Flip International Animation Festival is looking for enthusiastic Marketing Interns to join the team!

FLIP International Animation Festival returns to Light House Media Centre in Wolverhampton on Thursday 27 to Saturday 29 October 2011. The festival team are calling for enthusiastic individuals to become festival marketing interns, working in the run up to the festival and during the weekend. The successful applicants will gain valuable marketing and PR experience working as part of a renowned international festival. The voluntary internship will take place from August to November and interested applicants should apply with CV and covering letter to Renata Walton on email: ren@light-house.co.uk by Friday 5 August. For more information visit http://www.flipfestival.co.uk/

FLIP is an eclectic mix of all things animation. Based in the heart of the Midlands the festival provides a wide range of experiences from educational workshops for young people to experimental animation for grown ups; from industry led panels to feature film screenings and from international showcases and retrospectives of short films to spotlights on animation studios.

The purpose of the internship will be to encourage participation from the general public, other businesses and schools/youth forums in the region and further afield, through all aspects of marketing from online blogs, distribution of literature and liaising with the press, to face-to-face interaction with festival attendees. Interns will also help to photo-document the festival, catalogue films and carry out audience research during the weekend.

For a full role specification and further information about the festival visit www.flipfestival.co.uk. Interested applicants should apply with CV and covering letter to Renata Walton on email: ren@light-house.co.uk by Friday 5 August. FLIP is part funded by Screen WM, the BFI transitional fund and Wolverhampton City Council

Opportunity to help to support a growing co-operative in the West Midlands

Birmingham Bike Foundry, one of the city's newest and most exciting worker co-operatives, are looking for people to invest in loan stock to fund their move into high street premises in Stirchley.

Full details of the offer are available at http://birminghambikefoundry.org/loanstock 

They are looking for investments of at least £500, to be rapaid over one year or two years with interest paid on the loan stock of 4%.

This notice on Spaghetti Gazetti is not necessarily a recommendation or endorsement of this investment opportunity, investments are at your own risk and you are encouraged to carefully examine the offer document before making any decision as to whether to invest any of your money.

Birmingham's Gun Quarter to be renamed by ConDem PC brigade

Politically correct councillors in Birmingham's ConDem cabinet have approved the name change of Birmingham's historic Gun Quarter because they don't want the city to be associated with firearms.

Normally the prerogative of the left wing white middle class to squander time and energy on misguided crusades on the grounds of political correctness with no acknowledgment of historical context, it seems that Birmingham's bungling right wing leaders have nothing better to do with their remaining months in power than rewrite the city's once proud industrial working class history. 

Cabinet member for regeneration, Councillor Tim Huxtable has objected to the term 'gun' and approved an official name change for the small area of back-streets around St Chad's Cathedral traditionally known as the gun or gunsmith quarter after the small artisan gun makers who flourished in the area some hundred to two hundred years ago.

What do you think?

Is the term gun quarter the wrong message for our city and will visitors to Birmingham really believe that we Brummies are a town of aggressive and militarised pistol toters? Or will they display the same level of insight and intelligence as the rest of us and assume that the name  may just have something to do with it being just one of the city's legendary 1000 trades, many of which just happened to be localised?
      

Ludlow Assembly Rooms live events listings

September 2011

Fri 12 August to Sunday 4 September

Tori Sutherland

Tori Sutherland is a felt maker, painter and jeweller who works in merino wool, silk and other fibres, many sourced locally to her home in Herefordshire. Her work is mainly influenced by the Herefordshire landscape, and more recently, her Grandmother’s collection of objects from her Ludlow home. Gallery, free

Allan Macdougall

Allan Macdougall is known for his watercolour landscapes of Herefordshire. As a keen mountaineer, he also captures the various moods of the mountains in Scotland and Wales in impressive watercolours. Café gallery, free

Ludlow Art Society

Thursday 1 September, 7.30pm

Pattern

An illustrated talk on printing by Drusilla Cole. Tickets £2 members, £3 visitors. Annual membership £15 - membership is open to all interested in the visual arts. New members and visitors are welcome - Art students are given free membership. http://www.ludlowartsociety.org.uk/

Tuesday 6 September, 3 – 4pm, then weekly

Sing-along sessions

Singing is good for you! Friendly, informal sessions for all abilities singing old favourites, folk songs and songs from the shows. Just turn up, or contact Mary on 01544 231732. £4 including tea/coffee and cake

Wednesday 7 September, 7.30pm

Poetry Café

First Wednesday of every month Bring your own or your favourite poems to read and discuss in convivial company. September’s theme is Doors.

Gallery, free (donations to cover room hire accepted)

Friday 9 September – Sunday 23 October

Rupert Redway

An exhibition of humorous cartoons by Rupert Redway, a freelance cartoonist whose work is widely published in newspapers and periodicals, including Private Eye. Gallery, free entry

Friday 9 September – Sunday 23 October

Gillian MacDonald

Acrylics and gouache. ‘Colour, design, texture and a love of textiles from around the world have always played a large part in my sense of vision. Inspiration comes from the environment I live in - my home and garden. It is this combination that I have portrayed in my work.’ Café Gallery, free entry

Ludlow Assembly Rooms live events listings - continued

Monday 12 Sept, then weekly

ReAct Youth Theatre

Professionally run youth theatre. Focus is on movement, text and character development, through the creation of plays or the exploration of written text.
Age 5 – 11 years: 5 – 6pm, £40 per term. Age 11 – 16 years: 6.15 – 8pm, £45 per term. For details contact Cathie Woodbury 01588 672910, shropshirelass3@yahoo.co.uk

Wednesday 14 September, 7.30pm

Ludlow Civic Society Lecture

Duncan White, potter, artist. Country Pottery.
Monthly meetings in Oscars, open to all: £2 members, £3 non-members. Annual subscription £13 (£24.50 joint)
Call Rebecca Buteux on 01584 872 295 for more information

Thursday 15 September, 7 – 9pm

Cycle maintenance session with Islabikes

Expert tips and friendly tuition for successful puncture prevention and repair. Bring your own wheel, repair kit and pump if you want to practice on your own equipment, or practice equipment is available to borrow. Suitable for age 14+ and adults. £5 (£4 concessions)
http://www.islabikes.co.uk/

Fridays from mid September, 7 – 9pm

Table tennis

Basic coaching for all ages. Bats and balls provided. Adults £2.50, Juniors £1.50.

