Colors: Blue Color

Two dedicated volunteers are in line for a top regional award after curating their first exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. Julia Foster and Dr Andrew Yarnold are part of the gallery’s Educating Team volunteers who are in line for a West Midlands Musuems Development award. Both volunteers have been nominated for the Project Award for their work on The Drawing Year currently on show in until September 25. 

Requests for help to deal with rats have significantly fallen since the introduction of wheelie bins in Birmingham, according to new figures published today. Comparing city council data for the year immediately before and after the roll-out of bins, the figures for the city (based on the areas served by the council’s four refuse collection depots) show these have fallen between 20 and 30 per cent.

Stoke-on-Trent is set to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Potteries author Arnold Bennett in 2017. Bennett's literary legacy is vast.  He was a writer of books, novels, plays and philosophical musings.  He was a journalist, a travel writer, a raconteur and wit.  He was a resident of the Savoy Hotel, in London.  He gave his name to an Omelette (still cooked and served by many of the leading chefs and top restaurants in Britain today).  He lived in France.  And Stoke-on-Trent.  And London.  And he was mourned nation-wide when he died.

Midlands businesses are being asked to ‘step out’ in support of a local charity next month and raise awareness of domestic abuse. The Haven Wolverhampton wants firms to collectively take one million steps during October to mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Any activity is welcomed, so long as the steps are counted and added to the charity’s overall tally.  There is also a 6,000 step community walk in aid of The Haven on Saturday, 8 October, which starts and finishes at the Molineux Stadium, for those who prefer to join in with an organised event.

People in Wolverhampton are being encouraged to get on their bike and join Cycle to Work Day on Wednesday 14 September, 2016. The City of Wolverhampton Council is supporting the national campaign and is urging people to register now at www.cycletoworkday.org. Councillor Paul Sweet, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "Cycling is low cost and something that most of us can easily make part of our daily routine.

Today, the Heritage Lottery Fund has published State of UK Public Parks 2016, its secondreport to comprehensively review the condition and management of the UK’s public parks. An investment of over £75m of National Lottery money has played a vital role in ensuring public parks across the West Midlands are in better condition, with improved facilities and renovated historic features. However, with park managers across the region reporting an expectation of further budget cuts, this investment could be lost as the risk of decline and potential facility closures continues to grow.  

Further to new research from Bristol University suggesting just under one-third (31%) of dogs were found to be carrying a tick, Andrew  Bucher, Chief Veterinary Officer at MedicAnimal has provided his thoughts to why the numbers are so high and what dog owners can do to treat ticks. A lack of adjustment to warmer winters prolonging the lives of ticks leaves pet owners and their animals at risk of contracting a range of illnesses.

Dads! You may be at fault if your children lack imagination and creativity and find it hard to express themselves at playtime. Only 10% of UK dads really get down with the kids it seems. A survey conducted by Novotel hotels makes it clear that Dads across the UK need to up the ante at playtime and overcome that famous British reserve. Just one in ten get involved in imaginative play. In contrast one in three mums claim to have super powers including eyes in the back of their heads and the ability to see through walls with their x ray vision.

Keeping up with the chores, the bedtime routine – and the dreaded school run are among the most stressful things about parenthood, a study has found. A poll of 2,000 parents found the average mum and dad spend almost two hours a day feeling stressed, with mornings in particular proving a minefield for parents.  5 of the 10 top parent stresses start the moment we wake up, with 28% agreeing that getting the children out of the door for the school run and settling back into the flow of the morning routine post-holiday, are key parenthood stress triggers.

The Ramblers is reminding people in the West Midlands to step out for Walk About this September - its biggest ever free nationwide walking event, offering a walk to suit everyone. The festival takes place from Saturday 3 September until Sunday 11 September. With over a thousand walks all over Britain, there’s something for everyone to enjoy – from a short stroll in the park to a challenging hike up a mountain.

Training is being offered to organisations and individuals who may come into contact with someone at risk of suicide as part of a range of activities taking place in Wolverhampton around World Suicide Prevention Day. Delivered by PAPYRUS, a charity which aims to prevent suicide among young people, the 90-minute sessions will be held on Tuesday (6 September, 2016) at 10.30am and 2pm and will explore beliefs and ideas relating to suicide.

MedicAnimal’s Chief Veterinary Officer Andrew Bucher is reiterating calls for owners to clean up after their dogs. Launching today, ‘The Big Scoop’ led by The Dogs Trust and Keep Britain Tidy is urging Britain’s dog owners to ‘bag it, bin it’. Research shows Britain’s eight-million strong dog population, produce 1,000 tonnes of poo each day, costing councils in England and Wales £22 million per year to clean up.

Maple Leaf Adventures is offering a trip in the Great Bear Rainforest this fall with a twist. It's a 'bear hunt' operated by Raincoast Conservation Foundation that's aim is to view and protect bears, not kill them. On three 9-day trips Sep 9-17, Sep 19-28 and Sep 30-Oct 8, 2016, guests will travel aboard Raincoast's research vessel Achiever to explore the wonder of British Columbia's central coast. Destinations include the bear havens where Raincoast, in an innovative conservation move, bought up the exclusive, commercial right to hunt.

Long revered for changing great swathes of the English landscape during the eighteenth century, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown’s skills also extended to architecture. Appropriately, a rare example of his ecclesiastical buildings opens its doors again last weekend. Following major investment from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and years of painstaking work, Compton Verney’s Grade I-listed chapel is set to give visitors to the Warwickshire art gallery and park fresh insights into Brown’s considerable gifts.

A campaign to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation (CSE) is going big and bold on a key West Midlands motorway route to spread the word about this hidden crime. Motorists travelling through the M6/M5 junction this bank holiday weekend will see the message ‘Could this be your child?’ on a large digital motorway sign. Aimed at parents, the digital display, which can be seen both north and southbound, highlights warning signs they need to be aware of to help them identify concerns.