Community News

Chancellor of Birmingham City University, Sir Lenny Henry, has launched a new networking group for the institution in London.

‘BCU in London’ is open to graduates of the University – from senior leaders and up and coming professionals – who are based or have business-interests in the capital.

Sir Lenny Henry addressed some 100 distinguished guests and alumni gathered at the launch, and said: “We want this launch to form the basis of a strong and enduring network where graduates and friends of BCU can come together to forge professional links that recognise what you have in common and the expertise you have in your various disciplines.

Both online and in person, the aim of BCU in London is to bring our alumni together in a formidable network of professionals whose careers have been impacted by our University.”

Joining the Dudley-born actor, writer, comedian and charitable campaigner at the Institute of Directors in Pall Mall were notable figures including the Rt Hon Baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, Lord Bruce Grocott, MP for Ladywood Shabana Mahmood and former MP for Edgbaston, Gisela Stuart.

Senior alumni representatives from organisations such as the BBC, EY, IBM, Sport England and Universal Music Group were also present at the event.

Praise the University’s positive impact on Birmingham, Sir Lenny said: “Birmingham City University has transformed the Eastside region of the city; its new Conservatoire, about to open in September on the City Centre Campus – the first in a generation for the UK; and its City South campus in Edgbaston, with fantastic new sports and health science facilities, is also set to open before the end of the year.

Add to that the wider changes to that have literally transformed the city over the past decade and its small wonder we want to shout about it.

In fact, one of the reasons we wanted to hold this event here in the capital is to show London that despite what’s happening in the West Midlands at the moment we don’t necessarily think the world revolves around Birmingham – some cool things come out of London too!”

Sir Lenny was installed as Chancellor of Birmingham City University in November 2016 when he stressed that “education is a right, not an accident of birth” in his inaugural speech.

With more than 24,000 students from 80 countries, Birmingham City University is a large, diverse and increasingly popular place to study – putting them at the heart of everything it does, giving them the best opportunities for future success.

Although the IAAF World Championships in London will be the focus for everyone this weekend, in just eight months’ time Birmingham will be staging its own world championships, when the IAAF World Indoor Championships returns to the city from 1 to 4 March.

It has been a busy few months for the organising team, which is mainly made up of representatives from Birmingham City Council and British Athletics, as in recent weeks the Championships timetable was unveiled, the official website was launched and tickets went on sale to priority groups - including athletics fans, clubs and members of the British Athletics Supporters Club, who between them snapped up 8,000 tickets in the first few hours.

As part of the timetable announcement it was confirmed that there will be six sessions for the Championships, with the IAAF Council approving an opening session on Thursday 1 March. It was also revealed that the women’s 3000m final, an event which saw Laura Muir take gold in the European Indoor Championships earlier this year, will now be part of the opening night, alongside both the men’s and the women’s high jump finals.

Tickets for the event, which will be held at Arena Birmingham*, start at just £5 for concessions and the event is fantastic value for families, as Championships Director Joan Durose explains: “We want to ensure that this event, which will see some of the world’s best athletes compete for world titles,  is accessible for local people and athletics fans across the country, so we’ve made sure that a family of four, with two adults and two children, can attend some sessions of the Championships for just £50.”

This week the official mascot for the Championships, Ruby the Red Panda, was launched. Ruby made her first ever appearance at the Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park, which is just a few miles from Arena Birmingham.

The park was chosen as the ideal setting for Ruby’s unveiling, as they participate in a red panda breeding programme, to protect this endangered species, and have done since 2005, when one of the new arrivals, Babu, famously went missing. He was found four days later and returned to his enclosure. Babu was later named ‘Brummie of The Year’.

By having a red panda as the mascot, the organising team for the IAAF World Indoor Championships, hopes to raise awareness of the work that the Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park does to help protect this endangered species. The mascot is named Ruby because of her sparkling personality and as a nod to the city’s famous Jewellery Quarter.

Grab your pirate hat, binoculars, wellies and a picnic and head for the top heritage gems along the country's beautiful waterways this summer.

