Unbroken - Barnsley Through the Pandemic

Unbroken

Barnsley through the pandemic 2020 - present

JACK TOLSON

Unbroken Barnsley Through the Pandemic 2020 - present Jack Tolson

WELCOME

The Covid pandemic has affected, and continues to affect, individuals and communities in different ways.

The unprecedented circumstances of a global pandemic have been felt in Barnsley, as they have across the world. Throughout the Borough people have lost loved ones, experienced long term ill health, faced separation from family and friends and uncertainty about the future. The pandemic exacerbated existing health inequalities and issues of social isolation, and its impact will still be felt for years to come.

Despite this, since lockdown was announced in March 2020, there are a multitude of examples of communities across Barnsley working together to support each other through difficult times. From making PPE for NHS staff to knitting hearts for hospital patients, sewing face masks to setting up food donations for people who needed them, Barnsley residents have demonstrated their incredible care and compassion, seeking ways to improve the situation for themselves and others.

That sense of community spirit, and the examples of what Barnsley’s diverse communities can do when we work together should never be left behind. In the words of Ian McMillan, to all of our residents and communities, ‘Barnsley’s fierce love holds you forever in its heart’.

‘Unbroken’ was brought about through a collaboration between Barnsley Museums, Barnsley Chronicle & Barnsley Museums & Heritage Trust and made possible through generous contributions of staff time from all the organisations involved and funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery Players. Its aim was to ensure that memories and experiences relating to the pandemic in Barnsley were captured, curated & stored, allowing future generations to reflect on this extraordinary period.

3 August

Eat Out to Help Out scheme introduced

4 January

Children return to school

6 January Third lockdown comes into force

14 August Furt her lockdown restrictions eased, including indoor theatres and soft play

15 February

Hotel quarantine comes into force

14 September

‘Rule of Six ’ introduced, banning indoor and social gatherings above six people

14 August PM announces new restrictions including work ing from home

29 March

Outdoor gatherings up to six people or two households allowed to mix in outdoor spaces

APRIL

12 April

Non- essential retail shops can re - open

17 May

30 people allowed to mix outdoors

14 Oc tober Three-tier system introduced

BARNSLEY IN LOCKDOWN

March 2020/October 2020/January 2021

March 16 is a day which will live long in the memory of not just Barnsley residents, but people from across the UK.

Boris Johnson, who was Prime Minister at the time, placed the nation into a lockdown - a feat that we are very rarely going to face again in the modern era.

As cases of coronavirus became more serious and in number, he was left with no choice but to tell residents to stay indoors. At the time, it felt surreal. It felt like a plot in a box office thriller.

But it wasn’t. It was something we were all living in, and would live in for the best part of two years.

We were all glued to our TV screens, and would be for the next few months as the government’s Covid updates began to air. Three days later and the restrictions legally came into place. Residents weren’t able to leave their homes unless they were going out for exercise, though this was only allowed once a day, and to go to the supermarket for essential goods.

On April 16, lockdown was extended for ‘at least’ a further three weeks - something which certainly scared a number of people. What at first to some may have seemed just a few weeks off work or school, quickly became a worldwide pandemic which affected us all. A fortnight later and the Prime Minister told the nation they were ‘past the peak’ of the pandemic and on May 10 announced conditional plans to bring the country out of lockdown.

At that point it looked like we were past the worst. A phased opening of schools, non-essential shops, pubs and restaurants began to come into play.

But, in hindsight, it was clear this caused a rise in cases. After local lockdowns came into play in June, a curfew of 10pm was set - as was the rule of six. That meant people were unable to meet with more than the set number - though this was just the start.

On September 26, the government announced they would not rule out a further lockdown. Less than a month later and they revealed their three-tier system. Barnsley was in the bottom tier of this scheme - meaning they were ultimately back into a full lockdown.

The town had the highest infection rate in the whole of South Yorkshire, standing at 548.9 per 100,000 residents. At the time, the town’s director of public health, said they wanted to support residents in every way possible.

Julia Burrows said: “We want to do everything we can to identify and support as many people as we can who have been identified by the Test and Trace system and who need to self-isolate.

“Here in Barnsley, as well as across South Yorkshire, cases are spreading across all age groups, with increasing hospitalisations, intensive care admissions and deaths.

“I want people to be aware that if they receive this message, it is genuine and that they need to take action to prevent transmitting this very serious virus throughout our communities.”

Remember, remember the 5th of November never rang truer than it did in 2020 when the country ended its second lockdown period.

Admittedly, it only lasted until December 2 but the restrictions didn’t end there - as the tier system returned with a new fourth tier. Fortunately, Barnsley never entered that category but harsh laws were still forced among residents.

FIRST CASE

March 2020

James Dixon was the first confirmed Covid-19 patient in Barnsley and spent 31 days in hospital – 14 of them on a ventilator in intensive care – squaring up to a touch-and-go fight for his life.

It was a fight James and his family feared he might lose on more than one occasion, with doctors admitting he had no more than a 50-50 chance of survival.

Speaking exclusively to the Chronicle, a grateful James said: “The staff in the hospital – and ICU in particular – are nothing short of super heroes.

“I can’t stress enough my appreciation for what they did for me.

“No words can do justice to the work everyone there is doing, they’re like soldiers going into battle.” James, of Monk Bretton, started feeling unwell with a high temperature and shivers but put off seeking medical help because he says he ‘didn’t want to be a burden on the NHS’.

“I just thought I could get over it by self-isolating, taking paracetamol and resting and I really didn’t want to cause a fuss.”

But over the next five days, his condition deteriorated dramatically as he struggled to breathe and his temperature continued to soar to 40 degrees.

“Then on St Patrick’s Day night, I was in bed, shivering but with a really high temperature and my wife said something

had to be done.

“After speaking to 111, she called an ambulance and when it came, the paramedics were wearing full PPE equipment.

“Seeing them walk into the bedroom dressed in that gear hit me and made me realise just how ill I really was.”

Once in hospital, his condition continued to deteriorate and after two days, he ended up in the intensive care unit before being put into an induced coma so he could be placed on a ventilator. Moments before he was induced into the coma, staff phoned James’ wife who was self-isolating with their two boys, so they could communicate via video chat.

“No words can do justice to the work everyone is doing –they are like soldiers going into battle...”

Dr Steve Lobaz, consultant in anaesthetics and intensive care medicine, believes James would have died had he not gone into hospital when he did. He said: “James is the same age as me, has two kids like me, making this even more personal to see him in this situation.

“Knowing that there was a high chance of him dying – he was at least 50-50 even with intensive care due to the severity of the disease – raised emotions high.” James, a self-employed media freelancer, was finally discharged from hospital with a round of applause and a ‘guard of honour’ 31 days after he first stepped onto the site.

PUBS CLOSED

March 2020

Then Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for all pubs to close their doors to revellers on March 20, 2020.

It initially left landlords with no income, until government support came into play.

Beer pumps weren’t pulled for well over a year during the pandemic, with many venues being forced to close their doors for good.

At least five pubs have closed since March 2020 with the number across the borough down from almost 200 to 171.

Covid placed extraordinary pressure on the hospitality sector as lockdowns forced closures and, even when sites were allowed to open, restrictions on opening times as well as reduced demand due to punters choosing to stay at home caused problems.

However, as the town starts to bounce back from the pandemic, many pubs are still suffering the after effects. One pub that has opened its doors since the pandemic

is Heaven and Ale, based on Agnes Road near the town centre which has since been voted CAMRA’s 2022 pub of the year.

The building - once a chemist - has been converted into a multi-room pub with an additional outside seating area.

It’s been hosting events which support local charities such as Barnsley Hospice and the Barnsley branch of CAMRA described the venue as a ‘fantastic asset for the local community’.

Owner Gary Holmes, from Birdwell, said he had no expectations when he opened 18 months later than expected but is ‘over the moon’ with the support from locals.

“We should have obviously been open 18 months before because of the pandemic but we opened in May last year,” he said.

“There are some pubs that are closing down but I think I’m right in saying that the smaller ones are doing better than the bigger ones at the minute.”

WE’LL BEAT THIS TOGETHER

March 2020

Residents were urged to remain calm during this never-before-seen period of coronavirus uncertainty – but businesses at risk of folding were promised Barnsley Council’s full support in a bid to stave off closures.

Council leader Sir Steve Houghton and chief executive Sarah Norman confirmed that Barnsley had five cases of the virus, but about 400 local businesses had already been given a 12-month rate relief with more set to follow in the coming weeks.

Council-run libraries were remaining open – acting as information points – while Barnsley Market in the town centre also continued trading in a bid to boost the economy which traders say has been severely impacted.

Steve said: “What we’ve seen this week is that a lot of people want to help others, which is great, but we need to make sure people are self-isolating if they’re feeling unwell.

“The market is open and it will be staying that way until we hear otherwise – people are very worried, I understand that, but the council is prepared and if people follow medical advice, I am confident – as difficult as it is currently – that we’ll work our way through this together.”

A package of support started to be rolled out by the council to businesses, which residents were urged to back by choosing to shop locally, while tenants struggling to pay rent were also told to contact the local authority.

Sarah added: “There’s a hardship scheme in place and this will continue. About 400 businesses were helped on Wednesday and we want others to get in touch with us if they’re struggling, and that includes residents.

“We’re extremely aware of concerns regarding the economic impact but we need to ask people to please buy and support their

localshops, use their local centres and make sure the Barnsley pound stays in Barnsley.

“Business is carrying on, not as usual and it is not easy, but we will be there and do all we can to help.”

Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis labelled the crisis as the most serious public health matter of a lifetime, but urged residents to stick together through the ‘unprecedented’ period.

“I am working tirelessly to co-ordinate the response to coronavirus,” he added. “I am receiving regular briefings and I’m in contact with our directors of public health, the NHS, South Yorkshire Police and government ministers to make sure that Barnsley gets the resources we need to deal with the virus.

“Coronavirus will also have a profound impact on our economy as workers self-isolate. I welcome the announcement by the Department for Work and Pensions to guarantee access to statutory sick pay for all self-employed and gig economy workers and believe that the government must do everything in its power to support workers and businesses throughout this period of extreme turbulence.

“People who do the right thing and follow the government guidelines must not face a financial penalty for doing so.

“This will be an extraordinarily difficult time for our people, our communities and our public services. I have every confidence that our brilliant, hard-working NHS staff will rise to the challenge, but we all need to do what we can to support them.

“That means shopping responsibly and not stockpiling, supporting our elderly and vulnerable relatives and neighbours who have to self-isolate and following the official guidelines as they are updated.

“I know our communities will look out for each other – as we saw in the floods last November – and that together we will come through this.”

ACORN UNIT

A ward at Barnsley Hospital was cleared and readied to help treat victims of coronavirus.

Patients who had been staying at the Acorn Unit – normally used for the care and rehabiltation of the elderly – were transferred to care homes so the unit could be prepared for treatment of coronavirus cases.

The Acorn Unit is on the top floor of the Gawber Road hospital and normally provides specialist support and rehabilitation for up to 14 days for people who are due to leave hospital. It was created in 2017 following the closure of Mount Vernon Hospital.

Barnsley Hospital was one of numerous organisations across the borough who geared up for a surge in cases after it was confirmed two people had already been diagnosed. The council confirmed the news but said it would not be issuing any updates on further cases.

A spokesman for Barnsley Hospital said at the time that it was ‘well prepared’ to deal with any escalation of cases and that services would continue to operate as normal. A spokesman said: “The NHS in Barnsley and Public Health England are well prepared for new, infectious diseases.

“The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all patients and staff while also ensuring services are available to the public as normal.

“Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. “Call 111 if you need to speak to someone.”

Barnsley schools – many of which were preparing for exams –were also starting to put plans in place to cope with more cases and leaders of Outwood Academy in Shafton, one of the town’s largest secondaries, said they were prepared for any closures. A spokesperson from Outwood Grange Academies Trust said: “As an entire trust of 32 academies, we have been through our emergency plans and developed contingencies should we have

to close or partially close due to either government instruction or due to staff absence.

“In the event of any closure, partial or full, we will use our official local media outlets, send a message via our parent text service and put a message on our website.

“We are preparing to provide work for our students should we have to close the academy for any length of time and we are well-prepared for this situation, with excellent IT systems in place.

“We have been developing our use of Google Drive, where we can share resources, and Google Classroom. “With this, we can replicate classes, distribute work, grade and send feedback, and see everything in one place. “We will use this system as the ‘one-stop shop’ for all work to be accessed, and updates will be given as we continue our preparation.”

Julia Burrows, director of Public Health at Barnsley Council, reassured people that the local authority was continuing to ‘work closely’ with its health partners and arrangements were in place to ‘manage the situation’.

Ms Burrows said: “We’ve been reviewing all of our council business continuity plans to make sure we are in the best possible position to respond.

“We were expecting we would see cases in Barnsley at some stage, and we can confirm we have two cases in the town. “These are unrelated and contracted the virus outside of the borough. We send our best wishes to the individuals and their families as they continue their recovery.

“I want to reassure residents that Public Health England have contacted anyone who has been in close contact with these cases, and we’re working closely with health partners to manage the situation.

“At this stage, the risk of transmission is low, and I do want to emphasise to our residents that people should continue to go about their daily lives as normal.

“The small number of confirmed cases in the borough suggests that we’re still in a period of containment and we’re not yet seeing evidence of it spreading in the community.

“We know it’s a rapidly evolving situation, so I do want to prepare residents for the possibility that we will see an increasing number of cases in Barnsley in the coming weeks or months.

“On this basis, we do not intend to announce new cases and we would encourage people not to speculate about individuals.” For the rest of our residents, it’s really important to emphasise that the risk is low, and they should continue to go about their daily lives as normal.”

CLAP FOR CARERS

March 2020

Barnsley Hospital bosses said they were hugely proud of all its nurses and never more so than when they were responding so bravely to the Covid-19 crisis.

There are so many different nursing roles in the hospital with nurses caring for, treating and supporting people from birth to the end of their lives. From emergency department nurses to those on respiratory, cancer, and care of the elderly wards, nurses worked incredibly hard to look after all patients as well as those affected with Covid-19.

Many nurses were doing their jobs in personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks and visors. Even then, nurses were so innovative they still found ways to closely connect with patients and show how much they care.

James Dixon, Barnsley’s first Covid-19 patient to need intensive care, got to know his nurses through their name badges, height and shape. Whilst he was recovering at home, he said: “Because of the PPE I didn’t know the face of a single person who looked

after me but now I know who they are. They are my absolute heroes.” Becky Hoskins, the hospital’s Deputy Director of Nursing and Quality, said: “Today and every day, we are grateful to our nurses who care for the people of Barnsley in all kinds of ways.

“Nurses and care staff continue to come to work, providing high quality care in circumstances we have never seen before.

