A host of free residents’ events this March will offer opportunities for people to get support with living, learning and working in the City of Wolverhampton.

The packed programme will run from Wednesday 14 to Saturday 31 and includes a range of drop-in events to help residents into the world of work, to find an apprenticeship, to find the right home and improve their wellbeing.

There are also events aimed at supporting families, supporting people to stay independent, and information on how people can get more involved in their city.

Residents can find out about all the events by visiting www.livelearnworkwolves.com.

Ian Darch, Chief Executive at Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council, said: "The City of Wolverhampton has so much to offer, it's a great place to live, learn and work and there is a fantastic range of local organisations here to support local people to reach their potential.

"Together, partners across the city have arranged a wide-ranging programme of events to help residents into work, become self-employed, develop their skills, improve their health, stay independent and find the right home."

City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, Councillor Roger Lawrence, added: "Supporting residents into jobs, providing opportunities for people to learn and develop their skills, delivering housing, and improving the health and wellbeing of local people are top priorities for the city.

"Dozens of organisations and businesses have come together for the 2018 Residents Programme which is bigger and better than ever, bringing events to residents that showcase the services and support that are available all year round.”

The programme kicks off on Wednesday, March 14 with special drop-in events for women and girls who ‘aspire for better’ to get support to improve their wellbeing, financial independence and social connections. The sessions take place between 10am and 12pm, and 1pm and 2pm at Aspiring Futures, The Old School, 73 Dudley Road, Blakenhall.

The city’s Housing Fair, which last year attracted over 550 visitors, will take place on Sunday March 18, from 11am to 3.30pm at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Lichfield Street. This free event, sponsored by WV Living, will bring together a range of organisations all under one roof offering help and advice on buying your first home, downsizing, improving existing properties or renting, and much more.

Residents of all ages looking for a job with training can head to Wolverhampton Racecourse, Gorsebrook Road, on Tuesday March 27, between 4pm and 7pm, to find out about apprenticeships and chat with people with vacancies.

Access to Business is hosting an information and advice session for people interested in self-employment at Molineux Stadium’s Hayward Suite, Waterloo Road, on Thursday March 22, between 10.30am and 2.30pm.

Residents concerned about Dementia and organisations interested in finding out how to support Wolverhampton to be Dementia friendly can get information and advice on Wednesday March 21, from 10am to 2pm, at Wolverhampton Art Gallery’s Georgian Room. There will be plenty of free information available on dementia support in the city and advice on legal and safety matters.

On Tuesday, March 27 there is a great opportunity to view one of the city’s amazing care villages as Showell Court, Othello Road, Low Hill opens its doors to showcase how this type of living and new technology can improve your life and open up new opportunities for meeting new friends.

Volunteering also comes under the spotlight in an information event at Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council, 16 Temple Street, on Thursday, March 22, between 10am and 2pm, for anyone wanting to find out about volunteering.

This is the fourth City of Wolverhampton Residents Programme and is part of a drive to improve opportunities, prosperity and health for residents, as well as raise the profile of the city, its people and opportunities, as part of city conference season.

An enthusiastic group of Army cadets from Rockwood Academy in Birmingham spent the weekend (10-11 February) learning about field skills from soldiers at a Shrewsbury-based Army unit.

The 21 boys and seven girls from the Academy’s Combined Cadet Force visited their affiliated Army unit, E Company of 8^th Battalion The Rifles. Following a safety brief and quick tour of the Army reserve centre, the pupils’ physical fitness was tested on an obstacle course and they were taught lifesaving skills. The youngsters also had the chance to practice basic infantry tactics including fire and manoeuvre and use of cover skills on an air soft range.

After an evening meal to refuel, the pupils dived into night time activities which included a map-reading exercise with a compass and the use of night viewing and virtual reality (VR) headsets. The VR headsets proved particularly popular with the cadets.

The pupils were woken at 6am sharp on Sunday for more practice on the paintball range, following breakfast, before being taken to Shrewsbury Castle and Museum. Colonels from The Rifles and 11 Signal & West Midlands Brigade showed the cadets the history of all the Army Regiments in Shropshire while museum curators answered the pupils’ many questions.

The cadets were then taken back to Copthorne Barracks, the home of E Company, where they enjoyed Sunday lunch before being presented with certificates and medals.

