Community News

Free blood pressure checks are on offer at local libraries and community hubs in Haringey under new measures designed to reduce the number of people suffering strokes in the borough.

This year’s Haringey Annual Public Health report highlights how staff and volunteers from Bridge Renewal Trust, Embrace UK and Tottenham Hotspur have been trained to carry out the potentially life-saving checks at a range of convenient locations, such as libraries and community centres and at some community events.

General practices are also working to identify and offer checks to people at high risk of stroke, through measures such as offering a check at the same time as their seasonal flu jab. More than 10,000 blood pressure and pulse checks have already been carried out, leading to more than 2,000 additional diagnoses of high blood pressure and nearly 300 additional diagnoses of atrial fibrillation – a kind of irregular pulse rhythm that increases the risk of stroke.

This year’s annual public health report shines the spotlight on the issue of stroke, which is one of the biggest causes of death and physical disability in Haringey.

Until recently, Haringey had the highest rate of early death from stroke – defined as people dying from stroke under the age of 75 - of any London borough. While there has been a recent a fall in the rate of early death, likely due to lower smoking rates and local work on other risk factors for stroke, the overall number of strokes remains higher than in similar areas.

Haringey Council Cabinet Member for Public Health, Cllr Jason Arthur, said:

"The fact is that too many people in Haringey suffer strokes. We’re pleased to have seen a recent reduction in the number of deaths from stroke in our borough, but we know there is still work to be done. Offering free checks at handy locations around the borough – and removing the need for people to make a doctor’s appointment for a simple check – means we can help more people understand their own blood pressure.

"We’re also continuing to champion healthier living and active lifestyles, including offering support to quit smoking and free exercise opportunities, so that we can continue to improve Haringey’s health.

"I would encourage everyone to take advantage of these free checks and find out more about how they can look after their blood pressure."

The annual health report – jointly penned by Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy, Director of Public Health at Haringey Council, Beverley Tarka, Director of Adult Social Services and Tony Hoolaghan, Chief Operating Officer, Haringey and Islington Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) – also details a number of other ways to reduce the number of people having strokes.

It pledges that the council, CCG, NHS and other community groups and partners will work together to create a healthy Haringey where it is easy to be active, eat well and stay smoke free. Haringey Council and Haringey CCG will also continue to work together to support people living with stroke and their carers to be as independent as possib

Local businessman Doug Wright was recognised by Ronald McDonald House Charities for his hard work, dedication and commitment as Chairman of the Charity’s Birmingham facility, a 66 bedroom house that provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation for families with children in hospital. The prestigious Recognition Award is presented annually to an individual or company who exemplifies the work of the Charity.

Jon Haward, Executive Director, Ronald McDonald House Charities UK said: "Doug takes real pride in his work with Ronald McDonald House Charities and supporting us to help families with children in hospital. His tireless efforts to raise awareness of the Charity and to bring in vital donations, is something we are truly grateful for. We've been bowled over by Doug’s generosity with his time and knowledge, making some fantastic connections and creating opportunities to ensure the Birmingham community has heard of their local Ronald McDonald House."

The Charity’s Board of Trustees unanimously chose to recognise Doug following not only his first two years as Chair of the Board of Governors for Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham, but also in recognition of years of fundraising for the Charity.

Every penny raised for the Charity goes to supporting families with seriously ill children in hospital. This is something Doug is extremely passionate about. When the House in Birmingham was first opened in 2009, he got stuck in, cleaning floors and making beds, so the Charity could welcome in its first families.

Ronald McDonald House Birmingham provides free accommodation to families of children receiving inpatient care at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Supporting over 1200 families each year, the House offers somewhere for families to eat, sleep, relax and most importantly to call home, enabling parents and other primary carers to remain close to their children and care for them while they are in hospital.

Doug Wright, Chairman of the Board of Governors at Ronald McDonald House Birmingham said: “I am honoured and humbled to have been presented with his award. I take great pride in helping to lead the fantastic work of the Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham and I would like to thank Libby Aston and her team of staff and volunteers at the House for working tirelessly to give a first class welcome to all the families that use the House every day of the year.”

