Community News

Birmingham St Mary’s is encouraging sensitive and caring individuals to sign up as ‘Support at Home’ volunteers – and offer a listening ear to local people living with life-limiting illness.

The Birmingham-based hospice is hosting a ‘Volunteer Recruitment Day’ on Friday 20 July, to recruit helpers who can give up their spare time to support others across Birmingham and Sandwell.

The open day is a chance to find out more about the Support at Home service, as well as what a volunteer role involves. It will also be an opportunity to meet some of the people who are receiving vital support from the service, to understand how it is already making a real difference to them.

Support at Home, which launched in July last year, sees volunteers visit people in their own homes to offer friendly companionship, support with correspondence and assistance in finding services that could provide additional aid. It also offers loved ones and carers support, by allowing them to take a break for a few hours each week.

In just under a year, the service has grown significantly and is already expanding so that volunteers can now make visits during evenings and at weekends. This is why the hospice is on the lookout for big-hearted volunteers to get involved – as it wants to continue to grow the service so it can care and support even more people.

Carol Murphy, a Support at Home Volunteer at Birmingham St Mary’s, said: “Volunteering for Support at Home is such a rewarding role. I visit a family once a week and we’ve built up a brilliant relationship – we share the same sense of humour and I usually end each visit by having a good laugh.

“Volunteering only takes two hours out of my week but I know it makes such a difference to the people I visit. The hospice has been incredibly supportive and it’s great to be a part of such a friendly team.”

Hasun Tayyub, Support at Home Lead at Birmingham St Mary’s, said: “Support at Home is a fantastic initiative, offering much-needed social support to the people we care for. We are finding that more people want to use this service but we can only support them if we have more volunteers.

“The open day is a great opportunity to come down to the hospice and find out how you can get involved, as well as chat to people who are already volunteering. Whether you can give up just one hour a week or one day, the role can be really flexible to suit your lifestyle.”

The Support at Home Volunteer Recruitment Day is taking place between 10am and 3pm, in which people are welcome to drop by at any time. It will be hosted at the hospice, which is based at 176 Raddlebarn Road, Selly Park, B29 7DA.

New figures from Public Health England (PHE) reveal England’s poorest areas are fast food hotspots, with around a third of outlets – including chip shops, burger bars and pizza places – found in the most deprived communities.The data also suggests fast food outlets account for more than a quarter (26%) of all eateries in England.

The local environment has a major influence on our behaviours and streets crowded with fast food outlets can influence our food choices – many of these have no or little nutrition information in-store. Children exposed to these outlets, whether out with friends or on their way home from school, may find it more difficult to choose healthier options.

The new figures also show a variation in the number of fast food outlets across England, ranging from zero in some wards to over 100 in others.

Many local authorities across England have taken action to address their food environment and PHE is encouraging them to learn from each other. At least 40 areas have developed policies to restrict the growth of new takeaways and fast food outlets, and PHE has helped develop stronger planning guidance to support other areas in doing this.

Some have developed ‘healthier zones’ to help tackle childhood obesity by limiting the number of outlets in areas with high concentrations of fast food outlets, high levels of deprivation, or where children gather – including near schools, community centres, parks, playgrounds and other open spaces.

While not all fast food is unhealthy, it is typically higher in salt, calories and saturated fat, all of which can cause serious health problems when consumed too often and in large quantities. Children with excess weight are consuming up to 500 extra calories per day, so creating healthier environments could play an important role in tackling obesity and health inequalities.

Over a third of children in England are overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school – this is even higher in some deprived communities. This increases their risk of being overweight or obese adults and suffering preventable diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Dr Lola Abudu, Director for Health and Wellbeing with PHE West Midlands, said: “Local authorities have the power to shape our environment and support people in making healthier choices, including tackling these fast food hotspots in some of the region’s poorest areas. There is some excellent work going on in the West Midlands, with councils looking at ways to help people lead healthier lives, including working with local businesses.”

The City of Wolverhampton Council is one of those local authorities which is actively tackling the problem. Councillor Hazel Malcolm, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “Nearly 70% of adults in Wolverhampton are either overweight or obese, and with around one in six meals we eat made outside the home we believe it is important that people have the opportunity to eat as well and as healthily as possible.

