With the February half term just around the corner it can sometimes be tricky to think of things to do to keep the littles ones entertained for a whole week, let alone find an activity that doesn’t cost the earth. Victorian Arcade in Walsall has a great solution though - bring the gang along to meet the famous Lightning McQueen from the popular children’s film Cars.

Lightning McQueen will be situated outside the entrance to Victorian Arcade on Saturday 24th February. Free for everyone to meet, the superstar replica car will be in situ from 11am to 4pm, and local families are encouraged to come and say hi and grab some photos with the ‘racing legend’.

Anyone that takes a photo and then uploads it to Victorian Arcade’s Facebook page will also be entered into a competition to win a whole hamper of Cars film related goodies*.

Darren Griffiths, Senior Regional Facilities Manager of Savills for Victorian Arcade, commented: “We are thrilled to be welcoming the Lightning McQueen replica to the Arcade to meet with our loyal shoppers and local families. I am looking forward to seeing all the photos that are taken on the day - good luck to all who enter our competition too!”

*Terms and conditions apply - see Victorian Arcade’s Facebook page for details.

Birmingham pianist Lauren Zhang has been named as a finalist in the prestigious BBC Young Musician competition, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2018.

Lauren impressed the judges during the regional auditions in late 2017 and is now one of five musicians to have progressed to the Keyboard Category Final. All five Category Finals – strings, keyboard, woodwind, percussion and brass – will take place in Birmingham between Friday 16 and Tuesday 20 March 2018.

The 16-year-old musician studies at the Junior Conservatoire, part of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, with the music and acting college also hosting the Category Finals of the competition, as well as the Semi Final on Friday 23 March.

The Final will take place at Symphony Hall Birmingham, led by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Mark Wigglesworth. The competition will be broadcast on BBC television and BBC Radio 3.

Lauren Zhang said: “The fantastic musical education, supportive environment and long-lasting friendships that I have made at the Junior Conservatoire have always inspired me and immensely helped my musical development.”

Lauren is taught by Dr Robert Markham at the Junior Conservatoire, who himself was a finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition in 1986, where he was awarded the Piano Prize. Lauren also studies violin at the Junior Conservatoire under Sam Mason.

Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Lauren applied for the Junior Conservatoire in 2010 while her mother, Hui, was taking a sabbatical year in Birmingham. Despite planning to return to the USA, after Lauren began working with Dr Markham her family decided to remain in the UK as a result of what Hui calls “the power of music tuition at the Junior Conservatoire.”

Lauren began her piano lessons with Madeline Ignazito in the USA when she was four years old. Since studying at the Junior Conservatoire, Lauren has enjoyed musical guidance under Terry Coulton, Kenneth Hamilton, Madeline Ignazito, and Rebecca Omordia.

The Junior Conservatoire offers specialist training to young musicians between the ages of four and 18 with exceptional potential and the ability to achieve that potential. They train young musicians to a level where they could gain a place at a senior conservatoire or music college, as well as offer preparation for the Associated Board exams to Grade 8 and Diploma levels.

Timothy English, Head of Junior Conservatoire, said:

“It is very exciting that one of our own young musicians has qualified for the Category Finals in one of the first major competitions to be held at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

“Lauren has been a student at the Junior Conservatoire for the past eight years and it has been a great privilege to watch her develop into an extraordinary young pianist. She is a musician of exceptional talent and commitment, and this latest success is richly deserved.”

Lauren achieved distinction in the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music exam in piano performance and the Licentiate of Trinity College London in violin performance respectively, at the age of 12. She achieved the fellowship of Trinity College London in Piano recital at the age of 13.

Lauren has won many classes at local, regional and national festivals and competitions. In 2016, she was the first prize winner of the 15th Ettlingen International Piano Competition. She was also a prize winner at the Young Pianist of the North International Competition in 2015. She won the first prize of the European Piano Teacher Association (UK) in the 15 years and under category in 2015. She also secured third place in the Beethoven Intercollegiate Junior Piano Competition at the Austrian Cultural Forum London in 2015.

In 2016, Lauren was awarded the first prize in the prestigious Emanuel Piano Trophy which is open to the winner of the top senior piano award at any music festival held in the previous year.

The competition was adjudicated by Christopher Elton, Professor Emeritus of the Royal Academy of Music, who said of her performance of Ravel:

“She played a remarkable ‘Scarbo’ and was really impressive – not just her virtuosity, but the ability to make the piece sound ‘French’ and to play with subtlety.”

Lauren is interested in history, biology and physics and in her spare time she enjoys reading, fencing and chamber music.

BBC Young Musician is a part of the BBC’s ongoing commitment to supporting and providing a platform for new and emerging talent.

Part of Birmingham City University, the new £57 million Royal Birmingham Conservatoire which opened in the Eastside region of the city last September, will also welcome the BBC Young Musician Jazz Award Final in 2018.

