Community News

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce have launched a new ‘Mayoral toolkit’ – providing businesses with guidance and resources for engaging their workforce with the West Midlands Mayor election.

‘West Midlands Mayor: Your Toolkit’ contains easy to use content, images, posters and ideas for how businesses can raise awareness of the election among their staff. It also includes a simple Q&A on common questions about the West Midlands Mayor.

The toolkit is non-partisan and is aimed at raising awareness and encouraging people to vote in this important election, which takes place on Thursday 4 May. The toolkit can be found here.

Paul Faulkner, chief executive of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce said: “The West Midlands Mayor will be a high-profile voice that will shout loudly for the region on a local, national and international level.

“However, for them to be effective, local citizens need to know this election is taking place and have their say on who best represents them by actually turning out to vote.

“The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce has nearly 2,700 members employing over 175,000 people. We want to play our part in spreading the word about this crucial election.

“Many of the steps suggested in this toolkit are really simple but effective: for instance, sending calendar invitations to all employees to remind them to register to vote and take part on the day.

“I would urge everyone reading this article to take up this call to action and become a champion for raising awareness of this election among your colleagues. Take a look, download the toolkit today and take part.”

Severn Trent has launched a new volunteering programme for all its employees which aims to make a real difference to the communities in which it operates.

The Community Champions project aims to clean up to 40 kilometres of rivers in the Severn Trent region, which stretches across the Midlands and into mid-Wales.

Working alongside its partner charities, The Canals & River Trust, Waterside Care, the Severn Rivers Trust and the Trent Rivers Trust volunteers have already been out and about cutting back vegetation and helping clear debris from rivers.

Paul Evans, community communications lead, says: “Employees are given two annual volunteering days of their choice to help out in their local communities, with more than 800 people signing up in the first month, meaning we can send teams out where they’re really needed.

“Our people are clearly passionate about volunteering and supporting local communities. Not only does this programme allow our employees to do this, but it’s also key to building great relationships with key partners and delivering very real environmental and business benefits.”

This month saw Severn Trent, which is currently carrying out a £60 million waste and water improvement scheme in Newark, team up with BNMAlliance to clear a stretch of the River Trent in the town.

Wayne Ball, volunteer development coordinator for the Canal and River Trust, said: “The volunteers did a fantastic job and we’re really grateful for all their hard work. As a charity, the support they’ve given us is invaluable and really helps in our efforts to make the river a more attractive, welcoming place for the local community.”

In addition to the general maintenance work, the Community Champions will be helping with tasks such as water quality testing, invertebrate surveys, and vegetation management and erosion control.

As well as the new programme, Severn Trent also supports WaterAid and Comic Relief. This year, volunteers from the company took donation calls for Red Nose Day helping raise record breaking amounts for the charity.

Ready, steady ...grow! Gardeners and would-be gardeners are being invited to kick-start their gardening year with fun green-fingered gardening activities at the Big Dig Food Growing Event (on national Big Dig Day), at Martineau Gardens on Saturday 22 April, from 2pm – 4pm. The Community Garden in Edgbaston, Birmingham  is hosting the free event to encourage people to grow their own food, no matter how big or small their grow space is or how much or how little experience they have.

Caroline Hutton, Director of Martineau Gardens, explains why the charity is hosting the event: “We want to inspire people to make a move towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Growing your own food is a step in the right direction. It’s great fun, low cost and you get to eat delicious food.”

Martineau Gardens, just two miles from Birmingham city centre, is a green oasis teeming with wildlife and is looked after by volunteers, many of whom have mental health issues and learning disabilities. Hundreds of school children visit the Gardens to learn about science and environmental issues. Every year Birmingham people visit the gardens to explore its woodland, glass houses, formal garden, orchard, demonstration food growing areas, wildflower meadow, pond and wildlife area with SLINC status.

Blenheim Palace has been voted Attraction of the Year by the leading UK travel trade association.

The Oxfordshire stately home, which celebrates its 30th anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site this year, was awarded the title by UKinbound, which represents 370 of the country's tourism businesses.

