Community News

West Midlands faith groups have come together to show their solidarity with the UK’s Black community, following the recent tumultuous events around the world.

The region’s Faith Steering Group, which is convened by Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, has issued a statement of solidarity, calling on all organisations in the region to commit to building an inclusive community.

This was unanimously agreed at the group’s latest online meeting which focused on the theme of community cohesion.

The joint statement of the Faith Steering Group and the Mayor says:“The Mayor and Faith Steering Group are united in offering our support and solidarity to the Black community in the UK. Black Lives Matter, and our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have experienced inequality as well as those who are protesting peacefully.

“Our diversity in the West Midlands is one of our most powerful assets. Our faith communities are made up by people of all races and ethnicities, and we are made stronger by the connections between us. This has been evident throughout the Covid-19 crisis, when people of all faiths and backgrounds have come together to support their communities.

“It is more important than ever that we work together for a fairer and more inclusive future. We must make sure that everyone in the West Midlands has equal access to opportunities and the same chance to succeed in life. We must rebuild an inclusive collective community where everyone respects and values each other.

“We believe that now is the time for action. We ask for all organisations to work with their colleagues, members and customers to review their practices and to commit to making improvements. We must all work to create meaningful opportunities for change.

“Together, we must stand up and reinforce the principles of equality, social justice and compassion and move forward into a fairer future.”

In 2018 the Mayor launched the Faith Action Plan to form the basis for strong collaboration between the Mayor’s office, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the region’s faith groups.

The Faith Steering Group webinars have been held regularly since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown to share information, advice and support among religious groups across the West Midlands.

Sandwell Children’s Trust have launched an innovative new campaign to recruit foster carers, following on from the success of their online ‘Lockdown Stories’ from foster carers, telling of their fostering experiences during the Covid-19 lockdown, which have reached over 20,000 people on Twitter.
 
The ‘Superheroes’ campaign can be seen in more than 50 poster sites all across Sandwell as well as appearing on video screens outside local supermarkets around the borough, featuring comic book super hero figures commissioned for the campaign.
 
As Frances Craven, Chief Executive of Sandwell Children’s Trust explains: "Here at Sandwell Children’s Trust, we are passionate about improving the lives of the children and families that we work with every day. 

"We understand the importance of providing stable, secure and loving homes for children and young people who can’t live at home and we can’t thank our current foster carers enough for the amazing things they do.  
 
"But, we need more special people to become foster carers for us. So, we are proud to launch our brand-new foster carer marketing campaign. Our foster carers are true ‘superheroes’ and we know that there are many more people out there who could be too!  If you or anyone you know has ever thought about becoming a foster carer, please get in touch with us."
 
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the work of foster carers, who have carried on every day, providing safe, stable, loving homes for children, as we have all had to change the ways we live and work and appeal to more people to take up the challenge and become foster carers for Sandwell.
 
Or, as Frances Craven puts it: "Learning to support children with home-schooling, becoming proficient at virtual meetings with social workers and helping the children they look after to come to terms with life under lockdown. 

"These are just some of the challenges our foster carers have risen to and just like all the other care workers who have looked after us through this difficult time, we think they are all super heroes.  Now we just want a few more people to step forward and join us."
 
The Sandwell Children’s Trust ‘Superheroes’ campaign is on display across Sandwell for the next two weeks.  

Over 100 cats from across Birmingham are celebrating being settled in new homes as a result of Cats Protection’s new contactless homing scheme.
 
Birmingham Adoption Centre was one of the first of the charity’s centres to take part in the new Hands-Free Homing scheme which has formed part of Cats Protection’s response to lockdown restrictions and the impact on its ability to safely home cats. Since the trial began at the end of April the Hollywood centre has homed 103 cats through the new contactless approach to homing.
 
Informed by government guidelines, the scheme sees photos, videos and descriptions of cats available to rehome posted on the centre’s website www.cats.org.uk/birmingham/adopt-a-cat. Much like online dating, if a match is made virtually, a meet-up via phone or video call is arranged by staffs from the centre who then confirm suitability with a simple welfare questionnaire and series of checks. Once the adoption fee has been paid, the cat will be delivered to its new home by Cats Protection staff, with social distancing rules strictly observed at all times.
 