Launched three years ago, the BBC Young Musician Jazz Award runs alongside the established classical music format and aims to showcase another group of exceptional young musicians to audiences across the UK. Current Royal Birmingham Conservatoire student Elliott Sansom reached the finals in 2016.

Whether it's whilst watching the sunset over the Grand Canyon, wildlife spotting in the USA's national parks or canoeing on beautiful Lake Crescent, TrekAmerica has seen friendships blossom into more on many of their epic US road trips. With countless weddings, anniversaries and even a few babies on the way there's a lot of #TrekLove in the air.

Trekker, Sonja Polman booked her first TrekAmerica trip in 1994, said: “I chose TrekAmerica because I was travelling with two friends and we thought it was a safer way for three girls to travel around. It was also good for our budget, with the cost of accommodation and travel costs paid upfront.”

Sonia continued: “I never imagined I would meet my future husband, but it was pretty much love at first sight for both of us. We met in the foyer of the Skyline hotel in New York, the evening before the trek started, and we've been pretty much inseparable ever since.”

Despite Sonia and John living in different countries they were determined to make things work and will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary this coming April, showing it wasn't just a summer romance. Sonia added: “Over the five months following our tour, we saw each other about every six weeks, until John moved to England in 1997. We got married the following year in 1998, in the little chapel of the flowers in Las Vegas – well it would be wrong not to!”

Richard Hanson, Managing Director of TrekAmerica, said: “We in no way see ourselves as a match-making service but it's so wonderful to hear that TrekAmerica has allowed people to form such amazing relationships on our tours over the years. We pride ourselves on creating itineraries that offer unique, unforgettable adventures, and to be there at the start of a love story makes our job even more rewarding”.

Sonja Polman concluded: “TrekAmerica changed our lives! We describe our TrekAmerica experience as an 'experience of a lifetime' even after 22 years we talk about it frequently and reminisce about all the extraordinary things we got up to. We absolutely loved every minute, one of the happiest times in our lives.”

Trailblazing women who successfully fought for the right to vote have been honoured in a life-size paper tribute handcrafted in the UK to mark 100 years of women’s suffrage.

Students on Birmingham City University’s Design for Performance course used 1,600 metres of brown paper and 500 metres of corrugated cardboard to craft an exhibition which features key figures from the Suffragette movement in the run up to the 1918 Representation of the People’s Act – which first handed women the vote in the UK.

Among the iconic characters on show are Christabel Pankhurst – daughter of perhaps the movement’s most famous name Emmeline Pankhurst – Flora Drummond who was nicknamed ‘the General’, and Ethel Smyth who was famed for conducting protests from her window using a toothbrush.

It also includes a full-scale horse and carriage being drawn through the streets of Georgian London, an act of civil disobedience, as a protester throws a stone through a shop window while two policemen look on, and a Suffragette who has chained herself to the railings of a government building.

The installation comes almost 100 years to the day (6 February1918) that the Act was first passed and at a time when women’s rights are in the spotlight following the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements and the Presidents Club Charity Dinner scandal.

Students were given three weeks working around the clock to produce the exhibition which will be open to the public from tomorrow (Wednesday January 31) to Friday February 16 at the University’s Parkside Building.

Eleanor Field, who teaches the module at Birmingham City University, said: “For centuries, it has been a given that, in moments of sharp civic discontent, you and I and everyone we know can take to the streets, demanding change.

“People, often against tremendous odds, answer a call to show up and be counted for what they believe in.

“To celebrate 100 years of certain women getting the vote, the students chose to focus the installation on The Suffragettes and the lengths they went to make their voices heard.

“With links to modern day movements and protests the students have been keen to explore how, with the current state of the world, it is important to be inspired by The Suffragettes and have the courage to stand up for what we believe in and that there is still work to be done if this world is going to be a fairer place.”

The exhibition commemorates the prominent figures in the movement during 1918 and even has a nod to the Cat and Mouse Act which the government introduced in 1913 in a bid to counteract the hunger strike protests of imprisoned activists.

Student Becks Hazell said: “It’s pretty hectic and you end up finding brown paper everywhere in your life. In your pockets, in your hair - it follows you everywhere.

“The theme is great timing with it being the anniversary. But even then, that first step was only for women over 30 who were married, so there was still some way to go.”

First-year students were initially given the idea of ‘protest’ to base their exhibition around and after discussions opted to commemorate the centenary of women’s suffrage.

Student Peter Hollands said: “When the theme of ‘protest’ came up, it seemed like a no brainer to pick the Suffragettes with it being the anniversary. With everything that is going on at the moment we are still seeing women’s protests right now and unfortunately it’s problem something we’ll still be seeing in another 100 years.”

