Community News

Tesco's 10th Food Collection takes place in all stores across the UK this weekend, with Tesco topping up customer donations by 20% to help charity partners FareShare and The Trussell Trust feed even more people in need.

Tesco is inviting shoppers across the UK to help people in need this Christmas by donating long-life food to its Food Collection, which takes place in all Tesco stores from Thursday 30 November to Saturday 2 December.

The Food Collection, now held annually ahead of Christmas, is part of the retailer's ongoing work to support its partners FareShare and The Trussell Trust, which help a wide range of people across the UK.

Tesco's support for its food charity partners has been a key part of this year's Christmas campaign, which celebrates the many ways people come together at Christmas. Alongside the Food Collection and its ongoing surplus food redistribution scheme, the retailer is donating £1 for every fresh turkey sold to help people in need, and its second television advert shines a light on the difference food donations from Tesco can make.

Since the Food Collection began in 2012, more than 40 million meals have been donated by generous Tesco customers.

Matt Davies, UK & ROI CEO at Tesco, said:

“I'm always amazed and humbled by the generosity of our customers at Christmas time with the support they give to our Food Collection.

"Last year, we provided more than 4 million meals worth of food to help people in need through our different schemes, and this year hope to provide even more support with extra little helps like donating £1 for every fresh turkey purchased at Tesco.”

Lindsay Boswell, CEO at FareShare, encouraged people to give to the collection:

“If you're heading down to your local Tesco today please do remember to donate a can or packet to the food collection at the front of the store. For charities doing their best to feed some of the most vulnerable over the Christmas period, these donations make a huge difference.

"What's more, Tesco will top-up your donation by 20% which enables our charity to help more and more people in need.”

Samantha Stapley, Operations Manager for The Trussell Trust, said:

“Trussell Trust foodbanks across the country will be doing all they can to provide emergency support so people don't go hungry – but to make sure we're prepared for what could be our busiest December yet, our network needs your support.

"During every Food Collection we've been humbled by the staggering generosity of Tesco customers, store colleagues and volunteers, and as we look to the start of the 10th collection, we would love to have your support once again. Your generosity will help stop hunger this Christmas.”

Hampshire can stake a strong claim to have been at the very forefront of the formation of the RAF, in 1918.

Farnborough, in the north east of the county, is where the Army established its Royal Engineers Balloon School in 1906.  It also happens to be where the 'daring-do' pioneer pilot Samuel Franklin Cody made the first successful powered flight in Britain in 1908; where one of the forerunners of the RAF, the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), was created; and where the so-called “Father of the RAF”, Hugh Montague Trenchard commanded the Military Wing in the RFC HQ.

Now named Trenchard House, the earliest building on the site of the Royal Aircraft Factory is where the first British Army RFC aircraft squadrons were established in 1912 – in a meeting-room which has been restored, and which the public can visit today by invitation.  Largely dedicated to operations over The Western Front, the RFC would later merge with the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) to become The RAF in 1918.

Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST: https://www.airsciences.org.uk/index.html), standing on the very same site in Farnborough, commemorates all of this - and more - in its wonderfully eclectic Museum.

Which also helps to make Hampshire one must-see locations in the UK as the nation prepares to mark the centenary of the RAF in 2018.

And while FAST is planning a special exhibition for next year to celebrate the centenary of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, formerly the Royal Aircraft Factory, 2018 will also see the return of the hugely popular Farnborough Airshow to Hampshire from July 16-22 2018 (https://www.farnboroughairshow.com/trade/visiting/public-show/).

Hampshire's aviation history is especially eye-catching, having become the Royal Engineers' venue of choice in 1906 when the Army was looking for a base for their balloon operations.  And in the years leading-up to the outbreak of WWI, many of the country's leading technicians, and most of the nation's leading test pilots, started to ply their new trades at Farnborough.

Amongst them, the colourful former Wild West Showman Samuel Franklin Cody also made quite a name for himself - not least by making the first successful powered flight in Britain, on October 16, 1908.  Visitors to the FAST today will find his statue at the entrance to the Museum, and can learn more within The Cody Pavillion, which houses a replica of the plane in which he recorded his epic flight.

