Community News

Whilst there has been a boom in interest in healthy living, evidently this obsession has not been extended to the wellbeing of the nation’s pets.  But good nutrition is just as essential to dogs in order for them to live a healthy, long life and it is something placed entirely into the hands of their owners. A poor diet can manifest in a number of ways that are detrimental to a dogs’ health, some of which aren’t necessarily obvious.

A shiny healthy coat is a sign of a healthy dog. If a dog’s coat starts to lose its shine and appear dull, it could be a sign that they aren’t receiving sufficient levels of nutrition in their food. If this is the case, it is best to feed them foods like tuna, salmon and sardines that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. You can add these to your dog’s existing meals and should not receive any complaints, dogs find them delicious!

Alternatively, a teaspoon of vegetable oil in your dog’s food can really aid in returning the shine to their coat. Joint problems

Joint problems are a very common problem for dogs, particularly in larger breeds. One of the ways the problem is exacerbated is by dogs being overweight. This causes excess strain and pressure on the joints which causes real discomfort. The main symptom of arthritis in dogs is pain in the joints which causes tension in the muscles. Muscle tension is also a result of over-eating due to the accumulation of waste metabolic products that are produced. It is therefore vitally important to carefully measure the amounts a dog is being fed.

Though you may think it more beneficial to rest the joints, controlled exercise is encouraged as it increases circulation which supplies joints with nutrients and oxygen whilst removing metabolic waste and toxins which cause pain. We would recommend 3-4 times a day in small amounts, activities like swimming, under water walking and physical therapy.

Add a supplement to your dog’s diet to alleviate the pain in their joints.  AniForte Mobility Wonder is high in pure collagen, olibanum and omega-3 as these ingredients counteract the deficiencies that can cause joint wear.

Overindulging

We are a nation of pet lovers to the extreme. Our dogs are like our family and we want to spoil them! But we could be killing them with kindness. You don’t have to look far to find evidence of obesity amongst the nation’s pets. According to a recent survey by the Pet Food Manufacturing Association 81% of veterinary professionals believe the issue of pet obesity is getting worse*. There are a few easy ways to tell if your dog is carrying too much weight.

Make sure you can feel your dog’s ribs and the curve to their lower body is visible. A dog should experience no difficulty when getting up, if they look like they’re struggling to do so - excess weight could be a cause. Beware if you find that when you take your dog for a walk they’re having issues with their breathing or tire out far more quickly than they used to.

Leftovers

Certain feeding techniques like ‘free feeding’ are certainly not advisable, it means you have no perspective on how much your dog is consuming. Food portions should be measured in line with your dog’s weight to ensure they’re having a healthy amount of food each meal time.

Some dog owners feed their dogs the scraps and leftovers of the food they have prepared for themselves. Not all human foods are appropriate for dogs and some are even toxic! Onions for example, can be unsafe for dogs.

Weight loss

If your dog is overweight feed them less carbohydrates and fats as well as abstaining from handing out any snacks in between meals. It is also better to spread the feeding out and give them 2-3 small meals a day, rather than one large meal. Of course, exercise is vital! Controlled activities at least 3 times a day will produce good results.

So many dogs love food and don’t have a sense of when they are full. You could even be led to think they are hungry with begging eyes! The AniForte SlimVital - Weight Loss Supplement contains fibre-rich psyllium husks that swell up in the stomach, helping the dog to feel full and suppressing their desire to beg and overeat.

Allergies

Allergies can show themselves in a number of ways such as ear infections, itchy skin, or diarrhoea and vomiting. Which foods are triggering the reaction can be hard to work out. It is best to eliminate one at a time to work out what is causing the reaction then avoid feeding them that from then onwards.

A lot of dry pet food contains grain which is an allergen for many animals. Instead it is best to look out for grain free pet food.

A dogs’ digestive tract is developed for protein and fat digestion which makes the starch contained in dry dog food hard to handle. Wet foods that contain a lot of meat can be easier to digest.

