Community News

The daughters of assassinated US Black civil rights leader Malcolm X have requested that the murder investigation be reopened in light of new evidence. They cite a deathbed letter from a man who was a policeman at the time of the 1965 killing, alleging New York police and the FBI conspired in the murder.

Raymond Wood wrote his responsibility was to ensure Malcolm X's security team were arrested days before he was shot dead in Manhattan, his family says. Three men were convicted of the murder. The men - all members of the Nation of Islam political and religious movement - were each sentenced to life in prison. One of them has since died, while the other two have been paroled.

By the time he was gunned down, Malcolm X - who was at one time seen as a public face of the Nation of Islam but then left the movement - had moderated his militant message of Black separatism. However, he remained a passionate advocate of Black unity, self-respect and self-reliance.

In 2020, the Manhattan district attorney launched a review of the convictions after meeting representatives of the Innocence Project, a non-profit legal group campaigning for justice for individuals it says have been wrongly convicted. The letter says the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) covered up details of the assassination on 21 February 1965 in Harlem's Audubon Ballroom, Upper Manhattan, according to Wood's family and their lawyer.

Wood alleges that he was tasked with making sure that Malcolm X would have no door security in the building where he was due to speak in public. At a press briefing on Saturday, Wood's family members provided no details about how and when Raymond Wood died. But they said he did not want to make the letter public until after his death, fearing repercussions from the authorities.

"Any evidence that provides greater insight into the truth behind that terrible tragedy should be thoroughly investigated," said Ilyasah Shabazz, one of Malcolm X's daughters. In a statement, the NYPD said: "Several months ago, the Manhattan district attorney initiated a review of the investigation and prosecution that resulted in two convictions for the murder of Malcolm X.

"The NYPD has provided all available records that’s relevant to that case to the district attorney. The department remains committed to assist with that review in any way." The FBI has so far made no public comment on the issue.

Following his announcement, under plans set out by the Prime Minister, shops, hairdressers, gyms and outdoor hospitality will reopen on April 12 in England if strict conditions are met, with up to six people from separate households able to meet in beer gardens from that date.

The new four-step plan to ease lockdown could see all legal limits on social contact lifted by June 21. It requires four tests on vaccines, infection rates and new coronavirus variants to be met at each stage.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told MPs the plan aimed to be cautious but irreversible and at every stage decisions would be led by data not dates. But he warned there was no credible route to a zero-Covid Britain nor indeed a zero-Covid world.

It comes as the first data on the UK's coronavirus vaccine rollout suggests it is having a spectacular impact on stopping serious illness.

As part of the first step of the plan for easing lockdown in England:

From March 8: All schools will open with outdoor after-school sports and activities allowed. Recreation in an outdoor public spaces - such as a park - will be allowed between two people, meaning they would be allowed to sit down for a coffee, drink or picnic

From March 29: Outdoor gatherings of either six people or two households will be allowed. It is understood this will include gatherings in private gardens. Outdoor sports facilities such as tennis or basketball courts will reopen and organised adult and children's sport, such as grassroots football, will also return

Secondary school pupils can access tests and will be required to wear face coverings in classrooms and shared spaces like corridors. The second step from April 12 would see major parts of the economy permitted to reopen:

·         Non-essential retail opens, hairdressers and some public buildings like libraries

·         Outdoor settings like alcohol takeaways, beer gardens, zoos and theme parks

·         Indoor leisure like swimming pools and gyms

·         Self-contained holiday accommodation, such as self-catering lets and camp sites

But wider social contact rules will continue to apply in all settings - meaning no indoor mixing between different households will be allowed.

Mr Johnson confirmed the end of hospitality curfews - and requirements to eat a substantial meal alongside alcohol. He said a review of international leisure travel restrictions would be announced by April 12 at the earliest.

Funerals continue with up to 30 people, and weddings with up to 15 guests.

