Talented graduates who are thinking of changing career and becoming a children's social worker are being encouraged to sign up for a unique programme supported by the City of Wolverhampton Council.

The council has partnered with Frontline to offer placements to participants who wish to complete a Masters in social work. Successful candidates spend two years learning on the job and working within one of the country's most challenging and rewarding professions.

This year's Frontline cohort – Megan Rimmer, Natalia Rawlings, Satvir Panesar and Robert Whatton – joined the council last month, and are already working towards a qualification while undertaking direct work with service users.

Applications are now being taken for next year's programme, and would-be participants are being encouraged to find out more by visiting the Frontline website at www.thefrontline.org.uk. The deadline for applications is 20 November, 2017.

Councillor Val Gibson, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “We are delighted to be working with Frontline on this important programme, which is pioneering a new approach to bringing talented individuals into the social work profession.

"Megan, Natalia, Satvir and Robert are settling into their roles well, and enjoying the on-the-job training which will ensure they feel confident in what is a very challenging role. Their hard work will also help us further improve the already high standard of children's social work practice in Wolverhampton.

"I would encourage any talented graduates who have ever thought about a career in children's social work with the City of Wolverhampton Council to seriously consider the Frontline programme, and complete their application before the deadline of 20 November."

Candidates should be committed to working with children and families, be motivated and resilient, and also show leadership qualities. They must have grade C or above in Maths and English and either a First or 2:1 in any undergraduate degree, except for social work.

The assessment process includes an online application including competency based questions, followed by online tests of verbal reasoning and situational judgement and a video interview. Finally, candidates will attend an assessment centre where they will take part in a number of activities.

Quite possibly the most amazing week of the year, between the 9th and 15th of October, the UK is celebrating both National Chocolate Week and National Curry week! Manna from Devon Cooking School is here to help with mouth-watering recipes for each.

From their upcoming Wood Fired Fish & Seafood cookbook, due out Spring 2018, Manna from Devon owners Holly and David have taken inspiration from a recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's 'Curry Easy':

Spiced hake fillet with pepper and coconut sauce - for four

This dish will work with any fish so use whatever you happen to have; we love using hake for its sweet white flesh and big flakes and can get it readily from our fishmongers at Brixham Fish Market. This recipe works well in a hot oven – preferably a wood fired oven but standard domestic models will work just fine.

• 800g fish fillet – cod, haddock, salmon, hake all work well
• Salt and pepper
• 2 level tbsp rice flour
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 2tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• 2 large red, yellow or orange peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled
• 3cm root ginger, peeled
• 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 fresh red chilli, roughly chopped
• 1 x 400ml tin good quality coconut milk (regular not light)
• 4tbsp sunflower oil
• Limes to serve

1. Use a food processor to blitz together the peppers, garlic, ginger, onion, chilli and coconut milk until smooth. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Mix the rice flour with salt, pepper and the dry spices and use this to lightly dust the fish.
3. To cook the sauce, heat 2tbsp of the sunflower oil in a deep frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the pepper and coconut mixture, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens, stirring from time to time.
4. Meanwhile roast the fish in a preheated oven at 210C.  Heat the rest of the oil in an ovenproof frying pan and when hot add the fish skin side down.  Put the pan in the oven and roast the fish for 8-10 minutes but check regularly to feel when the flakes of flesh start to break under a little pressure. You won't have to turn it over as the oven will cook it from all sides.
5. Serve the fish with the pepper and coconut sauce and some lime wedges to squeeze over along with some plain cooked Basmati rice.

Sweet Flatbreads

• 250g strong white flour
• 75ml warm water
• 60ml milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 15g butter
• 15g caster sugar
• 5g fine seasalt
• 5g fast acting yeast
• 2 medium bananas
• 150g milk chocolate
• 50g cream
• 50g hazelnuts, roughly chopped or bashed in a pestle & mortar

1. Mix together the flour, water, milk, egg, butter, caster sugar, yeast and salt. Knead to get a smooth soft dough. Leave covered to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size and puffy.
2. Heat the oven to 210C.
3. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to get a rectangle about 25x30cm and put in on a non-stick baking sheet. Prick the dough all over with a fork.
4. Gently melt the chocolate and cream together in a saucepan over a low heat on the hob and mix together with a spatula. Spread the chocolate mixture over the top of one of the rectangles. Peel and slice the bananas and arrange them over the top of the chocolate spread.
5. Bake the flat bread in the oven for 8 minutes, turning from time to time to get an even bake. Sprinkle over the hazelnuts and return to the oven for another 4-5 minutes, keeping an eye on the nut so they don't scorch.
6. Take the flat bread out of the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before chopping into pieces and serving warm.

A student from Birmingham City University’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (UK) has once again mixed his love of both music and athletics to break another Guinness World Record; running the fastest marathon dressed as a musical instrument.

