Community News

The Mayor and Mayoress of the City of Wolverhampton are inviting people to a glittering masquerade ball to raise money for their charities.

Cllr Elias Mattu and his wife Asha have organised the evening of masked fun for Saturday October 28.

Guests are encouraged to don Venetian-style masks for the event which will take place at the Diamond Banqueting Suite, in Skinner Street. A three course sit-down meal and reception drink is included in the ticket price.

Entertainment will be provided by professional fire-eaters and a DJ will get people moving on the dancefloor.

The Mayor’s chosen charities this year are  Acorns Hospice, Street Pastors, Sickle Cell Care, Interfaith Wolverhampton, the Alzheimer’s Society and Wolverhampton Central Youth Theatre.

Cllr Mattu said: “My wife, the Mayoress, came up with this idea as a wonderful way to raise money for charity.

“This will be a fun, relaxed evening open to everyone. We would like all our guests to enter into the spirit of the ball and wear Venetian-style masks.

“Not only will people enjoy a fun evening with lots of entertainment, they will also help raise money for charities that are very close to my heart.”

A massive 65 per cent of local businesses believe that traffic congestion is a major problem in the Greater Birmingham region - and is costing an estimated £407 million a year. That is according to a new survey by the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC).

Nearly half of those surveyed (47 per cent) said the volume of commuter traffic was the main cause of congestion, but roadworks (43 per cent) and school traffic (41 per cent) were also cited as key factors.

Businesses surveyed said that the congestion problem was throwing up major issues, and among those were staff punctuality (28 per cent), reduced productivity (21 per cent) and increased costs (19 per cent).

The findings of the Chamber survey mirrors recent research into traffic congestion, one of which (Inrix Global Traffic Scorecard 2016) found that the city was the third most congested in England, and that on average, motorists in the city spent nine per cent of their total journey time in traffic.

In turn, this costs the city a massive £407 million in lost revenue. The report found that nearly half (41 per cent) of journeys in the region were less than two miles in length, a figure slightly higher than the national average (38 per cent).

The Chamber says that the new survey was a response to growing dissatisfaction among members about traffic congestion and the problems it causes.

The organisation says that many of the region’s problems are ‘deep rooted’ and go back to when the current key transport networks were designed, in the early 1960s. This placed the car at the heart of transportation, but half a century later the wheels have literally fallen off this solution.

In the Chamber survey, more than 70 per cent of businesses surveyed wanted to see some form of investment in the region’s transport infrastructure to deal with the congestion crisis.

In particular, just over a third wanted to see greater spending to create more capacity on the roads and a similar figure wanted to see money being spent on creating new railway lines, bus lanes, cycle paths and metro extensions in order to boost public transport usage.

GBCC chief executive Paul Faulkner said: “The issue of congestion has long blighted the West Midlands and is estimated to cost the region billions of pounds per year in lost revenue.

“Nevertheless, over the last few months, it is great to see the Mayor working closely with regional partners such as Transport for West Midlands and various local authorities to ensure the foundations are laid to manage demand, increase capacity and improve traffic efficiency across the region.

“It is vital that the views of the business community are absorbed by local and national stakeholders in order to overcome these long standing problems.”

Senior policy and patron advisor Raj Kandola (pictured) said: “This report shows there is an appetite amongst the business community to tackle and alleviate congestion.

“In particular, our members have made it clear that they want to see greater investment in the transport networks and modernising payment systems to get more people to use public transport. There is also a willingness for firms to consider implementing flexible working policies to help ease traffic flows.

“In the long term, it is clear public sector bodies need to work closely with the business sector to tackle this problem and unlock long term prosperity for the region.”

Among the Chamber’s recommendations for tackling the congestion crisis is urgent investment in the local transport network, to take advantage of the new high speed rail line between the Midlands and London (HS2).

The Chamber said this investment must include significant spending on the ‘ailing road network’ and has demanded similar spending levels to the £2.2bn committed to London and the South East.

However, the Chamber says that this investment alone will not suffice, and is calling for a range of technology led improvements, including an increase in Active Traffic Management systems across the local motorway network.

Better use of technology is also needed to increase usage of public transport, for example the new integrated transport app announced this week by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM).

This is the ‘Whim’ app, which encourages people to use transport other than their car by enabling them to pay for their transport over the course of a month as they need it.

