Community News

A judge in London said he would grant a firm called Process and Industrial Developments Ltd (P&ID) the right to seek to seize some $9 billion (7.4 billion pounds) in assets from the Nigerian government over an aborted gas project.

The company was awarded $6.6 billion in an arbitration decision over a failed project to build a gas processing plant in the southern Nigerian city of Calabar. With interest payments, the sum now tops $9 billion - some 20% of Nigeria’s foreign reserves.

The judge’s decision converts the arbitration award to a legal judgement, which would allow P&ID to try to seize international assets.

Lawyers representing the Nigerian government argued the award should not be enforced because England was not the correct place for the case, and even if it were, the amount awarded was “manifestly excessive.”

Mr Justice Butcher of the Commercial Court rejected these arguments and said he would “receive submissions from the parties as to the precise form of order appropriate.”

A spokesman for Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari directed requests for comment to the Ministry of Justice, which did not immediately respond. A spokeswoman for the law firm representing the Nigerian government in London did not immediately provide a comment on the ruling.

“P&ID is committed to vigorously enforcing its rights, and we intend to begin the process of seizing Nigerian assets in order to satisfy this award as soon as possible,” said Andrew Stafford, Q.C. of Kobre & Kim, which represents P&ID.

The case involves a 2010 deal in which the Nigerian government agreed to supply gas to a processing plant in Calabar that P&ID – a firm founded by two Irish businessmen specifically for the project - would build and run.

In 2012, P&ID took the government to arbitration over the failure of the deal and won the award, which was based on what it could have earned during the 20-year agreement.

Stafford said that with accrued interest, the award now tops $9.6 billion.

Legal experts told Reuters previously that assets used for diplomatic purposes – such as the Nigerian High Commission building in central London – are not eligible for seizure, but commercial assets are.

Nominations have opened for the 2020 Commonwealth Youth Awards which will see winners awarded a cash grant to scale-up development work benefiting their communities.

The Commonwealth Youth Awards recognise the exemplary work undertaken by young people across the 53 member countries.

Regional winners will be invited to an awards ceremony in London on Commonwealth Day 2020.

The awards are being delivered in partnership with the Commonwealth Youth Council and the Commonwealth Youth Networks.

The awards launch coincides with the Commonwealth Asia Region Senior Officials From Youth Ministries Meeting – an event which will allow participants to assess progress on agreed youth policy priorities and finalise a regional strategy aimed at improving the wellbeing and livelihoods of Commonwealth young people.

Launching the awards in Brunei, the Secretary-General said: “The awards celebrate all that we achieve collectively when we empower young people to realise their full potential and exercise their full citizenship, creativity and innovation.”

Award, nominees must be: • aged 15 to 29 years; • a citizen of a Commonwealth member country; • been engaged in development work for more than 12 months - either in a professional or voluntary capacity; • have a strong track record of implementing innovative ideas and linking their development work and its impact to one of the 17 SDGs; • and have demonstrated an understanding of the importance of youth engagement in key areas of development.

Entrants can nominate themselves or be nominated by someone who is not a relative and who can testify of the impact of their work.

Sixteen finalists will be shortlisted from four Commonwealth regional categories: Africa and Europe; Asia; the Caribbean and Canada; and the Pacific. A winner will be selected from each region, and one exceptional entrant will be awarded the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year.

Last year’s winner, Ms Omowumi Ogunrotim, an activist against gender-based violence from Nigeria said: “This Commonwealth Youth Award is a great honour to me and all those who champion gender equality.

“It has re-affirmed the collective responsibility we have to create safe spaces for youth across the Commonwealth and has highlighted efforts we are making to transform from aspiration to reality the right for every girl to be secure and safe and thus making our communities and nations an equitable home for all.”

This year’s finalists will receive a trophy, a certificate and cash grants to help them continue their development work. All finalists will be awarded £1,000. Each selected regional winner will receive an additional £2,000. The Commonwealth Young Person of the Year will also receive an additional cash grant of £2,000.

