The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 by The Phoenix Newspaper

Promoting Diversity for Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022

Happy Easter from everyone at The Phoenix Newspaper! APRIL 2018

Connecting Communities - Inspiring A New Generation

Prince Harry Gets His Street Cred

Prince Harry meets with Street Cred Magazine Editor and Singer/Songwriter Mark Dwayne during Royal Visit to Birmingham

f you come to Birmingham as a Celebrity, you have to get the Street Cred stamp of approval, and Royalty is no different! From Beyonce to Will Smith and P Diddy and many more, if you’ve not been seen with Street Cred Magazine editor Mark Dwayne then you haven’t made it! Mark was at Millennium Point with the

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team and spoke with the Prince briefly, “He was so humble and such a nice guy, he had time for everyone.” Even for a Royal, getting that Street Cred is a massive thing! Prince Harry was with wife-to-be Meghan Markle in Birmingham for International Womens Day.

Continued on Page 3

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l The panel and a speaker at the Community Meeting at the ACMC

s March 29 drew ever closer, the concerns of organisations, groups and individuals in regards of the status of the former Drum Arts & Theatre Centre was still at a high level as people were still not totally clear as to who, if anybody, has made a firm bid for the building. The afore-mentioned date was the cut-off point for market value offers to be made for the once thriving venue, in Aston, in Birmingham.

With that in mind, the meeting by UMBO (United Midlands Black Organisations), at the Afro Caribbean Resource Centre, in Winson Green, highlighted the situation in hand, for public domain. But, with not enough public representation – or awareness – and the structure of any management committee only just constructed, people at large remain non-thewiser as to the future of the city’s former major icon.

Immigration the focus at Community Meeting

panel including solicitor, Rachel Okello, community activist, Reverend Desmond Jaddoo and communications co-ordinator, Simon Hilditch were on hand as the issue of immigration – especially concerning the Caribbean community - was the subject on hand, especially concerning

those who have been living in the UK (for generations in many cases), why it is happening and what best to do to avoid such situations. In light of the recently highlighted issue concerning Jamaica-born Sarah O’Connor who has worked, paid her taxis and national insurance contributions for the best part of the 51-years that she has been a

UK resident, but cannot work or claim benefits and is fighting to avoid forced deportation because she doesn’t have the necessary documents or money to apply for a passport. “Immigration has been a massive major issue in recent years,” said Rogols Solicitor’s Okello. “The law today is far more cut-and-dry than ever, but the issues, I think, are

more political than at any other time. Hilditch, of Detention Action - which covers the 10 centres in England, said: “We see that damage-physical, mentallyand psychologically-The government spent £1/2 billion on detaining some 30,000 people last year. It would be financially more frugal if they dealt with far more applicants than

not. They say that in prison you’re counting the days down – in a detention centre you’re counting the days up. “You have to make sure you have your visa up to date,” said Rachel. “You have to make sure you cross every ‘t’ and dot every ‘i.’ You must apply to stay in the country before your visa expires.” Sarah O’Connor moved to Britain in 1967, age six, but Hers is just one of an ever-growing number of ‘ex-pats’ who are either facing enforced deportation, or a lengthy, mind-crucifying period in a detention centre. Meetings as this is felt vital so that more people are aware of the ‘pit-falls’ – legal and otherwise - that are being created today. Birmingham firm, Rogols Solicitors, is one of a number of legal businesses and organisations who are at the forefront in making sure people get the right advice and advocacy in their fight to stay put.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 3

NEWS

Harry and Megan Bring Sunshine to Second City O n International Women’s Day, Royal bride-to-be, Meghan Markle, was the ‘toast of Birmingham as she and fiancé, Prince Harry visited the second city – bringing with them a bright ray of sunshine, where beforehand, rain was the order of the day. A full itinerary of visits saw the couple at the city’s Millennium Point complex early on as they freely met onlookers, many of whom stood agog at the very thought that they were in the presence of a future King of England and the Commonwealth. Though, for the pair, their attentions were stoically aimed at the children and young people – which made it for them a day to remember. Their visit was to inspiring the young to pursue subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths. On what was ‘International Wo-

men’s Day,’ former ‘Suits’ star, Meghan, who prides herself on being outspoken about female empowerment; giving advice to aspiring female doctors, engineers and scientists, embraced the energy that came from the young school girls, especially, encouraged them to ‘fly in the face of stereotypes’ and embrace the untapped power they have within. “A woman in the face of society is seen as one who has to be pretty, thin and quiet” she said. “The one who dares to fly in the face of all these stereotypes is the best kind of role model a young female can have.” As she and the third in line to the throne greeted just about everybody in the line of girls, boys, women and men, the ‘International Women’s Day’ theme extended itself as Ms. Markle made her way to introduce herself to The Phoenix Newspaper’s own Founder/Editor In Chief; “You’re

very beautiful,” she remarked to our own Marcia McLaughlin. “You too are beautiful,” was the humble response, before she was able to tell the future queen about The Phoenix Newspaper – and its positive, informative and objective ethos. Having listened intensely, they both posed for pictures from the hordes of press on hand, before Megan went on to join her future husband and media queen, Ms. McLaughlin, was herself being interviewed by the television press. As the happy couple made their way into the building and the crowd dispersed, what was left was memories, for all, that this day will go down as one of the most memorable – personally and, for the city, collectively. And that was just the start of what was a very full day in Birmingham.

l Mark Dwayne, Editor of Street Cred Magazine with Prince Harry

l The Phoenix Newspaper Editor-In-Chief Marcia McLaughlin meets Meghan

l Evidently in love, the couple met with schoolchildren and wellwishers

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Page 4 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

NEWS - COMMONWEALTH DAY

Celebrating The Diversity of the Commonwealth l Speakers and Delegates at the GBCCC Launch

l Flying the Flag: It’s a Commonwealth thing!

ith the hype surrounding Birmingham’s recent awarding of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the 12th March, Commonwealth Day, felt like it had more of a purpose and recognition than previous years. Her Majesty The Queen’s Com-

l GBCCC Launch Cake

l Commonwealth Flag Raising in Victoria Square

monwealth Day message highlighted the importance of the diversity of the Commonwealth. “We all have reason to give thanks for the numerous ways in which our lives are enriched when we learn from others. “Through exchanging ideas, and seeing life from other perspectives, we grow in understanding and work

more collaboratively towards a common future. “There is a very special value in the insights we gain through the Commonwealth connection; shared inheritances help us overcome difference so that diversity is a cause for celebration rather than division.” Alongside the Birmingham Commonwealth Association’s annual

events was the launch of what is the newest arm of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. The Greater Bimingham Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce was launched at Aston University in front of 150 delegates including businesspeople, academia and dignitaries from Commonwealth countries. ““We need to recognise our place

l New British and Commonwealth Citizens with Vice Lord-Lieutenant Dr Beverly Lindsay OBE OD and Lord Mayor Cllr Anne Underwood

l The absolutely amazing student hospitality team at UCB, impeccable food and service from start to finish

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COMMONWEALTH DAY - NEWS

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in the world and shout about it. Brexit will not close the door on Europe and we should be renewing our links with 52 countries we have largely forgotten about,” explained President of GBCC Paul Kehoe. “This is a proud city that makes things happen and has a great future that we are starting to shout about. The Commonwealth is going to make this country change and with HS2 coming Birmingham is going to be at the centre of that new network. “It will make us a better place to come and do business. Birmingham’s time is coming and we are fortunate to be part of it – ensuring Birmingham’s future is bright.” The first president of the new Commonwealth Chamber, and also the Chairman of the Birmingham Commonwealth Association, Keith Stokes-Smith spoke of the power of the Commonwealth, saying “The Commonwealth always has been and always will be an important club. It has to be relevant and should be about the future rather than the past. “Brexit clearly puts the Commonwealth back on the map. When Commonwealth countries trade with each other, costs are reduced by 90 per cent, mainly because of common law structures.” Other speakers included Kofi Addo, Ghana’s head of trade and investment; Moemedi Mokgosi, Botswana’s high commissioner; Muhammed Zulqar Nain, the Bangladesh assistant high commissioners in the Midlands; and Mr S.M. Chakraborty, head of chancery at Consulate General of India, Birmingham. Elsewhere in Birmingham, the BCA was celebrating in its usual fashion. The customary raising of the Commonwealth flag at the Council House in Birmingham took place in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Birmingham Cllr Anne Underwood, and Her Majesty’s Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the West Midlands, Dr Nasir Awan MBE and members of the BCA team including Chair of the Communities group, Wade Lyn CBE. Over at Birmingham Register Office, a special Commonwealth Citizenship Ceremony took place, where alongside receiving their certificates on behalf of the Queen and becoming British citizens, they also received a certificate from the BCA welcoming them to the Commonwealth. Commonwealth Day was topped off by the Birmingham Commonwealth Association’s Commonwealth Day Dinner, held at UCB. This was a celebration of what the organisation had achieved over the last year, as well as to recognise the two charities it had been supporting, WAITS and Allies Network, who received cheques from the BCA from the fundraising they have facilitated. With a spread of Business, Education and Comnunity leaders in the room, the special Commonwealth themed dinner, featuring Malaysian Laksa, Indian Tandoori flavours and a dessert of English egg custard tart and clotted cream ice cream went down a treat. Expertly designed, prepared and served by the amazing team of diverse students, it shows that the future will be in good hands. With the Commonwealth Games now on a countdown, the value and presence of the Commonwealth will continue to grow and make itself known.

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Page 6 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

BUSINESS AND FINANCE

Russian investor has just brought a student accommodation block in Birmingham, which is already undergoing a £41 million expansion. AZ Real Estate, a London and Moscow based real estate consultancy, has acquired City Edge, a block of 136 student apartments a short bus ride from the Birmingham City University's South Campus, on behalf of the private buyer. The accommodation block, which was converted from offices in 2016 – and is fully tenanted includes a ground floor shop that is currently occupied by Guitar Guitar. AZ Real Estate founder and CEO, Alisa Zotimova, says that the acquisition is “significant, with a strong long-term yield thanks to a highly buoyant student market.” She went on: “Birmingham is the UK’s second city, with an attractive 'knowledge economy' that will continue to prosper, giving us confidence in this investment for the future. With a lease of 111 years, this is indicative of an emerging shift in investment trends, whereby clients are willing to forgo traditional trophy assets in favour of those with stronger long-term returns and projectable cash flow, many of which are now outside of the capital.” A highly attractive and prudent business destination, PwC ranks

Russian Investor Acquires City Student Block

Business Insights with Dr Christopher Johnson

fast emerging Birmingham ahead of London as one of Europe’s best investment prospects, in addition to a growing domestic and international student population, which already extends to over 63,105 students across five higher education institutions. The city is also playing a key

role in the HS2 Rail project as it becomes the recipient of Government infrastructure investment by playing host to a pivotal stretch of the landmark rail development. City Edge, managed by Homes for Students, also has a staff offices, bicycle storage and laundry facilities.

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NHS Short Staffed by a ‘Dangerous’ 100,000 The NHS has been described as "dangerously" understaffed with nearly 100,000 jobs unfilled. The figure represents one in 12 of all of the posts in the health service and would be enough to staff 10 large hospitals. Revealed in a recent finance report, the figure shows that the NHS services are heading for a £931m deficit this year, twice what was planned. The forecast is some way short of the record £2.45bn deficit accrued in 2015-16, with vacancies including 35,000 nurse posts and nearly 10,000 doctors to be filled. Royal College of Nursing general secretary Janet Davies said: "All the evidence shows that standards of patient care rise and fall as nurse numbers do and we cannot afford to forget it." Ian Dalton, head of NHS Improvement, the regulator that released the accounts, said the health service was working hard to tackle the problems. He said staff deserved "heartfelt thanks" for their hard work.

ven though women comprise approximately 51% of the UK population, only 29% are self-employed. Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon Theresa May (a former Home Secretary) stated that, “If women started businesses at the same rate as men, there would be an additional 150,000 extra start-ups each year in the UK. “And if the UK had the same level of female entrepreneurship as the USA, there would be approximately 600,000 extra women-owned businesses, contributing an extra £42 billion to the economy” (Home Office, 2011). The growth of creative industries (incl., soft furnishings), personal care, events management, healthcare as well as the education and training sector, has been boosted by a growing influx of professional women – a blend of youth and experience. Many who worked in public, private and the voluntary sector, are keen to ‘convert’ their overall experience into thriving, commercially-viable and independently-driven enterprises. Independent studies (England, 2000-2011) conducted by this writer along with consulting tasks done for, and on behalf of a wide cross section of women, highlighted critical factors or attributes associated with the success of business owners. These factors included:• Acquisitive –different ways of self-development and business ideas; • Creativity –imaginative approaches or ‘thinking outside the box’; • Determination – persistent attitudes towards aims, objectives and goals; • Ethics –consideration of commercial imperative versus customer care; • Faith –having a moral and spiritual compass; • Focus – beyond the lure of the ‘quick buck’ or noveau riche; • Intelligence – investment in academic and professional skills development; • Vision – incremental paths to business development and growth. In addition, numerous studies have been conducted on the ‘diversity agenda’ and its impact on business ownership. Yet, little is known about the type of industry sector representation featuring women. By appropriating the ‘Standard Industrial Classification’ or ‘SIC’ model, one can analyse the percentage of women who comprise businesses, the professions, services and the sciences. (SIC, 2007). For instance, women are represented across ‘primary and secondary industries’, ‘construction’, food and hospitality’ as well as other traditional areas of business and industry that used to be the male preserve.

