Community News

Lord Forsyth, chairman of Secure Trust Bank, presented a £17,600 cheque to Birmingham St Mary’s, to help support local families living with terminal illness.

Big-hearted staff at Secure Trust Bank – which is headquartered in Solihull – raised the impressive amount and Lord Forsyth was invited to present the funds on Valentine’s Day.

A keen charity supporter, Lord Forsyth helped boost the Bank’s fundraising efforts by doubling its pound-for-pound matching scheme to the value of £200 per employee.

During his visit to the Hospice, the former Secretary of State of Scotland met with people who are currently receiving its vital care, as well as touring its facilities at Selly Park.

Secure Trust Bank first partnered with Birmingham St Mary’s in January last year (2017) after Solihull-based staff voted for the local charity they most wanted to support.

Since the partnership, employees have hosted a number of creative fundraisers, including samosa sales, a darts tournament and quiz nights, as well as taking part in events organised by the Hospice. A recent event was Birmingham St Mary’s ‘Charity Shop Challenge’, in which teams from the bank took over one of the Hospice’s 16 shops for the day, competing against each other to see who could raise the most money.

The £17,600 raised by Secure Trust Bank will go towards Birmingham St Mary’s, which provides vital care and support to local families living with terminal illness across Birmingham and Sandwell.

Lord Forsyth, chairman at Secure Trust Bank, said: “Birmingham St Mary’s does an amazing job of supporting families living with terminal illness and our Solihull-based staff have shown real passion when it comes to supporting the work of the charity through fundraising and other means.

“As a responsible business we encourage our people to contribute to initiatives which make a positive contribution to local communities. Fundraising and volunteering during work time are all part of this and the charity committees at our different office locations do a tremendous job of driving this forward and supporting a range of local good causes.”

Tina Swani, chief executive at Birmingham St Mary’s, added: “£17,600 is an impressive amount of money and will make a big difference to the individuals and families we care for. It costs £8 million each year to run the Hospice – over half of which needs to come from voluntary funding – so we really do rely on the generosity of local people and businesses to ensure we can care for everyone that needs us, wherever they need us.

“Thank you to all the staff and trustees at Secure Trust Bank who have supported the Hospice over the last year – your help has been outstanding and will allow us to continue to provide our expert care at the Hospice, in people’s homes and in the local community.”

Every day, Birmingham St Mary’s supports 350 individuals across Birmingham and Sandwell. To find out more about the Hospice, visit: www.birminghamhospice.org.uk

An enthusiastic group of Army cadets from Rockwood Academy in Birmingham spent the weekend (10-11 February) learning about field skills from soldiers at a Shrewsbury-based Army unit.

The 21 boys and seven girls from the Academy’s Combined Cadet Force visited their affiliated Army unit, E Company of 8^th Battalion The Rifles. Following a safety brief and quick tour of the Army reserve centre, the pupils’ physical fitness was tested on an obstacle course and they were taught lifesaving skills. The youngsters also had the chance to practice basic infantry tactics including fire and manoeuvre and use of cover skills on an air soft range.

After an evening meal to refuel, the pupils dived into night time activities which included a map-reading exercise with a compass and the use of night viewing and virtual reality (VR) headsets. The VR headsets proved particularly popular with the cadets.

The pupils were woken at 6am sharp on Sunday for more practice on the paintball range, following breakfast, before being taken to Shrewsbury Castle and Museum. Colonels from The Rifles and 11 Signal & West Midlands Brigade showed the cadets the history of all the Army Regiments in Shropshire while museum curators answered the pupils’ many questions.

The cadets were then taken back to Copthorne Barracks, the home of E Company, where they enjoyed Sunday lunch before being presented with certificates and medals.

Captain Nick Vazquez from E Company 8^th Battalion The Rifles said:

“This was a fantastic weekend where every single cadet got stuck in. We tried to make it a mix of fun and serious Army discipline and training. It was really rewarding to see the smiles on the youngsters’ faces when they received their medals at the end of the weekend. Hopefully the parents were pleased that their children went home tired but having learned some important new skills.”               

The RSPCA is looking for new homes for three unusual, stripy mice who were rescued from a home where more than 100 rodents were being kept.

