Community News

Organisers have announced the first details of the Birmingham 2022 Festival - a six month celebration which will spotlight creativity and culture in the West Midlands. Running from March to September 2022 as part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the festival will feature hundreds of creative commissions across the region including art, photography, dance, theatre, digital art and more. 

Members of the public are urged to register at birmingham2022.com/festival to be amongst the first to discover the full programme when it is unveiled in January.

This year’s Yo! Summer Festival, organised by the City of Wolverhampton Council, was a great success with thousands of children and young people taking part in a wide range of fun days, sporting activities and holiday clubs across the city.

Held over the summer holidays, visitors enjoyed over 500 different activities ranging from the unique walking, running and rolling game Beat the Street, which saw nearly 10,000 residents travel a combined 60,000 miles in total, through to meeting dinosaurs from Jurassic Earth as part of the Relight Festival in West Park.

The West Midlands Metro network will be extended in Walsall, Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell and Wolverhampton under a wide-ranging plan to revolutionise transport across the region.

Further investment would see rail stations opened, new rapid bus services launched, lower fares, more zero-emission vehicles, a very light rail line in Coventry and miles of safe cycling routes created to support the region’s economic growth and its #wm2041 net-zero carbon targets.

For five years, the Meadway Sports & Social Club has generously fundraised for the Heartlands Children's Wards. The team have contributed a total of £2,067 by hosting an annual dominoes tournament and a lottery to raise funds to help support children whilst they stay in hospital.

Birmingham’s celebration of Black History Month was launched with a special event where, as well as reflecting the city’s diversity and heritage, this year’s programme also reflects on the continued impact of Covid-19 has had on the Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. This year’s launch marks a return to live events, taking place at the Legacy Centre of Excellence, in Aston, in Birmingham.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out the government’s ‘COVID-19 Response – Autumn and Winter Plan 2021’(external link)  for managing COVID-19.

The publication outlines the government’s plans for autumn and winter 2021 for England. It includes the government’s ‘Plan A’ – a comprehensive approach designed to steer the country through autumn and winter 2021/22.

A new online exhibition focuses on a number of the evocative artworks created by artist Arthur Lockwood, dating from the 1990s to the 2000s. Arthur Lockwood: Documenting the Black Country, aims to highlight the various subject matter that Lockwood portrayed and his individual interpretation of areas and themes, including his birthplace Birmingham and the wider Black Country.

Working in watercolour and pen, Lockwood captured the changing urban landscape, including depictions of demolishment, redevelopment and derelict buildings.

Residents in the West Midlands who have just gained a new job could benefit from free bus, tram and rail travel to work.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has teamed up with local transport operators to offer two four-week tickets free, then a third four-week ticket at a 50% discount from the standard price on selected bus, tram and nnetwork travel passes through the Workwise scheme.

The gradual decline of the high street has been taking place over a number of years, with retail battling the impact of the 2008 crash followed by the massive growth of online shopping and then a global pandemic. A significant part of the rapidly evolving face of the high street has been the decline of the familiar department store, with BHS, House of Fraser and Debenhams all collapsing.

The first UK memorial of its kind commemorating the bravery of 19^th century Sikh soldiers has been officially unveiled in Wolverhampton.

The city’s new Saragarhi Monument, which stands in Well Lane in Wednesfield, is the first statue in the country to specifically honour the fallen soldiers and has been unveiled on the date of the Battle of Saragarhi.

It has been announced that Royal Shakespeare Company Artistic Director, Gregory Doran will be taking a period of compassionate leave as Artistic Director of the RSC to care for his husband, Sir Antony Sher.

Antony has a long and celebrated association with the Company and is an RSC Honorary Associate Artist.

Selfridges has hosted its first wedding at its London store’s new dedicated Wedding Suite, realising its promise to offer wedding experiences for couples looking for a non-traditional ceremony in a venue like no other.

Following the announcement earlier in the summer that it had acquired a wedding licence, allowing ceremonies to be hosted in the Grade II* listed building on Oxford Street, Selfridges has seen the first couple say, marking another milestone in the store’s long-standing history of extraordinary customer experiences.

The community benefits that have been achieved during the first 12 months of the project to redevelop Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium are detailed in a new report.

Since starting work on the project for Birmingham City Council in May 2020, the lead contractor McLaughlin & Harvey (McLH) have undertaken an extensive social value programme, with the positive impact felt far and wide across all parts of the city.

Residents and community groups now have a second chance to bid for a slice of a £2million council fund created to help people celebrate the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Celebrating Communities Small Grants Funding Scheme has been assembled by Birmingham City Council to maximise the benefit and legacy of being the Proud Host City for the Games.

Ideas are being welcomed from all 69 of the city’s wards to ensure everyone feels involved with the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games – regardless of whether they have a competition or cultural event in their neighbourhood or not. Grants will be available to run initiatives which deliver against one of three themes: ‘Get Active’, ‘Ready, Steady, Fun’ and ‘Celebrating Culture’ - which are described as follows:

Latest research has revealed that thousands of furry friends living in the Midlands have gained weight since March 2020 – contributing towards a total of 1.4 million pets across the UK who have done so during lockdown.

Vet charity PDSA says that the worrying findings unveil the true extent of what was already a growing pet obesity epidemic, with the pandemic creating a ticking time bomb threatening the lives of pets across the UK.

Fireworks Spectacular and Fun Fair is returning to Edgbaston on Saturday 6 November – and is set to be the biggest display yet. The must-go-to family Fireworks event returns and it will once again be the biggest public fireworks display in Birmingham, all within the safe environment of Edgbaston Stadium which offers seating and great views of the display.

Fireworks Spectacular & Fun Fair 2021 will feature a large Fun Fair on-site, face painters, balloon modellers and a wide variety of street food stalls for guests to enjoy.