Colors: Blue Color

The confidence of workers across the West Midlands has not been shaken by uncertainty around leaving the European Union, with 45 per cent admitting that they are looking for a new job this year, according to REED.

The YouGov research commissioned by specialist recruiter REED, which asked more than 2,000 people about their careers in 2017, found that 44 per cent of employees are feeling optimistic about their career prospects despite a lack of clarity created by the Brexit vote.

Optimism and confidence are high among employers too, as 53 per cent of those surveyed in the West Midlands said they had been given a pay rise in 2016, compared to just 37 per cent who were asked the same question in a previous REED survey from 2015.

While an increase in salary is still the primary motivation for workers in the West Midlands to look for a new job (45 per cent), other reasons were also revealed.28 per cent would move for an improved work-life balance and a third (33 per cent) for a better working environment. And pensions have a major impact on attracting and retaining workers with 55 per cent of people across the UK saying a pension plan is an important part of the decision to either stay in their current role or look around.

The research, commissioned to mark the launch of the REED 2017 Salary Guide, also discovered that those in senior positions have noticed a widening skills gaps among their staff. Almost half (47 per cent) of those in management, and 54 per cent in supervisor positions, now recognise a lack of skills within their organisation. This is in comparison to 42 per cent of managers and 45 per cent of supervisors1 who observed the same trend in previous research commissioned by REED last year.

Claire Harvey, Senior Divisional Director of REED in the North, said: “UK workers and businesses are confident that 2017 will be a great year for them and those in the Northern half of the country are no different. The jobs market always proves to be a good barometer for the economy and we believe this promising early indication is a sign of things to come. This research for 2017 shows that workers are confident to look for a new job despite the wider backdrop of leaving the EU.”

Among the next generation of workers, more than half (51 per cent) of those between the ages of 18 and 24  would move to have more opportunities to learn and develop their skills, 49 per cent for better career prospects and 45 per cent for a better company culture. More than half (61 per cent) of 18-24 year olds would still move for a better salary.

Harvey added: “Along with marketing and creative, digital has been a particular growth area in 2016 as more clients realise their online presence really needs to stand out in order to attract business. Job satisfaction is incredibly important and often when an employee outgrows their role, they will need to leave to continue to get job satisfaction. As such, a company that is unable to offer longer-term challenges may suffer with higher turnover.  If employers can offer young, talented workers the opportunity to learn and help this eager generation hone their skills, then companies will attract the right talent; continuing this trend of optimism into a post-Brexit world.”

From July 7th until September 3rd, The Elite Series, will take place every weekend in London at the Gfinity Esports Arena, the home of UK esports. Fans will be able to catch all the action on GfinityEsports.com and can follow this intensive nine week schedule:

o      Fridays:  Street Fighter V – 6:00pm - 10:00pm

o      Saturdays:  CS:GO 10:00am – 10:00pm

o      Sundays:  Rocket League 12:00pm – 6:00pm

The Elite Series season one starts with the regular Season, during which eight teams - with a total of 160 players - will play seven crucial matches. There will be three independent leagues - one for each game: Street Fighter V, CS:GO and Rocket League. After each team has had their one-time face off against the others, the top four will progress to the league’s playoff spots.

Playoffs will feature two semi-finals, with the winners ultimately meeting head to head in a final showdown for their share of the £225,000 prize fund and the glory of being crowned the Elite Series League Champion.

In addition to the three independent leagues for each game, Gfinity will, for the first time in esports history, be running a franchise championship, for the overall winners across the entire tournament.

The 10 year anniversary of the Smokefree legislation introduced on 1 July 2007, which banned smoking inside bars, clubs, restaurants, and other public and work places, has been marked with a dramatic steep decline in smoking rates across the West Midlands region. The last few years have seen the steepest drop in numbers, down from 23% in 2007 in the region (21% in England) to 15.4% in 2016 (15.5% in England).

Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive of Public Health England, praised this phenomenal success and the huge benefits the legislations has brought – encouraging large numbers of smokers to quit and helping improve health among both ex-smokers and non-smokers alike.

Duncan Selbie said: "The Smokefree legislation has been extraordinary in the way we now experience and enjoy pubs, clubs, restaurants and so many other public places. Young people have not had to experience the smoke filled bars and clubs that once choked their parents and workers. They’ve grown up in a world where smoking is no longer socially acceptable.

“The law has played a key part in the huge cultural change we have seen in the past decade, especially among younger people, a change that has literally saved thousands from disabling chronic diseases and premature death.”

New figures from PHE show that the number of smokers aged 35 and over dying from heart disease in the West Midlands has fallen significantly from 39.5 per 100,000 head population in 2007-09 to 29.5 in 2013-15; while deaths from stroke have fallen from 12.7 per 100,000 head population in 2007-09 to 9.5 in 2013-15.

Commenting on the impact on societal attitudes over the past decade the Smokefree legislation has led to, Duncan Selbie said: “The Smokefree legacy has had a phenomenally positive impact on societal attitudes to smoking, and smokers have seized the opportunity by quitting in unprecedented numbers and, of those still smoking, half have chosen to smoke outside of their own homes to protect their families from second hand smoke. The Smokefree legislation was undoubtedly the single most important public health reform in generations.”

The smoking indoor ban was the first, and the most important, in a series of 10 pieces of tobacco legislation over 10 years.

Duncan Selbie said: “We’ve seen cigarettes stubbed out in public places, become far less visible in shops and had large graphic warnings put on packs starkly explaining what these things do to the human body.

A fluffy new arrival is melting hearts at the National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham after its parents crossed continents to conceive.

A rare Gentoo penguin has hatched at the centre’s ice adventure following a global breeding programme aimed at increasing the declining population. The chick is the first to be born in England in 2017 and a first ever at the National Sea Life Centre.

The chick, which has yet to be named, is being cared for by its doting parents, who have flown from opposite ends of the earth to find love in the Midlands.

Dad is Pablo, a 4 year-old Gentoo from New Zealand, whilst Mum, Arabel, is 6 and hails all the way from Calgary in Canada. The penguins arrived in 2014 and 2016 respectively, joined most recently by a group from Billund in Denmark as efforts to diversify the gene pool continue.

19 different Sea Life attractions and over 400 penguins, from 5 different species, are involved in the breeding programme, set up after Gentoo numbers declined rapidly and they became near endangered.

Factors include damage to their habitats from tourism, pollution and the illegal collection of their eggs, as well as the birds’ sensitive breeding nature.

Hayley Roberts, penguin specialist at the National Sea Life Centre, said: “We are overjoyed at the arrival of our first ever Gentoo baby – the first this year in England. Gentoos are notoriously tricky to encourage to breed because they are such sensitive birds and we have worked tirelessly from when the breeding programme was first conceived - more than three years ago now - to make sure every detail was perfect for our penguins.

“First we had to make sure we found the right genetic matches for each bird because if the gene pool isn’t diverse enough there can be big problems. We also had to make sure their environment was as close as we could make it to the most ideal conditions in the wild – we factored in temperature, lighting, colours, food, the right rocks and pebbles for use in social activities and the right amount of water for swimming.

“We then had to transport our penguins from three different continents, so our chick really is the most wanted baby we’ve ever tried to breed – we have moved mountains for its parents to conceive, so we are overwhelmed with delight at its arrival.”

The baby penguin is doing well. It weighed 91 grams at birth and will continue to eat from mum’s regurgitated food until it’s old enough to begin learning how to swim and feed. A DNA test will be carried out to determine the sex after three to four months.

It may soon be celebrating the arrival of a brother or sister too!

The UK’s major cities are experiencing a boom in house prices this summer, with new statistics showing property values in key conurbations have risen by 3.5 per cent in the last three months.

