Community News

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St George's Day will be marked across England today, as the annual celebration of the country's patron saint – mythologised as a dragon-slaying knight – commemorates the anniversary of his death in 303 AD.

St George's Day was declared a national feast day and holiday in 1415, following England's victory at the Battle of Agincourt, a key battle in the Hundred Years' War. It took on less significance when England unified with Scotland in 1707 – leading to the creation of the UK – and is no longer marked as a national holiday.

Academics advising the Jamaican government on plans to reinstate its disused railway network have visited Birmingham on a fact-finding mission to meet rail industry experts and view progress on the construction of new stations.

The team from the University of Technology, Jamaica are collaborating with the Ministry of Transport and Mining to restore the island’s previous network, which includes plans to upgrade Kingston Railway Station and a three-and-a-half mile route through the city. The station has been mothballed since services stopped in 1992.

Some of the country’s busiest railway stations, including Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street, now have British Sign Language travel announcements.

From the start of April, touchscreens have gone live for deaf passengers at eight Network Rail managed stations* showing signed travel information of the latest advice for travellers. Euston station was the first to pilot the technology in 2021, and now all four stations in Network Rail’s North West and Central region have installed the screens – the first region to achieve the milestone.

On April 16, 110 countries across the globe participated in International Good Deeds Day 2023, including U.S.A., Zambia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Zanzibar, Finland, Mexico, Congo, Armenia, Poland, Italy, UK, Uruguay, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Tanzania, and more.

Enthusiasm around this international event of good increases every year, with millions of people joining in to volunteer and do something positive for others on Good Deeds Day, which was launched 17 years ago in Israel and has since crossed borders to become an internationally unifying day of good.

Millions of people across the West Midlands are being reminded they will receive a test message from the Government’s new emergency alert system this Sunday (April 23). A loud, siren-like sound and vibration accompanied by a text message will be sent to compatible mobile devices at 3pm as part of a nationwide test of the system which has been introduced to alert the public to life-threatening situations.

A unique emblem created to commemorate the upcoming coronation of King Charles III features on an exclusive range of newly released gold sovereigns - the first range in history created in honour of a British monarch's coronation. As the first British monarch to be crowned in the 21st century, The King Charles III Coronation Gold Sovereign Range released by gold sovereign specialists Hattons of London, will be the first in history to carry the ‘Coronation Emblem’ - a completely new design created specially to celebrate this significant moment in British history.

The RSPCA - the country’s oldest and largest animal welfare charity - is recruiting for 11 new animal rescue officers (ARO’s). The charity’s animal rescue officers are frontline workers who respond to reports of cruelty, neglect and injury, deal with complaints and collect and rescue sick, injured and trapped animals.

ARO’s carry out some of the vital work of the RSPCA and play their part alongside the charity’s inspectors in making a real difference to the lives of animals. It is an extremely rewarding, but challenging role as animal rescue officers have to deal with difficult situations where they need to stay calm and professional and show great resilience.

Outbound flight bookings from the GCC states for the three weeks running up to Eid Al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, were 38% behind. According to travel industry analysts, Ramadan travel this year is still far behind the heights it reached before the pandemic in 2019.

However, a major factor in assessing the recovery of Ramadan travel are the dates when the festival falls due. In 2019 Eid al-Fitr was in June, a much better time of the year to travel, as the end of Ramadan was close to the start of the long summer school holidays in Saudi Arabia.

Love was well and truly in the air at a Tettenhall care home when two residents celebrated a very special milestone. Gordon Farquhar, aged 92, and his wife Kathleen, aged 96, toasted their 70th wedding anniversary at Care UK’s Foxland Grange in the West Midlands town, on the 4th April. 

The pair met at their local church one Sunday afternoon. Although both admitted it wasn’t love at first sight, the couple grew fond of one another on their weekly visits, where they would often sit next to each other. 

One of the UK’s longest serving engineers celebrated 76 years working in industry this week and insisted he wants to carry on until he is 100. Vic Sutton, a Calibration Engineer at harness and wiring looms specialist Teepee Electrical in Bloxwich, in the West Midlands, turned 90 on Tuesday and spent his big birthday playing a role in daily production and enjoying a surprise party with colleagues he openly calls ‘family’.

Fashion legend Dame Mary Quant - who was credited with popularising the miniskirts that helped define the Swinging '60s - passed away at home in Surrey, her family announced.

Model Twiggy Lawson, who became a style icon during the era, said has led the tributes to the designer saying Dame Mary had an influence on young girls in the late 50s early 60s. "She revolutionised fashion and was a brilliant female entrepreneur," she wrote in a social media post. "The 1960s would have never been the same without her."

A Birmingham dad who switched careers from the army to social care will be taking on the London Marathon for the disability charity Sense, who he credits with giving him the skills to care for his disabled daughter. 

Syed Kazmi, 39, had been an army officer in Pakistan. However after his daughter Syeda, 7, was born with cerebral palsy the family decided to relocate to the United Kingdom, settling in Sutton Coldfield.

This past “Semana Santa” or “Holy Week”, millions across the world celebrated and continued to celebrate important events of their faith.

The objects of adoration are all different, of course, and there is a need to reaffirm our beliefs and how they might differ from other families of thought and belief. Focusing on people’s differences contributes to building and maintaining vibrant and healthy communities provided it does not encourage bigotry or exclusion.

The RSPCA is recruiting hundreds of volunteers to take part in the Big Help Out on May 8 to mark King Charles III’s Coronation celebrations - with one dedicated RSPCA volunteer already very familiar with the new Monarch.

The drive is part of a major volunteering initiative and the RSPCA is asking people to sign up as ‘Wildlife Friends’, a brand new volunteering role and join thousands of others making a difference.

In celebrating the birth of the Khalsa, the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi - one of the most significant holidays in the Sikh calendar – community spirit and forward-thinking will be high on the agenda as spiritual and physical integration remains at the fore, as it always has.

Also known as Baisakhi, due to its close connection with the foundations of Sikhi, Vaisakhi, which is one of 9 festivals India is celebrating this month, forms a significant role in the Sikh yearly calendar.

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