Community News

As the world’s gaze and an estimated 100,000 Catholics descend on St Peter’s Square for the funeral of the former Pope Benedict XVI, the Sikh community of Birmingham pays condolences and fondly remembers the relationship with the Catholic Church.

It is with heavy heart the world bears witness to the passing of Pope Benedict XVI, who created history by being the first Pope to resign in nearly 600 years and, now in death, becomes the first former pontiff in the modern history of the Catholic Church to be buried by an incumbent Pope.

A memorial plaque has been unveiled on Moathouse Lane East shops in Wednesfield in honour of a popular member of the local community.

William ‘Bill’ Jones, who sadly passed away in January, aged 89, was a shopkeeper and business owner in the area between 1960 and 2008.

A long-serving officer and founder member of the WMP Black and Asian Police Association was awarded a King's Police Medal (KPM).

Andrea Reynolds was recognised for her role in policing and wider community in the New Year Honours List. She joined the West Midlands Police force as a PC in the 1990s before retiring earlier this year with a host of achievements behind her.

The January Challenge, a free initiative that uses creative challenges to connect people with their communities, is calling on people across the UK to sign up ahead of its kick-off - on January 1st.

The January Challenge is run by the UK-based non-profit 64 Million Artists. It involves 31 days of quick, fun and free creative challenges – one challenge for each day of the month – that everyone can participate in. The initiative is partly funded by the Arts Council.

Huge queues of people paid their respects to former Pope Benedict XVI at his lying in state in the Vatican.

He died on New Year's Eve at the age of 95, almost a decade after he stood down because of ill health.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has secured almost £3.5 million funding to support the better design, planning and development of cycling, wheeling and walking schemes in region.

The grant from Active Travel England’s Capability Fund will be used by TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and local council partners to increase the resource and expertise required to deliver the region’s ambitious active travel plans.

People using the city’s libraries will not have to pay outstanding fees on overdue books, it has been announced.

As Birmingham City Council, working with its partners, continues to support residents during the cost-of-living crisis – an amnesty on fees for books returned late at all city libraries will run from December 2022 until 31 March 2023.  Fees will not be accrued during this period.

People who have followed the story of Rob Burrow's battle with Motor Neurone Disease and fellow Leeds Rhinos star Kevin Sinfield's campaigning are furious tonight. That's because King Charles' first New Year Honours has omitted Sinfield, despite calls from many that he should have been picking up a knighthood.

Rail passengers are being warned of severely disrupted train services in the first week of 2023 as two rail unions take strike action over five days between them. Two 48-hour walkouts by Network Rail staff in the RMT union on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4, and Friday 6 and Saturday 7 January, will see just nine trains per hour serving Birmingham New Street over reduced operating hours.

Former Pope Benedict XVI died almost a decade after he stood down because of ailing health.

He led the Catholic Church for fewer than eight years until, in 2013, he became the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.

Cycle parking racks used at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games venues during the summer have been handed out to 50 community groups, local authorities, and businesses.

A wide range of organisations, from schools and residents’ associations to health centres and housing developers are benefitting from this Games legacy and helping to boost cycling rates in their areas.

As festivities draw to a close, Birmingham City Council has once again set up locations for residents to recycle their Christmas trees. Disposal points for anyone with an unwanted real tree are identified close to the main entrance to each of the following parks:

Millions of people hunkered down in a deep freeze overnight and early morning to ride out the frigid storm that has killed at least 24 people across the United States, trapping some residents inside homes with heaping snow drifts and knocking out power to several hundred thousand homes and businesses.

It was the $10bn gift to the world. A machine that would show us our place in the Universe.

The James Webb Space Telescope was launched exactly a year ago, on Christmas Day. It had taken three decades to plan, design and build.

After safely getting tens of millions of trains to where they need to be over 57 years, the Network Rail team at Birmingham New Street’s iconic railway signal box moved its last service on Christmas Eve. And while its ‘Brutalist’ external appearance has divided opinion over those seven decades, what’s less well-known is how integral its insides have been to run Britain’s railway.