Community News

The Arenacross Tour is set to burst into 2018 with a bigger and better format for its seven-round action-packed UK indoor Motocross race series and Freestyle extravaganza - and the third leg of the Tour will take place at the Genting Arena, Birmingham, on Saturday the 20th of January.

AX is high-octane entertainment at its very best. It throws together an intoxicating mix of world-class indoor Motocross racing, high-flying Freestyle Motocross and a show to rival any music festival. In its five-year history, it has seen thousands of fans streaming through its doors every year.

Enthusiastic fans packed out the Genting Arena, when the 2017 Tour visited Birmingham earlier this year. They enjoyed a night of tense race action, high-air FMX antics, lights, lasers and music. The West Midlands fans were vocal in their support of the home riders and virtually raised the roof when a British rider fought off the charge of the internationals to take a podium position for the first time.

2018 promises to again deliver an electrifying Tour. A crammed agenda will cater for mini-racing gladiators from the age of seven – who manage to fit in school and homework around the gruelling AX races - right through to the most talented line-up of Arenacross Pro racers ever to place a wheel on UK soil.

Away from the racing line, the Freestyle MX boys never fail to impress with their electrifying, high-air whips and flips which keep the audience hollering for more. In its five-year stint, the UK Arenacross series has been revered for showcasing FMX at its very best and that’s why the big-hitters of the sport, the FMX royalty, have made the series a must-do affair and worked it into their busy schedules. When it comes to AX; X-Games gold medallists and Nitro Circus superstars abound with Spaniard Edgar Torronteras and the UK’s very own Jamie Squibb and the Bolddog Team at the fore, together with arguably the most spectacular double-flipper in the world, 6’ 4” Czech uber-cool superman, Petr Pilat.

Commenting on the growth and popularity of Arenacross, ArenaSports Live (the company behind AX) boss Matt Bates said; “I believe we have a massive future! As well as ramping up the AX experience for our UK based fans, we’re extending into Europe next year and I’m set on making sure we develop both the riders’ rewards, team support and take the entertainment of AX to a whole new level.”

Arenacross 2018

20 January 2018, Genting Arena

Over 4,500 stores have signed up to the National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour. Autism Hour is the UK’s first major week-long event where shops and businesses across the UK will dim their lights, turn down music and share information about autism for 60 minutes on the week of 2 October.

The National Autistic Society is encouraging autistic adults, children and their families to attend Autism Hours in their local area by using the interactive map which shows which shops and businesses will be taking part throughout the week. The map allows users to zoom in to where you live, filter by category and start planning your visit.

Marks and Spencer, Clarks, Superdrug, John Lewis, Toys ‘R’ Us, Sainsbury’s and Mothercare are also among the 4,500 individual stores that have signed up, and Lloyds Banking Group will be supporting by educating their colleagues about autism during Autism Hour to support customers.

Mark Lever, Chief Executive at the National Autistic Society, said:

“The National Autistic Society is proud to be launching the first ever UK wide Autism Hour event and is thrilled that it’s involving such a vast number of shops and businesses.

“A National Autistic Society survey found that 64% of autistic people avoid going to the shops, and 28% have been asked to leave a public place for reasons associated with their autism. We are confident that the National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour will provide an opportunity for autistic people and their families to use shops and services that the general public take for granted.

“We are encouraging autistic adults, children and their families to head to the interactive map on our website so they can plan visits to local shops and businesses and enjoy a break from the overload of too much information.

“It is incredible to see that over 4,500 stores across the UK are taking part in this new event and we hope to build on this year on year.”

More than 1 in 100 people are on the autism spectrum which means that someone sees, hears and feels the world in a different, often more intense way to other people. Autistic people often find social situations difficult and struggle to filter out the sounds, smells, sights and information they experience which means they feel overwhelmed by ‘too much information’ when out in public.

The National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour is supported by shopping centre owner intu and will take place in 14 of their shopping centres across the UK including intu Trafford centre, intu Lakeside and intu Metrocentre. Staff at intu centres already receive training to provide autism-aware customer service and autistic people also benefit from guides that allow them to plan and prepare a visit to each intu centre.