The third step will come from May 17 - if the data allows - and will see the "rule of six" abolished for outdoor gatherings, replaced with a limit of 30 people:

·         Two households can mix indoors - with the rule of six applied in hospitality settings like pubs

·         Cinemas, museums, hotels, performances and sporting events reopen - though social distancing remains

·         Up to 10,000 spectators can attend the very largest outdoor seated venues like football stadiums

Up to 30 people will be able to attend weddings, receptions, funerals and wakes. Mr Johnson said this step would also "consider the potential role of Covid status certification" - which could refer to so-called "vaccine passports" - in helping indoor venues to reopen safely.

Before the fourth step, ministers will carry out a review into social distancing and other "long-term measures" designed to reduce transmission, including the "one metre plus" rule and the wearing of face coverings. They will also consider whether to lift the "work from home" guidance, which the government says people should continue to follow until the review has been completed.

The fourth step from June 21 will potentially see all legal limits on social contact removed, with the final closed sectors of the economy reopened - such as nightclubs. The government hopes that - from this date - restrictions on weddings and funerals will also be abolished.

A London-based radio project focussing on the descendants of the Windrush generation living in Tottenham has won Best Arts Project, in the 2021 Hearts for the Arts Awards. N17 radio programme was created by Chloe and Kane, two sixth form students at Harris Academy Tottenham, in partnership with Haringey Council, Kick it Out, Threads Radio, RoughHouse Theatre and playwright, Dougie Blaxland.

With the support of the Windrush Day Grant – the partners worked collaboratively to produce and broadcast a radio programme – N17 – to coincide with Black History Month. N17 celebrates the extraordinary contribution made to British society by descendants of the Windrush generation who settled and brought up their families in Tottenham.

Chloe and Kane conducted online interviews with a wide range of members of the Windrush community who were raised in Tottenham. Their stories were then edited together and broadcast via Threads Radio Station and social media to coincide with Black History Month in October 2020. Some of those interviewed included David Lammy MP, BAFTA-winning actress Letitia Wright and former England cricketer Mark Alleyne MBE.

The Hearts for the Arts Awards are an annual initiative by the National Campaign for the Arts, celebrating local authority and cultural trust arts champions and creative community projects. The judging panel included broadcaster Mariella Frostrup, comedian Frances Martinez and Paul Hartnoll of dance music duo Orbital. 

Councillor Mark Blake, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “This award is a testament to the amazing creativity and industry of our young people in Haringey. Congratulations to Chloe and Kane for their hard work on this project, which shines a light on the immense contribution of descendants of the Windrush generation to Tottenham life and culture.”

A national statistician has revealed this year’s UK census could be the last one ever to be carried out. The census, which has been conducted for almost 200 years, provides valuable population information to help councils and the government plan services. But Professor Sir Ian Diamond said he was hopeful that data from other sources could replace it.

He said: "The census is frankly as good as it is possible to get. Let's just see if we can get to a similar place, more quickly, using different strategies." Sir Ian said he was examining cheaper alternatives to the 10-yearly compulsory questionnaire delivered to every UK household.

Although the roots of census-taking in Britain can be traced back to the Domesday Book in 1086, it was not until 1801 that an official census was conducted, when the population of England, Scotland and Wales was recorded to be nine million. However, statisticians regard the 1841 census as the first modern census. It has stood the test of time - with more questions about the characteristics of each household member added over the years - but costs have ballooned.

The Office for National Statistics, which has responsibility for the census in England and Wales, said an estimated £906m would be spent next time - nearly double the figure for 2011. The censuses for Scotland and Northern Ireland, which are conducted at the same time, are administered separately.

Sir Ian acknowledged that costs had been rising, though he pointed out that a drive to get most people to complete next year's census online would allow resources to be targeted at those who were less likely to respond. The former University of Aberdeen vice-chancellor said his officials would undertake research, alongside the census, to find out if accurate information could be obtained via other means, such as the Ordnance Survey, GP lists, council tax records and driving licence details.

He said that such administrative data - combined with regular, large-scale population surveys - could provide better and more granular information in a cheaper and more timely way, though he said no decisions had been taken. “We would only move away from the census if we can replicate that richness of data," he said.