“As a council, we have worked with dozens of fast food restaurants in recent years to support them to offer healthier menus, either by serving healthier options or by making simple changes to ingredients or cooking techniques while still delivering tasty meals. This is not about us telling customers what they can and cannot have, but about encouraging takeaways to offer healthier alternatives which customers can choose to have if that’s what they want.

“At the same time, we have introduced new planning guidance to restrict new hot food takeaways from opening in shopping centres or parades where there are already a high percentage of such retailers, and also close to secondary schools. The guidance doesn't have any impact on existing hot food takeaways, nor does it limit the type of takeaways in Wolverhampton, but it will help ensure we do not end up with too many takeaways."

Food outlets can make a valuable contribution to our high streets. However, with the impact of obesity on local authority social care budgets estimated at £352 million per year, encouraging healthier choices can make a positive difference.

As part of its work to improve the local food environment, PHE helps local authorities work with small businesses to provide healthier options. This can be through using less salt, sugar and saturated fat in their products, as well as offering customers smaller portions and promoting healthier alternatives. Some areas have healthy catering schemes to recognise and support local retailers who are making changes.

PHE has also challenged major players in the food industry to remove 20% of calories from popular foods – including chips, burgers and pizzas – by 2024, as part of government’s steps to address childhood obesity. This is in addition to its challenge to industry to reduce sugar in everyday products by 20% by 2020. With a quarter of our calories coming from food consumed outside the home, restaurants including fast food outlets and takeaways are expected to play their part.

As part of its One You campaign, PHE has helped consumers find healthier options by partnering with major high street retailers, where millions of people buy their food every day.

City of Wolverhampton’s new city centre market is on course to open as planned on Tuesday, July 17.

Arrangements are also being finalised for a spectacular official opening event four days’ later.

The city council is relocating the market from its current Market Square base, where traders will operate from for the final time on Saturday, June 30.

Southside will be its new home, where it will boast 20 cabins and 48 stalls, fronting Cleveland Street.

It will offer the flexibility to trade from bigger cabins, event space, a secure site with measures in place to combat hostile vehicles while still allowing access for traders to load and unload, CCTV, integrated lighting and power, free WiFi, canopy-covered walkways, offices, customer toilets, and comprehensive parking and storage facilities.

The new market will also provide increased footfall from the Wulfrun Centre and transport Interchange, as well as situating the market in a student catchment area.

Councillor Steve Evans, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Environment, said: “We are delighted to confirm the new city centre market will open on July 17.

“The current market traders have been accommodated and we expect occupancy at the new market to be close to 100 per cent once it is open.

“The addition of new traders will provide a more varied range of sales lines to differentiate it from a traditional market offer.

“The new market, partly funded by the sale of Market Square as part of the Westside scheme, has loads of potential – and we want this to be the people’s market, where events are also encouraged.

“It will prove a major asset to the city centre.”

The market move will see 48 tented stalls and 16 purpose-built cabins transferred from Market Square.

The Market Square location is to be absorbed into the new £55 million leisure-led Westside development by developer Urban&Civic.

This will deliver a multi-screen cinema, restaurants, bars, hotel, multi-storey car park, apartments, and public realm to the heart of the city centre, in two phases, over five years.

The city centre market is one of three markets in Wolverhampton, with Bilston and Wednesfield markets also popular places to shop.

John Taylor Hospice is asking people to ‘spot the shop’ and find new sites to help it fundraise.

John Taylor’s first shop, which opened on Erdington High Street in May, has been a huge success – and now the charity is looking to open more.

And, says John Taylor Head of Retail Andrew Ray, the hospice is looking for help from local shoppers to find suitable premises.

“Our first shop has been inundated with donations and customers and has done far better than we ever hoped,” says Andrew. “We are incredibly grateful to the people of Erdington who have supported us with donations, volunteering and shopping.

“Now we have the Erdington shop firmly established we are keen to open more retail units in the local area.

“However we are struggling to find other sites as brilliant as the one we have opened in the High Street in Erdington. There are thousands of local shoppers out on their high streets every day – and they may have be passing the ideal spot every day without even realising it.

“So we are asking everyone to let us know if they become aware that an empty unit, which would make a great John Taylor Hospice charity shop, may be available. At the moment we are concentrating on areas around the hospice so anywhere in Sutton Coldfield, Erdington, Hodge Hill, Yardley, Aston, Handsworth but we will also consider further afield.

