Community News

An award-winning chocolate fun run returns to Brum – but this time, it has a giant assault course twist

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice is challenging Brummies to take on its ‘Chocolate 5k Obstacle Rush’ – a new assault course which involves sliding, climbing and jumping in pursuit of chocolatey goodies.

Inspired by the hospice’s ‘Chocolate 5k’ – which picked up bronze for best fun run at the national Running Awards – the course will see people tackle giant inflatables, as well as other fun obstacles, as they race to pick up tasty treats at the finish line.

Taking place on Saturday 8 September at Cofton Park, sweet-enthusiasts will take on 10 obstacles before enjoying their chocolate reward, including the inflatable ‘Pyramid Climb’, ‘Lifeboat Wobble’ and ‘Dive for Victory’ – the latter involving wriggling or diving through giant blown-up beams.

Alongside the course, there will also be music and street food to enjoy, as well as an opportunity to win prizes with a charity raffle.

All funds raised will go towards Birmingham St Mary’s, which provides vital care and support to people living with life-limiting illness across Birmingham and Sandwell.

Laura Nash, events manager at Birmingham St Mary’s, said: “Whether you choose to run, jump or climb your way through the course, whatever your tactic, The Chocolate 5k Obstacle Rush is set to be a really fun and rewarding way to enjoy tasty, chocolate treats.

“This is Birmingham’s first-ever, chocolate-inspired obstacle course and we think it’s a fantastic way to do something amazing whilst raising vital funds for the hospice. Just £65 raised in sponsorship could make a big difference, helping someone to receive expert nursing care in the comfort of their own home.”

The Chocolate 5k Obstacle Rush opens at 9am, with the race taking place from 11am to 3pm. Tickets cost £22, or £20.50 per person when booked as a team of five.

Birmingham gymnasts Dominick Cunningham and Joe Fraser were back home today to show off their European Championship medals and celebrate the return of the Gymnastics World Cup to the city next year.

Dominick, who won gold on the floor in Glasgow with a stunning routine and Joe who took silver alongside his City of Birmingham team mate in the men’s team event were at the city’s Mailbox and famous canals to look ahead to the prestigious event in their home city.

Both gymnasts, who train at the city’s GMAC centre, will be battling to be part of the GB World Cup team that will take on the best nations in the world on March 23rdat the Genting Arena.

Earlier this year, over 10,000 fans saw Alice Kinsella, also from the Midlands, and James Hall take bronze for Great Britain when the World Cup came to Birmingham for the first time.

Next year’s event will have a new format meaning fans will get the chance to see the men and the women on the same day. The event will now take place on a Saturday - with the men’s competition in the afternoon and the women’s event in the evening.

The decision to return to Birmingham follows the success of that event and comes with less than four years to go before it hosts the Commonwealth Games when both Birmingham born gymnasts will be hoping to be part of the England team.

Cunningham, who finished fourth behind Hall in March at the Gymnastics World Cup, went on to win gold and bronze medals in this year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia just over two weeks later.

“To have the World Cup back in Birmingham, and for people to get the chance to see some of the best gymnasts in the world going head to head again, is huge for gymnastics in the city and the Midlands. Taking part in this year’s World Cup in front of my home crowd was something I will never forget and it gave me the confidence to go on and perform at the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships last weekend. I want to experience it again and improve on my fourth place this year.”

Fraser who missed out on this year’s World Cup and the Commonwealth Games due to injury, said:

“I’m desperate to be part of the squad after missing out this year and having it back in here will give me extra motivation. I went to cheer the guys on in March and the atmosphere was amazing. Hopefully the fans in Birmingham and the Midlands will turn out in even greater numbers at the Genting Arena and give the British team the support it will need against some big nations and big stars.”

British Gymnastics, Chief Executive, Jane Allen added: “We’re thrilled to bring the Gymnastics World Cup back to Birmingham for 2019. Gymnastics is a fantastic ‘family-friendly’ sport. The Genting Arena is a perfect venue for families to enjoy world-class sport and entertainment. There is a real buzz around the sport in the city and the region and there’s some amazing homegrown gymnastics talent here. That, combined with the huge success of last year’s event, made it feel like the right decision to come back to the city again.”

