Community News

Visitors to the City of Wolverhampton will again be able to enjoy a Victorian Christmas Market this month.

The festive three-day market will be delivered by the council’s approved market operator LSD Promotions, and will take place on Friday, December 14 (11am-7pm), Saturday 15 (10am-7pm) and Sunday 16 (10am-5pm).

This year it will be located on Queen Square, Dudley Street and Lichfield Street.

More than 100 stalls are expected to fill the streets at the heart of the city with the colours, sounds and irresistible aromas of Christmas.

Set to the backdrop of a Victorian funfair the offer includes a variety of traditional and international street food, local produce, seasonal handcrafted and home-baked goodies, bespoke Christmas decorations and holly wreaths, festive novelties and exclusive gifts, accessories and jewellery.

Entertainment will include street artists, choirs, vocalists, instrumental performances, chimney sweeps, dance displays, and Victorian themed stilt walkers.

On Friday 14, at 5pm, in Queen Square, you can also take time out from shopping to enjoy carols performed by local school children, local choirs and music from Wolverhampton Brass Band.

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Environment, Councillor Steve Evans, said: “Last year’s Victorian Christmas Market was the largest festive market the city has seen.

“There will again be a variety of stalls offering festive goodies, plenty of food and drink, and fun activities for families to enjoy at this special time of year.

“It is also the ideal opportunity to make a day of it and visit Wolverhampton’s attractions, range of independent retailers and High Street names, or take the weight of your feet and relax in one of the city’s cafes, pubs and restaurants.”

People travelling into or out of the city centre are being asked to note the following road closures between 8pm on Thursday, December 13 and midnight on Sunday, December 16 to facilitate the city centre Victorian Christmas Market:

• Queen Square/Lichfield Street closed in both directions between its junctions with North Street/Victoria Street and Princess Street/Princes Square
• Darlington Street closed in an eastern direction between its junctions with Red Lion Street and North Street
• Dudley Street closed between King Street and Queen Square
• Exchange Street closed entire length
• Lich Gates closed entire length

Due to Darlington Street, Victoria Street and Lichfield Street being closed, buses will be diverted between the hours of 8pm on Thursday, December 13 and midnight on Sunday, December 16. Please use alternative stops on Stafford Street or at Wolverhampton Bus Station.

Local families can celebrate the memories of their loved ones this Christmas, with a touching, alternative light switch on at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice.

The charity will be hosting its seasonal ‘Light up a Life’ ceremony on Thursday 13 December, creating an evening of music, celebration and remembrance.

Taking place at the Hospice in Selly Park, the event will see BBC WM’s Richard Wilford switch on the charity’s Christmas tree lights, with lights symbolising the lives of those who are sadly no longer with us.

Alongside the switch on, there will be live musical performances from local school choir Colmore Juniors as well as the Uptone Girls – a student choir from the University of Birmingham who represented the city in BBC One’s ‘Pitch Battle’.

For the first time this year, there will be an opportunity to honour loved ones before the event, in the Hospice’s online ‘Book of Remembrance’. The online book will be filled with tributes to people and anyone who makes a dedication will be able to share the book with their family and friends. There will also be a physical book displayed at the ceremony.

Richard Wilford, presenter at BBC WM, said: “It’s a real honour to be hosting Light up a Life for the second time at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice. It really is an uplifting and celebratory event and it’s a heart-warming way to bring local people together and honour the memories of their loved ones.

“I’ll be remembering my colleague and much-loved BBC WM presenter Ed Doolan at this year’s event. Ed was a big supporter of the Hospice – and regularly hosted the Light up a Life ceremony – so it feels a fitting tribute to celebrate his legacy this year.”

Birmingham St Mary’s chief executive, Tina Swani, added: “Christmas is a time of celebration and joy but it can also be a really difficult time for anyone who has experienced loss. At Light up a Life, we want to give people an opportunity to remember their special someone in a unique and heartfelt way.”

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice provides vital care to people and their families who are living with life-limiting illness. Its Light up a Life is part of the Hospice’s ‘Care at Christmas’ campaign – a festive appeal that aims to increase support for the charity leading up to and over the Christmas period.

It will cost £22,000 to run the Hospice on Christmas Day and so all donations from this event will make a big difference to the local families the Hospice supports over the festive season.

