Dame Kelly Holmes Set to Inspire at Schools Sports Conference

Edgbaston High School for Girls is delighted to announce that it will play host to a prestigious national sports conference for young women later this year.

‘Girls Go Gold’ will be attended by elite sportswomen in Years 10-13 at GSA schools who represent their county or country in their chosen sport, as well those studying GCSE, AS and A2 PE. This one-day conference will take place on Wednesday 21 September 2011 and has been designed with the needs and expectations of elite sportswomen in mind, both at school and in higher education.

This year’s conference will be attended by keynote speakers Baroness Sue Campbell, Chair of UK Sport and Dame Kelly Holmes DBE, sports personality and double gold Olympic medallist. Dame Kelly commented: “I am delighted to be speaking at this year's Girls Go Gold conference. It is important to have a platform to encourage both sport in schools and the participation of women in sport; attendees at ‘Girls Go Gold’ will feel empowered and the event serves as an inspiring and motivational day for all young sportswomen. I am very much looking forward to meeting everyone. “

In addition to keynote presentations there will be a series of break-out sessions covering Sports Psychology, Sports Physiology, A day in the life of an elite performer, the Olympic Games and Sports Nutrition. These sessions will be led by specialists in their field including representatives from the University of Birmingham and Kelloggs.

Dr Ruth Weeks, headmistress, commented: “I am delighted that Edgbaston High School has been selected to play host to such an exciting and prestigious event as ‘Girls Go Gold’. The day will be a celebration of the successes of our young sportswomen and I am thrilled that two inspiring role models such as Baroness Sue Campbell and Dame Kelly Holmes have agreed to lend their support and encouragement to our next generation of athletes.”

Write On! Writing Squads come to Herefordshire

Herefordshire’s young writers are being encouraged to get creative, pick up their pens, and learn new skills that could see them becoming tomorrow’s professional authors.

Herefordshire Council’s library in Hereford is hosting two Writing West Midlands writing groups for young people aged 8 to 12 and 12 to 16 who are interested in creative writing. Whether it’s poems, plays, stories or blogs, the groups known as writing squads, will help young people develop their skills and gain confidence about their writing. They’re also great fun!

Writing Squads are part of a wider regional initiative to develop literature across the West Midlands. Hereford’s squads will be led by professional writer Brenda Read-Brown, with support from writer Deborah Alma. The groups meet monthly on Saturdays from 11am – 1pm (8-12 year olds) and 2pm to 4pm (12-16 year olds), with sessions on 24th September, 15th October, 26th November and 17th December 2011.

There is a session charge of £16 for 4 sessions or £5 per session if paid on the day.

To reserve a place or for more information please contact Joanne Penn at Writing West Midlands on 0121 246 2774 or joanne@writingwestmidlands.org.

BBC WM Presenter Arshia Riaz Officially Opens The Curry Republic

The Curry Republic is officially opened by BBC WM’s Midlands Masala presenter Arshia Riaz (centre).   She is pictured with Directors Abdul Mumeen (left) and Samir Malvankar.

BBC Radio WM presenter Arshia Riaz joined the Directors of The Curry Republic to officially open their new delivery kitchen in Sutton Coldfield.

The host of Midlands Masala show undertook a ribbon cutting ceremony, chatted to the chefs and observed food preparation in the open plan kitchen before sampling one of the authentic dishes.

Director and General Manager Samir Malvankar said: “We were delighted to welcome Arshia to officially open our new business – and to find out that she lives within our delivery area - so we look forward to seeing her again soon!”

Located at 4 Chester Road, opposite The Beggars Bush public house, the outlet has undergone a major refurbishment and now offers fine Indian cuisine for either take away or delivery. The Curry Republic brand focuses on quality, freshness and excellent service. All dishes are freshly prepared to order and packaged in recyclable containers, which seal in heat and flavour.

Opening promotions include a free starter for orders of £20 or more on take away or delivery and a 10% discount on collection.

BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME - BOYS REQUIRED FOR CAMERON MACKINTOSH'S OLIVER!

BOYS REQUIRED FOR ALL ROLES

INCLUDING OLIVER, ARTFUL DODGER AND FAGIN’S GANG

IN CAMERON MACKINTOSH’S SMASH-HIT MUSICAL

“OLIVER!”

The forthcoming national tour of Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Lionel Bart’s smash-hit musical OLIVER! is looking for boys to play all roles.

The producers are looking for boys who are aged 7 – 12, under 5 foot tall and have unbroken voices. All children must live within a 45 mile radius of Birmingham to audition for these roles.

Auditions will be held during the weekend of Saturday 10 September 2011.

For further information and to book an appointment please contact Jo Hawes on jo.hawes@virgin.net

No phone calls or submissions by post.

OLIVER! will be at Birmingham Hippodrome from 13 March to 21 April 2012, starring Neil Morrissey from Tuesday 13 March – Saturday 1 April and Brian Conley from Tuesday 3 April – Saturday 21 April.

NEIL MORRISSEY is probably best known as ‘Tony’ in the hugely successful TV series “Men Behaving Badly”. His other TV credits include “Waterloo Road”, “Skins”, “Paradise Heights” and “Carrie and Barry”. No stranger to the stage, Neil’s West End theatre credits include Victoria Wood’s “Acorn Antiques”, ‘Nathan Detroit’ in “Guys and Dolls” and “A Passionate Woman”. His film credits include “Up ‘n’ Under”.