“In Dominick and Joe, Birmingham has two of the sport’s most talented, up and coming stars and they proved that with their performances in Glasgow at the weekend. I’m sure they will both be desperate to be part of the GB team in their home city next March.”

The Birmingham event is part of the World Cup series, which takes place every year with four events staged in four different countries. Nine gymnasts from the world’s leading nations compete for their country in both the men’s and women’s competition. The men will battle it out on the floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and high bar whilst the women will show their skills on the vault, uneven bars, beam and the floor.

Nations compete to be crowned World Cup winners, with each individual event securing vital points on the leader board. Historically, Olympic, World and European medallists have competed for their countries which have included the USA, Russia, China, Japan, Germany, Netherlands, Brazil and of course Great Britain. As the host nation, Great Britain secure four spots automatically.

A parade and service will be held in Smethwick for First World War Victoria Cross recipient Sergeant Harold Colley – 100 years to the day since his heroic sacrifice on the Western Front.

Everyone is welcome to join the event on Saturday 25 August at Victoria Park, Smethwick, where a commemorative paving stone will be unveiled in Sergeant Colley’s memory.

The event runs from 10am to 11.30am, with the parade in the park starting at 10.30am and a service at 11am. Everyone is welcome at the event, which is being co-ordinated by the Royal British Legion and Sandwell Council.

Sergeant Colley – who was living in Cheshire Road, Smethwick, when he joined the army – was killed defending against a German attack at Martinpuich, France, on 25 August 1918

He is the last of the three Sandwell-born Victoria Cross recipients from the Great War to be honoured with one of the government’s commemorative VC paving stones. Colley was also posthumously awarded the Military Medal for his bravery under fire earlier in 1918.

Smethwick Heritage Centre will be open for the event, where people can find out more about Sergeant Colley’s life and service. The centre will also provide refreshments after the service.

Sergeant Colley’s great nephew Ian West, who will be attending the service, said: “We are very pleased that Smethwick is remembering a local lad wrought of the iron, stone and coal of the Black Country who, before he was 25, gave his life for England in a war not of his making.

“He showed this grit enough to win both the Military Medal and the Victoria Cross, but he should be remembered as a representative of all those who died in those dark days. It is sad that my Uncle Norman, who did more than anyone to keep Harold's memory alive, did not himself live to see this day.”

Sandwell Council leader Councillor Steve Eling said: “Sergeant Colley was a brave son of Smethwick who paid the ultimate price for our country and, like so many others, did not return home. This service and the commemorative stone at Victoria Park will help ensure his story and his sacrifice are remembered by people in Smethwick now and by future generations.”

Councillor Steve Melia, chair of the Sandwell Armed Forces and Veterans Parades' Committee, said: “We are very proud to be supporting this special event for Sergeant Colley. These parades and services are important as we commemorate military events from the past and show our support for our armed forces today. We will also be honouring the fallen of the Great War when we mark the centenary of the end of the war in November with services and parades across Sandwell.”

Alex, 16, who attends Redditch and Bromsgrove Sea Cadets, will join the team in Bratislava, Slovakia from 16th-19th August where they will compete against teams from across Europe.

He said: “I’m definitely looking forward to it, it’s my first real international competition and it’s my first time travelling abroad. It’s been a real pleasure having Sea Cadets help me on my first one.”

Alex, who joined the cadets as a junior, made the squad for the first time last year. He said: “You get trials every year, but I’ve always had to train myself because money has been a bit tight and personal training is expensive. But last year I went for it and I got into the squad, and then I started speaking to more people and bouncing off them. This year I went for it again and it paid off.”

The squads are made up of five members who train with the team but don’t compete, one reserve and three competitors. This year Alex skipped reserve and went straight into the team, a huge achievement.

The competition will see Alex and his two teammates complete as many highly-skilled moves – from loops to cartwheels – in a 45 second period. They will do three runs, and the best two are counted towards their score.