Zebra mice Bashful, Grumpy and Sleepy are still looking for homes while most of their friends have already been rehomed.

The striking-looking mice were rescued by RSPCA officers from a home in Birmingham last year after an anonymous caller raised concerns about a large number of rodents being kept in unsuitable conditions.

RSPCA inspector Jonathan Ratcliffe went to the property in September and found 104 rodents being kept in dirty cages inside.

“There were rows and rows, stacks and stacks of cages all with rodents inside, from mice to hamsters to rats,” he said.

“The owner just wasn’t able to cope any more and signed all 104 rodents over to us to rehome. It took us days to get them out of the house and into rescue centres up and down the country.

“Thankfully, most of them have now been rehomed and we’re just left with the final few to get into nice new homes.”

Birmingham Animal Centre is now searching for new homes for zebra mice Bashful, Grumpy and Sleepy, and marmot mice Cagney, Jonesy and Lacey.

Emma Finnimore, from the centre, said: “Sleepy is happy being handled and is quite confident once she knows you.

“She arrived here with six other mice who were all male so, unfortunately, she is currently being kept on her own.

“Bashful and Grumpy are looking for a home together. They’re both very fast and like to jump so can be quite tricky to handle!”

Striped zebra mice or grass mice are native to Africa and live for around two to three years. They need large cages with lots of enrichment include tunnels to play in, houses to hide in and lots of wood to chew.

If you’re interested in rehoming Bashful, Grumpy or Sleepy; Cagney, Lacey or Jonesy, please visit the Birmingham Animal Centre website or call 0300 123 8585.

One in five Brits (21%) feel that their bedroom is a more comfortable space to relax in than other areas of the home, according to a new study commissioned by online bed retailer, Time 4 Sleep.

The survey of more than 1,000 UK adults, conducted on behalf of the bed retailer, explored the changing nature of social spaces within the home.

Results from the survey painted the bedroom as a relaxing sanctuary in which Brits can retreat to escape the hustle and bustle. One in three UK adults say they head to their bedroom to unwind (31%), with millennials appearing particularly grateful for the calm, as 14% claim it is the only area where they can get some peace and quiet, compared to just 7% of over 55s.

With the bedroom becoming a hub of activity, it is unsurprising that people are heading here for social activities instead of other living areas in the home. One in ten (10%) are watching over 10 hours of TV in bed each week, which is roughly the same as two episodes of ‘Stranger Things’ every day.

Interestingly, a staggering 85% of 18-34 year olds watch shows and films in bed, in comparison to only 44% of over 55s. The generational gap is even more apparent when it comes to watching Netflix in the bedroom, with 35% of millennials using the service in bed, in contrast to just 4% of over 55s. It can become an addiction too, with Ofcom² reporting that around a third (32%) of UK adults lose sleep because of the temptation to watch an extra episode or two.

In terms of non-screen-based activities, women are more likely than men to turn to books as their route to relaxation, with nearly two in three reading in bed (64%), compared to just over half of the men (54%). Yet for some the bedroom isn’t all about fun and games, with one in five millennials (20%) using the space for work.

Twycross Zoo spent the weekend in a flutter as it welcomed the UK’s very own butterfly whisperer, six-year-old Rebecca Bailey.

Rebecca’s love of butterflies has made her a big name in the world of conservation, with hundreds of followers on YouTube and Twitter. The primary school pupil has been described as an ‘inspiration’ for her passion to tell the world about butterflies and how to nurture them.

On hand to interview the rising star was Twycross Zoo Conservation Club member, nine-year-old Sidney Hills. The dynamic duo got up close and personal with a host of spectacular butterflies in the tropical Butterfly Forest exhibit, gaining an insight into the insects fascinating life cycle.

As a member of the Butterfly Conservation, a national charity headed up by Sir David Attenborough, Rebecca will return to the award-winning conservation charity this summer for the Big Butterfly Count, a nationwide survey aimed at helping assess the health of our environment.

Said Rebecca: “I had so much fun visiting Twycross Zoo, learning all about its wonderful butterflies! Thank you to Sid for showing me around, me and my mum are already looking forward to coming back and making some more exciting videos.”