“Ideally we are looking for shops which are easily accessible with parking nearby – and somewhere which sees plenty of customers.”

John Taylor Hospice provides specialist care for people who are living with a terminal illness and supports their families. With teams at the Erdington hospice and in the community, John Taylor Hospice makes a difference for hundreds of families every day.

It costs £15,000 every day to provide all of the hospice services including the In-Patient Unit, community visits, day services, clinics and physiotherapy, occupational therapy and well-being.

“Money raised by our shops helps us provide end of life care for local families so everyone who helps us find the ideal location is supporting our very valuable work,” adds Andrew.

If you spot the ideal shop site for John Taylor Hospice please email Andrew at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Disabled people, families, and carers, participated in an inclusive walk in Cannon Hill Park on Monday 25 June, to help raise awareness of the needs of the people with complex disabilities.

Organised by the national disability charity, Sense, the walk is one of ten taking place across the country for Deafblind Awareness Week (24 – 30 June 2018). The walks promote well-being, and healthy living, and also provide an opportunity to engage with local communities.

The participants came from TouchBase Pears, the new community and disability service which serves Birmingham.

Jon Fearn, from Sense, led the walk. He said:

“Walking is a great for health and wellbeing, and also to make connections. It was great that so many people could come out to support us on today’s walk.”

With the region basking in the hottest June for 40 years, Severn Trent has confirmed that, while it always expects to see an increase in demand for water, usage has been significantly more than normal.

Customers are using millions of litres more water every single day as they enjoy the sun and high temperatures. This has been the case for several weeks now and, with the hot weather set to continue, the company is asking customers to use water carefully, to help avoid any issues with pressures dropping during peak demand in the mornings and evenings.

Severn Trent has confirmed that they have plenty of water stored and reservoir levels are healthy. That water however, then needs to be treated through its treatment works before being pumped into supply. As fast as it is being produced and put into supply, it is being used by customers which can cause isolated areas of low pressure for people.

The company has increased its production capacity by millions of extra litres a day, but it’s also asking to customers to be neighbourly and help to use their water carefully to try and prevent low pressure for their communities.

They are specifically asking people to:

1.     Put their garden sprinklers away – a sprinkler can use as much as 1,000 litres of drinking water in just one hour – which is more water than a family of four would normally use in a whole day

2.    Take a shower rather than a bath - It uses 40 litres less water and it’s quicker, which means you can get back out and enjoy the sunshine

3.    Avoid washing their cars, but if they have to use a bucket and sponge rather than a hose. If you clean your car for 30 minutes you’ll use 50 times less water with a bucket instead of a hose

Water efficiency manager, Doug Clarke explained, “Demand for water is massively up thanks to several weeks of extremely hot weather. While we have lots of water available and our reservoir levels are healthy and we’re putting millions of extra litres of water into the system, people are using water as fast as we can treat and pump it into supply. This is particularly the case during peak demand in the morning and evenings when we want to ask customers to restrict their supply so we can avoid areas of low pressure. We know how tempting it is to fill the paddling pool up, or get the sprinkler going, but to put things into perspective, a sprinkler can use as much as 1,000 litres of drinking water in just one hour.

“We urge everyone to play their part and be extra careful with their water, especially during peak times.”

Birmingham St Mary’s championed the dedication of its volunteers this month (JUNE), with a movie-style celebration.

To thank its ‘shining stars’, the Selly Park-based hospice hosted two Hollywood-themed parties, in a bid to give back to those who give up their time for free.

Taking place during National Volunteers Week, the festivities included a movie-themed quiz, glitzy props for photos and a musical performance from the University of Birmingham’s ‘A Cappella Society’. The hospice also created its own ‘Wall of Fame’, which featured the names of its committed volunteers.

Birmingham St Mary’s – which provides vital care and support to local people living with life-limiting illness – has over 450 volunteers who generously give up their time for a number of different services. Volunteering roles include bereavement counselling, spiritual care, help with admin, catering, gardening, retail support and more.

Sue Smith volunteers in the fundraising team and has been supporting the hospice for over three years. She said: “Volunteering is both rewarding and a lot of fun. It’s a real privilege to help the hospice and I feel proud that my support can make a big difference to the people and families that the hospice cares for.

