Community News

A 70 year-old grandmother began a five-week walk from Lands End in Cornwall to London to raise awareness of the climate and ecological emergency we all face. That 70 year old is Jackie Dash from Truro, who will be joining 30 other people as they take the first step in what is to become Extinction Rebellion’s ‘Earth March: A Pilgrimage for the Planet’. Their departure will be marked by songs and music by some members of the Cornwall Extinction Rebellion choir.

1,000 people from across the country were expected to join Jackie on the Earth March from various points across the country converging on London in time for 15 April, when International Rebellion begins. Other starting-points include Cardiff, Manchester, Peterborough, Norwich, Oxford, Cambridge and Brighton.

The Cornwall marchers were joined by walkers from Wales and Bristol at the end of this month in Bradford on Avon. Before then, they’ll be joining the Youth Strike 4 Climate event in Truro on Friday 15 March. En route, marchers will use the opportunity to hold public talks about the climate crisis, along with trainings in nonviolent direct action, legal rights, public speaking, banner-making and more. 

Extinction Rebellion is encouraging people from all walks of life and across the world to join or organise an Earth March in their community. For the International Rebellion it advises those coming to London to ‘Come to stay’ and to ‘Take 2 weeks off work’. The movement will be demanding decisive action on the climate and ecological collapse from governments around the world

“We're really excited to be taking the first steps on a journey that so many will join,” said Jackie. “We're deeply aware of the footsteps in which we're treading: the Earth March is the next significant step in a proud tradition across these British Islands. From Jarrow and the Hunger Marches to The Suffragists and the Women's Peace March to Greenham Common from South West Wales in the 1980's; from The Cornish Rebellion to The Peasants Revolt to The Chartists.”

“Our cause, like those of our predecessors who have marched in order to be heard and witnessed before us, is founded in an urgent plea to those in positions of power and control to listen to the voice of the People. We are marching for the future of the land beneath our feet, our winding rivers, our shorelines, the oceans and the very air we breathe.

“We march for our children who, unless we are heard, might not live to know the Natural World, the richness and diversity of this 'Blue Planet’ as we have been privileged to know it: these lush, green Islands as they are today. We march for the millions around the world already suffering the cruel and destructive effects of this ecological emergency.”

Reverend Peter Owen-Jones, TV presenter and Vicar of Firle, has also sent a video showing his support for the March, saying: “This is a pilgrimage for the planet - please join us. Extinction Rebellion is inviting me to recognise and take responsibility for the toxic reality of what is being called progress, to live in service to love for all life, to celebrate the reality of one life carrying all life, and all life carrying one life. It is nothing other than a privilege to walk the route of the Earth March.”

Theresa May’s failure to break the Brexit deadlock in parliament is having a “very real effect” on companies in Greater Birmingham, business leaders said today.

The Prime Minister’s latest attempt to push through her EU Withdrawal Agreement was defeated this evening by a margin of 149 votes.

This was the second defeat for Mrs May’s deal, having been rejected by a record margin of 230 votes on January 15.

Since then, she has been attempting to renegotiate the controversial ‘Irish Backstop’ element of the agreement.

However, new assurances from Mrs May and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker proved too little, too late to win backing from the DUP and sceptics within the Conservative Party.

MPs will now vote on Wednesday as to whether the UK can leave the EU without a deal.

If they vote against leaving without a deal, there will be a further vote on Thursday on whether to request an extension to Article 50 negotiations.

The UK is still due to leave the European Union at 11pm on 29 March.

New data revealed by the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce suggests local businesses are not ready for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit.

In a poll of more than 300 local businesses, one sixth felt “not at all prepared”, 44 per cent felt “somewhat prepared” and 16 per cent felt “very prepared”.

A quarter revealed they “don’t know” how prepared their business is.

Henrietta Brealey (pictured), director of policy at the GBCC, said: “It appears that May and Junker’s last minute intervention was too little too late to win over MPs on the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal.

“With just 16 days to go until Brexit we are once again at an impasse. This political game playing is having a very real effect on local businesses.

“Almost a quarter of businesses responding to our latest Quarterly Business Report survey cited Brexit related factors as their top business concern.

“At best the forthcoming votes can give businesses clarity on whether the UK will leave the EU on the 29 March without a deal or whether it will seek an extension to negotiations.

