Community News

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councilor Carl Rice, will lead Birmingham’s Remembrance Sunday service and parade at the Hall of Memory this Sunday with proceedings beginning with the Salvation Army Band and the West Midlands Fire Service Pipe Band to commence playing on Centenary Square, with uniformed contingents marching on to the square, followed by the Standards and Association march.

A group of prominent civic and faith leaders from across the UK travelled to France for a series of interfaith solidarity events in the run up to the first anniversary of the Paris attacks as part of an initiative which includes engagements across Paris and Rouen at key locations associated with the terrorist attacks. The aim of the trip was to highlight unity and reinforce the bonds of solidarity between international communities, at a time when terrorists are desperately trying to tear societies apart.

The journey to help the Commonwealth reverse the human impact of climate change has begun. That’s according to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland. She was speaking at a two-day brainstorming session at the Commonwealth Secretariat headquarters in London. Climate change experts focused on exploring practical and economically viable solutions to combat decades of harm to the environment.  

New figures published today show the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children supported by Haringey has increased to 46 this week. These include 3 children from Calais who arrived here this week under the ‘Dubs Amendment’. In January 2016 Haringey was supporting 31 unaccompanied asylum seeking children.  Unaccompanied asylum seeking children are under 18 and have no family in the UK. Haringey provides extensive support to these vulnerable children including fostering to give them a secure home and educational support.

Artists, both well-known and, as yet, undiscovered are invited to submit designs for The Big Sleuth’s Sun Bears. Download an artist pack from www.thebigsleuth.co.uk/artists and submit ideas online before midnight on Monday 2 January 2017 to be in with a chance of seeing your Sun Bear design on display in Birmingham and its surrounding areas next summer.

Religious leaders from around the world gathered in St Andrews on to sign the ‘Declaration on a Shared Humanity,’ to marks the culmination of the Year of Interfaith Dialogue, an initiative set up to stimulate conversation about the commonalities between the different faiths. Attended by senior members of the Christian Churches and the Catholic Church, members of the Hindu community from the UK and India, leaders of the UK Jewish community, senior Buddhist monks and the representative of the Dalai Lama, the 130-strong religious delegation from 19 countries was joined by 32 school pupils from Fife in the signing.

The UK’s leading registration body for electricians is urging people to think electrics when they carry out their checks on the elderly this winter. Proportionately, older people suffer more fatal and non-fatal injuries from electrically-related house fires than the rest of the population. People over 65 are particularly at risk because they often live in old or poor-quality housing that contains faulty electrics or old appliances.

Scott and Brett Bernard are 3,900 meters up Kilimanjaro raising money for The Way Youth Zone in Wolverhampton. Five friends from around the Black Country are trekking six vertical kilometers across seven days as they scale Africa's highest mountain to raise money for the three charities: Promised Dreams, The Way Youth Zone and Birmingham Children's Hospital. 

The risk of drivers having an accident in the 4 weeks following the clocks changing at the end of October increases by 10%, and if they are driving between 5pm and 8pm, when it’s both dark and busy on the roads, the risk of having an accident rises dramatically by 30%  compared to the previous month according to Insure The Box, the global pioneer of telematics-based car insurance, and a champion for young driver safety.

City of Wolverhampton Council has released details of how people can take part in a consultation on cuts proposals of £13.5 million. The council, which continues to manage Central Government funding reductions, is giving people the chance to have their say before the 2017/2018 budget is set in the Spring. People are being asked for their views on 32 proposals which are a combination of cuts, more efficient ways of working and plans to generate additional income.

Children’s charity Barnardo’s has been chosen by Network Rail employees as their ‘Charity of Choice’ until March 2019. They will support Barnardo’s through fundraising, volunteering, gifts in kind and payroll giving to help the charity with its work to transform the lives of some of the UK’s most vulnerable children. Information about Barnardo’s work will also be displayed at nineteen mainline stations in England and Scotland, including Birmingham New Street and Bristol Temple Meads.

Six spectacular lights switch-ons – including a city centre celebration featuring a fantastic firework finale – are all lined up to get Wolverhampton counting down to Christmas. Santa and his reindeer will be joined by the Mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Barry Findlay, CBeebies favourite Boj, Doreen, who is appearing in the Grand Theatre’s pantomime Aladdin, and Wolverhampton Wanderers footballers for the magical Christmas lights switch on in the city centre on Wednesday 23 November, 2016.

This Halloween we're working with environmental charity Hubbub to save pumpkins from going to waste. It might be getting spooky, as the ghouls and goblins begin to descend on London, but research suggests that it's pumpkins that have got the most to be scared of this Halloween. That's why the people of north London are being asked to go on a rescue mission, to salvage the little orange squashes from their otherwise grisly doom, and save unnecessary food waste.

It’s my goldfishes birthday, I’ve broken my leg and we’re trying for a baby are amongst some of the oddest excuses being used by Brits to get out of a night out according to a new survey. Half of Brits (50%) admit to ditching their friends ahead of a night out in favour of a takeaway and a box set. If FOMO (fear of missing out) was 2015. JOMO (joy of missing out) is 2016.

The latest round of the coveted Commonwealth Education Good Practice awards is now open to organisations that are delivering innovative education projects around the Commonwealth. Civil society groups, ministries of education and other private and public organisations can be nominated or nominate themselves for the accolade. Organisations vying for the award must demonstrate excellence in one of five key areas of education delivery.