Community News

West Midlands Metro Mayor, Andy Street, has called for a direct flight between Birmingham and Mumbai. He is petitioning both Air India and the Indian Government to install the route, with hundreds already backing his campaign.

It comes after the former John Lewis boss met India’s aviation minister last year to make the business case for the direct route.

Currently there is a direct flight between Birmingham and Delhi, but those wanting to travel to Mumbai from the Midlands need to make the 185km journey south to London Heathrow. Jet Airways used to operate a direct flight to Mumbai from Manchester but this stopped when the airline collapsed.

He said: “The Midlands serves a large Indian community of nearly 500,000 people, with significant populations in Birmingham, Leicester, Northampton, Nottingham, Sandwell and Wolverhampton.

“I am really pleased there is an Air India flight to Delhi from Birmingham but if people need to go to Mumbai they have to travel to Heathrow. Given the significant business (Jaguar Land Rover, JCB, Rolls Royce, Bharat Forge, Pattonair and Bombardier to name a few) links between the Midlands and India, and the strength of the diaspora, there is strong demand for a direct flight between Birmingham and Mumbai.

“As well as the business case there is also the personal case, as the new route will allow thousands of families to reconnect far easier with family and friends in India.

“The Midlands and India have a wonderful relationship, but it is time we strengthened that with a new route.”

His petition, which can be found on change.org, has garnered over 900 signatures at the time of writing.

Since 2017, more than 10,000 people have walked to help fight against prostate cancer – which has now overtaken breast cancer to become the third biggest cancer killer in the UK, taking one man every 45 minutes - raising over £3.3 million to support the vital work. But so much more is needed to bring about the better testing, treatments and care that will dramatically reduce its deaths in the UK.

Prostate Cancer UK (formerly known as The Prostate Cancer Charity) is holding a March for Men, in Cannon Hill Park, in Birmingham, where you can take on either the short, medium or long walk to help stop prostate cancer being a killer.

The short route is fully accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs – however due to the nature of the ground, if it has been a wet summer this may be subject to change.

So, the organisers are encouraging everybody to round up their loved ones and register now to help stop prostate cancer being a killer.

March For Men, sponsored by Burton Menswear, takes place this Sunday, June 9.

The events site opens at 10am, with the Walk starting at 11am.

A series of commemoration events are taking place in the UK and France marking the 75th anniversary D-Day landing in Normandy.

Senior politicians and members of the Royal family as well as hundreds of veterans are attending ceremonies to remember what is considered one of the most important events of the Second World War.

More than 200 veterans have boarded a cruise ship charted by the Royal British Legion to attend the events while others are descending en masse on Portsmouth and Normandy.

At the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, yesterday, some 4,000 military personnel, 11 Royal Naval vessels and 26 RAF aircraft were part of key ceremonies acknowledging the operation included the UK's national commemoration event which was attended by the Queen and US President Donald Trump, as well as representatives from other allied countries as well as Germany.

The President said he had looked forward to commemorating what "may have been the greatest battle ever in history".

The countries being represented at the event agreed to make a joint statement pledging to ensure the "unimaginable horror" of World War Two is not repeated.

Called "the D-Day proclamation", the 16 signatories - including the UK and the United States - commit to working together to "resolve international tensions peacefully.

Prime Minister Theresa May used the occasion to call for continued Western unity in tackling what she will call "new and evolving security threats". D-Day is a military term used to describe the day on which an operation, or attack, is to begin.

Derived from the word 'day', it has been used for many different military operations but is most closely association with the Allied landings on Normandy's beaches on June 6, 1944.

The Normandy D-Day landing operation was originally planned for June 5 - but bad weather delayed it by a day.

Some 5,300 ships and craft, 150,000 men, 1,500 tanks and 12,000 planes took part in D-Day - British and Commonwealth soldiers landed at Gold, Juno and Sword while American soldiers were sent to Utah and Omaha - making it the largest seaborne invasion in history.

A Lord of the Rings-themed railway station is among ideas to be put forward for the new Camp Hill Rail line.

Details of the consultation over proposed new stations at Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell in south Birmingham were issued on the day Tolkien, the new film about the early life of Lord of the Rings writer, arrived in cinemas.