Nursery children at Wilkinson Primary School have raised over £500 to sponsor three guide dog puppies.

They took part in a sponsored walk around the Good-rated Bilston school’s grounds, and collected £551.20 for the charity Guide Dogs.

The children have been looking at how different animals help people, watching videos and reading about animal charities, and as part of the project received a visit from Carol Trigg and her guide dog Flora – promoting them to launch their fundraising appeal.

Headteacher Christina Gibbon said: “Everyone at Wilkinson feel privileged to have met Carol and Flora. Hopefully the money raised will go a small way to support such an amazing charity.”

Councillor Claire Darke, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “It’s great to see nursery children not only learning about the importance of guide dogs, but also completing a fundraiser which will help train up three guide dog puppies – well done to them all!”

City of Wolverhampton Council has teamed up with Wolverhampton Learning Platform to provide tailored skills and employment support to help city residents through the Learning Communities initiative.

The council and Wolverhampton Learning Platform at Bilston Resource Centre (BRC) have worked closely with Ashley Housing to deliver a customised training package of support to help participants gain skills and knowledge about the health and social care sector, and meet employers, who have vacancies, as well as discover how to access further learning.

BRC and Job Change are two of the founding members of the Wolverhampton Learning Platform.

Adam Bhardwarj from the platform said: “We have over a 100 years’ experience within learning and skills development.

“We aim to provide a range of support to help people build up their skills and confidence to then access employment and further learning and employment.

“This programme has been designed to support residents from diverse communities to secure employment within the health and social care sector.”

A local Employer Destiny Care visited the group of learners to talk to them about potential future opportunities.

Bilston Resource Centre and the Wolves at Work coaches will ensure residents receive ongoing support to secure employment.

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor John Reynolds, said: “The council is working successfully with Wolverhampton Learning Platform providers.

“This has been an exciting initiative co-ordinated by the adult skills team at the council, which offers residents who may have several barriers, such as confidence issues or gaps in skills, an opportunity to be trained up within their own community and receive tailored support and advice via the Wolverhampton Learning Platform.

“We should be proud and showcase this unique and invaluable service available to local people within a local setting.”

Wolverhampton Interchange partners are celebrating contractors Galliford Try gearing up for full demolition of the city’s railway station.

It is the next stage in delivering a £150 million transport hub to provide an attractive commercial gateway to those entering the city by national rail, bus or tram.

The first Galliford Try machines have moved in to establish the temporary station accommodation and works compound on the Banana Yard.

Hoardings will then be installed to enable the first phase of full demolition to start in early July.

The British Transport Police building and a small section of the current station building next to Platform 1 will be demolished, paving the way for the first section of the new station building to be erected. It will become operational to customers by summer 2019, when phase 2 of the programme will also start.

Throughout the works rail services will continue to operate as normal from the current station building, while the new state-of-the-art railway station to serve the city emerges adjacent to it by 2020.

Wolverhampton Interchange Partnership consists of City of Wolverhampton Council (CWC), Ion, West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), Virgin Trains, West Midlands Trains, Network Rail, Midland Metro Alliance, Canal & River Trust, and Black Country LEP.

Council Leader and WMCA portfolio holder for transport, Councillor Roger Lawrence, said: “Our vision for the City of Wolverhampton Interchange is rapidly becoming a reality.

“There is £3.7 billion of investment currently on site or in the pipeline across Wolverhampton.

“As part of this regeneration it is crucial visitors to our city get the best first impression possible and their travel experience is enhanced - this new state-of-the-art station will deliver that.”

The new station will be connected directly to a tram stop, once work is completed on the Midland Metro city centre extension. The Midland Metro Alliance are currently delivering the next phase on Pipers Row before continuing down Railway Drive to the railway station.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, added: “This project is about more than just creating a transport hub, where buses, trains, trams, cycling and walking come together and provide enhanced links to the new HS2 network.