Gum Disease

Gum disease is a further result of a poor diet and is noticeable if a dog starts to develop bad breath, a loss of appetite or inflamed gums. Usually, gum disease is caused by the formation of tooth tartar, which is a result of the gathering of waste matter in a dog’s saliva. A dog that is provided with a balanced, nutritional diet will be able to prevent the accumulation of waste matter and in turn tarter.

Despite often being born out of love and a want to spoil beloved pets, what we feed our dogs can have a serious effect on their health. Feeding dogs a nutritious and natural diet will have an all-round benefit to their health and even appearance!

McKee’s crossover success has helped him to achieve millions upon millions of YouTube viewers, underscoring his emergence as one of today’s most unique and influential artists. He has been featured as a cover story in both Acoustic Guitar Magazine in the US and Acoustic Magazine in the UK, and is also the figurehead of the unique Guitar Masters tours. MeKee’s tour dates have taken him through Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, including tours with legendary acts including Price and Dream Theater.

Live performances of Andy’s have become a point of fascination with his loyal followers. So, in late 2015, Andy decided it was time to release a live album. Featuring tracks from his entire catalog, LLive Book was recorded live in December 2015 at The Melting Point in Athens, GA, the Red Clay Music Foundry in Duluth, GA and Workplay in Birmingham, AL. McKee went through the recordings from all three shows and selected the finest takes of each set. Reflecting on the song choices, he looks to provide current fans the chance to relive their favourite shows, and hopes that he can showcase the energy he creates for those who haven’t been able to attend a show and new fans alike.

“I’ve always wanted to do a live album; for quite a few years I’ve felt it’s something that has been missing from my collection of releases,” says McKee. “This album will feature some of my YouTube hits like ‘Drifting’ and ‘Rylynn’, some songs from my 2014 EP Mythmaker, and a cover of a Michael Hedges song called ‘Because It’s There’ played on harp guitar that I haven’t released yet.”

McKee is the first artist to be signed to CGP Sounds, the record label founded by fellow guitarist Tommy Emmanuel.

“I’m honoured to be a part of his label. I heard Tommy 15 years ago at a festival in Kansas and was blown away by his playing and performing, and I still am,” McKee stated. “To be the first person on his label is surreal, and I’m excited and proud to be a part of it.”

Live Book is set to be released digitally in Europe on February 12 and worldwide (digitally and physically) on April 22. The album, McKee’s first live record, will be released through CGP Sounds.

A University of Wolverhampton graduate has published her experience of studying at the Wolverhampton School of Art in a prestigious art magazine in Europe.

Patty Wouters, 60, an art teacher from Belgium, studied for her Master’s Degree in Applied Arts (Ceramics and Glass) and graduated in 2015.  Her article, which describes her experience of returning to study as a mature, distance learner, was published in the Dutch ceramics magazine, Klei.

She said: “Due to various circumstances, I felt I was ‘stuck’ in my own artistic work and was looking for a new challenge.  Some of my English colleagues encouraged me to go back to some kind of training or education.  Study for mature students isn’t really on offer for people in Belgium which is why I chose to study abroad.

“The University has a well-developed ceramic and glass department with renowned teachers who have exhibited worldwide and have been published in international ceramic magazines. Most of my learning was done online through Skype, WhatsApp and email and I continued to do practical work in my own studio in Belgium.

“What struck me in England was how many mature students were returning to study – this would be considered absurd in the part of Europe where I live.  My education at the University of Wolverhampton was a tremendous enriching accomplishment that I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for guidance and new inspiration.”

Dr David Jones, Ceramics Lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton, said:  “The published article describes Patty’s enriching experience of not only returning to education in later life, but learning in a different country and in a completely new way.

“As a long established School of Art, we welcome international students from all over the world and Patty’s success story is a great testimony to the expertise and commitment of staff who encourage students to push their artistic boundaries in order to achieve.”

Parents looking to buy a property close to a primary school rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted face paying a premium of more than £50,000.

New figures from Rightmove show the average asking price of homes in the successful admission zone of high-performing Grade 1 schools is £52,372 or 18 per cent higher than in areas around Grade 3 institutions.

There is also a 12 per cent (average of £37,000) hike in prices between properties near mid-range Grade 2 schools and those in Grade 1.

