Community News

Smokers in Birmingham who make the switch to vaping are saving money, feel healthier and see benefits to their social lives according to a new study published today.

The study, conducted by OnePoll, shows that smokers who switch to vaping say that the best things for them about making the switch are that they feel healthier (45%), have more money (45%) and more confident in social circles (21%).

Vapers are saving on average £235 per year by making the switch. While some are using the money to put into savings (25%) and towards holidays (34%), Birmingham vapers are most likely to have to use the money to pay for basic essentials like household groceries (37%) or to put it towards paying bills (28%).

The survey findings were revealed at the launch of VApril, a month-long education campaign, fronted by TV’s Dr Christian Jessen to encourage smokers to make the switch to vaping.

John Dunne a director of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), which commissioned the research and organises VApril, said: “There are still almost 7million smokers in the UK that are yet to see the benefits of switching on to vaping. The vapers that we have spoken to would not look back after making the switch and would overwhelmingly recommend switching to vaping to other smokers too. “That’s why we are running the VApril campaign, to educate smokers about the benefits they can see from vaping. We’re also hoping to educate the wider public about the differences between vaping and smoking so that they can provide vapers with the support to make the switch.”

Launching the campaign, Dr Christian, famous for his work on Channel 4’s ‘Embarrassing bodies’, said: “There are now more than three million vapers in the UK who have made that life changing decision to switch from smoking. As today’s study shows, there are whole raft of benefits to making the switch, not just on smokers’ health but financial and social benefits too. But yet, according to Public Health England, an incredible 40% of smokers have never even tried vaping.

He added: “We’re in danger of missing out on the huge public health prize of a smoke-free society if the medical profession doesn’t start encouraging smokers to take up vaping. Vaping has so far helped 3.2m vapers either quit or reduce smoking, saving the NHS billions in treating those with smoking related health conditions.

“There is a growing bank of evidence which shows it can reduce smoking relating harm and yet despite that, more than half of hospitals across the UK ban vaping on their grounds. It’s time we were consistent and gave clear advice to smokers to help combat the misinformation they are all too often bombarded with about vaping.”

Two-thirds of vapers (66%) said that they never thought they would quit smoking until vaping came along, with many having tried a variety of other nicotine replacement tools like patches (39%) and gum (40%).

Vaper Craig Hibbert, who is backing the VApril campaign said: “I started smoking at about 18 and up until five years ago I smoked 20 small cigars a day. I switched to vaping as part of a health programme and haven’t looked back. I remember saying to my mother in law that very soon after switching I could inhale for the first time and fill my lungs with air.

“Now my son and his girlfriend are making the switch from smoking to vaping too, because they’ve seen the benefits that it’s given me. I really would encourage smokers to think about making the switch to vaping, and during VApril is a great time to do it because of the extra support that’s available, especially in the West Midlands.”

Smokers who want to make the switch as part of the VApril campaign, should go to www.vapril.org and download the ‘Switch on to Vaping’ guide, that has been developed by vapers, for smokers, thanks to the independent charity the New Nicotine Alliance.

Kipping on the coach could get a whole lot more comfortable with the launch of luxury travel suites by National Express.

The UK’s largest coach operator will be trialling their new NXSleep suites this summer to allow travellers to really stretch out and fully rest on route to their destination.

NXSleep offers customers the option to upgrade from a regular seat for a relaxing and quiet hideaway on board the coach, complete with a king size bed, soundproof walls, complimentary snacks and soft drinks, and the latest in technology to enjoy music, film and TV or play games whilst travelling.

The new option will utilise part of the existing luggage hold and will initially be rolled out on the 591 long distance service between Edinburgh and London in May. Customer feedback and demand will then be used to decide what other routes to add, and make any necessary changes to the suites.

Chris Hardy, Managing Director at National Express, said: “This is a very exciting development for us.

"34 per cent of our customers travel for over three hours at a time, with many of them opting to travel in the evening and late at night. We want them to be able to relax and unwind during their travel and believe the NXSleep suite is the perfect solution to offer the next level in comfort.

"We will be closely monitoring the outcome of the trial with a view to introducing the NXSleep suites to more services as early as the Autumn."

For more information about National Express visit www.NationalExpress.com 

As the clocks went forward and the nation celebrated the start of spring, research has found that almost three quarters of West Midlands residents are literal victims of daylight robbery.

