Singing sensation Beverley Knight MBE has been presented with Freedom of the City of Wolverhampton.

Freedom of the City is the highest honour the council can bestow and recognises outstanding achievement.

Wolverhampton-born Beverley, a multi-award-winning recording artist and performer, has been given the honour in recognition of her eminent services to the City of Wolverhampton and public relations.

She was presented with a scroll by the new Mayor of Wolverhampton, Cllr Phil Page, at a specially-arranged civic function last night (WED MAY 16).

Beverley said: “This personal award which I’m able to share with the whole city is beautiful. I was born and raised in Wolverhampton and to have such an accolade given to me is seismic.

“It’s celebrations all around for me right now, it is a beautiful time to celebrate Wolverhampton’s long and strong history and its future.”

Mayor of the City of Wolverhampton, Cllr Phil Page, said: “Freedom of the City is the highest honour we can bestow and it is only granted very rarely to exceptional individuals.

“Beverley Knight is a daughter of the City of Wolverhampton who has achieved outstanding international success as a recording artist, performer, West End star and charity ambassador. She deserves this honour not only for her achievements, but also for the positive and exemplary manner in which she conducts herself, she has never forgotten her roots and is passionate about Wolverhampton and its people.

“We were delighted that she came home to perform at our recent celebration event to mark Wolverhampton Wanderer’s promotion to the Premier League and now she is back once again to receive freedom of the city.”

Besides being an MBE, honorary doctor of music and an ambassador for several charities including Christian Aid and The Terrence Higgins Trust, Beverley has carved a successful career as a singer, songwriter, broadcaster and record producer.

She took the UK soul scene by storm in 1995 and gained an international fanbase in more than 20 countries with fans as far afield as Australia and Brazil.

She has received three MOBO awards, and a Lifetime Achievement Award and has been nominated for BRIT Awards and the Mercury Music Prize, amongst many others.

Beverley received her MBE from the Queen in 2007 in recognition of her services to music and the work she does on behalf of several charities. She was recognised as a Wolverhampton Famous Daughter in 2011 in the arts, media and entertainment category and the judging panel described her as an outstanding role model.

In recent years she has appeared in many acclaimed West End shows including The Bodyguard, Cats and Memphis The Musical for which she was nominated for an Olivier award.

Beverley is a life-long Wolverhampton Wanderers fan and recently performed at a celebration event in West Park in front of 30,000 people to mark Wolves promotion to the Premier League.

Congratulations to the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their wedding yesterday!

With beautiful sunshine beating down on the estimated 100,000 people that descended upon Windsor the happy couple tied the knot in front of millions worldwide, before processing through the streets.

The happy couple looked calm and relaxed as they arrived on the day, and their youth and energy was reflected in the choices made for the ceremony.

The energy and buzz from the crowds along the procession path was nothing short of electric, with every small thing, from the Queens Guard processing to the palace to the first glimpse of the carriage met with rapturous applause.

Windsor was awash with Red White and Blue with everyone wanting to be able to say they were a part of the big day.

From everyone at The Phoenix Newspaper, we wish Harry and Meghan every happiness in their life together.

Look out for coverage in the June edition of The Phoenix Newspaper!

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WaterSafe, the national register for approved plumbers, is helping to find the UK’s finest plumber in its role as a judge for the UK Plumber of the Year 2018 competition.

The organisation is calling for skilled plumbers from the Midlands and West of England to enter by Friday 29 June for the chance to be crowned the UK’s best plumber and win a prize fund worth more than £10,000.

This year will celebrate more talented plumbers than ever, with the introduction of six regional heats as well as the grand final.

The competition is organised through JT, Bristan and Wolseley and qualified plumbers can apply at ukplumberoftheyear.com with details of a project that demonstrates their skills.

Chris Sneath MBE, founding director and chairman of WaterSafe, will be on the judging panel for the second year running.

He said: “It’s an honour to return to the UK Plumber of the Year competition as an official judge.

“Last year saw a record number of applications and it was both inspiring and reassuring to see so many talented, professional plumbers across the UK who were proud to showcase their work.