Aviation was becoming a science, Hampshire was at the heart of it, and the Royal Flying Corps, built-up by “Boomer” Trenchard on the orders of Lord Kitchener to raise the number of new squadrons from his target of twelve, to sixty, was one of two airborne services protecting Britain from the German threat.

Towards the end of the war, Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts was asked by the British Imperial War Cabinet to look at ways of combining the work of the RFC and the RNAS.  His review of the British Air Services, which came to be called 'The Smuts Report', concluded the treatment of air required a separate force, and in 1918 the Royal Air Force was formed.

FAST Museum is dedicated to Farnborough's proud aviation heritage and significant contribution to air science and research.  Located in and around the former Royal Engineers Balloon School, it is open to the public every weekend from 10am to 4pm, and by arrangement for pre-booked groups from Tuesday to Thursday.  Free to visit, it is run entirely by volunteers.

This Christmas one travel company is giving a gift to its customers and the environment.

Sustainable tour operators Undiscovered Mountains are planting a tree for every booking made with them in the month of December.

The multi-activity holiday specialists have a strong commitment to sustainable tourism and are making the most of the festive season as an opportunity to encourage holidaymakers to be eco-friendly and responsible travellers.

The Alps-based company's Plant a Tree for Christmas scheme is a festive launch for the company's new carbon offsetting programme in collaboration with social enterprise Mossy Earth, which allows travellers to off-set the environmental impact of their travel.

One tree would offset the carbon cost of an average European flight for one person.

The new carbon offsetting programme will normally see customers given the option to pay €9.99 to plant a tree when making their booking, but as a special festive launch for the new venture Undiscovered Mountains are covering the cost of planting a tree for every booking made through the month of December.

Sally Guillaume, Owner and Director of Undiscovered Mountains says:

“Sustainable tourism is at the heart of what we do year-round. At Undiscovered Mountains we actively promote eco-friendly travel and we are passionate about launching our carbon offsetting scheme to compensate for the inevitable environmental impact that travel has. We are very excited to launch the scheme with our Plant a Tree for Christmas offer and we can't wait to see our forest grow.”

Undiscovered Mountains have a specially allocated area within the Mossy Earth forest in Portugal. Those who sign up to plant a tree will receive a photograph of their tree as well as GPS co-ordinates so the tree can be located on the interactive forest map on the Undiscovered Mountains website, or even visited in person.

The Plant a Tree for Christmas offer is available for one tree per booking for every booking made through 1st-31st December 2017.

CaminoWays.com are pleased to announce Mossy Earth as the recipients of the Greenlife Fund. Sticking with our commitment to sustainable and inspirational projects we are thrilled to be supporting the Native Oak Reforestation project in Northern Portugal.

Following the devastating wildfires in Portugal earlier this year this is just the type of project assist with our fund. For this inspiring project we aim to support the reforestation of areas affected by the wild fires that have destroyed vegetation and wildlife habitats in regions surrounding the Camino routes.

This year alone the Portuguese wildfires are understood to have been responsible for over 100 deaths and countless destruction of the beautiful landscapes across Northern Portugal. The fires destroyed about 29,000 hectares of land and the hope is that we can all help to prevent such devastating events in the future.

To start this initiative we have planted one tree per staff member in Northern Portugal where Mossy Earth have secured a site. We are inviting Camino walkers from around the world to support this fantastic project. For every tree bought Mossy Earth will provide exclusive GPS coordinates of the area where the trees are planted and regular updates on the forest.

Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre has become one in only a handful of theatres across the UK to be awarded Theatre of Sanctuary status, recognising its commitment to becoming a welcoming and safe place.

The award was presented to the Theatre during an event to mark Universal Children’s Day on Tues 21 Nov, which featured a showcase of music, artwork and live performances by Syrian Refugees in collaboration with the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre in partnership with The Children’s Society and Positive Youth Foundation.