Figures from Hometrack show the significant rate of growth across 20 large cities has taken the average price to £210,200. Locations included in its study range from London to Cambridge, Oxford, Aberdeen, Portsmouth, Bristol and Sheffield.

It comes as Zoopla statistics show the UK as a whole has enjoyed a 1.01 per cent increase in house prices in the last quarter, adding more than £3,000 to the value of an average home.

Kevin Shaw, national sales director at property specialist Leaders, says: “Despite the uncertainty of Brexit and the recent general election, these figures show the property market remains incredibly strong and continues to grow at a fast pace.

“Half of the major cities included in Hometrack’s reports are seeing house prices grow at a higher rate than they were this time last year, with property values up by 3.9 per cent in Nottingham, 3.8 per cent in Birmingham, 3.5 per cent in Newcastle and Liverpool and 3.5 per cent in Manchester in the last three months alone.

“Interestingly, it is larger regional cities that are driving the market with the largest gains, whereas in London growth actually slowed. This pours cold water on the idea of the capital being responsible for the majority of growth and proves the entire country is performing well.

“Low mortgage rates continue to help buyers looking to take their next step and make moving home a more attractive proposition, although there continues to be a lack of supply of housing to fully satisfy demand.”

Hometrack added it does not expect London growth rates – currently 3.3 per cent over the last year and 1.9 per cent in the most recent quarter – to head into negative figures in 2017.

City Wolverhampton Council and city partners have launched a website to offer residents, businesses, and providers improved access to skills, training and employment opportunities.

Employers and training providers today (Thursday) gathered at an event at Molineux Stadium to view and support ‘Workbox’, which will act as a one-stop hub, forming part of the wider Skills and Employment Action Plan to tackle unemployment in the city.

It will provide flexible and customised provision to prepare people better for work and employers will contribute by designing bespoke training to ensure a larger proportion of people become job ready over time - creating a more reliable local labour supply.

Employers, in the future will also be able to advertise local jobs on Workbox and it feeds into the Wolves@Work employment programme, where work coaches offer advice and support to residents.

This is the first phase of Workbox, with further development set to take place to make it more interactive and tailored to the user’s needs.

David Danger, Chair of Employment & Skills Group, and Managing Director of UTC Marston Aerospace, added: “Workbox is a priority of the city Skills and Employment Action Plan and aims to create a virtual system that makes it easier for local people to obtain information, advice and guidance.

“It is a tool to really help co-ordinate and connect people to local opportunities, and has been developed with many partners, residents and businesses, with further development to come in its offer and interactivity.”

Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for City Economy, added: ““Workbox will act as a ‘front door’ to information, advice and job opportunities.

“Organisations at today’s event were able to further input into the design as well as support the launch.

“This is the start of the journey for Workbox and it will continue to develop and change to reflect the needs of the city.”

Workbox has been co-designed with City of Wolverhampton College, University of Wolverhampton, Community Learning Platform, Department for Work and Pensions, Adult Education Wolverhampton, Connexions, schools, residents, employers and training providers.

It will provide an intensive local support system which has not existed before in Wolverhampton. Residents will be able to sign up to local information about opportunities and access support. It will also be a tool for frontline staff and a Workbox training programme will support those staff who are working with young care leavers and offenders so these young people can gain access to local training, apprenticeships and employment opportunities.

There will be something for all ages on Egyptian Day (13 August) including handling objects 3000 years old and listening to talks by a Professor of Egyptology. Meet Irethoreru - that's the newly-discovered name of the 2600 year old mummy that would have been inside the Castle's Ancient Egyptian coffin lid exhibited on the Great Hall Gallery.

Take part in a workshop to make a clay mummy with Kentish artist Brenda Burgess and listen to Egyptologist Mick Oakey who will deliver a talk about a day in the life of an Ancient Egyptian “What did Irethoreru have for breakfast?”

Don't forget to visit 'The Fields of Eternity' - the Castle's unique, award-winning Ancient Egyptian-themed conceptual grass maze too!

All activities are included in the usual Castle admission fee except face painting when a small charge will apply.