The switch to contactless cards is costing charities with nearly two out of five adults admitting they give less to street collectors as they do not carry as much cash, new research from Consumer Intelligence shows.

Its nationwide study found 37% who regularly donate money to charity collectors say they have cut back in the past year – and on average they estimate they have donated £14 each less.

Consumer Intelligence’s research shows a rapid switch away from using cash – 58% of adults say they are using less cash than a year ago.

The trend is accelerating among younger people – 71% of 18 to 24-year olds say they use less cash than a year ago, but even over-65s are changing with 49% cutting back on cash.

Just a third of those questioned prefer to use cash for purchases worth less than £30 – the limit for contactless cards – with 39% preferring to use contactless and 27% using chip and PIN and 3% using other devices.

However, cash is still very important for charities – the Charities Aid Foundation** says cash is still the most popular method of donating to charity with 55% of donations coming in notes and coins.

“But there must be some concern that it is hurting charities with so many people admitting they have cut donations simply because they do not carry cash.

“Technology can help however and charity collectors need to adapt. The Church of England is trialling contactless technology for collections so it can be done.”

Consumer Intelligence’s study shows around one in 10 people still carry £50 or more in cash on a day to day basis.

The global deafblind charity, Sense International, has launched a new appeal, to fund a pioneering new programme that will transform the lives of children and young adults with deafblindness in Bangladesh. The ‘My Turn to Learn’ appeal, which will improve access to education and opportunities for work for these young people, is supported by the UK Government, which will match, pound for pound, all public donations made between 18 October and 17 January 2018.

In Bangladesh, children with deafblindness face huge challenges. Most are excluded from school, often because teaching staff don’t have the skills to support them and families are overwhelmed by the emotional and practical challenges. Without access to education, the children remain at home, and will not develop the vital communication and life skills they require to achieve basic independence.

The ‘My Turn to Lean’ appeal will support a programme of inclusive education and vocational training, which will include recruitment and training of specialist teachers who will work with dozens of families to support the children at school; training for mainstream teachers; the creation of a model school to promote best practice; and targeted meals so that children with deafblindness are well enough to learn.

The face of the appeal is Morium Begum from Narsingdi in Bangladesh. When Sense International first met Morium, deteriorating eyesight and hearing loss meant that she was on the verge of being taken out of school. Aged nine, her future looked similar to that of many children with deafblindness across Bangladesh – a lifetime of social isolation.

Today, aged sixteen, with the support of Sense International, Morium has become one of the first children with deafblindness in Bangladesh to pass her primary school exams. She has grown into a confident young woman, and hopes one day to become a teacher.

Morium Begum said:  “Ms Asma Bagum [Specialist Teacher] spent time with my parents and teachers to help them understand how I can be supported to stay at school. Without this I expect I would have had to stay at home and not have the opportunity to learn and develop, to communicate and be part of my community.

I now wish to one day become a teacher.

I know that there are many other children with problems with their sight and hearing who are not as lucky as me. I hope that this appeal can help them.”

Director of Sense International, Alison Marshall, said:  “Less than ten per cent of children with a disability in Bangladesh are in primary school. Currently, those with deafblindness rarely get the opportunity to learn vital communication and life skills, leaving them isolated and at greater risk of poverty.

No child should be left behind, which is why Sense International is launching the ‘My Turn to Learn’ Appeal.

UK Aid Match will double the impact of public donations, which will be used to improve access to education and opportunities for work, transforming the lives of children and young people with deaflindness across the country. There has never been a better time to support our work.”

International Development Secretary Priti Patel said:  “In countries around the world, children with deafblindness are not getting the education they deserve, but Sense International is providing the life changing help that’s needed. The My Turn to Learn appeal will fund training and support to help thousands of children and young people with deafblindness in Bangladesh to get the educational support to which they are entitled.

“Every donation made by the generous British public to the My Turn to Learn appeal will be matched pound for pound by the UK government, meaning we will double the difference Britons can make to ensure deafblind children and young people in Bangladesh have the brightest possible future.”

Sense International Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, will launch the ‘My Turn to Learn’ appeal at a special reception held at The Banqueting House in Whitehall, this evening.

Following the recent release of the film It starring everyone’s favourite clown Pennywise – it’s clear we’re a nation that loves to be scared.