Trading Features

Another area of concern that is seldom discussed in mainstream economic literature, are the visible ‘trading features’ that women, like their male counterparts, are

ward-wInnIng journalist, editor and publisher Dr Christopher Johnson writes his monthly column in The Phoenix aiming to inform, educate and entertain.

renowned for. These features tend to be rather ‘unpopular’ in formal research, especially with the use of case studies to evidence best practice in business leadership and management. Female business owners, therefore, demonstrate a wide gamut of features in commerce and trade. These characteristics consist of: • Competition; • Diversity; • Overcoming entry barriers; • Using internal support mechanisms; • Self-financing and borrowings; • Belief in an enterprise legacy; • Symbols of heterogeneity; and • Succession planning

Way forward

From all indications, the future of female entrepreneurship is set to rise and attract more interest from a wider cross-section of society –professional and lay advocates, supporters, sponsors and/or benefactors. The litmus test will be, the type of policy instruments that are instituted, similar to other segments and sectors of the economy, to sustain this burst of resource advancement. As always, we believe that, in order to sustain wealth creation activities by citizens, the following recommendations [among others] are keys to success:• That further investigation is needed to determine the reason why most research on women-owned business activities are mostly London or Southeast-centric. • That more focused work is required on the organisation and performance of female-owned firms to increase public understanding about entrepreneurs from various heritage ancestry in the UK. • That additional empirical evidence is needed to identify the factors that are responsible for women dominating the creative industries, personal care, events management, community healthcare and other essential services, affected largely, by statutory reduction in expenditure. • That further investigation is also needed to determine the difference in entrepreneurial success rates based on educational attainment, faith orientation and other forms of demography as well as geography [or location – be it city, suburban or rural]. • That greater analysis is needed to interpret high levels of female business ownership vis-à-vis the sharing of best practice with other women with lower entrepreneurial rates. • That policy makers and other influential figures should formulate appropriate investment and business support policies that encourage the growth and development of more women-owned commercial, industrial and social enterprises. • That top priority should be given more to ethnic and gender-based ‘monitoring’ to reinforce the ‘fairness doctrine’ that Britain espouses as a fundamental principle or the rule of law.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 7

BUSINESS AND FINANCE

Bringing Some A fter the cold, wet, windy and sometimes even snowy conditions that the UK has faced during March so far, Friday 23rd March saw a change in the weather. At the Afro-Caribbean Millennium Centre in Birmingham, Tropical Sun met with community leaders, businesspeople and The Phoenix Newspaper to talk about the brand. Tropical Sun is a family-run company that started in 1996 importing a few specialist ingredients and daily essentials for the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ethnic communities which were thriving at the time. Following requests for more and

-shine To Brum!

more products from back home, Tropical Sun expanded its offerings to several hundred products, and is now available in supermarkets and independent stores nationwide. Sinan told the group about the amazing work that Tropical Sun are doing around the world, including building a school in Ghana, and the building and running of a factory in Jamaica employing hundreds of local people with more projects in the pipeline. Tropical Sun boast a range of high quality foods including the staples of Ackee, Callaloo, Cheese, Seasonings and far more. Check out more information at www.tropicalsunfoods.com.

l Marcia McLaughlin, Editor In Chief of The Phoenix Newspaper, receiving a hamper from Sinan of Tropical Sun and Paul Harrison

l L-R Paul Harrison, PK Media, Phillip Murphy, ACMC, Sinan, Tropical Foods, Marcia McLaughlin, Editor In Chief of The Phoenix Newspaper,Vice Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands Dr Beverly Lindsay OBE OD, Diamond Travel, Ben Cunningham, Community Leader.

...

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Page 8 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

NEWS

Motorway Petrol Prices 'Exploitative’ says Transport secretary

Monthly views withTony Kelly

The Good Old Days T he reporting of the spitting incident last month involving Jamie Carragher the ex Liverpool football player and until recently Sky Sports commentator on a 14 year old girl has been widely condemned and he has quite rightly apologised for his moment of madness. Clearly a case as my grandmother would say of having ‘No broughtupcy’. The late Professor Rex Nettleford of the University of the West Indies in Jamaica is famously quoted saying ‘A bhutto/ butu in a Benz is still a bhutto/ butu’ which translated means that one can take someone out of the gutter but you cannot take the gutter out of them. What on earth could have possessed anyone to stoop to such a low level of anti-social behaviour beggars belief as it is totally unacceptable no matter what the provocation might have been. It was well below the required standard expected of a responsible adult towards a child. We all do things on the spur of the moment that we later regret but this is really beyond the pale. That is why I often hanker for the good old days when manners, decorum and respect went along way. Spitting at someone, interrupting the conversation of adults or ‘big people’ as we called them, hissing/kissing ones teeth, not saying please or thank you when it is necessary, eyeballing adults when being told off, talking incessantly or laughing in a church service, walking away when being spoken to, having ones elbow on the dining table, slouching at the dinner table, not wiping ones feet on the door mat or not removing footwear on arrival at someone’s home, yawning with ones mouth not covered, speaking with food in ones mouth, slurping the soup, burping and not saying pardon/excuse me and sneezing and not putting ones hand to the face are just a few of the many areas of etiquette that were not tolerated in my days of growing up. Put simply it was just not the done thing and it begs the question who passes on these social skills to the next generation as that is the only way they are able to learn the correct approach in terms of what is regarded as acceptable

behaviour. Some people have a view that it should be done by the teachers at school but that is a cop out as all parents and guardians have a responsibility to do so in the home environment. Good manners as opposed to bad manners will always take one far in life and the proverbial saying ‘Manners maketh the man’ and for that matter the woman springs to mind. It was not that long ago during my early childhood growing up in Jamaica that I learnt a lesson the hard way by passing men and women on the road and not exchanging a salutation/greeting even if I did not know their name. It was just the normal thing to do and the harsh reality by the time I arrived home was my grandmother or my grand aunt chastising me for my lack of manners towards adults. I recall my grandmother saying that the person might be the helper, maid, farmer or cane cutter but they are still a human being with blood flowing through their veins and having feelings and emotions, so should not be ignored. That clearly rubbed off on me and it is my usual custom and practice to do that still although I sometimes in England get odd looks when to this day I try to be sociable in this way. Some people in Britain keep blaming the powers that be for taking away their right to smack or discipline a child and therefore they can no longer use what they see as the ultimate sanction of corporal punishment. I detest violence of any form and hitting a child is wrong. There are other ways of instilling discipline when a minor has misbehaved including an early bed, no watching of television, grounding the person for a while, putting the person on the naughty step, removing their games console/computer, the list is endless although I maintain one should never deprive a child of food under any circumstances. Parenting skills have to be handed down and if a child does not know better it will behave inappropriately which might in turn embarrass the parents or guardians. I really hope the good old days will return in order that this world can be a better place.

l Pogman with residents fromthe Sutton Rock Choir

‘for-Wards’ For a 2nd Year

project which recently launched its second and final year, at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, is now underway working with hundreds of residents in community groups and schools across the city, including; Erdington, Sutton Four Oaks, Acocks Green, Nechells, South Yardley, Moseley, Kingstanding and Sheldon. From schools with music at their heart, to history and conservation groups, there will also be rock choirs, fitness groups, adults with learning difficulties to older people living on their own - the project doesn’t omit any age or ability. Participants are collaborating with their selected composer to write music about their local area through a series of interactive workshops. Each community group and composer will record sounds and

stories reflecting what it means to live, work, socialise or create in their local environment. The stories and sounds become the compositional starting point for 6 brand-new music compositions of differing music genres steered by a team of professional composers all with strong connections to the city - Each composition will receive their world premiere in live public performances in June this year. The music will be recorded on limited edition vinyl and will form a unique online interactive sound archive for future generations. Birmingham-born project founder, and composer in her own right, Bobbie Jane-Gardner said “Music is a great platform to help promote well-being. Who doesn’t love music or the chance to sing! “Residents are collaborating with our incredible professional composers going out onto the streets to record the sounds of

their own community creating a cultural sound map of the UK’s great second city. “In an age where people are becoming more isolated this is a great-way of bringing people together to feel proud of where they live.” Professor Julian Lloyd Webber, Principal of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, said “for-Wards truly is a unique project for the city of Birmingham. “Its scale and ambition in creating a musical ode to the city is staggering and we look forward to hearing the stories, found sounds and live performances later this year.” ‘for-Wards Year 2’ is in partnership with Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Hare and Hounds, Access to Music, Flatpack Projects, Wassifa CIC, Kalaboration and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group who each selected the 6 composers.

As Easter brought the motorways to a near stand-still, it highlighted the cost of fuel at service stations with Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, called for an investigation into its “exploitative” prices; telling the competitions watchdog prices could be up to 19p more per litre than on forecourts elsewhere. He said the UK’s three biggest operators - Moto, Welcome Break and RoadChef - should be investigated to ensure drivers got a “fairer deal.” Moto said prices reflected the cost of building and running services, while Roadchef said it did not set fuel prices. Writing to Andrea Coscelli, head of the Competition and Markets Authority (formerly the Office of Fair Trading), Mr Grayling says: “I am concerned that prices which are higher than other forecourts may exploit users in a situation where there is less choice and competition and discourage motorists from stopping and re-fuelling when, for safety reasons, they should.” Moto, Welcome Break and RoadChef run most of the 112 motorway service areas across the UK. According to industry figures, the average price for unleaded petrol at MSAs is 137.7p per litre, compared to a UK average of 120.11p per litre. The average unleaded price at supermarkets is 116.74p, which means filling up the average car with unleaded fuel costs around £10 more on the motorway.

Still No Recognition for Tull

ne of English football's first ever Black players, Walter Tull went further in also being the British Army's first ever Black officer to command white troops. But 100 years after he died on the battlefields of World War One, his name means little to

most people – especially those whose country he valiantly defended. Despite having to overcome adversity all of his life, including being racially abused while a pioneering forward for Tottenham Hotspur and Northampton Town, he enlisted with the Middlesex Regiment, part of a 'Footballers' Battalion' that drew professional players from a range of clubs. Born in Folkestone, in Kent, he fought extensively in the war, at one stage being sent home suffering from ‘shell shock’ - what today would be diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder, before returning to the conflict, where he was made an officer, and served on the Italian Front from November 1917 to early March 1918. During his service he was cited for his "gallantry and coolness" by Major-General Sydney Lawford, after leading 26 men on a night raid against an enemy po-

sition. With the British Army fighting a fierce rearguard defensive action, at the age of 29, Second Lieutenant Tull, of Barbadian heritage, was shot and killed on the Western Front in France. His death received little media attention at the time, and it is only in recent years that his powerful story has started to be fully recognized. His life is now commemorated at the Arras Memorial, in France, meticulously maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves with his name engraved along with 34,785 other soldiers with no known grave. Tull's great nephew, Edward Finlayson, said: “Since we were very young we knew the story and as a family we have always been proud of him. We fully support the campaign to have the Military Cross he was recommended for awarded posthumously. For us the most

l Walter Tull striking, moving and pleasing aspect is that his life is being used for good and as role model for others. His life is now included in the school curriculum and is used to promote anti-racism.” It’s 100 years since his death and a campaign for Walter Tull to be awarded the Military Cross is ongoing, with renewed calls for Prime Minister Theresa May to intervene.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 9

8 8th Anniversary Gala Dinner & Awards

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BUSINESS AND FINANCE COMMONWEALTH AFRICA SUMMIT 2018

The Future Is Bright for

race Foods UK, one of the worlds leading suppliers of World Foods to the retail, wholesale and foodservice sectors throughout the UK welcomed industry professionals and the media to their Welwyn Garden City headquarters to celebrate its successes. It is Grace’s ‘One Company, One Team’ mentality that really comes across, with everyone on the same page and 100% committed to pushing the company forward through new ideas and innovation. Grace does not just do ‘Caribbean’, with brands like Dunn’s

River, Caribbean Choice and Grace itself, but brands like Encona, Chadha Oriental and Funnybones Foodservice broaden its reach into oriental and Tex-Mex foods. Even with the current challenging business climate, Grace is still holding its own through a high market share, and massive growth in a number of key areas. With key marketing support activities, headed by Nimal Amitirigala, Category Management for Grace Foods Ltd, including online, social media and PR with the likes of Daniel Sturridge for Nurishment and key brands to widen the portfolio of Grace products, everything is on

the up for Grace Foods. Always committed to its core communities and charities, on the day Managing Director Adam Reader presented a cheque to GroceryAid for £5,000. GroceryAid offer financial support and practical assistance to all, whether small independent retailer, supermarket employee, production line worker, wholesaler or delivery driver. Grace ended the day with a delicious showcase of what can be made with Grace product, creating a wonderful spread of mouthwatering delights, with some delicious drinks created by the Original Flava Brothers.

l The Dream Team: L-R Robert Walker, Commercial Sales Manager, Nimal Amitirigala, Category Manager, Adam Reader, Managing Director and Brian Mitchell, Chief Financial Officer, all of Grace Foods UK.

Man About Business Chief Uzo Owunne is. .

Niger l Dame Julie Okah-Donli, Director General, king in Persons

Club UK l Chief Uzo at the International Lawyersterro rism Conference on Anti Money Laundering and finance.

(left) with l Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu a, Governor

CEO of Greenfield Limited, Dr Paul Obanu le, and the of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefie dbreaking groun the at -Ile, Emure of re Elemu royal father, egg powder eld’s Greefi billion N42 the for ony cerem production plant in Emure-Ile, Ondo State.

National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic Hotel in London (NAPTIP) receiving Award at the Hilton ular and Educawith Counselor Minister for Welfare, Cons n tion at the Nigeria High Commission in Londo

z l Chief Uzo (front right) alongside Najma Hafee “Rohingiya” Event

at the Justice For

l Chief Uzo being interviewed by Malik on the Justice for Rohingya People

and

ed n restaurant in honor of the world acclaim during the l Dinner at a Londo ide Chief Mike Ndukwe, Chairman of Igbo alongs l At the Waltham Forest Council chambersmic Sinach singer l Gospe summit Chairman of SSENIF South East and South South of Nigeria econo communities in UK and Ireland and also

Pre Launch (SSENIF) .

your pictures Have you seen Chief Uzo around at an event? Send in

ughlin l Phil Woodman Imran Mushtaq, Marcia McLa e for the UK Chief Uzo at Birmingham City Council Hous Forum Midlands Engine Commonwealth Business

to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com

King Solomon is a High Achieving School We are achieving higher than theSOLOMON national and Birmingham average: ADVERTORIAL FEATURE - KING INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL • EYFS- Good level of development (2016) 71% King Solomon is a High Achieving School We are higher than the national and Birmingham average: • achieving EYFSGood level of development (2017) 76% EYFS- Good level of development (2016) 71% EYFSGood level1 of development (2017) 76% • Year Phonics Summer (2017) - 87.5% compared to National Year 1 Phonics Summer (2017) - 87.5% compared to National average 81% average 81%

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The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 11

Raising The New Generation Of Businesspeople Affiliation to the Woodard family ofAt Christian Schools KING SOLOMON King Solomon International Business School is affiliated to the Woodard family of Christian King Solomon IBS schools. The Woodard Corporation, established by Nathaniel Woodard in 1848, has 48 schools • • •

Affiliation to the Woodard family of Christian Schools King Solomon International Business School is affiliated to the Woodard family of Christian schools. The Woodard Corporation, established by Nathaniel Woodard in 1848, has 48 schools caring for over 30,000 students and a reputation for providing academic excellence coupled with unrivalled pastoral care. Most of Woodard schools are either outstanding or good. Being part of the Woodard family provides King Solomon International Business School with many interschool opportunities and strong partnerships including: the sharing of expertise, continuing professional development and leadership and governance.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL

Education Excellence & Character Development

Birmingham’s

joy, peace, patience, caring for over 30,000 students and a reputation for providing academic excellence coupled with kindness, goodness, UPPER SIXTH faithfulness, gentleness, unrivalled pastoral care. Most of Woodard schools are either outstanding or good. BeingThepart self-control. devel- of ham, caters for children aged highly prestigious International - 87.5% compared to National av- lomon International opment of these virtues, st nternational 4-19 through ourSay Primary, Sec- Baccalaureate curriculum in the erage 81%. which is integrated into Business School Iwith Business School What Parents the Woodard family provides King Solomon International Business School with many interondary and Sixth Form schools. the curriculum and exSixth Form. Affiliation to the Woodard fam- many interschool op- This “A Christian school is needed inOur Birmingham because Christian areChristian no longerSchools a priorityKing portunities and strong Christianfree school welcomes tra curricular activities, personalised teaching and values ily of of the city oropportunities schools”. school strong partnerships including: the sharing of expertise, continuing children of council other faiths and those learning approachand provides students with a will ensure that Solomon International Business partnerships includAll-through Free School (4-19) - “This inspiring... I’m excited school it will offer our children good opportunities with noisfaith. We specialise in in-about moral compass for life. nothis child is leftas behind. School is affiliated to the to Woodard ing: the sharing of ternational business and enterprise We are passionate about achievfamily of Christian continuing broaden their horizons, developdevelopment an international perspective and inspire our children. Theschools. holistic andexpertise, Learning Support professional and leadership governance. and work with international Christian Free School success link forto raising all students, The Woodard Corporation, To ensure that we efapproach to education willbusiprovideing the missing the educational achievement of our es- professional develop-

School Admissions ing Solomon Inter- and trade in the global economy. ment (2016) 71% either outstanding or An Exciting NEW All-through We operate a citywideBusiness admission policy, so students from anywhere in are eligible national We follow the National Cur• Birmingham EYFSGood level of developgood. School Being part of KING SOLOMON for (2017) Birmingham located in the will riculum in our andpupils. Sec- Specific ment 76% the Woodard family to attend.School, When full the school cater for justPrimary over 1200 details can be of website. Birming- ondary schools and offer the • Year 1 Phonics Summer (2017) provides King Sofound on centre our school introduction INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL

King Solomon International Business School, effectively live, work and trade in the global located in the centre of Birmingham, caters for economy. children aged 4-19 through our Primary, Secondary and Sixth Form schools. This We follow the National Curriculum in our Christian school welcomes children of other Primary and Secondary schools and offer faiths and those with no faith. We specialise the highly prestigious International in international business and enterprise and Baccalaureate curriculum in the Sixth work with international businesses to ensure Form. Our personalised teaching and that our students develop skills aligned to the learning approach will ensure that no changing business needs of the 21st child is left behind. We are passionate the Christian tablished by Nathaniel Woodard ment and leadership century. The school will equip students with about achieving success for all students, the knowledge and skills to be able in 1848, hasto48 schools caring and governance. whether theyfor are of the Christian faith or not.