Entries must be received online via the link by 23:59 GMT on 31 October 2019.

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Former staff and volunteers who have worked for John Taylor Hospice over the decades are being invited to a special reunion.

The Birmingham hospice is celebrating its 110th anniversary next year and is inviting all former colleagues to come together this autumn to meet old friends and share memories.

The event at the hospice in Grange Road, Erdington, takes place on Thursday October 10 and all former staff and volunteers are invited.

John Taylor Hospice was founded in 1910 and has been based at The Grange in Grange Road since 1948. Its staff and volunteers have cared for thousands of patients and their families over the past century.

Hospice Head of Brand and Media Diane Parkes said: “Our 110th anniversary is a really special event for John Taylor Hospice and we want to share it not just with our current staff but also with the hundreds of people who have been part of our story.

“It is the dedicated work of these former colleagues which has ensured we are the hospice we are today. We want to say thank you, give them a chance to meet with old friends and share our plans for our 110th anniversary.”

The evening, which begins at 6.30pm and is due to finish at 8.30pm, will include refreshments, information about the anniversary celebrations and a chance to view old photographs and other mementoes. The reunion is free but people are asked to register in order for the hospice to manage catering.

Diane added: “We have been doing lots of research into our history as part of the 110th anniversary and we will be sharing the results of some of that research at the event. And we’d love former staff and volunteers to bring along pictures and other memorabilia on the evening.”

The first phase of the HS2 high-speed railway between London and Birmingham could see an extra five year delay, according to the Minister of Transport with the line now set for completion in 2031 – from its original 2026.

Transport Minister, Grant Shapps, said: "I want the House to have the full picture. There is no future in obscuring the true costs of a large infrastructure project - as well as the potential benefits".

The route - from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds - was due to open in 2032-33, but that has been pushed back to 2035-2040.

HS2 Chair, Allan Cook, said the delay is due to the original plans not accounting for the effect of building through densely-populated areas with difficult geographical features.

Originally expected to cost £56bn in 2015 prices, Mr Cook said the new cost estimate was adjusted for inflation, and based on today's prices.

Last month Mr Cook told the Department for Transport that the scheme could not be delivered within its budget.

HS2's total cost has also risen from £62bn to between £81bn and £88bn.

The second phase has also been delayed.

The first trains are unlikely to run until 2028 - while Manchester and Leeds won't benefit from services until at least 2035.

People living with dementia and their families and carers are invited to new Dementia Friendly Reading Cafés being launched at Penn and Wednesfield Libraries this month.

The relaxed sessions will offer a cosy, informal environment in which visitors can chat about books, poetry and more.

Participants are invited to talk about their childhood favourites or best-loved poems, reminisce with books about local history or simply enjoy good company with a cuppa.

The Dementia Friendly Reading Cafés are free and will begin at Wednesfield Library this Wednesday (4 September) at 10.30am and at Penn Library on Saturday 14 September from 2.45pm. It is planned that the sessions will be held on a monthly basis.

Councillor Harman Banger, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: "These new sessions will provide a wonderful regular social event for people living with dementia and their families."

Another notable live music event is an appearance from American jazz pianist Darius Brubeck, son of the legendary musician Dave Brubeck, who will be bringing his acclaimed Quartet to the festival to offer a glimpse into material from a forthcoming album.

Aside from music, the festival boasts a strong programme of literary events, celebrating some of the most inspiring and thought-provoking new fiction and non-fiction books released in 2019. The centrepiece is a full weekend of talks, readings and panel discussions on 21st / 22nd September. Joining the distinguished line-up of writers is the award-winning human rights campaigner, Caroline Criado-Perez OBE, who will be talking about her latest book, Invisible Women, Nikesh Shukla, Kerry Hudson, Nathan Filer, Amelia Gentleman and debut novelists Candice Carty-Williams, Elizabeth Macneal and Rosie Price. Later in the week the festival will feature a talk on the ‘Untold History of Faber & Faber’, as well as an event featuring multi-million selling novelist Clare Mackintosh.

