
Barnsley memorial to stillborn babies to be refurbished
A memorial to stillborn babies will be refurbished ahead of the 40th anniversary of its unveiling.The stone monument in Barnsley Cemetery, which was unveiled by then-mayor Alice Wood in July 1986, has become tilted and in need of cleaning in recent years.Councillor Jake Lodge, whose stillborn sister is buried in the cemetery, urged Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council to restore the memorial.At a full council meeting on Thursday, councillors agreed for the work to go ahead.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, James Higginbottom, the council's spokesperson for highways and the environment, said: "The memorial stone in Barnsley Cemetery that commemorates stillborn children is a poignant tribute and a source of comfort to parents and families in the borough who have suffered a hugely traumatic event."Bereavement services will be very happy to work with you, Councillor Lodge, and any other interested parties to refurbish and rededicate the memorial in a suitable way. "Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Switching Basildon night lights back on set to cost £480k
Switching street lights back on all night could cost a town £480,000 over four years, a council has Council is expected to give the green light to spend the money at a meeting on February 2014, Essex County Council switched street lighting off across the county between the hours of midnight and 05:00. The times were later revised to 01:00 to 05: councillor Aidan McGurran said he would be "delighted" if it happened but the final decision lay with the county council. Basildon Council turned the lights back on in 2019 for a four-year period - but that ended in 2023. It was hoped they would return by the autumn. Mr McGurran said: "I feel very pleased this is happening, I'm delighted, we would have liked to have done it earlier, when we got back into administration a year ago, but our finances didn't allow it."Residents bring it up all the time, it's the biggest issue after bins, as people just don't feel safe."Council papers stated the year cost for the lights would be about £120,000, with a risk that sum could rise due to increasing energy costs, but as LED lights were upgraded in 2020/21, they could cost less to run, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS)."Reinstating night-time lighting could help to improve the look and feel of the borough and reduce the perception of crime," the council said. It hoped the outcome would mean that "residents feel safe and secure in their homes, towns and open spaces". "Reinstating night time lighting will contribute towards this objective," it added. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.


BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Cornish slurry lagoon plans raise smell and access concerns
Concerns have been raised over plans for a slurry lagoon in Cornwall.A Cornwall Council planning committee is set to review the application from Richard Best - which is seeking permission for an earth-banked slurry lagoon at a farm site in Hatt, near lagoon would provide up to five months of storage and lie approximately 280m (918.6ft) to the south west of the nearest neighbouring residential property, according to the Local Democracy Reporting plans have been objected to by Botus Fleming Parish Council, which had concerns about the smell, potential contamination of a water course and highways impact. Slurry is a mixture of water and animal manure, which is spread on the land as a natural fertiliser.A council planning report said the scheme would not result in any significant adverse impacts to the living conditions currently enjoyed by neighbours and had been earmarked for approval. 'Headaches and cough' In its objection, Botus Fleming Parish Council said it was not clear how the slurry would be transported to the land is just off the A388, but concerns about large tankers driving down narrow rural roads locally used by walkers, horse riders and other motorists were raised by the added residents currently suffered from the stench of slurry across the wider farming site."They suffer headaches and coughs from the air pollution that is generated around their homes, their eyes sting and they have good reasons to fear the long-term consequences for their health," the council said. An odour impact assessment had been submitted and the council's public protection team had raised no objections from a Cornwall Wildlife Trust has also been consulted as the site is near the Villaton Wood County Wildlife Site, with the charity making recommendations to ensure wildlife is protected during Environment Agency (EA) had no objection to the plans, which it said would ensure the farm operated with sufficient storage for slurry."Nonetheless, the proposal must operate in accordance with the relevant regulations," the agency added.