“Retired nurses are also coming back into the profession to provide the care they have always given and student nurses are supporting our nursing teams.”

The celebrations for International Nursing Day were set to be extra special, and Covid-19 did not stop the hospital taking time to celebrate – with all the social distancing that implies. Barnsley Hospital joined nurses around the world to recognise the wonderful work they do.

CALL TO ARMS

March 2020

Vital community responders were needed to help deliver supplies to self-isolating residents across Barnsley after people finally took government advice to stay indoors.

The elderly were among those at high risk and as they are unable to leave their house are struggling to pick up basic supplies they need to survive.

Bosses at Barnsley Charity Voluntary Service believe social isolation in communities in the town could be compounded as a result of the virus and were seeking volunteers to sign up in a bid to help those most at risk who may not have families to rely on.

“As we all find ourselves in this unprecedented situation and facing the impact of coronavirus, we want to make sure our communities are supported across the borough,” a CVS spokesman said.

“CVS is working with Barnsley Council to mobilise volunteers to give their time, no matter how big or small, to make a big difference during these difficult times.

“We know that residents play a huge role in building

strong communities and that many have already been asking how they can help. “If anyone would like to volunteer their skills to support the most vulnerable, we can find an opportunity that works for them.

“CVS has experience of supporting volunteers in a range of roles across our borough, and our teams are on hand to make sure that skills are used to help others during this time.

“We are currently identifying those who are most at risk in our communities and want to make sure we can provide targeted support.

“Volunteers are needed in this unprecedented time to ensure that the impact of the virus is as minimal as possible the elderly need help.”

CVS leaders appealed for people to get in touch if they can spare time to chat on the phone with those who might be lonely, do shopping and drop off supplies, deliver books to keep self isolating residents’ minds active or administrative work.

“Volunteering is a meaningful way to help those who need it most. It’s especially so for those who are isolated or distanced from social interactions.”

HOSPITAL HEROES

April 2020

Barnsley Hospital staff chose to self-isolate from their families due to shortages of vital equipment to protect them while they are at work.

As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Barnsley hit 134, with three deaths – and planned increases in the number of healthcare workers to fight the spread of the virus – staff reported inadequate stocks of face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE).

A nurse, who believes she may have contracted COVID-19, said staff ‘feel like lambs to the slaughter’ as they go to work on wards that are inadequately stocked with basic equipment.

Her partner, who did not wish to be named, told the Chronicle: “I had to find her a proper FFP3 mask. “She was on a ward where she might come into contact with the virus, and they’d taken the masks off it.

“She had to wear a surgical mask, which offers no protection against coronavirus.

“This virus has been con- firmed as spreading through droplets going onto clothing and hair, so staff should be fully protected.

“They’re going to get ill. Not only because of the

virus, but the stress and anxiety is going to affect everyone mentally. “A lot of doctors and nurses are petrified of going in.”

A spokesperson for the hospital said management were ‘working dynamically’ to distribute PPE to its staff based on where it was needed.

“Like NHS organisations across the UK, Barnsley Hospital is working tirelessly to provide safe care for our patients whilst looking after our most precious resource, our staff,” said the spokes- person.

“We do have stocks of PPE and are working dynamically to manage the distribution across the hospital based on many factors including risk and need.

“To protect our staff, as a minimum, all our frontline staff working with patients are provided with and asked to wear masks as a matter of routine in line with national Public Health England guidance.

“We are working with the national teams who are managing the distribution of PPE stocks to individual hospitals to make sure we maintain our supply of this important equipment.

“We recognise and under- stand this is an incredibly difficult time for all NHS staff and here at Barnsley Hospital, we are immensely proud of the heroic efforts our staff are making.

“We would like to thank every single one of them for their absolute dedication at this time.”

POSTAL PANDEMIC

April 2020

Postal workers dealt with about 13,000 parcels a day across the borough due to ‘overwhelming’ online orders during the coronavirus outbreak, bosses revealed.

Royal Mail workers took on longer shifts to deal with the rate of orders being 15 per cent higher than during the Christmas period. Simon Lally, the delivery manager at Royal Mail in Barnsley, said: “Of course this coronavirus outbreak has had a massive impact on our service.

“Here in Barnsley we’ve got up to 135 postal workers going out to deliver parcels every day. So, we’ve had to completely take apart everything we used to do to keep our staff safe. We have brought in a three-shift system to limit the number of staff on the floor at any one time. It’s now only one postal worker in a single van when out on delivery, too.”

The rate of delivery orders increased significantly across the borough as more people began ordering online.

“As people are now at home, the amount of orders have increased significantly,” Simon added. “At the moment, we are 15 per cent busier than we were at Christmas where we usually have extra temporary staff to deal with the demand. “However, now we have about a ten per cent lower workforce because of staff self-isolating with symptoms or their family experiencing symptoms.

“Each day, I estimate that we deliver in excess of 13,000 parcels, which has been quite the challenge.” Simon said that following social distancing guidelines

is the only way to keep staff and the community safe. “Postal workers are now knocking on doors, and putting the package on the floor and immediately stepping two metres away from the door.

“But what we’re finding is people are expecting their parcels and coming to the front door straight away so we’re having to warn them to step back. “Naturally, some people have been taking against that and giving us a bit of abuse, but it’s for everyone’s safety.”

Simon thanked the community who rallied around to support Royal Mail workers during the outbreak.

He said: “The best part of this is seeing the support from the community. Some young kids had left out a bowl of fruit and chocolate as a thanks. The workers are so heartened by these acts of kindness and it really motivates us through the day. I take my hat off to every single postal worker delivering around Barnsley, they are going out with a ‘can-do’ attitude every day and doing everything they can to keep deliveries coming.”

Shane O’Riordain, managing director of marketing, regulation and corporate affairs, at Royal Mail, added: “More than ever, people are relying on us, and we will continue to work hard to deliver the most comprehensive service we can to all our customers at this difficult time.

“Despite our best endeavours, it’s possible that some areas of the country may experience a reduction in service levels because of coronavirus related absences.”“Throughout this crisis, every decision we make puts the health of our people and customers first.”

HEARTS FOR HOSPITAL

April 2020

Barnsley Hospital’s intensive care unit called on local knitters to make hearts for patients and their loved ones during the coronavirus outbreak.

A nurse from Barnsley Hospital launched the ‘Knitted Hearts Appeal’ where keen knitters donated matching pairs of hearts to loved ones who are unable to visit family members in the intensive care unit because of new visiting restrictions.

A hospital spokesperson said: “The appeal was started in Barnsley by one of our staff nurses, Melissa Finan.

“The idea is to have twin pairs of small knitted or crocheted hearts. One is given to a patient in intensive care and the other is inserted into a card and posted out to the patient’s loved ones. The heart and card reinforce the sense of love and connection between families and patients during hospital visiting restrictions.”

The hospital was inundated with the knitted hearts and hope to expand this around the hospital.

“The scheme first started in the intensive care unit but staff hope to extend it across the whole hospital.

“The hospital has been overwhelmed with beautiful hearts, support and donations to the scheme, and wants to send out a massive thank you to Barnsley people.”

Barnsley Hospital did, however, want to stress that safety is paramount when making and posting the hearts to the hospital and that they followed strict regulations.

“Members of the public are mailing the hearts to the hospital.

“It’s very important to stress that the hearts go through a strict infection control process.

“Two hearts are placed in a dated plastic bag and then left for five days with no one opening the bag. It’s very important that anyone mailing hearts should not make an unnecessary trip to the postbox, but only post out their hearts during their one-hour exercise session.”

Sheryll Dixon, who chairs the Penistone Knitting Group that knits blankets and twiddle muffs for premature babies in ICU, said: “I think it’s an absolutely lovely idea.

“I’ve been encouraging my knitters to get involved in this as its not only massively important for our ICU department, but it’s also important for keeping our knitters busy.

“As a group, we’re used to face-to-face contact so it has been increasingly difficult for us all. It’s been hard to keep up the distribution of our knits in this climate, so the fact it will be easier and safer to post them to the hospital is fantastic.”

FOOTBALL WALK

A football club kicked off its first over-50 walking football match in September 2020 in a bid to get people socialising. Barnsley Age UK and Paul Kay of Wombwell Main teamed up to launch the club’s first ever walking football game. The game, which kicked off at the ground on Windmill Road, had 13 new players all over the age of 50.

Tracy Hughes, social inclusion worker at Age UK, said at the time: “A group of 13 men turned up.

“Paul donned a bib which gave us a seven-a-side team and it was nothing short of brilliant.

“Watching them enthusiastically take part, trying their level best to walk not run, have football banter with each other and a close result that went to penalties was fantastic. “At the end everyone had the usual post match briefing which included lots of ‘did you see him’ and ‘he should’ve gone off ref’ but the bottom line was, they’re all coming back this Saturday and I couldn’t be happier.

“Who knows where the team might end up but one thing is for sure, anything is possible if you believe.

“We are looking to create a team to play during the week but it all depends on numbers that turn out. Well done to everyone that played.”

It was a great initiative which allowed elderly residents keep fit after being told to shield during lockdown. Its idea was influential in getting elderly people and out and about - but most importantly getting them socialising.

COMMUNITY SUPPORTING THE NHS

APRIL 2020

A woman from Great Houghton started a sewing network to make PPE headbands for NHS staff. Linzi Adams has had her own sewing company for the past ten years, but due to a drop in orders decided to do something for the NHS.

She said: “I have two cousins who work up at the hospital, so when my orders for the business started to drop, I thought that I’d do something to help them.

“I know a lot of people are complain- ing about the way the current PPE is damaging their ears and skin, so the idea of making an elastic strap for them sprung to mind.

“It was only supposed to be for my cousins but they were received so well, so I had to make some more.”

Over 100 had already gone to Barnsley Hospital in April 2020, but Linzi was asking for volunteers to help her meet the current demand.

“I set up a Facebook group on Monday night, and we’ve already got more than 200 people in there who say they’re happy to help one way or another,” Linzi told the Chronicle.

“I think it shows what a wonderful community it is that we live in, everyone seems to be getting involved.

“There’s people outside of Great Houghton getting involved as well, PPE: Nurses Kerry Cooper, Emma Shaw, and Olivia Hobson which is absolutely fantastic.

“I’ve sent out sewing packs to the people that have asked for help, and I’ve received a lot of donations already, but if we’re to do this for as long as we hope, we do need more,” she added.

“Whether it be elastic, buttons or help sewing them, everything is a huge help.”

Friend Nat Auckland said: “Once I saw what Linzi was doing I couldn’t wait to get involved with it, I can’t sew or anything so I decided to give some money so she can get some materials.

“It shows what a great community we live in when there’s this many people that are helping, it’s wonderful.”

A school’s design and technology department made their own personal protective equipment to send to frontline NHS staff working round the clock at Barnsley Hospital.

Horizon Community College made plans to support the hospital by creating visors that staff can wear to protect themselves when working near patients suffering with coronavirus.

Phil Robson was the subject leader at the school, and the one spearheading the scheme. He said: “There’s a lot of schools and firms across the UK doing things like this to help the NHS, as the protective equipment they currently have either isn’t good enough or doesn’t exist.

“We’re trying to help people at Barnsley Hospital any way we can and by providing equipment to them, we hope that we can do our bit.

“We produced 30 on Wednesday and another 100 on yesterday to send out to them.”

Phil’s wife works at the NHS Sheffield Trust, so he has first-hand experience of how hard it is for staff during these unprecedented times.

“This is a national scheme and we’re hoping that a lot of people across the nation are willing to get involved, and so it’s been a success,” Phil told the Chronicle.

“We can currently make around five visors every 25 minutes, but there’s companies with greater facilities than ours that are making way more.

“We’re doing our very best at the minute, we’ve had positive and negative views on what we’re doing, but the hospital seem happy to take the equipment, so from our point of view we can’t do anything else.” The subject leader, who has worked at the school since its opening in 2012, was keen to stress that this is only a short-term solution.

“This can’t be a long-term thing because there really needs to be actual equipment supplied to the hospitals,” he added.

“This is not an answer to the problem, we’re doing what we can to help, but in the long run this is not something that should be happening.

“All of the staff here are doing a wonderful job, whether they’re working from home and sourcing material, or if they’re helping out here in the department.”

Phil Storey, associate vice principal, is very appreciative of all the work the staff are doing to help out.

“It’s all the staff that are helping out right now, it’s not just the DT department that are getting involved,” he said.

“The IT department have been helping out with any technical difficulties that have been going on, and of course the DT department are a huge help at this time.”

Wakefield Girls’ High School also made their own PPE, sending it out to Barnsley Hospice, and Cohens Chemist in Dodworth.

TESTING BEGINS

May 2020

Coronavirus

testing facilities were set

up

in Barnsley town centre car parks.

Anyone older than 65 was able to access a test, as well as essential workers who were self referred or referred by their employers.

As part of the government’s drive to provide 100,000 tests a day, drive-through sites staffed by armed forces personnel were set up in the Churchfields and County Way car parks.

The government ‘significantly increased’ the UK’s testing capability, with similar sites opening around the country.

Test results were returned by text within 48 hours.

Then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock said: “Expansion of our testing programme protects our most vulnerable and keeps people safe.

“Any worker who needs to leave their home in order to go to work, and their households, if any of them have symptoms can also get a test.

“This means construction workers to emergency plumbers, research scientists to those in manufacturing can now be tested.

“All they need to do is go on the internet and apply for a test.” There were 608 confirmed cases in Barnsley at that time.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT

MORE than 1,000 Barnsley residents provided ‘vital’ services to the town’s most vulnerable people having answered a call for volunteers to give up their time when lockdown was imposed.

Following measures put in place by Prime Minister Boris Johnson regarding the coronavirus outbreak in March, residents across the borough were advised to only travel if necessary in a bid to reduce the spread of the deadly virus. According to a report on the town’s ongoing response, 67,000 residents were identified to be in need of help - a quarter of Barnsley’s population - and letters were sent to each at-risk household advising them of the services available.

The elderly and long-term ill were among those deemed to be most vulnerable and as they were unable to leave their house, many were found to be struggling to pick up the basic supplies they needed to survive.

Bosses at Barnsley Community and Voluntary Services believed social isolation - a long running issue in communities in the town - could be compounded as a result of the virus and sought volunteers to sign up in a bid to help those most at risk who may not have families to rely on.

A Barnsley Council report said: “Data has been used to help recognise and contact those who may be at risk. This means the organisation can make sure that resources and community volunteers are mobilised in the most effective way.

“A great strength of Barnsley is that there is already a robust and well-established community infrastructure. “As a result, a significant volume of support activity is taking place across

communities through existing commissioned activity and voluntary groups. The primary focus is providing early help wherever possible.