He added that the government would have the final say after the census results and research had been evaluated, in 2023. In a 2018 white paper, the government said its ambition was that other sources of data would be used after 2021, though it did not explicitly say that the census itself should be scrapped.

The Davis family from Bromsgrove who couldn’t be together this Valentine’s, won the chance to be part of a national photography competition that brought them together digitally, courtesy of OPPO.

Susan, Rebecca and Rhys Davis were remotely captured on their OPPO smartphones prizes, by acclaimed photographer, Pixie Levinson, as they cooked up a storm for Valentine’s Evening. Rebecca entered the OPPO competition, with a request to have a Valentine’s picture with her brother (Rhys), who missed her birthday because of lockdown, along with their Mother (Susan), who they hadn’t seen for over a year as she was high risk / shielding.

Research from smartphone brand OPPO revealed that Brits wanted time with friends and family (78%) this Valentine’s, compared to just 10% who said their partners as lockdown continued to keep our wider social circles socially distanced. Many Brits haven’t seen friends or family since Christmas, staying in touch via social media, video or phone calls and as a result, nearly half (49%) now feel more positive about technology now than before the pandemic.

In a series of quirky remote photoshoots with separated Brits from across the UK, Pixie digitally bought all kinds of couples together from friends, family members to long-distance lovers. Friendship was captured between best mates Katie, from Epsom and Shannon, from Banstead, as well as Matt and Alice (both from Plymouth) who have spent lockdown playing Call of Duty. 

Lockdown love was in the air between Grace from Kidderminster and Matthew from Liverpool, Alia from Rotherham and her boyfriend Hashim from Cheshire, as well as Joanna and Adrian (both based in London), who met in Warsaw seven years ago.  

Birmingham City Council has been awarded circa £4.5m as part of the second tranche of funding from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund; part of a £13m allocation to the West Midlands Combined Authority. An engagement programme with residents and businesses on how they would like to see the funding used in their communities is already underway.

Councillor Waseem Zaffar MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Birmingham City Council, said: “This second tranche of funding gives Birmingham a real opportunity to continue transforming our transport network, reduce air pollution, and provide our citizens with more opportunities for active travel. In the second half of 2020 we delivered a wide range of emergency transport measures to support walking, cycling, public transport and social distancing across the city.

“Working closely with our communities and key stakeholders, we will start to transition from a focus on the Emergency Transport Plan to the longer-term picture and progression of the Birmingham Transport Plan. We want to focus on supporting a green recovery and will seek community input at every stage, with future schemes being delivered throughout 2021.”

The Active Travel Fund supports the improvement of active travel (cycling and walking) provision and safety in towns and cities. Birmingham City Council recently completed an official review of the Emergency Active Travel measures that were delivered in 2020, with a report to be published shortly. The findings will help guide how some of the existing schemes will be developed, expanded on and/or, where appropriate, made more permanent.

The funding will also support some new active travel schemes, focussed on supporting a green, low carbon recovery (rather than being part of the emergency response). This will include pop-up cycle lanes, walking improvements in local centres, and further development of Places for People and the City Centre Segments scheme. The initial proposals will be developed through community engagement and delivered in the coming year.

Local residents have been invited to have their say with formal consultation on the proposals taking place later this year after lockdown restrictions have eased to ensure inclusive, meaningful engagement with communities and key stakeholders can be carried out. The plans support the Council’s vision for a cleaner, greener city – as set-out in its Route to Zero Action Plan, which was approved last month.

Virtual tours are to be offered at the state-of-the-art Springfields Independent Living facility in Ashby de la Zouch throughout the coming months, as the project delivered by national contractor Willmott Dixon nears completion. Due to complete in summer 2021, the £12.5m project is being created on behalf of emh care & support and will feature 65 one and two-bedroom apartments alongside communal areas such as a beauty salon, hairdressers and bistro.