And as we head towards Halloween, houses will be adorned with scary spooks and costumes will be donned as people hide behind masks in order to shock their friends and neighbours.

Whilst this is a bit of fun for many people, our pet dogs can sometimes find this distressing – especially if they are part of the outfit! If your dog is nervous around strangers imagine opening the door to a masked ghoul or being around groups of excited youngsters or being dressed as a walking pumpkin!

As part of its “Happy Dogs, Happy Days” campaign, Lintbells, manufacturers of premium pet supplement YUCALM, is working with dog behavioural expert Dr. Emily Blackwell to help owners spot - and deal with – anxiety in their pet around Halloween.

“When it comes to celebrating Halloween it’s important to remember that it should be fun for the whole family – and of course this always includes your pet pooch,” said Dr. Blackwell PhD, Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Welfare and Behaviour at University of Bristol.

“So this Halloween consider these three areas of possible concern to your pet dog.”

Dr Blackwell’s top three areas to consider this Halloween:

Ghouls at the door

“If your dog is nervous around new people then groups of people in fancy dress at your door could be terrifying.

“If you anticipate anxiety in your pet then why not shelter them from this by keeping them away from the frivolity and giving them a tasty treat or fun game to play. These fun pastimes can also be used to create a positive association with sounds such as the doorbell.

Things that go bump in the night

“Unusual new items may be presented during times of fancy dress – for example, expect an influx of broom sticks at your front door! If a new item evokes fear or unusual behaviour in your dog it’s a good time to tackle this.

“If your dog does show signs of anxiety try introducing new things gradually in a calm environment and associate them with something good.

“And if or when your pet reacts to a new object or noise outside, never tell them off - even if they are barking - this will simply increase their fear.

Doggy dress up

“Before you decide to create an elaborate costume for this Halloween involving your pet, ask yourself if your dog really likes dressing up.

“Although your dog may appear to ‘tolerate’ being dressed up, a motionless, passive dog may in fact be “freezing” because they are frightened. Dogs restricted by clothing will often show a reluctance to walk and sadly this anxiety is sometimes misinterpreted as ‘calmness’.

“Some Halloween headwear can also make it very difficult for dogs to communicate using their ears and facial expression. Other dogs may behave strangely towards them too as they ‘look’ peculiar.

“Remember to be aware of these signs and do not carry on dressing up your dog if they appear anxious.

“If you remain concerned that your dog may be experiencing anxiety you should contact your vet or a Qualified Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) for advice.”

Birmingham City University’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire has announced Daniel Moult as the music and acting academy’s new Head of Organ.

Daniel Moult will succeed current Department head Henry Fairs, who has held the position since 2007.

Described by ‘The Organ’ as “one of the finest organists of our time”, Daniel Moult has a formidable reputation as a player and teacher and has made a significant contribution to the Organ Department at the Conservatoire since his appointment in 2016.

As a soloist, Daniel performs regularly throughout the UK, Europe, Australia and Singapore, with upcoming concerto appearances in London and Germany, and a major multi-DVD and CD recording project to be launched shortly.

His London-based work includes coaching various younger professional organists, and his renowned educational profile has also extended to several anthologies for Bärenreiter and other publishers.

Incoming Head of Organ, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, said:

“I am honoured and delighted to be entrusted with the direction of this renowned and vibrant organ department. Over the years, Henry Fairs has worked tirelessly to establish the Department as a national centre of excellence.

“Working alongside Henry, other colleagues and the dedicated and talented array of students here, I envisage a bright and thrilling future for the organ art at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.”

In order to meet his bourgeoning international commitments, Henry Fairs will step aside from the role of Head of Organ in November 2017. However, he remains a permanent member of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire staff and will devote his time at the institution to teaching and artistic projects.

Henry Fairs enjoys a world-wide reputation as a recitalist, teacher and international competition jury member. A multi-award winning performer, recent engagements include performances in festivals at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Naumburg and Merseburg Orgeltage, Tokyo Metropolitan Arts Space, Ekaterinburg Bach Fest in Russia and masterclasses at the conservatoires of Leipzig, Stuttgart, Zagreb, Oslo and Copenhagen, as well as an adjudicator for the Carl Nielsen, Wadden Sea and Silbermann international organ competitions.

