April 2025 newsletter
Gill Furniss MP
Speaking up for fans in the Football Governance Bill
I was delighted to speak in the Second Reading of the Football Governance Bill, which will establish a new independent regulator for English football. The Independent Football Regulator (IFR)’s core purpose will be to improve financial sustainability of clubs, ensure financial resilience across the leagues, and safeguard the heritage of English football.
Sheffield is at the heart of football’s story. We are home not only to two clubs competing at the very top of the EFL, but the oldest club in the world too in Sheffield FC which is approaching its 170th birthday.
I recently met with the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust to listen to their concerns about the direction of the club, concerns that I share and have raised in Parliament.
Football clubs are not the playthings of the wealthy, to be recklessly mismanaged and tossed aside. They are the heart of our communities. This Bill will safeguard English football so that fans are no longer left behind. I look forward to its progress through Parliament.
Visit to Chilypep
It was a pleasure to visit Chilypep recently at their newly refurbished premises in Southey. Chilypep is a children and young people’s empowerment project, raising the voice of young people in Sheffield and across South Yorkshire. It was inspiring to see the invaluable work they do in the community, such as equipping people with the skills they need to succeed in the workplace.
My thanks goes to Chilypep’s CEO Lesley and the whole team of staff and volunteers for showing me around their new facility and talking to me about their upcoming projects.
Supporting better bus services
Back in March, the Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard, announced the landmark decision to take back control of our buses, putting passengers back at the heart of our transport system.
In Transport Questions this month, I commended this bold action being taken locally and asked what steps the Government was taking to accelerate the roll-out of zero emission buses nationwide. In the Minister’s answer, I was pleased to hear details of the launch of the new UK bus manufacturing expert panel in Sheffield, which will help to ensure the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing. In addition, new legislation will help to decarbonise the bus fleet and improve air quality by requiring bus operators not to use new non-zero emission buses.
Ending problem debt in society
As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Debt and Financial Inclusion, I was pleased to speak at StepChange Debt Charity’s 2025-30 strategy launch reception in Parliament. For the past 30 years, StepChange have offered top-quality free and impartial debt advice, helping tens of thousands of people become debt-free each year.
This reception also marked Debt Awareness Week, which was launched to raise awareness of problem debt as well as the solutions available to those who need help. I look forward to working closely with StepChange through my work as Chair of the APPG to help create the change we desperately need for the millions of people currently experiencing financial difficulty in the UK.
April casework summary
416 new cases opened
654 emails sent
Top three topics this month:
1. Social security and pensions
2. Health services and medicine
3. Environmental affairs
Please get in touch if I or my team can assist.