World-renowned cellist Jian Wang has taken up a new role at Birmingham Conservatoire as International Chair in Cello.

Born in Xi’an, China, and today splitting his time between Shanghai and London, Jian Wang has an international career that has seen him perform with many of the world's leading orchestras.

On taking up his new position as International Chair of Cello at Birmingham Conservatoire, Jian Wang said:

“Birmingham Conservatoire is one of the leading institutions in the world for learning music and it attracts many talented students and wonderful teachers.

“The UK is one of the most vibrant centres for music and I am very excited and looking forward to working with the cello students at Birmingham Conservatoire, and to collaborating with and learning from my colleagues.”

The appointment will see Jian visit Birmingham Conservatoire on a regular basis, where he will lead a class of both undergraduate and postgraduate students, as they seek to lead the next generation of great cellists.

Professor Julian Lloyd Webber, Principal, Birmingham Conservatoire, noted:

“I am delighted to welcome Jian Wang to Birmingham Conservatoire as our International Chair in Cello. Jian Wang is one of the finest solo cellists in the world today and he will be a great inspiration to all our students.

“Jian’s appointment is another step on our journey as we head towards opening the first purpose-built conservatoire in a generation in September!”

Part of Birmingham City University, the new Birmingham Conservatoire will be a unique contemporary building, incorporating five public performance spaces including a new 500 seat concert hall for orchestral training and performance, private rehearsal and practice rooms, and teaching spaces for musicians from a variety of disciplines.

Furthermore, as the first purpose built conservatoire in the UK since 1987, it will be the only one of its kind in the country designed for the demands of the digital age.

Following the news of Jian Wang’s appointment, Dr Louise Lansdown, Head of Strings, Birmingham Conservatoire, commented:

”We are thrilled to welcome the iconic cellist Jian Wang to our staff and cannot wait for him to begin work with our cellists just in time for our new Conservatoire opening later this year!”

A Birmingham volunteer has been praised for supporting a children’s charity for 30 years. Sylvia Hetherington has been working at the Barnardo’s store in Chelmsley Wood since 1987.

The 73-year-old started volunteering to help her search for employment but continued to help even after she found a job. Now she is sharing her story as part of national Volunteers’ Week which runs from June 1-7.

She has also been presented with a series of gifts from colleagues, including an engraved wooden long-service award in the shape of a 'B' for Barnardo's. Barnardo’s manager Robyn Phillips said: “Sylvia is one of the charity’s longest-serving volunteers in the region.

“It’s amazing that someone would donate so much of their own time over so many years. Few people stay in paid employment for that long, which makes it all the more remarkable that she has done it without any financial reward. She’s fantastic. She’s brilliant with the customers and we love having her as a member of our team.”

Sylvia, a mother-of-two, had never worked until she started at the Chelmsley Wood store.

She said: “In the old days the women were often expected to stay at home and look after the children, so I suffered from a lack of work experience when I needed to start looking for a job.

“The job centre suggested that volunteering would help so I joined Barnardo’s and found that it really boosted my self-confidence. In fact I enjoyed it so much that I decided to carry on supporting them even after I found part-time employment.

“Everyone is really friendly and I like meeting people, and it’s nice to know that I’m helping such a good cause.”

Eighty per cent of drivers really do enjoy driving and at least half of all drivers will drive to their holiday destination this summer, according to an AA Populus poll of 21,850 members.

But the renewed love affair with the car is not about what is under the bonnet but more about what goes on inside the car.

The comedy, the singing, the quiet contemplation. The games, the rows, the entertainment, gossip and the quiet confessions in this private space. In a world constantly on display, with every thought and emotion analysed on a smart phone, and social media intruding even into one third of children’s meal times, the car has become the last great social space.

Due to social interactions in the car, almost one half (49%) admit they have a strong emotional attachment to their car. The car is not about mundane journeys as three quarters (76%) like exploring new places by car. It is as much about the journey as the destination.

The AA/Populus research also found:

• Half (47%) of families taking their car into mainland Europe this summer consider the ferry to be ‘a part of the holiday’ rather than just a means of reaching their destination
• 58% drive when on holiday
• 50% drive to the holiday
• 45% take a holiday in the UK that involves driving there.

New research from the AA shows that over a third of us feel being in a car allows for quality bonding time, with nearly 41% saying some of their fondest memories are of family road trips. Important conversations are somehow made easier on car journeys, with more than 1 in 5 admitting to making up after arguments in cars.

Many life changing moments have happened in a car. Indeed, 1 in 20 Brits have proposed or been proposed to in a car, 14% have shared their first kiss in a car, and 2% of the nation have even given birth.

Cheryl Calverley, head of group marketing at the AA, said: “As drivers enjoy their time in the car we want their journeys to flow smoothly so that they never miss a beat.