Rich in history, with colourful canal boats and wonderful watery wildlife – the Canal & River Trust has over 2,000 miles of canals and rivers throughout England and Wales to explore. Whether you want to spot a family of ducks or the flash of a kingfisher, watch boats travel across soaring aqueducts or through a flight of lock gates, try a fishing taster course or simply enjoy spending time together - the whole family can enjoy an adventure for free at one of the Canal & River Trust's historical treasures.

To help you choose which of the country's miles and miles of canals and rivers to visit the Trust has put together a collection of local maps and activity sheets downloadable from www.canalrivertrust.org.uk. Simply choose your destination and have a fun family day out.

New for family festival goers:

Across the country the summer waterway scene attracts hundreds of floating markets, fayres and music festivals – this year the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is set to host a major new waterway festival - the East London Waterway Festival on Monday 28th August 2017.

Celebrating London's local rivers and canals the festival marks the completion of Carpenters Road Lock that will allow boats to travel from the Old River Lea to Waterworks River for the first time in 40 years.

The celebration will include a boat flotilla, dragon boat racing, canoeing, stand up paddle boarding, rowing, pedalos and free boat trips. There will also be live music and dance performances, children's activities, heritage walks, food stalls, craft beer and more. In the evening Nomad Cinema will be hosting a screening in the lock, of the film 'How we used to Live', introduced by the writer Travis Elborough. Directions: Easy to access by train, tube or bus. From central London take either the Jubilee or Central Line to Stratford. Take the escalators up to 'the Street' and follow pedestrian signs. Carpenters' Lock, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 2ST.

For fishing fun:

Let's Fish! Join the Canal & River Trust for free fishing taster sessions during the summer holidays. Gather your family and friends and head to your local waterway to experience the joy of catching big and little fish. Learn how to identify the variety of fish you find and enjoy the fun to be had counting your catch. Across the country the Canal & River Trust will be holding Let's Fish events – with professional fishing coaches to introduce you to the joy of fishing.

To find your nearest event and to book your free place visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

For wildlife lovers:

Built through a gap in the Chilterns near Tring, the Grand Union Canal changed this area forever with the building of four reservoirs to provide water – Tring Reservoirs. Today the reservoirs create a 263 acre Site of Special Scientific Interest and is one of the best birdwatching spots in southern England. In the summer watch swifts and common terns swooping over the water and in the evening spot pipistrelle bats hunting for insects. Directions: Tring Reservoirs, Startop's End Reservoir car park, Marsworth, Buckinghamshire HP23 4LJ.

Contrary to the doom and gloom predicted by many due to the uncertainty of Brexit, it seems that many within the West Midlands are quietly optimistic about the economy and their own job prospects.

Recent research conducted by YouGov on behalf of specialist recruiter Reed showed that out of the 2,000 people they asked 44 % of employees felt optimistic about their career prospects. With 45% of respondents saying they were looking for a new job or preparing to look for a new job. With 30% looking for a new job to improve their skills, and 33% saying they were looking for a new job to ensure they had a better working environment. These figures suggest that despite the gloomy predictions of many with the uncertainty over Brexit, many within the West Midlands are optimistic about the chance for economic prosperity and betterment within the next few years.

A further 53% of those surveyed said that they had been given a pay rise in 2016 compared to 37% who said they had when asked in 2015. The employees it seems are benefitting from the initial positive economic growth the UK experienced despite the Brexit vote.

As Claire Harvey, Senior Divisional Director of REED in the North said: “UK workers and businesses are confident that 2017 will be a great year for them and those in the Northern half of the country are no different. The jobs market always proves to be a good barometer for the economy and we believe this promising early indication is a sign of things to come. This research for 2017 shows that workers are confident to look for a new job despite the wider backdrop of leaving the EU.”

Clearly, despite the negativity of some, the people of West Midlands are positive and upbeat about their economic future and are working hard to ensure that that positivity is well justified and earned.

