This week’s District News from our correspondents across the Rotherham borough

DALTON, EAST HERRINGTHORPE & THRYBERGH

Ruth Booth-Rodgers - Email [email protected]

COUNCILLOR MICHAEL BENNETT-SYLVESTER: Michael attended the recent scrutiny meeting at Rotherham Town Hall, which covered the Rotherham Investment and Development Office (RIDO) business centres, housing improvement and governance, plus school road safety. As well as attending this, Michael has also been preparing for the the next full council meeting, which took place on Wednesday September 9, submitting a range of questions, including asking about the number of two or more bedroom houses, both Rotherham council and privately owned, which are occupied by just a couple or single person. Michael is asking local residents to report any faulty streetlights to the council.

ITEMS OF REPORT: Councillor Bennett-Sylvester recently submitted his items of report for the Thrybergh Parish Council meeting, which was held last week. These included an update on children’s summer activities; Michael reported that it had been a good summer of partnership working, mostly through the neighbourhoods team, which had involved children from Thrybergh attending activities across the ward. Activities for the Thrybergh parish have included the funding of a seaside trip for the Little Lions playgroup, water safety activities at Thrybergh Country Park, Positive Impact HAF camp for two weeks and a very successful kick about session with Rotherham United Community Trust on The Plantation, which has provided a template for the future. With reference to community skips, Michael reported that there had recently been a community skip on Silver Street in Thrybergh with a plan to do another this autumn, although it is increasingly a struggle to organise these events due to time pressures on housing staff, whose department runs the service through council rents, and also the councillors' devolved budgets have not gone up in the five years Michael has been a councillor. This effectively means in real terms a cut of 20%, but the cost of skips has nearly doubled, however Michael reported that councillors would continue to try and provide community skips on a rotating basis between each of the three housing areas. On the subject of the Community Leadership Fund, Michael reported that this was another budget that hasn’t gone up in five years so this too has effectively been cut. Michael stated that his first grant this year has been to fund children’s activities during October half term at Thrybergh Country Park, as well as extending offers to the Silverwood Colliery Heritage Group of £500 to fund new display boards, £500 to High Greave Schools to fund equipment for a healthy eating project and the clerk has the form for £643 to Thrybergh Parish Council for external Christmas decorations. With reference to the Capital Budget, Michael reported that the full four-year budget was allocated to the improvements in the Bill Winder play area, which finally started recently; with the indication that some money might come back, discussions have taken place with Craig at Thrybergh Country Park for some outdoor gym equipment. On the subject of a new camera, Michael thanked the clerk for joining a walkabout this summer with the neighbourhood police team and thanked the residents who talked to those on the walkabout and who have reported anti-social behaviour around Park Lane. This has led to the camera resource outside the parish hall looking down Park Lane.

ST. LEONARD'S CHURCH, THRYBERGH: The church will be running a seven week course exploring Christianity, starting on Thursdays at 7pm, from October 8. The course will be held at St. Francis' Church in Bramley and will involve seven sessions based on a study of Mark's Gospel, each with a short film and then conversation afterwards. For more information, visit www.christianityexplored.org/courses/christianity-explored/.

TABLE TOP SALE: Thrybergh Parish Council will be holding a Table Top Sale at Thrybergh Parish Hall on Saturday September 26, from 10am-2pm. The event will include bric a brac, crafts, toys, clothes, shoes, a raffle and tombola, plus refreshments and more. For more information, email [email protected].

OPEN ARMS FINANCIAL INCLUSION HUB: On Monday September 21, advisors from Citizens Advice, plus other organisations, will be holding an Open Arms Financial Inclusion Hub drop-in session at Mowbray Gardens Library and Neighbourhood Hub from 9.30am-3.30pm. The sessions are free to attend and no appointment is needed.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: The Royal British Legion are hoping to beat the total of £10k for the Poppy Appeal raised last year at Asda in Dalton. As such, a meet and greet for volunteers for the forthcoming Poppy Appeal will be held on Saturday September 19 in the community rooms of Tesco in Rotherham, from 10am-12noon. For more information, telephone 07580041424.

WENTWORTH

WARD COUNCILLORS: Local ward councillors held their surgeries last week in both Wentworth and Harley; the councillors have also communicated that Rotherham Council has organised for the Victoria Cross Trust to clean the war memorial in Wentworth this week with steam cleaning equipment.

WENTWORTH GARDEN CENTRE: With Autumn upon us, the garden centre will be running a number of Autumn Workshops, including a Willow Workshop on Thursday September 17 and an Autumn Wreath Making Workshop on Wednesday October 7. For information on pricing and booking, visit https://wentworthgardencentre.co.uk/blogs/news.

NEW MEMBERS SOUGHT: Wentworth and Thorpe Hesley Youth Theatre is looking for new members for their new musical, 'The Servant of Two Mafias'. Auditions will take place on September 13 at Trinity Community Centre in Thorpe Hesley, from 12-3pm, with a £5 audition fee payable. For more information, visit the Facebook page of Wentworth and Thorpe Hesley Youth Theatre.

ELSECAR HERITAGE CENTRE: As part of the AND Festival 2026, Elsecar Heritage Centre will be giving visitors the opportunity to experience contemporary art from around the United Kingdom and beyond. From Saturday September 12-Sunday September 20, the centre will be joining with RSPB Old Moor to hold Heritage Open Days at RSPB Old Moor, every day from 10am-4pm. The event will involve a collection of displays celebrating local heritage, including Wentworth Woodhouse, Elsecar Heritage Centre, RSPB Old Moor, Wombwell Heritage Group and more. Free entry.

NOTE TO READERS AND CONTRIBUTORS

We do our best to keep our District news information as accurate as possible but in order to do so we need local organisations to let us know of any events and changes to programmes and contacts etc.

Since details can change, always check with the organisation before visiting to ensure that an event or facility is still being offered.

The Advertiser takes no responsibility for any inaccurate details in the District News pages.

We always enjoy receiving your news items so keep them coming in.

• You can get in touch with us at any time either directly via [email protected] or through our many contributors who are listed on each District News page. Mark emails ‘DISTRICT’. Alternatively, we have a new way for people to submit their stories to us via a new online portal which goes straight into the system and means your stories are published much quicker. The link is https://submit.nationalworld.com/