Your final year at King Solomon International Business and Enterprise IB module

SIXTH FORM

International Business & Enterprise Hierarchy of Learning

Welcome to Lower Sixth

YEAR 10

YEAR 11

YEAR 9

YEAR 8

YEAR 7

Developing international business enterprise nesses to ensure that our students whether they are of fectively meet the needs children”. knowledge and skills through theory and practice develop skills aligned to the chan- faith or not. of all students, including “The school has an excellent vision and the infrastructure to support it. It is far more than a Moving Up ging business needs of the 21st King Solomon is a High Achiev- over 30,000 students and a repuSchool Admissions those with special educaYEAR 6 International Business & Enterprise school but for me, it’s a presence within our community that represents our Christian values”. century. ing School - We areWe achieving for and providing exoperate a citytion needs and the gifted have developed tation an exciting innovativeacademic International Business We & Enterprise Hierarchy YEAR 1 YEAR 3 YEAR 5 The school will equip students higher than the national Birm-curriculum cellence coupled of and Learning journey, which with shows unrivalled how children’s knowledge will progress wide admission policy, & talented, the school has throughout their timepastoral at the school. Start Here with the knowledge andSolomon skills to International ingham average: care. so students from anydeveloped a dedicated Address: King Business RECEPTION YEAR 2 YEAR 4 be able to effectively live, work • EYFS- Good levelThe of National develop-Curriculum Most of Woodard schools are where in Birmingham Learning Support DeB7 4AA Students School, Lord St Aston ,Birmingham to compete with other performing Laying the foundations for international business in our Primary and Secondary Schools arehigh eligible to and attend. partment, thus enabling affluent students in the UK and abroad. and an enterprise mindset will follow the national curriculum. At KS4 When full the school every pupil to fulfil their students will follow a core curriculum of willoption cateroffor just over potential. Students will have the studying GCSE subjects (including subjects that are (an outstanding prepart of the English Baccalaureate) and have the either the IB Diploma just be for the sons and daughters 1200 pupils. Specific Extended School Day option of pursuing vocational subjects. university course that offers a broader of wealthy diplomats, or students achin are able to participate TePupils details can be found onLearning our school nal g Support programme of study than A levels) or the IB sio or s s A s i s tants Hi e nt the UK`s private and grammar g website. To ensure that weineffectively meet the in a range Career-related Certificate (a vocational e The International Baccalaureate Tofh school activities to needs of all students, including schools, but itthose should be available include: lunch As e oriented programme for students to In the Sixth Form, students will study the Whatwishing Parents Say time clubs, after s with special education needs and who the wants an interengage in career related studies). International Baccalaureate (IB). The IB student Classroom “A Christian free gifted school& talented, is to any school clubs, weekend master the school Strategies programmes are internationally recognised national Learning education. because a dedicated classes and school holiday prohas developed courses followed by students around the Our Core Virtuesneeded in Birmingham KING SOLOMON Solomon International grammes. Support Department, King thus enabling Christian values are no longer INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL world. King Solomon’s character development pupilor to fulfilBusiness their potential. School will give our cstuH ool of the city every council The building has recently Tu oschool programme is basedaonpriority the moral virtues S h liday me itime We believe the IB should not just be for the ho gram dents access to this highly prestion associated with the Fruit of the Spirit, i.e. love, schools”. undergone a multi-million pound pro Education Excellence Character Development Further & information Extended School Day sons and daughters of wealthy diplomats, Heroes gious qualification, thus enablingPower refurbishment joy, peace, patience, kindness, “This goodness, is inspiring... I’m and we are excited Pupilsexcited are able to participate in a range of Session Journey or students in the UK`s private and grammar gentleness, self-control. The Call us: 0121 357 1905 Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kingsolomonIBSchool Follow usfaithfulness, on them to compete with other high about our new school building and school activities to include: lunch time about this school as it will offer schools, but it should be available to any development of these virtues, which is Twitter: www.twitter.com/kingsolomonibs Emailstudent us: admin@kingsolomonibs.com performing and affluent students proud to be able to offer our puclubs, after school weekend master who wants an international education. our children good opportunities to clubs, integrated into the curriculum and extra classes and school holiday programmes. King Solomon International Business School P tee an environment that curricular activities, provides students a broaden their with horizons, develop an in the UK and abroad. and Me eer pils V olunstaff will give our students access to this highly ntor moral compass for life. Students will have the option of international perspective and inwill help raise aspirations and acaprestigious qualification, thus enabling them studying either the IB Diploma (an demic achievement. spire our children. “The holistic approach to educa- outstanding preuniversity course Students from anywhere in tion will provide the missing link that offers a broader programme Birmingham are eligible to attend to raising the educational achieve- of study than A levels) or the IB the school; when full the school Career-related Certificate (a voca- will cater for over 1200 pupils. ment of our children”. “The school has an excellent vis- tional oriented programme for stuThe school has regular open ion and the infrastructure to sup- dents wishing to engage in career evenings where interested parents port it. It is far more than a school related studies). and pupils can meet school staff Our Core Virtues but for me, it’s a presence within and tour the school premises; the King Solomon’s character de- next open day is on the evening of our community that represents our velopment programme is based on 19th April please visit the school Christian values”. the moral virtues associated with web site for more details International Business & the Fruit of the Spirit, i.e. love, Enterprise

ro M f

YA t DAD 1s ool TOTOm’s ch LLYY ha e S PPP ing Fre AAP m an r Bi isti r Ch

IB World Free School School Admissions We operate a citywide admission policy, so students from anywhere in Birmingham are eligible to attend. When full the school will cater for just over 1200 pupils. Specific details can be found on our school website.

› Multi-denominational Christian School › International Business Specialism › International Baccalaureate in the Sixth Form › No fees › City-wide admissions

Admissions are now open

King Solomon International Business School Lord St, Aston Water Links Birmingham B7 4AA

The International Baccalaureate

In the Sixth Form, students will study theInternational BaccalaurKING SOLOMONeate (IB). The IB programmes are Register your interest and apply online at: www.kingsolomonibs.com INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL internationally recognised courses Call us: 0121 357 1905 - Email us: admin@kingsolomonib.com followed by students around the Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kingsolomonIBSchool world. Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kingsolomonibs We believe the IB should not

L Su earning A s pp o r t sistance

nal rsoors ut

P T e

• EYFS- Good level of development (2016) 71% • EYFS- Good level of development (2017) 76% • Year 1 Phonics Summer (2017) - 87.5% compared to National average 81%

A schfter cluool b

Student Welfare

us to ,Birmingham arrange a school tour B7 4AA Aston School, Lord StContact

A High Achieving School

We are achieving higher than the national and Birmingham average:

h s ac stant

Address: King Solomon International Business

vel Le ing

We have developed an exciting and innovative International Business Come & Enterprise Hierarchy to our Open Sessions of Learning curriculum journey, which shows how children’s knowledge will progress throughout their time at the school. The National Curriculum Students in our Primary and Secondary Schools will follow the national curriculum. At KS4 students will follow a core curriculum of GCSE subjects (including subjects that are part of the English Baccalaureate) and have the option of pursuing vocational subjects.

nd ke er ee st s W maclas

King Solomon International Business School is Birmingham’s first international business , allthrough, Christian free school and IB World school. We are part of the prestigious Woodard Family of Christian Schools and cater for all children regardless of their faith.

What Parents Say - “A Christian free school is needed in Birmingham because Christian values are no longer a priority of the city council or schools”. All-through (4-19) school w w w. k i n g s o lo m o n i bs . co m - “This is inspiring... I’m excited about this school as it will offer our children good opportunities to broaden their horizons, develop an international perspective and inspire our children. The holistic approach to education will provide the missing link to raising the educational achievement of our children”. - “The school has an excellent vision and the infrastructure to support it. It is far more than a school but for me, it’s a presence within our community that represents our Christian values”.

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Page 12 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

FEATURE - EDUCATION, TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT - PROMOTING EXCELLENCE

g n i t o Prom xcellence E

Street League Launch by PM May

As part of our ongoing commitment to promoting the positive and inspirational individuals and organisations in our communities, The Phoenix Newspaper presents Promoting Excellence - a closer look at our role models, entrepreneurs, community figures and success stories.

Birmingham Taps Into Generation Next at Jobs Fair A

l Women into Construction gave positive advice

new generation of skilled workers are required across a number of target industries, especially surrounding the massive growth in the Rail, Construction and Manufacturing sectors in the West Midlands. At the beginning of the month, the Generation Next Jobs Fair at the brand new National College for High Speed Rail in Birmingham, organised by Volunteering Matters, QK Events, Cultiv8 and HS2 and supported by Youth Promise Plus and Birmingham City Council brought together companies and residents to showcase the wide range of job, training and apprenticeship opportunities that are available in the region. A lack of locally sourced labour and an ageing workforce

The Suffragists and the Black woman’s vote

by Kesa Nkulu

omen`s suffrage in UK succeeded finally in 1918, but how does that impact Black women? There isn’t a specific date that we can identify when the first Black person voted in the U.K. In the U.S.A.

It wasn’t until the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King that President Johnson succeeded and Black people were given the right to vote. The following phrase by Susan B. Anthony a Suffragist and Feminist Icon is disturbing and reveals the mind-set of yesterday. “I will cut off this right arm of

mine before I will ever work or demand the ballot for the Negro!” During the 60’s Female independence was promoted in the Black communities as a means of creating division and undermining Black relationships. The Black women had a higher employed percentage than their male counterparts leading to dis-

l Information: Attendees speaking with businesses means the that Youth Promise Plus programme is rising to the challenge to plug the gaps in the market through fairs such as Generation Next, which aimed to encourage more young women and those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds to consider careers in engineering and construction.

With a great turnout and some brilliant connections made on the day, hopefully it will be the start of a push into these areas by a largely untapped market. High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) will create approximately 25,000 jobs on its own, and by 2021 there will be 14,000 new jobs within the Construction sector.

l LEMA were exhibiting for new apprentices contentment towards the unemployed males. This subsequently led to the demise of what seemed to be relative stability in Black households. According to the statistics over 82% of Black families had both parents before the era of integration, and the adoption of the pseudo feminine struggle which was not willing to include them at the outset. Social engineering tactics like this have been used to target specific members of ANY community, just like the alleged scandal of Cambridge Analytica, creating policies and advertising aimed at having a detrimental effect on a certain members of its population preying on their hopes and fears. This is just one factor, of many, that led to the dysfunctional Black family unit. Our culture The misogynistic culture applied through the tool of religion was and is opposite to the practices of our Ancestors who taught us that man and woman were created simultaneously. There was no such concept of woman being created after man, or that a man’s rib or DNA was

used to create a woman, which sounds like a type of genetically modified cloning to me, the very nature of existence is the marriage between the male and female principle Tata Nzambi and Mama Nzambi. The Bukongo, African culture NEVER degraded women before the arrival of alien religious concepts that demonized the woman, aimed at suppression, manipulation and exploitation. In particular the Abrahamic and Asiatic Religions, they also have an ingrained philosophy of male superiority. In African culture women participating in spiritual gatherings is fundamental. In the West, during religious gatherings the woman is seldom seen or heard, yes, truly a question of culture. The fight for equality within religious ranks is ongoing and detrimental to the woman’s place in society. The African expression ‘A Man without a woman is like a Vase without Flowers’ captures the essence of the beauty and majesty of our woman. The Bukongo teaches us that the feminine aspect of the Universe MA KINZOLA, is likened

During a recent visit to Birmingham, Prime Minister Theresa May was in Aston to launch the new Street League initiative to tackle youth unemployment, especially within the Black and other minority races. The Government unveiled a £90 million fund to help young people, particularly those from deprived and BAME backgrounds find jobs. The project, which is based at the People Plus centre and Power League grounds, uses sport to help youngsters develop job skills. A registered charity, it is part of the End Child Poverty coalition who have blamed rising prices coupled with austerity and benefit cuts for plunging more households into poverty. Mrs. May was given a tour of the Street League programme and insisted that the Government is facing the issues – head-on. "I’m mindful that people do feel under immense pressure," she said. "This is why we have made a number of moves to help people with the cost of living. We know that if we look at the issue of child poverty one of the key things is to ensure that households have work. If children are in a workless household they are far more likely to be in poverty. Helping people into employment is a key element of helping to deal with this issue of child poverty.

to the Great Black Womb from which all manifested. The matriarchal system is well known by scholars, and Yaya Nzinga was the 1st Queen of Ngipiti(Egypt), the female principle brings and maintains order. Order in the house, order in the community and Order in the Nation. Not picking at any religious persuasion, but the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit fails to identify the feminine aspect of the Creative Principle, which without; there can be NO Creator or Creation. Even today, here in 2018 Saudi women have just been given the go-ahead to drive cars, a prehistoric misogynistic mentally in modern times. Our communities have suffered greatly through the low profile of woman. The colonial view of how to engage our woman must be put under-foot. The Bukongo prophecy of our woman being the new Leopards, standing up, and carrying the banner of liberation will rematerialize, and that advancement will be of a social, economic, political and spiritual nature. Ingeta, ibobo ibobo.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 13

? Register your interest now. Visit jobs.west-midlands.police.uk

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Page 14 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

FEATURE - EDUCATION, TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT - PROMOTING EXCELLENCE

Excellence and Achievement at Holyhead School T he excitement in the air was palpable, as students of all ages from Holyhead School filled the Town Hall in Birmingham for their annual Presentation Evening on the 15th March. Just as excited as the students however were the teachers and staff, who were shouting and screaming as presentations were made and performances took place. The evening showcased the diverse nature of the school, highlighting and uplifting all of their students on the big stage. Principal Mr Trafford welcomed everyone present to the evening, as dignitaries and honorary presenters took their seats, talking of how he sees the students at Holyhead. “Celebration of the next generation of Young People who are going to carry on writing the history of Handsworth. It already has an illustrious history of course, but what you’re

about to see tonight is people that are really going to take it onto the next level. “They are people who are full of talent, full of skill, full of pride and full of hard work. “I’m very lucky that I have 1,301 children, 1 at home, and many many more sons and daughters in Handsworth.” The night was about the schools young ambassadors, and recognising everything that they have done. The praise heaped onto each student was well and truly deserved. Featuring presentations to students of all years across all subjects including Englsh, Maths and Science, as well as Business Law, Art, Graphics, Design and Technology, Media, PE and ICT, as well as awards for Outstanding Attendance, Student Leadership, and Enrichment. This however was not just a night of celebrating academic achievements. The evening was punctuated by perform-

l Bhangra dancing added a splash of colour

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The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 15

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT - PROMOTING EXCELLENCE - FEATURE

ances, recitals, and even a Spelling Bee, all of which whipped the audience up into a frenzy of applause at each and every opportunity. Specialled invited guests, governors and the Lord Mayor witnessed this spectacle, as some were invited to present the awards to the students. The Phoenix Newspaperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own Editor-In-Chief, Marcia McLaughlin was on hand to present the awards for Social Science alonside Mrs Richards, Head of Health and Social Care. The professional manner in which the student hosts conducted themselves, and the talent across all areas of school life showcased on the night warmed the heart, and shows that as Mr Trafford alluded to in his opening speech, that these students are the people who will continue writing the history of Handsworth. By our reckoning, it couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be in safer hands.