Misty mornings, ripening blackberries, windfall apples and the golden, orange and red hues of falling leaves provide dazzling displays of autumn colour on the nation's beautiful waterways. The Canal & River Trust has handpicked 11 sites across the country that provide special places to visit and to wonder at nature's farewell to the summer.

Pull on your wellies and woollies and get set for some great woodland walks by the water. Prepare for conker fights, leaf-catching competitions and scrunching through deep drifts of leaves as well as some splendid seasonal views of our historic canals.

Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Farnhill, Nr Kildwick, North Yorkshire

As the mill towns drift into countryside follow the Leeds & Liverpool Canal as it snakes from Bingley towards Skipton. At Farnhill there's a sheer wooded cutting that provides an impressive ravine to journey through. Each side of this tiny wooded valley and Farnhill Wood provide displays of beech, oak, silver birch and sycamore interspersed with some evergreen holly bushes.

Getting there: park along the Main Street in Farnhill, just off the A629 to Skipton, BD20 9BW.

Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, Brecon, Wales

Meandering through the Welsh countryside the isolated Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal is the most popular attraction in the stunning Brecon Beacons National Park. It is one of the Canal & River Trust's most beautiful and peaceful waterways following the line of the lovely wooded Usk Valley. Travelling west towards Brecon a wooded bank of beech trees provide a golden backdrop to huge landscape views of the Usk Valley. From here it's a short walk to the basin in Brecon where there's a café for a cosy lunch. The navigable section of the canal runs for 35 miles from Brecon to the Pontymoile basin. Its location makes it a haven for wildlife and a favourite with nature-lovers, walkers and cyclists.

Getting there: park roadside where the B4558 crosses the canal and River Usk. Brecon, South Wales LD3 7UY.

Kennet & Avon Canal, Avoncliff Aqueduct, Avoncliff, Wiltshire

Surrounded by woodland the Avoncliff Aqueduct is a stately spot to view the beautiful turning colours of the Bath Valley. The woodland here is made up of a rich variety of trees and includes oak, ash, sycamore, hazel and hawthorn. The aqueduct at 100m long and 18m wide provides a pale limestone contrast with the colourful displays of leaves. If you're lucky, this is a great spot to see bats flying to and from the tall arches of the aqueduct and wandering deer feeding on hedgerow leaves and berries.

Next year’s Wolverhampton Original Literature Festival (WOLF) has received a funding boost from Arts Council England. The city’s inaugural festival in January proved a popular event with audiences.

Following a successful bid from City of Wolverhampton Council’s libraries service, it has now secured £13,250 from the Arts Council’s Grants for Arts programme to help it grow in 2018.

The additional funding means the literature festival’s future is secured for the next five years, with money from the Arts Council England National Portfolio for organisations already in place for 2019-22.

The 2018 festival, from Friday, January 26 to Sunday 28, will follow a similar format to the first as organisers look to build it over the next five years and make it a permanent fixture in the calendar.

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor John Reynolds, said: “We will grow the festival over the next few years to create a unique Wolverhampton flavour.

“Themes will include music and literature, politics and journalism, and community voices.

“People at different stages of their careers will also be given a chance to perform alongside headline acts.”

Organisers are keen to hear from writers, poets and community groups who want to get involved and link in with the festival’s programme of authors and speakers, which will be announced in the coming months.

Care workers in the London borough of Haringey are to be given the time and support they need to do their work, through a new ethical charter.

Haringey Council has signed up to UNISON’s ethical care charter, which sets out a series of commitments to protect the rights of home care workers’ and give them greater freedom to focus on the needs of the people they care for.

Under the charter, Haringey is committed to replacing zero hours contracts with guaranteed hours, and to make full payment for travel time between home care visits.

The new code means the commissioning of home care visits will always be shaped by what is best for the person being cared for and the care worker, not by the need to meet a certain quota of visits or complete care duties in a set timeframe.

Haringey Council cabinet member for finance and adult services Councillor Jason Arthur said:

“I’m proud to have signed UNISON’s ethical care charter. We’re committed to ensuring that Haringey’s residents get the best possible care, and to making sure that those who choose to devote their working lives to caring for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities get the right professional support to do so.