Dr. Seyedeh F. Naseriniaki, a member of the City of Sanctuary assessment panel, and Reem Doukmak, Community Participation Officer at Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre and President of Student Action For Refugees, presented the award which was accepted by the Belgrade’s former General Manager Claire Simpson.

In order to achieve this status as a Theatre of Sanctuary, the Belgrade has demonstrated to a visiting panel its ability to raise awareness of what it means to be a person seeking sanctuary and take action to support the inclusion of sanctuary seekers and refugees in its activities.

Earlier this year, the theatre held an event to mark Refugee Week 2017, which included a panel discussion on what it means to be a place of sanctuary for refugees and asylum seekers, involving leading figures from organisations working with refugees in Coventry and beyond. Throughout the week, the theatre also hosted a free exhibition of community artwork based on the themes of home, belonging and identity.

The Belgrade’s Associate Director, Justine Themen said, “We are delighted to have been awarded the status of Theatre of Sanctuary. The Belgrade prides itself on welcoming and building strong relationships with the diverse communities in the city – whether as audiences, participants or artists. We recognise that a city is a continuously evolving place, and that we need to be responsive to change within it. Whilst continuing to build our longer term relationships with existing communities, we want to open our doors to newly-arriving communities to share their stories and build understanding. We look forward to the challenges and inspiration that come with this. A theatre is a space for dialogue within the city and celebrating both our differences and our shared humanity.”

Together with the Community Participation Officer at the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre, the Belgrade Theatre will be co-designing a short pilot programme of four workshops for newly arrived women. The workshops will use drama to build confidence and language skills. If the work is found to have significant impact, the partners will work to explore the possibilities of rolling out a longer programme.

Universal Children’s Day, organised internationally by the United Nations and UNICEF, encourages people around the world to come together to help fight for children’s rights, campaign for better welfare and help them fulfil their potential.

A group of students in Oldbury have been selected as special representatives at their Academy – after putting their names on a ballot paper in a special election.

Twenty students were elected as Excellence Leaders during an election at the Q3 Academy Langley

The students put their names and “manifestos” forward in a new move to elect representatives who will pass on the views of other students to Academy bosses.

Councillor Steve Trow, cabinet member for core council services, said: “I was very pleased to get along to Q3 to meet students who have got involved with democracy at this young age and to present badges to the winning candidates.

“I also wanted to congratulate the other young people who put themselves forward and were not successful. I am sure that the winning candidates will enjoy representing the views of the students.

"This early introduction to the democratic process may help to create some budding politicians at Q3 Academy Langley."

The election process was supported by Sandwell Council’s elections participation officer Surinder Singh.

Mr Peter Lee, the Academy’s Head of School, said:“Twenty students from Year 7 and 8 were successful and they will meet regularly and represent the student body views to the Academy.

“They will be in charge of various initiatives during the year, including matters of the environment and local community.

“They will also support our Head Boy and Head Girl who were elected last year in various Academy events, including for example the New Intake Evening.”

Mr Lee said the democracy initiative had been very interesting, with all students in Year 7 and 8 being able to put themselves forward for election.

“Voting took place, using real-life ballot boxes, after the applications were vetted with candidates pitching their manifestos to their peers.” he said.  Q3 Academy Langley, built on the former Langley High School site on Moat Road in Oldbury, opened its doors to the first pupils in September 2016.

Currently the school has nearly 400 students in years seven and eight and will eventually accommodate 1,500 students.

Building work continues on-site and is due to be completed by September 2019.

Katarina Line, winner of the “Best Croatian DMC” award, announced that its 2017 fundraising drive to help the Down Syndrome Associations of Dubrovnik and Rijeka in Croatia raised nearly $35,000. As part of the drive, launched early in the year, the company donated one Euro – approximately one U.S. dollar – for every guest who booked a cruise with them in 2017. The contribution reflects the nearly 30,000 passengers who booked with Katarina Line this season – a record for the company as it continues to expand its presence in North America and Europe.