“They do not give us any indication of how the Government intends to break this deadlock and deliver real answers on what Brexit will mean for British businesses.

“The majority of businesses tell us that they are not fully prepared for a ‘no deal’ Brexit. A significant proportion are also unaware of how prepared their business is, suggesting a lack of communication and awareness within those organisations on their Brexit strategies.

“I would urge all businesses not to stick their head in the sand and brief up on Brexit so that they are in the best possible place to navigate whatever comes out of this precarious situation.

“The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce are here to help with a wide range of support, events and resources.”

New figures reveal that more than £761 million of National Lottery funding has been invested in Birmingham since the National Lottery began almost 25 years ago.

Thanks to National Lottery players, lives of ordinary people have been transformed in Birmingham over the past quarter of a century. More than 8,600 National Lottery grants have been awarded since 1994, helping to strengthen our communities, power our sports teams, protect the environment, unleash local creative talent and look after the elderly and those at risk.

A wide variety of local projects have received National Lottery funding over the last 25 years:

• Large grants have gone to Birmingham City Council, who received £1.9 million for the Indoor Athletics Centre and the University of Birmingham were awarded £2 million for the New Sports Centre.
• Most National Lottery grants, however, are for £10,000 or less:
  • £9842 to Suited for Success, a charity which provides essential moral support along with free second-hand suits and workwear to help unemployed men and women make a great first impression in a job interview .
  • £195,000 to Man V Fat. MAN v FAT Football, is a free-to-play weight loss football league. The scheme combines the beautiful game with easy to follow dietary and lifestyle advice as well as online and offline support. Before each game, a weigh-in takes place followed by a 30 minute six-a-side football match.
  • £3,300 to Birmingham International Film Society for the Human Rights Film Festival.

“It’s all down to local people who choose to do incredible things with National Lottery funding, changing their communities for the better, step by step. I look forward to what we can achieve together over the next 25 years.”

From today, any organisation that has received National Lottery funding, has the chance to gain nationwide acclaim by entering the 25^th Birthday National Lottery Awards – our search for the UK’s favourite ever National Lottery-funded projects.

National Lottery Awards winners will receive a £10,000 cash prize and national recognition at a glittering ceremony broadcast on BBC One later in the year.

Last year, Fiona Coldron won the Special Achievement Award for her work with her family run charity ‘Something To Look Forward To.’  The charity supports thousands of families affected by cancer and the resulting financial hardship by providing 'gifts' and 'experiences' that have been donated by individuals and businesses.

Fiona said: “As a result of the National Lottery Award, ‘Something To Look Forward To’ has received both local and national press coverage which has resulted in us reaching and supporting more people affected by cancer. We also received new gift and experience donations including a flight in a helicopter as well as long term financial donors, both of which are imperative for our vital service to continue.”

Fiona’s daughter Francesca who also works for the charity added, “Seeing my mum win the National Lottery Award was one of the best moments of my life. I hope it motivates other people living with cancer to achieve big things despite their diagnosis.”

To thank National Lottery players for making these achievements possible and to celebrate the massive difference The National Lottery has made – and continues to make – to lives of people across the UK, the National Lottery is working on a range of plans in the run-up to the 25th Birthday in November.

Unique opportunities to team up with the West Midlands pioneering bike share scheme are on offer to businesses and organisations.

With 5,000 bikes coming to the streets of the West Midlands this will be the UK’s largest bike share scheme outside London. And organisations of all sizes, not just global corporations, can get involved.

Phase one of the landmark programme, which launched on February 1, saw the scheme’s first 25 bikes available for self-service hire in Wolverhampton, along with five docking stations around the city.

nextbike UK MD, Krysia Solheim, said initial interest in involvement from organisations in the region had been encouraging.

“The best bike share schemes have deep levels of engagement from organisations of all shapes and sizes. That’s what we need in the West Midlands, from the outset.

Initial conversations have shown that organisations, both large and small, are keen to get involved in various ways, including branding partnerships, community partnerships, equipment partnerships, corporate memberships for employers and campus memberships for universities and colleges.”

Packages include discounted memberships for employees, allowing organisations to encourage a healthier commute for their workers. The current Wolverhampton fleet is also available for month-to-month advertising, making it perfect for small-to-medium businesses to get involved on a short-term basis.

