Community News

Birmingham City Council has been awarded circa £4.5m as part of the second tranche of funding from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund; part of a £13m allocation to the West Midlands Combined Authority. An engagement programme with residents and businesses on how they would like to see the funding used in their communities is already underway.

Councillor Waseem Zaffar MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Birmingham City Council, said: “This second tranche of funding gives Birmingham a real opportunity to continue transforming our transport network, reduce air pollution, and provide our citizens with more opportunities for active travel. In the second half of 2020 we delivered a wide range of emergency transport measures to support walking, cycling, public transport and social distancing across the city.

“Working closely with our communities and key stakeholders, we will start to transition from a focus on the Emergency Transport Plan to the longer-term picture and progression of the Birmingham Transport Plan. We want to focus on supporting a green recovery and will seek community input at every stage, with future schemes being delivered throughout 2021.”

The Active Travel Fund supports the improvement of active travel (cycling and walking) provision and safety in towns and cities. Birmingham City Council recently completed an official review of the Emergency Active Travel measures that were delivered in 2020, with a report to be published shortly. The findings will help guide how some of the existing schemes will be developed, expanded on and/or, where appropriate, made more permanent.

The funding will also support some new active travel schemes, focussed on supporting a green, low carbon recovery (rather than being part of the emergency response). This will include pop-up cycle lanes, walking improvements in local centres, and further development of Places for People and the City Centre Segments scheme. The initial proposals will be developed through community engagement and delivered in the coming year.

Local residents have been invited to have their say with formal consultation on the proposals taking place later this year after lockdown restrictions have eased to ensure inclusive, meaningful engagement with communities and key stakeholders can be carried out. The plans support the Council’s vision for a cleaner, greener city – as set-out in its Route to Zero Action Plan, which was approved last month.

Virtual tours are to be offered at the state-of-the-art Springfields Independent Living facility in Ashby de la Zouch throughout the coming months, as the project delivered by national contractor Willmott Dixon nears completion. Due to complete in summer 2021, the £12.5m project is being created on behalf of emh care & support and will feature 65 one and two-bedroom apartments alongside communal areas such as a beauty salon, hairdressers and bistro.

Designed by BRP architects, the homes have been created to provide residents with an inclusive living environment. The apartments will be offered both on preference and individual care and support needs, with 50 available for rent and 15 for sale on a shared ownership basis. Due to the current national lockdown restrictions the scheme’s show homes are currently closed and face-to-face viewings are not able to go ahead as normal. To ensure tours can still take place Willmott Dixon is using its industry-leading 360 Matterport camera to enable emh care & support to welcome potential tenants and homeowners virtually to the new development. 

Michelle Cotterill, director (delivery) at Willmott Dixon, said: “Throughout the project, we have

been working closely with emh care & support to ensure we are creating a scheme that will make the local community proud. We are delighted that, as we near project completion, we have been able to continue supporting the customer with our innovative Matterport scanning cameras. Technology has played a major role throughout the whole development process, from the use of BIM in the design of the scheme, to the implementation of offsite manufacturing in the build process.” 

Situated at the heart of the National Forest, the development has taken inspiration from surrounding nature and history, producing apartments dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of its residents. All the apartments are completely self-contained and designed to allow wheelchairs and mobility aids to be used. The homes have been finished to the highest specification, ensuring residents can live in comfort in a spacious modern home.

The development also features a video door entry system, with each apartment also having access to its own secure entrance and fibre optic broadband. Once operational, the independent living facility will also have a dedicated team of staff available 24 hours a day, to support residents with flexible packages of care to suit individual needs. 

Jo Grainger, executive director at emh care & support said: “The way that we would usually connect with people to tell them about our new homes has had to change completely due to the local and national restrictions of the pandemic.  The use of technology available to us, and the flexibility and support from Wilmott Dixon throughout the project has meant that we have still been able to generate a lot of interest and applications for this amazing new facility.  We are now looking forward to an amazing opening and to welcoming people to their new homes.”

Michelle added: “Like the rest of the nation, the construction industry has been forced to find new ways of working throughout the pandemic. Therefore, I am particularly proud of our team’s ability to keep 100% of our sites operational throughout the numerous lockdowns – this has enabled us to continue our work providing much-needed high-quality housing for the community in Ashby, while also ensuring that residents can move into the development as soon as possible.”  