The awards ceremony took place during the association's 40th anniversary Annual Convention at the Plymouth Guildhall.

The winners were chosen by an independent panel of industry experts consisting of David Cianfarani, former chairman of UKinbound, Michael Hirst, chairman of the Business Visits and Events Partnership, and Terri Scriven, head of travel at Google.

“It's a great honour to have been presented with this award by an association which represents the UK's leading tourism businesses,” said Blenheim Palace's Chief Executive Dominic Hare.

“The overseas tourism sector is a rapidly growing and developing market and we recognise its importance, not just to us but more importantly to the economy of both our local area and of the UK as a whole.

“We believe there are still many untapped markets beyond our shores and we will be working with other tourism groups and the government to try and ensure we are able to welcome them,” he added.

UKinbound is one of the leading trade associations and the only one which focuses solely on the interests of the UK's inbound tourism sector.

Deirdre Wells OBE, CEO UKinbound, commented: “Our awards recognise the ongoing commitment and contribution of our members to the UK inbound tourism sector.

“In spite of the challenges faced in 2016, our members continue to excel in every field of the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, and we are delighted to acknowledge a number of their outstanding performances.”

Built in the early 18th century to celebrate Britain's victory over the French in the War of the Spanish Succession, Blenheim Palace is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

Less than twenty-four hours after celebrating its inaugural Birmingham-Vienna service, German low-cost carrier Eurowings, has announced it will launch another new route from Birmingham to Salzburg in December.

Already operating Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Vienna, the new Salzburg flight will operate twice weekly from the 9^th December, catering for the ski community and city breakers.

All services are planned with an A320 aircraft configured to 174 seats.William Pearson, Aviation Director for Birmingham Airport, said, “It’s fantastic to see Eurowings expanding its list of routes from Birmingham Airport so rapidly.

Eurowings is headquartered in Cologne and serves a network of domestic and European destinations as well as some long-haul routes.

Ivan Orec, Manager Network Development & Airport Relations for Eurowings said: “We are pleased to add a new Salzburg route to our Birmingham schedule, which will operate twice weekly, every Wednesday and Saturday, starting from the beginning of December.

“We are also looking forward to bringing more ski passengers to Salzburg and offer them free of charge transport of their ski equipment.”

To celebrate the return of the Natural History Museum’s 52nd Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition Wolverhampton Art Gallery has launched a competition to find the city’s best wildlife shots.

Talented photographers and filmmakers can now enter their work - and the winners will see their images and footage on the Lichfield Street gallery walls as part of a series of events to celebrate the exhibition.

Last year Wolverhampton Art Gallery hosted the touring show, which attracted thousands of visitors keen to see some of the most incredible images of the natural world’s most astonishing sights.

The critically acclaimed 52nd exhibition, featuring awe-inspiring images of fascinating animal behaviour and breathtaking landscapes, runs from July 15 to October 8 in the City of Wolverhampton.

Councillor John Reynolds, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “The exhibition attracted a great response last year and we are really looking forward to seeing the Natural History Museum’s 52nd Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.

“To celebrate it we are on the hunt for talented, homegrown City of Wolverhampton photographers of all ages to submit their best wildlife images or short films taken in and around the city. So, get snapping and send us your images and footage.”

Photographers or film-makers entering the competition must have a WV postcode and are encouraged to capture wildlife photos in and around the City of Wolverhampton.

Winners will be announced at the official launch of the exhibition on Saturday, July 22, and prizes include afternoon tea at Wolverhampton Art Gallery and free entrance to the Natural History Museum’s 52nd Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.

The competition is open to anyone living, working or studying in a WV postcode.

Photography entrants must be aged five and above and will be split into three categories 5 to 11, 12 to 18, and over 18s. A winner will be picked from each category.

Film entrants must be aged five and above – and there will be one winner selected.

All images and film must be the work of the person submitting them, must not have been published anywhere else, and be available until the close of the exhibition.

