Community News

A sculpture that honours the work carried out by NHS and care workers has been revealed in a park in the West Midlands.

The four-metre tall structure made from steel and other metals is of a winged medical worker and stands bright and gleaming in Lightwood Park, in Bearwood, in Smethwick.

The temporary structure – which bears the inscription ‘Thank You NHS and Care Workers’ and privately funded - was created by local artist, Luke Perry, at his factory and he worked alongside his local Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council to get it installed.

Of his creation, a proud Perry said: “I, like many other people, have friends and family members who owe their lives to the NHS. So, I just wanted to create a piece of public art that captures the huge public outpouring of thanks to our health and care workers during these troubled times.

“The structure also serves as a monument those who have lost their lives whilst fighting the coronavirus pandemic on the frontline. It’s a reminder of how important and vital that the NHS, key workers and everyone fighting this ‘was’ is.

Sandwell Council leader Councillor Yvonne Davies said: “This structure is a wonderful, visual symbol of the gratitude that we all feel to our NHS and care workers.

“I would like to thank Luke for creating this this inspirational piece of public art.

“We hope that when our medical and social care workers see the sculpture when driving to and from work along Hagley Road, that it would be a reminder of how much they mean to us and how much we appreciate them”.

A Birmingham city councillor has said that the UK government should hold a full public inquiry into the disproportionate number of coronavirus deaths in the Black, Asian and Multi-Ethnic (BAME) communities.

Councillor Paulette Hamilton, the city council’s Member for Health and Social Care, has demanded that an urgent public inquiry is needed, as a private inquiry would not go far enough.

The City Councillor for the Holyhead Ward, Cllr Hamilton, made the statement after reports came out which highlighted that the death rate of people from Black Caribbean African and Asian background, and because of the Covid-19 virus, in a British hospital stood at over two and a half times more than that of the indigenous white population.

The statement comes as Professor Chris Whitty, the government’s Chief Medical Officer, has commissioned PHE (Public Health England) to conduct a review into the health records following the deaths of people from a BAME background.

Based on the Inquiries Act of 2005, Cllr Hamilton said: “I am asking for a public inquiry – not something that is held privately.

“There are questions that the community are asking, which are simple. And deserve simple honest answers.

“We are going through one of the toughest times ever – and it is the disproportionality of the most vulnerable that has been most prominent in those who have suffered the most.

“As a politician, I would say that the government has been learning as they go along.

“If there’ve been found to be making mistakes, I do think that they should be held accountable for their actions.

“This is people’s lives that we are dealing with”.

Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, said: “All death caused by the virus is tragic. And every behind every statistic there’s a name – and a family that will never be the same again.

“As part of our efforts to reduce health inequalities, PHE is considering a variety of factors – which includes ethnicity – and how they may have impacted on people’s susceptibility to the virus.

“It’s a hugely complex task, but we owe it to the nation to find out it is affecting different groups, in different ways”.

Susan Hopkins, Deputy Director of the National Infection Service at PHE said: “Differences in the proportion of cases between ethnic groups can be due to multiple reasons, such as the difference in age and sex distribution, as well as the differences in the prevalence of co-morbidities, or where people live”.

The government has announced that it has put aside £30 million to keep trams and metro trains running for key workers for a further 12 weeks.

Millions of pounds have been lost due to the coronavirus lockdown.

But the Mayor of Greater, Andy Burnham, has said that the money was not enough.

The funding is split between Midlands Metro Nottingham Express Trains, Tyne and Wear Metro, Sheffield Supertram and Manchester Metrolink systems.

UK Tram’s Manager, James Hammett, said: There has been difficult times in securing a deal because of the different contractual obligations under which networks operate.

A DfT spokesperson added: “We are aware of the challenges faced by transport operators and continue to work closely with the sector and transport authorities to ensure that passengers can make essential journey”.

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said that protecting transport was “vital”.

A true champion of the city, Birmingham lost a leader of men, women and children with the passing of a city legend, Ken Brown.

A council stalwart, he was known to go above and beyond in his pursuit of making his beloved inner city, in particular, and the greater, wider city safe, secure an prosperous for all who live there.