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) leaders have given the go ahead for the new £24 million Dudley Interchange. The approval of the full business case means work can now get underway on a new high-quality bus and tram interchange which will form a crucial part of the wider regeneration of Dudley town centre.

Built on the site of the existing bus station, it will link to the new Metro tram extension currently under construction by the Midland Metro Alliance between Wednesbury and Brierley Hill. Both projects are due to be completed in 2023. As the new images released today show passengers can expect comfortable waiting areas, the latest real time travel information, cycle parking facilities and a selection of retail units.

The seamless connectivity between bus, tram and, longer term, a planned Sprint bus service, will offer people improved links to jobs and leisure opportunities throughout the West Midlands – as well as offer visitors to Dudley town centre a comfortable and convenient alternative to the car. Investment in public transport is also key in supporting the region’s #WM2041 ambition to become   a carbon neutral region within the next 20 years.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the WMCA, is leading on the Interchange project in partnership with Dudley Council. The majority of the funding is coming from the region’s Transforming Cities Fund allocation, topped up with contributions from the council and WMCA.

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “Like other town centres Dudley has been hit hard in recent years, which is why the WMCA is putting its cash to good use to help revitalise the borough.

“Through helping to knock down the tombstone of Cavendish House to make way for the Portersfield development, to extending the Midland Metro through the town to Brierley Hill, we are committed to doing what we can to support the council in bringing their ambitious £1bn masterplan to life.”

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said:  “We are delivering a £1billion regeneration masterplan for Dudley borough and despite the restrictions caused by the pandemic Dudley town centre is currently a hive of exciting construction work.

“I welcome the confirmation of funding for the town’s Interchange, we have continued to drive forward plans to improve access to travel for the town and this impressive facility will help people to connect their bus, Metro and rail journeys. Our plans for Dudley town centre will revolutionise the education offer in our borough and create exciting new jobs and opportunities for local people, and transport will be a key component in making our vision a reality.”

Cllr Ian Ward, WMCA portfolio holder for transport and leader of Birmingham City Council added: “Across the West Midlands we are investing in our bus, rail, tram and cycling networks to grow our economy, offer a clean and convenient alternative to private cars and traffic congestion and improve the lives of millions of people.

“Dudley Interchange will act as a catalyst to the redevelopment of the town centre and support investment and jobs.”

The existing bus station was built in 1986 and is the oldest in the West Midlands. With 420,000 bus departures per year pre-pandemic it is also one of the busiest.

Key regeneration projects in Dudley town centre include:

·         The £450m Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension

·         The Portersfield development which is a proposed £82m mixed-use regeneration scheme which comprises of 12 acres of retail, entertainment, and student and residential accommodation on the former Cavendish House site – the demolition of which was funded by the WMCA

·         The new £31m Dudley Leisure Centre

·         The £28m Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre, supported by the WMCA

·         The £26.8m Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology

·         Improvements to both Dudley Zoo and the Black Country Living Museum

New research by social scientists at Birmingham City University will explore the impact of coronavirus on Muslims in Birmingham and community-led responses to the pandemic.

Academics Dr Damian Breen and Professor Imran Awan will research the effects of COVID-19 on Birmingham’s minority ethnic Muslim communities, particularly those of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian and black British backgrounds, whilst also researching the role of mosques and other community organisations in facilitating religious rituals and practices, such as deaths and burials.

The majority of the study’s funding (£130k) comes from UK Research and Innovation via the Economic and Social Research Council, which will see Breen and Awan develop toolkits for use across minority ethnic communities in Britain to provide strategies for responding to community needs in times of crisis.

“We’ll be examining how community organisations have provided support and offered interventions around impacts specific to Muslim communities within the context of COVID -19,” explained Breen, a senior lecturer at Birmingham City University’s School of Social Sciences.

“We’ll also be speaking to Muslim communities to explore perceptions around state responses, including access to healthcare during the pandemic and national strategies around vaccination.”

Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation, added: “We cannot ignore the social, cultural and economic factors that have shaped the experiences of BAME communities throughout the pandemic.

