A delegation from the Chinese government was recently invited by the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities to visit Sandwell Valley Crematorium to find out about the UK's approach to burial and cremation.

Sandwell Council cabinet member Councillor David Hosell welcomed the party from the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Rick Powell, secretary and executive officer with the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities, said he was delighted that Sandwell had been willing to host the meeting after he had been asked by the Chinese government to provide a training session.

Delegates wanted to have a better understanding of the UK’s approach to laws and regulations regarding burial and cremation, the structure of UK burial and cremation services, codes of practice and service delivery.

Councillor Hosell said: "It was a pleasure to welcome delegates from China, who were all experienced senior officials.

"Given the extensive breadth of excellent services and facilities provided by our bereavement team, the Federation felt there was no better place than Sandwell for the delegation to visit to see how this should be delivered."

WaterSafe, the UK body for approved plumbers, is urging homeowners in Gloucestershire to wrap up their homes this Christmas to avoid frozen and burst water pipes putting a damper on festivities.

The national accreditation body, which is backed by water companies including Wessex Water and Severn Trent Water, is supporting the Met Office’s Get Ready for Winter Campaign. The campaign includes advice on keeping homes warm and safe during the festive season and beyond.

Derrick Ryall, Executive Head of Public Weather Services at the Met Office, said: “People in the UK are resilient and severe winter weather is something we’re all used to, so we sometimes underestimate its impact on our everyday lives.

“Our research shows that many people are too relaxed, however, and are confused about what they need to do to prepare. This is why we have created the comprehensive winter checklist, so households can ensure they are fully prepared this winter.”

As temperatures drop below zero degrees, frozen and burst water pipes can cause flooding, damage and leave homes without water. New figures from the Association of British Insurers say claims to repair a burst water pipe can reach £7,500.

Despite this, new Met Office research shows that 75% of people it surveyed are unsure if their pipes are insulated and protected against freezing.

WaterSafe is advising homeowners to check water pipes in draughty areas such as attics and garages and outside taps. If they aren’t wrapped in lagging (a foam material designed to prevent freezing) it’s time to act. Insulating pipes not only protects them from winter weather but keeps the heat in, saving money too.

WaterSafe is also encouraging homeowners to fix leaky taps before temperatures drop, as even a trickle can result in a frozen tap. Dealing with leaks as soon as you discover them is also an important water-saving measure as every drop counts. Fixing a dripping tap could save 5,500 litres of water a year, not to mention £18 off water bills.

Top tips for a winter-ready home include:

• Make sure you know where your stop tap is and check it’s working.
• Make sure all pipes in unheated areas and outside taps are insulated.
• Fix any dripping taps or toilet cisterns – this will also save water.
• Check your central heating boiler has been serviced.
• If you’re going away, consider leaving your heating on and set the thermostat to 14°C. Ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your property.
• Keep the name and number of a WaterSafe approved plumber to hand for emergencies.

“However, ‘prevention is better than cure’ so following our tips now will help homeowners enjoy peace of mind and a safe festive period during colder weather. If you’re not confident about insulating water pipes or fixing dripping taps yourself, a WaterSafe recognised plumber can help and offer advice.”

After dinner board games are still as popular as ever, as more than five in six adults will rummage around in cupboards to dust off board games over the Christmas period, according to new research by Coral Casino.

The survey of 2,000 UK adults, conducted by Coral Casino, asked the public to rank a series of board and card games to find the nation’s favourite ‘after Christmas dinner’ game. The research found that across the UK, 84% of adults will sit down to play one with friends and family after their Christmas dinner, with people in Edinburgh the most partial to a game – 91% will be playing a board or card game this Christmas.

The research by the online casino operator found that Monopoly is by far the country’s most popular game, with 31% of the 2,000 adults polled saying it was their favourite. Board games dominated the top ten most popular games, with Cards Against Humanity the only card game to make the cut.

The UK’s top ten favourite after dinner games for UK adults to play this Christmas are:

1. Monopoly
2. Trivial Pursuit
3. Scrabble
4. Pictionary
5. Cluedo
6. Draughts / Checkers
7. Cards Against Humanity
8. Chess
9. Battleship
10. Yahtzee

Although the popularity of different games remains roughly the same across all ages, with Monopoly always the favourite, almost twice as many young adults prefer Cards Against Humanity as 25-34-year olds do, with almost nobody over 45 choosing it.

Blackjack also appears to be making a resurgence with the younger generation, being more popular with those aged between 18 and 24 than anyone else. Meanwhile Scrabble and Cluedo, typically two of the country’s top choices, lose out among the younger adults.

John Hill, PR Manager at Coral said: “Our research shows that, however popular high tech gifts have become at Christmas, the long standing tradition of sitting down with friends and family to a good board game after their Festive feast is alive and well.”

“It is no surprise to see that Blackjack is becoming more popular with young adults as this is something that we’ve seen with our own games.”