“Haringey has a proud tradition of union support and we are committed to protecting the rights of our residents, and of those who work on behalf of the borough.”

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:

“Making this commitment to decent employment conditions for care workers is vital for improving the quality of life for the people they look after.

“UNISON’s ethical care charter is leading the way in highlighting the importance of care work and in fighting to win the pay and conditions they deserve.”

UNISON’s ethical care charter has three key elements covering visits, quality of care and pay. It includes abolishing time limits on homecare visits, giving care workers the freedom to provide appropriate care and spend sufficient time talking to clients and paying care workers for travel time and expenses. It also covers giving vulnerable people the same home care worker wherever possible, providing home care workers with training opportunities, paying the London living wage (currently £9.15 per hour), and giving home care workers sick pay.

West Bromwich Albion's inaugural Diversity Day will be at The Hawthorns on Saturday - and this week they are letting you how you can celebrate the event with their packed day of highlights for fans to enjoy in the build-up to their Premier League clash against Watford which they hope will continue to prove that the club remains at the forefront of change through football.

There will be a range of activities highlighting the club's equality, inclusiveness and togetherness as they try to inspire and help their community both close to home and abroad.

You can get a flavour of Albion's work beyond the hallowed turf of The Hawthorns and stay with them all this week at wba.co.uk to learn more.

Find out about new supporters' clubs which highlight the Baggies' increasingly diverse backing or seize the chance to help our old favourite Jonas Olsson and his pioneering work in the slums of India.

You can also discover more, too, about such projects as Soho Albion, the Academy-funded free-of-charge junior outfit in the multicultural local ward of the same name.

And on the day itself, they've got a blaze of activity to enjoy in and around the stadium.

The Premier Legue team will be celebrating particularly the cultural traditions of their fans from the Asian and Chinese communities while the Fanzone becomes the focal point for a fusion of musical and culinary delights.

Also in the Fanzone, there will be the WBA FC Women's players who will be taking up a great new Football Dartboard Challenge. Or you can test your ability in a Blind Football penalty shoot-out.

Even the face painters will be catching the mood as they offer international flags and the 'Together We Are Albion' logo among their creations.

And they will be celebrating football's most famous barrier-breaking symbol - the club's cherished 'Three Degrees' team in which Brendon Batson, Cyrille Regis and the late Laurie Cunningham overcame bigotry and racism to lead football towards a more enlightened age.

Regis, Batson and representatives of the Cunningham family will be special Fans' Champions before kick-off on Saturday, bringing the match ball to the Premier League plinth and sending a message about Albion's place in the story of diversity.

The pounding beats of Dhol drummers will even take on the challenge of joining with 'The Liquidator' as the celebrations peak towards kick-off.

As the West Midlands-based giants say themselves; “There's never been a more important time to be together than now.”

A visit to Staffordshire's Trentham Gardens is always a colourful experience between the months of October and November.

Boasting a “rediscovered” Capability Brown parkland, a mile-long lake and award-winning gardens, Trentham has - for more than a decade - been one of the best places in the whole of The Midlands for visitors to head to at this time of the year.

But the introduction of one of the largest 'pictorial meadows' planting schemes in any historic landscape in the country over the last couple of years has done much to improve its autumnal appeal still further.

Of all the places in Britain to visit for a spot of leaf-peeping, few can now compete with the dramatic “floor to ceiling” range of autumnal colours on offer at Trentham Gardens. The woodland trees, reflected in the lake, are just one element of the seasonal show that is complemented every year by The Rivers of Grass - a breathtaking prairie garden landscape of grasses and vast herbaceous perennials designed by Dutch gardening guru, and Chelsea gold-medal winner, Piet Oudolf.

But the iconic perennial plantings of Oudolf and fellow Chelsea gold medalist Tom Stuart-Smith - along with Trentham's own team - has also been expanded by the introduction of some eye-catching perennial and annual meadows, designed and planted by a third Chelsea gold medalist Nigel Dunnett who needs little introduction to the nation's horticultural fraternity.