“This is something altogether more bold. This is also about accelerating the regeneration of Wolverhampton city centre, bringing jobs, opportunities and growth. Simply, this is one of the key gateways into the city, a city that deserves a world-class welcome.

“The WMCA recognises the vital role this project plays in the ongoing success story of Wolverhampton, which is why we were enthusiastic in supporting the project."

Chris Jones, Associate Director, Ion, said: “The demolition works mark an important moment in the transformation of the city’s transport links. The new railway station is set to further improve the appeal of the city to businesses, especially with the development of the Commercial District, and improve the experience for all travellers to the City of Wolverhampton.”

Simon Courtney, Area Director for Galliford Try Building West Midlands and South West, added: “We are delighted to be able to mark this beginning alongside all the stakeholders involved. We look forward to being part of a transformational project which make its mark on the City of Wolverhampton for years to come.”

The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced the 44 young people from Birmingham, Coventry and Warwickshire, who, together with 12 young people from Northamptonshire, will join the professional cast in the forthcoming production of Romeo and Juliet directed by Deputy Artistic Director, Erica Whyman.

The young people aged 12 – 18 all attend schools in the RSC’s Associate Schools programme or work in a partnership with the RSC. In teams of four they will perform each night in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon sharing the role of the Chorus with the professional cast.

Erica Whyman said: “We were bowled over by the impact our tour of A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream: A Play for the Nation had on the young people who took part and those who came to watch as we traversed the UK. I want to build on that hugely positive experience, as we stage Romeo and Juliet, opening up a dialogue with young people in schools in ways we have never before been able to do. By inviting these young people to join us on stage I want to celebrate the diverse talent of the UK and highlight the revolutionary heart of this most timeless love story.”

From Birmingham young people join from: City Academy, Hall Green School and Moseley School and Sixth Form.

From Coventry young people join from: President Kennedy School Academy and Sidney Stringer Academy.

From Warwickshire young people join from: Campion School in Leamington Spa, Kineton High School, Myton School in Warwick, Shipston High School, Stratford-upon-Avon College, Stratford-upon-Avon School, St Benedict’s Catholic High School in Alcester and Welcombe Hills School.

More than 100 live apprenticeship opportunities will be on offer as part of a Residents’ Programme event next week.

The Skills and Apprenticeship Show will take place at Wolverhampton Racecourse, Gorsebrook Road, WV6 0PE, on Tuesday, March 27, between 4pm and 7pm.

It is free to anyone, whether you are leaving school, already a student or graduate, unemployed and seeking work, employed and looking to retrain or upskill, or simply wanting to find out more about apprenticeships in and around the City of Wolverhampton.

More than 30 employers and training providers from across the city will be at the event to showcase apprenticeships in engineering, hairdressing, construction, business admin, finance, health and social care, child care, nursing, management, and other sectors.

Councillor John Reynolds, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “We work closely with city partners to develop apprenticeship opportunities across the city.

“The council itself employs a number of apprentices in a variety of departments and it has proved a very successful way to recruit staff.

"We have an ambitious long-term plan to encourage enterprise, empower people, reinvigorate our city and improve the prosperity of businesses and residents - and this event supports that.

“We're optimistic about the future of the city. It is a great place to live, learn and work."

Information will also be available on the higher/degree level apprenticeship, along with advanced and intermediate opportunities.

Career advisors from City of Wolverhampton College and Connexions will offer support on the day.

Attendees can also meet and learn more about the apprenticeships offered by City of Wolverhampton College, University of Wolverhampton, Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, Wolverhampton Homes, NOVA, Performance Through People, BBC, NatWest, Mann & Hummel, City of Wolverhampton Council, MOOG, Greene King, Babcock, EEF, Express & Star, The Royal Navy and Marines, West Midlands Ambulance Service, Seesaw Nursery, plus many more.

The world’s oldest maritime welfare charity is asking churches in Birmingham to remember the world’s seafarers in a special service.

Congregations from around the world will take part in Sea Sunday services on July 8 in aid of Sailors’ Society.

