Ashley Jensen has donned her wellies in a bid to encourage nurseries, early years groups, families and children up and down the country to take part in Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Walk for Save the Children.

The actress, best known for her roles in the television series Ugly Betty, Extras and Catastrophe, has taken part in her own Muddy Puddle Walk to encourage the nation to sign up and jump in muddy puddles, like Peppa Pig, for a worthy cause.

The brand-new fundraiser has been launched by Save the Children in partnership with Entertainment One’s (eOne) Peppa Pig. By taking part in a Muddy Puddle Walk between 8 and 14 May 2017, participants are encouraged to explore the world around them, splash in muddy puddles and raise money to help Save the Children give every last child the chance to learn, play and grow up healthy and happy.

Ashley Jensen, Save the Children Ambassador, says: “I’m encouraging everyone to get outside, come rain or shine, and help raise much needed funds for Save the Children. It’s so easy to take part and it’s the perfect excuse to explore the outdoors with your little ones! By jumping in muddy puddles like Peppa Pig and raising money for Save the Children you can help the world’s most vulnerable children have a brighter future. I’ve seen the charity’s work first hand so know what a difference it makes. I’m proud to do my bit to help raise awareness and funds.”

Ashley has supported Save the Children’s vital work since 2011 and has visited the charity’s projects in India, Tanzania and Greece.

Sign up your nursery or family now at MuddyPuddleWalk.org to get your free Muddy Puddle Fundraising Pack, full of fundraising ideas and tips for great walks and activities indoors and out – including free Peppa stickers and Save the Children balloons too.

There are lots of easy ways to raise money on your Muddy Puddle Walk for Save the Children. The free fundraising pack is full of great activities and fundraising ideas, so you can choose which option will work best for you and your children. Your little ones can get sponsored to walk or splash in puddles at the park, or they can simply donate to join your muddy puddle walk. You can even top up your total by baking and selling Muddy Puddle cupcakes!

Young architects, city planners and engineers are now showcasing their dynamic artwork as part of a schools’ art showcase at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.

Students from the innovative West Midlands Construction University Technical College (WMCUTC), a new school specialising in construction and the Application of IT in the Built Environment, are exhibiting etchings, pen and ink drawings and photography at the Lichfield Street gallery until Tuesday, May 23.

Among images on show are two copies of pen and ink drawings of the college’s Springfield Brewery campus created by Year 10 students. The detailed drawings were presented to the HRH Duke of Gloucester and Lord Baker at the college’s recent official opening.

Other pieces include highly detailed and photorealistic hand drawn pencil portraits and large photography pieces on display. The work of Year 10 photography students records the sense of place with shots of the listed Springfield Brewery campus.

The exhibition is part of the gallery’s Young Artists programme, which celebrates the work of students from various schools across the city.

Councillor John Reynolds, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “The standard of work in this showcase is extremely high and well worth celebrating. Well done to all the students taking part and good luck in their future endeavours.”

The exhibition is in the Sense and Sculpture gallery on the first floor of the gallery.

WMCUTC is a new school, which specialises in construction and the application of IT in the Built Environment providing high quality technical education for 14 to 19 year olds.

Students can follow three pathways in the school -  design, build or innovate.

Design students look to careers such as architecture, interior design, town planning and landscape design, although all students, whether aiming to become civil engineers or software developers, study a core curriculum including a design element.

The Black Country Chamber of Commerce Awards 2017 have been officially launched, celebrating the best in business from across the region.

The Black Country Chamber celebrated the fantastic businesses in the region last year with a sell out Awards Dinner, and this year is set to be even bigger with more Awards on offer. In addition, the Chamber is working closely with the British Chambers of Commerce so that businesses who apply for certain awards will also be entered into the regional and national Awards. These Awards are an ideal platform upon which to showcase your company and celebrate your success, as we recognise those who contribute towards the local economy.

This year we have increased the number of Awards, allowing us to celebrate more businesses and shout about the great work that is happening across the Black Country. The winners will be announced at the Black Country Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner, which will take place on 17^th November 2017 at Wolverhampton Racecourse.

Please note, the Black Country Chamber of Commerce Awards 2017 are now open for entry and the deadline to apply is 3pm on Friday 30^th June 2017.

