Green fingered council tenants and leaseholders across the city are invited to battle it out in Birmingham City Council’s annual gardening competition. Birmingham in Bloom gives prizes for glorious gardens, best balconies and baskets, prettiest pots and voluminous veg.

The system for supporting young people leaving foster or residential care in England to live successful independent lives is not working effectively, according to the National Audit Office. This is despite the fact that there is a clear legal framework and an inspection regime in place. The numbers of care leavers in employment, education and training have deteriorated since 2007-08.

Britain is nation of prolific tea drinkers, but we’re lagging in the global tea drinking league tables, according to a new survey by working animal charity, SPANA. West Midland tea drinkers get through more tea than any other region in Britain with over half (52%) drinking four or more cups a day, while over one in ten (11%) make their way through eight or more cups each day – equating to more than 2,900 cups per person each year.

Funding to help children and young people in the West Midlands before their problems spiral out of control has been cut by 56%, leaving children and teenagers at greater risk of suffering longer term difficulties, new research reveals.

A draftsman from Staffordshire has signed up for the Morrisons Great Birmingham Run in October after running 13 events in the last two years. Ian Rowlands, 29, from Burntwood, Staffordshire, was thirteen when a car accident left him in a coma for six weeks and in a wheelchair for a year. Two years ago, he decided to get fit so started taking part in running events around the country; eleven half-marathons and two marathons later he’s showing no sign of stopping!

Celebrated on 11th July’15 every year, World Population Day seeks to raise awareness amongst the people about the ever increasing population. The world’s population is estimated to have gone up by 2 billion since 1987. DKT Pakistan celebrated World Population Day on Saturday by setting up specialized stalls in Karachi’s Neelum Colony to raise awareness amongst the people about family planning and contraception.