“I’ve made some great friends whilst volunteering at Birmingham St Mary’s and so it was fantastic to be able to spend time together and see our hard work and dedication acknowledged. The hospice makes me feel so appreciated and it always go above and beyond in thanking its volunteers.”

Tina Swani, chief executive at Birmingham St Mary’s, said: “Without our fantastic volunteers, we really wouldn’t be able to provide such a wide range of services. Whether it’s project managing a fundraising campaign or serving cups of tea at our Day Hospice, every single one of our volunteers allows us to care for and support more people across Birmingham and Sandwell. It was fantastic to see so many volunteers enjoy our Hollywood celebrations and it was great to give back to those who give so much to others.”

Over the past year, Birmingham St Mary’s volunteers have:

·         Given up 38,405 hours of their time to support our chain of shops

·         Raised £11,000 during The Big Brum Bucket Collection 2017

·         Answered 19,063 telephone calls

·         Served over 18,396 cups of tea and coffee

·         Dedicated 415 hours of their time to maintaining our garden and grounds

·         Held 561 face-to-face bereavement counselling sessions

Birmingham St Mary’s is on the lookout for more volunteers to join its growing team. Volunteering can boost skills needed for the workplace and is a great opportunity to make new friends. To find out more, visit: www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/volunteer-with-us

To mark the 50^th anniversary of his death, the landmark statue of Birmingham-born comedian Tony Hancock is undergoing vital conservation cleaning.

The memorial statue by Bruce Williams stands in Old Square in Birmingham city centre and is cared for by Birmingham Museums Trust on behalf of Birmingham City Council.

Recognised as one of the best known comedians of the 1960s, Tony Hancock was born in Hall Green, Birmingham, on 12 May 1924. The statue was unveiled by Sir Harry Secombe in 1996.

During the Second World War, Hancock served in as a member of the Royal Air Force. He spent his younger years as an amateur entertainer, and this passion continued throughout his war years, as part of Ralph Reader’s RAF Gang Show.

He was most known and celebrated from 1956 for his popular comedy radio and television work, including Hancock's Half Hour. He passed on 25 June 1968 and the conservation work has been commissioned by Birmingham Museums Trust to mark the anniversary.

Mareva Conservation is undertaking the job on behalf of Birmingham Museums, which including carefully removing marks and surface soiling from the sculpture. Experts from Birmingham Museums’ Collections Care team are involved throughout the process.

Rob Lewis, Collections Care Manager at Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “Tony Hancock is a celebrated Birmingham figure and it is only right that his memorial statue is carefully cleaned to mark the anniversary of his death.

“This work is part of our ongoing care of public art in the city and we are proud to have overseen the cleaning of this statue, preserving Tony Hancock’s legacy for years to come.”

People can enjoy a packed day of armed forces-themed celebrations in Wolverhampton city centre on Saturday (JUNE 30) featuring live performances, demonstrations and activities - culminating with a military parade led by The Band of the Mercian Regiment.

Armed Forces Day in the city will see retro-singers the Miss Fortunes, the Cosford Military Wives Choir, the Royal Air Force Air Cadets Military Band, George Formby Tribute Joe James Thomas, choirs from the City of Wolverhampton Council and Royal Wolverhampton Hospital Trust and many more - introduced and compered by Professional Toastmaster James Pugh.

The fun will be centered around a main stage in Queen Square between from 11am – 4pm.

There will be stalls in Dudley Street with have-a-go activities and competitions. People can stop and chat at a special ‘Meet a Veteran’ session hosted by SSAFA and Age UK between 11am and 2.30pm.

There will be an opportunity for people to test their aerodynamic skills when the Air Training Corps host a paper airplane challenge. The University of Wolverhampton’s School of Sciences will bring mind-blowing experiments and fun challenges including how to use a microscope in their ‘tweezer teaser challenge’ and learn how the body works in the body puzzle.

In addition, a range of charities and organisations will be offering information including tips on becoming a cadet or how to get into the military. There be representatives from  Help for Heroes, the Royal British Legion, The Way, Staffordshire Regimental Association, Go Outdoors, University of Wolverhampton, Scotty's Little Soldiers, the Royal Air Forces Association, B Company Air Cadets and the Royal Air Force Cadets.