Other festival highlights include the English premiere of large-scale outdoor art installation The Gramophone, created by Irish artist Donnacha Cahill; a text art installation produced in collaboration with students from Kenilworth School; a free Street Party in Kenilworth’s Old Town and an exhibition of work by local artists.

Visitors will also be able to attend a whole range of professional adult and family friendly workshops including pinhole photography, informal art sessions, shadow puppet making, cyanotype printing and a workshop with Kenilworth-based mosaic artist Helen Clues.

Lewis Smith, Artistic Director of the festival, said “The festival has grown year-on-year and we are proud to be able to welcome leading writers, musicians and artists to Kenilworth once again for our 2019 festival. This year’s programme showcases artists from all over the world and includes several UK premieres and exclusive performances, so it promises to be a very special ten days of events.

We’re also proud that our programme continues to offer a platform for debate and discussion, with events exploring big issues such as gender politics, Windrush and mental health.”

Celebrated the best in the curry industry, the 9th English Curry Awards took place at the Birmingham Conference and Events Centre Holiday Inn Hotel, which saw curry houses across England recognised for their graft, dedication and hospitality.

Honouring quality food and service across a variety of categories including ‘Chef of the Year’, ‘The Best of Birmingham’ and ‘Curry Entrepreneur of the Year’ the black tie event was hosted by DJ and radio presenter, Tommy Sandhu.

Broad Street based, Pushkar Cocktail Bar and Dining, was in attendance at the award ceremony where it was announced to their delight they had won The Best Of Birmingham category.

Rai Singh, Creative Director at Pushkar said: “I’m delighted to be crowned The Best in Birmingham.

“The category I thought would be the most difficult to win, and we did it! We’re approaching our 10-year anniversary later this year so what a great way to get the party started. Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years.”

The night also saw the launch of 2020 English Curry Awards ‘Queens in Curry Kitchens’ campaign, held in association with Women in the Food Industry. The campaign encourages all curry houses across England to have at least one female member of staff by the 2020 awards.

The English Curry Awards 2019 are organised by Oceanic Consulting – the UK’s leading ethnic awards company. CEO Irfan Younis said: “Congratulations to all winners and finalists. The night produced some memorable moments and we’re delighted to have hosted such talented individuals.

We’re really excited about the ‘Queens in Curry Kitchens’ 2020 campaign as it’s about time more South-Asian women put their amazing cooking and management skills to good use. We’re excited to see how the campaign progresses over the year.”

With 13 years of experience, Oceanic Consulting host annual award ceremonies in major English, Scottish and Irish cities. Campaigns include the Curry Awards, Asian Business, Asian Food, British Muslim, British Indian and Britain’s Asian Wedding Awards.

New research from Charter Savings Bank shows more than half of over-60s don’t believe they should automatically receive the free benefits and discounts they are entitled to because of their age. Its nationwide study found 53% of over-60s oppose discounts for the over-60s, with this figure rising to 61% among the over-70s.

They are the most opposed of all age groups to benefits such as free prescriptions and discounts on rail fares and cinema tickets – 50% of under-35s believe the over-60s should not automatically receive a range of discounts.

However, the over-60s are not opposed to discounts under all circumstances. Around 28% say benefits should be offered at State Pension Age while one in eight (12%) say discounts should only be available to people on low incomes.

The study found a large proportion of over-60s are turning down the discounts and benefits they are entitled to – around 13% do not take advantage of free medical prescriptions. And while the vast majority of over-60s (91%) in Scotland use the country’s free bus pass, almost half (46%) of older adults in London don’t use the city’s free Oyster 60+ card.

Indeed, the over-60s are nationally shelling out an average of £151 a year each on NHS prescriptions, £56 on bus fares, and a further £51 on local metro and underground fares; all of which they needn’t pay for.