Nextbike is already surveying locations across the West Midlands in preparation for the next phase of the project, which will see hundreds of bikes on the streets by the end of the year.

Krysia added: “We’ve had lots of interest in our equipment partnership option, which includes having stations located outside offices or places of work. Employers are serious about providing transport options for their workforce and helping keep them healthy, and we are happy to co-locate stations to enable that.

“Our ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life in our regions by transforming the way people move throughout them. Our transportation strategies need to align more closely with our health, environmental, social, air quality and economic goals - and we cannot achieve that alone. It is going to take all of us, working together, to reshape our regions.”

The bike share scheme is one part of the larger strategy to increase cycling and active transit usage across the West Midlands.

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “The people of the West Midlands are eagerly awaiting the arrival of these bikes. We know there is already a lot of enthusiasm.

“Launching the pilot Nextbikes in Wolverhampton was a brilliant start, and we look forward to rolling out the scheme across the region.

“I’d encourage businesses to get involved in sponsoring the scheme or partnering with Nextbike, to get their brand out there to people across the West Midlands and to support an important West Midlands project.

“The West Midlands bike share scheme is just one part of our plans to offer people healthy, sustainable and less polluting ways to get around our towns and cities which is why we are investing in cycle routes, buses, rail and the Metro.”

TfWM - part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) – procured the system in partnership with City of Wolverhampton Council, Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, Dudley MBC, Sandwell MBC, Walsall MBC and Solihull MBC.

The initiative will see 5,000 bikes and 500 stations across the West Midlands, along with three planned service and maintenance hubs. It is expected to create 50 new jobs, including area managers, van drivers and mechanics. Docking stations will be located around key sites in the towns and cities involved, with bikes available 24 hours a day.  When launched, the scheme will be the UK’s first bike share scheme to be integrated with a region-wide smart ticketing system, and will be the largest bike share scheme outside of London.

From March 29, regardless of whether there is a deal or no deal, British drivers will most probably require a Green Card in order to drive in the European Union (EU). Venson Automotive Solutions urges businesses to ensure that employees planning to take their company car abroad have the right paperwork, as simply having a UK driving licence won’t cover the legal requirements once Britain leaves the EU.

After 29 March, things will change for UK drivers heading out on EU roads and businesses need to make sure they are ready. In the event of no deal, it is likely that drivers will not be allowed entry to the EU, except Ireland, if their passport is within six months of expiry. This is the norm for the rest of the world, so drivers need to check their expiry date.

In addition, drivers may need extra paperwork to legally drive in the EU. It is expected that any travel into Europe by car or bike will require a motor insurance Green Card. This will replace the current European Certificate of Insurance, which allow UK citizens to travel under one simple certificate. Crucially, for businesses, drivers of leased and rented vehicles need to get a VE103B certificate from their hire or leasing company before taking a vehicle overseas. This documentation is essential to prove that the driver has permission to drive the vehicle.

Simon Staton, Director of Client Management at Venson Automotive Solutions explains, “Under the Brexit deal drafted at the end of 2018, visa-free travel should continue as it currently stands, until the end of the transition period. But in the event of a no-deal, businesses need to make sure they are fully aware of what arrangements need to be made before their drivers get on the road in European countries.”

Motorists may also be required to purchase an International Driving Permit (IDP) to be able to drive legally on European roads post-Brexit. There are two different types of IDP used in the EU, depending on the country being driven in, so businesses need to make sure drivers are prepared.

“Drivers need to consider a range of different issues, when it comes to driving abroad post-Brexit says Simon Staton. Hundreds of towns and cities in Europe now have environmental or Low Emission Zones, which means a UK driver needs to know their vehicle meets a range of emissions levels. It’s vital that motorists who plan to drive their company vehicle abroad at any point stay on the right side of the law.”