More than 600 people responded to the public consultation. Many respondents requested that famous local landmarks or people - such as Mayor of Birmingham Joseph Chamberlain or Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien - be celebrated in public artwork or artistic features.

Tolkien grew up in south Birmingham and drew inspiration for his Middle Earth stories from local features such as Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog. Perrott's Folly and the chimney of Edgbaston Pumping Station were the inspiration for the Two Towers. The area is a tourism hot spot for Lord of the Rings fans.

Results of the consultation have also revealed nine in ten residents, commuters and businesses in south Birmingham back plans to reopen the Camp Hill rail line. The stations closed in 1941, since when the line has been used only by freight and non-stop through-services.

The plans to restore the line are being developed by West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and are backed by industry partners including Network Rail and West Midlands Railway.

Consultation on the Camp Hill line stations took place in November and December last year and attracted 616 responses.

The results revealed:

• 86% want planting or community gardens at the stations • 62% would like to see artwork or features inspired by local figures or landmarks • 44% called for a community space • Other suggestions included a coffee shop, community stalls, cycle storage and lifts to platforms

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “We were delighted at the enthusiastic support for our plans for the Camp Hill Line and thank everyone who took the time to respond.

“We also welcome the many excellent and creative suggestions for the new stations, from community gardens to public artwork inspired by JRR Tolkien and the Chamberlain family, and will certainly give them careful consideration as the designs evolve.”

The new Camp Hill line stations will provide regular train services into Birmingham New Street, with quick journey times.

One issue of concern was that no car parks are proposed at the Moseley, Kings Heath or Hazelwell stations.

Some residents fear a knock-on effect as commuters could park on surrounding streets. WMRE will be working closely with Birmingham City Council to ensure highway safety and parking management is addressed.

Malcolm Holmes, executive director, West Midlands Rail Executive and director of rail, Transport for West Midlands, said: “We are delivering these stations for communities to connect people and places, so nothing is more important than ensuring that their look and feel works for the community.

“The reopening of the Camp Hill line for passengers is just one of our major investment projects which are delivering a revolution in rail for the West Midlands.”

Planning applications for the Camp Hill line stations are due to be submitted to Birmingham City Council during the summer.

It is expected that construction work could start in 2020, with a view to getting the three stations open by the end of 2021. This would be in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The illegal disposal of waste in the environment can have a very serious impact on land, with chemicals in the waste which could contaminate soil and potentially harm local wildlife and businesses. With this in mind, online furniture retailer, Furniture Choice polled the nation to find out how many Brits have illegally dumped waste in the past and how local councils are tackling the issue ahead of World Environment Day (today, 5th June).

The research revealed that 13% of the nation has fly-tipped in the past, with over a quarter stating they didn’t realise they were breaking the law. With new financial penalties put in place in January 2019, any householder who now fails to pass their waste to a licensed carrier and whose waste is found fly-tipped would face penalties of up to £400*.

Recent government data revealed that local authorities in England dealt with just under one million (998,000) fly-tipping incidents between 2017/18, a slight decrease of 1% from 2016/17[1]. However, local authorities have seen an increase of 20% in the number of fixed penalty notices handed out to fly-tipping offenders, with 69,000 handed out in 2017/18[1].

Delving further into the issue of fly-tipping across England, the top ten locations in England with the highest number of fly-tipping incidents in 2017/18[2] were:

1. Leeds - 26,831 2. Haringey - 23,549 3. Liverpool - 20,576 4. Croydon - 19,198 5. Hammersmith and Fulham - 18,652 6. Brent - 18,609 7. Northampton - 18,393 8. Manchester - 17,497 9. Hounslow - 17,063 10. Birmingham - 15,993

Furniture Choice also spoke to the British public to find out how they think councils are faring with the issue of fly-tipping. The results revealed that Brits think councils should provide easier alternatives to fly-tipping (39%) and increase the awareness of fly-tipping laws (38%).

To help reduce fly-tipping across the UK, Furniture Choice has created an online tool populated with more than 800 furniture recycling and donation centres across the UK, which helps people identify their nearest location in which to take their unwanted furniture and white goods.