And not only are they out of pocket for items that could be entirely free, they are also overlooking a plethora of discounts available to them, the nationwide study revealed. Only 19% of older adults in the UK have taken advantage of senior rail cards and just 8% have capitalised on cheaper menus in restaurants, with a similarly low number (7%) taking advantage of the senior discounts offered in retail outlets.

However, this does not appear to be a result of moral abstinence. According to the findings, one of the key reasons why so many over-60s are not making the most of the benefits available to them, is simply because they are not aware of their existence.

One in eight people over the age of 60 (12%) do not know that medical prescriptions are free for the over-60s. Nearly half (44%) are unaware that they are entitled to discounts in retail outlets, a quarter (24%) do not know that they can purchase discounted cinema tickets, and over a third (34%) aren't aware that they are entitled to discounted entry to attractions and cheaper menus at restaurants.

Interestingly, the number of people who do not take advantage of age-related benefits because they do not want to admit their age, or because they do not like asking for something that made them feel old, is negligible.

Paul Whitlock, Executive Director, Charter Savings Bank said: “As our country’s population grows older, the age for receiving benefits may change to reflect the ageing population and it’s a debate the over-60s have strong views on.

“However, as it stands, there are nearly 17 million over 60s who are eligible for numerous benefits and discounts, many of which they are passing up on.

“This is one instance where ignorance certainly isn't bliss. They could be saving themselves hundreds of pounds each year by merely taking advantage of the discounts and concessions readily available to them.

“It is important we are all able to enjoy old age and retirement and invest in our family’s future, rather than unnecessarily spending our savings. Educating yourself is key – particularly in today’s volatile climate.”

Her Holiness, Mata Sudiksha Ji Maharaj, the spiritual head of the world-wide Sant Nirankari Mission, has paid a goodwill visit to meet civic leaders in Sandwell.

Her Holiness met the Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Ann Jaron and council leader Councillor Yvonne Davies during a visit to Sandwell to attend a three-day Nirankari Youth Symposium.

Councillor Davies said: “It was a pleasure to meet Her Holiness who had travelled to Sandwell to meet members of the mission based in the borough. I was pleased to hear that so many people enjoyed activities as part of the Symposium at Tipton and Wednesbury.

Event organiser Gurpreet Bhatia said the Symposium was a very important event for mission followers and they were greatly honoured to have Her Holiness attending the activities.

The Mission, which has more than 10 million followers across the world and its Headquarters are in New Delhi, India.

It has a local Centre for Oneness which are the Charitie's UK headquarters at Great Western Street in Wednesbury, which organises numerous initiatives with a view to creating greater understanding within our diverse community and to build bridges.

Mr Bhatia said the first day of the event involved a special games event at Tipton Sports Academy which was designed to promote good health and well-being.

The other two days were held at the Wednesbury centre including a symposium to encourage youth to participate and make a positive contribution to their local communities and yesterday a conference was held on the theme of humanness

Mr Bhatia , who serves the region as a Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands and works to raise the profile of the region, by encouraging organisations, to bring their events to the area, in particular Sandwell to establish positive social and economic impact.

Her Holiness, Mata Sudiksha Ji Maharaj, the spiritual head of the world-wide Sant Nirankari Mission, paid a goodwill visit to meet civic leaders in Sandwell, in the West Midlands.

Her Holiness met the Mayor of Sandwell, Councillor Ann Jaron, and council leader Councillor Yvonne Davies during a visit to attend a three-day Nirankari Youth Symposium.

Councillor Davies said: “It was a pleasure to meet Her Holiness who had travelled to Sandwell to meet members of the mission based in the borough. I was pleased to hear that so many people enjoyed activities as part of the Symposium at Tipton and Wednesbury.

Event organiser Gurpreet Bhatia said the Symposium was a very important event for mission followers and they were greatly honoured to have Her Holiness attending the activities.

