Community News

Nearly £250,000 is to be invested in tackling neighbourhood crime after the City of Wolverhampton Council, West Midlands Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner were successful in a bid to the Home Office Safer Streets Fund.

Smethwick and Langley Swimming Centres, which are managed by Sandwell Leisure Trust (SLT), have both achieved ‘Excellent’ – the highest possible accreditation – in Sport England’s Quest Prime scheme.

Birmingham City Council has announced details on the latest element of the A34 Perry Barr highways improvement scheme, including key dates for anyone who uses key transport routes in the area.

A draft Masterplan outlining an ambitious vision for how to further improve Perry Barr over the next two decades has been published. The Perry Barr 2040 Masterplan looks to maximise the opportunities presented by the existing qualities of the area,

One of Britain’s first Black British consultants, pioneering neurologist James Samuel Risien Russell has today been commemorated with an English Heritage London blue plaque. The plaque marks 44 Wimpole Street, the impressive house which served as J. S. Risien Russell’s home and private practice from 1902 until his death in March 1939.

Former professional boxer John Fury – father to two-time heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and Love Island runner-up Tommy Fury - will be opening a new Community & Wellbeing Hub today in the heart of Walsall (17:00 approx.).

A leading Black Country manufacturer has announced its first nominated charity as part of its ‘Wired for Good’ campaign.

Wolverhampton's popular Youth Zone, The Way, hopes to reopen its doors to the city’s children and young people seven days a week from September.

The centre has worked with over a thousand youngsters throughout the Covid-19

One of the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Parent Champions has braved the shave to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Mercedes Fonfria, who has been a Parent Champion for four years, decided to lose her locks in honour of a friend who lost their battle with cancer earlier this year. After completing the head shave, Mercedes hopes that people will be inspired by her story and help her reach her raise hundreds of pounds for Macmillan, which provides physical, emotional and financial support to individuals and families affected by cancer.

Mercedes said: “My shave is a very small contribution towards the care of those who suffer from cancer and their relatives. It is not just about raising money, but a loving gesture of solidarity with women who suffer the trauma of losing their hair through cancer treatment. Be a sport and please help me reach my target.”

Councillor Beverley Momenabadi, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said: “Mercedes’ choice to brave the shave, after losing a close friend, is a completely selfless act to show solidarity with people suffering from cancer and to raise money to help support those who need it most.

“Macmillan Cancer Support does a lot of fantastic work across the UK and I would encourage everybody to donate to Mercedes’ fundraiser.” Parent Champions help support other parents with advice about childcare and free early education, inform parents of forthcoming events and support them to use local services.

Bringing together 25 ordinary diverse Midlanders who are extraordinary in their own, individual endeavours, a new statue - ‘Forward Together’ - was unveiled in Birmingham city centre to highlight the everyday people who makes the UK’s second city a ‘great city’.

The real people who are not usually celebrated, now have their own unique story to motivate and inspire others. From those who suffered domestic abuse, from cancer, to disabilities, the violence and blood-shed of the Holocaust and other tragedies, to simple acceptance in society, to racism, to mental health. 

Inspired by the city’s motto – ‘Forward’ - which came to fruition following the incorporation of Birmingham as a borough in 1838, the Forward Together monument gathered pace. The monument visibly represents its multi-coloured multicultural society.

The monument was built in 14 days by a team led by artist Luke Perry, artist Pauline Bailey, author Nats Perry and musician H (Haldin Wright) and MC Raaj Shamji. With a background in public art, representing those who are underrepresented, Luke brought them together, all from the community, to build this the monument that addresses the imbalance of representation in public monuments.

Installed in Victoria Square, the steel statue supports a giant coat of arms of Birmingham. The 13-metre long structure also displays a three-metre-tall crest has quotes from Birmingham poet Benjamin Zephaniah – ‘Nobody’s here without a struggle’ and ‘We all came here from somewhere’.

“I design the piece to represent my region,” Perry said. “I was asked to design a piece that represented my region. And, for me, the obvious beauty of the Midlands is its rich diversity.