Best known, perhaps, for his role in the plantings at London's Queen Elizabeth Park, Dunnett is now heavily involved in implementing a new range of plantings throughout Trentham Gardens.

Having provided a stunning swathe of colour since the summer the lakeside areas, for example, will continue to offer rich displays while the flowers slowly fade and the foliage tints.

Elsewhere, mellow tinted grasses offer a staggering impact, alongside the vast perennial displays throughout the garden. And a collection of Japanese Cherries, recently introduced to the western gardens, is now starting to deliver yet more colour to the gardens.

Other trees, chosen with autumn in mind, have been added to enhance the lakeside woodland walk, including 150-plus North American trees.

Some of the new tree planting will take time to light-up the skies at Trentham, but amongst the current natural appeal of Trentham at this time of year are the colours of the magnificent mature Oaks and other trees reflected in the lake - with the wonderful backdrop of Kings Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which Capability Brown included in his landscape.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre launched a GIANT of a pantomime at Dudley Zoological Gardens with leading man Gareth Gates.

The pop-star and musical theatre favourite will be taking the title role in JACK AND THE BEANSTALK which also stars Lisa Riley, Doreen Tipton, Graham Cole, Ian Adams and Adam C Booth at the Grand Theatre from 9 December 2017 – 14 January 2018.

Gareth Gates rose to stardom in 2002 as runner-up in the UK’s first Pop Idol. In a phenomenal career which followed he has sold more than 3.5 million records in the UK, released three albums and had four UK number one singles.

Alongside his pop career Gareth has been seen on ITV1’s Dancing on Ice and The Big Reunion 2014 for ITV. Gareth’s theatre career has seen him play the role of Marius in the 25th anniversary tour of Les Misérables for Sir Cameron Mackintosh, in Loserville at West Yorkshire Playhouse and the UK tours of Legally Blonde and Boogie Nights the Musical. He has regularly toured in the concert Mad About the Musicals and is currently starring in the second leg of the UK tour of Footloose. Gareth appeared as part of the line-up Boys Aloud, recreating the Girls Aloud hit Biology for BBC’s Let’s Sing and Dance for Comic Relief.

Dudley Zoological Gardens are the local partner for JACK AND THE BEANSTALK. The Grand Theatre pantomime attracts thousands of families to Wolverhampton each year, similarly in Dudley; families are drawn to a collection of the world’s rarest animals who find their home in the grounds of an 11^th Century castle at Dudley Zoological Gardens.

Grand Theatre Press & PR Manager Scott Bird said; “our first panto launch for Jack And The Beanstalk was a brilliant day with our panto partners Dudley Zoo. Jack is a farm boy who goes on a quest to the Giant’s castle -  with both a farm and a castle on site at the zoo, it couldn’t have been more perfect! We’re all very excited for what promises to be a ‘giant’ new production. Gareth will have some popular songs in the show and our cast line up reunites many members of our multi-award winning team from last year.”

Gareth Gates said; “I’ve performed in eight pantomimes and played the Prince and Aladdin - I’ve never played Jack before so I can’t wait to be in the panto in Wolverhampton, it’s going to be lots of fun!”

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK opens at the Grand Theatre on Saturday 9 December 2017 and runs until Sunday 14 January 2018.

A new partnership from a Birmingham school and sixth form centre will enable local community groups to make use of its sports and performing arts facilities on evenings, weekends and during school holidays.

St Edmund Campion Catholic School and Sixth Form Centre has joined forces with School Lettings Solutions (SLS) to manage its facilities and provide leisure venues for various activities, such as fitness classes, dance workshops and craft groups.

SLS partners with schools, academies and colleges to fully manage their facilities at zero cost to the organisations, while linking them with local community groups in need of affordable space.

The school, which is based in the Erdington community, will play host to activities, such as training sessions and sports classes. Local groups can hire its facilities, which include a main hall, astroturf pitch, sports hall and gymnasium, for regular classes or ad hoc events.

It is hoped the partnership will open up new opportunities to the school’s students, as well as people of all ages from the local area.