Speaking about his time with Sea Cadets, Alex said: “Being part of the Sea Cadets has helped massively because outside of cadets I’ve been funding it all myself. I’m classed as a young carer for my dad, and he can’t do much work and my mum tries to earn as much as she can, so I’ve had to pay for it all. I’m only 16 so I don’t have a huge wage.”

During his time with the cadets, Alex has been able to regularly kayak, completing many courses and becoming a fully-qualified kayaking instructor. He’s even managed to get a place at Hartpury College and University Centre, one of the leading sports education centres in the UK.

“I think I use Sea Cadets as an escape from home, not that it’s a bad thing but it’s just nice to get out of the house which is part of why I did it. Now that I’ve made the team it feels like it has all been worth it. It’s an honour to represent my country and next year I’ll definitely be aiming for worlds, which would be a big achievement.”

Sea Cadets Captain Phil Russell, said: “Alex really embodies the Ethos and values of Sea Cadets. He's shown great determination and self-discipline to be in this position and everyone at Sea Cadets is immensely proud of his achievements. We wish him and the rest of Team GB every success at the competition.”

December this year will see Sutton Coldfield’s first ever professional pantomime, Beauty and the Beast which is produced by the renowned Production Exchange in association with Sutton Coldfield Town Hall (11^th – 31^st December). With a core cast of multi-talented actor-musicians, the search is now on for a young ensemble, made up of the finest local young performers (aged 10-21) to complete the cast and be a part of the “feast of musical and spectacular festive fun!”

Sutton Coldfield’s landmark Town Hall has, since late 2016, been managed by Sutton Coldfield Arts and Recreational Trust and this year will be granted the freehold of the building from Birmingham City Council which means by Christmas, it will be an entirely independent, charity-run venue. Each year, the winter Pantomime is the highlight of the Town Hall calendar always looking for ways to build on and better audience experiences from years previous. This year, with additional audience experiences and the aid of an acclaimed production company, this really promises to be the best show yet!

In total, twelve young performers are needed, boys and girls, to form two troupes of six who will play alternate days during the run. The audition will include the young people learning a short dance routine, singing individually and as part of a group and lastly, to recite a very short prepared joke or poem of their choice! All young people are invited to come along whether they go to a drama or dance school or club, if they study drama or even if they are novices who just fancy having a go!

Auditions will take place the Town Hall on Sunday 9^th September 2018 from 10am with registration at 9:30am and the auditionees should come dressed for a dance audition. Details on how to apply and for more information about the day can be found on the Town Hall website under the Beauty and the Beast tab. So, if you know of any talented youngsters who might fancy being a part of the Town Hall’s story and this wonderful production, be sure to send them along!

Beauty and the Beast will run from Tuesday 11^th December until Monday 31^st.

Staff at leading recruitment agency Encore Personnel have gone above and beyond, raising a whopping £9,000 for its three charities, by climbing the highest mountain in the UK, Ben Nevis.

Standing at a daunting 1,345m above sea level, Ben Nevis is located in the Lochaber area of Scotland. Climbing Ben Nevis was no mean feat for the 17-strong Encore team, who persevered to reach the peak after a gruelling seven hours on Saturday (11^th August).

Employees of all ages took part, with the youngest being 19-year-old Melissa Packwood and the oldest Chris Hockey, aged 53. Five of the participants had climbed Ben Nevis before, providing valuable expertise for the rest of the team.

Encore has selected three charities to fundraise for this year - Sick Children’s Trust, Cardiac Risk in the Young and CLIC Sargent (Cancer Charity for Children and Young People). Every year, the company, which is based on Lower Temple Street in Birmingham, chooses one or more charities to support, with the decision often influenced by causes close to its employees’ hearts.

Encore is no stranger to the importance of fundraising, having already completed a variety of charity events this year, including cycling from Leicester to Skegness, bake sales and sweepstakes. With the aim to raise £10,000 from the Ben Nevis climb to divide between the charities, the Ben Nevis climb has put Encore well on its way to achieving this target.

The three chosen charities all help to support children and young people in different ways - Sick Children’s Trust provides ‘Home from Home’ accommodation and support for sick children and their families and Cardiac Risk in the Young work to reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD). Likewise, CLIC Sargent is the UK’s leading cancer charity for children, young people and their families.