Cats available to rehome are all neutered, vaccinated and micro chipped. A special aftercare package with Hands-Free Homing includes follow-up calls in the first weeks to ensure that the cat and new owner are both happy.
 
Ginger-and-white Tommy, who is around five-years-old, was one of the first cats to be homed from the centre under the new scheme after he had spent almost a year living as a stray before being rescued.
 
Adopter Dawn Smith from Wednesbury happily welcomed Tommy into her home and introduced him to her other cat, Daisy Belle. It wasn’t long before Tommy had made himself part of the family.  Dawn says: “Tommy is well and truly settled in with me and Daisy Belle. His favourite toy is a brown furry rat that he likes to throw around and ‘kill’ before needing a lie down from all his exertion. He also likes to be brushed and is sparkling white and ginger now, having lost the excess oil in his coat from living outside.
 
“Tommy has also accepted his cat-cousins who live next door and calls round to visit and hang out in their garden, hoovering up their food if he gets the chance. He’s a gorgeous boy with a big personality and now I have two beautiful munchkins and couldn’t have chosen better.”
 
Alison Dickenson, Adoption Centre Manager, says: “We’re thrilled to have passed the 100-cats milestone with Hands-Free Homing.  It was particularly difficult when lockdown started knowing there were cats needing homes and potential new families waiting but no way to link them.  Now we have the best of both worlds; it keeps everyone safe and suitably distanced while ensuring cats move to their new homes as quickly as possible once a match is made.”
 
The centre has a number of cats currently waiting for adoption including one-year-old black-and-white Dezzy who has been at the centre recuperating after a tough start in life. He was found by a group of teenagers as a very young stray living by a stream, covered in mud, hungry, struggling with multiple infections, including MRSA and cat flu.  Now healthy and negative for both, he may have symptom flares at times when he is run down so needs an understanding owner who can help him come out of his shell and learn to enjoy life after his difficult kittenhood.
 

Foreign Secretary Raab criticised over comparing Black Lives Matter to Game of Thrones

As Dominic Raab scored his massive political ‘own goal’ over his comments about "taking the knee" it followed news which came out about a frightened Black nurse who was pulled over by police who drove in front of her in a "hard stop" operation.

She says she was targeted because of her race.

The Foreign Secretary said that the gesture of ‘taking a knee’ by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) campaigners "seems to be taken from TV drama Game of Thrones”. He also said it "feels to me like a symbol of subjugation, subordination, rather than one of liberation", but the act didn't feel like a symbol of "emancipation" but added "I understand people feel differently about it so it's a matter of personal choice."

Asked if he would take the knee himself Raab said that he would only take the knee for two people, "the Queen and the Mrs when I asked her to marry me".

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Raab was "probably already living to regret his words.

"It wasn't a very wise thing to say". Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy described his comments as "insulting" and "deeply embarrassing".

His stance on Black Lives Matter came as news came out about how police officers stopped Neomi Bennett in 2019 because, they said, her front windows were tinted too dark.

She was convicted of obstructing a police officer, but prosecutors later decided not to challenge her appeal.

Ms Bennett, who invented the Neo-slip device to help patients with deep vein thrombosis and was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to nursing, is now taking legal action.

The Metropolitan Police said it was "assessing a complaint in relation to this incident".

The 47-year-old said: "When the police approached me, I think my experience as a Black person is very different to that of a white person and the fear it invokes is tremendous.

"I can't even describe the fear that I experienced on that night."

She said that the officers carried out a hard stop, meaning they pulled a car up in front of her to box her in - in April 2019 - and she refused to get out of the vehicle.

She added that the manner in which she was pulled over "scared the life out of her” and, had they taken a different approach, she might have got out of her car, but instead opted to stay inside.

At first the nurse, from London, thought it was "some kind of hijack" because she could only see an officer in plain clothing. She added: "I believe I was racially profiled and certainly don't think this would have happened if I were white."

Neomi added that this was an example of what a "disproportionate number of black British citizens" have to go through.

Earlier this month, Labour leader Starmer was photographed taking the knee with his Deputy Angela Rayner.

Dominic Raab later sought to clarify his remarks tweeting: "To be clear: I have full respect for the Black Lives Matter movement, and the issues driving them.”

In marking the third anniversary, survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire inferno tragedy, which killed a recorded 72 people, have said that “nothing has changed” three years after the disaster.