“I’m looking forward to see what 2018’s candidates have to offer and would encourage everyone to enter.”

WaterSafe will shortlist three plumbers from the each of the following regions: North England; South England; Midlands and West; Northern Ireland; Wales and Scotland.

Following a public vote, each regional winner will go through to the grand final, to be held later in the year.

WaterSafe is backed by all water companies in the UK and the drinking water inspectorates. It provides an online directory of plumbing businesses in the UK who are trained to meet the strict regulations which aim to keep drinking water safe.

Pupils and parents in Wolverhampton are being encouraged to put their best foot forward and step out for Walk to School Week which begins on Monday (21 May).

Around a million children and families nationwide will be celebrating Living Streets’ Walk to School Week and swapping the school run for a school walk – either by leaving the car at home or parking further away from the school and walking the rest of the way.

Experts recommend that children are physically active for at least 60 minutes a day to stay fit and maintain a healthy weight, and walking to school is an easy way to achieve some of these active minutes.

Children who travel actively to school will arrive feeling refreshed and ready to learn, and evidence suggests they will do better in class and be happier, healthier and more independent as a result.

Councillor Lynne Moran, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "A generation ago, more than two thirds of children walked to school, but now it's dropped to half.

“There are so many benefits from choosing to walk to school rather than driving, from improving the health and wellbeing of children and their parents, to helping to reduce congestion and pollution, and so I would encourage all our schools to take part in this very important campaign."

Councillor Hazel Malcolm, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, added: "We have a well-documented problem with high levels of obesity among both adults and children and young people in Wolverhampton, and incorporating even a short, brisk walk into people's daily routines can bring about fantastic mental and physical health benefits."

National Walk to School Week is organised by the walking charity Living Streets, which is currently working with a number of Wolverhampton schools to encourage more people to walk to school, including Loxdale, West Park, East Park, Palmer’s Cross, SS Peter and Paul, Lanesfield, Eastfield, Wilkinson, Stow Heath, D’Eyncourt, Oak Meadow and Elston Hall primary and Woodfield Infant and Junior schools.

Woodfield Junior School Headteacher Philip Salisbury said: "We began to encourage more children to walk to school for two main reasons. The first was the terrible traffic situation we have outside the school twice a day; it is distressing for residents, children and parents alike, as well as being very dangerous.

"The second was for health and wellbeing reasons. It is good for children of all ages to walk, however short the distance, and we are a school that promotes healthy activity for all our children and staff."

Tom Richards, from Living Streets, said: "Nationally, 79% of boys and 84% of girls fail to get 60 minutes of physical activity every day, while around a quarter of cars on the road during the morning rush hour are taking children to school, causing congestion, air pollution and carbon emissions.

"Through Walk to School Week, we want more children and their families to make walking the natural choice and making walking part of every child's daily routine."

To find out more about National Walk to School Week, and to download a free Family Walk to School Kit, please visit www.livingstreets.org.uk/walk-to-school. People who make a pledge to join in could win a £40 shopping voucher.

An event highlighting LGBT+ hate crime and the impact it has on the community will be held in Haringey this month.

The Stop LGBT+ Hate Crime event – organised by Haringey Council, BAME LGBT+ arts charity Wise Thoughts and Haringey Police – will look at the scale of hate crime, both in the borough, and nationwide, and explore how local groups and the police are working to tackle it.

There will be speakers from Haringey Police, the council and a local victim of a homophobic attack.

The event on May 24 is free, and will be held in the Wood Green Library Business Lounge between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. Booking is not required.

Haringey has a proud LGBT+ history and the council recently renewed its commitment to the community, pledging to do even more to make the area welcoming for LGBT+ residents and visitors. It means that LGBT+ residents will have a greater role in shaping priorities and services to ensure they meet their needs.

Haringey Council Chief Executive Zina Etheridge said:

It is essential to us that LGBT+ people living in and visiting Haringey feel safe and welcome. Haringey’s diversity is something we are incredibly proud of, and we have some brilliant groups and individuals making a real difference to LGBT+ equality in the borough. We encourage residents to come along to this event and to work together to show that hate crime of any kind won’t be tolerated here in Haringey.