The Phoenix Newspaper Editor-In-Chief Marcia McLaughlin and Mrs Richards, Head of Health and Social Care

Students with their awards

l Principal of Holyhead School, Mr Trafford l Student Hosts for the evening

thephoenixnewspaper.com

Page 16 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

FEATURE OF - WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE WOMEN EXCELLENCE

Ananya Birla, Superstar and Inspirational Mental Health Campaigner lity a u q High rom f e r ld ca child e years o iv f o t birth

l Ananya Birla Day Nursery

en N Copm Birm ingoswoaot i n g Birmin ham B n to gha us Parkm Biunseisnses s Pa!rk

g n i k a T ns o i s s i adm now For more information or to enquire about admissions visit:

www.wigglesandgigglesdaynursery.co.uk Contact us: 4360 Waterside Centre, Birmingham Business Park, Solihull Parkway, B37 7YN 07825082937 contact@wigglesandgigglesdaynursery.co.uk

fter wowing crowds throughout her native India, internationally-renowned singing superstar, Ananya, is turning her attention to an issue that is very dear to her heart. The inspirational musician and entrepreneur has set up a mental health initiative which supports individuals and the families of people with mental health issues, who are too often ignored and discriminated against, by campaigning and providing care services where and when possible. Based on her own personal experience, the Mumbai-born multi-talented artist, who has worked with the likes of Afrojack, Mood Melodies and Coldplay, set up MPower Minds with my mother to stamp out the stigma surrounding mental health throughout India. “When I was at university in England,” she recalls, “I went through a difficult phase. Although everything seemed fine and I was doing really well academically, I was suffering from anxiety and panic attacks and I found it difficult to reach out for help. When I returned to India, the stigma and lack of support for people with mental health issues became even more apparent. I was shocked at the lack of awareness and initiatives to help people – which is why my mother and I started Mpower. It’s a cause that is very close to my heart. Eventually I got the support I needed, and quickly got back on my feet. But many people are

not so lucky.” She continued: “The stigma around mental health is a global issue, but it is particularly prevalent in India. Mental health is a topic that is rarely discussed and when it is, it is often trivialised. Globally, depression and suicide rates are on the rise and people are scared to reach out for help because they don’t want to be judged. Greater investment is needed in providing proper care around the world, but the first challenge we face is the taboo which prevents us from even discussing it.” Educated at Oxford, at just 17 she launched Svatantra, a microfinance organization that helps empower rural women, as well as starting design and interiors ecommerce platform; Curocarte. Since signing with Universal in

2016, Ananya gained over 21 million views on her first two singles on YouTube. Her single, ‘Meant To Be’ went Platinum in India, which made her the first Indian artiste with an English single to achieve that feat there. She has since been named as one of Forbes Asia’s Women to Watch, amongst the ‘Top 50 Power women of 2016’ by Verve Magazine and Miss Vogue’s 28 Geniuses under 28, as well as being a recipient of the CNBC Young Business Women Award. “Greater investment is needed in providing proper care around the world,” says the inspirational mega-star. “But the first challenge we face is the taboo which prevents us from even discussing it.” Her latest single, ‘Hold On,’ is out now.

@PhoenixNewsUK

The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 17

Music fashion Film Gadgets holiday education health and fitness

APRIL 2018

K2 THE HUSTLER

FROM NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE /streetcredmagazine

www.streetcredmagazine.com

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Page 18 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

ENTERTAINMENT

www.streetcredmagazine.com

THE HOTTEST ENTERTAINMENT SUPPLEMENT

/streetcredmagazine

Editors note

his month was another superb one for entertainment as I have gone to events that have personally interested me. There is nothing like doing work you love, I mean some of us do jobs we hate just imagine what you will achieve doing something you love. For me job satisfaction is very important and that you make time for whatever is your therapy. For me I love to entertain and go to the studio. I have been to the studio to record a new

song for a big performace i will be doing at Shardfest. In this issue we take a look at how it went down at Stefflon Don’s and Mist’s Headline show and Michael Jackson Thriller Live which took years of me being convinced to attend. Front cover is Brummy boy K2 who supported Mist on his whole tour and has his own clothing line called Pretty Face Hustler which is making big noise out there. Loving seeing that my brumtown artists are smashing it in the scene and reading his you will see how we are.

performing new single

'BACK IT UP'

www.streetcredmagazine.com

/markdwaynemedia Sadly Ant has had to go back to rehab, and we wish him the best, but didn’t Dec do well on Saturday Night Takeaway. I’ve known these guys for years, so I hope everything works out

STEFFLON DON PERFORMS IN HER HOMETOWN I managed to grab Stefflon Don with her fans backstage of her 02 show and even had a chat with her trendy mother she always talks about in her songs. These artists are really showing that Birmingham is up!!!

Cardi B Is Pregnant! Due for her baby in July, she got proposed to on stage and now there is baby on the way. Well done to the brother who wanna lock it down!

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The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 19

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HEADLINER Mist @ O2

Yes our Brummy went all out for his headline show at 02 Academy. Mist Diamond In The Dirt tour is promoting his new massive selling EP. Never have I seen someone smash it like this off just selling EP’s alone. The concert was a masterpiece and it was awesome that he brought through his homies Mowgli and Lotto Boyzz to the stage. No doubt that Mist is a superstar. The crowd was hanging off his every word even the famous its M I S to the F***in T. I see a big star right here. There is no difference to going to see 50 Cent live in his prime. The energy of Mist is next level!

Thriller Live: I finally did it. B eing the biggest Michael Jackson fan I really wasn’t sure of what to expect, I mean come on you want to do take off the biggest entertainer of all time, the man that had sky rocket talent and had million dollar budget videos. Oh my god, the pressure, but these guys did him proud. The visuals were very impressive and the shocking thing was seeing them do the famous Smooth Criminal lean as you can see pictured.

As a kid that was like the most amazing thing to see. The singers and dancers really captured all the iconic moments of MJ. Singing songs from Off The Wall, Thriller Dangerous and even the early Jackson 5 tunes. All of the songs were strong but Smooth Criminal and Dirty Diana were outstanding for me. If you are an MJ fan you will absolutely love this and if your’re critical like me you will be pleasantly surprised as it’s a very big production and will have you on your feet.

ENTERTAINMENT

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BIGScreen

review

wORDS by antony brown

hen the creator of a virtual-reality world known as the OASIS passes away, he leaves behind a video in which he announces that he has hidden an Easter egg deep within the simulation and the first person to find it will inherit his entire fortune and complete control over the Oasis itself. Steven Spielberg is a master of his craft and has carved a career out of making game-changing movies. From Jaws to E.T and Jurassic Park to Schindler’s List, Spielberg is the man behind so many benchmark movies that oftentimes it’s easy to forget just how pivotal of a figure he is within the world of cinema. Well, at the tender age of 72, Spielberg is showing no signs of slowing down, delivering one of the most exhilarating, heartfelt and important blockbusters in recent memory. Tye Sheridan plays Wade Watts, a young man from the slums of Columbus, Ohio who uses the Oasis as an escape from his home life. In the Oasis, he is known as Parzival and he, along with his virtual friends Aech (Lena Waithe), Daito (Win Morisaki), Sho (Philip Zhao) and Art3mis (Olivia Cooke), are on the hunt for the hidden clues that will lead them to the elusive “Easter Egg” left behind by OASIS creator James Halliday (Mark Rylance). This cast of young up-andcomers is fantastic and you are immediately hooked in to their journey and care about what happens to them. With great chemistry, jovial

Ready Player One personalities and playful banter, every moment spent with these characters is an absolute blast. Once Spielberg has finished setting the stage and the plot begins to take on new and surprising layers, the film moves at a breakneck pace, going from strength to strength as it hurtles towards it’s exhilarating finale, which is equal parts action-packed and downright insane in its scale with so many pop culture references you’d literally have to pause every frame of the movie in order to take them all in. One reference in particular, involving everybody’s favourite murderous ginger doll Chucky, caused the audience to erupt with laughter and it’s just one of many

crowd pleasing moments littered throughout Ready Player One, which brings us to the man himself — Mr. Steven Spielberg. As he always does, Spielberg brings his A-game here, never half-arsing his way through anything he does. However, what sets Ready Player One apart from the vast majority of his more recent work is a sheer sense of fun and wonder. This is quite easily the most playful we’ve seen Spielberg in over two decades and it really shows — its like he poured every ounce of his heart and soul into this project with the single goal of delivering a blockbuster so big and heartwarming that it would take audiences back to the way we

felt the first time we watched some of his earlier works. Do you remember the first time you watched E.T and how you felt when E.T and Elliot had to part ways? Do you remember the first time you watched Jurassic Park and how you felt when the T-Rex saved the day? Do you remember the first time you watched Raiders of the Lost Ark and how you felt when Indiana Jones took out the acrobatic swordsman with a simple, no-nonsense pull of the trigger? Well, Ready Player One is a movie full of moments like that. Moments that make your eyes well up or the hairs stand up on the back of your neck or moments that make you want to punch the air in

sheer delight. It’s fitting that in a story so consumed by nostalgia that Spielberg would take a nostalgic approach to his direction, too. It’s a true credit to Spielberg’s genius. He truly is one of the best to ever do it. Now, the film is set predominantly in a virtual world, so for obvious reasons there is a hell of a lot of CGI, but because Spielberg and company do such a good job in establishing the OASIS and what it is, it never feels like a chore to sit through. You’re never left thinking; “this is just too much” because in the context of the film, it makes total sense…because the OASIS isn’t real.

It’s a credit to the film as a whole that it can immerse you in both the real world and the virtual world, sometimes simultaneously. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the visual effects on display here are cutting edge and will leave your eyes widened and your mouth agape on more than one occasion. It’s an absolute visual feast. In the hands of a lesser filmmaker, Ready Player One could have been an exhausting, overstuffed and incoherent mess. But in the masterful hands of Mr. Steven Spielberg, Ready Player One is something truly quite special. By finding the emotional core of the movie and never losing focus of it, Spielberg takes us on a weird and wonderful journey through a world where anything is possible. A world where you can be anything you want to be, but at a cost. You see, what Spielberg does so remarkably here is striking a perfect balance between depicting both the beauty and the perils of nostalgia and social media. The beauty of what we can achieve through a virtual world, but the perils of what we can lose in the real world because of it. Ready Player One is an unexpectedly timely allegory for modern life - a life so consumed by the internet and by social media that people often lose sight of who they are and why they are here. By obsessing so much over what we see online, we forget to stop and take a look at what’s going on around us in the real world. By focusing so much time on building relationships with people you have met online who live half way around the world, you forget to stop and appreciate the people who are right there in front of you. Spielberg urges us to disconnect, even if just for a moment, in order to take in the beauty of the world around us because, after all — “reality is the only thing that’s real.”

That Surreal Feel

rom the 22nd to the 24th March, the Afro-Caribbean Millennium Centre presented “Dissonance Cognitive - The Surrealistic Works of Paul Burke.” With some absolutely stunning

pieces by Paul and guest artists up for sale, and a fair few snapped up by the end of the exhibition, including one for the ACMC itself, it just goes to show that that Surreal Feel is something that many of us truly enjoy.

