Community News

Coco, Twycross Zoo’s oldest animal, recently celebrated an impressive 53 years of life with the ultimate birthday bash! The chimpanzee, who has been a favourite with visitors since her arrival in 1969, had a super fun day with her family, during which the whole troop got to tuck in to the ultimate birthday treat of peanut butter and blueberries!

Coco was the fourth resident to ever be registered to the Zoo, therefore a very popular member of the family. Since her arrival she has created quite the chimp clan, having had six children, 20 grandchildren, five great grandchildren and one great great granddaughter; she takes conservation seriously!

Kris Hern, Team Leader of Great Apes at Twycross Zoo, said: “We all absolutely adore Coco and she is very special to us here at the Zoo. We are extremely proud of her and all she has done for her species. To have created a family of over 30 chimps is quite staggering and she has been a vital part of our breeding programme, setting a tremendous example to all her young, who we hope follow in her footsteps.”

West Midlands businesses looking to grow their export programmes could benefit from a project that is offering financial support to get them trading overseas.

The West Midlands ERDF SME International Growth Project (SME IGP), funded via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), has already approved more than 150 grants – worth more than £340,000 – to more than 80 companies in the region, enabling them to access specialist support.

However, the call has gone out to eligible companies in the West Midlands region, which covers Staffordshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands, that further funding is available.

Allen Matty, managing director of West Midlands Chamber of Commerce (WMCC), said businesses that need a helping hand with exporting can apply for match-funded grants of between £1,000 and £3,000.

“This scheme aims to stimulate export growth within the region by addressing business needs and providing financial support,” he said. “Internationalising a business is a significant step and by accessing specialist support, companies can minimise the risks and gain the knowledge and confidence they need to move into new overseas markets.”

One of the companies that has benefitted from the ERDF grant is Redditch-based Scribble Down, which produces fun and educational transfer packs for children.

Sales director Peter Hendrickx, who runs the business with his wife Sarah, said the £3,000 grant it received gave the company the boost it required to promote the brand after disappointing sales last year. It meant they were able to attend Spielwarenmesse, the world’s biggest toy fair in Nuremberg, Germany, in February.

“It made a massive difference for us,” he said. “We’d wanted to go for years but the outlay was just too much for a same family business as ours, last year it was as though someone had simply turned the tap off to our overseas sales, therefore we knew we had to go. This funding meant we had half of the exhibition, flight and accomodation costs paid for.

“While we were there, we met people we used to do business with and new customers and came away with more than £25,000 of solid orders, as well as many great leads that we are now actively following up. There’s no doubt that ERDF funding has given our company the much needed life line and in turn has invigorated us to grow the business in 2018.”

The available support includes grants and access to sector expert events, such as Meet the Buyer, and opportunities such as invitations to market visits to investigate potential business openings, trade shows where they can arrange to meet identified business contacts, and take part in joint Local Enterprise Partnership and Growth Hub events, including workshops, export tasters or local marketing campaigns to encourage sustainable exporters to grow.

Long-lost footage of Adam West’s Batman teaching road safety to children will be screened for the first time in over 50 years to kick off a nationwide hunt for 100 missing telly gems.

The clip from May 1967 will be shown to an audience of TV professionals and enthusiasts at Birmingham City University (UK) on Saturday (April 14), as Birmingham based Kaleidoscope launches its list of the UK’s top 100 missing TV shows.

Kaleidoscope, which specialises in finding missing television footage, recently discovered the clip which shows the Caped Crusader teaching the Green Cross Code to youngsters on London’s streets and was never screened outside of the UK.

The find comes as Kaleidoscope launches a search for the top TV shows thought to have thought to have been consigned to history, which industry professionals most want to see recovered.

Episodes of iconic British TV programmes Doctor Who, Top of the Pops and The Avengers topped the list, after 1,000 industry professionals, journalists, academics and telly addicts revealed which shows they most wanted to see found.

The list will be unveiled at Birmingham City University’s Parkside Building alongside screenings of found clips and episodes from show such as Out of the Unknown, Sexton Blake and The Goodies.

