Community News

The Sikh festival of Vaisakhi was celebrated in Leicester as thousands turned up to commemorate one of the largest religious festivals in the county as a huge burst of colour and culture flooded the streets in a huge public procession.

The annual event was louder and prouder than ever as the Sikh community came out in full force for the first time since the pandemic.

Thirty young people from across the UK who have all experienced homelessness came together to influence positive change as they took part in national Youth Homeless Parliament.

An idea inspired by the late Jack Dromey MP, a man who was fiercely passionate about ensuring children and young people could experience the democratic process first hand in the heart of Parliament, Youth Homeless Parliament (YHP) aims to ensure that the voices and lived experiences of young people who have experienced homelessness are heard, and that Government has the information it needs when making policy that impacts young people across the country.

People took the opportunity to gather together, on large-scales, to celebre the end of Ramadan, with Eid al-Fitr returned in full, after a two-year break caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the UK, cities like Leicester, Birmingham, London and Manchester the shackles of restrictions were released, with Eid – falling on 1 or 2 May, depending on the sighting of the new crescent moon – saw open-air events back in full flow.

Councillors in Gloucestershire have backed the "unprecedented" removal of a 248-year-old statue with links to the transatlantic slave trade. Stroud District Council voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to "pursue" taking down the Blackboy clock that sits on a Grade II listed building.

Under a law introduced last year, the communities secretary can now call in any decisions by local authorities. Councillor Natalie Bennett said the statue was likely to be a "test case".

The funeral arrangements have been made for popular community campaigner and Birmingham City’s legendary fan Barrington Patterson, following his recent, and sudden, death.

The successful kickboxer, mixed martial artist, cage fighter and leading community campaigner died of a heart attack.

Details have been released explaining why London Euston station must be closed during essential railway improvements over the Early May Bank Holiday.

Network Rail is investing millions of pounds upgrading sections of track in Watford and Wembley to improve future journeys on one of Europe’s busiest mixed-use passenger and freight rail routes.

Samsung has apologised for a recent advert which showed a woman getting up at 02:00 to go for a run through the streets of a city alone.

The advert has been criticised by some women's running groups and safety campaigners for being "unrealistic". Samsung said it was never its intention to be insensitive to ongoing conversations around women's safety.

An incredible £31,172,643 of National Lottery funding went to projects in Birmingham in 2020/21, according to new figures released today to mark the launch of this year’s National Lottery Awards. A total of 644 National Lottery grants were allocated in this period, providing crucial support to arts, sports, heritage and community organisations in Birmingham. 

A replacement memorial to a British-Nigerian man who drowned after being chased by police has been vandalised. The laminated copy of the tribute to David Oluwale was placed on Leeds Bridge on Wednesday after the original blue plaque was stolen shortly after being unveiled on Monday.

City of Wolverhampton Council has extended the deadline to Tuesday, May 3, for city residents and organisations to apply for a free road closure to celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee with a street party.

Forty applications from across the city have so far been received to mark Her Majesty the Queen becoming the first British monarch in history to reach the milestone this June.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has appointed construction firm VolkerFitzpatrick to build three railway stations on the Camp Hill line in south Birmingham. 

It is part of the £61 million scheme to reintroduce passenger train services to Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell for the first time in 80 years.

To celebrate Global Intergenerational Week starting on 25th April, Percussion Play is highlighting the positive effects of intergenerational music-making and its ability to promote inclusive play and bring benefits to both young and elderly people.

The goal of the week is to inspire individuals, groups, organizations, local/national government, to fully embrace intergenerational practice, connecting people of all ages especially the younger and older generations.

Thousands of people took part in a Sikh parade through the streets of Coventry which also benefited a Ukrainian charity.

The procession, known as Nagar Kirtan, drew about 10,000 people to take part as they celebrated the festival of Vaisakhi, organisers said. A donation ceremony started the event, with money given to a Ukrainian charity alongside British ones.

Environmental organisation Pollenize and community interest organisation Real Ideas came together on World Earth Day, (22nd April), to celebrate biodiversity through a 36,000 children-strong mass wild seeding, and a one-of-its-kind interactive, 360 degree, immersive, cinematic, experience at The Dome, Market Hall, Plymouth, England. Both experiences marked the culmination of an ambitious schools project, involving children across Plymouth, to engage the younger generation in the importance of bees and other pollinators, and their natural habitat.

City of Wolverhampton Council is urging people to nominate voluntary organisations for The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) 2023. A QAVS is the highest award that can be presented to a voluntary group in the UK.

Introduced by Her Majesty the Queen to mark her Golden Jubilee 2002, a QAVS is considered to be the equivalent of the MBE for volunteer groups and is awarded for life. 

From Boxing for England several times at an international level, to signing sponsorship deals with Everlast, Sports Direct and MTK Global and winning his first professional fight earlier this year, Bilal Fawaz is still battling to legalise his status with the UK Home Office.

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, and becoming the ABA Champion in 2012, it has been agreed by both the Home Office and the Nigerian High Commission that he cannot be deported, but still will not be granted a UK passport or residency papers.