Join Pete Waterman OBE for a fascinating night talking about his career from Stock Aitken Waterman to Pop Idol. Pete has experienced a lot and shares stories in a creative and appealing way - one not to be missed.

Pete Waterman’s fascinating career has given him the opportunity to talk about almost anything. Pete is the most successful British producer-songwriter in pop history, an author, DJ, Pop Idol judge and television presenter and a lifelong entrepreneur. His career began as a part of the successful Stock Aitken Waterman team and for his world-famous PWL label and production company. During his time in the music business, Pete has sold in excess of 500 million records around the world over five decades, launching artists such as Kylie Minogue, John Travolta, Rick Astley and Steps, and has been rewarded with many different awards and honours over the years.

Pete’s biggest passion is the railways and his professional knowledge in reference to railways is highly regarded. Since the 1990's he has successfully invested in railway companies and forms part of several committees and taskforces for the procurement of the railways in Great Britain.

As a keynote speaker Pete is charismatic and multi-talented. He can give speeches about how to become a successful entrepreneur, how the music business works or what it is like to be a Pop Idol judge. Furthermore, Pete is a magnificent host and is always one hundred percent attentive to the needs of his audience.

https://www.thsh.co.uk/event/an-evening-with-pete-waterman

Employees at A Perry & Co Ltd, a leading independent, family-owned, British manufacturer and supplier based in Cradley Heath, will climb Snowdon on 9 June 2018 to raise money for Birmingham Children's Hospital Charity, its annual chosen charity. The trek is supporting the charity’s ongoing mission to raise vital funds for new ways to treat and cure childhood diseases and make the hospital feel just like home.

The climb will be undertaken by 10 staff members, including Will Dougan; Grant Esp; Ashley Armstrong; Patrick Corcoran; Chris Chater; James Dale; Chris Rowley; Lee Crosby; Phil Harvey; Martin Hinton, who’ll be picked up at 3am to begin the adventure. To date, the mission has generated £912 out of the £1,000 target. To support the fundraising efforts, people are invited to visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/perrys-snowdon-challenge and get involved with the hashtag #PerrysSnowdonChallenge2018.

This initiative is part of an ongoing series of activities for A Perry’s Charity of the Year. Company members are currently taking part in an internal challenge called ‘Perry’s Biggest Loser’ to donate the equivalent weight loss i.e. pound (lbs) for pound (£) by the end of the second quarter.

Guy Perry, managing director at A Perry & Co Ltd, says “We don’t miss any opportunity to be involved in raising money for local causes and charities that are close to our hearts. Our employees are local to the area and go the extra mile for the causes they believe in. The Snowdon Challenge for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity is a great teambuilding opportunity while staying active and lending a helping hand. We hope to win the support of our local community as well to reach our fundraising targets.”

In addition to supporting Birmingham Children’s Hospital, staff also raised £2,765 on a successful Pink Day in aid of Breast Cancer. This was achieved through raffles and other fundraising activities, as well as Steven Perry, son of owner Guy Perry, running from his home in Romsley to the firm's premises in Doulton Road.

Unsung community heroes from four organisations across the City of Wolverhampton are celebrating after learning they are to receive the highest award for volunteer groups in the country.

Compton Bereavement Centre, Beacon Centre for the Blind, Positive Participation and Wolverhampton Wheelers Cycling Club found out they had been given the royal seal of approval after being handed a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) on Saturday (JUNE 2).

The QAVS recognises outstanding work done in communities and is the equivalent of the MBE for volunteer groups.

With four groups receiving the QAVS, City of Wolverhampton has the second highest number of award-winners in the West Midlands.

Compton Care Bereavement Visitors:

Compton Care’s volunteers help hundreds of people every year to come to terms with their experiences of grief by providing friendship, emotional support and the opportunity to talk openly without judgement. They offer one-to-one support or group sessions to people either in the hospice or their own homes.