The Mission, which has more than 10 million followers across the world and its Headquarters are in New Delhi, India.

It has a local Centre for Oneness which is the charity's UK headquarters, in Wednesbury, which organises numerous initiatives with a view to creating greater understanding within our diverse community and to build bridges.

Mr Bhatia said the first day of the event involved a special games event at Tipton Sports Academy which was designed to promote good health and well-being.

The other two days were held at the Wednesbury Centre including a symposium to encourage youth to participate and make a positive contribution to their local communities and yesterday a conference was held on the theme of humanness

Mr Bhatia , who serves the region as a Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands and works to raise the profile of the region, by encouraging organisations, to bring their events to the area, in particular Sandwell to establish positive social and economic impact.

Following the announcement of a Government-commissioned independent review to examine ‘how and whether’ the controversial High Speed 2 railway project should go ahead, the Department for Transport said it will consider a number of factors relating to HS2, including its benefits, impacts, affordability, efficiency, deliverability, scope and phasing.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The Prime Minister has been clear that transport infrastructure has the potential to drive economic growth, redistribute opportunity and support towns and cities across the UK, but that investments must be subject to continuous assessment of their costs and benefits.

“That’s why we are undertaking this independent and rigorous review of HS2. ‘Douglas Oakervee and his expert panel will consider all the evidence available, and provide the department with clear advice on the future of the project.’ Mr Oakervee said he is ‘looking forward’ to working with Lord Berkeley to advise the Government on ‘how and whether to progress with HS2, based on all existing evidence”.

Campaigners against the project welcomed the review but criticised the appointment of Mr Oakervee. Stop HS2 campaign manager Joe Rukin said: “We have serious questions as to whether a review headed by former chair of HS2 could ever be described as independent.

“We worry, as happened in the past when it comes to jobs and economic benefits, that they are simply going to go away and make up some increasingly outlandish and improbable numbers to justify this white elephant”.

A final report will be sent to Mr Shapps – with oversight from Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Sajid Javid – by the autumn. This will ‘inform the Government’s decisions on next steps for the project’, the DfT said.

In July, the Financial Times reported HS2 Ltd chair, Allan Cook, had written to the DfT to warn the project could end up costing £85 billion – £30 billion over the original budget. At the time, HS2 Ltd said it did not comment on ‘leaks or speculation’.

With the children returning to school, it won’t be long before the baubles, tinsel, chocolates and gifts are all available in the supermarkets in the run-up to Christmas.

If you’ve overindulged this summer holiday, then now is the time to start thinking about the forthcoming festive parties and start to focus on the waistline.

Simon Bandy, General Manager at Health Plus, here shares his tips for shedding some pounds in the lead up to Christmas and the party season:

1. Eat breakfast like a king:There’s an old saying, ‘Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.’ If you fill up at breakfast it kick-starts the metabolism, and gives the body a tank of energy to burn throughout the day.  Having the smallest meal at the end of the day means that you won’t have excess calories when you are generally the most sedentary.
2. Be prepared:If you spend time preparing healthy snacks for home and work then you are less likely to fall off the dieting wagon.  If you have crudités ready for when you are feeling peckish or high-fibre snacks like dried fruits and nuts around the house, then you can curb the hunger without the guilt.
3. Water: Don’t underestimate the power of H20 when you think you are feeling hungry.  More often than not the body is thirsty so have a large glass of water and wait 20 minutes before bounding to the kitchen or the shop.
4. Simple maths: You’ve heard the expression, ‘Eat less and move more’ - this is a simple formula for losing weight. Fewer calories in and more burnt through exercise will result in weight loss.  Remember, to lose 1lb in weight you need to burn 3,500 more calories than you consume.  To help aid weight loss try Health Plus Xtra-Slim capsules (£21.95 for 90 capsules) which create a thermogenic reaction in the body, burning fat cells and allowing proper weight management and helping to maintain the metabolism.
5. Make the naughty list – Don’t totally restrict everything from your diet.  If you do this it is highly likely you’ll break your diet through binging on your taboo food.  Better to include a little of what you fancy as a weekly treat.