Kevin Shaw, national sales director at property specialist Leaders, says: “With 86 per cent of ‘outstanding’ primary schools already oversubscribed, living in an area with the best chance of being accepted by one has become a priority for many parents.

“Living close to the right school has long been an important factor for home hunters, but the latest figures suggest people are now willing to pay even more for the privilege. Indeed, many movers admit to compromising on other issues in order to live close to a school above all else.

“Buyers should remember that some of the top schools have a very small successful admission area – sometimes measured in metres – so they should always check whether a property was in this area in the last academic year before completing a purchase.”

Parents in the West Midlands face paying the largest premium to live near a Grade 1 school, with a mark-up of 32 per cent in comparison with properties close to Grade 3 schools. It was followed by the north-west (27 per cent) and Yorkshire and Humber (22 per cent). The smallest premiums were found in the East Midlands, north-east and London (all 13 per cent).

Kevin adds: “With incredible demand for properties close to the best schools and an overall lack of supply in the market also helping to push up prices, those who live within a successful admission zone may wish to consider the benefits of selling – particularly if they no longer have children of a school age.

“Many are likely to be surprised by just how much their home is now worth and how high demand from parents can help them to get a great price.”

In connection with Chief Minister Talent Hunt Program, Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) arranged a divisional painting competition here on Monday aim to provide platform to young artists aged 18-35 years. The top three artists were given cash rewards of Rs.150,000, Rs.100,000 and Rs.75,000 respectively. Encouragement reward of Rs.10,000 each was given to ten artists of Rawalpindi region.

In the painting competition held at the RAC, Chairman Metro bus and PML-N Senior leader Muhammad Hanif Abbasi was chief guest flanked by Additional Commissioner Tariq Mehmood Tariq, Naheed Manzoor and Resident Director of RAC Waqar Ahmed. The competitors were given a portrait of Ustad Allah Bux to paint on the canvas provided by this Council.

Top three artists will take part in the provincial level competition to be held in Lahore. Shields were given to all participants of the competition. Asma Bibi got first position; Sonam Nawaz secured second position while Shumaila got third position. Ten awards of encouragement were given to Asher Masih, Numaira Javed, Wahaj Ahmed, Aleena Azhar, Anum Akram, Asifa Jabeen, Sadia Naurin, Sania Imtiaz, Fatima Naveed and Tayyaba Hassan.

Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said it was the vision of Chief Minister Punjab to make the youth self-employed and include them in national development. He said Chief Minister Talent Hunt Program is a positive step of the government where youth has been enabled to show their hidden talent.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre are appealing for information on an actor who appeared in a production of The Little Minister in 1909.

The Little Minister is a play published in 1897 based on the 1891 novel by the author of Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie.

Chief Executive of the Grand Theatre, Adrian Jackson recently received a framed collection of old postcards featuring nine cast members, photographed in costume from the play, The Little Minister. On the back, they have been signed and posted to a Mr William Oliver at Darlington Street, Wolverhampton. Mr Oliver also features as a cast member on one of the cards.

The Grand Theatre heritage website, grandmemories.co.uk has no record of the production and based on the postmark and inscription on the mount it took place in December 1909.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre are calling out to anyone who may have information on the production, a programme, or anyone who may be a descendant of Mr Oliver. Perhaps someone remembers seeing the framed postcard collection on display. It is hoped that the theatre can display the postcards for the public to see alongside any extra information.

Those who wish to contact the theatre with any information, to show or donate any programmes from the period should contact Scott Bird, Sales & Marketing Manager (Press & PR) on 01902 57 33 11 or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Local singing sensation Bradley Simpson, from pop rock band The Vamps, joined sick children at Birmingham Children’s Hospital as excitement builds in the city for this summer’s free public art event, The Big Sleuth.

Heart-throb Brad took time out of rehearsals for The Vamps upcoming world tour to surprise the kids spending a few hours in the hospital’s Play and Admissions Centre designing and painting one of The Big Sleuth’s miniature bear’s, which could make it onto the 10-week trail.

The excited patients joined the 21 year-old lead singer from Sutton Coldfield, as he used inspiration from the kids’ hospital visits and their love of music to add his artistic flair to the project.