A surprising 72% spend most of the daylight hours inside, whilst over a third (34%) of the region confessed to spending less than one hour outside on a typical weekday. The research which was conducted by SunVit-D3 found that factors such as socialising (21%) and looking after the kids (16%) played a pivotal role in why those from the West Midlands are choosing to hibernate.

However, it’s not just a busy social and family life that is keeping residents from the great outdoors. More than a quarter (26%) said their daily commute to work affected how much time they could spend outside each day and once at work, things don’t improve.

Over half of those from the West Midlands (58%) spend no more than ten minutes outside on their lunch break, with just a mere 2% taking advantage of the full hour available to them and heading out. Perhaps this is because a quarter (25%) have too much work to spend time away from their desk.

With over half (53%) finding a lack of daylight depressing, it’s no surprise that this is having more than just a physical effect. With sunlight exposure generating the most of our Vitamin D intake* - an essential for healthy bones and muscles – a lack of daylight can also have a big impact on our mental health.

Richard Allen from SunVit-D3 said: “It is surprising how few of us are taking advantage of getting outside and embracing the many benefits we can experience from just being out in the fresh air and daylight. With the clocks going forwards and us all welcoming a little more sunshine in our lives, we need to start getting outdoors more.”

SunVit-D3 Limited is a rapidly growing company devoted to Vitamin D3 supplementation with scientific documentation. The company's products are manufactured in the UK according to GMP principles and guidelines to ensure their customers products are of a high quality. 

TUC analysis published today (Monday) of official poverty and employment figures has found that working age poverty in the West Midlands has barely fallen since 2010/11, despite regional unemployment falling significantly.

The proportion of working age people living in poverty was 24% in 2010/11, and 22% in 2017/18, according to today’s new figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The poor progress comes despite unemployment in the West Midlands falling from 9.5% in 2011 to 4.8% in 2018.

TUC Regional Secretary for the West Midlands Lee Barron said:

“Thousands of people in the West Midlands are working hard, but still locked in poverty – that’s not right.

“The system is broken, with low pay, insecure work and the benefits freeze trapping families below the breadline.

“We need to redesign the economy to make it fair again. People inthe West Midlands need more control over their working lives and a fairer share of the wealth they create.

“That means banning shady practices like zero-hours contracts and raising the minimum wage to £10 an hour. And it means giving all working people the freedom to have a union in their workplace to negotiate fair pay and conditions.”

MPs have rejected the withdrawal agreement - part of the Brexit deal negotiated between the UK and the EU.

This follows two previous rejections of the whole deal. So what happens next?

On 1 April MPs will hold a second day of so-called indicative votes where they consider different Brexit options.

Supporters of the process will be hoping for a different outcome from the first round. On 27 March none of the proposals that were put forward achieved a majority.

If the Commons does get behind an alternative Brexit plan, then attention will focus on the government's response.

If it cannot, then the future will again be very uncertain. There could be a further delay to Brexit which would mean the UK taking part in EU Parliament elections in May.

European Council President Donald Tusk has announced a summit for 10 April.

Beyond that, though, there are still many possibilities.

1. No deal

As things stand a no-deal Brexit would happen on 12 April in the absence of any other decisions.

It could also still happen at a later date if any further extension fails to lift the deadlock.

2. Leave the EU on the PM's deal

For one thing, it would potentially enable an early exit from a long extension.

Also, if MPs repeatedly fail to come up with an alternative plan they might in the end decide to back the one deal on the table rather than any of the other alternative possibilities.

3. Major renegotiation

This wouldn't be a question of carrying out minor tweaks and having a further vote.

Instead, there could be a complete renegotiation that would take some time. It would require a further delay to Brexit and the UK would have to take part in the European Parliament elections in May.

A renegotiation could lead towards one of the other styles of deal that have been suggested - perhaps something close to the so-called "Norway model" which would involve a closer relationship with the EU than the current deal proposes.

If the EU refused to re-enter negotiations, the government would have to plump for one of the other options instead.

4. Another referendum

It could have the same status as the 2016 referendum, which was legally non-binding and advisory. But some MPs want to hold a binding referendum where the result would automatically take effect - like with the 2011 referendum on changing the voting system for UK general elections.

Either way, a referendum can't just happen automatically. The rules for referendums are set out in a law called the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

There would have to be a new piece of legislation to make a referendum happen and to determine the rules, such as who would be allowed to vote.

It couldn't be rushed through, because there has to be time for the Electoral Commission to consider and advise on the referendum question.

The question is then defined in the legislation.

Once the legislation has been passed, the referendum couldn't happen immediately either. There would have to be a statutory "referendum period" before the vote takes place.

