Community News

Viviana Perestrelo, 29, and her partner Kevin Aspell, 33, adopted their six-year-old German Shepherd Jess from RSPCA Birmingham Animal Centre after she was signed over into the charity’s care when her previous owner could no longer care for her.

Viviana, who is originally Portugese, met her partner Kevin, from Luton, in Gran Canaria where they worked, him as a Commercial Captain and her as Cabin Crew. The couple and their two cats,

Aquilies and Maxi, then moved to Greenfield in Bedfordshire and decided to adopt an RSPCA rescue dog.

Viviana said: “As soon as I got to Jess’ kennel my heart skipped a beat. It was 100% love at first sight. 

“Just from looking at her, I knew she was the dog we were going to bring home. We adopted her there and then pending a home visit and one week later she was already part of the family.”

Jess was three-years-old when she was adopted and had been waiting to find a home for over a month.

Viviana said: “I don't know why her owner didn’t want her anymore, she’s an absolute angel. It took a while for her to trust us, and we had to do all her training from scratch but she’s too smart for her own good and she just loves the cats. We were the perfect family for 19 months but after seven years together, my partner Kev passed away in a car accident. He was driving through a storm and the roads were flooded. The car slid and he was killed instantly.”

Viviana explained that she hardly remembers the next days or weeks. She barely left the house, she couldn’t eat, she didn’t want to talk to anyone, or be around anyone - except for Jess.

“In a way, not being able to talk to Jess made me feel like I was in a bubble when she was with me. She didn’t talk about death, or inheritance, taxes, the mortgage, she just loved me and licked me. My family came to support me and I love them to bits but once my family left, I didn’t care about anything in the world, I really didn’t, but Jess was my responsibility. I had to get out of bed to feed her, let her out to go to the toilet, walk her. Her needs were getting me out of bed in the morning, her routine kept me grounded in the middle of all this mess.

“And she can’t speak but she knows.” Viviana explained. “We are both grieving. She’ll always sleep on his pillow and smells his shoes outside, she can’t forget him either. It broke my heart seeing her go to the door when she expected him to come home, and I couldn’t explain to her why he wasn’t coming home,” Viviana continued.

“I went through my worst times but my dog pulled me from a dark hole I didn't see an end to. I don't know how or where I'd be if I didn't have her in my life. She was there when I woke up alone, she was there when I had to cook myself dinner. She was always there when I came home, and she was there every time I cried. People say Jess is lucky that we adopted her but I believe we were the lucky ones to have found her. I thank the RSPCA for bringing her to me.”

Viviana wanted to give something back to the RSPCA which is why she decided to take on the London Landmarks half marathon which takes place on Sunday, 29 March. 

Viviana added: “I thought I would be the last person doing something like this but I’ve been trying to turn myself from an expert couch potato to a superior human capable of running 21km. It’s been quite a challenge. I’m just hoping I can do the whole thing on the day!”

Unclaimed lost property left at Town Hall Symphony Hall (THSH) Birmingham during 2019 has been donated to local organisations that support the homeless, unemployed men and women, provide eye tests and treatments for people in developing countries, and contribute to Cancer Research.

Last year, hundreds of hats, scarves, walking sticks, water bottles, ties, waistcoats, jackets, shirts, shoes, handbags, umbrellas and spectacles were left behind at the venues.

Now THSH staff, ICC Security colleagues and partners at Colmore BID have found new homes for these everyday items.

Many of the clothes were donated to Colmore BID’s nominated charity, SIFA Fireside Homeless, which enables homeless and vulnerable people in Birmingham to take control, paving the way for healthier, fulfilling lives.

Other items of clothing were donated to Suited for Success, which provides free high-quality interview clothes, styling and interview preparation skills for unemployed men and women in Birmingham who have a confirmed job interview.

Spectacles and glass cases were given to Specsavers for Vision Aid Overseas, which has been helping some of the world’s poorest people to see clearly for over 30 years by providing affordable eye care services.

The remaining items were donated to Cancer Research UK, whose pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives.

Jane Cooper, Head of Operations for THSH, said: “We keep lost property for 28 days, and have worked with our colleagues from The ICC Security Team and Colmore BID to find new homes for these items that will support local charities and people in need”.

Louise Walker, Facilities Manager at The ICC, said: “We are pleased that we can support Symphony Hall Birmingham in their lost property operations. It’s fantastic to know that the unclaimed lost property items collected throughout 2019 have been donated to such good causes”.