Tom Obbard, Director at Furniture Choice, said: “Fly-tipping causes a devastating impact on the environment and is expensive to clear, so it is a major concern that incidents are increasing in England.

“It is great to see that some councils are exercising their legislative powers and issuing fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping, as hopefully, it will deter people from committing the offence. However, more needs to be done on encouraging people to use recycling and donation sites instead of illegally discarding their waste.”

Nearly 10,000 care home beds for the elderly have been lost in five years across half of England’s local authorities, retirement mortgage experts Responsible Life can reveal.

In total, 9,772 care home beds have been lost in England in the 75 local authority areas that have struggled to keep up with provision since 2014, analysis of Care Quality Commission (CQC) data shows.

The findings suggest older people are being left at the mercy of a postcode lottery in many areas, even though the overall number of beds has actually risen in the same period from 401,322 to 407,058.

The UK population is ageing with around 18.2% of people aged 65 or over in mid-2017, compared with 15.9% in 2007. This is projected to grow to 20.7% aged 65 and over by 2027. It is also projected that more than a quarter of people in the UK will be aged 65 or over in the next 50 years.

Sunderland has seen the greatest decline in care home bed numbers outside of London, losing 15.3%of them in the past five years. Bracknell Forest and Hartlepool have seen similar falls, at 15.1% and14.3% respectively.

Of the 150 local authorities in England, only 74 have more care home beds than they did in 2014, while two — Hammersmith and Fulham and Newham — have stayed the same.

Overall, the number of care homes in England has fallen from 11,113 in 2014 to 10,878 in 2019, declining in 86 of the 150 authority areas.

Steve Wilkie, Managing Director of Responsible Life, said: “The number of beds country-wide has actually gone up, so we know a drop in the number of beds in half of authorities is not part of a wider change in how people want to access care in later life.

“In fact, what we are seeing is a postcode lottery unfolding. If this trend isn’t reversed, it is going to get even tougher to access care in certain areas in the coming years.

“For some it will mean lack of availability and subsequently higher costs force them to delay accessing the right care at the right time, while others may feel they are better off financially paying for assistance at home.

“The danger is that some retirees will inevitably choose to remain in homes that do not meet their requirements. It is imperative that people consider all their options and make informed choices well in advance.”

The official naming of the ‘Black Sabbath Bridge’ in honour of Birmingham’s legendary heavy metal rockers is taking place in the heart of the city’s entertainment district later this month. Two of the band's founder members will be attending the extraordinary event at the road bridge which crosses the canal on Broad Street on Wednesday 26 June.

Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler will be cruising onto the scene aboard a narrow boat to unveil the new bridge signage from the canal below the bridge, with hundreds of Black Sabbath fans expected to flock to the city to watch.

Tribute band Sabbra Cadabra will be based on a nearby canal island to provide heavy metal entertainment throughout the event.

Westside Business Improvement District (BID) has worked closely with the Canal & River Trust charity and Birmingham City Council to have the bridge renamed as ‘Black Sabbath Bridge’.

As well as the new bridge name, a uniquely designed ‘heavy metal bench’ incorporating images of the band’s original four members will be permanently based on the bridge, and this is expected to become a major new tourist attraction for the city.

Westside BID originally unveiled the bench to fans at a private ceremony at St Luke’s Gas Street Church in February, which means the bridge-naming event will also be its public launch.

Mike Olley, general manager of Westside BID, said: “We’re grateful to the Canal & River Trust and Birmingham City Council for helping us to realise our ambition to pay this special tribute to Black Sabbath.

“On 26 June, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and other VIPs will board the narrow boat which will sail down to the canal island opposite the National Sea Life Centre where the Sabbra Cadabra tribute band will be playing.

“The barge will be hooked up to the sound system on the island so that Tony and Geezer can say a few words to all the fans watching.

“They will then sail down beneath the bridge to pull the cords to unveil both the new Black Sabbath Bridge signage and the heavy metal bench.

“It’s going to be a wonderful event, and there is plenty of space on the canal footpaths, nearby bars and the bridge itself for all the Black Sabbath fans we are expecting to come to watch.”

