Community News

Commute-hating Brits would be willing to travel for no more than 1 hour 14 minutes, even for their dream job. A survey found that Londoners are willing to endure the longest commute at an hour and a half, meanwhile Manchester residents would be willing to commute just 23 minutes each day. When quizzed on the things that made commuting frustrating or annoying, Brits admitted that getting stuck in traffic infuriated them the most (63%).

A relieved pigeon posed for a selfie with the RSPCA officer who rescued her after spending FIVE DAYS trapped in a chimney. The RSPCA were called to Milton Street, Walsall, by the homeowner who said the bird could be heard flapping around and trying to escape. RSPCA animal collection officer (ACO) Catherine Strawford (pictured) said: “The man who lived there said he’d heard the bird flying around for a number of days.

Fisher House, a ‘home away from home’ for military patients and their families, has received a fantastic donation from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC). Fisher House was built on-site of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, which is home to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, in June 2013. Its mission is to provide free, comfortable accommodation for the families of wounded and ill troops and veterans.

John Taylor Hospice is asking people to pop the kettle on and host their own fundraising event in support of local families. During Coffee Morning Month in April the hospice is asking supporters to get together for a cuppa and a piece of cake to raise funds for people living with a terminal illness and their families. Sian Averill, Community Fundraising Manager at John Taylor Hospice, said: “Inviting friends and family to join you for a cuppa, cake and a chat is an enjoyable way to raise money for a great cause.

People are being invited to have their say about an ambitious strategy to modernise Wolverhampton's library service and further improve provision in the City. The City of Wolverhampton Council's draft Libraries Strategy for 2017-27 was presented to Cabinet, with councillors approving a 12-week period of consultation. The 10-year strategy seeks to maintain Wolverhampton’s 16-strong network of libraries while improving the services they offer to people who live, work, visit or study in Wolverhampton.

Time is running out for talented older people in the West Midlands to share their skills at the Royal Voluntary Service’s GrandFest event, with the deadline of Friday 10 March fast approaching for accomplished craftspeople to apply to be a ‘GrandMaker’. As part of its 40^th year celebrations, the UK’s leading retirement housebuilder, McCarthy and Stone, has joined forces with the Royal Voluntary Service to support the charity’s annual GrandFest event; and both parties have issued a final call for potential GrandMakers to apply to be part of the one-day festival, which will take place in central London on Sunday 18^th June.

Sandwell’s ever-popular Big Spring Clean campaign is back for 2017 – and local people and organisations are invited to get involved with litter picking, graffiti removal, planting and painting. The campaign will launch with a community litter-picking event at Victoria Park, Smethwick, on Friday 3 March. Sandwell Council has teamed up again with waste partner Serco and local charity Litter Watch to recruit volunteers for the 11th annual Sandwell Big Spring Clean.

In aiming to provide a facility where local people can get together to socialise, support and contribute to the building of a safer community, the Sheldon Community Initiative is looking to run a range of  weekly and monthly activities for local children, young people, the elderly, single parents and others groups. And in order to aid much-needed fundraising for the centre - which houses a local food bank as well as other annual events - they have set up a special Sheldon Outreach Family Centre Open Day/Launch at their Sheldon Heath Road venue in Birmingham.

To mark the 20th anniversary of World Book Day on 2nd March 2017 new research from VisitEngland shows that more than half of British holidaymakers would visit a literary attraction on holiday in England. Findings also show that one in four Brits visited a literary location in England during a holiday break in the last year. The same amount had read literature relating to a place they had visited in the country. 

Two years on, the Midland Langar Seva Society, which is supported by HomeServe’s van and volunteers, has delivered more than 17,000 hot meals and 17,000 goodie bags to those in need of help. An inspirational charitable partnership which is helping to feed, clothe and support homeless and vulnerable people in towns and cities across the West Midlands is going from strength to strength two years on.

Celebrate Mums all weekend at Blenheim Palace from Saturday 25 – Sunday 26 March. On Saturday treat mums to a special brunch with bottomless Mimosas; and on Sunday enjoy a delicious Afternoon Tea in the Orangery Restaurant. The elegant Orangery Restaurant overlooks the 12th Duke of Marlborough's private Italian Gardens.

The clean-up at Black Patch Park in Smethwick has begun after a group of travellers were evicted earlier this week. Tonnes of rubbish including more than 300 tyres, rubble, black bags, furniture, beds and double glazed windows were left behind after the group were evicted by bailiffs. Sandwell Council bosses say the bill will run into thousands of pounds – with rubbish costing £110 a tonne to dispose of, plus the cost of cleaning the area, equipment and staff.

Of the many recent Queens Honours List, one of those who fully deserved her calling, and equally a mention, was the British Empire Medal which was so deservedly awarded to football coach, Annie Zaidi. Coventry-based Annie, a coach at Premier League champions, Leicester City and FA ‘Women in Football’ ambassador, was awarded the BEM in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours for her services in football coaching. 

One in ten parents in the Midlands say short-term rentals, which result in frequent and stressful house moves, have stopped their children feeling settled. The new research published today by Shelter reveals the worrying impact the country’s broken rental market is having on families. In the past decade, the number of renting families has more than doubled but the law has failed to keep up. Renters only have a secure home for six months after which their landlord can ask them to leave with just two months’ notice and without a reason.

House of Fraser’s much-loved, festive winter wonderland raised an incredible £8,100 to support the pioneering work of Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity. The Christmas grotto, which was located on the fifth floor of the department store, was open from the end of November until Christmas Eve and donated £1.20 from every ticket purchased to the charity’s £3.65 million Star Appeal, to help construct the UK’s first paediatric Rare Diseases Centre.