Community projects in West Midlands are invited to enter an awards programme which could see them share a funding boost of £75,000 to make a real difference in their local area. Now in their fifth year, the Yorkshire Bank Spirit of the Community Awards 2017 is open for applications. Yorkshire Bank will make donations to recognise and support community projects which are going the extra mile.

A recently retired Sandwell special school principal has been named in the Queen’s New Year Honours list. Gordon Phillips, who retired last summer after ten years as principal at The Meadows Sports College in Oldbury, was made an MBE (Member of the most excellent Order of the British Empire). Gordon, a father-of-two, started teaching in 1975 at Bishop Vaughan RC School in Plymouth, where he was a former pupil himself.

This spring, Peppa Pig is teaming up with the world’s leading children’s charity, Save the Children, to launch a fundraiser like no other. Between 8 and 14 May 2017, nurseries, early years groups, families and children up and down the country are being encouraged to take part in a Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Walk for Save the Children.  Organising a Muddy Puddle Walk is a great way for your little ones to explore the world around them and jump in muddy puddles, like Peppa Pig, for a worthy cause. 

The way vehicles will access City of Wolverhampton Railway Station will change as of today, as part of the city’s £132 million Interchange improvements. It coincides with the switch to a new entrance for the extended multi-storey car park, which will be operational for the first time on the same day. From Sunday, motor vehicles will no longer be able to access the station via Railway Drive. Instead, they can access the station, multi-storey car park, short stay parking, passenger drop-off/pick-up area and taxi rank via Corn Hill.

Following new research out this morning showing 22 per cent of UK dogs are overweight, Andrew Bucher, the Chief Veterinary Officer at MedicAnimal, the UK’s leading online pet healthcare retailer, said: “It should come as no surprise that more than one-fifth of UK pets are overweight. Pets, just like humans, need a balanced diet and the right amount of exercise."

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice is encouraging people from Birmingham and Sandwell to make volunteering top of their New Year’s resolution list. On Tuesday 17^th January between 12pm and 2pm, the Hospice will be hosting a drop-in session at Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (B5 6DR) for those interested in making a difference this year. At the drop-in session, members of the public will be able to find out more about the range of flexible volunteering opportunities the charity has available and how they can get involved.