A keen footballer, he, along with his brother; Tony an Keith, was heavily touted to be a prominent and successful football from an early age, but, true to his eternal mind-set, when his ream was not going to bear fruit, his attention immediately turned to making sure that his family, friends and neighbours can nurture from the knowledge, integrity and commitment to the cause for good that was his raison d’etre.

His love for the game in particular, and sports at large, would work to his advantage as he would then use it as a platform to engage with school children as he used his love and knowledge gained as the perfect caveat to develop teachings with local pupils when working in schools and children’s centres.

Hugely supportive of all that is good in his Handsworth area, in the city, Ken was often seen at major events that took place in the city – from cultural and music festivals – especially those that takes place in his own Handsworth Park and Asian-led gala parades in the district’s streets, to inter-school, and international ‘star-laden’ athletics event at his nearby Alexander Stadium, in Perry Barr.

Deservedly described as a ‘true pillar of the community’, on his passing, Lozells Police (a neighbouring district of Handsworth) was just one of many who took to Twitter to pay tribute when he tweeted; ‘Really sorry to hear this’.

‘Ken really cared about the community he worked for and was an absolute pleasure to work with.

‘Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends’.

A father-of-three, Ken was 56.

The Mayor of Sandwell Borough, in the West Midlands, Councillor Dr Ann Jaron, has joined the thousands of former NHS staff who are returning to service in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cllr Jaron previously practised as a GP at the Sherwood House Medical Centre, which is just over the Sandwell border, in Edgbaston, in Birmingham, for over 30 years.

She stepped down, as a partner, from the practise last summer in order for her to focus, full-on, on her Mayoral duties during 2019 and 2020.

“I always wanted to go back in to medicine”, Cllr Jaron said, “in some capacity following my year as a Mayor.

“With the current situation being very difficult and extremely challenging for everyone, I decided to volunteer now to see what I could do to support my NHS colleagues during the current pandemic.

“I will be working with a GPs’ surgery, which is what I know best, supporting patients in our local area”.

The national medical director for NHS England, Professor Stephen Powis, confirmed that the number of former NHS professionals who have volunteered now stood at more than 15,000.

Cllr Jaron added that Sandwell Council was working extremely hard to support their residents who need help and urged them to look at the council’s website for the most up-to-date information about its services.

He was one of the ‘forgotten soldiers’ who served in the Far East.

As the majority of attention was being drawn towards gruelling, often tragic, battles in Europe and Africa, Captain Tom Moore was confronted by even harsher challenges fighting the Japanese rear-guard, in Burma, during World War II.

Some 75 years on and, approaching his 100th birthday, Cpt. Tom was at the fore again as, with walking-frame at hand, he raised well over £30 million for NHS charities, who are at the forefront in the UK in the global ‘war’ against the pandemic that is coronavirus, by walking 100 lengths of his garden in Marston Moretaine, in Bedfordshire.

A lot has happened to the war veteran since attention was first drawn to him.

He was meant to raise £1,000 – but that rose to an extraordinary £30m on his birthday – and still rising – he reached No.1 in the pop charts with his duet with Michael Ball, with their rendition of ‘Walk On’ (he became the oldest person to reach No.1), he was mad an honorary Colonel of the British Army, an honorary member of the England cricket team and, to top-of birthday celebrations, there was that memorable RAF Battle of Britain flypast as a Spitfire and Hurricane flew over his home.

And, of course, he, in reaching 100-years-old, received a telegraph from The Queen – not to take away the 130,000 plus birthday card he received from all over the world.

Colonel. Tom said: “It is extraordinary to turn 100, especially with this many well-wishers.

“Reaching 100 is quite something. With so much interest in me and the generosity from so many people is quite overwhelming.

The NHS, key workers and the UK at large ‘doft their collective caps to Colonel Tom Moore, because, as the ‘fight’ sees no immediate end, as a true hero said himself; “Tomorrow will be a better day”.

It will be a lot better if it was ‘Sir Tom Moore’?

This year’s Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show will be held virtually for the first time after it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 virus crisis.

The world famous event has taken place at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, in London, every year since 1913, apart from during World War I and World War II.

It was called off in March due to the lockdown but the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) will host free content including garden tours on its website.

The charity said that it hoped that it would “inspire more people to get growing”.

Celebrity gardener, Alan Titchmarch MBE DL, HonFSE, has been down that particular road after he shared a virtual tour of his private garden, at his family home in Hampshire.