Colmore BID Executive Assistant, Claire J. Smith, said: “We at Colmore BID would like to thank THSH for donating their lost property to us, as the charities we have given to have benefitted so much from items that would have normally just been thrown away. We look forward to doing this again as an ongoing venture”.

A ground-breaking campaign to encourage organisations to improve their approach to increasing participation and equality has signed up its fiftieth organisation.

The Include Me West Midlands Pledge is led by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) in partnership with Sport England and disability charity Activity Alliance.

It is a regional approach to making the West Midlands an exemplar region for engaging disabled people and people with long term health conditions to be physically active.

The pledge shows disabled people, and people with long term health conditions that an organisation has made a commitment to become a supporter and consider how it engages better with people and is open to listening to their thoughts and views.

The fiftieth sign-up is the Tudor Grange Leisure Centre, Solihull which is managed by Everyone Active. Meanwhile, 50 other organisations have contacted WMCA stating they are keen to sign up.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands said: “Include Me WM has reached an important milestone in helping to challenge perceptions and change lives of disabled people.

“This project gives disabled people, and people with long term health conditions, a voice to help improve access and opportunities across the West Midlands. In addition, it gives organisations the opportunity to contribute to making the region a better place to live.”

Cllr Yvonne Davies the WMCA portfolio holder for Public Service Reform and leader of Sandwell Council, said: “It is highly encouraging to see such a variety of organisations show they are eager to commit to improving how they engage with disabled people in the West Midlands.”

Dr Mark Fosbrook, who is seconded to the WMCA from the charity Activity Alliance to manage the campaign said: “Include Me WM goes deeper than simply creating access to a sport or leisure centre, but about having an appropriately trained workforce, improved transport, access to services and inclusive messaging and imagery.

“We are heartened by the terrific response, but this is no time to sit back. We are gearing up to encourage many more sign-ups, and we have further plans in the pipeline including a website.

“Include Me WM is about making a positive difference to disabled people and people with long term health conditions by giving them a voice to help improve access and opportunities across the West Midlands.

“By signing the pledge indicates an organisation will not always get everything right, but they are willing to listen and learn on how to make improvements for individuals.”

Tudor Grange joins Coventry City’s charity Sky Blues in the Community, Birmingham-based Sport Structures, Aston Villa Community Foundation and the Wasps Group in signing up to the pledge. Numerous organisations which support disabled people and people with long term health conditions, such as Headway the brain injury association, use Tudor Grange’s facilities.

Wayne Desmond, contract manager at Everyone Active said: “We are delighted to be a part of such an important initiative and mark a key milestone in making the West Midlands more accessible and inclusive for everyone.

“At Everyone Active, we are always looking at how we can break down barriers and accommodate the diverse needs of our customers so that they feel empowered to get active and lead a healthy lifestyle using our facilities.

“Signing up to the Include Me WM Pledge will help us to further our understanding and embed an extra set of principles into our organisation that are consistent across our leisure facilities in Solihull, Stratford, Warwick and Bromsgrove and raise awareness of the opportunities for people with disabilities and long term health conditions.”

Include Me WM uses the Activity Alliance Talk to Me principles to identify how organisations can make improvements to engage better with people. Focusing on these areas helps organisations understand their needs and make physical activity a viable option.

Initial evaluation has shown there are three Activity Alliance Talk to Me principles that Include Me WM participating organisations value the most. The first is Listen to Me which refers to discussing needs in a safe and private environment and listening to thoughts and views on how to improve services.

The second is emphasising disabled people who are already undertaking activities and working within an organisation to give disabled people the confidence to be involved, referred to as Show Me. The third is using the channels that are trusted to communicate with disabled people and people with long term health conditions. Called My Channels, this includes organisations wanting to look at how they can make their communications more inclusive.

A pipeline of more than £250m of investment is being provided to help revitalise West Midlands town and city centres and kick-start their wider transformation. 

The money is being deployed by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), working in partnership with local councils, to unlock sites for redevelopment and support different schemes that can regenerate centres and help reverse the fortunes of struggling high streets and deliver new homes and jobs. 

Dudley town centre became the latest to see the benefits of the £250m investment as a huge 90 ton “building muncher” began tearing down the eyesore Cavendish House which has stood empty and neglected for more than 20 years. 

Watching the machine go into action and start the demolition, which is being paid for by the WMCA, were Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, Cllr Pat Harley, leader of Dudley Council and Cllr Mike Bird, WMCA portfolio holder for housing and land and leader of Walsall Council. 