Gary Smart, strategic business manager at St Edmund Campion Catholic School and Sixth Form Centre, said: “We’re really excited to be opening up the school to the wider community. We’re proud of the facilities we offer our students, such as our astroturf pitch and gymnasium, and it makes sense to us that they are available to use during evenings and weekends as well.

“We’ve already got some great partners signed up to use our facilities and we’re looking forward to getting more on board. This can only be a positive thing for our students and people in the area.”

SLS currently works with more than 140 schools nationwide, helping them to make the best use of their facilities. It provides a fully managed service, including managing bookings and staffing the facilities to ensure rooms are secure and ready for the next school day. The business is expanding across the country and is looking to sign up schools in the West Midlands, which are currently facing hundreds of thousands of pounds of funding cuts.

Paul Andrews, director of SLS, said: “It’s great to welcome St Edmund Campion Catholic School and Sixth Form Centre as our latest partner. The academy has got some brilliant facilities and we’ve already had lots of booking enquiries. We’re passionate about ensuring people have access to opportunities that boost their health and wellbeing, so we’re keen to provide local groups with marketing support to make sure their clubs thrive and are well attended.

“There is huge potential to provide more places like this for people of all ages to come together, which will be really positive for the area. At the same time, our partnerships provide a new stream of income for schools as their budgets come under more and more pressure.”

City of Wolverhampton Council has unveiled its brand-new café and one of the first customers was local Olympic, World and Commonwealth medal-winning gymnast Kristian Thomas.

The eatery – called WV Café - on the ground floor of the Civic Centre provides a wide selection of refreshments for the hundreds of daily visitors to the council’s headquarters as well as employees.

One of the catering staff who work on the café – Lynn Reid - is none other than Kristian’s mother-in-law and she invited the 28-year-old, who still lives in the city, to come and see the facility.

The main feature of the café is a salad and fruit bar offering a range of healthier options which athlete Kristian was keen to sample for himself.

It also provides drinks including Costa coffee, sandwiches, confectionary and a varied selection of hot and cold food.

Kristian said: “It’s a real honour to be invited to City of Wolverhampton Council’s new café. I was pleased to help when my mother-in-law Lynn suggested it.

“She and her team are looking forward to working at the new venue. I enjoyed a wonderful lunch and would recommend visitors to the civic centre or the wider city to call in and try it out.

“There’s something for everyone and I’m particularly impressed with the salad bar.”

His mother-in-law Lynn Reid said: “This is a really exciting time for the catering team here at the City of Wolverhampton Council. The new café has so much more to offer customers, it’s a great place to work.

“I’m so proud that my son-in-law Kristian has helped us promote it. He’s a true Wulfrunian and he’s achieved so much – it’s so fitting that he came to help us tell the people of Wolverhampton about this fantastic new facility.”

As well as the café, the council has also unveiled its completed customer service centre.  The first phase was revealed back in March, but hoardings have now come down revealing a selection of computers and telephones which are free for the public to use.

There are also self-service kiosks for customers who wish to complete their transactions quickly and easily.

Councillor Andrew Johnson, City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for resources, said: “We are very proud to be opening our completed customer service centre and brand new café to the public.

“These are first class facilities ensuring that the hundreds of people who visit the Civic Centre each day are greeted in professional surroundings and their enquiry is dealt with quickly and efficiently.

“We are making significant improvements to the Civic Centre to extend the life of the building, provide a better service to the public and save taxpayers £500,000 a year by enabling us to close aging, expensive to maintain satellite offices.”

Both the café and the customer service centre are part of the ongoing programme of improvements and essential repairs and maintenance being carried out to the Civic Centre.

The underground car park has been refurbished and the facility won a national award. Extensive mechanical and electrical repairs on all floors of the Civic Centre are taking place.

Outdated systems including electrics, heating and fire alarms which were at serious risk of breaking down are being replaced and asbestos is being removed. Office space is also being modernised to enable staff in outlying offices to move into the building.

The overall scheme will save taxpayers more than £500,000 a year by enabling the closure of outlying offices which are expensive to run and maintain. The programme is due to be completed by Spring 2018.

