Community News

Birmingham City Council has boldly unveiled a stunning new street art mural.

Selly Oak artist Joshua Billingham, also known as Gent 48, was commissioned to create artwork to celebrate a new era for Smithfield Birmingham, as part of the city council’s Be Bold, Be Birmingham initiative. Joshua’s bespoke mural is emblazoned on the roof of the former Markets Car Park in Moat Lane, Digbeth.

The Be Bold, Be Birmingham street art mural marks the beginning of one of the most significant development opportunities in the city centre. Smithfield Birmingham will be a bold, brand new innovative and sustainable city quarter that will provide local jobs, amenities and over 3,000 much needed new homes for the city, as well as opening up wider opportunities for regeneration.

The £1.9bn 17-hectare development will anchor an expanded city centre, helping to accelerate a wider transformation of Birmingham and support long-term economic and social prosperity within the region. Joshua’s unique design for the temporary artwork took eight days to complete and covers the entire surface of the car park roof.

“I’ve never painted on a car park roof before,” admitted Joshua. “I knew it was going to be challenging but then I thought if I’m painting a statement telling other people to be bold, I should be bold myself.

“I just love to paint. I didn’t do so well at school, but I was always passionate about drawing and painting. It shows that if you stick at something and you’re passionate it can pay off for you.”

Be Bold, Be Birmingham was launched earlier this year and is a campaign propelling Birmingham and its people to the forefront showcasing creativity, diversity, ambition and uniqueness.

“Joshua’s artwork is fantastic,” said Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council. “The message Be Bold Be Birmingham is very much about this city. Birmingham is a city on the up, a city that is going places.

“We want people to be really bold about their city and Be Bold, Be Birmingham is the ideal message.”

A new city centre walking tour looks at the public art you can experience all around as you walk the city. It is a fun and informative tour which runs on Saturday mornings from July.

The tour starts at Grand Central concourse above New Street Station, convenient for those coming in from the Birmingham suburbs or from other cities such as London. The tour considers both historical and very modern art installations including the brand-new installation, Forward Together, by Luke Perry in Victoria Square and many other pieces installed in recent years.

Public art requires interpretation and is often intentionally controversial. Open debate is encouraged on tour. Where public art is in disrepair or not being looked after, we ask some serious questions. Where sculptures from those who are now huge on the world stage languish in store we ask why. Where plinths are installed but no sculpture has returned we explore the idea that seemingly benign art is now more controversial as our industrial heritage is reinterpreted in the light of the Black Lives Matters campaign.

Speaking about the walking tour, Jonathan Berg says: “I have been photographing this stuff for over 30 years and have seen it come…. and seen it go. We have public art on our streets from some amazing artists. This is going to be such a fun tour to do which we hope will add to the things to do in the city centre.”

Positively Birmingham is a book about the modern city in photos and text. It was first published in 1994 and has sold over 30,000 copies over five editions. Jonathan describes the book and the walks as “One Birmingham citizen having a good old nose around the city.”

Demand for new build homes remains strong, says a Telford housebuilder.

Charles Church West Midlands is receiving high volumes of enquiries to view its latest show home in Newdale.

David Greengrass, head of sales for Charles Church West Midlands, said: “Since opening the doors to our four-bedroom Mayfair show home at The Barns development, we have been inundated with booking requests.”

According to the NHBC, the UK’s leading new home warranty and insurance provider, new build homes registration were up 10 per cent in quarter one compared to the same period in 2020.

“It is very pleasing to see such interest for our homes,” added David. “However, the health, safety and wellbeing of our team and customers will always be our priority and therefore it is essential that all appointments are made in advance.”

The Barns development is perfectly located to the M54 with ease of access to Birmingham and Wales and surrounded by the picturesque Shropshire countryside.

David added: “The location is very much key to this development. Our four and five-bedroom homes come in a range of different house styles which means there’s something for everyone.

“We expect demand to remain strong for the rest of the year which is really encouraging.”   

Birmingham City Council has bid for circa £64 million from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund to support four major schemes in the city. The selected schemes had been consulted on extensively and were identified as having a strong strategic case for investment opportunities. They include:

·         Erdington High Street – redeveloping the Central Square Shopping Centre and creating a new public square; transforming the former swimming baths in to a community hub; upgrading the public realm, footpaths and lighting to make it safer and more accessible.