Joining them were Jon Bramwell, chair of the West Midlands Town Centre Taskforce (WMTCT), which was set up by the Mayor last year, and Jeremy Knight-Adams, owner of developers Avenbury Dudley which will deliver the wider £82m Portersfield development featuring retail, leisure and housing once Cavendish is taken down. 

The Mayor also visited the Provision House Food Club – a concept to bridge the gap between food banks and high street supermarkets which has been launched with the help of WMCA town centre funding. 

The demolition and social supermarket are part of a swathe of projects being invested in and delivered to fast track the regeneration and renewal of the region’s town and city centres.

The Mayor, a former managing director of retailer John Lewis, said: “High streets across the nation have been struggling as people choose to shop in a different way, turning to online retailers and home delivery. 

“So, it’s vital our town and city centres reinvent themselves offering a more diverse mix of traditional retail, housing, leisure facilities and public services to create vibrant new hubs in our communities. That’s what the West Midlands is aiming to achieve with this comprehensive pipeline of investment. 

“The demolition of Cavendish House and the Food Club are perfect examples of how the WMCA can help unlock regeneration of our towns and cities while also responding to the needs of our communities in the short-term, providing meaningful support to help the area prepare for growth.” 

Cllr Harley added: “This is a momentous occasion which marks the start of a major regeneration plan which will transform Dudley. We have been talking about this for many years but at last we can say that Dudley is now in the midst of an exciting new chapter in its history. It’s our time and I am delighted this is all coming to fruition.”

The £250m of investment includes a number of bespoke packages of town centre and brownfield funding including: 

Dudley  

• Demolition of Cavendish House, paving the way for the Portersfield scheme  
• Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology – using a former 1960s railway depot for a new Institute of Transformational Technologies  

Wolverhampton 

• Purchase of the derelict Pipe Hall near Bilston high street enabling the site to be redeveloped 
• Cable Street/Steelhouse Lane – funding to clean up brownfield land for a 151 new home development 

Coventry 

• Work to give the city centre a facelift ahead of the arrival of visitors for the City of Culture 
• Regeneration of the former Coventry Telegraph newspaper site for a boutique hotel and apartments 

Solihull 

• Chelmsley Wood town centre – a concept masterplan is being drawn up to look at a range of development opportunities including vacant sites like the former library  
• Kingshurst village centre – a concept masterplan is being drawn up ahead of a formal planning application 

The £250m also includes support for five town centres which have been put forward by their local councils for specific help – Bilston, Dudley, West Bromwich, Walsall and Bordesley Green in Birmingham. 

The town centre programme is being co-ordinated by the region’s Town Centre Taskforce which is made up of prominent people from the worlds of retail, development, finance, housing, education and Government to work with local councils on moving forward redevelopment plans for town centres. 

The new Food Club is a direct result of the work being carried out by the Taskforce and will provide a wide range of fresh food and daily essentials for the community to choose from, for a small weekly donation of £3. Run by local charity Loaves ‘N’ Fishes, the project will also provide healthy eating advice and recipes. 

Taskforce chair, Jon Bramwell, a managing director at HSBC Commercial Banking, said; “The Taskforce is a positive example of how the private and public sector can work together to deliver vibrant, healthy and thriving town centres. 

“This all starts with the local community. We hope the Food Club will demonstrate how spare spaces within our towns can be better utilised to meet the needs of the community whilst also creating spaces for social interaction and experiences.” 

Cllr Mike Bird, leader of Walsall Council and WMCA portfolio holder for housing and regeneration, added: “The WMCA’s dedicated Taskforce and this £250m of investment provides much-needed support for town and city centres, many of which have experienced a decline in trade in recent years. 

“Dudley is no exception but the demolition of Cavendish House, combined with softer interventions by the WMCA such as the food club we have seen today, will help kick-start the wider redevelopment of Dudley and breathe new life into the town.” 

Clooney, a five-year-old mixed breed owned by Hannah and Stephen Hayes from Newark, Nottinghamshire, has won the Scruffts Family Crossbreed of the Year title at the world’s greatest dog show, Crufts on Saturday 7^th March.

Clooney was one of four crossbreed finalists in the national Scruffts competition, which is exclusively supported by pet food makers James Wellbeloved. Hundreds of dogs competed in qualifying heats around the country, with 24 dogs and their owners making it through to the semi-finals, which also took place at Crufts earlier on Saturday.