BRIAN CONLEY is one of the UK’s most versatile actors and performers. His West End stage credits include ‘Edna Turnblad’ in “Hairspray” at the Shaftesbury Theatre, ‘Caractacus Potts’ in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” at the London Palladium, as well as originating the role of ‘Al Jolson’ in “Jolson” at the Victoria Palace for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. On television, he is probably best known for playing ‘Doug Digby’ in “The Grimleys”, his ITV1 show “The Brian Conley Show”, his hugely successful “An Audience with Brian Conley” and numerous Royal Variety Performances.

The sensational score of OLIVER! is full of Lionel Bart’s irresistible songs including Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two, I’d Do Anything, Oom Pah Pah and As Long As He Needs Me.

OLIVER! recently completed a two year run at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London where it opened to rave reviews, sell-out business and the biggest advance sales of all time for a West End show. Last year, OLIVER! celebrated its 50th birthday, having premiered in the West End in 1960.

OLIVER! is presented by Cameron Mackintosh, Southbrook Group Limited and Stage Entertainment UK.

Tickets for Oliver! are priced from £18.50-£52 and are available on 0844 338 5000 or http://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/.  Calls vary from 5p per min. 5% transaction charge.

http://www.oliverthemusical.com/

The Sooty Show comes to Cadbury World

Families are being given the chance to come face to face with their favourite characters from The Sooty Show when the cast from the popular children’s television programme visits Cadbury World on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September.

Sooty, Sweep, Soo and Richard will all be making an appearance at the chocolate attraction to perform a variety of shows across the weekend. There will also be an opportunity for visitors to meet the stars and have their photograph taken with their favourite cast member.

Diane Mitchell, marketing manager at Cadbury World, said: “The Sooty Show has been fantastically popular with children and parents alike for over 50 years and we’re really pleased to be welcoming the gang to Cadbury World this September. I’m sure there will be mischief, fun and games for all, with plenty of shows taking place across the weekend.”

As well as experiencing The Sooty Show, visitors can explore all of Cadbury World’s fourteen different zones such as Essence, where they can create their own individual taste by combining warm Cadbury chocolate with a selection of treats.

The Bournville-based attraction is also planning a series of spook-tacular activities throughout the half-term holiday, with Halloween-themed entertainment taking place between 22nd and 30th October, including a spooky fancy dress competition for children.

For more information about the programme of entertainment that Cadbury World offers, or to arrange a visit please go to http://www.cadburyworld.co.uk/.

Laughter lifeline for Birmingham’s newborn babies

Television presenter Nick Owen and internationally acclaimed comedian Felix Dexter launched Baby Lifeline’s appeal to raise £250,000 for life saving treatments for some of the West Midlands sickest babies.

The Midlands-based national mother and baby charity Baby Lifeline, is helping to raise the money to improve services for mums and newborns at Birmingham’s Heartlands Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and Solihull Hospital.

Nick Owen, who is awaiting the imminent arrival of his second grandchild, said: “I am very proud to be associated with Baby Lifeline and to go for this challenging target.”

Judy Ledger, founder of Baby Lifeline, explains: ‘I am so pleased that the appeal will benefit Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust’s maternity services. I know many of the health professionals there, who are not only dedicated and enthusiastic about the care they give to mothers-to-be and their babies, but also very willing to go that extra mile. We hope people will come along to the first event, a comedy evening, to help show support for Baby Lifeline and have a few giggles along the way.”

One new mum, Ann White, whose daughter Olivia was born two days before at 33 weeks and is in the neonatal unit, said: “I had problems when I was 20 weeks pregnant and without the treatment I had then at Heartlands, I would have miscarried. Without everybody here many of these babies in the neonatal unit would not survive. Everyone is so helpful and encouraging.”

Joy Payne, the Trust’s Head of Midwifery, said: “It is wonderful that Baby Lifeline has chosen us to benefit from their anniversary appeal. It will mean we can buy life-saving equipment for some of the West Midlands’ sickest babies and improve the experience of women on our maternity wards.”

Nick Owen, long standing vice president of Baby Lifeline, and Felix Dexter, were joined at the appeal launch at Heartlands Hospital by founder of Baby Lifeline Judy Ledger, and the Trust’s head of midwifery Joy Payne and head of children’s nurses Jackie Edwards.

A comedy evening featuring Felix Dexter, Geoff Whiting, James Redmond and Hattie Hayridge kicks off the appeal at Birmingham City Football Club’s St Andrew’s Stadium on Friday 16 September. To book tickets, or for more information, please call 08476 422135 or visit http://www.babylifeline.org.uk/

Birmingham chosen as one of four pilot areas for ‘problem families’ Social Impact Bond

New on the BSSEC blog...

http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/

Birmingham chosen as one of four pilot areas for ‘problem families’ Social Impact Bond

August 26th, 2011 by Alun Severn

Third Sector Online announces today that Birmingham is one of four pilot authorities chosen to test a Social Impact Bond aimed at supporting “problem families”. The other local authorities are Westminster, Hammersmith & Fulham, and Leicestershire.

Each council will devise a contract that specifies targets for families and charities and social enterprises will then bid for the contracts and find private and social investors to give financial backing.

The schemes are due to begin in Spring 2012.

READ MORE/...


http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=2298

SWM PROBATION USES YOUTUBE TO ENGAGE LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Staffordshire and West Midlands (SWM) Probation Trust has launched five YouTube videos that show how the Trust works to reduce crime and keep communities safe.

The short films show how offenders are managed by the Trust in the community. This includes how Community Payback operates, the Trust’s work with victims and the use of effective interventions, which include group programmes to tackle a range of issues including alcohol and drug abuse.

The SWM Probation YouTube channel offers an exclusive insight to the work that is done with offenders supervised in the community, or released on licence from prison.

The films help to make it easier to understand the often complex world of probation work. They give viewers the chance to meet members of SWM Probation Trust, listen to what they have to say about their roles and see offender management in action.