Bosses have called on home viewers to come forwards with any recordings and video tapes which may have spent decades hidden away in lofts but could contain precious ‘lost’ material.

Among the most prized missing material are early episodes of Doctor Who featuring Mark Eden as Marco Polo, Hancock’s Half Hour episode Lady Chatterly’s Revenge from 1957 and Dad’s Army episode - The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker, first screened in 1969.

The top 10 missing shows were named as:

1.    Doctor Who

2.    Top of the Pops

3.    The Avengers

4.    Out of the Unknown

5.    Callan

6.    Ace of Wands

7.    Doomwatch

8.    Public Eye

9.    Not Only But Also

10.  Dad’s Army

Birmingham City University alumnus and Kaleidoscope CEO Chris Perry, said:

“We spend a lot of time searching through old canisters or looking through people’s lofts to try and find these shows or clips which are thought to have been completely erased from history.

“What we wanted to do this time was to ask TV fans which shows they wanted us to find and it’s really interesting to see that its real British institutions like Doctor Who and Top of the Pops that came out on top.

“These lost episodes really can end up in the most unusual of places and people might not even know they have them.

“Scenes from Sexton Blake or Callan were only kept because Australian censors cut them out for being too violent for 60s TV. We’ve had universities find clips accidentally stored at the end of video tapes and I myself have literally clawed tapes from the rafters of Bob Monkhouse’s roof, to get my hands on some Celebrity Squares and The Golden Shot episodes.”

The list’s publication comes as one of Kaleidoscope’s greatest finds, The Avengers – Tunnel of Fear episode, was released on home DVD earlier this week (April 9) after being missing for over 55 years.

TV gameshows are thought to have some of the biggest gaps in records, but are often kept by members of the public who may have appeared on the shows or have had friends or family who did.

Among hidden gems recently found by Kaleidoscope are episodes of Celebrity Squares and children’s TV show Pipkins.

Other episodes are retained for unusual reasons, such as the Doctor Who stories The Smugglers and Fury from the Deep, which only remain as a few scary clips after Australian censors removed scenes from their original broadcast for being too risqué for TV

The top 100 list also includes classic shows such as The Likely Lads, Steptoe and Son, Fraggle Rock and The Liver Birds.

Keynote speaker, Andy Street CBE, highlighted the fact that the “fight against inequality was at the top of the agenda; with 1/3 of Birmingham’s population coming from a Black and/or Ethnic background is a huge strength,” he said, “but we are not taking full advantage of that huge strength.”

He was speaking at the NatWest/RBS ‘Serving Birmingham – A Diverse Community’ special breakfast meeting where the procurement of driving the city’s economical will be all inclusive, regardless of sexual orientation, race, or religion.

Speaking at the Hotel Du Vin, in the city’s ever-developing and thriving Colmore Business District, West Midlands Metro Mayor, Street, continued; “We are the ‘soul of the Commonwealth’ and with Channel 4, for one, heading this way, it shows our strength as a business powerhouse.

Further to that, Birmingham City University - one of the regions many leading further education institutes – is a leading example of the diversity and aspiration of our communities.

Birmingham has got its ‘mojo’ back. Economic growth in the West Midlands is far outpacing UK figures and I am determined to maintain that – for everybody’s benefit – from every community. But that’s not enough!”

Mayor Street’s speech came after RBS Group chief executive Ross McEwan said: “We at RBS aim to be at the forefront of innovation and change, with trust and advocacy at the top of the agenda.

"Inclusion helps us connect with diverse communities with flattest figures showing that 47% of our management are women, with 14% of our workforce here in the UK coming from a BME background – and that figure is rising.

"But, however, only 4% of our leadership, here in the UK, are BAME. We are looking for that figure to rise to 20% by 2025.

"We have set-up programmes to bring back mothers into our workforce and also people from the LGBT community."