Clooney was found in a bad condition, wandering the streets of Romania, before he was rescued by Sirius Animal Rescue and Evermore Dog Rescue. After being nursed back to health, he was taken to a rehoming centre in Nottinghamshire.

Having both grown up with dogs, Stephen and Hannah were looking for a dog after moving in together and it was love at first sight when they met Clooney, who greeted them with a wagging tail. More recently, he was even ring bearer at their wedding!

This is the first time the trio had entered Scruffts, taking part in the local All About Dogs show heat in Newark last year.

Thrilled owner Hannah said: “I’m completely speechless. I’m still in shock. We entered for the fun of it, we never imagined Clooney would win.

“We just couldn’t resist his beautiful amber eyes and cheeky face.”

Actress, presenter and comedian Sally Phillips and actress and impressionist Ronni Ancona judged the four finalists, alongside dog judge Robin Newhouse, looking for qualities such as good character, health and temperament with people and other dogs.

On choosing the winner, Sally Phillips said: “Coming here today has been a real pleasure but of course, it’s been an almost impossible task picking out a winner - all the stories are completely heart-breaking.

“I just loved the fact that Clooney was best man at Stephen and Hannah’s wedding and has done wonders for their mental health. When you rescue a dog, as I have done, you do wonder who is actually rescuing who here.”

The Scruffts Family Crossbreed of the Year competition is run by the Kennel Club, which organises Crufts, and caters exclusively for crossbreed dogs: dogs whose parents are of two different breeds, or a mixture of several breeds.

The four finalists were:

• Most Handsome Crossbreed Dog: Clooney the mixed breed, owned by Stephen and Hannah Hayes from Newark, Nottinghamshire.
• Good Citizen Dog Scheme: Maggie the German Wirehaired Pointer cross, owned by Karen Baudrey from East Tilbury, Essex
• Golden Oldie Crossbreed: Roxie the 15-year old mixed breed, owned by Jessica Mann from Oxford
• Prettiest Crossbreed Bitch: Skye the Alaskan Malamute/German Shepherd/Siberian Husky cross, owned by Elaine Forster from Abingdon, Oxfordshire

As well as the Scruffts Crossbreed Family Dog of the Year title, Clooney received a year’s supply of healthy hypo-allergenic dog food from James Wellbeloved.

James Wellbeloved marketing manager Laurence Hooper said: "Huge congratulations to Clooney, Hannah and Stephen on becoming Scruffts champions. James Wellbeloved is very proud to be exclusive supporters of this wonderful competition which celebrates the nation’s most fabulous crossbreed dogs.

“The bond between the trio was clear to see and we hope they enjoy every moment of being a Scruffts champion.”

Staff at Sandwell Museums are launching two new displays at Bromwich Hall in the Manor House Museum in West Bromwich – to highlight the lives of two women once associated with the 750-year-old building.

The new displays have been announced as part of International Women’s Day at the museum in Hall Green Road 

Jane Hanney Martin, Museums Services Manager, said: "The displays will see two women once associated with this 750 year old building come back to life by projecting real faces onto blank faced models.

“These will then be able to talk to visitors and tell their stories through time."

Abbey Butler, Visitor Services Officer for Bromwich Hall, added: "Often the stories told are those of the men who owned these sorts of buildings, but they were usually away fighting or doing other political roles away from their homes.

“It was usually their wives who were at Bromwich running the house and the estate taking day to day decisions – so we have decided to tell two of those women’s stories, showing the everyday life of the hall."

The first of the women is Sarah Devereaux whose story helps to tell the tale of how Bromwich Hall came to be built in the 1270s.

The Bromwich lands were inherited through Sarah’s father and Sarah was married to Walter Devereaux, who was part of a family who were important lords defending the Welsh borders from the unruly locals.

But when Walter fought against the King his own lands were taken away as punishment and so the family land in West Bromwich became more important and a new Manor House needed to be built.

The second display will be set in the 1620s and will show Lettice, who was the wife of Richard Shilton. Richard was the Solicitor General to Charles I and also part of a team restoring old St Paul’s Cathedral before it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

“It is interesting to note that there is 400 years between the lives of these two women associated with Bromwich Hall which is longer in time than between Lettice and us at the museum today,”  added Jane Hanney-Martin.

"This is a great opportunity for locals and visitors to the region to discover and explore some of the fascinating stories associated with this fantastic building and the people who lived in them, particularly the often forgotten lives of women who kept these estates running,” she said.