VENSON’S EUROPEAN MOTORING CHECK LIST

• If you’re taking your company car to Europe contact your fleet manager or fleet management company to check whether you need an authority to travel form, a VE103B. Processing of the form typically takes 2 weeks.
• Check your passport to ensure it is not within 6-months of the expiry date. If it is, it will need to be renewed.
• Check if you need a Green Card. This replaces the current European Certificate of Insurance.
• Even if you regularly drive abroad always check the local rules of the road before you go, as requirements can change. Visit the AA website for detailed advice.
• Check your service schedule and if one is due make sure it’s carried out in advance of your visit to reduce the chance of expensive breakdowns while you're abroad.
• Check all tyres for condition, pressure and tread depth before you go. Most countries have the same requirement as the UK - a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm over the central three-quarters of the tread and around the whole circumference.
• Before setting off on your journey make sure you have valid breakdown cover for Europe.
• Many countries require visiting motorists to carry a safety bag. Check the AA website for country advice before you go.

Junior netball players in Birmingham and the Black Country inspired by England’s 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medal success have been given a boost by local building services provider J S Wright.

The 129-year-old mechanical and electrical services specialist, which has its headquarters in Aston and offices in Bristol and London, has become the main sponsor of Parkside Netball Club in Sutton Coldfield.

The West Midlands’ premier junior netball club plays in the Walsall and Birmingham Intermediate leagues. It has two Under-13 (Year 8) and two Under-12 (Year 7) sides, with an Under-14 (Year 9) squad starting in September.

J S Wright’s rolling annual sponsorship will enable the club to invest in training equipment and subsidise entry fees for tournaments across the country.

Parkside has spawned a host of internationals since it was established in 1995, including current England Roses captain Ama Agbeze and players Beth Cobden and Layla Gusgoth, all of whom started out as juniors at the club and are now hoping to be selected for the Netball World Cup in Liverpool this summer.

In addition, no less than 18 of Parkside’s current 22-member Under-13 squad and four of the Under-12s are in the Birmingham Academy (County) squad.

Run entirely by volunteers, the club recently won the Birmingham Under-14 County League despite its oldest player being a year younger than the age level. It also finished second in the England Under-12 Midlands regional tournament, leading to qualification for the national finals being held this month.

Parkside Netball Club Chairman David Griffiths said: “J S Wright’s great support will help us give the increasing number of young girls across Birmingham that want to take up netball the best possible opportunity to train and play at the highest level, achieve their individual potential, and make lasting friendships.”

Andrew Smith, J S Wright National Design and Estimating Director, whose daughter Lily plays for the club, said: “We are delighted to be able to support Parkside in nurturing the sporting ambitions of young girls in our community. As a company, J S Wright similarly strives to be the best at what we do and to provide a rewarding career path for local young people.”

Parkside Netball Club trains at North Birmingham Academy in Sutton Coldfield and plays its home league games at Birmingham University, Phoenix Collegiate in West Bromwich, and the Walsall campus of Wolverhampton University.

Established in Birmingham in 1890, J S Wright designs, installs and maintains mechanical and electrical services for the hotel, residential, social housing, student accommodation, leisure and commercial sectors. The company recently launched a new residential maintenance company, Wright Maintenance Ltd, serving homeowners and property managers across London.

The company was voted one of the UK's Top Ten Specialist Contractors to Work For in the 2016 Construction Enquirer Awards and was a finalist in three categories in the 2018 H&V News Awards.

Young people could see their lives transformed after the 'Haringey Community Gold' project was officially launched in the London borough.

Haringey has been awarded £1.5million from the Mayor of London's Young Londoners Fund and is the biggest amount of funding across the capital.

The scheme, that will run for the next three-years, is designed to support local young people and will include a network of detached youth work and community programmes to help those at risk of exclusion to fulfil their potential and avoid getting caught up in crime.

Nine programmes have been set up in Haringey and will range from sport provision, employment support and a future leaders programme to mental health support and a BAME careers service.

The Exodus project is among those mentioned and focuses on knife crime and gangs and is a 12-week rolling programme for 12 to 21-year olds.

Over 30 youngsters attended the big launch at Tottenham Enterprise Centre and were able to ask questions and hear from individuals who have been affected by criminality including one teenager who has seen his life transformed after going through the Exodus programme.

Both local and national media attended as the project officially got underway and hopes to attract a number of youngsters over the coming weeks and months.

Councillor Mark Blake, Cabinet Member for Communities, Safety and Engagement, said: “This is a great initiative for the borough and Haringey Council are putting a lot of resource into our youngsters and reducing the amount of youth violence that is taking place.

“We need investment to address this serious issue and I hope this is just the start of putting strong measures in place to help our youngsters get the support they need.”