Captain Nick Vazquez from E Company 8^th Battalion The Rifles said:

“This was a fantastic weekend where every single cadet got stuck in. We tried to make it a mix of fun and serious Army discipline and training. It was really rewarding to see the smiles on the youngsters’ faces when they received their medals at the end of the weekend. Hopefully the parents were pleased that their children went home tired but having learned some important new skills.”               

Kidderminster Dog Club and its award-winning agility team is preparing for another show stopping performance at Crufts next month (8-11 March) with the support of Fish4Dogs.

The team, which has won the medium dog category three times and was runner-up in last year’s show, is being put through its paces to fine-tune its dexterity and accuracy, against the clock.

Fish4Dogs, which is located in Rushock in Worcester, has sponsored the neighbouring team since 2009 – providing it with a team kit – polo shirts and fleeces for the handlers, and food and treats for the dogs.

Team Captain Stuart Milton, said that Fish4Dogs was the ideal choice to fuel its canine athletes because it provides a healthy and nutritious diet which can be used, in part, to reward the dogs as they master their skills.

“Although we can’t use food or treat during the competition, Fish4Dogs products are used during training to reward the dogs as they master the techniques of the hurdles, tunnels and contact equipment,” he said.

“It’s important to reward the dog as it needs to be attentive and responsive in order to make the turns and stops required as the handler guides it though each course.

“It’s important to keep the dogs healthy and lean and a well-balanced diet is essential. Fish4Dogs also provides the essential nutrients needed to keep their joints in great condition. When I’m training I like to use Finest Complete Food with Salmon. I take a handful from the portion set aside for my dog’s evening meal so that she is still eating the amounts that she would do on a daily basis and no more.”

The team is made up of six handlers and their dogs – although only four compete during the competition. They train individually and meet regularly to test the dogs on different surfaces so that they can adapt their instruction times to allow the dog to adjust to the footing of the floor. Normally, competitions throughout the year tend be on grass or sand-based surfaces but at Crufts the show ring is carpeted.

It’s not until the morning of the event that the team get to learn the layout of the Crufts course. It has to be challenging enough to put the best teams to the test and excite the audience while ensuring the safety of the dogs.

Kidderminster Dog Club qualified for Crufts at the Middlesbrough event in October. They usually compete around the country four to six-times a year. The agility team includes a border collie, working cocker spaniel, Shetland sheepdog and a crossbreed. All the dogs must between 350 cms and 430 cms in height to be eligible to compete within the medium dog category.

The team has been drawn fifth in the running order for the Crufts event, which will take place on Friday 9 March at the NEC, Birmingham. This will mean that other teams will set a standard that it has to beat.

In addition to the team event, one of its members Steve Swankie with crossbreed Fern, have also qualified for the Crufts Medium Championship on the Sunday.

Said Senior Marketing Manager Jo Little: “We are really proud of our association with the Kidderminster Dog Club. This is the tenth year that they have made the finals of the world’s most famous dog show and we are again please to support their efforts to become champions.”

Fish4Dogs has produced a video of the team in training which can be seen on its Facebook page in the run-up to Crufts.

The RSPCA is looking for new homes for three unusual, stripy mice who were rescued from a home where more than 100 rodents were being kept.

Zebra mice Bashful, Grumpy and Sleepy are still looking for homes while most of their friends have already been rehomed.

The striking-looking mice were rescued by RSPCA officers from a home in Birmingham last year after an anonymous caller raised concerns about a large number of rodents being kept in unsuitable conditions.

RSPCA inspector Jonathan Ratcliffe went to the property in September and found 104 rodents being kept in dirty cages inside.

“There were rows and rows, stacks and stacks of cages all with rodents inside, from mice to hamsters to rats,” he said.

“The owner just wasn’t able to cope any more and signed all 104 rodents over to us to rehome. It took us days to get them out of the house and into rescue centres up and down the country.

“Thankfully, most of them have now been rehomed and we’re just left with the final few to get into nice new homes.”

Birmingham Animal Centre is now searching for new homes for zebra mice Bashful, Grumpy and Sleepy, and marmot mice Cagney, Jonesy and Lacey.

Emma Finnimore, from the centre, said: “Sleepy is happy being handled and is quite confident once she knows you.

“She arrived here with six other mice who were all male so, unfortunately, she is currently being kept on her own.

“Bashful and Grumpy are looking for a home together. They’re both very fast and like to jump so can be quite tricky to handle!”