Those who escaped from the tower block in west London said that they felt “left behind” and “disgusted” by a lack of progress in making other buildings safe.

Some 246 buildings still have Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding.

Churches across the city of London rang their bells 72 times to mark the number of those who died.

The Grenfell blaze – the biggest domestic inferno since World War II – started as a small fire in a kitchen in one of the flats, before it spread to engulf the whole tower block at an alarming speed.

A Parliamentary commission warned that cladding similar to that which was at the cemtre of the spread of the flames could cost up to £15bn to remove nationwide.

On the third anniversary of the fire and with commemoration services online, survivors and relatives also expressed disbelief that a public inquiry had yet to conclude.

Hearings into the Grenfell disaster were paused in March due to the coronavirus pandemic and are due to restart on July 6.

Campaign group Grenfell United – which was set up in the wake of the tragedy – organised a series of events, including online commemorations and a silent march was held to honour the victims. Also, a video message from international superstar singer Adele, who visited the site almost immediately after the fire, was played to a virtual service.

She said: “Even though we’re having to do this in the virtual world, online, 2020 Zoom life as it is, it is still so important for us to mourn together, and for us to remember that night and to reflect on it and to also reflect on where we are now.

“And, to also celebrate the lives that were lived before they were sadly taken away on that night”.

At 22:30 BST, people across the UK were asked to shine a bright green light from their screens to show solidarity with the bereaved and the survivors.

A virtual service was held and was hosted by the Bishop of Kensington.

Recruitment targeted at people from Black, Asian and Multi Ethnic (BAME) background could “change the face of the West Midlands Police force, bosses have said.

West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson said that 1,000 BAME officers will be recruited over the next three years.

He said that the force, currently 11% BAME, should reflect an area where about 30% of people are BAME.

Recent anti-racism demonstrations have highlighted issues between police in the UK and the BAME community.

Following Black Lives Matter protesters recently gathering outside the West Midlands Police headquarters, in Birmingham, the force is being investigated over the high number of complaints made relating to the over-excessive force it uses against Black men.

Asked, why, after nearly six years in office, he chose now to announce his commitment Jamieson said that cuts to police had prohibited large-scale recruitment.

Now, with funding for 20,000 police officers from the Home Office, he said: “We have got a much better opportunity to make a real change”.

Chair of West Midlands Police’s Black and Asian Federation, Karen Geddes, said that it was a positive statement.

“It’s a good number to put out there, I’d like to see how”, she said. “How is he going to do that, what is the strategy behind it, what are we going to do if we don’t achieve it?”

Being the second biggest force in England, West Midlands Police has 6,495 officers.

The 1,000 new BAME officers will be among 2,750 recruits which, after replacing those leaving the force, will mean 1,200 new police officers.

Sandwell Council is inviting applications from local businesses for a new COVID-19 support grant.
 
The council in the West Midlands has £3.362m from the government’s Discretionary Business Grant Fund to allocate to local businesses.
 
This funding is specifically to support small and micro businesses with high fixed property costs which are not eligible for the other Small Business and Retail, Hospitality & Leisure support grant schemes.
 
Because it is a discretionary scheme, the criteria used to determine which businesses will get a grant is set by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy and a panel of council officers and local business experts.
 
Businesses should apply via the council’s online form:

my.sandwell.gov.uk/service/Local_Authority_Discretionary_Business_Support_Grant
 
If they meet the eligibility criteria, their application will be assessed by the panel.
 
Users will need a MySandwell account and be logged in to complete the form.
 
The fund is cash-limited, so grants will be given out on a ‘first come first served’ basis, we therefore urge businesses to get their applications in as soon as possible.
 
Sandwell Council has designed a local scheme with specific criteria which will help identify and prioritise which companies will be likely to receive the available funding.
 
Councillor Wasim Ali, Sandwell Council Deputy Leader, said: “We want to use this fund to help as many Sandwell businesses as we can and I would urge anyone who thinks they may be eligible for this grant to look on the website as soon as possible.
 
“We are mindful that the funding is limited, which could mean demand is higher than availability – so do get your applications in early.”
 