“Emerging evidence suggests that people from BAME backgrounds have experienced the hardest economic shocks. It’s crucial that we understand the depth and breadth of the impacts of these factors so that we can take action to alleviate the consequences for these communities.”

A special online question and answer session about the Covid-19 vaccine was held with health experts and faith leaders. Taking part were Dr Masood Ahmed, Chief Medical Officer with the Black Country & West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group, Madhu Patel from the Shree Ram Mandir in Walsall, Imaam Moulana Ibrahim, the Bishop of Lichfield the Rt Rev Dr Michael Ipgrave and Sikh speaker Gurdip Singh.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "This online session enabled the community to hear from NHS experts and local faith leaders about why they think people should make sure they get their jab when they are offered it.

"Sadly, there is a lot of misinformation and 'fake news' around the vaccine, so this was an opportunity for people across Wolverhampton and the wider region to ask any questions they have in relation to the vaccination programme.”

Mohammed Yasin, BAME Covid-19 Community Development Worker at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, helped to organise the event. He said: “We know that the current uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine amongst the BAME community is a lot lower than amongst others, so it’s really important that as a health and social care system we do everything we can to encourage this community to take up the vaccine when offered.

“This event was the perfect opportunity for people to understand more about the vaccine and its development and ask questions which will hopefully help to alleviate any concerns they might have.”

Latest figures show there were 305.9 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in Wolverhampton over the seven days to 6 February. That means 805 people in the city tested positive for the virus in that seven day period – though the true number of new cases will likely be considerably higher.

The usually bustling Chinatown was described as “quiet and empty" during what should have been the busiest time of the year as families prepared to welcome the New Year at home. The normally vibrant lion dances were missing as festivities moved online.

The Lunar New Year, which begins on Friday, is the biggest festival in the lunar calendar and it is when many extended families from east and South East Asian communities will come together. But this year, they stayed indoors, relying on video calls to meet loved ones.

Birmingham’s Chinatown businesses hope the year of the ox will bring back some kind of normality and prosperity, but many are not expecting much of an uplift in business during the start of the new year. Restaurateur James Wong says: “There’s nobody in Chinatown.”  

The owner of Chung Ying, the oldest Chinese restaurant in the city’s Southside district, believes his business is at just 30 percent of what it used to be before the pandemic, despite continuing as a takeaway. 

He said: “A lot of the Chinese aren’t coming out. For them, coming out to eat is a social experience. A lot of Chinese people who come over here, they already know how to cook.

“Last Chinese New Year, it was bad already. Because the pandemic just started, it caused a lot of panic within the Chinese community so not many people came out. It was a slow decline until lockdown, and we were left in a bit of a predicament.

“There was a lot of uncertainty. I’ve closed one of my restaurants in the financial district. It was just the fact that I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The New Year festival chair for Birmingham Southside planned a lion dance, singing and dancing videos from previous years, and newer videos from experts teaching calligraphy, painting and Chinese greetings. 

Mr Wong added: “We all knew it’s what it is. People understood the risk of the virus. We all want to make sure we can fight it.”

The National Literacy Trust in partnership with Birmingham Stories will be going live via Zoom to host an activity session for families as part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign. Host Grandpa Stick, a local storyteller, will be reading classic stories and carrying out chat, play and read activities.

The activity session will be going live via Zoom from 13:00 to 15:00 and is primarily aimed at parents, carers and early years’ settings with children aged 0-5. However, the invite is extended to all families who are welcome to dip in and out of the activities. All activities will be based on the themes of chat, play, read and sing and are designed for parents and carers to be able to follow along, in the comfort of their homes.

The activity session forms part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign, which is funded by the Department for Education and supported by the National Literacy Trust. This campaign provides families of children under five with lots of simple and fun activities to easily slot into their daily routines whilst building their child’s speech and language skills at home.

Dr Alasdair Flint, Programme Manager at the National Literacy Trust, said: “We are delighted to be working with Grandpa Stick to create a magical storytelling adventure for families in Birmingham. We hope that this event will bring families together and give them access to fun, engaging and educational activities, something which is needed and so important, now more than ever.”

Aman Dhanda, Hungry Little Minds Family Support and Quality Practice Manager in Birmingham, said: “This digital family activity session promises to have an exciting array of activities for young children to carry out in the comfort of their own homes. We are thrilled to have Grandpa Stick coming along to the session, and we cannot wait to see the joy it will bring to children’s homes.”