Sandwell museums open their doors to visitors again, with a great programme of events, exhibitions, family activities and school holiday fun throughout the year.

After a winter of deep cleaning, decorating, working on displays, organising and planning, Sandwell museums staff are all set for the new season.

Regular groups and pre-booked visits and activities have continued at museums during the winter months, but April is the month things really get going again.

As well as the varied programme, there are regular activities and groups for all ages to get involved with.

Entrance is FREE but there may be a small charge for some of the activities on offer.

Following the winter work, one of the rooms at Oak House, West Bromwich, is now a parlour again, as inventories show it was in the 1680s complete with a bed for guests.

There’s a new exhibition of clothes from the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s at Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery, along with some lovely photos of Sandwell high streets down the years.

Meanwhile at Haden Hill House, Cradley Heath, the library has had a makeover.

Opening times are as follows:

• Oak House, West Bromwich: house, grounds and visitor centre and playground – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays, 2pm-5pm
• Haden Hill House, Cradley Heath – Thursdays and Fridays, 10am-5pm, Saturdays and Sundays, 2pm-6pm (Open from Thursday 6 April)
• Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery – Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11am-4pm, Saturdays, 2pm-5pm
• Manor House, West Bromwich – open for special events and activities, also open for free guided tours on Sundays from 30 July until 10 September
• Galton Valley Pumping Station, Smethwick – monthly Saturday open days

Residents have pitched in to make Haringey even greener, helping the council plant new trees at three of the borough’s parks.

Children, “Friends of” groups and Cabinet member for Environment Cllr Peray Ahmet all turned out to plant the trees, after Haringey applied for a £21,800 grant from the Greater London Authority.

It follows a season of planting that has seen more than 200 new trees arrive in Haringey.

With the latest GLA funds, Downhills Park, Bruce Castle Park and Markfield Park shared 45 trees between them, to increase shade and help deal with frequent heavy rain. For the planting, which finished on Saturday, the council provided gloves and tools for volunteers – although some of the little ones brought their own equipment, including tiny beach spades.

There are 50 more being planted on residential streets in N17 and N15, in areas identified by the council and community group Tottenham Trees as having low tree cover.

Cllr Ahmet, who was at Downhills Park, said: “We had a brilliant day planting new trees, with lots of people volunteering their time and getting stuck in. As well as being a great event for the community, the trees are another sign that we are committed to making Haringey greener. We have fantastic parks across the borough and these new trees are the perfect addition, right in time for spring.”

In total, the council has planted around 210 new trees this season using the GLA money, highways project funds and private sponsorship.

There is also a separate community tree plant scheme run by charity Groundwork London, which is planting 150 small trees at Lordship Recreation Ground. Around 50 locals have teamed up to plant the trees, which include apple, medlar and Alder buckthorn. The young trees are already growing well and the planting scheme is expected to be finished mid-April.

In a world-first, Public Health England (PHE) in the West Midlands is using Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to identify different strains of tuberculosis.

This is the first time that WGS has been used as a diagnostic solution for managing a disease on this scale anywhere in the world. This builds on WGS based services for public health investigation of infectious diseases, which offer the opportunities for faster, cheaper and more accurate diagnostics than other testing methods.

The technique, developed in conjunction with the University of Oxford and carried out at PHE’s laboratory in Birmingham, allows faster and more accurate diagnoses, meaning patients can be treated with precisely the right medication more quickly. Where previously it could take up to a month to confirm a diagnosis of TB, confirm the treatment choices and to detect spread between cases; this can now be done in just over a week by at the Birmingham lab. This slows the spread of the disease and boosts the fight against anti-microbial resistance (AMR).

Some strains of TB are called ‘drug resistant’ which means they need treating differently to conventional types. With WGS diagnosis, patients who have a strain of TB which is resistant to specific drugs will receive the right medication from the start of their treatment. This will shorten the time that patients are infectious and so stop the spread and reduce the prevalence of drug-resistant TB and costs to NHS in hospital care.