“As of April 23, 1,638 calls were received via the coronavirus emergency contact centre. Of these, 77 per cent required help with food, 22 per cent with prescriptions and seven per cent with social isolation issues.

“A total of 1,082 community responders have been recruited, delivering vital emergency assistance to individuals and families. “The volunteers play a vital role in supporting the many residents that may need support to cope with disruptions due to coronavirus.”

CVS leaders also appealed for people to get in touch if they can spare time to chat on the phone with those who might be lonely, do shopping and drop off supplies, deliver library books to keep self-isolating residents’ minds active or administrative work.

Coun Jenny Platts, cabinet spokesman for communities, said: “I am extremely proud of Barnsley’s response in helping those at risk and people who might just need some extra support during these challenging times.

“If people require help, I can assure them that the council and our partners are committed to helping residents to stay safe at home.

“The response to people signing up to become volunteers has been outstanding, and our team of community responders really are a marvellous asset.

“I’d also like to thank the community and voluntary groups who continue to support residents. Together we are demonstrating how strong and resilient our communities are and our Barnsley spirit.”

RESEARCH IN BARNSLEY

May 2020

The ‘next stage’ in coronavirus testing was developed by a Barnsley firm in the hope of getting people back to work safely.

Screen4, based in Carlton, has provided drug and alcohol testing to companies around the world for more than a decade, with its main focus pre-employment checks for major airlines.

Shortly after the outbreak of the virus, the company developed and released a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test – a simple ‘yes or no’ test which confirms the presence of the lethal virus, of the type which was rolled out by the government to testing sites across the country.

The firm, in partnership with a laboratory in Germany, developed what is believed to be the first readily-available ‘ELISA’ antibody test.

Rather than a nasal or oral swab, the antibody test checks the blood for signs of immunity – showing whether a person has already had the virus and recovered – and complements PCR testing.

“I’m not aware of anybody else in this country offering the ELISA test,” Andrew told the Chronicle. “The laboratory in Germany is ahead of the curve in what it’s doing. They’ve been testing 400,000 to 500,000 people every day for the last month.

“It’s the next stage, and is the best we can do with proven technology. It’s what is being rolled out across Germany, and it will eventually be rolled out in the UK.”

The government announced plans to introduce antibody testing later in May, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling

it a potential ‘game changer’.

However, home testing ‘pin-prick’ kits were found to be too unreliable for widespread use.

Andrew said Screen4’s test must be carried out by a trained phlebotomist, with blood samples sent to a laboratory for testing in a turnaround time of two or three days.

Screen4 is working with a number of businesses looking at their return-to-work strategies, but tests are also available to individuals – such as NHS staff and other essential workers.

Andrew said: “We have a background in occupational health, so we’re well aware of companies’ responsibilities to their staff.

“Employers might have 15 or 20 people who’ve been at home, who don’t know whether they’ve had the virus, have got rid of it, or never had it at all.

“This test can inform them what to do with those different categories of people, and how to protect employees.

“Otherwise what will happen is even if people don’t have the virus, they might suffer with stress as they think they might catch it.

“We’re not just selling a test – we want companies to be aware of the significant risk of people coming back to work too soon without the information to do so.”

The UK’s coronavirus testing has been marred in controversy, with a slow roll-out seeing cheaper, less accurate PCR tests flood the market and kits being privately sold on at high prices.

Earlier that month, testing sites were set up in Barnsley as the government announced plans to deliver 100,000 tests a day nationally – a target which it first failed to meet.

RESEARCH IN BARNSLEY

May 2020

Barnsley Hospital’s research

team recruited patients into vital Covid-19 studies some global to help find treatments.

The team was collecting anonymised information on all patients admitted to hospital with a positive test for Covid-19.

The data was being collected worldwide and increased the knowledge base about the virus, aiding strategies to better manage and treat it.

The team also offered Covid-19 patients an opportunity to join a national randomised trial to review which potential treatments, already identified by experts, work best. The team said it was proud to be part of this groundbreaking research, and added it was vital that the Barnsley population is represented in data which is essential for developing knowledge, diagnostics and potential treatments.

There was further research opportunities for local people as studies of potential Covid-19 vaccines were in development.

The team also supported on-going research studies in a variety of disease areas.

Lead Research Nurse Nicola Lancaster said: “Working in

research is extremely rewarding.

“Being able to provide patients with opportunities they would not normally have access to and seeing an improvement in their condition is such a special moment”.

“As a research nurse you play a big part in changing future treatments for the better.

“Without research, healthcare would stand still and with a population that is living longer that cannot be allowed. “It is great to see benefits to patients and we see research as the only way forward.”

Barnsley Hospital’s research team was the top recruiter of patients to Covid-19 research studies in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

The team recruited 640 patients to four Covid-19 research studies. The studies looked at recovery from the virus such as the impact of different drugs, genetics relating to Covid-19, outcomes of patients leaving emergency care, and tracking data and trends of the virus.

Clinical Director Professor Suzanne Mason said: “We are way ahead of any other Trust in the region and this demonstrates what a wonderful team we have in Barnsley. It is a huge achievement.”

COVID LOSSES IN THE BOROUGH

May 2020

Coronavirus deaths in an area of Barnsley were among the highest in the region, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics.

Wombwell South was listed as having nine confirmed deaths from the virus – almost 40 per cent of the total deaths registered in the area – after figures were narrowed down to postcode area by ONS experts.

This placed the area in the top ten for Yorkshire – but when combined with the four deaths in the town’s northern region, Wombwell as a whole sat level with the fourth-highest location, Kimberworth Park in Rotherham.

Other areas of Barnsley that were ranked as some of the worst-hit in Yorkshire were Mapplewell and Staincross, with eight deaths, and Honeywell, with five. There had also been five recorded deaths in Thurnscoe which, at 50 per cent is the highest proportion of total deaths in a postcode area that were due to coronavirus, in Barnsley.

The data only included deaths which occurred between March 1 and April 17 for which coronavirus was the underlying cause or was listed as a contributory factor on the death certificate.

It was released as part of a study into mortality rates in more economically-deprived areas of the country. Nick Stripe, ONS head of health analysis, said: “General mortality rates are normally higher in more deprived areas, but so far Covid-19 appears to be taking them

higher still.”

Worsbrough – identified in a recent study as one of the most economically at-risk areas from the outbreak –has seen two deaths directly caused by coronavirus.

The data showed 74 deaths occurred in the borough from March 1 to April 17 – a rate of 31.8 per 100,000 people. Including coronavirus deaths registered up to April 25, five occurred in the person’s home, 55 in hospital and two in hospice care.

Julia Burrows, director of Public Health, said detailed investigation of why some communities had higher infection and death rates was ongoing.

“We are aware that current statistics show that areas in Barnsley have comparatively high rates of deaths linked to Covid-19 and my deepest sympathy goes to the families and friends of all those who have died,” she said.

Ms Burrows added Barnsley’s a higher-than-average proportion of older people, and those with cancer, cardio vascular and respiratory diseases, could be found to be a contributing factor.

“Areas of Barnsley also have very high levels of deprivation, and this is a strong predictor of poor health, wellbeing and reduced life expectancy,” she continued.

“We are working with organisations across the health and care system in Barnsley to understand how Covid-19 affects local people and how best to support them in order to reduce risk and prevent unwarranted harm. “

CHURCHES

One of the main stalwarts of Barnsley’s culture for hundreds of years has been religion.

Barnsley is a hub of all religions, but during the pandemic it became harder for residents to worship in their chosen place.

But this didn’t stop people thinking of ways to keep doing what they loved.

When the pandemic first struck it was evident that churches would need to think of modern ways to reach their congregation - and they did exactly that. They went online, streaming services for all to see - but Pat Padgett, a member of St Helen’s Church in Athersley, admitted that they were always going to be fighting an up hill battle.

She said: “It was very, very difficult because the church had to close.

“We tried through Facebook to broadcast the services.

“But if you think that the majority of church-goers are elderly, they don’t particularly have the technology to follow them online.

“That made it very difficult for people to follow.” But as soon as churches were able to re-open their doors to the public, things changed very quickly.

“As soon as we could open, we at Athersley did,” she added.

“We opened with masks whereas I know a lot of other

churches in the area didn’t open - they were quite a long time after us.

“But because of the congregation we have, most of them are elderly.

“They were very wary of coming out.

“Keeping the church going, because our income comes from those who use the church and use its facilities and rooms, that wasn’t happening.

“Financially we found that very difficult and we’re still recovering from that.

“I would say we have that 95 per cent of the congregation back but there’s still people, as in everything, people get out of the habit of doing things.

“We have had one or two who haven’t coming back.” As time goes on, Pat is hoping that things do get back to normal.

“Going forward, we have started having social meetings and people are coming.

“Life is getting back to normal but it has taken a couple of years for it to do so.

“We had a lot of baptisms when we reopened as a lot of babies were born during the pandemic.”

BARNSLEY FC CREATION FOR NHS HEROES

MAY 2020

BARNSLEY FC’s official artist teamed up with a star from a different sporting sphere to raise cash for charity.

Ben Mosley, who has produced several pieces for the club including a 60-metre mural in the Pontefract Road End, joined Rugby World Cup winner Mike Tindall to support several charities. The Barnsley season ticket holder, born in Hertfordshire after his Cudworth-born father uprooted to move there, produced a new painting which paid tribute to NHS and key workers in his characteristic style.

‘The Stadium of Life’ was auctioned off to raise money for NHS Charities Together, and two charities close to Mike’s heart – The Cure Parkinson’s Trust and Matt Hampson Foundation for seriously injured young sportsmen and women.

Ben, who was also selected as one of Team GB’s artists for the then-delayed Olympics in Tokyo, said: “The NHS and the key workers have done an amazing job saving lives and keeping us fed and safe since Covid-19 became a national and global pandemic.

“I appreciate that the painting shows a crowd of people coming together in a stadium, which is not something we can do at present physically, but it is the spirit of the public and the feeling of gratitude and pride that we have for our NHS and brave key workers that I wanted to capture. I felt a crowd celebrating in a stadium was the best way I could depict this in a way that people could relate to. Sports stadiums are where heroes are made and celebrated throughout all of time.

“In the painting I wanted to give the nurses, doctors and all the other key workers a platform where they could be remembered by future generations as heroes for saving countless lives in years to come.”

CASES HIGH

June 2020

Shock new figures revealed Barnsley had the highest rate of new coronavirus cases in Yorkshire over a two-week period - but health bosses assured residents that deaths are falling.

The town’s rate of 49.8 new cases per 100,000 peoplefrom May 9 to May 23 - placed it higher than anywhere else in the Yorkshire and Humber region, eclipsing Hull’s 40.8 and Rotherham’s 39.6 figures.

As of May 28, 208 Barnsley residents had died of Covid-19 - 119 of which were in hospital, with 89 outside, however health bosses in the town have allayed concerns that the town was a ‘hotspot’ for the deadly virus.

Public Health’s Julia Burrows said: “Locally we reached the peak of the pandemic in April, and death rates have been falling. No children or young people in Barnsley have died having been diagnosed with coronavirus.

“It’s important to talk about the people who are recovering. Over the period from March 21 to May 28, Barnsley had 335 new hospital coronavirus cases. In the same period, 245 hospital hospital cases were discharged.

“The NHS in Barnsley has responded exceptionally well to the challenge it’s facing and, to date, the local health system has not been overwhelmed. Critical care and specialist treatment are being provided to those who have

Ms Burrows revealed the number of cases across the country and South Yorkshire was reducing, but confirmed medics are investigating any sudden changes which resulted in Barnsley’s spike last month.

“I understand that people may find the recently reported number of positive tests in Barnsley worrying,” she added.

“Whenever we see a change in pattern, we thoroughly investigate to understand the reasons why. We believe the recent variation we’ve seen has been associated with increased testing activity in care homes.

“There is no basis for thinking there is more chance of being infected here than other parts of Yorkshire. We continue to review our local data and intelligence daily to make sure we aren’t missing anything important locally.

“Although we see a natural variation in our figures, we have not picked up any significant differences between Barnsley and other areas so far.

“I’m concerned about the risks of increased transmission of the virus through what we’re currently seeing across the community of over-relaxation of social distancing, going well beyond recent guidance.

“It is why, as a council, we’re urging people to be more alert and more careful than ever about observing the now-familiar measures to reduce transmission in the community.”

COUNCIL’S HELP

MORE than £47m was handed over to Barnsley businesses in 2020 by the council to ensure firms across the borough remained economically stable throughout the pandemic.

A total of £10m was also issued to further help businesses survive the country’s third lockdown and, to ensure the correct financial support was available in Barnsley, the council paid before funding was handed over from central government. The local authority provided £1.2m in rent relief to help reduce pressure during the pandemic, as part of the substantial package that aims to support business costs.

Sir Steve Houghton, leader of the council, said at the time: “It is vital that we as a local authority do all we can to protect and support our local businesses and workers across Barnsley, we acted swiftly and the offer we have provided exceeds the support given by other areas across the country.

“We will continue to offer support and advice, including financial aid when necessary to be sure that as many traders as possible can survive throughout the pandemic.

“We are proud of our local businesses and workers and have done all that we can to provide them with the best financial support available during these circumstances.”

Alongside the discretionary support, a separate isolation scheme was also in place for those who were on lower incomes and could not work from home, and so would be adversely affected if forced to self-isolate.

Under this scheme, there were two different grants that people could apply for - a central government-funded grant and a second, discretionary grant funded by the council for those who do not meet the main scheme’s criteria.

Karl Robinson, the owner of Barnsley Models and Games, based in the Victorian Arcade, said the funding he received had been ‘vital’ to keeping his company afloat.

“As a Barnsley town centre business, receiving the money so quickly from the council was vital to paying our business costs and keeping afloat,” he said.

“The fact the council have paid us what we are entitled to automatically as new support has been made available has saved me the hassle of having to fill in forms and really speeded up the process.

“We’ve had great support as well as being given practical advice from the council’s Enterprising Barnsley service to help us manage through the periods of being open.”

CARE HOMES CLOSING

June 2020

Barnsley’s most vulnerable residents were unable to see their loved ones from the very start of the pandemic.

Although hard at the time, it was undoubtedly the safest option and a decision which saved countless lives. The heartache it caused at the time was impossible to put into words.

A number of residents, especially those with dementia, were left confused about what was going on. But Barnsley Council didn’t take long to show their support to the industry.

A multi-million pound recovery plan to support care homes hit by the effects of coronavirus across the borough was approved by council bosses in June 2020.

A total of £7m has been committed as direct support to care providers across the borough.

The majority of the funding has gone to supporting the care sector and ensuring financial resilience with £3.1m being pledged, while a further £2.3m has been pledged to help reduce the rate of transmission in and between care homes.