Experts at University College London's Constitution Unit suggest that the minimum time for all of the required steps above is about 22 weeks.

5. Call a general election

She doesn't have the power just to call an election. But, as in 2017, she could ask MPs to vote for an early election under the terms of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act.

Two-thirds of all MPs would need to support the move. The earliest date for the election would be 25 working days later but it could be after that - the prime minister would choose the precise date.

6. Another no-confidence vote

Under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011, UK general elections are only supposed to happen every five years. The next one is due in 2022.

But a vote of no confidence lets MPs vote on whether they want the government to continue. The motion must be worded: "That this House has no confidence in Her Majesty's Government."

If a majority of MPs vote for the motion then it starts a 14-day countdown.

If during that time the current government or any other alternative government cannot win a new vote of confidence, then an early general election would be called.

That election cannot happen for at least 25 working days.

7. No Brexit

With the government still committed to Brexit, it's very likely that a major event such as a further referendum or change of government would have to happen before such a move.

However, any further delay to Brexit would certainly lead to questions about whether the ultimate destination was going to be a reversal of the 2016 referendum.

It's not totally clear what the process would be. But an act of Parliament calling for Article 50 to be revoked would probably be sufficient.

Other possibilities

Theresa May has said she will step down if her deal is passed.

Having already survived a challenge to her leadership, there is no way she can be forced out by her party until December - under the Conservative Party rules.

But she could still choose to resign if she can't get her deal through and she's not prepared to change course.

That would trigger a Conservative leadership campaign which would result in the appointment of a new prime minister.

She might also come under pressure to resign if MPs pass a "censure motion" - that would be a bit like a no-confidence vote but without the same automatic consequences. Again this could lead to a change in prime minister or even a change in government.

Whoever ended up in charge would still face the same basic range of Brexit options though.

Members of the public will have the opportunity to quiz Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street in Castle Vale next week.

The Mayor will be holding his latest ‘Ask Andy’ public session at Castle Vale Stadium, Farnborough Road, Castle Vale Birmingham on Thursday April 4 from 6.45pm to 7.45pm.

He said: “This is your chance to ask me about the progress we are making as a region in strengthening communities by transforming transport, homes, employment and skills.

“These are exciting times for the West Midlands and I want as many people as possible to be there at Castle Vale Stadium.

“I’m keen to hear about what matters to local residents and the wider West Midlands community, so that we can continue to work together to improve people’s lives.”

Five local community groups are set to have their inspiring work spotlighted on ITV Central West as they compete for a crucial share of £3 million in National Lottery funding.

The five have all been shortlisted as part of this year’s The People’s Projects – a partnership between The National Lottery Community Fund and ITV, which gives the public a unique say in where National Lottery money should go in their local area.

All five will have the opportunity to showcase their work on prime time TV as they go head to head in a public vote to help them make an extraordinary difference to their community.

Now in its 14^th year, The People’s Projects celebrates some of the incredible projects The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players to communities across the UK, has supported over the past year.

In total, 95 community-based groups are now shortlisted across the UK. In each region, the three with the most public votes will receive grants of up to £50,000. This will help them to continue their work to bring people together, build stronger communities and make a difference to people’s lives. The entire amount up for grabs across the UK is a life-changing £3 million.

Voting opens at 9am on tomorrow - April 1 - at www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk.

Details of the shortlisted projects:

ITV Central West regional evening news will feature the projects at 6pm over five nights, starting on April 1 when Coventry Community Heritage Café by Coventry Priory will be featured. If successful, this community group will receive £47,000 to develop a community space, where people can come together to meet new friends and celebrate the local area. People of all ages will be encouraged to build relationships at a ‘happiness café’, walk and talk events, craft activities and story-telling sessions, helping to reduce isolation.

On Tuesday it will be the turn of Growing Together by The Crafty Gardener in Wolverhampton. They hope to receive £44,250 to extend a fruit and vegetable garden and develop a community café. People with learning disabilities, autism and mental health problems will deliver the project, where they will meet new friends and learn life skills. A wider range of food will be grown reflecting the local diverse community and training on food safety, nutrition and cooking within a budget will be funded.

Wednesday it will be Help A Squaddie Veterans Support by Help A Squaddie in Rugeley. They are competing for £48,400 to improve the lives of veterans and their families. Support sessions will be provided to help tackle issues, such as social anxiety, and teach new skills, including budgeting and CV writing, which brings veterans and their families together to meet new people and share experiences. Therapeutic activities will also be on offer such as fishing and gardening.

