Award-winning Birmingham artist Reuben Colley will be transferring his fine art onto a 3 Dimensional sculpture for the first time, after it was revealed he will be designing one of this year's The Big Sleuth bears.

The Big Sleuth, so named because sleuth is the collective noun for a group of bears, is the highly-anticipated sequel to The Big Hoot, which attracted more than 800,000 visitors in 2015 and raised over £625,000 in total for Birmingham Children's Hospital Charity.

During his 20-year career, Reuben has become a well-respected artist in the Birmingham area and is now set to make his mark on the city once again with this unique project which gets its paws into the region from 10 July.

Reuben grew up in Birmingham within sight of the Aston Expressway and is now celebrated for his gritty Birmingham cityscapes. He describes designing this bear as a nostalgic process for him.

“I chose to paint this landscape on the bear as if the bear was actually there, and the painting is a reflection of its surroundings.

“Areas of scrubland amongst the city always gives me a sense of freedom. It demonstrates there is still a part of the city which hasn't been tamed, a reminder of childhood and a brief return to nature. Yet at the same time the Aston Expressway forms a continuous loop around the bear, never ending and inescapable.”

The bear, named Xt as a reference to a piece of graffiti which appears in the painting, is sponsored by business relocation specialists and The Big Sleuth logistics partner, Harrow Green.

Xt will also be printed as a limited edition landscape painting with just 50 available to buy and a percentage of all sales donated to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity. Reuben has been so touched by the charity, he has also donated his artist fee straight back into the fundraising pot.

Presented by Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity in partnership with creative producers Wild in Art, The Big Sleuth will see up to 100 beautifully designed bear statues appearing throughout the region over a 10-week period this summer with satellite trails in Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Sandwell and also at Resorts World.

Louise McCathie, Director of Fundraising at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s really special to have such an incredibly talented and renowned artist such as Reuben involved in The Big Sleuth. We are really grateful for his support throughout this project. The Big Sleuth will encourage residents and tourists to get active, enjoy being outdoors and explore parts of city they may not have been to before. We also hope to raise over half a million pounds at the auction to support the pioneering work we do here every day.”

Sally-Ann Wilkinson, Director of Wild in Art, said: “One of the fantastic things about The Big Sleuth is that it showcases well-known artists like Reuben alongside undiscovered talent.  Our public art projects also have a proven track record of increasing community engagement and were excited that residents and visitors alike will not only get to discover many artists, they will also discover the city through this visually stunning sculpture trail.”

Anyone interested in an apprenticeship with Sandwell Council is invited to find out more at an event next month.

The council will be taking on hundreds more apprentices over the coming years. Anyone interested in starting their career with the council is urged to come along to the Council House in Oldbury on Thursday 6 July.

The event, which is on from 2.30pm until 6.30pm in the council chambers, is open to people of any age.

Council apprentices who are already working for the council as well as the council’s employment team will be on hand to give advice, chat about vacancies and how to apply.

Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and investment Councillor Paul Moore said: “Apprenticeships are a great way to earn while you learn, get work experience and put some money in your pocket without leaving you with debt.

"They're not just for school leavers either, we want to hear from people of all ages who want to start a new career, gain experience and hopefully secure a great job for the future.

"Many of our apprentices go on to full-time posts with the council or their apprenticeship helps them secure future employment thanks to their new qualifications. "The apprenticeships we offer range from business admin and finance to grounds maintenance and gas services and everything in between.

“We will have some of our current apprentices on hand to tell visitors what to expect from an apprenticeship."

Birmingham City Council’s residential tower blocks are to be fitted with sprinkler systems and other fire suppression measures following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London, where 79 people are known to have died.

City Council leader John Clancy has confirmed that the council will as a matter of urgency look at the 213 blocks of flats it owns to assess what work needs to be undertaken to reassure tenants that their homes are safe.

Cllr Clancy said he was prepared to find up to an estimated £31 million to retro-fit measures which reduce the risk of fire and help tenants to feel safer.

The council leader wants Britain’s biggest councils to lobby the Government to help pay for fire suppression measures in all of the country’s local authority residential tower blocks and has written to the leaders of Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield councils asking for their support.

The nine cities plus Birmingham form the Core Cities group, representing the largest councils in the UK and are home to scores of tower blocks.

Cllr Clancy said he hoped Core Cities and other local government organisations would put pressure on the Government to come forward with a financial package to help councils meet investment in fire suppression measures such as the cost of fitting sprinklers.

Cllr Clancy intends to prioritise council spending on a rolling programme to install sprinklers, regardless of whether the Government makes a financial contribution.

One idea under consideration if Government funding is not forthcoming is to pay for the tower block fire prevention strategy from capital receipts – cash raised through selling assets owned by the council.

Cllr Clancy said: “The dreadful events in London have understandably triggered an outburst of public anger and demands that councils need to do far more to protect tenants living in high-rise blocks.

“I became council leader pledging that every child, every citizen and every place matters. Now is the time to underline that promise by recognising that as a council we have a duty to provide the best possible fire protection for our tenants, and we will do whatever it takes to keep people safe.

“But the cost of doing this for all local authorities with tower blocks is certain to be substantial and beyond the means of austerity-hit councils to afford in a timely fashion.

“The Government should accept this is a national emergency that fully justifies establishing a fund to allow councils to fit sprinkler systems as a matter of urgency.

“If the Government fails to respond appropriately, I believe our tenants would expect work on less important building projects to be delayed so that we can make sure our tower blocks are safer places to live in.

“It should also be recognised that a city-wide programme to fit fire-suppression measures will generate significant employment opportunities for Birmingham, creating skilled jobs and apprenticeships and underpinning the council’s commitment to inclusive economic growth.”