Organiser of the Exodus group, Adrian Osei Adams, said: “This is our opportunity to demonstrate how Exodus can make a significant difference to people’s lives. We now have the resources to directly help our youngsters in the local community.”  

Proposed heads of terms between the council and Unite that would bring an end to the dispute within the city’s waste management service were presented to the council’s Cabinet.

Chiswick Auctions Fine Art sale this week saw two recently discovered drawings by the renowned English landscape artist John Constable (1776 – 1837), sell for a staggering £75,000 and £40,000 respectively. The pen and ink drawings were originally brought to Chiswick Auctions in a dusty box, in 1950s frames and turned out to be unpublished studies by the artist.

The drawings were sold by Tam Fry, son of the late playwright Christopher Fry (1907-2005), best known for dramas such as ‘The Lady's Not for Burning’ and ‘Venus Observed,’ which secured him a firm place in the history of British theatre. Christopher Fry died in 2005 aged 97. He purchased the sketches in 1951 for just £3 each!

Tam Fry discovered the sketches when clearing out his father’s home and tells of his amazement in not realising what they were. He says: “We thought they were beautiful, but we never realised they were Constables. To be told the provenance is unbelievable.”

Suzanne Zack, Head of British & European Art at Chiswick Auctions, said: “The drawings were given to me covered in dust. After examination I decided to contact Anne Lyles, the leading Constable expert and former Tate curator to investigate further.” Lyles was in no doubt that they were by Constable and described them as “exciting discoveries” and “small compositional drawings in pen, ink and wash which can be dated to Constable’s late period”.

The drawings of a wooded glade are believed to be Constable’s early ideas for illustrating the scene of ‘Jaques and the Wounded Stag’ from Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’. He created a range of designs in his capacity as one of the artists commissioned to illustrate ‘The Seven Ages of Shakespeare’, a compilation published in 1840.

Suzanne Zack, says: “What’s amazing is that, in a few pen and ink marks with brown wash he creates the light and shade of a composition. You can see that he did it quickly and drew a little frame around it. It shows his brilliance, how quickly they were done, but also how he was able to create a real composition in a tiny format.”

Following the sale, Suzanne Zack said: “It’s been so exciting uncovering previously unpublished works by the great British artist John Constable and we are delighted with such an incredible result. These works were fresh to the market and were in exceptional condition. We are very grateful to Anne Lyles, Constable expert and former Tate curator, as well as Peter Bower, who worked alongside us to research these wonderful, historical works. There was huge demand on the day with spirited bidding on several telephones and on the internet. A private collector on the telephone finally won out to rapturous applause in the saleroom. We hope they will treasure them, now that we are all aware of their importance to John Constable’s oeuvre.”

Apprentices are at the forefront of Birmingham City Council’s effort to deliver some of the key infrastructure projects that are needed for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Commitments secured by the council through various mechanisms, including the Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility, mean that the lead contractor on the residential element of the Commonwealth Games Village will provide:

• The development of on-site training and engagement facility and a related £1.28million package of training (thanks to funding unlocked by the West Midlands Combined Authority);
• 1,000 pre-employment training places, giving those involved the skills and industry accreditation to work on construction sites more widely in the city and region;
• 50 existing apprenticeships working on site via the project’s supply chain;
• The creation of 400 jobs, including 50 new apprenticeships and 30 paid summer intern (6-week) placements;
• An overall total of 22,000 person weeks* of training and employment opportunities (for the 2022 Games) against a benchmark for a project of this size of 18,000 person weeks.

Apprenticeships will also be at the heart of the effort to deliver transportation improvements in and around Perry Barr being developed to aid movement during the event and for the wider community’s benefit in years beyond.

More broadly Games Partner organisations are looking at the establishment of regional Commonwealth Games training academy in collaboration with further education colleges to offer people a chance to develop skills and experiences beyond those needed in the construction sector.

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “I’ve always said the Commonwealth Games are much more than just 11 days of great sporting action. The employment and skills legacy is one of the ways in which the positive impact will spread far beyond athletic endeavour.

“You only need to look at the number of cranes in the sky to see that Birmingham is booming but, the number of apprenticeships in the city have not kept pace with these economic opportunities.

“As a council, we are committed to seeing the number of apprenticeships increase in the whole spectrum of jobs and industries and we are using procurement as a tool to create new apprenticeships through the supply chain and with major employers.

