Community News

New legislation which entitles carers to one week’s unpaid leave to support their loved ones has been welcomed by a leading employment lawyer.

Joanne Stronach, who is Head of Employment Law and HR at Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors, said the new measures introduced as part of the Carer’s Leave Act 2023 were a step in the right direction to support the millions of people who provide unpaid care to dependant family members or friends.

JLS star, Aston Merrygold, has been a longstanding supporter of McDonald’s and its founding and forever partner Ronald McDonald House Charities UK. Recently the singer headed down to the Birmingham House to visit families and hosted a special House party for the children and their families.

This summer, McDonald’s and Ronald McDonald Houses across the UK have been hosting ‘House Parties’, to provide a day of light relief for the little ones and their families. As parents and children staying at the free ‘home away from home’ accommodation often miss out on celebratory occasions and family gatherings. 

The Leader of the City of Wolverhampton City Council, Cllr Ian Brookfield, sadly passed away last weekend, after a battle with cancer.

The reaction to the tragic news from across the West Midlands included tributes from Mayor Andy Street, and the chief executive of the City of Wolverhampton Council Tim Johnson.

Birmingham City Council’s Community Safety team joined a national campaign to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and help keep people in Birmingham safe.

ASB Awareness Week (3-9 July 2023) encouraged communities to take a stand against anti-social behaviour and highlight what actions residents can take, with a range of public events educating people about how respond to and help prevent ASB in their neighbourhoods. The city council’s Community Safety Team, together with colleagues from the council’s youth service, schools as well as members of Birmingham’s Local Community Safety Partnership and city partners including West Midlands Transport.

As the NHS celebrates its 75th birthday, workforce remains its highest priority. Could the answer lie in younger generations? New research from NHS Professionals - the leading provider of flexible workforce solutions to the NHS - suggests it could.

Elena and Rishi are two young people who have been actively working through the NHS Professionals bank, and the research indicates that many of their generation are open to joining them. According to new research, two thirds of young people say they would choose to seek flexible work within the NHS.

Cunard unveiled a remarkable new cutaway image of its newest ship, Queen Anne, which pays homage to the luxury cruise line's uniquely rich heritage.

Released yesterday to celebrate its 183rd birthday, the intricate animation has been designed in the style of Cunard's iconic advertising posters from the 1920s, offering a playful glimpse inside the ship's interiors. This cutaway encapsulates the essence of playful luxury that guests will experience onboard our newest ship.

An exhibition of paintings by a British artist which depict aspects of the 11-day massacre in the Bosnian town in 1995 will be displayed in the Council House on Srebrenica Memorial Day, on 11th July 2023. The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Chaman Lal will view the exhibition on Tuesday before councillors take their seats in the council chamber, where an all-party motion will be brought by Cllr Martin Brooks OBE.

New YouGov findings published today by the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) suggest a growing number of young adults could turn to insurance fraud as the cost-of-living crisis deepens. As many as one in four young adults now say they would ‘likely’ consider an act of insurance fraud if they were struggling financially, which is a marked increase when compared to the same survey results taken last year*.

The findings come amid concerns that more people are turning to opportunistic fraud as they struggle to make ends meet. In response, IFB has launched a public awareness campaign called Fraud Cons to highlight the devastating consequences that fraud can have on those tempted to make fraudulent insurance applications or claims.

Something spectacular will be happening over the next few weeks at Birmingham New Street as Ozzy the bull returns to the city. Passengers travelling through the busiest station outside of London may have noticed some huge hoardings go up recently, behind which the star of last year’s Commonwealth Games opening ceremony will be rebuilt.

Festival season has gripped Birmingham, after two local care homes welcomed the local community to party their way across the summer. The team at Care UK’s Edgbaston Manor, on Speedwell Road, and Metchley Manor, on Church Road, were joined by the local community to sing their hearts out at their summer events.

Summer is the perfect setting to clean public spaces since many professionals decide to travel, educational facilities expect a slower pace of students, and businesses prepare to welcome tourists that expect pristine clean spaces.  

During the summer, it's the ideal time to deep clean and maintain a healthy and clean environment. The frequency in which a space is cleaned should not be reduced because there are less people on site, Grupo EULEN recommends the cleaning protocols should remain standard to be more effective. It is also a good time to consider outsourcing a third-party company that can deep clean your facility and provide maintenance of roofs, landscaping, A/C filters among other services.

AI and robotics can provide positive transformational opportunities, but should be employed in conjunction with manpower in order to achieve the best results. That’s the view of one of the country’s leading experts in the field, who says ensuring an effective balance is struck will help ensure businesses maximise efficiency and profits.

Ian Hart, adi Projects’ Business Development Director, said: “Androids are not capable of replacing humans inside factories altogether. But as the power of AI continues to develop, they have the potential to become irreplaceable for specific functions. 

A brand-new study released by Zego reveals where in the UK is most cost-effective to be a taxi driver- Hereford ranking in second.

The taxi insurance experts at Zego have examined several administration costs that are required when setting up as a taxi driver in each UK city. Startup factors include the average cost taxi insurance, initial cost of a DBS certificate, average cost of a taxi licensing fee (for three years) and the average cost of petrol per litre. 

Explore fantastical computer-generated ecosystems and play with amazing interactive creatures at Wolverhampton Art Gallery in a new summer exhibition Microworld Wolves: A Digital Adventure. Microworld is a dynamic and interactive exhibition which has been seen by over 500,000 people.

Microworld Wolves fills three rooms with colourful projections and pixel-based creatures which respond to the audience – and is a celebration of a new type of living art that encourages experimentation and collaborative play. Created by Genetic Moo, Microworld Wolves uses computers, projectors and sensors so that visitors can experience a fully interactive and immersive art space.

The iconic 615-seat double-decker, absent since March 2020, brings much-needed extra capacity for business and leisure customers on Birmingham Airport (BHX)’s popular, twice daily Dubai services. Flight EK039 touched down in Birmingham on Saturday at 1225 BST (British Summer Time) before departing for Dubai at 1440.  

A major new project that explores the cultural impact of UK independent record stores that specialised in Black music from 1950 onwards, has been launched. 2Funky Arts has been awarded a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible thanks to National Lottery players, to explore this fascinating subject. ‘The Record Store & Black Music, A UK History’ will link in with Black History Month 2024.