Thursday’s programme will feature Ovarian Cancer Support by Ovacome, which hopes to receive £49,420. This community group wants to use the funds to provide community support hubs in Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield and Dudley for people affected by ovarian cancer across the West Midlands. Women diagnosed with the disease, as well as their families, will be provided with support groups and information. This will reduce isolation by bringing families together and raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer.

The final project to be shown on Friday will be Wyred and Creative by Kidderminster & District Youth Trust. If successful, they will receive £48,698 to bring people together to create a community space for activities they want to see such as cheerleading, dancing, drama sessions and an arts festival. The space will be available for a range of different groups to use including young people, older people, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, and people with disabilities or dementia.

ITV’s Good Morning Britain Political Editor and presenter, Ranvir Singh, said: “The People’s Projects is an exciting opportunity for you to make a real difference to your community. We are showcasing some fantastic shortlisted projects across ITV Central West this week. All you have to do to get involved is tune in and vote for your favourite project!”

Joe Ferns, UK Funding Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “As the largest funder of community activity in the UK, we are proud to support groups that are led by the vision, determination and drive of local people to strengthen communities. In previous years we have seen a wide range of successful projects, from a café supporting young carers to animal-assisted therapy for people living with dementia and the development of a bee-friendly orchard. The People’s Projects is a chance for you to have your say on how National Lottery funding can help your community to thrive.”

Since 2005 around £42 million has been awarded through this partnership to 960 good causes across the UK.  

Voting closes at noon on Monday 15 April 2019. People can vote once per region and will need an email address or mobile phone number to vote.

UK charity Action for M.E. is looking for confident, professional, and interested in advocacy workers to make the most of their skills as a professional volunteer advocate.

They need assertive, IT-literate volunteers in the Midlands or South West, with good communication skills and the ability to understand detailed information; professional advocacy experience welcome.

Action for M.E.’s new free regional advocacy service stands up for the rights of all of their clients with M.E. on a range of issues to ensure their voices are heard in situations that affect them.

Many people with M.E. struggle to access appropriate care and support; one in four is house and/or bed-bound. They may mean being left out of decisions which are relevant to them, and which they have a right to be involved in.

One of their first clients, Sally, has recently been diagnosed with M.E. Having run her own business and worked full time, she found herself in a situation where she had to apply for benefits and get some support for managing her M.E. 

Her GP was sympathetic but didn’t seem to know a lot about the condition and Sally’s family and friends have been struggling to understand its impact. 

With support from Action for M.E.’s free advocacy service, Sally now feels more confident communicating with professionals, better informed about her rights and entitlements, and less isolated. 

She said: ‘‘Accessing the Action for M.E. advocacy service has given me more confidence to ask for the right support from my GP and to explain my condition to my family and friends, I felt supported and no longer on my own.” 

As a volunteer, you’ll get:

·        Access to free online and face-to-face training support, guidance and supervision from experienced advocates

·        Online peer-support from other volunteers

·        Out-of-pocket expenses (subject to completing training)

·        Valuable experience empowering and supporting vulnerable people, in a range of settings, to access support around employment, education, healthcare, social care and family.

Action for M.E. is asking for an initial commitment of two hours a week for six months, subject to careful shortlisting (with references and DBS check) to ensure you’re right for the role, and vice versa.

For further information visit: www.actionforme.org.uk/volunteer to find out more.

Action for M.E.is recruiting now until 14 April 2019.

Iridium Medical Practice has been recognised for Excellence in Primary Care, after being presented with a certificate by Yardley MP Jess Phillips.

The MP was contacted by a delighted patient, leading to her nominating Iridium Medical Practice for an NHS70 Parliamentary Award last year.

Staff at the practice, based at Richmond Primary Care Centre, in Bordesley Green East, Stetchford, Birmingham, were delighted to receive their certificate marking their nomination as an official NHS70 Parliamentary Awards nominee in the category of Excellence in Primary Care at a presentation last week.

Dr Rizwan Alidina, a partner at the practice, said: “We are delighted to have received this recognition as a nominee for an NHS70 Parliamentary Award for Excellence in Primary Care.

“It is fantastic news that one of our patients contacted Jess to talk about the great care they have received, which led to this presentation.”

Scientists are urging the public to help them investigate why the population of toads in the UK is declining.

Habitat destruction, road deaths, pollution and pesticides are all suspected to be factors which have led to dwindling numbers nationally.