“The Commonwealth Games will improve the lives of individuals who get opportunities to work on the projects supporting the event and the city will benefit long-term from an upskilled workforce so we are ready to deliver on other projects that come our way as a result of the enhanced international profile the Games will give the city and wider West Midlands.”

Over the last decade the council’s Employment Access Team has helped 10,000 people into a wide variety of job starts, graduate placements, work experience and apprenticeships – and the projects needed to deliver the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games look set to further that success story in the years ahead.

Cllr Jayne Francis, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Culture, said: “We have a new workforce strategy, which recognises the opportunity for the council to create and influence hundreds of new apprenticeship opportunities across the city.

“Over some time we have developed strong relationships with key partners, and we want to think more creatively about how we work together to create apprenticeships that respond to the needs of a new, flexible, transferable workforce and employer demands.

“Hiring an apprentice is not only ‘a nice thing to do’. It makes great business sense. Time and time again we see and hear about the benefits to the bottom line for companies of apprenticeships. We also know that they bring in new skills, and the opportunity to engage staff early with the company’s ethos and way of working.

“Apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity – for staff and business alike and at the council we will continue to throw our weight behind, and recognise the achievements of apprentices across the city wherever possible.”

The council's celebration of its Commonwealth Games-related apprentices comes during this National Apprenticeship Week 2019

At a full council meeting Councillor Steve Trow was elected as Leader of Sandwell Council. Cllr Trow, who represents the Old Warley ward, has served on the council since 2010.

Born and raised in West Bromwich, he has lived in Oldbury for the past 40 years - serving as cabinet member since 2016, with responsibility for culture and core council services.

He said he felt "very honoured and rather humbled" to be elected Leader.

"I become Leader with the council in a strong position following the feedback from the Local Government Association Peer Review published just last week.

"Compared with many other councils which increasingly struggle to maintain even adequate levels of service for their communities, Sandwell has a much stronger basis to build on."

The feedback from the LGA’s follow-up visit highlighted the "significant progress" the council has made in a year.

"The bill of health we have recently received following the latest LGA Peer Review confirms that this council is consistently focused on what really matters to the people and communities who live here, and is continuing to move forward with confidence and at pace," Cllr Trow said.

The Peer Review team praised the council’s "strong track record of delivering balanced budgets" and excellent performance in several areas, including highways maintenance, youth offending and reducing delayed discharges from hospitals.

The team also said the council had "finalised the historical standards issues" and made positive comments about the on-going governance review.

He added: "As Leader, I will be inheriting the leadership of a justifiably confident team – of members and of senior staff – who I know are also all committed to the ambitions now set out in Sandwell's Vision for 2030. This vision is shared with all our key partners, with the health and education sectors, with businesses, with voluntary groups and not least with local communities across our six towns."

Councillor Trow said he will be convening a ‘Future Sandwell’ borough conference in the summer to engage with all partner organisations, the voluntary sector, businesses and communities.

He added: "This will be an opportunity to build a joint approach with all those who have a stake in the future of Sandwell and who share our commitment to achieving a better future for everyone who lives and works here.

"There is much to do with much to be achieved, and I look forward to the support of members, staff and all of our partners as we now accelerate our progress on that journey."

Patients at a practice in South Birmingham are being invited to get on their bikes, as part of a community social prescribing event.

Hall Green Health, based on the Stratford Road in Hall Green, has partnered with EcoBirmingham Cycle South Brum, to offer patients the opportunity to join a free cycle ride on Monday March 11 which includes a free bike check-up.

Dr Aftab Arif, a GP at Hall Green Health, said: “After listening to requests from our patients, we are delighted to be able to offer the chance to join us on our first social prescribing event – Hall Green Health Together: Life Cycles.

“Social prescribing is a great way of encouraging patients in primary care to tap into support within the community for the benefit of their health and wellbeing. This gentle, guided ride will take around an hour to complete along the Cole Valley cycle route and is a great opportunity to get out and about, meet new people, enjoy some fresh air and get fit!”

The first event is open to Hall Green Health patients, with hopes that future social prescribing opportunities can be offered to the wider community.

Riders are asked to bring their own bike and a helmet if possible, along with water, gloves, flat shoes and clothes suitable for cycling.