Part of Birmingham City University, the new Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is a unique contemporary building, incorporating five public performance spaces including a new 500 seat concert hall for orchestral training and performance, a purpose-built organ studio and private rehearsal and practice rooms.

Furthermore, as the first purpose built conservatoire in the UK since 1987, the £57 million institution which opened earlier this month is the only one of its kind in the country designed for the demands of the digital age.

The Organ Studio at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, for example, houses a Eule Pipe organ with extensive plans for additional new instruments, and features overhead performance lighting and a Dante audio network for flexible location recording purposes.

The venue has a distinctive shape and tranquil atmosphere created by natural light flooding onto the pale wood of the interior. It is completely flexible in terms of the set-up and layout of the performance area and audience seating.

Property services company, Romans held its first Big Sleep Out in Crowthorne House car park to raise funds for Launchpad, a Reading based charity whose mission is to prevent homelessness. Since the creation of their Community and Culture division in July, Romans have expanded their charitable giving and are now supporting nine local charities, each nominated by their staff.

Romans’ Community and Culture Manager Vanessa Foot explains; “Launchpad’s mission is very close to our hearts and being in the business of property, is an apt cause to get involved in. On 10th October, National Homeless Day, 14 Romans staff slept outdoors with nothing more than a shelter they made themselves on the night and a sleeping bag.”

The donations received from staff, friends and family were astronomical and so far the total amount raised is over £5,700! As part of the Big Sleep Out, participants each had to build their own shelter – the person who built the best shelter won a prize. On the night, Sam Arfield’s cardboard creation caught the attention of Jason McMahon, the representative from Launchpad, and Sam was announced as the winner.

“I am overjoyed with the amount of money which has been raised, just £700 is enough to help one person to start back on a pathway into education, training or employment. The donation from Romans of £5,700 and counting will certainly go a long way!

The passion and enthusiasm from both those that took part and those who made donations is really heart-warming and everyone from the Board of Directors to the staff working in the local branches have really got behind our cause,” explains Jason McMahon, the organiser of the Big Sleep Out.

With nine charities to support, the group has a busy calendar of charity events covering everything from sky dives to bake sales, and even a trek along the Great Wall of China!

Vanessa adds: “Working with local charities is extremely rewarding and is one of the best parts of my new role. Having listened to our employees and partnered with a range of charities nominated by them, we’ve really hit the ground running – watch this space for more updates!”

Along with working with charities, Vanessa and Romans’ Community and Culture team have also been working with local schools and sports clubs continuing to offer not only sponsorship but mentoring opportunities, careers guidance and incentive schemes.

Old Park School, in Brierley Hill, Dudley unveiled its steel and copper commemorative tree at a remembrance service yesterday, attended by local manufacturer voestalpine Metsec plc who designed and created the memorial.

The tree, which will stand in the grounds of the school, will have the names engraved of pupils who have sadly died along with messages or poems from their loved ones. Old Park School is a special school for pupils aged 4-19 years old all of whom have severe learning difficulties, and many of the children have life limiting complex medical conditions too. Over the years, several pupils have sadly passed away and the school was keen to be able to memorialise them and create a place for families to remember their loved ones.

Metsec, based in Oldbury, has created a tree made of tubular steel which over time will rust to turn brown like the trunk of a tree. Decorated with leaves for families to engrave the names of their loved ones along with messages, the leaves are designed to turn green as the air oxidises the copper material of the leaves.

Mrs Cartwright, head teacher of Old Park School, said: “We work closely with Orchard School in Oldbury and saw that they had a remembrance tree to memorialise the pupils who have passed away designed, crafted and donated by Metsec.

“We really wanted a meaningful and interactive way to remember our lost pupils and so we approached Metsec to see if they would be able to create a slightly different tree for Old Park School.

“Metsec and its suppliers not only created a beautiful tree, but donated their time and the materials to creating this wonderful tribute and we are so pleased to be unveiling it this week in a remembrance service for the families.”

Clive Wolverson, operations director at Metsec, said: “Creating this tree for Old Park School was a labour of love for the Metsec team and we are delighted to be able to offer up our skills for such a heartfelt cause. A special thanks goes to Marc Williams and Mark Steventon who worked on this project.”

In addition to creating the steel tree, Metsec commissioned the crafting of the copper leaves from local company Steadfast Solutions.