“Growing up, my life has been made a more beautiful, cultural and exciting place because of the richness of difference that surrounded me, the diversity of life is where the colour and light was to be found. In recent years there seems to be a growing mood of opposition in the world, we all are encouraged to find our tribe, pick a corner and cram ourselves into a pigeonhole.

Zephaniah, called it; “a great masterpiece for diversity” and that it’s simply a monument that demonstrates what happens when people work together in supporting the city’s ethnicity and values.

Birmingham City Council leader, Councillor Ian Ward said: “I was really looking forward to unveiling this impressive piece of work which reflects not just the diversity of our great city, but also what can happen when people work together.

“The fact that Luke has been inspired by local people with extraordinary stories to illustrate the diversity of our city and how we can come together to achieve things is a great message for everyone.” An empowering piece that allows people to represent themselves that can be copied and adopted for anywhere in the world.

The monument – which will be displayed in the city centre for 12 months and possibly longer – was created for a competition that is due to be aired on TV in October.

New research shows that the burgeoning market of pandemic dog owners fear they will no longer be able to give a suitable home to their pets as lockdown restrictions ease, unless places of leisure and employment improve their dog friendly credentials. The research, released this week by The Kennel Club as part of its Open for Dogs campaign, shows that almost two thirds (64 per cent) of people in the Midlands are worried about dogs bought during the pandemic being abandoned when 'normal' life resumes.

Nationally, almost a quarter (23 per cent) of owners fear that they will no longer be able to provide a suitable home for their dog post-lockdown, with a staggering amount – nearly one in five (17 per cent) – saying they have considered rehoming as an option. A further 21 per cent have said they have left their dogs ‘home alone’ for longer than they should and 14 per cent have left them in cars or outside of shops. Almost half (47 per cent) of people in the Midlands say that there are not enough businesses accommodating our four-legged friends, who have been a lifeline for so many during the pandemic.

“This new research worryingly shows that if dogs can’t go to places with their owners, and fit their lifestyle post-pandemic, some will be left home alone for too long, or even sadly rehomed or abandoned,” commented Bill Lambert, spokesperson for The Kennel Club. “These consequences could be quite devastating for the nation’s dogs, who frankly don’t deserve to be left behind after being there for so many during lockdown.”

And as businesses begin to open their doors to the public again following ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, those in the Midlands recognise the benefits of establishments and workplaces opening up for the estimated 14 million strong dog owning population, not only to prevent a welfare crisis for man’s best friend but to boost the local economy:

·         Two in three (66 per cent) agree more customers will visit places like pubs and cafes which struggled during lockdown, if dogs can come too

·         62 per cent agree dogs can be a conversation starter when out, after a year off socialising

·         In the workplace, 69 per cent believe dogs can alleviate stress

·         And almost three quarters (71 per cent) think four-legged friends make the workplace atmosphere more friendly

The research also suggests priorities and lifestyles are changing post-pandemic; almost all new UK dog owners, a staggering 92 per cent, want to see more places open for dogs, and three quarters (72 per cent) are more likely to go to a dog-friendly establishment than one that isn’t. Nationally, more than half of dog owners would be prepared to pay more money to go somewhere dog friendly (52 per cent) and 55 per cent say that they would stay longer if they didn’t have to race home to see their dog.

Following these findings, The Kennel Club has launched its Open for Dogs campaign, urging more businesses, establishments and workplaces to consider the benefits of being dog friendly. The campaign provides advice, tools and resources, from downloadable dog-friendly policies and window stickers, to top tips for both owners to take their dogs to dog-friendly places responsibly, as well as businesses and workplaces who want to open for dogs.

Bill added: “Hospitality, businesses and workplaces can play a role in combatting the looming welfare crisis faced by this pandemic pup generation by being open for dogs; helping owners to introduce or re-introduce their pet to ‘normal’, without leaving them behind, and preventing a legacy of separation anxiety.

