With days still to go, volunteers have had to be called in to help open thousands of birthday cards that have been sent to veteran Captain Tom Moore to date.

So far more than 65,000 cards have been sent to the ‘champion’ charity walker and are being put out on show at Bedford School, where his grandson, Benjie Ingram-Moore, attends.

99-year-old World War II veteran, Captain Tom, raised in excess of a staggering £28 million for the National Health Service by completing 100 laps of his garden shortly before his 100th birthday.

A production line of 20 or so volunteers have been called on to aid in opening the sacks loads of cards which have been coming in almost inundated fashion as his birthday fast approaches – on April 30.

George Alfred Busby by all accounts was an extraordinary individual. He was born to Richard (a tailor) and Louisa Busby in Barbados on 8 January 1899, and six weeks later they relocated to

Trinidad, where his siblings Milly, Arthur and Zander were born.

A bright child, George earned a place at Queen’s Royal College, developing a lifelong friendship with fellow pupil C. L. R. James, later to become a world-renowned historian. In 1917, George won
the coveted Island Scholarship, awarded on the results of the Higher Certificate Examination, entitling him to study at university in the UK. In November that year he also won the Governor’s
Prize in a national competition for an essay on “Patriotism” (third prize went to C. L. R. James).

Taking up the scholarship, however, was delayed until after WWI ended, so it was in 1919 that George eventually left for Britain. His medical studies began at Edinburgh University, and after two
years he transferred to University College Dublin, where he was better able to eke out the meagre funds at his disposal. He graduated as a physician and surgeon in 1925, and that year married Beryl Davis. She had studied medicine at Bristol University, and although she became the first Trinidadian woman to qualify as a doctor, her aspirations did not chime with a frugal lifestyle; her
return to the Caribbean with the couple’s only child, Wallace (1926-2011), signalled the end of the marriage.

Dr Busby began his career as a general practitioner in Walthamstow, East London, staying at 66 Erskine Road from 1926 to 1929. In this pre-National Health era medical care was not free, and he
often recalled the barter system by which the butcher paid him in pork chops. Dr Busby would continue interacting with his Walthamstow patients long after he left Britain.

In 1929 he set sail for the Gold Coast, where he lived for the rest of his life. He spoke of his choice to settle there as a return to the land of his maternal great-grandmother. A small, dedicated group
of other West Indian professionals also made the move to the Gold Coast in the first part of the 20th century, and during WWII, along with Dr Busby, even contributed hundreds of pounds to
England’s War Chest. Dr Busby practised initially in Nsawam, but then made his base in the small town of Suhum, electing to work in the rural areas where medical care was most needed.

In January 1941, Dr Busby married Sarah Christian, who had studied nursing in England in the 1930s and shared his commitment to making a difference to healthcare in the country. They had
three children, born in Ghana: George Jr, Eileen and Margaret Busby. The latter would become the first black publisher in the UK, and is currently Chair of the Booker Prize.

Upon Dr Busby’s death, in London on 4 October 1980, the many tributes paid captured something of his selflessness and the impact he made on people. “He was unique in his smooth relations with all manner of persons: rich or poor, black or white,” said the obituary in the Daily Graphic: “Born in the West Indies, settled in Ghana, laid to rest in England, Dr Busby was truly an International – a rare personality.”

His Excellency Papa Owusu-Ankhomah, High Commissioner for Ghana, said:  “In Ghana we are well aware of the invaluable work of Dr George Busby, who dedicated most of his life to the
development and practice of our medical services, especially in rural areas. It is a delight to learn that he was also valued by his patients and friends as a GP in Walthamstow.”

His Excellency Mr Milton Inniss, High Commissioner for Barbados, said: “The Barbados High Commission is proud to be associated with the efforts to recognise and celebrate the life and
achievements of a fellow Barbadian. Dr George Busby, through his generosity and professional expertise, touched the lives of many persons in the UK and Africa. He has left with us a great
example of service to humanity which is worthy of emulation.”

