Community News

One of the most important pioneers of UK Black music in Britain is to be honoured with a blue plaque on his 91st birthday. The late great Sonny Roberts opened the very first Black recording studio in Britain – Planetone. This was the catalyst from which Chris Blackwell created Island Records, and Lee Gopthal created Trojan Records. Artists such as Millie Small did occasional practice sessions at the studio, and it is now synonymous with these two labels.

Born on 26th July 1931 in Jamaica, Sonny emigrated to London in 1958 10 years after the arrival of the Empire Windrush.

Animated film productions in the UK are set for a boost as the government reveals increased tax relief, to take effect from 1 January 2024.

The creative industry has grown at more than 1.5 times the rate of the wider economy over the past decade, making it an important sector for the Chancellor’s plan to grow the economy. The new tax changes announced today are expected to be worth £5 million each year to business and come alongside the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit which was uplifted at budget from 33.33% to 39%.

The Midlands’ two biggest taxi operators have stepped up to offer a vital service to Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC). Go Carz and A2B Radio Cars have set up an account for the air ambulance crew, offering a free taxi service for them to get back from hospital when they have travelled by land ambulance or if the aircraft has needed to return due to night time and low visibility.

Amid reports that July and August are the busiest months for Brits to go on holiday, experts at Scams.info have provided expert tips on how to avoid the most widespread scams targeting tourists abroad.

Transport - When taking trips abroad, it’s vital to consider how you will travel throughout the country beforehand. Unregulated airport taxis could take advantage of the fact that you aren't local and may be uneducated on typical fares. As a result, you could be charged extremely high rates or taken to the incorrect destination which pay the taxi a finder's fee, rather than the hotel, restaurant or particular business you requested.

Virgin Galactic has announced the flight window for the ‘Galactic 02’ flight mission. This mission will be Virgin Galactic’s seventh spaceflight, second commercial space light and third spaceflight this year; flying three private passengers to space. The flight window will open on August 10, 2023, continuing the company’s cadence of spaceflights,

Details of the flight manifest, including the crew and pilots, will be released at a later date. The dynamic and inspiring crew will showcase the importance of removing the barriers of entry to human spaceflight.

Feedback is being invited on early proposals to transform Perry Park and deliver further enhancements to the Alexander Stadium following last summer's Commonwealth Games. The latest ideas have been shaped to support the aspirations of the Perry Barr 2040 Masterplan – to deliver a true legacy asset in the form of an improved park and a multi-purpose stadium with a year-round relevance for the local community and other users.

Parents should ensure they get written consent before taking their children outside the jurisdiction of England and Wales, an expert family solicitor from law firm Shakespeare Martineau has warned.

Stephanie Kyriacou, family associate at Shakespeare Martineau, said: “You must get permission of everyone with parental responsibility for a child or from a court before taking the child abroad, especially if there is a possibility that verbal permission could be withdrawn before travel.

It was announced that Jill Stewart, the wife for 14 years of Adam (Stewart), the Executive Chair of Sandals Resorts in Jamaica, and the Appliance Traders Group, passed away surrounded by love. Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holnes, the Hon. Minister Bartlett , the Sandals Resort Family, and so many in our wonderful global travel and tourism industry community to express our sincere condolences to a friend, leader and mentor of our industry, Mr. Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman Sandals Resorts.

Africa Mobile Networks (AMN) have announced that they have entered into a commercial agreement to use Starlink, SpaceX's constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, to connect AMN's mobile network base stations with high-speed, low-latency broadband services, to serve even in the most remote and rural communities around the world.

AMN is committed to its vision of a fully connected world, where no community of any significant size is without telecommunication services for the social, educational and economic benefit of the population.

Transport for Wales (TfW) is one of nearly 200 organisations which have been recognised by the UK Government for supporting the Armed Forces community, a record high since the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme launched in 2013. The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, the highest badge of honour, recognises the positive role that employers play in supporting the Armed Forces community.

In June, the United Nations approved a landmark treaty to preserve ocean biodiversity, seeming to augur a transformation in how countries and corporations do business on the high seas. But as the U.N.-affiliated International Seabed Authority (ISA) meets in Kingston, Jamaica, this week, it will be writing rules for deep sea mining that threatens the very ecosystems in need of preservation.

A new study has revealed that Derby is the UK's most relaxing place to live. The research by UK CBD Brand BrownsCBD analysed key metrics that contribute towards how relaxing a place may be to live such as:  

Wolverhampton's biggest ever Yo! Wolves summer programme has been officially launched – promising something for everyone. There is a wide range of events and activities for children and young people to choose from throughout the summer holidays, including, for the first time, more than 2,000 hours of free activities at the city's WV Active leisure centres.

The National Environmental Services Survey unveiled a startling statistic: just 11% of environmental services professionals in the UK believe that the Government will meet its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This concerning finding, among others, sheds light on the urgency for accelerated action and collaborative efforts to combat climate change.

BE OPEN Art, an online art gallery set up by BE OPEN think tank, a humanitarian initiative founded by international businessperson and philanthropist Elena Baturina, is running a new competition for emerging artists, aimed to support those whose art best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities – BE OPEN Regional Art.

The West Midlands’ most visited retail and leisure destination, Bullring & Grand Central, is set to enhance its tenant line-up even further with a significantly expanded Goldsmiths boutique and upsized Footasylum store.

Following announcements earlier this year that popular brands including Marks & Spencer, Bershka, Pull&Bear and the world’s most Instagrammable café, EL&N, will all be joining Bullring & Grand Central during 2023, the UK’s largest watch retailer, Watches of Switzerland, has announced that it will be considerably increasing its presence at the centre.