Jack Hadaway-Weller

Sheffield-born singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Paul Carrack has been honoured with a star plaque outside Sheffield Town Hall. The 75-year-old, who grew up in Crookes, is recognised for his solo career and work with Ace, Mike + The Mechanics, Squeeze and Roger Waters' Bleeding Heart Band, including songs such as “How Long” and “The Living Years.” Carrack reflected on his working-class upbringing and self-taught musical beginnings. He joins Pulp and several Sheffield sports figures on the city's Legends Walk of Fame.

Nancy Irwin, a bat expert from Derbyshire, survived a life-threatening boating accident in Gabon in 2002 that caused severe brain and facial injuries and required years of rehabilitation. With support from the Daphne Jackson Trust, she returned to academia at the University of York and later resumed conservation work in Papua New Guinea. In 2017, she registered a previously unknown fruit bat species, named the hamamas tube-nosed fruit bat after a Papuan word for happiness. Her work links rainforest conservation and sustainable livelihoods with disease prevention, and the University of York awarded her an honorary doctorate for her contributions to sustainability.

Christine Skinner, a 69-year-old retired professor and nurse from York, is cancer-free two years after completing the APHRODITE clinical trial for rectal cancer. The Yorkshire Cancer Research-funded trial tested whether higher-dose radiotherapy could eliminate tumors and reduce the need for surgery and stoma bags. Skinner traveled from York to Leeds for five and a half weeks of weekday treatment, experiencing only temporary side effects. She credits the trial and ongoing cancer research in Yorkshire with making a major difference to her life.

Christine Skinner, a 69-year-old retired professor and nurse from York, is cancer-free two years after taking part in the APHRODITE clinical trial for rectal cancer. Funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research and led by researchers at the universities of Leeds and Bangor, the trial is testing whether higher-dose radiotherapy can eliminate tumors and reduce the need for major surgery and stoma bags. Skinner underwent five and a half weeks of weekday radiotherapy in Leeds, experienced limited side effects, and continues to show no evidence of cancer in follow-up tests. She says the trial significantly improved her life and highlights the importance of volunteers and cancer research.

A York woman’s prolonged abdominal pain was repeatedly attributed to C-section-related scar tissue until a blood test and endoscopy in 2021 confirmed coeliac disease. Years of misdiagnosis followed multiple surgeries, leaving her feeling dismissed and distressed. Adoption of a gluten-free diet improved her symptoms. Guts UK highlights the complexity of digestive conditions and the high rate of undiagnosed coeliac disease in the UK.

A Sheffield factory, Ragg Tuning Forks, continues its 185-year tradition of hand‑making tuning forks for musical, medical, scientific and therapeutic uses. Staff shape and tune the forks manually, producing a wide range of frequencies for applications from hearing tests to sound therapy and equipment calibration. Demand has grown in emerging markets such as sound therapy, allowing the company to expand its global reach despite declining traditional usage.

Boston Castle in Rotherham hosts celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the United States, highlighting its historical link to the Boston Tea Party and its builder, Lord Effingham, who opposed fighting the American colonists. Events include a historical play, flag-raising and performances by the South Yorkshire Police Band and a local US-born singer, marking both the park’s and America’s anniversaries.

A coroner concluded that the death of newborn Ted Stewart from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy was preventable had his mother been admitted to hospital after a suspected oblique fetal position was identified. The inquest found key failures in assessment, communication and the absence of national or local guidance on managing oblique presentations. Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust apologised and said training changes had been introduced. The coroner will issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report to NICE and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The family and their solicitor criticised systemic shortcomings and called for urgent action to prevent similar cases.

Sheffield City Council will restart removing unauthorised flags and attachments from lamp-posts after suspending the practice in December due to staff facing abuse. Removals will prioritise items that pose safety risks, contain offensive content or are deteriorating. Questions raised by a resident about the use of national flags led council leader Fran Belbin to reiterate that attaching items to council infrastructure without permission is illegal, and that the council intends to continue enforcing its policy through the year.

A prison worker was sentenced to 49 months in prison after admitting to multiple sexual assaults and attempted assaults against colleagues at HMP Moorland and at work-related events. An anti-corruption investigation by South Yorkshire Police identified several victims despite the offender initially denying wrongdoing. The prison governor condemned the behaviour, and the offender received lifetime restraining orders barring contact with victims.

A York-based homelessness charity, Safe and Sound Homes, is credited with providing life‑saving support to young people, highlighted through the experience of Jade Husdan-Hicks, who overcame homelessness to complete university and now works in the sector. The organisation’s nightstop and supported lodgings services offer emergency accommodation and stability for vulnerable youth, contributing to thousands of safe nights of shelter. Jade, now a trustee of the charity, attributes their academic and professional achievements to this support, while the charity’s leadership underscores the widespread need for such services across the region.