“Our job, if we are needed, is to keep our Members on the road with first in class repair rates, our breakdown app and even our new Car Genie device that can predict and prevent up to one third of breakdowns.” ***

To illustrate how the AA helps members ‘never miss a beat’ a new ad by the multi-award winning agency of the year, adam&eveDDB, features a strong soundtrack by Tina Turner and a quite incredibly clever singing baby, and maybe, just maybe a small amount of post-production magic from the Mill (of John Lewis fame).

Calverley added: “We are sure our new ad will inspire the nation to look at their journeys a bit differently. They can stop worrying about traffic jams, petrol prices and potholes, and start to really enjoy those precious, precious moments.”

National estate agents Leaders raised £15,000 for its charity partner Together for Short Lives during the recent Children’s Hospice Week.

Staff from all of 124 Leaders branches across the UK took part in a variety of fundraising activities, including cake sales, coffee mornings, raffles, car washes, cycling challenges, marathons, sponsored walks, games, competitions and a sponsored silence.

Leaders also invited its landlords to donate a day’s rent in support of Together for Short Lives and hundreds did so, raising thousands more for the charity.

The £15,000 raised in just seven days from 22nd-29th May will contribute to the company’s fundraising total for the year, when it is aiming to raise £50,000 just as it did in 2016.

Allison Thompson, managing director at Leaders, says: “Hundreds of our staff combined imagination and hard work to hold a plethora of fundraising events during Children’s Hospice Week, raising more than £15,000 in the process.

“Having worked with Together for Short Lives since 2015, we know exactly how important this money is and the difference it will make. The charity supports children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions and we are delighted to be able to help.

“All of the money raised by our branches will go to their local children’s hospice service, so people know they have had a positive impact helping seriously ill young people and their families in their home county

“We would also like to thank everybody who attended our fundraising events and contributed to our appeals.

Together for Short Lives is an umbrella charity for all 54 children’s hospices in the UK. Each Leaders branch is paired with its local hospice and raises money on its behalf.

Nick Appleby, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Together for Short Lives, said: “The incredible support shown by Leaders, their staff and customers during Children’s Hospice Week has been truly inspirational!

“We were really delighted to hear about all the fundraising activities that took place and we want to say a massive thank you to everyone involved. The money raised will make a huge difference to the local children’s hospices and the lifeline services they provide for seriously ill children and their families.”

A Birmingham care provider has revealed its plans for an £8 million dementia-friendly nursing home for the elderly in Erdington, which will provide up to 80 new jobs in the area.

MACC Care has submitted a planning application to Birmingham City Council to develop an 80-bed care home on the site of the Hare and Hounds public house in Marsh Hill.

The provider, which already runs five high-quality care facilities for the elderly across the city, said the much-needed home would be the only purpose-built residential home for the elderly and vulnerable within a two-mile radius.

Dr Naz Nathani, director of MACC Care and MACC Living, said as well as residential care, it will offer rehabilitation care, which will help to relieve pressure on hospitals by reducing bed-blocking. This, in turn, will enable recuperating elderly patients to get better quicker so they can return home.

“We are a small, local company that specialises in providing superior, evidence-based care and dementia-friendly accommodation that caters for the elderly and vulnerable and our research has identified the need for a purpose-built facility in Erdington,” he said.

“We want to work closely with the council, councillors and the local community to assure them about our proposals and to listen to them about their needs. We pride ourselves on our values, which are consistent with maximising the quality of care for elderly, vulnerable people from all sections of society – not just the privileged.”

As part of its plans for the new Erdington care home, MACC Care will incorporate a hub that will include a gym specifically designed for the elderly; a library/quiet area with a cafe; a hair salon; cinema; and chapel-prayer area – all of which will be open to local residents over the age of 65.

“We are acutely aware that local residents want to have replacement facilities open to them, following the closure of the public house, and we have proposed a number of options that we would be happy to discuss with community leaders,” said Dr Nathani.

“These will enrich the lives of the local elderly people and enable them to socialise, meet or make friends in safe, modern surroundings, and somewhere that will have a significant positive impact on their wellbeing.

“Our investment in Erdington is not just in providing exceptional care for local elderly people, it will also bring about jobs and training positions. We are committed to making this a community facility and look forward to engaging with local people and councillors about our plans.”

As well as the immediate employment opportunities that the new MACC Care home will provide, the organisation will also be in a position to offer health care worker training and nursing training by linking up with nursing schools to provide nurse assistant placements and training. A training/seminar room within the facility will also provide regular professional development seminar and assessments for the staff and trainees.

MACC Living, the organisation’s development arm, would also deliver excellent apprenticeships for up to six local people during the construction period.

MACC Care, which acquired the former public house site in April – eight months after the premises was put on the open market – runs two other care facilities in Erdington: Abbey Rose in Orchard Road, and Priestley Rose in Bromford Lane – both of which were rated good by the CQC when inspections were carried out earlier this year.

It aims to create a facility similar to its Austin Rose care home, in West Heath, which will open in August.