To see Rebecca in action, visit https://www.14dd5266c70789bdc806364df4586335-gdprlock/watch?v=yIjA8p9IVFk.

An excited Staffordshire bull terrier runs circuits around a paddock, plays with a ball and jumps in the leaves after spending long periods inside a crate.

Ty was collected from a home in the West Midlands last week as his owners were struggling to care for him properly.

RSPCA inspector Elizabeth Boyd said: “Ty’s owners were struggling with him after he began destroying their home.

“They were finding it hard to cope with him so began using a crate to curb his destructive behaviour.

“We worked with his owners but, in the end, they decided it would be best for him if they signed him over.”

Animal collection officer (ACO) Cara Gibbon collected him and took him to RSPCA Coventry, Nuneaton & District Branch.

“This poor boy was confined to a crate 24/7,” ACO Gibbon said. “I took him down to the dog run at the rehoming centre so he could run free. He was so happy.

“He looked really happy and his tail was wagging 19 to the dozen. It was lovely to see him enjoying the freedom and fresh air.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to find him the paw-fect home where he’ll be able to run, explore and play games with his new garden - and where he’ll never be locked in a cage again.”

Staff at the branch caring for Ty said he is settling in well and will soon be ready to find a new home.

He is thought to be around seven-years-old. He’s very friendly and loves being out in the garden and playing with toys.

Crates can be a valuable tool and are often used for training and transporting dogs safely. Many owners use them to create safe, secure den-like spaces for their pets to retreat to when they want some peace and quiet. However, the RSPCA doesn’t advise keeping dogs confined in crates for any period of time that is likely to cause distress and would urge anyone whose pets is displaying behavioural problems to speak to their vet who may refer them to a clinical animal behaviourist for help.

From March 31st urban thrillseekers can enjoy the ultimate adventure of abseiling down London's ArcelorMittal Orbit - the tallest sculpture in the UK.

The 114-metre tall tower, which is located in the heart of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, has become one of the city's most recognised landmarks since opening as part of the 2012 London Olympics.

Now Wire & Sky, pioneers of the Urban Aerial Adventure concept, are giving people the chance to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience as they abseil 82-metres down the outside of this iconic structure.

Participants can take in the unrivalled 20-mile panoramic views across the city and beyond as they step off the tower's viewing platform for their dramatic 80-metre descent.

Highly-trained Wire & Sky instructors guide adventure-seekers every step of the way; providing expert tuition and preparation before helping you kit up and venture outside the sculpture to start the ride of a lifetime.

Utilising the safest triplicate rigging systems available Wire & Sky have painstakingly designed and installed the experience to ensure maximum fun in a safe and controlled environment.

The abseil is available to book now for both individuals and groups to enjoy and there are also special Twilight Abseils available so participants can experience the sun setting as they make their descents.

Abseilers can also relive their epic adventure with spectacular GoPro footage from special helmet cameras (separate charges apply).

The 444-mile wilderness adventure paddling race is held on the Yukon River from Whitehorse to Dawson City in Canada's Yukon Territory. Taking place during the last week of June (27 June - 1 July, 2018), the Yukon River Quest is the world's longest annual canoe, kayak and stand-up paddleboard race.

It is known as the “Race to the Midnight Sun,” as paddlers race round-the-clock under a sky that never gets dark. There are just two mandatory rest stops at Carmacks (7 hours) and Coffee Creek (3 hours) as teams paddle non-stop to reach the “City of Gold". The allure of the Yukon River Quest has made it a huge success, and for its 20th anniversary year in 2018, there are already 122 teams registered with paddlers from 16 countries including the United Kingdom.

A heritage trail to celebrate historical sites in Princes End is set to launch later this month (February).

Tipton Town Libraries Local History Group has worked with library staff and Tipton deputy town lead Councillor Bill Cherrington.

The trail will show former industrial and heritage sites, including Gospel Oak Ironworks, Seedhouse Brewery and Boulton and Watt’s first steam engine.

Councillor Cherrington said: “The trail will highlight the industrial significance Princes End made and encourage people to get involved in local history activities and be proud of the area.”

A special history day will be held at Glebefields Library from 10.30am to 1pm on Saturday 24 February to launch the trail, along with a series of guided walks.

