Community News

The Ealing Central and Acton MP, Rupa Huq, has been reinstated as a Labour MP, five months after she lost the whip for comments she made about Kwasi Kwarteng.

She described the then-chancellor Mr Kwarteng as "superficially Black", at a Labour Party fringe event in September. Labour suspended the whip, which meant she had to sit as an independent MP.

Twenty-three of 33 councils will raise bills by 4.99%, the maximum increase normally allowed without seeking permission through a referendum. Residents in Croydon will see even bigger rises with the government previously approving a 15% increase.

The council tax portion the mayor sets is expected to rise by almost 10%. Council tax, which is based on the value of a property, funds council-run services such as libraries, refuse collection, youth clubs and street lighting.

The Pension Dashboard Programme launch has just been announced by The Department of Work and Pensions. With this in mind, Lily Megson, Policy Director at My Pension Expert, commented: “The Pension Dashboard Programme is an incredibly ambitious project. And I applaud the government for not rushing to push out an inadequate project; it must be done right.

Celebrate ordinary Brummies doing extraordinary things at the star-studded ceremony on 6 March at the University of Birmingham’s Great Hall. The BirminghamLive Pride of Birmingham Awards with TSB will be hosted by presenter and actress, Kym Marsh.

This year’s awards ceremony will see winners of all ages and from all walks of life being celebrated for their awe-inspiring achievements; whether they have performed outstanding acts of courage, fought seemingly hopeless battles against the odds, displayed boundless compassion, or inspired everyone with their tireless campaigning for others.

Ahead of International Women’s Day (IWD), on March 8, new research has been released the on priorities for female professionals in 2023, with one of Robert Half’s most tenured female leaders now available to share key strategies to help working women advance and employers better support and retain the women in their organization.

A woman who forged her medical qualifications to obtain senior positions within the NHS as a hospital Psychiatrist has been sentenced to seven years at Manchester Crown Court after being found guilty of 20 offences including fraud and forgery.

In an investigation led by Cumbria Police and supported by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, Zholia Alemi was found to have fraudulently obtained in excess of £1million from the NHS during the twenty-two years that she worked within a number of UK health bodies posing as a qualified psychiatrist.

Followers of the old gold and black are being urged to get behind a new beer that is being launched to raise more than £1000 for ‘The 1p36 Family Trust.’ Stourbridge-based Green Duck Brewery has joined forces with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ fans Jason Guy and John Woodward to create a 4% session IPA - called ‘Wet Your Wolf Whistle’ in homage to the well-known Wolves podcast that has more than 100,000 downloads.

Milton Keynes-based plumbing and heating company, Grand Union Plumbing & Heating, has announced that it is offering free energy saving advice to people in the local area and will host a workshop early next month to share money saving tips to anyone worried about the cost of heating their homes. 

McDonald’s franchisee Douglas Wright, who owns and operates 23 restaurants across the West Midlands, has received his MBE from Prince William who awarded him at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace last week.

Doug was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list following the Platinum Jubilee with an MBE for ‘Services to the Economy and Charity in the West Midlands’.

Fantasy Forest, a unique festival celebrating the fantasy genre, is returning to the magnificent grounds of Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire from 14 - 16 July 2023 with a weekend of lively entertainment, fantasy-themed experiences and exciting new features.

Each year, Fantasy Forest has continued to attract more and more visitors of all ages from across Gloucestershire and beyond to enjoy a fun-filled, magical summer’s day out for all the family.

WomeninTech.co.uk, a platform dedicated to growing women in technology, has released the results of its recent survey of over 500 women working in technology.

The survey aimed to gain insights into their experiences, thoughts, and opinions on gender diversity in the tech industry. The results are alarming and highlight the ongoing challenges faced by women in the tech sector. The key findings show:

As we start to emerge out of the depths of winter, before we know it, spring will have arrived on our doorsteps. For many homeowners this means that the annual ‘spring clean’ will commence and tidying and organising the home will be a top priority.

It can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to organising the home. However, clever storage renovations can help to create order within every room, whilst enhancing and maximising your living space into a clutter-free haven.

A children’s charity based has received a donation of more than £36,500 from Nottingham-based Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Midlands.

Ben’s Den, based in Ilkeston, is a charity that offers free caravan holidays for families with children who have been diagnosed with cancer. The charity was set up in memory of Ben Parker who passed away at aged 13 in 2003, following a three-year battle with leukaemia.

The e-scooter trial in Birmingham will be paused on Wednesday, 1 March following the end of the current contract with Voi.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) launched an open tender for the new contract last summer and the procurement process is yet to conclude following bids from a number of interested providers.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that all primary school children in the city will get free school dinners for a year from September, with his £130m plan set to offer all children, regardless of the amount of money their parents earn, a free lunch at school.

One charity, the Children's Food Campaign, said it's "utterly delicious news!", saying it will help London children "concentrate, play and learn."

A member of staff at a Brent dentist was accused of performing procedures on patients that they weren’t qualified to carry out. The practice has had its licence suspended for six months by the health watchdog following a damning inspection report.

Chronos London Dental Care on Chamberlayne Road, which provides both NHS and private dental services, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on January 6.