The event will take place on Sunday 13 August between 11am and 5pm.

The Castle will also be open for visitors to explore the exquisite Japanese and Egyptian museum Collections of the late owner Denys Eyre Bower together with Buddhist and Stuart treasures. Explore the original Victorian rooms inside the Castle, including the large kitchen and servants' quarters, and enjoy reading about the colourful and eventful life of Denys Eyre Bower in his study.

Jacksons Lane Arts Centre will enjoy continued support from Arts Council England until at least 2022, the organisation has announced.

The arts centre in Jacksons Lane, Highgate, is one of hundreds across the country to be announced as part of the Arts Council’s National Portfolio (NPO), which gives financial support to arts and culture organisations and helps to develop new cultural programmes.

Jacksons Lane, hailed as the country’s leading venue for contemporary circus, said remaining a part of the National Portfolio will enable it to develop and expand partnerships to support the future of the circus and arts sector.

The Arts Centre has also been awarded a £165,000 development grant to help it develop detailed plans for large-scale improvements to the building. The council has also committed to supporting Jacksons Lane’s improvements.

Haringey Council Leader Claire Kober said: “Huge congratulations to Jacksons Lane. Everyone in Haringey recognises the tremendous contribution the Arts Centre makes to culture not just in Highgate and Haringey but also across London, and throughout the country.

"It’s fantastic to see the Arts Council also recognising this with ongoing National Portfolio support and grant funding that will help Jackson Lane draw up more detailed improvement plans for this much-loved venue.”

Qatar Airways has celebrated 10 years of unparalleled service to the United States by illuminating the Empire State Building in its signature burgundy and white colours. The airline will continue its celebrations with a series of activities including, special offers from the U.S. to more than 100 destinations worldwide, as well as bonus Qmiles for Privilege Club frequent flyer members.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency, Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “We were honoured to display our colours on one of the most iconic skyscrapers in the world, and the headquarters of our USA and Americas Regional offices, the Empire State Building. We believe this is a true testament to our positive presence and fantastic support in the United States.

“Qatar Airways is proud to have provided a decade of quality international service for our valued travellers in the United States, and we are looking forward to serving the Americas for many more years to come.

“Qatar Airways continues to expand and grow; with upcoming planned services to both Las Vegas and San Francisco. Never has Qatar Airways’ commitment to the American market been stronger, and providing a vital international link between the USA to Qatar and beyond remains our goal.”

Qatar Airways’ first flight to the U.S., on 28 June, 2007, was to New York City, this was closely followed by service to Washington, D.C., the following month. 2016 was a particularly busy year in the U.S. for Qatar Airways as it launched flights to Los Angeles, Boston and Atlanta taking the total number of gateways into North America to 10, including Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Miami and Philadelphia.

As part of its continuing expansion efforts within the country, Qatar Airways is planning to launch services to San Francisco and Las Vegas in 2018. The American expansion is just part of the overall airline growth plans, which include new routes to Canberra (Australia), Chiang Mai (Thailand), Douala (Cameroon), Libreville (Gabon), Rio de Janeiro, (Brazil), Santiago (Chile), as well as many other exciting destinations.

To further strengthen its position as an industry leader, Qatar Airways has just launched the groundbreaking Qsuite to London and will bring the patented product to New York City in September.

Birmingham Museums Trust has secured Arts Council England investment of over £4million for the next four years (2018 – 2022), through the funder’s new national portfolio.

The Trust was recognised as outstanding throughout many areas of the application, including the creative case for diversity, which asks organisations to enrich the work they do by embracing a wide range of diverse influences and practices to reach new audiences.

Funding will allow Birmingham Museums to continue to care for and develop the city’s museum collection and venues, as well as working on ambitious plans for the future of the organisation.

Ellen McAdam, Director of Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “We are thrilled to hear about our funding settlement and our status as a National Portfolio Organisation.

