Page 4

Father cycles the leagues to raise

money for son with rare disorder
Next up for Richard is a 164
mile cycle to Brighton before
trips to QPR, Millwall and
Stoke.
Its going to be a pretty
tough ride up to Brighton,
Richard said.
When we get back from
Sheffeld we have to be up
at 7am the next morning to
start the journey.
To support Richard, text
MECP77 followed by 1, 2,
3, 5 or 10, to 70070, or
donate via JustGiving.
Coaches inspire
next generation
of boxing talent
O
n Tuesday night, when
Lower Manor was
dimly lit from failing
lampposts and an un-
erring stillness ran through the
air, Chris Smedley and Steve
Barnes of Lower Manor Boxing
Club led a group of burgeon-
ing champions up from one of
the most crime-ridden parts of
Sheffeld into the reassuring sur-
roundings of the club.
Most of the kids in the group,
some as young as fve years
old, live within a mile or two
of the gym. They are children
who have precious little options
in terms of mental and physical
stimulation. Some have, almost
from birth, known nothing but
the clang of the boxing bell.
Yet it seemed like they wouldnt
have it any other way. It was
particularly cold out and their
cheeks reddened from winters
bite, but the children were en-
thused. One performed an as-
sortment of fips from the hang-
ing ropes. Others tried their best
to beat the gyms speed bags
into a rhythm. They were won-
derfully boisterous. The qui-
eter children warmed up on the
treadmill.
Barnes gathered the children in
the ring, while Smedley took
the older partipants onto the
gym foor. Fortitude was in their
faces as they swept around vari-
ous circles painted on the glazed
wooden foor. One, two, up-
percut. Three, four, hook. Try
southpaw, Smedley says. The
fghter adjusts his feet. One,
two, cross, uppercut. Excel-
lent, says the coach. Next!
Change over! Barnes shouts,
from the other side of the
room. Eight pairs of children
spar within the confnes of the
ring. The pitter-patter of their
feet, bouncing against the ring
foor, echoes through the corri-
dor. One boy, fourteen-year-old
Patrick Collins, pins another
against the arenas coarse ropes
and lands a punch to the side of
the boys stomach. He winces.
Are you okay? Patrick asks.
His opponent nods. There is a
moment of slight hesitation be-
fore Patrick duly continues to
pepper the boys body with his
fsts.
By Ben Topliss
21st century knowledge:
200 new apprenticeships for
college after 15.6m boost
Hillsborough College will
train 200 new apprentices
every year after receiving
part of a 15.6m investment
for education in Sheffeld.
The new apprentices will be
educated in a number of
felds, including advanced
manufacturing and engi-
neering, sport and leisure,
creative and digital media,
and tourism.
An 8.8m two-storey exten-
sion will also house perform-
ing arts and media courses
when they move in the sum-
mer of 2015 from Norton
College.
The Norton site is to close.
The extension to the Livesey
Street site in Hillsborough
will include a theatre, dance
studio, drama studio and
rehearsal rooms with new
courses in stage manage-
ment, lighting and sound,
and backstage and technical
roles.
Referring to the extension,
Principal Heather Smith
said: When complete, it will
be a fabulous resource which
will be absolutely state-
new courses where there are
skills shortages, help busi-
nesses grow and enhance
our students prospects.
Staff, students and courses
will move from Norton to
campuses at either Hillsbor-
ough College or Peaks Col-
lege in the south east of the
city from September 2015.
When asked about the move
from Norton, Ms Smith said:
We will provide travel sup-
port for students so that we
can enable them to come
and study and not be out
of pocket as a result of the
result of their spending.
She said: This move will see
the college grow, not make
amount of new courses and
extra places we will be able
to offer.
An extension and upgrade of
Sheffelds applied engineer-
ing centre on Olive Grove
Road will cost 6.8m, includ-
ing development of a new
teaching block and refur-
bished workshops.
Up to 1,000 students attend
the centre every year, which
offers vocational courses in
electrical engineering, me-
chanical engineering, motor
vehicle, plumbing and gas
ftting.
By Eric Cantona
By Jackie Chan
We are investing
in our students, our
staff and the city
This is potentially the most
serious problem, with pneu-
monia the most common
