Young families are embracing a programme to develop the teaching skills of new parents.

The Making It REAL (Raising Early Achievement in Literacy) programme enables education professionals to help parents develop their knowledge and confidence so that they can support their children to read and write at home.

Among those taking part in the nationally-recognised literacy programme are teachers, parents and children aged between two and five at Trinity C of E Primary School in Heath Town.

Around 15 families are being supported by staff who hold events and take part in home visits to help raise children's literacy levels.

Councillor Claire Darke, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "All parents can support their child's progress by becoming educators and taking part in enjoyable activities which encourage their child’s development and thinking

"These can be anything from reading and sharing books to going to the library, playing games with letters and numbers and singing songs and rhymes.

"The Making It REAL programme is about ensuring parents have the techniques they need to be able to support their children to develop their reading and writing skills."

Alex Jones, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Assistant Director for Education, said: "Teachers and parents have said how positive the programme is, particularly the way it has helped developed relationships between the school and the families who are now coming into school and asking how they can better support their child's learning.

"They have particularly benefited from the events and activities which we have arranged with the school, such as a recent visit to one of our libraries where parents were able to share rhymes, stories and books with their children. Teachers have noted that the children involved in the project are now much keener to write and have a greater love of books and reading."

The programme has been so successful that it will be run again in the next academic year and involve families from the Early Explorers and nursery, as well as Reception and Year 1.

During a ceremony held yesterday to mark the first Blue Economy Day at the Seychelles Institute of Teachers Education (SITE), the Chief Executive Officer of the James Michel Foundation, Mr. Jacquelin Dugasse, and the Minister of Environment, Energy & Climate Change, Mr. Didier Dogley, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Cooperation.

The aim of the Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation is to ensure harmonization and a holistic approach to the work undertaken by the Government of Seychelles and the James Michel Foundation on the Blue Economy.

Under the MOU, the James Michel Foundation and the Government of Seychelles will pool resources and actions in the following areas:

• Policy compatibility and representation • Joint activities • Exchange of information and experience

“The signing of the MOU establishes the platform for cooperation between the Government of Seychelles and the James Michel Foundation for the promotion of the Blue Economy concept, raise awareness of climate change impacts on Seychelles, advance the cause of small island developing states nationally and internationally,” said Mr. Dugasse.

The ceremony was also organized to celebrate the Youth Ocean Champions. The James Michel Foundation sponsored prizes, which were presented to the children by Mr. Jacquelin Dugasse. The prizes were given for the winners of the national school competition “Blue Economy Career Profile” as well as prizes for Anse Royale primary school and Pointe Larue secondary school for promoting the Blue Economy Concept at community level.

Also present at the ceremony were the Vice President, Mr. Vincent Meriton; Minister for Education and Human Resource Development, Mr. Joel Morgan; and Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture, Mrs. Mitcy Larue.

Community Garden Martineau Gardens in Edgbaston, Birmingham has been recognised by the Green Flag Award Scheme as a quality community green space, among a record-breaking 1,797 UK parks and green spaces that received the prestigious Green Flag.

This international award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.

Martineau Gardens is a thriving independently run charity: volunteers (many of whom have mental health issues and learning disabilities) care for the wildlife friendly Gardens, hundreds of school children come to learn about the environment and Birmingham people (now in their thousands) visit the Gardens annually to enjoy its peace and tranquillity.

Caroline Hutton said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a Green Flag Award for the eighth year running from Keep Britain Tidy. Martineau Gardens is a community-run garden that’s open for free to the public. This award is a tribute to the dedication of our volunteers who work hard to keep the gardens a beautiful and tranquil spot for Birmingham people to come and relax in.”

International Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme. Each flag is a celebration of the thousands of staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award. The success of the scheme, especially in these challenging times, demonstrates just how much parks matter to people.”

Thirteen Leaders directors braved the heat on Thursday 6th July to walk 10 miles in fancy dress - from their head office in Worthing to Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice near Arundel - to raise money and awareness for the firm’s charity partner, Together for Short Lives.

Superman, Thor, Wonder Woman, a giant strawberry and a man on an ostrich were among the characters who walked for more than four hours in sweltering heat.

The group raised more than £4,000 which will go towards Leaders’ fundraising target of £50,000 to support seriously ill children and their families when they need it most.