“This announcement confirms Arts Council England’s confidence in Birmingham Museums Trust and our plans for the future, which include the re-development of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery to attract growing and increasingly diverse audiences.

“Despite challenging economic circumstances Birmingham Museums Trust has continued to adapt and thrive, inspiring learning, creativity and enjoyment for the people of the city and across the region. We care for one of the three greatest civic collections in the UK, and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is the most visited civic museum in England. This funding allows us to forge ahead with our plans, while continuing to welcome our visitors to experience the outstanding collection and learn about our shared heritage across our nine sites.

“Museums should be for everyone and Arts Council England’s continued support highlights their commitment to this.”

Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England said: "Birmingham Museums Trust cares for one of the most important civic museum collections in England. Its sites help preserve local histories alongside exhibitions that share international stories. We're delighted to be investing in its work over the next four years, and look forward to seeing the Trust continue to draw visitors from around the world to Birmingham."

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash hit West End production of School of Rock – The Musical will hold open auditions on 15 July in Birmingham and 23 September 2017 in Liverpool, for the opportunity to join the band as part of the kids’ cast of the hit musical currently playing at the New London Theatre.  If you’re between 8 – 12 years old and play the drums, keys or the electric or bass guitar, they want to hear from you!

Tom Abisgold, 13 years old from Cheshire, one of the original West End cast said: “I’ve had the best time ever being part of the band at School of Rock.  I made my West End debut playing the guitarist Zack – how cool is that?!  When I auditioned for the part I never imagined that I’d be joining an actual band and working with Andrew Lloyd Webber and the rest of the amazing cast and crew.  I am so glad that my Mum and Dad encouraged me to audition in the first place. I have been on TV, walked red carpets and won an Olivier award*.  It’s been hard work and we practise hard but it’s really a dream come true, and I’d encourage any kid who plays one of the band instruments to come and audition, you’ll have the time of your life!”

Jessica Ronane, Children’s Casting Director, said: “We look forward meeting with the next generation of rockstars, as we continue our auditions in Sheffield, Birmingham and Liverpool.  If you can play the drums, keys or the electric and bass guitar, we want to hear from you, and if you’re nervous about skills just get in touch and we can give you more details.  Come and ‘pledge allegiance to the band!’”

School of Rock features music from the movie, as well as new music written by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Glenn Slater and a book by Julian Fellowes.   The production was winner of the 2017 Whatsonstage Best New Musical Award and is nominated for three 2017 Olivier awards, winning Outstanding Achievement in Music for the Kids Bands in the show.

Based on the iconic hit movie and with a rocking new score by Andrew Lloyd Webber, School of Rock – The Musical follows slacker and wannabe rock star Dewey Finn turn a class of straight-A 10 year old students into an ear popping, riff scorching, all conquering rock band!  Dewey poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school to make ends meet, and when he discovers his fifth graders’ musical talents, he enlists his class to form a rock group and conquer the Battle of the Bands.  As Dewey falls for the beautiful headmistress, can he and his students keep this special assignment secret as they learn to fully embrace the power of rock?

For a third time since its West End premiere School of Rock - The Musical recently announced a further booking extension with tickets now available to 14 January 2018.  Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, the record breaking West End production of School of Rock - The Musical opened to rave reviews in November 2016 and has played to packed houses every night, with the cast also making appearances on some of the UK’s biggest TV shows including The X Factor, The One Show, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and Tonight at the London Palladium.  In New York, the Broadway production now in its second year, continues to play to packed houses at the Winter Garden Theater.

School of Rock — The Musical is produced in the West End by Andrew Lloyd Webber for The Really Useful Group and Warner Music Group & Access Industries with Madeleine Lloyd Webber as Executive Producer.

To register your interest and for more details visit www.schoolofrockthemusical.co.uk/opencall

Ask any pet owner and the thought of losing their pet is their biggest fear, that’s why Pets at Home has launched an innovative 24 hour pet finding service, Find My VIP, that allows lost pet alerts to be sent via the Pets at Home app, making printing off lost pet posters a thing of the past.