The videos can be shared and viewed on home computers, laptops or phones. Viewers can make comments or even ask questions, which SWM Probation Trust will aim to answer.

The Trust is also developing the use of social media outlets Facebook and Twitter. SWM Chief Executive, Mike Maiden, regularly tweets to a number of followers via Twitter and Facebook is used to engage volunteers, and share news stories and vacancies.

SWM Probation Trust is also piloting ways for an offender to complete units of their probation work securely online. The aim is to further increase compliance by making it easier for offenders to complete their orders in addition to their childcare, education or employment demands. Other online initiatives include diversity training for staff and a secure training portal for magistrates.

SWM Probation Chief Executive, Mike Maiden said:

“Exploiting the benefits of new media and meeting the needs of our stakeholders is vital to high quality offender management and risk assessment. The pioneering use of social media is a vital tool in the ever changing world of communication and engagement with offenders and communities.

“These videos clearly demonstrate the innovative methods used by staff in the management of offenders, which has public protection at its core .”

For further information see the SWM website: http://www.swmprobation.gov.uk/

To see the new SWM Probation videos see: http://www.youtube.com/swmprobation

To follow SWM Probation Chief Executive via Twitter: http://twitter.com/CXSWM

To join the SWM Probation Facebook group and profile: http://facebook.com/SWMprobation

CONSULTATION ON SUNHAVEN AND COOMBES HOUSE IN SOLIHULL

Caroline Spelman, MP for Meriden, says: “Solihull Council is holding a consultation about the future of two residential care homes: Sunhaven, Solihull Lodge (older people and people with learning disabilities) and Coombes House, Yardley Wood Road (people with learning disabilities). I would encourage carers and those receiving services to take part. It is important that the community has its say before decisions are made.

“While the care provided in Sunhaven and Coombes House is high-quality, the buildings are not a good enough standard any more to provide suitable high quality accommodation which can meet the changing needs of current and future residents. So difficult decisions have to be made to make sure people living in the homes have proper places to live. Those decisions will have to ensure that services are able to respond to the care needs of future service users. The costs of the service are also a consideration, as well as providing people with good accommodation.

“No final decisions have yet been made about the future of the care homes; this is why this consultation is vital. The Council needs to hear the views, aspirations and wishes of people living in the homes and their family members.

“Anyone with an interest should participate in the consultation by completing the questionnaire on-line at www.solihull.gov.uk/consultation.

There is also an information booklet available at http://www.solihull.gov.uk/Attachments/ResidentialCareServicesbooklet.pdf.

This consultation closes on 21 October 2011.”

Open day at Coleshill Childrens Centre

Open Day

19th September 2011

1pm - 4.30pm

All members of the community are welcome to view the building and find out more what is on offer

Coleshill Children’s Centre is newly built for all children and their families under 5 years old. We have recently opened in June 2011 and the Children’s Centre offers services to include Stay and Play sessions, ‘Together Time’ baby sessions along with the health visiting team, Chatter Matter courses, healthy eating programmes and much more.

For more information, please contact us at

Coleshill Children’s Centre,

Wingfield Road, Coleshill B46 3LL

Tel: 01675467979

emailcoleshillchildrenscentre@warwickshire.gov.uk

Friends of the Earth New Economics meeting next Saturday - who should we trade with ?

10.15-12.00

3rd September 2011

FOE Warehouse, 54 Alison St

Digbeth Birmingham

The main subject for this meeting is the ethics of who we should trade with.

John Nightingale will be opening the discussion.

A familiar face at our meetings, John is primarily involved in the JubileeDebt Campaign and the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility.

This is an open meeting - please feel free to pass the invitation along.

The Alphaspaghettical Guide to the West Midlands

H is for Haile Selassie in Malvern

If you were asked to name a location in the West Midlands region with a strong connection to Ethiopean Emperor Haile Selassie, chances are you might think of somewhere like Lozells, Handsworth or Aston in Birmingham, possibly Coventry or maybe Wolverhampton, all places with large African-Caribean communities, especially people of Jamaican origin and more specifically people who follow the Rastafarian faith.

Haile Selassie is of course revered as a messianic figure by the Rastafari movement which started in Jamaica in the 1930s and has hundreds of thousands of followers worldwide. It would make perfect sense that somewhere like Handsworth, for instance, a place of settlement for the Jamaican diaspora since the Windrush generation of the 1950s and still a thriving hub of Rasta inspired culture and the UK reggae music scene, is most likely to have close links with His Imperial Majesty.



In my house, there's a picture on the wall.



However, many of us will be surprised to learn that the Worcestershire town of Malvern probably has the strongest direct links with Haile Selassie in our region as he regularly stayed at the town's Abbey Hotel during the 1930s whilst his granddaughters attended nearby Clarendon School. Whilst staying in Malvern Haile Selassie also attended services at Holy Trinity Church.

Haile Selassie appears to have had a liking for England's elegant spa towns because his main home whilst living in Britain in exile between 1936 and 1941 was Fairfield House in Bath. He also stayed briefly in Worthing and Wimbledon.

In 2003 Rastafarian poet Benjamin Zephaniah from Birmingham went in search of the Haile Selassie Malvern trail for the BBC's Inside Out series. Locals interviewed by Benjamin included one lady who remembered him handing out prizes at Malvern Winter Gardens whilst others remembered his granddaughters at school.

In June 2011 the Malvern Civic Society unveiled a blue plaque next to the front entrance of the Abbey Hotel to commemorate Haile Selassie's connections with the town.