The meeting point is outside Hall Green Health, at 9.30am on Monday 11 March, when patients will also be able to get a free bike health check.

Almost £20million of funding has been approved by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to help accelerate local authority plans to revitalise town centres.

The funding will be used to unlock land for regeneration in five town centres: Bilston, St Thomas Quarter in Dudley, Bordesley Green in Birmingham, St Matthews Quarter in Walsall and West Bromwich (East).

The idea is to breathe new life into high streets which have suffered a series of blows in recent years, including a downturn in footfall thanks to out-of-town outlets and online shopping, and a spate of recent big-name store closures.

BHS, Poundworld, Maplin, Marks and Spencer, New Look, Mothercare and Debenhams have all recently announced planned closures or have already closed down, leaving vacant units in key locations as a visible sign of high street decline.

“It’s clear the traditional town centre model isn’t working anymore,” explained Cllr Mike Bird, leader of Walsall Council and the WMCA portfolio holder for land and housing.

“Town centre retail is not the draw it once was, and as a result, our town centres are being visited by less people, with the end result that shops are closing down. Where these centres were once bustling with activity, they’re now populated with vacant units and empty streets, with little sign of the trend reversing without intervention.

“We need community hubs which people want to go to: with spacious, green meeting areas, great Wi-Fi, arts and cultural opportunities, family doctors and quality housing.”

The WMCA board approved plans to focus on the first five town centres in October last year. Each centre was nominated by its local council, and will be supported by the council’s own plans for regeneration.

The WMCA will act as a catalyst to help speed up those plans by unlocking land, using its devolved Housing and Land funds to open new development opportunities.

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street has pledged to use his experience in the retail industry, himself a former managing director of John Lewis before entering politics, to help revive some of the region’s town centres.

The Mayor said: “It’s great news that we now have a £20 million war chest to regenerate these town centres. This money will allow us to buy derelict buildings and land on high streets to turn into housing, new offices or shops, and other leisure uses. I know from my days at John Lewis that a town centre needs more than shopping to be successful.

“There is lots of talk about how we save the high street. Here in the West Midlands, we are getting on with it.”

Further town centres will be eligible for a second wave of support later in the year, building on the experience from the first wave of centres.

A Regional Task Force is also being created to bring together experts from retail, finance, housing, universities and Government to share their knowledge and lend support to the programme.

The support for town centres is part of the WMCA’s wider commitment to focus regeneration efforts and housing delivery on existing urban areas and brownfield land.

A former product development manager has taken on an apprenticeship at the age of 49 – proving it’s never too late to learn new skills.

Steve Young worked in the Epos/cashless payment sector since leaving school and worked through the ranks before being made product development manager. However, after 29 years at the same company, he was made redundant in April last year, forcing a career change.

It was thanks to a former colleague, who contacted him on the business networking website LinkedIn, that he was introduced to Birmingham-based independent electronic security system JM Security Systems, who took him on as a trainee security installations engineer.

He is one of six apprentices going through rigorous, three-year training programmes that will lead to nationally recognised qualifications for security systems engineers.

“I have learned, and I am still learning, all manner of new skills that are associated with the service and installation of Intruder and CCTV systems that JM supplies and maintains,” he said.

“I’d never have thought about taking on an apprenticeship at my age, but it’s been great. I enjoy the independence and freedom my role as a security systems engineer gives me and I feel I can grow and achieve more as time goes on.

“I’m proud to be part of a growing company that does have a great work ethos, family values and structured training programme. The support is always on hand both from colleagues and management, should I need to call on it.”

JM Security Systems, based in Summer Lane, says the dynamics of its business has changed positively since taking on its first apprentice 15 months ago.

Mary Vadaie, business development manager for the commercial security sector experts, said: “As a company we are committed to the development of our staff and over the past couple of years, this has extended to taking on apprentices, who can learn on the job while earning a good salary that is far in excess of the minimum normally paid to learners.

“We not only have a great, young team, who are studying for the most up-to-date qualifications for a job in this very competitive industry, we also benefit as a business. Like other companies in the security installation sector, we struggled to find well-qualified engineers, so training our own to our exacting standards was the ideal solution.

“The learners not only bring their new knowledge into the workplace and apply it immediately, they also enjoy being mentored by our highly qualified staff.”