According to research*, one in three pets will go missing at some point, so, the new app, the first of its kind in the UK, will improve the chance of finding a pet quickly.

The app works by using Pets at Home’s VIP Club, consisting of 5 million members, who effectively become one huge search party. To use the service, owners simply need to purchase a Find My VIP collar ID from their local Pets at Home store or online at www.petsathome.co.uk/findmyvip, and register the unique 8 digit ID on the tag online or via the Pets at Home app, which is free to download, to activate it.

If the worst happens and your pet goes missing, you can immediately then send out an alert to VIP members in your local area notifying them. They will receive a notification with your pet’s missing information including a photo of your pet, their name, breed, temperament and last known location.

With more than 5 million VIP members, your missing pet’s information will be circulated quickly to a network of likeminded owners who will then be on the lookout for your missing pet. If one of the search party, a VIP member, finds your pet they can call the 24 hour finders helpline and reference the unique 8 digit code, found on the back of the collar ID.

If your pet needs to go to the vet as a result of going missing, Pets at Home will cover the cost of any treatment given** and the finders helpline will then arrange for the owner and pet to be reunited as soon as possible.

Peter Pritchard, CEO of Retail, said: “Find My VIP is a revolutionary service, the first of its kind in the UK, that will give owners peace of mind. If the unthinkable happens and your pet goes missing then you know you can rely on a network of more than 5 million pet owners to help find your pet quickly.”

Cineworld Birmingham Broad Street is pleased to announce the arrival of action-packed blockbuster, Spider-man: Homecoming, in the multi-sensory cinematic experience of 4DX from 5 July 2017.

Stimulating all five senses, 4DX works in perfect synchronicity with the film to give the viewer a true taste of the onscreen action in a truly distinctive and personal way. High-tech motion seats will have the audience gasping as they experience the effects of wind, water, fog, snow, tickling, strobe lights and vibrations in sync with Peter Parker. There are now a total of 10 Cineworld 4DX screens in the UK.

4DX has been adopted by the big Hollywood Studios with more than 75 movies, including recent blockbusters such as Fast & Furious 8, Transformers: The Last Knight and soon Despicable Me 3 all screened in 4DX. Projected to be one of the most immersive experiences in 4DX yet, Spider-man: Homecoming will be available in both 2D and 3D formats, and 4DX, which is exclusive to Cineworld.

The 4DX auditorium at Cineworld Birmingham Broad Street houses 269 specially designed seats, plus a curved screen – bigger than a double decker bus.

Paul Millington, General Manager at Cineworld Birmingham Broad Street, comments: “Over 600,000 people have tried the 4DX experience and loved it, so we’re really excited to give our visitors the chance to experience Spider-man: Homecoming in this format. We’re continually improving and updating the sensory effects available to our customers, with the hotly anticipated Spider-man: Homecoming film sure to thrill fans in 4DX. 4DX is exclusive to Cineworld in the UK, and we cannot wait to see customers’ reactions when they watch this film!”

Spiderman: Homecoming will be available in 4DX at Cineworld Birmingham Broad Street from 5 July 2017.

In response to the Manchester Arena terror attack, tattoo artists from across the country have come together in unity to support the Manchester Tattoo Appeal. The campaign has now raised an incredible £519,762 which equates to 10,000 bee tattoos and makes it the 5th largest crowdfunding page on the site.

Tattoo parlours across the UK pledged their own time and resources to tattoo as many Manchester Bees as possible as a lasting symbol of Manchester's courage, strength and defiance to raise money for the families affected by the terrible tragedy.

On the JustGiving page it says: “There has been an overwhelming response from studios across the UK, Europe and the World who have opened their doors in solidarity.

“We are hugely grateful to all the studios and artists taking part, and we ask that all funds raised are donated through the official Manchester Tattoo appeal JustGiving page, so as to keep an accurate running total.”

A supporter who left a message on the site said: “I had my tattoo today and donated £50. It just shows at this tragic time we all support each other and stand together.”

