering a severe stroke. Kate Green survived but was 'locked in' and only able to move her eyes. Amazingly, she can now move the left hand side of her body and is learning to talk again. Kate is well known in the Rotherham area as she set up the town's 5 kilometre Parkrun back in 2013.

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Racism

I filmed with a civil servant from Sheffield who was racially abused while in his car. Adnan Hussain is urging people who suffer racism to report it to the police. He started filming lorry driver Nicholas Clayton after he shouted racist abuse at him. The video was viewed more than a million times on social media. Last month Clayton was fined for using racially abusive language. 

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Ukraine Donations

This week I reported on the thousands of donations of clothes, food and medicines have been collected at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Bentley in Doncaster for Ukranian refugees fleeing to Poland. They have had four lorry-loads worth of items donated. I found it a very uplifting experience to witness the generosity of people and the enthusiasm of the volunteers who were sorting through the donations.

This was my report for our lunch bulletin...

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Mark Hughes

Mark Hughes was announced as the surprise new manager at Bradford City last week. I headed to Valley Parade to interview him.

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Riddlesden Flooding Landslide

This week I reported on flooding in Yorkshire. Six houses had to be evacuated after a landslide caused by flood waters at Riddlesden in Keighley. Parts of their gardens have fallen into the River Aire. 

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Wakefield Masterplan Live

I reported live from Wakefield on a plan to transform the city centre over the next twenty years. As people do more and more shopping online, the proposals include demolishing old, empty shops to create more public space. There are also plans to limit traffic in the city centre, create more green areas and build more affordable homes in the centre. This sort of development is happening in towns and cities across the country as our habits change.

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Post Office Inquiry

I watched the start of a Public Inquiry this week into one of Britain's biggest miscarriages of justice with one of its victims. Hundreds of post office workers were prosecuted for stealing money but the case relied on flawed computer evidence. Some workers were sent to prison, like Harjinder Butoy from Chesterfield who served 18 months for a crime he didn't commit. I felt privileged to watch proceedings from Harjinder's home with him and his family.

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Covid Restrictions Easing

I did a story reacting to the Government's plans to ease all remaining Covid restrictions a month earlier than planned, on 24th February. This includes the legal rule to self-isolate. It was a tough ask as we had nothing set up to film on the morning I did the story so it was a case of putting in lots of calls to see who was happy to be interviewed about it. We were keen to show how the change in rules would be good for some but not so for others. The story ran on BBC Look North on Thursday last week and then on BBC Breakfast on Saturday...

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Homework Club

I've been filming at a popular homework club in one of the most deprived areas of Sheffield which is on the verge of having to close because of a lack of funding. The Broomhall homework club has helped thousands of disadvantaged primary and secondary school children make a success of school and go on to study at university. The children were genuinely excited about doing their homework with the support of volunteers and surrounded by friends. It was an inspiring story to make. You can support their fundraiser here: https://localgiving.org/appeal/homeworkclub/ 

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York Roman Quarter

I went to York to report on an exciting new plan to build a Roman quarter in the city. By doing the story I learnt about York's Roman heritage which I have to be honest, I knew nothing about.

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Doncaster Stabbings

I went to Doncaster to cover the sad story of a teenager and man being stabbed to death. I reported for BBC Look North, the BBC website and BBC Radio 2's news bulletins.

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Loneliness

I re-visited a story I first covered more than four years ago about loneliness. Having looked into the latest data from the Office For National Statistics I wasn't surprised to learn that loneliness has got a lot worse in the pandemic with more than 7% of adults suffering with loneliness often or always. I filmed with South Yorkshire charity b:friend which is making a big difference to improve the lives of older isolated people. It matches volunteer 'befrienders' with older people living nearby who are lonely. They have more than 700 pairings and demand is higher than ever.

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Cycling Scared

I had a week working for our digital team and filmed and edited this story for the BBC News website, Facebook and Twitter. It's a story I feel passionate about as I am a cyclist in Sheffield and relate to what Ann is saying...

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Cat Rescue

A cat and dog rescue centre in Yorkshire says demand for its services is higher than ever since the pandemic. Rain Rescue in Rotherham re-homes up to 400 cats a year. There's a particular problem since Covid of stray cats breeding uncontrollably on the streets then spreading feline diseases.

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Vaccine Appeal

I went to Stubley Medical Centre in Dronfield which has 3,000 vaccines that'll be out of date in mid-January - they need people to come forward for their boosters. They did 11,000 jabs in the space of just 10 days before Xmas but demand has dropped significantly since then. 

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Christmas Tree Rental

I went to visit a Christmas tree rental service 'Rooted' in Todmorden which has hired out 200 trees. It was absolutely beautiful up in the Calder Valley but freezing!

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Hospitality Grants

I've been reporting from North Yorkshire on how the hospitality sector is coping with rising cases of Covid. The government's support package was described as 'a drop in the ocean' by both interviewees.

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