Lulu Johnston-Knight

Restoration of Abbeydale Dam near Dore in Sheffield has been completed after leaks in 2021 caused structural damage. The £1.3m project included stonemasonry, waterproofing, grouting and repairs to the waterwheel powering Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet. The millpond is scheduled to be refilled in September after ecological assessments to protect breeding birds and other wildlife, while the waterwheel is expected to return to operation in 2027. Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Museums Trust and Esh Construction jointly delivered the work, preserving a site regarded as one of the world’s most complete surviving water-powered industrial works.

A charity-led project has introduced a bright pink “chatty bench” in Sheffield’s Orchard Square to encourage conversation and reduce loneliness among older people. b:friend CEO Colette Bunker reports immediate positive interactions, while visitors such as widow Estelle Drummond describe the value of social contact. Younger residents also express support, noting the bench’s potential to spark openness in a typically phone-absorbed public space. The charity continues pairing volunteers with isolated older people and hopes the concept can expand more widely.

A fundraising art installation at Wentworth Woodhouse will display steel butterfly ornaments dedicated to lost loved ones in support of Rotherham Hospice. Participants, including Susan Hodgson, view the project as a meaningful memorial, while hospice leaders highlight rising regional demand for end-of-life care as people live longer with illness. The handcrafted butterflies, produced by local apprentices, aim to bring grieving families together while helping the hospice expand its services.