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Brighton Rocks Yungen Teams With Birmingham REP Jess Gylnne For Summer Fresh

latinum-Selling, UK Rap Hit-maker Yungen, returns with his second official singleMind On It, featuring award winning, Multi-Million Album Selling artist, Jess Glynne. Produced by Yungens longterm collaborator, ADP, the pair go back to back, capturing the songs summer essence in all its glory. Since selling out his headline UK tour at the end of 2017, reaching Top Ten with the Yxng Bane assisted Bestie (the video now sitting on 29 million views) & performing across the world, Yungen has been locked in the studio working on new music. Revealing how that time in the studio brought about the chemistry that created Mind On It, Yungen says, “ADP, let me know he was working on a sick idea for me, so I went in the studio late that night and he’d already started the beat. “I laid my verses really

The Weeknd's New Album about Selena Gomez?

he fan-based rumour-mill is running overtime, searching for connections between The Weeknd’s new songs and his break-up with Selena Gomez. After subtly teasing the release of new music, the 28-year-old Canadian GRAMMY winner dropped a six-song EP titled ‘My Dear Melancholy’ just months after his high-profile split from the ‘Bad Liar singer. Fans took to social media after the songs came out to point out how many of the lyrics sounded

like they could be related to their failed relationship. There's even a lyric in ‘Call Out My Name’ that fans are suggesting could be a direct reference to Gomez' kidney transplant, which occurred a few months before the couple broke up. On the surface, several of his songs clearly paint a negative image of relationships and love in general. Despite rumour and conjecture, any connection between his new music and their break-up remain unconfirmed.

quick, which is always a good sign! We didn’t have the hook on it for ages because we knew it sounded potentially like the next single and we wanted it to be perfect. Then I finally got in with Jess and she absolutely nailed it straight away!” Maintaining his domination of UK rap’s commercial space, the South Londoner showcases effortless charm and witty punch lines that drive home his maturity and rise through the ranks of the UK undergrounds hierarchy. From grafting in his earliest freestyles on SBTV, Link Up & GRM, to now conquering the charts, being nominated for a MOBO and performing at the O2 for Jingle Bell Ball, it’s fair to say Yungen’s ambition to sit in pole position is solidified in his teaming with Jess Glynne. With Mind On It set to take over clubs, radio and festivals across the year, Yungen smoothly delivers the line “wanna know where I’ve gone, tell ‘em that I’ve gone clear” ...and based on his last 6 months of succes, it’s hard to argue that statement.

omeo & Juliet meets Peaky Blinders in this gripping tale of crime and romance in Graham Greene’s iconic novel ‘Brighton Rock,’ brought to Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Directed by Pilot Theatre’s new Artistic Director Esther Richardson and featuring a soundtrack composed by the acclaimed singer, musician and composer Hannah Peel, it’s the story of two seventeen-year olds, Pinkie and Rose, who get embroiled in a vicious gang war in Brighton. One brutal murder leads to the next, the police are impassive, but the courageous and life embracing Ida Arnold wants the truth. Nothing scares her. Whatever the cost, she'll see justice is done. Written in 1938, the classic novel of good and evil was first adapted for the stage at the Garrick Theatre with Richard Attenborough playing Pinkie, a role he resumed in the iconic 1947 film version. In 2010 Greene’s novel was remade, setting it in 1964, with Sam Riley, Andrea Riseborough and Helen Mirren. In 1993 Vicky Featherstone

directed David Hurlock’s stage adaptation of the novel at West Yorkshire Playhouse and in 2004 John Barry and Don Black wrote a musical version which ran at the Almeida Theatre. Speaking of the new adaptation, playwright Bryony Lavery said: “Why adapt Brighton Rock for the stage? Because it is such a treasure chest of narrative delights. It has got everything...It's a love story, a revenge tragedy, a small-town murder mystery, an array of smalltime gangsters and a middle-aged woman who knows no fear and who will stop at nothing to do right.” Composer Hannah Peel said: “The menacing aspects to the 1930's story are even more resonant today so I am really excited about working with Pilot Theatre for this incredible stage version of Brighton Rock.” Returning to The REP’s stage is Gloria Onitiri in the role of Ida, the cast also includes Jacob James Beswick as Pinkie, Sarah Middleton as Rose, Angela Bain as Spicer, Marc Graham as Cubbitt, Jennifer Jackson as Crab and Colleoni, Dorian Simpson as Dallow, Shamira Turner as Sylvie/ Prewitt and Chris Jack as Phil.

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EXCLUSIVE: K2

The Beautiful & Damned G-Eazy

ulti-platinum selling rapper/producer G-Eazy’s latest track from his album ‘The Beautiful & Damned’ impacts April 20thand features international music sensation Charlie Puth. The track has already had over

39 million streams on Spotify. This is the third track from the extremely personal 20 track double album which also features the likes of Halsey, A$AP Rocky, Cardi B, Kehlani,E-40, Anna of the North and more. The track follows the huge success of ‘Him & I’, which has had over 220 million streams on Spo-

tify to date and made it into the top 10 US iTunes. G-Eazy has already begun his The Beautiful & Damned Tour with special guests Trippie Redd, Phora, and Anthony Russo. He will kick off his UK dates in Glasgow on May 29th.

t can be hard as a young man from the streets of Brum, drug dealing is the only for survival for many but as you know most of the youth have major talents and thankfully there are platforms to push our up coming artists. K2 is one artist and hope for our city who has been through a lot of trauma losing friends and family members. Since the age of 17 this bright hopeful has been selling his story and he has gone from being a local to nationally known MC who recently did his own sold out headline show at the 02. Check the story of a man that has gone from strength to strength in the music scene and who shows that you can truly go from negative to positive.

Where does the name come from?

Being young I had the nick name hustler, it’s because where I have come from and all I’ve ever done was hustled. Going from negative to positive and its been hard Sacrificing things and putting my energy into just music but I like to embrace the hustle, this is just me and everyday life really and alot of people can relate too as its just how it is. We all go through struggles no matter what angle you are in life we all hustle. What ever your hustle is it’s just about getting paid.

Has your street lifestyle help you bring you amazing content for your music?

Doesnt matter how you live it will be good music anyway because its real, everyone has their own audi-

ence it aint just an audience for what I talk about, I’m just representing my way of life. It’s helped me to write a story but really we all have a story to write about.

You have gone through a lot

Its all factual and when I listen back to my music I like to see the journey of where I have come from, and I know so many people relate to what I go through.

How did you get into the music game?

Started from a young age. My close friend Shamz was alive, you looking at 13 to 14 years old just doing my own videos, low budget not big channels like today, but I took it serious from 2017.

How has it been since last year?

Mad! I’ve had headline show, a manager, booking agent, radio play on BBC 1xtra, New Style Radio, and sponsorship deals. I’ve always had a buzz around my name but when my EP dropped in November it all went crazy then the Behind Barz features with Mist

What was the process like making the Hustler Season EP?

It was long and deep as I really wanted to explain who I was as a person. It was impoirtant for people to know who I was, thats why from track one to the end you can hear the transition of being on the road to where I am now. I wanted to show it was all road mentality and I came away to make better of my life.

Whats the message?

It’s all about showing how you can grow as a person and make it in your talent

Do you see yourself as the voice?

Most definately, I’m not the main voice but I certainly contribute to being one for people coming from my background.

Disney On Ice: A Wond

very year we look forward to Disney's spectacular. This year was no exception. Genting Arena was this years venue for a unique masterclass of fun fun fun. At the meet and greet the kids went wild as Micky Mouse burst unto the scene. He brought the high

fives and a big cuddle for those eager beavers. This is an amazing time for mums and dads to get into the world of make believe and dream innocently of all that is out of this world. Frozen stole the show for me. It was just magical breathtaking pleasure. Every child was at the edge of their seat with some being held

back from wanting to leap the barriers and join the cast during the performances. Its their world of total pleasure and fairytale. Our lucky family thoroughly enjoyed every moment. We would like to thank the team at Disney on Ice team for making us all become dreamers, seeing the magic through the eyes of innocence is a joyous privilege for everyone attending. Birmingham City Stars Michael Morrison and Harlee Dean and their families also caught the show. Disney On Ice continues around the country on its whirlwind tour bringing the bright lights and stunning music to little dreamers everywhere. Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Enchantment takes you on an action-packed adventure featuring four much-loved Disney stories; Cars, The Little Mermaid, Toy Story and of course not forgetting #1 Animated movie of all time Disney’s Frozen.

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ENTERTAINMENT

2 The Hustler Your fellow Mist you supported on his tour, this the first time performing?

Yes twice already I supported him this is my third time round.

How has response been at the Mist shows?

I did Leeds Bristol, Leicester and Nottingham, even leaving the place the car gets crowded ha its like a movie, in the moshpits girls gripps me up on stage and all sorts. I been performing from 17 when I never even had an ID for clubs, I was a mad performer jumping off the stage. I had confidence from a young age so when it came to performing I always known I got it in the bag not being boasty but experience helps. Was great to have my own headline show and bring people up.

Lil Yachty

il Yachty, aka Lil Boat, aka “King of the Youth” is a 20-year old Atlanta native, a Grammy-nominated singer, rapper, producer, creative designer, branding genius and fashion icon who smashed ono the scene two years ago with his debut mixtape Lil Boat. In May, 2017, he released Teenage Emotions which entered The Billboard Top 200 at #5 and re-

Who do you like working with?

RM Lemz I done who I want to work with, I’m satisfied who I have featured with. I’m really about focusing more on my own music and getting better.

Whats your thoughts of Birmingham are we there yet?

It’s strong to me, it’s like how it used to be. We are active, when grime went dead Birmingham was the grime and London was coming here. Skepta was remixing Birmingham artists, Stormzy too, so Brum was already active we just went quiet.

Where would you like to see yourself in a years time?

Be nice to be nominated for an award, rated MOBO, any but yes just the recognition be nice. I can make it off my own back, I don’t want to be relying on features and riding on someones back. I aim to make it off my own content, talent is talent at the end of the day.

derful Spectacle

l Birmingham City Stars Michael Morrison (top) and Harlee Dean (below) and their families caught the show in Birmingham

mained on the charts more than four months. Since then he accumulated nearly 3 billion streams, found himself on the covers of Paperand FADER magazines, as well as landing the cover of The New York Times Men’s Style section and a XXL Freshman cover. Rolling Stone said his album ‘Teenage Emotions’ is a “landmark moment that may change the way people rap,”while The New

York Times Magazine dubbed him as an artist “that tells us where music is going.” Lil Yachty reflects young lives right now: from social media-saturated heartbreak to self-acceptance to the dance floor. Lil Yachtyunleashes a sound that effortlessly and constantly bounces between rap to pop creating something entirely his own.

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A Murder Mystery Brilliantly ‘Murdered’ Superstar, Babbu, ready to Wow UK Fans

‘murder mystery’ play that is so leftfield of its genre, that by the end, it does a complete 360-degree – with a lot of bumps and barges along the way. Playing at the Birmingham Hippodrome 'The Play That Goes Wrong' tells the story of Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’s ‘Murder At Haversham

Manor’ - while well established in its narrative – was refreshingly unique in its execution as everything that can go wrong, went brilliantly wrong. With its Crossroads-esqe fragile and (in this case deliberately) wobbly sets their ‘Murder At Haversham Manor’ was a complete joy to watch – especially as its execution by its young, vibrant and ‘on-the-ball’

cast was so spot-on. From the minute it was introduced by the arrogance and self-abasement Henry Shields, you knew were going to go on a ‘bumpy ride’ that, so much so, would leave Agatha Christie herself in the dark although chuckling in the aisles. A typically Christie-style country-house whodunnit, but, in this case, you could well be

leaving the theatre typically questioning; ‘Who actually did what?’ Such confusion, which began with the corpse of Charles - who couldn’t lie still – as a line-up of suspects; which included cast and crew, who so brilliantly put together this offbeat and very often very physical slapstick satire.

ttracting over 1 million in audience figures in a single India concert, Babbu Maan is making a return to UK The internationally acclaimed music mega star returns to British soils to perform a one-off concert at Arena Birmingham that’s guaranteed to leave audiences breathless. Winner of the ‘World’s Best Indian Male Artist’ in the recent World Music awards, Maan will perform a mix of old school classics alongside his latest songs from his new album, ‘Ik C Pagal’

0121 643 2047 www.thehatman.com

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54 Stephenson Street, Birmingham City Centre, B2 4HD

with a full live band. Speaking about his return, he said: "I'm really excited to be coming back to the UK, and I promise my UK fans that Babbu is back, bigger than ever and ready to rock Birmingham! “I receive messages every day from my UK fans showing their support and now l will reply to your messages to show you how much they mean via my music! l look forward to meeting and seeing you all soon." Babbu Maan stops-off at Arena Birmingham on Saturday 29th September 2018

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F-Pace Gets The SVR Treatment T he Jaguar F-PACE, 2017 World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year, gets the SVR treatment to make it the fastest and most powerful F-PACE yet, with an enhanced chassis and aerodynamics for maximum driver reward in all conditions. Engineered by Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), with a 44% uplift in power, the F-PACE SVR’s 5.0-litre V8 supercharged petrol engine produces 550PS and 680Nm, enabling it to reach 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds (0100km/h in 4.3 seconds) with a top speed of 176mph (283km/h). “The F-PACE SVR delivers the handling and agility to match its performance.” explained Mike Cross, Chief Engineer, Vehicle Integrity, Jaguar Land Rover. “Everything from the steering to the bespoke suspension set-up has been tuned

Melissa ’Motoring’ Towards Making a Difference in NASCAR

ringing an extensive diversity to motorsport is Melissa Harville-Lebron, as the first Black woman owner of a NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) team franchise. The 47-year old, who started her career in the entertainment industry when she worked as an intern at Sony Music, already launched her own music label in 2005 while working for Department of Correction Office in New York, before she had to retire early through ill health. Undeterred, in 2014, she took the risk and opened a multifaceted entertainment company, W.M. Stone Enterprises, Inc. before then creating E2 Northeast Motorsports before signing a deal to own a NASCAR team.

l Melissa Harville-Lebron

It’s a move that started unexpectedly for her, as she explains; "I got invited to a NASCAR experience and I brought my boys (Eric and Enico) along thinking that it would discourage them from driving." They loved it so much and she, in turn, love their passion. As she got more involved in the sport, she noticed the lack of diversity since it is dominated mostly by white males. So she decided to bridge the gap and create her own team. Her E2 Northeast Motorsports team is the first multicultural team to race competitively in NAS-

CAR, as well in the Camping World Truck Series the Whelen All-American Series - two members of whom are her sons. "This team truly exemplifies diversity that is sure to attract a younger multicultural fan base," Melissa said. And in emphasizing the relevance of her endeavours, she went on; "It's important for our culture to push generational wealth to our children and it's important to lead by example and for people of our culture actually succeeding in business."

specifically for our performance SUV and the result is a vehicle that lives up to the promise of both the F-PACE and SVR names.” Aerodynamic enhancements include larger air intakes at the front and side fender vents that lower pressure in the wheelarches, reduce lift and provide additional cooling while also optimising high-speed stability. In addition, unique wheel arch extensions and lower body mouldings provide a low-slung muscularity that sets the SVR apart. An exclusive SVR bonnet features vents to help extract hot air from the engine bay and provide visual evidence of the SVR’s dynamic intent. At the rear, a unique spoiler is joined by a new bumper housing the quad tailpipes of the Active Exhaust system. The bumper incorporates side strakes that aid aerodynamic performance by smoothing airflow away from the rear of the vehicle.