The Hospice will be hosting two remembrance events on Thursday 13 December, with an afternoon event starting at 5.30pm and an evening one at 7.30pm. The Hospice is based at 176 Raddlebarn Road, Selly Park, Birmingham, B29 7DA.

Dozens of carers and the people they care for enjoyed a three-course Christmas dinner arranged by the City of Wolverhampton Council as a thank you for their hard work over the last 12 months.

The council’s Carer Support Team laid on the festive feast at the Claregate pub on Monday, with carers invited to book on a first come, first served basis.

A total of 60 carers and their loved ones savoured a menu of soup, prawn cocktail or pate followed by turkey with all the trimmings, beef pie or cod, and a dessert of Christmas pudding, chocolate tart or orchard pie. They also enjoyed musical entertainment from Maggie O'Hara who performed a range of Christmas songs.

The meal was arranged by the Carer Support Team and among those who took part were Colleen Bernard, who carers for her brother Stephen. She said: "It’s been a great opportunity to talk to other carers and start the festive season off with a lovely meal and entertainment."

Pearl Mettam, who lives with dementia and is cared for by her daughter Shareen, said: "I would like to say thank you so much for the lovely meal. It was good to speak to others; I even met someone that I used to work with 30 years ago."

Michael Degg, who is cared for by his mother June and was celebrating his birthday, added: "Maggie is an amazing singer and it was nice of her to sing happy birthday to me as well."

The group were joined by the council's Community Support Manager Lesley Johnson, Head of Adult Services and Communities Sandra Ashton-Jones, Information Officer Melinder Kaur and Director of Adult Services David Watts.

Mr Watts said: "We were delighted to be able to enable so many well deserving carers and the people they care for to enjoy a special festive lunch. It was our way of saying thank you to them for the hugely important role they play, day in and day out."

The Carer Support Team offers a range of services for people who care for a friend, relative or neighbour in Wolverhampton, ensuring they are supported in their caring role, have access to the help they need and are able to claim the benefits they are entitled to.

They provide practical information, guidance and advice on a range of matters including benefits and short breaks for carers, and offer a range of other services including carer assessments, the Carers Emergency Card and training in skills such as first aid.

City of Wolverhampton Council hopes to introduce a highway permit scheme to improve the management of roadworks across the city.

Working together with Black Country authorities, the City Council is seeking to introduce a permit to be obtained before specified works are carried out on the public highway network.

The new approach will lead to better co-ordination of all works, and closer monitoring of those who are responsible for installing and maintaining highways' and utilities' infrastructure, and their contractors.

The introduction of a permit scheme will empower highway authorities to impose conditions relating to traffic management, diversions and working hours, and the associated permit fee would provide a mechanism to fund the service. The scheme aims to:

§  Reduce disruption and inconvenience caused by roadworks on the highway

§  Protect the structure of the street and the apparatus belonging to utility companies and other parties

§  Ensure the safety of motorists, pedestrians and staff working on the highway

§  Help the council provide better information for road users about work on the highway.

Councillor Steve Evans, Cabinet Member for City Environment at City of Wolverhampton Council said: “We have exciting future plans for Wolverhampton and it is hugely important to our community, visitors, businesses and transport services that we keep our city moving.

"Through the introduction of a permit scheme, we will have greater control over the works to ensure the network is effectively managed.

“The new scheme will help the council to reduce disruption and improve journey times for all road users as well as being able to keep residents and highway users up to date about any planned works to reduce impact whilst essential works take place."

The City Council is currently consulting with key stakeholders until the consultation ends on 11 January 2019.

Kingswinford-based company Altodigital has announced it will be delivering presents to more than 1000 children at seventeen hospices across the UK this Christmas. Spearheaded by Altodigital CEO James Abrahart and his wife Jacqui, the initiative is now in its fifth year and this year will see 1200-1500 brand new toys sent out to hospices across the country.

In addition to those children in hospices, the local office and technology provider will also be teaming up with Wolverhampton charity Promise Dreams to send out presents directly to the homes of 80 seriously or terminally ill children.