·         A457 Dudley Road Improvements – major transport improvements to help reduce congestion, encourage active travel (walking and cycling), provide better facilities for public transport users and improve connectivity to new housing developments where more than 2,000 new houses are currently being built.

·         Moseley Road Baths and Balsall Heath Library – to allow for the next phase of restoring the Grade II listed Edwardian swimming pool and library.

·         Remediation of the former Birmingham Wheels Site (Bordesley Park) – remediation, treatment and clearance work to transform the space in to an attractive area for future employment and training opportunities.

Leader of Birmingham City Council, Councillor Ian Ward said: "After over a decade of austerity, Birmingham has some of the highest levels of unemployment and deprivation anywhere in the country and our communities should be at the heart of the levelling-up agenda.

"Birmingham City Council has a bold strategy for an inclusive recovery that will address long-standing inequalities that have been made worse by the pandemic and these schemes have the potential to create the jobs and opportunities that will drive that economic recovery.”

The Government announced a £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund (LUF) as part of the Spring Budget in March 2021. The fund will provide investment into infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport infrastructure, and investing in cultural and heritage assets.

A decision on the funding allocations is expected to be announced this Autumn.

Conservative Councillor Matt Bennett has called for an immediate rollout of mandatory e-scooter parking across the entire pilot area in Birmingham, saying the at the move is “urgently needed on the grounds of safety”.

As part of the e-scooter pilot currently taking place in Birmingham, the scooter hire company Voi have announced that they will be making some changes to how riders collect and park their e-scooters in Birmingham City Centre. They have stated that they will be moving to a mandatory parking model, which means that scooters will now have to be parked in a designated parking area and cannot be locked outside those areas. This is already in place on Birmingham University Campus.

However, across the majority of the areas in city that form part of the pilot, including Cllr Bennett’s Edgbaston ward and in neighbouring Harborne, scooters can still be left anywhere, causing obstructions on pavements which are a particular danger to those with visual impairments.

Councillor Bennett said, “The announcement from Voi is a great first step, but it simply does not go far enough. Complaints about scooters being ridden or left on the pavements are one of the most common issues we are dealing with in Edgbaston at the moment – I personally report several instances every week, but see many more where I am unable to spot the registration number in time to report it.”

Cllr Bennett added “Riding on the pavement and antisocial behaviour are perhaps more difficult to prevent automatically, but the parking issue is easily solvable and, indeed Voi are implementing a solution. So why not apply it everywhere and not just in the city centre and University campus? Residents with disabilities or with young children should not to navigate their way around discarded scooters when a solution is readily available and being used elsewhere? This move is urgently needed on the grounds of safety”

Cllr Bennett’s concerns are supported within a document presented to the Department of Transport by the National Federation of the Blind of the UK (NFBU) which concluded;

"The NFBUK recommends that rentable e-scooter trials are halted with immediate effect. They are dangerous and creating unsafe environments for blind, partially sighted, deaf-blind, elderly and disabled people, people using mobility aids and parents with young children, and all other pedestrians, in town and city centres. 

The observations of the rider behaviours witnessed in the Coventry, Birmingham, Milton Keynes and Northampton trials is terrifying, with reckless and dangerous riding being continually witnessed, during 12 site visits. The dockless model of rentable e-scooters is creating serious and dangerous obstructions and trip hazards in the urban environment.”

The head of a Midlands Housing Association, Llewellyn Graham has been recognised as an unsung hero of the last year for his work in the Jamaican Diaspora community in the UK at Jamaica’s recent 2021 Governor-General’s Diaspora Achievement Awards for Excellence.

This year’s awards were a virtual event and featured as part of the main activities of the 9th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Symposium under the theme “Jamaica and the Diaspora: Stronger Together for a Sustainable Future.”

It provides a platform for unsung heroes to be recognised and have their stories pivot a wave of inspiration across Jamaica and the Diaspora. Since 2008, nearly 50 Jamaicans have received these prestigious Awards in the Diaspora regions of the United States of America, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Llewellyn Graham, Chief Executive of Great Barr based Nehemiah Housing Association, which has over 1244 properties across the West Midlands, won the award having impressed the judging panel with his significant contribution in the changing of lives in the community through his work within the housing association and as a Bishop within the Church of God of Prophecy. Importantly, they highlighted that during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Llewellyn led a dedicated team of frontline workers in the delivery of exemplary service to some of the most vulnerable members of the Jamaican-Diaspora Community.

