The drive by the Electoral Commission and the National Union of Students asking people to use social media to inspire their friends to register to vote ahead of the elections which are taking place on Thursday 5 May has begun. Utilising the power of social media, they are asking young people across the UK to encourage their friends to register to vote by sharing photos of their ‘voter cross’ and using the hashtag #RegAFriend.

This year’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) History Month theme is ‘Religion, Belief and Philosophy: A Leap of Faith’ , and the month closes with a debate on ‘Faith and the LGBT Community in 2016′ at the Council House today. Organised by SHOUT Festival (a project of Birmingham LGBT) and Birmingham City Council’s LGBT Employees & Allies Network, the multi-faith panel  will consider the question ‘Faith and the LGBT community in 2016 – where are we now and what next?’.

The most deserved of people in our life is to be celebrated and honoured as Mother's Day, approaches us. A day to heap the world of praise and prayers, on mothers and other mother figures, such as grandmothers, stepmothers and mothers-in-law, this Sunday, March 6, will see gifts bought in abundance, cakes, flowers, chocolates, jewelry, and luxurious clothing flying off the racks – some on Sunday morning first thing.

The 29^th February offers the unique opportunity to create a completely fresh, national date in the diary, according to the #Make29Matter campaign. The idea is to establish a national day shaped by contemporary values and society, to stage extraordinary activities across the UK for the greater good. Its unique occurrence every four years automatically gives 29^th February a special feel and while it’s unlikely to happen in 2016, the four years to 2020 gives organisers plenty of time to plan.

The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Youth Summit took place last week with hate crime, knife crime and personal safety high on the agenda. As the previous eight Youth Commissioners step down, Commissioner David Jamieson welcomed the six new Youth Commissioners to the role

People in the West Midlands who volunteer say it makes them feel happier and helps them contribute to their local community. These are the findings of new research about volunteering by sight loss charity RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People). The survey also found that 56 per cent of respondents in the region who do not volunteer said they want to in the future, with nearly a quarter most keen to share their technology skills.