A third of properties (31.4%) currently for sale in major UK towns and cities don’t have any outside space, according to research by Housesimple. The online estate agent looked at properties currently on the market in more than 100 major UK towns and cities.

Grimsby is the UK's greenest town with nine out of every ten of properties (90.7%) listed for sale having a garden, compared to just over a third (38.9%) in Salford, home to MediaCityUK, and the BBC’s headquarters in the north.

Of the UK’s largest cities by population, Bristol is the greenest, with 82.1% of properties currently on the market having outside space, compared to just 53% in Manchester and 54% in Liverpool.

Outside space is on many London buyers’ wish lists, but not surprisingly it’s at a premium in the capital, with six in every ten properties (39.2%) currently for sale not having any garden space. The greenest borough is Bexley, with 85.7% of properties having a garden of some description, compared to just 29.9% in Islington.

The following table shows the bottom and top five greenest UK towns and cities based on the percentage of properties for sale with gardens:

The following table shows the bottom and top five greenest UK towns and cities based on the percentage of properties for sale with gardens:

The following table shows the bottom and top five greenest London boroughs based on the percentage of properties for sale with gardens:

Sam Mitchell, CEO of online estate agents Housesimple comments: “The back garden isn’t on its last legs, but the relentless pursuit of profit has seen outside space sacrificed, particularly in densely populated areas. Developers are building upwards to squeeze every pound of profit out of a plot of land, and gardens take up valuable square footage. Something has to give.

“Sadly, it’s a similar trend with new build family homes. Houses no longer have the expansive back gardens you might have seen 30 to 40 years ago, as developers look to pack as many properties as possible onto new estates. Big three and four bedroom houses with postage stamp sized gardens are becoming the norm, and although a new build might be family-friendly on the inside, the small gardens are not children friendly.

“If a large garden is top of your wish list, search for older properties in areas that are well established. Many period properties have beautiful, mature gardens, and although the property itself might need some updating, particularly if it’s been in the same family for years, it will be worth the extra expense if it’s on a large plot of land.”

Eager heritage fans can now begin planning as the list of over 100 ‘Birmingham Heritage Week’ events can now be found at: birminghamheritageweek.co.uk.

The festival is back for 2019 and consists of 11 days of varied and fascinating events, from 12 – 22 September. From exhibitions and tours to open days and concerts, Birmingham Heritage Week is the perfect time for local residents and tourists alike to discover parts of the city they have never seen before, or rediscover popular places from a new perspective.

The full listings can be found online but some highlights from the Birmingham Heritage Week line-up include:

• The Baskerville Keyhill Cemetery Tour during the dusky hours of twilight. You will discover the surprising story of John Baskerville, the famous Birmingham printer and typewriter, whilst seeing the cemeteries and catacombs at their most atmospheric, as your torch guides you through the darkness.
• Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery’s stunning Waterhall Gallery will open for an opportunity to admire this amazing Victorian architectural space, along with artworks from the city’s collection.
• Bournville is home to some of the city’s most historical and beautiful buildings. Numerous buildings will be open to the public for free on Saturday 14 September.
• The Lost Children showcases a hugely important, yet little known, aspect of Birmingham’s history. The Birmingham & Midland Institute’s exhibition showcases the emotional and fascinating life stories of just a few of the 6000 destitute children sent from Emigration Homes in Highgate to Canada.
• Discover the hidden green spaces of the Secret Gardens in Handsworth on a specially-extended tour. You will gain access to the magical walled gardens behind nine striking Georgian houses, which are usually closed to the public.
• Truly see what life was like for those ‘downstairs’ with a special guided tour at the beautiful Jacobean mansion, Aston Hall, which focuses on the lives of servants in the 17^th
• View the Ikon Gallery’s display by Stuart Whipps, a multifaceted reflection on the closure of the Longbridge motor works in Birmingham which is part of his long-term art project ‘The Kipper and The Corpse’. The factory was the last British owned volume car manufacturer and through making the work ‘Whipps’ seeks to understand its inevitable closure.

