Community News

Work has begun to sensitively convert a Grade II listed building in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter into exclusive soulful living spaces for urban city dwellers. 

The Reliance Works located on Caroline Street, was formerly occupied by jewellery manufacturing firm Pickering and Mayell, who specialised in producing jewellery cases, window display fittings, and silver-plated products. It served as the hub for their jewellery-case-making plant for almost 100 years from 1913 until 2012 when the business merged with the Talbot group and eventually vacated the premises to relocate nearby. 

The historic building dates to 1826 and consists of a pair of houses with rear workshops. It has a range of unique and original Georgian townhouse features including original signage, a decorative front door surround, and original timber beams and wooden-framed windows.   

It will be converted into a mixture of townhouses, one bedroom and two bedroom apartments (nine apartments in total) with a new extension to the rear, and a small commercial unit on the ground floor after permission was secured by developers The Urban Project (part of the CityBlock Group) at the end of 2019. Features within the apartments will include reclaimed timber flooring, exposed brickwork, walk-in wardrobes, high-spec kitchens and bathrooms, and access to private gardens and a communal courtyard. 

The renovation and conversion work led by the Urban Project had been intended to begin earlier this year but has been pushed back due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is now anticipated that the apartments and unit will be brought to the market in late 2021. The Urban Project is working in partnership with BPN architects, Logmoor (main contractor), Harris Lamb (employer’s agent), and Maguire Jackson (sales agents), to bring the new homes to market. 

Trevor Bargh of The Urban Project, said: “The Reliance Works building is a real gem in a famous and thriving part of Birmingham City Centre. It has been left in a serious state of disrepair for a long time and so we begin this work with a mixture of relief and excitement. Our intention is to retain the original character that makes the building so special, as we believe that the history of the building is crucial to its journey and its heritage should be respected.

“We fully intend to leverage our many years of expertise gained in property development to bring this building back to life with some truly original and much-needed new homes for the local market.”      

The Urban Project is the residential arm of the CityBlock Group, a well-established property company with interests in residential, commercial and student accommodation schemes. Reliance Works is The Urban Project’s first venture in Birmingham.

A newly formed charity, ‘Threads Together’ hopes to make its contribution to the run up of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games by engaging with as many people from Birmingham’s commonwealth community as possible in an unusual and exciting project: the creation of over 70 one metre square fabric panels, one for each country entitled to enter the games, each encompassing designs reflecting  peoples thoughts, dreams and aspirations as to why they or their forbears  came to live in the UK and, in particular, Birmingham. 

The inspiration for the project came from Gill Gregory, Lady Mayoress of Birmingham when her husband, Len, was Lord Mayor a few years ago. The experience heightened her awareness of the importance of each individual citizen’s story and how their personal histories had affected their lives and, in turn, enriched their wider communities. Gill felt this richness should be celebrated and recorded in such a way as to capture how these influences have become an intrinsic part of our City’s life.

With the announcement Birmingham would host Commonwealth Games 2022, she realised this was the ideal focus to bring together the threads of our diverse City. Commenting Gill said: “Each panel will depict the nation’s flag and flower along with the special features highlighted and inspired by those completing our questionnaire which can be found on our website. We need input from people across the entire Commonwealth including those islands and states with very small populations. Additional panels will represent different aspects of our City’s history and achievements.”

By working together using the talents of the diverse communities, the completed panels will be a fitting commemoration of the Commonwealth Games, the City of Birmingham, and its people’s valuable heritage links. The trustees are to to be joined by Helen McCook, a world-renowned, Birmingham-born Designer & Embroiderer whose skills are most appreciated.

The initiative is being partnered by the Birmingham Commonwealth Association whose Chair, Keith Stokes-Smith said: “We were delighted to have been approached by Gill to support this most interesting project allowing those in the community who have stories to tell and/or artistic talents to come forward and add their personal contribution to one or more of the panels.

“Those with embroidery, sewing or stitching skills are particularly welcome.  We hope to see the completed panels displayed around the city in due course exhibiting the magnificent contribution made by ordinary people who might not have otherwise had the opportunity to share in the unique event Birmingham and the surrounding area will benefit from in 2022”

Readers are invited to see ‘Threads Together’ at: http://www.threadstogether.org.uk, where they can register their interest in the project.

