Community News

New research from Sue Ryder, the national healthcare charity, has found that over half of the British public think that remembrance events, such as Sue Ryder’s Walk to Remember, help them grieve.

Over two thirds of the British public admitted to having a special place they visit to remember someone who has died. Interestingly, young people were twice as likely as those aged over 55 to have a special place.

Sue Ryder is calling on all the Great British public to organise a Walk to Remember either alone or with friends and family to visit their special place and to celebrate the life of the person that died whilst raising money for Sue Ryder, the national healthcare charity.

Not only do the public have a special place, but they are visiting on a regular basis. Almost three fifths (57%) visit once a month and 95% of people will visit their special place at least once a year to remember someone who has died.

There are many reasons why someone may visit a special place to remember someone who has died, but 61% of the British public admit that the biggest reason for visiting is because it made them feel closer to the person. Other reasons included, it helps them grieve (44%), it helps them talk to the person who has died (42%) and it helps them process their emotions (35%).   

People’s ‘special places’ can vary but the top five places people go to remember someone who has died are:

1.    The person’s grave (39%)

2.    Where the person’s ashes were scattered (23%)

3.    The countryside (16%)

4.    A local park (11%)

5.    The person’s favourite pub or restaurant (9%)

Sue Ryder is encouraging the public to get involved in Walk to Remember to raise vital funds for the charity, whilst also encouraging supporters to take the time to remember someone who has died. The Walk to Remember event asks the public to sign up to walk 5k, 10k or any distance they can manage, and encourages people to create a route that incorporates their ‘special place’ – wherever that may be.

The money raised by taking part in Walk to Remember will go directly towards Sue Ryder’s vital end of life, bereavement and neurological support.

Bianca Neumann, Head of Bereavement at Sue Ryder, said: "We all deal with grief in very different ways. Some of us may want to remember someone who has died on our own at a special place, while others may take comfort in being with other people.

"Walk to Remember is a great fundraising event that allows supporters to walk in memory of someone who has died and do what works for them and their own personal journey through grief, whilst raising vital funds for Sue Ryder."

Geoff Hurst, former England footballer, World Cup winner and Sue Ryder Ambassador, said: "Sue Ryder is a cause that is close to my heart. My daughter was cared for in her final days at one of Sue Ryder’s hospices in 2010. The compassionate care she received meant an awful lot to me and my family.

"Sue Ryder does fantastic work, being there for families like mine. However, it remains reliant on donations to ensure it can keep offering expert care."

Caroline Graham, Director of Fundraising at Sue Ryder, said: “Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many people have had to grieve alone this year.  Walk to Remember is an incredibly special fundraising event that allows supporters to raise vital funds, whilst also helping us grieve by coming together and talking about our loved ones who are no longer with us.

“The money raised by taking part in Walk to Remember will enable us to continue to provide compassionate and expert end of life, bereavement and neurological support.”

Sue Ryder supports people through the most difficult times of their lives. Whether that’s a terminal illness, the loss of a loved one or a neurological condition – we’re there when it matters.  For over 65 years our doctors, nurses and carers have given people the compassion and expert care they need to help them live the best life they possibly can.

To sign up to the Walk to Remember, visit sueryder.org/walktoremember

The importance of good mental health and wellbeing will be highlighted on World Suicide Prevention Day. Wolverhampton’s Suicide Prevention Stakeholder Forum will also be using the day to raise awareness of the help and support available for people experiencing distress or despair, and to open up a dialogue around this complex issue.

A wide range of free events and activities will be taking place on Friday, including a Walk and Talk in West Park with Wolves Foundation's Head 4 Health project, open to men aged 18-plus who will be invited to take a stroll and chat about everything from football to feelings and anything in between.

There’s just a week to go for people to share their views on the policing priorities for the West Midlands. More than 4,000 people across the West Midlands have already had their voices heard by responding to Police and Crime Commissioner’s consultation which he is using to shape his Police and Crime Plan.

Simon Foster has been consulting the people of the West Midlands since taking up the office of PCC on 13 May 2021. The PCC wants to hear what people’s priorities are, what crimes they are most concerned about and their views on the way the police is funded.

The display, entitled Floella’s Future Generation, is sponsored by Veolia and is all about how we can all make a small or large change to help improve the environment for future generations. Building on Baroness Floella Benjamin’s garden in 2019, the display gives examples of how to make a positive environmental difference in your own home, garden or the community you live in.

The display will also raise awareness of sustainable energy sources and look at how these initiatives can be scaled up or down to fit all scenarios. It will showcase traditional seasonal bedding, with all the plants produced or maintained at Birmingham City Council’s nurseries.

