Ella Kissi-Debrah died in London in February 2013, aged only nine years old, having been unwell with respiratory disease requiring multiple hospital admissions for several years.

As we build-up to the publication of Sheffield Hallam University’s Civic University Agreement in 2021, we will be talking more about the university’s civic commitments and projects. We kick-off with the thoughts of Ricard Calvert, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Shefield Hallam University and senior lead for Hallam’s civic programme.

Every day in the UK over 150 women will be given the devastating news that they have breast cancer. This is the start of a long journey of treatments most likely followed by radiotherapy to the breast or chest wall. What many people might not realise though is that radiographers often use small permanent black ink tattoos in order to position a patient underneath the radiotherapy machine. But new technology, called surface guided radiotherapy (SGRT), uses three dimensional imaging to help radiographers position patients, avoiding the need for tattoos.

Green spaces in city neighbourhoods are critical for wellbeing. Policymakers know this, which is why they put local authorities under pressure to keep parks and green spaces open during lockdown. However, there is a large gap between what this research shows should be done to maximise the benefits of urban green space, and what is actually put in place in cities.