When owners Steve Moseley and Garry Smith discovered what the order would be used for, they offered the leaves free of charge. The tree was installed by Logmoor building contractor and owner Tom Warren also offered his team and services free-of-charge.

Shoppers were surprised to see a life size Triceratops roaming Coventry City Centre today. The astonishing 6 foot tall dinosaur, operated by two highly skilled puppeteers, was sighted in the Lower Precinct ahead of the arrival of the fun, interactive show, Dinosaur World at the Belgrade Theatre later this month.

Using incredible puppetry, Dinosaur World brings a range of remarkably life-like dinosaurs to the stage, including every child's favourite flesh-eating giant, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, along with a Giraffatitan, Segnosaurus and baby Triceratops, to name a few!

The live show is followed by a post-show ‘meat and greet’ where audience members have the opportunity to meet the dinosaurs in person.

Visiting the Belgrade’s Main Stage this half-term from Thurs 26 to Sat 28 Oct, Dinosaur World is sure to delight the whole family, whilst also educating young people aged 3+ (and adults) about these incredible creatures from the Mesozoic era.

Dinosaur World is written and directed by Derek Bond (Sweet Charity, Manchester Theatre Awards 2017 winner, Little Shop of Horrors, Manchester Royal Exchange). The creative team includes: Puppet Designer Max Humphries (National Theatre, Royal Opera House, Cirque de Soleil); Puppet Director Laura Cubitt (Running Wild, Chichester Festival Theatre; Don Quixote, RSC; War Horse, NT Berlin); Puppetry Consultant Toby Olié (for the National Theatre: Elephantom, Peter Pan, The Light Princess, Hansel & Gretel, NT: 50 Years on Stage and also the original hind puppeteer of Joey in War Horse); Set & Costume Designer James Perkins; Lighting Designer John Maddox and Sound Designer Tom Mann.

Performed by Danielle Stagg (Miranda), Rosie Nicholls (Puppeteer), Yana Penrose (Puppeteer), James Taylor (Puppeteer), Emma Thornett (Puppeteer), and Rafe Young (Puppeteer). Further casting to be announced.

Three Birmingham based charities have said thank you to local people for helping raise £5 million in vital funds over 20 years.

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, Focus Birmingham and Acorns Children’s Hospice have received the impressive amount from the TLC Lottery, an organisation set up jointly by the three charities in 1997.

Players pay £1 per weekly draw and the money raised after running costs and prizes is split between the three charities. Currently over 13,000 players play the lottery across the West Midlands, competing for prizes ranging from £5 to £1,000.

Lynne Carter, Head of Fundraising at Acorns Children’s Hospice, said: “On behalf of the children and families we support and everyone at Acorns I want to say a huge thank you to the loyal players who have contributed to the Lottery over the past 20 years. We rely on fundraising for the £10 million it costs to provide our services every year - so your generosity means we can continue our vital work.”

Hamish Shilliday, head of fundraising at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, said: “The TLC is a fantastic initiative which allows players to have fun whilst raising vital funds for three local charities.

“I would like to thank all the players who have taken part over the past 20 years – with your continued support, we are able to provide expert care to local individuals and families living with terminal illness.

“All of our services – whether they are provided at the Hospice, in people’s homes or in the local community – are free of charge and so we rely on the generosity of local people, like the TLC’s players, to ensure we can continue to provide our care in Birmingham and Sandwell.”

Jasmin Rana, Marketing and Fundraising Manager at Focus Birmingham, said: “The TLC Lottery initiative has allowed Focus Birmingham to provide specialist support and services to people living with sight loss and disability in Birmingham for the past 20 years. We are truly grateful to the contributions made by the players over the years. Thank You.”

Acorns Children’s Hospice provides specialist palliative care for life limited and life threatened children and support for their families.

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice is an independent charity which provides vital care to individuals and families living with terminal illness across Birmingham and Sandwell. Based in the heart of Selly Park, its services can be provided at the Hospice, in people’s homes and in the local community, making end of life care more accessible to all.

Based in Harborne, Focus Birmingham provides support and training to blind, visually impaired and disabled people of all ages and backgrounds, enabling and empowering people to reach their full potential.

The TLC Lottery is holding a series of celebrations on Friday 20 October to give the owner charities an opportunity to say thank you. The celebrations will also include a one-off £5,000 ‘super draw.’