Saturday 17 Sept, 10.30am – 12.30pm then weekly

SmART

Saturday morning arts and crafts club for ages 8 – 14. £35 /£30 per term (10 sessions) For details call Tanith Kinton, 01584 876532.

Saturday 17 September, 8pm

Soul Supply

A Soul Extravaganza of old favourites like Midnight Hour and My Girl, through to Blues Brothers numbers – guaranteed to get everyone on the dance floor!
Auditorium, cabaret seating with large dance area, £12 /£10.
A limited number of free tickets available to young people under 26
http://www.soulsupplyband.co.uk/

This is a fundraising event in aid of Ludlow Assembly Rooms

18 Sept, 10am – 2pm

Tabletop Sale

Hassle-free way to sell surplus items and unwanted gifts at this monthly indoor sale. Tables cost £6, contact Faraway on 01584 813702 (faraway@ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk)
Bargain hunters – this is your chance to pick up some great finds!

Ludlow Assembly Rooms live events listings - continued

Wednesday 21 September, 2.15pm

A Teme Valley Decorative and Fine Arts Society Lecture

David Hockney – a talk by Douglas Skeggs MA Cantab, writer, artist, TV presenter

Visitors welcome. £5 (on the door), membership £32 a year, giving access to outings, study days, volunteering and the NADFAS magazine

For information contact the Chairman: 01584 711477

Wednesday 21 September, 7pm

The Ludlow Pudding Experience

If a dinner with seven desserts is your idea of heaven, book your place at our monthly pudding extravaganza. There’s a choice of main courses, followed by the pudding selection which includes old favourites and intriguing new desserts to try, with a vote for the best!

£5.95 for main course, glass of house wine, all puddings and coffee

Thursday 22 September, 7.30pm

Fashion Extravaganza

A fabulous fashion show in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support. Autumn styles from a wide variety of Ludlow outlets, children’s wear from Smarti and Poyners and bridal wear from Castle Brides of Bishops Castle. For details contact Jenny Vaughan 873324, jenny.v@btinternet.com

£10 (including a glass of wine)

Friday 23 September, 8pm

Comedy Cavern

A fantastic evening of comedy with two headline acts, MC’d by musical comedian Ray Kane from Halifax.

Wes Zaharuk’s fast paced razor wit and tornado-like approach to comedy has made him one of the most requested comedians at many venues in North America.

Steve Day is a familiar voice on BBC Radio 4 and numerous TV shows. A truly unique comedian - warm, witty and engaging whilst dealing with the dilemmas of being a deaf man in a hearing world!

Suitable for age 16+. £10 / £9

A limited number of free tickets available to young people under 26

Wed 28 September, and 5 and 12 October 7 – 9pm

Bridge for Beginners (session 1)

Learn the rudiments of this fascinating card game in three introductory workshops for absolute beginners. Suitable for age 16+

£10 /£8 for all 3 sessions

Friday 30 September, 8pm

SLICK Lounge Special

JOANovARC

Indie rock band. This 4-piece all girl band has played Festivals and clubs in Europe, the Caribbean and the UK, electrifying audiences at the London Astoria, Café de Paris and many more.

LGBT SLICK Lounge will be open to 11pm. £9 / £8 

A limited number of free tickets available to young people under 26

http://www.joanovarc.co.uk/

Saturday 1 October, 7.30pm

Jackie Oates

Supported by Loxley

Jackie won two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2009, after going solo and her album Hyperboreans reached number 5 on the Mojo Folk Album of the Year Chart. She’s played the main stage at Cambridge Folk Festival, headlined her own tours and is a permanent part of the Imagined Village line up.

http://www.jackieoates.co.uk/

Loxley – a local band who are in great demand, Loxley write and collect songs that they love to sing, and their material sways gently from traditional and contemporary folk, from the 16th - 21st century. www.myspace.com/loxleyuk

A limited number of free tickets available to young people under 26

Groups and schools workshop available with Loxley.

Contact Box Office for details 01584 878141

Thursday 6 October, 8pm

Andy Parsons Live - Gruntled

Don’t miss this winner of Time Out Award, New Zealand International Comedy Award and Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival Award, and star of BBC’s Mock The Week and Live At The Apollo. Suitable for age 13+

£15 /£14 A limited number of free tickets available to young people under 26

Solihull Mayor welcomes visitors from Nepal

From left to right:Mayor's Escort, Mr Robert Chamberlain; Vice Principal, Little Wonders School, Bishu Hang Tenga; Principal, Little Wonders School, Deepika Pradhan Rai; Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Irene Chamberlain; Deputy Headteacher, Woodlands Infant School, Mrs Carolyn Peel; Headteacher, Woodlands Infant School, Mrs Sandra Logan.

The Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Irene Chamberlain, and her Escort Mr Robert Chamberlain, were delighted to welcome distinguished visitors from Napal to Solihull this month.

Woodlands Infant School in Solihull developed a successful working partnership with Little Wonders School in Kathmandu, through the Department for International Development (DFID) Global School Partnership programme, an initiative which is supported by the British Council.