Clarke Willmott LLP’s 5-a-side football team has won the 2017 Birmingham Charity Football tournament raising money for the Child Brain Injury Trust.

The annual competition is organised by a committee of local businesses, coming together to support the Child Brain Injury Trust, a charity that supports children, young people and their families.

Helping them to come to terms with brain injury, which could be the result of accident, an illness such as meningitis or encephalitis, a poisoning, a stroke or a brain tumour, the charity offers guidance on how to deal with the uncertainty that the future may hold.

The tournament, organised by Kings Chambers, attracted a large turnout of 15 teams from local law firms, Barristers’ Chambers and other Birmingham businesses. After a league phase followed by knockout rounds, the final was a keenly contested affair between the team from Clarke Willmott LLP and No 5 Chambers. The final was a spectacle of end-to-end, attacking football, eventually won by a last minute goal by Clarke Willmott.

Philip Edwards, a Serious Injury expert and Corporate Social Responsibility Partner for Clarke Willmott said: “I am incredibly proud of our Clarke Willmott team in coming home with the trophy from this amazing event, and it was brilliant to see so many teams turn up and compete. Much more importantly, significant funds were raised for the fantastic Child Brain Injury Trust.

“I have seen first-hand the work they do to support young brain injury survivors and those around them. It really is invaluable, and makes such a difference.”

The local fund raising committee will now turn their attention to other events, with an afternoon tea and Christmas quiz planned – with the aim of raising more money to help the Child Brain Injury Trust support children who sustain brain injuries.

Clarke Willmott LLP is a national law firm with seven offices across the country, including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton.

Niantic Labs, the developer and publisher of Pokémon GO, The Pokémon Company International and Big Heritage, the UK heritage organisation, have partnered to curate historical locations throughout the ancient city of Chester within Pokémon GO to encourage community engagement and education.

On the weekend of Saturday 22^nd and Sunday 23^rd of July, events will be staged across Chester, including activities based at Chester Castle, which will be open to the public for the first time in 20 years. Visitors to the city will be able to take part in a number of fun trail activities, with in-game and real-world surprises for Pokémon GO players. The weekend of events coincides with the annual Chester Heritage Festival, which celebrates the heritage of one of the world’s most historic cities.

Chester will play host to Pokémon GO Trainers visiting the UK from around the world, turning historical sites into PokéStops that players can interact with. Big Heritage will also be working with schools across the Cheshire and Merseyside regions as part of an initiative to encourage young people to explore and learn about their local area by playing Pokémon GO together.

Niantic CEO and founder John Hanke said "I am incredibly excited about this partnership linking local history and Pokémon GO.  We love the idea of using mobile games as a motivation for families to play outside together and perhaps to learn something interesting while they are at it!"

Big Heritage founder Dean Paton said “We are so excited about working with Niantic Labs, who are true innovators in their field, and as passionate as we are about getting people exploring and learning about the world around them. It’s a genuine coup for Chester to be the ‘test bed’ for some amazing new ideas, and we hope we can use the game based on the iconic and beloved Pokemon brand as a tool for helping more people get excited about the past.”

Get involved – use the hashtag #PokemonGO and let us know if you planning to join the festival by “attending” the event on the Big Heritage facebook page.

The confidence of workers across the West Midlands has not been shaken by uncertainty around leaving the European Union, with 45 per cent admitting that they are looking for a new job this year, according to REED.

The YouGov research commissioned by specialist recruiter REED, which asked more than 2,000 people about their careers in 2017, found that 44 per cent of employees are feeling optimistic about their career prospects despite a lack of clarity created by the Brexit vote.

Optimism and confidence are high among employers too, as 53 per cent of those surveyed in the West Midlands said they had been given a pay rise in 2016, compared to just 37 per cent who were asked the same question in a previous REED survey from 2015.