Each year, the Christian charity, which celebrated its 200^th birthday on 18 March, asks churchgoers to pray and give thanks for the world’s 1.6m seafarers.

Stuart Rivers, Sailors’ Society’s CEO, said: “Whether they know it or not, the people of Birmingham rely upon seafarers.

“More than 90 per cent of everything we own comes by sea – our clothes, phones, cars – even the bricks that make up our homes.

“All of these goods are brought into the country by seafarers who risk extreme loneliness, dangerous storms and even piracy.

“Holding a Sea Sunday service for Sailors’ Society is a fantastic way of recognising the amazing work seafarers do.”

Young people across Haringey will enjoy modern, high-tech facilities in a state of the art ‘Youth Zone’, after Haringey Council approved proposals for the centre to be built in the heart of Wood Green.

The £6.5million purpose-built Youth Zone, in partnership with young people’s charity OnSide, will offer daily affordable activities in sports, arts, music, employability and mentoring for young people aged eight to 19, or up to 25 for those with a disability.

Set to be built on an unused area within the grounds of Woodside High School, White Hart Lane, Haringey Youth Zone will provide over 20 different activities for more than 200 young people each evening, with a commitment to raising young people’s aspirations, enhancing prospects and improving health and wellbeing.

A new locally-led charity will be established to run the new Youth Zone, bringing on board a local team of youth and activity workers. £3m of the capital cost of creating the Youth Zone will be funded by the council, while a number of charitable funders committed to the future of Haringey and its young people will provide the remaining £3.5m.

The council will also contribute £250,000 per year towards running costs, with OnSide working to secure the first three years’ £950,000 annual revenue costs in full prior to opening through a combination of private sector support and charitable trusts and grants.

Plans for the Youth Zone were originally approved by Haringey’s Cabinet last year and Onside have worked closely with the council, community and schools to find the right site for the centre, which will operate in addition to the council-owned Bruce Grove Youth Centre.

Jamie Masraff, Project Director at OnSide Youth Zones said:

“Youth Zones are safe, inspiring and affordable places for young people to spend their leisure time and we are delighted that Haringey Council has partnered with us to bring one of our facilities to the area.

“We will be working closely with the local community to ensure that the Youth Zone will support all young people from across the borough, including harder-to-reach young people, particularly those from deprived backgrounds. We have every confidence that this offer for young people will provide a transformational experience, supporting and enhancing the current youth provision in the community.”

Haringey Council Leader, Cllr Claire Kober, said:

“This is a fantastic facility that will give young people from across Haringey the opportunity they deserve to access cutting-edge facilities that the council would simply be unable to provide without such an innovative partnership. I’m proud that we’ve been able to commit to making this investment in the borough’s young people in addition to funding we already provide for other youth services in the borough.”

Elma McElligott, Co-Headteacher of Woodside High School, said:

“Woodside High School is a firm supporter of the plans to develop a Youth Zone for Haringey, which will provide an incredible range of positive leisure-time activities for thousands of local young people who need access to a safe and inspiring environment outside of school hours. As well as benefiting the community, use of the Youth Zone’s facilities during the day time will help Woodside High School meet its priorities.”

Ashling Float, Volunteer Manager at local community organisation, Haringey Shed Company is excited to work in collaboration with the new OnSide Youth Zone to offer more opportunities to young people. She said:

“Here at Haringey Shed we work with a range of young people and families who all live locally, who flourish in engaging in our services and who want more. Despite our reach there are many families and young people who are not engaging in their community or in any extracurricular activities.

“We love the idea of more opportunities and safe places becoming available for the families and young people we work with, through a new Youth Zone. We look forward to continuing conversations and supporting exciting plans for Haringey’s young people.”

Launched in 2008 and based on a successful, tried and tested model, OnSide currently has a network of 10 Youth Zones in; Bolton, Manchester, Oldham, Blackburn, Wigan, Carlisle, Warrington, Wolverhampton, Wirral and Chorley. Three more Youth Zones in Barking and Dagenham, Barnet and Croydon are set open in 2019 and a number of other projects are at various stages of planning.

