Community News

A Nechells man who dumped six sacks of asbestos on a street in Hockley has been given a ten-month suspended prison sentence for his offences after a prosecution brought by Birmingham City Council.

Everton Clarke, aged 55, of Cromwell Street was caught offloading the waste from a van on All Saints Road on September 3 last year by a council CCTV camera – placed on the street due to it being fly-tipping hotspot.

Dozens of people joined a Hope Walk in Wolverhampton city centre to mark the end of Suicide Prevention Month.

The event, last Thursday, was organised by the Wolverhampton Suicide Prevention Stakeholder Forum as an opportunity to spread the word that there is help and support available to people in the city who are feeling overwhelmed by life, are worried about someone else in that position, or who have been bereaved by suicide. During the 90-minute walk, participants spoke to members of the public and visited organisations based around the city centre that offer help and support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair.

Forum trustee Clare Dickens said: "We need everyone in Wolverhampton to know that suicidal thoughts are a sign to change something in their life, not to end their life, that it is possible to recover with the right support, and that their lives matter.

"Our annual Hope Walk welcomed people together in order to share resources, stories and messages of hope across the city, and we enjoyed some fantastic engagement with members of public, university students and shoppers while handing out literature and support cards. The amount of engagement with local barbers and hairdressers was particularly rewarding – recognising the vital role they play in people's lives that extends beyond tending to their hair.

"For many people, attending their local hairdresser offers them a moment of relaxation and often they trust them with some of their struggles. When barbers and hairdressers ask if they are okay, they really do mean it and want to know the honest response.

"By working with them, we can ensure they are supported and so, in the event they get a disclosure that someone is considering their life is not worth living, they know how to give them safe, proportionate support and intervention." People who are having a difficult time or who are worried about someone else are encouraged to contact:

·         The Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.

·         Papyrus (for the prevention of suicide in the under 35s) on 0800 0684141, text 07786 209697 from 9am-midnight or visit www.papyrus-uk.org.

·         Kaleidoscope Plus Group Suicide Bereavement Support Group, visit http://bit.ly/KPG-suicide-bereavement-support.

The Black Country Partnership NHS Trust's mental health support line is available to residents of all ages who are experiencing mental distress and require urgent support, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling 0800 008 6516. Wolverhampton Suicide Prevention Stakeholder Forum represents a range of key organisations and charities within the city, supported by the City of Wolverhampton Council's Public Health team, which all work closely together in order to prevent suicide.

Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market is once again looking to recruit more than 200 people to support its stalls when it returns to the city centre next month.

Previously the event’s organisers – Frankfurt Christmas Market Ltd – have taken on temporary local workers, but for the first-time people will be able to apply online.

A married couple who escaped slavery in the US and fled to England to campaign for abolition have been honoured with a Blue Plaque.

Ellen and William Craft travelled 1,000 miles from Georgia to freedom in the north, with Ellen disguised as a white man and William as her servant.

Birmingham’s first ESB Energy multi-charging hub for electric vehicle (EV) users has been officially opened at a flagship site located on Navigation Street.

The hub includes four rapid (50kW) multi connector chargers and two fast chargers (22kW), allowing eight EVs to charge at any one time.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and RSA Insurance Group have launched the ground-breaking Fall Fighter initiative with the aim of tackling the UK’s biggest forgotten killer – falls in the home.

Falls are the single biggest cause of accidental injuries in the home and the largest cause of death among over-65s in the UK.

As the Metropolitan Police announces guidance on challenging plain-clothes officers following shocking revelations about Sarah Everard’s tragic murder, a former Met employee is calling for misogyny to be properly defined in law and treated as a hate crime.

Ronald Winch is a Senior Teaching Fellow in Policing at Birmingham City University and served for over thirty years with the Metropolitan Police Service and West Midlands Police.

Wolves at Work is urging city residents to get in touch and take advantage of a range of employment opportunities highlighted during Wolverhampton Business Week.

Employers and organisations currently have vacancies in the public sector, construction, hospitality sector and NHS.

Keen golfers from a range of corporate supporters teed off at the JCB Golf and Country Club to help make vital, lifesaving missions possible for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s pre-hospital emergency service. 

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s annual corporate golf day returned for 2021 with 21 teams from a number of supportive businesses that swung into action.

Consultation has now opened on new Places for People designs for both sides of Kings Heath High Street, in a bid to improve air quality and create safer streets for walking and cycling. Places for People has been designed to open up local communities for people cycling and walking - and protect people, especially children and older people, from the dangers of busy roads.

More than 47 million Brits are missing out on a £9 billion-a-year windfall by failing to claim cashback on their online shopping, reveals save-as-you-shop app Kindred. With official data showing that over a quarter (27.7%) of all shopping is done online, consumers typically spend £2,560 a year online but could each be earning 7.8% cashback on average for every purchase made.

Fraud related crime rates have risen by 52% over the past year according to new research, with 10.2% of those questioned in 2021 stating that they had been a victim of fraud.

New analysis of Crime Survey for England and Wales carried out by personal data and protection experts VPN Overview found that over the past three years fraud accounted for 69.3% of all personal crime reported through the Crime Survey.

A monument to honour Betty Campbell, Wales' first Black head teacher and Black history campaigner, has been unveiled in Cardiff. And it is believed to be the first statue of a named, non-fictional woman in an outdoor public space in Wales.

Drinking water in England was rated as very high-quality last year, despite the challenges of the pandemic, and property owners in Gloucestershire are being encouraged to do their bit to keep it that way.

The annual drinking water quality report, published by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) recently, shows drinking water in England is safe, reliable and meeting its stringent high standards.

Climate change is an existential threat that requires action from all people of faith.  Care for the planet is an ethical responsibility and embedded in the scriptures of all faiths and religions.

Faith provides a moral compass at this critical juncture. 

In a bid to exemplify the core Islamic values of volunteer service, good citizenship and caring for those in need including the environment, members of the Ismaili Muslim community in Birmingham organised a clean-up and litter picking at Canon Hill Park. Along with the clean-up the volunteers organized a host of activities for children including making bird feeders from old milk cartons, musical shakers using recycled kitchen towel rolls and growing tulip bulbs and vegetables in biodegradable pots. 

These activities form part of a new initiative – Ismaili CIVIC – aimed at improving the quality of life of the communities in which the Ismailis live, regardless of faith, gender and background. In the UK, it is the Ismaili Muslim community’s ambition to engage 10,000 volunteers to deliver 100,000 hours of service, accounting for over half of the Ismaili community in the UK, showing their faith in action.

Elahi Dhanani (16) from Birmingham, says: “I am a student in sixth form and I'm going to be volunteering to help clean cannon Hill Park and help students make bird feeders and share some vegetarian recipes. I think it’s really essential we look after our environment and leave the world a better place for future generations.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Says Margaret Mead. “I work for the Ismaili council as a Family Liaison Officer for families who need support with upskilling, financial issues, housing, educational needs, domestic violence, substance misuse to mention just a few, says Karima Gangji from Birmingham. 

“My hobbies include quite simply enjoying life in any manner, chilling in the garden, spontaneous BBQ's, dining out and more enjoyable eating the amazing dishes my hubby cooks at home. Love watching documentaries especially connected to our planet.

“We recycle, try not to use plastic and just be socially responsible. Looking forward to our vegetarian weekend and sharing our recipes.”

Sunday 26 September marked an inaugural Global Ismaili CIVIC Day, bringing together a community of Ismaili volunteers from more than 20 countries worldwide under the theme of Environmental Stewardship. Activities across the UK include litter picking, tree planting and personal pledges of time.