A successful bid through the programme for a Reciprocal Visit Grant enabled Principal Deepika Pradhan Rai and Vice Principal Bishu Hang Tenga of Little Wonders School, to visit Woodlands Infant School to explore the teaching methods, meet the children and experience different cultures that will launch a year-long curriculum project between the schools.

During the visit, Solihull Council arranged for all members of the programme to meet with the Mayor and her Escort, to find out more about the role of the Council and to gain an insight in to the tradition and responsibilities of the Mayor.

The Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Irene Chamberlain, said: “I am delighted to be invited to take part in this programme and to welcome our visitors from Little Wonders School to Solihull. This is a fantastic opportunity for both schools to enhance their learning and this exchange will provide the children with a true insight into how their school environments compare from one country to another.

“I will look forward to seeing the children's project that will generate from this exchange over the next year or so.”

As part of this DFID enabled exchange programme, it is planned that members of staff from Woodlands Infant School will be visiting Little Wonders School in Kathmandu, Napal, in September of this year.

High Speed 2 proposals may increase carbon emissions

Leading engineers today suggest that flaws in the analysis of the High Speed 2 (HS2) proposal might result in the project producing more, not less, carbon dioxide.

Questions concerning the high speed and therefore higher energy consumption of the trains, the number of tunnels and assumptions on the number of people switching from air travel could mean that carbon emissions per journey would increase in comparison to current levels.

The warning, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), comes on today’s deadline for the Government’s consultation on the proposed HS2 and its recommended route from London to the West Midlands.

Paul Davies, Head of Policy at the IET, said: “We believe we have uncovered a number of flaws in the proposals, some of which question the claim that HS2, as proposed, will reduce carbon emissions.

“The case for HS2 relies on a number of assumptions made within the proposal. Some of these are flawed, for example not considering the effects of aerodynamic drag from environmental mitigation measures such as tunnels, which could lead to an increase in carbon emissions.”

The IET, Europe’s largest body of engineers warns that greater clarity is urgently needed to properly evaluate the costs and benefits of the proposals. But as the proposal stands, it leaves serious questions unanswered.

Other areas for concern include:

No service levels for the West Coast Main Line after the completion of Phase 1 have been provided. Such an assessment would indicate the number of new platforms which would be required for a redeveloped Euston station.

The comparators used in the economic analysis are inconsistent and do not represent the best realistic alternatives against which HS2 should have been judged.

No economic analysis has been provided for the link to High Speed 1.

Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone gets Government Green Light

Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, paid a welcome visit to Birmingham today to announce the Government’s approval of the Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone bid.

The Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) establishment of an Enterprise Zone will be estimated to create 40,000 new jobs and generate £2.8 billion into the regional economy.

Andy Street, Chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP, said: “This is fantastic news for Birmingham and the surrounding areas. This visit by Mr Osborne shows that our vision for an ambitious Enterprise Zone is being noticed by Government as a showcase for the rest of the country.

“Gaining approval to become an Enterprise Zone will provide access to initiatives such as lower tax levels, simplified planning and reduced administrative procedures, that will enable the LEP to encourage sustainable private sector-led economic growth, enhance local facilities and generate significant job opportunities throughout the region.”

Birmingham City Centre is among 4 Enterprise Zones that were announced by the Government today.

The Zone will support the redevelopment of key areas around Birmingham City centre as well as publicly funded regeneration and infrastructure projects including the £600m New Street Gateway Project that involves John Lewis bringing one of their biggest new stores outside of London to the heart of Birmingham and the £189m re-development of Birmingham’s central library.

Mike Whitby, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: ““I am delighted that Birmingham, and the Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP, are leading the way in supporting this exciting new policy. I am proud that the scale of our ambition, with a proposal which covers 67.5 hectares at the heart of Birmingham, has excited the Government - as has our innovative approach.

“For Birmingham, and for the LEP, we expect the impact of the Enterprise Zone will be formidable. We are working with a business case which over the lifetime of the project could deliver a £2.8bn uplift to our economy, and lead to the creation of 40,000 jobs. Whilst, in the short-term, we can expect to lever in almost 50,000 sq metres of new development and a £200m per annum uplift in our economy.”

Prisoners need greater awareness of third sector, says research

New research from the Third Sector Research Centre highlights the need to make prisoners more aware of voluntary organisations that could help them toward resettlement. The report shows that despite the relatively high number of third sector organisations working within prisons, many are not known by prisoners.

TSRC researchers conducted a survey across eight prisons nationally to investigate prisoners’ experiences of third sector organisations (TSOs). The number of TSOs that each prison claimed was active in their establishment ranged from 15 to 31. However, on average, respondents reported having heard of just four.

Engagement with third sector organisations was also low, with only 5% of prisoners having engaged with at least one. Where prisoners had heard of an organisation but not engaged with them, the main reasons given were that they knew nothing about them, or did not feel they could help.

The researchers looked specifically at prisoners’ experiences of organisations operating within seven different areas, or ‘pathways’, of resettlement. They found that TSO’s working on drug and alcohol issues had the most consistent representation and use within prisons.
Within other pathways there was a discrepancy between the representation of organisations and awareness of these by prisoners. While each prison had a number of organisations which provided housing, for example, only 20 – 25% of respondents were aware of these and nearly 10% of respondents identified accommodation as a key area where supply did not fit demand.

Similar problems were noted within employment, education and training, and finance and debt. Certain groups of offenders were also more likely to engage with different services. Women respondents and those from non-British Black, Asian and mixed ethnic backgrounds reported significantly less engagement with housing TSOs despite equal levels of awareness. Young adult and juvenile respondents reported less awareness and involvement with accommodation TSOs. This is backed up by previous TSRC research, which illustrated underrepresentation of housing organisations offering services to women offenders, young offenders and offenders from BAME backgrounds.