Ani Sutton, community engagement manager at the Canal & River Trust, said: “We’re thrilled to be involved and look forward to seeing hundreds of people enjoying this event on the canal in Birmingham – which is also celebrating its 250th birthday this year.

“The bench looks fabulous and by working closely with Westside BID we have created a new location on a renamed bridge that not only can Brummies be proud of, but which will also draw tens of thousands of tourists to the city and the canal in the years to come.”

Tony Iommi said: “The bridge name and commemorative bench are both terrific and we’re thrilled that everyone can now enjoy what has become a special location for Black Sabbath history.”

Geezer Butler said: “I can’t wait for what’s going to be such a memorable event, and one where I can once again thank the loyalty of our great fans.”

Councillor Waseem Zaffar, the cabinet member for Transport and the Environment at Birmingham City Council, said: “We are delighted to name this new bridge in honour of Black Sabbath, one of the greatest bands to come from Birmingham.”

The unveiling coincides with a major Home of Metal exhibition celebrating Black Sabbath and the band’s legacy, which runs from 26 June to 29 September at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Ramadan began in early May and we're now marking Eid al-Fitr - the end of the holy month of Ramadan – which translates from Arabic to "the feast of the breaking of the fast" and refers to the festivities that signal the end of the month of daily fasting through Ramadan.

Now that the fast has ended, Muslims are celebrating the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the first day of the Shawwal moon.

This year celebrations will commence from today and end tomorrow (Wednesday June 5).

Eid is a way of Muslims saying thanks to their God following their month of abstinence. Families who have observed Ramadan will get together and indulge with a feast, which will include plenty of sweet treats.

The Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle.

The start of a month is determined by an official sighting of the first crescent of the full moon.

Experts look for the moon on the evening of the 29th day of a month. If it's seen, then the month is said to have ended and the next month begins.

If it's not seen, the month goes on for another day.

In the case of Eid at the start of Shawwal, experts look again for the moon on the 30th day to give official confirmation.

However in some cases, organisations use astronomical charts so they can plan a long way ahead.

The Umm al-Qura Calendar, used by the government of Saudi Arabia, had already stated the date of Eid al-Fitr 2019 as today (Tuesday, June 4).

In some Middle Eastern countries, Eid is celebrated as a national bank holiday. Unfortunately, this isn't the case for Muslims in Greater Manchester.

But that doesn't mean to say there won't be plenty of things to do.

Eid, in the Small Heath Park, in Birmingham, starts at 9:30am on June 4 and promises to be a family-fun event with a funfair and a bazaar hosting food and drink.

A busy city centre underpass will be close for two years to allow tram extension works to take place.

The underpass beneath the busy Five Ways roundabout in Birmingham links Broad Street and Hagley Road - a route in and out of the city.

Its closure is part of the Midland Metro tram extension, which is expected to be completed in 2021.

While the roundabout itself will remain open, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has warned of increased traffic.

The underpass was closed yesterday (June 3) and TfWM has issued a guidance to people travelling into Birmingham using the Five Ways roundabout.

Drivers are advised to allow longer for journeys, use public transport where necessary and consider alternative routes.

TfWM said the expanded tram service will improve transport links to the city centre and help cut down on traffic pollution.

The extension of tram services from Grand Central to Centenary Square on Broad Street is expected to be completed later this year.

The new line heading towards Edgbaston should be completed in time for Birmingham to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and TfWM hopes the tram will go as far as Birmingham Airport if funding can be found in the future.

Phil Hewitt, from Midland Metro Alliance, said the extension will "really transform the accessibility from Birmingham to the Black Country".

"The opportunities for people to access jobs, to access leisure, will be fundamentally different to where we are today," he said.

"It will be well worth waiting for."

As the U.S. Virgin Islands announces the return of hotels and resorts to the accommodations landscape over the next few months, the leader of the U.S. Territory committed his government to securing increased airlift to fill those rooms.

Speaking after a successful meeting with Delta Air Lines' leadership team in Atlanta on Thursday, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. said a strong aerial highway policy was critically important to the Territory's future, and his administration was exploring every avenue to boost relations with airline partners.

"We have been meeting and talking with airline officials since we took office, and this session here in Atlanta was no different - getting important feedback on the performance of routes into St. Croix and St. Thomas and giving our partners at Delta an update on our tourism rebound and recovery," said Governor Bryan.