The National Literacy Trust in partnership with Birmingham Stories will go live on Wednesday 17 February at 13:00.

SCC has partnered with national children’s charity Molly Olly’s wishes in a 12-month sponsorship that will see Europe’s biggest independent IT solutions provider donate two ‘wishes’ per month.

Molly Olly’s Wishes supports children with life threatening or life limiting illnesses and their families to help with their emotional wellbeing. The charity grants individual wishes and donates therapeutic toys and books to both children directly and to hospitals throughout the UK.

Wishes are provided for children aged 0-18, for a gift, equipment or an experience which will help them cope through their dark days. Wishes average a value of £500 and can be for anything and everything from medical aids and equipment, toys, bedroom makeovers, outside play equipment and garden improvements, days out, shopping vouchers, electronic devices, arts and crafts, funds to help with transport costs etc.

SCC has long supported the charity, by participating in several charity-led initiatives since its launch, including sponsorship of its annual ball, and by raising thousands of pounds independently via employee contributions and volunteering days.

Under the new, formal sponsorship, Molly Olly’s Wishes becomes SCC’s official charity partner for the next 12 months, with SCC donating two wishes per month, nominated by SCC employees.

This is the latest and most significant charitable initiative by SCC, with the business having made a conscious effort in recent years to enhance its leading Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, which already sees SCC contribute hundreds of thousands of pounds in addition to volunteering hours for national and regional charity partners across the UK.

Mike Swain, SCC UK CEO, said: “We’re proud to launch this new partnership with Molly Olly’s Wishes – a wonderful charity that makes a tangible impact to the lives of unwell children and their families. SCC takes its responsibility to the communities in which it operates incredibly seriously, demonstrated by the long line of initiatives we’ve delivered.

“It is crucial that businesses like ours – one of the UK’s biggest private employers – to do all we can to give back and contribute positively to people’s lives alongside our normal business operations. I’m pleased to be involving all our staff in the sponsorship of two wishes per month for the next 12 months and helping Molly Olly’s Wishes carry out it’s amazing work.”

Trustee of Molly Olly’s Wishes, Rachel Ollerenshaw, said: “I’d like to thank SCC for partnering with us and agreeing to long-term sponsorship of wishes. We are passionate about what we do and rely on the kindness of others to help us support children and their families. We grant over 300 wishes per year to children based across the UK and SCC’s sponsorship will help us reach many more children and families who need help.”

An extra £3.5bn has been promised by ministers to remove unsafe cladding from high-rise buildings over 18m high in England at no cost to residents. Many thousands of flat-owners face huge bills for fire-safety improvements, brought in after 2017's Grenfell Tower fire when flames spread via combustible cladding, killing 72 people.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said it was the largest ever government investment in building safety. Labour said it was "too late for many". The £3.5bn comes on top of funding of £1.6bn that was announced for the removal of unsafe cladding last year.

Ministers have come under growing to increase the pot as leaseholders have been hit by building improvement costs and soaring insurance costs.

Some say they have effectively become trapped in their own homes - unable to sell until the work is carried out yet in danger of bankrupting themselves to meet the costs.

The Housing Secretary told the Commons leaseholders in high-rise buildings above 18m, or with six storeys or more, would face no costs for cladding works. He said the risk was "significantly lower" for lower-rise blocks of flats. However, where cladding needed to be removed, Mr Jenrick announced a long-term scheme to protect leaseholders which would mean no leaseholder would pay more than £50 a month for the removal of unsafe cladding.

He also said a new levy would be placed on future developments. “It cannot be right the costs fall solely on tax payers,” he said adding that the government would develop a levy targeted at developers seeking to build certain high-rise buildings in England. He added that a new tax for the UK residential property sector would be introduced from 2022, raising money to help pay for the removal of cladding.

The Threads Together Charity aims to draw the city’s diverse communities together to produce a unique piece of high-quality stitched art, to celebrate and commemorate the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

Due to Covid our planned visits to clubs, churches and community hubs to meet and talk about this project have changed and will be done virtually in various forms.