And, there’s so much more, so to delve deeper into what Birmingham Heritage Week has to offer, be sure to visit the Birmingham Heritage Week website and social media pages for more details.

Irene De Boo, Co-ordinator for Birmingham Heritage Week 2019, said: “We’re back with a brilliant array of events for Birmingham Heritage Week 2019 and the listings are even easier to navigate on our website, so it’s the perfect time for visitors to start planning and filling up their diaries with exciting events!”

Birmingham Heritage Week 2019 is supported by Jewellery Quarter BID, Birmingham City Council, Birmingham Museums Trust and ScanTech Digital.

The state-of-the-art redevelopment of the Symphony Hall was officially launched as three of Birmingham’s most esteemed musicians were present at the world-renowned music venue to celebrate the beginning of redevelopment that will create a performance space for talented local artists to have even more opportunities to perform as part of a daily programme with free and affordable performances.

Three of Birmingham’s leading musicals stars Jaki Graham, Reuben James and Lady Sanity were specially invited to the launch with world-renowned singing group, Black Voices – associate artists at Symphony Hall - on hand for a short performance.

Performances Birmingham (Town Hall and Symphony Hall) Chair of the Board, Anita Bhalla OBE, saying: “Birmingham has a strong music tradition with the likes of Black Sabbath – and the ‘birth’ of heavy metal - and Bhangra music so prominent hailing from here – and that tradition is still strong today.

“That’s why this journey is led by the heart and soul – making music accessible”.

One of the most popular R&B and dance artists of all time, soul legend, Jaki – who enjoyed 6 consecutive top 20 hits - said: “I have had the privilege of performing on stage at Symphony Hall and, as a Birmingham-born artist, it filled me with pride. I’m honoured to be invited to launch this major transformation, which will provide many more talented local musicians the opportunity to perform in this incredible venue". She headlined Jamaica’s 50th Independence Cultural Extravaganza at Symphony Hall in 2012.

Town Hall Symphony Hall Chief Executive, Nick Reed, said: “We currently reach over 18,000 people with our learning and community programme and over the coming years we will be able to reach thousands more in the transformed spaces that this project will create. As significant cuts are made to music tuition in our region’s schools, this transformation will support local talent by providing an enhanced space for people to be musically creative".

Following his promise for a more diverse front bench, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Cabinet reshuffle sees the MP for Spelthorne in Surrey, in south-east England, Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng, British-born with Ghanaian roots, installed as the Minister of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and become a senior member of the government’s cabinet.

Born in Waltham Forest, to Ghanaian parents, the Eton-educated front-bencher who has also served as a member of the public accounts committee in the UK was parliamentary private secretary to the Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park.

Having studied for a doctorate in British History at Cambridge, he is a graduate of Harvard University and has written several books, including Ghost of Empire: War and Gold and Thatcher’s Trial.

Elected as MP in 2010, he has consistently supported local enterprise and called in Parliament for business-friendly reforms - one of his achievements being finding local entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

He also launched the Spelthorne Business Plan Competition in 2013.

Frequently tipped to become Britain’s first Black Tory cabinet minister, in 2018, the former junior Brexit minister, popularly known as the ‘Black Boris’, was appointed Undersecretary of State in the Department for Exiting the European Union following the resignation of Sue-Ellen Braverman.

The appointment of Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng adds to former home secretary – and former leadership contender -Sajid Javid becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer whilst Priti Patel returns to front-line politics as the new Home Secretary.

James Cleverly, the MP for Braintree in Essex, is the new Part Chair in PM Johnson’s re-shuffle.