The celebrations will culminate with a military parade led by The Band of the Mercian Regiment and a flag-lowering ceremony comprising of around 200 military personnel from HMS Forward, the Army and RAF Cosford, cadets, veterans and standard bearers.

The parade will step off from Bilston Street (near Primark) at 3.30pm and march through Dudley Street to Queen Square where they will be met by a lining party of cadets, veterans and standard bearers.

Meanwhile, a trilogy of shows commemorating 100 years since the end of the First World War will be staged by members of the Central Youth Theatre young people and members of the Wolverhampton Orpheus Male Voice Choir.

The three individual performances under the theme 'If they ask us we'll never tell them' - is an described as an inspiring programme of work commemorating the centenary of the end of WW1. The shows will take place at various city centre locations throughout the day.

More information on the full programme is available from www.armedforceswolves.com

The Mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Phil Page marked Refugee Week as he met service users and staff and presented awards to volunteers at Wolverhampton's Refugee and Migrant Centre.

He toured the established charity, based on Waterloo Road, on Friday (22 June), enjoying a 'bring and share’ lunch featuring traditional dishes from around the world and learning about the projects it delivers across the Black Country and Birmingham.

Julie Hodgkiss from the Refugee and Migrant Centre said: "We were delighted to welcome the Mayor as part of our week-long celebrations for Refugee Week.

"He met service users who had created a display board charting their journeys and was inspired by the refugee stories that he heard.

"We are very grateful to all our wonderful volunteers and so we were thrilled that the Mayor was hand to present awards to those who have contributed over 100 hours of their time so far this year."

Mayor Councillor Page said: "I was delighted to meet so many inspiring individuals and to meet members of the Refugee and Migrant Centre who are working so hard to enable them to become equal citizens.

“I was particularly pleased to help the Refugee and Migrant Centre thank its team of volunteers who give their valuable time, skills, experience and energy to help others."

For more information about the work of the Refugee and Migrant Centre, please visit www.rmcentre.org.uk.

The visit was part of Refugee Week, a nationwide programme of arts, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK and encourages a better understanding between communities. For more information, please visit www.refugeeweek.org.uk.

• The Refugee and Migrant Centre and the City of Wolverhampton Council have launched the Paulette Wilson Windrush Citizenship Project to provide specialist advice and support to help residents from the Windrush Generation to gain their rightful citizenship. Residents of Wolverhampton who are unsure of their immigration status and need support and advice can call 01902 311554 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

With the region basking in the hottest June for 40 years Severn Trent has released new figures showing that demand for water is significantly up.

Severn Trent’s eight million or so customers used almost 800 million litres on Sunday alone which is the equivalent of 320 Olympic sized swimming pools of wonderful water as they basked in the sun and high temperatures.

And, as demand is so high, the company is offering customers some simple tips to help save water.

Doug Clarke, water efficiency manager at Severn Trent, said: “The hot weather’s due to carry on through the week and water usage is at its peak so it is the perfect time to swat up on some simple water saving tips.

“So, when watering plants, use a watering can rather than a hose, and don’t worry about your lawn because it’ll bounce back once it starts raining again so you can put the sprinkler away.

“To put things into perspective, a sprinkler can use as much as 1,000 litres of drinking water in just one hour – which is more water than a family of four would normally use in a whole day!

It’s been more than 20 years since Severn Trent last had a hosepipe ban in place, and while the company is confident it has enough supply to meet demand, it's still encouraging customers to save what they can.

Doug continues: “Our reservoirs and other water sources are in a healthy position and looking good at the moment but we’re asking our customers to think about being ‘water wise’ in whatever they do as the hot temperatures continue.  If there’s even a chance that it’s going to be a long dry summer, then we need to get into good habits now.”

With a mini-heatwave predicted which could see temperatures match the hottest day of the year so far, drivers are being urged to recognise the dangers of driving while dehydrated during the upcoming weekend and summer months, as Brits are faced with a scorching heat wave and increasing temperatures on the roads.

Research conducted by leading vehicle leasing company, Leasing Options, revealed that more than two in three (67%) UK drivers fail to recognise major symptoms of dehydration, including slower reaction times, loss of focus and muscle cramps, potentially putting themselves and others at risk behind the wheel.

With driver errors accounting for 68% of all vehicle crashes in the UK¹, drivers are being urged to take care and ensure they are adequately hydrated before every journey.

