A Birmingham couple are supporting an urgent campaign to find more foster carers to look after the UK’s most vulnerable children.

Dr Thomas Barnardo started fostering children more than 130 years ago and since then the charity has helped hundreds of thousands to grow up happy and healthy.

Now the charity is calling for more people to consider providing caring and stable home environments to help transform young lives, as there’s a pressing need to find more than 7,000 foster carers in the next 12 months to support children desperately in need of loving families.

The campaign is being supported by Birmingham couple Shakeel Ahmed and Zahida Bibi, who are foster carers for Barnardo’s.

YouGov research for the charity reveals nearly half (46 per cent) of people think a lack of support from fostering agencies is likely to put people off fostering, 62 per cent say they think people may not be confident they can look after a foster child, and 45 per cent believe not having any training on how to be a foster carer could be an issue.

However, in stark contrast, a poll by Barnardo’s of its own foster carers reveals that more than 8 in 10 carers (82 per cent) are happy with the level of support and advice they receive from their Barnardo’s fostering service and believed it was “excellent” or “good”, while three quarters (75 per cent) said they would recommend their Barnardo’s fostering service to others.

Barnardo’s foster carers rate the support and training they receive highly, with almost 80 per cent saying the out-of-hours support was either good or very good.  Almost 90 per cent also rated Barnardo’s supervising social workers as good or very good.

Barnardo’s support includes 24-hour access to a qualified social worker, training, access to foster carer support groups, short breaks and a generous financial fee.

Marcia Briscoe is the operations manager for the Barnardo’s West Midlands Fostering & Short Breaks Service, based in Halesowen.

She said: “Children who have been taken into care have sometimes experienced trauma or difficult circumstances making everyday challenges more difficult to overcome.

“Having a foster carer to support them through the difficult times can help enormously but our carers can only do this if they're properly supported too. That’s why we ensure they have everything they need - including advice, training and peer support - to feel confident they can help transform a young life.”

To find out more about becoming a foster carer, or the support Barnardo’s can offer visit www.barnardos.org.uk/fostering or call the Barnardo’s West Midlands Fostering & Short Breaks Service on 0121 550 5271.

Princess Cruises has revealed its second round of celebrities who will speak on Southampton-based ship Sapphire Princess this year. The 2,670-guest vessel will head to northern Europe and the Mediterranean from May to October.

Further to the first round of celebrities who were announced in late 2017, the second group comprises:

· William Roache (actor, Ken Barlow in Coronation Street) on a 14-night Baltic Heritage cruise, departs June 2. His son, Linus Roache (actor, Michael Cutter in Law & Order), will also be onboard and fill a separate speaker slot

· Valerie Singleton (radio and TV presenter, Blue Peter, BBC Radio 4) on a 12-night Canary Island cruise, departs October 9

· Ann Widdecombe (former Conservative Party politician, Big Brother, Strictly Come Dancing) on a 12-night Canary Island cruise, departs October 9

· Terry Butcher (former football manager and England footballer) on a 14-night Baltic Heritage cruise, departs July 7

· Rosemary Shrager (chef, This Morning, The Real Marigold Hotel, Ladette to Lady, Soapstar Superchef) on a 14-night Mediterranean Interlude cruise, departs September 22

· Denny Seiwell (drummer and founding member of Wings) on a 14-night Land of the Midnight Sun cruise, departs August 18

· Allan Dennis Rich (songwriter, former Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe nominee) on a 14-night Mediterranean Adventurer cruise, departs May 12

The addition of these speakers to the existing line up means at least one celebrity will appear on each Sapphire Princess sailing during the UK season, aside from a three-day Channel Islands voyage in October. They will host a 45-minute talk with questions and answers, as well as a meet and greet session including photographs and book signings.

Each voyage will also feature educational speakers who will discuss specialist subjects including history and culture, criminology, wellbeing and pop culture.

Heeran Basi, one of the company’s apprentices who works as a technician in Derby, won the PeoplePlus Award for Advanced Apprentice of the Year at the National Apprenticeship Awards.

Mark Smith, Learning and Development Advisor from Severn Trent, says: “We’re over the moon with Heeran’s win, he’s passionate and committed to his apprenticeship programme, and a real worthy winner of this award.