Law firm Irwin Mitchell is gearing up for National Inclusion Week (25 September – 1 October) by holding a panel event in Birmingham to discuss whether women face additional challenges in the work place.

Irwin Mitchell’s internal gender networking and support group, IM Powered, have organised the event in partnership with the Institute of Directors and Birmingham Hippodrome, where the event takes place on Thursday 21 September 2017.

The inclusive event will feature a panel discussion and Q&A with a number of high profile female guests including Vicky Brackett, CEO of Irwin Mitchell’s Business Legal Services division.

The mother-of-two became the first female member of the law firm’s Executive Board in 2016 after starting her career as a trainee at magic circle firm, Freshfields, in 1994. Vicky eventually left the City and went on to become Managing Partner at Thomas Eggar before the firm merged with Irwin Mitchell in 2015.

Vicky said: “Since starting my career I think slowly things have become easier for women. Of course there is more to be done but for example, taking maternity leave is far less of an issue now than it was in the 90s and thanks to technology, flexible and home-working make it far easier to achieve a better work/life balance.”

“It is interesting to see that many men who want to share parenting responsibilities now the law allows it in terms of shared leave and paternity are now going through similar struggles. My children are 11 and 14 years old and I think, and hope, that their generation won’t consider gender to be as much as an issue but it’s important that we make sure our generation of leaders embrace changes too. Whether you are male, female, transgender or don’t align yourself with either gender it is vital that businesses look beyond the face, the colour and the sex and see the skills, talent, warmth, energy and empathy.”

One of Vicky’s other commitments is as a trustee of a PSDS, a charity she founded following the birth of her son Sam who has Down syndrome, which provides support to children with Down syndrome and their families.

Vicky says as a mother she has always worried about the impact of her work and charity commitments on her children.

She said: “I asked my daughter once if she minded that I haven’t always been able to do the school run or the ‘traditional’ things that are expected of mothers. She said ‘You’re there for everything that matters. Some of my friends’ mums leave the school gates and go for a coffee, my mum goes and runs a law firm, so of course I don’t mind,’ and I really loved that response.

“I respect everybody’s right to make their own personal choices about career and family but I think women should be encouraged to feel less guilty about having their careers and children. Equally I think being a mother has given me a lot of skills that I use every day at work when dealing with people or difficult situations. As long as you have the right people for the job having a diverse workforce will mean you will have richer insights and perspectives to help your business make better decisions.”

Asked with hindsight, what advice she would give to herself at the start of her career, Vicky said: “Be yourself, aim higher than you think you are capable of and don’t underestimate your own abilities. I’d tell myself to slow down and take time because if you work hard, the opportunities will present themselves. I’d also recommend getting a really good mentor so you have someone to talk to.”

Vicky will be joined by fellow panel members, Dr Jenni Jones – Senior Lecturer, HR & Leadership at University of Wolverhampton, Fiona Allan – Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Birmingham Hippodrome, Jane Sommerville – Managing Director at Bowers & Jones, and Tracy Westall – Former Director of Corporate Service for SCC and Non Exec Director at Innovation Birmingham, Governor at BCU, and a Board member at TechUK.

Suzie Branch-Haddow, Director of the Greater Birmingham Professional Services Academy and MetEnterprise Academy will be chairing the event which will focus on issues faced by women in their respective professions, the positive changes over the years and areas for improvement.

Sporting heroes met the Mayor when the Sandwell Special Olympics team dropped by the council house to show off their recent medal haul.

Sandwell’s mayor Councillor Ahmadul Haque MBE met members of the team from the charity Special Olympics Sandwell and Sandwell Sports Club – a team for people of all ages with a learning or intellectual disability.

Special Olympics Sandwell was part of the West Midlands team who represented Sandwell at the Special Olympics National Games which were held this year in Sheffield.

The mayor heard about the Sandwell sports stars, who took part in games which were held in August.

Three swimmers, eight badminton players and 17 athletes supported by eleven Sandwell volunteers took part and netted 32 medals, six gold, 18 silver and eight bronze medals plus more than 30 ribbons.

From the team ten people achieved their personal bests and were presented with a Special Olympics Ribbon.

