Community News

Following the recent collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Harbor, in the USA, Royal Caribbean announced the temporary relocation of its operations to Norfolk, in Virginia.

Work to regenerate the former Erdington Baths into a community and enterprise hub is expected to begin later this year, following confirmation of a renewed funding agreement with the West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street.

In the last quarter (Dec 23 to Feb 24). Platform has sold 192 brand new homes to local families, which is a 152% increase on last year, owing to the increased popularity and viability of Shared Ownership as a route onto the property ladder.

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s Bike4Life Festival returns and will be bigger and better than ever before with a new venue to welcome its convoy of 3,500 motorbikes – Weston Park in Shifnal, Shropshire.

The vaping industry is a lucrative business that is growing and growing; with the ONS (Office for National Statistics) suggesting a global revenue of $26b in 2024.

In a significant boost to the UK mountain biking community, Muc-Off the global leaders in bicycle and motorcycle care and performance, announce a substantial expansion to its list of bike park partnerships.

As King Charles III led the Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle, in England, in his first major public appearance since being diagnosed with cancer, Pope Francis led Easter celebrations as he delivered a message of peace before a huge crowd in the Vatican, despite concerns of his health.

As UK mornings get brighter and evenings get lighter, today marks the beginning of British Summer Time (BST).

Birmingham Hippodrome has announced that over £27,000 has been raised through their recent Hippodrome Unlocked fundraising campaign.

A new mural celebrating the life and activism of late writer, poet and actor Benjamin Zephaniah is set to be unveiled at a park in Birmingham.

The RSPCA is urging owners to put the diet of their rabbits at the top of their shopping list this Easter.

An exhibition recreating one of Greenwich’s long-lost attractions opened its doors at the Old Royal Naval College on Good Friday.

The release of the Barbie film was monumental for the Barbie franchise, and a renewed interest in the toy franchise saw interest soar by 96.8% between February-April last year*

Not only this, but the popular release of the world's first Barbie with Down's syndrome has meant that the franchise is more inclusive now than ever. With this in mind, BonusFinder investigated which Barbies were the most valuable to hold onto, and how much you could get for your old dolls in today’s market.

Key Findings:

• Barbies lying around your attic could earn you up to a huge £21.9k
• The Barbies from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s are discovered as the most valuable
• The most popular decade for purchasing Barbies was the 2010s

The top 10 most valuable Barbie dolls of all time:

BonusFinder can reveal that the most valuable Barbie doll is Barbie #1, aka the original Barbie doll released in 1959. If you own one of these dolls, you could fetch up to a whopping £21,995 by selling it.

In second place is Dahlia Barbie, a 2000s release designed by Robert Best wearing a strapless black and white lace gown complete with opera gloves, silver earrings and a brooch with Swarovski crystals. These dolls could fetch an impressive £1,940 if sold, though worth just over 11 times less than the original Barbie.

Taking third is another 2000s Barbie - Golden Gala Barbie. This Barbie wears a gold fishtail dress, a vintage-inspired jacket and long white gloves. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on this Barbie, she could now be worth £1,162 today.

The Golden Gala Barbie is one of five Barbies from the 2000s that could earn you over £1,000. Fintan Costello, Managing Director at BonusFinder, stated: “As popularity and availability increases, resale value goes down.

“As a rule of thumb, the older the Barbie, the more she’ll be worth - especially in mint or good condition. If you’ve still got any Barbies from the ‘60s, ‘70s or ‘80s it could be worth checking their condition and value.

“When looking to sell your Barbie dolls, or any collectible for that matter, always check other listings to make sure your Barbie comes with all of the extra items she should - if not, value may decrease significantly.”

As early March creeped toward the first days of spring, the Lent season will also come to a close on Good Friday 2024 just before Easter.

Primary school pupils this week swapped the classroom for a construction site in Sutton Coldfield for a lesson in housebuilding and health and safety.

Angry residents of a Shropshire village have joined forces to prevent a developer from progressing plans to grab green belt land for a massive housing development.