“Not only has Heeran massively helped raised the profile of our apprenticeship programmes, he’s also an integral part of Severn Trent who helps make a difference for our customers every day.”

Severn Trent received more than 3,000 applications for its apprenticeship scheme in 2017, and offers successful applicants the opportunity to combine hands-on experience with studying, while earning a competitive salary.

The National Apprenticeships Awards, which took place in London and is in its fourteenth year, aims to celebrate individuals and employers for their commitment and dedication to apprenticeships.

“We’re confident that with Heeran’s ambition and talent he will have a successful career at Severn Trent,” adds Mark. “Winning this award reinforces the contribution he’s already made to our company, as well as showing others how rewarding our apprenticeship programmes can be.”

Heeran, 21 from Derby, said: “I’m ecstatic to be named as one of the top three apprentices in the country, this is a massive achievement for me. Throughout school, I struggled to know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go, but since joining Severn Trent, I now have goals and aspirations which drive me to work to the best of my ability.

“My apprenticeship has given me all the tools and skills needed to be successful, and this win strengthens that. I’m really looking forward to taking on new challenges and learning more as my career develops at Severn Trent and sharing my experience with others.”

The Sarojin, Thailand's luxurious 56-roomed boutique residence, is helping couples celebrate Valentine's Day in the most romantic of settings. With a beach-front dinner and spirit lantern release, on the white sands of The Sarojin's pristine beach, couples will find the ultimate 'Just for Two' experience in Khao Lak this February.

Before rising for an all-day A la Carte breakfast with sparkling wine, couples can enjoy the intimacy of their luxury residence, which comes complete with a couple's bath and private outdoor sun terrace. Throughout the day, guests can enjoy the serene beauty of the resort, relaxing by the pool, taking in the tranquillity of the resort's beach, enjoying the impeccable service or indulging in a spa treatment at the wonderful Pathways Spa.

For those wanting to really up the ante to impress their loved one, The Sarojin offers a range of romantic 'Just for Two'experiences, from private cooking and wine classes to private charters aboard The Lady Sarojin yacht and vow renewals under The Sarojin's very own enchanting waterfall.

To end the day in true romantic style, The Sarojin is offering a beach-front four-course Valentine's Day Dinner, which will see chefs delight diners with gourmet treasures from both land and sea. Starting with beautifully pan seared foie gras, smoked salmon and fresh strawberry avocado and feta dishes, diners will savour every dish from the start.

Following this, the resort will be delivering a range of sumptuous dishes, including Thai spiced calamari, traditional wok dishes and a selection of barbecue and carving dishes, from clams, red snapper and Andaman lobster, to tender roasted leg of lamb and pork loin.

For those that still have room; there will be a choice of 10 delightful desserts, including homemade rose ice-cream, amaretto brûlée, crepe suzette and chocolate heart cake. Throughout the meal a jazz trio band will play music to bring this secluded setting to the epitome of romance.

The romance doesn't end at desert though, each dining couple will receive a spirit lantern to release into the sky, making a wish as the glimmering light flickers across the sky.

Guests wanting to add a spot of pampering to their stay can enjoy one hour's Pathway Spa credit per room for each night's stay in a Spa Suite, which can be redeemed against daily massages or accrued for ultimate relaxation with the four-hour Nature's Midday Haven package for two people.

Birmingham residents rose to the challenge of recycling a record number of Christmas trees to raise £49,000 for local charity, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice.

2,630 homes across Birmingham took part in ‘Treecycling’ this weekend (Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 January) – the city’s largest tree recycling scheme – in which festive firs were collected from residents’ doorsteps in return for a donation.

Over 100 volunteers took part in the initiative, which saw them collect trees from a range of postcodes across Birmingham and Solihull. The trees were then recycled into compost or biomass fuel.

One of the key corporate champions supporting the campaign was civil engineering contractor, Fitzgerald, who generously provided staff and vans for the collection weekend.

All funds raised from Treecycling went towards Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, which provides vital care and support to local families living with terminal illness across Birmingham and Sandwell.

Hamish Shilliday, head of fundraising at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, said: “Before Christmas, we set the residents of Birmingham and Solihull a challenge to increase the amount of trees recycled across the West Midlands – and we’re thrilled that they succeeded.