Through a simple questionnaire, already being distributed and available at www.threadstogether.org.uk, families and communities with connections to any of the 71 participating countries are invited to share their personal recollections and impressions of their home nation and their lives in Birmingham.

The Threads Together Charity’s experienced designer will translate this information into images to be colour printed onto fabric panels which, in turn, will be enhanced with decorativeembroidery.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Members of every community will be encouraged to “stitch their bit”.  They can be complete novices or an experienced stitcher, everyone is welcome to try. Those who are beginners and those with forgotten talents are especially welcome.

Following the Games, the panels will form a cultural trail across the City, ensuring the project’s longevity and worth, whilst illustrating the rich diverse history of Birmingham’s citizens.

For Further Details please see our website or

Contact Gill Gregory (Founder and Trustee).

Gerald McLaughlin (aka Canei) was born on 13 January 1957 in Fern District, Cambridge, Jamaica.  He was employed as a fireman at Montego Bay Fire Station, St James where he worked for many years.

On Wednesday 3 February 2021 his family in Jamaica and England received sad news.  After suffering an itchy throat which exacerbated underlying health problems, Gerald developed COVID and passed away in hospital.

Gerald leaves his fiancée, daughter Monique and  two young sons, brother Ian, sisters Elsie, Marcia, Maxine and Claudette as well as nieces, nephews, great nieces/nephews.  He was 64.

With four in ten lifesaving missions funded by a Gift in a Will, legacy giving is crucial to Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s continued operations. Mike Lewis, from Bewdley, a former patient of the lifesaving service, knows all too well the vital role that Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s pre-hospital medical team can play in patients’ outcome. In 2018, aged 76, Mike fell from a set of ladders at his home. Unfortunately, he broke all the ribs down his left side, which resulted in him sustaining a life-threatening injury, a punctured lung.

Mike Lewis says: “I vaguely remember asking my wife, Andrea, if anybody was coming and within minutes, I heard the noise of a helicopter in the distance. The next thing I knew I saw the red trousers of the critical care paramedics walking towards me.” Mike needed urgent treatment and the critical care team on-board Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s Strensham aircraft transported him to the most appropriate trauma centre for his injuries – Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

He said: “I was in so much pain and struggling to breathe with the punctured lung. I know that without Midlands Air Ambulance Charity coming to my rescue on the day of my accident that I simply would not be here. They saved my life.” Since the fall, Mike and his wife of 54 years, Andrea, have done all they can to fundraise and support the helicopter emergency medical service that he dearly owes his life too and has pledged to leave the charity a gift in his Will. 

Mike explains: “I brought the subject up with Andrea and discussed how I wanted to leave a gift in my Will. It’s not much but it’s one of the many ways in which I can continue supporting the charity that saved my life, even after I’m gone.”

Emma Gray, fundraising and marketing director for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, adds: “Legacy donations like Mike’s really help boost our income generation and help make future missions possible.

“We have a range of services available to those considering leaving a Gift in their Will, including a free Will writing scheme with a number of fully vetted solicitors based in the counties we serve signed up to offer the service in partnership with us. There is also an online free Will writing scheme available to take advantage of.”

For anyone interested can visit: www.midlandsairambulance.com/gifts-in-wills to find out more.

Cultural writers are being inviting to get involved in the Page Turner Awards 2021. Sponsored by ProWritingAid, it’s an inclusive writing and book awards with one goal – to change the lives of as many writers as possible. The team at Page Turner Awards passionately believe that talented writers can be from any background, age, race, religion, or interest.

Members of different cultural communities contain talented writers and undiscovered literary gems. Whether it be a memoir or drama, a thriller or the next big comedy involving heroic characters, Page Turner Awards want to pass stories on to their panel of influential literary agents, publishers and film producers. Success stories include three writers winning literary representation, six writers winning a writing mentorship, five writers winning a publishing contract and thirteen independent authors winning an audiobook production.

Beyond the life-changing prizes, Page Turner Awards writers have been most impressed with the scope of support offered to them — a rarity in the world of writing awards, which usually offer little beyond a letter confirming submission. It also offers so much more than a simple prize, but instead has created a supportive writing community and a “movement” focused on author growth and development.

