Turtles, rats and role models: Yorkshire stories to make you smile

Across Yorkshire there are people doing amazing things every day of the week, and we want to highlight them.

Whether you are from the north, south, east or west corner of the White Rose county, there are people in our communities making the headlines for doing the right thing.

Take a look below and enjoy some positive news stories from across BBC Yorkshire this week.

'Elation' as turtle returns home

Tarquin the loggerhead turtle was released back into the wild in Portugal

A washed-up sea turtle that was nursed back to health in Scarborough returned to warmer waters this week.

Tarquin, a juvenile loggerhead turtle, returned to his home in the Azores in Portugal after spending months in the UK.

He was found on Blackpool beach in November in poor health and "cold-stunned" - a potentially life-threatening condition caused by sudden exposure to chilly temperatures.

After extensive rehabilitation at North Yorkshire's Sea Life centre he was released with a clean bill of health.

Aquarium curator Todd German said it was "elating" to watch Tarquin return to the open ocean.

"It's an amazing feeling and a culmination of lots of different organisations coming together for this animal," he said.

Find out more about what happened

'I'm going to put it in my garden'

The sculptures were positioned at tourist attractions like The Deep

Rats – not usually know for their good deeds – have raised more than £160k for charity in Hull.

Forty-five large rat sculptures were on display around Hull this summer to pay tribute to rock musician Mick Ronson from the 1960s band The Rats.

Last weekend 23 of them went under the hammer with money raised going to the Daisy Appeal, which supports Cottingham's Castle Hill Hospital.

The remaining rats were pre-sold to their sponsors.

Valerie Easton, who recently moved to the city, bought lot number three. She said the rats were her first "introduction to Hull".

"I'm going to put it in our garden," she said, adding: "I've had my eye on them for quite a while."

Find out more about the sale and appeal

'A role model to our youngsters'

Muhammad Isa Saleem now leads two sessions a week for DESA

Muhammad Isa Saleem was 14 when he first showed up at his local youth club to play football.

Four years later, he is working there, inspiring other young people - and his colleagues have called him a "trailblazer and a role model".

Darnall Education and Sports Academy (DESA) is a youth organisation that aims to "improve the life chances" of young people in Sheffield.

Isa was first attracted to the sports sessions, but was later offered tutoring during his GCSEs and then became a volunteer. He is now studying pharmacy at university and is a member of DESA staff who runs his own youth activities.

As well as running the Friday and Sunday football sessions for 12 to 16-year-old boys, Isa, now 18, has just started his course at the University of Huddersfield.

Kamran Din, the organisation's managing director, said: "There are no words that can actually describe how proud I am of Isa.

"He is somebody who is going to carry this torch forward, and be a role model to our youngsters tomorrow."

Find out more about Isa here

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