It was indeed an honour to lay a wreath on behalf of The National Caribbean Monument Charity (TNCMC) at the commemoration ceremony on COMMONWEALTH DAY at MEMORIAL GATES, CONSTITUTION HILL, London.

The ceremony was well attended with many high ranking personnel, both military and civilian, and very good representations from commonwealth countries.

The ceremony began with a welcome from Lord Karan Bilimoria, Chairman of the Memorial Gates Council, followed by a speech from Johnny Mercer MP, Minister for Defence People and Veterans, and Prayers by The Rt Rev and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, The Bishop of London.

The ceremony this year marked 75 years since VJ Day (Victory over Japan) the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, and the contribution made by Commonwealth Forces in the Far East. Brief Background of the Memorial Gates: On the 6th of November 2002 Her Majesty

The Queen officially inaugurated the Memorial Gates on Constitution Hill, in London. These gates have been erected as a lasting memorial to honour the five million men and women from the Indian subcontinent, Africa and the Caribbean who volunteered to serve with the Armed Forces during the First and Second World Wars.

They also celebrate the contribution that these men and women and their descendants, members of the Commonwealth family, continuing to make to the rich diversity of British society. It is now full time and a fitting reminder that we must forge ahead with our campaign to erect a permanent monument in the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire in recognition of Caribbean military personnel. Your financial support would be very much appreciated: https://tncmc.org/index.php/donations

Donald Campbell
Chair
TNCMC
07802723222

For centuries it has been the preserve of white men, now one particular institution – the Church of England - is being challenged, by one of its own, to change that perception.

As this year’s International Women’s Day hailed those who have made a ‘change’ one particular clergy is standing up to question her own church’s perception in the fight against racism.

Reverend Eve Pitts, the priest at Holy Trinity Church, in Birchfield, in Birmingham, is challenging the very religion she represents.

As, not only a woman, but, especially, a Black woman, she has had struggles with her God, and the very religion she preaches about.

“It takes ‘batty’ people who wants to change the world”, she said, “but I am not going to ‘leave this world’ until I make a change”.

“My struggle with God is in terms of the history of me and my people”, she said.

“As such”, she continues, “If there was one prayer that I could ask from my God then I would want him to get rid of the demon forces of racism.

As Britain’s first Black, female vicar, Reverend Eve says: “I refuse to believe in a God that doesn’t care about the diminishing state of my race”.

When questioned about her position in a perceived ‘all white’ institute that is the Church of England, she insists on being true to herself and her history – as she remains totally committed to her culture and where she comes from.

Each year, on August 1, at her Holy Trinity Church, Rev. Eve Pitts holds a special service to remember all those who were enslaved during the trans-Atlantic slave trade; approaching her pew, each year, in native African attire, with chains around her waist and ankles – as the slave traders did so unceremoniously during one of the most trying, traumatic periods in the history of mankind.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games revealed its official countdown clock in the city’s Centenary Square, in partnership with official clock sponsor, Longines and in the presence of representatives from Birmingham 2022, the Commonwealth Games Federation and the official clock sponsor themselves.

With the launch commencing at 09:00 with the official reveal of the clock, not only did it mark the official countdown to Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, it also marked Longines new agreement which sees them have exclusive status as the inaugural Partner of the Commonwealth Sport Movement, in a deal that covers the next three Commonwealth Games, starting with Birmingham and including 2026 and 2030.  

David Grevemberg, chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), said: "This striking, elegant structure is taking pride of place in the iconic Centenary Square, which marks the countdown to Birmingham 2022 really beginning in earnest."

“I am absolutely delighted to announcing this on Commonwealth Day, a day of celebration across the Commonwealth, where we are unveiling the Longines countdown clock to the Birmingham 2022 Opening Ceremony.

"I am absolutely delighted and privileged to have Longines join with us as the Inaugural Partner of the Commonwealth Sport Movement."

Grevemberg continued: “This is a truly historic agreement and having this multi-Commonwealth Games partnership in place showcases real confidence in the future direction of the Commonwealth Sport Movement. The partnership has been made possible because of the new Games delivery model, coordinated by CGF Partnerships, which looks at multi-Games opportunities and efficiencies as well as has full cohesion with the multi-communities in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.”

Longines Vice President Marketing, Matthieu Baumgartner said: “We are very excited to announce our participation in the XXIInd Commonwealth Games, considered as one of the world’s most important sporting events.”

“Our brand is delighted to reveal a historic multi-Commonwealth Games partnership with CGF, covering the 2022, 2026 and 2030 editions.”