The West Midland’s firm will send each hospice three large boxes full of unwrapped presents to enable staff and parents at the hospices to pick the toys which best suit each child. However, to ensure the hospices have everything they need to make the occasion special without putting a drain on their resources, in addition to the presents, they will also receive wrapping paper, gift tags and Sellotape, as well as a CD of children’s Christmas carols.

Each hospice will receive a large variety of boys, girls and unisex toys and games for all age ranges and developmental needs. This year’s selection ranges from board games and puzzles to building blocks and sensory items.

This year’s chosen hospices cover the breadth of the country, including in the local Midlands area, as well as Wetherby, Essex, Carlisle, The Wirral and London.

James Abrahart, CEO, Altodigital said: “This initiative is something that everyone at Altodigital loves to be involved with - from picking the gifts to choosing the hospices that will receive them, everything is done in-house. The number of hospices we work with has grown over the last few years and this year we’re sending out more presents to more hospices than ever before.

“It’s great to know that we’ll be putting a smile on the faces of some very brave and deserving children this Christmas. Those hospices that receive surplus toys are encouraged to pass these on to visiting siblings so that the whole family can join in with the festivities. The children and their families go through such a tough time, so the least we can do is try to make the festive period as special as possible.”

All presents will be delivered by the first week of December to ensure that the hospices receive them in time for their Christmas parties.

Monstrous family fun is heading to Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Studio this Christmas as Emily Brown and the Thing plays from Monday 17 December 2018 – Sunday 6 January 2019.

Based on the much-loved book by Cressida Cowell (author of How to Train your Dragon) and Neal Layton, Tall Stories’ (creators of The Gruffalo and The Snail and the Whale stage shows) highly acclaimed production follows the adventures of Emily Brown and her old grey rabbit, Stanley. This festive family show is suitable for children aged 3+ and their grown-ups, featuring original music, puppetry, physical storytelling and plenty of comedy.

One winter’s night, Emily and Stanley find a Thing crying outside their window. He’s lost his cuddly and absolutely can’t get to sleep without it. Emily and Stanley bravely set off into the Dark and Scary Wood in search of the missing cuddly but on their return they find the Thing can’t sleep without hot milk either – or his tickly cough medicine... The daring duo head into the Whirling Wastes and even into the Whiny Witches’ Cavern in search of the lost things - but nothing seems to help.  The question is: what is really troubling the Thing – and will anyone ever get to sleep?

Following a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, a UK tour and international engagements at the Sydney Opera House, in Melbourne, Brisbane, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, Emily Brown and the Thing is set to delight Birmingham audiences this Christmas. Following its Birmingham run the production will head to the the New Victory Theater in New York and complete a tour of North America.

He said: "It was tougher than I expected...but I made so many good friends. It's really been an unbelievable experience."

"I'm amazed. They just dragged me through it, every one of them. Without them, I would have never survived."

He beat Emily Atack into second place, despite Emily surviving the final Bushtucker Trial.

This Christmas, Racecourses across the Midlands (Southwell, Market Rasen, Wolverhampton, Leicester and Uttoxeter) are offering a range of festive and fun-filled family days out, with under 18s going completely free of charge, in a campaign fronted by TV personality and author, David Walliams.

Great British Racing’s Under 18s Race Free campaign has been created to highlight the fact that young people can go racing for free at almost every single British racecourse, on almost every single day of the year. Many of the racecourses will also put on a huge variety of free additional family-friendly activities and entertainment, including visits from Father Christmas and his reindeer, story-telling, funfair rides, carol singing and even ice-skating, all of which takes place alongside a brilliant backdrop of horseracing resulting in a day that is both unique and affordable.

Fixtures taking place across the Midlands during the Christmas Holidays include:

• Thursday 20^th December, Southwell Racecourse: Tickets from £11 (online price), accompanied under 18s go free
• Wednesday 26^th December, Market Rasen Racecourse: Tickets from £11.70 (advance price), accompanied under 18s go free
• Wednesday 26^th December, Wolverhampton Racecourse: Tickets from £16 (online price), accompanied under 18s go free
• Thursday 27^th December, Wolverhampton Racecourse: Tickets from £9 (online price), accompanied under 18s go free
• Friday 28^th December, Leicester Racecourse: Tickets are £25, accompanied under 18s go free (includes free music from the world’s No1 Take That tribute band after racing)
• Saturday 29^th December, Southwell Racecourse: Tickets from £15 (online price), accompanied under 18s go free
• Monday 31^st December, Uttoxeter Racecourse: Tickets from £12 (online price), accompanied under 18s go free
• Tuesday 1^st January, Southwell Racecourse: Tickets from £15 (online price), accompanied under 18s go free
• Wednesday 2^nd January, Wolverhampton Racecourse: Information TBC
• Thursday 3^rd January, Southwell Racecourse: Information TBC

