Community News

An exhibition of paintings by a British artist which depict aspects of the 11-day massacre in the Bosnian town in 1995 will be displayed in the Council House on Srebrenica Memorial Day, on 11th July 2023. The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Chaman Lal will view the exhibition on Tuesday before councillors take their seats in the council chamber, where an all-party motion will be brought by Cllr Martin Brooks OBE.

New YouGov findings published today by the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) suggest a growing number of young adults could turn to insurance fraud as the cost-of-living crisis deepens. As many as one in four young adults now say they would ‘likely’ consider an act of insurance fraud if they were struggling financially, which is a marked increase when compared to the same survey results taken last year*.

The findings come amid concerns that more people are turning to opportunistic fraud as they struggle to make ends meet. In response, IFB has launched a public awareness campaign called Fraud Cons to highlight the devastating consequences that fraud can have on those tempted to make fraudulent insurance applications or claims.

Something spectacular will be happening over the next few weeks at Birmingham New Street as Ozzy the bull returns to the city. Passengers travelling through the busiest station outside of London may have noticed some huge hoardings go up recently, behind which the star of last year’s Commonwealth Games opening ceremony will be rebuilt.

Festival season has gripped Birmingham, after two local care homes welcomed the local community to party their way across the summer. The team at Care UK’s Edgbaston Manor, on Speedwell Road, and Metchley Manor, on Church Road, were joined by the local community to sing their hearts out at their summer events.

Summer is the perfect setting to clean public spaces since many professionals decide to travel, educational facilities expect a slower pace of students, and businesses prepare to welcome tourists that expect pristine clean spaces.  

During the summer, it's the ideal time to deep clean and maintain a healthy and clean environment. The frequency in which a space is cleaned should not be reduced because there are less people on site, Grupo EULEN recommends the cleaning protocols should remain standard to be more effective. It is also a good time to consider outsourcing a third-party company that can deep clean your facility and provide maintenance of roofs, landscaping, A/C filters among other services.

AI and robotics can provide positive transformational opportunities, but should be employed in conjunction with manpower in order to achieve the best results. That’s the view of one of the country’s leading experts in the field, who says ensuring an effective balance is struck will help ensure businesses maximise efficiency and profits.

Ian Hart, adi Projects’ Business Development Director, said: “Androids are not capable of replacing humans inside factories altogether. But as the power of AI continues to develop, they have the potential to become irreplaceable for specific functions. 

A brand-new study released by Zego reveals where in the UK is most cost-effective to be a taxi driver- Hereford ranking in second.

The taxi insurance experts at Zego have examined several administration costs that are required when setting up as a taxi driver in each UK city. Startup factors include the average cost taxi insurance, initial cost of a DBS certificate, average cost of a taxi licensing fee (for three years) and the average cost of petrol per litre. 

Explore fantastical computer-generated ecosystems and play with amazing interactive creatures at Wolverhampton Art Gallery in a new summer exhibition Microworld Wolves: A Digital Adventure. Microworld is a dynamic and interactive exhibition which has been seen by over 500,000 people.

Microworld Wolves fills three rooms with colourful projections and pixel-based creatures which respond to the audience – and is a celebration of a new type of living art that encourages experimentation and collaborative play. Created by Genetic Moo, Microworld Wolves uses computers, projectors and sensors so that visitors can experience a fully interactive and immersive art space.

The iconic 615-seat double-decker, absent since March 2020, brings much-needed extra capacity for business and leisure customers on Birmingham Airport (BHX)’s popular, twice daily Dubai services. Flight EK039 touched down in Birmingham on Saturday at 1225 BST (British Summer Time) before departing for Dubai at 1440.  

A major new project that explores the cultural impact of UK independent record stores that specialised in Black music from 1950 onwards, has been launched. 2Funky Arts has been awarded a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible thanks to National Lottery players, to explore this fascinating subject. ‘The Record Store & Black Music, A UK History’ will link in with Black History Month 2024.

The Belfry Hotel & Resort, in the West Midlands, an award-winning luxury resort in Royal Sutton Coldfield and host of The Betfred British Masters, has announced that it has achieved Golf Environment Organisation (GEO) certification.

GEO certification acknowledges golfing resorts, tournaments and facilities for their outstanding sustainability efforts. The accreditation is internationally recognised and administered by the not-for-profit GEO Certification Ltd.

The PURE Project, an employment support scheme for people facing multiple barriers, and its partner BID Services celebrated achievements of participants within education, training, and employment today at the Deaf Cultural Centre in Ladywood. Other key partners included the Prince’s Trust and the Aston Villa Foundation who ran wellbeing sessions.

A group of women from Birmingham have visited Turkey (Türkiye) this week to help child refugees following the devastating earthquake in the region earlier this year.

The delegation fundraised thousands of pounds in Birmingham before taking the donations directly to displaced families living in refugee camps in the Turkish south-central city of Gaziantep, where they distributed money and toys to those in need.

Eighteen employees from the global snack provider hit the road to take on the challenge of cycling either a 100km or 50km distance, with both routes starting and finishing in Bournville – the home of Cadbury.

Padraig Costello was one of four employees that completed the 50km route, with the team finishing the challenge in just over four hours. The other fourteen colleagues courageously took on the demanding 100km route and returned back to Bournville within six hours.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has become a mother for the second time, aged 53. The star, who welcomed her first child two years ago, announced the arrival of her son online, telling her followers that it's never too late.

She had not previously revealed she was expecting a second child and did not offer any further details around the birth. Campbell, 53, made similar headlines in 2021 when she announced the arrival of her baby daughter on Instagram.

The British model called the latest addition to her family "a true gift from God".

Tax credits customers have a month to renew their claim or risk having their payments stopped, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has warned. The annual deadline is 31 July and more than 300,000 customers who received a renewal pack with a red line across the first page and the words ‘reply now’ still need to confirm their circumstances for the current tax year to continue receiving payments.