Members of the public are now being asked to act as 'wildlife detectives' and collect mouth swabs from live toads or 'toe tips' from those killed on roads.

The call is part of a research project that has just started at the University of Wolverhampton, in partnership with Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) and the University of Salford.

It is hoped that the project will shed light on to the reasons for the decline and enable positive conservation action to take place in the future.

Dr Simon Maddock, Lecturer in Conservation Genetics at the University of Wolverhampton, said: "Common toads (Bufo bufo) are declining across many parts of the UK, especially in England. We are unsure about the reasons for this, although factors could include destruction of habitat, road mortality, disease, pollution and pesticides.  We know in some populations they have declined in huge numbers and the project will further investigate the causes and consequences of these declines."

Dr John Wilkinson, ARC’s Regional, Training and Science Programmes Manager, who is a supervisor for the PhD, said: “We will use DNA samples to look at how genetic diversity in toad populations may have changed over time or by area, how this may be affecting some populations in the modern landscape, and how declines might be addressed through conservation."

The PhD candidate, Rémi Martin, who will be working on the toad decline project, added “we are really interested in having as many people from across the UK helping to collect genetic samples as possible. These genetic samples can be in the form of ‘toe-tips’ from toads killed on roads or buccal ­̶ mouth ̶ swabs from live toads. If people want to get involved then they should email us and we will send out a sampling pack”

People interested in taking part should contact Rémi Martin (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Simon Maddock (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).  Full protocols and sampling kits will be provided to assist volunteers with their work.

The project will compare genetic, morphological, population and environmental data to investigate geographic structuring, genetic diversity through time and the impacts of environmental change on toad populations.

As a partner in the MiFriendly Cities project, ‘MigrationWork’ has invited West Midlands residents born outside the UK to come up with ideas for projects that will benefit the community and local residents – migrants and non-migrants alike.  Successful pitches will receive up to £5,000 funding and consultancy support from MigrationWork specialists to get their ideas off the ground.

An inspiring range of pitches for grassroots community projects will be made to a panel of ‘friendly dragons’ at a special Pitch Day event tomorrow (Saturday March 30), at The Studio in Cannon Street, Birmingham between 12.30pm and 4.30pm.

The panel will hear pitches from 17 community groups and individuals, shortlisted from nearly 40 fantastic ideas and the audience will also be able to vote for the projects they feel are most needed within their communities.

The ‘friendly dragons’ on Pitch Day include:

• Cllr John Cotton– Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion, Community Safety and          Equalities, Birmingham City Council
• Dipali Chandra – Secretary, West Midlands Funders Network
• Arten Llazari– Chief Executive, Refugee and Migrant Centre
• Piotr Wolkowinski– Project Expert, Urban Innovative Actions

Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge is planning a visit to New Zealand on behalf of the Queen to honour the victims of the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack.

The visit in late April will be made at the request of the Jacinda Ardern the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

William will meet with those affected by the attack and pay tribute to the extraordinary compassion and solidarity that the people of New Zealand have displayed in recent weeks, Kensington Palace said.

In the late 1960s and early 70s, Mothers Club of Birmingham was widely recognised as one of the best rock venues in the world. In its short life it played host to some of the greatest names in rock, from The Who to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath to Free, Deep Purple and Fleetwood Mac to Canned Heat and Tyrannosaurus Rex. Pink Floyd recorded part of their live album ‘Ummagummaat’ the club in 1969. Resident DJ John Peel, who attended most of the gigs there called it “the best club in Britain”.

This May, some of the bands that played there in its heyday, plus emerging bands from the current vibrant Birmingham psychedelic and progressive scene are to play in a unique 50^thanniversary charity gig.

The concert, on Friday 10 May 2019 in the iconic ballroom of Sutton Coldfield Town Hall will be headlined by Soft Machine, with performances from The Groundhogs, Edgar Broughton, Stan Webb’s Chicken Shack, Steve Gibbons and NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) pioneers, Quartz, plus a second stage of new bands.

Birmingham music scene enthusiast Dave Gordon dreamed up the event, working with sponsors Psychotron Records, a local record shop which specialises in music of the era. Any profits are being donated to Worldwide Cancer Research charity. The event will also feature a wall of memorabilia and photos, including unique posters, which will be sold to raise money for the charity.

The Mothers Club, set above a furniture shop in the city’s suburb of Erdington, attracted the best bands of the era. The club, run by John ‘Spud’ Taylor and promoter Phil Myatt was twice voted the world’s best venue by America’s Billboard magazine. It opened its doors on 9 August 1968, closing less than three years later on 3 January 1971. It represented an incredibly important time in British musical history and has been widely celebrated in media over the years.