Dr Grace Smith, PHE Interim Director National Mycobacterial Reference Service, National Infection Service (based at the Birmingham laboratory), said: “The use of whole genome sequencing to diagnose, detect drug resistance and very accurately type TB is a world first for any disease on this scale. By working closely with our partners, we are now able to use cutting edge science to effectively treat these patients with the right medicines quickly. We are immensely proud of the contribution this makes to the prospects of better treatment of TB globally. This approach will also increasingly be used for many other infectious diseases. Our ambition is to achieve this as quickly as possible so many infections can be better diagnosed and treated.”

Dr Martin Dedicoat, TB clinical lead for Birmingham and Solihull (Heart of England Foundation Trust), said: “Whole genome sequencing for TB means quicker more accurate diagnosis for patients. It has helped patients start appropriate treatment within days as opposed to weeks. Also timely identification of TB transmission is helping safe guard the public."

Dr Nic Coetzee, TB lead Consultant in Communicable Disease Control for PHE West Midlands, said: “The number of cases of TB in England has declined by 30% over the last four years; with 5,758 confirmed cases in 2015 compared to 8,280 in 2011 nationally, while the West Midlands saw 708 cases in 2015 compared to 1,004 in 2011. Despite this downward trend, England still has one of the highest rates of TB in Western Europe, and the West Midlands region has the second highest rate of TB in the country at 12.3 cases per 100,000 head of population – with London being highest at a rate of 26.2 cases per 100,000.

“PHE and NHS England are working with local and national partners to continue this decrease by actively implementing the Collaborative TB Strategy for England. This will contribute to the World Health Organization’s goal of eliminating TB as a public health problem by 2035. There is significant variation in rates of TB in England, depending on population characteristics, socioeconomic factors and level of local risk. Certain groups are disproportionately affected including some migrant groups, people who misuse alcohol or drugs, people who are homeless and those with prison histories. In the West Midlands we have been working with local prisons and homeless charities to help earlier diagnosis and treatment of people at greater risk.”

PHE is already pioneering the development and early use of WGS to enable the investigation and control of multiple infectious diseases.  In future, the application of WGS in other conditions will allow us to test and treat patients at the bed side, rather than needing to wait days and sometimes weeks for results. The implementation of this technology will contribute to achieving the Government’s ambition of sequencing 100,000 genomes, a project which will ultimately allow us to better understand major diseases and how to treat them.

Primary school pupils across Birmingham are tracking down a mysterious sun bear character as part of a competition by The Big Sleuth’s Educational Sponsor, The Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham. Over 100 teachers and their pupils are already on its tail, with more continuing to join the search daily to be in with a chance of winning top prizes including a professionally painted cub sculpture, exclusive tickets to The Big Sleuth auction and personalised artwork.

The competition is part of The Little Bears Detective Club, The Big Sleuth’s creative education initiative for the city’s young people. Educational Sponsor The Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham is supporting creative producers Wild in Art and Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity to bring the programme to life, which will see over 100 cub sculptures join the giant sun bears on this summer’s free, family-friendly art trail across Bear-mingham and surrounding areas.

Children have until the beginning of April to piece together the bear’s journey across the city, which is being revealed in a series of photographic clues. They then mark the identified location on a map, unlocking the next part of the challenge – a creative writing task. Stories received by Monday 15 May will be judged and the school that submits the best entry could win the top prize of Inspector Claw-So, a colourful cub sculpture that has been created by artist Jenny Leonard.

The top three schools will receive a bespoke photo-mosaic created from photographs of their pupils with their teddy bears. Plus, they will have the opportunity to come along and watch The Big Sleuth’s auction of giant bears raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity.

The Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham has roots in the city since 1552 when King Edward’s School was founded. John Hoyland attended the school in the early part of the 20^th Century and it’s his remarkable life story, recently uncovered in the school’s archives that gave the organisation even more reasons to get involved with The Big Sleuth.

