Community News

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah will organize the annual ‘Grand Hajj Symposium’ on June 20th, in Jeddah, coinciding with Hajj season. The Symposium, which was launched in 1970, tackles various issues of concern to the Islamic world, such as upgrading the procedures of Hajj, development of the Islamic world, enhancing the human communication between pilgrims during the Hajj season…etc. as well as releasing research papers on technical and humanitarian issues.

Experienced rail industry leader Mal Drury-Rose has been appointed to the twin role of Director of Rail for Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and Executive Director of the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE). The job involves leading on delivery of region’s Rail Investment Strategy, including development of new stations and services and overseeing the West Midlands Railway franchise. 

Parents and carers across the city are being urged to carry out important checks before hiring vehicles for Prom night.

City of Wolverhampton Council’s licensing team is working with schools and other councils across the region to alert families to potential risks. Officers warn that not all companies that advertise the services of stretched limousines and other luxury or performance vehicles are licensed.

WMG at the University of Warwick is celebrating the completion of a major funded programme this week which has helped to add £220m to the Midlands economy.

Over the last five years, WMG’s Digital Innovation for Manufacturing (DI4M) has helped create 660 jobs and digitise 370 businesses – supporting hundreds of small and medium sized manufacturers across the Midlands. New products have been taken to market through the programme including a novel electric charging point that attaches to lampposts, ultra-high speed 3D printer, and a wall climbing robot to undertake important maintenance work on tall buildings.

Rail passengers are being encouraged to show their local railway station some love during Better Transport Week - a national week-long celebration of sustainable transport organised by Campaign for Better Transport – for a chance to win a £100 rail voucher. 

In partnership with Community Rail Network, which supports those working and volunteering in community rail, Campaign for Better Transport is asking rail passengers to share what they love about their railway station by sending a comment, photo, artwork or even a poem about what makes their station great. The winning entry will receive a £100 voucher to use on Britain’s national rail network.  

The upcoming planning applications, engagement and consultation activities associated with the future of the Alexander Stadium and Perry Park are as follows:

Recently, the government made a big announcement about the fate of our employment laws. And HR is set to see some major changes off the back of it…

You may remember last year when the government said they were planning to review all EU-derived laws so they could decide whether to keep, change or remove them. And any laws they chose not to keep or do anything with would expire at the end of 2023.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, has announced a new top team to drive the region forward following a major transfer of powers and funding from central Government. Following the local elections in May, the leaders of the region's councils have been appointed to portfolio roles on the Board of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

At today’s Board meeting the Mayor, who is also WMCA chair, welcomed newly elected Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton and deputy leader Sharron Thompson to the board, along with Dudley’s new deputy leader Paul Bradley and Walsall’s new deputy leader Garry Perry. The Mayor also thanked outgoing Birmingham leader Ian Ward for his valued contribution over the last four years as Portfolio Holder for Transport and the council’s outgoing deputy leader, Cllr Brigid Jones, for her work as Portfolio Holder for Levelling Up.

Children enjoyed activities with Aspiring Futures last week, just one of hundreds of events offered by Yo! Wolves to keep young people occupied and entertained during the half-term holidays.

May half-term holiday activities provided by Aspiring Futures were in full flow, offering the city’s young people plenty to do along with a nutritious meal at The Saplings and the Al Amin centre in Wolverhampton. Children aged between six and 16 were able to enjoy a free lunch along with a varied programme of fun and exciting things to do, including an opportunity to learn self-defence skills, delivered by fully trained instructors from ‘Krav Maga’.

The Board of Birmingham Airport (BHX) is pleased to announce the appointment of Sir Hugh Robertson as Chair.

He will take up the role as of 18 July after a Board meeting on that date. This comes after an extensive external search process following the current Chair, Tim Clarke, notifying the Board in January of his intention to retire this summer.

A new survey has found that nearly four out of five employers (78%) think that the various sides involved in strike action should seek independent mediation to resolve their dispute. 

Acas, the arbitration body which handles over 500 collective disputes every year, offers a free independent mediation service called collective conciliation that can help employers and trade unions resolve their disputes. The YouGov poll asked respondents whether they thought the various sides in dispute taking strike action should seek independent mediation.

SevenHomes, the regional housebuilder by SevenCapital Group, has welcomed a new senior hire to its land and planning team.

Lee Jones joins the team, based on Birmingham’s Colmore Row, as Senior Technical Manager. With over 20 years’ worth of experience and a proven track record in the residential property industry, Lee began his career after achieving a degree in Architecture from Birmingham City University.

New research has revealed the 10 most expensive dog breeds to insure, with the English Bulldog taking the top spot. Insurance specialists at A-Plan Insurance analysed data to discover the average monthly cost of pet insurance for different breeds in the UK to determine the ranking. 

The Energy Profits Levy, which puts a marginal tax rate of 75% on North Sea oil and gas production, will remain in place for the next five years while oil and gas prices remain higher than historic norms – but this will fall back to 40% when prices consistently return to normal levels for a sustained period.

Put in place to tax extraordinary profits made by industry following record high prices of oil and gas driven by Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the levy has raised around £2.8 billion to date and is expected to raise almost £26 billion by March 2028 – helping to fund the measures to help with the cost of living, such as the Energy Price Guarantee.

With a heat health warning issued for this weekend, Severn Trent is encouraging people to consider how they use water at home.

With the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advising that temperatures could hit 30 degrees this weekend, Severn Trent is reminding people to be mindful of their water use whilst enjoying the warmer weather. 

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, is delighted to announce its D-Day Cycle Tour, which starts on Wednesday the 5th of June 2024. The route begins at historic Southwick House in Portsmouth, the site of the forwards headquarters of the invasion of Normandy and the famous Map Room.

From there, onto a ferry and across the Channel, via the landmark beaches stormed by Allied Forces exactly 80 years ago; Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah, then triumphantly on to Caen. During the three day, fully supported event, cyclists will ride over Pegasus Bridge, famously taken in the early hours of D-Day by the 6th Airborne Division and through Sainte-Mère-Église, also taken in the early hours by the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The trip will culminate in a service of Remembrance at the Bayeux Cemetery, the largest WW2 cemetery of Commonwealth soldiers in France.