Dr Margaret Busby (daughter of Dr George A. Busby) said: “Speaking on behalf on my brother George and sister Eileen, as well as myself, I must say what an honour it is to have our father’s
dedication and hard work as a doctor recognized by the installation of this blue plaque on the house where he lived in the 1920s. As a newly qualified physician and surgeon, he allied himself with the residents of East London, and in particular Walthamstow, when times were hard, before relocating to the Gold Coast in West Africa to practise in the rural areas where basic amenities – whether electricity or running water – were unavailable, and there was an even greater need for medical care. We are proud of all that he achieved, and we continue to be inspired by the sacrifices he chose to make in order to improve the lives of others.

Dr Jak Beula, CEO of Nubian Jak Community Trust, said: “An apple never falls far from the tree. The remarkable achievements and humanity of Dr George Alfred Busby, and the impact he had on
his family and the world are clear for all to see in his equally remarkable daughter, Dr Margaret.”

Cllr Paul Douglas, Waltham Forest Council Cabinet Member for Culture, said: “As we celebrate the Windrush Nurses of Waltham Forest with a special exhibition at our Vestry House Museum, it is
exciting to find that we also had a pioneer Caribbean Doctor, George Alfred Busby, as far back as the 1920s in Walthamstow."

Josephine Beaton, Project Researcher, said: ”Dr Busby’s early life showed his immense talent. His life in Walthamstow showed his equally immense care for others, traceable through local records.”

Dr Deidre Osborne, Reader and Co-Covener of the MA Course for Black British Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London, said:  ”In a period well before Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors
Without Borders, Dr George Alfred Busby's dedication to healing set a remarkable precedent and he has endowed the practice of medicine with an invaluable bequest.”

Peter Ramrayka, Chair of RAFA City& Central London Branch, and an NHS Veteran, said: “It is a privilege to be associated with remembering the life and work of Dr George Busby, an
extraordinary pioneer who showed what could be accomplished by overcoming racial barriers and making a significant difference both in the clinical field and supporting his adopted country during its time of need.”

She is Nigeria's first woman mechanic. She is also the founder of The Lady Mechanic Initiative, which teaches women from diverse backgrounds how to fix cars and become financially independent.

And with that Sandra Aguebor says that she developed an interest in cars when she was just 13-years old. When she revealed this to her father, he was shocked and tried to discourage her. But Sandra was determined.

She began her career in the 1980s working at a local garage where she learned everything she knows before then attending Benin Technical College to take a vocational course in fixing automobiles. After graduating, she ended up working for another repair shop before she finally decided that she wanted to start her own business.

Now, she has been fixing cars for 36 years and running her own shop for 22 years in Lagos, Nigeria - Africa's largest city. During a feature on CNN, she commented, "For me to become the first female mechanic in Nigeria, I had to work five times harder... and prove myself."

Her experience has inspired her to help other women to do the same. Her non-profit organization brings women from all over Africa to Nigeria to learn to fix cars. Her hands-on skills training and classroom curriculum in auto mechanic/electrician, professional driving, generator repairs, speedboat repairs and house plumbing helps women so that they too can one day own their own garage.

Her goal ultimately is to help 100,000 women achieve this goal.

The Author Behind Award Winning Film “The Pursuit of Happyness” Starring Will Smith Delivers Powerful Motivational Message to Audience at Word Book Fair in Sharjah

Chris Gardner is an entrepreneur, international best-selling author and award-winning film producer. Gardner’s autobiography, The Pursuit of HappYness became a New York Times #1 best seller, has been translated into over forty languages, including six dialects of Chinese and Gardner is also the inspiration for the critically acclaimed film “The Pursuit of HappYness” for which Will Smith received the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award nominations for his performance.

Gardner’s second book, “Start Where You Are” also a best seller was published in 2009. Chris is currently finishing his newest book “HappYness 2.0 The Blueprint” Furthermore, Gardner has recently won a Peabody Award for producing “And Still I Rise,” a documentary about the life of his dear friend and mentor Dr. Maya Angelou.

As part of the #Arabic Book Fair held in Sharjah to celebrate the World Book Capital, Chris Gardner, participated in a panel discussion on his career The session, which was moderated by Richard Dean, dealt with Gardner's life story from his cruel childhood, his suffering as a single father who lived with his son homeless for more than a year, and the radical transformations in his life that sparked his spirit of challenge, leading to his bestselling book and his role as an inspiring international speaker.