Worldwide Cancer Research is a charity that funds research into any type of cancer anywhere in the world. They fund projects in the world’s best research institutions and support diverse and unexpected projects.

National Express is celebrating winning an impressive number of gongs at the Travel Marketing Awards earlier this month.

The Birmingham-based public transport company walked away with seven awards for marketing campaigns for their UK Coach and Bus divisions, including the prestigious ‘Brand of the Year’.

Four accolades were awarded to the ‘Look Beyond’ campaign that ran across print, radio and outdoor channels, encouraging travellers to 'look beyond’ their comfort zones and explore the country by coach.

Marketing Director at National Express, Sean Bailey, said: “We are extremely proud of our work here at National Express. We have a team of highly creative individuals, both in house and externally, who work very hard to capture imaginations and get people to choose us as their travel option. This recognition is a real testament to their dedication and hard work.”

The organisation's creative agency, One Black Bear, also walked away with second place in the Advertising agency of the Year category.

On behalf of Australia, swimwear brand Budgy Smuggler is calling on the UK Parliament to consider a new proposal as it votes on a range of Brexit options on Wednesday.

The proposal asks the UK to “forget the EU” and “join the AU”, thereby forming a new super union between two great nations.

The #JoinTheAU campaign launched today outside the UK Parliament from a branded campaign bus, reminiscent of the infamous Vote Leave Brexit bus.

Chief Smuggler, and head of the #JoinTheAU campaign, Adam Linforth, said, “As a brand with offices in Australia and the UK - which is our UK/Europe base – we’ve been watching intently as Brexit has unfolded, and to be honest it looks like a complete shit fight, so we thought we'd extend an olive / eucalyptus branch from sunny Australia.

“When we heard that Parliament had seized control of Brexit and were holding an extraordinary session, we realized that we hadn’t seen any extraordinary solutions. So, we took some initiative and have provided an option that hopefully British MP’s can support – head down under and #JoinTheAU”.

The bus traveled the streets of London before pulling up near Australia House in Aldwych to announce the cheeky campaign hosted by a group of #JoinTheAU advocates dressed in nothing but their limited-edition AU branded Budgy Smugglers.

In celebration of the campaign, Budgy Smuggler has created a bespoke range of #JoinTheAU branded swimwear, which will be handed out across central London throughout the day to help kickstart the movement and will be available to purchase online at www.budgysmuggleruk.com.

The campaign has also celebrated its arrival through a film detailing all the reasons the UK should #JoinTheAU.

Hundreds of toddlers are expected to dress up and take part in a colourful procession around Dudley Zoo this summer.

The annual Barnardo’s Big Toddle is the charity’s largest sponsored walk in the UK and is due to take place on Tuesday June 11.

This year’s theme is ‘animals’, with under-5s encouraged to wear their favourite costumes and paint their faces.

The event raises money to support the charity’s work with some of the country’s most vulnerable children and young people.

Barnardo’s regional director Emma Bowman said: “We’re delighted that Dudley Zoo has kindly agreed to host this year’s Big Toddle again.

“It’s the UK’s biggest and best fundraising event for under-5s and is all about children helping children by taking part in short sponsored walks.

“Nurseries, playgroups, childminders and parents are welcome to organise their own events, especially during Big Toddle Week from June 24-30, but the one at Dudley Zoo is the biggest in the country.

“It’s a fantastic venue and we’re looking forward to seeing hundreds of happy faces, raising thousands of pounds to continue our life-changing work.”

Admission is free to under-5s, with discounted prices of just £7.50 for adults and older children.

Gates open at 10am, with children welcomed by entertainers before a fun warm-up at 10.45am and the start of the walk around the grounds at 11am. 

Medals and free refreshments will be available for registered children as they cross the finishing line.

Dudley Zoo manager Matt Lewis said: “We’re delighted once again to team up with Barnardo’s and support the incredible work they do in giving children the best start in life.

“The Big Toddle is always hugely popular. So make sure you sign up soon and have a really wild time helping to raise funds for a very worthy cause.” 

Registrants will receive a free fundraising pack with a fundraising guide, sponsorship forms, colouring sheet, safari map and animal mask activity.

Parents, carers, playgroups and nurseries can also hold their own Barnardo’s Big Toddles.

Last year, across the UK, they helped to raise more than £230,000 for the charity.