Benjamin Zephaniah interviewed about the teachings of Rasta culture: 

Ludlow Assembly Rooms - Editor's pick from Live events listings, October 2011

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

Saturday 8 October, 8pm

Ralph McTell

On tour and performing material from his new Bob Dylan birthday tribute Don't Think Twice It's Alright and his recent album Somewhere Down the Roads, as well as old favourites such as Streets of London. £20 /£18. http://www.ralphmctell.com/

Saturday 15 October, 7.30pm

Doug Scott – Adventures in the Mountains

The British mountaineer famous for the first ascent of the Southwest Face of Mount Everest in 1975 tells of his adventures with some of the world's greatest climbers. And the world's most extreme rock faces, including a dramatic tale of survival on the Ogre in Pakistan. Doug is also the founder of Community Action Nepal (http://www.canepal.org)./

£15 /£14. http://www.classroomsintheclouds.org/

Monday 17 October, 8pm

Michelle Shocked

American folk roots. A 1980s troubadour, Michelle’s debut album, The Texas Campfire Tapes, (recorded round a camp fire and released without her knowledge) ignited a musical career that continues today. Michelle’s touring solo set will recapture the raw intimacy of her early work. In her own words ‘the most sophisticated hillbilly you’ll ever meet.’ £16/£15. A limited number of free tickets available to young people under 26

http://www.michelleshocked.com/

Tuesday 25 October, 10am - 12 noon

Ludlow Lecture

Caroline Magnus -The Story of Stokesay Court

Part of a series of six lectures on the history and landscape of Ludlow and the Marches

£4 for individual lectures, £15 for all 6 lectures.

For further details contact Pam and Alan Latchford 01584 874990

Friday 28 October – Sunday 11 December

The Titanic Honour and Glory Exhibition

This exciting and evocative national touring exhibition features rare and previously unseen artifacts from the Titanic’s passengers and crew, a faithfully recreated two-berth third class cabin from Titanic’s ‘F’ Deck, and props and costumes from James Cameron’s film Titanic.

Exhibition opening times: 12 – 3pm in 6 half hour slots, 6.15 – 7.15pm in 2 half hour slots. Visitors will be assigned half hour slots to avoid overcrowding and we recommend pre-booking. (Monday to Saturday. Closed on Sundays). Minimum donation £5 (£3 under 18s). This is a fundraising event in aid of Ludlow Assembly Rooms

Friday 28 October, 7.30pm

Titanic Exhibition launch event

Illustrated talk by Sean Szmalc, curator of the Titanic Honour and Glory exhibition, and John Hodges, author of Titanic, the story of a stowaway aboard the ill-fated ship. Sean has a wealth of fascinating information and stories to share about the Titanic and the Titanic collection. John reveals how a real love story on board the ship was the inspiration for the blockbuster movie Titanic. Tickets £12 /£10. Includes Q&A session and book signing. www.titanichonourandglory.com

Sunday 30 October

Seascape Sounds

Work with composer Rob Wix to record the varied sounds that water makes, then mix the recordings into atmospheric tracks using state-of-the-art music technology.

Ages 8 – 14: 1 – 3.30pm. Ages 15 and over: 3.30 – 5.30pm. £7 /£5 http://www.scintillate.org.uk/

The British Institute of Human Rights: National Human Rights Tour - 'Making Human Rights Happen'

The British Institute of Human Rights: National Human Rights Tour

‘Making Human Rights Happen’

16 Rights

16 Cities
16 Weeks

BIHR will be hitting the road in the autumn of 2011!

We are planning 16 free-to-attend, full-day events across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales to celebrate the 16 articles of the Human Rights Act and to look at how human rights relate to the Coalition's plans. The towns and cities we shall visit are Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, London, Manchester, Newcastle, North Wales, Norwich, Oxford. Plymouth, Scotland (2 cities TBC), and Sheffield.

In case of further questions, contact ewilcox@bihr.org.uk

What’s the role of human rights in a period of cut backs to public services? What is the role of human rights in protecting the vulnerable? Do human rights offer an effective tool for people wishing to challenge the impact of service cuts or changes? How do we make sure we balance one person’s rights against the interests of society as a whole?

These are the questions at the heart of a National Human Rights Tour by the British Institute of Human Rights. There will be 16 free-to-attend events taking place across the UK between September and December 2011. The full list of destinations is:

Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, London, Manchester, Mold (North Wales), Newcastle, Norwich, Oxford, Plymouth, Scotland (2 events TBC), Sheffield.

Full information about dates, locations, and booking is available at the end of this message. Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment and please forward this information to your colleagues, friends and networks.

Background


The significant changes currently taking place to our public services, which are being cut back, redrawn, or commissioned out to other providers, raises fundamental questions about what human rights mean in our society and what role human rights can play in tackling these changes.

What are human rights?


Human rights protect individuals from the worst excesses and arbitrariness of state power. They are meant to ensure that no-one finds themselves completely abandoned or exploited by society. As well as playing a critical role in respecting and protecting our human rights, governments must also promote and fulfil them. In other words human rights are not just there for when things go wrong, but exist to stop things going wrong. Human rights have a very positive vision which is to enshrine in law the fundamental worth and dignity of all human beings and ensure everyone is helped to reach their full potential.

Understanding how human rights work


Human rights are often both misrepresented and misunderstood, and they themselves appear to be at risk of being cut back. BIHR’s experience shows that human rights play an important role for the most vulnerable members of society - and for society as a whole. We have seen this over many years through our work with organisations and individuals. Sadly, these ‘everyday stories’ rarely reach the headlines. What’s more, we don’t believe human rights are utilised enough because people and organisations know little about how to use them. BIHR believes that until people are aware of their human rights and how they work, human rights - and the Human Rights Act - will continue to be underutilised. The media reporting also needs to be put in context. It is often wrong, inaccurate or misleading and rarely is the full story told.