Wales Online
3 days ago
- Wales Online
The people who are helping those in need at foodbanks in Wales and what they're hearing from them
The people who are helping those in need at foodbanks in Wales and what they're hearing from them Charmaine Walsh is a foodbank support manager in RCT and has shared some of the situations that people who use local foodbanks find themselves in Some foodbanks have seen persistently high levels of food bank need in recent years (Image: Reach Commissioned ) 'I'm seeing doctors, nurses, and even lawyers having to use a food bank' a foodbank support manager in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) has said. Following the recent release of statistics about food bank use over the last year in RCT, the Local Democracy Reporting Service heard from Charmaine Walsh about some of the stories she is hearing from people. People who are having to use them with over 16,634 emergency food parcels having been provided to people facing hardship across RCT between April 2024 and March 2025 and 5,793 of these being provided for children. The RCT Foodbanks have seen a 7.7% slight decrease in the number of emergency food parcels distributed compared to last year but despite this slight dip, RCT has seen persistently high levels of food bank need in recent years, with a sharp 30.1% rise compared with 2019/20. Charmaine said: 'While we saw referrals decrease slightly, the need for food banks across the UK has not wavered. As a food bank support manager, every day I speak to people who tell me they are struggling to put food on the table and are unable to afford the essentials. 'People tell me how they used to be able to scrape by, but now they have nothing left at the end of the month. They are having to use the foodbank because money just doesn't last the way it used to, due to the high cost of living, and because low incomes from work and social security payments are not covering the costs of the essentials. 'At the food bank, I've been told many times how people have had to wait up to 12 weeks for their Universal Credit (UC) or Personal Independence Payments (PIP) to come through. Article continues below 'During that period, they often have no money left and no one to lean on, so they can receive support from the food bank for as long as it takes for them to get back on their feet. 'Recently, someone coming to the food bank told me they had been using PayPal Pay to cover their weekly shop. Essentially, they were spreading the cost of their food shop over three months, and they are not alone. 'Parents dread half-term because it means a week's worth of extra meals to find for their children. 'During this time, parents will often ask me if I know of any free things to do over half term, as they simply don't have the money to treat the children to a day out. 'I'm seeing more and more of what we are calling in-work poverty, where both parents in a household are working but they simply don't have enough coming in to cover the bills. 'I'm seeing doctors, nurses, and even lawyers having to use a food bank. No-one wants to go to a food bank. But people are having to swallow their pride and go, because they have no other option. 'We refuse to stand by while so many of us can't afford to eat, keep warm and pay the bills. It doesn't have to be this way. Everyone should have enough money to afford the essentials like food, bills and toiletries. 'The UK Government's plans to slash support for disabled people only risk pushing more people to the doors of food banks. 'That's why Taff Ely, together with Trussell, is calling on the UK Government to rethink its planned cuts to disability benefits and do what is right." To get all the latest news on politics, health, education and other Welsh issues, sign up to our Wales Matters newsletter here. She also shared some stories from local people who have used the foodbank. One person said: 'I was struggling for food and was living in temporary accommodation. I came to the foodbank after receiving a voucher from my support worker. I felt ashamed to have to use a foodbank but was grateful that services like this existed. 'I was also awaiting the results of my PIP claim, so I had no money until that decision was made. I was supported through this, making sure I had enough food until my PIP decision was made. I was also being supported by my support worker to get onto Homefinder to find a place of my own.' After a recent call with them, Charmaine said she was delighted to hear they now have their own accommodation and to find out that PIP had been awarded. Charmaine said that they were extremely thankful and emotional on the phone and were grateful for all the support they were able to offer them. Another person said: 'I have a long-term health issue that isn't going to get any better, my children's school referred me for a foodbank, I was embarrassed, ashamed and anxious to have to use one, but would do anything to feed my kids. 'My eldest daughter is my carer and helps out with her siblings who also have health issues. It was Christmas time when I came to the foodbank, I had £3 in the bank and not a clue on how I was going to manage. 'I spoke to Charmaine who reassured me that it was nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about, and that we all fall on hard times. I was amazed by the generosity of everyone at the food bank and the amount of food I was given. 'She explained that the local church was doing Christmas dinner free of charge, but I knew I'd never make it with my health issues and the children, so she suggested they find a way to deliver it to me. 'In that moment, I just broke down. I know my situation isn't going to get better any time soon, but in that short space of time, I was shown so much kindness and generosity from strangers that I had a glimmer of hope again.' A UK Government spokesperson recently said the government is determined to change people's lives for the better, help them out of poverty and tackle the unacceptable rise in food bank dependence in recent years. They said the government is reforming the broken welfare system it inherited so it can get people into good, secure jobs, while always protecting those who need it most. Article continues below They said that as part of the plan for change, the UK Government is extending the household support fund, launching 750 breakfast clubs across the country and making changes to universal credit to give a £420 boost to over one million households. POLL Do you think the Valleys has changed over the past 50 years? Do you think the Valleys has changed over the past 50 years? YES NO