In the Q+A which followed, TPN Media’s own Chair, Dr. Neslyn Watson Druie, was one of a chosen few who were able to question the breakfast meeting panel, asking; “What can be done differently for people from a BAME background be part of the NatWest/RBS workforce?”

“Unless we get diversity how do we make change?” McKewan responded. “We have to bring people from all of the UKs diverse communities and nurture and develop the skills they have.”

• Tour Operator of the Year-Simon ‘Mandoo’ Seales-over 30 years in the business
• Bartender of the Year-Leslieann Williams-Calabash Luxury Boutique Hotel
• Chef of the Year-Janice Edwards- Mt. Cinnamon Grenada Resort
• Tourism Employee of the Year-Johanna Kostka- Sunsation Tours-35 years in
• operating a tour guide business
• Hotel Employee of the Year-Shanell Joseph-Mt. Cinnamon Grenada Resort
• Hotel Supervisor of the Year-Shirlyn Williams- Calabash Luxury Boutique Hotel-20
• years service in the industry
• Long Service and Loyalty Award (presented by Tourism Minister)-Leroy Donald-Head
• Gardener at Coyaba Beach Resort-over 30 years of service

Wednesday 21st March saw the official launch of the RBS Sikh Network with celebratory events in London and Birmingham attended by over 300 guests.

The RBS Sikh Network is the bank’s newest employee led network, but with over 600 members already, it is set to become one of the most popular. Open to employees from all kinds of backgrounds, it has formally set out its remit as a support network designed to help colleagues achieve their true potential, through promoting diversity and inclusion within the Bank. The network’s objectives have been set around the three basic principles of Sikhism:

1. Honest Living (Kirat Karo) - Organising business networking events, profiling role models and mentoring activities.
2. Meditate on The Divine (Naam Japo) - Supporting colleagues with spirituality and wellbeing.
3. Share with Others (Vand ke Shako) - Participating in a number of community projects.

James Holian, the Executive Sponsor for the network said: “RBS is proud of the proactivity of all its Employee Led Networks and believes that by harnessing diversity and celebrating cultural differences we can understand and serve our customers even better”.

With regard to the event, James added: “The tone throughout was open, challenging and welcoming - exactly the culture we want to have everyday”.

Chair of the RBS Sikh Network, Amrit Singh Bahia, also added “Both events had inspirational panel guests who shared their experiences, challenges and gave everyone so much to think about. Feedback has been phenomenal and of course the challenge now is to deliver on our objectives and continue to be totally inclusive in everything we do”.

Building on the programme of relaxed performances that the RSC has been running in Stratford-upon-Avon since 2013, the RSC is proud to have been amongst the first to adopt and promote the concept. The National Autistic Society and Mousetrap Theatre Projects will again work closely with the RSC, offering full access to the theatre for people with autism and learning disabilities and their families.

The performance provides a relaxed environment, with elements of the production adapted to reduce anxiety or stress, with lighting and sound levels adjusted to soften their impact. Not only are elements of the performance adjusted, but audience etiquette throughout the whole theatre is relaxed as well. Theatre staff, crew and the Matilda The Musical company are trained in advance to anticipate that there will be a range of different audience needs.

Relaxed performances are created to be for everyone and all audience members have the freedom to make noise and/or move about the space, they are free to come and go from the auditorium as much as they wish. Designated ‘chill-out’ areas are provided outside the auditorium with soft seating and activities for people to use if they want to take a break.

In London, the Royal Shakespeare Company is offering tickets at a reduced rate which can be booked through the RSC Ticket Hotline or in person at the Cambridge Theatre box office. Specially trained staff will be able to help bookers by speaking to them directly and ensuring that all their specific needs and requirements are taken into consideration when assigning their seat allocation.

In London, the Royal Shakespeare Company is offering tickets at a reduced rate which can be booked through the RSC Ticket Hotline or in person at the Cambridge Theatre box office. Tickets for the Birmingham Hippodrome relaxed performance can be made through the box office ticket sales line. Specially trained staff will be able to help bookers by speaking to them directly and ensuring that all their specific needs and requirements are taken into consideration when assigning their seat allocation.