With all of this in mind, we are taking human rights on tour to 16 cities throughout the UK between September and December 2011.

Issues addressed by the events:


The programme in each area may differ slightly. This is because each event will have a regional focus addressing issues specific to the particular city / region. The following list is given as an example of the kind of issues we will address in different regions.

a) Human rights: myths and reality


What are human rights, where do they come from, why are they important?


Why are they necessary in this country?


Do they protect the villains or the victims of society (or both)!?


Does the media get it right?

b) Making practical use of human rights


Which issues are covered by the Human Rights Act?


How the Human Rights Act works – and how individuals can make use of it


Examples of using the Human Rights Act to protect the most vulnerable

c) Linking today’s political changes with human rights


How do the cuts, NHS reform, changes in legal aid – and other issues – relate to human rights?


What does the ‘Big Society’ mean for human rights?


What are the key issues in this region – and can the Human Rights Act be used to address them?

d) Working together to protect human rights


How can we ensure that the protections offered by the Human Rights Act are not weakened?


How can we ensure that the Human Rights Act is better known and better used?


How can BIHR support and sustain local initiatives to promote and protect human rights – and vice versa?


The events will occupy the best part of a day and will probably consist of 4 sessions broken up by coffee-breaks and a lunch break.

Format


The events will adopt a workshop format: the sessions will be interactive and facilitated towards giving participants the chance to air their views and discuss the issues. Additional input will be provided by BIHR and other speakers.

Timing and programme


The events will occupy the best part of a day and will probably consist of four sessions broken up by coffee-breaks and a lunch break. The day will run from about 10am to 4pm.

Dates and locations

For more information about venues, and to sign up to receive a notification email for the small number of cities that are not yet confirmed, please follow the link at the bottom of this page.

Six road shows are being funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) through BIHR’s ‘Human Rights in the Community Project’. These are Birmingham, Bristol, Derby, Manchester, Newcastle, and Sheffield. They will follow a similar agenda with the addition of specific information on the community project, input from the official partner, EREN, and presentations from participating pilot organisations. For more information about this project follow this link:

When will we be in your area?

Birmingham The Friends Institute, 220 Moseley Road, Highgate, Birmingham B12 0DG 29th September.
Booking


Places are limited so please book early! We will take up to 3 representatives from an organisation until we have a clearer idea of numbers but there may be a possibility to take more, so please indicate on the booking form if this would be of interest to you.

Please note that in order to make the National Human Rights Tour possible, each event is likely to be BYOL - Bring Your Own Lunch. We will provide final confirmation of this nearer to the time.

Please note that you will not be able to attend without having booked on in advance. Please contact ewilcox@bihr.org.uk if you have any queries about the National Human Rights Tour.

To book onto one of these free-to-attend events please follow this link.

THE INTERNATIONAL GARDEN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR EXHIBITION TRAVELS TO IRONBRIDGE

The fourth International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition is to be exhibited at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Shropshire, from 18th July to 1st September 2012.

The International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition will be on display inside the Footprint Gallery, Fusion, adjacent to the Jackfield Tile Museum, one of the ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums.

The exhibition will feature the winning and finalist photographs from the fourth IGPOTY competition.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ironbridge is the home of ten amazing award winning museums spread along the valley beside the River Severn, which is still spanned by the world’s first iron bridge.

For more information about the Ironbridge Gorge Museums please visit: http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/

The prestigious fifth International Garden Photographer of the Year competition is currently open! Closing date for entries is 30th November 2011. For more information about IGPOTY please visit http://www.igpoty.com/

Pete Lowen is running for social justice — sponsor him and raise funds for the Birmingham Law Centre

Pete Lowen Chief Executive of the Birmingham Law Centre and a team of runners is running all over the place again to raise money for Birmingham's only remaining Law Centre. Every £50 we raise helps us to provide at least an hour's legal advice at no charge to someone in desperate need.

This year I have already survived the Stratford and Leek half marathons and several 10K runs, next is the Stratford 10K and then the Great North Run on 18 September. Last but not least the BUPA Great Birmingham Run on 23 October. Please help me to raise money for the Law Centre by donating on this page!

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to us and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer.

So please dig deep and donate now! Please see the link below.

JOIN THE TEAM OF RUNNERS AND GET THE SHIRT PICTURED ON THE RIGHT

http://www.justgiving.com/Pete-Lowen2 

Legal Aid Cuts will affect you and your family and your clients. Please sign up to the campaign now!

http://www.justice-for-all.org.uk/

YOU could be part of the World's Biggest Coffee Morning!

This year the World's Biggest Coffee Morning is celebrating its 21st year and is taking place on Friday September 30th. It is predicted to bring in £300,000 for the Birmingham and Black Country region.

Although the official World’s Biggest Coffee Morning day is Friday September 30th, coffee morning is an event you can hold at anytime and with anyone. Whether it is a traditional coffee morning or something totally different altogether – a garden party, pub quiz or even a glitzy ball – the main thing is getting together with friends and knowing that your support is making a huge difference to people affected by cancer.

To register to host a coffee morning go to www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee and receive a free fundraising pack with handy hints and tips on how to make your coffee morning a success.

For local information on Macmillan Cancer Support please call Macmillan’s local office on 0121 742 6393 or visit www.macmillan.org.uk/birmingham.

Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer, providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support. Working alongside people affected by cancer, Macmillan works to improve cancer care. One in three of us will get cancer; two million of us are living with it. If you are affected by cancer Macmillan can help.

If you need any other information about us or the event you can contact me by email or speak to anyone in the local office on 0121 742 6393.