It’s fantastic to have collected 1,000 more trees this year than in 2017 and to see the scheme go from strength to strength. Thank you to everyone who donated and to the volunteers who worked tremendously hard over the weekend. We are also grateful to Fitzgerald for their generous commitment in continuing to support Treecycling – our success would not have been possible without their support.

“Raising £49,000 is an impressive amount and will make a big difference to the local families living with terminal illness that we care for.”

Treecycling was part of the Hospice’s ‘Care at Christmas’ campaign – a festive appeal which aimed to boost support for individuals and families living with terminal illness. So far, the appeal has raised an impressive £135,000, enabling vital care, compassion and comfort to be available to more people, wherever and whenever they need it.

Young people from Wolverhampton shared their experiences of mental health and wellbeing issues with Royalty at the first national HeadStart Learning conference last week.

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge made a visit to the conference in London to learn about HeadStart, a five-year National Lottery funded programme set up by the Big Lottery Fund to give young people, aged 10 to 16, the tools they need to overcome life’s challenges and prevent the development of serious mental health issues.

The conference – ‘Improving Young People’s Mental Resilience and Wellbeing: Learning from HeadStart’ – was organised by the Big Lottery Fund and the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families, of which Her Royal Highness is a patron.

Her attendance reflects her interest in early intervention in children's mental health to help young people get the support they need.

The conference brought together representatives from all six HeadStart areas, Wolverhampton, Blackpool, Cornwall, Hull, Newham and Kent.

Her Royal Highness met HeadStart Wolverhampton Ambassadors Cristina Wilde and Hannah Rooney, Assistant Young Person Engagement Coordinator Francesca Turner, and HeadStart Marketing and Communications Apprentice Emerson Morris, who discussed with her their involvement with HeadStart and the work they are doing to support the mental health of their peers.

Emerson said: “It was wonderful to meet Her Royal Highness and I found her passion for supporting mental health really inspiring. She’s a role model for young people across the country, encouraging people to talk openly about mental health.”

Head of Service Kevin Pace and Senior Young Person Engagement Coordinator Sunita Pallan-Jhalli also presented Her Royal Highness with a framed copy of the poem ‘Bright’, written by HeadStart Wolverhampton Ambassador Megan Williams, and discussed the good work HeadStart Wolverhampton is doing to support the emotional wellbeing and mental health of young people in the City.

The conference featured presentations from academics working in child mental health, psychology and education, and keynote speeches from leaders from Wolverhampton and the other five HeadStart areas.

Young people from HeadStart Wolverhampton took to the stage to share their experiences and insights with delegates. Francesca Turner co-compèred the conference, and Cristina and Hannah participated in a young person panel discussion, ‘Young people in the lead: What does it really mean?’.

Head of Service Kevin Pace said: “It was wonderful to see so many staff and young people from all six HeadStart areas come together for this conference. Our Wolverhampton team were heavily involved throughout the day, participating in panels, leading discussions and sharing our local work.”

During the conference, keynote speaker Dr Jessica Deighton, an associate professor from University College London, shared important findings from the first national HeadStart survey of 30,000 Year 7 and Year 9 pupils from the six Big-Lottery funded HeadStart areas, including Wolverhampton.

It revealed that one in five young people have experienced mental health problems, much higher than the typically reported statistic of one in 10. Girls were more than twice as likely than boys to report experiencing emotional problems, with boys 50% more likely to experience behavioural problems.

Dr Deighton concluded that high rates of mental health problems among young people “highlight the importance of finding the best means to promote positive wellbeing, and to prevent and address mental health problems”.

Councillor Val Gibson, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “This survey shows just how vital the help and support given through our ground-breaking HeadStart Wolverhampton programme is in helping our children and young people deal with the mental health and wellbeing issues they face.

“It was great that the team from HeadStart Wolverhampton were able to share their learning on a national stage at this conference and had the wonderful opportunity to meet and share their experiences with the Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.”

HeadStart Wolverhampton runs a number of specific programmes in its four target areas where need is known to be greatest, including Low Hill, The Scotlands and Bushbury South; Springfield, Heath Town, Park Village and Eastfield; All Saints, Blakenhall, Parkfields and Ettingshall; and Bilston East.

It also offers city-wide support through a Support and Guidance Directory at support.headstartonline.co.uk which provides a range of selected well-being and mental health resources from different organisations, with information targeted at young people, parents and carers, and professionals.