Striped zebra mice or grass mice are native to Africa and live for around two to three years. They need large cages with lots of enrichment include tunnels to play in, houses to hide in and lots of wood to chew.

If you’re interested in rehoming Bashful, Grumpy or Sleepy; Cagney, Lacey or Jonesy, please visit the Birmingham Animal Centre website or call 0300 123 8585.

Lord Forsyth, chairman of Secure Trust Bank, presented a £17,600 cheque to Birmingham St Mary’s, to help support local families living with terminal illness.

Big-hearted staff at Secure Trust Bank – which is headquartered in Solihull – raised the impressive amount and Lord Forsyth was invited to present the funds on Valentine’s Day.

A keen charity supporter, Lord Forsyth helped boost the Bank’s fundraising efforts by doubling its pound-for-pound matching scheme to the value of £200 per employee.

During his visit to the Hospice, the former Secretary of State of Scotland met with people who are currently receiving its vital care, as well as touring its facilities at Selly Park.

Secure Trust Bank first partnered with Birmingham St Mary’s in January last year (2017) after Solihull-based staff voted for the local charity they most wanted to support.

Since the partnership, employees have hosted a number of creative fundraisers, including samosa sales, a darts tournament and quiz nights, as well as taking part in events organised by the Hospice. A recent event was Birmingham St Mary’s ‘Charity Shop Challenge’, in which teams from the bank took over one of the Hospice’s 16 shops for the day, competing against each other to see who could raise the most money.

The £17,600 raised by Secure Trust Bank will go towards Birmingham St Mary’s, which provides vital care and support to local families living with terminal illness across Birmingham and Sandwell.

Lord Forsyth, chairman at Secure Trust Bank, said: “Birmingham St Mary’s does an amazing job of supporting families living with terminal illness and our Solihull-based staff have shown real passion when it comes to supporting the work of the charity through fundraising and other means.

“As a responsible business we encourage our people to contribute to initiatives which make a positive contribution to local communities. Fundraising and volunteering during work time are all part of this and the charity committees at our different office locations do a tremendous job of driving this forward and supporting a range of local good causes.”

Tina Swani, chief executive at Birmingham St Mary’s, added: “£17,600 is an impressive amount of money and will make a big difference to the individuals and families we care for. It costs £8 million each year to run the Hospice – over half of which needs to come from voluntary funding – so we really do rely on the generosity of local people and businesses to ensure we can care for everyone that needs us, wherever they need us.

“Thank you to all the staff and trustees at Secure Trust Bank who have supported the Hospice over the last year – your help has been outstanding and will allow us to continue to provide our expert care at the Hospice, in people’s homes and in the local community.”

Every day, Birmingham St Mary’s supports 350 individuals across Birmingham and Sandwell. To find out more about the Hospice, visit: www.birminghamhospice.org.uk

One in five Brits (21%) feel that their bedroom is a more comfortable space to relax in than other areas of the home, according to a new study commissioned by online bed retailer, Time 4 Sleep.

The survey of more than 1,000 UK adults, conducted on behalf of the bed retailer, explored the changing nature of social spaces within the home.

Results from the survey painted the bedroom as a relaxing sanctuary in which Brits can retreat to escape the hustle and bustle. One in three UK adults say they head to their bedroom to unwind (31%), with millennials appearing particularly grateful for the calm, as 14% claim it is the only area where they can get some peace and quiet, compared to just 7% of over 55s.

With the bedroom becoming a hub of activity, it is unsurprising that people are heading here for social activities instead of other living areas in the home. One in ten (10%) are watching over 10 hours of TV in bed each week, which is roughly the same as two episodes of ‘Stranger Things’ every day.

Interestingly, a staggering 85% of 18-34 year olds watch shows and films in bed, in comparison to only 44% of over 55s. The generational gap is even more apparent when it comes to watching Netflix in the bedroom, with 35% of millennials using the service in bed, in contrast to just 4% of over 55s. It can become an addiction too, with Ofcom² reporting that around a third (32%) of UK adults lose sleep because of the temptation to watch an extra episode or two.

In terms of non-screen-based activities, women are more likely than men to turn to books as their route to relaxation, with nearly two in three reading in bed (64%), compared to just over half of the men (54%). Yet for some the bedroom isn’t all about fun and games, with one in five millennials (20%) using the space for work.