Governor Bryan, who was accompanied by Tourism Commissioner nominee Joseph Boschulte, reported that Delta was generally satisfied with the performance of its routes into both of the Territory's airports, and committed his teams at both the Department of Tourism and the Virgin Islands Port Authority to identify opportunities for capacity increases with the airline.

"It was encouraging to hear how confident Delta's team is about our product, and that they are keen to work with us to bolster Atlanta-St. Croix flights to pre-storm levels, when we were experiencing an uptick in demand to the 'Big Island'," the Governor stated.

"The St. Croix airport has been underutilized for years, so we are looking forward to exploring new ways to put people into seats to St. Croix," said Governor Bryan, explaining that with Divi Carina Bay Resort expected to come back online later this year, with the expansion in sharing accommodations, and robust business travel demand returning with the resumption of activity at the oil refinery, the conditions looked favorable for increasing flights to St. Croix.

The governor said the airline was encouraged by a very strong uptick in traffic to St. Croix this past March and was satisfied with the performance of its routes from Atlanta and New York to St. Thomas.

Governor Bryan told the airline executives that legislation would soon be introduced to attract investors to new hotel and resort projects across the Territory.

He briefed the investment community on the administration's business-friendly approach to hotel development at the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) in Miami next week.

While in Atlanta, the governor and commissioner nominee also met the Department of Tourism's advertising agency of record, J. Walter Thompson Atlanta, where they explored the importance of leveraging data to differentiate audiences and improve storytelling.

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice is asking business professionals to swap their suits for cycle gear this June, so that they can get pedalling for vital hospice care.

Working in collaboration with the West Midlands Combined Authority and as part of the Mayor’s Giving Day, the Selly Park-based charity is calling on corporates to take part in its ‘City Cycle Challenge’ – an exhilarating static bike event which will see teams from different businesses compete with one another.

Taking place on Friday 28 June at Millennium Point, team members will have just 40 minutes to take it in turns and cycle as quickly and as far as they can – with the team that collectively completes the longest distance being named the winner.

There can be up to five people per team, with a live leaderboard on display so that professionals can keep track on how they are doing against their closest business rivals.

Already signed up to take part is a team of five from Birmingham’s John Lewis & Partners department store. Lisa Williams, the shop’s head of branch, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be involved in the Mayor’s Giving Day by taking on Birmingham St Mary’s City Cycle Challenge. Supporting the communities in which we trade is second-nature to us and this event is a great way of showing our commitment to the local community. The team are determined to do their best and to raise as much as they can for this excellent charity, and we wish all competitors well on what should be a great day for the city.”

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice is running the City Cycle Challenge event as part of the Mayor’s Giving Day – an initiative set up by Andy Street which aims to encourage businesses to give more to charities and think about the impact they can have on local communities.

All of the vital sponsorship raised for the City Cycle Challenge will go towards the Hospice, which provides vital care to local people and their loved ones who are living with life-limiting illness.

Lucy Watkins, head of fundraising at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, said: “The Mayor’s Giving Day is a fantastic way to bring together businesses and charities from across the region. We know from our own corporate partnerships that working in collaboration with local businesses can have mutual benefits – not only can businesses help raise vital awareness and funds for the Hospice but we can also support an organisation to meet its CSR objectives.

“That’s why we wanted to support the Mayor’s Giving Day by hosting our own event. The City Cycle Challenge will be a really fun way to encourage team building, networking and support for the Hospice, all whilst adding a hearty dose of competition into the mix.”

This year, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice is celebrating 40 years of care across Birmingham and Sandwell. When the Hospice first opened in 1979, it could care for 25 people on any given day. Four decades later and the Hospice is supporting over 400 people every day, providing care in people’s homes, in the community, at its Day Hospice facility and at the Hospice’s Inpatient Unit.

Birmingham St Mary’s is the largest hospice in Birmingham and it will cost £8 million to run its crucial services this year – over 60 per cent of which must come from generous voluntary funding. Corporate partnerships and events like the City Cycle Challenge, are vital in enabling it to continue to care for people when they need it most, wherever and whenever they need it.