The history group meets monthly at Great Bridge Library. For more details, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Robert on 0121 557 1796.

Derek Nicholls from the history group said he welcomed the new trail as "an opportunity for people to find out more about their local area".

A new music-making pilot project has launched in Sandwell to help people experiencing memory loss or in the early stages of dementia.

Sandwell Council is working in partnership with Beat It Percussion to provide the Drumming Together sessions for people and their carers on Thursday mornings.

Sessions are held at West Bromwich Town Hall, supported by a team of volunteers.

Lynn Kay, founder and CEO of Beat It Percussion, said: "We use drums and percussion instruments as a way of communicating and working together in a friendly group environment so people feel less isolated.

"It’s informal but structured with activities designed to help with memory and other cognitive skills. We are really excited to be bringing our work to Sandwell and this will be the first of many new projects.

"Beat It works with many different client groups and enquiries are always welcomed."

Councillor Elaine Costigan, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for public health and protection said: "This is a great way to engage with people who are experiencing memory loss and we hope that it will help a number of Sandwell people.

"It is the latest effort by the council to get involved with people with health problems and we look forward to seeing how this new initiative works out."

Drumming Together sessions run at West Bromwich Town Hall on Thursday mornings up to and including 12 April (except for 5 April).

Sessions are held from 10am to 11.15am with a refreshment break. Sessions are £2.50 per person per session or £4 per person and carer.

Please contact Lynn at Beat It Percussion for more information and to book. Call 07875 090946 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Charity Better Understanding of Dementia for Sandwell (BUDS) is also hosting sessions in the town for invited participants.

Horticultural expert and plantswoman extraordinaire Carol Klein will officially open the Blenheim Palace Flower Show on Friday, June 22nd.

The hugely popular BBC Gardener's World presenter will be on hand to launch the 5th annual show, which runs from June 22nd-24th at the Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A multi award-winning gardener, Carol is a much-loved television personality whose own Glebe Cottage gardens were made famous in a six-part TV series and accompanying book.

As well as opening the show on the Friday, she will also be giving two talks over the weekend on her favourite plant-based subjects.

The Grand Floral Pavilion forms the centrepiece of the Show and features the UK's finest nurseries and growers giving expert advice and gardening ideas. It is guaranteed to be a riot of colour, fragrance and weird and wonderful plants.

A highlight for 2018 will be the brand new 'Orchid Tunnel' which leads into the Pavilion. Visitors will be able to walk through the tunnel and see over 1,000 orchids from all over the world.

With workshops, talks and demonstrations taking place throughout the event, you'll be guaranteed to learn something new and take inspiration for your own gardening project.

Visitors can also enjoy fabulous food and drink as well as an outdoor Plant Village and live entertainment throughout the weekend.

Visit the shopping village featuring over 250 stands selling everything from unique garden gazebos, greenhouses and arbours to beautiful flowers, gardening sundries and hundreds of other products.

The Home and Country Living Pavilion showcases a selection of original, handmade giftware, jewellery and luxury goods.

Enjoy fabulous samples and tastings at the Food and Drink Pavilion with a wonderful range of artisans and purveyors from Masons Gin, Truckle Cheese Sausages to Dips and Marinades – there will be something to tickle all taste buds!

Admission to the show includes entry to the Park and Gardens so visitors can also make a day of it exploring Blenheim Palace's Formal Gardens and 2,000 acres of 'Capability' Brown Parkland.

A unique proof of age card scheme has launched for students in Sandwell aged 16+.

The card – developed by Sandwell Council in partnership with Citizencard UK – will be recognised nationally as official photo identification.

What’s different about Sandwell’s card is that it also has the applicant’s National Insurance number on the back. This helps students keep the number handy for applying for jobs and bank accounts and to register to vote.

The launch was part of the national #Vote100 campaign run by the Electoral Commission to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the first women getting the right to vote.

Students should ask their head of Year 11 or 12 to check if their school/college has joined the scheme. If so, they can apply for a card free of charge through their school/college.

Councillor Steve Trow, cabinet member for core council services, said: "This a wonderful example of innovation and teamwork between our electoral services, trading standards and the officers who work to tackle under-age drinking and smoking.