The results of a £2.3m project to restore historic cemeteries in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter were unveiled during a special ceremony this week.

A memorial stone was revealed as part of the new Garden of Memory at Warstone Lane Cemetery, which has also seen its historic catacombs restored as part of the Jewellery Quarter Cemeteries Project, on 31 August 2021.

The spectacular backdrop for a landmark memorial in Wolverhampton which will commemorate the bravery of 19^th century Sikh soldiers has been craned into place. The eight-metre steel plate depicting a mountain range and strategic outposts will form part of the city’s new Saragarhi Monument, which will stand on land in Well Lane in Wednesfield.

Black Country sculptor Luke Perry is creating the memorial, which has been commissioned by Guru Nanak Gurdwara and is the first monument in the UK specifically honouring the fallen soldiers.

To celebrate Emergency Services Day, which takes place on Thursday 9^th September 2021, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is asking local landmarks and companies across the West Midlands to ‘Light Up Red’. The initiative aims to help raise awareness of the lifesaving pre-hospital critical care provider on the national recognised day for emergency service personnel and to also celebrate the charity’s Air30 30^th anniversary.

A mother whose young son fell into a lake has used social media to track down the two men who rescued him. Natasha Creek and Frankie, 7, were at Caldecotte Lake in Milton Keynes when he fell off a jetty last month.

Brothers Kofi and Jermaine Reid were nearby and pulled him from the water but she said she was too shaken at the time to properly thank them. She found the pair after a Facebook appeal and was "blown away" to meet them again with the whole family.

Those returning to work and school this month are being asked to plan ahead and consider going by bike or walking, as traffic is expected to be the busiest it’s been since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The first weeks of September are usually busy as up to 100,000 children return to classrooms and people return to work after the summer break.

But with coronavirus restrictions having been lifted, this year will see many more people returning to workplaces for the first time in more than a year. This will provide a vital boost to footfall in our town and city centres, ensuring the region is open for business, but will also see an increase in traffic at peak times.

Digbeth-based Eastside Projects have been collaborating with South African artist, Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi and her team on creating a bold new series of artworks set in Birmingham thanks to funding from the British Council as a part of the Birmingham 2022 culture programme.

The funding from British Council has allowed for a research and development programme that builds a bridge between two major cities within the Commonwealth, Birmingham and Johannesburg. Beginning in May, and working through to the end of July, the development phase of the project has allowed for Eastside and Nkosi to explore ideas and pull together artworks based around spaces and people in Birmingham – all whilst being 8,000 miles apart.

A new digital inclusion team at the city council will ensure Birmingham’s most vulnerable and excluded citizens will have better access to online services. This is one of the recommendations in a report to cabinet setting out a city-wide digital inclusion strategy.

Birmingham City Council has brought together 40 different organisations to ensure people have access to equipment, network connectivity and skills for improving their quality of life, developing their careers and saving money.

Faith leaders have been encouraged to keep their congregations safe from Covid-19.

With infection rates remaining high in the city, Wolverhampton's Director of Public Health John Denley has written to faith groups asking them to continue with the measures they have put in place to protect their congregation, and to keep windows and doors open to allow fresh air to flow through places of worship.

The Metro Mayors for Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and West Midlands joined forces to call for an extension of the Government’s successful Housing First pilot scheme for tackling homelessness.

Andy Burnham, Steve Rotheram and Andy Street all share the same ambition to end rough sleeping and believe that the three Housing First pilots in their areas have been making a significant contribution to achieving this. Figures show that 96% of those who benefited from the scheme had come straight off the streets, 25% before they were 18 years old.

A young care leaver from Wolverhampton has received an award from The High Sheriff of the West Midlands in recognition of his "great and valuable services to the community". 

Ricky Lowther was presented with the award at a reception attended by the High Sheriff Louise Bennett OBE DL in the presence of the Mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Greg Brackenridge last week. 

September 4th is set to be the most popular day to get married in the UK and as wedding season draws to a close, top10casinos.com has commissioned research that illustrates how the  typical 2021 wedding has played out in numbers.

The study of 2,000 people has revealed that in total, we have popped 92,364 bottles of champagne and have “cheersed” each other 52 times a day. Around 3,500 photos have been taken, including 1,008 selfies, averaging at a photo being taken every six seconds.

A delivery driver is swapping the steering wheel for walking sticks and taking on a 615-mile challenge in aid of a mental health and wellbeing charity. 

Kevin Beale, aged 75 from Kidderminster, is walking the Monarchs Way to raise money for the Kaleidoscope Plus Group. He will also donate some of the funds raised to the Children’s Air Ambulance and RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association).