Birmingham Hippodrome is set to beam a special light installation from Birmingham City Centre over the New Year period to share a message of hope and peace for 2021. The installation - Global Rainbow - will be beamed Northwest of Birmingham towards the Black Country and is an ongoing public artwork by Artist Yvette Mattern.

Yvette, known as The Rainbow Girl, has presented Global Rainbow internationally in cities including New York City (USA), Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Kobe (Japan) as a visual translation of hope and peace. The artwork beams seven rays of laser light representing the colour spectrum of a natural rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. The installation is presented by Birmingham Hippodrome as part of Global Streets, a national project funded through Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants.

Graham Callister, Director of Festivals commented: “We are delighted to end the year by presenting this monumental light installation by Yvette Mattern, a hugely talented and internationally renowned visual artist. This beautiful work coming to Birmingham and the Black Country has been made possible thanks to Arts Council England, Global Streets and Bullring & Grand Central.

“It is hugely important people do not travel to see this installation – the joy of this special visual artwork is that it can be seen safely from the homes of those living nearby by simply looking to the sky. Depending on local light levels and weather conditions, we expect the lights to reach up to 10 miles.” Graham added: “We encourage people who can see the rainbow from their homes to share photos on their chosen social media platform using #BrumRainbow. We hope those that see it will be able to pause reflect and take in a moment of hope and peace for 2021.”

Global Rainbow will be beamed northwest out the city and it is expected to be seen in Birmingham City Centre, the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham City Hospital, areas of Smethwick and Oldbury, dependent on weather conditions.

It is extremely important that people do not travel to view Global Rainbow. It can be viewed safely from people’s home in the laser beams path.

WaterAid ambassadors and well-known supporters are sharing their inspiring moments of togetherness and kindness from the year and encouraging the public to do the same to stand in solidarity with communities like Frat, in Ethiopia, where collaboration is part of their ethos as they help each other face daily challenges, such as a lack of clean water.

BBC1’s Casualty actress Amanda Mealing, comedian Bec Hill, singer KT Tunstall, and Paralympic champion swimmer Ellie Simmonds are joining WaterAid’s campaign in support of its Future on Tap appeal, which aims to help transform lives with clean water in Ethiopia and around the world. Until 4 February 2021, the UK government will match public donations up to £2 million, to make double the difference in climate-vulnerable communities.  

For the people of Frat in Western Ethiopia, togetherness is a way of life. They call it ‘wenfell’, meaning ‘collaboration’. Through women’s groups, student clubs and just by being good neighbours, people try to help solve any problems someone may face. They share knowledge and resources, collect money for families in need, give people water when they are unable to go to the river to get it, and help on each other’s farms. 

WaterAid’s celebrity supporters are inviting the UK public to join them in sharing their own stories of hope, humanity and acts of everyday community spirit that emerged during the pandemic, as part of WaterAid’s #WenfellMoment campaign, in unity with people in Frat.

Amanda’s wenfell moment came when she asked for help with material to make masks. She said: “I started making face masks in return for donations to help provide food parcels to families in need. I had to ask for people to donate extra material for the masks and was bowled over with the response I received – such generosity! Thanks to them, I was able to make hundreds of masks and with everyone’s kind donations, raised over £7,000 for CARE. There are so many beautiful people in our communities and it’s really important we look after each other. I love that in Frat, it’s a way of life, called ‘wenfell’.

“It makes me think about the positives that have come out of this dreadful pandemic. It’s incredible how people have really come together. I hope that these ‘wenfell’ moments continue, so we can live in a far more harmonious way.”

KT Tunstall has supported WaterAid throughout the pandemic, performing in their Bathrooms Sessions series and virtual Christmas concert, as well as releasing a single ‘Wash Ya Hands’ with support from her fans to raise money for the charity. She said: “The pandemic has brought us together in unexpected ways and shown us the importance of community. I absolutely loved seeing a video of a little girl who would run to the window every morning so she could dance with their postman. For months, they danced together, her inside, him outside, to imaginary music. All the while, you could see her growing up. It‘s lovely to think that she will remember this for the rest of her life; a joyful and meaningful connection with a stranger that I’m sure will turn into a real friendship. It’s so great we can support each other during these challenging times, which is why I’m supporting WaterAid’s appeal to help bring water to Frat and other communities.”