All bookers will be sent a visual story to help them familiarise themselves with the plot, characters and the setting before they arrive at the theatre. Detailed event and transport information will also be available from www.matildathemusical.com.

Matilda The Musical is written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, and direction by Matthew Warchus. The production is designed by Rob Howell, with choreography by Peter Darling, orchestrations, additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker and the special effects and illusions are by Paul Kieve.

Matilda The Musical has now been seen by more than 7.7 million people worldwide, having played in over 60 cities with more than 5500 performances in the West End, on Broadway, across North America and in Australia and New Zealand.

Matilda The Musical swept the board at the 2012 Olivier Awards, with a record-breaking seven awards, and won four Tony Awards and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theater for the four girls sharing the title role on Broadway. The North America production toured to 52 cities.

The Australian and New Zealand production won a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Musical in 2015, and played sold-out seasons in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Auckland. The show broke further records in July 2016 by winning all 13 Helpmann Awards for which it was nominated. Matilda The Musical will have its first non-English language production at the LG Arts Centre in Seoul, South Korea from September 2018 until February 2019.

Matilda The Musical is produced in the West End by the Royal Shakespeare Company with André Ptaszynski and Denise Wood as Executive Producers. The production was developed with the support of Company Dramaturg Jeanie O’Hare and the RSC Literary Department.

The number of shootings and deaths in schools and neighbourhoods in London and across the UK have been on the rise. These incidences have continued to cause emotional distress to parents who end up losing their children to knife and gun violence, and who continue to believe that their communities are no longer safe from the most extreme of homicide cases.

This perception when combined with the increased lethality of youth violence requires that urgent measures be taken in preventing violence. There are hundreds of violence prevention measures that are been used in schools and communities, but very little is known about how effective they are.

In order to prevent and reduce cases of homicide in the UK, we need to be able to first understand offenders.

Understanding Anti-Social Behaviour and Conduct Disorders in Children and the Youth

According to the DSM-IV diagnostic system (APA 2000), antisocial behaviour refers to a certain characteristic of antisocial personality disorder. It specifically refers to failure to conform to social norms with regard to lawful behaviours as indicated by repetitively engaging in aggressive behaviors that are grounds for arrest, and that upset other people. These behaviours could include theft, violence, or even rape.

Among older children and young people, conduct disorders are considered the most common cause for mental health disorders, and globally, they are the top most reason why children and adolescents are referred to mental health services.

Conduct disorders tend to not only be a burden to health care services, but also to social care agencies  as well as sectors of society such as family, police, schools and criminal justice agencies.

The use of a weapon such as a knife, gun, broken bottle, brick or bat to cause serious physical harm to others is considered a conduct disorder under the Diagnostic Criteria (A) of DSM-IV.

How to Stop Violence through Anger Management and Counselling Programs

From a psychologist’s point of view, it is not the mentally ill individuals that kill, but rather it is those people who are angry. It is normally extreme anger that causes people to commit violence. Having said that, it would be safe to conclude that violence is never a by-product of mental illness, but of anger.

A relatively weak connection exists between mental illness and gun violence, or any other type of violence with a stronger connection been seen between a person’s inability to manage anger and violence.

With the recurring incidences of mass shootings by people who most probably have emotional problems, people continue to associate mental illness with violent crimes. On the contrary, violent crimes are committed by individuals who lack the necessary skills to manage their anger.  Violence occurs as a result of compromised anger management skills, and a series of homicides are normally perpetuated by people who have a history of violence.

Having said that, there needs to be greater acknowledgement of problem anger as a valid reason for referral to health care and greater use of anger screening tools as part of the assessment process.

Increasing Counselling/Intervention Programmes

The many killings that happen year in, year out, are often caused by marital or relationship breakups, disputes among family members, or even work termination. It is not rare to often hear police say that there is nothing much they can do because they have only been trained to react to violence, and not prevent it.