Sandwell Mayor Councillor Ahmadul Haque MBE said: “It was marvellous to meet so many Sandwell sporting heroes and learn about their recent achievements – well done to all who took part and of course the volunteers who helped make it happen.”

The inaugural Sainsbury’s Living Well Index, based on a nationally representative study into how Britons feel about their quality of life, reveals the factors associated with living well – and uncovers significant gaps. Sleep quality has the strongest association with Britons’ quality of life – for the typical Brit, improving their sleep to the level of those who are living best would be equivalent to them having more than four times as much disposable income. In the West Midlands, one-in-three (34 per cent) say they feel well-rested just some of the time. Only one-in-four (25 per cent) in the West Midlands say they regularly feel well-rested.

The Index, created by Sainsbury’s in partnership with leading researchers Oxford Economics and the National Centre for Social research, aims to define, measure and track what it really means to live well in the UK today. It has been commissioned to help the retailer understand and engage on the aspects of everyday life that are holding people back.

In the first study of its kind, researchers asked a nationally representative panel of 8,250 people questions covering 60 different aspects of their behaviour, how they live and how they feel. The Index covers everything from their support networks and relationships with friends, families and communities, to how people feel about their jobs, their quality of sleep and the strength of their finances. The same panel will be questioned every six months, enabling Sainsbury’s and researchers to track the effects of how we live on how we feel, individually and as a nation, as well as providing unique insights into the lives of Britons today.

The average Briton has a Living Well score of 62.2 out of a maximum of 100. Those in the West Midlands had a score of 62.1 the study found – below the typical national score.

Those living best are defined as the 20 per cent of the population with the highest scores – falling between 72 and 92. By comparing the lifestyles and behaviours of those living best in Britain with the typical Briton, the Sainsbury’s Living Well Index has revealed the critical factors behind living well.

Income has surprisingly little impact on how we feel. For the typical Brit, a 50 per cent rise in disposable income contributes to just a 0.5 point increase in their Living Well score.

In contrast, controlling for age, income, or personal health, a good night’s sleep has the strongest association with how well we feel we are living. Over time, the research aims to understand the big gaps dividing the nation, and whether associations are causal.

Ian Mulheirn, Director of Consulting at Oxford Economics, said: “Wellbeing is rising up the agenda at a time of rapid change in how we live our lives, and we’ve created a critical new tool that can help us to unpick what’s driving our sense of living well, drawing on a unique, rolling survey of unprecedented breadth and granularity. The analysis within the Sainsbury’s Living Well Index reveals that, in a world that’s never been more connected, the richness of our relationships and support networks remains among the biggest determinants of how well we live – and represents an area of our lives in which we can act.”

More than 220 businesses will come together at Molineux Stadium on Friday, September 29 as part of Wolverhampton Business Week’s ‘Meet the Buyer Breakfast’ event - and there is still time to sign up if you wish to attend.

It will take place between 8am and 11am in the WV1 Suite and is open to anyone interested in hearing about supplying goods or services in the city and where to find opportunities.

City partners are committed to working together to increase support for local businesses and create opportunities for local people.

A key part of this is helping businesses work together to create a supply chain that can bid for public and private sector contracts.

Representatives from the University of Wolverhampton, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Hospital Trust, City of Wolverhampton Council, and Wolverhampton Homes will be available to answer questions.

Exhibitors include Just Patties Logistics, Find It, YPO, Pestokill, BT, Lion FPG, Zeus Packaging, Banner, Galliford Try, Midland Metro Alliance, BSI, Speller Metcalfe, Black Country Growth Hub, City of Wolverhampton College, Something Different, Accord Careers, Enterprise and The Workplace (University of Wolverhampton), The Apprenticeship Hub, Amazon Business, Obillex and Yoo Recruit/Adecco.

Fiona Ward, Head of Procurement at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “This is our third annual event and a great opportunity for local businesses to engage with, not only, public sector organisations but the private sector ones who are also exhibiting. We look forward to another successful event and future collaboration in the sector and region.”

Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “Partners in the city are working together to give local companies local procurement opportunities across all sectors.

“Together, partners are committed that every pound spent should have a maximum impact on our city, our residents and our businesses.