While an increase in salary is still the primary motivation for workers in the West Midlands to look for a new job (45 per cent), other reasons were also revealed.28 per cent would move for an improved work-life balance and a third (33 per cent) for a better working environment. And pensions have a major impact on attracting and retaining workers with 55 per cent of people across the UK saying a pension plan is an important part of the decision to either stay in their current role or look around.

The research, commissioned to mark the launch of the REED 2017 Salary Guide, also discovered that those in senior positions have noticed a widening skills gaps among their staff. Almost half (47 per cent) of those in management, and 54 per cent in supervisor positions, now recognise a lack of skills within their organisation. This is in comparison to 42 per cent of managers and 45 per cent of supervisors¹ who observed the same trend in previous research commissioned by REED last year.

Claire Harvey, Senior Divisional Director of REED in the North, said: “UK workers and businesses are confident that 2017 will be a great year for them and those in the Northern half of the country are no different. The jobs market always proves to be a good barometer for the economy and we believe this promising early indication is a sign of things to come. This research for 2017 shows that workers are confident to look for a new job despite the wider backdrop of leaving the EU.”

Among the next generation of workers, more than half (51 per cent) of those between the ages of 18 and 24  would move to have more opportunities to learn and develop their skills, 49 per cent for better career prospects and 45 per cent for a better company culture. More than half (61 per cent) of 18-24 year olds would still move for a better salary.

Harvey added: “Along with marketing and creative, digital has been a particular growth area in 2016 as more clients realise their online presence really needs to stand out in order to attract business. Job satisfaction is incredibly important and often when an employee outgrows their role, they will need to leave to continue to get job satisfaction. As such, a company that is unable to offer longer-term challenges may suffer with higher turnover.  If employers can offer young, talented workers the opportunity to learn and help this eager generation hone their skills, then companies will attract the right talent; continuing this trend of optimism into a post-Brexit world.”

From July 7th until September 3rd, The Elite Series, will take place every weekend in London at the Gfinity Esports Arena, the home of UK esports. Fans will be able to catch all the action on GfinityEsports.com and can follow this intensive nine week schedule:

o      Fridays:  Street Fighter V – 6:00pm - 10:00pm

o      Saturdays:  CS:GO 10:00am – 10:00pm

o      Sundays:  Rocket League 12:00pm – 6:00pm

The Elite Series season one starts with the regular Season, during which eight teams - with a total of 160 players - will play seven crucial matches. There will be three independent leagues - one for each game: Street Fighter V, CS:GO and Rocket League. After each team has had their one-time face off against the others, the top four will progress to the league’s playoff spots.

Playoffs will feature two semi-finals, with the winners ultimately meeting head to head in a final showdown for their share of the £225,000 prize fund and the glory of being crowned the Elite Series League Champion.

In addition to the three independent leagues for each game, Gfinity will, for the first time in esports history, be running a franchise championship, for the overall winners across the entire tournament.

The 10 year anniversary of the Smokefree legislation introduced on 1 July 2007, which banned smoking inside bars, clubs, restaurants, and other public and work places, has been marked with a dramatic steep decline in smoking rates across the West Midlands region. The last few years have seen the steepest drop in numbers, down from 23% in 2007 in the region (21% in England) to 15.4% in 2016 (15.5% in England).

Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive of Public Health England, praised this phenomenal success and the huge benefits the legislations has brought – encouraging large numbers of smokers to quit and helping improve health among both ex-smokers and non-smokers alike.

Duncan Selbie said: "The Smokefree legislation has been extraordinary in the way we now experience and enjoy pubs, clubs, restaurants and so many other public places. Young people have not had to experience the smoke filled bars and clubs that once choked their parents and workers. They’ve grown up in a world where smoking is no longer socially acceptable.

“The law has played a key part in the huge cultural change we have seen in the past decade, especially among younger people, a change that has literally saved thousands from disabling chronic diseases and premature death.”

New figures from PHE show that the number of smokers aged 35 and over dying from heart disease in the West Midlands has fallen significantly from 39.5 per 100,000 head population in 2007-09 to 29.5 in 2013-15; while deaths from stroke have fallen from 12.7 per 100,000 head population in 2007-09 to 9.5 in 2013-15.