Allison Thompson, managing director at Leaders, says: “Since we partnered with Together for Short Lives in 2015 we’ve been blown away by the enthusiasm and generosity of our staff, customers and business associates for this fantastic cause. The directors and I wanted to do our own challenge to show our support and contribute to our ambitious fundraising target for the year.

“We are so grateful for all the sponsorship and encouragement we received, and for the warm welcome that greeted us when we arrived at Chestnut Tree House. We were given a tour of the hospice, which is a truly inspirational place and makes such an enormous difference to the children and families they care for.

“This is a cause very close to our hearts and we are delighted that through our partnership with Together for Short Lives we are supporting all our local children’s hospices which do such a fantastic job across the UK.”

Nick Appleby, head of corporate fundraising at Together for Short Lives, says: “We are thrilled with the amount raised by the Leaders directors through their fantastic challenge. The wonderful commitment that Leaders staff show to the charity continues to amaze us!

“The funds raised for Together for Short Lives will help to ensure that children's hospice services can continue to deliver essential 24/7 support for thousands of seriously ill children and their families who rely on their vital care.”

Together for Short Lives supports all 54 children’s hospices across the UK. Leaders named the organisation as its charity partner in 2015 and has raised £95,000 for it since then.

Birmingham Airport has partnered with a social enterprise company called ‘The Wonder Why Society’ to help promote inspired learning and improve educational opportunities for pupils in local primary schools.

Based in Birmingham and part of the Solihull Chamber, the company aims to tackle two social problems - disengaged learning and the skills gap.

The interactive learning platform informs and engages users on issues such as the environment and community and has a Birmingham Airport zone included.

Jo Lloyd, Birmingham Airport’s Commercial Director said: “We have always believed that supporting the education of young people is one of the most effective ways in which we can invest in our region's future.

“The Wonder Why Society is an innovative way for us to take our education programme forward in an exciting and dynamic direction. We're sure the local pupils, who will be given access to the site from airport funding, are going to love exploring a whole new world of learning.”

Samantha Fisher, Chief Executive Officer of Wonder Books Ltd, said: “Birmingham Airport is our first business partner which is fantastic news. It not only gives the project a huge step up in terms of recognition and support but also brings local industry into education.

“We are really looking forward to bringing together children, schools, parents and industry experts in the local area and working as a team to engage with children and motivate them to learn independently and develop their skills.”

This project is very much in line with Birmingham Airport’s Corporate Responsibility Strategy of developing local communities and promoting health and wellbeing in the area.

The East-Midlands’ drinkers are curating a collection of increasingly premium drinks at home, with the average household ‘drinks cabinet’ now worth in excess of £200, according to a new nationwide study by premium tonic and mixer specialist Franklin & Sons, and the East-Midlands’ monthly drinks bill tops £100 per household.

Yet it appears we could be spoiling enjoyment of our top tipples with poor choices and habits when it comes to mixing our favourite drinks, with using warm, flat mixers and no ice among the top home drinking sins.

The study of 2,000 householders – commissioned to mark the height of the summer G&T season – found that the average British home now has a selection of spirits worth £63.20, with gin, whisky, vodka and rum at the top of the nation’s list of favourite spirits.

And we are also clearly becoming more discerning, with more than half our spend on spirits now going on premium or craft options costing more than £15 a bottle, while the rest of the nation’s average drinks cabinet is made up from a collection of beers, lagers and ales worth £15.13, cider (£10.66), red wine (£27.06), white wine (£22.88), Champagnes and sparkling wines (£28.68), port (£15.36), sherry (£12.04), and fortified wines (£11.84).

Irrespective of geography, though, Franklin & Sons’ study also found that the current out of home cocktail craze in the nation’s pubs, bars and restaurants has now most definitely found its way into our homes. Three out of 10 respondents said they had recently hosted or attended a cocktail party and seven out of 10 said they regularly mixed cocktails at home, with no fewer than 29 popular creations on the nation’s home drinks menu, including a Dark ‘N’ Stormy (dark rum and ginger beer served over ice and garnished with a slice of lime), a Woo Woo (vodka, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice), and even a Gimlet (gin and lime juice).

World’s Best Spirits drinks consultants Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley – regular contributors to Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch – comment: “It’s clear from Franklin & Sons’ findings that, as a nation, we are becoming increasingly discerning, knowledgeable and adventurous about what we are drinking.