A Birmingham volunteer has received a prestigious, national accolade to honour 20-years of dedicated voluntary service.

Michael Price, a catering volunteer at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, took home the acclaimed ‘Badge of the Order of Mercy’– a century-old award given by The League of Mercy Foundation.

The former building society manager from Bromsgrove was presented with the distinguished medal after spending two decades in charge of the kitchen trolley, providing individuals on the Hospice’s inpatient unit with meals, drinks and a listening ear.

He was nominated for the award by colleagues at the Hospice – which provides vital care and support to families living with terminal illness – who wanted his exceptional commitment and hard work formally recognised.

The 84-year-old was presented the medal by Lord Lingfield, president of the League of Mercy Foundation, at a ceremony at Mansion House in London earlier this week. It was awarded to just 25 outstanding volunteers across the UK, who have spent at least seven years supporting others in an area of care.

Speaking of his award win, Michael Price said: “All the volunteers at Birmingham St Mary’s do fantastic work so I don’t feel very deserving of this award. However, I am incredibly grateful to have won and have had an excellent day celebrating at Mansion House.

“Volunteering has given me a great sense of purpose – it feels like you’re doing something useful. The Hospice has given so much to the community and so it’s brilliant to be able to support them and give back.”

Tina Swani, CEO of Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, added: “Michael is a perfect gentleman who demonstrates the utmost care and respect for everyone. He is incredibly popular – both with staff and individuals on our inpatient unit – and is an absolute asset to our catering team. His dedication and high-standard of work helps us to continue to deliver the best experience of living to local families using our services.

“The Badge of the Order of Mercy is an outstanding achievement and we’re thrilled that Michael was one of the few to be honoured on the day.”

Lord Lingfield, President of the League of Mercy, said: “Michael has done extraordinary work for those most in need. He is a marvellous example of someone whose longstanding and voluntary dedication to the service and welfare of others is noteworthy and remarkable and we were delighted to be able to make this well deserved award to him.”

The Library of Birmingham has been included in a set of new Special Stamps issued by Royal Mail that celebrate 10 iconic buildings in the UK.

Designed by Francine Houben, of the Dutch architectural practice Mecanoo, the Library of Birmingham has been designed to be a “people’s palace” – a grand structure that celebrates the importance of learning but which also “promotes the informal” and “seduces people into coming in”.

Houben believes that libraries are “the cathedrals of nowadays” and “the most important public buildings”.

The exterior of the ten-storey building is wrapped in broad bands of gold and silver cladding, overlaid with a filigree pattern of interlocking circles in thin sections of aluminium.

Inside, a large cylindrical void rises through the centre, criss-crossed by blue-lit escalators and giving access to many different uses, including adult and children’s libraries, a musical collection, a studio theatre, an exhibition gallery and the Shakespeare Memorial Room, whose ornate timber interior was originally created in 1882 and reinstalled at the top of the new building.

Cllr Ian Ward, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “The fact that the Library of Birmingham is included in this series of stamps seals the city’s national and international reputation –  Birmingham is now officially first class!

“The Library of Birmingham has become an iconic part of the city’s skyline and it attracts visitors from around the city, the UK and the world who come to see our Shakespeare collection, beautiful terraces and admire its architecture. I’m thrilled Royal Mail recognise it as a landmark building.”

Francine Houben, Founding Architect of Mecanoo, said: "Our dream was to create a People's Palace: inviting, welcoming, and inspiring for all ages and backgrounds. Where visitors embark on a journey of discovery, moving from one floor to the next through a sequence of rotundas. The repeating circles of the facade create a continuously changing world of light, shadows and reflections inside the building. To have a building on a UK stamp is a great honour for a Dutch architect."

Philip Parker, Stamp Strategy Manager, Royal Mail, said: “These new stamps celebrate visionary buildings which combine stunning architecture with great engineering.”

The images on the stamps capture the distinctive lines and shapes of the structures that have become famous landmarks.

Also featured in the set are: the London Aquatics Centre; the SEC Armadillo, Glasgow; the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh; Giants’ Causeway Visitor Centre, Northern Ireland; the National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff; the Eden Project, St Austell; the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool; the IWM North, Manchester and the Blavatnik Building – formerly Switch House, Tate Modern, London.

The past two decades has seen a surge in the construction of new public buildings in the UK.

A great many of these adventurous and innovative structures, serving culture, sport, government and business, have since become popular and integral parts of their local landscapes, often playing a part in regeneration.

Some were initiated by central government, some by civic leaders of major cities, and others were the ideas of passionate individuals.

There has also been a renewal of confidence in British architecture led by world-famous architects including Zaha Hadid, Lord Richard Rogers and Lord Norman Foster, along with a host of other talents.

Lidl’s new distribution centre in Wednesbury has donated more than two tonnes of compost to Sandwell Council which will be used at local parks and allotments.

Lidl intends to provide compost to Sandwell Council throughout the year to help keep parks and allotments looking attractive and kept well maintained.

Richard Cooper, recycling manager for Lidl's new distribution centre in Wednesbury, said: “Part of my role is to manage the recycling of all store returns.

“This partnership with Sandwell Council will reduce waste at our facility and assist the parks department to improve their green spaces.”

Councillor Richard Marshall, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for leisure, said: “It’s brilliant that Lidl has donated this compost. This will help to keep our parks and green spaces looking great all year round.”