Katarina Line presented checks of equal value – approximately $17,500 each – to the two Down syndrome centers in Dubrovnik and Rijeka in a special ceremony recently. The money will help to improve the quality of life for people with Down syndrome, providing them with improved medical care, education and employment.

“Down syndrome affects nearly one in 700 births of all races and nationalities, so we all probably know someone who has been impacted by it,” said Daniel Hauptfeld, marketing director for Katarina Line. “We felt that contributing to this worthy cause was one of the best ways for our company to celebrate 25 years of success in business.”

Hauptfeld noted that customers, partners and friends are still contributing to the drive. Therefore, the additional funds will be presented to the Down syndrome associations during the company's 25th anniversary celebrations in Opatija on November 25th.

An academic from Birmingham City University has been selected by the Thai government to lead a team of 60 artists from around the world, as part of a major contemporary art exhibition opening in Thailand next year.

Professor Jiang Jiehong, Head of Research at Birmingham School of Art will curate the inaugural Thailand Biennale, which will exhibit various works under the theme ‘Edge of the Wonderland’.

As the foremost international exhibition of contemporary art in Thailand, the Biennale is being supported by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture (OCAC), part of the Ministry of Culture, which is based in Bangkok. As a national initiative of contemporary art, the institution behind the Bienniale will choose different cities and sites in Thailand for each edition.

Unlike conventional art museum exhibitions, the Thailand Biennale will be staged outdoor and organisers have selected the country’s Krabi Province for the inaugural exhibition.

Located on the west coast of the southern part of the country, the area is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations and is known as ‘the emerald of the Andaman Sea’. Its unique natural beauty will provide opportunities for artists to develop site-specific work at a range of outdoor locations, and to turn beaches, streams, waterfalls, caves, cliffs and rainforests into art spaces.

Discussing the theme of the Biennale, Professor Jiang Jiehong, Birmingham City University, said:

“Different versions of a ‘wonderland’ derive from different cultures. In the West, we have learnt the renowned English story of Alice’s adventures, where the young girl falls through a rabbit hole into a world of fantasy. This land connects to our everyday reality and yet, it is somehow hidden and can only be visited through dreams and imaginary journeys.

“In the East, for example, a compilation of geographical and cultural accounts are the origins of Chinese mythology and first appeared in the ‘Classic of Mountains and Seas’, or ‘Shan Hai Jing’, in the fourth century BCE. Furthermore, in South Asia, surrounding the base of Mount Meru in Hindu mythology, the legendary Himmapan Forest is believed to be the home of many supernatural beings, which are blessed under the heavens, invisible to the human eye and inaccessible by mortals.”

In this curatorial project the wonderland will be revisited from its very edge. The term ‘edge’ included in the title has three signifiers. First, it is simply geographically indicative. Similar to other provinces of Thailand on the west coast, Krabi – and the venues of the Thailand Biennale in particular – are situated on the coastline and can be seen as part of the edge of either the mainland or the Andaman Sea. It is the start and at the same time, the end of a territory, from which it belongs and departs.

Secondly, edge has its own historical and cultural significance in the region, since two ancient swords (‘krabi’ in Thai) were unearthed in the late 19th century, and are seen sacred above all natural existence.

The third signifier will explore that, conceptually, in the context of wonderland, edge is precisely the borderline between in and out. It is a pivotal point; like the rabbit hole in Alice’s adventure, between reality and fiction, the existent and the imagined, the material and the spiritual, the experienced and the unworldly, and ultimately, the known and the unknown.

Under Professor Jiang’s leadership, the inaugural biennale in Thailand aims to engender a new way of thinking, stimulating dialogues and conflicts at a point when the global meets the local, and invites all to take a creative journey through art, nature, tourism or everyday life, starting from the ‘Edge of the Wonderland’.

Professor Jiang was annoaunced as the curator of the inaugural Thailand Biennale at its launch, which took place at West Bund Art Center in Shanghai, China on Friday 10 November.

Forget the seasonal John Lewis advert and Slade playing in supermarkets…the festive season will really get underway at the Tottenham Winter Festival on December 2.