A report states that Barnsley care homes support over 1,800 residents across 66 homes, with many homes occupied by

elderly residents who are classed as vulnerable to Covid-19.

As part of the plan, a one-off payment was swiftly made to all social care providers to assist with additional costs during the Covid-19 outbreak, including costs associated with the purchasing of additional PPE and staff absence.

The council also agreed to work with care homes to monitor their long-term financial sustainability.

As part of the Barnsley Cares project Barnsley Museums created hundreds of quality activity and care packs, with magazines, DVDs, new articles, puzzles and treats for isolated older people.

One pack based on life Upstairs and Downstairs at Cannon Hall included baking kits and wildflowers, so that recipients could still experience a little of the magic of our heritage sites from their homes.

The packs were sent out to every care home in the borough, Age UK and Butterflies Dementia Support networks, as well as a doorstep delivery and check in to hundreds of people. The museum service also took to the telephone to ring older group members and museum donors to check in on them in the time the museum had to close its doors.

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

BARNSLEY was among the worst-affected places for residents suffering with their mental health during the pandemic.

As of March 2023, they were among the top five places in the country for antidepressant use.

A scrutiny report into mental health in the borough found that almost 14 per cent of adults have been diagnosed with depression - higher than the Yorkshire and Humber average of 12 per cent.

Barnsley also has the highest rate of hospital admissions due to self-harm in the region, and its suicide rate is ‘significantly higher than the national average’despite halving over the last three years.

To counter this, the council created a number of projects to help those people who needed it most - including the implimentation of a new mental health support hub.

The Barnsley Support Hub, which provides free mental health support to anyone aged 18 and over, has helped 110 people since it opened on Eldon Street in October 2022.

The hub offers one-to-one emotional support as well as a space for people to access advice, guidance, and information to help their mental health.

There is no need for a referral and individuals can access support face-to-face, over the phone or via video call.

Coun Caroline Makinson, cabinet spokesperson for public health and communities, said: “It was fantastic to visit this vital service and to hear how they have been working hard since August last year to improve the mental health of Barnsley residents.

“With a brilliant location right in the centre of Barnsley, service users can drop in and gain support whenever they need it.

“We are proactively looking to enhance this service to seven days a week and I urge anyone who needs help and support to drop in at the support hub.”

FACE COVERINGS

June 2020

With this in mind, visitors to Barnsley Hospital were asked to wear a face covering in the hospital. Barnsley Hospital expected all its staff and volunteers to wear a face covering and also asked all people who came to the hospital to wear a face covering to help keep everyone safe.

What did this mean for me?

If you were coming to hospital as a visitor or outpatient it was important you wore a face covering at all times.

Those who were shielding and were provided with a surgical face mask for appointments continued to use this.

For some people, wearing a face covering was difficult due to physical or mental health conditions.

In these instances, other measures were considered on a case by case basis, for example timed appointments or being seen immediately on arrival.

For anyone who is D/deaf or has hearing loss, staff had a range of communication options to ensure that they can communicate effectively with you, including sign language.

All visitors were expected to comply with existing social distancing and hand hygiene measures in addition to the face coverings while in the hospital.

There were some exceptions such as those with disabilities and very young children, who were not be required to wear a face covering. Children were treated according to their individual circumstances and medical needs.

We all played a role in reducing the spread of coronavirus and keeping our hospitals safe.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography is an art form which has been around long before we were born, and will be around long after we’re gone.

But during the pandemic it became almost impossible for photographers to get out and about the same way they were able to. It’s likely it’ll never be the same, but those people who are able to spread joy through their photos are still out there working and putting smiles on our faces.

There’s hundreds of pictures throughout this book of what it was like to live during Covid-19. As the old saying goes, ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ - and it was never more true than during the pandemic. From photos of empty streets in the town centre, to heartbreaking scenes of people having to talk to their loved-ones through windows - photographers managed to catch the pandemic in the perfect way.

Shaun Colborn, one of the Barnsley Chronicle’s photographers, spoke of how he found the pandemicremembering fondly his first day back on the job. He said: “I remember the first job I had back, it was actually a golden wedding anniversary at a house in Hoyland.

“As I seem to recall, the couple were quaking in their boots at the fact that I was going to come down their drive and get close up to them.

“I did shout from the fence to reassure them that all they actually had to do was come out of the front door and stand there.

“I got my zoom lens out and then photographed them.

“It was actually a lovely day and the couple were over the moon as they saw their picture in the paper. “They thought they were never going to be able to get that.

“I’m sure they went out and bought a copy.”

Shaun added that when he went out to the reopening of the borough’s pubs, it was great to see smiles back on people’s faces.

“That was a classic case of ‘it’s great to be back’ and things will be back as they were - but obviously that wasn’t the case,” he added.

“People were very cautious and they were obviously ordering drinks and they had to be sat down and waiters had to deliver them.

“We knew then that things weren’t going to be the samenot for a period of time at least.

“Thankfully things have gone back to pre-pandemic but even so I still personally know people that haven’t been to a pub since.

“It’s so fearful - my own brother didn’t go into a pub for three or four months, he was petrified.

“The fear that this pandemic caused is unbelievable - wellfounded obviously.

“We lost over 150,000 people, that’s a city the size of Coventry that’s been wiped off the map.”

Shaun admitted things have changed in his industry since the pandemic, but added that as long as you’re safe, you can still take the perfect snap.

“If you’re a responsible photographer you have to be aware that whilst you’re reasonably fit and healthy, you can be harbouring viruses.

“It’s very easy to pass these things onto people.

“Wherever possible I don’t particularly like to get within a couple of metres of people.

“It gives them some space where they feel safe.

“If you liaise with them then everything is alright.

“You just can’t go up to people like you used to and put your arms around them.

“It’s a case of working from a safe distance.”

SPITFIRE

A restored Spitfire flew over Barnsley Hospital to pay tribute to the NHS and its staff in the

The flyover was organised by the Aircraft Restoration Company who wanted to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the NHS and recognise the courage of frontline staff.

The words ‘Thank U NHS’ were painted on the underside of the plane, and there were plans to write up to 80,000 names of nominated heroes to help commemorate their hard work

It was a special day for many Barnsley residents who were

The spitfire took an enormous route across the country, thanking hundreds of hospital trusts along the way. It touched the hearts of many and was a stark reminder that we all had to remain in unison in such a struggling time.

The NHS were the frontline heroes and such an extravagant display of thanks to them surely lifted spirits.

PAULGOOSE

July 2020

Bugler Paul Goose lifted spirits with nightly renditions of The Last Post from his doorstep EVERY night since the first lockdown...

It was the army veteran’s very personal tribute to the casualties of coronavirus as well as NHS frontline heroes - and it raised almost £10,000 for Barnsley Hospital’s intensive care unit. His livestream performances have been viewed across the borough - and the world. Many supporters reckoned his dedication was worthy of inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records - but the publishers snubbed his achievements as ‘a little too specific’ - a bizarre claim from the people behind a book whose ‘not too specific’ records include: Most apples held in the mouth and cut by a chainsaw in one minute. The longest distance run while carrying a table between your teeth. Most canned drinks opened by a parrot in one minute.

Paul, of Cudworth, and a former member of the First Battalion of the Light Infantry, told the Chronicle he was disappointed by the snub. He added: “When I started this in March I never set out to gain a world record but as the days crept up

“I thought it would be a nice souvenir to remember my challenge in years to come. “I have completed more than 150 days in a row and thought it was pretty unique

“It’s a bit strange because the world records are known for having strange ones in there. Lots of people are upset about it. People have told me they have tweeted Piers Morgan to try and get the Guinness World Records to overturn their decision.

“I’m not sure they will - but I appreciate the thought behind it.”

Despite the setback, Paul vowed to keep going and finished his challenge on New Year’s Eve.

“I still get lots of messages every day asking me to mention their loved one - I think it gives grieving families comfort during these strange times,” he added.

“My original plan was to keep bugling until the last person died from coronavirus, but at this rate I could be bugling for a while so I thought that New Year’s Eve would be a good place to finish.

“By that point I will have done more than 200 days which I think is very good going. I’m proud that I have managed to keep going this long, and that so many people have enjoyed what I have been doing.”

A spokesperson for the Guinness World Records said: “Unfortunately, after thoroughly reviewing the application with members of our research team we cannot accept the proposal for a Guinness World Record title for ‘longest consecutive days playing The Last Post on a bugle’.

“While we certainly do not underestimate this, unfortunately it is a little too specific for a body of reference as general as Guinness World Records.”

Paul’s MP, Stephanie Peacock, has writen to Guinness, urging them to re-think their decision.

She added: “I applaud Paul’s efforts throughout the pandemic. This is a wonderful story of someone who has worked hard to both offer comfort to those who have lost loved ones due to the coronavirus, and to also raise much needed funds for a very important cause at the same time.

“I am incredibly disappointed that Guinness World Records have chosen to decline Paul’s request, especially as we all know there have been many less deserving records handed out over the years.

“I have written to the Guinness World Records and asking them to reconsider their decision.”

The Chronicle launched an online petition to get Paul the recognition he deserved.

VACCINES

December 2020 - present

Without the numerous Covid-19 vaccines thousands of Barnsley residents have received since the start of the pandemic, it’s fair to say there’s no way we’d have left lockdown as quickly as we did.

Those on the front line really did save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives and by administering the vaccines they’ve been able to ensure those who were most vulnerable were kept as safe as possible from Covid. Hundreds of care home residents were among the first in Barnsley to get their vaccine as the council did incredibly well to spread the positive message, despite their being initial concern.

More than anything, what the vaccine brought to Barnsley was hope. Hope for local people who had it harder than almost anywhere else in the country during the pandemic. Hope for businesses who thought their firm was going to be unable to open their doors for the public again.

It’s unlike anything we’re likely to see again, and we’re certainly more prepared for something similar.

The healthcare federation did superbly well, as did Barnsley CCG, who managed to get people flocking in their thousands to get the vaccine. Without them, we could be living in a very different world.

METRODOME

OPENING TO THE PUBLIC

Barnsley’s largest leisure venue opened its doors to residents to get their Covid vaccine in December 2021. It opened so people were able to receive their booster jab, with health bosses in the town hoping to get 40,000 people vaccinated in less than a month.

The clinic at the Queens Road venue was opened amid a push for all eligible people aged 18 and over to be offered their booster before the end of the year. The walk-in site at the Metrodome has been deemed a success, with Barnsley’s vaccination capacity upped to more than 3,500 a day as a result of its opening.

It closed its doors after Christmas but it was an initiative that undoubtedly saved residents’ lives and allowed us all to get back to the ‘new normal’ at a much faster pace than anyone could have ever expected.

VACCINES

December 2020 - present

Herbert Barker will be forever be etched in the history books as the first person to be vaccinated against the pandemic in Barnsley.

December 15 was historic in the borough as residents flocked to receive their first dose of the vaccine, bringing people closer to ‘freedom’.

The 85-year-old Wombwell man was reunited with Fiona Ellis, the woman who administered the vaccine 200 days prior, when he picked up his second jab in June 2021.

She admitted she was ‘terrified’ when she first started giving out the jabs, but at its height hundreds of residents were getting vaccinated every single day.

Here’s a few stories from those volunteers who were working tirelessly to keep us all safe during the pandemic.

Karen Riordan of Wilthorpe said,

“It’s been good but challenging and difficult at times.

“I really like and enjoy doing it for me I see a different side to Covid.

“You’re seeing people who haven’t been out anywhere and you can see the real impact of it all.

“I started in December and I come some evenings after work and then the weekend.

“From the beginning it’s been a very well organised and structured process.

“I’m not tired because I really enjoy doing it.

“It’s all about having a bit of banter and chit-chat because a lot of people won’t have left their house in a long time.

“I had a girl come who was really frightened of needles and talked her through it and she had the vaccine in the end it’s all about reassuring people.

“They always say ‘is that it?’ once it’s done there’s nothing to worry about.”

Janice Hyde, who has been a nurse for 44 years and working as a vaccinator since December said, “The vaccinating is a thing that we feel we need to do as we work in the NHS.

“It’s been an absolute joy especially when we were vaccinating the older people.

“They can be tiring when you’re running it alongside your normal job but it’s an incredibly rewarding role and it makes it all worth it.

“A lot of the young people get so nervous and anxious and the comment they give is ‘is that it?’ you just hope that they’ll tell that to their friends and social circles because there isn’t anything to worry about.

“One man came in and he was the most severely needlephobic I’ve ever seen with anybody.

“We took his details and took him to the couch and he cried when we gave him the vaccine he said we’ve made him feel comfortable and welcome.

“We don’t judge people we are here to give that reassurance as well as the vaccination.”

Ruth Taylor of Goldthorpe started as a volunteer but now she works on admin.

“I was local government and took early retirement about three years ago.

“I had my hi-vis jacket on in the car park when it was cold and wet it didn’t matter how cold it got it was just great community spirit.

“I’ve been in the admin role since March and you meet and work with all kinds of people.

“I find it amazing that the vaccinators come in, especially when they’re working, but they must find it just as rewarding as I do.”

COUNCILLOR MAKINSON A STRANGE TENURE

October 2020 - May 2022

Caroline Makinson hung up her mayoral chains in May 2022 and she’ll forever be etched in the history books as the town’s longest-ever serving mayor.

Caroline has served on the council since 2013 and is currently a Labour councillor for the Royston ward, but in October 2020 she became the town’s mayor.

Usually, mayors are only in the role for 12 months as they’re sworn in at annual council meetings but due to the Covid pandemic, Coun Makinson was in tenure for 19 months – making her the town’s longest-ever serving mayor.

She was originally elected in May 2019 but wasn’t welcomed into post until October 2020.

Despite her Covid-hit term at the helm, she says she’s thoroughly enjoyed and is proud to have been the mayor of a town she holds so close to her heart.

“It all had to be done remotely when I became mayor because of social distancing and it’s usually done at annual council – but me and my husband still had a takeaway to celebrate,” she said.

“The longest-serving mayor before me was Pauline Markham who had an extended term of 17 months.

“I feel very privileged to be mayor in such unprecedented times.

“I know how inspiring Barnsley people can be in normal circumstances – people have been absolutely unbelievable in the last two years.”

As a result of the work people have been doing over the last two years, the council introduced a Spirit of Barnsley award – which recognised the outstanding contributions shown by residents throughout the pandemic.

“We had 4,000 nominations for Spirit of Barnsley,” she added.

“It’s been fantastic to see what amazing things people have done.

“I visited Priory Campus in the new year and saw all the unbelievable work they all were doing.

“I can’t stress enough how thankful we all are for the volunteers –it blew me away.”

As part of the mayor’s service, Caroline chose two charities to raise money for during the pandemic – Beacon South Yorkshire and TADS (Therapies for Anxiety, Depression and Stress).