David Walliams said: “I had a ball filming Horsing Around and really enjoyed my time at the track. It’s clear that there’s loads for families to enjoy at their local racecourse. The Under 18s Race Free initiative is a brilliant concept that I hope more families will take advantage of.”

Over 600 people took part in the Big Brum Sleepout last weekend, including the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street CBE.

After gathering plastic and cardboard, Andy Street and members of the WMCA set up camp on the grass. With large groups and individuals placed around the Cathedral the atmosphere was amazing.

Later they congregated in the Cathedral to listen to Jean Templeton of St Basil’s Charity talk about their achievements so far and vision for the future. There was prize giving for the best "abode” after which all sang classic Christmas carols. The weather was just right with a reasonable nights sleep.

To date the group have raised £2,064.22 with money still coming in! Thanks to those who took part, and to all who sponsored. Here’s to next year

The next St Basil's sleepout is in Solihull on Friday 5th April 2019

At this free event St Basil's challenged people to build a dwelling out of cardboard and plastic sheeting and then sleep in it overnight in the grounds of Birmingham Cathedral in November.

It was a challenge but it's great fun too and they also have a competition for the most 'creative' shelter.

St Basil's house over 1000 young people in Birmingham and over 1500 across the West Midlands in our 34 supported accommodation schemes, plus they help thousands more young people with face to face support and advice, but due to government cuts these services are at risk.

They have to raise £1 million this year. BIG Brum SleepOut was their largest event of the year.

On Friday 30 November braved the evening sleeping outside Birmingham Cathedral to support and raise awareness of youth homelessness. .

Violinist Usha Kapoor and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire postgraduate student Edward Leung have won the first Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Competition.

Performing works by Mozart, Adams and Saint-Saëns, Kapoor from Phoenix, Arizona and Leung from New York, fought off stiff competition in the new £57 million Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University.

The competition received 40 entries from 11 countries, with eight young ensembles eventually selected to participate and each giving a public recital, as well as taking part in masterclasses with leading artists.

Lauded as one of ‘16 Incredibly Impressive Students at Princeton University’ by Business Insider while a student at the Ivy League institution, pianist Edward Leung has performed in concert halls across North America, Europe, and Asia. He is currently pursuing his Master of Music at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with Pascal Nemirovski.

Praised for her “confidence and bearing,” Indian-American violinist Usha Kapoor made her solo debut at age 17 with the Phoenix Symphony and has subsequently performed with the Culver City Chamber Orchestra, the Culver City Symphony Orchestra, and the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Kapoor and Leung received £4,000, a commercial recording with Resonus Classics and professional engagements at Wigmore Hall, Winchester Chamber Music Festival, Ulverston Festival, and Chamber Circle, Brussels.

The jury comprised of Resonus Classics founder Adam Binks, pianists Katya Apekisheva, Daniel Tong and John Thwaites, violinist Michael Gurevich, violist Robin Ireland, and cellists Alice Neary and Christoph Richter.

The competition was held as part of the inaugural Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Festival, which saw 14 concerts and 13 masterclasses take place at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire between Tuesday 20 and Friday 23 November.

Daniel Tong, Head of Piano Chamber Music, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, said:

“Chamber music is a multi-layered medium, in the wealth and depth of its repertoire as well as the skills and characteristics required to realise it. Royal Birmingham Conservatoire has put chamber music at its heart with inspiring results.

“It is music for sharing, both with one’s performing colleagues and the audience, and is therefore somewhat confessional. It is open to wide-ranging interpretation, despite often being put together by composers with great intellectual rigour.

“The jury were delighted that Usha and Edward won the competition and it was extremely well-deserved. The music-making in the Festival generally was of an extraordinary standard, both from the young artists and the professional guests in the evenings.”