Comedian, actor, writer and presenter Bec Hill, created her very own wenfell moment to raise funds WaterAid’s hygiene appeal this summer. She explained: “I asked my fans to ‘sponsor’ a square on a plain t-shirt. They could request a name, logo or picture to go into their square, which I then drew on by hand, in marker pen. People paid £10 per square – lots of people bought multiples – and in total, the T shirt raised £5,000 to help WaterAid bring clean water and handwashing facilities to people across the globe. Loads more people shared the campaign on social media and told their friends about it.  I couldn’t believe that we filled all 500 squares, I was totally blown away by people’s generosity.

“The final t-shirt shows how powerful collaboration can be; it’s a colourful collage of so many different things, each one representing someone who cared enough to donate. I love the idea of a word for this kind of collaboration, and harnesses the spirit of coming together to help out, I might start saying ‘wenfell’!”

Bec wore her £5000 T-shirt on Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club on ITV, to raise even more awareness around the project. Olympic gold medal winner, Ellie Simmonds, shared her inspirational moments from the year to support WaterAid’s campaign. She said: “This year has reminded us of the importance for caring for each other. From the start of lockdown, everyone got behind the NHS, regardless of who they were. I feel it brought the nation together in a special way, even though we’ve been able to spend less time with friends and family. We all have an ability to unite during momentous events - good or bad. It reminded me of the spirit of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics when it felt like the whole country came together as one positive force supporting the competitors and willing us all to do well. In a similar way, it gave me such a lift to see all the children’s rainbows in the windows during the lockdown earlier this year. It’s never been more important to be kind to each other.

“As a WaterAid ambassador, I’ve seen for myself the impact dirty water has on people’s lives and livelihoods. Clean water helps build a better future. The families of Frat are already helping each other, and by supporting the Future on Tap appeal, we can stand with them and help WaterAid to bring clean water, toilets and hygiene that transforms lives.”

Families in Frat spend hours each day collecting water from a river, which is so dirty it causes sickness. Some water sources are depleting over time, while the hotter summers and unexpected storms are destroying crops, their only source of income. 

WaterAid will bring clean water to many communities like Frat, helping protect lives and livelihoods.

With clean water, families can meet their basic needs, stay safe and healthy, have time to go to school or work, and can grow food even when the weather is unpredictable.

Funds for more than 120,000 meals were donated to vulnerable and homeless people across the country in time for Christmas, thanks to the Just Eat Christmas Meal Appeal launched in partnership with charities Social Bite and FoodCycle. The initiative which launched on December 7, with pleas from a host of celebrities including Dame Helen Mirren, Rob Brydon and Sir Chris Hoy, asked the nation to make a donation of either £3, £5, or £10 when placing their Just Eat order, with each donation matched by the food delivery service.

Andrew Kenny UK MD for Just Eat commented: “Our customers exceeded our expectations with their generous response to our Just Eat Christmas Meal Appeal, particularly at a time when we know it is difficult for so many and we would like to extend our most sincere thanks to all those who have shown their support to help those less fortunate than themselves.”

Co-founder of Social Bite Josh Littlejohn, added: “Just Eat has shown tremendous leadership with this fundraising partnership to help fund an amazing 120,000 meals for homeless and vulnerable people all over the UK. At Social Bite we have seen first-hand the devastating impact the pandemic has had on our most vulnerable people and these funds will go a long way to alleviating food poverty this winter as well as funding longer term interventions to break the cycle of homelessness for good.”

Mary McGrath, FoodCycle CEO says:  “Just Eat has been an outstanding partner of FoodCycle for a number of years.  Their support, and the generosity of their customers this Christmas, means we are able to cook nourishing, hot meals for thousands of people who simply cannot afford to buy food, including low-income families, the elderly, key workers, students and asylum seekers.  A huge thank you to everyone involved.”