Chris Hockey, Director at Encore Personnel said: “I am thrilled that we were able to work together as a team to raise a substantial sum of money for charity. Tackling a task such as Ben Nevis was undoubtedly a challenge, but we were determined to succeed for such worthy causes.

“Many of us found the trek tough at times, however we were all spurred on by each other’s support and motivation throughout.”

Andy Lewis, Operations Director at Encore Personnel added: “I am proud to see the team come together to not only take on a gruelling challenge but to raise money for three such fantastic causes.

“At Encore, we understand the importance of giving back to the community and supporting charities that make a significant difference to people’s lives. Thanks to the dedication and fundraising efforts of our staff throughout the year, we have been able to support a number of causes close to our employees’ hearts and are well on our way to hitting our £20,000 target.”

City of Wolverhampton Council has donated 100 ready meals to help a city foodbank.

The council handed over the boxes of surplus frozen meals from its Meals on Wheels service to The Well which is based on Wulfrun Trading Estate, off Stafford Road, and operates across Wolverhampton.

Donated dishes include pasta in Bolognese sauce, lamb and potato curry, fish in white wine sauce and Mediterranean chicken.

The Well supports people in financial crisis who cannot afford to feed themselves or their families by providing emergency food parcels and toiletries.

Councillor Peter Bilson, deputy leader of City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “We wanted to donate these surplus meals from our Meals on Wheels service to ensure families in need could benefit from them while they are still in date and perfectly edible.

“There are some really tasty options and The Well will ensure they go to families who most need them. Unfortunately, in this day and age, the people who need assistance from foodbanks does not just extend to those who are out of work and on benefits, but also to low income families.

“I am very pleased that the council has been able to make this donation to help them. The Well relies on donations from generous Wolverhampton residents, businesses and organisations to keep going.”

Gary Price, project manager at The Well, said: “We’re feeding about 8,000 people a year across Wolverhampton, Bilston and Wednesfield. This frozen food donated by the council will be a great help to us. Many of our service users only have access to limited cooking equipment, so the ready meals will provide a tasty, nutritious dinner for them.”

A host of themed markets are coming to City of Wolverhampton’s Dudley Street.

City of Wolverhampton Council has again joined forces with its approved market operator, LSD Promotions, to develop the new events, which will take place over the next three months.

The theme on Saturday, August 25 (10am to 5pm) is Around the World with traders offering products from across the globe.

On Saturday, September 29 (10am to 5pm) treat yourself to a vast array of sweet treats at the Chocolate & Prosecco event.

There will be spooky going-ons in October at the Halloween Market on Saturday, October 27 (10am to 5pm).

Visitors can enjoy a variety of decorated stalls, with tricks, frights and surprises guaranteed.

Cabinet Member for City Environment, Councillor Steve Evans, said: “We are continually looking to develop our market offer and these themed markets will definitely add a great deal of colour and variety.

“This is an extension of the fantastic events we are now staging in the city centre, such as the successful Food & Drink Festival and Victorian Christmas Market – both of which were attended by thousands of people.

“The themed markets should create a real buzz at the heart of the city centre and there will be plenty on offer for all the family.

“It is also the ideal opportunity to make a day of it and visit Wolverhampton’s attractions, range of independent retailers, or take the weight of your feet and relax in one of the city’s cafes, pubs and restaurants.”

Organiser Dermot McGillicuddy, LSD Promotions Director, added: "Wolverhampton is a great city that already has so much to offer, it has great accessibility by rail, and public transport, reliable taxi companies all over the city, and great parking facilities.

“Our objective is to make the city a ‘go to destination’ to attract not only local people but visitors from far and wide - and we believe our special markets, festivals and events will do just that.

“We are very excited and privileged to be playing our part in presenting these new events which will develop and grow over the coming years, and our creative team are already busy brainstorming some very exciting festival themes for 2019.”

The Commonwealth is offering exceptional young people who are making a difference in their communities a chance to win a Commonwealth Youth Award. Nominations are opening for the 2019 edition of the awards, which includes a cash grant and a trip to attend the awards ceremony in London next March, during Commonwealth Week.