The final of the Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Competition took place on Friday 23 November in the 500-seat Bradshaw Hall Bradshaw Hall at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, live streamed by Classic FM.

Following the success of this year’s competition, organisers are hoping to host the event again in 2021.

It’s official – the best part of the Christmas dinner is crispy roast potatoes, with turkey only coming in a paltry (or poultry) third place, according to a report on festive flavours. A poll by the UK’s leading Herbs and Spice experts, Schwartz, found pigs in blankets came second, followed by stuffing, with gravy completing the top five.

Surprisingly, Brussels sprouts made it into sixth place in the poll, ahead of parsnips, carrots and the festive staple cranberry sauce.

It also emerged 75% consider Christmas dinner to be one of their favourite meals of the year, although over half of cooks admit they feel under pressure to make it perfect.

And although Christmas dinner can be a tradition in its own right, an adventurous three in 10 of those surveyed admitted they give their Christmas foods extra wow by adding different ingredients like Schwartz herbs, spices or perhaps an unexpected ingredient. The top five herbs and spices used to put a certain twist on Christmas food are; Garlic, Rosemary, Cinnamon, Sage and Thyme.

Nic Yates, Head of UK Marketing at Schwartz, which commissioned the research, said: “It’s great to see that along with the traditional favourites we all look forward to, cooks across the nation are also using quick tricks and hacks to add extra flavours and aromas, making good food, into great food. A simple sprinkle of Schwartz Parsley onto your carrots, Nutmeg on sprouts or Chilli in your mince pies can make your Christmas dinner even more memorable.”

There are some of us however, that admit they only have turkey because it’s a tradition (15 per cent), confessing they don’t really like the taste – and the same number forego turkey entirely.

A tenth of people from the West Midlands have even piped up to complain to their festive host because their favourite part wasn’t represented at the Christmas dinner.

As a result, we’re also more likely to prefer being a guest at someone else’s Christmas dinner than making one ourselves.

But, despite being wedded to our favourite parts of the Christmas meal, 50 per cent of adults prefer attending a meal or party where the festive food was slightly different to traditional fare and look for that distinctive twist on the classics.

A fifth have a secret trick to jazz up their Christmas food, with one respondent admitting they add a half-teaspoon of Curry Powder in to festive gravy to add depth without making it overly spicy.

Another suggested adding Nutmeg to sprouts and a dusting of Cinnamon and a sprinkling of Cumin to seasonal roasted veg.

The study also found people from the West Midlands are still most likely to call on mum for tips on how to elevate their Christmas cooking, and rely more on cookbooks than the internet for festive cooking advice.

But with all that glorious food around over the festive period, it’s no surprise a huge 84 per cent of respondents admit to over-indulging on food and drink.

Even then there’s still plenty left over – three quarters of Brits find themselves making meals out of Christmas leftovers long after the big day has come and gone – a perfect time to create new and delicious recipes.

Nic Yates added: “Christmas can be stressful, with so many meals to cook, people to entertain, presents to buy. This year we want to help with simple and easy ways to make your food even more special. Adding a simple twist to traditional meals, treats and snacks will impress your friends and family and create new traditions the whole family can enjoy.”

Birmingham Hippodrome has unveiled its newest exhibition Once Upon a Time: A Visual History of Pantomime. The exciting exhibition features previously unseen archived pantomime imagery, celebrating the history of pantomime and its stars. For this unique exhibition, artists Craig Earp and Danny Lloyd created eye-catching pieces using original artwork and re-appropriated archived imagery.

Already in residence in Gallery Two is an exclusive collection from LSE Woman’s Library, marking 100 years since women were first allowed to vote. The Face of Suffrage depicts some of the phenomenal women who were involved in the suffragette movement. The sticking display complements a unique large-scale art installation created by Helen Marshall and co-produced by Grain, which is currently on view at Birmingham New Street Station. Consisting of more than 3,500 photographs the floor-based mosaic combines historical images of women involved in the movement and modern photographs submitted by local women.

Interestingly, friends of Birmingham Hippodrome are also getting in the picture with another exhibition, In the Wings: New Perspective featuring candid photographs captured by two of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s very own ballet dancers turned photographers, Tyrone Singleton and Lachlan Monaghan. Visitors will get a unique view from the wings of the company’s most iconic performances including The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty.