In total, over £4.7 million (including gift aid) has now been raised, from over 900 online JustGiving fundraising campaigns and over 143,987 donations, to support the victims and their families.

Oscar-nominated actress and UK Global Dementia Friends Ambassador Carey Mulligan and Alzheimer’s Society announce today that a staggering two million people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have united to become Dementia Friends.

This includes Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire where 343 Dementia Friends Champions, who are volunteers aiming to help raise awareness about dementia, have helped 61,225 people become Dementia Friends.

Alzheimer’s Society’s initiative Dementia Friends was launched in 2013 to tackle stigma that results in social exclusion for people with dementia and since then it has been transforming the way people act, think and talk about the condition.

Dementia is the biggest health and social care crisis facing society today. Someone develops the condition every three minutes and too many are facing it alone. The award-winning star has experienced first-hand the devastating impact of dementia, and is speaking candidly for the first time since her grandmother died with the condition earlier this year.

Carey Mulligan said: “Dementia can devastate lives – I’ve seen first-hand through my grandmother exactly how hard it can be and find the idea of people with dementia being excluded from society deeply distressing.

“Dementia Friends has made huge strides in tackling the social isolation many people with dementia experience and the two million milestone is an incredible achievement – but we have a long way to go before society is fully accepting and need people everywhere to unite against the cruel stigma associated with dementia.”

Carey became a Global Dementia Friends Ambassador for Alzheimer's Society in 2016, having been a long-term supporter of the charity. Her grandmother Margaret, known as Nans, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2004 and sadly passed away with the condition earlier this year. In her role, Carey has been committed to spreading greater awareness of the condition across the world and bringing continued attention to the urgent need for a dementia friendly society.

Steve Hayward, Services Manager in Birmingham and Solihull at Alzheimer’s Society said:

“It’s encouraging to see what a difference can be made when people become Dementia Friends. Up and down the country, many people are no longer being excluded in their own communities

“The public response so far has been phenomenal, but we must not lose momentum as dementia continues to be the biggest health and social care crisis of our time. We need all of society to unite with us against dementia by becoming a Dementia Friend.”

A plan to make it as easy as possible for residents to dispose of waste at the city’s five Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) will see businesses using vans charged to dispose of their waste from 10 July 2017.

The proposal, devised in recognition of the fact it is the law for firms to have suitable waste arrangements, means the HRCs will continue to be free of charge for all Birmingham citizens wishing to dispose of household items. The change will also enable better management of queues at busier times, reducing the time visitors will have to wait to dispose of their waste.

Under the new system, anyone with a van will need to call by telephone to pre book a slot. For residents this will continue to be free, but for businesses there will be a cost of £75 per visit. Businesses will also only be permitted to use James Road HRC in Tyseley.

Timeslots for residents wanting to take their waste in vans to the HRC will be Monday to Friday (10am-6pm) and weekends (8am-4pm).

Timeslots for firms wanting to take advantage of the service will be Monday to Friday (8am-10am and 6pm-7pm).

Standard “Transit”-sized vans and minivans will be accepted on site – but “Luton” vans, cage vans and tipper vans are all prohibited. Anyone hiring a van to take advantage of the new chargeable service is advised to book their slot before booking their van, to ensure they don’t get the wrong type of vehicle as per above.

Cllr Lisa Trickett, Cabinet Member for Clean Streets, Recycling and Environment, said: “The key point about this new service is that there will continue to be no charge for Birmingham’s citizens who have waste from their own home that they wish to dispose of. The £75 charge for vans will only apply to businesses depositing waste at the HRC.

“This is about ensuring fairer use of our HRCs and ensuring that taxpayer money is spent in the most effective way possible. Businesses have a legal obligation to dispose of their waste responsibly and this offers an easy and convenient way for many firms to do this.

“By creating a hub for this service at the Tyseley site, we will also be releasing some of the pressure than can build up at our other sites during peak times.”