The countdown is on as nominations open for the fifth annual Haringey Outstanding for All awards.

The awards celebrate the fantastic achievements of the teachers, students, staff and governors whose phenomenal efforts have helped make education in Haringey top class.

Accolades are up for grabs in a range of categories that highlight exceptional achievements in teaching and learning, and this year’s ceremony will see the introduction of an Apprentice of the Year Award.

Cllr Elin Weston, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said:

“With Haringey’s schools continuing to go from strength-to-strength – with all secondary and special schools, and almost 98 percent of primary schools, rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted – this year’s awards will be a great opportunity to celebrate and say thank you to the exceptional people that make education in Haringey amongst the best in the country.

“Every day, school staff across the borough make a huge contribution to children’s learning development, while pupils and students are going above and beyond with exceptional achievements. The Outstanding for All Awards are our opportunity to shine the spotlight on those success stories. If you know of any individuals or schools that deserve recognition, make sure you nominate them for the Outstanding for All awards.”

The twelve categories are:

Support Staff of the Year Award Achievement in Arts Award Achievement in Sport Award Early Years Champion Award Governor of the Year Award Teacher of the Year Award STEM Achievement Award – Primary STEM Achievement Award – Secondary Overcoming Adversity Award Community Hero Award Apprentice of the Year Award The Councillor Egan Achievement Award

Sand le Mere Holiday Village in Withernsea on the Yorkshire coast has become the first holiday park in the UK to launch a sensory playroom for children with autism, ADHD and Asperger's syndrome. Sand le Mere Holiday Village in Withernsea on the Yorkshire coast has become the first holiday park in the UK to launch a sensory playroom for children with autism, ADHD and Asperger's syndrome.

Sonny's Sensory Room is furnished with bright and tactile equipment to provide a stimulating setting in an environment that is safe for youngsters.

The space is equipped with brightly lit bubble tubes, sensory wall art, a star cloth and changing lights, multi-coloured flooring, bean bags, rollers and gym balls.

A second room provides a quiet setting where parents can relax or calm youngsters who become distressed.

The space has been named after Sonny Cooke, whose dad Allan is Complex Manager at Sand le Mere and had the original idea for the project.

Says Allan, "As a parent of a child with autism I see the wonderful benefits a sensory room provides. Going on holiday can be a scary experience for people with autism, ADHD or Asperger's syndrome and the transition from home to a new environment causes lots of anxiety, so having a safe and calming place helps to ease their worries.

“I feel like I've been on an emotional roller coaster during the development but I am very proud of the effort and enthusiasm so many people have put into creating the space.” Sonny's Sensory Room is free-to-use for guests staying at the Yorkshire Coast holiday park and is also available to local charities and groups.

Support for the project has come from suppliers who gave money, equipment and their installation skills, and from Sand le Mere team members who volunteered to renovate the room.

Amby Tatla, General Manager at Sand le Mere says the park is encouraging local groups to use make use of the sensory room: “We are proud to work closely with groups such as Hull Active Day Care, who support young adults with additional needs and visit the park to swim, eat lunch and play sport.

“Having our own dedicated sensory space means that we can provide support to even more people, and we would be delighted to hear from any groups who are interested in finding out more.”

Over the past few years Sand le Mere has invested more than £9 million in new facilities including an indoor swimming pool, entertainment lounge and restaurant for holidaymakers and holiday home owners.

Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah has announced a final chance for British fans to see him compete on the track at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham on Sunday 20 August.

Farah, one of Britain’s sporting legends, will receive a hero’s send-off from his legions of loyal fans as he races at the Alexander Stadium in the prestigious IAAF Diamond League event.

Farah said: “I’m really looking forward to what will be my final track race in Britain at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham on August 20, and I’m sure it will be a day I remember for the rest of my life.

“To get the opportunity to say goodbye to the track in front of a British crowd is something that means a lot to me and I hope I can take everything in. I’ve run many great races at the Alexander Stadium over the years, and have a history there, so it’s a fitting venue for my last track race.”

Farah was victorious at the Müller Anniversary Games on Sunday as he finalised his World Championships preparations with a win the 3000m with a time of 7:35.15.

The five-time world champion could well be sporting two more gold medals at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham, as it takes place exactly one week after the end of the IAAF World Championships in London which run from 4-13 August.

Farah added: “The meet is only a week after the World Championships so it will be a great chance for the fans who didn’t make it down to London to see me race.

“I’ve had fantastic support throughout my career from people all over the UK, and the atmosphere in Birmingham is always amazing, so I’ll be looking for a good final performance to thank the fans for all their support over the years.”

A host of Olympic and world medallists will also compete at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham, many of whom will have recently won medals at the IAAF World Championships in London.

Councillor Ian Ward, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, who support and help to organise the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham, said: “We are delighted that Sir Mo Farah has selected Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium as the venue for his last ever British track race. We are lucky to have witnessed some amazing performances from Mo in Birmingham and I’m sure this race will be no exception.

“Birmingham loves sport, and athletics in particular, so I am sure that people from across the city will flock to the stadium to give this legend of the sport the send-off that he truly deserves, as he calls time on his illustrious track career.

“The Birmingham Alexander Stadium is steeped in athletics history and is the home of British Athletics, so there couldn’t be a better venue for a race of such significance and for this Diamond League event. This venue will continue to be the perfect stage for world class athletes to perform on, for many years to come.”