Donning a custom-made viola costume, Alistair Rutherford – a.k.a. The Running Viola – ran the Birmingham International Marathon on Sunday 15 October with a time of three hours, 20 minutes and 33 seconds – comfortably beating the previous record by almost an hour (53 minutes and 45 seconds). This achievement comes after Alistair broke the half marathon record earlier this year.

Created by Merseyside-based designer Brian D Hanlon, Alistair’s outfit is made from lightweight Plastazote foam and comes complete with a striking headpiece that mimics the shape of the viola’s neck and pegbox.

Meanwhile, fellow students at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire were serenading Alistair and the thousands taking part in the marathon – and half marathon – from the sidelines, performing two world premieres specially commissioned for the occasion. The brass dectet and a massed viola work were arranged by Dr. Joe Cutler, Head of Composition, and the Composition Department at the Conservatoire

Alistair Rutherford hopes to raise at least £4,000 for the collaborative UK-South African project, Cape Gate MIAGI Centre for Music & Birmingham Conservatoire – or ARCO, which is also the name for the technique of playing a stringed instrument with a bow.

ARCO has seen 24 strings students aged between eight and 17 in South Africa selected to participate in weekly instrumental Skype lessons, given by academics, current students and alumni of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University.

ARCO aims to provide the benefits and life changing inspiration of music to children in the most deprived of circumstances. As well as providing transformative music education activities, Conservatoire staff and students – including Alistair – have been acting as role models for vulnerable youngsters living in Soweto, a Johannesburg township deeply affected by poverty and crime.

In fact, funds raised from his world record attempt will enable his pupil, Njabulo Nxumalo, aged 17, to fly over to the UK next month, along with Kwanda Buthelezi, aged 13, and Mbali Phato, aged 12, and perform in the ARCO Concert on Saturday 18 November as part of the second Cecil Aronowitz Viola Competition at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Meanwhile, Alistair’s marathon journey was streamed live to the ARCO youngsters, so they could cheer him on from the other side of the world.

21-year-old Alistair, who was hails from Allerton in Liverpool (UK), said:

“I cannot thank everyone enough at the Royal Birmingham Conserivatoire and ARCO, along with my family and friends, for their unwavering support throughout this challenge. Running the Birmingham International Marathon wasn’t easy, particularly in my costume, but it was great to have them cheering me on along the route – whether in person or virtually – as well as the people of Birmingham, who came out in force to support all the runners.”

“I am planning on resting The Running Viola for the moment, unless someone breaks my records! I’m looking forward to my work coming to frutition though, when my ARCO student comes to Birmingham in November.”

Running the Birmingham International Marathon is just one of several fundraising events the postgraduate student has organised in aid of ARCO. Last year, the violist ran the equivalent distance of the length of South Africa’s coastline, clocking up 1,739 miles (2798 kilometres) by the time he flew out to Johannesburg for the first ARCO Festival, where Conservatoire students and staff met and performed with their students in person for the first time.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, he ran the Liverpool Half Marathon, the Wirral Half Marathon and the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham 10K, all in his viola costume.

Louise Lansdown, Head of Strings at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, initiated the ARCO project in 2015. She said:

“Alistair Rutherford’s energy, passion and unswerving commitment to the ARCO project, for which he is fundraising, is an example to us all. Everyone at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire could not be prouder of Alistair and his incredible achievements.”

Support for Alistair’s challenge has been bolstered with his own personalised ‘mini me’ mascot; a knitted doll created by Joyce Peacock from Kirkby in Liverpool. Since February 2015, Joyce has knitted 375 ‘running dolls’ for good causes and currently has more than 50 on order. Interestingly, Joyce’s creation is 16.5 inches tall, exactly the same length as Alistair’s real life viola made by German luthier Bernd Hiller.

Alistair has been further supported by his athletics club, Birmingham-based Birchfield Harriers. One of the most successful athletics clubs in Britain – having being represented at every single Olympic Games bar one since 1908 – they became the first club in history to win both the men’s and women’s Premier League titles last year. Alistair is trained by Senior Men’s Distance Coach, Dave Lawrence and in August this year, The Running Viola competed in the 5,000 metres at the British Athletics League Premiership, where the Senior Men’s Team won for the third time in a row.

Birchfield Harriers are based at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium which is in the running to be the host venue for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and where the city’s marathon will commence.

Alistair began running in Liverpool in 2013, when he joined Mossley Hill Athletic Club.

This Thursday, October 12, Birmingham will be able to enjoy splurging out on their favourite brands at discount prices as Grand Central joins the Bullring for the very first time in Student Sessions, with a very special star guest who will meet and greet fans.

Kem Cetinay, the winner of popular 2017 reality television show, Love Island will be welcoming students to Grand Central as they are able to shop ‘til they drop with a range of exclusive discounts and offers from a variety of shops and restaurants in the mall for one day only.

Between 4pm and 10pm, students from all across the city will be able to enjoy exclusive offers on beauty and fashion products, along with great discounts on dining favourites.