Denis Ramplin, Director of Marketing & Communications for The Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, explains: “We recently discovered that Old Boy John Hoyland, Jack to his friends, helped the people of Birmingham and India by making teddy bears to raise money for good causes. He attended our school from 1901-1907 and went on to be a parent, teacher, sportsman, poet and author. He worked in India and was a strong advocate of Indian Independence, having personally met with Mahatma Gandhi.

“But it was while he was in hospital later on in life that he learnt to make toy bears, first for children at Birmingham Royal Institute for the Blind and then to help UNICEF fundraise. He made and sold more than 4,000 teddy bears and raised thousands of pounds for charitable causes.”

“His story is truly inspirational and so when the opportunity came along to be Educational Sponsor of The Big Sleuth, it was a perfect fit for us and our aims to open our doors to even more bright children and help raise funds for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity. We hope our competition brings out the detective in all children!”

Annie Laughrin at Wild in Art said: “We’re excited to see the competition take off and provide yet another way for young children and teachers to take part in The Big Sleuth and The Little Bears Detective Club. It combines detective work, literacy and amazing prizes – what’s not to love!”

“The fun challenge for primary schools could inspire activities in the classroom or at home over the next few weeks. What’s more the top prize is a beautifully decorated bear sculpture that has an uncanny resemblance to the mystery character we see snapped in the competition clues!”

Annie Eytle, Acting Events and Regional Fundraising Manager at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “At our hospital we are passionate about the development of children and young people and The Little Bears Detective Club competition is another great way to bring the excitement of The Big Sleuth into the classroom and beyond.

“The Big Sleuth is a major part of our fundraising plans this year and we hope that as the children get involved with the project, they will consider helping us to raise much-needed funds at the same time.”

It’s not too late for teachers to register for their school to take part. Simply email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive a competition pack with all the instructions. The pack contains classroom posters, answer sheets and story sheets, as well as teddy bear name tags and details on how to submit photos for the personalised large photo-mosaic.

The venue for the city’s first annual Wolverhampton Independent Retail Excellence (WIRE) Awards has been announced amidst a flurry of entries. Molineux Stadium’s WV1 Suite will play host to the event, with Corporate Wolves and Venue Catering Partner the venue sponsors.

Details of how to get tickets for the event on Tuesday, July 18, will be made available soon at www.wirewards.co.uk. The awards will also be supporting charity, Promise Dreams, on the night.

Nominations continue to fly in for the WIRE Awards and more than 50 businesses have made 150 entries across 11 categories. The closing date for entries, which can be made at www.wireawards.co.uk is midnight on Sunday, April 30.

More than 700 public votes have been received for Wolverhampton’s ‘Favourite Retailer of the Year’ and you can nominate via the website or by texting WIRE plus the name of your favourite independent retailer to 60777 (standard network charges may apply). The public vote closes at midnight on Wednesday, June 28.

The awards, commissioned by the Leader of City of Wolverhampton Council, Councillor Roger Lawrence, are being led by Wolverhampton Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with the city council.

The aim is to celebrate and praise the entrepreneurial spirit, dedication and hard work of those involved in running and managing a successful independent business, as well as to recognise the loyalty and dedication of the staff that work in this sector.

The other categories are Independent Retailer of the Year, Retail Personality of the Year, Excellence in Customer Service, Best Dressed Shop or Outlet, Employee of the Year, Apprentice or Trainee of the Year, Excellence in Staff Development, Hospitality & Leisure Business of the Year, Community Retailer of the Year, Most Improved Business of the Year, and New Business of the Year.

The awards are open to independent retailers from across the city, provided they have a Wolverhampton postcode.

Councillor Lawrence, said: “To receive this amount of interest in the inaugural awards is amazing and shows the appetite to collectively support these independent businesses.

“It is vital that we listen to the voice of businesses and that we support and nurture growth here in the city.

“We very much value the presence of the small businesses in the city and the creative local people behind them.

“These are the businesses that help give Wolverhampton its own identity and character, and it is only right their efforts should be recognised by these awards.”

John Henn, Chair of Wolverhampton BID, added: “We have so many professional, independent retailers uniquely skilled in the city offering fantastic customer service to customers and people visiting our city, it will be a real thrill for all of us to recognise those individuals and companies by celebrating them with these awards.”