MOTORS

Jenson Joins JD Classics

Jenson Button will be competing in two races with historic motorsport experts, JD Classics this year, racing at Le Mans Classic in July and the Goodwood Revival in September. Jenson will be driving two cars expertly prepared by the team of 75 engineers and craftsmen at JD Classics’ 155,000 sq/ft facility, including an XJR-9 at Le Mans Classic. The JD Classics-prepared XJR9 is chassis #688, the car that was built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing in 1988 to replace that year’s Le Mans-winning car, and which has a number of incredible competition results to its name. In July 1988 chassis #688 placed third at Brno, driven by Johnny Dumfries and Jan Lammers, while in September that year it was driven to second at the Spa 1000km by Dumfries, Lammers and Martin Brundle. Jenson Button and the JD Classics XJR-9 will line-up on the Le Mans Classic Group C grid against a number of other motorsport legends of the same era, including the Porsche 962C, Peugeot 905 EV1 and Nissan NPTi 90.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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MOSTACK MoStack saw huge success in his music in 2016 as he toured with Wretch 32, made BBC 1Xtra’s A List with his club banger “Liar Liar” (remix), became a MOBO nominated artist and sold out his second headline show in under 3 hours (the first venue was upgraded to a bigger 1100 capacity venue when it sold out in an hour). Track “Block Popping”racked up over 1.5 million views in a week and “Liar Liar”reached over 8 million views. Recent ILL BLU produced track “Let It Ring”has amassed over 9 million streams and ‘Screw and Brew’ taken from MoStack’s ‘High Street Kid’ has over 10 million plays on YouTube to date, as the rapper continues to cater to his ground-breaking fan base with catchy energetic tracks. Continuing to engage his growing audience MoStack has an unrelenting force of big tracks and has a talent far beyond the Internet. Last year the young star has already had headline shows in Sweden and Denmark on a mini European tour, cementing his journey as an international talent. Known for his unique flows, imagination, stylish charisma and creative visuals, Mo has built a core and loyal fan base from the ground up. Named by BBC 1Xtra as one of the hottest artists to look out for in 2017, this year is set to be an astounding breakthrough year for MoStack.

l Dua Lipa is set to rock the Genting Arena

BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY

Don’t Cry For Me Birmingham

hen you think of iconic Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, your mind is instantly drawn to the wonders of Cats, Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat, Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar, but you would be forgiven for forgetting that he is also the man behind the impeccable Evita. Telling the true story of Eva Perón, Evita showcases her rise from poverty stricken Los Toldos resident to a radio, film and stage actress before eventually becoming the First Lady of Argentina. With a boldness, yet fragility, coupled with strength and determination, Madalena Alberto brought Eva to life on stage, ef-

fortlessly performing the challenging numbers throughout the evening. Showing the different sides of Eva, both in her almost saint-like role and her less than perfect personal life, allowed the brilliance of Madalena to shine through. Topping off a wonderful performance all round was the iconic ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ sung from a balcony addressing the Argentinian people, moving many in the audience to tears. Of course a musical is not just based on one performer, and more than ably backing Madalena was Gian Marco Schiaretti as Che. With his rugged good looks and great physique he had the audience waiting on every word. His impressive vocal range

was showcased from Santa Evita to High Flying Adored and everything in between, and with each cheeky wink the audience was putty in his hands. As Eva’s husband, and President of Argentina, Juan Perón, Jeremy Secomb’s gloriously rich and deep voice was a stark contrast with that of Eva, further emphasising the unconventional relationship. Culminating in a standing ovation on opening night, Evita was on at Birmingham’s Hippodrome until the 24th March and is one not to miss, even if you may unfortunately be unable to adhere to Eva’s words, “Don’t cry for me….”

O2 INSTITUTE

Say Cello to Ayanna

head of her Symphony Hall solo debut on the 12th April, we caught up with Ayanna Witter-Johnson to get a bit of an insight into the person behind the name.

How did you get into music?

At the very beginning I started learning the piano at 4, and I later picked up the Cello around 12/13 years old. Music was always in the house, my father was a DJ and an actor, and I always played an instrument.

What made you choose the Cello?

I was quite advanced at Piano and I wasn’t learning anything at secondary school and my teacher thought I should start something new so I had a bit of a challenge! I had a long instrument list, and I took it home one day and my mum was like “No drums, no brass, no woodwind in the house. Just strings.” So I was like okay, the double bass seems a bit big, I don’t know what a viola is really, and

my hands seem a bit big for the violin!

How would you describe your style of performance, and your style of composing and arranging?

seen a cello played before. Very kind of soulful and blues-led, bluesey cello playing. A rich sonic landscape of emotional textures.

Have you had a standout performance?

I had the privilege of being part of a very special show at Southbank at the Royal Festival Hall to commemorate the life of Maya Angelou. I met her in New York one New Years Day. That meeting was life changing for me, and playing at that event was amazing. That show was everything.

What can people expect from your show?

They can expect powerful songs, you will probably see me play the cello like you’ve never

Have you got any words of advice or encouragement for people looking to break into the creative arts? I would say focus on cultivating your authenticity, explore who you are uniquely and embrace that!

I would call it kind of eclectic orchestral R&B, very much singer cellist, percussive soulful songs. Arrangement wise, a hint of reggae, contemporary classical, and elements of Jazz. It is a fusion and a half!

What is next for you? Anything exciting you can share with us?

It was celebrating 100 years of Ella Fitzgerald last year, and I just released an EP of remixes of my favourite songs of hers. I am releasing my debut album this summer, and I’ll be back in Birmingham more importantly on the 14th August for the Flyover Festival!

April 02 Game Grumps Live! 03 Philippa Hanna 04 George Ezra 06 Catapult Club feat. Operation Guillotine 07 The Verve Experience 07 The Vaccines 08 Macklemore 09 Night Riots 09 Lil Uzi Vert 11 Black Aces 12 Everything Everything 13 3 Generations of Ska 13 Catapult Club feat. Echo Beach 14 The Wonder Stuff & Ned’s Atomic Dustbin 14 Blast Off 15 The Wonder Stuff & Ned’s Atomic Dustbin - Love From Stourbridge 16 Taylor Bennett 17 Trivium 18 Savage Messiah 19 The Streets 21 Coasts 24 Akala 27 Plan B 27 Ivory Wave 28 Netherhall 28 The Smyths... Unite and Take Over Tour 2018 28 Mo Gilligan 29 Emma McGann April 04 Romain Virgo 05 Embrace 06 En Vogue 06 Biggafish Presents 06 Sketch 07 New Hope Club Fanfest 07 Walk The Moon 08 Tokio Myers 10 Aston Merrygold 13 Not3s 13 Nuns of Tundra 14 Little Comets 15 Andrew W.K. 16 Aquilo 17 The White Buffalo 17 IAMDDB 19 Ugly Kid Joe 20 Isaac Gracie 20 Lotto Boyzz 21 Faith Evans 21 Lost Horizons 22 Rejjie Snow 22 Calum Scott 23 Barenaked Ladies 24 Will Heard 25 Of Mice & Men 26 Sharon Needles – Battle Axe Tour 27 The Clause 28 EDEN 29 Skindred

NEC

April 05-08 Antiques for Everyone Spring Fair 2018 06-08 Kidtropolis Come & Play 20-21 National Engineering & Construction Recruitment

25-26 Naidex 2018 29 Toy Collectors Fair

ARENA BIRMINGHAM

April 13-15 Torvill and Dean’s Dancing on Ice 20-22 Fast & Furious Live 24 Russell Peters 27 Manic Street Preachers 29 The King Is Back - Ben Portsmouth is Elvis

GENTING ARENA

April 03-04 Sam Smith 05 5 Star Wrestling 07 Harry Styles 09 Roy Orbison In Dreams 14 Nashville 15 Arcade Fire 17 Dua Lipa

TOWN HALL & SYMPHONY HALL

April 01-03 Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales (TH) 04 ASTONish on Stage (SH) 04 Sun Ra Arkestra (TH) 05-06 Gregory Porter (SH) 07 NYO Teen Hang Out (SH) 07 National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain – Unleashed (SH) 07 Foil Arms and Hog (TH) 08 Beauty and the Beast (SH) 10 Justin’s Band (TH) 10 Jethro Tull (SH) 11 JAWS in concert (SH) 12 Rudolf Buchbinder: Schumann (SH) 12 Ayanna Witter Johnson (SH) 13 Our Finest Hour (SH) 14 The Amazing Bubble Man (TH) 14 Marillion (SH) 15 Ilker Arcayürek – Schumann and Schubert (TH) 17 Lisa Stansfield (SH) 18 Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony (SH) 19 Joan As Police Woman: Damned Devotion Tour 2018 (TH) 19 Magnum (SH) 20 Alexander O’Neal (TH) 21 Remembering Fred (SH) 21 Kim Wilde (TH) 24 Daniel O’Donnell (SH) 25 My Dad Wrote A Porno (SH) 27 Hollies (SH) 28 Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall (TH) 30 G3 (SH)

SLADE ROOMS, WOLVERHAMPTON

06 AC/DC Experienc 07 Mayor’s Rock Fest 2018 14 Bigfoot 15 Raymond Froggatt 24 Wayward Sons 27 Richard Herring 28 UK Guns & Roses 29 Tiff Stevenson

@PhoenixNewsUK

The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 27

ENTERTAINMENT

www.streetcredmagazine.com

FunkyNChunky from Sonia Meggie I By Camara Fearon

n this months’ Spotlight, I would like to introduce you to a woman I met six years ago! Intelligent, uplifting and a breath of fresh air… This lady continues to inspire me and I hope that reading this will inspire YOU.

Who is Sonia Meggie?

I am a London based entrepreneur and mother of a 14 year old daughter. I am passionate about progression, empowerment and supporting women and young people via my platforms. I am driven by legacy and knowing that there is change and movement in the workplace and local communities.

What inspired the creation of Inspirational YOU?

Inspirational YOU was started in 2010 as a result of me organising live shows and comedy events. I met incredibly talented artists who performed to sold out audiences and left everyone feeling euphoric and joyful.

I wanted to focus on how that feeling could last beyond the night and have a positive impact on their lives and communities. I quickly increased my online following and had an audience who were supportive of my community aspirations. We then formed Inspirational YOU to bring together senior leaders in settings across London. In 2010 we experienced economic decline and the tech boom was starting to burst. Many of my friends found themselves looking for a new role and had to rethink their career choices. I knew a lot of young people and adults who wanted to focus on their entrepreneurial pursuits but needed insights’ and encouragement to do so. I like to walk the talk and provided a platform for professionals and start-ups to connect with senior leaders and successful entrepreneurs’. We have held over 80 events, with one taking place every two months since we launched. We have held events in the UK Supreme Court,

House of Commons and Channel 4.

What inspired you to create FunkyNChunky?

I started FunkyNChunky after a visit to Ghana and meeting local entrepreneurial and creative women. I wanted to work with local creatives partner with them to make African fabric products. I also met the Founder of girls project and now support her organisation to mentor and provide educational resources to their students. My slogan Empowering Through Fashion is a result of working alongside females in West Africa and connecting with fashion conscious women here in the UK. Every woman that I have met via FunkyNChunky has a different story and the colours and boldness of my jewellery brings out a new side of their personality as a result of the product. Seeing women be bolder in their fashion choices and styles is a continuous highlight.

I know you support various organisations – who is FunkyNChunky currently supporting?

I am supporting an organisation called Revolutionary Underground in Ghana and am also starting a Saturday School in the borough of Lambeth. We do not want to be solely reliant on grants and this will aide us to provide a bursary.

What are some of the struggles in business that you have had to endure?

I try not to focus on the struggles as this is part of business. I look at the end goal and seek to be solution orientated. It is important to have a supportive network around you and someone a mentor/sounding board. My challenge is time and wishing I could do more in Africa and the Caribbean.

What are some of your most memorable projects to date?

We held an Inspirational YOU entitled ‘Leading women’ that featured senior professional women in 2014. One of the panel members spoke about her experience of overcoming cancer. After her talk an attendee thanked her as she had recently found out that she was HIV positive and now had a new will to live. We meet and hear from hundreds of people who have now changed

l Camara wearing FunkyNChunky

l Sonia Meggie with Alex Beresford careers, found a mentor, started a business or simply transformed their outlook as result of the seminars or talks that we have organised. Every thank you is invaluable to me.

What are some of your hobbies?

I am a fitness enthusiast and try to work out regularly. This is my space and time to clear with my mind. I also enjoy cultural events, theatre productions, travelling, live music and music festivals’.

What is the next thing on your bucket list?

Personally it would be to run a marathon and experience something new every month. I want to travel more and see much of Africa. Business would be to expand both brands globally, to hold events in the US and Africa and open up a school.

I want everyone who attends our events to leave being focused on their professional progress and selfcare.

What are some of the things most important to you?

I want my daughter and family to be happy and healthy. That those around me progress and strike a balance in all that they do. That I can look back on life and say I did it or tried.

Are there any people you would like to thank?

I am thankful to my family and team for their continued support. I have been able to expand and grow my business because of their encouragement and backing. I do everything with the grace of God and through him I am able to achieve all that I have. Every speaker or customer is ap-

preciated as their input and support shapes and guides my business. I have an amazing business partner, Isaac Koranteng who shares my vision and is equally as passionate about changing lives and giving a platform to those who would otherwise not have access. I have a fantastic team of advisors and mentors who keep me grounded and focused. www.inspirationalyou.co.uk www.funkynchunky.co @soniameggie @inspirational_U @FunkyNChunky A big thank you to Sonia for taking the time out to speak with me! I am continually inspired by her work and know that you – my readers - will also be! Love, Cx

Stones Still Rolling

hey’re arguably one of the most successful acts of all-time in any genre, let alone their natural habitat of rock and roll – and they are back once again! The Rolling Stones celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2012, with a series of massive gigs and intensely attended performances across the globe. In 2013, they returned with a US tour and a gig in London’s Hyde Park, which sold out in record time. Their eponymous debut album - the first in a long line of multi-platinum, international chart-topping and undeniably iconic

records - came out in 1964 and instantly shot straight to the top of the charts, remaining there for a total of 51 weeks. They head out on the ‘Stones No Filter’ Tour of Europe, the UK and Ireland this year, with extra dates already added due to demand – with venues including; London Stadium, Coventry Ricoh Arena, Cardiff Principality Stadium and Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, before international dates which include; Dublin, Berlin, Prague and Warsaw’s Stadion Narodowy. So, find out where you can see them – No Filter!

thephoenixnewspaper.com

Page 28 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

TEEN FLAIR WITH RHEA DEHANEY

www.streetcredmagazine.com

TRAINING IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM Are you interested in working with prisoners or ex prisoners in probation, with police, in prison or even law courts?

WITH RHEA DEHANEY

Welcome to another edition of Teen flair where I give you advice, highlight real people and much more!

This month I was involved in a drama piece inspired by ‘The curious incident of the dog in the night - time’ which I performed at the town hall, This play is a murder mystery novel like no other. The de-

Fast Track To Success? I want to earn fast money. I’ve tried online surveys, but they never work, and there’s nothing I’m really good at that I could make money from. I do upload Youtube content, but it takes a long while to get money, from subscribers and views… I’m really out of options. — RY, 13

Dear Ry, I can definitely relate as I have been in that position plenty of times. Now today, we live in such a fast paced generation here a lot of young people are making money, starting business and Youtube which is great. But my first advice to you is to enjoy being young! Focus on your path and if you continue to commit to your channel and

KEEP IN TOUCH

tective, and narrator, is Christopher Boone. I encourage you guys all to go out and take part in something, take up a new hobby for this year of 2018!

create creative content then you will see results and change. Think smart! I remember my father telling me a story on a young boy who would collect McDonald’s toys and sell them to kids his age, you could literally start small, buying sweets and selling them for a higher profit depending on the quality of the treat. What are you passionate about? It’s all good and well making money, but if your not having fun whilst making it, especially at a young age then I would suggest trying something you like doing. And don’t forget people are around to help! Mum, dad, a neighbour, they might need help with something. And I assume you might be good with computers as you upload to Youtube… there are many elders who aren’t, you could charge a small amount to help them simply with work online, you’d be surprised how many adults don’t know much about computers. Keep trying, but have fun, you only live once! - R.Dehaney

As we are all aware there is power in social media, I will be using these networking sites, to promote this newspaper page, and #TEAMFLAIR which will not only advertise,

The next basic training in Prison work course begins in May 2018 at Birmingham City University. The course is already half full so booking early us crucial. The course is run by Prison Link which is Community organisation with charitable status that was created in 1985. We work with a variety of criminal justice agencies, deliver mentoring and workshops in prisons. An ideal course if you want to work in any area of the criminal justice system including supporting prison chaplains. Have a special prison project in mind? Probation or prison work? Do you know about the government’s agenda called TRANSFORMING REHABILITATION? If you are even thinking about any of the above then contact Ricky Dehaney CEO of Prison Link. We run one of the most successful prison courses in the UK.