Designed by BRP architects, the homes have been created to provide residents with an inclusive living environment. The apartments will be offered both on preference and individual care and support needs, with 50 available for rent and 15 for sale on a shared ownership basis. Due to the current national lockdown restrictions the scheme’s show homes are currently closed and face-to-face viewings are not able to go ahead as normal. To ensure tours can still take place Willmott Dixon is using its industry-leading 360 Matterport camera to enable emh care & support to welcome potential tenants and homeowners virtually to the new development. 

Michelle Cotterill, director (delivery) at Willmott Dixon, said: “Throughout the project, we have

been working closely with emh care & support to ensure we are creating a scheme that will make the local community proud. We are delighted that, as we near project completion, we have been able to continue supporting the customer with our innovative Matterport scanning cameras. Technology has played a major role throughout the whole development process, from the use of BIM in the design of the scheme, to the implementation of offsite manufacturing in the build process.” 

Situated at the heart of the National Forest, the development has taken inspiration from surrounding nature and history, producing apartments dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of its residents. All the apartments are completely self-contained and designed to allow wheelchairs and mobility aids to be used. The homes have been finished to the highest specification, ensuring residents can live in comfort in a spacious modern home.

The development also features a video door entry system, with each apartment also having access to its own secure entrance and fibre optic broadband. Once operational, the independent living facility will also have a dedicated team of staff available 24 hours a day, to support residents with flexible packages of care to suit individual needs. 

Jo Grainger, executive director at emh care & support said: “The way that we would usually connect with people to tell them about our new homes has had to change completely due to the local and national restrictions of the pandemic.  The use of technology available to us, and the flexibility and support from Wilmott Dixon throughout the project has meant that we have still been able to generate a lot of interest and applications for this amazing new facility.  We are now looking forward to an amazing opening and to welcoming people to their new homes.”

Michelle added: “Like the rest of the nation, the construction industry has been forced to find new ways of working throughout the pandemic. Therefore, I am particularly proud of our team’s ability to keep 100% of our sites operational throughout the numerous lockdowns – this has enabled us to continue our work providing much-needed high-quality housing for the community in Ashby, while also ensuring that residents can move into the development as soon as possible.”  

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) leaders have given the go ahead for the new £24 million Dudley Interchange. The approval of the full business case means work can now get underway on a new high-quality bus and tram interchange which will form a crucial part of the wider regeneration of Dudley town centre.

Built on the site of the existing bus station, it will link to the new Metro tram extension currently under construction by the Midland Metro Alliance between Wednesbury and Brierley Hill. Both projects are due to be completed in 2023. As the new images released today show passengers can expect comfortable waiting areas, the latest real time travel information, cycle parking facilities and a selection of retail units.

The seamless connectivity between bus, tram and, longer term, a planned Sprint bus service, will offer people improved links to jobs and leisure opportunities throughout the West Midlands – as well as offer visitors to Dudley town centre a comfortable and convenient alternative to the car. Investment in public transport is also key in supporting the region’s #WM2041 ambition to become   a carbon neutral region within the next 20 years.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the WMCA, is leading on the Interchange project in partnership with Dudley Council. The majority of the funding is coming from the region’s Transforming Cities Fund allocation, topped up with contributions from the council and WMCA.

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “Like other town centres Dudley has been hit hard in recent years, which is why the WMCA is putting its cash to good use to help revitalise the borough.

“Through helping to knock down the tombstone of Cavendish House to make way for the Portersfield development, to extending the Midland Metro through the town to Brierley Hill, we are committed to doing what we can to support the council in bringing their ambitious £1bn masterplan to life.”

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said:  “We are delivering a £1billion regeneration masterplan for Dudley borough and despite the restrictions caused by the pandemic Dudley town centre is currently a hive of exciting construction work.

“I welcome the confirmation of funding for the town’s Interchange, we have continued to drive forward plans to improve access to travel for the town and this impressive facility will help people to connect their bus, Metro and rail journeys. Our plans for Dudley town centre will revolutionise the education offer in our borough and create exciting new jobs and opportunities for local people, and transport will be a key component in making our vision a reality.”