However, therapy ordered by the court, as well as restraining orders for those suspected of abuse and workers that exhibit violent tendencies in schools, and the community at large could go a long way in sparing hundreds, if not thousands, of lives each year because it would help conflicts to calm down and pass.

Another strategy that would yield great benefits in the near future in as much as curbing violence is concerned would be to introduce conflict resolution lessons in schools at an early age.

On the other hand, the introduction of cognitive therapy to young males in neighborhoods where criminal gangs are most prevalent can really help in reducing homicide rates. The therapy should particularly lay emphasis on peaceful conflict resolution and anger management.  In school setups, after-school cognitive therapy classes would be a cheap venture that would go a long way in reducing violence among the youth.

Involvement of Psychologists/ Counsellors

Counsellors and Psychologists should be involved in developing and evaluating programs and settings in schools, neighborhoods and other relevant contexts that seek to change gendered expectations for males that stress on toughness, self-sufficiency, as well as violence that includes gun violence.  Support offered by schools for young people with emotional or mental health issues varied considerably.  Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), report shows that ``Thirteen per cent of schools do not have a policy or strategy to identify and help pupils with emotional, mental health or behavioural issues. Eighty per cent said the support provided by their school included referral to external support, 54% said support included a dedicated member of the pastoral team and 49% of members said their school offered group sessions for young people, for example in social skills, self-esteem and anger management``

Children and young people are not just statistics, but individuals with different strengths, interests and needs. Government also miss the point that young people perform better if they are supported and feel safe, and with young people spending a huge proportion of their time in school, it is vital that we create environments to support their emotional well-being and mental health.

~Counsellor Funmi Ademilua

Founder/Director

The Good Samaritan Foundation UK

www.thegsfoundation.org.uk

Ex-West Brom player, and member of the famous ‘Three Degrees’, Brendon Batson, will address a special event to mark the 50th anniversary of Enoch Powell’s infamous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech at the Midland Hotel in Birmingham. The event will be held in the same hotel that Enoch Powell used for his speech in 1968. Bringing together a wide spectrum of West Midlands society, the event will be showcasing how the diverse communities of the midlands reject Powell’s vision of ‘rivers of blood’ and instead have turned to ‘rivers of love’.

Eleanor Smith, the BAME female MP, who now holds Enoch Powell’s old Wolverhampton seat will give a key note address, outlining how Birmingham, and the West Midlands, has rejected Powell’s vision and embraced tolerance and diversity.

Also addressing the event will be Birmingham City Council leader, Ian Ward, Shabana Mahmood MP and Preet Gill MP.  Roger McKenzie, UNISON’s Assistant General Secretary and originally from the West Midlands will also make a speech.

Either side of comments from the key note speakers there will be contributions from representatives of the many differing communities across Birmingham, including a poem from the present Birmingham Poet Laurette Matt Windle.

TUC Midlands, Regional Secretary, Lee Barron, said: “It’s clear that Enoch Powell lost. We mark the 50th anniversary of his infamous speech in celebration and appreciation of the wonderful diversity of our region. Powell’s vision of ‘rivers of blood’ has clearly been rejected as our communities have instead embraced a vision of ‘rivers of love’ in creating a vibrant, tolerant and open society that is welcoming to all people.”

Brian O’Sullivan, Birmingham SUTR said: “Powell spoke of immigration as an evil and used his speech to try and whip up racial hatred. But here we are in 2018 and people from different communities and religions work and live together and we will not let racism divide us’.

Wolverhampton will come together to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War with a series of commemorative events over the coming months.

The guns fell silent after four years of bloody battle with the signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918, and the City of Wolverhampton Council is working with partner organisations across the City to commemorate the centenary of this pivotal event in world history.

An extensive programme of activities is currently being developed, and will include a series of themed exhibitions and displays of memorabilia and art at Wolverhampton Art Gallery and Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies.

Pupils from local schools will be encouraged to make poppies – each one representing a soldier from Wolverhampton who fought in the conflict – and lay them at the Cenotaph during a special ceremony on Friday 9 November. There will also be story, poetry and letter writing competitions, while many schools are expected to plan further First World War-themed activities of their own.