The Big Sleuth, so named because sleuth is the collective noun for a group of bears, will see up to 100 giant bear sculptures (and bear cubs created by schools and young people) leave their paw prints all over the city as it gets set to be known as Bear-mingham in 2017.

The project, brought by Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity and creative producers Wild in Art comes hot on the heels of The Big Hoot which attracted more than 800,000 visitors and in total raised over £625,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity.

Airlines have awarded Birmingham Airport the Routes Europe 2017 Marketing Award in the 4-20m passenger category for its marketing activity over the last 12 months. The awards, voted by a panel of senior airline executives, are an annual event and highly regarded in the aviation industry. They recognise the outstanding marketing services that have supported the launch of new air routes or the development of existing services.

The ceremony held last night (Monday) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, saw the Midlands’ largest airport beat stiff competition from Warsaw Chopin, Budapest, Cologne Bonn, Marseille Provence and Larnaca Int’l Airports in its category.

Paul Kehoe, the Airport’s Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted for the team on receiving this accolade which has recognised our airline marketing campaigns as well as business development and sales activities over the last year. The team have explored innovative new ways to engage with global audiences through traditional and new marketing channels and they should feel very proud of this award, as do I.”

In 2016, the airport saw a 14.2% increase in passengers and has celebrated more than two years of consecutive monthly record growth. Despite this boom, the airport managed to get more flights in and out on time than any other airport, becoming the world’s most punctual airport in 2016.

Following on from the launch of nine airlines in 2015, last year the airport launched six new carriers – Blue Air, Qatar, CSA, Iberia, Cobalt and Alba Star. So far in 2017, it has welcomed Jet2, bmi regional and has announced British Airways and Fly One, both due to launch this summer.

Steven Small, brand director, Routes, added: “Congratulations to Birmingham Airport on the winning the award. It’s not surprising due to the dedication and enthusiasm of the team, and the creativity and hard work put into the submission.”

The Brexit effect is creating uncertainty among people planning to retire in 2017, with more than one in four (27 per cent) of this year’s retirees worried the decision to leave the EU will negatively impact their finances in the long term, according to the latest research by Prudential.

Prudential’s unique research, which has monitored the financial plans and aspirations of people planning to retire in the year ahead is now in its tenth year. Its Class of 2017 research provides a snapshot of the views of people retiring this year, as the UK starts the process of leaving the EU. It found that, for one in three (33 per cent) of the Class of 2017, the result of last June’s referendum has impacted their plans for retirement.

One in nine (11 per cent) of those who had planned to retire in 2017 have now changed their retirement date as a direct result of the outcome of the referendum. In fact, more than one in every 20 of this year’s retirees (six per cent) have actually changed the country they had planned to retire in including some, who had always planned to stay in the UK, now looking at options to move overseas.

However, two thirds of people planning to retire in 2017 (67 per cent) say that the vote to leave the EU has had no impact at all on their retirement plans, and one in eight (12 per cent) believe that leaving the EU will be good for their long-term finances in retirement.

Uncertainty caused by the decision to leave the EU appears to have underlined the value of financial advice to many of this year’s retirees, with nearly one in five (19 per cent) saying they are more likely to seek financial advice as a consequence of the referendum result. Meanwhile, 14 per cent say they are worried about the negative impact of the post-referendum market volatility on their pension fund.

Kirsty Anderson, a retirement expert at Prudential, said: “People planning to retire this year are expecting the highest retirement incomes since 2008 – so on the face of it, Brexit has had little impact on their retirement expectations. However, looking below the surface, there is a degree of uncertainty and nervousness among many of this year’s retirees.

“As you would expect, for many people who have been planning and saving for their retirement for most of their working lives, even the biggest of political upheavals won’t make a difference to their long-term plans. But with one in three new retirees telling us that their retirement plans have been affected by the referendum result, it is clear that uncertainty is having an impact for some.

“It is encouraging to see that faced with uncertainty, be it around the performance of their investments or where they plan to set up home after their working lives, the Class of 2017 are seeking professional financial advice. It is also important to remember that pension saving is for the long term and, irrespective of single events no matter how momentous, the best way for most people to provide for a comfortable retirement is to save as much as possible from as early as possible, into a pension.”