85 per cent of people surveyed in the West Midlands would be reluctant to perform CPR on cardiac arrest victims, according to latest statistics from the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

The BHF warns that a lack of public knowledge of CPR could be costing lives as new research from the University of Warwick also finds that those who have been trained in CPR are three times more likely to perform it.

The main reasons for reluctance to step in were fear of causing more harm than good (44 per cent) and lacking the skills and knowledge to perform CPR (34 per cent). But experts warn that the benefits of performing CPR far outweigh the risks, as survival rates are almost zero if people collapse and get no support until paramedics arrive.

There are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK, and devastatingly less than 1 in 10 survive. But according to the BHF, if survival rates matched those reported in Norway, where CPR is taught more widely, as many as 5,000 lives could be saved.

Every minute without CPR or defibrillation can reduce a person’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest by around ten per cent.

A survey of people in the West Midlands found:

• Only 43 per cent would feel confident giving CPR to a stranger
• By contrast, 62 per cent would offer a stranger a seat on the bus, and 79 per cent would give directions to a stranger
• Just 15 per cent were able to identify the two signs of a cardiac arrest, which are  when someone is not breathing or not breathing normally, and that they have collapsed and are unresponsive

The BHF, Resuscitation Council (UK), St John Ambulance, British Red Cross, West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) and all the UK NHS ambulance services along with Fire & Rescue services are working together to train more than 150,000 young people across the UK in the largest ever CPR training event of its kind.

Simon Gillespie, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, said:

“CPR may be the difference between life and death for hundreds of people every year in the West Midlands who suffer a cardiac arrest. Every second counts, and it simply isn’t enough to hope that someone who knows CPR is present.

“We need everyone in the West Midlands to learn this life-saving skill to give them the confidence to step in and give CPR when someone collapses after a cardiac arrest.

“That’s why we are urging secondary schools across the UK to apply for our free training kits and help create a Nation of Lifesavers.”

To help the BHF create a Nation of Lifesavers, or find out how you can teach CPR in your school, workplace or community group visit bhf.org.uk/cpr

Wolverhampton City Archives will be holding its annual Local History Fair later this month.

Among those taking part will be representatives from the Western Front Association, the Birmingham Canal Navigations Society, Wombourne History Group, Black Country Visual Arts, the Black Country Living Museum and Wednesfield History Society, who will be on hand to talk about their work and research.

There will be screenings of archive film material showing Wolverhampton over the years throughout the day, while a series of activities for younger visitors include the chance to dress up in Victorian costumes, model making and colouring.

There will be a sale of second hand books, and the Friends of Wolverhampton Archives will be holding a raffle and selling cakes and drinks in their pop up tea room to raise funds for Wolverhampton City Archives.

Councillor John Reynolds, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: "The annual Local History Fair is a great chance to discover more about our City's fascinating history and meet with like-minded people and specialist organisations."

The Local History Fair takes place at Wolverhampton City Archives, Molineux Hotel Building, Whitmore Hill, on Saturday 28 October, from 10am-4pm. Entry is £2 for adults, £1 for children.

Wolverhampton City Archives houses a wealth of materials relating to the history of all areas now within the City of Wolverhampton including Bilston, Bushbury, Penn, Tettenhall and Wednesfield.

Constantly growing, the Archives’ vast collections include maps, books, census returns, newspapers, records from local schools, churches, clubs, societies and businesses, electoral registers, and indexes to births, deaths and marriages. There are also over 30,000 photographs, plus films, sound recordings, memorabilia and much more.

The results are in for the Safer 6 campaign’s first week, which had a special focus on Rowley Regis.

The week was packed with events from road safety operations and school parking patrols to shop raids, community clean-ups and crime prevention sessions.

The Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Ahmadul Haque MBE officially launched this year’s Safer 6 campaign at Haden Cross Community Fire Station’s open day. Families flocked to the event, inspecting a fire engine, watching a chip pan fire demonstration, checking out an ambulance, police van and the Youth Bus and getting advice from a wide range of organisations.

A big success was trading standards officers and police seizing more than 150,000 illegal tobacco products along with four suspected bottles of counterfeit vodka with a retail value of more than £15,000. The raids were at four shops in Rowley Regis and West Bromwich. You can read more about this operation here.