The awards have been running since 1985 and are delivered in partnership with the Commonwealth Youth Council and the Commonwealth Youth Networks. Layne Robinson, Head of Social Policy at the Commonwealth, says they are a golden opportunity to celebrate the role of young leaders as nation builders and partners in development, amplifying the impact of their work.

“Entrepreneurs, inventors, environmentalists, women’s rights advocates, health campaigners and political activists are just some of the diverse nominees we have had in the past. What they all have in common is their creative ideas, passion for their community and a commitment to excellence and to making a difference in their communities and the world at large. This award gives them a global platform to promote their innovations, and some funding to help them scale up their development projects,” he stated.

This year, the Youth Awards take place during the same week as International Youth Day – the UN’s annual celebration of the role of young people in creating positive change across the world. The theme of the Day is ‘Safe Spaces for Youth’.  It focuses on protecting young people’s dignity and safety and helping them to make valuable contributions to development work, particularly in relation to the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Shortlisting for the Commonwealth’s awards will be based on the impact and sustainability of the nominee’s work, their level of innovation and problem-solving, the quality of their achievements, and the supporting evidence provided.

Nominees must be:

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

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

Last year’s winner, Usman Iftikhar, a young advocate for the empowerment of migrants and refugees in Australia, reflected on receiving the prestigious award. “Young people are leading the way in achieving the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals and are an incredible asset in our quest to create a better future,” he said.

“Receiving the 2018 Award was an incredible honour and privilege that has created new opportunities for us to have an impact. One example is being invited to share our work at Catalysr during a panel at the UNCTAD World Investment Forum 2018, and launch a game-changing policy guide on entrepreneurship for migrants and refugees.”

This year’s finalists will receive a trophy, a certificate and cash grants to help them continue their development work. All finalists will be awarded £1,000. Each selected regional winner will receive an additional £2,000, bringing their total win to £3000, and the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year will also receive an additional cash grant of £2,000, bringing her/his total award to £5000.

For more information about the Awards, and to apply or nominate someone, please visit: https://commonwealth-youthexcellence.awardsplatform.com/. Entries must be received online via the link by 23:59 GMT on 31st October 2018.

The Queen of Soul was forced to cancel a series of concerts and appearances earlier this year after being warned to rest by doctors, and it is now being reported that the music icon has fallen seriously ill.

A source close to Ms. Franklin spoke to Associated Press on condition of anonymity, where the information regarding her condition was first revealed, but no other information was given.

However, it has since emerged that the songstress is “resting and surrounded by close friends and family” according to close family friend, singer/songwriter Evrod Cassimy, who tweeted out the information yesterday.

It has also been reported that Aretha Franklin has been ill for a long time, but Franklin’s nephew, Tim Franklin, spoke to People.com and confirmed that she’s “alert, laughing, teasing and able to recognise people” despite her illness and that the family remain hopeful that her health will turn around for the good.

“We believe she’ll pull through it, she believes she’ll pull through it, and that’s the important thing,” he said.

Since news broke about Franklin’s health, there has been an out-pouring of support from celebrities and fans, alike.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z dedicated their “On the Run II” concert to Aretha Franklin on Monday night, while playing in her hometown of Detroit.

“This show is dedicated to Aretha Franklin” Beyoncé said. “We love you and thank you for your beautiful music.”

All of us here at The Phoenix Newspaper hope she makes a swift and full recovery.

Britain’s world-leading researchers and entrepreneurs in the West Midlands will benefit from an additional £270 million to create the technologies of tomorrow, the Chancellor announced today.

Philip Hammond will expand successful ‘catapult centres’ which are fuelling innovation across the country, including in the West Midlands, as part of the UK’s ambitious, modern Industrial Strategy. This new funding backs Britain’s brightest talent – supporting work in high-tech labs, cutting-edge factories and advanced training centres.

So far this has helped create hundreds of new products, services and inventions, including a portable pollution sensor that parents can attach to a child’s buggy, cellular therapies to fight cancer and improve recovery of stroke victims, LED treatment for blindness, and more-efficient wings for aeroplanes.

