Community News

West Midlands residents are being asked to roll up their sleeves and rid the region of litter ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. West Midlands Mayor Andy Street launched the West Midlands Great Clean Up, aiming to help the region look its sparkling best before it comes under the international spotlight as host of the Commonwealth Games.

The campaign, which is backed by Keep Britain Tidy, aims to recruit 1,000 volunteers to get involved with litter picking across the West Midlands. The Great Clean Up kicked off today in Perry Barr, home of the Alexandra Stadium, with a litter pick around Perry Park.

Hundreds of Birmingham’s buildings and spaces, many of which are usually closed to the public, will be opening their doors as part of this year’s Birmingham Heritage Week. The annual festival returns from 9 – 19 September 2021 revealing the city’s hidden stories and historical secrets.

Birmingham Heritage Week is an opportunity to discover parts of the city hidden from everyday life and rediscover popular places from a new perspective. Residents and visitors to the city will be invited on hard hat tours of gasholders and catacombs and welcomed through the doors of magnificent mansions, churches and Victorian swimming baths. As well as visiting places in person, there will be virtual tours and talks taking place too. 

Residents and community groups have been praised by Birmingham City Council for their long-term dedication to keeping their neighbourhoods looking as good as possible.

For many years the council has supported people with a passion for their local areas by supplying litter picking equipment and arranging for collected waste to be taken away. Since the start of the current financial year in April alone, more than 5,000 pieces of equipment and 20,000 bags have been issued to those taking part in clean-ups – with anyone who is interested in joining the effort invited to contact the council to gain similar support.

A damaged war memorial in Bilston, in the West Midlands, has been restored to its former glory, to commemorate the sacrifices made by local people. Bradley War Memorial, in Coronation Park, stands in memory of those who fought and died in both the First and Second World Wars.

Coronation Park, in Wilkinson Avenue, was originally known as Memorial Park and was opened in 1922 as a memorial to the fallen of the First World War. The war memorial stands on high ground in the south east of the park and is a Celtic-style cross on a granite pillar. The names of the fallen are recorded on panels around it.

Leading housebuilder Persimmon Homes Central is urging youth groups, schools and sports clubs across its region to apply for a share of its £1million charity giveaway before it’s too late.

Projects must make their applications to the Building Futures scheme at www.persimmonhomes.com/building-futures/ before the closing deadline of midnight next Sunday, August 15. The Persimmon scheme supports community groups working with under-18s across three categories – education & arts, health and sport.

A travel agent wants you to relax, revitalise and help make lifesaving missions possible. How, you might ask? Charitable Travel is a not-for-private-profit social enterprise travel agency that donates five per cent of each holiday sold to its chosen charities and Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is one of the latest to be added to its list of good causes.

Whether you’re an avid adventurer looking for your next camping trip, a group of young adults looking for a weekend city break, or maybe a luxury cruise is more your style, no matter what type of holiday you prefer, there is something available for everyone. What’s more, by choosing to book with Charitable Travel, when you jet off, you can be safe in the knowledge that you have helped the lifesaving crew at Midlands Air Ambulance Charity to take off and made a vitally important mission possible.

A new toolkit has been developed to help a wide range of organisations prevent and relieve homelessness.

The toolkit has been designed to provide practical help to not only specialist organisations and their partners but also those with no direct link to tackling homelessness. It will help them consider how they can support existing projects and programmes that provide people with a secure home, steady job and to stay safe and healthy.

The circa £13 million Iron Lane junction improvements scheme has enhanced links to employment sites and local retail, reduced congestion and provided improved facilities for cycling and walking.

The works commenced in March 2019 and saw the former gyratory and traffic signals replaced with free-flowing roundabouts. Station Road was also widened, and a new bridge was constructed over the River Cole to provide two lanes in both directions.

Youngsters across Wolverhampton are enjoying an action-packed school holiday thanks to the city's inaugural Yo! Summer Festival. It is packed with over 450 free and paid-for activities for children, young people and their families, ranging from sports and holiday clubs, to fun days and arts and crafts. 

Councillor Dr Michael Hardacre, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, joined children and parents at Bantock House Museum's latest Family Summer Fun session on Friday July 30. Suitable for children aged four and over, these sessions offer a range of activities to choose from, including pop printmaking, clay creatures, fantasy fossil plaster casts, mosaic unicorns, fantasy fashion and puppet dragons.  

Plans to transform a former youth club into a welcoming community hub and church are to get underway after City of Wolverhampton Council officially handed over ownership of the building.

Windmill Community Church, a registered charity, will now begin developing the club on Henwood Road in Compton to offer a range of activities to benefit the local community. These will include a coffee hub, craft activities, a ramblers group, community choir, work with young people, parenting courses and Sunday services.

Beat the Street players are being invited to Go Wild over the next few days. 

That’s the theme for the third week of the unique walking, riding and rolling competition, with players encouraged to explore their local parks, waterways and green spaces. Children at participating primary schools have received an activity pack which contains Go Wild-themed challenges such as making a picture using leaves, pebbles, sticks and flowers. 

Birmingham St Mary’s and John Taylor Hospices are delighted to announce that the two charities have successfully merged together to form one Birmingham wide organisation.

Birmingham-based Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage are delighted to have been awarded funding from The Baring Foundation for a vital community project in one of the city’s most deprived areas.

A city council scheme that provides grants and funding for voluntary organisations and charities has been given permission to be extended and recommissioned.

The 10 Neighbourhood Networks Schemes – one for each constituency – provide older people with a range of community-based support within their neighbourhoods.

Black Country Housing Group (BCHG), an award-winning housing association based in Blackheath, has highlighted its commitment to tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) by joining the national ASB Awareness Week campaign, which ran from July 19 to July 25.

Wolverhampton is to become home to a second Tiny Forest to help local communities connect with nature and protect their environment for the future.