Small businesses are defined as:

Having a turnover of no more than £10.2m
Having a balance sheet total of no more than £5.1m
Employing no more than 50 people

Micro businesses are defined as:

Having a turnover of no more than £632,000
Having a balance sheet total of no more than £316,000
Employing no more than 10 people

Further information regarding this grant funding is available on the Think Sandwell website www.thinksandwell.com/contact/ or via e-mail at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Church of England has said that a ruling by one of its diocesan courts that an Irish epitaph must have an English translation “does not reflect” its national policy.

Caroline Newey’s mother is buried in grounds owed by St Giles’ Church, Exhall, near Coventry.

She wanted the headstone inscription to read; (“In our hearts forever”).

But a judge ruled that it may be seen “as a political statement”.

Margret Keane died suddenly two years ago, survived by her husband Bernie.

Both had been born in the Republic of Ireland, but made their lives in the UK.

The family said that it had been battling for two years to have the gravestone of their choice at the Meadows in Ash Green, in Coventry.

In his judgment for the consistory court of the Dioceses of Coventry, Judge Stephen Eyre QC, found that there was “a sad risk that the phase would be regarded as some form of slogan” and would be “unintelligible to all but a small minority of readers”.

In this instance, the church said that would be the Arches Court of Canterbury.

The statement said that the Irish language has played a central role in the advancement of Christianity in England.

It said: “The Irish language is an important part of the heritage of the Church of England.

“It was, after all, Irish speaking monks in Lindisfarne and beyond who played a central role in establishing the Church in what is now England”.

Mrs Keane’s family said that both she and her husband were proud of their Irish heritage and had been active in the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) – Ireland’s largest sporting organisation.

Alongside the Irish inscription on the gravestone, they also wanted to include a Celtic Cross and the GAA emblem.

Initially, the parochial church council of St Giles supported the proposed memorial by a vote of six to five with seven abstentions, but noted that there were no comparable stones in the graveyard.

The Diocesan Advisory Committee did not recommend approval.

Caroline Newey accepted a compromise that the Celtic Cross could be inscribed on the stone, rather than being carved out of it.

However, there was no agreement on the Irish inscription.

 Pedestrians, who are believed to be anti-racism demonstrators, blocked the M6 motorway following a protest in Coventry, in the West Midlands.

Police said that a group of people walked between Junctions 3 and 2, in Warwickshire, which led to the closure of the road there.

It came on the day of a series of demonstrations which have been sparked by the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, by police officers in Minneapolis, in the US.

Also, about 1,000 people gathered in Wolverhampton to air their grievances at a Black Lives Matter protest there.

Meanwhile, in Bristol, a statue of a slave trader was torn down by protesters, and thrown into the harbour during a second day of anti-racism and police murders that is still carried out in the UK.

It follows demonstrations that took place in Edinburgh, Belfast, London, Cornwall, and other parts of Britain over the weekend.

A senior Imam has made the advised that mosques should not open until they can hold congregational prayers, despite UL government plans for places of worship.

The government is expected to announce that churches, mosques and synagogues in England can open their doors for private prayer from June 15.

But as mosques are primarily for congregational prayers, Muslim leaders have warned that the plans do lack clarity.

Imam Qari Asim said that opening them would “cause far more challenges”.

Full services and weddings will still be banned under the present measures, which Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to outline to the Cabinet.

In Northern Ireland, private worships are already allowed, whilst in Scotland and Wales, those practises are not allowed to be carried out.

As chair of the Mosque & Imams National Advisory Board, Imam Asim called on mosques and some other places of worship not to reopen until it is safe to do so and they are able to hold congregational prayers.

He said: “The fundamental difference between mosques and some other places of worship is that mosques are first and foremost used for congregational prayers.

“Individual prayers can be carried out anywhere, primarily at home. Accordingly, opening mosques on June 15 will cause more challenges, for mosques and imams, as the expectations from the community will be to the safety of everyone”.

A mural situated in a prominent spot in the Black Country, in the West Midlands, has been spotted with the artwork paying tribute to Captain Sir Thomas Moore who raised more than £30m for the NHS as well as a tribute to the armed forces and the heroic efforts of the National Health Service..

Based in Rowley Regis, it is painted on wall which belongs to Brookfleet taxis and The Little Beech pub, both owned by local couple Richard Wade and Mandy Wade. 
 