His Excellency The Most Honourable Sir Patrick Allen, ON, GCMG, CD, KSt.J, Governor-General of Jamaica, said: "The awards recognise the unsung heroes in the community who are working behind the scenes to make it a success.  It is heartwarming to pat them on the back and say thank you and well done for the work they have been doing. 

The standard of entries was incredibly high this year, and it was very hard to pick winners from all those who were nominated. With over 35 years of dedicated service to underserved communities and the Jamaican Diaspora, Bishop Llewellyn Graham, has built a strong legacy of quality service above self.”

Llewellyn Graham commented: “I am very pleased and honoured to win this award and would like to thank the team that support me both within Nehemiah Housing Association and the Church without whom the great work we do would not be possible.  I would also like to thank those who nominated me and I hope we can continue to maintain the high standards of work in future years."

Prince Harry has flown to the UK to unveil a statue to commemorate the 60th birthday of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Duke of Sussex arrived at London's Heathrow Airport alone on Friday afternoon local time, leaving wife Meghan back at their Californian home with son Archie, two, and newborn daughter Lilibet. He was driven under police escort to Frogmore Cottage, in the grounds of the royal estate at Windsor, where he will isolate for five days before taking a Covid-19 test.

Kensington Palace confirmed Harry, 36, would join older brother Prince William in the gardens of the palace on July 1 for a "small event" for the unveiling.

"Prince William and Prince Harry will attend a small event to mark the unveiling of a statue they commissioned of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace," a statement from Kensington Palace said. "In addition to close family of Diana, Princess of Wales, members of the statue committee, the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, and garden designer Pip Morrison will also be present."

It will be the first time the brothers have seen each other since the funeral of their grandfather Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in April. The brothers commissioned the statue in 2017, the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's death, by forming a committee and privately raising funds for it.

Princess Diana was killed alongside Dodi al-Fayed when the car they were being driven in crashed in a Paris tunnel in 1997, while it was being chased by photographers. The driver of the vehicle, Henri Paul, was also killed in the accident, though, the pair's bodyguard survived.

Prince William was 15 and Prince Harry, 12, at the time. "It has been 20 years since our mother's death and the time is right to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue," Prince William said in a statement when the statue was announced in 2017.

Despite Persimmon Homes and Aviva agreeing to change the way they operate in regard to leaseholds and ground rent charges, homeowners could still be entitled to compensation – according to an expert solicitor from law firm Nelsons.

Following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), house builder Persimmon will allow its leaseholders to buy the freehold of their property at a discounted rate, capped at £2,000, and insurance company Aviva, which buys leaseholds from house builders, will repay homeowners who saw their ground rents double.

Nelsons is dealing with compensation claims from homeowners across the country who have been trapped in unsaleable homes due to onerous ground rent charges.

Daniel Brumpton, partner and head of Nelsons’ professional negligence team, said: “After the commitments announced by Persimmon and Aviva, the CMA is expecting other housing developers and investors to take similar action.

“Due to unfair ground rent charges, many people in the UK have been left in a position where they are stuck with homes they cannot sell or been faced with unexpectedly high prices to buy their freehold.

“While Persimmon is allowing its leaseholders to buy the freehold of their property at a discounted rate and Aviva is removing ground rent terms the CMA considers unfair and repaying homeowners who have seen rents double, homeowners could still have incurred a loss because someone didn’t advise them properly in the first place.

“We’re ready to help people who have found themselves unwillingly involved in a leasehold mis-selling scandal to bring a professional negligence claim against the conveyancing solicitor they instructed to help with the purchase of the property. If the solicitor failed to give clear advice about the existence and implications of the onerous ground rent clause, we can assist you in claiming compensation for damages due to negligence, which could then help towards the cost of buying the freehold.”

“When a home is sold as a leasehold, the buyer owns only the house itself. The freeholder owns the land, meaning the buyer must pay ground rent annually, which is meant to reflect the value of occupying the land/ground.

“The purchaser occupies the property on the terms set out in a legal agreement called a lease. The leases granted by the house builders to buyers are usually for long periods, such as 250 years or 999 years.