Workshops on Community Rights

As you have no doubt heard on the news, the Localism Bill is currently going through Parliament. Dudley CVS is holding a series of discussion groups that will give local people the opportunity to learn how to influence the use of community rights in Dudley borough.

Receive your invitation to join the discussion by registering at:

http://www.crsurvey.org.uk/  by September 2nd. The website will invite you to complete a simple survey.

Contact Lorna Prescott on 01384 265363 or email lorna@dudleycvs.org.uk

‘Furnaceman’s Dream’ Play inspired by Shakespeare and Ironbridge Heritage

Enginuity 12th and 13th November

A local drama group is staging an unusual play which combines Shakespeare with musical theatre and takes its inspiration from the Ironbridge Gorge’s industrial heritage. Furnaceman’s Dream is being presented by the Telford and District Light Operatic Players (Tadlop) in the Engine Shop at Enginuity, Coalbrookdale on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th November, near the site of the Old Furnace used by Abraham Darby.

Leaning heavily on the dialogue from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Tempest, the new play also brings in other ‘supernatural’ characters such as the Macbeth witches. The plot flows around a group of industrial workers, alias Bottom, Quince, Snout & Co, from the era when Abraham Darby was developing his Coalbrookdale blast furnace. In his ‘dream’, the Furnaceman relives the great storm of 1801, while his fantasy sees the interference of the supernatural - Puck, Ariel, Titania, Oberon & Co - in the lives and loves of ordinary working men.

The action will be reflected and enhanced with songs from London West End productions such as Wicked and The Lord of the Rings the Musical performed by a classical Greek chorus style company, plus multi-media projection material to interpret the local industrial heritage. Three of the Tadlop actors recently visited the working iron foundry at Blists Hill Victorian Town to gain first hand experience of casting molten metal for their roles in the production.

The play is supported by the Royal Shakespeare Company through its 50th anniversary Open Stages project, which showcases amateur theatre groups putting on imaginative Shakespeare themed productions. A selection will perform at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon as part of the World Shakespeare Festival. 2011 also marks 40 years since Tadlop was formed and the 25th anniversary of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site.

The two hour long performance begins at 7.30pm with doors opening at 6.45pm; for tickets priced at £12 each call the box office on 01952 613 055 (there are no reserved seats). For further information visit http://www.tadlop.com/ or for details about Enginuity and the Ironbridge Gorge contact the Ironbridge Tourist Information Centre on Tel: 01952 433 424, http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/

More cycling stars announced for Cycle Show 2011

Olympic Champion, Rebecca Romero, and Tour de France cyclist, Ben Swift are the two latest high profile stars to support the tenth anniversary Cycle Show.

The Cycle Show 2011, which takes place at NEC Birmingham from 30 September to 2 October, offers a look into the future with next year’s bike bling, gadgets and gear. The show also offers a chance to mingle with the stars of cycling, such as Romero, who plans to ride the Time Trial for TeamGB next summer.

Romero is the only Brit ever to have won Olympic medals in two different sports; rowing and track cycling. She said: “The Cycle Show will be right after the World Championships so I expect there to be a great buzz about the place.

“I came to cycling from rowing, and no matter what your background, current or future cycling aspirations are, there will be something for everyone at the show.”

Ben Swift looks to have a successful future ahead of him after recently completing his first Tour de France with Team Sky. Aged just 23, he is targeting his second Olympic games next year after taking up cycling aged just 3½.

He said: “The Cycle Show will be a really great experience for everyone attending and the fact that it has moved to a bigger location just goes to show just how popular cycling is in Britain. The outdoor tracks will be a great addition to the show and hopefully everyone will go home inspired to get on their bikes”.

Rebecca Romero will be opening the show on Friday 30 September and Ben Swift will be opening the show on Sunday 2 October. Geraint Thomas has already been confirmed to open the trade day on Thursday 29 September.

Advance tickets bought online are priced at just £12.50 for adults, usually £15.50 on the door (£10.50 for concessions, £6.50 for children, under 5s free) and can be bought from http://www.cycleshow.co.uk/.  Special offers are available for advance group bookings.

The IMAGINEERING FAIR @ AIRBASE – 27th – 29th August 2011

– is a family event promoting engineering and technology to youngsters through fun hands-on activities laid on by some of the region’s blue chip companies and organisations (listed below). 

*Special guest is

TREVOR BAYLIS, TV personality and famous inventor of the clockwork radio, supporting Imagineering for the whole weekend.

* Activities include everything from robots, flight simulators and IT to mechanical and electrical challenges, aviation and automotive engineering including the Land Rover Experience - as well as AIRBASE’s own

stunning collection of classic aircraft, featuring the Nimrod, Dakota DC3, and the Gloster Meteor T7, the oldest operational British jet aircraft.

AIM OF EVENT

The Imagineering Fair has been organised by the education charity the Imagineering Foundation. Its aim is to inspire young people and to introduce them to the fascinating world of engineering, science and technology, through personal involvement and fun activity, to encourage them to consider it as a future career path. The Foundation was set up by Midlands engineers concerned about the decline in the engineering skills base across all sectors, recognising the need to inspire young people to sow the seeds of interest at an early age. The Foundation works with companies and engineering organisations, professional institutions and educational initiatives who share the same aims.

ORGANISATIONS TAKING PART IN IMAGINEERING FAIR @ AIRBASE 2011

Aero Engine Controls; Balfour Beatty; Babcock International Group; Coventry Robot Club; Coventry University; Goodrich Actuation Systems; Heritage Education (Warwicks CC); IET; Imagineering Clubs; Imagineering Jaguar Land Rover Partnership Centre; Imagineering Quest; IMechE; IMarEST; Jaguar Land Rover; Meccano Fun; MTA; National Grid; REME CRT; Robofesta; Scientific Communications; Vectric; Warwick Manufacturing Group; WSP CEL

DIRECTIONS TO AIRBASE

ADDRESS

: AIRBASE Shackleton House, Coventry Airport West, Coventry CV8 3AZ DIRECTIONS: from:

M6 Jct2

: Follow A46 South and signs for Coventry Airport

M42 Jct6

: Follow A45 East for Coventry and then signs for Coventry Airport

M40 Jct15

Follow A46 North for Coventry and then Coventry Airport.

