Community News

With dog ownership skyrocketing over the past 18 months, the impact of lockdown on puppy buying may be even more widespread than expected, with certain ‘rare’ breeds seeing their numbers increase during the height of the pandemic in the West Midlands.       

New data released ahead of Discover Dogs by dog welfare organisation, The Kennel Club, shows that, since the start of the pandemic, there has been a rise both regionally and nationally in the popularity of more unusual breeds, suggesting that puppy buyers were using the time spent at home to research more unknown breeds that would best suit their lifestyle.

Sutton Coldfield Town Hall is to receive £34,000 from the third round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

The heritage venue is among 925 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the Culture Recovery Fund. More than £100 million has be awarded to hundreds of cultural organisations across the country in the latest round of support from the fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.

The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) is warning drivers to avoid bogus car insurance deals on social media, as it reveals over 21,000 fraudulent motor insurance policies were reported to it by insurers in the past 12 months which could be linked to the scam.

‘Ghost Broking’ is a growing scam, which involves fraudsters pretending to be Brokers in order to sell unrealistically cheap and completely fake policies.

Health for Life, an evidence based, award winning programme funded by Mondelēz International, is celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year.

To mark the milestone, the scheme is giving schools the opportunity to receive one of three Health for Life grants of £5,000. The Health for Life programme was introduced in 2011 and helps adults and children in the West Midlands to focus on living a healthier life.

Lozells is the second area in Birmingham where people are being consulted about expanding and making permanent the temporary measures instigated, last year to create Places for People.

Last year, a one-way system was created and streets were narrowed by large planters which made it difficult for cars to cut-through the residential area situated between Heathfield Road, Lozells Road and Nursery Road. 

On 15-21 November 2021, all 45 UK police forces will execute Op Drive Insured in a national effort to reduce uninsured driving levels and protect road users.

The week-long campaign which has been developed by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) and NPCC’s National Roads Policing Operations, Intelligence and Investigations (NRPOII), will see an increase in roads policing activity to detect and seize uninsured vehicles.

Three groups across Birmingham and Coventry are urgently seeking support to help them win a share of a £1million prize pot – with a week to go until voting closes.

Sandwell Young Carers, Our Community Foundation and Baby Godiva are all representing Persimmon Homes Central in the housebuilder’s Building Futures competition - and are in with a chance of walking away with up to £100,000 each.

The success of young people in Wolverhampton going on to forge independent lives for themselves was celebrated during the recent National Care Leavers Week.

The City of Wolverhampton Council helped over 30 young people make the move out of care to independent living in the last year, despite the impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic – and they, as well as young people preparing to make that next step, took part in a wide range of activities through the week.

A new urban village comprising thousands of homes and commercial space with the potential to create 3,500 jobs is set to be created at the NEC Campus in Solihull.

A masterplan for 67 acres of land next to the M42 has been unveiled by the NEC Group which it said could one day be home to 11,000 people.

More than 3,000 new trees will take root across Wolverhampton this month as City of Wolverhampton Council organises five special planting events to help tackle climate change, boost public health and support nature. Trees will be planted at sites across the city to support the council’s Tree and Woodland Strategy as well as recognising our recently declared climate emergency. 

Research released to coincide with COP 26 shows Birmingham’s statistics on  activities around energy and recycling   

People in Birmingham are actively participating in a range of activities to save the planet with more than 91% trying to do their bit now to save the planet according to research revealed today.

Birmingham City Council is supporting Talk Money Week, the annual campaign to get the nation having conversations about money.

Talk Money Week in Birmingham aims to encourage people to have conversations about money, as nine out of 10 people – that’s 47 million UK adults - aren’t talking about money, despite COVID-19’s effect on personal finances.

Electric vehicle charge-points will appear in greater numbers and at strategic locations across Birmingham because, today, the city council has accepted a 12-year electric vehicle strategy that will contribute to meeting its net-zero target by 2030.

The rollout of more than 3,000 electric vehicle charge-points across Birmingham is predicted to contribute to around 50% of the reduction in city emissions from cars and vans in 2030, compared to 2020 levels.

With global leaders in Glasgow for COP26 to address the threats that climate change and nature loss bring, Severn Trent PLC have announced that by 2025 it will have restored over 2,000 acres of peatland across England and Wales.

Severn Trent PLC, made up of water companies Severn Trent and Hafren Dyfrdwy that provide water and waste services to customers its chillacross the Midlands and into mid-Wales, is tackling the threat of nature loss and climate change, by restoring more peatland to help improve water quality on top of its other environmental commitments.

Birmingham City Council is asking people who live or work in or visit Birmingham to share their views on plans to introduce measures to tackle anti-social behaviour in the city centre.

The council is looking to implement a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to prevent certain anti-social behaviours within the city centre – covering an area from Five Ways and Ladywood across to Digbeth, including the Jewellery Quarter, Chinese Quarter, Snow Hill and Lee Bank areas.

The largest and most ambitious programme aimed at addressing holiday hunger, inactivity, isolation and learning loss has proved hugely successful over the summer.

Bring it on Brum is the city’s Holiday Activity and Food programme that ran over the summer using government funding, with six weeks of holiday club provision, healthy food and activities for children and young people aged 5 to 16 who are eligible for free school meals and have additional needs.