Wolverhampton Civic and Historical Society is working with the council to develop a walking map detailing the many war memorials which can be found across the City and the Society’s wolf from 2017’s Wolves in Wolves trail – The Fallen, which lists the names of those who died in the conflict – will be displayed in the grounds of Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies’ Molineux Hotel. Archivists will also be conducting important research in an attempt to identify any soldiers who may be missing from the City’s Roll of Honour.

More than a dozen special First World War metal benches are to be installed at sites around Wolverhampton city centre, Bilston, Wednesfield and Tettenhall, and poppies will be attached to lampposts in key locations around Wolverhampton as the anniversary approaches.

Meanwhile, the council is making preparations to lay commemorative paving stones in honour of Lance Corporal George Onions from Bilston and Lance Corporal Roland Elcock from Wolverhampton who received the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry, for their actions on 22 August and 15 October 1918 respectively.

The City’s libraries will be hosting story and poetry competitions for adults and special storytime sessions for children, and National Libraries Week activities between 9 and 14 October will have a First World War theme.

This year’s Armed Forces Day commemorations on Saturday 30 June will focus on the anniversary, while the City of Wolverhampton Council’s bonfire at Wolverhampton Racecourse on Saturday 3 November will feature a two-minute silence led by members of the Armed Forces, as well as a themed firework display.

The extensive programme of commemorations concludes on Armistice Day, Sunday 11 November, with the City of Wolverhampton’s annual service of remembrance at the cenotaph in St Peter’s Square. Prior to the traditional service, a lone piper will support a nationwide initiative by playing Battle’s O’er, the traditional Scottish lament played at the end of battle, outside St Peter’s Collegiate Church at 6am. Finally, a Beacon of Light will be lit – simultaneously with hundreds of other beacons across the country – at 7pm.

Keith Ireland, Managing Director of the City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “The First World War touched every city, town and village in Britain; millions of people served in the conflict and tragically almost 1.1m British and Empire servicemen and women gave their lives so that future generations could live theirs.

"We have a duty to educate today's generation about what the country went through, and it is important that as a City we remember this terrible conflict and the sacrifices that were made a century ago.

“We and our partners will be organising and supporting an extensive programme of events and activities and we hope as many people as possible will get involved.”

More details of the commemoration programme will be announced in due course, while the City of Wolverhampton Council is developing a dedicated website which will detail events taking place across the City to mark the 100th anniversary, and enable organisations and individuals to share what they will be doing to commemorate the end of the First World War.

An innovative and caring community partnership is celebrating a ‘25,000+ participants’ landmark in just over two years, as it continues to significantly overcome barriers and improve sport and physical activity uptake in Smethwick and the surrounding areas.

Benson Community Project hosts regular and free football and multi-sport sessions for disadvantaged youngsters at Sandwell Leisure Trust (SLT) facility Hadley Stadium on Wilson Road - and phenomenal participation levels  have seen the weekly number of sessions jump from one to four to meet demand and interest.

SLT’s Ian King, assistant manager at Hadley Stadium, explains: “The take up has been incredible, all by word-of-mouth and personal referral, so it’s a privilege to be part of. Benson first participated in the opening of the all-weather 3G pitch at Hadley in October 2015, but at this point were a relatively new set up, working predominantly in Victoria Park & receiving a little funding from Soho & Victoria Police, through PC Dave Harnett.

“The hard work, enthusiasm and infectious personalities of Benson founders Paul Landucci and Errol Mason did not go unnoticed and discussions quickly took place between site staff, PC Harnett, plus Paul & Errol around the possibility of them operating a regular weekly session at Hadley as an after school activity.

“Nobody could have expected the results that this initial Tuesday session has seen, which led to additional football sessions on Thursday and Saturday afternoon (now for ages 5-18) as well as an indoor multi-sports family orientated session on a Wednesday – and consequently 25,000+ local people seeing, feeling, experiencing and enjoying the benefits.”