Possessing the build of a body builder and the voice of a baritone singer, Gardner began his speech by expressing his delight at visiting Sharjah, which he described as a 'place of peace', recalling the atmosphere of his book, which was transformed into a movie of the same name in 2006, and starred American actor Will Smith,

"For me, it was important to have a certain degree of credibility in my story," Gardner said of why he devoted the most chapters to the story of his suffering and the difficult circumstances he faced during his career. "My friend, the late American writer and poet, Maya Angelo, told me:" I feel that this book does not talk about you alone, but it talks about all of us.

“When you have the courage to talk about the difficulties you have overcome, you are contributing to changing people's lives forever, although you will never meet many of them in your life, so I was determined to be honest through this book in every way.”

Gardner also says. ‘When I wake up, I look at the sky and say “Thank You God”. Because whether the sky is blue or grey, to wake up and to be at this point in my life, where I can work and do what I love to do. That’s an absolute blessing.’

In his second book, “Start Where You Are, Gardner echoes this sentiment when he says, ‘Whenever I’m asked what happiness is to me, my first answer is that it’s the ability to look at where I am in the moment, wherever I am, to remember where I came from and how far I’ve travelled, as a father, a friend, a contributing citizen of the world, and to be able to say, “What a beautiful life this is”, I’m so grateful to be here. More than anything, happiness is being able to appreciate everything

When asked about why he spells Happyness with a Y. Gardner said, as struggling single parent, he saw the word ‘happiness’ misspelt as ‘happyness’ in his son’s day-care centre. “I saw that ‘y’ at a time… when I needed to smile. It lightened the load and has ever since. The ‘y’ is also there to represent you and yours when it comes to defining and pursuing what it is in your terms, and what success, growth, fulfilment and enlightenment mean to you for this life — the only life you’ve got,’

In his first book, The Pursuit of Happyness, Gardner had shared lessons of self-empowerment, and how to beat the odds, his second book, Start Where You Are (2009), motivates others to claim ownership of their dreams and achieve their full potential.

Gardner says his greatest achievement in life was being able to put a roof over his son’s head, a sentiment portrayed in the film. He tells readers to begin wherever they are in life and capitalise on what they have in hand while building towards bigger goals and ambitions.

During the conversation, gave numerous nuggets of advice, while referencing book, which talks of having a Plan A with positivity, courage, tenacity, discipline and common sense. ‘This is what worked for me, a commitment to plan A, says Gardner, who talks about what a plan should contain.

Gardner emphasised the importance of having plan that must be clear, concise, compelling, consistent and committed or what he calls the C-5 complex. ‘You’ve got to have Plan A and not a Plan B. I will point to three people who exemplify this idea — Michael Jordan won six NBA championship rings because he was committed to Plan A, not Plan B.

Oprah Winfrey, the queen of media, has been committed to Plan A, and Barack Obama won two terms as the president of the US because he was committed to Plan A, not Plan B. If it worked for those people, and worked for me, it could work for you.

Gardner mentioned how the global financial crisis of 2008 changed the way the youth look at the world today. ‘You know my film The Pursuit of Happyness was released in December 2006. In January 2007, the US economy was going through a recession and spring 2008 was officially acknowledged as the beginning of the global financial crisis.

Gardner, solemnly states that “All the young people who went to college in 2008, saying “Yes We Can”, graduated in 2012, saying, “Wait a minute, what really happened? I did everything I was told to do. I went to school, I graduated and I got good grades. Now I have $100,000 as student loans debt and think I have no opportunity, and I have to move back with my parents hoping that they didn’t lose their house in the subprime fiasco”.

“Now when I talk to their younger brothers and sisters, they have seen how things did not work out for their older siblings. The world has forced them to look at things very differently and they are more focused on not having but being and becoming. This is a whole different mindset we are dealing with, but Gardner emphasises that the greatest gift is the permission to dream.

I tell people that you can be anything you want. Money is important but never confuse your net worth with your self-worth.’ His parting thoughts are simple. ‘You got to do what you are truly passionate about. It can’t just be about I want to make money. Everyone wants to make money. It has to be the thing that gets you up in the morning, and the sun cannot come up sooner for you to want to do that thing you love.”

Delroy Constantine-Simms

Published storyteller and poet Clive Alando Taylor is set to release his new book, ‘SpiritVolition’ (published by AuthorHouse UK), sharing his collection that takes a look at language and society through the expression of poetry and songs.