Beacon Centre for the Blind:

This registered charity which, with the help of 90 volunteers, supports more than 3,000 service users is the main provider for visually impaired people across the Black Country and Staffordshire. It has been doing so for more than 140 years. Volunteers help out in areas including mentoring and befriending, retail, hospitality, front of house, community-based activities and day centre provision.

Wolverhampton Wheelers Cycling Club:

This group, based at WV Active Aldersley, encourages and develops people of all ages to enjoy cycling. It is run entirely by 90 dedicated volunteers and members aged from 8 to 90. Volunteer tutors are qualified to a national standard and there is a strong emphasis on safety and healthy lifestyles. Wolverhampton Wheelers recently celebrated its 125^th anniversary.

Positive Participation:

This group aims to prevent and improve mental ill health and reduce isolation which can be caused by mental health problems primarily within the Asian community thorough the provision of culturally sensitive community support services.

Mayor of the City of Wolverhampton, Cllr Phil Page, congratulated all the city’s QAVS winners. He said: “The QAVS honours all those unsung heroes and heroines in our community who work tirelessly making a huge difference to the lives of so many. They are the MBE for the voluntary sector and to receive a QAVS is the highest honour a volunteer organisation can receive.

“Our four winners and their army of volunteers truly deserve their accolade and I congratulate each and every one of them. The theme for my year in office is ‘service over self’ and our QAVS winners really embody that spirit.”

The QAVS were created in 2002 to mark the Queen’s golden jubilee. Every year the winners are announced on June 2 which is the anniversary of the coronation.

The Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands presents the awards on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.

Patients from the Teenage Cancer Trust Young Person’s Unit (YPU) at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) enjoyed an exciting morning at Escape Live, Birmingham’s number one escape room venue that sees participants enter a themed room with a series of clues and puzzles that they must crack in order to ‘escape’ within the time limit.

YPU is a dedicated ward for young people aged between 16 and 24 who are being treated for cancer. QEHB Charity is proud to support the ward by providing ‘added extras’ such as music lessons and pizza nights that allow the young people on the ward to maintain a sense of normal life throughout their treatment.

Thanks to the generosity of Escape Live, which is based in Henrietta Street in the Jewellery Quarter, young people from the ward were able to experience the fun of solving themed puzzles as a team, and escaping the rooms before the time ran out.

Split into two teams, young people tackled the challenges of The Lab and Time Machine. They were given an hour to escape and both successfully completed the fun task with minutes to spare.

In The Lab, players enter a scientific research facility where a toxic gas leak could spread and be a danger. Teams work together to isolate the affected areas, make the facility safe save the world.

In Time Machine, teams have been lost in time travel loop hole that takes them to different moments through history, they have to discover clues to find their way back to the present day or risk being lost in the past forever.

One of the successful escapees was Luke, who said: “It was a great day out. It was nice to work as a team with others who have had similar experiences to me. We all really enjoyed our time at Escape Live, I’d love to come back in the future!”

Will Amott, Venue Manager at Escape Live Birmingham, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome the teams from YPU, QEHB and the young people to take on the challenge of our rooms at Escape Live Birmingham.

“We are very pleased they had a great time. The two teams did extremely well working together to solve the clues and get out of the rooms with minutes still on the clock.

“Escape Live has become one of the most popular escape games room venues in the UK and is earning rave reviews on TripAdvisor. Our escape rooms are for between two and six people and we currently have four rooms in Birmingham which include The Lab and Time Machine.”

Senior Fundraiser at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity, Rachel Learmonth, said: “QEHB Charity is incredibly grateful to Will and everyone at Escape Live Birmingham for their generosity in inviting the young people along for a really fun morning. It was great to see the young people enjoying themselves and taking on the brilliant challenges.

“The hospital charity works to make the hospital experience as easy as possible for young people who are receiving cancer treatment. Thanks to the generous donations it receives, the Charity has funded ‘added extras’ such as DVDs and games, pizza nights and ‘grab bags’ filled with essential items, all of which have meant that we can be there every step of the way to support young patients with cancer.”