Two of the apprentices are on the Government-led Trailblazer Level 3 Fire, Emergency and Security Systems Technical course, which is backed by the Systems & Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB). The course requires them to attend college in Knutsford, for three days every quarter, and they have already reached a level that is advanced enough for them to have been provided with a company van.

Two other apprentices – one of whom joined the company with a CCTV background and the other with an IP (internet protocol) background – have also been provided with company vehicles, while the remaining apprentices are still on the basic level training.

The company has also appointed an apprentice administrator, who is undertaking an 18-month team leader award.

“The managing director of JM Security Systems started off as an apprentice and worked his way up before starting the company 12 years ago,” said Mary. “It’s why he is so keen to bring on the next generation of engineers through a high-quality training scheme.”

All the apprentices and trainees at the firm, which counts businesses such as the NHS, Post Office and BP among its clients, also complete a rolling programme of professional training in addition to their qualifications.

Running alongside this year’s National Apprenticeship Week, Severn Trent’s 2019 apprenticeship scheme is now open for applications, with the company inviting the next generation of engineers and leaders to join the FTSE 100 water and waste business.

Severn Trent, the UK’s second biggest water company which serves 8 million customers across the Midlands, currently offers seven different apprenticeships, providing applicants the opportunity to combine a hands-on experience with studying, while also earning a competitive salary.

Mark Smith, Talent Attraction Consultant from Severn Trent said, “There’s a real buzz around apprenticeships at the moment, and with it being National Apprenticeship Week it’s the perfect time for us to invite young people to apply for a rewarding career at one of the Midlands’ biggest companies.

“We’re proud to be able to offer a really diverse range of options this year. As well as the more traditional engineering programmes which you’d expect from us, we’re also offering apprenticeships in areas such as finance and law, meaning there really is something for everyone.”

The company is offering apprenticeship programmes in:

• Tanker Driving;
• Utilities Engineering;
• Engineering;
• Project Management;
• Quantity Surveying;
• Finance; and
• Law;

Severn Trent’s award-winning apprentices have won gold at the Industry World Skills competition, competed in the nationwide Brathay apprentice challenge, and also had one of their own named apprentice of the year.

“The scheme’s always incredibly popular so we’d urge anyone who’s interested to get their application in,” continues Mark. “I’m sure all of our new apprentices will go on to do great things at Severn Trent, whatever path they might choose, which also means they’ll be ensuring our customers get the best experience possible, while working in an ever-evolving industry.”

Meet six-year-old English Setter, Otis, who is brightening up the day of some of our youngest patients.

The pooch will visit Sandwell Hospital, in the West Midlands, with one mission in his mind – to comfort them during their stay.

The dog and his owner, Sharon Siddall, will be visiting paediatric wards once a week as part of the pet therapy programme.

The scheme, which has been running for nearly a year on Newton 4 ward where stroke patients are treated, has been expanded so that children will also benefit from this therapy.

Liza Gill, Volunteer Service Manager said: “After seeing how pet therapy helps our stroke patients during their stay at the hospital, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce the pets to our children’s wards as well, as they can help distract children from their illness and boost their mood.

“Matron Jez Jones agreed and welcomed the idea to invite Otis to meet his young patients.”

Retired teacher, Sharon, who was invited to bring her dog Otis to the hospital, said: “I’m so thrilled to take Otis into the hospitals to visit young patients.

“I have been taking him to Sandwell Hospital since September to see stroke patients and immediately, I could see the difference he made to patients.

“He really enjoyed being around people and he is happy for everyone to come and pet him.

“Nurses have been telling me how stroke patients always look forward to seeing us and how Otis makes everyone really happy.

“Before I volunteered with Pets as Therapy, Otis used to come with me to my school. So he was comfortable with being around children and he loved them. I’m sure he will enjoy visiting the children in the hospital.”

Otis and Sharon will visit the children’s wards every tomorrow (Thursday).

Pet therapy is a guided interaction between a person and a trained animal. It also involves the animal’s handler. The purpose of pet therapy is to help someone recover from or cope with a health problem or mental disorder. Research has shown pet therapy is beneficial to patients in many ways, including helping to reduce blood pressure and improving overall cardiovascular health. It can also release endorphins that produce a calming effect. This can help alleviate pain, reduce stress, and improve patients’ overall psychological state.