Cllr Ian Ward, WMCA portfolio holder for transport and leader of Birmingham City Council added: “Across the West Midlands we are investing in our bus, rail, tram and cycling networks to grow our economy, offer a clean and convenient alternative to private cars and traffic congestion and improve the lives of millions of people.

“Dudley Interchange will act as a catalyst to the redevelopment of the town centre and support investment and jobs.”

The existing bus station was built in 1986 and is the oldest in the West Midlands. With 420,000 bus departures per year pre-pandemic it is also one of the busiest.

Key regeneration projects in Dudley town centre include:

·         The £450m Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension

·         The Portersfield development which is a proposed £82m mixed-use regeneration scheme which comprises of 12 acres of retail, entertainment, and student and residential accommodation on the former Cavendish House site – the demolition of which was funded by the WMCA

·         The new £31m Dudley Leisure Centre

·         The £28m Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre, supported by the WMCA

·         The £26.8m Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology

·         Improvements to both Dudley Zoo and the Black Country Living Museum

New research by social scientists at Birmingham City University will explore the impact of coronavirus on Muslims in Birmingham and community-led responses to the pandemic.

Academics Dr Damian Breen and Professor Imran Awan will research the effects of COVID-19 on Birmingham’s minority ethnic Muslim communities, particularly those of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian and black British backgrounds, whilst also researching the role of mosques and other community organisations in facilitating religious rituals and practices, such as deaths and burials.

The majority of the study’s funding (£130k) comes from UK Research and Innovation via the Economic and Social Research Council, which will see Breen and Awan develop toolkits for use across minority ethnic communities in Britain to provide strategies for responding to community needs in times of crisis.

“We’ll be examining how community organisations have provided support and offered interventions around impacts specific to Muslim communities within the context of COVID -19,” explained Breen, a senior lecturer at Birmingham City University’s School of Social Sciences.

“We’ll also be speaking to Muslim communities to explore perceptions around state responses, including access to healthcare during the pandemic and national strategies around vaccination.”

Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation, added: “We cannot ignore the social, cultural and economic factors that have shaped the experiences of BAME communities throughout the pandemic.

“Emerging evidence suggests that people from BAME backgrounds have experienced the hardest economic shocks. It’s crucial that we understand the depth and breadth of the impacts of these factors so that we can take action to alleviate the consequences for these communities.”

A special online question and answer session about the Covid-19 vaccine was held with health experts and faith leaders. Taking part were Dr Masood Ahmed, Chief Medical Officer with the Black Country & West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group, Madhu Patel from the Shree Ram Mandir in Walsall, Imaam Moulana Ibrahim, the Bishop of Lichfield the Rt Rev Dr Michael Ipgrave and Sikh speaker Gurdip Singh.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "This online session enabled the community to hear from NHS experts and local faith leaders about why they think people should make sure they get their jab when they are offered it.

"Sadly, there is a lot of misinformation and 'fake news' around the vaccine, so this was an opportunity for people across Wolverhampton and the wider region to ask any questions they have in relation to the vaccination programme.”

Mohammed Yasin, BAME Covid-19 Community Development Worker at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, helped to organise the event. He said: “We know that the current uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine amongst the BAME community is a lot lower than amongst others, so it’s really important that as a health and social care system we do everything we can to encourage this community to take up the vaccine when offered.

“This event was the perfect opportunity for people to understand more about the vaccine and its development and ask questions which will hopefully help to alleviate any concerns they might have.”

Latest figures show there were 305.9 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in Wolverhampton over the seven days to 6 February. That means 805 people in the city tested positive for the virus in that seven day period – though the true number of new cases will likely be considerably higher.

The usually bustling Chinatown was described as “quiet and empty" during what should have been the busiest time of the year as families prepared to welcome the New Year at home. The normally vibrant lion dances were missing as festivities moved online.

The Lunar New Year, which begins on Friday, is the biggest festival in the lunar calendar and it is when many extended families from east and South East Asian communities will come together. But this year, they stayed indoors, relying on video calls to meet loved ones.