She raised more than £7,500 for her chosen charities throughout her tenure.

“I am so grateful and honoured to have not only been the Mayor of Barnsley for seven months during 2020/21 due to my delayed start, but to have the opportunity to continue my role for 2021/22,” she said.

“This enabled me to carry out all the duties and opportunities I was unable to fulfil during the pandemic.

“It’s fair to say my role as mayor has been a privilege and a challenge in equal measures.

During her tenure she’s highlighted a number of key events she says she looks fondly upon.

These include welcoming children into the town hall, Mayor’s Day, the opening of the Glass Works and the unveiling of the town’s Covid memorial.

“A big event was the Covid memorial sculpture unveiling,” she added.

“It was very emotional and it’s really important that we remember all the key workers who are heroes.

“I hope that it helps the families of the people who have lost a loved one – it was the first in the country.

“When Janine Dyer was singing I think everybody broke down – it was absolutely outstanding.

“In my time I’ve been keen to get children and young people in the town hall.

“They’re always asking funny questions like ‘how many TVs have you got?’, ‘how old are you?’ and ‘do you own the town hall?’

“A lot of them have never been to the town hall before and it’s really important to get that generation involved.

“There’s a lot to be proud of in Barnsley and to be mayor of a town I love is a great honour.”

BEACON

A Barnsley-based charity which supported unpaid carers during the pandemic received a share of a National Lottery grant in October 2020.

Beacon South Yorkshire, on Doncaster Road, was given £10,000 from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund brought in to support charities during the outbreak.

The grant helped to provide counselling for unpaid carers who are suffering with their own mental health issues. The funding came as referrals to the charity skyrocketed.

It helped the project led by volunteers to increase counselling services from once a week to a full-time weekly service.

Sheila Owen, chair of trustees at Beacon, said at the time: “Due to the pandemic we have seen a huge surge in carers needing our support due to diminishing mental health during the lockdown.

“Thanks to the new funding from the government and The National Lottery Community Fund, we’re able to give carers access to the counselling services they may need without long waiting times – offering telephone support and zoom sessions to suit the individual.

“The funding will also enable us to expand the counselling service to deal with future needs as we expand across South Yorkshire.”

LIFE UNDER LOCKDOWN

REGENT STREET

November 2020

An empty Regent Street, a few wreaths lay upon the war memorial from the previous weeks limited service.

GEORGES YARD

September 2020

A couple walk their dog in the town centre.

CHRISTMAS 2020

It was the strangest Christmas in living memory. We were unable to meet with loved-ones and get into the real Christmas spirit.

For many of us, Christmas 2020 was when the pandemic really hit home. It was a kick in the teeth for people who were praying to be back with the ones they care about. And it was a lockdown which lasted for months under a phased return to the ‘new normal’. Getting out of lockdown is mainly down to the Covid vaccine. As more and more people were jabbed by volunteers and health professionals, it became clearer there really was a light at the end of the tunnel.

After a number of other restrictions were dropped, Barnsley were finally able to bounce back from the pandemic and the worst couple of years in living memory. Looking back, it’s phenomenal how well everyone coped. In a time where we weren’t able to have fun in the usual way, we created new fun. In a time where we weren’t able to see our friends and family in person, we started to use Zoom.

The spirit and bravery shown by each and every one of us will live with us for the rest of our lives. The hurt we felt was shared. No one was left to struggle alone. And that’s what we should take from the lockdown periods - we came together and we will continue to do so for as long as there is a B in Barnsley.

A time we would usually relish, turned into a dark time - but Barnsley’s community spirit will never shine brighter.

Community groups from all across the borough made sure to do their level best to help those less fortunate and most vulnerable. From delivering Christmas dinners to elderly people, to donating presents for children to open on their big day - it turned out to be a day everyone should be proud of.

But less than two weeks after the festive period, cases began to skyrocket and the country was forced into its third and final lockdown.

ABOVE

August 2021

Empty streets around Barnsley

FIERCE LOVE

February 2021

Heartfelt words created by renowned Barnsley poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan shone a message of love on Valentine’s Day – Sunday 14 February.

The words ‘Barnsley’s fierce love will hold you forever in its heart’ appeared in the window of the Library @ the Lightbox in a bright neon installation, designed by local artist Patrick Murphy. Ian McMillan has dedicated the words to Barnsley Council’s Covid Memorial and Tribute to Key Workers Sculpture which was designed and produced by local artist and sculptor Graham

Ibbeson in collaboration with Lockbund Sculpture Foundry. The words were later engraved on the plinth.

Ian said: “I’m very proud that my words will be part of the memorial sculpture and that they’ll be lit up at Library @ the lightbox. Language can shine and illuminate our thoughts and offer us comfort in terrible times, and I hope these words will offer help and inspiration.”

The neon installation was launched along side a series of Covid Memorial engagement activities, starting with Message in a Bottle, which served as a tribute to key workers and unsung heroes and lead to the unveiling of the Covid Memorial and Tribute to Key Workers Sculpture.

The Message in a Bottle initiative was led by Barnsley Museums and focussed around people sharing their experiences of the coronavirus pandemic, by adding their thoughts, feelings or stories to a postcard in the shape of a bottle, designed by local artist Patrick Murphy.

Leader of Barnsley Council, Sir Stephen Houghton CBE said:

“This sculpture and project will represent one of the most challenging times in our history and be a permanent piece that will endure for many decades.

“It will be a key focal point in our new public square and provide a place for people to visit and commemorate those they have lost and remember the incredible efforts of those that worked tirelessly to look after us and keep things going.

“We are very grateful to both Ian and Graham who have offered their time and services for free by way of demonstrating their love and support to Barnsley, its residents and communities at this difficult time in our history.

MP Dan Jarvis said:

“The coronavirus crisis has brought out the best of our formidable Barnsley community spirit.

I’ve heard truly heartwarming stories about the volunteers who have gone above and beyond to support friends and neighbours. The volunteers who are collecting shopping and medications for those who are shielding in their village. The women at ‘For the Love of Scrubs’ who have produced PPE for the frontline. The

pub landlord who has cooked hundreds of meals for vulnerable residents.

These are just a few examples of the extraordinary character that exemplifies our coalfield communities.”

A steering group including artist Graham Ibbeson and poet Ian McMillan, together with representatives from the NHS, front line emergency services, key workers and volunteers, oversaw the project to support the creation of something that showed recognition, remembering the people who have lost their lives to the virus and providing a lasting memorial for future generations to visit.

From a town and people that pride themselves on their fierce passion, Barnsley’s spirit and resilience has shone through a very challenging time.

The Covid Memorial and Tribute to Key Workers is Barnsley Council’s way of paying tribute and thanking all those that have kept the borough going, in partnership with representatives from key organisations.

REMOTE LEARNING

SCHOOL leaders responsible for droves of Barnsley’s 11 to 16-year-olds vowed to maintain high education standards - despite the national lockdown forcing youngsters into remote learning from home.

Horizon Community College, the town’s largest secondary school, has about 2,000 students on its roll and - like other education settings - had to act quickly after the government performed a U-turn on the day thousands of kids were due to return to schools across the borough.

For those children receiving remote learning, teachers found innovative ways to use art and creativity to support wellbeing. At Worsbrough Common Primary School weekly art clubs were delivered online encouraging creative thinking at home. Family art sessions were held online, keeping isolated families connected with school. Art packs were dropped off at homes needing them.

Very soon pictures started to appear in windows around Worsbrough Common. Amazing art was being made, each with its own personal narrative. Friends missing each other, antibullying, anti-racism and even Batman looking out for the school. A community art gallery was made on the school drive capturing the feelings and thoughts from local children and families. It is still on the driveway of the school, as a record of the time.

As soon as the third spell of lockdown was announced on January 4, Horizon leaders decided they would continue to offer a full day’s learning to all of their students from the beginning of term - and that they would do so through ‘live lessons’.

They continued to teach every student as if they were sat in front of them in the classroom - the only difference is that the students access their learning online.

Principal Claire Huddart said: “The national lockdown is not how any of us would have wished to start the new year and it has created challenges for us all.

“Lockdown is hard for everyone - what we want to ensure is that we continue to educate and support our students and their families to the very best of our ability.

“We are very proud that we’re continuing to deliver five lessons of high quality, challenging content, taught by a subject specialist, to students every day.”

And, according to education leaders, it has been a success - many lessons are achieving 100 per cent attendance and where a student has experienced difficulties adapting, support has been offered to ensure a smooth transition.

“At the same time student well-being remains as important as ever, and staff are working incredibly hard to ensure they are in regular contact with students and supporting their social and emotional needs effectively,” she added.

CARE HOMES OPENING

March 2021

March 8th 2021 will likely go down as the day most people remember the most.

Care homes finally opened their doors for loved-ones of care home residents.

Admittedly, it wasn’t how we all expected it to happen. But there was clearly a sense of relief among local people.

One family member of residents in the 52 care homes across the borough was allowed a face-to-face visit after months of the care homes being closed to visitors.

The named visitor was required to take a rapid lateral flow test and wear PPE including disposable gloves, a plastic apron, and a face mask.

The move comes under the Prime Minister’s plans to ease lockdown restrictions across the country and no doubt provided comfort to families who have been separated for months.

It wasn’t until almost a year later that all restrictions were dropped for people to enter the homes. However, residents who contracted Covid, or were in a ‘high-risk’ environment such as hospital, were told they

must isolate for ten days. And if there was two confirmed cases, that was considered an ‘outbreak’ and indoor visits stopped except for particular cases such as end-of-life care. The situation could have led to a series of ‘rolling lockdowns’ as Covid spread through a home. It led to some families saying that care home residents felt ‘invisible’ and ‘forgotten’.

Dan Jarvis, MP for Barnsley Central, supported the decision to open the homes with robust measures in place, but understood residents’ concerns.

He said: “I entirely understand and share the concerns that care home residents and their relatives have raised about the current restrictions on care home visits.

“Whilst it is right that robust infection control measures are in place to keep vulnerable residents safe, this must be carefully balanced against the ability of families to see loved ones.”

Care homes have now fully reopened to the public and all sites have robust measures in place to ensure outbreaks, if they do happen again, are controlled impeccably.

SPORT RETURNS

Barnsley fans will forever remember returning to the Oakwell seats for the Championship play-off game against Swansea in 2021.

At the time, the club were just three games away from the Premier League in a season which saw no fans in the ground throughout. There were about 4,500 season ticket holders who had been successful in the ballot spread around the North Stand, East Stand and Pontefract Road End.

They got their first glimpse of head coach Valerien Ismael, who took over from Gerhard Struber after the Reds had not won in seven games - their joint longest wait for a first win of a season since 1920.

They had also never seen in the flesh star players such as Daryl Dike, Carlton Morris, Dominik Frieser, Michal Helik and Callum Brittain.

Although the Reds lost 1-0, the reception for the players before and after the game, as well as the support during, was huge and the fans were praised by staff and coaches after the match. Ismael said: “I want to thank the Barnsley fans for an amazing atmosphere.

“It felt like 30,000. It is a big reward for everyone to finish the season at Oakwell with such an incredible atmosphere.”

It was clear Barnsley fans were excited to get back to the ground, but some admitted they were nervous due to the pandemic.

Liam Dyson, season ticket holder and creator of fanzine West Stand Bogs, said: “At first, I was adamant that I wouldn’t go to the match because I have a young baby at home and I was worried about safety.

“But I entered the ballot because it was one of those games I wanted to be able to tell my kids about. “I was a bit late and didn’t get to the ground until about 8pm.

“It was incredibly eerie and surreal walking up to the ground 15 minutes before a game and there being no one else there.

“Once I got in, I thought it was organised really, really well and it felt incredibly safe and wellstructured.

“Despite some moments of relative calm and silence, it was much noisier with a better atmosphere than I expected.

“I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it but I did and it was a really nice welcome back for those of us who were lucky enough to get a ticket. “The result was disappointing but you could see why this team has been successful.

“At the end I was about to leave then I realised it was bigger than a normal full-time and it was right to say thank you to this team and the staff.

“They have brought some joy and hope to the town during what has been a bad time.”

BARNSLEY FC LGBTQ+ GROUP

In the middle of the pandemic, Barnsley FC followed in the footsteps of a number of other football clubs by launching their own LGBTQ+ group as part of their efforts to make the club an ‘inclusive environment for all’.

The football club said the group - ‘Rainbow Reds’ - will be open to all supporters and that anyone interested should follow the ‘@ RainbowReds’ Twitter page for more information.

Once a number of supporters are involved, it is hoped the group will host regular events and grow as a community of support. The announcement came on Rainbow Laces Day - an event which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community in football - when the club lit up the South Stand with rainbow lighting.

Other demonstrations of support on the day included a rainbowcoloured captain’s armband worn at first team, under 23s and under-18s level and rainbow corner flags displayed at home fixtures.

A spokesperson said: “Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated or welcomed at Oakwell.

“Barnsley FC will continue to strive for change and ensure that Oakwell is a safe place for everyone.

“If you see or hear discrimination at or during a Barnsley FC fixture, text us in confidence on 60777 and start your message with ‘HATE’.”

HOW THE CHRONICLE REPORTED

SOUTH Yorkshire Police checked more than 300 cars to keep Barnsley’s roads safe during an impromptu action day. Barnsley West Neighbourhood Policing Team’s officers took to the streets on Wednesday and completed speed checks throughout the borough as a result of residents’ complaints. Of the cars that were checked, seven drivers were reported on summons for driving over the speed limit.

They were the middleman between authorities and the general public.

We can all remember when then Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the country would be going into lockdown.

I’m sure many of us thought it was only going to last a couple of weeks, in fact I’m sure that some people thought it would be nice to have a few weeks away from the office.

But a few weeks turned into months and thousands of people still haven’t returned to work, with many now choosing to work from home on a regular basis. From the very start of the pandemic I was working within the office, and it gave me the opportunity to hear first-hand how the virus was affecting lives.

The Barnsley Chronicle reported on the first Covid case, the first Covid vaccine and then the thousands more after that.

But we didn’t want to make it all doom and gloom. There were hundreds of good news stories within our pages throughout the pandemic - we made sure of that. Whether that be the inspirational Paul Goose who was

according to education bosses concerned the plans could put children at higher risk. A spokesperson for the National Education Union’s Barnsley branch

We are OPEN at all our branches All Normal hours.

Main Barnsley Centre open Saturdays and Sundays and for 24 hour Emergency Care.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the fantastic way in which our very loyal team of Vets Nurses and Receptionists have worked tirelessly, without any complaints and in amazing good humour to care for the ailing pets in Barnsley despite all the additional burdens of PPE and distancing to protect them and our clients

lighting up the lives of thousands of residents, or local community groups and charities who were trying their level best to get vital items to those who needed it most. That’s what was important for us at the Chronicle.

