Community News

The date has been set for the next hearing to consider the interim injunction banning ‘street racing’, also known as ‘car cruising’, in the Black Country. It will take place at 10.30am on Friday 10 November at Birmingham District Registry, Civil Justice Centre, The Priory Courts, 33 Bull Street, Birmingham B4 6DS.

The interim injunction was allowed to continue by the High Court, with minor alterations, in May. It prohibits people from participating, as a driver, a rider or a passenger, in a gathering of two or more people at which some of those present engage in motor racing or motor stunts or other dangerous or obstructive driving.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Innovate UK have announced a new strategic partnership to strengthen innovation in the region.

The West Midlands Local Action Plan sets a framework to more closely align the innovation support Innovate UK and the WMCA provide to the region’s businesses, entrepreneurs, and researchers with the eight primary growth clusters identified in the WMCA’s Plan for Growth. Innovate UK is the UK’s national innovation agency that supports and funds businesses, entrepreneurs, and researchers who have creative and cutting-edge ideas to make a positive impact on society and the economy.

‘Whale, whale, whale’, guess what’s back? Touchwood’s renowned ‘Costa del Solihull’ is making another return due to popular demand, this time with a mermaid-themed twist!

Launching on Saturday 22nd July until 3rd September, local guests visiting Touchwood Solihull will once again have the opportunity to soak in the ‘vitamin sea’ at Theatre Square’s tropical paradise. On launch day, sit back and relax on Touchwood’s dashing deckchairs as DJ Mark Field hosts a fun range of party games and competitions for the kids to enjoy.

Thirteen years ago, when Sammi Kinghorn MBE was lying in hospital after suffering a life-changing accident on the family farm she could never ever have imagined where she would be today…

In 2010, she was involved in a life-changing accident on her family farm causing an injury that left her paralysed from the waist down. With her incredible spirit and determination, Sammi is now the fastest-ever female British wheelchair racer representing Team GB, winning multiple gold medals and competing in two Paralympic Games.

The Datai Pledge, the wide-reaching sustainability, conservation, and community support programme of iconic Malaysian resort The Datai Langkawi, has published its third annual Impact Report. Covering the year 2022, the report has been released following meticulous monitoring and documentation.  It details key successes in various projects across all four pillars of The Datai Pledge. 

These aim to support marine life, terrestrial wildlife, and local youth and the community, as well as make the resort’s business operations more sustainable.  

Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, has delivered its first UK Work Insights Programme to school and college students from Birmingham and the surrounding areas. Aon’s Colmore Gate office in Colmore Street welcomed 29 students from a diverse range of socio-economic backgrounds onto the new programme, which aims to enhance career opportunities and social mobility.

A new study has revealed that Norwich is the UK's most social media-obsessed city, with its population searching the most for social media-related terms over every other city in the UK. The research conducted by entertainment experts at PlayOJO analysed the number of Google searches for various social media platforms over the past year, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit and Linkedin. 

Norwich is the top city in the UK with the highest number of searches for social media-related terms; the city sweeps in at over 215,000 searches per 100,000 people and has a population of over 143,000. Wrexham is the second most social media-obsessed city, with over 65,000 people searching for all social media platforms, equating to over 209,000 times per 100,000 people. 

The Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) has adopted theClean Energy Marine Hubs Initiative (CEM-Hubs) at a summit in Goa, India. The first-of-its-kind platform brings together the private sector and governments across the energy-maritime value chain to transform maritime transportation and production hubs for future low-carbon fuels. 

The CEM-Hubs initiative is initially backed by Canada, Norway, Panama, Uruguay and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in partnership with the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and the International Association of Ports & Harbors (IAPH). The CEM Hubs initiative is a partnership that's jointly led by private sector and governments working in close collaboration.

YMCA, a national charity committed to supporting young people in their time of need, is thrilled to announce a ground-breaking new partnership with Cadent, the UK’s largest gas distribution network. Cadent is investing £300,000 to both fund the new ‘Safe and Well Communities’ project and provide experts to train the YMCA team.

As part of its commitment to tackling fuel poverty and supporting the most vulnerable in the West Midlands, the gas networks ‘Safe and Well Communities Project’ aims to enhance YMCA’s existing support for young people and families. The initiative will see Cadent training YMCA Housing Workers that support young people at YMCA Black Country Group, YMCA Heart of England and YMCA Wellington and District and YMCA Worcestershire; to provide practical advice on energy efficiency, financial management, and safety during the transition from YMCA-supported housing to independent living.

One of the most important pioneers of UK Black music in Britain is to be honoured with a blue plaque on his 91st birthday. The late great Sonny Roberts opened the very first Black recording studio in Britain – Planetone. This was the catalyst from which Chris Blackwell created Island Records, and Lee Gopthal created Trojan Records. Artists such as Millie Small did occasional practice sessions at the studio, and it is now synonymous with these two labels.

Born on 26th July 1931 in Jamaica, Sonny emigrated to London in 1958 10 years after the arrival of the Empire Windrush.

Animated film productions in the UK are set for a boost as the government reveals increased tax relief, to take effect from 1 January 2024.

The creative industry has grown at more than 1.5 times the rate of the wider economy over the past decade, making it an important sector for the Chancellor’s plan to grow the economy. The new tax changes announced today are expected to be worth £5 million each year to business and come alongside the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit which was uplifted at budget from 33.33% to 39%.

The Midlands’ two biggest taxi operators have stepped up to offer a vital service to Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC). Go Carz and A2B Radio Cars have set up an account for the air ambulance crew, offering a free taxi service for them to get back from hospital when they have travelled by land ambulance or if the aircraft has needed to return due to night time and low visibility.

Amid reports that July and August are the busiest months for Brits to go on holiday, experts at Scams.info have provided expert tips on how to avoid the most widespread scams targeting tourists abroad.

Transport - When taking trips abroad, it’s vital to consider how you will travel throughout the country beforehand. Unregulated airport taxis could take advantage of the fact that you aren't local and may be uneducated on typical fares. As a result, you could be charged extremely high rates or taken to the incorrect destination which pay the taxi a finder's fee, rather than the hotel, restaurant or particular business you requested.

Virgin Galactic has announced the flight window for the ‘Galactic 02’ flight mission. This mission will be Virgin Galactic’s seventh spaceflight, second commercial space light and third spaceflight this year; flying three private passengers to space. The flight window will open on August 10, 2023, continuing the company’s cadence of spaceflights,

Details of the flight manifest, including the crew and pilots, will be released at a later date. The dynamic and inspiring crew will showcase the importance of removing the barriers of entry to human spaceflight.

Feedback is being invited on early proposals to transform Perry Park and deliver further enhancements to the Alexander Stadium following last summer's Commonwealth Games. The latest ideas have been shaped to support the aspirations of the Perry Barr 2040 Masterplan – to deliver a true legacy asset in the form of an improved park and a multi-purpose stadium with a year-round relevance for the local community and other users.

Parents should ensure they get written consent before taking their children outside the jurisdiction of England and Wales, an expert family solicitor from law firm Shakespeare Martineau has warned.

Stephanie Kyriacou, family associate at Shakespeare Martineau, said: “You must get permission of everyone with parental responsibility for a child or from a court before taking the child abroad, especially if there is a possibility that verbal permission could be withdrawn before travel.