Jonathan Harris, the newly appointed Visual Arts Producer at Birmingham Hippodrome commented: “There’s so much more on offer in our building recently, including some things that you might not expect, like our fantastic exhibitions.

“If you’re coming to see a show it’s well worth you coming in a little earlier or staying a little later to see what exciting pieces we have on display. Or why not just pop in to catch an exhibition and grab a drink in our Coffee Bar as a break from Christmas shopping!”

The artwork is on display in the corridors off the Stalls, Front Circle and Middle Circle foyers (levels 1, 2 & 3).

The recently held International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) International Community Tourism Conference themed: Building Communities as Businesses, was staged at Mona Visitor’s Lodge, UWI, Mona, November 12-15, 2018 in Jamaica. The four-day event commemorates 2018 as the ‘International Year of Community Tourism & Peace in collaboration with Countrystyle Villages as Businesses’ which represents 40 years of Community Tourism.

The well-organized international conference was Chaired by Mrs. Diana McIntyre-Pike, President, Countrystyle Villages as Businesses and IIPT Caribbean and Co-chaired by Mrs. Gillian Rowlands, Vice President IIPT Caribbean, Master of Ceremonies and Mrs. Valerie Dixon, VP Countrystyle Villages as Businesses. The Conference was supported by title sponsors Compete Caribbean and Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), representing Caribbean governments. The International Conference was presented by IIPT International Community Tourism Network in association with Countrystyle Villages as Businesses, The University of the West Indies Open Campus, Making Connections Work Ltd UK, Diaspora Connect 2022, YES Foundation, Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Livelihoods, National Best Communities Foundation and The UWI Mona Tourism Society.

Numerous case studies were showcased and community representative presenters, some of which are mentioned here: Barbados Community Tourism Network, Lopinot Countrystyle Community Tourism Network (Trinidad), Beeston Spring (Westmoreland), Manchester Peace Coalition (An IIPT endorsed project), Treasure Beach (First Village Home of Community Tourism), Marcus Garvey & Taino Heritage (Mandeville & Resource Village), Rastafari Indigenous Village and Charles Town Maroon Village (Portland). Displays of Villages as Businesses products were represented by Orange Bay, Beeston Spring, and Kitson Town, Resource Village and others which featured Agri-tourism Arts & Craft, Wellness & Music.

Outstanding presentations were well received from UWI lecturers Dr Carolyn Hayle, Dr. K’adamawe K’nife and Professor Ian Boxill, Vice Principal UWI and Chairman Countrystyle Villages as Businesses. Compete Caribbean/Caribbean Tourism Organization shared their community-based/sustainable tourism programme for the Caribbean region. Coldwell Bankers one of the main sponsors, Charles Town Maroon Council, Treasure Beach Community Tourism displays were just a few examples on exhibit.

Dr. Louis D’Amore, Founder & President International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) was the Opening speaker. His presence was impactful because he chose to attend the International Conference in Jamaica instead of the highly acclaimed World Travel Market in London.  Days before the IIPT International Community Tourism Conference, Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett was awarded the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) “Champions in Challenge” Award honoring leaders who have overcome exceptional challenges exhibiting leadership in their words & deeds on November 8, 2018 in London.

Dr Luz Longsworth, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UWI Open Campus gave the official welcome to the Conference where she shared their commitment to community tourism in partnership with the Countrystyle Academy for Community Tourism (ACT) with the Community Tourism Hospitality Entrepreneurship training programme and other initiatives for educating communities in Jamaica and the Caribbean region.

The Conference Welcome Reception was sponsored by Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston, which featured Theo Chambers, CEO, Panacarib Business Solutions and guest speaker Alexander Pike, General Manager, the new R Hotel in Kingston who shared the proposed Community Tourism programme for Kingston.

Community Tourism pioneer, Diana McIntyre-Pike’s opening statement called on communities to become independent through entrepreneurship, education and training.  Community lifestyle experiences, ‘pick a project and ‘adopt a project’ adds value to visitor experiences. “People don’t want something set up for visitors, they want to enjoy us as Jamaican people.” She continued in saying “this conference was an important one to show the economic benefits of developing rural and urban communities as businesses to promote and attract investment opportunities for local entrepreneurs in their own environment through training and education, which we can provide from the Academy for Community Tourism (ACT) in partnership with the UWI Open Campus.”  She concluded in thanking the UWI Open Campus for granting the Community Tourism Hospitality Entrepreneurship training programme accreditation by UWI Open Campus.