Donations can still be made directly to either Social Bite or FoodCycle by visiting: https://www.foodcycle.org.uk/ https://festive.social-bite.co.uk/donate/

Members of the UK’s largest Muslim youth group, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA), are spending the holidays spreading festive cheer through a host of community initiatives. Volunteers as young as five will pack and deliver chocolates, flowers and toys to children’s hospital wards and to care homes across the country.

AMYA members hope to spread some additional festive cheer to critical NHS and healthcare staff coping with the huge pressure caused by recent spikes in COVID-19 hospital admissions and fatalities. The young volunteers will also do their bit on New Year’s day when over 500 volunteers will be up at the crack of dawn to sweep public streets and litter pick.  

Dr Anas Rana, Director of AMYA for Charity & Welfare said: ‘‘As we have all seen, the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 are having a huge impact on family relationships, poverty and mental wellbeing. In these situations, Islam urges every Muslim to be charitable and act on the saying of the Prophet Muhammad: ‘‘Every act of kindness towards another is charity.’’

‘‘So, we have told our young members not to sit idly but instead use this time as an opportunity to be productive and help. Even though we as Muslims do not celebrate Christmas, it’s our duty to stand shoulder to shoulder and help each other however we can.” 

During the pandemic, AMYA has so far assisted and delivered food and medicine to 21,022 household, donated 6,290 units of PPE to front line workers and have delivered 673,000 pieces of PPE on behalf of the government. AMYA has also delivered 1702 meals to students and their families and delivered 10,036 food packages to front line workers whilst also donating 1066 meals to the homeless.

All AMYA activities are carried out strictly according to Government social distancing guidelines.

For the third year running Network Rail and the Midland Langar Seva Society charity laid on dinners for hundreds of homeless people as they put on a festive feast during Christmas Eve at Birmingham's New Street Station. But they say holding an indoor event was not possible this year because of coronavirus restrictions. Instead, 250 takeaway meals were prepared for homeless people, as well as Christmas gifts.

Patrick Power, Birmingham New Street station manager, said: "Because of social distancing we couldn't hold the meal inside in the warm as we would like, so we had to think about how to do things in a different way." In previous years tables were set up on the station plaza for a sit-down meal, but this year the food and gifts were being given out between 17:00 and 19:00 on December 24 for people to take away.  

To make sure the event was safe, disposable masks and hand sanitisers were given to people as they join the socially distanced queue, Network Rail said. There was also two portable sinks in the queuing area, to allow people to wash their hands, it added. And all the food was prepared by the Midland Langar Seva Society off-site at a kitchen in Smethwick.

Bal Thandi, from the charity, said the volunteers wanted to make sure the event went ahead in spite of the restrictions to "put smiles on people's faces. Especially because of Covid and the rules and regulations, people couldn't meet, so it is important during the festive season to make people smile, give them a hot meal and clothes and presents.

"It is thanks to the support of everybody that we were been able to put it together."

Merry Christmas to all of our readers, supporters, advertisers and friends from everyone at The Phoenix Newspaper!

A crowd-fund campaign to send food hampers as a festive treat to Wolverhampton care homes has raised more than £16,000. ‘Kindness of Christmas’ raised a total of £16,444 enabling each of the 68 care homes in the city to enjoy a luxury hamper to share with their residents this Christmas.

The campaign was supported by supermarket Tesco PLC, who donated £500 worth of goods to kick start the appeal. The supermarket also produced the hampers with City of Wolverhampton Council. Kindness of Christmas is being delivered alongside West Midlands Police’s ‘Festive Kindness’ campaign which also seeks to show support and care for the vulnerable by distributing Christmas cards to residents of care homes, as well as food and toys to food banks across the city.

Councillor Linda Leach, City of Wolverhampton Council's cabinet member for adult services, said “This year has been difficult for everyone, especially older people and their families who have been through so much during Covid-19. I know that people are feeling extremely worried and anxious, but I would like to let you know that we are continuing to support and safeguard our vulnerable residents.

“Some families and friends have not been able to hug or hold hands with loved ones in a home, and now, more than ever it’s important that we show them how special they are, and that we are thinking of them. I’d like to thank everyone who donated to the Kindness of Christmas campaign, once again you have shown the caring and community-spirited nature of our city. Your generosity means these hampers will bring some joy to the residents and the staff of all care homes in the city”.