Benson’s Paul Landucci says: “Hadley’s 3G pitch is perfect for us and since we started here I can count on one hand the number of times that only the heaviest snow and ice has defeated us. The kid’s parents love the fact they don’t come home covered in mud, but most importantly it allows us to work with their children on a consistent basis and make them properly feel part of a safe, welcoming, active and diverse young community.

“We run successful football teams from here now too, as well as coaching initiatives and subsequent volunteer placements at Hadley - and the partnership continues to flourish.

“The multi-sports session has really taken off too, with kids, parents and even grandparents playing and socialising together in a fun and friendly atmosphere. We can divide the hall if need be and they can do indoor cricket, archery, basketball and rounders, etc; basically use all of the facilities and equipment. They even bring a radio in sometimes for dancing.

“We liaise closely with Smethwick Police too and our work has dramatically reduced local anti-social behaviour and youth crime because we have an open-to-all, non-judgemental, with no bias approach that is person-centred and strives to make a tangible difference.”

Moseley and Kings Heath have been named as the best places to live in Birmingham, according to a recent poll. More than 1,500 Brummies took part in the survey, run by leading Birmingham based developer SevenCapital, to find out which areas of the UK’s second city were most popular amongst locals.

One fifth (19%) of voters agreed that the popular villages of Moseley and Kings Heath were the best places to live in the city, with Harborne taking second place with 15% of votes. Solihull, which is just outside Birmingham took third place with 14%, shortly followed by Sutton Coldfield (13%) and the city’s famous Jewellery Quarter taking fifth place with 12% of votes. Other areas which also featured include Edgbaston, Brindleyplace and Digbeth.

It’s not the first time Moseley and Harbone have topped best places to live lists – in the past three years both have been named in The Sunday Times’ annual list of Britain’s best places to live, with Moseley announced overall winner back in 2015.

Andy Foote, director at SevenCapital said: “There’s a lot of research being continually carried out into which places are most desirable or offer the best quality of life for residents across the city, region and the UK. Much of this is based upon factors including economical outlook, green spaces, house prices and so on. However these reports don’t necessarily take into account what is perhaps most important, and that’s the opinions of the people living and working in these areas. That’s why we decided to do our own poll of the city where we’re based and are most active, Birmingham, to find out if these national reports are reflected by the sentiment of the people in those areas. Judging by the results, it would seem they are.”

Since 2009 SevenCapital has become the most active residential developer in and around Birmingham City Centre, with developments either completed, under construction or in planning in areas including: Mailbox District, Jewellery Quarter, Fiveways, Digbeth and Erdington.

Sutton Coldfield Town Hall is holding an open morning for those interested in being a part of the historical venue's future.

When the iconic building got into financial difficulties and was threatened with closure 18 months ago, a committee, formed of local arts and heritage enthusiasts - Sutton Coldfield Arts and Recreational Trust - joined forces to keep the venue open.

Later this year, the trust officially receives the freehold ownership of the Town Hall from the City council, with the next step being for the new registered charity to fully restore it as a theatre and community venue for this and future generations.

A meeting and tour on Saturday 21 April at 11am  - 12 noon is for those interested in volunteering or learning more about being a Friend or sponsor of the venue, which was built in 1865 as a hotel, reopening in 1906 as Sutton Coldfield Town Hall.

Those interested in theatre may be interested in volunteering on the front of house team, where roles include ushering and serving teas and coffees. Productions range from pantomimes to musicals, talks to live music events. The Town Hall is looking for enthusiastic helpers happy to give one or two evenings a month to the venue.

Volunteers with practical skills such as painting and decorating are also urged to attend, plus volunteers who can distribute publicity packs to their local cafes, churches and noticeboards, spreading the word to help their own community learn about forthcoming shows.

Dogs have been celebrated as man’s best friend for centuries – and that’s no accident. Your dog is probably the best friend you will ever have, when you’re looking your worst or feeling under the weather they will be there to cheer you up.