In open-ended questions, 25% of respondents said that more organisations are needed to provide employment, training and work placements for prisoners in the community. This was especially the case among young adult and juvenile offenders, as well as in open prisons where the number of TSOs operating in this area was low.

Dina Gojkovic, TSRC researcher at the University of Southampton, said ‘our ongoing research within the criminal justice system has highlighted a proven need for the work of TSOs and the benefits they can provide. While our survey did not measure engagement with statutory services, the identified need for more of some services shows that prisoners are not necessarily getting these from elsewhere. It certainly seems that improving the communication between TSOs and prisoners could help more people to benefit from them’

Note: The survey sample is non-representative. The response rate was approximately 12% which, while low, can be considered typical of self-completed prisoner surveys. Despite this, the researchers felt the survey was a valuable tool in gaining a wider picture of prisoners’ involvement with TSOs.

Have you heard about Shop for Change?

‘Shop for Change’ is a campaign which helps social enterprises and other trading third sector organisations to source business products and services from each other. A key element of this campaign is our free directory which contains over 200 organisations and is growing daily. The rationale behind Shop for Change developed from a piece of research carried out by iSE, which revealed the following:

· 35% of social enterprises don’t buy any goods or services at all from within the third sector;

· Almost half spend less than 10% of their supplier-spend in the sector;

· Only 13% spend 10-30% of their supplier-spend in the sector;

· Less than 2% spend 50% or more of their supplier-spend in the sector. 

Are you a social enterprise or third sector organisation supplying goods and services that are needed by other businesses?

List your organisation on our FREE directory

Are you looking for a supplier?

Consult our Shop for Change directory - if you don’t find what you are looking for, let us know and we’ll do our best to either find an existing supplier or encourage someone to start trading to fill the gap.

Visit the website: http://www.shopforchange.info/

Email us: shopforchange@i-se.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/shopforchangeuk

How many pictures can you recognise?

I hope that Spaghetti Gazetti visitors like the new look background to the website and how many observant readers have spotted that the montage is made up entirely of iconic pictures from the West Midlands region?

But can you spot the following images dotted around on the Spaghetti Gazetti monatge that forms our website background?

Well to help you out, here are the two montage images which make up the tiled background and here is a list of the iconic images. Can you suggest other things I might add in the future?

William Shakespeare of Stratford upon Avon

Two tone logo from Coventry

Edward Burne-Jones - artist and designer

William Webb Ellis statue at Rugby school

Jasper Carrot of Hall Green / Solihull

Musical Youth from Birmingham

Frank Skinner from Oldbury

ATV logo

Bottles of HP Sauce from Aston

Barges at Gas Street Basin

An old Austin Morris motorcar

Lady Godiva of Coventry

Kilns of Stoke on Trent

Selfridges building in Birmingham

An Alton Towers ride in Staffordshire

ELO from Birmingham

Spitfire plane from Castle Bromwich

Shrewsbury town bridge

Tamworth Castle

Gold from Hockley's jewellery quarter

A BSA motorcycle from Small Heath

Bottle of Ansells beer

Union Jack chocolate box by Candbury's of Bournville

Trevor Francis of the Blues

Lenny Henry of Dudley

Wolverhampton lock and key

The Tipton Slasher 

The Malvern hills of Worcestershire

Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

A crystal glass from Stourbridge

Benny from Crossroads and the Rotunda

Sikh temple in Handwsworth

Black Sabbath from Aston

Steam train at Severn Valley Railway

Duran Duran

Sir Edward Elgar from Worcestershire 

The mini originally made at Longbridge

A Herefordshire bull

Lichfield cathedral

Iron bridge at Telford

A pint of ale from Burton

Led Zeppelin from Black country and north Worcestershire

Herefordshire apples

North Staffordshire china plate

UB40 from Birmingham

A saddle made in Walsall

Jaguar car from Coventry and Solihull

A balti from Balsall Heath

Have you spotted them all?

Birmingham Carnival

Sunday 7 August 2011 will see this exciting biennial event return to the city.

It last took place in 2009 and was previously held in Perry Park. Due to popular demand it is returning to its original home in Handsworth Park where it first began in 1984.

The event will begin with a spectacular procession, led by the newly crowned Carnival Queen, which will be leaving Holyhead School at 1pm before making its way to Handsworth Park at around 3.30pm.

Birmingham Carnival is an opportunity to experience the food, music, sounds and colours of the Caribbean. This year’s extravaganza promises to be a treat for the entire family. It will consist of a variety of decorated floats, steel bands and carnival troupes with live and off stage entertainment of soca, calypso and reggae music.

Caribbean refreshments will be on sale throughout the day where you can try traditional dishes such as Jerk Chicken and rice and peas as well as a wide range of fruit and rum punches.

There will also be a host of activities for children including inflatable toys and a children’s zone.

Birmingham Carnival is well reowned for its beautiful and extravagant costumes and has grown in popularity over recent years with many revellers travelling from as far away as London, Leicester and Leeds to attend.

The event ends at 8.30pm.

Further information can be obtained by calling 0121 303 3008.

Lxi Kimberley Maye is Birmingham's Carnival Queen. She was crowned on Sunday 24th July 2011 after wowing judges with her confident personality and energetic dance routines.

Pictures copy right Spaghetti Gazetti

LEP signs off its support for a high speed rail network

The Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership has underlined its support for high speed rail in its response to the Department for Transport’s national consultation on the proposed High Speed Two rail network.

Following a board meeting on 20 July, the LEP has written to the DfT pledging its full support for the principal of a high speed rail network, but is looking for certain assurances.

These included making sure people affected by the proposed network are adequately compensated, requesting that the design of HS2 seeks to minimise the environmental impact and ensuring that effective links with the HS1 network on mainland Europe are provided.

Chair of the LEP Andy Street said: “HS2 will result in considerable benefits for the whole of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP area and will complement our emerging Economic Strategy for jobs and growth, which is why we have put forward our desire for a positive decision to be made to proceed with HS2.

