Community News

A statement from Councillor Seema Chandwani, Cabinet Member for Haringey’s ‘Tackling Inequality and Resident Services’ read: “We are calling on Thames Water to permanently fix their mains water system on Crouch Hill. In recent years residents and businesses have become all too familiar with scenes of water flooding down Crouch Hill and have had to endure repeated disruptions to their lives and businesses.

Almost 180 women who are leaders from 25 countries will voyage on two ships to Antarctica in November to ensure the sustainability of the planet.

The women are part of the Homeward Bound global initiative, which was set up to elevate the visibility of women leading with a STEMM background (science, technology, engineering, medicine and maths).

The delivery structures that will enable to the council to best realise the legacy of the Birmingham 2022 Games are set for approval on February 14.

A report to Cabinet Members notes the previously-confirmed opportunity to access underspend from Games time budgets still exists – and a Legacy Portfolio Team within Birmingham City Council is now required to continue to coordinate and drive forward the city’s ambitions, as set out in both the Corporate Strategy and the council’s own Games Legacy Plan.

Network Rail has revealed plans for the Raging Bull, which was the star of the spectacular opening ceremony at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, to be erected at Birmingham New Street station.

The Raging Bull was designed to pay homage to the West Midlands’ contribution to the Industrial Revolution. It stunned crowds at last year’s opening ceremony, and afterwards while it was on display in Birmingham city centre’s Centenary Square.

The installation of the Reverend Kimberly Bohan as the new residentiary Canon of Worcester Cathedral, took place at Evensong on Friday 27 January.

Kimberly will be responsible for the Cathedral’s learning programme and historic Library, working alongside the Director of Learning, Dan Parnell, and Librarian, David Morrison, to promote the Cathedral’s learning programmes and the work of the Library, as essential parts of the Cathedral’s mission.

Severn Trent has funding available for communities who want to boost nature across the region. The water and waste company is inviting individual land managers, community groups and businesses to come forward for funding for projects to improve nature in the local environment.

This offer is available for a limited time to help support nature projects across the region that may have been put on hold because of the cost-of-living crisis.

The Midlands region of Azets, the UK Top 10 accounting firm, has raised £30,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, following the announcement of their support for the charity, 18 months ago.

The team have pulled together to do a range of fundraising activities such as abseiling down the Park Regis building in Birmingham, competing in an Inflatable 5k, Wing Walking, cycling from London to Brussels, running marathons and sponsoring the popular Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity Dragon Boat Race. 

A new survey has revealed how the cost-of-living crisis has affected UK adults’ retirement prospects:

The countdown is on for keen runner 33-year-old Manish Patel from West Bromwich after he signed up to take part in this year's London Marathon. Manish is currently hard at work training for the annual 26.2-mile race around the capital to raise money for local mental health charity, the Kaleidoscope Plus Group after the team supported him back in 2020 when he was struggling with his own mental health.

Three leading international journalists will discuss how to transform European media to ensure equality, especially for women of colour, during an online discussion organised by the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity at Birmingham City University.

Sabika Shah Povia (Reuters, La Reppublica), and Riem Higazi (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation) and Djarah Kan (L’Espresso) will join K Biswas (New Statesman, New York Times, Resonance FM) - critic and editor of Representology for the hour-long exchange.

Five people including two girls aged 10 and 11 have been arrested for attacked a black schoolgirl outside a Surrey school on Monday.

The video footage which has gone viral on social media and across WhatsApp shows the girl repeatedly kicked and punched in the head, while her hair is being pulled and an adult is heard shouting to 'kick her in the face'.

An aristocratic British family is to make history by travelling to the Caribbean and publicly apologising for its ownership of more than 1,000 enslaved Africans.

Members of the Trevelyan family have signed a letter of apology for its enslavement of captive Africans. They are also set to pay reparations to the people of Grenada, where they owned six sugar plantations.

A new series of self-authored short films by Londoners affected by female genital mutilation (FGM) are to be promoted by the Mayor, Sadiq Khan, as part of his grassroots ‘FGM Stops Here’ community outreach campaign to end this illegal and barbaric practice.

The new ‘FGM Stops Here’ videos by FGM survivors, family members, medical professionals and campaigners from across the capital’s diverse communities, highlights the determination of Londoners to end the practice and demonstrate the devastating impact FGM has on the lives and wellbeing of survivors and their families.

Work has begun on a major overhaul of playing fields in Bilston following a community consultation. City of Wolverhampton Council and developers Haystoun Construction Limited have started work on transforming Prouds Lane Playing Fields.

Improvements will include a new children’s play area with inclusive equipment to enable children of all ages and abilities to play together. Existing football pitches will be renovated and outdoor gym equipment will be installed to help local people boost their fitness levels.

Leading developer Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Midlands has made a donation of £1,000 to cancer charity, Lauren’s Legacy.

Heage-based Lauren’s Legacy was formed in August 2019 in memory of Lauren Elliott, who sadly passed away at the age of 22 after a five-year battle with Sarcoma, a rare type of cancer. The charity is run by Lauren’s parents and friends.

The restoration of a two kilometre stretch of the River Stour in the Black Country is set to get underway thanks to £100,000 from the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Community Green Grants scheme. Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust (BBCWT) will use the money to extend its successful Love Your River Stour project along a stretch running through Cradley Heath and Lye.