The Chancellor made the announcement during a visit to the West Midlands on the day GDP figures showed the UK economy has grown by 0.4%.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said: “We are backing innovative British companies to grow and create jobs, as we build an economy fit for the future.

“Today’s £270 million investment for the West Midlands will support innovators across the region to create the technologies of the future and the better, highly-paid jobs we all want to see.”

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “In terms of job creation, exports and investment, the West Midlands is a genuine economic success story. Innovation is right at the heart of this.

“We identified some years ago the sectors and industries in which the West Midlands had a natural advantage and focused our attention and investment on these.

“Warwick Manufacturing Group, the MTC and the Energy Systems Catapult are leading-edge research and development centres that are working with businesses on the technologies, products and services of tomorrow and therefore creating the industries and jobs of tomorrow.”

Mr Hammond met with apprentices and workers, who specialise in automation and machining, at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry. This high-tech facility will benefit from £122 million of government funding, and is currently a world-leader in 3D printing. The funding will also go to Warwick Manufacturing Group (£99 million) and the Energy Systems Catapult, in Birmingham (£50 million).

The UK has a reputation for innovation and is building on this strength with the largest investment in research and development in 40 years. This is part of our balanced approach, getting debt falling while investing to create more opportunities for the high-skilled, well-paid jobs of the future.

The catapult network supports sectors and technologies that are going to be in high demand in the years ahead. It brings together the best of UK business, science and engineering to work side by side in research and development to ‘catapult’ products from ideas to market. It helps remove barriers to growth, which often can include access to finance, inadequate facilities or skills shortages.

Taking inspiration from Claude Cormier’s 18 Shades of Gay installation—the famous colorful balls overhanging a section of Sainte Catherine Street — Tourisme Montréal is launching its We’ve Got Balls campaign on the Toronto, Canada, New York, USA and California, USA markets. The campaign highlights the audacious side of Montréal, a city known for being a safe and welcoming destination for the LGBTQ+ community.

“Montréal is a creative, forward-thinking city and a must-visit destination for this visitor segment. We want to remind them that the city has a lot to offer with its vibrant arts and culture scene, exciting nightlife and rich and varied food scene,” explained Danièle Perron, Vice President, Marketing at Tourisme Montréal.

Montréal Pride has offered praise for the bold campaign and Tourisme Montréal’s efforts to reach out to LGBTQ+ visitors, a very important tourist segment for the city. “The balls overhanging St. Catherine Street have become a Montréal icon. Besides adding colour to the city, they make an excellent showcase for the tourism campaign,” said Éric Pineault, President and founder of Montréal Pride.

Developed by lg2 (creation) and Touché!, this campaign is part of the broader Never Grow Up communications platform launched in May. The campaign invites visitors to experience the city’s youthful energy with the message that Montréal is an immense playground where anything is possible!

Football, rugby and cricket fans along with people visiting events and concerts are urged to avoid rail travel to and from Euston station over three summer weekends.

As part of Britain’s Railway Upgrade Plan, Network Rail is replacing North Wembley junction - a major intersection on Europe’s busiest mixed-use railway.

The junction is old and replacing it will mean passenger and freight users will benefit from better, more reliable journeys in future.

Unfortunately doing this vital job requires shutting the line.  The least disruptive time to do this work, jointly agreed by rail industry partners, is over the following three weekends:

• 18-19 August
• 25-27 August (bank holiday weekend)
• 1-2 September

Train passengers are advised to plan their journeys in advance at www.nationalrail.co.uk/westcoast and using information on their train operators’ websites.

If customers cannot avoid travelling on these weekends and have plans to attend sporting events, including Warrington fans heading to the Rugby Challenge Cup at Wembley and football fans travelling to fixtures in London, they’re advised to expect very different journeys to normal - busier trains and longer, diverted routes. The advice is, as always to ‘check before you travel’ at www.nationalrail.co.uk

Martin Frobisher, managing director for Network Rail’s London North Western route said: “There is never an ideal time to shut the railway but these three weekends are the least disruptive times to do it.

“We have worked together for the past three years with train operators to carefully plan this closure of the railway in a way that minimises the impact on customers.