“We are extremely proud of our partnership with the Commonwealth Games, which extends all the way back to the 1962 Perth Commonwealth Games and more recently the 2014 Glasgow and 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.”

He went on to say: “Timing is crucial when it comes to winning a gold, silver or bronze medal.

“And, as such, Longines is looking forward to providing its timekeeping expertise in various disciplines, including Athletics (Track & Field), Gymnastics, Rugby Sevens and Table Tennis, the sports we are partnering with during the Commonwealth Games.”

“For the next three Commonwealth Games, starting with Birmingham 2022, Longines is perpetuating this history, together with athletes and sports fans from all over the world.”

Birmingham City Council Leader, Councillor Ian Ward, said: “The Countdown Clock is an exciting contemporary addition to our diverse range of public art in the city.

“Set in front of our world-renowned Library of Birmingham, in Centenary Square it creates a fantastic Games-related city centre destination as the excitement builds for everything we do as a council and with our partners as we lead to Birmingham 2022.”

 Wolverhampton Business Improvement District (BID), City of Wolverhampton Council and Wolverhampton Homes have joined forces to launch the Alternative Giving CIO charity to enable the generous people of the city to donate and support its vulnerable and homeless.

City Business Champions and partner agencies gathered in the City Suite, at the Civic Centre, to find out how they can support the charity and help tackle rough sleeping.

It builds on the success of the Alternative Giving Campaign set up by Wolverhampton BID in October 2016, which provides donation points across the city where people can donate small change, ensuring that their money goes direct to service providers and charities that help the homeless in Wolverhampton.

By giving to the charity people can be sure their small change goes directly to agencies helping the homeless, giving the public reassurance the money is used as their good-will intended.

To date it has raised an impressive £24,000 for P3, St Georges Hub, Street Pastors and other charities supporting homelessness.

The launch of the Alternative Giving CIO takes the campaign to the next level and will provide businesses and the public with the option to donate online and pledge their volunteer time and skills.

The charity is also looking to develop ‘Tap to Donate’ devices across the city to boost donations. 

All donations will be handed to charities to support the work they are doing to improve the current circumstances of the vulnerable and homeless, by offering them accommodation, assistance and advice.

Cherry Shine, BID Director, said: “The new charity status for the Alternative Giving CIO makes it easier to help the homeless and vulnerable individuals with the right support which is fundamental to this initiative. By providing an easy way to donate directly to these worthy charities, and working together with businesses, we will be able to support a positive change in our city and I am so proud of the charity receiving recognition.”

City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, Councillor Ian Brookfield, said: “Nobody has to sleep outside in our city and nobody has to go hungry. Many of those who are homeless have complex needs. Our public health and housing teams’ partnership approach with homelessness organisations across the city is delivering positive results. We are supporting people into accommodation and giving them access to the services they need, meaning the number of rough sleepers on our streets is falling. However, there is still more to do, and we are encouraging people and businesses to support the Alternative Giving CIO in any way they can.”

Satvinder Goraya, Trustee, said: “Alternative Giving is an opportunity for everyone and anyone to make the choice to give, donate and support those in need. We recognise the value and importance of supporting others in need. It is a wonderful initiative, focused on ensuring funding, donations and resources reach those currently in severe hardship.

“We aim to stop the ‘revolving door’ cycle many people find themselves going around, by innovating the culture of giving. We are no longer enabling individuals to remain where they are, we hope to encourage people to access the breadth of support and provision that they deserve, in addition to the individual alternative giving/donations they need.”

Following on from a highly-successful, smaller-scale event last year, arts representatives from several local groups are reuniting on Saturday March 14 to give Sutton Coldfield its first official St Patrick’s Day Celebration.

Hosted at Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, the St Patrick’s Day Traditional Family Ceilidh event will see an array of activities for all ages from live, traditional Irish folk music, Ceilidh dances, face-painting, story-telling to other craft activities.

The Town Hall Marketing and Events manager, Alex Goetschel says, “It’s incredibly refreshing and exciting to work alongside, as opposed to compete with, other passionate local arts groups who are all committed to bringing fun, inclusive events to our wonderful Town.”

The event will be compered and headlined by local band and stars of ‘The Fairytale of New Street’, Ire-Ish alongside representatives from Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, Made In Sutton, Sutton Arts Forum and Active Arts.