reason for a shorter life span
if not treated quickly.
Richard is aiming to raise
money for MECP2 UK Sup-
port and Research, a charity
project which comprises of
25 families hoping to raise
the 450,000 needed to be-
gin a research project into
the disorder.
He has raised over 15,000
for the charity so far.
Richard began his journey by
cycling 174 miles to Middles-
brough at the start of the
season.
Before the journey to Shef-
feld he had already cycled
over 1200 miles around the
country, including trips to
Yeovil, Carlisle, Charlton and
Blackpool.
Sheffeld College chief executive
Heather MacDonald
change in location.
The curriculum, the staff,
all that energy and that vi-
brancy moves, its just the
building that wont be there
anymore.
We will do all we can to
make the transition for our
staff and students as smooth
as possible.
The government Skills Fund-
ing Agency will account for
two-thirds of the costs, with
the college making up the
remaining 5.6m.
Ms Smith assured staff they
would not lose their jobs as a
of-the-art and have things
there which employers will
look into.
Sheffeld College chief ex-
ecutive Heather MacDonald
told The Star: We are in-
vesting in our students, our
staff and the city.
This exciting new opportu-
nity will improve the overall
quality of our accommoda-
tion so that all of our staff
and students will beneft
from 21st century learning
facilities.
It puts us in an even
stronger position to develop
A father who has cycled to
every one of Leicester City
football clubs away matches
this season made the trip to
Hillsborough yesterday to
raise money for his ill son.
Richard Pages four-year-old
son Ellis suffers from MECP2
duplication syndrome, a rare
chromosome disorder, and is
raising money in the hope of
fnding a cure.
He made the 72-mile jour-
ney from Leicester to Shef-
feld with two of Ellis uncles,
Chris Page and Gary Leeson.
Richard said: There is a
very high possibility that our
beautiful little boy may nev-
er walk or talk.
He suffers daily with sei-
zures brought on by severe
epilepsy.
Ellis also constantly battles
recurring chest infections.
Speaking after Leicesters
match against Sheffeld
Wednesday last night, Rich-
ard said: Ive been shocked
and overwhelmed by the
support the campaign has
had.
Its been tough, and the
diffculty of the task is in-
creased by the fact I have
never ridden a bike for more
than a couple of miles since
I was a child.
Id like to thank Sheffeld
Wednesday and their fans
for all their support in the
latest leg of my campaign.
The club were kind enough
to donate a signed shirt for
auction and after posting on
a few Wednesday fan forums
text donations came fooding
in from generous fans.
Performing arts and media students from Norton College will have to move to the Hillsborough campus in the summer of 2015 as part of the move
Richard (left) with his son Ellis
HILLSBOROUGH HERALD 2 JANUARY 2014
25,000
Donation from Galatia to
repair damage to the gym
The boxers, who might other-
wise be partaking in dubious ac-
tivities on the streets of Manor,
are motivated and well-organ-
ised. Not only do they make me
feel better about other people,
they make me feel better about
myself, Patrick says of his two
coaches.
But when thieves completely
stripped the gym of its equip-
ment earlier this year, the future
of the club looked bleak.
Subsequent help from the com-
munity and local businesses,
including a 25,000 donation
from Sheffeld frm Galatia,
meant Barnes and Smedley
could improve and reopen the
club eight months after it was
vandalised. A new boiler and se-
curity system was installed, tiles
were replaced, and changing
room facilities were built.
After two hours the coaches
have their protgs showered
and dressed, attempt to quash
their weariness, and lead them
out of the building. The sound
of thumping against punch bags
is replaced by raucous laughter
and conversation. The boxers
leave a wake of sweat and blood
behind them. The only evidence
of the evening which remains
is in their hands, which are bat-
tered and blackened.
Gym bags under their arms, they
head home, intermittently disap-
pearing from view as they walk
under the failing lights.

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8.8m
The amount of money the new
two-storey extension to
Hillsborough College will cost.
The extension will house arts
and media students.
cutbacks.
This is obvious from the