Employees from City of Wolverhampton Council and Wolverhampton Homes volunteered their time to make sure all the hampers were carefully put together ready for distribution across the city. Any surplus money raised from the fund, after purchasing hampers and the contents will be shared equally with the care homes.

The campaign followed the previous phases of the One City Fund crowd-funding initiative, a  collaboration between the City of Wolverhampton Council, Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council (WVCS) and several organisations from across Wolverhampton, aimed at supporting vulnerable groups in the City during the pandemic.  

A total of four campaigns were run under the One City Fund umbrella between them raising over £90,000, each with a particular focus; people facing severe financial hardship as a result of Covid-19, raising vital funds to support the increased demand on the city’s food banks, supporting the homeless and helping people who have no access to technology to access important services or information.

A lost World War Two letter discovered inside a book, has finally reached its destination after 76 years thanks to a nationwide campaign by World of Books Group, the UK’s largest retailer of used books and media. The letter was written by a British soldier serving in Italy in the winter of 1944. At the time, Allied forces battled through the tough Italian Campaign in freezing conditions - a campaign that would claim the lives of around 70,000 allied soldiers by its conclusion.

 It was in these difficult conditions that Lance Corporal John Wheldon-Williams penned a heartfelt letter to High Wycombe schoolgirl, Pat Moore, thanking her for knitting supplies for anonymous troops. He himself had received a simple pair of mittens; a seemingly small gesture, but one that brought him comfort in difficult times. But Pat would never receive the letter. By the time it would have arrived at the correspondence address, she had moved on. 20 years later Pat passed away at just 36, never knowing just how much her act of kindness had meant to those on the receiving end.

Upon discovering the letter, World of Books Group launched a nationwide campaign to return it to its rightful owner and was soon contacted by Lynn Cook from Surrey. The campaign had been spotted by amateur historian Dave Thacker. Amazingly, despite the limited information publicised, Dave was able to use his skills to work out a connection between Lynn and Pat, and got in touch to let her know about World of Books’ find.

Lynn, Pat’s only surviving child, was just a young girl when her mother passed away. Although she has spent years researching her mother’s life story, she knew nothing of her kindness during the war until Dave got in touch. Lynn said: “I’m delighted to be reunited with a piece of family history I knew nothing about. It’s incredibly moving to know how much my mum’s contribution to the war effort meant on a personal level.

I have early memories of watching my mother knit at home – it’s something she always enjoyed. And I remember her telling me stories of her writing to pen pals during the war. I suspect she snuck a little note in with the package in the hope a soldier would eventually reply. She would have been overjoyed with this, and I’ll treasure it forever.”

The incredible find prompted the pair to work together and discover more about the letter. As a team, they’ve discovered information about the soldier, John Wheldon-Williams, and the family he writes about. The soldier fortunately survived the war and returned to London, where he remained until he passed away in 1970. When tracking down John’s son Brian, who was eight years old when the letter was written, they discovered he grew into a successful stage actor. Under the name David Wheldon-Williams, he starred in a number of West End shows, including the original London production of Cabaret alongside Judi Dench.

Brian sadly passed away in 2017, but they have now made contact with other relatives and given them a new piece of family history too.

Graham Bell, CEO of World of Books Group, said: “Over 75 million used books come through our business each year, and we occasionally come across forgotten personal items tucked away inside them. It’s surprisingly common for people to place memories inside books for safe keeping, whether it be family photographs or letters from loved ones. But this find was particularly poignant and we knew we had to do something to return it to its rightful owner. We’re delighted to have found Lynn and learn more about the incredible story behind the letter.”

As a circular economy business, we’re focused on finding used items new homes. In this case, it’s wonderful to bring something back full circle to where it truly belongs.”

Some people across the UK have been able to form household support bubbles or extended households. The aim is to help people who've been cut off from friends and family. The rules vary across the country, so what is the situation where you live?

A bubble is a group of people with whom you have close physical contact. The aim is to help people who've been cut off from friends and family. Bubbles must be "exclusive".

Once in one, you can't start another with a different household. If you decide to change your bubble, you should treat your previous bubble as a separate household for 10 days before forming a new one. People in a bubble can stay overnight in each other's homes, visit outdoors places together and do not have to socially distance, even in areas under tier 4 restrictions.