Student Willow Smith said:  “Because it’s such a serious and important theme you want to make sure you do it justice. These are real people from history that you’re modelling so you have to make sure things are correct and that everything is accurate.

“We’re all so used to seeing people and human form that it’s easy to spot a mistake, so we’re spending a lot of time making sure all the body shapes and movements of the active models look right.

“We’ve had a lot of late nights, staying at university until 11pm working and ordering pizzas because you have to give 100 per cent to a theme like this.”

MPs, housing association bosses and celebrities today launched a campaign to make Britain’s homes safer.

The Axe Safety Tax initiative to abolish VAT on all safety products and services that go into UK homes was unveiled at a House of Commons breakfast event.

The Government is being urged to scrap the 20% tax on a range of products including fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, gas safety checks, fire doors and fire extinguishers.

Mike Amesbury, MP for Weaver Vale & Member of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee, said it was vital landlords supported the “lifesaving” initiative.

He said: “We are all aware of the tragic consequences of fires in housing blocks. We need to work together to improve safety and reduce fire risk. It is important we look at all options to make our homes safer.”

Other supporters of the Axe Safety Tax campaign include Emma Dent Coad, the MP for Kensington, whose constituency includes Grenfell Tower.

She said: “It is a total disgrace that safety products are taxed as if they are luxury items. VAT must be reduced so that everyone can afford to buy them and be safe in their homes. It’s a no-brainer.”

Celebrities including former England footballers Jamie Carragher and Robbie Fowler, the musician Midge Ure and TV personality Paddy McGuinness have also put their names to the initiative.

The gas safety technology company, Gas Tag, is behind the campaign. The Liverpool-based company’s CEO Paul Durose said: “Abolishing VAT on safety products would allow housing associations to accelerate the investment they are making in health and safety.

“Raising money in taxation from making homes safer is shameful and not a reflection of the compassionate society in which we live.”

Several leading housing associations are also backing the campaign. The VAT raised annually on safety products and inspections across the social housing sector is in excess of £200million.

Tom Dacey, Group Chief Executive at Southern Housing Group, said “The fact that safety is taxed at the maximum rate is unjustifiable. We’re backing the Axe Safety Tax campaign and we’re asking other housing associations and councils to give their backing and support it too.”

The launch was also attended by Mike Cunningham, Deputy Director, VAT & Excise, who invited campaigners to take part in further discussions over the coming weeks.

Helen Tomblin and Jamie Bloomfield, who are part of the team that have delivered Make, Move & Munch Clubs across Sandwell since 2016 have been recognised for their work working alongside the National Charity Partnership, a partnership between Tesco, Diabetes UK and British Heart Foundation. The Make, Move & Much Clubs are a programme where mums are supported and motivated to improve their health through physical activity and healthy eating.

Helen was honoured with the Working in Partnership award and Jamie received the Most Improved Use of PR at the third annual National Charity Partnership Awards - a black tie event at the Riverside Park Plaza hotel in central London on Thursday 25 January 2018.

Helen who works for Accord Group has transformed the way Make, Move & Munch Clubs are delivered in Sandwell to ensure a lasting legacy. She commissioned five different local providers, trained them and has since led the team to outstanding results. In 2017, 170 clubs were delivered with 700 people taking part.

Jamie who works for Groundwork West Midlands (one of the five providers who deliver the Clubs) embraced a new approach to increase the profile of the Clubs which were funded by the National Charity Partnership. He coordinated a successful taster event with several local partners and secured TV coverage in the West Midlands. Furthermore, he rose to the challenge of his first media interview hitting all the key messages with confidence.

Mr Bloomfield said “I’m very proud to win this award. I felt it was important to provide an opportunity for the delivery partners and funders to work together on an event that would really demonstrate to the public what fantastic work everyone was doing on MMM. It was an extremely successful programme that made a huge difference to many people’s lives and made a lasting impression on the public’s health going forward.”

Ms Tomblin said “I am delighted to have won the award for ‘Partnership Working’ but credit must also go to those I have working in partnership with; our programme delivery partners Kaleidoscope Plus Group, Complete Kidz, Ideal for All, Groundwork, and My Time Active. We have also continued to develop strong relationships with Sandwell Public Health enabling us to build on the legacy of the National Charity Partnership and secure more programmes with the Sandwell Learning Communities in 2018. On Friday, Accord are very excited to be holding a dissemination event with Public Health England which will bring together all the learning, as we continue to explore how we develop this work further across the West Midlands.”

Jenna Hall, Director of National Charity Partnership said “I’m delighted that Helen and Jamie have been recognised for all the hard work they have contributed to making a success of the partnership. This dedication, enthusiasm and creativity has seen not only local families engaged but also the wider public and I’m excited to hear their contribution to changing health behaviours in Sandwell will continue in 2018.”