Community News

The Forum for Global Challenges will see some of today’s most influential thinkers and doers gather in Birmingham at a major international meeting to showcase and generate solutions to some of the most pressing challenges faced by our planet and its people.
Organised by the University of Birmingham, the 1,000-delegate event, will combine a face-to-face conference at the ICC Birmingham with a fully online interactive format.

Worcester Cathedral’s Eco Group is leading the green agenda, having secured National Lottery funding to encourage local people to join them in taking climate action. And now they are inviting the local community to come together for ‘Living Gently on the Earth’ - a series of community events, talks and workshops on caring for the planet and living a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

New research from Birmingham City University has documented the feelings of vulnerability and incidents of exploitation that those living on the streets experience, by gathering first-hand accounts from some of the city’s rough sleepers. 

Direct testimonies form the basis of a newly published paper titled Living Rough, An exploratory study on the vulnerabilities of rough sleepers in Birmingham, United Kingdom. 

A North East woman is proud to be representing the region as an official baton bearer for the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay ahead of the Commonwealth Games this summer. This is a particularly poignant honour for Nicola Wood, who set up The Wonderful Wig Company as a second business after being diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2016, when she was 36.

Having first announced its ambition in 2019, the Midlands’ airport remains steadfast in achieving its 2033 target. Its roadmap prioritises zero-carbon airport operations while minimising the use of carbon offsets.

The plan builds on a decade of learning and investments that have already seen emissions, which the airport controls, reduce by 33%. This has been achieved through the use of solar, electric vehicle transition and energy-efficiency measures.

April is National Pet Month in the UK, and West Midlands housing association Bromford is marking the occasion by sharing their top tips for moving house with pets.

Catherine Jarrett, Director of Sales and Marketing at Bromford, said: “At Bromford, we understand that pets are part of the family, which is why we wanted to share some tips to help them feel more comfortable during what can be a particularly stressful process for them.”

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has today confirmed the inspirational people from communities across the West Midlands who will take on the role of Batonbearer in the Queen’s Baton Relay this summer. The Queen’s Baton will return home to the West Midlands on 18 - 28 July, in the final ten-day countdown to Birmingham 2022. The successful Batonbearers have been specially selected to represent the West Midlands and carry the Baton through local communities.

A recent discussion between Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counsellor, Liz Ritchie and stationery designer Youcef Bendraou from Pukka Pads has revealed new professional opinion, which confirms that pen and paper remain the most effective learning and development tool for children, even with continuing digital and technological advances.

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has today unveiled the uniform that thousands of volunteers and staff members will be wearing at the Games. The uniform design for technical officials and the formal outfits for delegates have also been revealed. 

The uniforms will be worn by over 14,000 people from across Birmingham, the West Midlands and beyond, who make up the ‘Commonwealth Collective’, a community of passionate and dedicated people who will play a vital role in helping to deliver the biggest multi-sport event in the UK since London 2012.

The borough’s first citizen chatted with key figures from the centre as part of the Made in Dudley Borough initiative.

The centre boasts more than 200 shops and restaurants, almost 10,000 free car parking spaces, supports more than 8,000 jobs in the local economy and is a major destination for shoppers from across the region.

Budding artists from across Wolverhampton have the chance to get their work displayed in the city’s art gallery in a new competition to create a portrait of the Queen. City of Wolverhampton Council has launched the contest as part of the city’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations marking 70 years since Her Majesty became the monarch.

Whether it’s Line of Duty or Luther, residents in the West Midlands have confessed that crime and police dramas are their number one pick when streaming TV shows.

The findings, as revealed by TalkTalk, showed that the region might be lacking a touch of romance, as only a fifth (19 per cent) admitted to watching romantic comedies with their partner.

Birmingham 2022 issued a reminder to local artists that a chance to apply to be part of the seven free Neighbourhood Festival Sites which will be located across Birmingham during the Games has ended.

The Neighbourhood Festival Sites, which are located in parks and other spaces across Birmingham, will combine sport, culture, and food and drink, as audiences enjoy some of the key moments of sport on the big screen, alongside a programme of live performances from artists and community groups.

Wolverhampton’s Yo! Easter programme is set to offer a host of fun and exciting events for children, young people and their families throughout the coming school holidays.

The Easter offer gets into full swing from Saturday (9 April) and continues for two weeks with a range of activities, many of them free, that the whole family can enjoy.

VisitEngland has announced that this year’s VisitEngland Awards for Excellence will be held at the Library of Birmingham on 8 June.

Finalists will be invited to the nationally recognised awards where Gold, Silver and Bronze winners will be announced across 15 core categories from the ‘Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award’ to the ‘Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year’ and from the ‘Pub of the Year’ to the ‘Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award’.

National Gardening Week takes place from 2–8 May and there’s no better place to find inspiration and advice or stock up on beautiful plants than the RHS Malvern Spring Festival, which takes place the very same week.

Set against a backdrop of the majestic Malvern Hills, this much-loved event is the first RHS show of the season.