Sponsored by
Shoulder burden of rehabilitation
THE public will have lost count of the number of times politicians puffed out their chests and spoken proudly of the debt we owe to the young men and women serving in Afghanistan.
But what do they have to say today after grieving dad Ian Parkin called for better treatment of troops returned to Civvy Street, after his 21 year old ex-soldier son killed himself?
Ian watched as his son slipped into a deep depression brought on by his experiences in Afghanistan. And he feels the authorities systematically let down soldiers when they leave the service.
Of course the Army does offer help to its members. But we believe that politicians need to think hard about their role. Happy to bask in reflected glory, they should be equally ready to shoulder the responsibility of rehabilitation.
Great way to invest in our city's future
IT would be easy for businesses such as Corus to be overtaken by the grim economic prospects facing their industries and concentrate solely on survival.
But it is highly encouraging to learn that they have the foresight to spend time and invest some money into nurturing the next generation of engineers.
That is particularly important in a city such as Sheffield which has built its fame and fortune on the skills invested in the hands of our workers.
However, times have changed. Times have become hard. And as belts have been tightened it has often been the case that investing in future generations of workers has taken a back seat.
So we applaud Corus for not only recognising that there is a need to invest in the skill workers of the future but also to do something about it by donating equipment to the Sheffield Engineering Centre, at Brightside which trains tomorrow's engineers. A great example for others to follow.
Making a difference
YOU don't need mum Rebecca Williams to tell you that her son Ben is a very special little fellow. Anyone who has known six year old Ben as he grows up will realise instantly that he has undergone a remarkable transformation.
And it is all thanks to groundbreaking therapy sessions and treatments Ben had to cross the Atlantic to receive.
He suffers from one of the rarest conditions in the world - so exceptional that medical science has not yet latched on a name. He suffered repeated epilepsy attacks and struggled with walking, talking and even the ability to judge touch.
The sessions he underwent in Florida have made a startling difference.
We know there are many appeals for public help but surely the differences the treatment has made to little Ben's life shows that a little generosity from you can make a huge difference for those whose lives would otherwise be blighted.
Got a view? Leave a comment below.
Follow The Star on Twitter and Facebook:
For breaking news and sport follow The Star on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sheffieldstar and Facebook at www.facebook.com/sheffieldstar.
JOIN THE STAR READER PANEL: The Star is YOUR newspaper, so tell us what you think about it and what you want to see - CLICK HERE.
Don't miss our daily pull-outs - only in the The Star: Monday Star Sport, Tuesday Class Act; Wednesday Business; Thursday Grassroots; Friday Time Out; Saturday Retro. Subscribe to The Star - CLICK HERE
READ MORE
Join the Star reader panel
Main news index
Your letters
Features
South Yorkshire's environmental news
Kids Zone
More business news
More Rotherham news
More Doncaster news
More Barnsley news
Latest sport
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light sleet
Temperature: 1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