Health authorities recommend drinking around two litres of water a day³, but Leasing Options found that 37% of those surveyed are only drinking one litre of water a day, with 18% drinking less than one litre a day.

The results of the Leasing Options survey also suggested that men are more aware of the risks involved than women, with 62% of male drivers admitting to being aware in comparison to 55% of female drivers.

Overall, 84% of drivers think drink driving is more dangerous than dehydrated driving, despite a study conducted by Loughborough University⁴ revealing that mild dehydration is equivalent to being over the drink driving limit with regard to its impact on driver errors.

Iain Temperton, Director of Communications at Road Safety GB, said: “Before you start a journey you should make sure your vehicle is prepared but, just as importantly, you should ensure that you are ready and fit to drive. Driving on our ever more congested network is a task that requires full concentration. Making sure you are fully hydrated is a vital part of that process; the safety of vulnerable road users around you depends upon it.”

Mike Thompson, Sales & Marketing Director at Leasing Options, said: “At Leasing Options we pride ourselves on our safety measures and we think British drivers need to be more aware of the risks and symptoms of dehydrated driving during the hot Bank Holiday and summer weather to make our roads a safer place.

“The hot weather can sometimes take us by surprise in Britain. Drivers may not think drinking an extra glass of water before leaving the house can affect their driving abilities, but it could decrease chances of an accident.”

Health drinks brand WOW, has partnered with LGBT+ charity for young people, Just Like Us, to raise awareness for Pride month with a series of on and off-bottle activations.

The London start-up has created circle stickers atop the lids of its drinks, baring rainbow coloured versions of the brand's logo and the message “Pride Month 2018.” Available now until mid-July, the Pride sticker bottles will be available in all of WOW's stockists, including Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Boots, Co-op, Ocado and many more.

WOW will hand out limited edition cardboard rainbow glasses, temporary tattoos and other WOW merchandise throughout London, with all proceeds going towards Just Like Us. The campaign also extends to social media, encouraging the public to share pictures of their Pride themed WOW merchandise on Instagram or Twitter using the tag @drink.wow and hashtag #Pride2018. In response, WOW pledge to donate 50p to Just Like Us for each photo.

The funds raised will go towards the award-winning charity's efforts to support LGBT+ young people. Just Like Us helps LGBT+ young people to lead awesome lives by empowering young people to champion LGBT+ equality at school and work. The charity trains LGBT+ university students to share their own stories with secondary school pupils to make sure they hear powerful and positive messages from others who have been through similar experiences. The charity has previously been supported by the UK Prime Minister, singer Elton John and his husband David Furnish.

Tim Ramsey, Chef Executive at Just Like Us said: “We are delighted to be partnering with WOW for this year's Pride month. The support they are providing will make an amazing difference to lives of schoolchildren.”

WOW's French and Austrian bottles will also sport translated versions of the stickers. In France, a percentage of donations will also go towards Le Refuge, a charity which provides shelter and support to young adults victims of homophobia and transphobia. The Pride themed WOW merchandise will also be given out across Paris.

WOW Founder, Oliver Dickinson, said: “At WOW, we are all about living life in technicolour. Seeing life with your WOW glasses on means not distinguishing between gender and only seeing unconditional love. Celebrating diversity and inclusion is very close to our hearts so our decision to fundraise with our limited edition packaging was a no brainer. Charities such as Just Like Us and Le Refuge put in monumental amounts of hard work to help LGBT+ communities and deserve recognition and funds. We are thrilled and extremely proud to be supporting these charities and celebrating equality for people of all sexual and gender preference.”

Birmingham charity, Suited for Success, is appealing for votes after reaching the finals of the National Lottery Awards – the annual search for the UK’s favourite National Lottery-funded projects.

Suited for Success is competing in the Best Education Project category.  The project beat off stiff competition from over 700 organisations to reach the public voting stage in this year’s National Lottery Awards, which celebrate the inspirational people and projects who do extraordinary things with National Lottery funding.

The project with the most votes will be crowned the winner and receive a £5,000 cash prize to spend on their project, an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy and attend a star-studded glittering awards ceremony to be broadcast on BBC One on 26 September 2018.

