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mayor criticises proposed rise in fares

Mayor Dan Jarvis has hit out at a recent announcement of higher fares for public transport in South Yorkshire, which came into force this week.

TravelMaster are applying a 5% price rise to their range of products, including 1-Day and 7-Day tickets purchased on board, from 7 June 2021. TravelMaster are a commercial organisation owned and operated by the region’s transport companies. The companies work together through TravelMaster to deliver multi-operator tickets. TravelMaster is independent of any single operator and is not part of any public sector body. More information here https:// www.sytravelmaster.com/about Mayor Dan Jarvis and South Yorkshire leaders wrote to the bus companies earlier this week calling on them to drop their unacceptable price hike proposals. In a letter to First and Stagecoach, the Mayor and the leaders of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield councils call the plans to increase TravelMaster fare rises an “unacceptable kick in the teeth” for South Yorkshire passengers. The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive invested Ј17m to keep bus services running during the pandemic. The Mayoral Combined Authority has recently announced plans to extend reduced fares for young people. From June 2021 a single fare will cost 80p for everyone aged 11 – 21. The discount will remain in place for a year and is an extension of the existing concession for 18 – 21 year olds. The rise has seen significant objections from both the public and civic leaders, and came without any consultation by the travel company. In response to a statement from TravelMaster

offering to take part in talks on their unilateral 5% increase in fares planned for next week, Mayor Jarvis said: “I welcome the offer from TravelMaster to take part in talks, but there can only be one acceptable outcome. The board members who collectively took this decision – Stagecoach Yorkshire, Stagecoach Supertram, First South Yorkshire, TM Travel, Northern, and HCT Group – must cancel it before it comes into force. I do not buy for a second the idea that this unnecessary, well above inflation fare rise is being driven by a desire to “help operators reduce the burden on the taxpayer,” as TravelMaster claims. It is certainly not being driven by a need to keep operating companies solvent, given public subsidies are currently guaranteeing they will break even. The claim that fares in South Yorkshire are significantly below the national average does not match our most recent research – nor does it reflect the utterly dysfunctional complexity of fare structures in our region, itself a major barrier to users. The manner and timing of this unilateral decision is equally concerning. It comes just as we are entering into a fundamental review of the direction and structure of our bus services for the long term. The new offer of talks begs the question why there was no consultation before. The lack of concern for the wider needs of our South Yorkshire community again makes clear that our current bus service is simply not fit for purpose. I look forward to meeting TravelMaster, but its members must not wait to reverse this unacceptable decision.“ volunteers needed for food bank collection

Volunteers are being sought in Yorkshire to help two leading charities support children and families this summer.

From Thursday, July 15 until Saturday, July 17 charities FareShare and the Trussell Trust will be collecting long-life food in large Tesco stores across the UK as part of a special Tesco Food Collection to support children and families throughout the summer holidays. Food donated by Tesco customers during the collection will go to support food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network and to local charities supplied by FareShare, including holiday clubs providing healthy meals and activities to youngsters outside of term-time. Tesco will once again top up customer donations made in store by 20% in cash to aid the two charities in their work. Volunteers are needed to encourage shoppers to leave their donations in the collection point at the front of stores, as shoppers are more likely to donate if volunteers are present, and to spread awareness of the collection through social media. The appeal for volunteers comes ahead of Volunteers Week which celebrates the work of volunteers in the UK. Gareth Batty, Chief Executive at FareShare Yorkshire, said: “More people than ever are struggling to put food on the table and will do for months if not years to come as the economy recovers,” he said. “We have seen a huge increase in people turning to their local grassroots community groups for support and demand for food remains high. We would be incredibly grateful to anyone who is able to volunteer just two hours of their time this year to encourage more shoppers to donate much needed long-life food to those who need it most.” Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust urged others to give their support by becoming digital volunteers and spreading news of the collection via social media. “We’re seeing more people than ever struggling in extreme poverty and pushed to the doors of food banks because they do not have enough money to survive. This isn’t right. But over the last year, we have been overwhelmed by the support people in Yorkshire have shown towards food banks in our network by donating food at Tesco. This summer, we would be so grateful if people can share shopping lists of their local food bank’s most-needed items on their social media, support the Tesco Summer Food Collection when they are next in store, and encourage friends and family to donate. Together we can make a difference and work towards building a hunger free future.” The summer collection is in addition to the pre-Christmas Tesco Food Collection, which takes place annually at the end of November. It is the second year running that Tesco has run a summer Food Collection; following on from a special collection held last summer as the charities were faced with a rise in need caused by Covid-19. To find out more about volunteering during the Tesco Food Collection and to sign up visit:

https://fareshare.org.uk/foodcollection/

so much to look forward to....

It’s been a challenging year for everybody, but the strong sense of community has made a huge difference. Our retirement communities offer Homeowners a safe, secure and happy environment with a circle of friends and a warmth of spirit.

Now, many of our Homeowners are looking forward to getting out and about a bit more and making the most of the warmer weather.

Anne decided to move into Jacobs Gate in Sheffield just a few months ago and is already enjoying her new lifestyle. “Now that I’ve moved, I’m looking through my window across the balcony and there’s all sorts of things happening. I’ve probably talked to about five people this morning. I’ve talked to two of the managers today, one of the other residents, various people in the corridors. Things are happening! It’s very much more interesting than being where I was.”

Having such a strong sense of community and a friendly on-site management team to provide advice, assistance and moral support has made a world of difference to our Homeowners. General Manager Lesley comments:“I love the community spirit that

Sheffield Council ..................................0114 272 6444 Street Force ............................................0114 273 4567 Social Services .......................................0114 273 4908 S. Yorks Transport .................................01709 515151 First Mainline ..........................................01709 566000 Supertram ...............................................0114 275 9888 Children’s Hospital ...............................0114 275 7000 Northern General .................................0114 243 4343 Hallamshire Hospital ..........................0114 271 1900 NHS Direct ..................................................................... 111 Police Non Emergency............................................... 101 S. Yorks Police.........................................0114 220 2020 Crimestoppers.......................................... 0800 555 111 Mercury ....................................................0114 276 3701

Adlington Retirement Living offers and the fact that we encourage independent living but we’re also always there to support our Homeowners with anything they need. I know how important social interaction and having a sense of belonging can be in later life, so I’m excited to be part of our new community at Jacobs Gate.

Our retirement community in Sheffield offers a huge amount of reassurance and practical assistance from Lesley and her team, who provide round the clock support, 365 days a year, along with an emergency call system to give Homeowners and their families peace of mind.

Private tours by appointment Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm Jacobs Gate, Troutbeck Road, Sheffield S7 2QA

Request a brochure or book a private tour Call 0114 553 9554 or Visit adlington.co.uk

ERIC EYRE

INDEPENDENT FUNERAL SERVICE

First established in 1865, Eric Eyre has personally looked after families in the local communities of Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham since 1955. Operating from branches in High Green and Sheffield Lane Top we offer a bespoke funeral service upholding traditional values whilst progressing to cater for modern, personalised customer requirements.

A selection of the services we provide: • Professional and sympathetic funeral arrangements in our office or in the comfort of your own home • Pre-paid funerals • In-house catering • Floral tributes • Orders of service • Horse-drawn funerals • Private Chapels of rest • Religious & non-religious funerals

Mortomley House 2 – 4 Mortomley Lane High Green Sheffield S35 3HR Telephone : 0114 284 8202 Sheffield Lane Top Office 826 Barnsley Road Sheffield Lane Top Sheffield S5 0QG Telephone: 0114 327 1720 www.ericeyre.co.uk info@ericeyre.co.uk