Commenting on the impact on societal attitudes over the past decade the Smokefree legislation has led to, Duncan Selbie said: “The Smokefree legacy has had a phenomenally positive impact on societal attitudes to smoking, and smokers have seized the opportunity by quitting in unprecedented numbers and, of those still smoking, half have chosen to smoke outside of their own homes to protect their families from second hand smoke. The Smokefree legislation was undoubtedly the single most important public health reform in generations.”

The smoking indoor ban was the first, and the most important, in a series of 10 pieces of tobacco legislation over 10 years.

Duncan Selbie said: “We’ve seen cigarettes stubbed out in public places, become far less visible in shops and had large graphic warnings put on packs starkly explaining what these things do to the human body.

A fluffy new arrival is melting hearts at the National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham after its parents crossed continents to conceive.

A rare Gentoo penguin has hatched at the centre’s ice adventure following a global breeding programme aimed at increasing the declining population. The chick is the first to be born in England in 2017 and a first ever at the National Sea Life Centre.

The chick, which has yet to be named, is being cared for by its doting parents, who have flown from opposite ends of the earth to find love in the Midlands.

Dad is Pablo, a 4 year-old Gentoo from New Zealand, whilst Mum, Arabel, is 6 and hails all the way from Calgary in Canada. The penguins arrived in 2014 and 2016 respectively, joined most recently by a group from Billund in Denmark as efforts to diversify the gene pool continue.

19 different Sea Life attractions and over 400 penguins, from 5 different species, are involved in the breeding programme, set up after Gentoo numbers declined rapidly and they became near endangered.

Factors include damage to their habitats from tourism, pollution and the illegal collection of their eggs, as well as the birds’ sensitive breeding nature.

Hayley Roberts, penguin specialist at the National Sea Life Centre, said: “We are overjoyed at the arrival of our first ever Gentoo baby – the first this year in England. Gentoos are notoriously tricky to encourage to breed because they are such sensitive birds and we have worked tirelessly from when the breeding programme was first conceived - more than three years ago now - to make sure every detail was perfect for our penguins.

“First we had to make sure we found the right genetic matches for each bird because if the gene pool isn’t diverse enough there can be big problems. We also had to make sure their environment was as close as we could make it to the most ideal conditions in the wild – we factored in temperature, lighting, colours, food, the right rocks and pebbles for use in social activities and the right amount of water for swimming.

“We then had to transport our penguins from three different continents, so our chick really is the most wanted baby we’ve ever tried to breed – we have moved mountains for its parents to conceive, so we are overwhelmed with delight at its arrival.”

The baby penguin is doing well. It weighed 91 grams at birth and will continue to eat from mum’s regurgitated food until it’s old enough to begin learning how to swim and feed. A DNA test will be carried out to determine the sex after three to four months.

It may soon be celebrating the arrival of a brother or sister too!

The UK’s major cities are experiencing a boom in house prices this summer, with new statistics showing property values in key conurbations have risen by 3.5 per cent in the last three months.

Figures from Hometrack show the significant rate of growth across 20 large cities has taken the average price to £210,200. Locations included in its study range from London to Cambridge, Oxford, Aberdeen, Portsmouth, Bristol and Sheffield.

It comes as Zoopla statistics show the UK as a whole has enjoyed a 1.01 per cent increase in house prices in the last quarter, adding more than £3,000 to the value of an average home.

Kevin Shaw, national sales director at property specialist Leaders, says: “Despite the uncertainty of Brexit and the recent general election, these figures show the property market remains incredibly strong and continues to grow at a fast pace.

“Half of the major cities included in Hometrack’s reports are seeing house prices grow at a higher rate than they were this time last year, with property values up by 3.9 per cent in Nottingham, 3.8 per cent in Birmingham, 3.5 per cent in Newcastle and Liverpool and 3.5 per cent in Manchester in the last three months alone.