During the early part of his speech, Dr. D’Amore took the opportunity to highlight Diana McIntyre-Pike’s illustrious achievements in Community Tourism, reflecting on how she branded ‘community tourism’ along with her late Community Tourism partner Desmond Henry. He spoke of her numerous awards totalling over 30 some which include appointment by the Jamaican government to the Order of Distinction for Tourism and Community Service, Virgin Holiday Responsible Tourism Award at World Travel Market for the Best Personal Contribution to the world jointly with TUI and IIPT Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Man of Peace, Dr. D’Amore, recounted a history of wars and conflict on the planet noting “as of 2015 there were 50 ongoing conflicts in the world and it is estimated that 90% of current war casualties are civilians, the majority of whom are women and children”. Led by the conviction of no more wars, Dr. Amore has passionately engaged in activities to increase peace parks with the goal of 2000 international peace parks circling the earth by Nov. 11, 2020. Over the years, IIPT has continued to dedicate peace parks as a legacy at international conferences. He highlighted when Mandeville Jamaica became the first IIPT Peace Town with the first Peace Park in the Caribbean in 2013, along with Treasure Beach as the first IIPT Peace Village and Peace Park.

In conclusion, D’Amore left the audience with this thought: “The tourism industry with its global presence has the potential to help preserve the world’s biodiversity as an integral part of God’s creation to facilitate the connection and positive interaction among all of God’s children particularly through Community Tourism.”

A Birmingham graduate has revealed how her time on a unique gaming course equipped her for a role developing one of the world’s biggest video games.

Cissy Biri, who graduated from Birmingham City University in 2016, is among the tech team behind Rockstar Games’ smash hit prequel, ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’.

The Western-themed game, which follows outlaw Arthur Morgan, has already proved a major hit with gamers and sold more than 17 million copies in its first two weeks.

Now the Birmingham graduate has revealed that her time on the unique Gamer Camp Biz Master’s course was crucial to her landing the position of Animation Production Coordinator for ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’.

During her time at the University, Cissy was given the opportunity to sharpen her skills in video game production and worked with a team to produce the ‘Xtreme Drone Racing’ game, which gave players the chance to race virtual drones in a series of different locations.

The Gamer Camp course is designed to equip students with the real-world skills needed to work among some of the world’s biggest games companies, and Cissy explained how it had been integral to preparing her for her role at Rockstar North, part of Rockstar Games.

Cissy Biri is from Athens in Greece and now based in Edinburgh. She said:

“My time at Gamer Camp Biz has had a big impact on my current role at Rockstar North. Having experienced project delivery and working in interdisciplinary teams helped me hit the ground running in my production career.

“The production methodologies and best practices I studied have been indispensable while working on cutting edge technological projects of this scale and ambition. Gamer Camp Biz provided me with the tools I needed to not only get a job at a leading studio, but also to continue to learn and grow.”

Birmingham City University’s Gamer Camp allows students to take part in a number of different video game disciplines, from Video Game Digital Art, to Video Game Enterprise, Production and Design.

Zuby Ahmed, Associate Professor of Games Design at Birmingham City University, said:

“Year upon year we have a fantastic relationship with Rockstar Games; they recognise that the teaching and learning within Gamer Camp is of a really high industry-standard, so our graduates are able to hit the ground running at lightning speed.

“I am so very proud to know that several of our recent graduates, including Cissy, have already gone on to help shape ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ become the global success it is.”

Chiswick Auctions this week sold the first ever printed edition of the Bible in English for £37,500 over four times its’ low pre-sale estimate of £8,000 to a private collector.

Described as the most important book in the English Language, the ‘Tyndale Bible’ was the first to be translated directly from Hebrew and Greek, by William Tyndale.

This copy is Tyndale’s Final revision and is the first of seven editions, dating from 1536. Most of the early copies of Tyndale’s New Testament are in bad condition, or have been destroyed, as although thousands of them were smuggled into England, they were vigorously hunted and destroyed by ecclesiastical authorities, thus making this exceptionally rare.