"Our unique card offers a single solution to help young people stay safe, apply for jobs and bank accounts and make sure they'll get their right to vote as soon as they reach 18."

Students from Oldbury and George Salter academies attended the launch to help celebrate the benefits of their new proof of age Citizencard.

Anne Bill, 62, from Dorridge lived with an undiagnosed, rare and dangerous heart condition for over 30 years, during which time she had two children and pursued a career as a primary school teacher.

Anne received a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the left chamber of the heart becomes stretched and muscles weaken reducing the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently, when she was in her thirties, however, Anne didn’t fall ill until almost thirty years after.

“I had been feeling short of breath for a while, but while we were away I started to get chest pains so we drove back across France to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham’s Accident and Emergency Department where I was admitted straight away.”

Unfortunately Anne’s heart was so damaged by the condition that the only option for her was to have a heart transplant, and so, after four weeks in hospital a heart was found. However, when a heart is removed from a deceased patient there is a very short window where the heart remains in a good enough condition to be transplanted, and even then, each heart is rigorously tested to ensure its suitability for transplantation. In Anne’s case, two hearts were found to be unsafe for transplantation and she was not able to have her transplant until a third heart was found.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is strongly linked to genetics and there is a 50% chance that if you have the condition your children will also have it. For Anne, both of her children, Paul and Nick, who were teenagers at the time, were found to have the condition.

Paul Bill, Anne’s eldest son also needed a heart transplant, and at age 19, Paul became ill whilst studying Computer Science at Oxford Brookes University and after being admitted to his local hospital, he was brought to QEHB’s specialist cardiac centre to await the transplant. Paul, like his mother was lucky to have a suitable heart found in a matter of days.

Paul said: “Not everybody is able to receive a heart as quickly as I did, my mum and I are so grateful to the families whose loved ones were able to help us continue to live life to the full. Just four days after my operation I was back on my bicycle, and I was able to play tennis again, something that is really important to me.”

Paul’s younger brother Nick was also struggling with his heart condition, however due to the damage to his heart being less severe than his brother’s and mother’s doctors fit him with an LVAD machine, a device which acts as an artificial heart pump to increase blood flow around the body.

Anne explained: “The LVAD machine did limit Nick’s life in many ways, he couldn’t go swimming, and he would worry about it running out of battery on long journeys, but on the whole he was just a normal 21 year old. In those days, an LVAD machine wasn’t believed to be a safe long-term solution, and doctors believed that Nick’s heart had been recovered, so after nine months the hospital removed it.  Sadly, Nick’s body couldn’t cope with the shock of the operation and he developed septicaemia and eventually passed away from a brain haemorrhage. It all happened so quickly.”

Now, the family are passionately fundraising to bring Heart in a Box to QEHB, this revolutionary technology will allow twice as many people to receive safe and timely heart transplants, supporting families such as the Bills to live long and fulfilling lives.

In 2016, Paul’s wife, Kim, who he met at University, underwent Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis with a specialist teams at Birmingham Women’s Hospital, this meant they able to isolate the gene that causes dilated cardiomyopathy and only use healthy embryos and freeze the other healthy ones for future use.

Paul explained: “Kim and I didn’t want our children to go through what my family have gone through, and whilst we are extremely grateful that my mum and I are still here, but for others, like my brother, cardiomyopathy can be deadly. In October 2016 our son, Joshua was born; he brings us so much joy.”

Until September 3, 2018, the Canadian Museum of History will present the travelling exhibition, Picturing Arctic Modernity - North Baffin Drawings from 1964. Through 50 original drawings - created in 1964 by Inuit men,women and youth of North Baffin Island - this exhibition explores a transformative era for the people of Canada's eastern Arctic. The drawings offer rare first person perspectives on daily life and memory during a time when Inuit communities were transitioning from traditional nomadic hunting camps to permanent settlements.

"These drawings reveal a tremendous amount about Inuit culture and the impact  social change had on North Baffin Island Communities in the mid 1960's. Those who participated understood that their way of life was changing dramatically," said Jean Marc Blais, Director General of the Canadian Museum of History. "As a museum committed to preserving and presenting the history of Canada and its people, we are proud to safeguard and share this collection for the benefit of all".