“Following a year of lockdown restrictions impacting business, dog friendly policies can also reap economic benefits across the board – according to our research more than one in two owners claim they would happily stay longer and spend more if their dog was with them whilst out socialising at a pub, café or restaurant. While there may have been some short-sighted puppy buying decisions made during the pandemic, as a dog-loving nation we must look at the bigger picture and encourage more places to welcome dogs, capitalize on the benefits and ‘paw it back’, easing our four-legged friends out of lockdown, opening up more widely for their re-entry to ‘normal’ life, and celebrating their positive place within our society.

“Dogs should be a part of our lives and daily routines as much as possible, and we hope to see the UK being as faithful to dogs as they are, and have been, to us.” Further information about The Kennel Club’s Open for Dogs campaign, alongside practical advice, printable dog-friendly policies and ‘Open for Dogs’ window stickers for business owners, workplace decision makers and owners, is available at: thekennelclub.org.uk/openfordogs.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, recently saw how local families and young people in Haringey have the chance to cook their own food at one of the most borough’s most exciting new projects - the Cookbook Edible Library at St Ann’s Library garden. 

A partnership between Haringey Libraries, Edible London and Volunteer It Yourself, the project has transformed a previously unused space into a flourishing community kitchen and growing garden. The work was partially funded through the first round of the Mayor’s Grow Back Greener Fund, part of the Mayor’s programme to secure a green recovery from COVID-19.

The project has twin aims of tackling food insecurity while providing excellent training for young people. Local families and young people have the chance to use the space to grow and cook their own food, while 14-24 year-olds are coached in outdoor activities including construction and gardening. By providing positive opportunities for young people, the project is also helping to steer them away from crime, anti-social behaviour and gangs.
 
Approximately one in six Haringey pupils are known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (16 per cent), but provisions are not available out of school hours. This project aims to be up and running in time for their planned summer holiday food programme for children and young people who often have little or no access to healthy food.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vital importance of Haringey’s green spaces for Londoners’ health and wellbeing. The Edible Library garden is part of the council’s Borough Plan commitment to promote and improve Haringey’s open and green spaces.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “As Mayor, I want London to lead the way in tacking the climate emergency and for all Londoners to be have access to great green spaces close to where they live. The new funding I am announcing today during London Climate Action Week is just the start of even more investment in green spaces, nature and projects to help tackle the climate emergency.   
 
“The community-led projects that benefit from our grants provide so much more than just improved green space for local communities. The Cookbook Edible Library project I visited today provides an educational, safe space for young people to develop new skills – providing positive opportunities and alternatives to those who might be vulnerable to getting drawn into gangs.” 
 
Councillor Zena Brabazon, Haringey Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children and Families said: “This fantastic garden is the result of hard work by dedicated volunteers and community groups, delivering a wonderful local resource. It connects this lovely local library even more to our community. 

“Our libraries are a real haven and I am proud we are seeing further developments. At St Ann’s, the garden provides children and young people with real life experience connecting valuable life skills on good nutrition and food budgeting with reading and study. A great combination of learning and activity, and we will continue to invest in training and skills for all of Haringey’s young residents.”
 

Edible London founder, Sunny Karagozlu, said: “The importance of this project goes beyond merely food and growing. Here, at Edible London, food is the connecting block to a whole new world. Disenfranchised youth can enter a safe space where they can not only read and educate themselves - in terms of using the services already on offer at the library - but where they can now also get access to an educational growing space.

“Furthermore, thanks to the state-of-the-art kitchen on site, young people will also be able to see how some of these foods can be used, first-hand, through the provision of educational cooking workshops centred around plants. Put down the knife and pick up the shovel because the seeds we sow today, helps our communities grow tomorrow.”

Ed Sellwood, Founder & Operations Director at VIY: “The community kitchen and growing garden at St Ann's Library is a great example of how VIY combines vocational skills training and employability outcomes for young people with the transformation of under-utilised 'grey space' into a brilliant new green, sustainable community asset.”