“In recent years, house builders have been selling new build properties to buyers on a leasehold basis, meaning the house builder retained ownership of the freehold. In many cases, house builders then went onto sell the freeholds to third parties, such as investment companies.

“Other payments provided for in long leases can include fees charged by the freeholder to the property, such as building an extension or for agreeing to re-mortgage the property. Ownership returns to the freeholder when the lease comes to an end.”

“Historically, ground rents have been low – no more than around £50 per year. However, in the last few years, house builders have started to increase ground rents to an initial charge of between £250 to £500 a year.

“They have also added clauses in the lease that allow them to review the ground rent periodically, for example, every five, ten or 25 years. Typically, the review clause allows the freeholder to increase the ground rent at each review.

“In theory, a ground rent that doubles every ten years doesn’t sound too bad. However, most leases are set for a long term such as 999 years. If a ground rent of £250 per year doubles every ten years, you can expect to pay £16,000 per year after 60 years. For many people, that’s simply unmanageable.

“If you are a leasehold owner who purchased a new build property in the past ten years, you should check your lease to see what it says about ground rent and what you can expect to pay.”

“Because of national publicity, many buyers are now aware of the problem and unfortunately, will not buy a property with an onerous ground rent clause. The existence of such clauses has also led to banks and building societies refusing to lend on those properties.

“This means that in the unlikely event that a buyer is still prepared to buy a property affected by a ground rent clause, they are highly unlikely to be able to obtain a mortgage to complete the purchase. This clearly has a huge effect on the value of these properties, and, in some cases, they may well be worthless.

“Even to a cash buyer, a property affected by the onerous ground rent terms will be unattractive, as the burden of the clause will be inherited via the purchase.”

“The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill seeks to tackle the inconsistencies and uncertainty of ground rent for future leaseholders so that if you buy leasehold in England and Wales, you only have to pay the freeholder a nominal rent. This bill, if it becomes law, will also introduce new rights for Trading Standards to levy penalties on freeholders of up to £5,000 for breaches of the legislation.

“There are a few exemptions to the new rules outlined in the bill, although these are unlikely to affect the majority of new home buyers taking on a leasehold property in the future. These exemptions include:

·         Business leases where people need to live in the same premises as their workplace to continue to do this and agree with their freeholder the most beneficial and appropriate terms; and,

·         Some parts of the community-led housing sector, so that freeholders can retain the right to levy ground rent to maintain their ability to further promote community activities; and,

·         Certain financial products, which depend on leasehold agreements where rent replaces interest-bearing mortgage repayments.”

A fully accessible Changing Places toilet facility is now available at London Euston station.

The new loo opened as Network Rail continues to make rail travel more accessible for everyone.

Standard accessible toilets do not meet the needs of all disabled people.

A Changing Places toilet facility has:

·         a height-adjustable adult-sized changing bench

·         a ceiling mounted hoist

·         a centrally placed toilet with space either side

·         non-slip floor

·         a height-adjustable washbasin

·         an emergency alarm

The Changing Places toilet is opposite the existing loos on the eastern side of the station.

It’s hoped the investment will give those with profound and multiple disabilities, their carers, assistants and families the confidence to travel through Euston station.

Loraine Martins, Network Rail’s director of diversity and inclusion, said: “It is extremely important that we do all we can to ensure our facilities are as accessible as possible, for all our passengers, and I’m delighted that this Changing Places facility is now open.

“We want to offer the best possible experience for anyone who travels through Euston station, and this is an important step forward in making the rail network more accessible and inclusive for everyone.”

Changing Places manager for Muscular Dystrophy UK, Karen Hoe, which co-chairs the Changing Places Consortium, said: “We’re thrilled that London Euston has opened a Changing Places toilet today, and this will make travel more accessible for people with severe disabilities, including those living with muscle-wasting conditions.

“It’s a basic human right that everyone should be able to use a toilet that is appropriate for their needs with safety and dignity, and Changing Places toilets are a lifeline for the 250,000 people across the UK who rely on then.

“We encourage more train stations to install a Changing Places toilet to help tackle the exclusion that so many disabled people face on a daily basis. Doing so would help make the travel experience more inclusive for people who rely on these toilets.”

