Staff from a leading Black Country law firm have pledged their support to help Birmingham Children’s Hospital carry out its life-saving care.

Talbots Law named the UK’s leading specialist paediatric centre as its ‘Charity of the Year’ and has already presented it with a £10,000 donation to help it deliver treatments, complex surgical procedures and cutting-edge research to young people up to the age of 16.

Employees from across the company’s seven offices were invited to nominate their preferred good causes and, following much deliberation, the three most popular choices were put forward for a final vote that was made at the business’ annual party.

“There was a lot of personal stories of families and friends that have been helped and supported by Birmingham Children’s Hospital so the decision was a comprehensive one in the end,” explained Mary Mocklow, Chief Executive of Talbots Law.

“We always kick-start the year of fundraising by donating an initial sum and then we hope to build on this through a host of different activities that will be organised by the firm and our employees. The emphasis is on getting as many people involved as possible.”

“Ian Bond and I visited Eloise Davidson and Paul Moore at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity to present the cheque and find out a little bit more about the amazing care they provide every day of the week, every week of the year.”

Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital, which was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the CCQ in February 2017, looks after 90,000 children and young people from across the country every year.

It operates a national liver and small bowel transplant centre and is a global centre of excellence for complex heart conditions, the treatment of burns, cancer, liver and kidney disease.

Talbots staff have already taken part in the ‘Big Bandage Day’ and are looking forward to embarking on a London to Paris bike ride and a daunting Snowdon Challenge.

Eloise Davidson, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We are truly thankful for all of the hard work Talbots Law has put into raising such a fantastic amount of money for our patients.

“The funds they have raised will go a long way to making a huge difference to the lives of our brave children and their families as we continue our plans to improve our facilities – enabling us to treat even more children from Birmingham, the West Midlands and around the country.”

Tiny tots are getting ready to take on muddy puddles at a special Peppa Pig sponsored walk next month.

The children at Smarty Pants Nursery based at Lightwoods House in Bearwood will be taking part in the Muddy Puddle Walk in aid of Save The Children at Lightwoods Park on 23 April.

The children will be doing a circuit of the park helped by Peppa Pig characters along the way - before a splash in muddy puddles outside the nursery and some stories.

The little ones have also been learning about the plants and herbs in Shakespeare Garden at the house - which features plants and shrubs all mentioned in the playwright's work.

Nursery owner and manager Lydia Browning said: "Now the spring is here it's lovely for the children to get out in the garden a bit more. They're all very excited for the Muddy Puddle Walk and seeing the Peppa Pig characters and we're hoping to raise some money for a good cause while we have some fun."

Lightwoods House opened in January 2018 having been extensively restored thanks to a £5.2million project funded by the council, Big Lottery fund (BIG) and Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The nursery opened last September in a brand new building next to the house, designed to look like the old stables.

To find out more about Lightwoods House and Park, go to the website www.lightwoodsparkandhouse.co.uk

His Honour Judge James Burbidge QC received the scroll appointing him the first Honorary Recorder of the City of Wolverhampton at an extraordinary meeting of the Full Council yesterday evening (Wednesday).

The Honorary Recorder is a ceremonial role, created to maintain and develop close links between council and the judiciary as well as to encourage an understanding of the judicial system among the community.

Kevin O’Keefe, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Director of Governance, said: “We are delighted to appoint His Honour Judge James Burbidge QC as the first Honorary Recorder of the City of Wolverhampton.

“In his role, he will be an important link between the council, the people and the courts, and will become a familiar face at Civic events around the City.”

The Honorary Recorder will attend ceremonial and civic functions as well as inviting members of the council to attend judicial events. He will also be the most senior Judge to sit at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

In the future, the title will pass automatically to the Senior Resident Judge of Wolverhampton Crown Court upon their appointment by the Lord Chief Justice.

Discover a quintessentially British affair at Blenheim Palace this summer; witness iconic characters brought to life, fabulous live music, delicious food and drink and an exciting firework finale at the new Great British Garden Party.

