Dear readers – this week, over 100 people gathered to remember De Montfort University's (DMU) student Khaleed Oladipo, who was stabbed close to the Innovation Centre on 3 February. The mood was a sombre one for the vigil at DMU's Hawthorne Square. Vice chancellor Katie Normington gave a speech where she shared in the community's grief, and gave thanks to the first responders. Student leaders from De Montfort Student's Union (DSU) recited tearful poems in remembrance of Khaleed and the lord-lieutenant of Leicestershire, Mike Kapur also gave a speech, which you read in full here. Since the tragedy, the Gazette team has been busy raising £2,750 to fund at least **10 public access emergency bleed control kits** across the city centre and university campuses. These kits can be a life-line for people in an emergency of any kind where there is risk of a bleed. We're halfway there, **but we need your help**. If you can, please show your support by making a donation, or by sharing on social media and with friends and family. Together, we can create change within our community. Help provide life-saving bleed kits today * * * ## This week's weather Monday 🌥️ Light showers. 8C Tuesday ☀️ Sunny. 6C Wednesday ☁️ Cloudy. 5C Thursday 🌥️ Cloudy with sunny intervals. 6C Friday ☁️ Cloudy. 9C Weekend ☁️ Cloudy. 12C _We get our weekly weather forecast from the_ _Met Office_ _._ * * * ## Your weekly briefing ### Just two candidates go head-to-head at Stoneygate hustings There were six empty chairs at an event organised by Active Muslims Leicester. ### Council leader urges Reform UK to expel Joseph Boam The leader of Leicestershire County Council has urged Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice to remove the whip from fellow party member Joseph Boam. ### Union enters dispute with council over ‘systemic risks to most vulnerable’ A union is in dispute with Leicestershire County Council over controversial Send plans it claims will create a “systemic risk to the most vulnerable children”. ### The candidates you can vote for in the Stoneygate byelection The race to fill a vacant seat on Leicester City Council has begun, with eight candidates standing in the Stoneygate byelection. ### Government launches seven-week consultation for ‘once-in-a-generation’ council plan The government is seeking the views of Leicestershire residents on a council shake-up in what’s being described as a “historic moment”. ### Ivanhoe train line revival is ‘dead’, local officials warn Pleas to restore Leicestershire’s Ivanhoe Line have “fallen on deaf ears.” * * * ## Photo of the week Vigil for Khaleed Oladipo. Photograph: Kaydon lfill-Fisher * * * ## Things to look forward to ### Leicester Comedy Festival From 4 to 22 February, Leicester Comedy Festival are bringing the best comedians to venues in the city. With over 700 shows to choose from, there's something for everyone. ### ### Leicester Guildhall Free Guided Tours The Great Hall was built in about 1390 as a meeting place for the Guild of Corpus Christi. It is believed that Shakespeare performed here during Tudor times. This is a free event, but booking is recommended. 1 February – 27 February. ### Lanterns of the Wild – Trail at Twycross Zoo Experience the spectacular Lanterns of the Wild as it transforms Twycross Zoo after dark! You will step into glowing animal worlds, explore vibrant habitats, and spark your family’s sense of wonder as you explore over one mile of life-size lanterns. It's on from 5 to 22 February. ### Piano Club Join pianist Jude Richardson on Sunday afternoons and/or Thursday evenings in a casual piano group class dedicated to helping you gain confidence as a pianist and performer. Piano club will be on from 5 February to 26 April. ### Clarendon Park Open Mic Amazing venue, with friendly staff, in an arty neighbourhood. We've got great gear, and if you don't play, we can back you up or find backing tracks. You can take part anytime from 5 February to 1 October. ### Leicester Rock Choir If you have ever wondered ‘are there any community choirs near me?’ then the answer is firmly yes! Go along and try it out for free at a taster session, and experience singing with your local ‘exceptional’ Rock Choir for yourself anytime from 5 February to 5 March. * * * ## A window to the past Leicester Museum and art gallery in 1926. Photograph: Leicester Museum and Galleries The large gallery in 1926 in Leicester Museum and art gallery. Leighton’s large oil painting ‘Perseus on Pegasus’ can be seen on the wall. * * * ## We're halfway there – help provide life-saving bleed kits We're almost at the halfway point to providing 10 bleed kits across Leicester, including on university campuses. **Every donation matters.** Donate