The Page Turner Awards Fiction Writing Award 2020 winner Mark Stibbe, from Kent, says: "I recommend all writers, especially aspiring writers, enter writing contests. I’m so glad I entered! Winning the Page Turner Fiction Writing Award and receiving a literary agent to represent me…wow!"

Agent Yasmin Kane was immediately hooked on Stibbe’s story, A Book In Time, and anticipates a bright publishing career ahead for the novelist. Elizabeth Goodhue from New Hampshire, USA was also delighted to gain recognition for her memoir, The Truth About Down Syndrome, which is an emotive story showing how the lives of people with Down Syndrome can be as rich and rewarding as any other.

She said: “When I heard a literary agent was interested in my book, I couldn't believe it. Now, having been announced as the Writing Award Non-Fiction Winner and with a literary agent representing my writing… I'm stunned! Anyone with a true-life story told well can be a writer and even win an award.”

The Page Turner Awards gives writers and authors the chance to enter unpublished or published fiction and non-fiction and screenplays, to be read by a carefully curated judging panel made up of influential players in the publishing industry. Prizes span everything from mentorships to audiobook production and publishing packages.

Founder of Page Turner Awards and award-winning novelist, Paula Wynne said: “There are writers from all walks of life, from manual labourers to academics, all with stories to tell, and most of them heart-warming and moving. We’re proud that our awards celebrate excellent writing and helps writers and authors to get their stories discovered.” 

There is no doubt that members of different cultures, with their unique experiences shaped by their beliefs, will have some excellent and fascinating stories to share.

The average value of a used car bought online has risen to £7,530 during lockdown three as consumer confidence in buying digitally increases. In the first lockdown, data from warranty company Händler Protect showed the average value of a used car sold by an independent dealer was £5,600, but this figure has risen sharply with each lockdown. As customers become more used to the process of dealing with dealers digitally, the amount of money they are prepared to spend online has grown too.

With car dealers selling cars digitally via click-and-collect and home delivery during lockdown three, the profile of the cars covered by Händler Protect now more closely matches the company’s pre-Covid data. Händler Protect has seen the type of cars purchased digitally change dramatically, based on the used cars it is covering as lockdowns progress. Händler Protect only works with independent dealers, which has allowed it to spot unique trends in the data relating to more than 100,000 cars covered by its warranties.

Händler Protect chief executive Lloyd O’Connor said: “Click-and-collect or home delivery has been a great way for many car dealers in Great Britain to keep trading despite having to close showrooms due to the lockdown. Working only with independent car dealers across the UK has given us a really clear picture of their activity since the start of the pandemic, and we could see during this third lockdown that the value of cars dealers were selling had risen considerably.

“For dealers offering click-and-collect or home delivery services, having a robust warranty in place makes a huge difference when selling to a customer they may never see. It gives our car dealers extra reassurance and they love the customer service we offer their clients, knowing if something goes wrong we’ll handle it for them.”

Cars sold online by independent dealers during the third lockdown are now on average two months younger than the average recorded in January 2020. The cars independent dealers are selling also have on average 3,240 fewer miles on the clock and are £700 more expensive, suggesting customers are now comfortable spending more on a car bought remotely.

·         During the first lockdown, Händler Protect found dealers were selling cheaper cars, which on average sold for £5,600, and they were on average 9.47 years old, with an average of 81,589 miles on the clock.

·         During the second lockdown, the average used car selling price rose to £7,170, cars were 8.84 years old and had travelled 79,475 miles.

·         Now, during the third lockdown, the average selling price has reached £7,530, cars are 8.51 years old, and on average have covered 72,247 miles.

Händler Protect says becoming an Authorised Dealer builds instant consumer confidence that the car is covered, something that can be a challenge for independent dealers on their own. Offering its warranties also gives dealers the extra peace of mind that they are supported by the team, even for a car sold to someone hundreds of miles away, should something go wrong.

The Händler Protect team’s background in car sales, its easy-to-use app and the comprehensive support it provides for customers, including 24/7 breakdown assistance should they need it, has been a lifeline for many car dealers since the start of the pandemic.

Recruiting a new generation of Special Constables from Black and Asian communities to serve in Birmingham’s diverse communities can help tackle gang violence, says the local man vying to be the next Police and Crime Commissioner of the West Midlands when elections are held in May 2021. It comes amid growing calls for an emergency response to prevent rising gang-related violence over spring and summer when Covid lockdown is eased, following the murder of a 15 year old teenager in Handsworth.

