Council deny Sheffield pub licence for charity music event over social distancing fears

Landlord Maurice Crookes and his friend DJ Jamie ‘Fat Piggy’ Young organised a soul music day in the car park of The Millhouse pub last Saturday (August 8) in a bid to raise money to support nurses and thank them for their work during the pandemic.

The pair made efforts to enforce social distancing, including making sure people booked tables and having staff on the entrances, however far more people turned up for the event than they anticipated.

They managed to raise close to £1000 for the NHS, however social distancing concerns mean that they have not been granted a license to hold a similar event this weekend (August 15).

The event scheduled for this Saturday was planned to be a ‘scooter tunes’ day, with DJs playing ska, 2Tone and northern soul music, again aiming to raise money for the NHS.

Mr Crookes said: “Unfortunately the event last weekend was a victim of its own success. I have a lot of experience in the trade and I thought I had made sure that it would be safe, but double the number of people I was expecting turned up.

"We were overrun and didn’t have the manpower to deal with it.

"I think I was a bit wet behind the ears when it came to organising an event in times like these. But then again, who isn’t. This is new to everybody.

"I understand the decision the council has made about this coming weekend’s event. I had decided to cancel it myself anyway. We both reached the same conclusion.

"I know about the towns that are going into lockdown with spikes and I don’t want to risk that for our area or our city.

"Hopefully we can come back and do it again and raise some more money when social distancing is eventually over.”

Sheffield City Council have been contacted about the decision.