Compton Care – a hospice based in Wolverhampton – is also running a ‘City Cycle Challenge’ event in the Black Country, in collaboration with Birmingham St Mary’s.

Have you ever wondered why some dogs react to fireworks and some don’t? Or why some dogs respond more strongly to being separated from their owners than others? These and many other questions are being explored in a ground-breaking study by Dogs Trust.

The UK’s largest dog welfare charity is calling on all new puppy owners to sign up to its landmark ‘Generation Pup’ study to help Dogs Trust learn more about our four-legged friends and improve dog welfare for future generations. The study is tracking puppies through to adulthood, to learn how their early experiences and environment affect the development of health and behaviour issues in later years. Participants will also be able to keep a record of their dog’s journey.

Says Dr Rachel Casey, Dogs Trust Director of Canine Behaviour and Research:

“Generation Pup is the first study of this nature and breadth, enabling us to gain multiple new insights and understanding about our canine companions. We are tracking each puppy’s early experiences - from the age they joined the family and their first encounters, such as travelling in a car and meeting other dogs, to how they respond to new things they come across, what they eat, how far they walk, and potentially even whether characteristics such as being left or right ‘pawed’ influence behaviour.

We are looking at a whole range of different health and behavioural conditions as puppies grow into adulthood right through to old age – and by collecting lots of information about each pup’s early experiences, we can understand to what extent these influence what happens later in life. Generation Pup includes all breeds of puppies from anywhere in the UK and ROI: our only requirement is that they’re registered on the project before they are 16 weeks old.”

Generation Pup will enable Dogs Trust to get closer to our four-legged friends than ever before. We’ve already learned that a quarter of dogs join their new families before they are eight weeks old and that owners are more likely to ask for help from vets if their dog is insured, and even then, only if a problem persists, instead of having regular health checks irrespective of any warning signs. This study will allow for further analysis of these factors and potentially help us learn how to prevent problem behaviours and issues. From this summer new recruits will also all receive an annual personalised report tracking their dog’s behaviour and development.

So why have people joined up to the study already?

• Nearly three quarters of recruits wanted to help improve the welfare of dogs
• 17% wanted to help with science and knowledge development
• 6% wanted to learn more about dogs

“It is so encouraging that owners are so engaged with the study already – we are massively grateful to all the owners who give up their time to help with the study. Learning when and how dogs are being introduced to certain sights, sounds, smells and situations, and more importantly how they react, gives us incredible insights into factors that influence both behaviour and health as dogs get older. This means we can identify new approaches to prevent problems which impact on dog welfare, as well as inform our work rehoming dogs and in helping owners train their dogs through our Dog School classes.”

Labrador Retriever puppies have so far led the way in numbers registered on the study, followed by Cocker Spaniels, Cockapoos and Border Collies. 17% of puppies had also met a feline house-mate by 16 weeks old, and 74% had been for a doggy paddle.

“The more puppies we have signed up to the study, the greater potential we have for learning about dogs, so if you have a puppy under 16 weeks please get in touch. All the information we collect is used to help dog scientists understand more about the reasons our pets become unhealthy, or develop problem behaviours so these conditions can be prevented, and we can ensure our dogs are happier and healthier.”

Hundreds of Brummies will be coming together to walk in memory of a loved one this June, as part of a special stroll for a local charity.

The ‘Enchanted Midsummer Walk’ – which is organised by Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice – will see local people unite to take on a scenic 10k route across South Birmingham.

Taking place at dusk, participants will be guided along the route by mystical magicians, dazzling fire breathers and impressive aerial acts, creating a truly enchanting experience inspired by Shakespeare.

The walk begins at Rowheath Pavilion – where participants will be able to enjoy music, street food and drinks – before heading off into the leafy suburbs of Bournville, Weoley Hill and Selly Oak. During the route, walkers will be able to visit the Hospice itself at Selly Park and light a candle in memory of their special someone.

As part of the celebrations, walkers will also be treated to an ice cream stop along the route and will be rewarded with a commemorative medal and more enchanting enterrainment once they reach the finish line.