Their daughter, Kiera Wade is the licensee of The Little Beech pub and commissioned the artwork. She said: "We took the pub on last September and worked really hard, not just on the interior of the pub but to clear the wasteland that was located in front where the mural now stands. 
 
"We wanted something eye-catching and to lift the spirits of the locals in these difficult times. 
 
"Our children were so excited about the idea, they donated some of their pocket money to buy paints for the mural.
 
"We are blessed to have the talented Lynsey Marshall do such a wonderful job and we hope it will be admired for many years to come by the people of Blackheath."
 
Local tattoo artist Lynsey Marshall and her son Jasper worked on the mural in the evenings to avoid curious passers-by. She said: “When I was asked to do the mural, I couldn’t turn it down. It’s a subject close to my heart and I really did enjoy painting it with help from my son Jasper.”
 
Councillor Danny Millard is very impressed at the difference the mural has made to his home town of Blackheath. He said: “This is a fantastic artwork which has really brightened up a corner of Blackheath that was in a bit of a mess before.
 
“This mural has made such a difference and given us something in Blackheath that we can all be really proud of.”   

As tears continue to reverberate, worldwide, UKs second city demands ‘justice and peace’

The cry of “I Can’t Breathe” was the ‘soundtrack’ as thousands upon thousands of people converged onto Birmingham’s Chamberlain Square to pay the homage to the murdered George Floyd – as well as the vast number of similar cases that have taken place in custody, in police stations in the West Midlands.

With a figure well in excess of the mentioned 5,000 at its height, this prelude to the memorial in honour of George Floyd, the largest outside London, had to be moved from its original Victoria Square because of the numbers that organisers were anticipated with all who turned out – those being Black, White, Asian and others from the multi-cultural UK, men women and children - added to what was a well underestimated total.

With it being the largest demonstration ever seen in the region, every ‘Man-Jack’ of this immensely mass crowd craved for change in their lives here in Britain today..

And as the cries of “Black Lives Matter” and “No Justice, No Peace” bellowed beyond what felt like the length and breadth of the city’s well-worn Broad Street,

As George Floyd died under a policeman’s knee in Minneapolis, in the US, that too-regular occurrence proved one too many for the world to ignore.

The demonstration was a truly significant step forward after decades of similarly brutal deaths carried out by rogue officers.

This was a ‘game-changer’ as Birmingham’s young and out – though mainly young – became one massively loud voice against very-precedentedly racially motivated police interventions, too many of which go unrecorded.

With that in mind, and with messages made clear, the crowd then snaked their way throughout the city centre streets to then gather outside the West Midlands Police’s Lloyd House headquarters, for eight minutes and forty-six seconds, to again voice their disgust at the murder in the US and the likewise incidences in their region.

The 8mins 46secs representing the length of time the ex-police officer Derek Chauvin forced his knee on 29-year-old Floyd’s neck – aided and abetted by the other three officers on the scene.

In a star-studded memorial in America, Baptist Minister and Civil Rights Activist Reverend Al Sharpton said; “George died of a regular American malfunction”.

"When you see people gathering and marching throughout the UK, in Canada, Germany, France, Australia, Israel and Spain, among other countries around the world, it proved that it’s a different time – a different season.

Making a barbed comment about President Trump’s photo opportunity, taken after the murder; and the inflammatory remarks he made, Rev. Sharpton said: “Don’t use the Bible as a prop.

“It’s time for a change - It’s time for you to get your ‘knee off our neck’ so we can flourish”.

That was the very plea which reverberated around Chamberlain Square - some six thousand miles away.

But very relevant in the UK today.

The Home Secretary in the UK has announced that more than £360,000 has been paid out in compensation as part of the ongoing work to right the wrongs experienced by the Windrush generation,.
 
Figures published by the Home Office show that a total of 60 claimants received payments through the Windrush Compensation Scheme within its first year.
 
The scheme, which has been operational since April 2019, continues to make payments on a weekly basis.
 
In the same period, the Home Office has additionally made offers of approximately £280,000 in compensation through the scheme. Once the offers are accepted by the applicants, the payments will be made.
 
The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said: “By listening to feedback from community leaders and those affected, we have begun to put right the wrongs caused to a generation who have contributed so much to our country.