Many thanks also to all our clients who have also been really helpful in following our directions and putting up with our new arrangements to protect everyone.

Tony and Sheila Duffy.

Now in our 45th year of caring for Barnsley’s pets!

One of the very first front pages of the paper after the lockdown period began spoke of how we needed to stick together during the worst times.

Please telephone using your normal branch telephone number.

Thank you to our clients for your support in these very difficult times.

Main centre and night emergency number

01226 242217

Branches:

And we all certainly did that.

Hoyland • Cudworth • Wombwell • Royston • Darton• High Green Deepcar 24 hour cover throughout by our own experienced vets at our Main Barnsley Centre.

You only have to look at the Proud of Barnsley awards ceremony to see just a few of those selfless individuals and groups who made sure they were doing all they could.

That’s when Barnsley is at its best.

When we’re all working together to make sure we can make the best out of a bad situation.

We’re kind and caring people whose spirit and love for everyone is second to none.

If we can take one positive from this pandemic, it’s that when we come together nothing is able to get between us.

And I hope that people were able to feel that through the pages of the Barnsley Chronicle - that’s why local journalism is so incredibly important.

Funding unfairness

By Josh Timlin BARNSLEY Council is set to be ‘short-changed’ to the tune of £1.4m by the government in the latest wave of financial support – despite leaders urging bosses to provide urgent help to the cash-strapped local authority. The town received £8.1m in the first tranche of Covid-19 funding – the lowest in South Yorkshire – and will pocket a further £6.8m in the second round, down 16.7 per cent. It comes despite a fresh warning being given by council leader Sir Steve Houghton, who warned the black hole in its finances will have ‘an immediate impact and for many years

ment follows terity that Council’s £100m with employed “Independent that we are ough in the “In the public health memory, is making oughs like vital public “Throughout

As it became clearer that the pandemic wasn’t just going to go away in a matter of days, news outlets became essential for residents.

KEY WORKERS BY SCHOOL PUPILS

BARNSLEY’S youngsters made sure they showed their support for the frontline heroes during the pandemic.

Pupils from schools across the borough took part in a competition for the Covid memorial in the town square.

Hundreds of entries were made of childrens drawings of police men, firefighters and nurses - many of which was the profession of parents and guardians.

The competition was open to all Year Five children living in Barnsley, with pupils set the challenge of creating artwork of their keyworker heroes.

Over a third of all primary schools in Barnsley took part, with pupils submitting a range of keyworkers - bus drivers, delivery people, shop workers, postal workers, refuse collectors, nurses, paramedics and, of course, teachers.

The winning entries have been made into a bronze relief in the plinth of the sculpture, for future generations to see in Glassworks Square, in Barnsley.

The competition offered schools a brilliant opportunity to really shout about how talented their youngsters are at a time when many pupils have missed the opportunity to showcase their work.

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Age 10 - Hoyland Common Primary School

Age 10 - Jump School

PUBS OPENING

April 2021

Pub goers flocked to venues across the borough in April 2021 as a phased reopening of the hospitality venue began.

Although a number of sites had to wait an extra month until they were allowed to welcome regulars back.

More than 50 pubs were permitted to open their beer gardens, but venues that didn’t have the facility to seat guests outside missed out and were forced to wait even longer.

Under the rules at that time, visitors were allowed to meet in groups of no more than six people in an outdoor setting. It was a strange time for people who wanted to celebrate the easing of restrictions.

Residents were still incredibly wary of the risk of Covid and as a rule made sure they acted sensibly.

Rules on when pubs were able to open until were introduced and followed by all venues.

It felt like there was finally a light at the end of the tunnel for the hospitality sector.

It was a sector that, at one stage, looked like it may never recover.

But the hope that they could at some point get back to prepandemic levels was always at the forefront of landlords’ minds.

CHURCHES RE-OPENING

April 2021

Churches across the borough hosted their first big service of the year for Easter - and it was a special time for a Barnsley vicar who retired in the summer.

Maureen Browell, a vicar at four churches in Barnsley, has been serving in the borough since 2012 after she was ordained in 2005 - but the Easter service was her last. She hosted four services, all on a Sunday, in Dodworth, Cawthorne, Silkstone and Hoylandswaine, though she says she’s happy that her day is finally busy.

She said: “It’s been a difficult time during lockdown but it’s been even more difficult for people who haven’t been coming into church and have been at home for the best part of the year.

“There’s nothing that can replicate meeting together and that’s what people have been missing so much.

“I’m doing a service at all four churches across the day and it’s going to be busy, but it’s the most important day of the Christian year so it’s good that we’re busy.

“We’ll be singing hymns outside as well so it’s going to be great because people haven’t seen each other for so long - to see each other face-to-face and to build up their confidence to come back is key.”

HOW BARNSLEY HAS BOUNCED BACK

Everyone will remember the initial images of an empty town centre as lockdown first started.

It was sad to see such a flourishing high street become empty in a matter of days.

It was rightfully closed for our safety but no one could have ever imagined the town’s streets looking the way they did when the pandemic first struck.

It makes it all the more remarkable to see how the town centre looks now.

The highly-impressive Glass Works regeneration project has made people proud of their town centre.

The town is now always full and it’s a much safer place for residents to go - and that’s mostly down to the council and South Yorkshire Police for cracking down on the bad behaviour.

More than half a million visits were made to the town centre in October 2022 - the highest footfall figures since the Glass Works opened in September 2021.

The number of visitors coming to the town centre continue to soar month-on-month, with data showing an increase of more than 30 per cent footfall when compared to the same time frame before the pandemic.

Coun Robert Frost, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, said: “Momentum has been building since day one of the Glass Works opening, with the launch of our new 13-screen Cineworld helping push visitor numbers to new heights this autumn.

“We’ve got a great mix of activities across the whole

town centre now, with popular leisure venues like Superbowl UK and Parkway Cinema, cultural venues like Experience Barnsley and the Cooper Gallery, and many new shops, museum hubs, cafes, bars and restaurants.

“The town centre is buzzing right now and offers something for people of all ages and interests.”

It led to Barnsley Council leader Sir Steve Houghton to call the new town centre project an ‘unrivalled success’ - and it’s hard to disagree with him.

“The 1,100 full-time jobs created include a combination of new jobs, existing jobs and temporary construction jobs,” Sir Steve said.

“The Glass Works is an unrivalled success with the many fantastic retail, leisure, and hospitality additions to the town centre, driving increased footfall and visitors and an extremely positive reaction form the vast majority of people.”

Public transport became obsolete for many, with individuals feeling it wasn’t safe due to the worry of catching the virus.

But if you look at the figures from 2022, it’s clear to see the hard work of people spreading the message of safety, we’re getting back to a new normal.

More than one million people used trains from Barnsley Interchange in a year, according to figures.

By far the town’s highest for footfall, 1,033,054 visits were registered in the year up to September, with Silkstone Common’s 28,164 making it the least-used station. Barnsley Interchange was followed by Wombwell’s 160,182, Elsecar’s 133,294, Penistone’s 127,012 and Darton’s 104,096.

BARNSLEY MUSEUMS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

April 2021

Residents were encouraged not to keep their feelings bottled up, but instead share them – and their experiences of living through the pandemic – using postcards designed by artist Patrick Murphy.

The messages were portrayed in neon lights at locations around town in autumn, in similar fashion to Ian McMillan’s words ‘Barnsley’s fierce love holds you forever in its heart’, displayed at the Library @ the Lightbox.

“The messages and work collected as part of this project will provide a record of this time, and will also be used to create artworks, publications and exhibitions as part of the wider COVID memorial project,” said a spokesperson.

“Covid has brought people and communities together in a time of crisis.

“This project provides an opportunity for everyone to share their stories, acts of kindness, local heroes and positive messages as well as being an outlet to release their emotions.”

Knowing that residents in lockdown would be facing isolation, loneliness and a lack of opportunity to engage in cultural activities,

Barnsley Museums sought to continue their programmes in new and innovative ways. From heritage-based Barnsley Bingo to virtual pub trips and backyard forest schools, Barnsley Museums provided families, care homes and schools and many others with much needed cultural activity during the pandemic. They also used their existing connections to Barnsley’s refugee, asylum seekers and migrant communities to share vital public health information, helping to keep everyone safe. One of the more popular activities was the Cooper Gallery’s daily digital jigsaw challenge which has been played by over 250,000 people, as far away as Brazil.

In addition to online activities, the service acknowledged the need to ensure the offer went beyond digital programming. As part of the Barnsley Cares project, the service sent out 300 reminiscing and activity packs to every care home in the district, local charity partners such as the Alzheimer’s Society and Butterflies Dementia.

Barnsley Museums also partnered with Fusion, Barnsley’s Cultural Education Partnership to send Barnsley Museum Makes creative packs out through schools and family centres to support parents to support their children’s learning and development at home.

As a result of its work during the pandemic Experience Barnsley Museum was nominated for the prestigious Art Fund Museum of the Year 2021.

BARNSLEY HOSPICE

Barnsley Hospice is, and will always be, one of the brightest jewels in Barnsley’s crown.

But it’s not an understatement to say the venue struggled during the pandemic. In the middle of the pandemic, the service was plunged into the Care Quality Commission’s ‘inadequate’ category, placing it in special measures.

It was mainly down to the struggles Covid caused to bosses, with funding gaps clear - leaving the service needing to raise millions to keep it running. However, in 2023 the service rightfully regained its ‘outstanding’ rating - and it’s all down to the hard work of the staff and volunteers.

CQC inspectors - who released their report in January 2023 - praised the service for its ‘rapidly improved’ performance and said patients now benefited from outstanding care.

Its remarkable turnaround was lauded by the CQC’s Sarah Dronsfield, who inspected the hospice during its struggles.

She said: “When we returned we were extremely impressed by the substantial improvements the service had made since we last inspected.

“We previously found significant safety concerns regarding the service’s clinical assessment reviews, risk identification of patients, admission assessment processes and Covid-19 management.

“Staff have taken action to comply with these areas and we were delighted to see so many improvements and areas of outstanding practice across the service.

“People are now protected by a strong, comprehensive safety system and the team have a focus on openness, transparency and learning when things go wrong.

“People are truly respected and treated as

individuals with staff going the extra mile to ensure their emotional and practical needs are always met. “Recent feedback showed that 100 per cent of people said their privacy and dignity was respected and staff were polite and treated them with courtesy.

“We are very pleased to award the service an outstanding rating and the whole team deserve to be congratulated for all their hard work and commitment.”

In the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic it was revealed that the hospice was facing losses of up to £2,300 per day, causing a huge shortfall for the service.

This, coupled with the furthering effects of the pandemic, had a knock-on impact on its ability to deliver a high-level service to patients, according to former chief executive Julie Ferry, who was replaced by Martine Tune in late 2021.

Ms Tune said: “We are delighted - the last couple of years have been extremely challenging for the hospice and I am incredibly proud of how the team have pulled together to ensure the necessary steps were taken to improve our service.

“Providing the best specialist palliative and end-oflife care for our community is at the heart of what we do, and will continue to be the driving force for us moving forward.

“We are committed to ensuring that our service remains outstanding whilst looking for ways to continue improving, and raise the vital funds required to sustain the hospice.

“I would like to thank our wonderful local community for their continued support.”

Barnsley Hospice should forever be revered as one of the best institutes across the borough. No one ever doubted the care the hospice were given, and for years to come they’ll be doing their level best to help each and every one of us if and when we need it.

MAPPLEWELL & STAINCROSS VILLAGE HALL

A THREE-YEAR wait due to Covid didn’t dampen the spirits of a local village hall after they received more than £200,000 of National Lottery funding.

The £204,643 from the Community Fund will be used to refurbish the main hall at Mapplewell and Staincross Village so that the number of events it hosts can be increased, making it even more of a focal point for locals.

Nick Hibberd, the village hall manager, said: “The refurbishment of the hall was always part of our core business development strategy.

“In 2019, we became an approved venue for marriages and civil ceremonies and altered our premises license so we could open Sundays for the sale of alcohol as well as put on shows, entertainment and play music every day of the week.

“At the same time, we submitted an application to the National Lottery Community Fund for a grant to fund the major improvements and had our preliminary site visit booked for March 26 three years ago.

“This was to assess our submission and for representatives of the National Lottery to meet attendees of our luncheon club.”

Three days before that meeting, the UK went into lockdown for the Covid-19 pandemic – and all National Lottery Fund applications were suspended.

Nick added: “Needless to say, the initial setback was demoralising but like many hospitality venues, we went into survival mode for the duration of the pandemic and actually came out of the other side in a strong position”.

“We then focussed on bringing back some of the previous activity providers and replacing any that had been forced to close”.

“By early 2022, our business development plans were back up and running.

“In May last year we contacted the fund again and were allowed to pick up where application from where we left off, updating our original grant application to show the impact of covid and the efforts we went to in a bid to continue supporting the local community”.

“The funding team from the National Lottery that were allocated to our application have been exceptionally supportive, working closely with us and guiding us to help us get to this point for the last three years.”

The refurbishment project is extensive and includes stripping the main hall, storeroom and bar.

The wooden floor will be sanded, oiled and sealed, prior to a larger, new ‘state-of-the-art’ stage being fitted, complete with an integral sound and lighting system. The core structural works for the main hall started in March 2023 and ran for ten weeks.

LIVE MUSIC

June 2021

LIVE music is always something that brings us all together.

But, like all in-person events during the pandemic, it was an industry bitten by the pandemic. That didn’t stop locals across Barnsley getting their fix, though.

The ever-popular Barnsley Live fesitval went online in 2020.

Thousands tuned in to watch as Barnsley Live went online. The popular town centre festival has become one of Barnsley’s most well-attended events in recent years.

But, with the coronavirus crisis putting paid to any chance of this summer’s festival taking place, it was decided to create a Facebook group and share videos of performances by more than 20 artists who were originally set to play the festival.

Hundreds of pounds were raised for Barnsley Hospital by the group through the festival and a charity CD produced by the team.

But it wasn’t quite the same as the real thing. That’s why it was all the more sweeter when the event returned in 2021.

The town centre’s bars and venues were so busy some acts had trouble getting to the stage in time for their sets, as Barnsley Live returned in October 2021.

But it was a nice problem to have for organisers, who oversaw 25 stages and close to 200 bands and musicians on the festival’s return after 2020’s event went online, owing to the pandemic.

Punters spilled out of every doorway shortly after the first acts hit the stage in the early afternoon and most stayed around until well into the night.

But - with collectors holding Barnsley Hospital Charity buckets and willing volunteers in festival T-shirts running up and down every street - the atmosphere was more jovial and celebratory than your typical boozy afternoon in Barnsley.