The many activities in Rowley Regis during the week (which ran from 23 September to 1 October) included the following:

• Police and council highways officers targeted irresponsible parking around primary schools across the town and promoted road safety to parents and children at schools and Springfield Children’s Centre. The week saw the launch at Burnt Tree Primary of a new digital road safety website, which is free for all Sandwell schools to use.
• Police ran a traffic enforcement operation, checking 330 vehicles and dealing with 22 offences. These included drivers using mobile phones, seatbelts not being worn, no MOT, illegal window tints and illegal number plates. Police also seized an off-road bike being driven irresponsibly in Blackheath and seized and towed two untaxed cars.
• Volunteers from Sandwell Crime Prevention Panel attended the fire station open day and held sessions at Blackheath’s Wilko and Sainsbury’s stores. Together with partners, they handed out 478 ‘no caller at the door’ cards, 224 purse/mobile phone security cords, 257 purse bells and more than 70 security whistles/torches.
• Fire crews carried out 95 ‘safe and well’ visits, offering advice on everything from vehicle safety and smoke alarms to stopping smoking. They also gave firework and road safety talks to schoolchildren and held a roadside education day with the police and council at Waterfall Lane, advising people on child car seats and the dangers of seatbelts and using mobile phones while driving.
• A major tidy up was held at Mousesweet Brook Nature Reserve by council neighbourhood services officers, councillors, PCSOs and volunteers as well as offenders doing unpaid Community Payback work. They cut back overgrown trees and bushes to clear paths at the reserve and reveal hidden ornamental sculptures.
• Trading standards carried out alcohol test purchases at six shops in the area, with half selling to the underage volunteer. The shops have been warned and face action against their licence and/or prosecution if they fail again.

• The Big Local project, Litterwatch and council neighbourhood officers held a clean-up with volunteers on the Grace Mary and Lion Farm estates, filling six skips.
• Community Payback cleared overgrown bushes in Perry Park Road and tidied up an area by garages at Falcon Place, while the council’s estate maintenance team cleaned up the grounds of Oakham and Cradley Heath libraries.
• A surgery was held at St Giles Court with the police, fire service, council and Black Country Women’s Aid giving advice. Police also held a surgery at St Michael’s CE High School and PCSOs chatted to children at junior schools.

Councillor Susan Eaves, Rowley Regis town lead member, said: "I would like to thank all the organisations, officers and volunteers for an excellent week of activities to help keep our community safe and clean, building on their day-to-day work together. What a fantastic start to this year's Safer 6 campaign."

The Safer 6 campaign runs for six weeks across Sandwell’s six towns, with partner organisations targeting their efforts and providing extra reassurance as the nights draw in. Each of the six towns has a focus week during the campaign.

Debenhams’ new Mander Centre store today (Thursday) opened its doors – providing a further boost to employment in the City of Wolverhampton.

Almost 90 per cent of the flagship store’s workforce are residents in the city – taking up around 130 of the 150 jobs created.

The impressive figures stem from the partnership work led by City of Wolverhampton’s employer engagement team showcasing the vacancies and providing bespoke recruitment support through the Wolves@Work city team.

Alison Young, Debenhams store manager, said: “The council could not have been more helpful.

“We had an incredibly warm welcome when we came to the city and the council has helped answered the smallest query about where is best to park, all the way through to help with filling vacancies.

“They have done a lot of work with Jobcentre Plus and we have taken on some guys through them.

“To finally open the doors and see everyone enjoying the store is the best thing.

“It’s lovely to come to a city where everyone is so knitted together around regeneration – and we are really enjoying being in the city.”

The opening of Debenhams is part of the £35 million refurbishment of the Mander Centre which also saw the arrival of an H&M outlet in November, with further new stores to come.

Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for City Economy, added: “The Debenhams figures show just how this type of investment not only regenerates the city – but also impacts on people’s lives by delivering jobs.

“The new Debenhams store is a wonderful addition to the city and is a major boost the retail offer in the city, which should bring in more visitors to further boost the local economy.”

A senior Birmingham academic has a busy month ahead, as he has been invited by two major art institutions to interview two of the world’s most renowned artists – China’s Ai Weiwei and John Akomfrah MBE.

Professor Anthony Downey from Birmingham City University will first be in conversation with the award winning film-maker John Akomfrah on Thursday 12 October at the Barbican Centre, London.