“Interestingly, it is larger regional cities that are driving the market with the largest gains, whereas in London growth actually slowed. This pours cold water on the idea of the capital being responsible for the majority of growth and proves the entire country is performing well.

“Low mortgage rates continue to help buyers looking to take their next step and make moving home a more attractive proposition, although there continues to be a lack of supply of housing to fully satisfy demand.”

Hometrack added it does not expect London growth rates – currently 3.3 per cent over the last year and 1.9 per cent in the most recent quarter – to head into negative figures in 2017.

City Wolverhampton Council and city partners have launched a website to offer residents, businesses, and providers improved access to skills, training and employment opportunities.

Employers and training providers today (Thursday) gathered at an event at Molineux Stadium to view and support ‘Workbox’, which will act as a one-stop hub, forming part of the wider Skills and Employment Action Plan to tackle unemployment in the city.

It will provide flexible and customised provision to prepare people better for work and employers will contribute by designing bespoke training to ensure a larger proportion of people become job ready over time - creating a more reliable local labour supply.

Employers, in the future will also be able to advertise local jobs on Workbox and it feeds into the Wolves@Work employment programme, where work coaches offer advice and support to residents.

This is the first phase of Workbox, with further development set to take place to make it more interactive and tailored to the user’s needs.

David Danger, Chair of Employment & Skills Group, and Managing Director of UTC Marston Aerospace, added: “Workbox is a priority of the city Skills and Employment Action Plan and aims to create a virtual system that makes it easier for local people to obtain information, advice and guidance.

“It is a tool to really help co-ordinate and connect people to local opportunities, and has been developed with many partners, residents and businesses, with further development to come in its offer and interactivity.”

Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for City Economy, added: ““Workbox will act as a ‘front door’ to information, advice and job opportunities.

“Organisations at today’s event were able to further input into the design as well as support the launch.

“This is the start of the journey for Workbox and it will continue to develop and change to reflect the needs of the city.”

Workbox has been co-designed with City of Wolverhampton College, University of Wolverhampton, Community Learning Platform, Department for Work and Pensions, Adult Education Wolverhampton, Connexions, schools, residents, employers and training providers.

It will provide an intensive local support system which has not existed before in Wolverhampton. Residents will be able to sign up to local information about opportunities and access support. It will also be a tool for frontline staff and a Workbox training programme will support those staff who are working with young care leavers and offenders so these young people can gain access to local training, apprenticeships and employment opportunities.

There will be something for all ages on Egyptian Day (13 August) including handling objects 3000 years old and listening to talks by a Professor of Egyptology. Meet Irethoreru - that's the newly-discovered name of the 2600 year old mummy that would have been inside the Castle's Ancient Egyptian coffin lid exhibited on the Great Hall Gallery.

Take part in a workshop to make a clay mummy with Kentish artist Brenda Burgess and listen to Egyptologist Mick Oakey who will deliver a talk about a day in the life of an Ancient Egyptian “What did Irethoreru have for breakfast?”

Don't forget to visit 'The Fields of Eternity' - the Castle's unique, award-winning Ancient Egyptian-themed conceptual grass maze too!

All activities are included in the usual Castle admission fee except face painting when a small charge will apply.

The event will take place on Sunday 13 August between 11am and 5pm.

The Castle will also be open for visitors to explore the exquisite Japanese and Egyptian museum Collections of the late owner Denys Eyre Bower together with Buddhist and Stuart treasures. Explore the original Victorian rooms inside the Castle, including the large kitchen and servants' quarters, and enjoy reading about the colourful and eventful life of Denys Eyre Bower in his study.

Jacksons Lane Arts Centre will enjoy continued support from Arts Council England until at least 2022, the organisation has announced.

The arts centre in Jacksons Lane, Highgate, is one of hundreds across the country to be announced as part of the Arts Council’s National Portfolio (NPO), which gives financial support to arts and culture organisations and helps to develop new cultural programmes.