“As a Board, we feel that providing effective links with the HS1 network are essential to the success of the entire proposal and want to see that part taken forward. Having these links in place would connect the LEP area to Europe and could help vastly reduce our carbon footprint through reduced air travel. However, without these crucial links passengers may still see air as the more direct or efficient option, and so we are seeking further assurances from the Department for Transport that these links will happen.

"We also feel strongly about trying to minimise the environmental impact of HS2 and ensuring people affected by it are suitably compensated, and in responding to this national consultation have asked the Department for Transport to address these concerns."

In responding to the DfT consultation, the LEP has spelled out its unanimous support for the HS2 initiative, although with the exception of Lichfield District Council who has separately highlighted its concerns.

As well as the significant reductions in travel times to London, other major cities and Europe, there is the potential for the creation of up 22,000 jobs in the West Midlands if HS2 is delivered alongside a package of regional and local rail enhancements.

Councillor Ken Meeson, Leader of Solihull Council said: “We want people to recognise that High Speed Rail should not be viewed in isolation; it should be seen as part of an integrated transport system that, locally, will benefit the whole of our LEP area.

"Connectivity to Europe is key, but more investment is needed in the existing regional transport network to maximise the benefits for the wider LEP area, and we are looking forward to working closely with the Department for Transport to make the whole project a huge success.

"While there is no doubt that the LEP board supports the principal of high speed rail and the benefits it will bring to the region, we will still be looking to the Department for Transport for certain assurances as the project moves forward - particularly surrounding compensation for those affected, and mitigating the environmental impact as well as ensuring that any high speed rail network is properly linked to those in mainland Europe."

Randal Brew adamantly denies the Council intend to destroy the Martineau Centre

Former Lord Mayor of Birmingham Randal Brew has written a letter to his colleague, Quinton councillor Peter Smallbone - the lone Conservative councillor opposing the city's closure of the Martineau Centre, defending the city's run down of the much loved local centre, a heritage building which has been used by the community for some thirty years but is now being threatened with demolition and sale to private interests.

Local residents, who have witnessed services at the centre being withdrawn, staff being moved out and amenities run down at the Martineau Centre over a five year period, published a leaflet in the area recently after the announcement that a fast public consultation was to be carried by the estate advisory company DTZ. The leaflet called "The Planned Destruction of the Martineau Centre" highlighted that DTZ had been appointed last summer, in spite of continued statements from Birmingham City Council that no decision had been made about the future of the amenity . 

Residents have become frustrated at the confused messages from the Council and the sudden appearance of DTZ conducting what apepars to be a fast-track and little publicised consultation at the start of the main summer holdiay period. Through local citizen pressure the Council have now been forced to add extra consultation days on 30th July and 13th August.      

Mr Brew, who is Cabinet Member for Finance, wrote to Peter Smallbone on July 15th 2011 to challenge the suggestion that DTZ have been asked to prepare plans to sell the centre to private interests and demolish it for housing.

He told Peter Smallbone:

"Having worked up an outline scheme it is then appropriate to put the options before residents. I must stress that no decision has been made yet regarding the finite future of the site, and none will be made until the consultation is being completed in all forms".

"As part of the process of adding value, the outline planning application will be submitted in late August / early September".

Editor: Can someone please explain to me which part of that is a denial that a decision has been made?

HS2 SLAMMED IN NORTH WARWICKSHIRE RESPONSE TO CONSULTATION DOCUMENT

In a response to the Government’s consultation on the proposed High Speed Rail Link which will cut through land close to the North Warwickshire Villages of Water Orton, Middleton, Gilson and near the town of Coleshill, local members of the Labour Party have put forward a 20 page objection slamming the claims of the Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond.

The response written by former government Minister Mike O’Brien, who represented the area in Parliament until the 2010 election, says

“The Department of Transport and HS2 Ltd have failed to demonstrate that HS2 is in the national interest; the Business Case has been constructed on unrealistic and sometimes unfair assumptions about HS2 and the alternatives; the economic damage to parts of the West Midlands is unjustified; the reduction in rail services to passengers on other parts of the network is ignored; the environmental impact is not properly assessed and the strategic need is unproven because this is basically a politically motivated railway rather than one based on strategic need.”

Mike O’Brien says:

“14 years as a Minister taught me to be highly sceptical of official looking documents which present an invented problem and promise a slick solution based on flawed assumptions, questionable benefits and little evidence. The HS2 will cost Britain too much, socially, environmentally and financially and should not be allowed to go ahead.”

The Conservative led coalition has had the support of Labour for HS2 so North Warwickshire Labour Party have made it clear that they oppose the project.

Mike O’Brien opposed HS2 from the start and held public meetings to oppose the proposals in early 2010.

BBC to Re-run Victorian Pharmacy Filmed at Blists Hill

The fascinating Victorian Pharmacy series, mainly filmed at Blists Hill Victorian Town in the Ironbridge Gorge, is to be re-run by BBC 2 at 7pm every Monday over the summer. Now being broadcast in 30-minute slots, as opposed to the original hour, it takes a look at the dynamic world of the pharmacy from the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign in 1837 right through to her death in 1901.

Following a unique experiment, the observational documentary depicts historian Ruth Goodman, Professor Nick Barber and PhD student Tom Quick recreating an authentic 19th-century pharmacy. They look at the weird and wonderful remedies used in the Victorian era, such as leeches, oil of earthworm and potions laced with cannabis and opium. After sampling some of the old ways, the team ventures into new discoveries, such as the Malvern water cure, the bronchial kettle for curing coughs, and the invention of Indian tonic water. Later in the series they also look at the role of pharmacists in developing everything from custard powder and Worcester Sauce to matches, fireworks, disinfectant and aspirin.