If you would like to learn more about how QEHB Charity supports young people with cancer , please visit hospitalcharity.org/teenagecancer.

With our lives getting busier and having more and more things to juggle daily, stress is something that can affects all of us, this can even include our pets. Feelings of anxiety or stress can occur in both cats and dogs. Stress as an immediate response to threats is healthy for our cats as it enables their ‘flight or fight’ response to get them away from danger quickly. However, ongoing stress can be harmful to their overall health and wellbeing.

Most cats tend to mask their inner turmoil, so it’s important to monitor their behaviour and look at ways to maintain their health and wellbeing. With over 25 per cent of UK’s population owning cats* and as part of their “Don’t Fret Pet” campaign Lintbells, manufacturers of natural premium pet supplements has looked at some useful tips that can help your cat get through trying days, and maybe help you in the process.

Understanding body language

As with most things in life, to start to create a solution you need to identify what the cause of the stress is. This will keep your cat’s best interests at heart and you can set the stage for small successes.

Cats have poker faces and may express signs of stress in a subtle way. Some of the most common ones are toileting around the house, sleeping under the bed, hair loss or excessive self-grooming, aggression, dietary changes and excessive vocalisation (growling, hissing or spitting). It’s important to remember that if you notice any behaviour that is out of the ordinary, consult your vet to rule out any underlying conditions.

The power of touch

Most of us already know that hugging someone, be it our friends, pets or partners makes us feel cosy, safe and warm - the same applies to our feline friends. Why else do they purr when petted? Simply spending some quality time with your cats giving them the kind of affection they like best, can go a long way in easing their tension. Reassurance that things are okay can-do wonders to their behaviour. Plus, who doesn’t love a cosy cuddle after a long day?

Refresh their facilities

If you’ve bought your feline companion a scratchpad when he/she was a kitten, its probably time for an upgrade. Follow the same principles as you would with children and their clothes. It’s also important to note that your pets litter tray should be at least one-and-a-half times the length of your cat, from nose to tip of its tail. In multiple cat households allow each cat to have their own litter tray and their own area/space.

Supplement their diet

Calming supplements are created to help your cat relax, stay calm, and to reduce anxiety in stressful situations. Lintbells new YuCALM Cat is designed to do exactly this, it helps reduce stress, support calm behaviour and ease anxiety. It is a natural solution that will not sedate your furry friend. The natural unique triple-action formula is made with scientifically proven ingredients for a calmer and happier cat. It’s important to double check with your vet before introducing a supplement to your cat’s diet.

Veterinary advice

If you do spot any unusual changes in their behaviour or anything out of character always remember to speak to your vet to rule out any underlying conditions

It is important to remember that a little bit of stress every now and again is completely normal. What you should focus on is making sure that your cat’s stress level is controlled and that it never climbs to a level where it impacts their overall behaviour and health..

Businesses in West Bromwich are to put some colour into the cheeks of the High Street – by putting in 40 hanging baskets through the shopping centre.

The organisers of the West Bromwich BID team are to arrange for the baskets to be erected down the busy High Street, from Birmingham Road down to Carters Green.

The project has been back by the BID board, which represents all sectors of the town centre, including the private sector and Sandwell Council.

Councillor Paul Moore, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “This is an excellent gesture which will help to brighten up the town centre area.

“I am sure that traders and shoppers will appreciate a brighter, more colourful town centre through the summer months.”

Rebecca Jenkins, chair of the West Bromwich BID said: “We’re really excited about getting the new hanging baskets in and around West Bromwich, from the High Street through to Carters Green.

“We are sure that the baskets will add a lot of colour and make a significant improvement to the look and feel of West Bromwich Town Centre, with a view to making them a permanent fixture.

“We have consulted BID businesses and listened carefully to what they wanted. Improvement to the look of the High Street was high on the agenda."