Statistics show an estimated 350,000 trees will be bought in the West Midlands this Christmas, yet only 3,500 of those will be recycled. Local charity, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice is challenging residents to help increase that figure by recycling their festive firs in the largest tree collection the city has seen.

Volunteers from the Hospice are expected to collect 3,000 trees from residents’ doorsteps on 13 and 14 January across the city, in return for a donation.

The ‘Treecycling’ scheme will reach out to a range of postcodes across Birmingham and Solihull, where all collected trees will be recycled into compost and biomass fuel.

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

Richard Green, Treecycling volunteer at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, said: “After all the festivities are over, getting rid of the tree can feel like a post-Christmas chore. With Treecycling though, we can save you both time and hassle by picking up the tree right from your doorstep, saving you from getting needles in your car and queuing for the tip.

“Not only is this scheme a fantastic way to be eco-friendly in the New Year but it will also help raise crucial funds for our Hospice. All of our services – whether they are provided at the Hospice, in people’s homes or in the local community – are completely free of charge and so we rely on the generosity of local people to help us provide our vital care to everyone who needs it.”

Treecycling is supported by the civil engineering contractor, Fitzgerald, who has generously provided staff for the collection weekend, vans and financial support since the scheme’s inception.

Nick Coley, managing director at Fitzgerald, said: “We have a long-standing partnership with Birmingham St Mary’s and it’s fantastic to be able to work together on the Treecycling campaign. Our employees always enjoy helping out during the collection weekend and it’s brilliant to know that every penny raised goes directly towards the Hospice. I know our staff are already looking forward to this year’s event and want to make it its biggest collection yet.”

Treecycling is part of the Hospice’s ‘Care at Christmas’ campaign – a festive appeal to boost support for individuals and families living with terminal illness. It will cost £22k to run the Hospice on Christmas Day so every penny raised will ensure that the best hospice care is available to people and their loved ones, wherever and whenever they need it.

The postcodes that Treecycling will be collecting from, are: B13, B14, B15, B17, B26, B27, B28, B29, B30, B31, B32, B38, B90 and B90. To book your collection, head to: www.careatchristmas.org/treecycling

Over the past five years, Romans has supported Alexander Devine, a local children’s hospice, raising over £100,000 through their fundraising efforts.

This year, Romans’ Directors challenged the three teams in their Training Academy to see who can raise the most money for Alexander Devine. Spin Masters Toys kindly donated over 1,000 brand new, packaged toys and on 15th of December the three teams went head to head in Romans’ Reading, Maidenhead and Wokingham branches. A grand total of £5,381 was raised across the three branches, the winners of the event were the Persians who were selling toys from the Maidenhead branch raising £2,500!

Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service was set up by Berkshire parents John and Fiona Devine in memory of their eight year old son Alexander, who died after four years of treatment for a brain tumour, with the aim of building Berkshire's first dedicated hospice for children with life threatening illnesses. The first hospice opened earlier this year in Maidenhead, providing much needed care and support for families around Berkshire.

Fiona Devine thanks the staff from Romans, “A huge thank you from all of us at Alexander Devine to Romans, you have been with us since the inception of our journey and we are phenomenally grateful for the donation we have received from Toy Wars. You have been an integral part in our journey and without you we wouldn’t be in our purpose built hospice today!

The donation of £5,300 from Toy Wars will go towards funding our care team which needs to grow exponentially next year to enable us to open our day care centre in Maidenhead. This donation will go towards the costs of employing more carers and nurses to support 6 children per day to use all our facilities. Thanks again to Romans, please know that you are making such a difference to our local children.”

Pouring turkey fat and other festive leftovers down the plughole is a recipe for disaster that could make it a costly Christmas for unsuspecting households.

As millions of people prepare to tuck into their Christmas dinner, the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) is urging everyone to stop and think about what they pour down the sink and not run the risk of a blocked drain or seeing their home flooded with sewage.

Fatty substances put a huge strain on the sewer network and can create giant pipe-blocking ‘fatbergs’ which feast on our festive leftovers, enabling them to grow up to 250 metres long.

Blockages are one of the main reasons the number of properties across England and Wales flooded with sewage increased by almost a third in 2016/17.

Greasy leftovers can also clog up a property’s drains, landing the householder with a callout charge for someone to clear up the mess.

Steve Grebby, CCWater’s sewer expert, said: “We all love a surprise at Christmas but seeing your home flooded with raw sewage isn’t one of them.”

“There are lots of simple ways to safely dispose of leftover fat or grease, including letting these substances cool in a container before scraping them straight into the bin. It might cost you a little more time but it could save you a lot of money.”

Consumers can protect their pipes and drains by keeping a ‘fat trap’ or container in their kitchen to collect leftover fat, gravy and grease before emptying it into the bin.

The water industry currently spends up to £100 million a year clearing blockages caused by inappropriate items being put down the sink, drain and toilet, with customers footing the bill through their sewerage charges.