This month will see pet owners up and down the country celebrating their furry friends as part of National Pet Month. In the spirit of this Lintbells, manufacturers of premium natural pet supplements, have shared a few reasons why our canine chums are the best.

They’re incredibly loyal

Our canine companions generally love being around people. They wait for you by the door; face smiling, mouth open and tail wagging, ready to dote on their best friend in the world. They are great listeners as most of us are guilty of confiding in our pets, especially after a hard day’s work.

Their mood can quite often reflect how you feel - when you're feeling blue your dog will remain by your side to comfort you, but when you're happy your dog will leap about and share in your excitement.

They keep you healthy

If you are looking to spring into action after the winter blues your dog can be the best companion. Our furry friends love being active – walks, fetching sticks, leaping into a pond or even just a game of frisbee. Even if you’re lacking energy and tempted to just stay in, the importance of ‘walkies’ will compel you to get out of the house.

Dog owners have also been found to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and they can even promote emotional wellbeing thanks to their unconditional love.

They’re entertaining

Dogs often beat other animals on the entertainment scale with their goofy looks and antics. They’re unpredictable and silly and often entertain us with their playful nature and human-like behaviours. Simply watching them as they chase their own tail for hours or a game of peek-a-boo from around the corner will certainly keep you chuckling.

They can help you socialise

Walking your dog is a sure fire way to start conversations with fellow animal lovers. Their friendly and super social nature means you can make new friends at the same time as walking your dog!

They’ll never leave you hanging

We all have that one friend who cancels on you regardless of weeks of planning in advance. But with your furry little friend, you’ve got nothing to fear! They will always be there for you no matter what.

There is no doubt our pet pooch deserves gentle handling and should be showered with lots of love and affection. Lintbells offers pet owners a fantastic range of natural products that are designed to make your dog glow from head to tail. The recently launched YuMOVE PLUS for dogs is an extra-strength joint supplement that will make a tail-wagging difference to stiff and older dogs, helping to keep them mobile by soothing stiffness and supporting their joints.

A new exhibit featuring some of the world’s most mysterious creatures has opened at the National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham. Guests sampled jelly-inspired mocktails and sweet treats as the attraction was unveiled to families.

Months in the making, the new ‘Jelly Invaders’ exhibit stars five different jellyfish species from across the globe, from the bizarre freshwater ‘upside down jellyfish’ to the glittering ‘sea nettle’ variety from the Indo-Pacific.

The unique creatures are the true Jekyll and Hydes of the marine world, with their harmless, tranquil appearance belying highly efficient hunting tactics and stingers.

The new experience will allow visitors to get a close encounter to these mystical creatures, with diverse species of jellies in a variety of colourful interactive displays.

Jonny Rudd, curator at the aquarium, said: “The new exhibit lifts the lid on this mysterious species. Jellyfish are actually older than dinosaurs, as it’s believed they first swam in our oceans some 500 million years ago. With more than 350 different species, there’s a lot to uncover!”

Despite their name, jellyfish aren’t actually a type of fish and are instead classed in a group of their own, due to them being unlike any other creature on earth.

“But jellies get a bad press,” explains Jonny.“Most are completely harmless to humans; it’s only a few such as the sea nettle jellyfish that give them a bad name as they can cause a painful sting.

“Jellies remain key to our ecosystem as they feed larger sea creatures, however one of the main fascinations is in their coastline invasions.”

Jellyfish flourish in conditions created by global warming, pollution and overfishing, as evidenced by their invasions onto UK coastlines as recently as last year.

“Jellies are superbly adapted to plug the gaps when other species decline, which is one reason why there have been such huge swarms of jellyfish appearing in recent years.

“Some scientists believe that jellyfish are even poised to take over the oceans one day.”

Jelly Invaders is included with all entry tickets. Guests can delve deeper into the jellyfish life cycle including the aquarium’s breeding programme on a Behind the Scenes Tour (additional charge of £3.50 applies).

The Merlin Entertainments-owned attraction is home to more than 2,000 aquatic inhabitants in over 60 immersive displays, including the UK’s only 360° tropical ocean tunnel.