“The Windrush Compensation Scheme has been developed to ease the burden from the unacceptable mistreatment some have faced, which is why it is so important that people continue to come forward.”
 
The payments made under the scheme vary, depending on the facts of the case, with one payment in excess of £100,000. Many payments made so far are interim payments, which means people will likely receive more at a later date.
 
While the scheme is making good progress and continues to process claims as quickly as possible, the Home Office is committed to getting more people to come forward and claim.
 
That is why the Commonwealth Citizens’ Taskforce and the Windrush Compensation Scheme are running a series of online engagement events, to ensure those affected continue to come forward and claim.
 
Alongside these events, the department continues to work closely with communities and individuals to listen to feedback on the scheme and to ensure claims are resolved as quickly as possible. Each case is personal, with careful consideration given to the specific circumstances in every claim.
 
As announced by the Home Secretary in March, it will shortly launch a separate £500k fund for grassroots organisations to promote the Windrush Schemes and provide advice services. The department will work with stakeholders to co-design the fund.
 
The outstanding offers of compensation had yet to be accepted by claimants or were going through a review so could not be included in the £362,996 paid out.
 
All those who have applied to the compensation scheme are then contacted by the Home Office and case workers work closely with claimants to process the claims as quickly as possible.
 
The Home Office continues its work to right the wrongs experienced by the Windrush generation, which is shown by the fact that over 12,000 people have been provided with documentation confirming their status so far.
 
In order for a payment to be made, an individual must first accept the offer made. As part of the scheme, anyone unhappy with their offer can request a free internal review. If they still do not agree with the outcome, the claimant can request a further review the Independent Adjudicator.
 
The Home Secretary extended the Windrush Compensation Scheme to 2 April 2023 to give more people time to claim.
 
To make the scheme more flexible to those who have suffered losses, the mitigation policy – the criteria by which financial settlements are made – has been amended to take a wider range of circumstances into account.
 
This change means people are no longer have to show they took immediate steps to resolve their immigration status, instead, simply that they tried to contact the Home Office or sought advice at any time.
 
Citizens Advice, funded by the Home Office, are continuing to provide free, independent claimant assistance during the pandemic for those wishing to apply to the Compensation Scheme. This can be accessed by referral through the Windrush Helpline: 0800 678 1925.
 
The Wendy Williams Lessons Learned review was published in March 2020. The Home Secretary made clear in her statement to the House of Commons on the day of publication that the department will carefully consider the detail of the report and its recommendations to develop a comprehensive plan for changing the ways of working of the Home Office.
 

With temperatures continuing to soar, Severn Trent is reminding people to stay safe and keep out of the water at all times across its visitor sites.

The company is urging visitors to resist the temptation to cool down in the water, as it could easily end in tragedy.

Dominic Robinson, Visitor Experience Lead at Severn Trent says: “We want everyone to safely enjoy this lovely weather we’re having, which is why it’s so important that people keep safe and stay out of the water at our visitor sites.

“Some of our sites are still closed, but regardless if the site is open or not, no one should ever be going into the water as it’s just so dangerous.”

Severn Trent, the UK’s second biggest water company, has recently reopened some of its smaller visitor sites, after closing to help limit the spread of coronavirus and says larger sites will open only when safe to do so in the coming weeks.

The company says that since the opening of some sites, it’s already had to stop people from jumping in the water who were looking to cool off.

“Although our reservoirs look tempting and the ideal way to cool down, the fact is they’re extremely dangerous. On the surface they look calm and steady, but underneath the water is extremely deep with incredibly strong currents, that even the most experienced swimmer would struggle to swim in.”

Severn Trent also advises visitors to be keep away from the water due to the naturally occurring blue-algae that forms on open water, especially in hot weather. Every site has clear signs about its dangers, so even more reason for people to keep themselves, and even dogs away from the water.

The company say all its reservoirs are built with the sole purpose of supplying water to its customers across its entire region, and not for swimming.

“Not only are our reservoirs really deep, they’re also extremely cold,” adds Dominic “If you go into any of our reservoirs, you will in no doubt end up in serious trouble, and unlike beaches and swimming pools – there are no lifeguards to help you, so please don’t attempt it.”

Following new guidance from the Government, Birmingham City Council has increased the number of mourners allowed to attend funerals from six to 16.

During the Covid crisis, Birmingham City Council has closely followed government and public health guidance around social distancing measures.

