Sheffield social club celebrates VE Day with virtual flypast.

Yesterday, Sheffield celebrated the end of World War II not with gatherings like in past years, but with virtual initiatives, due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Norton House Country Club (NHCC) hosted a Virtual Flypast around the streets of Norton, Sheffield, on this day at 2 p.m.

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NHCC had a full weekend of celebrations prepared, flypast included, since it is also the club’s 75th anniversary, but it was cancelled because of the pandemic.

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Simon Harrison, 44, executive committee member of NHCC, said: “One day, on a Zoom night, me and my two mates decided to make our own planes out of cardboard and actually get inside them and run around Norton so everyone gets the flypast they were looking forward to.”

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Mr Harrison, Andrew Phipps and Dave Utley, who came up with this event, ran five kilometres around the local roads in replica battle of Britain fighter plane costumes.

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Mr Harrison added: “We have also got a car with a trailer attached to it and on the back of the trailer is a model of Winston Churchill and donation boxes.”

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The event has raised over 3200£ overall, 2000£ more than their initial goal.

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The raised money will be split between Sheffield Mums Against Cancer (SMAC) and NHCC.

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SMAC has been raising funds for St Luke’s Hospice and Weston Park Cancer Hospital since 2014.

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Ceri Rodgers, a Fundraiser for SMAC, said: “Both charities and the services they deliver within Sheffield is so very close to our hearts, and they need our help now more than ever.

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The charities’ fundraising efforts have been so adversely affected by the impact of COVID-19 since many events have been cancelled for the year ahead, events which would have secured the needed funds to run services. That is why we are very thankful to NHCC for raising money for us in this event.”

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You can still donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/norton-ve75-fundraising-flypast