A University of Wolverhampton law graduate is celebrating after clinching a top leadership award.

Sandra Wallace graduated in 1991 with a LLB Law degree from what was then Wolverhampton Polytechnic.

She is now Managing Partner of DLA Piper UK and recently won the Leadership Award at the Birmingham Law Society Awards. The award was sponsored by the University of Wolverhampton Law School.

Sandra, who qualified as a lawyer in 1994, said: “Winning anything always makes you reflect on what you have achieved and in my case how far I have come. I was so worried about going to University and if I would be able to make a legal career. Then I look back and think not only did I achieve that but I have been given so many opportunities at DLA Piper besides.

“I am not keen on the limelight and I recognise that little happens without support around you. Nevertheless this award is special because it was colleagues at DLA Piper pushing me to go for it and they submitted the commentary in support of the nomination.  So it feels like people appreciate what I do, even if I think it's no big deal!”

She added: “The University of Wolverhampton (Polytechnic when I was there) was quite a revelation for me.  It was the first time I enjoyed my education. At college I was the odd one out being from the wrong part of town and generally it was not very diverse.  I didn’t attend the universities that I actually got accepted for because I felt I would be like a fish out of water.  Looking back that was probably because nowhere I visited had such a diverse population of students as Wolverhampton.

“The course was challenging but the teaching was good and fostered independent learning. It was not stuffy but it was no easy ride either. I am one of six children and sitting at number 5 I was the first person to go to University in my family. As you can see with my career I am glad I did.”

Head of the University of Wolverhampton Law School, Sukhninder Panesar, said: “It was great to see Sandra win the Leadership Award and it was fitting that the Award was presented by the University of Wolverhampton.  Every year we see professionals who have graduated from the University of Wolverhampton win awards at the Birmingham Law Society Awards Ceremony and this is testament to the strengths of the Law School in producing highly qualified lawyers.”

The Birmingham Law Society Legal Awards have been showcasing the best of the region’s legal talent since the inaugural event in 2002.

Now in their 17th year, the Awards celebrate the success and achievement of both individuals and firms over the last 12 months.

The West Midlands region continues to see an increased number of outbreaks of stomach bugs, including norovirus – with reports showing significantly higher levels than this time last year. Public Health England (PHE) West Midlands is therefore urging people to support their local NHS and call before going to the GP or A&E if they are poorly with a stomach bug.

Dr Helen Carter, Deputy Director for PHE West Midlands, said: “At this time of year we see a lot of diarrhoea and sickness bugs, which are very infectious. So if people feeling unwell with a stomach upset decide to visit their GP, a walk-in centre, or their local A&E, they could be putting a lot of other people at risk of infection and adding significantly to the seasonal pressures already experienced in healthcare settings.

“Norovirus usually leads to mild diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal or stomach cramps. People generally recover quite quickly from these bugs and there is no specific treatment, apart from drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration and avoiding reinfection with good hand hygiene – especially before eating and after going to the toilet; along with cleaning touch points and communal areas with a bleach-based cleaner.

“Laboratory reports of norovirus are considerably higher than this time last year and higher than the 5-year seasonal average. People feeling unwell can call their GP or NHS111 for advice. Over half the outbreaks we’re seeing are in care homes – so it’s really important that staff in those settings seek advice on the phone from their GP surgery before considering transferring people to hospital. If someone is seriously unwell and in need of hospitalisation, it is still important to let NHS staff know that the person has an infectious illness, so the correct measures can be taken to avoid spreading the bug to other patients and healthcare workers.”

Dr Kiran Patel, Medical Director for NHS England in the West Midlands, said: “We are asking people not to visit hospitals and care homes to see relatives or friends whilst they have sickness and diarrhoea, or if they have recently experienced these symptoms. This is because people may still carry the virus and infect others up to three days after their symptoms have stopped.