It was 50 years ago in June 1967 that The Beatles released what is regarded by many to be the greatest album of all time - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. And it was 54 years ago that The Beatles made their third and final appearance in 1963 at the now sadly burnt down Ritz Ballroom next door to the Hare & Hounds on York Road, King's Heath, Birmingham.

Now King's Heath Walk Of Fame are delighted to present a very special show to celebrate this unique double anniversary starring John Lennon's sister's favourite tribute band The Mersey Beatles at the award winning Hare & Hounds on Sunday 4 June

Described by the British Beatles Fan Club as 'the Best Beatles tribute band', The Mersey Beatles were all born and grew up in Liverpool. They were the resident band at the legendary Cavern Club for over 10 years and now regularly tour throughout Europe and the U.S.A. Throughout May they will be performing an 11 date American  tour before returning to perform their Sgt Pepper show at Liverpool's prestigeous Epstein Theatre on 1 June.

Three days later they will bring the show to the Hare & Hounds on 4 June.

John Lennon's sister Julia Baird comparing them to other Beatles tribute bands said 'The Mersey Beatles are the most authentic I've heard ... and I've heard them all'.

Joe Flannery, Brian Epstein's assistant, said 'When I saw them in The Cavern they perfectly recreated the atmosphere that the original Beatles produced. It was like listening to The Beatles again'.

A British Beatles Fan Club review of a previous show said 'The quality of the music was superb with each song reproduced in the original key with spot-on harmonies and perfect guitar solos that had the audience marvelling at the sheer quality of the talent on view'.

In the first half of the concert The Mersey Beatles will perform Sgt Pepper in it's entirety and in the second half 20 of The Beatles' greatest hits.

A weekend stay at a luxury spa hotel complete with an off-road Land Rover driving experience is just one of the amazing lots available in the Mayor of Wolverhampton’s annual charity auction.

This year’s online auction – which launches at 10am on Monday (APR 24) - is the biggest ever with 38 lots up for grabs which have been donated by local businesses, organisations and individuals.

Mayor Cllr Barry Findlay’s chosen charities are Wolverhampton Samaritans, the MS Therapy Centre in Tettenhall and Help For Heroes and all money raised in the auction will go to them.

As well as the spa break with Land Rover driving experience – which was donated by Jaguar Land Rover – there are plenty of other fantastic lots to suit all budgets.

They include:

• A Porche driving experience at Silverstone (donated by Porche).
• Signed Wolves shirts and 2 tickets in the directors’ box at Molineux for a match of your choice (donated by Wolverhampton Wanderers)
• Family tickets to Dudley Zoo, The Severn Valley Railway and Ironbridge Gorge Museums
• Golfing experiences
• Luxury hampers
• An iPad
• Various health and beauty products
• Various DIY and gardening products

Cllr Findlay said: “I am overwhelmed by the quality of auction lots we have on offer this year. The generosity of our local businesses and organisations has been amazing.

“People have the chance to bid for some really exciting things – either for themselves or perhaps as a present for a loved one.

“You could be whisking someone away for a luxury spa break or taking the family for a wonderful day out to some of our top regional attractions.

“Perhaps you fancy bidding for one of the lovely food hampers or some of the DIY products. The great thing is that there is something for all interests and budgets.

“I would urge everyone to bid – you never know whether yours will be the winning bid. All money raised from this auction is for charities who do such valuable and inspiring work and rely on donations to help keep them going.”

To see all the lots and to place a bid visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/mayoral and follow the link to the auction page.

Just weeks after announcing a 26-date summer tour of North America, Queen + Adam Lambert have revealed further live plans for 2017 which will now see the band return to Europe later this year for a series of concerts in the UK and Ireland. The tour will showcase a spectacular new stage production and a set list, which the band hints will provide some surprises.

Queen + Adam Lambert’s UK and Ireland tour will see them perform at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham on 30 November and 16 December. 

