Community News

Worcester Cathedral’s brand-new pinnacle is now in place after the final stones were installed and blessed by the Interim Dean and Bishop at a ‘topping out’ ceremony.

Birmingham’s biggest private hire operator, A2B Radio Cars, is setting an example for keeping the streets clean. In a bid to tackle cleanliness in the Midlands, the organisation has donated £1000 to Clean & Green voluntary community group and have co-hosted a community litter pick.

As Worcester Cathedral prepares for a packed programme of festive celebrations this Christmastime, it is asking for your help to ensure it can continue to provide a place of community for everyone.

Leicester and Leicestershire’s ‘Community Champions’ were celebrated on Friday 10 November at the auspicious, annual VAL Awards 2023 in the East Midlands city.

Thousands of tree saplings are being given away across the region to celebrate more than half a million trees planted as part of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Virtual Forest initiative.

The Christmas Challenge utilises Big Give's ‘pledge’ model of match funding.

Lyle Bignon, Night Time Economy Ambassador (NTE) for Birmingham, working on behalf of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), described the Chancellor's Autumn Budget Statement as 'a missed opportunity to support the UK's fifth biggest industry', saying: "The Night Time Economy (NTE) is the fifth-largest industry in the UK.

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has announced Perry Barr Residential Scheme as the winner of the Award for Excellence in Planning for Communities for large schemes and Joshua Singh of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council as the Young Planner of the Year at the Awards for Planning Excellence 2023.

City of Wolverhampton Council has submitted a planning application for the redevelopment of Bilston outdoor market.

A new study of 35 Christmas markets across the UK has revealed that Birmingham is one of the best.

Wolverhampton’s streets and parks will become both cleaner and greener as the council starts to operate three new electric waste collection vehicles.

A region-wide plan setting out a raft of measures to significantly improve air quality and the health of local people was launched by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) which began with a series of priority measures that will be delivered with £1 million of government air quality funding and include:

• Installing a network of air quality sensors that will provide real-time, publicly accessible data on pollution levels across the region
• Education and awareness campaigns in communities, including schools, to improve knowledge and understanding of main sources of pollution and their health impact
• Development of an alert system when pollution levels are high
• Research into the potential to positively impact air quality through speed limit reductions on high-speed roads and in urban centres
• Devising regional targets that exceed current national and international guidelines on levels of PM2.5 and PM10 particulates, and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

From Gloucester’s twinkling forest lights to the festive markets of Cambridge, a getaway to any of these spots will leave you in the Christmas spirit.

The Prevention First Citizens' Panel, a group of volunteers that has supported Birmingham City Council’s commissioning process for 20 years, has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Mermaids, selkies and fairies flying through enchanted forests feature in Bamburgh Castle's breathtaking Christmas Kingdom. 

While Christmas is said to be a time for connecting with loved ones, for many it can mean loneliness– particularly for those later in life.