The annual event on Tottenham Green will see a mouth-watering variety of stalls alongside festive, family friendly entertainment and the official Christmas tree lights switch on led by Spurs legend Ledley King.

This year’s community celebration, organised by Tottenham Green Market and Haringey Council, will also coincide with an Etsy Made Local Tottenham event that will see Tottenham Town Hall packed with craft stalls offering plenty of present-buying-opportunities.

“This day will start the Christmas season for you,” said Tom Fowkes, musical director of the New Tottenham Singers which will be performing at the event. “It’s a wonderful, positive event for people to come to where you can meet neighbours and friends, enjoy a glass of mulled wine and some food and hear some lovely singing. We’ll be singing some festive favourites and giving folk a sneak preview of what’s coming up at our annual Christmas concert.”

Other entertainment includes: a ten-piece Afrobeat band, the Haringey Young Musicians Junior Choir, a brass band called Brunk!, a funky Colombian-influenced band and a ‘panto medley’ from the Musical Theatre Academy (MTA) based a few metres away in the Bernie Grant Arts Centre.

“This year our panto is Mother Goose so people will enjoy a medley of songs from this as well as a special Christmas medley,” said MTA’s principal, Annemarie Lewis Thomas. “It’s important for us to be involved in community events such as this and you can either sit at home and be miserable or come along and see some of the stars of tomorrow provide a bit of feel-good!”

Tottenham Green Market stalls will boast a variety of international street food as well as showcasing some of Tottenham’s finest including: Prestige Patisserie (adding a Christmas Cake Shop and mulled wine to their regular treats), honey from Tottenham Marshes, beer from Brewheadz and hot drinks courtesy of Craving Coffee.

Tottenham Etsy Made Local organiser ‘Crafty North Londoner’ aka Nonia Jeroh, said: “We will have over 35 stalls and over 60% of them are Tottenham vendors. “it will be a great opportunity for people to do some Christmas shopping and buy homemade items made with love. These aren’t mass produced but objects made on someone’s kitchen table or in a studio and it promises to be a great family day out.”

The clock tower at Smethwick Council House has been given a new lease of life.

Missing and broken timberwork has been fixed, the metalwork on the clock face has been repainted and the tower itself has been returned to its original colour scheme.

The work is part of the refurbishment of the Grade II-listed building in the town’s High Street. It was built in the early 20th century.

Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for core council services Councillor Steve Trow said: “The tower was looking a little tired and in need of repairs. We’ve carefully restored it and even matched as best we can the original colour scheme based on the layers of paint found on the woodwork and panels.

“The clock itself is historically important and one of the last of its type still in existence – so we’re pleased that the tower now does it justice.”

The clock is known as a rare “three-train Smith of Derby flat-bed with gravity escapement”. It’s regarded as an important piece of horological history.

Clock enthusiasts have visited it to admire its workings – as most of its kind were converted with electricity many years ago.

The RSPCA is on the hunt for 20 dedicated animal-lovers from across England to join the charity’s cohort of rescuers working on the frontline of animal welfare.

The charity - the oldest and largest in the UK - has just over 100 animal collection officers (or ACOs) working across England and Wales rescuing injured animals, helping abused or abandoned pets, and responding to welfare concerns from the public.

The officers support the charity’s inspectors and help rescue tens of thousands of animals every year.

The charity has the following vacancies to fill across the country:

South Yorkshire (two officers)

South Shields, Tyne & Wear (one)

Gateshead or Chester Le Street, Tyne & Wear (one)

Wythenshawe / South Manchester (one)

Wigan, Greater Manchester (one)

Liverpool, Merseyside (one)

Coventry, West Midlands (one)Banbury, Oxford (one)Stretton, Rutland (one)Harrow / Barnet, London (one)Uxbridge / Hayes. London (one)

NE London (inside M25) (one)

Kingston upon Thames / Slough, London (one)

Burgess Hill / Brighton, East Sussex (one)

Reigate / Dorking, Surrey (one)

Kingston upon Thames/Slough (one)

Bristol (one)

Gosport / Portsmouth, Hampshire (one)

Gloucester (one)

Worcester (one)

Dermot Murphy, RSPCA assistant director of inspectorate, said: “Our ACOs are absolutely vital to the RSPCA’s overall work and our efforts to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome or release animals in need.