“I am sure suppliers of all shapes and sizes will benefit from meeting some of the biggest buyers in Wolverhampton.

“It is a great way to find out about future contracts and get support on how to tender for upcoming opportunities.”

Birmingham’s historic architecture and changing landscape will be put in the picture at a new exhibition showcasing how the city’s skyline has been transformed over the last 20 years.

Birmingham City University’s Parkside Gallery will host the ‘Brummagem Lost City Found’ exhibition from today (September 18), which brings together a collection of large-scale prints, paper constructions and rare archive materials centred around some of the city’s most iconic sites.

The artworks, which feature artistic takes on Spaghetti Junction, the Inner Ring Road and New Street Signal Box, have been produced by two local artists, Birmingham City University Professor, Andrew Kulman and Sara Kulman.

Both Andrew and Sara are residents of Birmingham and use city’s transformation as the inspiration for the work on show in ‘Brummagem Lost City Found’.

The exhibition has been compiled in a bid to recognise and honour the Brutalist architecture which characterised the  city’s architecture during the 1950s-70s.

Professor Andrew Kulman said: “Over the last 20 years Birmingham has lost much of the Brutalist architecture that characterised the city. Most recently the iconic Central Library was controversially demolished and is being replaced by brand new buildings.

“While it would be hard to deny the benefits to the city, there is an overwhelming feeling of loss as the old buildings fall and the city is reshaped. As the city is regenerated there is a sense of nostalgia among those who called the ‘concrete jungle’ home.”

‘Brummagem Lost City Found’ is free for the public to attend at Birmingham City University’s Parkside Gallery at its City Centre Campus in Eastside.

Sara Kulman added: “Birmingham is a fantastic place for artists to work and exhibit, the changing city is a great inspiration. This exhibition has given me the opportunity to reflect on the city as it is today, to bring new life and a fresh perspective to the remaining structures that defined my youth, a city that I still call home.”

The exhibition will run from September 18 to October 27.

Brits spend 48 days a year on the sofa, with nine out of ten¹ people enjoying relaxing on the sofa with their family - and it’s also having a positive impact on our relationships, new research reveals.

ScS, one of the UK’s leading furniture and flooring specialists, surveyed more than 1,000 people to find out about their sofa-time habits. The research found the majority of Brits spend at least an hour a day relaxing on the sofa, with more than half (55%) using that time to catch up with family and friends.

Brits are most likely to spend time on the sofa with their partners too, with over two thirds saying they are more likely to couple up on the couch as part of their sofa-time. Relationship expert, Caroline Brealey explains the positive impact sofa-time is having on couples and their relationships.

Caroline says: “In a relationship it's the little things that count. Big romantic gestures are lovely, but the day to day moments you share are what keep you connected and the relationship healthy.  Cuddling provides comfort and security and after a long day at work spending some quality time cuddled up on the sofa together being close and having physical contact can be hugely intimate and romantic.”

She continues: “Sofa time is also important for people with children as it brings together the family. Time spent with your children on the sofa, whether reading, watching a movie or chatting, is essential for maintaining family ties and creating common interests.”

The poll also revealed the nation’s sofa-time habits. Interestingly, when it comes to where we sit, more than half of respondents admitted that they have a favourite spot on the sofa and get annoyed if another family member ‘steals’ it. This is most common in those aged 45 – 54, with 60% admitting the trait, compared to just 36% of those aged 18-24.

Despite common belief, it’s actually older people who spend the least amount of time on the sofa each day, with 17% of those aged 65 and over spending less than an hour a day on the sofa compared to just 6% of 25 to 34 year olds.

Simon Nicholson, Furniture Buying Director at ScS, said: “With our lives seeming to get busier and busier, fitting in time with the family and our partners can be a struggle, so it’s great to see so many are putting their sofas to really great use as part of this precious family time.

“While it’s tempting to get engrossed in your favourite TV shows and other distractions, it seems that families around the country are using time together on the sofa at the end of a long day to catch up and invest in their relationships, which we think is a real testament to the benefits and comfort offered by the [modest/humble] family sofa.”