“It’s vital the track at North Wembley is replaced to continue to safely meet the huge demand of passenger and freight rail services on the West Coast main line. This work will result in better, more reliable journeys in future.”

Peter Broadley, executive director for customer, operations and safety at Virgin Trains on the west coast, said: “With no services into or out of Euston we strongly advise our customers to avoid travelling to London on the days affected. We know this will impact on people’s travel plans, particularly over a Bank Holiday weekend so we encourage customers to plan ahead and where possible travel at other times.”

Andrew Conroy, customer experience director for London Northwestern Railway said: “Our aim is to keep people moving if they have to travel on these dates. Improvement works are never convenient for anyone, but we have a tried and tested plan for operating buses to connect with alternative routes to and from London when Euston is closed. We still advise customers to travel on alternative days as these options will take significantly longer.”

Alan Riley, customer services director for Chiltern Railways said: “The Chiltern Railways' services between Birmingham and London Marylebone will be much busier than normal.  However, we will be doing everything we can to make it as comfortable as possible and we’ll have extra capacity where we can and extra Chiltern ambassadors at stations to help.”

Euston’s shops and access to London Underground will remain available throughout the three weekends.

Following the successful move to Perry Park and a sold out MADE Festival, the team turn their attention to the prestigious Genting Arena in Birmingham, joining forces with AEG, one of the world’s leading live music promoters, to deliver ‘MADE For The Weekend’, a two day indoor festival, unlike anything this iconic venue has seen for many years. MADE For The Weekend will take over on Friday 12th October with a massive line up of hip hop, grime and bass with Giggs, Pusha T, Stefflon Don, Maleek Berry, Preditah, Nasty C, then, on Saturday 13th October, get ready for the giants of drum ’n’ bass and house music, including Chase & Status (DJ Set) & Rage, Andy C, My Nu Leng feat. Dread MC, SaSaSaS, Gorgon City present Kingdom, Notion, Bushbaby brb Sammy Virji, Catz ‘N Dogz, Max Chapman, Eli Brown and many more yet to be announced. MADE Festival continues to raise the bar bringing this unmissable weekender to Birmingham.

As MADE Festival continues to grow, so does the scale of the team's ambitions. In partnering with AEG, MADE Festival steps up another level to bring something new to the Genting Arena; a feast of urban and electronic music guaranteed to make your weekend.

MADE Festival Director Pete Jordan comments,

“After the 5th year of the MADE Festival summer edition and a 12,000 sell-out at Perry Park in July, we felt it was time to take the brand to the next level. We wanted to bring the extravaganza of the festival into an indoor setting, and in Autumn when the UK festival season is well and truly over. Choosing the world class Genting Arena at the NEC for our new two-day event felt like an appropriate move and we cannot wait to see the all-star, multi-genre line come to life there.”

Oscar Tuttiett, AEG Promoter said,

“We are really excited to be working with the MADE Festival team. They have built a great event with a strong following and we’re looking forward to seeing how we can build on this together. We are thrilled to be doing MADE For The Weekend in Birmingham. It’s an amazing city that has been such a strong market for touring in recent years, and we hope the local community will be pleased to see this new indoor festival arrive!”

Friday 12th October will see US hip hop royalty land in Birmingham as Pusha T takes to the stage. The rapper, president of Kanye West’s GOOD Music label, has just released his new album, ‘Daytona'. With all tracks produced by Kanye, the critically-acclaimed album debuted at #3 in the Billboard 200 and crashed the charts around the world, underlining Pusha T’s status as one of the most influential names in hip hop right now. Pitchfork concluded Daytona to be “Pusha’s best work as a solo artist” - Birmingham crowds at MADE For The Weekend should prepare for an artist at the top of his game.

Representing the best of the UK is Giggs, one of the biggest names in grime. His influence is felt across rap music and he guested on two tracks on Drake’s 'More Life’ album in 2017. He remains as popular as ever with his last mixtape 'Wamp 2 Dem’ hitting #2 in the UK album charts, matching the performance of 2016’s seminal album ‘Landlord’.