“We have an extremely dedicated workforce made up of ACOs, animal welfare officers and inspectors who rescue around 130,000 animals every year.

“But the RSPCA can only fulfill this important role thanks to the commitment and passion of our staff and we’re now on the look-out for 20 more animal-lovers to join the team and help us, help them.”

The charity is expecting thousands of applications for the coveted posts but warns that the job is extremely physically and emotionally demanding.

“When we advertised for 24 new inspectors to join our training programme earlier this year we had over 4,000 applications so we’re expecting a huge number for these roles too,” Mr Murphy - who worked as an RSPCA ambulance driver, inspector and chief inspector in London for 16 years - added.

“Anyone considering this job needs to apply with their eyes wide open. It is not easy and you need to be strong mentally and physically to cope with the role. But for the right person, this could be the chance of a lifetime to get their dream job working on the frontline to improve animal welfare.”

ACOs are responsible for collecting, rescuing and transporting animals, giving first aid as required; assisting inspectors; working with pet owners and the public to improve welfare for animals.

Applicants must have a full, valid UK driving license; a good level of physical fitness, confidence handling animals, experience working with the public and as part of a team, emotional resilience, and flexibility to work unsociable hours.

If successful, candidates will undertake a five-week training course before hitting the road.

There's still time to take part in the Sandwell Santa Dash through Sandwell Valley Country Park to get an early slice of festive fun in the run-up to Christmas.

About 500 people are expected to take part in a Santa costume in the third Sandwell Santa Dash on Saturday 2 December to give people the chance to get active before the Christmas break.

The deadline for registration is Today, Friday 24 November.

The event is being organised by Mytime Active in partnership with Sandwell Leisure Trust, Sandwell Council and Sandwell Valley Country Park. It's the perfect way for families to get active this Christmas.

"It's not a race, but a fun run, jog or walk around the course, allowing people to be part of a fantastic Christmas experience as one of hundreds of Santas taking part, said deputy council leader Councillor Syeda Khatun.

People who register for the run are emailed a voucher for the runner’s pack containing their own Santa suit and race number.

People who complete the course receive a souvenir medal.

The Santa Dash is open to anyone fit and able to take part.

People can sign up a maximum of six people on each registration form. Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult on the day. Under 3s won’t receive their own race pack or Santa suit, but there will be a medal for them at the finish.

The course covers mixed terrain, and although pushchairs and wheelchair users are welcomed, please be aware that due to the nature of the course people will be asked to start towards the rear of the participants to avoid bottlenecks.

“This is not a serious running race and we recommend you jog or walk the course, taking in the atmosphere of the day,” said Councillor Khatun.

More information at www.mytimeactive.co.uk/sandwell-santa-dash

Registered charity, Birmingham Repertory Theatre has announced a joint fundraising partnership with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. The city centre theatre will be raising funds during the run of their production of The Hundred and One Dalmatians which bursts to life on stage from Thursday 30 November – Saturday 13 January.

There are various fundraising activities planned during the run of the show, which will help to jointly fundraise towards Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s million pound campaign REP First and the work of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

REP First is a three year campaign which aims to raise vital funds in order to ensure that the theatre can continue to nurture the region's talented young artists, commission exciting new works, welcome new audiences and reach out to the communities of Birmingham and beyond.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, now in their 35^th year, trains dogs to alert deaf people to sounds they would otherwise miss – simple sounds that many people take for granted like the doorbell, alarm clock and even danger signals like the fire alarm. A hearing dog can also give a deaf person a newfound sense of independence and confidence helping to overcome the feeling of isolation and loneliness experienced by so many suffering from hearing loss.

Twenty pence of every pound raised will go towards the work of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, with the remainder going towards REP First initiatives, such as providing interpreters for the REP’s youth theatre in order for Deaf children and young people to take part, as well as allowing the theatre to stage more accessible productions for people with a variety of additional support needs.