Viewers inspired by the documentary can see the pharmacy at Blists Hill where it was filmed and learn more about traditional remedies, courtesy of costumed residents in the recreated Victorian town. Other attractions include exchanging modern money in the town’s bank for pre-decimal token coins, which can be spent in the authentic shops, workshops and pub.

A Passport, to all ten of the Ironbridge Gorge Museums valid for twelve months and multiple return visits, costs £22.50 per adult, £18.25 for the 60 plus, £14.75 for students and children and £61.50 for a family of two adults and three children aged up to 18 years in full time education; under 5s free. Individual museum entry tickets are also available.

The museums are open seven days a week from 10am until 5pm; activities and workshops vary day-to-day and some carry an extra charge in addition to the museum admission fee, for further information, contact the Ironbridge Tourist Information Centre on Tel: 01952 433 424 or visit http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/. The Gorge is easily reached via the M6 and M54 motorways exiting at Telford (M54 junction 4 or 6). 

One-fifth of charities and not-for-profits face insolvency

July 27th, 2011 by Alun Severn

Voluntary Organisations and the Economic Crisis: Riding the Storm, a new report from FRP Advisory claims that one-fifth of charities and not-for-personal-profit organisations face insolvency risks because of spending cuts. Just under half have scaled back activities in order to reduce costs, with the majority of these making redundancies. The report is frankly pretty gloomy reading but it is useful....

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http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=2196

Resilience event a great success

A meeting was held at Birmingham Disability Resource Centre yesterday (26th July 2011) at which officers from Birmingham City Council's resilience team gave a presentation on the city's plans to respond to medium to large scale emergency situations, such as floods, chemical and gas leaks, terrorist alerts, adverse weather conditions, etc.

The resilience officers explained how members of the community can be prepared in advance of emergencies and also some useful tips on how to cope in an emergency, how to safely evacuate your home and general safety measures.

Specific advice was provided about the ICE system - which stands for In Case of Emergency - a very basic way of letting emergency services know who to contact if you are involved in an accident, for instance by entering ICE in your address book of your mobile phone with the telephone number of the best person to contact if you are unconsious, etc. You can also enter ICE2, ICE3 etc for additional numbers which stops emegency workers having to search around for numbers. Or keep the ICE numbers in your wallet or purse or next to your alarm box in your house.

The resilience team also operate an alerts system for people who register their phone number, post code, mobile phone number and/or email address at http://www.birminghamprepared.gov.uk/

Through this system you will be sent text alerts if there is an emergency situation, such as a major road crash or industrial fire in your local area. The website also gives useful details about how to prepare your home and car for emergency situations (lists of useful things to store in an emergency supply kit).

Do please be prepared and watch this space for future information events.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING FUN FOR THE CHILDREN TO DO THIS SUMMER?

Dogs Trust Kenilworth holds summer events at the dog rescue centre

Dogs Trust Kenilworth is hosting two summer events for children to learn about responsible dog ownership. Held at the Honiley based Rehoming Centre on Thursday 28th July and Friday 19th August, children will be able to get involved in a range of fun games, from guess the dog to designing artwork to be displayed in the reception - there is something for everyone.

Says Scott Spencer, Dogs Trust Kenilworth Education Officer:

“These events are a great way to get children involved and excite them about dogs, whilst also teaching them about the importance of responsible dog ownership. Children are the dog owners of tomorrow and it is really important that they understand what is involved with looking after a dog. They can become loyal friends and through the work we do with schools we are able to talk to the children face-to-face and answer any questions they have about looking after a dog.

“It can be hard to find activities to keep children entertained over the summer holidays, but we hope that these fun sessions will add something a bit different. Many of the local children haven’t been round the rehoming centre so we can give them a special fun packed behind the scenes tour.”

Designed for children aged 5-11 the events start at 1pm and for those wanting to attend the events please contact Scott on either 01926 485 131 or email Scott.spencer@dogstrust.org.uk. There is a maximum of 20 kids per event so call soon to register your interest.

Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity and cares for 16,000 abandoned and unwanted dogs each year. To find out more information please visit http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/  

Wealth of local art gives anticurate a flying start

mac birmingham has been overwhelmed by the response to an open call for local art and is now looking forward to an unusual series of exhibitions throughout the summer.

351 pieces have been submitted by 351 different West Midlands artists for mac birmingham’s latest visual arts project called anticurate – which has been devised by artist Trevor Pitt in association with mac birmingham, as a platform to explore democratic and collective approaches to exhibition curating.

More than 200 local artists answered the call of “We want your art!”, and came along to an open day on Saturday 9 July to pitch their artwork to five different groups called anticurators, who’ve each been asked by mac birmingham to produce an exhibition. Even more brought their work in on Wednesday 13 July.

The anticurators are mostly people who’ve never had the chance to curate an art show, so in picking their way through the hundreds of submissions, they’ll be able to offer a fresh perspective on the artwork they come across and present a different kind of exhibition.

The groups include Dani Sims, Nailah Bakhsh, Joshua Whitehouse, Sean Burns, Polly Welsby, Annabel Woodfin and Victoria Jessop from the Ikon Youth Programme, Carli Francis and Rosie Carmichael of Birmingham-based No Aloha arts collective, and Emma Little, Annie Murphy, Harriet Lane and Marie Prestleton from mac birmingham’s front of house staff.

Emma Little, who works in mac birmingham’s catering team, says “anticurate is a fantastic opportunity for both the anticurators and local artists alike, which can already be seen in the enthusiasm displayed by everyone involved. I am excited by the democratic approach in this project, which I think will allow a wide-range of personalities to shine through to the exhibitions. I think we’ve already found a few hidden gems amongst Birmingham’s already well-established art scene.”