Thousands of pounds was raised by the organisers and generous Barnsley residents - and it’s an event which still gets bigger each and every year.

KINDRED PROGRAMME

Kindred aimed to encourage families with multiple and complex needs with mixed age children (11 – 18yrs), to view cultural and heritage activity as something they can positively engage in together, to raise aspirations, build skills and improve individual and collective wellbeing

In partnership with Cannon Hall and Worsbrough Mill museums Kindred offered a two-day programme of outdoor activities including craft, art, nature identification and microvolunteering, promoting a positive learning experience and introduction to family volunteering.

Kindred responded to families at higher risk of being adversely affected by Covid-19, as demand for drug misuse and domestic abuse services rose. Kindred families included those with diverse ethnic origin, SEND, refugee/asylum seeking status and low socio-economic background. Kindred brought together 21 partners from arts, heritage, education and social services to support Barnsley communities. Overall, 20 families attended, with 59 individuals taking part from 13 wards and districts around Barnsley.

Kindred supported families to build their confidence and be brave; to work as a team and strengthen family bonds across all generations; to discover new opportunities for personal development. The activities were designed to be fun and inclusive, building willingness and skills to plan and work together, discovering routes to contribute to their community in a positive way.

ONE FAMILY’S JOURNEY...

K and her children attended the Kindred Project weekend after their initial reservations; one of her sons has an ASD diagnosis and finds it difficult to connect when in mainstream education. There was a fear he wouldn’t engage in Kindred Project activities because of his diagnosis. However, K was happy to see he was easily able to participate throughout the weekend in most of the activities and left with a sense of personal achievement at the end.

The children enjoyed the first day so much, on the second day they invited a teenage friend to come along too! Since then K and her children have attended Forest Families at Northern College where they became good friends with another Kindred Project family who also attended. The two families keep in touch and meet up independently to the project.

‘Since the Kindred Project I have attended a Child Psychology course at Northern College, they put a bus on every hour to make it easier to get there. It was 2 days with food and accommodation provided. I have signed up to quite a few different things too.’

K signed up for 13 courses, attending a lot of them with the mother of another Kindred Project family, she described: ‘We like going along together, it gives us our own time away from the kids. We both have children with special needs and we really appreciate time to talk about this together, but we also appreciate time away from it!’

IMPACT

50% of families expressed feeling stressed or unhappy on arrival on the first day.

100% of families showed a progression and expressed feeling much happier and joyful after the sessions at Worsbrough Mill and Cannon Hall.

70% of the family groups that attended expressed interest and enquired into career and volunteering opportunities

GOOD THINGS

DIL RAJ - MARCH 2020

A restaurant offered free meals for NHS workers to thank them for their efforts on the coronavirus frontline. Dil Raj, on High Street, Dodworth, closed its doors following advice from the government to prevent unnecessary contact with others.

As the restaurant also operates as a takeaway - and takeaways are permitted to remain open - the manager, Miron Rahman, wass determined to help the community during these desperate times. He said: “We want to do our bit to help the community under these circumstances - we recognise how hard NHS staff are currently working. We’re more than happy to cook and deliver food to the frontline staff at the hospital free of charge should they require it. “We want to help as much as we can as we know people need to eat and that is one way we can do our bit.”

RYAN BOOCOCK - MARCH 2020

A joiner used his skills during social distancing to honour the NHS with an eye-catching sign outside his home. Ryan Boocock, from Darfield, used his extra time to create a lit-up sign.

Ryan, 39, said: “I’m a joiner on lockdown and taking it seriously, but fortunately I have a workshop at home.

“I thought it was a nice gesture to all NHS staff as their hard work is appreciated.

“It’s the very least we can do, if it makes someone smile it’s worth it.”

STEPHEN TAYLOR - APRIL 2020

A Barnsley resident decided to drive NHS workers to Barnsley Hospital free of charge to help them get to work and avoid public transport. Having worked as an HGV driver all his life, Stephen Taylor wants to put his expertise to good use during this difficult time for the borough.

He told the Chronicle: “I’ve been in the transport industry all my life and, with my experience, I feel as though this is something that I can do to help others. “The bus times have been slashed and so it’s taking far too long for these key workers to get to work.”

Stephen, of Athersley North, ensured that he took the correct precautions when driving staff to work, supplying plastic gloves and sanitising the car after every use.

“Everyone I drive will have to sit in the back seat and will be offered gloves to stop the spread of the virus,” he added.

“If I can just help one person then this can be seen as a success in my opinion. “I’ve been telling everyone I’m not bothered if it’s morning, day or night, I’ll travel and help who I can.

JACK COEFIELD - APRIL 2020

A Barnsley man cut the NHS logo into a football field to show his support for frontline workers. Jake Coefield, 25, of Wombwell, decided on the idea after seeing a farmer on the news create a similar design and put his plan into action at the Dorothy Hyman Stadium in Cudworth.

He told the Chronicle: “There was a bit of a discussion with my family about whether or not I’d be able to replicate it, because it’s a lot more difficult than it looks.

“But I’ve managed to do other creative designs in the past before so I thought that I’d give it a try and it came out quite well.”

Jake’s grandfather passed away in 202, and he saw this as a way to say thank you for all the hard work NHS staff did to help him.

“I just wanted to do something good for the NHS after the support they gave him,” Jake said.

“It put smiles on a lot of faces so that’s a positive as well, the response I’ve received from all my friends and family has been fantastic.

“I can’t believe how quickly it’s blown up, it’s a great way to show support for the NHS staff at the hospital.”

A local resident set up a donation network to support those who are most vulnerable in Barnsley.

Alex Forrest began the campaign, ‘The Gift of the People’, last week to help the residents who need it most. He told the Chronicle: “It all started when I was furloughed from my current job, meaning I didn’t really have much to do. I noticed that a couple of my friends were struggling, but they didn’t want to make it known, so I brought them some milk and bread, the essentials, to just do my bit. That’s when I found out one of them was unable to even leave the house due to her underlying health conditions.”

Alex decided to make a food box for her to ensure that she wasn’t going without the essentials, and the response he received inspired him to do more.

“I got a text message just explaining how thankful she was, it made me think about all the people in Cudworth, let alone Barnsley, that are suffering in silence,” he added.

“That’s when the idea popped in to my head that I should start a campaign helping all of those that need help in this time. I’ve been inundated with support so far, and I’m just really hoping that it’s something that will put a smile on everyone’s faces.

“At the end of all of this, the plan is to donate the remainder of the money to the NHS foundation trust, but to do that we ideally need more food donations.

“I’ve been going out recently and sharing the food packages with those who ask, I’m just hoping for more donations to help everybody. I’m ensuring that I’m taking all the correct health precautions so the spread of the virus is at a minimal – wearing gloves and disinfecting everything that comes in.”

Among the supporters of the campaign are Coun Joe Hayward, Barnsley CVS and even a documentary team at Channel Four.

“I had a call from someone from the channel who wants me to film a few videos for them to help a documentary they’re doing on the outbreak.

“A lot of conversation has gone on with Coun Hayward, who’s a good friend of mine, to help me get access to closed down foodbanks and from Barnsley CVS who are helping to retrieve a list of those who need the support most in the Cudworth area. They’re sending me out a card so people know that I’m not trying to scam them and everything I do is legitimate. Overall everyone has been such a great help. I’d like to say a special thanks to Aldi and Co-op in Cudworth, Freshpak Wombwell, Tony Patel, Bev Voster and Mark Dix.”

Virtual learning resumed in April 2020 for its 9,000 students but Barnsley College certainly hadn’t been taking a break over Easter – with staff helping to produce thousands of protective visors for healthcare workers on the frontline.

Digital industries programme manager Jessica LeeHenderson and creative technician Bradley Sharp used the college’s cutting and printing equipment, and with assistance from Jonathan Frost of Sheffield-based SH Lasers, produced 2500 3D visors.

Jessica said: “We feel very humbled to be able to help in a small way.

“The doctors, nurses and wider team are doing such an amazing job and to be able to support them is an incredible feeling.”

“From the second we put the call out to Jessica, the College responded immediately and less than a week later we have equipment being used on our site by our clinical teams,” said Darren Howlett, deputy associate director of oper- ations at Barnsley Hospital.

“We now have a network. It is a real credit to the togetherness of Barnsley. It is making a real difference to us at Barnsley Hospital NHS Trust and for that we are truly grateful.”

Arran McCallum, who is not only a technician in Barnsley College’s construction team but is also a volunteer unit manager for St John Ambulance in Barnsley, has also been supporting the NHS.

“Clearly this has been an Easter break unlike any other for all of us at Barnsley College and beyond – but we are so proud to see our college community joining with our communities locally and across the country to support our frontline workers, care for those in need and to help prevent the spread of Covid-19,” he said.

JUDY BARNSLEY - MAY 2020

A retired fashion designer hoped to encourage a ‘small army’ of people to create handmade face masks to combat coronavirus. According to Judy Barnsley, all you needed to be able to do was sew in straight lines.

Judy, a self-employed designer in the 1980s, made dozens of the masks after seeing a video online on why even homemade masks can significantly reduce the risk of infection.

“There must be so many women in this town who can sew,” said Judy. “I would be surprised if most women in Barnsley didn’t work at SR Gent at one time in their lives. All you need is a sewing machine and some spare fabric.”

Judy used offcuts of fabric used to make garments, but said any fine woven fabric would do and the elastic can be found cheaply Online.

“We could have a small army of people making these,” she said. “You can put them in the washing machine or the oven to sterilise them and re-use them. I think maybe the public weren’t encouraged to wear masks as the rush for them, as for toilet rolls, would have left the NHS short of stock.”

EFFIE CARR - MAY 2020

A Barnsley youngster made her own scented soaps after hearing a local charity was struggling for cash.

Four-year-old Effie Carr, from Wilthorpe, crafted her very own bars to sell and raise money for Barnsley Hospice. Effie’s dad, Brett, suggested that she donate the proceeds to the hospice after being inspired by their public appeal for funding during the coronavirus outbreak.

Brett said: “She’s always loved making things, so it’s been fantastic to see her do this.

Brett said that he had to explain to Effie how her soap was going to help others.

“She grasped what I meant, but thought we were giving soap to people without soap. I explained that we would give the money to the Barnsley Hospice as they are struggling for funds and it’s a great cause.”

A team of avid sewers made hundreds of medical scrubs for frontline staff across the borough. For The Love Of Scrubs started as a Facebook group to get people involved in supplying hospitals with vital protective clothing and equipment.

Many volunteers bought their own fabric and local companies helped donate materials to help with the cause. Sarah White, an art tutor and former designer who created For The Love Of Scrubs in Barnsley, thanked the volunteers for their efforts.

“I set up the For The Love Of Scrubs Barnsley group near the start of lockdown and we now have more than 100 members, so the response has been fantastic.

“A wide range of people are involved in making scrubs and other equipment and in fundraising including current and former college staff and members of the general public.

“We’re really grateful for every one’s help towards this vitally important cause.”

Yiannis Koursis, Barnsley College principal and chief executive, added: “It’s brilliant to see the number of initiatives, such as this one led by Sarah, offering crucial help across the Barnsley borough at this difficult time.

“We at the college are extremely proud of the various ways our staff are supporting our NHS and other organisations and demonstrating the sense of community spirit within our town.”

REVERENCE MONUMENT

November 2021

In November 2021, Barnsley made sure they will never forget those who lost their lives during the pandemic.

A bronze memorial sculpture was unveiled in Barnsley town centre to commemorate local people who have lost their lives to Covid-19 during the pandemic.

‘Reverence’ features seven figures cast in bronze, including a young girl, older man, volunteer, nurse, carer, police officer and a teacher.

The figures span all generations and communities and represent people who have been affected by the pandemic. The unique artwork has been created by acclaimed sculptor Graham Ibbeson in collaboration with Lockbund Foundry, with poet Ian McMillan providing the sculpture’s emotive words which read: ‘Barnsley’s fierce love holds you forever in its heart’.

Guests included HM Lord-Lieutenant Professor Dame Hilary Chapman, Lord Bishop John Sentamu, local MPs and members of Barnsley Council joined bereaved families, key workers and members of the public in Barnsley’s new Glass Works square for the unveiling ceremony.

The sculpture was one of the first permanent Covid memorials in the world and is unique because it features ordinary working people who are ‘hugely under-represented in public art’, according to leaders behind the scheme.

Council leader Sir Steve Houghton said: “This memorial project is an enduring work of art to remember those we’ve lost and to commemorate the incredible efforts of those that worked, and continue to work, so tirelessly to look after us and keep our communities going.

“It is a tribute to the real heroes of the pandemic, the ordinary working people of Barnsley and the country as a whole. “Working people as a group are vastly under-represented in public art and we are proud to be at the forefront of recognising them in this sculpture.”

It still sits in the Glass Works square to this day and is a fitting reminder about what has happened over the past few years.

The wonderful sculpture should be seen as the perfect way to remember everyone we’ve all lost.

It’s not just about those who have died, it’s about those who gave their lives to supporting residents.

NHS workers, teachers, supermarket workers - every single one of them put their all into keeping us safe.

Without them, who knows where we’d be right now?

WALK WITH AMAL AT WENTWORTH CASTLE GARDENS

November 2021

“I shall remember yesterday, and Little Amal and all she represents, for days, weeks, and probably years to come.”

Visitor, Wentworth Castle Gardens

In 2021, from the Syria-Turkey border all the way to the UK and to Barnsley, Walk with Amal brought together celebrated artists, major cultural institutions, community groups and humanitarian organisations, creating one of the most innovative and adventurous public artworks ever attempted.

Little Amal is a 3.5 metre-tall puppet of a Syrian refugee child, at the heart of ‘The Walk’.  Over the summer and autumn of 2021, she walked over 8,000km across Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and Barnsley to focus attention on the urgent needs of young refugees.

Created by Good Chance Theatre, in collaboration with world-famous creators of War Horse Handspring Puppet Company. Placing Barnsley on the world stage, we shared an important message about Barnsley’s welcome for refugees and acknowledges the important contributions migrants make and have always made to our borough.

The Barnsley Feels Like Home group welcomed Little Amal on

her arrival at Wentworth Castle Gardens through poetry, dance and song inspired by the flowers onsite, sharing their experiences of journey and belonging. Throughout the pandemic Walk with Amal provided a focus, support and hope which was realised in the outdoor celebration.

Barnsley was chosen to be part of this incredible tour because of the borough’s own Feels Like Home’ (ESOL group) and

partnerships with Good Chance Theatre. Established by Barnsley Museums over four years ago the group has over 100 members, representing all age groups and many nationalities from across the world. The group embeds language skills with cultural activities, offering opportunities to build relationships and friendships.