To mark fifty years in gardening, forty years in broadcasting and seventy years of himself – on this planet Earth – the gardening journalist, poet, TV presenter and novelist took the opportunity to do so as he lends his on-going support for the National Garden Scheme’s campaign to keep its garden gates ‘virtually’ open and to continue raising funds for virtual nurseries and health charities during the Covid-19 crisis

“Whatever is going on in the world”, he said, “every spring is a new beginning, a chance for gardens to start anew, to realize just how important the garden is as a way of expressing ourselves artistically and a way of keeping in touch with nature – the one constant in an ever-changing and often frightening world.

“Our gardens are the ultimate reality – created by man with the help of nature they offer us an anchor in time of turmoil, never more so than now”.

The face of gardening in the UK, he was the lead presenter of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for BBC television for 30 years – from 1983 to 2013, as well as Gardeners’ World and, along with Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh, fronted Ground Force.

One of the abiding memories for him and them would be when they did a make-over of the late Nelson Mandela’s garden.

Keen to see parks in the UK open and garden centres reopen, he said: “I is totally heartbreakingly sad to see an industry that is being brought to its knees with the perishability and seasonality of plants means that an estimated £200 million of seasonal plants will have to be scrapped.

“To be able to get out gardening and growing things is a massive part of our physical and mental health and well-being”.

This year’s ‘virtual’ RHS Chelsea Flower Show is on from May 18 to 23.
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The government’s chief medical advisor, Professor Chris Whitty, has said that the UK will have to live with some disruptive social measures for at least the rest of the year.

He said: “It was wholly unrealistic to expect that live would suddenly return to normal any time soon”.

He also said: “In the long run the ideal way out would be via a highly effective vaccine or drugs to treat the disease”.

But he also warned that the chance of having those within the next calendar year was “incredibly small”.

According to a new survey, people are said to be turning to reading books to help through the coronavirus lockdown, with board games also proving to be an ideal distraction.

The survey, carried out by The Reading Agency, shows figures compiled suggesting that 31% of people are reading more books in the UK since its lockdown restrictions were put in place.

Carried out to mark World Book Night, it highlighted that more people are reading fiction, with classics and crime novels proving to be very popular.

Almost half (45%) of the young people – aged 18-24 – who were asked said that they were reading more than they had been before.

Debbie Hick, from The Reading Agency, said that this will bring individual, families and friends together to connect a nation during self-isolation.

She said: “This year’s World Book Night celebrations prove the perfect opportunity to showcase the proven power of reading to connect people”.

With far more people today regularly turning to online games - families who are spending much more time together, during the lockdown, are also turning to board games to be just the thing to bring all factions of any family to enjoy their time together better.

Games like Monopoly Cluedo and Snakes & Ladders are become as popular, today, as back in its hay day to get everybody involved.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak has announced a £750m package to help to keep struggling charities afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The move follows concerns that some charities in the UK are facing major difficulties – including, in many cases collapse – with income in the sector vastly shrinking as the frontline shops being enforced to close during the lockdown.

The move by Sunak follows growing concerns that some charities are facing collapse, with income shrinking considerably.

Larger charities, such as Age UK and Oxfam, have been forced to furlough two-thirds of their staff.

The measures involve cash grants which will go direct to charities that are providing key services during the crisis.

As part of the scheme, £360m will be allocated to those charities with another £370m will go to small local charities; including those who are delivering food and essential medicines whilst also providing financial advice.

Sunak said that the government could not match every pound of spending that the 170,000 charities in the UK would be likely to receive this year.

He did, however, say: “The government want to help the charities that were on the ‘frontline’ of the fight against coronavirus.

“To shut up shot at this moment would contravene their very porpose”.

A senior West Midlands Police (WMP) officer was back at his home after leaving Worcestershire Royal Hospital following him undergoing intensive care treatment (ICT).

Chief Superintendent Phil Dolby fell ill back in March before he was taken to Worcester Royal Hospital in an ambulance after his symptoms began to get increasingly worse.

He said that he had suffered “frightening episodes of breathlessness and dizziness.”

Following 13 days spent on a ventilator, he was discharged and reunited with his family.
In a tweet, Dolby, who is in charge of the force’s criminal justice service, said: that he had received “a lovely send-off” from NHS staff.