Passengers can ask a member of staff to get access to the Changing Places room or use the contact information posted outside the toilet entrance.

Bring it on Brum – the city’s summer holiday activities programme is on its way. This summer Birmingham will be putting on the country’s biggest and most ambitious new holiday activities and food programme - Bring it on Brum!

More than £8m in funding has been secured from the Department for Education’s Holiday Activity Fund for Birmingham and the city council is working with a network of local schools, community groups and commercial activity providers to help them make this summer one for local children to remember.

Open to families with school-aged children aged 5-16, daily activities and food are being laid on for free for those who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals. They are also calling for organisations who are interested in being an activity provider to contact us.

Throughout the holidays, children will be able to enjoy fun and enriching activities along with a nutritious meal served to school meal standards. There will be sports and games, arts and crafts, and lots of different activities to help children socialize, learn something new, recharge their batteries and get ready to return to school.

A short film featuring Marcus Rashford explains more about the Holiday Activities and Food programme.

Councillor Jayne Francis, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Culture, said: “We know there are families in our city who need support over the summer – with childcare during the working day, and to ensure their children can access good food.

“We’d love to hear from any providers who could step up to this opportunity and help us deliver within walking distance of those who will benefit from it most. Parents can play a big part too, by encouraging their local schools and any other community groups they know of to come forward and offer up their premises or help run a scheme.”

West Midlands customers of Your Co-op Travel, part of The Midcounties Co-operative, will help to create “remember forever” moments for children facing serious challenges, when they book a holiday with the travel company, thanks to a new partnership with charity, Go Beyond.
For every Co-op Holidays package booked in one of the 78 high street travel agencies across England, including 21 in the West Midlands, on the website (cooptravel.co.uk) or via the call centre, Your Co-op Travel will donate £1 per passenger, to Go Beyond. Additionally, customers will be given the option to donate £1 per passenger, to Go Beyond for holiday bookings made with any of the third party, travel companies that Your Co-op Travel agents sell.
Your Co-op Travel has branches in Dudley, Walsall, Sedgley, Solihull, Wednesbury, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, Stourbridge, Halesowen, Aldridge, Chelmsley Wood, Acocks Green, Wall Heath, Erdington, Bilston, Kingswinford, Bloxwich, Sutton Coldfield, Brownhills and Finchfield, as well as a Carrick Travel shop in Chesleymore, which joined the Your Co-op family in October 2020 but continues to trade as Carrick Travel.
Founded by teachers, John and Paula Vaughn, Go Beyond gives children and young people, aged 8-15, who are facing serious challenges in their everyday lives, a chance for a break. The breaks are a mix of residential stays and day visits, and include a variety of adventurous, imaginative, creative, and reflective experiences through which the children can build skills, make new friends, and try something new. Anyone who works with children, in a professional capacity, can refer a child for a Go Beyond break, which is fully funded by the charity. Throughout the breaks, which will take place at centres in Cornwall and Derbyshire, children collect “I will remember forever” moments, which are shared and celebrated at the end of each day.
Natalie Turner, Head of Branches for Your Co-op Travel, said: “We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Go Beyond. The charity’s staff and committed volunteers give children and young people who have been bereaved, abused, or bullied, who are living in poverty or caring for loved ones, the chance to escape their worries and pressures.
“As a travel business, we know how important a change of scene and a break from the routine is for maintaining positive mental wellbeing, so for our customers to be able to support Go Beyond in providing getaways for young people, whose day-to-day lives are particularly challenging, is a real honour.
“We’re a co-operative society, so making a difference to our local communities is really important to us and to our members. We are extremely proud that our partnership with Go Beyond will have a positive and lasting impact on children and young people in the Midcounties region, through the charity’s work. Go Beyond’s community focus, vision and ethos mirrors that of Your Co-op Travel and the wider Midcounties Co-operative society.”
Stephen Brearley, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Go Beyond, said: “We are very excited to partner with Your Co-op Travel, part of The Midcounties Co-operative, and their kind customers. The past year has been exceptionally challenging for the children and young people our charity supports, and this partnership, and the generous support from the customers of Your Co-op Travel, will enable us to provide children and young people with breaks that have a lasting impact on their lives.
“Every day we receive emails from professionals referring children to us who desperately need a break from their circumstances. We ensure that each child and young person attends a Go Beyond break that is packed with activities intended to encourage self-belief and inspire adventure. Our biggest hope is for each child to go home knowing they can achieve more than they ever thought possible.
“We’d like to thank Your Co-op Travel and its customers for believing in Go Beyond’s ability to make a lasting difference to so many hundreds of children’s lives every year.”
Your Co-op Travel branch colleagues will have the opportunity to support Go Beyond in a hands-on capacity by using the volunteering hours allocated to them by the society to help in one of the Go Beyond charity shops or on a Go Beyond break. Your Co-op Travel’s branches will also have collection boxes for customers to deposit unused currency as an additional way for them to donate money to Go Beyond.