Taking place between 13-14 July from 6.30-10pm at the historic Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site, this glorious outdoor event allows visitors a unique opportunity to discover the Palace, Park and Gardens with spectacular entertainment.

Explore the magnificent Palace and its Capability Brown landscaped Park, walk in the footsteps of our greatest Briton, Sir Winston Churchill, who was born at Blenheim, take a spoonful of sugar listening to storytime with Mary Poppins in the Secret Garden and come face to face with Britain's very own Bond, James Bond.

Laze in a deckchair as Test Match Special icon Henry Blofeld commentates live on a charity cricket match featuring the star-studded Lord's Taveners (13 July) on the South Lawn.

Enjoy a glass of Champagne with sumptuous strawberries and cream, or tuck in to the South Lawn BBQ* whilst a resident string quartet plays. Watch and join in while a troupe of energetic professional dancers lindy hop, jive and waltz the evening away.

As night falls, visitors will congregate in the Great Court for a spectacular red, white and blue fireworks finale set to the stirring words of Sir Winston Churchill, along with resounding renditions of Land of Hope and Glory, Jerusalem and Elgar's Nimrod.

This exclusive experience is an extended ticket offering which includes after-hours entry into the Palace and Gardens, fabulous entertainment and free parking.

Become a pirate, crew a canal boat, learn the boating lingo, watch wildlife and discover the amazing places to visit on the nation's beautiful waterways for FREE. On Sunday 15 April 2018, 11am to 4pm, Drifters Waterway Holidays and the Canal & River Trust are offering people the chance to try canal boating for free at 19 locations across England and Wales.

The taster sessions will include free trips on skippered narrowboats, as well as boat tours and holiday discounts. No advance booking or experience is required, with people of all ages encouraged to just turn up.

Gareth Stephens, National Boating Manager at the Canal & River Trust, said: “We believe that waterways have the power to make a real difference to people's lives and that spending time by water makes us all healthier and happier. Thousands of people already enjoy boating holidays on our beautiful 2,000-mile network of inland waterways, and these free canal boat taster sessions are a great way to know that this sort of holiday is for you, before committing to a weekend or longer break.”

Tim Parker, chairman of Drifters Waterway Holidays, explains: “Last year, over 3,800 people got afloat at our one of our open day events and we look forward to welcoming thousands more visitors this year, to discover why canal boat holidays are so special.”

Customers of The Rajdani Indian restaurant in West Kingsdown, near Sevenoaks in Kent, raised £1185 at a special charity lunch.

The restaurant which was named Best Indian Restaurant in the South East at last year's prestigious Asian Curry Awards, served a selection of its acclaimed dishes, for which 69 regulars paid £15 each.

A further £150 was raised through a prize raffle.

The proceeds will be divided equally between the St Edmund's Church in West Kingsdown and Rohingya refugees through Global Aid Trust.

Rajdani owner Rob Khan said the lunch was a great success, raising money for two excellent causes.

Rohingya people are one of the most persecuted minority groups in the world, according to Khan, who points to the genocide which has led to over 600,000 refugees to flee their homes in Myanmar, in fear of their lives.

St Edmund's is the centre of a vibrant Christian community within the village and is involved in many charitable works.

“People often say charity should begin at home, which it should – but it should not end here,” said Khan, whose restaurant, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, has long been involved in fund-raising for good causes.

In October last year the restaurant raised £1700 for ABF The Soldiers' Charity, which supports soldiers, veterans and their families.

The Rajdani is looking to host another event involving St Edmund's Church later in the year.

The restaurant hopes to feature again in the Asian Curry Awards which is being held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 18th November 2018. In a bid to retain his titles, Head Chef Jimmi Shab, has recently returned from a culinary tour of the sub-continent and is redesigning a shorter, gourmet menu where current favourites will be complemented by a greater choice of fish, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan dishes.