Offers include but not limited to: 40% at Crepe Affaire, 50% off main food items at Giraffe, 50% at Fuel Juice, 20% at Cath Kidston, 15% at MAC along with branded goody bags, 20% at Square Pie and 25% at Yaki Nori.

Michaela Moore, General Manager for Bullring and Grand Central, said: “We are really excited to be welcoming Student Sessions to Grand Central for the first time. We have such a great selection of brands and dining outlets, we’re sure that this will be a huge hit with students from all across the city.

With two major shopping centres taking part in the student sessions this year, Birmingham is once again providing even more opportunity for students to enjoy the huge and versatile offering available within the city.”

The event is free but students must register their details for the meet and greet with Kem by visiting: www.grandcentralbirmingham.com/students

Successful sports students from the University of Wolverhampton are launching a new campaign which encourages young people to aim high.

Olympic Gymnast and 2012 medallist, Kristian Thomas, professional boxer, Lauren Johnson, Great Britain Rhythmic Gymnast, Meme Cesar, British Junior Judo Champion, Kelly Peterson-Pollard and England Indoor Cricketer, Ali Tariq, will be visiting schools across the Black Country and Telford and Wrekin this week.

The ‘THEy Did – You Can’ campaign has been organised by Aspire to HE – a partnership funded through the government’s National Collaborative Outreach Programme and led by the University of Wolverhampton.  It aims to double the number of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds going on to Higher Education by 2020.

The Aspire to HE partnership works with seven local Further Education colleges and over forty secondary schools.

The high-profile students who have all excelled in their chosen sport will be visiting schools and colleges as guest lectures, hosting question and answer sessions on their career paths and their experience of University.

They will be joined by the Chief Executive of the Children’s University, Helen O’Donnell, also a graduate of the University of Wolverhampton and Councillor Shaun Davis, Leader of Telford and Wrekin Council.

Jackie Dunne, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wolverhampton and Chair of Aspire to HE, said:  “We know that many young people see University as a step too far and a place ‘not for them’ when this couldn’t be further from the truth.  This is particularly the case with young people who have no close family members that have previously been to university.

“I know that many of our local employers are looking for more skilled, local young people, and this includes graduate talent.  I hope that some of the stories that are shared will inspire more young people to aim high and consider university.”

Kristian Thomas said: “It was a real honour to be approached by Aspire to HE to be part of their ‘tHEy did; you can’ campaign. Growing up locally, I know the importance of having role models and someone who can show you what is possible. I worked hard to achieve what I did in sport and am continuing to work hard at the University of Wolverhampton to support the next phase of my professional life. There’s absolutely no reason why these young people cannot do the same.”

Principal of City of Wolverhampton College, Claire Boliver, said: ‘We are delighted to be working with the University on this valuable project, which will help young people reach their full potential.

“Too many talented youngsters leave school or college without ever considering Higher Education as an option, and we want to make sure that everyone with the talent to succeed has the opportunity to do so, and progress on to HE, whatever their background.”

The two week ‘tHEy did; you can’ campaign was formally launched at City of Wolverhampton College on Tuesday 10^th October 2017.

Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School in Birmingham has become the 150^th school in the country to partner with an organisation that opens up school facilities for community use.

The grammar school on Lichfield Road has joined forces with School Lettings Solutions (SLS) to become a community leisure venue on evenings and weekends, playing host to activities, such as fitness classes and football and cricket matches.

SLS is one of the fastest growing sport and leisure companies in the country, matching schools that are looking to generate income with community groups that need quality, affordable venues.

Thanks to this new venture, Birmingham-based groups will be able to hire the school’s floodlit astro turf pitch, dance and art studios, IT suites, conference facilities, outdoor cricket centre and multi-use sports hall for regular classes and ad hoc events.

Dominic Robson, headteacher of Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, said: “At a time when school budgets are under pressure like never before, it is incumbent on leadership teams to explore every possible opportunity to increase revenue. By working with SLS, we are able to rent out our unused facilities, which will create positive spaces for the local community to take part in fun activities.”

Entrepreneurs Paul Andrews and Scott Warrington founded SLS in 2011 and now employ over 400 staff. The organisation works in partnership with schools across the country to improve access to high quality facilities for over 7,000 sports clubs, performing arts groups and community organisations.

Director of School Letting Solutions, Scott Warrington, said: “We are overjoyed to welcome Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School as our 150^th partnership. This is a major milestone for SLS and we are confident that, with the school’s fantastic facilities, it will be busy on evenings and weekends, with local residents taking part in a range of activities.

“As more schools, colleges and academies across the country are facing greater cuts to their funding, we hope to partner with more schools in the Midlands to help them to increase their revenue during these testing times. At the same time, local communities will gain access to first class facilities that are supported by experienced staff who meet the highest standards in child safeguarding.

“At SLS we are firm believers that children and adults alike should have access to local run activities that allow them to reach their full potential and can help with both their physical and mental health. That is why we are continually developing partnerships with schools across the country to help improve the access local communities have to first class facilities.”