Buckingham Palace has admitted that it has to start employing a more diverse workforce after the number BAME (Black & Minority Ethnic) employees working in the House was published for the first time.

In its annual financial accounts for 2020-2021 the Royal Household revealed its proportion of employees from ethnically diverse backgrounds stands at being 8.5% - short of its 10% target for 2022. According to a 2018 Race Disparity Audit commissioned by the UK government the percentage in the UK as a whole is around 14%.

A source said that the Palace published the figures so that they would be held accountable if no progress is made on the issue. This comes after the accusations made on the Oprah Winfrey Show, by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, of racism existing in the Royal Family.

Palace sources did, however, stress that changes in the Household towards diversity predated the allegations made by Meghan and Harry, but admitted that it (the Palace) needed to do more on diversity.

"We are not where we would like to be despite our efforts," the source said. "And we recognise that we must do more, we are engaging with the relevant grassroots organisations who sit on our steering committee, people who are able to give us a different voice, a different perspective, as well as other advisers.

"We felt that there is no place to hide following voluntarily publishing the statistics. We fully expect to be held accountable for the progress that we made and if we do not make the progress, we'll have to explain why." The Royal finance report says in early 2020 the diversity strategy was actively changed to emphasise the importance of inclusion.

During the Oprah Winfrey interview, the Sussexes claimed that questions were raised concerns with Harry about how dark their son Archie's skin tone might be before he was born. Following the interview, the Queen issued a statement saying that the issues raised especially around racism were being taken seriously but that some recollections may vary.

A Solihull couple are planning their first caravan holiday after winning a Swift Basecamp 4 SE and Vango porch awning worth over £22,000 in a Camping and Caravanning Club competition.

Susan Gray from Knowle, along with her husband, Iain, collected their prize at Broad Lane Leisure in Kenilworth.

Susan, a lunchtime supervisor at a local school, who entered the competition online, said: “It’s unbelievable really as you go in for competitions but never believe you will win something as big as a caravan. You might get the odd bottle of wine, but a caravan is something else!”

“When I met Iain we enjoyed a bit of tent camping and then the kids came and we started going camping in France. Now I’m looking forward to pitching up somewhere and going for a few walks with the dog before sitting in the van and unwinding. Our dog, Riley, will love being able to join us.

“We didn’t go away last year so it will be nice to enjoy some weekends away. We plan to start off with somewhere local and then go a little further afield.”

Susan and Iain will be joining many new staycationers that have chosen camping as their preferred holiday accommodation. The Camping and Caravanning Club is reporting a 99% increase in bookings for July and August on its network of 103 UK Club Sites compared to what it would typically expect, while caravan and motorhome dealerships are reporting high demand for new and used units. 

Husband Iain, a civil servant, added: “If we’re visiting places across the Midlands we usually just do it from home but with a caravan it becomes quite an attractive idea to pitch up somewhere for a couple of nights.

“The prize has come at completely the right time as our plans are to holiday in the UK and this offers the opportunity for us to go away for midweek breaks at short notice.”

Nick Page, Group Commercial Director at Swift Group, the manufacturer of the Basecamp range, said: “The Basecamp 4SE is a well-equipped caravan and the perfect size for Susan and Iain as they plan their summer of adventures. The caravan features a fold away bunk bed if any of their kids wish to join them and a touchscreen panel from which you can control onboard heating, lighting and power.”

“I hope the couple enjoy lots of great touring holidays in the years to come.”

Sabina Voysey, Director General at the Club, said: “I’m so pleased for the winners - caravanning is such an amazing past time and this year we’re helping more people than ever enjoy it. We’ve got hundreds of Camping and Caravanning Club sites across the country that are ready and waiting to be explored.”