This international arts projects shines a light on the experience of migrants especially children but it also is full of joycelebrating diversity, and unity of people from all nationalities and backgrounds. It was fitting that Amal visited Barnsley during Black History Month and was welcomed by the Feels Like Home group. For many group members, being part of Little Amal’s journey was extremely emotive, her journey often mirroring their own experiences.

“On behalf of [Good Chance Theatre] I wanted to say a huge thank you for welcoming Amal to Wentworth Castle Gardens… I could see all the energy and effort that had gone into it and it was truly impressive. I thought it was such a lovely, intimate and heart-warming welcome. “

Dina Mousawi, Creative Producer, Good Chance

“Dear team Barnsley, … a heartfelt thanks for all your hard work, proactivity, determination and creativity. Together we… produced a collaboration of brilliance and I am very grateful to have worked with you on this. Thanks a million for your belief in us, The Walk. The little ones reading the poem about seeds in their Yorkshire accents… gave me goosebumps! The event was so special and had real soul, so congrats.

Amaya Jeyarajah Dent, UK Producer, The Walk

REFUGEES

February 2022

THE pandemic was incredibly hard for everyone in Barnsley - but for those who came to foreign land to seek refuge, it’s unimaginable to comprehend their pain.

Barnsley took in a great number of refugees during the pandemic - both from Ukraine and Afghanistan. Those people who were fleeing war - either due to the Taliban or Russian invasions - were housed in Barnsley.

The borough’s ever-present community did what they do best and welcomed them with open arms.

Members of a Barnsley group set up to help refugees fleeing war-torn countries confirmed they were helping Afghan families who have escaped the Taliban in September 2021. The award-winning Penistone Refugee Group looked after a number of arrivals from Kabul.

Vice-chairman David Greenhough, who is also a councillor for the Penistone West ward, said the refugees are ‘incredibly thankful’ to be in a place of safety in the borough.

“The first family members to arrive under the resettlement scheme are now here,” he said. “These are people who worked alongside British armed forces in Afghanistan.

“A member of the family worked hand-in-hand with the military, so it was simply too dangerous for them to stay as they would have been executed.

“Barnsley Council asked us to help these families so we will be right in the middle of this.

“The family comprises parents with young children and they are very glad to be here, but another family member is still out there in Kabul.

“It is hard to believe what has happened - Afghanistan was becoming a much more open place but it faces a dark future now.”

When the Russian invasion of Ukraine took place in 2022 no one could have imagined the sheer horror their national would face.

Dozens of families arrived in Barnsley and we spoke to one the refugees about her heartbreaking story.

A Ukrainian teenager who fled her war-torn country says she’s found her second mum after she moved to Barnsley in 2022. Karina Tarasenko is just 20 years old – but she’s already faced enough hardship to last a lifetime.

Her home nation was invaded by Vladimir Putin’s Russia in February, leaving thousands of people without a place to live. Barnsley, who are twinned with Ukrainian town Gorlovka, has opened its heart to refugees - with dozens coming to the town through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Karina, who has been forced to leave her boyfriend and other family members back in her home town, moved to England with her mum and eight-year-old sister Sofia – but they’ve been left in a Huddersfield hostel after their sponsors were unable to continue to look after them.

She said: “I live in Millhouse Green now.

“I’m really glad that I have my sponsor, she is amazing and like a second mum for me.

“My sponsor, Emma Jane Phillips, and her mum care about me.

“I found her on the site eu4ua – it was a long list of all sponsors.

“I have a visa for three years and because of the situation in Ukraine I’ll stay here as long as it is possible – it’s a lovely place.

“I have found some friends, but sometimes I feel lonely.

“My mum also lives in Huddersfield with my younger sister Sofia but they are staying in a hotel and looking for a new sponsor, because their sponsor can’t host them anymore.”

Karina, who is originally from Borzna in the Chernigiv region but moved to Kyiv three years ago with her boyfriend, spoke in depth about the horrific situation in Ukraine.

“I woke up at 5am because of a loud sound – my first my thought was about how loud it was, but me and my boyfriend just continued to sleep as we didn’t know that it was war,” she added. “An hour later and my dad call me and said the war has started – I thought that it was a joke, but then I looked out the window and saw a big line, people staying and waiting for cash because we can’t use debit cards when it’s war.

“The second day my boyfriend decided to go back to his home town but because it was dangerous – there was bombing – I went to my dad’s work.

“All of the days I could hear bombing – it was scary, I was alone with people I didn’t know.”

Karina says for a number of weeks she was only able to sleep for a few hours each night – and she constantly worries for her boyfriend and dad who are still in the war-torn country.

“Some nights we would hide in the basement but it was cold and scary,” Karina added.

“I remember, when me and my new friend went to store to buy a water and bread – we were lucky because they sell bread once or twice a week – and we heard helicopters and an air alarm, so we ran to the basement like crazy dogs.”

After moving between give villages and towns in Ukraine, Karina has ended up in Millhouse Green – and she’s even working at Cubley Hall in Penistone.

She added: “I can speak English so it’s not a big problem but sometimes I can’t get the Barnsley accent.

“I like skating on ice but there’s nowhere to do that here so I miss it.

“I have a lot of friends in Ukraine, but I don’t really have many here.”

Karina’s story will resonate with so many across the town. Her hard-working grit is everything that Barnsley is about and she’s managed to make sure she can keep going as best as she can. The pandemic undoubtedly made it harder for refugees like Karina - but both her and Barnsley’s spirit shone through and residents opened their hearts for everyone in her situation.

That’s why people like Ryk Matysiak and his band of volunteers have been so influential during the pandemic. Depsite the last three years leaving residents with less money in their pockets, it

didn’t stop them inundating a local businessman with donations to send to wartorn Ukraine.

Henryk Matysiak, of Hunter’s Avenue in Pogmoor, took it upon himself to use his family connections to set up the collection. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has seen natives flee to nearby Poland, Henryk decided he wanted to do something to help the refugees who sought asylum.

“It all started out with the idea to take a van to Poland with some donations,” he said.

“I’ve got connections in Poland and I phoned them up and they said they’ll help distribute the items.

“Everyone and their mum has donated and we ended up going from one van to nine articulated lorries.

“We started this in March 2022 and I’ve been really humbled by it. “There’s been people donating and then around 200 volunteers helping out.”

Thousands of donations flooded in and a number of lorries were sent to Poland thanks to the generosity of the people in Barnsley.

Barnsley Museum’s ESOL group Feels Like Home, for people new to Barnsley went above and beyond to support people during the Pandemic.

Many refugees and asylum seekers had a difficult time in isolation, not having the same support networks as established families, often with very limited finances. Due to language barriers some did not even understanding public health messages at the time. Many group members didn’t have televisions or internet, so the isolation was magnified, and poor mental health was a big issue.

The Feels Like home project helped by providing IT equipment and mobile phone data to stay connected in several weekly virtual meetings. The group sourced second hand bicycles so members could get outside. As the Pandemic progressed, some parts of Barnsley’s migrant communities were untrusting of the vaccine, thus the group mobilised and provided translation services and encouraged vaccinations.

REFLECTION

March 2022

Barnsley town centre came to a standstill to mark two years since the Covid-19 pandemic forced the first national lockdown.

Now known as the National Day of Reflection, a floral tribute was laid by then Mayor of Barnsley Caroline Makinson at the town’s Covid memorial at the Glass Works to remember those who have lost their lives to the virus.

Also present was Valerie Henfrey who attended the remembrance event in honour of her late husband, Peter, who died of Covid last year.

Leader of Barnsley Council, Sir Steve Houghton, said: “It is important we continue to remember all those we have lost and those who continue to grieve, as well as the key workers that kept everything going and the unsung heroes.

“We will never forget the enormous impact the pandemic has had and the lives it has changed forever.”

TOWN PRIDE

July 2022

One of Barnsley’s biggest ever Pride events took place in July 2022 and it turned out to be an important day for the town.

Pride Barnsley hosted their first in-person event since the pandemic, with thousands flocking to the town centre to get involved.

Well-known face and drag queen Jamie Campbell from BAFTA-winning movie and musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie hosted the event.

The day was home to a number of family-friendly events in Mandela Gardens and the Civic, as well as an over-18s part in The Garrison.

Nick Cox, the operations manager at Pride Barnsley said the special event was more than just about having a song and dance.

“The event is important in so many different ways,” he said.

“It’s about raising the profile of LGBTQ+ people in Barnsley.

“We will always be a minority but not fully accepted yet but things are changing and things have changed.”

Lorna Rees, Artist Director Gobbledegook Theatre.

Photo credit Jayne Jackson.

ENCOUNTERS: LADY MARY WORTLEY MONTAGU

July 2022

Encounters is the creation of new heritage interpretation for families, focused on the extraordinary life of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, scientist, public heath campaigner, proto-feminist, writer and influencer. Lorna Rees, Artistic Director of Gobbledegook Theatre was commissioned to create this interpretation, which is informed by research and consultation, and brings together historic and contemporary stories.

Co-created with the people of Barnsley, the digital interpretation which focuses on equality for women in science, draws on the rich narrative of Lady Mary WortleyMontagu introducing the smallpox inoculation to the UK and the contemporary search for a Covid Vaccine.

Six short films were created across Barnsley, the locations included a nail salon, travel agents, Barnsley Markets and a Turkish restaurant. Whilst wearing a fabulous costume inspired by Lady Mary, Lorna chatted to local people about the life of this remarkable woman. The themes of the ‘Encounter’ interviews include women’s education, travel, Covid, medicine, and Turkish culture. Encounters was launched on social media over five days, reaching 30,000 people with over 10,000 views of the films. To view the Encounters films please visit Barnsley Museums website: www.barnsley-museums.com/projects/wentworth-castlegardens/encounters-lady-mary-wortley-montagu

Whilst in residence at Wentworth Castle Gardens, Lorna engaged 980 people in five days. Lorna told them all about Mary’s life, talking through her costume, but also having brilliant dialogue with visitors to the gardens, the vast majority of whom had never heard of Mary’s daring life and her part in medical history.

“I spoke with lecturers, research scientists, a geneticist and many, many families about her life. I chatted with grandparents and children and artists and refugee families and a sewing group all about this amazing life. And through dialogue we found new things and ideas and learnt from each other….

It’s my great belief that conversation and dialogue change the world – the best of these change both people at the end of them with shared shift in perspective or empathy. I had many, many profoundly moving conversations with people, about ambition, curiosity, loss and huge hope for the future.”

Lorna Rees, Gobbledegook Theatre

“We went to the talk twice. Really informative and great use of colour. Great stories and wonderful presentation. What a day!” Family visitors at Wentworth Castle Gardens

At Wentworth Castle Gardens Onsite interpretation was installed in the Victorian Conservatory and at the Sun Monument which is dedicated to Lady Mary. The digital presence of Encounters was linked to this self-led engagement, enabling people to enjoy the informative films created with Barnsley communities. Encounters is now part of the Barnsley Archives digital collection, ensuring these important voices will continue to be heard.

COLOUR FORMS

Molly & Mother Sculptures by Lenny and Whale. Photo credit Timm Cleasby.

The 300th year anniversary of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was celebrated through the artwork, ‘Colour Forms - straws upon the water’, created by artists Paul Slater and Katrina Whale during a year long artist’s residency at Wentworth Castle Gardens.

The life of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu has inspired the artists in their work. Her achievements pioneering inoculation against smallpox are recognised through the Sun Monument, one of our garden highlights, which is dedicated to her. There are interesting parallels between elements of Lady Mary’s story and the current global emergency which resonate deeply for the artists.

“As the project developed it was striking to discover how her introduction of the Smallpox inoculation into England resonated with the current research being undertaken in the development of vaccines for the Coronavirus.”

Paul Slater & Katrina Whale

The artists responded to the pandemic through online engagement with the families of Silkstone Primary School who enjoyed bespoke arts activities and packs as part of their home-schooled curriculum. The families created and shared over 100 drawings and photographs to inform the final artworks. To inspire their drawings and sculptures, the families enjoyed a free visit to the gardens. This community engagement work informed the artists’ final piece.

“It is such a lovely project to be involved in and a really positive experience for our families.” Sally Adams, Headteacher

“I went for a lovely walk around Wentworth Castle and was thrilled to see such wonderful, inspiring colours in an art installation. These were dotted around the fernery and were a feast for the eyes.” Visitor

The art installation ‘Colour Forms - straws upon the water’ opened in March 2021 and involved colourful and playful interventions throughout the Fernery for visitors to explore. The artwork, which consists of a series of hand painted spheres, a molecular structure and two bespoke benches, was accompanied by a specially composed soundscape. The subtitle of the work, ‘straws upon the water’, is taken from a quote attributed to Lady Mary Wortley Montagu:

“I am afraid we are little better than straws upon the water; we may flatter ourselves that we swim when the current carries us along.”

Following the display at Wentworth Castle Gardens the artwork toured to Cannon Hall Gardens and Elsecar Heritage Centre. The large central sculptures (Molly and Mother Sphere) now have a permanent home at Castle Hill School in Huddersfield, and the artists donated the two benches to the garden at Wakefield Hospice.

BOOK RELEASE

July 2022

A multi-lingual book of stories, rhymes and songs representing different cultures and nationalities was launched by Barnsley Libraries during the pandemic.

Over a six-month period, 13 families from the Feels Like Home group – which includes asylum seekers, migrant workers and refugees –were hosted in the Library at the Lightbox to share nursery rhymes and fairytales in their first language as part of the Stories Around the World project.

Coun Caroline Makinson, cabinet spokesperson for public health and communities, said: “Barnsley Libraries are continuing its long tradition of supporting local communities and ensuring its offer stays accessible, relevant and diverse.

“It was great to see many people from different backgrounds come together and celebrate their culture and heritage with others through story and rhyme sessions.”

The Stories Around the World book, released on July 11, features 11 languages and is available from all Barnsley Libraries branches and through the online resources.

Dave Watson, project development coordinator at Creative Minds, who helped to fund the book through South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, added: “The project saw people from a wide range of nationalities taking part including families from El Salvador, Greece, Romania, Sudan and Afghanistan.

“Families enjoyed learning new nursery rhymes and fairy tales, with children pleased to learn songs that they had heard at nursery or school in the UK.

“Families also really enjoyed sharing nursery rhymes and fairy tales from their countries of origin, relishing the challenge of explaining meanings in English, and teaching songs to speakers of other languages.”

YOUR PICTURES

This book has been made possible by collaboration between the people of Barnsley, Barnsley Museums, Barnsley Chronicle, Barnsley Museums & Heritage Trust, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Written content by;

Jack Tolson

Design and layout by:

Scott Firth

Paul Hopkinson

Photography by:

Sean Colborn

Wes Hobson

Kurt Fairhurst

Kyte Photography

Photographs kindly supplied by the people of Barnsley to Barnsley Chronicle

Barnsley Museums