Community News

The Archbishop of Canterbury has attacked the government's migration plans, saying they risked "great damage" to the UK's reputation.

Justin Welby said that the Illegal Migration Bill would not stop small boat crossings, and it failed in the moral responsibly towards refugees. He was speaking as the bill begins what is expected to be a rocky passage through the House of Lords.

A Hall Green family is holding an online raffle to raise funds for their severely disabled children.

Aiza Ellahi, 12, and her brother Subhaan Ellahi, 8, from Hall Green, in Birmingham, are both non-verbal full time wheelchair users and require 24-hour care at their home. They both require fully committed care teams with the ability to care for them both closely and are supported by the NHS Children Complex Care team and Pallative Care team. 

The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, and the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, are inviting people to apply for funding to bring communities together this September for the first Mayor’s Community Weekend in the region since the pandemic.

The Mayor’s Community Weekend, which takes place on the weekend of Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September 2023, is a chance for people to come together to celebrate the strength and diversity of West Midlands’ communities. Grants ranging from £500 to £2,000 will be on offer to all areas of the West Midlands.

Out of the ashes of the derelict Muhammad Ali Centre in Hockley, rises a new multi-million-pound suite of multifunctional buildings for education and training, arts and culture, housing for young people, youth services, enterprise units and a community Hub. The youth and community centre situated on the site opened in August 1983 by Muhammad Ali the former heavyweight boxing champion was originally built to provide an activity hub for local young people.

A neglected area of Reedswood Park in Walsall will be transformed into a thriving haven for amphibians and other wildlife thanks to a £70,000 Community Green Grant from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

The WMCA grant to the Froglife Trust, a national charity working to conserve the UK’s declining amphibian and reptile species, will support its Coalface to Wildspace project, restoring the park’s main pond and two smaller ponds, creating two new ones, and making them accessible to visitors.

The King’s Coronation is just around the corner, and many Brits will be eager to see the abundance of lavish jewellery that will be spotted on Royals for the ceremony.  As we lead up to the event, customised jewellery experts at Glamira have highlighted some of the Royal Family’s most extravagant pieces, from the extraordinary Nizam of Hyderabad necklace to the dazzling ‘Granny’s Chips’ Brooch. 

Faryal Makhdoom has hit back at people dumping rubbish close to the wedding venue that is being financed by her husband Amir Khan.

The influencer also urged people to keep Bolton clean. Faryal expressed her concern about the amount of fly-tipping happening on Back Deane Road, against the wall of the Excellency Plaza, which is currently being developed on Washington Road.

New research has revealed the areas in England and Wales most susceptible to cybercrime, with Greater Manchester coming out on top. The study by cyber security experts CloudTech24 analysed the latest data available from the National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre to see which areas reported the highest levels of cybercrime for every 10,000 people.

It found that residents of the Greater Manchester area were most susceptible to cybercrime, with Greater Manchester receiving 1,803 cybercrime reports in the last 13 months, which equates to around 6.33 reports per 10,000 people, the highest of any area.

A new and updated cost-benefit audit conducted by Brand Finance reveals that the Royal Family continues to make a positive financial impact on the United Kingdom’s economy, despite costs rising and benefits declining. The new analysis by Brand Finance considered all the estimated recurring costs and benefits to the United Kingdom.

Brand Finance estimates that the recurring benefits are £570 million in the 2023/24 financial year. Brand Finance estimates that the recurring costs are £370 million in the 2023/24 financial year.

Millions of people use public Wi-Fi networks at airports and train stations, seeking convenience and entertainment while they travel. But data experts who conducted comprehensive research on the cybersecurity risks associated with public Wi-Fi at both airports and railway stations have found alarming statistics and insights.

BE OPEN Art, an online art gallery set up by BE OPEN think tank, a humanitarian initiative founded by international businessperson and philanthropist Elena Baturina, is running a new competition for emerging artists, aimed to support those whose art best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities – BE OPEN Regional Art.

With the beginning of year 2023, BE OPEN expert community team started selecting those of the artists who best represent the artistic tradition of a certain region to feature in the BE OPEN Art gallery and offer them greater visibility.

Budding young photographers are being encouraged to enter the RSPCA’s high-profile national young photography competition which is now celebrating its 33rd year. The 2023 RSPCA Young Photographer Awards is now open for entries and runs until Tuesday 15 August.

The judges are looking forward to another year of impressive entries – having last year had more than 4,000 to sift through. With ten different categories* to choose from, there’s something for everyone, whatever their interest – and some fabulous prizes to be won. All animals are welcome, from pets to wildlife, insects, farm animals and more. 

Yesterday was the big day as King Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey, and the party is expected to last until at least Monday, with one of three bank holidays that month. And there’s one group of people not looking forward to the aftermath at all – those hardworking teams from the UK’s waste and recycling companies charged with clearing up after the celebrations.

UK waste collection company Divert.co.uk says the worst part is going to be separating the recyclable rubbish from the stuff going to landfill and warns there may be record amounts of the latter. “Every bank holiday brings a spike in waste,” says Divert.co.uk spokesperson Mark Hall.

Social, digital and technological trends are fast changing the way we work and what people actually do for a living.

Research suggests that in 10 years’ time around half of all jobs will be changed by automation as we move towards an increasingly digital, low carbon economy focussed on green industries and new technology. This shift will demand fresh ideas, critical thinking and constant digital upskilling as people and technology combine to deliver new types of products, services and health care.

On 11 October 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that the Coronation of His Majesty the King would take place on Saturday, 6 May 2023. Nearly 70 years after the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953, this landmark event is expected to draw thousands of spectators from around the world to celebrate the new monarch.

A petition to save the O2 Academy Brixton from permanent closure has reached 50,000 signatures. The south London venue had its licence suspended after two people died during a crush outside the building ahead of a gig by Afro-pop singer Asake last year.

The petition was set up after the Met Police said it was seeking for the licence to be revoked. Academy Music Group (AMG), which runs the venue, said its proposals would "enable the venue to reopen safely".