NEW Mayor of South Yorkshire Dan Jarvis hit the ground running in his first week in office.
He spent his first full week championing the region’s cause in Westminster, meeting with key figures from across the North and adding his weight to the bid to bring Channel Four to Sheffield.
He met with colleagues including the chairman of Sheffield City Region (SCR) Local Enterprise Partnership, Sir Nigel Knowles, and SCR managing director Dave Smith, at his new office in Sheffield city centre.
On Thursday, Mayor Jarvis addressed the House of Commons to speak in support of the relocation of Channel Four to Sheffield. The city is one of several across the UK that has submitted a bid to be the new home for the broadcaster.
The Mayor told Westminster Hall that Sheffield is ‘a perfect fit for Channel Four - or perhaps Channel Four is a perfect fit for Sheffield’.
“Sheffield is rich in culture,” he said. “Always changing. Making a difference to the world.
“It is this culture, when harnessed to the two Universities in the city that will provide the creativity, the talent and the expertise Channel Four needs.
“It is this culture that has helped Sheffield businesses such as Zoo Digital, who work from Hollywood to Bollywood with some of the biggest names in TV and film to thrive and become the best in their field.
“It is this culture that has enabled Joi Polloi, a home grown digital design agency, to prove that kids from council estates can win BAFTAs.
“Culture. Institutions. Businesses. Working as one. That is our strength. And this is what makes Sheffield a perfect fit for Channel Four - or perhaps Channel Four a perfect fit for Sheffield.”
On Friday Mayor Jarvis met with students, politicians and representatives to further champion Sheffield’s bid for Channel Four. He heard from young people attending Sheffield College, UTC Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University how the broadcaster’s move could have a huge impact upon their career prospects in the areas of digital media, television production and journalism.
He spent the weekend carrying out engagements in his Barnsley Central constituency, and will spend this week in both South Yorkshire and Westminster.
