Musical Connections, a community music and wellbeing project based in Birmingham, is appealing for votes in this year's National Lottery Good Causes Awards. The project, run by Quench Arts and delivered in partnership with Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust’s Community Engagement Team, beat off competition from more than 600 organisations to reach the public voting stage of the awards, which each year look for worthy projects to benefit.

In an exciting move by YHA (England and Wales), dogs are now welcome to stay with their owners at Youth Hostels that offer camping and cabins accommodation. The move will not only enable YHA to reach new customers but also enable dog owners to take advantage of nearly 60 YHA sites that offer camping pods, cabins, tipis, bell tents and pitch up facilities in their grounds. 

A volunteer counselling scheme that helps more than 100 children and young people a week has been nominated for a West Midlands PCC Outstanding Citizens award. The volunteering team at The What? Centre in Coventry Street, Stourbridge, helps young people aged between 13 and 25 who are troubled or battling mental health issues. All of the volunteers are trained counsellors who give up their free time to help 120 youngsters a week via 5,500 sessions a year.

While spring and early summer may bring a welcome break from the shorter days of winter, the rise in the pollen count can cause many humans to suffer from hay fever and other seasonal ailments. However, what is less well known is that pets can suffer just as badly. A survey in 2012 showed almost half (44%) of pet owners didn’t realise their pets can suffer from allergies. 43% admitted they wouldn’t know how to tell if their pet was suffering from an allergy.  

The Mayor of Wolverhampton is encouraging people to put their little grey cells to the test when he hosts four charity quiz nights over the next few months. The general knowledge quiz is returning by popular demand and will be taking place in the Mayoral Suite at the Civic Centre on Thursdays 1 September, 15 December, 9 February and 4 May.

With police recording over 4,500 offences involving stolen dogs in the last two years in England and Wales, ethical retailer Pets Corner has put together an owner’s guide to help safeguard your dog from theft and what to do if an animal is stolen. Lucy Ross is an animal specialist and Head of Training at Pets Corner.  She said: “The emotional impact of losing a cherished pet is profound so if an animal goes missing it can be an incredibly distressing time for its owners.  There are a number of things that owners can do to help protect their pet from thieves as well as procedures they can follow if an animal is taken.”