With new guidance issued allowing for more social interaction between different households, Birmingham City Council has been able to review its policies including its approach to bereavement services and the number of people allowed at funerals.

Councillor Sharon Thompson, Cabinet Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods said: “We fully understand the stress and anxiety caused by minimising the number of people allowed to attend the funeral of a loved one. Therefore, I am pleased to say that after fully reviewing our processes, we can now safely increase that number to 16. This is a first step in getting us back on track and allowing families to grieve in a way that they would wish.”

The council has also seen a steady reduction in the number of funerals taking place across the city. This means, with fewer graves being needed to be dug in advance, more people are able to stand around a graveside while maintaining a 2m social distance. This has been a key factor in allowing the change to take effect and which have be introduced since Monday June 1
. 
Cllr Thompson continued, “While we have increased the number of mourners, we are continuing to constantly review the situation. Should we see local restrictions introduced by the government, this may need to again change to reflect the measures needed to keep our residents safe.”

In addition, the opening hours of cemeteries and crematoria will also be reviewed with a decision expected next week.

National Trust says it will phase reopening of gardens and parklands in England and Northern Ireland with advance booking needed to limit numbers and maintain public safety

The National Trust has announced that it has begun a phased reopening of its gardens and parklands in England and Northern Ireland with advance bookings needed to limit visitor numbers and maintain public safety.
 
The announcement comes after the UK government updated its advice on ticketed garden venues on May 23, confirming that people in England can now visit gardens and land maintained for public use. And in Northern Ireland, the Executive permitted the reopening of outdoor spaces as part of step one in its Pathway to Recovery Plan.
 
The Trust has now begun a phased and gradual reopening of a small number of its gardens and parklands in England and Northern Ireland. Over the coming weeks more places will begin reopening. People will be able to book their tickets in advance on property web pages.

They will be free for Trust members, and other visitors will pay an admission fee.
 
In the Midlands, the gardens and parklands reopening to those who have booked tickets in advance are: Attingham Park in Shropshire; Hardwick and Calke Abbey in Derbyshire; Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire and Belton House in Lincolnshire.
 
All the Trust’s houses, shops, holiday cottages and campsites remain closed in line with government guidelines.
 
All car parks and properties in Wales remain closed in line with Welsh Government guidance.
 
The charity will begin to reopen gardens and open spaces in England and Northern Ireland where social distancing can be observed, and will open to around a third of their normal capacity at any one time. Visitors arriving at reopening properties by car will be asked to show pre-booked tickets through their vehicle window before parking. Those arriving on foot will have bookings checked by a small team of staff who will adhere to social distancing.
 
Most of the Trust’s countryside and coastal car parks are now open, but car parks with a risk of high demand may need to be closed, and some may need to be booked in advance. Visitors are asked to check property web pages before travelling to see what is open and what needs to be booked. All admission to gardens and parklands will be by pre-booked ticket only.
 
Director General Hilary McGrady said: “We want to provide safe, local, welcoming spaces for people, and wherever possible we will open our gardens and parks, and coast and countryside car parks.
 
“The fresh air, bird song, big skies and open spaces people have missed will be there, but things will be very different, particularly at first. We want to thank people for their patience and support while we gradually begin reopening and welcoming our visitors.”
 
The booking system will be available on individual property web pages via www.nationaltrust.org.uk.
 
The charity is also urging visitors to limit how many visits they book, to stay local if they can and to avoid busy hot-spots.
 
Signs at properties and information ahead of visits will advise visitors how to stay safe during their visit and routes will be marked out.
 
Hilary McGrady said: “I am so thankful that our members and supporters have stood by us as we work through these unprecedented times. We know they desperately want to return to our places, and we need their support to do our vital conservation work to look after the coastline, countryside, rivers and properties in our care.
 
“Like so many other organisations, the Trust has been badly affected by the coronavirus lockdown, not least our vital conservation work and our finances. Reopening is the first phase of our recovery, and we need our members and supporters to help us make this gradual transition a success so we can get back to offering nature, beauty and history for everyone.”
 
The latest information and updates on which places and facilities are opened can be found on individual property web pages, and all visitors are urged to check online before planning a visit.

The ticket booking system is also available at www.nationaltrust.org.uk