Laura Nash, who is events manager at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice organiser of this year’s walk, said: “Our Enchanted Midsummer Walk is a really magical way to celebrate the lives of loved ones who are sadly no longer with us. This is the fourth time we’ve done the walk and every year, there’s a really upbeat and positive atmosphere – it’s just fantastic to see everyone come together for a similar reason and do something special for the Hospice.

Last year, the Enchanted Midsummer Walk sold out, with over 500 walkers raising £35,000 for the Hospice. All funds raised will go towards Birmingham St Mary’s, which provides vital care to local people and their loved ones who are living with life-limiting illness.

Laura added: “It will cost £8 million to run the Hospice’s crucial services this year, over 60 per cent of which will need to come from voluntary donations. That’s why sponsorship raised at events like the Enchanted Midsummer Walk are vital – it enables us to continue to support people to live well with illness.”

This year, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice is celebrating 40 years of care across Birmingham and Sandwell. When the Hospice first opened in 1979, it could care for 25 people on any given day. Four decades later and the Hospice is supporting over 400 people every day, providing care in people’s homes, in the community, at its Day Hospice facility and at the Hospice’s Inpatient Unit.

The Enchanted Midsummer Walk takes place on Saturday 15 June from 6.30 to 11.30pm. Tickets booked in advance cost £16.50 per person or £14.50 per person when booked as a group of five or more.

New laws to crack down on anti-social behaviour on the region’s bus network have moved a step closer after getting overwhelming public support.

The proposed byelaws, which will give enforcement officers added powers to deal with a range of offences including drunkenness, unacceptable behaviour and smoking, were supported by more than 90% of people responding to a consultation.

They were strongly in favour of strengthening powers to deal with rowdy behaviour, intoxication with drink or drugs, smoking and vaping and loud music.

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) leaders are now set to support an application to Government for the byelaws to be introduced on the region’s buses.

Andy Street, the mayor of the West Midlands and who heads up the WMCA, said: “Our buses are incredibly safe, but no passenger should have to put up with anti-social behaviour.

“These byelaws will add to the range of tools available to our enforcement officers to help deal with and eradicate these problems. Fear of crime can deter people from using public transport, and that is why I am doing everything I can to stamp it out.

“Those found breaking the proposed byelaws and disrupting journeys for other passengers can expect a zero-tolerance approach.”

The proposal for the new byelaws has been drawn up by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the WMCA, and are supported West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson.

Planners have given the green light to a scheme by leading homes developer Lovell to transform the former Stourbridge police station into 31 luxury town centre apartments for sale.

Work will start on site this summer at the redevelopment which will create stylish, contemporary homes whilst retaining many of the original features of the historic police station – part of which dates back to 1885.

Lovell will draw on its extensive experience of creating high-specification new-build homes and of working on historic buildings to bring new life to the town centre location. Station House, which will be the first Lovell Reinspired development, will create a gated community of 29 one and two-bedroom apartments; one penthouse apartment and two two-bedroom maisonettes with 34 parking spaces.

Two of the properties will be created out of the old cells, creating a truly unique place to call home. As well as this, the development will also provide 4 electric vehicle charging points.

The main police station building was built in 1911 as the headquarters of the Worcestershire County Constabulary while the ‘Wendy House’ and an accommodation block, which will also be converted through the scheme, are believed to date from the 1930s. As well as the cells, a former magistrates’ court will be transformed through the redevelopment. Two new-build apartments will also be created facing Court St.

The conversion scheme will retain the original building’s architectural internal and external features wherever possible, including the external blue doors and the stunning barrel ceiling of the old court room which will be shown off to spectacular effect through the creation of two double-height apartments with mezzanine floors.

“We’re excited to be opening a new chapter in the history of the police station and look forward to starting work on this landmark development later this year,” says Lovell regional refurbishment director Carl Yale.

“The scheme will celebrate and preserve many of the original features of the historic building while introducing a contemporary twist. ‘Guilty as charged’, all properties will be built with Lovell Homes’ ‘Gold’ specification as standard, as well as incorporating its inspiring style and exceptional value.

“We predict extremely high demand for these individual luxury apartments and maisonettes where residents will have access to all the amenities of the town centre in a location close to both Stourbridge  railway station and the Stourbridge Interchange bus station.”