Community News

Despite the popularity of smartphones, traditional handwritten Christmas cards top social media messages and text messages as the West Midlands’ favourite festive greeting by far. A survey by fair trade pioneer Traidcraft, found that more than 8 in 10 (85%) people in the West Midlands prefer to receive their Christmas greetings in a card, while only 8% appreciate a festive text and no-one thinks highly of a social media message.

The independent domestic violence service, delivered by Birmingham LGBT has recently received confirmation of funding from the Henry Smith Foundation enabling the service to run beyond the pilot stage. The campaign supported by Birmingham Community Safety Partnership, hopes to continue to promote this service to encourage more members of the LGBT community to seek help and is the only one of its kind in the Midlands.

The Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) has opened applications for a new Non-Executive Director (NED) that will represent and inspire young people across the region.  The GBSLEP is the first LEP in the UK to create a youth representative role on its Board, reflecting the area’s uniquely youthful profile. Birmingham is one of the youngest and most diverse cities in Europe - 40% of its population are aged under 25. Across the wider region, 38% of the population are aged between 18 - 30.

The wild bird was found on Moseley New Pool on Swanshurst Park, Swanshurst Lane, by a passer-by and inspectors rushed it to RSPCA Birmingham Animal Hospital for emergency treatment. RSPCA Insp Boris Lasserre said: “The bolt has gone right through the lower part of the goose’s head. Incredibly he was still alive! He was taken to the RSPCA Birmingham Animal Hospital for treatment and X-rays to establish the damage that has been caused by the bolt and the safest way to remove it."

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councilor Carl Rice, will lead Birmingham’s Remembrance Sunday service and parade at the Hall of Memory this Sunday with proceedings beginning with the Salvation Army Band and the West Midlands Fire Service Pipe Band to commence playing on Centenary Square, with uniformed contingents marching on to the square, followed by the Standards and Association march.

A group of prominent civic and faith leaders from across the UK travelled to France for a series of interfaith solidarity events in the run up to the first anniversary of the Paris attacks as part of an initiative which includes engagements across Paris and Rouen at key locations associated with the terrorist attacks. The aim of the trip was to highlight unity and reinforce the bonds of solidarity between international communities, at a time when terrorists are desperately trying to tear societies apart.

The journey to help the Commonwealth reverse the human impact of climate change has begun. That’s according to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland. She was speaking at a two-day brainstorming session at the Commonwealth Secretariat headquarters in London. Climate change experts focused on exploring practical and economically viable solutions to combat decades of harm to the environment.  

New figures published today show the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children supported by Haringey has increased to 46 this week. These include 3 children from Calais who arrived here this week under the ‘Dubs Amendment’. In January 2016 Haringey was supporting 31 unaccompanied asylum seeking children.  Unaccompanied asylum seeking children are under 18 and have no family in the UK. Haringey provides extensive support to these vulnerable children including fostering to give them a secure home and educational support.

Artists, both well-known and, as yet, undiscovered are invited to submit designs for The Big Sleuth’s Sun Bears. Download an artist pack from www.thebigsleuth.co.uk/artists and submit ideas online before midnight on Monday 2 January 2017 to be in with a chance of seeing your Sun Bear design on display in Birmingham and its surrounding areas next summer.

Religious leaders from around the world gathered in St Andrews on to sign the ‘Declaration on a Shared Humanity,’ to marks the culmination of the Year of Interfaith Dialogue, an initiative set up to stimulate conversation about the commonalities between the different faiths. Attended by senior members of the Christian Churches and the Catholic Church, members of the Hindu community from the UK and India, leaders of the UK Jewish community, senior Buddhist monks and the representative of the Dalai Lama, the 130-strong religious delegation from 19 countries was joined by 32 school pupils from Fife in the signing.

The UK’s leading registration body for electricians is urging people to think electrics when they carry out their checks on the elderly this winter. Proportionately, older people suffer more fatal and non-fatal injuries from electrically-related house fires than the rest of the population. People over 65 are particularly at risk because they often live in old or poor-quality housing that contains faulty electrics or old appliances.

Scott and Brett Bernard are 3,900 meters up Kilimanjaro raising money for The Way Youth Zone in Wolverhampton. Five friends from around the Black Country are trekking six vertical kilometers across seven days as they scale Africa's highest mountain to raise money for the three charities: Promised Dreams, The Way Youth Zone and Birmingham Children's Hospital. 

The risk of drivers having an accident in the 4 weeks following the clocks changing at the end of October increases by 10%, and if they are driving between 5pm and 8pm, when it’s both dark and busy on the roads, the risk of having an accident rises dramatically by 30%  compared to the previous month according to Insure The Box, the global pioneer of telematics-based car insurance, and a champion for young driver safety.

City of Wolverhampton Council has released details of how people can take part in a consultation on cuts proposals of £13.5 million. The council, which continues to manage Central Government funding reductions, is giving people the chance to have their say before the 2017/2018 budget is set in the Spring. People are being asked for their views on 32 proposals which are a combination of cuts, more efficient ways of working and plans to generate additional income.

Children’s charity Barnardo’s has been chosen by Network Rail employees as their ‘Charity of Choice’ until March 2019. They will support Barnardo’s through fundraising, volunteering, gifts in kind and payroll giving to help the charity with its work to transform the lives of some of the UK’s most vulnerable children. Information about Barnardo’s work will also be displayed at nineteen mainline stations in England and Scotland, including Birmingham New Street and Bristol Temple Meads.