Bristol, Reading and Manchester are Britain’s most caring places — punching above their weight with the number of people willing to help the lonely and vulnerable, reveals Companiions, a new app that connects people with trusted, vetted companions.

The West Country city has the highest proportion of vetted and rated companions when the figures are adjusted for population size. Reading and Manchester are second and third.

Users of befriending network Companiions can book a visit from a companion for a chat or for help with tasks around the house for themselves or a loved one.  

Table: Cities with highest amount of companions

Source: Companiions

Manchester leads the way when it comes to the cities with the most companions per user, meaning that loved ones in the North West have the biggest chance to find someone best suited to them. Both Leeds and Coventry, like Manchester, have more than eight companions available per user.

Table: Cities with the most companions per organiser

Source: Companiions

Companiions is a befriending network that enables friends and relatives - ‘organisers’ - to create a profile for a loved one or themselves, detailing any health issues, plus their likes and dislikes. They can then create a calendar specifying when they would like a companion to pop round to visit their loved one.

Organisers can select the companion most suited to their loved one’s needs, picking from profiles that detail experience levels, occupation, and skills like first aid.

All companions on the platform are carefully vetted using some of the world’s leading AI-powered identity verification tools. Loved ones meet their prospective companions by video call initially, allowing both sides to get to know each other.

Ratings and reviews allow organisers to make informed decisions and pinpoint the companions most likely to get on well with their loved one.

Organisers pay as little as £12 an hour for visits, and companions can donate any or all of their fee to charity if they wish.

Marguerite, of Walton on Thames, Surrey, lost her husband recently. She has 18 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchilden whom she sees regularly, but knows that they can’t visit as often as they would like. She was brought up in India, and likes to teach her companions traditional recipes, as well as getting help in the garden. 

Organiser Faye, of Thames Ditton in Surrey, booked companions to share a cup of tea and cook for her mother. One companion, Sue, of East Molesey, Surrey, enjoyed talking about line-dancing with a former professional ballroom dancer. She is using the money she earns from visits to save for a holiday.

The launch of Companiions comes after millions of people suffered loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Nearly four out of five (77%) people in Britain say they’ve become more aware of others’ loneliness since the pandemic began, and over two thirds (69%) are now more conscious of those who require support with everyday tasks, a nationwide poll of more than 2,000 British adults conducted by YouGov for Companiions reveals.

Lisa Robinson, CEO of befriending network Companiions, said: “We’ve been amazed by the number of compassionate people across the country who have come forward to be companions.

“The residents of Bristol, Reading and Manchester have really led the way, and it’s a testament to the community spirit in these cities.

“The last year and a half have been immensely difficult for many people, and lockdown has seen loneliness and anxiety levels soar.

“For those people missing that vital human contact, Companiions can help find a trusted, vetted person who’s willing and able to spend some time with your loved one.

“The enforced separation we endured during the pandemic revealed what a difference simple things, like having someone to chat to, can make. Our research shows four fifths of us are now more conscious of the loneliness of others.

“Companiions is on a post-lockdown mission to end loneliness by bringing easy-to-arrange, trusted, convenient companionship to every community in the UK. 

“If you know someone who will still be lonely or unable to cope with everyday tasks when life returns to normal, wherever you live, you can organise a little bit of help or companionship securely and affordably via Companiions.”

People in many parts of Northern England and the Midlands face an ‘avalanche’ of debt as Covid-support is phased out this summer, according to new research from Centre for Cities think tank in partnership with Clarion Housing Group, that challenges the idea that people’s finances have benefited from lockdown.

They warn that the Government’s roadmap for withdrawing Covid-support will hit people in the North and Midlands disproportionately hard and, in a blow to the levelling up agenda, risks leaving the UK more divided than ever. Division between homeowners and people in social housing are also likely to increase, with social housing residents and people on low incomes far more likely to have fallen into debt during the pandemic.

During the pandemic people in richer neighbourhoods in predominantly southern cities cut down on luxuries and reduced their outgoings more than people in poorer neighbourhoods in – mostly northern – cities who spend proportionally more on food, bills and other essentials. As a result, for every £1 that people from less affluent areas saved, people in richer areas saved £12.