The 50 drawings are parts of the Terrence Peter Ryan Baffin Island Drawing collection, which the museum acquired in 2014. Terry Ryan was resident art advisor at the Cape Dorset  Print  studio for almost 40 years. In 1964, fearing the loss of traditional Inuit culture in the face of social change, he travelled by plane and dogsled to the North Baffin Island communities of Clyde River, Pond Inlet and Arctic Bay. There, he distributed paper and pencils and invited Inuit men, women and youth to draw. More than 150 people completed 1842 drawings. Ryan acquired the completed drawings on his return trip.

Diverse in theme, style and subject, the drawings depict scenes of hunting practices, traditional knowledge, interactions with outsiders, landscapes and daily life. The Baffin Island Drawing Collection has been designated as one of outstanding significance and national importance by the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board.

The entire exhibition (text, videos , website and in gallery booklet) is presented in Inuktitut, French and English. The exhibition also features 42 video clips of the artists, their families and community members who provided their interpretations of the drawings.

Located on the shores of the Ottawa River, in Gatineau, Quebec, The Canadian Museum of History attracts over 1.2 million visitors each year . Work of the Museum of History is made possible in part through financial support of the Government of Canada. For more information visit. www.historymuseum.ca

In March Birmingham will once again prove that it loves sport when the city hosts three major sports events in three Commonwealth sports, all in one venue - Arena Birmingham.

The city centre venue has a rich sporting heritage and has been hosting sports events for over 26 years and next month will play host to the IAAF World Indoor Championships from the 1 to 4, the All England Badminton Open Championships from 14 to 18 and the Gymnastics World Cup on the 21 and 22 March.

The IAAF World Indoor Championships is returning to Arena Birmingham following a triumphant staging of the event 15 years ago, when praise was heaped on the venue and the city. With around 600 athletes from 150 countries taking part, the event will be the largest indoor sports event that has been staged in Birmingham for many years and it is the biggest global athletics event to be held in 2018.

The opening session on March 1st will see the men’s and women’s high jump being held simultaneously for the first time ever and with the world’s best expected to compete it will provide a spectacular opening to the Championships.

British number one, Robbie Grabarz, was at Arena Birmingham today, to celebrate the city’s love of sport and said: “I love competing at Arena Birmingham. The atmosphere is always fantastic as the spectators are so close to the action. I know the high jumpers will do their very best to put on a great show to kick start the Championships and with some fantastic performances already this season it’s definitely going to be an exciting competition.”

Claudia Fragapane, recently announced as one of the British gymnasts who will compete in the Gymnastics World Cup on the 21 and 22 March was also at Arena Birmingham this morning and is excited about coming back to the venue in just over a month: “The Gymnastics World Cup will bring the best gymnastics nations and gymnasts to Birmingham. I’m really excited to be part of a strong British team and I can’t wait to perform in front of local crowd. This is an amazing time to be a sports fan in Birmingham with so many great events coming up and the Commonwealth Games happening here in four years’ time.”

The hat-trick of sporting events in March will be completed by the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships which returns to the city for the 108^th edition of the Championships. With 155 matches and over 50 hours of live badminton to enjoy, the 2018 event will serve up five days of world class action.

Birmingham has long been known as a city of sport, a label which it has truly earned after staging a multitude of international sporting events, as well as major participation events, in and around the city and with the Commonwealth Games having been awarded to Birmingham for 2022, this reputation is set to be further enhanced in the coming years.

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council said: “Birmingham loves sport and it’s something which this city is extremely passionate about. Hosting major sports events puts Birmingham in the spotlight, brings thousands of visitors to the city and helps to inspire young people from across the city and beyond.

“March is going to be a special month for Birmingham with three major events in three Commonwealth sports and it will give local people a taste of what’s to come in four years’ time.”

Phil Mead, Managing Director for Arena Birmingham added: “These prestigious events will not only bring the world’s best athletes, but will also attract audiences from across the globe.  All of them provide a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase what the Arena and Birmingham has to offer to sport and the live events industry.”

The sporting action will actually get underway this weekend when Arena Birmingham will host the Spar British Athletics Indoor Championships, when Robbie Grabarz will be joined by hundreds of other British athletes attempting to gain selection for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the IAAF World Indoor Championships.