In England, single adults living alone - or single parents whose children are under 18 - can form a support bubble with one other household. The second household can be of any size and can include "at risk" people who were previously shielding.

Wherever possible, the government recommends that a support bubble should be with another local household to avoid unnecessary travel. Anyone in the bubble contacted as part of England's test and trace programme must stay at home. If they develop coronavirus symptoms, everyone in the bubble must self-isolate.

Under the tier system, people are allowed to form support bubbles with those who live in a higher tier area, and bubbles can be cross-border with Scotland and Wales, subject to local restrictions. The government expanded the eligibility of support bubbles in England on December 2 to help families with very young children or people with continuous care needs. This means households can form a support bubble with another household, if at least one of them has:

·         a child under 1 (regardless of how many other adults are in the household)

·         a child under 5 with a disability that requires continuous care (regardless of how marny other adults are in the household)

·         a single adult carer (living with any additional adults in the household that have a disability and need continuous care)

As well as the support bubble rules, the government in England also has a set of rules that apply to families with children under 14 (as well as to vulnerable adults).

They can form a childcare bubble with one other household to provide informal (unpaid and unregistered) childcare. This must always be between the same two households. Childcare can be provided in either or both of the two homes.

During the Christmas period, registered childcare and childcare bubbles can continue.

In Wales two households of any size can form an exclusive bubble and meet in their own homes and gardens. People in the same bubble can stay in each other's homes overnight.

And they can meet up in groups of larger than four in some other outdoor places. If you were part of a temporary extended household during the firebreak period, or were in one before that, you can make a new bubble, instead. However, once you have agreed and joined that new extended household, neither household can leave to form a new one.

Under the five tier system in Scotland, people who live on their own or only with children under 18 can form an extended household with people from one other household.

People in extended households are counted as one household, and so can continue to meet and socialise with each other despite general restrictions on households mixing, and can stay overnight in each other's homes. Couples who do not live together can also form an extended household, which can include any children they each live with.

A household must not form an extended household with more than one other. However, one of them can end the arrangement at any time, and - as long as they wait at least 14 days - then form a new extended household with someone else.

If any member of an extended household develops symptoms or tests positive for Covid, everyone in the bubble must self-isolate.

Two households of any size can form a support bubble. The members can spend time indoors and stay overnight with each other.

Under the latest restrictions, these bubbles are limited to a maximum of 10 people, including children, at any one time. Schools are using year group and/or class bubbles to support social distancing and reduce close contact between pupils as much as possible.

Maintaining distinct groups which do not mix makes it quicker and easier when a positive case occurs to identify those who may need to self-isolate and minimise their number.

Coventry entrepreneur Nyasha Pitt brings beautiful, brave, brilliant Black performers back to the stage for IDENT2020 – the UK’s only annual arts festival which ONLY platforms Black performers.

Last year’s event, which was also funded by the City of Culture Trust, took place at Warwick Arts Centre. This year, the event will be streamed via YouTube on 21.12.20 – the shortest day of the year and the night upon which the Christmas Star (or the ‘Great Conjunction’ of

Saturn and Jupiter) will be visible for the first time in 800 years.

The digital festival will feature dance, photography, spoken word, gospel music, opera, comedy and more. The aim of the festival remains the same: the celebration, rather than appropriation, of Black talent, for the benefit and enjoyment of all.

Commenting on this year’s event, Nyasha said: “I cannot wait to share this event with everyone. 

"Last year was awesome; this year, we may have to create new words just to describe the incredible talent shared with us all, at a time when we all need inspiration. Black creativity is magical. And for far too long, we have been disenfranchised from even acknowledging our power.

"Other races can be applauded for their skills… however, when it comes to Black peoples, our talent only holds value when it is appropriated. Or worse, when we are only supported to deliver projects which reinforce racial stereotypes and negative biases. That has to stop.

IDENT is a small contribution towards the massive change needed.”