VENUE: BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY

8 sessions in the classroom, 1 session in the prison and one session in the police station. Cost; £120 which can be paid in instalments...

(£100 for unemployed people and students ) From the first session where we look at social characteristics of prisoners to session 9 where we give you a next step form so you tell us how we can help you to realise your goal in the CJ system, you will enjoy the the variety of guest speakers which include prison governors, probation officers, police, lawyers and ex offenders etc Call or text Ricky on 07949203280 or whatsapp to book

a place with £30 deposit.

THIS IS AN AWARD WINNING COURSE

The very least outcome you will get from the course is work experience. Many go on to get get jobs or use the experience to enhance and reinforce the work their doing already. Go to our website at www.prisonlink.info Call Ricky before places run out 07949203280

Romans 3:23-24 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

but will promote what to look forward to in the newspaper. I’m not only hoping to create just another column, but a movement, for young people of all races.

To Advertise on my page, or to send me news, information and more, contact me at rhea.dehaney@thephoenixnewspaper.com

@PhoenixNewsUK

The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 29

SPOTLIGHT FEATURE

K.G. MILES OPTICIANS DESCENDS ON

s is the case every mid-March, this year’s Cheltenham Festival meeting brought out the very biggest and best of British and Irish-trained horses to an extent which is relatively rare during the rest of the season. As arguably the grandest National Hunt race meeting on the calendar in the United Kingdom, this year, as is the case every year, it was also the greatest of opportunities for ‘horse buffs,’ fashionistas and racing ‘virgins’ to rub shoulders together – some, just to be seen. Highlighting the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Stayers' Hurdle, one particular group who made

l Peter Waite (left) and his Cheltenham group

their way to that glorious corner of Gloucestershire included the hardy group, led by Peter Waite and his band, who soaked up the very best that the Festival had to offer – the pinnacle being the much celebrated Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Hugely experienced and respected optician, of great repute, Waite owner of renowned K.G. Miles, in Handsworth and P.E. Waites, in Highgate, (both Birmingham), this never-to-be-forgotten experience was one that, for him and his friends, will never be forgotten.

thephoenixnewspaper.com

Page 30 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

OBITUARIES

ENTERTAINMENT

Stephen Hawking CH CBE FRS FRSA

A Sir Ken Dodd ‘King of the Diddy Men,’ who was famous for his ‘tickling stick,’ the veteran funnyman was held in high regard in the U.K. for his family-friendly jokes and Vaudeville-like routine, which entertained the public for decades. From the Liverpool suburb of Knotty Ash, he began performing in the 1950s in the style and delivery reminiscent of the classic entertainers of yesteryear and was knighted in 2017 in honour of his decades in showbiz and charity work. In hospital for some time, he died aged 90.

rguably the most celebrated scientist since Einstein, he discovered the phenomenon which became known as Hawking radiation, where black holes leak energy and fade to nothing. A trailblazer in the world of astrophysics, he was also renowned for his extraordinary capacity to visualise scientific solutions without calculation or experiment. Born in Oxford, in 1942, he gained a first-class degree in physics from Oxford, before going on to Cambridge for postgraduate research in cosmology. Whilst there he was diagnosed with a form of motor neurone disease which was to leave him almost completely paralysed – in 1964 his doctors gave him no more than two or three years of life. In 1988 - although Hawking was by now only able to speak with a voice synthesiser following a tracheotomy - he completed ‘A Brief History of Time’ - a layman's guide to cosmology.

He received honorary degrees, medals, prizes and awards throughout his career and a CBE in 1982. He reportedly turned down a knighthood, in the 1990s, apparently over issues with the then government's funding for science. A man of great humour, he enjoyed the BBC comedy series Red Dwarf and also starred in Star Trek: The Next Generation as a hologram of his image. He continued his work as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, and in 2001, his second book - Universe in a Nutshell - was published. In 2007, he became the first quadriplegic to experience weightlessness on board the so-called "vomit comet", a modified plane specially designed to simulate zero gravity. A frequent visitor to the emergency department of Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, twice married - he passed away in his sleep leaving his three children, Lucy, Robert and Tim He was 76.

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Trevor Baylis

Seo Minwoo

ccording to a statement released by his record label Top Media, the 100% boy band member went into cardiac arrest at his Seoul, Korea, home. Paramedics were reportedly dispatched but found the singer dead. "His family, the 100% members, and the Top Media artists and staff members were all grief-stricken and in mourning from the unexpected, sad news," a Top Media statement said. The company also asked fans to remember Minwoo as someone who "always laughs brightly." He was 33-years-old.

One of Britain's most well-loved inventors, he created the clockwork radio - designed to save lives in the developing world. He invented the ingenious wind-up radio after watching a documentary about the African AIDS crisis in the early 1990s – to allow people to listen to public health information broadcasts. A factory was built in South Africa to produce the radios. However, he saw little in profit after other manufacturers took the idea and got around his patent by adding a rechargeable battery that was powered by hand crank. He had over 250 inventions to his name, including an electricity-generating shoes powered by piezo-electronic soles, and numerous devices for the disabled community. Dying after battling Crohn's disease, he was 80.

Sir Roger Bannister The Zampaladus

Theory

David Ogden Stiers

he first man to run a mile in under four minutes, his time of three minutes 59.4 seconds, set at Iffley Road sports ground in Oxford in 1954, stood as a record for just 46 days but his place in athletics history was assured. He also won gold over the same distance at the 1954 Commonwealth Games before becoming a world-leading neurologist. Using his medical knowledge to devise his own training regime and also investigate the mechanical aspects of running, he turned his sights to becoming the first person to run inside four minutes for the mile after running in the Helsinki Olympics, in 1952. He was first diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2011, dying aged 88.

Davide Astori

he Fiorentina captain and Italy international was scheduled to play Udinese in Serie A but the game, and all other Serie A fixtures, was called off after he was found dead in his sleep Astori, capped 14 times by Italy, joined Fiorentina in 2016 from Cagliari and had made 58 appearances for them. Previously he came through the youth system at AC Milan before joining Cagliari in 2008 - spending eight years at the club, though; he had loan spells at Roma and Fiorentina before moving permanently to the latter two years ago. He was 31.

est known for his role as the arrogant Army surgeon Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on US Korean Warbased medical sit-com ‘M*A*S*H,’ he was twice Emmy-nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy. Much in demand for narrations and voiceovers, he was Cogsworth the clock in Disney’s hit animated film ‘Beauty and the Beast - sharing a Grammy win for best recording for children and another nomination for album of the year. Working repeatedly for director Woody Allen, he appeared in ‘Shadows and Fog,’ ‘Mighty Aphrodite,’ ‘Everybody Says I Love You’ and ‘Curse of the Jade Scorpion.’ He also appeared on ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ and ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation,’ amongst many others. He was 75.

RIP Ensa Cosby

he 44-year-old daughter of actor/ comedian/educator, Bill, was reportedly just weeks away from receiving a kidney and a much-needed transplant, before dying from kidney disease in hospital. The Cosby family suffered another tragic loss of a child in 1997 when 27-year-old Ennis, a graduate student at Columbia University, was shot to death while changing a flat tire near a freeway in Los Angeles. The family reportedly buried Ensa next to her brother on the family estate in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts.

@PhoenixNewsUK

The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 31

ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE LAUNCH

Notice Board

Big Su , p o h S e l Litt

rprise!

If you’ve got an event, notice or information that you’d like to advertise on our community notice board, get in touch with us on:

0121 339 5885

London Coffee Festival

n more caffeinated London’s about to get eve t hits town. than ever as this bean fes e art workshops and Highlights include live latt You’ll be buzzing. ty. an espresso martini par , Brick Lane ery ew Old Truman Br 18 20 13 ril Ap y Frida 18 20 15 ril Ap ay nd Su

Sonica

Glasgow’s bien nial sonic art fe stival Sonica is hitting Lond on for skull-shattering a two-day taster of experi Kings Place, mental art. Lond 20-21 April 20 on 18

l Professor Julian Lloyd Webber, Principal, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with HRH Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex KG GCVO

Royal seal of approval for Birmingham Conservatoire

l Professor Julian Lloyd Webber, Principal, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with HRH Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex KG GCVO t was a right Royal occasion as HRH Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex KG GCVO visited Birmingham City University’s brand new £57million Royal Birmingham Conservatoire to attend its Royal Opening Gala Concert. After overseeing a plaque unveiling ceremony prior to the performance, Prince Edward took his seat alongside specially invited guests, dignitaries and students to witness the Royal Conservatoire’s Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s (CBSO) Music Director, Mirga GražinytėTyla in the Conservatoire’s 500-seat Concert Hall.

The Conservatoire was granted a Royal title by Her Majesty The Queen in September 2017. Permission to use the title ‘Royal’ is granted by the Sovereign, acting on the advice of her Ministers. Following careful consideration, The Queen gave her personal approval to the name ‘Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’. Speaking ahead of the Royal Gala Opening Concert, HRH Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex KG GCVO, said: “This evening's celebration is not just about the United Kingdom’s first purpose-built music college for a generation, but also a prefix which recognises the fantastic contribution this institution has made to music education over

many years. “The past is merely the foundation for the next stage, when these unrivalled facilities will hopefully inspire students to greater achievements; which in turn will enhance Birmingham’s reputation as a vibrant centre in the world of music and can only lead to wider recognition and appreciation.” Along with pieces by Chopin (Piano Concerto No. 2) and Ravel (Suite No. 2 from ‘Daphnis and Chloe’) the Royal Gala Opening Concert featured the UK première of Cuirlionis’ ‘In the Forest’ with visuals, as well as the world première of Joe Cutler’s ‘Elsewhereness’. Head of Composition at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire since

2000, Dr Joe Cutler’s works have been performed in over 30 countries across six continents, and he has worked with the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra to name just three. The concert also featured a solo performance from pianist and current Conservatoire student, Andrey Ivanov from Russia whose skill, technique, passion and flair were evident as he expertly performed from memory. It was a stunning lineup of performances which allowed the Concert Hall to shine even brighter with the number of stars it had on stage. Here’s to many more breathtaking performances to come!

l Professor Philip Plowden Vice-Chancellor with Marcia McLaughlin, Editor In Chief of The Phoenix Newspaper

thephoenixnewspaper.com

Page 32 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

AZUZA STREET

Police Station to Become Muslim Community Centre

n organization in Birmingham has acquired a former police station to transform it into a new multi-purpose centre. The Great Barr Muslim Foundation (GBMF) have purchased the building, on Walsall Road, in Perry Barr, for £820,000 at an auction – more than half a million pounds above the registered guide price – although after completing the deal, planning permission was yet be granted as the council deem the proposal ‘unique’ due to its combination of uses. In establishing the first Muslim community centre in the area a spokesman for the centre said: “GBMF exists to provide the local community with an Islamic environment conductive to education, extra-curricular activities, and prayer facilities; catering for the full range of age groups in our community, to educate and improve awareness and create harmony and

cohesiveness in our community.” In their planning statement, GBMF highlighted their intention to “operate a day facility for local pensioners and retirees during daytime hours” with a “supplementary school facility” also in place outside of school hours. The proposal also states: “The applicant would provide a place of worship for a maximum of 231 people at any given time. The reality is that this level of attendance would only be reached during busy prayer times and during the holy period of Ramadan.” Councillor for Perry Barr, Morriam Jan, said: “The planning application is more ambitious than the original scheme that was publicised for a community centre. “The applicants are obviously entitled to seek appropriate uses for it – and they have sought to give assurances the building will not be used for large gatherings such as weddings.”

Young People Asking Church To Become More Welcoming

l The Pope meeting with the youth

oung people in the Catholic Church feel that they are struggling to be taken seriously enough, said delegates at a recent meeting in Rome. "We need a church that is welcoming and merciful, which appreciates its roots and patrimony and which loves everyone, even those who are not following the

he Match of the Day theme tune played out on the organ as the where he made his career-high point paid their tribute. Family and friends joined former FA Cup Final teammates as Coventry Cathedral held a special service to celebrate the life, times and career of former Coventry City Wembley hero, Cyrille Regis. The service was led by the Dean of Coventry, John Witcombe, and included tributes from Regis's former teammates, which include former West Browich Albion star, Brendon Batson and stars from the Sky Blues’ Cup win. The service was also a time to honour the former Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wycombe hero’s Christian faith, and numerous hymns and songs rang out, as thousands of people gathered outside to pay their respects. His former teammates sat among the congregation inside the Cathedral, in front of big screens which played footage of the big striker’s career highlights, along with photographs from his life, with the Very Reverend John Witcombe saying: "It's a fantastic place to come and celebrate his life and reflect together on how important God was in his life and how much he wanted to share that with other people." “He was an extraordinary man

perceived standards," said a final document of a pre-synod gathering organised by the Vatican. The document reflects the input of 305 young adults attending the meeting and some 15,000 young people who participated through Facebook groups online. It was to be presented to Pope Francis at the end of Palm Sunday Mass and be used in drafting the

working document for the Synod of Bishops on young people, faith and vocational discernment in October, said Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the synod. Young people said what they want most from the church is "attractive, coherent and authentic models," who will accompany them in their search for meaning and fulfilment. But, they warned, "we need rational and critical explanations to complex issues – simplistic answers do not suffice." They recognized that, like in society at large, they have different opinions on a variety of issues, including "contraception, abortion, homosexuality, cohabitation, marriage and how the priesthood is perceived in different realities in the church." Some, the document said, "may want the church to change her teaching" or, at least, they would like "access to a better explanation and to more formation on these questions." However, they said, even "young Catholics whose convictions are in conflict with official teaching still desire to be part of the church." In the document, the young adults asked the church to be more credible, more honest, more transparent and to continue to admit its failures and express sorrow for the way it has dealt with clerical sexual abuse and the misuse of wealth.

Coventry Cathedral Cyrille Celebration

l Cyrille Celebration who did so much on and off the field,” said the Very Reverend Witcombe. The Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry, added: “It is a great honour for the Cathedral to be able to mark Cyrille’s contribution to football in Coventry, the West Midlands and nationally, and to be able to celebrate the way he managed not only to influence so many individual lives but also helped to re-shape our culture’s attitude to race on and off the field.” Cyrille found happiness and contentment in his life after finding God in 1989. This coming to pass after his best friend and

former Albion team-mate Laurie Cunningham, died in a car crash. This tragedy had a devastating impact on Regis as just two years earlier, he and Laurie had both been in a car accident where they had both survived. As a born-again Christian he was a regular parishioner at the Renewal Christian Centre in Solihull, in the West Midlands, and was always passionate about sharing his story with others who may also be searching for answers. Capped five times by England, the 1987 FA Cup winner, who died of a heart attack, age 58, was also a Trustee of Christians in Sport.