Now Capt. Jay Singh-Sohal, who was born and raised in Handsworth, says recruiting more local Specials would ensure a strong uniformed presence on the ground, made up of people representative of diverse communities, who understand and can better engage with residents and youth about gangs and the sub-culture behind it. He sees Specials drawn from inner-city areas as an important element of work the PCC should be doing within the community to defuse and deter gang violence. 

Special Constables are unpaid, volunteer police officers who undertake their policing duties, often in the evenings and on weekends. Many volunteers step forward to become Specials out of a sense of civic duty and desire to serve their communities. They are motivated not by pay, but by using their experience outside of policing to protect life, property and their local area as fully warranted police officers. Recruiting more Specials would build upon the increase in police officers numbers announced by the Government within the three-year uplift programme, which has so far seen 366 extra police officers funded in 2020/21 and 360 in 2021/22.

Jay Singh-Sohal said: “I believe we need a police force that better represents the communities they serve, and we need it now not in a year or two. Under my plan, Specials will be a key part of that. I urge the Labour PCC to accept the need for immediate action and fast track through recruitment and vetting more Specials so they can support the communities they know well as quickly as possible.

We must move quickly to increase representation within our on-street police presence ahead of the potential for rising crime in the summer. “Public trust and confidence in policing has been badly damaged, but we cannot stand idly by and let rising violence affect our youth.  Whilst gang-related crime is complex and requires multiple approaches, we do not have the luxury of time and must act quickly to tackle the potential for rising crime.”

In the West Midlands, the number of Special Constables across the region has declined dramatically, from 937 in 2007 during the last Labour government to 591 in 2010 before the Coalition came to power. The current Labour PCC has reduced the number of Specials further by 63% resulting in just 220 Specials serving the West Midlands as a whole. This is causing concern for Birmingham Northfield MP Gary Sambrook, who wants to see more Specials recruited from his constituency too to tackle local crime issues.  

Gary Sambrook MP said: "It's very telling that the Labour PCC has not responded to rising gang-related crime, he is disconnected to issues affecting Birmingham residents.  He has failed to innovate and utilise Special Constables, who have a vital role to play in community policing.  So it's refreshing to hear Jay's plan to ensure we increase representation but also reach out to communities in Birmingham affected by ever-increasing crime.  I welcome the focus this will bring at a time when residents across our city are worried about violent crime."

The challenge for the approach will be to implement a rapid community recruitment drive at a time when the process for bringing into the force more Specials has been ignored by the current Labour Commissioner. But it can be achieved with strong leadership and focus from the PCC.  By bringing a diverse profile to the top of policing in the West Midlands,  Jay Singh-Sohal believes he can deliver a change in step as PCC to bring in more Specials linked strongly with the communities they are best placed to serve.

The recruitment and training process can take between 8 months to a year, including police vetting.  But some forces, including Essex (where the PCC is a Conservative), have prioritised resources to reduce this down to 18 weeks (or 4 ½ months). Meanwhile, the Bedfordshire PCC has overseen an intensive two-week training course for Specials which replaces the training other forces usually deliver over six weekends. Both have resulted in more Specials being brought in.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has elected its first female leader.

Zara Mohammed said it was an "honour" to be appointed as the new secretary general after winning the most votes in a poll of affiliate groups of the UK's largest Muslim umbrella organisation. She succeeds Harun Khan, who completed a maximum of four years as the head of the MCB.

The Glaswegian, 29, said that she hoped more women and young people would be inspired to seek leadership roles. She said: "I think women sometimes hesitate to take on leadership roles even though they are more than qualified to do so.

"It is really important to engage young people, engage more women and diversify the organisation and the work we are doing."

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted that Ms Mohammed's appointment was "terrific". He said: "I wish the very best of success to Zara Mohammed - may she continue to lead this organisation to greater heights for the betterment of our communities across the country."

Ms Mohammed is a Masters graduate in human rights law and a training and development consultant and she said that she aimed to "continue to build a truly inclusive, diverse and representative body", driven by the needs of British Muslims "for the common good". She previously served as an assistant secretary general for the MCB.