IDENT2020 will feature some emergent and established Black UK & US talent:

• Birmingham’s Poet Laureate Casey Bailey
• Coventry poet Kassandra Gordon
• Coventry-based visual artist melissandre varin
• Birmingham Comedian Smash Entertainz
• Birmingham jazz musician Romarna Campbell
• Birmingham composer & musician Ray Prince
  (Gospel Revisited Project)
• Birmingham wordsmith KSSence

The CEO of www.Just-Tickets.com  - the UKs fasting growing self-service events ticketing website – Dr Paul Lawrence MA launched the ticket-booking site in 2018. It was just one in a line of benevolent-led creations from his myriad worldly achievements, before it was announced that he had passed away.

With over 35-years of experience as an IT professional, he previously worked throughout Europe delivering work-class solutions to a wide variety of customers, the Jamaica-native

was a founding member of the multiple award-winning charity 100 Black Men of London and a trustee of the youth mentoring charity Youth Synergy, Jamaica-born Dr Paul Lawrence, who moved to England in1989,  was also an author, newspaper columnist, coach and philanthropist, he was widely respected for his work in creating positive platforms for children and young people.

A community-based charity led by Black men delivering programmes and activities focused on mentoring, education, economic empowerment, plus health & wellness, 100 Black Men of London has been serving its community since 2001, as it impacts thousands of lives through the work that they continue to do.

On his death – a week before the launch of the Jamaica Floods Fundraising Concert, in which he was to be very much part of – his brother, Hubert, said: “As a very brother, he (Paul) was always a loyal, passionate and dedicated man whose open-door policy on life meant that he would always be ready, willing and able to help others.

“The family was proud of his achievements in the UK, and were looking forward to him returning to Jamaica.”

On social media a message by Brenda McLeod of Jamaicans From Around The Globe read;

‘Condolences to Hubert Lawrence in London.

‘Condolences to all the Lawrence family.

‘May his soul rise in power.’

He recently launched his own YouTube talk show - People Talk – which covers issues from domestic violence, to child abuse and much more relative topics.

A visionaries and leader, the entrepreneur led the concept of the UK-based organisation, which was Britain’s answer to the America-based 100 Black Men Inc., which was founded by Dr William H. Hayling – who, himself, also passed very recently.

Dr Paul died after reportedly experiencing breathing difficulties.

He was 56.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged people to keep Christmas celebrations "short" and "small" to reduce the risk of spreading Covid over the festive period. Restrictions will still be relaxed between 23 and 27 December - but the PM said people should "think hard" before meeting friends and family.

In Wales only two households - plus an additional single person who lives alone - will be allowed to meet by law. And in Scotland people are being asked to only meet on one of the five days.

The PM said the law was remaining the same in England but "a smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas.

“When we say three households can meet on five days, I want to stress, these are maximums, not targets to aim for, and it's always going to be safest to minimise the number of people you meet," he told a Downing Street press conference.

"If that means you're visiting others, we're asking you, for the five days beforehand, as early as Friday, to reduce the number of people you're in contact with to the lowest possible." He also advised people to avoid travelling from "high prevalence" areas to those with lower rates of coronavirus and not to stay away from home overnight if possible.

The PM urged caution over seeing elderly or vulnerable relatives. "Remember, the vaccine is on the way and our aim is to inoculate everyone who's extremely vulnerable, or elderly, by the early months of next year," he said. "If you have an elderly relative, you might want to delay seeing them until they've been vaccinated."

"Whatever your plans for Christmas, please think carefully about avoiding crowds in the Boxing Day sales, and no one should be gathering in large groups to see in the new year," he added. And England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty warned: "Just because you can do something doesn't mean it's sensible in any way."

"Any kind of period where people come together in groups that otherwise wouldn't meet leads to an increase in risks and that will lead to an increase in hospitalisations and deaths," he said. He urged people to keep their Christmas celebrations small, short and local to reduce these risks.

UK leaders had come under pressure to review the guidance for Christmas amid rising infections.

Wales has announced it will head back into a stay-at-home lockdown as soon as the Christmas period is over. Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said her "strong recommendation" was to "spend Christmas in your own home with your own household", and if people do mix with others they should only do so for one of the five days.

She added: "We will set out advice if you are living in any of the nations in one of the highest level of protection - which in England and London is tier three - then we don't think you should be travelling to other parts of the UK."

Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster said she would wait to hear from her health minister before announcing changes, but added people must take "all and every precaution" over the festive period. Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she recognised governments needed to provide "flexibility" over Christmas and that people needed to take personal responsibility for their actions.

The four UK nations previously agreed a set of rules for the festive period, which has been set down in legislation and is not expected to change in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland - even though the guidance has been updated.

·         Between 23 and 27 December, you can form a "Christmas bubble" comprised of people from three households

·         You can travel between tiers and between UK nations to meet your bubble

·         You can only meet in homes, places of worship or public outdoor spaces - not pubs or restaurants

·         You can meet people outside your bubble according to your local rules

But in Wales new guidance on households mixing will be put into law, meaning only two households - plus an additional single person who lives alone - will be able to form a Christmas bubble.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Labour would support tougher restrictions over Christmas.

"We would have liked to have seen a toughening up today from the prime minister - perhaps something like what we've seen in Wales, reducing households," he said. "I think he's going to have to go further in the coming days."

An information campaign is expected to be launched in the days running up to Christmas, with people being urged to think carefully before bubbling with elderly or at-risk relatives.

People from the UK’s Black community are being encouraged to accept a Covid-19 vaccine amid concerns that they are less likely to take it up.

District nurse Genevieve Palmer was given the jab at Kingswood Health Centre in Bristol on Tuesday. She asked communities to take the vaccine "to protect yourself, protect your family and protect everybody."

A Royal Society for Public Health survey found that BAME groups, in general, were less likely to want the Covid vaccine. Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showing that Black people are almost twice as likely to die from Covid-19 as white people, with those of Bangladeshi and Pakistani ethnicity about 1.7 times as likely. Ms Palmer said she was "very happy" to receive the inoculation but admitted there was scepticism in the Black community, even among her friends.

"When I was coming here, I ran into some friends from my background and when I said I'm going to get my Covid vaccine it wasn't well accepted, people were asking 'are you sure?'

"I just want to tell them, everyone in my ethnic minority, it's very safe, go and have it to protect yourself, protect your family and protect everybody. I want to encourage them to get out there and have it. Do your research, stop believing what you see on Youtube, it doesn't help."

Dr Neil Kerfoot is leading the vaccination programme at Kingswood Health Centre.He said that first in line were people aged over 80 and they had taken into account patients' other illnesses, vulnerability and ethnicity when planning the order of vaccinations for the community.

"I think it rates as one of the most complicated and challenging, but also one of the most exciting things we've done," said the GP.

Christina Marriott, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), said "anti-vaccination messages have been specifically targeted" at some ethnic and religious communities through mediums such as messaging service WhatsApp.

Meanwhile, Bristol City Council said working with Somali, Sudanese and Pakistani communities in schools, cafes and housing estates has helped to bring the city's coronavirus case numbers down. The council and its health partners focused on areas including Barton Hill, Lawrence Hill, Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston.

Deputy Mayor for communities Asher Craig said they had seen numbers "plummet" particularly in areas where there are significant BAME communities.

It has been said that advice around celebrating Christmas safely across the UK is expected to be significantly strengthened in the coming days. People are likely to be urged to think carefully about travelling and to stay local where possible. However, it is unlikely the agreed rules - allowing up to three households to mix for five days - will change.

Officials from all four nations had just held talks - with more scheduled to take place today.

It comes amid concern that relaxing the restrictions will fuel a further surge in Covid-19 case numbers with two leading medical journals describing the current rules as "rash".

It was said that no final decisions had been taken but people are likely to be told that the relaxations are limits not targets and that they should be cautious when forming household bubbles. It is still hoped a common approach can be agreed across the four nations.

Under the agreed Christmas rules, travel restrictions will be eased from 23 to 27 December to allow up to three households to form a bubble and stay overnight at each other's homes.

A spokeswoman for Northern Ireland's government said scientific advisers would be consulted ahead of any decision, while a Welsh government spokesman said talks there would "confirm the position".

Ahead of the talks, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon argued there was a "case" for tightening the planned freedoms to combat a rise in infections and indicated she could break with the four-nations approach.

Meanwhile, government figures just out show another 18,450 cases and 506 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported in the UK.