As footie-mad sports fans put up football nets in the back gardens and sports fields of England, the RSPCA has already received more reports about dangerously entangled foxes and other wild animals than this time last year.

With the RSPCA taking 1,139 calls about animals entangled in sports, garden and deterrence netting already this year, numbers have already overtaken 2020’s 1,127 calls for the same period. In just three weeks in June this year, the animal charity had already received at least 30 netting entanglement reports, 20 of which related to foxes or fox cubs and the remainder being other species such as hedgehogs, deer, rabbits and birds such as gulls and crows. 

RSPCA Scientific Officer Evie Button said: “Football and other types of netting may be fun for humans but can be very dangerous for wild animals if they are left out overnight. The RSPCA receives hundreds of calls every year to rescue animals - often wildlife - who have become tangled in netting on sporting equipment or garden nets.

“Already this year, the number of call-outs to rescue animals caught up in nets are up on 2020 and in the past couple of months, we have had a spate of young foxes in particular becoming entangled. We suspect that people’s enthusiasm for Euro 2020 may have inspired increased numbers of amateur football nets to be put up in gardens and sports fields around the country and young, curious foxes are unaware of the dangers.

“Getting tangled up in netting is very stressful for an animal, particularly one that’s wild. And if the animal gets seriously entangled, netting - whether it’s used for sports, fencing or the garden - can cause severe injuries or even death. As wild animals frequently get trapped during the night, they may have been struggling for many hours by the time they are found in the morning and often need veterinary attention and sedation to cut them free. 

“It's great that the likes of Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips are inspiring many of us to put on our shooting boots this summer - and enjoy the great outdoors and nature while having a kick-around. But we would urge those using sports netting to remove and store all nets after their game and put any discarded or old netting safely in a bin.

“Any garden fence netting should be replaced with solid metal mesh and use wood panels as fencing instead of netting.” Of the 503 incidents reported to the RSPCA about wild mammals tangled in netting in 2020, 223 were related to foxes, 155 were hedgehogs and 104 deer.

Recent case studies the RSPCA has been called out to rescue include:

·         A juvenile fox rescued by the RSPCA after getting caught by his neck and leg in football netting in a garden in Harrow 

·         A “fox in the box” scored an own goal - after getting caught in football goal netting in a back garden in Swansea

·         A not-so cunning fox had to be rescued by the RSPCA after she was found trapped in some football netting which almost strangled her in Loughborough

To report concerns about an animal, call the RSPCA’s emergency line on 0300 1234 999 or visit the website (www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/injuredanimals).

A team of 18 amateur cyclists, led by ex-England footballer and blood cancer survivor Geoff Thomas, are over halfway through cycling the full 21 stages of the 2021 Tour de France route, one week ahead of the professionals. They have now completed 13 stages and 2,220km of the famous route including a double ascent of the infamous Mont Ventoux on stage 11. The Tour 21 aims to raise in excess of £1,000,000 for national blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia and the team has raised over £900,000 towards that target.

Cure Leukaemia, which was announced as the first ever official Charity Partner of the Tour de France in the UK for the next three years, recorded a £1,700,000 fundraising shortfall in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and The Tour 21 team aims to help the charity address this shortfall in funding by completing all 3,384km of the world’s most famous and prestigious professional cycling event.

All funds raised by The Tour 21 team will be invested in the national Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) which has been solely funded by Cure Leukaemia since January 2020. TAP is a network of specialist research nurses at 12 blood cancer centres located in the UK’s biggest cities and a facilitatory hub based at the Centre for Clinical Haematology in Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital. This network enables accelerated setup and delivery of potentially life-saving blood cancer clinical trials to run giving patients from a UK catchment area of over 20 million people access to treatments not currently available through standard care.

On July 4^th 2003, Geoff was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia and given just 3 months to live. Thanks to treatment from Cure Leukaemia co-founder Professor Charlie Craddock CBE and a transplant from his sister Kay, Geoff went into remission in early 2005. Just months later, Geoff then rode the first of his Tour de France challenges and now, 18 years later, he is halfway through his fifth and final ride through France.