Because of this, people in around half of neighbourhoods in Hull, Bradford, and Liverpool are likely to have been pushed into debt trying to meet the cost of essentials due to pandemic job losses, furlough and a lack of savings.

On the other hand, cutting non-essential spending has helped people in wealthier places save money. People in Exeter and York are the biggest financial beneficiaries of lockdown, with those living in eight in ten neighbourhoods being more likely than not to have boosted their savings.

Four of the five cities where people are most likely to have saved money during the pandemic are in Southern England while the top five places where people are most likely to have fallen into debt are in Northern England – three in the Red Wall.

Pockets of southern England are also struggling, particularly London and cities reliant on the aviation sector such as Slough, Luton and Crawley where people in both richer and poorer neighbourhoods have seen their financial situation worsen in the last year.  

So far people have been shielded from the worst economic effects of this debt crisis by furlough, eviction bans and delays in the court system. But the problem will come to a head later this year when most Government support is withdrawn and the courts clear their case backlog.

The Government needs to get ahead of this problem and unveil a package of support for people facing financial hardship due to Covid-19. It should:

·         Create a specialist debt relief scheme for people who have incurred Covid-related debt. This debt should also not affect people’s credit scores.

·         Keep the £20 Universal Credit uplift. This will support local economies by keeping money circulating. Research shows this measure would also be popular with the public.

·         Retain the Job Retention Scheme for sectors that still cannot operate at full capacity such as travel and aviation. This will be essential in supporting people in places such as Crawley, Luton and Slough where the local economy depends on their airports.

A failure to introduce further support measures will worsen the North-South divide and set back the Government’s levelling up agenda.

Centre for Cities’ Chief Executive, Andrew Carter, said: “The pandemic has left this country more divided than ever. While people in mostly prosperous southern cities and towns have accumulated £150 billion of savings, many less affluent people in the North and Midlands will face an avalanche of debt as Government support ends later this year.

“The Government is withdrawing financial support far too quickly for people in places that have been hit hard by the pandemic. Not only will this set its levelling up agenda back significantly, it also risks levelling down many previously affluent parts of southern England such as Crawley.

David Orr, Chair of the Clarion Housing Association Board, said: “This research confirms that existing inequalities have deepened as a result of the pandemic. Many social housing residents were already in a precarious financial situation before the pandemic and are likely to have been disproportionately affected.

“As the largest social landlord in the country we do a significant amount of work to support our residents, but this needs to be complemented by government action. To ensure a fair and equitable recovery our residents need extra support to get back on their feet and a permanent £20 uplift in Universal Credit would make a significant difference to those in greatest need.”

Thousands of EU nationals living and working in Birmingham may remain undocumented just days before the deadline for the Government's EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). And Birmingham City Council Deputy Leader Cllr Brigid Jones today urged the Government to extend the 30 June deadline, following reports that 130,000 EU citizens settled in the UK could be on the verge of losing access to healthcare and other benefits.

Councillor Jones has written to Home Secretary Priti Patel MP, outlining serious concerns about the looming deadline and requesting an urgent on the number of Birmingham residents that have applied. She said: "Like other cities across the UK, Birmingham has seen higher than expected application numbers. But gaps in national data mean it’s not possible to accurately say how many more people are yet to apply. 

"What we do know is that the Covid pandemic has significantly impacted the level of outreach, support and advice available and has exacerbated existing challenges for people, as well as their ability to access face-to-face services. This predominantly affects households with dependent children, women, survivors of domestic abuse, older people.

“Surely it's reasonable to extend the deadline for these and other vulnerable groups. We’ve worked very hard to reach out to them through Adults and Children’s Services and Schools, but there’s a limit to who you can reach during a pandemic."

Cllr Jones added: “Birmingham is a wonderful diverse city and we are proud to offer a warm welcome to all who want to make their home here, including our friends from across the European Union.

“They play an important part in city life, helping to deliver our public services, enriching our culture and running and supporting businesses. Brexit has not changed this; we are still the same welcoming city and we want our EU citizens to stay.

“So, my message to EU citizens is this: I’m so sorry you are having to go through this but it is so important that you apply so you can stay here with the same benefits you currently have. I have written to the Home Secretary asking that government extends the deadline for people to apply.

“However, there is no guarantee this will happen, so please do apply no if you haven’t already.”