Other sponsors include Signal 107, Meercat Associates Ltd, Yarrington, Mander Centre, Express & Star, City of Wolverhampton College, Wolverhampton Racecourse, Ramada Park Hall Hotel & Spa, NCP, and Black Country Reinvestment Society, and Wolverhampton Partners in Progress.

Britain is a nation of mummy’s boys and girls, whose mums are their best friends, according new research. A survey of 2,010 UK adults carried out by One4all, the Post Office gift card, found almost half of Brits (43%) say their mum is one of their BFFs.

1 in 4 (24%) speak to their mum every day, while 29% see them at least once every week.

This could be in part down to the role mums are now playing in the lives of their offspring. Many support with childcare when they become grandparents and Brits now live in the family home for longer before they flee the nest – suggesting Brits spend more time with them.

When quizzed on the relationship they have with their mothers, respondents said she plays a much bigger role in their life than just a parental figure, a quarter said they enjoy socialising with their mum.

Almost 1 in 3 (31%) said they would turn to their mum first with any good news, while 30% would reach out to their mum if they were in trouble, suggesting she’s more than just a shoulder to cry on

Aoife Davey, group marketing manager at One4all Gift Cards commented: “It’s really lovely to see ahead of Mother’s Day just how much of an important role British mums are playing in their children’s  lives, even when they have grown up.

“From the number of respondents who consider their mum one of their best friends, to the amount Britons see and speak to their mums, it’s clear to see that the relationship is in fact more of a friendship, out of choice, rather than a parental one.”

Millennials are leading the trend – 25-34 year olds were the age group who most commonly count their mum as a BFF.

There was some love lost however between British adults and their mums during the teenage years - adolescent Brits spent six years avoiding quality time with their mum as they grow up, before turning 20 and realising that mum is the word.

The biggest mummy’s boys and girls can be found in London, where almost 1 in 3 (31%) speak to their mum every day, followed by Sheffield, where 29% of locals do the same.

Improvements to Sheepwash Nature Reserve in Tipton mean visitors of all ages can enjoy and use more of the 'hidden treasures' it has to offer. Sandwell Council and volunteers in the reserve's friends' group are working together on a range of projects.

The new pathway from Tame Road into the reserve links with pathways towards Dudley Port train station.

The council has also opened up old tunnels from the Oldbury end of the reserve and thinned out trees to let more light into the park and show off the lakes and wildlife.

This summer, a 3km charity fun run is planned as well as events with schools to make more people aware of the conservation work.

People can also join Sandwell Stride's popular walk around Sheepwash every Friday at 10am. Meet at Great Bridge Library, Sheepwash Lane, Great Bridge, Tipton.

Councillor Richard Marshall, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for leisure, said: "Sheepwash is a fantastic nature reserve that we want the local community to use and get more involved in.

"I want to thank everyone who's been helping to improve Sheepwash, including volunteers in the friends' group.

"On a recent walk around the reserve, I was struck by how extensive it is. It's full of wildlife and great scenery that is free for people of all ages to enjoy.

"A recent fire at the reserve was a bit of a setback, when some of the rubber pellets we're using for the paths were set on fire, but I am pleased to see improvements continuing and hope more and more people will discover this 'hidden treasure' over the coming months."

Friends' group member, Christine Adams,said: "I've been a member of the Friends' Group for 15 years and have walked the area every day for the last 26 years as well as visiting the area when I was a child.

"It's a very special place, safe to walk a dog and a haven for wildlife.

"We're extremely pleased with the the new pathway, it's amazing and beautiful to walk on and we'd love more people to come and enjoy the reserve."

Christine added that the Friends' group was looking to recruit more volunteers to help maintain and look after the reserve as well as looking to attract more funding for future projects.

Birmingham is the obvious location for Channel 4’s new home outside of London, Birmingham City Council leader John Clancy said yesterday.