Geoff, who was awarded an MBE just days before setting off for France said:

“July 4^th is always a special day for me as it reminds me how lucky I am to be alive and have the opportunity to take on challenges like this. On that day 18 years ago, I was informed that I might have just a few months to live but here I am, cycling the Tour de France thanks to charities like Cure Leukaemia. That is why it is so important that we keep driving our fundraising forward in the final week of The Tour 21. It is great to reach £900,000 but we really want to have surpassed £1,000,000 before we roll into Paris on Sunday July 11^th because it will give hope to blood cancer patients all across the UK.”

As well as donations to the team’s JustGiving page, those wishing to support The Tour 21 can purchase tickets for The Ultimate Cycling Prize Draw for a chance to win 21 fantastic prizes including a Pinarello Dogma F12 worth £15,000. 

Geoff and the team have been receiving messages of good luck throughout the event including from his former Crystal Palace teammate and now England Manager Gareth Southgate and also comedian, actor and Crystal Palace fan Eddie Izzard.

New landscape designs revealed by HS2 show how an area around the River Cole in Warwickshire, identified as a Heritage Hotspot, could be transformed for local people to enjoy. Two HS2 viaducts will be constructed near Coleshill, and the landscape around them will create new public spaces with footpaths and cycleways allowing people to enjoy and better understand their local heritage.

The area has a rich history, including a medieval deer park, the Tudor Coleshill Manor and the expansive Elizabethan garden which HS2 archaeologists recently uncovered. Natural habitats will also be created for local wildlife, and access to water will create opportunities for fishing and walks around the river.

The current viaduct designs allow for space to provide a ‘nature-led’ realignment of the river, increasing its biodiversity and to provide flood compensation areas. Habitats and ponds will create new homes for amphibians, dragonflies, otters, great crested newts, reptiles and badgers, which will all benefit from these new ecological features.

New integrated designs for the structures include reducing the height of the western viaduct from 10m to 4m, which results in a 36% reduction in materials being used and a 26% reduction in the viaduct’s carbon footprint. Changing the girder from concrete to steel also brings environmental benefits, including reducing the use of materials and the construction time, with 97% of the steel coming from recycled sources.

North of the viaducts, embankments around the existing Coleshill Manor will be planted with woodlands designed to complement existing vegetation. Accessible new green spaces will enrich the existing estate by taking inspiration from the parkland landscape setting of Coleshill Manor.

The design will highlight the historical and ecological make-up of the site and links between Coleshill Manor and the river. Further north, at Chattle Hill near the Water Orton viaducts, there are plans for a ‘blossom walk’ to link to a new community orchard and allotment areas, along with the planting of fruit trees and herbs for foraging.

HS2’s Head of Landscape Design, Christoph Brintrup, said: “HS2’s enhancements to the integrated design of the viaducts and landscape in this area have made the most of the rich local history and biodiversity, creating the opportunity for fantastic new spaces for people and wildlife to enjoy. Our multi-functional design will enhance biodiversity, provide an inclusive, healthy and accessible landscape, and also help stitch the Delta Junction into its surrounding context.

“Our design and construction approaches aim to achieve HS2’s wider environmental commitments to reduce our carbon footprint. Most of the steel used to construct the viaducts will come from recycled sources, and we’re also pleased that design improvements have resulted in a big reduction in materials used to construct the viaducts.”

The section of the HS2 route where the River Cole viaducts are located is known as the Delta Junction, a triangular section of line where the HS2 route curves west towards Birmingham and runs north towards Crewe and beyond. The River Cole West and River Cole East Viaducts curve away from the northbound route, bringing HS2 passengers into the heart of Birmingham at the city’s Curzon Street Station.

The Design Joint Venture working for Balfour Beatty VINCI JV (BBV) on these proposals consists of global consultancies Mott MacDonald and Systra together with architects Weston Williamson + Partners.