Two Birmingham-based charities have teamed up to strengthen their support for vulnerable individuals living in the Midlands.

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice and St Basils have come together for the first time ever, to help raise crucial funding to support the Midlands community.

Collaborating on a first-of-its-kind event, the two charities are working in unison to extend their reach within the Midlands, allowing them to identify and assist more people in need.

The Hospice, which provides vital care and support to families living with terminal illness, and St Basils, which works with young people who are homeless, are hosting a challenging, nine-hour relay race to bring more people together within their local communities.

The ‘Sunset Squad Relay’ event – which takes place on Saturday 22 July at Cofton Park - sees the charities working together equally, with all funds raised going towards the two causes.

Lucy Watkins, events manager at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, said: “Night time is usually the most difficult period for people in a Hospice and for people who are homeless, and it was this connection that initially brought Birmingham St Mary’s and St Basils together.

“Working in partnership has been hugely beneficial - not only are we able to pool our resources but we’ve both been able to connect with more people, helping to raise awareness of the vital services we provide.”

Barrie Hodge, head of fundraising and communications at St Basils, added: “We are delighted to be working with Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice on this event. We love working in partnership and this is an example of two of Birmingham’s most important organisations working together to make our city better for all. It is going to be a fantastic event and we can’t wait to welcome everyone taking part.”

UK seasonal fruit and vegetable growers are already experiencing the beginnings of a migrant labour crisis pending the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, according to a specialist employment lawyer.

Kate Gardner, a partner in the employment & HR team at national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP, said there is a fear amongst the farming community that they will not be able to access the labour they need once the EU free movement law no longer applies in the UK.

This combined with the lack of clarity from the Government as to the post-Brexit immigration policy for those citizens of states remaining in the EEA, is leading to fears that the British fruit and vegetable industry could be crippled.

Kate Gardner said: “Whilst a migrant labour crisis in both the agriculture and horticulture sectors is to be expected with Brexit and the loss of free movement of workers, the general uncertainties associated with Brexit as well as the weak pound have already impacted on the seasonal growers, with employers reporting to be experiencing the worst labour shortages since 2004.”

The UK agriculture and horticulture sectors have long relied on migrant labour. Recent surveys estimate that 27,000 people from other EU member states worked in UK agriculture last year.  A further 116,000 EU nationals worked in the UK’s food manufacturing sector. During peak seasons, farmers are further dependent on a large temporary workforce, thought to be around 75,000 strong, to supplement regular permanent staff in harvesting crops.

Kate continued: “The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme which was introduced in 1945 to address post-war labour shortages, allowed fruit and vegetable growers to employ migrant workers from Bulgaria and Romania to do short-term low-skill agricultural work such as strawberry picking and other fruit harvesting for a maximum of six months.  This was extremely useful and beneficial to UK farmers but unfortunately the Scheme was closed at the end of 2013.

“Submissions have been made to the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee that a new Agricultural Workers Scheme needs to be implemented with immediate effect. The Government says it currently has no plans to introduce a new scheme but it does recognise farmers’ concerns and advises that farmers should be encouraged to boost productivity by making full use of farming technologies.

“Yet whilst Brexit has given the research and development of technologies such as robots a fresh impetus, experts predict that we are at least five years away from the development of a robot that can pick delicate soft fruits such as strawberries with the speed and delicacy of a human.

“As with any aspect of Brexit, this is an evolving situation and one which we continue to watch carefully.”

Bullring hosted the first Breakfast Club in partnership with Birmingham Mind. The event was presented by Free Radio's Sparky and speakers included local rapper Smiiffy, Virtual X's Creative Director and Mike Jeffries, a representative from Birmingham Mind. 

Below are some of the statistics that were discussed during the event.

Provided by National Mind and Statistics

·      THIS WEEK IN THE UK

·      104 people will take their own life

•       250,000 people will visit their doctor about a mental health problem

•       750,000 prescriptions for antidepressants will be issued

•       ACROSS THE UK

•       Only 14% of people report living with high levels of good mental health

•       More than 4 in 10 people say they have experienced depression

•       Over a quarter of people say they have experienced panic attacks

•       Nearly 3 in 4 people living in the lowest household income bracket report having experienced a mental health problem, compared to 6 in 10 of the highest household income bracket.

•       Nearly two-thirds of people say that they have experienced a mental health problem . This rises to 7 in every 10 women, young adults aged 18-34 and people living alone.

Compiled by the Men’s Health Forum, June 2016 (Updated January 2017.)

•       Men account for just over three out of four suicides (76%) from the ONS total figure for suicides of 6,188 in 2015.

•       12.5% of men in the UK are suffering from one of the common mental health disorders

•       Men are nearly three times more likely than women to become alcohol dependent (8.7% of men are alcohol dependent compared to 3.3% of women).

•       Men are more likely to use (and die from) illegal drugs

•       Men are less likely to access psychological therapies than women. Only 36% of referrals to IAPT services are men.

•       There is considerable debate about the true level of common mental health disorders in men - In a 2016 survey by Opinion Leader for the Men’s Health Forum, the majority of men said that they would take time off work to get medical help for physical symptoms such as blood in stools or urine, unexpected lumps or chest pain, yet fewer than one in five said they would do the same for anxiety (19%) or feeling low (15%)

•       Men report significantly lower life satisfaction than women in the Government’s national well-being survey – with those aged 45 to 59 reporting the lowest levels of life satisfaction.

•       73% of adults who “go missing” are men

•       87% of rough sleepers are men

•       Men are nearly 50% more likely than women to be detained and treated compulsorily as psychiatric inpatients