First impressions count. Suited for Success is a charity which provides essential moral support along with free second-hand suits and workwear to help unemployed men and women make a great first impression in a job interview that could change their life.

Managing director, Patricia White, says winning a prestigious National Lottery Award and having their work showcased on national television would be an honour:

 “To be able to provide job interview presentation skills and FREE interview outfits to those who have experienced long-term unemployment, have a history of offending, drug abuse, homelessness, poverty and other life challenges is hugely rewarding.

“We’re delighted that our work on building self-esteem and confidence to help the people who need it most into employment has been recognised, and we can’t wait to push Suited for Success for the Best Education Project.”

“We’re really looking forward to the campaign and promoting our work and hope that everyone can get behind us for the National Lottery Awards!”

Musician, Activist and National Lottery Awards Ambassador, Professor Green, says: “It’s thanks to National Lottery players, who raise over £30 million each week for good causes, that extraordinary projects like those in the finals of the National Lottery Awards are possible.

“Suited for Success is doing an incredible job for the benefit of its local community and the work they do is hugely impressive. So what are you waiting for? Give them your support and get voting!”

Staff bringing their dogs in the workplace is a huge part of the working culture at Fish4Dogs, a premium pet food business based in Rushock, Worcestershire.

The company, an official sponsor of the 2018 event Bring Your Dog To Work Day, has a dog-friendly office policy in place all-year-round.

Every lunchtime, the full ensemble of staff and their dogs step out together to exercise and socialise… both dogs and their humans!

To support 2018’s annual event #BringYourDogToWorkDay, which was founded by HOWND five years ago, on today’s lunchtime stroll all staff sported ‘tour’ T-shirts with the name of their canine colleagues in a bid to raise awareness of the charity event, which this year is raising funds for All Dogs Matters.

Fish4Dogs, which has recently increased in staff from 30 to 42 employees at its head office in Rushock, Worcestershire, has allowed staff to bring their dogs into the office since it established 12 years ago and it has developed policy and processes to ensure that all four-legged companions are happily accommodated and their welfare considered during the day. Dogs really are at the heart of Fish4Dogs.

Research has identified that having dogs in the workplace can have positive benefits for employee productivity and wellbeing – including reducing stress levels in the workplace, increased job satisfaction, team co-operation and morale. The company has enjoyed rapid growth in recent years, with turnover increasing six-fold in just eight years. With a substantially lower than average staff turnover, Fish4Dogs are sticking by their dog policy!

It’s hotting up again across the Severn Trent region, with the forecasters reckoning it could be another fortnight of sun and high temperatures.

And that means Severn Trent is asking its customers to be a bit more ‘water wise’ and to think about the water they’re using whether for washing the car or for gardening.

Doug Clarke, water efficiency manager at Severn Trent, said: “We all want to keep our gardens looking their best and now is the time that people will be planting bedding plants and seedlings.  These can take a lot of watering in, and the biggest temptation is to get the hosepipe or sprinkler out and leave it running.  But this can use as much as 1,000 litres of drinking water in just one hour. To put it in perspective, that’s more water than a family of four would normally use in a whole day!

“We’re also urging gardeners not to worry about the health of their lawns just yet – in fact, watering established lawns is not only unnecessary, but can cause many common lawn problems.  Watering encourages shallow rooting, which in turn means the lawn is more at risk in dry conditions.  So once you start watering, you can’t stop.

“When we do get a shower or two, and no doubt we will – the warm weather never seems to last long - that’s probably all your garden needs.  And it’s also the perfect time to collect April showers in a water butt, that way you can keep the garden watered without using water from the tap, and save money too!”

It’s been over 20 years since Severn Trent last had a hosepipe ban in place and while the company is confident it has enough supply to meet demand, it's still encouraging customers to save what they can.

Doug continues: “Our reservoirs and other water sources are in a healthy position and looking good for the summer ahead.

“Now, we’re asking our customers not to be complacent and to think about being ‘water wise’ in whatever they do.  If there’s even a chance that it’s going to be a long dry summer, then we need to get into good habits now.”

Other handy tips, all of which are available at https://www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/hot-weather-tips/ include:

·         Keep hydrated;

·         Have a shower rather than a bath;

·         Use a bucket and sponge rather than a hose to clean your car;

·         Look for leaking loos and get them fixed; and

·         Turn off taps when not in use.