BBV Design Joint Venture Lead Architect, Nick McGough, said: “This is currently a complex area, with existing motorways and railway infrastructure isolating the site. Our design vision will use the Delta Junction as a catalyst to integrate HS2 into the landscape by creating a harmonic relationship with the railway, the site and wider landscape through local connectivity, habitat creation and biodiversity, landscape integration and flood risk mitigation.

“Close collaboration between multiple teams has been essential in developing designs, including the involvement of Ecologists, Landscape Architects, Engineers and Architects among others. This has resulted in developing the River Cole Viaducts so they sit lower in the landscape, utilising a weathering steel deck with longer spans and sculpting the piers to remove over 33% of the material from previous designs.

“In the past the river had been used for pleasure boating by the Edwardians. The arrival of HS2 means the area will once again promote travel across this landscape including the installation of new footpaths and cycle ways for local people to use.”

Local residents will have the opportunity to comment on the designs, with a virtual engagement event held in July to inform the local community of some key aspects of the designs and collect feedback:

·         River Cole Viaducts and Chattle Hill Structure: Have your say, Thursday 8 July, 18.30 – 20.00 

Another engagement webinar will focus on new designs for the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal Viaduct.

·         Birmingham and Fazeley Canal Viaduct: Have your say, Tuesday 6 July 12.00 – 13.15 

The design process for the River Cole Viaducts is still ongoing. Comments collected from HS2’s engagements will be shared with North Warwickshire Borough Council.

All feedback will also be published on HS2’s website: www.hs2inwarwickshire.co.uk

The popular physical activity game Beat the Street is returning to Wolverhampton next month. The walking, running, rolling, wheeling, cycling and scooting challenge will take place across the city from Tuesday 20 July to Tuesday 17 August, encouraging friends and families to get active together.

The game forms a key part of the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Yo! Summer Festival, which will offer hundreds of events across the city, many free of charge, to keep children, young people and their families active and entertained right throughout the school holiday period. Residents who took part in Beat the Street when it was last held in Wolverhampton in 2017 will be familiar with the unique game, which invites teams to score points by travelling as far as possible within the game area.

The 2021 edition will be bigger and better, with more than 200 accessible Beat Boxes which will be placed approximately half a mile apart on lampposts across the city. Players hover their game cards over a Beat Box to start their journey, and can score points for their team for each Beat Box they swipe in the next 60 minutes.

This time around, the game is taking place during the summer holidays and every primary-aged child will receive a game pack, through school, so they can join in the fun. The packs include a game card, wall chart and stickers and a set of fun challenges to try each week. Parents will receive game cards so they can play along, too.

Everyone else can take part by collecting a free game card from one of the 20 distribution points listed at: www.beatthestreet.me/wolverhampton. More than 150,000 people have played the Beat the Street game safely in various UK towns since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many reporting that it had a positive impact on both their physical and mental health.

The game is contactless and can be played in household groups or bubbles, while the Beat Boxes have been adapted to be more sensitive and do not need to be touched. Signage will also be put in place at Beat Box locations to help with social distancing.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “It’s a real pleasure to announce that we are bringing Beat the Street back to Wolverhampton again this year. Anyone can take part, regardless of age and ability – and best of all it’s free.

“We know that one of the best things we can do right now for our physical and mental health is to move more and to get out into green space where possible, and Beat the Street helps us do that safely. Many players in Wolverhampton said that the previous Beat the Street games helped them to walk or ride more often, to visit new places and to spend more time with their friends and family.

“As well as encouraging people to get active, Beat the Street has been shown to get communities more engaged, less car-dependent and fitter, all of which are vital in the fight against Covid-19.” This year’s game will be split into themed weeks, Go Play, Go Active, Go Wild and Go Explore, to help players make the most of their game experience, and once again schools, communities and workplaces will be able to win prizes for the further they travel.

Alternatively, players will be able to give their points to a local charity to help them get a cash donation.

Beat the Street Wolverhampton forms part of the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Yo! Summer Festival and is delivered by Intelligent Health with funding from the National Lottery via Sport England.