The biggest female artist in UK rap, recently signed to Polydor Records, also steps up to the MADE For The Weekend stage. Stefflon Don comes alive in front of the big crowds and is sure to light some fires.

DJ and producer, Preditah, another homegrown Birmingham talent, will take over the turntables to get the Genting Arena jumping, showing why Fabric requested his unique mix of UK house, grime and garage, at the helm of a coveted Fabric Live album release.

Completing the opening bill at MADE For The Weekend is British-Nigerian, Maleek Berry, known for working with the likes of Davido and Wizkid, and his unique and addictive sound which sublimely fuses influences of R&B, afro-pop, reggae and hip-hop. And the superbly skillful MC, Nasty C, who’s currently riding high on the release of his 'Strings and Bling' sophomore album.

Saturday 13th October is another stellar line up sure to shake the Genting Arena to its foundations. Drum ’n’ Bass superstars Chase & Status arrived with a bang in 2009, hitting the UK top 10 with ‘End Credits’ featuring Plan B and have maintained their position at the pinnacle of the genre, consistently headlining major festivals around the world.

Andy C is an artist who can confidently share the spotlight with Chase & Status (they even played B2B at Amnesia in Ibiza last summer). After recently selling out Wembley Arena in only 3 days and headlining his own Ram Arena at MADE Festival 2018, his popularity just keeps on rising. The Ram Records head honcho is an integral part of drum ’n’ bass culture and his skills as a DJ and producer are second to none.

Saturday’s line up also includes some of the hottest names in house and bass, with Gorgon City bringing their bass-infused Kingdom brand to the Genting Arena in a special extended DJ set. Known for their crossover UK top 10 hits including ‘Ready For Your Love' ft MNEK and ‘Here For You’, as well as a top 10 album ‘Sirens’, Gorgon City are preparing to drop their brand new album ‘Escape’ so expect the hype around this talented duo will be at a peak when they take to the MADE For The Weekend turntables.

My Nu Leng featuring Dread MC also join the line up. The Bristol duo recently underlined their rising status with a big remix for the new Rudimental x Major Lazer track ‘Let Me Live’ and their unique, danceable vibe, crossing bass, grime, UK garage and drum ’n’ bass has seen global demand for their live sets.

Hot off the heels of their stellar performance at MADE Festival 2018, SaSaSaS will appear at MADE For The Weekend. The MC-led D ’n’ B supergroup remain one of the biggest acts to come out of the underground taking their blend of hard hitting, energetic music alongside the very best UK MC culture has to offer to festival and club stages everywhere.

Notion, one of bassline’s most prominent new-generation artists, will also step up at the Genting Arena, showing why he’s been steadily denting the game with weapons on labels likes White Peach, 877, Four40, Crucast, and his 2017-launched own label N Music, that have seen him gain support from established names such as DJ Q, Flava D and Preditah.

Saturday at MADE For The Weekend sees a not-to-be-missed back to back set from Bushbaby and Sammy Virji. The former is a key member of Brighton’s perennially on-point bass collective Southpoint, and the latter, an artist with a distinctive sound regularly supported by TQD, TS7 and many more. Expect monster basslines and broken bumpers from the duo.

The duo talent continues to hit hard when Polish groove masters, Catz ‘N Dogz, step up to the plate. The Watergate residents will no doubt have bag of weapons ready to unleash from their ever-popular pop ‘Pets’ label.

Resonance Records head honcho Max Chapman will fly the flag for UK talent. Hot from serving up his prestigious Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1 back in April, Max is primed to deliver a set of pumping, rolling house beats to crowds at MADE For The Weekend.

Finally completing the bill for now, is Eli Brown, a house producer popular with Toolroom Records, SubSoul and other leading imprints. With over a decade to his name, expect nothing short of perfection when he steps into the booth for this mammoth weekend of clubbing.

MADE For The Weekend looks certain to live up to its title; a huge two day spectacular dropping some of the hottest established, and up and coming artists into the illustrious Genting Arena for an event big enough to carry on the MADE Festival five year celebrations. With AEG also on board, the team at MADE Festival are about to break new ground and deliver a party Birmingham will never forget. Keep on socials for further line up announcements.