The pieces submitted cover every conceivable aspect of art, from paintings to performance pieces – and will be featured across the series of anticurate exhibitions in mac birmingham’s main gallery between Thursday 4 August – Sunday 11 September. The first five weeks will be different exhibitions by each group of anticurators, and the sixth will see every single piece on display (even if that does mean having to hang work from the ceiling!).

Craig Ashley, Visual Arts Producer at mac birmingham comments “We’re delighted with the success of anticurate so far. A phenomenal number of artists have got involved and we’ve received an incredibly diverse selection of artwork - from painting, sculpture, ceramics and printmaking to photography, video, performance and text.

“Working with groups, who don’t usually ‘curate’, to create their very own art show is very exciting for us as we really don’t know what kind of exhibitions we’re going to get. But one thing is certain, we’ve already seen some wonderfully talented and creative people – and fundamentally, that is what the project is all about.”

Birmingham Botanical Gardens - Children's Outdoor Theatre

On Thursday 4 August at 3pm, Chapterhouse Theatre presents Snow White, a production especially for the younger audience.

Westbourne Road

Edgbaston

Birmingham B15 3TR

0121 454 1860

The UpRising Leadership Programme - recruitment drive begins

The UpRising Leadership Programme is dedicated to supporting and developing young adults aged 19-25 from diverse backgrounds in order to become the next generation of effective and connected leaders across the public, private and voluntary sectors. We are recruiting 40 young people in East London, 20 in Bedford and 50 in Birmingham.

UpRising (http://www.uprising.org.uk/ ) was developed and launched by the Young Foundation in 2008 in East London. UpRising has worked with over 200 young adults over the past three years in London and we expanded to Birmingham in October 2010. We are expanding into Bedford in September 2011.

Our patrons are Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Leader of the Labour Party Ed Miliband.

We are recruiting for our programme which starts in October 2011. We are looking for young people who are enthusiastic, passionate and committed to changing their communities for the better. 
_________________________________________________________________________

UPRISING

· Are you an enthusiastic 19-25 year old committed to changing your community for the better?

· Do you live, work or study in East London (Hackney, Newham, Barking & Dagenham or Tower Hamlets), Bedford or Birmingham?

· Do you want to make change happen?

UpRising opens up pathways to leadership for talented young adults by equipping them with the life skills, knowledge, networks, confidence and power to transform their communities for the better. UpRising is a part-time leadership programme that requires commitment from you. Included in the programme are:

· Leadership retreat

· Social Action Project

· Learning sessions

· Learning visits

· Leadership opportunities

· Networking

· Mentoring

· Coaching

· Alumni network

Find the application form online at http://www.uprising.org.uk/

Spaces are limited. The selection process will take place in September and the programme will start in October.

Eleanor Cappell

Social Entrepreneur in Residence (SEiR) (NHS Birmingham East and North)

Direct: 0208 709 4823 (Monday) 0121 380 9019 (Tue – Fri)

Mobile: +44 (0) 7956 317 236

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SEiR_NHS_BEN

Website: http://bensgottalent.wordpress.com/

Switchboard: +44 (0) 20 8980 6263

http://www.youngfoundation.org/

Locals encouraged to ‘Be Sure’ at this year’s Birmingham Carnival

Revelers at this year’s Birmingham Carnival event have the opportunity to have fun and get clued up about their sexual health.

Birmingham and Solihull’s ‘BeSure’ chlamydia screening programme team will be hosting a stand at the carnival, offering free chlamydia testing and non-judgmental sexual health advice, as well as giving away freebies to all those who stop by.

Bharti Bulsara, the BeSure programme’s primary care lead explains: “Around 1 in 14 sexually active 15 to 24 year olds taking the free and easy test have chlamydia. It is important we raise awareness of how easy it is to treat and protect yourself against chlamydia and other forms of sexually transmitted infections. Through the BeSure scheme, we hope to highlight the dangers of sexual infection in a fun and interesting way.

“Most people who have chlamydia have no symptoms or signs; it can easily be treated with antibiotics, but if left untreated it can lead to infertility and many other complications.”

Birmingham Carnival will be held in Handsworth Park on Sunday 7 August from 1:00 – 8:30pm.

For more information on the BeSure programme, visit http://www.besure.org.uk/

Dig for Shakespeare launches new summer activities for families as part of BBC Hands on History campaign

Dig for Shakespeare, the live archaeological project on the site of Shakespeare’s last home in Stratford, has joined the BBC Hands on History Dig! campaign with a brand new line-up of family activities which whisk you back through the centuries to explore the world of the Romans, Tudors and Victorians.

The Dig for Shakespeare is unearthing finds spanning more than 2000 years. Throughout the school holidays, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is inviting families to become time detectives, discover what ‘Smelly Rotten History’ tells us about what rots and what does not, and take part in games and activities for all ages.

There is a new family marquee, open from 11am-4pm daily, where families can find out how archaeologists unearth the secrets of the past, then delve for artefacts themselves, follow clues to identify ‘finds’ and place them in the living timeline museum.

Visitors to the marquee will receive a free BBC Hands on History Dig! 8-page fold-out family activity pack, including instructions for creating your own mini excavation at home, stickers and badges. Visitors can also watch professional archaeologists and a team of volunteers working on fresh excavations at the Dig every day, and join in with sieving the spoil for artefacts.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has introduced a special family discount package giving unlimited entry throughout the school holidays (until 4 September) to the Dig for Shakespeare at New Place in Stratford-upon-Avon, and to Mary Arden’s Farm at nearby Wilmcote, for only £29.50. The special family ticket admits two adults and up to three children, with tickets for additional children priced at £5 each. Entry to the Dig for Shakespeare Family Marquee and the Hands on History activities is free to ticket holders, and to residents of Stratford* who can visit the Great Garden where the Dig is taking place free of charge. For more information please visit http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/  or contact 01789 292325.