At the Toll Bar Island (A45 and A46 Junction) enter Coventry Airport entrance, turning right for Baginton on the Rowley Road. Go through Baginton village following signs for AIRBASE Home of Classic Flight.

OTHER INFORMATION:

* Opening times are 9.30am-5.00pm on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th and 9.30am-4.00pm on

Monday 29th August.

* Admission (on gate) : for a Family of 4: £20; Adult: £10; Child 5-16yrs: £5; Under 5s: Free

* Tickets valid for ALL three days

Style Birmingham LIVE

The three-day fashion spectacular features the city’s top retailers and brands, plus a fresh line-up of models including some of the new faces from the world’s top model agencies.

£10 standard tickets and £30 Gold VIP tickets are now on sale. Both provide access to the Town Hall Catwalk Show hosted by George Lamb, showcasing the latest collections and trends for autumn/winter 2011 followed by an interactive fashion led audience ‘Q&A’ hosted by George together with celebrity stylist Bradley Taylor.

All tickets also provide access to fabulous centre and in-store fashion and beauty events including an industry first catwalk show at Bullring with The Show: Redefinition - a breathtaking collision between fashion and technology that should not be missed. Ticket holders can also enjoy ‘How to Look Good’, a series of shows hosted by fashion guru Caryn Franklin providing essential fashion tips and styling to real women at Pavilions.

Visitors will also get an exclusive limited edition shopping bag designed by internationally acclaimed Birmingham born designer, Osman Yousefzada that can be collected from The Mailbox throughout the weekend.

Each Gold VIP tickets includes all of this activity, plus:

A meet and greet with George Lamb!

Front row VIP seats at the Town Hall Catwalk Show

Access to a VIP lounge and a complimentary glass of champagne

Reserved seating at The Show: Redefinition at Bullring

Lunch and a drink in one of the dedicated VIP lunch venues including Malmaison, Bodega, House of Fraser, Harvey Nichols and many more

http://www.stylebirmingham.com/

Experience a Hub Meet-Up Day in the Heart of Stourbridge

“Working, meeting, learning and connecting”

Join us with your laptop, your work and your business cards in the relaxed and comfy surroundings of the Scarab Cafe from 9.30am - 4pm on 19th Sept.

· There will be an informal atmosphere with opportunities for you to do some work, explore opportunities to collaborate with others or just talk about the weather!

· We will show a short film about Hubs around midday.

· For those who are interested we have arranged a viewing of a possible future Hub space in the centre of Stourbridge.

Cost

Entrance and Wifi access will be free for this event

Food and beverages are not provided but the cafe has a range of light meals, cake and drinks.


Sign up


Spaces are limited so we ask that you reserve your place by visiting this link:

http://doodle.com/gw2hxiuxp72vbnvv

Please tick all the boxes for the time you think you'll be there e.g. if you plan to be there from 10-11am then tick the boxes: 10.00, 10.30, 11.00.

Date, Time & Location

· 19th September 2011

· 9.30am-4pm (feel free to stay all day or come and go)

· Scarab Cafe, 26 Lower High Street, Stourbridge DY8 1TA

Parking

The Lower High Street has parking for up to one hour. Longer stays are possible in the Ryemarket car park on the Ring Road by the entrance to Aldi or in the Crown Centre car park off the Crystal Leisure Centre slip road. They are icons 2 and 7 on this map http://en.parkopedia.co.uk/parking/stourbridge/

Contact details


Odilia Mabrouk, email: chat@hubstourbridge.com,  mobile: 07530 310553

Call for Board Members


We are now looking for new board members able to commit time and energy to moving the project forward and with experience of one or more of the following:

· financial management
· legal issues
· human resources
· social enterprise
· co-working
· publicity and marketing
· governance

If you are interested in being considered for the board please email us at chat@hubstourbridge.com outlining your experience, motivation and what you feel you can bring to the project. We look forward to hearing from you.

British Heart Foundation urges nation to join the BIG donation!

Mell Square charity store encourages BIG donations

The British Heart Foundation annual campaign, The Big Donation, is coming to Mell Square Shopping Centre this month. Kicking off on Saturday the 27th August and running for five weeks until the 1st October, the initiative aims to encourage the nation to donate more items to British Heart Foundation stores.

This is the third Big Donation appeal and the largest so far with organisers expecting an influx of over 600,000 bags of stock across the UK, which will potentially raise in excess of £12 million for the UK’s largest heart disease charity. The money raised from British Heart Foundation stores funds heart disease research, education and awareness, aiming to treat and prevent the diseases in humans which, with over 124,000 heart attacks happening every year in Britain, is absolutely vital. In Solihull, the Mell Square branch, located on Poplar Way, hopes to collect over 1,000 bags of items, an ambitious but reachable goal!

British Heart Foundation shops will accept many kinds of donations, including good quality clothing, shoes, accessories, CDs, DVDs, books, toys and bric-a-brac at all branches now and throughout September. Saturday 3rd September will also be the British Heart Foundation’s National Donate Day, which urges you to spend the day clearing out your wardrobes, contributing unwanted items to your local shop. Like the old saying goes, one person’s trash is another’s treasure!