Jacksons Lane, hailed as the country’s leading venue for contemporary circus, said remaining a part of the National Portfolio will enable it to develop and expand partnerships to support the future of the circus and arts sector.

The Arts Centre has also been awarded a £165,000 development grant to help it develop detailed plans for large-scale improvements to the building. The council has also committed to supporting Jacksons Lane’s improvements.

Haringey Council Leader Claire Kober said: “Huge congratulations to Jacksons Lane. Everyone in Haringey recognises the tremendous contribution the Arts Centre makes to culture not just in Highgate and Haringey but also across London, and throughout the country.

"It’s fantastic to see the Arts Council also recognising this with ongoing National Portfolio support and grant funding that will help Jackson Lane draw up more detailed improvement plans for this much-loved venue.”

Qatar Airways has celebrated 10 years of unparalleled service to the United States by illuminating the Empire State Building in its signature burgundy and white colours. The airline will continue its celebrations with a series of activities including, special offers from the U.S. to more than 100 destinations worldwide, as well as bonus Qmiles for Privilege Club frequent flyer members.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency, Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “We were honoured to display our colours on one of the most iconic skyscrapers in the world, and the headquarters of our USA and Americas Regional offices, the Empire State Building. We believe this is a true testament to our positive presence and fantastic support in the United States.

“Qatar Airways is proud to have provided a decade of quality international service for our valued travellers in the United States, and we are looking forward to serving the Americas for many more years to come.

“Qatar Airways continues to expand and grow; with upcoming planned services to both Las Vegas and San Francisco. Never has Qatar Airways’ commitment to the American market been stronger, and providing a vital international link between the USA to Qatar and beyond remains our goal.”

Qatar Airways’ first flight to the U.S., on 28 June, 2007, was to New York City, this was closely followed by service to Washington, D.C., the following month. 2016 was a particularly busy year in the U.S. for Qatar Airways as it launched flights to Los Angeles, Boston and Atlanta taking the total number of gateways into North America to 10, including Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Miami and Philadelphia.

As part of its continuing expansion efforts within the country, Qatar Airways is planning to launch services to San Francisco and Las Vegas in 2018. The American expansion is just part of the overall airline growth plans, which include new routes to Canberra (Australia), Chiang Mai (Thailand), Douala (Cameroon), Libreville (Gabon), Rio de Janeiro, (Brazil), Santiago (Chile), as well as many other exciting destinations.

To further strengthen its position as an industry leader, Qatar Airways has just launched the groundbreaking Qsuite to London and will bring the patented product to New York City in September.

Birmingham Museums Trust has secured Arts Council England investment of over £4million for the next four years (2018 – 2022), through the funder’s new national portfolio.

The Trust was recognised as outstanding throughout many areas of the application, including the creative case for diversity, which asks organisations to enrich the work they do by embracing a wide range of diverse influences and practices to reach new audiences.

Funding will allow Birmingham Museums to continue to care for and develop the city’s museum collection and venues, as well as working on ambitious plans for the future of the organisation.

Ellen McAdam, Director of Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “We are thrilled to hear about our funding settlement and our status as a National Portfolio Organisation.

“This announcement confirms Arts Council England’s confidence in Birmingham Museums Trust and our plans for the future, which include the re-development of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery to attract growing and increasingly diverse audiences.

“Despite challenging economic circumstances Birmingham Museums Trust has continued to adapt and thrive, inspiring learning, creativity and enjoyment for the people of the city and across the region. We care for one of the three greatest civic collections in the UK, and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is the most visited civic museum in England. This funding allows us to forge ahead with our plans, while continuing to welcome our visitors to experience the outstanding collection and learn about our shared heritage across our nine sites.

“Museums should be for everyone and Arts Council England’s continued support highlights their commitment to this.”

Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England said: "Birmingham Museums Trust cares for one of the most important civic museum collections in England. Its sites help preserve local histories alongside exhibitions that share international stories. We're delighted to be investing in its work over the next four years, and look forward to seeing the Trust continue to draw visitors from around the world to Birmingham."