“People concerned about visiting a relative or friend who may be in hospital or living in a care home should speak to the nurse in charge of the hospital ward or phone the care home beforehand for advice.”

Birmingham Heritage Week, a city-wide festival that celebrates Birmingham’s rich and diverse heritage, is set to return for a fourth year after securing vital sponsorship funding.

Sponsors who will be supporting this year’s festival include The University of Birmingham, Historic England and Colmore BID as Gold Sponsors and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce as a Silver Sponsor. It is thanks to these organisations that Birmingham Heritage Week will return to the city for 2018.

Birmingham Heritage Week is a celebration of Birmingham’s history and culture. Each year, around 70 partner organisations come together to organise over 100 events, which year on year delight in the region of 20,000 people.

These events range from exhibitions and tours, to open days and concerts. Attracting new tourists to the city, and allowing locals a deeper insight into what makes Birmingham one of the most exciting cities in the UK. The 2018 festival is set to be a cultural highlight in the calendar once more.

Running from 6^th – 16^th September, there will be 10 days of fun-filled events for everyone to enjoy. Past event highlights have included talks with celebrated local historian, Carl Chinn, and events at historic sites such as Birmingham Oratory, Aston Hall, Coffin Works and Two Towers Brewery.

Alex Nicholson-Evans, Commercial Director at Birmingham Museums, said: “We are delighted that organisations across the city have come together to ensure the continuation of Birmingham Heritage Week. It’s thanks to these generous sponsors that we are able to run this popular festival for its fourth year.”

There are still opportunities for additional sponsors to support the event.

Homeowners blighted by destructive Japanese knotweed may be hoping that the plant has died when it fails to emerge from its winter hibernation as normal around mid to late-March. But in fact the recent cold weather, with more low temperatures forecast, is delaying the start of the plant’s growing season by 2 to 4 weeks, as it will not awaken until the ground temperature reaches around 4°C.

The ‘Beast from the East’ brought the coldest February week in five years last month, with a new cold snap last weekend and lower-than normal temperatures forecast for the rest of March. This is causing Japanese knotweed, described by the Environment Agency as  “indisputably the UK’s most aggressive, destructive and invasive plant”, to prolong its underground hibernation, before beginning its annual assault on property foundations, patios, driveways, cavity walls and drains. 

Homeowners should remain vigilant once the warmer weather arrives, looking out for signs of red or purple asparagus-like shoots which emerge from the ground and quickly turn into green bamboo-like stems. They grow at a rapid rate, up to 10cm per day, to reach up to 3 metres in height by June. The plant has flat, heart-shaped green leaves and blooms in late summer, when its stems become covered in tiny creamy-white flowers.

Environmentalist Nic Seal, Founder and MD of Environet, said, “Normally we would see Japanese knotweed shoots springing up in warmer parts of the country and in sheltered urban areas during the middle of March, but the cold weather has set the start of the growing season back by at least a fortnight, possibly as much as a month.

“Homeowners may be hopeful that their knotweed problem has disappeared, particularly if they attempted to treat it themselves, but it’s extremely unlikely that any DIY treatments will be successful and the plant is simply hibernating for longer than usual due to the unseasonably cold weather.

“Japanese knotweed has spread so rapidly across the UK in the last decade that it’s really no longer a case of winning the battle. Those who discover knotweed on their land should take immediate action and put a professional treatment plan in place to protect their property and protect themselves against litigation from their neighbours.”

While it isn’t illegal to have Japanese knotweed growing on your land, homeowners can be sued if they allow it to spread onto a neighbouring property. They must also declare the presence of knotweed on the TA6 conveyancing form when they sell their home, even if it has been successfully treated. Mortgage lenders will require an insurance-backed guarantee for the works before lending on the property.

The RSPCA rescued a collapsed 19-year-old terrier cross who had been shut outside in the snow in temperatures of -3C during the Beast from the East.

The animal welfare charity received an anonymous call on 2 March to an address in Coventry, West Midlands.

