Community News

Animal-loving kids are encouraged to capture photos of their favourite pets this summer, as vet charity PDSA launches its annual photo competition for young people. Running with a ‘super pets’ theme, youngsters are asked to submit their photos to one of three age categories: under 10s, 10-13 or 14-16-year-olds. From captivating cats to beautiful bunnies, PDSA wants to see the best snaps of pets showing off what makes them awesome!

People will remember the sacrifices made by those who fought and died in the Falklands War, including two men from Wolverhampton and Walsall, at a service of commemoration today. Air Engineering Mechanic Adrian Anslow of the Royal Navy, who was from Wolverhampton, and Private Mark Dodsworth from the Parachute Regiment, of Walsall, were among the 255 British military personnel who died during the 1982 crisis.

The Mayor of Wolverhampton has praised "local heroes" whose "tireless efforts" have helped the organisations they represent receive prestigious awards. Mayor Councillor Barry Findlay hosted a reception yesterday (Monday 6 June) attended by dozens of volunteers from Wolverhampton and Bilston Athletics Club, the Good Shepherd Ministry and Aspiring Futures, which were last week named as recipients of the Queen's Awards for Voluntary Service.

People across Wolverhampton are being encouraged to play their part in helping to tackle child sexual exploitation (CSE) by knowing how to spot the warning signs. The lighter summer nights are encouraging more people out in the evenings and they are being asked to act as eyes and ears – and help the police and the council by reporting any concerns they have about the safety and wellbeing of young person.

The atmosphere was full of comradery and optimism as The Queen shook hands with athletes, young people, High Commissioners and staff at the launch of a Commonwealth Hub. The ceremony took place at Marlborough House, the Commonwealth’s headquarters in London. The new Commonwealth Hub will be located directly across from Marlborough House in a building to be renamed Commonwealth House. It will become the home of a network of Commonwealth accredited organisations.

Throughout her time on the throne, our beloved Queen has borne witness to more technological advancements in the way she communicates with her subjects than any of her predecessors. To celebrate her official 90th birthday this week, and as an appreciation of her ongoing commitment to embrace the changing tech landscape, new research commissioned by Three has detailed in full the extent to which this is the case in timeline form, beginning with her Coronation in 1953 – the first to ever be televised – through to the sending of an inter-galactic good luck tweet to astronaut Tim Peake earlier this year.

An intrepid cyclist from Redditch is planning on cycling 2000km around France for charity whilst following the Euros to be held in the summer. Tom Sweeney, 22, from Redditch is embarking on this journey on the 25th of June with minimal gear, little money and his trust-worthy fixed-gear bicycle. Tom has been studying in Southampton for the past three years and is donating the money raised to Alzheimer’s Society. He plans on stopping off at the designated fan zones for the football matches and tracking England’s progress.

Jamaicans in the UK will gather in Birmingham on 25th June to discuss and explore issues of concern worthy of consideration, representation and further partnership working with the government of Jamaica. The Conference will be attended by Member(s) of Parliament, the Acting Jamaican High Commissioner and other representatives from the Jamaican High Commission.

Birmingham law firm Irwin Mitchell and the Young Professional Women’s Group sponsored a black tie ball to help raise funds for local charity, Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer. The event also showcased the support group Cysters, which is a new initiative that has been set up in Birmingham. The event, which was held at the McDonald Burlington Hotel, raised more than £3,000 for the charity, which helps women who suffer with Breast Cancer.

A voluntary group from Birmingham that manages the Sports Hub for the community by the community has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. The groundbreaking sports hub has enhanced the community by developing individuals using sport as the medium and regular attracts 600/800 young people a week.

Grace Kennedy in partnership with Western Union International are hosting the first of two Town Hall meetings tonight, at Badshah Palace in Birmingham under the theme “Caribbean Diaspora – Borderless Possibilities”. With keynote speaker, The Most Honourable P. J. Patterson ON PC QC OE, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, the event looks to be one not to miss.The Phoenix Newspaper caught up with The Most Honourable P. J. Patterson, as well as Sean Mason – Vice President Western Union in the Caribbean and Michelle Allen, CEO Grace Kennedy Money Services on the day before the event to find out a little more about the Town Hall meetings.

The search for a long-term partner to build a new neighbourhood for Tottenham was launched by Haringey -more than 1,400 new homes will be built as part of the development, along with business space and a major new public square. The new homes are part of the groundbreaking ‘High Road West’ scheme which will deliver a major new public space linking a revamped White Hart Lane Station to the new stadium with a park, restaurants, bars, cafés, library and learning centre and a public amphitheatre to host screenings and community events. High Road West provides one of London’s best opportunities to build modern, high-quality homes.

Elf-Hats, wintery walks and yuletide fun are all part of When You Wish Upon a Star’s (WYWUAS) Christmas fundraising campaign, Laps for Lapland, which will be taking place this winter. The national charity, which grants the wishes of children living with life threatening illnesses, is appealing for local schools, nurseries, businesses and communities to take part in a Lap for Lapland this winter- helping to raise funds for a magical trip of a lifetime for seriously ill children.

Surprising new findings from pet insurance provider PDSA Petsurance show that while 76% of households* take out contents insurance for their possessions, only 42% of pet owners insure their four-legged friends. This leaves the owners of around twelve million pets at risk financially should anything happen to their four-legged friends, warns leading vet charity, PDSA.

Do you know somebody in Haringey doing something amazing or someone who deserves a pat on the back for the brilliant work they do? Someone like Lynn Stevens, a carer from Hornsey who supports vulnerable residents so they can live independently. Or a Haringey resident who volunteers to run a sports or music club. Or someone involved in an organisation like the Good Gym a running group set up to help the community.

The reimagining of Shakespeare’s New Place in Stratford-upon-Avon reached a significant milestone this week as the new lawn was laid in the Great Garden, restoring it to its former glory. This heralds the final stages of the ground breaking project undertaken by The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust as part of Shakespeare’s 400^th anniversary celebrations.