These shows will mark the band’s first full British tour in almost three years, having last performed across the UK in January 2015 when they played 10 sold out shows. Their only UK appearance in 2016 was a one-off headlining set at the closing night of the Isle of Wight Festival on Sunday June 12, part of a 15-date European summer festival tour. Isle of Wight festival organiser John Giddings credited the band with “the greatest show we have ever had”

For their 2017 tour, the band will unveil a brand new show including a specially designed state-of-the-art production. The choice of performance material will no doubt acknowledge this year’s 40th anniversary of Queen’s biggest-selling studio album to date, News of the World from 1977, which yielded the immortal anthems “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions”.

Queen drummer and co-founder Roger Taylor insists the 2017 tour “will look entirely different to the show we took around before. Production has really changed a lot, the things you can do now, you have a much broader palette, the technology has really come along. But we don’t use it all. We don’t play to click track. It’s 100% live. We're planning on doing stuff we either haven't done before or haven't done for a long time. We started as an albums band, that's what we were. The fact that we had hits was just a by-product.”

Guitarist Brian May confirms Queen’s 2017 shows will have a more ambitious musical agenda. “The general public knows the hits, so you've got to cater for that,” he says, “but we can chuck in a few things that people really don't expect. We’ll do quite a bit more of that this time around. There are so many dimensions to Adam, which of course fits with our music. He can get down and do the rock stuff really dirty, and you have all those dimensions, and we can explore that even more.”

Adam Lambert welcomes the challenge of digging deeper into the band’s canon of classics. “What people should know if they came to the shows a couple of years back, is obviously we will still be playing the big hit songs you know and love from Queen, but we thought it would be good to challenge ourselves a bit,” he explains. “Change it up a little bit, change the visuals, change all the technology, change the set list to some degree. We will probably be pulling some other songs out of the Queen catalogue which we haven’t done before, which I am very excited about.”

Unions representing workers in the cultural sector have written an open letter to candidates in the West Midlands mayoral election calling on the candidates to commit to securing a new TV and film studio for the region, greater devolution of arts spending to the region and a fairer deal for cultural workers.

The letter points out that whilst the region is the home of Shakespeare and other fantastic cultural assets the region is disadvantaged when it comes to per head of population arts funding with only £4.58 versus London's £69.

To maximise the region’s cultural potential a cultural manifesto has been published urging the incoming Mayor to address 6 key areas:

• A Midlands film and television studio facility.
• Trade union recognition and implementation of negotiated agreements as a condition of public funding.
• An integrated local government policy framework to support live venues, festivals and street performers (including infrastructure, public transport, regulatory framework etc).
• An increase in public spending on the arts in the Midlands until per capita regional arts spending is on a par with London.
• Secure, properly paid, professional employment for cultural workers and arts educators.
• Local control of all arts spending in the region (including Arts Council England).

Residents who want to bring out the bunting and organise street parties for The Great Get Together in June are being encouraged to get applications for road closures in to the City of Wolverhampton Council as soon as possible.

The Great Get Together is taking place nationally over the weekend of 17 and 18 June 2017, with people invited to join family, friends and neighbours for street parties, barbecues, picnics and Bake Off-style competitions.

This year's event is being organised by The Big Lunch and the Jo Cox Foundation, set up in memory of the Batley MP who was murdered last June, in association with a number of other groups and organisations.

Many of those taking part are expected to apply for permission to close their road to traffic in order to hold street parties for the local community.

To help them do this, the City of Wolverhampton Council is fast tracking applications from residents and community groups for road closures over the weekend of 17 and 18 June, and is also waiving the fee for road closures, which is normally around £600.

Councillor Roger Lawrence, Leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, said: "The Great Get Together is a wonderful opportunity for families, friends and neighbours to come together and have a good time, and we want to make it as easy as possible for people to join in the fun, particularly if they are planning to hold street parties.

“Road closures need to be agreed by members of the Safety Advisory Group, who include representatives from the council, emergency services and transport organisations, and so it is important that anyone who is arranging a street party gets in touch with us as soon as possible.

"We have waived the normal road closure fee for this special event, and in the vast majority of cases no additional licences or permissions will be required.”