Councillor Clancy has extended an invitation to Culture Secretary Karen Bradley to visit Birmingham “to see for herself the rich pool of talent this city has to offer”.

Ms Bradley yesterday announced a period of consultation into moving Channel 4 out of the Capital.

Her statement came after the BBC last year confirmed it was moving part of BBC Three to the Mailbox, further enhancing Birmingham’s reputation as a media city.

Councillor Clancy said: “Channel 4 has a Government remit to demonstrate ‘innovation, experiment and creativity’, so what better location than Birmingham for a television station at the cutting edge of arts and culture?

"Not only is this a phenomenally creative city, we are also a young city - Europe's youngest. We have more under 25s than any other UK core city, with a rich pool of talent available to meet the demands of training the next generation of media professionals.

“Birmingham, with its culturally diverse population and with 108 different languages spoken, is the type of place where Channel 4’s audience lives, making this city a perfect spot for relocation.

"Birmingham has an established digital sector. Three of the top ten locations for ecommerce start-ups in the UK are in the West Midlands and Greater Birmingham contains 380 media and broadcast companies.

“There are 1,000 students currently studying film, TV, media and animation in the city, while more than a quarter of the UK’s games workforce is based in the region.

"Add to that the fact that by 2026, thanks to HS2, London will be just 45 minutes away, and it becomes obvious that Birmingham is a natural choice for Channel 4

“I urge the Culture Secretary to visit Birmingham as soon as possible to see for herself why this city is the perfect location for Channel 4.”

Celebrating the commonwealth’s contribution in the West Midlands, some of the region’s leading figures gathered to extol its virtues whilst marking a special book-signing session of the latest release from the award-winning author and business manager, Dr. Christopher A. Johnson.

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A number of noted guests, at CEAL (Community Education Academy of Leadership), in West Bromwich, in the West Midlands, were on hand to emphasize the impact made by people from the Indian sub-continent, and surrounding areas, and their importance to the economy, not just here, in the UK, but worldwide.

Highlighting the impact made by prominent figures of South East Asian descent, Dr. Johnson’s book. ‘The Anatomy of Britain’s South Asian Entrepreneurs,’ profiles the impact of not only Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi business success, but it offers fascinating insights into the wealth creation of Afghanis, Nepalese and Sri Lankans combined, exploring the challenges and opportunities for South Asian firms as well as other Minority Ethnic businesses in the UK.

The symposium, chaired by Councillor Preet Kaur Gill, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health, welcomed the presence of special guest speaker, Neena Gill CBE, MEP for the West Midlands, plus Alfred Williams, Chair of Wolverhampton City Credit Union, who spoke of the importance of creating self-reliance when it comes to finance and savings, Amrick Singh Ubhi Director of the Nishkam Centre in Birmingham, Birmingham BID chair, Dipak Shilat, former Operations Manager at The formerly known Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Harminder Kaur Bhogal Project Manager of CEAL and Councillor Rupinderjit Kaur Wolverhampton City Council presented the S.H.I.E. (Sandwell Heritage Icons Empowerment) Project and Jean-Pierre Melo of the Smile4Africa community organization.

“BREXIT is a concern as the commonwealth has made massive contributions to the UK over the centuries,” said Gill, “and Dr. Johnson’s book is vital in highlighting the cultural exchanges we’ve experienced over time.

It is vital to create dialog within the commonwealth to highlight theses contributions and develop greater links.”

Speaking on the ethos of the book, Dr. Johnson said; “Our collective roles – in war and peace time - have to be recognized. BREXIT has unleashed great intolerance amongst us, so we must cherish our different perspectives. ‘The Anatomy Of Britain’s South Asian Entrepreneurs’ is aimed at doing just that.

Our collective Caribbean-African-Asian entrepreneurship over the century must be celebrated, not ignored. The book, therefore, is for those interested in social cohesion, history, heritage, policy makers, universities, colleges, researchers, professionals, enterprise development, international business management and other business education.”

CEAL launched ‘The Anatomy of British South Asian Enterprise’ in December 2016.