Birmingham’s Chinatown businesses hope the year of the ox will bring back some kind of normality and prosperity, but many are not expecting much of an uplift in business during the start of the new year. Restaurateur James Wong says: “There’s nobody in Chinatown.”  

The owner of Chung Ying, the oldest Chinese restaurant in the city’s Southside district, believes his business is at just 30 percent of what it used to be before the pandemic, despite continuing as a takeaway. 

He said: “A lot of the Chinese aren’t coming out. For them, coming out to eat is a social experience. A lot of Chinese people who come over here, they already know how to cook.

“Last Chinese New Year, it was bad already. Because the pandemic just started, it caused a lot of panic within the Chinese community so not many people came out. It was a slow decline until lockdown, and we were left in a bit of a predicament.

“There was a lot of uncertainty. I’ve closed one of my restaurants in the financial district. It was just the fact that I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The New Year festival chair for Birmingham Southside planned a lion dance, singing and dancing videos from previous years, and newer videos from experts teaching calligraphy, painting and Chinese greetings. 

Mr Wong added: “We all knew it’s what it is. People understood the risk of the virus. We all want to make sure we can fight it.”

The National Literacy Trust in partnership with Birmingham Stories will be going live via Zoom to host an activity session for families as part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign. Host Grandpa Stick, a local storyteller, will be reading classic stories and carrying out chat, play and read activities.

The activity session will be going live via Zoom from 13:00 to 15:00 and is primarily aimed at parents, carers and early years’ settings with children aged 0-5. However, the invite is extended to all families who are welcome to dip in and out of the activities. All activities will be based on the themes of chat, play, read and sing and are designed for parents and carers to be able to follow along, in the comfort of their homes.

The activity session forms part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign, which is funded by the Department for Education and supported by the National Literacy Trust. This campaign provides families of children under five with lots of simple and fun activities to easily slot into their daily routines whilst building their child’s speech and language skills at home.

Dr Alasdair Flint, Programme Manager at the National Literacy Trust, said: “We are delighted to be working with Grandpa Stick to create a magical storytelling adventure for families in Birmingham. We hope that this event will bring families together and give them access to fun, engaging and educational activities, something which is needed and so important, now more than ever.”

Aman Dhanda, Hungry Little Minds Family Support and Quality Practice Manager in Birmingham, said: “This digital family activity session promises to have an exciting array of activities for young children to carry out in the comfort of their own homes. We are thrilled to have Grandpa Stick coming along to the session, and we cannot wait to see the joy it will bring to children’s homes.”

The National Literacy Trust in partnership with Birmingham Stories will go live on Wednesday 17 February at 13:00.

SCC has partnered with national children’s charity Molly Olly’s wishes in a 12-month sponsorship that will see Europe’s biggest independent IT solutions provider donate two ‘wishes’ per month.

Molly Olly’s Wishes supports children with life threatening or life limiting illnesses and their families to help with their emotional wellbeing. The charity grants individual wishes and donates therapeutic toys and books to both children directly and to hospitals throughout the UK.

Wishes are provided for children aged 0-18, for a gift, equipment or an experience which will help them cope through their dark days. Wishes average a value of £500 and can be for anything and everything from medical aids and equipment, toys, bedroom makeovers, outside play equipment and garden improvements, days out, shopping vouchers, electronic devices, arts and crafts, funds to help with transport costs etc.

SCC has long supported the charity, by participating in several charity-led initiatives since its launch, including sponsorship of its annual ball, and by raising thousands of pounds independently via employee contributions and volunteering days.

Under the new, formal sponsorship, Molly Olly’s Wishes becomes SCC’s official charity partner for the next 12 months, with SCC donating two wishes per month, nominated by SCC employees.

This is the latest and most significant charitable initiative by SCC, with the business having made a conscious effort in recent years to enhance its leading Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, which already sees SCC contribute hundreds of thousands of pounds in addition to volunteering hours for national and regional charity partners across the UK.