‘SpiritVolition’ is a collection of verses containing paradoxical and controversial elements interpreting current events and trends such as the multiculturalism, the new generation’s mind-set and progression of ideas in social media. With that said, it is a modern expression that is “profound and extreme” using language.  These pieces aim to stir the reader’s imagination and emotions as well as expression of ideas using what is deemed as unorthodox songs and poetry. These songs and poems possess aesthetic and provocative qualities with distinctive style — incorporating wordplay — and rhythm. It also has earthly and spiritual components that readers can reimagine and enjoy.

“[The book] is relative in a way, as much as we are an immediate needs to be met kind of throwaway and discard type of society, in that information is only relative to our current everyday activities… as oppose to anything which is to be seen, or treated or highly valued as necessary and important,” Taylor explains.

He invites his readers to engage with the impact of wordplay as they discover and learn something new from these verses.

Below is an excerpt taken from one of its poem, ‘Spiritvolition:’ :-

It’s Like A Fatal Heartattack / It’s Like An Onslaught Of The Senses

As U’re Engagement Is Fully Tested, / It’s Like U’re Bleeding Inside Of U’re Bones

As U’re Muscles Stretch And Contract / As U’re DNA Reports Back

It’s Like A Cellular Suicide / As U’re Cells Begin To Divide

Born in Southwest, in London, Clive Alando Taylor is the youngest son of six siblings whose interests include world religions, humanity and philosophy, music, dance and poetry.

As a writer, poet, artist and performer, he has always felt the need to convey his thoughts through the artistic expressions of words and music, and even through the unspoken medium of movement and motion.

Thus, it urges him to write some of his published materials on a variety of subjective ideas.

These include fictions – ‘Negus the Healer,’ ‘Angelus E’Nocturnus’ and ‘Quillian Cross’ as well as poetry books ‘Philophobia’ and his latest ‘SpiritVolition.’

The search is on for the most inspirational women across the Midlands, as applications open for one of the UK’s longest running annual awards.

Now in its 38^th year, the Women of the Year Luncheon & Awards celebrates the achievements of exceptional women, highlighting individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to their business, chosen sector or the wider community.

Taking place at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole on Friday 16 October, the Women of the Year Luncheon & Awards has two exclusive categories open for applications, Business Woman of the Year and Woman with Edge.  Colleagues, family and friends can nominate entrepreneurs or business leaders from across the private and public sectors, or applicants can simply nominate themselves. 

The Business Woman of the Year award is designed to celebrate the success of an individual making transformational changes within their organisation or sector, while the Woman with Edge award, this year sponsored by Freeths Solicitors,shines a spotlight on someone who challenges the status quo, and who understands that the road to success is not always straight.

An additional award for Woman of Achievement is presented to an individual or group of women from across the country who have strived to achieve the remarkable, often for the benefit of others and in some cases against the odds. The winner of this category is selected by the board of directors of Women of the Year Luncheon & Awards.

Creating an extensive network of women who are ambitious and driven, 2019 winners of the Women of the Year Awards were: Business Woman of the Year - Jennie Johnson MBE (CEO, Kids Allowed Ltd), Woman with Edge - Debbie Francis, (Managing Director, Direct Rail Services) and Women of Achievement - The Women of Grenfell. 

Over the last four decades, winners have included Baroness Karren Brady CBE, Katie Piper, Dame Asha Khemka DBE (Principal and CEO of West Nottinghamshire College) and British Paralympian, Claire Lomas MBE.

All proceeds from the Women of the Year Luncheon & Awards go directly to charity, with over £500,000 raised to date.  For 2020, the event will support The Prince’s Trust: Women Supporting Women Initiative, a passionate group of supporters who are committed to changing the lives of young women, and Elle for Elle, a charitable foundation that connects a wellbeing programme to refugees in the UK.

Applications and nominations for the 2020 awards are now open andZalena Vandrewala, chair of Women of the Year Luncheon & Awards, commented:

“For 38 years, these awards have been dedicated to profiling and recognising the most inspiring women across the UK.  We are excited for this year’s applications, as we encourage successful and strong women to showcase their talents and celebrate their achievements with us.”

We would also like to thank our business community, sponsors and associated charities, for their continued support.”