Sutton Coldfield MP, Andrew Mitchell and Strictly Come Dancing’s, AJ Pritchard and Chloe Hewitt attended the launch of Stage Studios, the new performing arts facility at Sutton Coldfield College – giving the building and its students top marks. 

Sutton Coldfield MP, Andrew Mitchell officially opened the Stage Studios by unveiling a commemorative plaque. 

He said: “Sutton Coldfield has a thriving arts community where individuals of all ages and from all backgrounds can be involved in or be entertained by a range of shows and productions.  The Stage Studios will be a vital part of this local scene.”

Dance duo, AJ Pritchard and Chloe Hewitt who first found fame on Britain’s Got Talent congratulated dance, musical theatre and acting students for the routines, songs and monologues they performed at the launch event.  These included a vocal performance from Hamilton – The Musical, a Shakespeare monologue and a dance routine to the Austin Powers movie theme song.

AJ and Chloe also took part in a Q&A session with students where they shared their experiences of competing in dance events and becoming national and European Latin dance champions.

AJ said: “The studios are fantastic.  It’s great that the college offers a whole performing arts package where learners can hone their creative skills.  Everyone has to start somewhere, so the more knowledge these students gain, the more power they have to achieve their goals.

“And I love how these students are involved in other things on top of their college courses.  Belonging to dance groups, taking part in events and appearing in productions at different theatres will help them go as far as possible in their careers.”

Stage Studios is a £168,000 custom-built facility containing four brand new studios.  150 students developing skills in dance and choreography, drama, acting and theatre studies will benefit from state-of-the-art equipment and the best teaching resources available.  The college offers performing arts courses from GCSE-equivalent to university level.

Sutton Coldfield College Principal, Andrew Cleaves said: “Stage Studios give our students the creative freedom and motivation to develop their skills and perform at their very best.  They have a more flexible area in which to rehearse and to work with other companies and community organisations so they can build on their experiences while working with some of the best people in the industry.”

Guests from local schools, dance schools, theatres and the wider performing arts industry also attended the Stage Studios launch, along with some of the college’s former students.

According to the latest Lloyds Bank regional PMI for March, there has been some easing of performance in Britain, coupled with an acceleration of price pressures. In particular, the latest regional PMI data shows a softening but still robust performance in the West Midlands, which is down from 57.0 in February to 56.1. This reflects the softening seen in the national manufacturing and construction PMIs in March, and in official data with short-term indicators showing slowing but still positive output performance.

Nevertheless, UK manufacturing, construction, and services PMIs all reported an increase in confidence for the next twelve months, with confidence in the manufacturing sector reaching a ten-month high. A lowering of Brexit uncertainty among clients was reported, providing a boost to output demand. There was also increased demand and interest from foreign markets, most probably due to the lower value of Sterling, thereby making UK businesses more internationally price competitive.

The UK PMIs saw increases in new orders in March, with further demand from foreign markets for manufacturers and services providers, and lower anxiety surrounding Brexit was a contributing factor for construction. As a region, the West Midlands appears to be outperforming the UK in terms of new orders, which has enabled growth. Furthermore, as business outstanding increases, there could be an increase in employment as companies raise their capacity to deal with new business. This was reflected in March’s PMIs, with the West Midlands showing employment growth above the UK overall.

The Sterling effective exchange rate has fallen 10.4% since the Brexit referendum and has contributed to tightening inflationary pressures, with the CPI reaching 2.3% in February, the strongest since September 2013. According to official data, producer input prices have risen 19.1% over the same period, and has fed through into producer output prices, which have increased 10.7%. Transport, especially fuel prices were the principal contributory factors. Similar price pressures were evident in the recent PMIs, and remained acute in March. Manufacturing, construction, and services PMIs all reported increases in input prices in March. These pressures were evident in the regional PMIs, with input and output costs rising faster in the Midlands than the UK overall, and many businesses reporting that squeezed profit margins were causing them to pass on costs to clients.

Corin Crane, Chief Executive of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, commented: “The latest West Midlands PMI highlights the need for an effective regionally-focussed Industrial Strategy. The strength of new orders and rising outstanding business demonstrates the need for infrastructure and skills investment in the region. The current capacity constraints appear to be having an impact on future growth prospects and potential gains in productivity performance."