He also posted a video showing the surroundings of his isolation ward when he was first admitted to hospital.

Ch. Superintendent Dolby also said that he “cried like a girl” when he was allowed to see visitors through a window.

There is a great opportunity to do a great walking tour of Birmingham city centre without breaking any coronavirus social distancing regulations.

A new virtual walking tour of Birmingham city centre is now available to book from the Visit Birmingham tourism site. The only ‘experience’ you can still do in Birmingham during the coronavirus lock down and now with free tickets for everyone while the Covid-19 lock-down is in place!

The tours have been produced by Positively Birmingham walking tours, who have had to cancel all their real tours of the city due to the Coronavirus lock-down.  This first tour explores central squares in the city and looks at the history of Birmingham as well as the present day city.

Speaking of the new virtual tour Jonathan Berg, partner at Positively Birmingham Walking tours says: “We had to cancel a lot of pre-bookings for tours in coming months just as our city centre walking tours were really taking off. We were given an award at the West Midlands Tourism Awards one week and had closed up the shop just 10 days later! So, with no real tours to run we had plenty of time to invest in the idea of a self-guided walk – which is also a fantastic walk to do as a virtual tour of the city from the safety of your own home”.

Positively Birmingham walking tours are based on the bestselling book ‘Positively Birmingham’. The walking tours recently won an award at 2020 West Midlands Tourism Awards.

To find out more, check the Visit Birmingham website.

The UK government have said that it does not expect to make any changes to the coronavirus lockdown restrictions this week.

The Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, said that the UK’s plan “is working”, but that “we are still not past the peak of the virus”.

He added: “Keep this up, we have come too far, loved too many loved ones and sacrificed too much to ease up”.

It came as the government said it might change its advice on using face masks.

As the coronavirus pandemic is affecting everybody, every day, it has come to pass that one particular major festival has become yet another worldly event that has had to be cancelled.

The plug has been pulled on the coming Sikh Vaisakhi festival amid the pandemic that shows no sign of stopping any time soon.

The celebrations to mark what one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar have been cancelled, or postponed, because of the coronavirus crisis.

Vaisakhi, the ancient festival which commemorates the creation of the Khalsa, a collective body of initiated Sikhs.

The religious celebrations have seen streets in towns and cities around the world with people – men, women and children – from all corners of the globe gather to be part of the usually mass celebrations.

Gurdwaras, however, have found a way to take Vaisakhi into people’s homes.

With self-isolation paramount and people are forced to stay at home, this year’s religious worship has been moved to an online-led festival.

Virtual worship included prayers direct from the Golden Temple in Amristar with a digital mass.

Vaisakhi is a time dedicated to celebrate community spirit and forward-thinking as well as practicing spiritual and physical integration.

In England, the biggest celebrations usually take place in London, Birmingham and Leicester.

In what is said to be her first Easter message, Her Royal Highness The Queen said; “We need Easter”.

“Coronaavirus will not overcome us”, she continued.

While celebrations this year wound being very difficult for so many people this year, Her Royal Highness said: “We need Easer as much as ever”.
Referencing the tradition of lighting candles to mark the occasion, she said: “As as death can be – particularly those suffering with grief – light and life are greater”.

It comes as the number of people to die from coronavirus in the UK hospitals reached 9,875.

Speaking from Windsor Castle, Her Royal Highness made referents of many religions having festivals celebrations of light overcoming darkness which often features the lighting of candles.

This Easter speech comes a week after her special speech to rally her commonwealth during the Covid-17 pandemic.

She said: “They seem to speak to every culture, and appeal to people of all faiths, and none.

“They are lit on birthday cakes and to mark family anniversaries, which we gather happily around a source of light.

“It unites us.

As head of the Church of England, she continues: “As the darkness fall today, just before Easter Day, many Christians will light a candle together.

“In churches, one light will pass to another, spreading slowly and then more rapidly as more candles are lit.

“It’s a way of showing how the good news of Christ’s resurrection has been passed on from the first Easter by every nation until now”.