Joe Cook, the coordinator for the Sutton Arts Forum says, “We can’t wait. After last year we knew we wanted to do another bigger scale event making sure to keep the same traditional elements of an authentic St Patrick’s Day celebration that help make these events so memorable. You don’t need to have any dance experience to take part in the Ceilidh it’s for everyone to join in and have fun!”

The event will be divided into two parts, the first running from 4.00pm till 6.00pm for the children’s ceilidh complete with craft activities such as face-painting and story-telling. The second portion of the event runs from 7.00pm until late aimed more at adults for a traditional, live music gig and adult ceilidh featuring live music from Ire-Ish, The Sun Dogs and The Rocky Road.

So, come on, what better way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day than with all of your family and friends?

Sutton Coldfield’s St Patrick’s Day Celebration and Family Ceilidh takes place at Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Hall. No previous dance experience is required. Food will be available throughout the day provided by local caterer Tabula Rasa alongside drinks and refreshments from the Sir Doug Ellis Lounge Bar at the Town Hall.

BBC West Midlands and their project with TNCMC was initiated with a meeting at the National Memorial Arboretum today.

Don Campbell met with Producer Victoria Norris & Presenter Sian Lloyd who were eager to learn more about the project and our campaign to install a monument in recognition of Caribbean military personnel.

The meeting included a visit to our allocated plot with the view and intention of promoting TNCMC across the network. This should naturally raise the profile of the charity and hopefully encourage the public to donate to the cause.

Emerging arts collective Maokwo is set to host its official launch event ‘We Are Maokwo’ at the Belgrade Theatre, in Coventry, with a day full of workshops and artists’ networking opportunities.

Spearheaded by Zimbawean artist and activist Laura Nyahuye, Maokwo was founded with the aim of shining a spotlight on the work of marginalised and underrepresented artists, particularly those from BAME, refugee and migrant backgrounds.

Since 2017, it has been building up a network of artists in Coventry, working with them to identify and understand the challenges they face. With support from the Belgrade Theatre’s Springboard talent development programme, which it joined in 2019, it hopes to bring these artists together with key industry figures, in order to raise awareness of and find solutions to some of those challenges.

Building on work with communities that dates back to 2007, Maokwo also aims to create opportunities for marginalized artists, and find ways of disrupting systems that may be creating barriers to better representation.

Maokwo’s launch event celebrated and showcased works by artists from a range of different disciplines, combining workshops and discussions with spoken word performances and visual art on display. There were also opportunities to purchase some of the artwork exhibited on the day.

The Belgrade’s Weston Learning Space host an open, drop-in art workshop, while in the Burbidge Room, visitors had the chance to try their hand at a range of activities including drumming, dance and poetry and creative writing.

The workshops was followed by an invite-only panel discussion titled ‘Not Another Tick Box’, which aimed to inspire creative solutions for marginalized artists within the arts industry, as it explored ways of working towards meaningful diversity and inclusion.

Maokwo collaborator, Nia Cerise, said: “Maokwo’s events are not simply about performing, they are about the community just as much as they are about the artwork.

“Her events bridge an intimate bond between the performer and audience; done through the intimate spaces she uses and the fasciation of dialogue between artists and audience members throughout that connect us.

“The role of artist and audience member always becomes interchangeable at her events because performers are not hidden behind a curtain, they watch the other artists and are all allowed to be an observer.”

The ‘We are Maokwo’ day-long workshops and artists' networking opportunities, taking place on Saturday March 14, is supported by Counterpoints Arts, coordinators of Refugee Week and Platforma Arts, Refugees Network and the Belgrade Theatre Coventry as part of its Springboard programme.

Launched in 2015, the Belgrade’s Springboard initiative was established to support emerging artists and newly formed performing arts companies to develop their work, offering tailored support over a three-year period. This includes advice and guidance from experienced Belgrade staff, marketing and PR support, and space to create, rehearse and showcase their work, among other benefits.

Get to know the sweetest taste of Jamaican food products. Looking ahead to 100 years of fabulous food .
Owned by the people for the people. Inspiring a new generation. Jamaica is beautiful with Grace they set trends that others follow. 

It was a gathering to say ‘Thank You’ as internationally-renowned Caribbean food producers, Grace Foods, showed their gratitude for the support garnered – on this occasion –throughout the UK and beyond.

At the invitation of Grace Foods CEO Andrea Coy, and hosted by Grace Food’s erstwhile Trade Development Coordinator, Aisha Anifowoshe, at the swanky Sheraton Grand - on London’s Park Lane, some of the Jamaican Diaspora’s distinguished ‘sons’ and ‘daughters’ were proud to be present and be part of what was truly a humongous affair.