This story was written by the ****local democracy reporting service (LDRS),**** a BBC-funded scheme to improve the coverage of issues relating to local democracy. The ****Leicester Gazette**** has been a partner in the scheme since March 2024, and so receives some stories as part of it. Learn more The contest follows the death of councillor Manjula Sood on Christmas Eve. Leicester City Council has confirmed the byelection will take place on Thursday 19 February. Candidates from Labour, the Conservatives, the Green party, Liberal Democrats and Reform UK are standing, alongside two independents whose campaigns have connections to Your Party. Below, the local democracy reporting service (LDRS) outlines who the candidates are, why they are standing, and the issues they say matter most to them. Voters who wish to take part are urged to ensure they are registered in advance. #### **Asit Sodha (Lib Dem)** Asit Sodha, Photograph: Asit Sodha Asit Sodha is a local businessperson who says he is ready to give back to the community he was raised in. With a portfolio of properties in Leicester, and a history working for a bank’s real estate department, Sodha is confident he has the knowledge and experience required to bring about regeneration in Stoneygate and Leicester more widely. One property he has already sized up for renewal is the Borders House on Belgrave Boulevard, a former homelessness centre which has been closed for five years. Sodha said that if the site was offered to the open market, it may no longer function as a community hub. He said: “I have come to a point in my life where I can help the public because I have the time. “I could have taken on another project but I am dedicating all my time for the community. I have kept my time free for serving the people.” #### **Aasiya Bora (Greens)** Aasiya Bora. Photograph: Aasiya Bora Aasiya Bora decided to get involved in politics after seeing poverty in her community first hand. The walking and cycling charity worker grew up in Leicester and moved back in 2010 to raise her family. But after training as an English teacher, Bora said the “truly wanting” situation of children she saw inspired her to roll up her sleeves. She said: “Children without coats in bitter weather, shoes coming apart. I just thought this is not okay. I have to be more active.” Bora, who is also interested in environmental policy and tackling global injustices, has already had a good vote share in previous elections, including for Evington ward in 2021 and the 2024 police and crime commissioner election. She added: “I can’t unsee real poverty in my town. I am in politics to make a difference to people who are vulnerable.” #### **Michael Barker (independent)** Michael Barker. Photograph: Michael Barker Michael Barker is a college support worker who is an active member of Your Party and Socialist Alternative. In 2023, Barker used his position on the Trade Union Council to help force the city council to scrap their proposed Workplace Parking Levy – a £550 annual tax on workers who drive to work. This tax was predicted to affect more than 20,000 individuals. Since then, he has campaigned for a public meeting designed to improve local services and for the release of the Filton 24, a group of imprisoned Palestine activists. Barker was originally proposed as the Your Party candidate, but following the discovery that another independent was also campaigning from a socialist stance, support was withdrawn. He said: “I believe both Your Party and Socialist Alternative can play a critical role in the fight to build a socialist society which is run by and for working-class people. “Now more than ever we need to build a mass campaign across the city, as part of a broader national campaign, which can demand the funding that our communities so desperately need.” #### **Faisal Noor (independent)** Faisal Noor outside City Hall. Photograph: Faisal Noor The independent candidate who caught the eye of some Your Party members is Faisal Noor, a taxi driver and cafe owner who has lived in Stoneygate for 24 years. He said: “It’s the place where I fell in love, raised my family, established my business, and volunteered for the community. “The time has come up for me to represent. The people of Stoneygate know me – they feel confident to raise their issues with me.” Noor’s campaign is focussed on better parking, safe and clean streets, and fighting against all cuts made to local services. ## Be part of the story Join our free mailing list to get local news and tips in your inbox every week. Subscribe for free Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. __No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Want to support our work?____Click here for membership__ __.__ #### **Rashmikant Joshi (Conservatives)** Rashmikant Joshi. Photograph: Rashmikant Joshi Rashmikant Joshi is a former lord mayor who describes himself as an “experienced and seasoned” councillor. He said: “People still come to me for help and guidance. The reason I wanted to stand for the Stoneygate byelection was to continue the work I have been doing for three decades now.” Joshi used to be a Labour member of Leicester City Council, but after being deselected in a mass dismissal in 2023, defected to the Tories. Having lived in Leicester for 51 years, he says his biggest priorities are reducing crime, fixing potholes, and tackling litter. He said: “It is so upsetting to see streets so dirty, filthy. I want to bring back the pride for the local area.” #### **Michael Dabrowski (Reform UK)** Michael Dabrowski. Photograph: Michael Dabrowski Michael Dabrowski is making a bid for the vacancy after growing dissatisfaction with the current council’s level of service. He said: “Leicester is my home, and Stoneygate is a community I know well. Like many people who live here, I’ve watched the area change over the years, and not always for the better. “What frustrates me most is the growing sense that the council no longer listens to residents or delivers the basics properly. “Labour figures admit the council is under severe financial pressure, yet residents are paying more and getting less in return.” Dabrowski says that if elected, his focus will be on reducing crime, transport improvements, cleaner streets, and cutting waste in City Hall. He also vows to oppose the use of local hotels and family homes as accommodation for people he calls “illegal migrants”. #### **Adam Sabat (Labour)** Adam Sabat. Photograph: Adam Sabat Adam Sabat moved to Leicester in the 1960s and founded a textiles recycling business after his family fled the war in Burma. He said: “This experience of displacement and starting anew gave us a profound understanding of resilience and the value of community support.” As an active member for the Muslim Burial Council and a frequent volunteer for local schools, Sabat says bringing the community together is at the top of his political agenda. He added: “As well as championing Stoneygate, tackling those day-to-day issues and using my experience in voluntary organisations and business, another thing that really drives me is standing up against division in our community. “What I am particularly proud of is that my work has always been inclusive, reaching across all communities regardless of religion, ethnicity, or background. Leicester’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths.” Sabat said he will also work on issues surrounding parking, fly-tipping, and anti-social behaviour. #### **Alef Uddin (One Leicester)** Alef Uddin is campaigning on issues such as the cost-of-living crisis, holding the city mayor to account, and hosting accessible surgeries. The LDRS did reach out to Uddin’s team but did not receive a response. ****If you enjoyed this article and want more great local journalism, here’s how to get it.**** We publish investigations, news features and human interest stories that go beyond the headlines. Our journalism is fact-based and rigorous, and we prize good writing over clickbait and sensationalism. Our readers get all our stories directly in their inbox every Monday morning via our free weekly newsletter. ****Use that button below to sign up for free.**** __No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Want to support our work?____Click here for membership__ __.__ Subscribe for free

A selection of protein bowls, wraps and juices are on the menu

A selection of protein bowls, wraps and juices are on the menu

A selection of protein bowls, wraps and juices are on the menu