Wishing everyone, of all faiths and denominations, a blessed Easter, she said; “May the living flame of the Easter hope be a steady guide as we face the future”.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh 

In these times of self-isolation and social distancing we must pray; we must pray alone and also find new ways of using technology to pray together. We are seeing Gurudwaras, Mosques, Churches, Temples, Synagogues and even people’s homes being used as makeshift sacred broadcasting studios. Whilst we may be physically isolated, we should remain spiritually connected in prayer and remembrance. As Sikhs we are compelled to be always optimistic and in the current climate we would encourage all to be positive where possible and be there for each other.

Today, humanity faces an imposing array of global issues. A pandemic, economic meltdown, abject poverty, food scarcity, political upheavals, social and societal challenges, oppression, apathy, extremism, terrorism and exploitation are all driving a climate of uncertainty and fear. With schools and workplaces closed and UK charities stretched to their limits in ways that are akin to humanitarian projects in the developing world, April this year is very different to previous years.

During these challenging times we must remember all those on the frontline who are serving humanity and those who have lost their lives or lost loved ones to the pandemic. The frontline workers are demonstrating enormous strength of character and values; despite the tsunami upon them, they bravely serve all.  Let us express gratitude to the government, to healthcare staff, volunteers and key workers in all areas who are helping to combat the coronavirus outbreak.

On the 30th March 1699, 321 years ago, a unique model of a good human being was created.  This model was enshrined in the order of Khalsa, with the Panj Kakaar (5Ks) and the Dastar (turban) marking its distinct identity.  The Khalsa’s birth was on Vaisakhi day, the first day of the month of Vaisakh, which coincides with the blossoming and rejuvenation of nature in spring. The Khalsa was established to set free the human spirit, to bring about a rebirth through a spiritual re-kindling which would ignite in people’s hearts and minds the virtues of utter humility, compassion, forgiveness, steadfastness, selflessness, altruism, truth, commitment, contentment and love.

The Khalsa was to embody Guru Nanak’s message, that peace-building starts with establishing peace within ourselves.  To establish such peace, we need to live in a state of constant connection with God.  Our spiritual disconnection spells death and destruction.  ‘Akha jeeva visray mar jao, akhan aukha sacha naa…’  – one is only truly alive and awakened when one is connected and attuned to the Infinite Creator.  The Khalsa embodies a commitment to lead a God-conscious life and to serve creation.

To the faithful, Vaisakhi, is a time of great religious significance, to inspire and to build up faith, to widen our orbit of human relationships and to foster virtues and values which enrich human lives.  It is a time for turning a new leaf, for being spiritually reborn, by taking the Khalsa initiation known as amrit sanchar.    It is also a time for joyous celebrations, reflections and resolutions, a time for expressing gratitude, a time to commit to being benevolent and ever-ready to make sacrifices, as well as a time for exercising an abundance of compassion, forgiveness and love for all. All of this should enable us to engage and deal with life and society with renewed depth of character, wisdom, courage and vision.

May Vaisakhi inspire us to dream of – and make possible – a better world, which is one of the greatest challenges of our time.  May it remind us too that, whilst strength may come with power, only love – which touches human hearts and minds – gives true authority.  May we better understand that it is not holding on to power that it important.  More important is the way that power can be lovingly exercised to discover that in diversity there is unity and that in unity there is strength.  As humanity now faces an unprecedented common threat, may we firmly realise that together, we all have a shared responsibility.  May we remain hopeful, knowing that, in our global village, we have unprecedented opportunities to share knowledge and ingenuity for the common good.

Finally, at Vaisakhi, I am impelled to remind myself and my brethren that we need to be authentic Sikhs and discard hypocrisy.  We need to reflect upon the primary goal of life, not just the desire for wellbeing, for pleasures and individual freedoms alone.  We need to realise more than ever that we are all inter-dependent and interconnected.  It helps us to remember that, from a spiritual perspective, we are not alone in managing our lives – ‘Guru mere sang sada hai nalay’   – for the Guru is always with us, by our side, continuously there to help, guide and direct us.  As the Guru’s Sikhs, we are required to serve the Creator and God’s entire creation to the best of our ability.  Let us wish happiness, prosperity, success and peace to all people of this world without exception:

‘Nanak naam chardi kala, tere bhaanay sarbat da bhalla.’

May the qualities and characteristics of the first Sikh Vaisakhi resonate within our human minds today in the 21st century, individually and collectively, for the universal good of all.

Bhai Sahib, Bhai Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia OBE KSG 

Spiritual Leader & Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha