Community News

In a month where news headlines have sadly been full of harrowing stories of violence and sexual abuse against women, a powerful art project is being launched to empower women to share their own experiences of trauma using blank postcards as a canvas.

The Let Her project provides a platform where women can freely and safely share their stories via art on a postcard and submit it anonymously.

The latest and final venue for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has been confirmed, with Victoria Square in Birmingham city centre revealed as the official finish area for the Marathon which will be held on Saturday 30 July 2022.

The square will be a welcome sight for the finishers in all four races that will be held on the first Saturday of the Games, with the men’s marathon, women’s marathon and the men’s and women’s T53/T54 events all taking place on the same course which will start at Smithfield, another Birmingham city centre venue that has previously been announced as the home of beach volleyball and basketball 3x3 and wheelchair basketball 3x3 during the Games.

New research has found that Stoke-on-Trent is the most garden friendly city in the UK with 94.4% of addresses having access to private outdoor space.  

The study by home cleaning and maintenance service company Fantastic Services analysed ONS data on private outdoor space in more than fifty of the biggest areas of the UK to determine the city where a property is most likely to have a garden. 

All 22 of Haringey’s council-run parks and open spaces have cemented their award-winning credentials once more and will have Green Flags raised above them again this year.

Managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Green Flag Award scheme recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is calling for an end to the October clock change in order to save lives on the roads, improve wellbeing and help people reduce their fuel bills. Instead, the charity is calling for the UK to keep to British Summer Time (BST) all year.

Last year, pedestrian road deaths increase by a shocking 30 per cent after the October clock change.

Nearly 500 children have benefitted from closer contact with a parent through the child contact centre at The Salvation Army Birmingham Citadel in St. Chads, Queensway. The centre celebrates 21 years of operation this year and Salvation Army leaders have acknowledged the hard work, thanking the founders and its volunteers.

Councillor Sharon Thompson, cabinet member for children and vulnerable families, has praised a group of young people with additional needs for their campaigning work. The RISE Youth Forum has sent a powerful message about their lived experience.

Cllr Thompson said: “I spoke recently about the importance of the language we use to describe individuals and their needs.

The government’s offer of grants to replace gas boilers with heat pumps will be useless for most consumers, experts reveal.

Myles Robinson, heating expert at Boiler Central, said: “The plan is misleading for UK consumers. The government is suggesting that all homes can have heat pumps to replace gas boilers, when in fact only a small percentage of UK homes are suitable for them.

Birmingham’ Frankfurt Christmas Market started taking shape this weekend, as the city prepares for the festive attraction’s return next month. The distinctive chalets, bars and landmark Christmas tree, have started to take shape after work on building the market began on October 23.

Plans for one of London’s first new public parks for decades have been revealed, as Wembley Park opens the first section of a new open space for the capital – and the first time Wembley Park will have a new major park for 127 years.

Unveiling the plans for the seven-acre Union Park is the latest milestone in developer Quintain’s multi-billion-pound regeneration of Wembley Park, which is now a globally renowned entertainment district, as well as a thriving 365-day neighbourhood.

Pupils from an inner-city primary school have planted the first of 1,000 trees set to be placed along the route of the Sprint bus route. The children from Anglesey Primary School in Lozells picked up their spades and helped put 10 trees, of various types including cherry and walnut trees, in nearby George’s Park.

A report approved by City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet shows how the Council is continuing to support its tenants in rent arrears or with money worries caused by the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

There are currently almost 22,000 Council homes in the city, with 91 per cent managed by the Council’s arms-length management organisation, Wolverhampton Homes.

The LGIU and CCLA have announce that Councillor Parbinder Kaur of Sandwell Council has been shortlisted for the 2021 Cllr Awards for Resilience and Recovery. 

For the 12th year running, the Cllr Awards are the only national ceremony to celebrate the vital contributions of councillors that so often go unrecognised.

The head of the Irish Catholic Church has said partition causes him "a deep sense of loss and sadness". Archbishop Eamon Martin was addressing a service to mark the centenary of Ireland being divided and the formation of Northern Ireland.

In 1921, the island was divided into Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined 150 guests from both sides of the border at the event, with Archbishop Martin saying that for the past 100 years, partition had polarised people on this island.

School children from across Birmingham have been writing poems and creating ‘orange hearts’ artwork (the international symbol of welcome to refugees) to welcome those seeking sanctuary in the city, as part of a nationwide ‘week of action’ led by Together With Refugees. Joined by local charities, faith and community groups, they are coming together to call for a kind and fair approach to people seeking safety, while opposing the Governments Nationality and Borders Bill which is due to be debated in Parliament from this week.

Research from hospitality insurer NFU Mutual today reveals that 95% of dog owners are considering taking their dog on holiday, as thousands of canine guests are expected to accompany their owners during next week’s half term break.  

Against a backdrop of pandemic puppies and a surge in staycations, nearly two thirds (60%) of dog owners say they will always take their pet away with them.