Mike Swain, SCC UK CEO, said: “We’re proud to launch this new partnership with Molly Olly’s Wishes – a wonderful charity that makes a tangible impact to the lives of unwell children and their families. SCC takes its responsibility to the communities in which it operates incredibly seriously, demonstrated by the long line of initiatives we’ve delivered.

“It is crucial that businesses like ours – one of the UK’s biggest private employers – to do all we can to give back and contribute positively to people’s lives alongside our normal business operations. I’m pleased to be involving all our staff in the sponsorship of two wishes per month for the next 12 months and helping Molly Olly’s Wishes carry out it’s amazing work.”

Trustee of Molly Olly’s Wishes, Rachel Ollerenshaw, said: “I’d like to thank SCC for partnering with us and agreeing to long-term sponsorship of wishes. We are passionate about what we do and rely on the kindness of others to help us support children and their families. We grant over 300 wishes per year to children based across the UK and SCC’s sponsorship will help us reach many more children and families who need help.”

An extra £3.5bn has been promised by ministers to remove unsafe cladding from high-rise buildings over 18m high in England at no cost to residents. Many thousands of flat-owners face huge bills for fire-safety improvements, brought in after 2017's Grenfell Tower fire when flames spread via combustible cladding, killing 72 people.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said it was the largest ever government investment in building safety. Labour said it was "too late for many". The £3.5bn comes on top of funding of £1.6bn that was announced for the removal of unsafe cladding last year.

Ministers have come under growing to increase the pot as leaseholders have been hit by building improvement costs and soaring insurance costs.

Some say they have effectively become trapped in their own homes - unable to sell until the work is carried out yet in danger of bankrupting themselves to meet the costs.

The Housing Secretary told the Commons leaseholders in high-rise buildings above 18m, or with six storeys or more, would face no costs for cladding works. He said the risk was "significantly lower" for lower-rise blocks of flats. However, where cladding needed to be removed, Mr Jenrick announced a long-term scheme to protect leaseholders which would mean no leaseholder would pay more than £50 a month for the removal of unsafe cladding.

He also said a new levy would be placed on future developments. “It cannot be right the costs fall solely on tax payers,” he said adding that the government would develop a levy targeted at developers seeking to build certain high-rise buildings in England. He added that a new tax for the UK residential property sector would be introduced from 2022, raising money to help pay for the removal of cladding.

The Threads Together Charity aims to draw the city’s diverse communities together to produce a unique piece of high-quality stitched art, to celebrate and commemorate the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

Due to Covid our planned visits to clubs, churches and community hubs to meet and talk about this project have changed and will be done virtually in various forms.

Through a simple questionnaire, already being distributed and available at www.threadstogether.org.uk, families and communities with connections to any of the 71 participating countries are invited to share their personal recollections and impressions of their home nation and their lives in Birmingham.

The Threads Together Charity’s experienced designer will translate this information into images to be colour printed onto fabric panels which, in turn, will be enhanced with decorativeembroidery.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Members of every community will be encouraged to “stitch their bit”.  They can be complete novices or an experienced stitcher, everyone is welcome to try. Those who are beginners and those with forgotten talents are especially welcome.

Following the Games, the panels will form a cultural trail across the City, ensuring the project’s longevity and worth, whilst illustrating the rich diverse history of Birmingham’s citizens.

For Further Details please see our website or

Contact Gill Gregory (Founder and Trustee).

Gerald McLaughlin (aka Canei) was born on 13 January 1957 in Fern District, Cambridge, Jamaica.  He was employed as a fireman at Montego Bay Fire Station, St James where he worked for many years.

On Wednesday 3 February 2021 his family in Jamaica and England received sad news.  After suffering an itchy throat which exacerbated underlying health problems, Gerald developed COVID and passed away in hospital.

Gerald leaves his fiancée, daughter Monique and  two young sons, brother Ian, sisters Elsie, Marcia, Maxine and Claudette as well as nieces, nephews, great nieces/nephews.  He was 64.