Staff at the British Heart Foundation branch at Mell Square Shopping Centre in Solihull are getting excited for the initiative’s launch. Monica Bailey, Store Manager, said of the event:

“At this time of year we are literally desperate for stock, and I would like to encourage everyone to join The Big Donation, contributing as much as they can to our Mell Square store. We are distributing donation bags to as many people as we can and I’d like to say a huge thank you to our loyal customers and regular donators for all they have done so far.”

You don’t even have to go to the store itself to donate, British Heart Foundation are urging local communities, families and companies to host house, office and street parties for The Big Donation to fill bags that can be collected by the charity. Monica said of this exciting part of the campaign: “If a household or company organises a donation event, plan a drop point for bags and we can come and collect it from you, it’s as easy as that! Also, if you are a UK taxpayer, don’t forget to register for gift aid, allowing us to earn even more money from your kindly donated goods.”

Paul Round, Centre Manager at Mell Square is delighted that the centre has been so involved in the initiative, he added:

“Everyone is very excited for The Big Donation and we hope that local communities will contribute as much as they can, making it the most successful campaign so far. The British Heart Foundation do so much incredible work and it is amazing to be expecting such a BIG influx of donations, helping out this very worthy cause.”

To find out more about how to donate or to enquire about hosting your own stock donation event, visit the charity’s website at http://www.bhf.org.uk/. To arrange a collection from Solihull’s Mell Square branch, contact Monica Bailey on 01217 113185.

Step up and save your landscapes!

A message from the RSPB

Dear supporter

As you may have seen in the last few weeks, the UK Government launched the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – the next step in the biggest overhaul of the planning system in more than 60 years. It aims to streamline and speed up the planning system by condensing more than a thousand pages of national planning guidance into just 50, and clarify what the focus of planning in England should be.

While the prospect of more open and user-friendly planning could be a good thing, the NPPF in its current form presents a huge threat to the natural environment.

Most worrying is the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’. Whilst it may sound positive, as currently worded it would make it extremely difficult for a local authority to reject planning applications, even where these would damage important wildlife sites. When combined with the fact that the NPPF as currently drafted emphasises economic considerations above all else, this poses a potentially huge threat to the environment and local communities that the planning system has, until now, been there to protect.

But, it doesn’t have to be this way. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is currently holding a consultation on the NPPF and we need your help to show that the public want a planning system that has truly sustainable development at its heart.

Please step up for nature and call on the UK Government to put sustainability back at the heart of planning!

Take part in our quick and easy online action to send the consultation team an e-mail.

Thank you very much for your support.

Yours sincerely

Steven Roddy

Parliamentary Campaigns Manager

betty

I’m writing regarding a new TV series we’re producing here at ‘betty’ for Channel 4, and to find out if your readers might be able to help us raise awareness of the project.

I am currently looking for people who might potentially be interested in taking part in the series and have attached a flyer– please let me know if it might be possible for it to be distributed to your members, or shared with any other contacts you feel are appropriate. Recently we set up a Facebook page- http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dating-Series/209160299133851  and we're also featured on Channel 4's Take Part website-

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/take-part/articles/documentary-series-about-love-and-disability

We'd really appreciate it if you were able to share these links in any way, and perhaps 'like us' on Facebook! If you have any advice or other ideas I would be very happy to hear them too.

We are making a vibrant, romantic, insightful observational series which will follow disabled people and those with a variety of conditions on their quest to find love. The working title is ‘The Undateables’. This title is designed to be provocative and to reflect the way some individuals view people with disabilities, something which we hope to challenge. The series is intended to offer greater insight and understanding into the issues, barriers and prejudices that are faced by people with physical, sensory, mental impairment or long term conditions. The series will also aim to explore society’s attitude towards disabled people and how this can affect relationships.

We’re currently in the process of talking to a number of organisations, including leading disability networks and charities, about the series idea and to ensure the issues are handled sensitively. Alison Walsh, Channel 4’s Disability Adviser is also working with us on the project.

An existing personal introduction agency, taking advice when necessary from experts in disability and other conditions, will be endeavouring to match people on common interests, likes and dislikes. The agency is fully inclusive, with both disabled and non-disabled people on its books.

The series will follow key mile-stones in our contributors’ journeys and explore their thoughts and feelings about their experiences along the way. From meeting the agency and getting their dating profile set up to preparing for their first date, we will document the highs and lows of their journey. The intention is that there would also be an accompanying information and help web-page for viewers.

More info

The series idea is inspired by Truly, Madly, Deeply, betty’s highly acclaimed 2006 documentary which won a RADAR award and followed the progress of the UK ’s first dating agency for people with learning disabilities. You can view this at 4OD on http://www.channel4.com/programmes/only-human/4od#3111792 or I’m happy to pop a copy in the post to you.

‘betty’ is a highly respected production company and responsible for Find Me a Family, a critically acclaimed Channel 4 documentary series about a pioneering project which tries to find homes for the children who no-one else has come forward to adopt; Beauty and the Beast: The Ugly Face of Prejudice, a series for Channel 4 which follows people with facial disfigurement and those with preoccupation about appearance and explores the extremes of discrimination; and the BAFTA nominated Breaking Up With The Joneses for Channel 4, a powerful, sensitive film following one family with two young children over 9 months as they go through divorce. For a full CV please see http://www.betty.co.uk/

We’re really excited about the idea and feel there is great opportunity here to make an original, fresh and insightful series which aims to create a greater understanding about the issues and prejudices that are faced.

I hope the above information gives more of an insight into our aims for the series and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Best wishes,

Sam

samantha brown
researcher
betty


the heal’s building
8 alfred mews
w1t 7aa


02079070884


samantha.brown@betty.co.uk 


http://www.betty.co.uk/