The conversation coincides with the screening of Akomfrah’s most ambitious film to date, ‘Purple’ (2017) which premiered last week at the Barbican. ‘Purple’ is an immersive six-channel video installation that examines global environmental change and degradation through archival footage and newly shot film.

From the hinterlands of Alaska to desolate, icy Arctic Greenland and the volcanic Maquesas Islands in the South Pacific, Akomfrah’s new film prompts the viewer to meditate on the complex relationship between humans and the planet.

Professor Anthony Downey, Birmingham City University, said:

“Over the last three decades, the work of John Akomfrah has consistently rearticulated how the medium of film can effectively explore the immaterial nature of memory, place and identity.”

Meanwhile, on Wednesday 25 October, Professor Downey will interview Chinese visual artist and political activist Ai Weiwei in Antwerp. The interview will coincide with Ai Weiwei’s first solo show in Belgium, which will take place at the Fotomuseum provincie Antwerp (FOMU). The exhibition will showcase the Chinese artist’s seminal political statements such as ‘Study of Perspective’ (1995-2011) and his daily stream of selfies and snapshots on social media.

A leading exponent of contemporary art, Ai Weiwei’s work has increasingly become identified with a political turn in visual culture and his work continues to realign the boundaries of what art as a practice can achieve.

Commenting on the artist’s practice, Downey observes how “the critical and institutional momentum surrounding Ai Weiwei’s work, including its circulation and distribution across print and digital media, offers a crucial entry point into how we reconsider the politics of contemporary visual culture today.”

Anthony Downey was appointed to the post of Professor of Visual Culture in North Africa and the Middle East in 2016. The first position of its kind in the UK, Professor Downey is currently establishing a research centre and a postgraduate programme in partnership with organisations across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

As an academic, editor and writer of 20 years, Professor Downey is the founding editor and editor-in-chief of ‘Ibraaz’, a leading online research platform for critical analysis of visual culture in the Middle East, and an editor at ‘Third Text’, the leading international journal dedicated to the critical analysis of contemporary art in the global field.

Downey’s recent publications include ‘Don’t Shrink Me to the Size of a Bullet: The Works of Hiwa K’ (Walther König Books, 2017), ‘Future Imperfect: Contemporary Art Practices and Cultural Institutions in the Middle East’ (Sternberg Press, 2016) and ‘Art and Politics Now’ (Thames and Hudson, 2014).

The interviews with John Akomfrah and Ai Weiwei will form part of his next book, ‘Zones of Indistinction: Contemporary Art and the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism’ (Sternberg Press, forthcoming, 2018).

Professor Downey is based in Birmingham School of Art, part of Birmingham City University. Purpose-built for the study of art in 1885, the historic School is located in the city centre’s museum and gallery quarter.

Severn Trent has pledged to replace its 2,200 vans, cars and tankers with alternative fuel vehicles as soon as possible as the water and waste water company continues to embrace green energy.

The company is launching the drive to alternative fuels on its light commercial vehicle fleet and its first fully electric vans will hit the roads in November this year.

Severn Trent then plans to convert its entire fleet in the coming years as the right technology comes on stream. Liv Garfield, Chief Executive of Severn Trent, said: “We’re really clear that this is where the future lies for us. Our colleagues clock up a lot of miles every year helping customers and using alternative fuel vehicles will greatly reduce our environmental impact, as well as saving customers money.

“As far as we’re concerned, this is the right thing to do as a company and for the environment, as we move to make our business as sustainable and as efficient as possible in the years ahead.”

Alongside the pledge to use alternative fuel vehicles, Severn Trent is also sector leader in renewable power and is on track to self-generate the equivalent of half of the energy it uses by 2020. The company uses a combination of anaerobic digestion, solar power, small-scale hydro and wind turbines across its estate. “Generating green power is a key priority for us, and we’re looking forward to not only producing power for our treatment works but also for some of our vehicle fleet,” said Liv.

Severn Trent has just completed its second food waste anaerobic digestion facility in Worcester and is currently building another, similar facility in Derby. Both sites take contaminated food waste and turn it into renewable gas which will contribute towards its 2020 target.

The company will be taking delivery of its first batch of four Nissan e-NV200 electric vans in November. The vehicles have a range of 106 miles and charge in just 30 minutes.