Steve Heyes, Marketing Manager of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People said; “It’s wonderful that Hearing Dogs has been chosen as the official partner charity for The Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s production of ‘101 Dalmatians’, especially in this, our 35th year. We’re working closely with The REP on a number of fun and exciting plans to engage families and visitors coming to see the show, to help raise awareness of the amazing work our hearing dogs do, completely transforming the lives of thousands of Deaf people in the UK. We’ll hopefully raise some important funds for the two charities during the show’s run.”

As part of The REP’s commitment to making theatre accessible to everyone, the entire run of The Hundred and One Dalmatians will be Audio Described and Captioned, meaning that audiences with visual or hearing impairments can enjoy these services on any performance. Dalmatians Pongo and Missis enjoy an idyllic life with their humans, Mr and Mrs Dearly. Then one day, the house is filled with the patter of tiny paws when Missis gives birth to a litter of adorable puppies. But just as the Dearlys get used to their new housemates, the puppies mysteriously vanish.

With the help of the canine community and an Old English Sheepdog, Pongo and Missis set out on an adventure to find the missing puppies. Their quest leads them to the vicious Cruella de Vil. She hates dogs but loves fur coats and has set her sights on a certain black and white spotty pattern. Will the animals be able to get home safely in time for Christmas?

Children and adults alike will be gripped by this magical tale as it comes to life live on stage, complete with beautiful staging and mesmerising puppetry from Director Tessa Walker and Designer Jamie Vartan who collaborated for the record-breaking 2015 production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Dodie Smith’s delightful and much-loved tale, adapted for the stage by the Writer and Director of the hugely popular Nativity! films, Debbie Isitt, is sure to get tails wagging this Christmas.

A new road safety campaign has launched today which proposes the radical adoption of a ‘fag-packet approach’ to UK speed limit signs. The suggested new tactic has already been backed by over half the nation, in the wake of research showing that millions of motorists ignore or don’t even notice speed limit signs in their current format.

That’s according to a new study from MORE TH>N which found that a whopping 62% of those surveyed admit they regularly ignore speed limit signs at present, with 25% also contesting that the threat of going to speed awareness isn’t a big enough deterrent from causing them to speed on a regular basis.

With this in mind, to mark this year’s Road Safety Week, MORE TH>N is launching a new road safety initiative which centres on calls to test the use of images of cars that have been in accidents as a visual accompaniment to existing numerical speed signs as a new means of deterring people from speeding on roads. The move has otherwise been labelled as applying the ‘fag-packet approach’ to the speeding epidemic, with a view to making people more instantly aware of the risks associated with their actions.

The new initiative also takes inspiration from previous, hard-hitting TV advertising campaigns that adopted a graphic approach to illustrate the dangers of speeding. The proposed new road sign initiative however would see this shock-factor concept placed in situ when people are actually behind the wheel, in what would be a UK first.

The new concepts of visual deterrent speed signs were tested with 2,000 motorists in a poll conducted by MORE TH>N, where they were backed by over half (58%) of those surveyed as potentially having a real impact on their driving, illustrating their possible value at helping make Britain’s roads safer.

So why were the signs effective in causing people to reduce their speed? Topping the list of reasons was the way in which they made people more tangibly aware of the dangers of speeding (67%), followed closely by the fact that they were so shocking (56%) and due to being more scared about crashing their car as a result (38%).

In the wake of the success of the initial research, MORE TH>N is now exploring possible follow-up activity with a view to securing an actual pilot of the signs on UK roads to test how effective they potentially are in causing people to reduce their speed, including approaching local police forces and pressure groups to garner further support for the campaign.

In addition to canvassing support for visual deterrents on speed signs, MORE TH>N also carried out research to provide a fuller picture of how people’s speeding habits vary across the UK. Specifically, the study found that 63% of Britons admit to regularly exceeding the speed limit each day, with one in 10 (10%) of those confessing to have picked up points in the past, as a result of being caught speeding behind the wheel.