Community News

Fifty heritage organisations in the Midlands and East will benefit from £4.8m in grants during this Christmas period thanks to the government’s unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage. Those set to receive grants include:

The Foresters Arms, Swadlincote has raised £2,500 and will be donating toys to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, all in memory of the late Stacey Fusco.

Last month, The Foresters Arms part of the award-winning Craft Union Pub Company, hosted a Charity Race Night in memory of pub local Stacey Fusco.

A housebuilder based in Bourne has delivered a loaded car boot full of supplies to Bourne Foodbank, following a collection held by staff at its head office.

Allison Homes, which is building new homes across the East, donated the food for those in need of essential supplies this Christmas. Bourne Foodbank, based off Spalding Road, is part of a nationwide network of foodbanks supported by The Trussell Trust, which works to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

The festive spirit will be coming to Wolverhampton this year thanks to the efforts of a local training provider and the wider business community.

National Infrastructure Solutions (NIS), which provides specialist training for people looking to get into the rail sector, has adopted the role of a modern-day Santa Claus by collecting more than 100 gifts to give out to families who are struggling this Christmas.

Care leavers in Wolverhampton will enjoy a special Christmas treat this year as they receive gifts donated by individuals and organisations across the city.

Hard work from the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Reach Leaving Care Team and the Co-Production and Youth Engagement Team has sourced donations from partners to ensure that young people who are leaving care receive Christmas presents.

Children, young people and their families across Wolverhampton are enjoying lots of festive fun thanks to the city's Yo! Christmas programme.

Creating opportunities for young people is a major priority for the City of Wolverhampton Council and the Christmas celebrations feature a variety of free and paid-for activities for youngsters and their families, ranging from sports and holiday clubs to festive fun days and arts and crafts.

Over 100 families who are suffering hardship in Dudley and Brierley Hill will be given special support this Christmas thanks to the efforts of a local charity and manufacturer. The Giving Hands Mission, which has already helped over 10,000 people, will be teaming up with Alloy Wire International (AWI) to provide a hamper of food, toiletries, warm clothing and toys for children as the town and surrounding areas come to terms with the ongoing effects of the pandemic.

People going out and about to shop, visit friends and family or even attend a football match or show this Christmas are being urged to consider using public transport for their journeys.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is offering all the latest travel information people need to plan their journeys, avoid disruption on the roads and secure the best value fares.

Christmas is a time for fun and family; and our furry friends are a big part of that.

But it’s really important to keep your pets happy, healthy and safe during the festive season too. Lots of things around the house at Christmas could be dangerous to your pet; so it’s best to know ahead of time what to look out for and how best to keep your pets safe. 

Here, the RSPCA lists seven things you didn’t know were dangerous that could be hazardous to your pet this Christmas:

The UK’s Health Secretary has refused to rule out further Covid restrictions for England, as the Omicron variant spreads around the country. A further 12,000 Omicron cases have been confirmed in the UK, although the true number is likely to be far higher.

Asked about possible new rules to slow the spread, Sajid Javid said there were "no guarantees in this pandemic". The government and devolved leaders are to discuss the situation in a Cobra meeting at 17:00 GMT.

A Birmingham Criminologist is leading calls for the government to urgently reconsider a controversial migration policy to avert the tragic loss of life to those seeking refuge in the UK.

Dr Mohammed Rahman, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Birmingham City University, has launched a petition calling upon Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel to scrap the ‘discriminatory’ Borders and Nationality Bill which is currently in the House of Lords. Marking International Migrants Day the petition challenged the government’s Bill which has come under recent scrutiny for criminalising those arriving in the UK without permission, with sentences of up to four years.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is encouraging everyone across the region to look at ways of cutting their carbon footprint to make this Christmas, in the year of the UK hosting COP26, the most sustainable yet.

The handy guide featuring a dozen top tips helps people make a positive impact on the environment and save money.

As we all begin to prepare for our festive feasts, a national vet charity is urging pet owners to think twice about offering furry friends Christmas leftovers and excess treats. With the 2021 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report revealing that 1.4 million pet owners have fed their four-legged friends more human treats since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, the vet charity is warning that this festive season could be more dangerous for our pets than ever before.

A competition has been launched by organisers of the West Midlands Platinum Jubilee Festival 2022 to find a new anthem for the region’s Jubilee celebrations next year.

The search is on for young musicians aged 18-25 attending University of Birmingham, University of Wolverhampton or Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University, to write a new piece of choral music, initially with piano accompaniment which will be set to a poem written especially for the occasion by Fatma Mohiuddin, Birmingham Young Poet Laureate.

Severn Trent is offering advice this winter to ensure customers can enjoy their festivities without the drama of blocked pipes. The company said that in the last financial year it has cleared over 32,000 blockages, the majority of which were caused by the wrong things being flushed down the toilet or washed down the sink.