RSPCA inspector Herchy Boal said: “Unfortunately during the recent snowy weather we received a huge number of calls - many of which were people who were concerned for dogs that had been shut outside in gardens, despite the freezing temperatures.

“The RSPCA is restricted in what we can do in many of these situations as, while we certainly wouldn’t advise keeping dogs outside, it is not illegal to do so if the dog has adequate shelter.

“However, in some cases, there is an urgent need for our involvement and, when we receive reports of vulnerable and exposed animals in this type of weather, we know we need to respond quickly.”

Stormy is a little dog with a short coat and was left outside during the cold, snowy weather.

Inspector Boal said: “Records show it was between -1 and -3C that day and there was a significant amount of snow on the ground.”

But her major concern was his age. At 19, or 92 in dog years, he should not have been outside in that weather.

He was taken into RSPCA care and Inspector Boal took him to see the vets at RSPCA Newbrook Farm Animal Hospital in Birmingham.

He has had veterinary checks and some dental work, and is now being looked after by staff in the Newbrook Farm Animal Centre where he will go up for rehoming - making him the oldest dog the centre has ever rehomed, and one of the oldest the charity has ever rescued.

“Despite his age, Stormy is in generally good health and we’d like to find him a lovely new home,” Inspector Boal said.

“He’s a really sweet little dog and he’d make the perfect companion for an older person who wants to share their sofa with a new friend.”

The world’s most extensive bike-share operator, nextbike, is bringing 5,000 bicycles to the West Midlands after being chosen to operate the UK’s largest docked bike-share scheme outside of London.

Transport for West Midlands announced the news today (Tuesday March 20) alongside West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The landmark scheme will bring 50 jobs to the region, with posts including area managers, van drivers and mechanics.

Bosses at nextbike said the first bikes will be hitting the streets in September this year, when 2,000 are installed across Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton.

The remaining 3,000 bikes will be rolled out in phases that will also include Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and Solihull in 2019.

Docking stations will be located around key sites in the towns and cities involved, with bikes available 24 hours a day.

Annual membership to the scheme will cost just £30 per year, meaning riders can access the bikes for as little as 8p per day.

Swift card members will be able to access the bikes as part of their regular subscription. The bikes will also be free for the first 30 minutes to people who sign up to Whim - the new smart travel service that is launching in the Midlands next month.

The bikes will feature advanced technology and enhanced security features, including integrated front locks and GPS tracking, that makes using them easy for users.

nextbike and TfWM are currently in discussion with a number of global brands interested in working in partnership to sponsor the scheme.

Julian Scriven, nextbike UK MD, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be bringing nextbikes to the people of the West Midlands. We are able to offer the most technologically-advanced and forward-thinking bike-share scheme and fleet in the UK and it’s amazing that the people of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley, Solihull and Coventry will be able to benefit from it.

“The interconnectivity it will offer is going to be brilliant, it will really help to make journeys across the Midlands seamless. People will be able to take a nextbike to start their journey to get to their local train station, hop on the train, and pick up another nextbike to finish off their journey at the other end. No more having to lug a bike on public transport, or worrying about finding a parking space at the train station.

“We will be creating more than 50 new jobs across the area and we will be partnering with the Walsall-based Steps to Work charity to help fill the roles. They work with long-term unemployed and young people currently not in education or employment amongst others, and these are groups that we are passionate about reaching, retraining and recruiting here at nextbike.

“Although this is a fantastic initiative for Transport for West Midlands, and for nextbike, we don’t see the scheme as belonging to either organisation. We firmly see it as belonging to the people of the West Midlands and we hope the communities will take the bikes to their hearts.

“We will be offering Bikeshare4all across the West Midlands, which will mean heavily discounted membership and use of the bikes for the unemployed and other economically-deprived people to ensure that the whole of the community is truly able to benefit from the bikes.

“On a personal note for me, I’m a local boy who grew up in the Midlands and ever since I joined nextbike I knew I wanted to bring the bikes back home. It’s going to be a very proud moment being able to use the scheme with my family and friends. I can’t wait to see my mum and dad on a West Midlands nextbike!”