For details of other BBC Hands on History Dig! events and activities around the country, check out www.bbc.co.uk/history/handsonhistory.

*proof of residence required

London 2012 Open Weekend the biggest yet for the West Midlands

• 106,000 people attended London 2012 Open Weekend events in the West Midlands

• Double the expected audience


• Excitement grows as we approach one year to go until the London 2012 games

This year's London 2012 Open Weekend was the biggest to date in the West Midlands, with 106,000 people attending events marking one year to go until the start of the Olympic and Paralympic Games - double the expected audience.

60 events took place around the West Midlands from Friday 22 to Sunday 23 July. Highlights included Jamaica Live! in central Birmingham, a pop-up festival celebrating the Jamaican team’s visit to the city in 2012; The Great Train Dance on the Severn Valley Railway and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Park, a free concert of orchestral music performed in Telford Town Park.

Paul Kaynes, Creative Programmer for the West Midlands, said: “The people of the West Midlands have turned out in their droves for the London 2012 Open Weekend, to mark one year to go until the start of the Olympic Games. It shows that you can have your own experience of London 2012 on your own doorstep – not only through sport, but through arts and culture, and celebrations in your own community. It bodes well for 2012 when even more people will want to join in.”

With the support of BP, Premier Partner of the Cultural Olympiad and long-standing supporter of arts and culture in the UK, the London 2012 Open Weekend is now in its fourth year.

Open Weekend 2011 follows the success of the past three previous years, in which over 2.4 million people across the UK unleashed their creativity across a series of sporting, art and cultural activities in celebration of the countdown to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

To find out how you can get involved in London 2012 inspired projects in the West Midlands contact http://www.wmfor2012.com/  and to tell us how you are already involved post your story at www.facebook.com/thegamesandme.

BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS OF WORKING WITH YOUNG CARERS WITH MUSICAL SUMMER SCHOOL!

A very special week of theatre workshops will take place at Birmingham Hippodrome from Monday 1 – Friday 5 August in celebration of the theatre’s fifth Summer School for Young Carers.

The packed week sees 22, 11-18 year old Birmingham Young Carers work with professional artists from the region in a series of workshops based on musical theatre.

The week long project entitled Birmingham Hippodrome Musicals – Past, Present and Future sees the youngsters draw on themes from hit West End shows performed, or being performed, at the theatre including Hairspray, Oliver!, We Will Rock You, the brand new musical Top Hat and many more.

Young Carers are ordinary young people from all different backgrounds who look after someone in their family. This could be an ill parent to younger siblings for example. The week long project at the theatre enables these youngsters to be with other carers, to have fun and develop.

Liz Leck, Education and Audience Development Manager said

“We are delighted to be celeabrating five years of working with Birmingham Young Carers. We have been privileged to watch some of these children grow and develop into incredible young people. They have had to face more hardships and emotional trauma in their short lives than most people would imagine.”

The 22 students come from two Birmingham organisations: Action for Children a children's charity that supports and speaks out for the UK's most vulnerable and neglected children and young people; The Spurgeons Young Carers Group who work with local services and community groups to raise awareness of young carers to improve professional knowledge and skills and identify young carers in Birmingham.

The Young Carers will participate in workshops including music, dance and drama and will culminate in a sharing performance at Birmingham Hippodrome attended by parents and guests.

Birmingham Hippodrome has been working with Young Carers for five years. The first project took place in 2007 with CATS; 2008 Mary Poppins; 2009 We Will Rock You; 2010 The Sound of Music. Over the five years over 100 students have attended Birmingham Hippodrome Young Carers projects.

Local games prove popular in Stafford

Around 200 people enjoyed their own ‘Olympic’ moments at an event in Stafford at the weekend.

Highfield’s Signpost ‘Community Games’ took place on Saturday (23 August) with a packed programme of activities for families including - zumba, football skills, face painting, cooking demonstrations, and taster body treatments.

The most popular event proved to be an inflatable bungee run which was given a test drive by Stafford Borough Council’s Abbi Tyson, 22, who will be taking part in the 100m Olympic trials for London 2012.

The borough council teamed up with Highfields Signpost Centre staff to set up the community games to promote healthier lifestyles in the area. The event in the town’s Highfield’s area was celebrating a year to the Olympic Games and the fourth birthday of the local Signpost Centre.

There are almost 150 ‘Community Games’ taking place across the West Midlands to celebrate the 2012 games with another event to take place Meadow Road in the Silkmore area of Stafford next Thursday (4 August).

Are You Reaching the Parts that Others Can’t?!

The need for purchasing value for money and diverse services is more important than ever, but are you sure that you’re reaching all of the organisations that can deliver this?

A a recent meeting with commissioners and funders you told us that you wanted:

· A clearer understanding of the sector and the cultural diversity it represents

· The ability to consult and engage with the sector
· To diversify your outsourced delivery activities
· To increase your access to potential service deliverers
· To increase your reach into communities, via the sector

· To know ‘who’ is out there (sector mapping and intelligence)
· To work with a range of suppliers under one, or few, contracts (brokerage services and consortia development)

The Collective is a network of over 750 BME third sector organisations - which you can now access through one easy to navigate website. Through this website you can:

· Advertise your opportunities to BME third sector organisations
· See at a glance who is delivering services in your area
· Get value for money by strengthening and diversifying your market

To find out more and meet members, come along to our event this Friday, July 29th

§ Venue: The Penthouse, The Custard Factory, Gibb Street, Birmingham, B94AA

§ Directions: http://www.custardfactory.co.uk/contact/

§ Times: 11:30am to 2pm

For more information or an informal chat about how the Collective can support your diversity and consultation needs please call Siobhan on 0121 456 7404 or email siobhan@brap.org.uk