And, as they draw ever closer in marking its 100th anniversary in 2022, they travelled from near and far, from around the UK and beyond to play their part – and thank one of the world’s greatest food institutions. In the presence of His Excellency Seth George Ramocan, High Commissioner of Jamaica who gave a passionate address to a captivated audience of how Grace has impacted on the Jamaican people as a brand now recognised the world over, the gathered guests heard how they should all play their part in this great Jamaican institution, whose ethos is to inspire and support education in the young people of Jamaica.

Here is just a taster of who was there and what it was all about – at the Grace UK Diaspora Reception. Look out for the full coverage in the April edition along with our Instagram Facebook and YouTube channels.

These little friendly aluminium pupils are improving road safety outside a Birmingham school following a successful bid to the region’s Better Streets Community Fund.

Clifton Road Primary School in Birmingham has taken delivery of 6 parking buddies, cheerfully designed bollards to warn drivers against inconsiderate parking.

The pretend pupils discourage cars from mounting the pavement or blocking crossing points to improve safety and visibility for the children and parents walking or cycling to the school gates.

Road safety fears are often raised as a key reason why many parents prefer to drive children to school rather than encourage more walking and cycling.

Clifton Primary, in Balsall Heath, was among 34 schools, community groups, charities and individuals from across the West Midlands to submit successful project ideas that will receive funding from the £2 million Better Streets Community Fund (BSCF).

The Fund was set up by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), to support relatively small projects which encourage walking and cycling such as secure bike storage, better street lights and improvements to crossings.

Owen Lamprey, lead practitioner for health and wellbeing at Clifton Primary School said: ‘We value the health and safety of all Clifton families and our brand new parking buddies are a reminder to motorists of the reason why they should park responsibly. 

“We also want to reduce the amount of traffic on our roads and encourage our pupils to take active trips to school.” 

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “We had an amazing response when we asked people to come up with ideas for small projects which could be delivered quickly and make a huge impact on our streets.

“These parking buddies are a great idea to stop inconsiderate parking here at Clifton Primary.

“Through initiatives like the BSCF and the WOW campaign from Living Streets we are seeing more children walking and riding to school improving their fitness and health.”

The Better Streets Community Fund was set up in May from the larger £23 million Transforming Cities Fund pot allocated to cycling and walking by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). 

Cllr Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council and WMCA portfolio holder for transport, said: “If we're going to encourage more people to walk and cycle across the region, then safety must be a paramount concern.

“Cycling and walking for shorter journeys can save you money, take cars off the road and improve air quality. It’s great fun too and hopefully the parking buddies will encourage more parents to leave the car at home for the school run."

Liverpool could introduce plaques to give an "honest account" of places connected to the slave trade.

Much of the city's 18th Century wealth came from the trade involving British slavers transporting Africans across the Atlantic.

Mayor Joe Anderson said paintings, street names and buildings in the city were "important parts of the historical record which should not be concealed".

He is calling for new signs to explain their relevance to slavery.

Dr Richard Benjamin, head of the city's slavery museum, said while he understood "the argument for placing street names in context", he thought it was important to consider changing road names instead.

A motion to Liverpool City Council submitted by Mr Anderson, said: "Many notable figures in the city were associated with slavery, both as abolitionists and slave traders.

"Within the town hall there are many paintings that depict men who became fabulously wealthy from the slave trade, yet, there is no mention of their role in their description plaques."

He said some street and place names were also named after those who had a role in the slave trade and the city should "accurately reflect how some of the wealth and prestige accumulated for the benefit of Liverpool was gained through the business of slavery".

"It is important to ensure that city visitors and residents are given an honest account of the historical role which our city and such figures played in history," he said.

The plaques would accompany portraits, street and place names explaining their origin and their relevance to Liverpool's historical slave trade.

Dr Benjamin said there was a "need to talk about full renaming as well as adding additional information".

"We're supportive of [Mayor Anderson's motion] as a museum and we're happy to work with the council, [but] I don't think it's a bad move to rename streets for people who you would want to represent your city."

However, he said whatever was decided "if anyone can take it on the chin and move forward, it's the city of Liverpool.

"There's a long way to go but... our discussion is a bit further ahead than London and Bristol, so we should take the positives that we're moving in the right direction."

In 1999, the council made a formal apology for the city's role in the slave trade and it has since held annual events to commemorate Slavery Remembrance Day.