@PhoenixNewsUK

The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 33

ST PATRICKS DAY PARADE

2018 St. Patrick’s Day Celebrates Iconic Women On Mother’s Day

ith some 90,000 people expected to line the streets, the annual noon confetti blast signalled the start of St Patrick’s Day 2018 Parade which saw an array of Celtic bag pipers, Irish dancers, Welsh and Chinese dragons, Caribbean Steel Pans and lots of happy, smiley faces ready for what was a fun filled festival celebrating the culture and diversity of Birmingham. This year’s vibrant fun-filled festival celebration calling on the city’s diverse communities to join them, as one, in celebrating mothers – on what was Mother’s Day - and iconic women.

Themed; ‘Celebrating Iconic Women of Birmingham and Ireland,’ festival organisers invited people to celebrate the most iconic women in their lives by spoiling their mums with a special message and well wishes that was displayed on banners and large media screens on the day, plus a competition to find Birmingham’s Best Mum, which saw one lucky mother winning a VIP package on parade day. Parade numbers were said to be down on previous years, but, that said, highlighting the greatness of iconic women in people’s lives made it another memorable St. Patrick’s Day for all to celebrate.

thephoenixnewspaper.com

Page 34 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Stem Cell Sonata

fter fighting the scourge of blood cancer at the age of 18, Beatrice Edwards has now launches ‘The Great Orchestra Adventure’, a campaign aiming to raise awareness, educate, encourage and inspire orchestras to sign up to the stem

cell register. Now 22, and a member of The Peoples Orchestra, she began her campaign by encouraging fellow orchestra members to join the stem cell register and to hold their next concert in support of her campaign, to raise awareness of Anthony Nolan and Delete Blood

cancer stem cell trusts. Two weeks before her 18th birthday, Beatrice was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, one of the most common cancers amongst 13-24 year olds. Despite this, she was faced with numerous grueling chemotherapies which went on to fail, which

l Teennage Cancer Survivor Beatrice Edwards in hospital (above) and performing with The People’s Orchestra (left)

is when she was told she would need a lifesaving bone marrow transplant. She says: “Someone is diagnosed with blood cancer every 20 minutes, and about 2000 people are in need of a lifesaving transplant every year - but only

30% have a matched donor in their family. This means that the other 70% rely on an unrelated hero to save their life. With three siblings, Beatrice was lucky enough to get a 100% match from her brother. “I couldn’t have imagined how I would have felt knowing I needed a transplant to survive, but not knowing if I even had match was very daunting for me.” Aiming to break the myth that being a bone marrow donor is a painful or ‘scary’ experience Beatrice created the campaign to encourage more people to join the register, in order for the other 70% without a match, to find one quicker. In educating people on how easy becoming a donor really is, she is spreading her story and campaign to as many people as possible and encouraging as many orchestras all over the UK to become partners of her campaign by either holding up a sign in their next rehearsal which reads “#savinglivesthroughmusic @goacampaign” and posting it to social media, or by holding a concert in support of the campaign!

Helping Young People and Children with Mental Health Issues Mental health problems affect about 1 in 10 children and young people; including depression, anxiety and conduct disorder, and are often a direct response to what is happening in their daily lives. Alarmingly, however, 70% of children and young people who experience a mental health problem have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age. Teenagers often experience emotional turmoil as their minds and bodies develop. An important part of growing up is working out and accepting who you are. Some young people find it hard to make this transition to adulthood and may experiment with alcohol, drugs or other substances that can affect mental health. For children, the emotional wellbeing is just as important as their physical health with good mental health allowing them, as with young people, to develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.

Talking Prostate Health

here is bad news and good news. The bad news is that everyman will have prostate enlargement if he lives long enough. The good news is that there are life style changes that can help the man after 40 to maintain optimum prostate health.

NUTRITION

Look at what you eat. 33% of all cancers, according to the US National Cancer Institute is related to what we eat. Red meat everyday triples your chances of prostate disease. Milk everyday doubles your risk. Not taking fruits / vegetables daily quadruples your risk. Tomatoes are very good for men. If that is the only thing your wife can present in the evening, eat it with joy. It has loads of lycopene. Lycopene is the most potent natural antioxidant. Foods that are rich in zinc are also good for men. We recommend pumpkin seeds (ugbogulu).

Zinc is about the most essential element for male sexuality and fertility. Men need more zinc than women. Every time a man ejaculates he loses 15mg of zinc. Zinc is also important for alcohol metabolism. Your liver needs zinc to metabolize alcohol.

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

As men begin to have urinary symptoms associated with prostate enlargement, it is important they look at alcohol consumption. More fluid in means more fluid out. Drink less. Drink slowly

EXERCISE

Exercise helps build the muscle tone. Every man should exercise. Men over 40 should avoid high impact exercise like jogging. It puts pressure on the knees. Cycling is bad news for the prostate. We recommend brisk walking.

SITTING

When we sit, two-third of our weight rests on the pelvic bones. Men who sit longer are more

prone to prostate symptoms. Do not sit for long hours. Walk around as often as you can. Sit on comfortable chairs. We recommend a divided saddle chair if you must sit long hours.

DRESSING

Men should avoid tight underwear. It impacts circulation around the groin and heats it up a bit. While the physiological temperature is 37 degrees, the groin has an optimal temperature of about 33 degrees. Pant is a no - no for men. Wear boxers. Wear breathable clothing.

SMOKING

Avoid smoking. It affects blood vessels and impact circulation around the groin.

SEX

Regular sex is good for the prostate. Celibates are more prone to prostate illness. While celibacy is a moral decision, it is not a biological adaptation. Your prostate gland is designed to empty its contents regularly.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 35

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Anti Obesity Programmes ‘Not Working' School programmes encouraging children to take more exercise and eat healthily are unlikely to have any real effect on childhood obesity, a study in the British Medical Journal suggests. Primary school pupils took part in a 12-month anti-obesity programme, but the study found no improvements in the children's diet or activity levels. Public health officials said they were working with industry to make food healthier. They also said a sugar reduction programme and the government's sugar tax would help to tackle childhood obesity. The researchers, from the University of Birmingham, said families, communities and the food industry probably had more of an influence than school initiatives. In the UK, one in four children starts school overweight and one in 10 is obese. By the end of primary school, the percentage of obese children has doubled to one in five. The programme introduced in schools in the study included: • a daily opportunity to do 30 minutes of additional exercise • a six-week healthy eating and exercise programme in conjunction with Aston Villa Football Club • healthy cooking workshops once a term for families • highlighting of local family physical activities The researchers set up the healthy lifestyle programme for six and seven-year-olds in primary schools and then compared the results with more than 700 children in primary schools who did not take part. When the researchers followed up the children 15 months and 30 months after it started, they found no statistically significant reductions in BMI (body mass index)and no improvements in energy expenditure, body fat measurements or activity levels compared with those not taking part.

ocus F on Social Care

The Wonders of the Third Sector

l Deputy Manager of Governance at the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, Alison Binns with Cllr Waseem Zaffar at the launch

Purple Point System Enhancing First Class NHS Service

andwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust have launched a new Purple Point complaints system to ensure that inpatients and their loved ones have many ways to speak to someone who can help them resolve concerns and issues whilst they are still in the care of the NHS, so that they can make a difference at the time, rather than when patients and loved ones have gone home. At a short media briefing to announce its launch, Councillor Waseem Zaffar, who represents the Lozells and East Handsworth ward, in Birmingham, led the launch and, along with the Deputy Manager of Governance at the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, Alison Binns, highlighted its purpose and advantages in easing the many

worries that ensues when it comes to hospitals. “The aim of the Purple Point telephone system is focused on inpatients,” Cllr. Waseem said. “Too often patients and their loved ones are not getting the immediate response they are looking for when they are in hospital. Whilst they are looking for answers there-and-then, certain situations tend not to be resolved until later – when the patients and their loved ones are at home – with no medical assistance on-hand. With this unique Purple Pont system you can go straight to a relevant medic who can give you the answers you are looking for there and then.” You can even be contacted to ensure that you are happy with the outcome. Alternatively you can call if you want to compliment individual staff, teams or services.”

When using the Purple Point phone, you can choose any of the preferred language by dialling the corresponding number for (at this initial stage): English, Punjabi, Polish, Urdu, Bengali and Romanian. “The important thing is that we know that you know things being done straight away,” Alison said. “It’s about enhancing the patient’s experience and giving them, along with their loved ones, the opportunity to say ‘thank you’ for the services we provide.” “And I would add that patients would, in no way, be compromised,” Trustee Cllr. Zaffar made clear. Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust is the first in the UKn to launch the Purple Point telephone system, with other NHS Trusts to follow soon.

Upsetting the Apple Cart to Give Fizz a Good Name

n a move that may shock some in the industry, British soft drink makers Cawston Press are tackling the Government’s impending sugar levy head on to restore a good name for fizzy drinks. Bucking the common industry reformulation methods, they will use only pressed fruit juice to sweeten their sparkling drinks, despite fruit prices skyrocketing by more than 60%, due to late frosts and a poor harvest. “In some cases we are upping the fruit juice content by up to 4 times per recipe,” said Cawston Press MD, Steve Kearns. “For a small company like ours, that’s an enormous investment. We know from our 30 years’

experience in pressing fruit that nature does it best and it’s a small price to pay to know we’re bringing the best quality, best tasting drinks to the market. “We believe in what we are doing and are excited to be paving the way for the future of soft drinks.” Cawston Press was started because we were frustrated by the lack of good quality soft drinks made from simple, natural ingredients, without the preservatives and artificial nonsense that give fizzy drinks a bad name,” he continued. “We believe people deserve better and that hasn’t changed. Artificial sweeteners just aren’t us and mask the taste of our delicious ingredients.

It seems a shame that despite many sectors in food and drink moving forward, for the most part soft drinks are still stuck in a time warp. We are proud to be doing things differently and showing the rest of the industry how it should be done.”

Launching in April, the new range will consist of sparkling Rhubarb, Cloudy Apple, Elderflower Lemonade and Ginger Beer and will be the only brand in the UK market to sweeten their ginger beer using only pressed juice.

his month I would like to discuss the wonderful and useful work being done by third sector organisations. We have a thriving third sector who are very creative in the type of services and support they provide to some of our most vulnerable citizens. I know there are lots of services out there, but I am going to mention two specific projects which I visited in March. Without the voluntary sector and the work they do to keep people living independently in the community setting, the NHS and social services would struggle even more than they are struggling at the moment. During this month I went to a wonderful organisation called the Freedom Project. The reason I mention this organisation is because they use education, and do not shy away from talking about the realities of domestic abuse in relationships. The organisation uses a range of structured programmes to assist victims to build confidence and selfesteem, looking at ways to develop positive life style coping strategies. Again I know that Birmingham does have many organisations who offer services in the city. I have mentioned in a previous article the development of the City’s multi-agency Domestic Abuse Prevention Strategy. I presented the Strategy to the Birmingham’s Full Council on 13th March 2018, it was the first time I had ever seen complete unity in the Council Chamber. For information, you can always catch up on key meetings of the Council via the City Council’s website as many key meetings are livestreamed. I have been a councillor for 14 years, and this has been one of the very few times that I have seen all City Councillors come together behind the domestic abuse prevention strategy. Many members gave some personal moving stories about their experiences of Domestic

l Cllr Paulette Hamilton Abuse situations. I believe the stance taken by Birmingham and all its partners to have a zero tolerance approach to Domestic abuse is the right one for our city. For this to stand a chance of working, we must also take a proactive stance to focus not just on supporting victims but on prevention; through education to make a sustained difference. Domestic Abuse must becomes everyone’s business and not something to be kept quiet – which reminds of the at the time ground breaking book by Erin Pizzey in 1971 – ‘Scream Quietly Or The Neighbours Will Hear’ 1970’s documenting the experiences of battered women. With public services shrinking we need new ways of keeping our communities safe. The other project I want to mention was my visit to Sense at Touchbase Pears, which provides a specialist service to children and young people with multi-sensory impairments. I was truly blown away by the wonderful facilities offered to people with multi-sensory impairment. I thought the vision was perfect “Though we may all connect differently, we are all connected. At Sense, we believe that everyone, no matter how complex their communication needs, deserves the right to be connected and part of society.” A perfect way to sum up my vision for adult social care which is ensuring we are a truly inclusive and connected City, where all our citizens are enabled to remain independent, in-control and healthy for as long as possible.

Page 36 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

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INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY

Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves!

l Shabnum Shah

l Najma Hafeez

l Kiran Johal

l Robina Iqbal

l Rizwana Siddiqi

l Speakers and attendees at iGlobal UK’s International Womens Day High Tea celebrations

mpower, Engage, and Educate. These were the key ‘E’s’ at iGlobal UK’s International Womens Day High Tea celebrations held at Highfield Hall on the 8th March 2018. Organised by iGlobal’s Shabnum Shah, the event had a powerful line up of inspirational speakers, each sharing their own personal stories of how they got to where they are today. Crucial discussions were had about issues affecting women, including gender equality, body image, mental health, education and poverty, alongside a delicious high tea. The Phoenix Newspaper’s Editor In Chief, Marcia McLaughlin was one of those inspirational speakers in attendance, as she told the group of her own struggles in bringing The Phoenix Newspaper from a concept to reality. The room was filled with encouragement, love and empowerment from a range of speakers, including Najma Hafeez, Angela Preston, Robina Iqbal, Rizwana Siddiqi and Kiran Johal. From battles with self image, self worth, discrimination and overcoming knockback after knockback, the event really did bring together an impressive group of speakers. Started by the Suffragettes in the early 1900's, the first International Women's Day was celebrated in 1911. International Women's Day belongs to all communities everywhere - governments, companies, charities, educational institutions, networks, associations, the media and more. Whether through a global conference, community gathering, classroom lesson or dinner table conversation - everyone can play a purposeful part in pressing for gender parity. The IWD campaign theme provides a unified direction to guide and galvanize collective action. The campaign theme does not end on International Women's Day. It's just the start. Throughout the year many groups worldwide adopt the IWD campaign theme for further campaign work, gender-focused initiatives, continuing activity and events.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 37

PROPERTY AND REAL ESTATE

Luxury Property Show Already Causing a Stir May Forcing Councils to Build More Homes

Theresa May is forcing councils to build hundreds of thousands more homes a year in the most radical housing shakeup in 50 years. The Prime Minister will target inner-city sites, stop big developers sitting on empty land and allow more prefabs to solve the homes crisis as she aims to unblock the development logjam with a blueprint containing two particularly controversial elements. The first will relax long-standing height restrictions based on light, allowing home owners and developers to extend or build houses as high as the existing tallest property on their block without special planning permission. The second will see local authorities told the green belt is no longer sacrosanct for development. They will be encouraged to start building on it once brownfield sites have been filled. But No10 had to brace itself for a bitter revolt among Tory shire backbenchers over the moves in the long-expected Housing white paper which was drawn up by Communities Secretary Sajid Javid and Downing Street aides. A key part of the plan is to demand councils in high pressure areas come up with far more ambitious building targets. Aides say she sees it as the most radical planning shake-up since ex-Tory PM Harold Macmillan’s house building blitz in the 1960s.

ow a rapidly growing market, the Luxury Property Show will have some 50 exhibitors from around the world to present investment opportunities ranging from Mediterranean villas to beachside apartments in Thailand via alpine retreats in Northern Europe to luxury lofts in New York. To be held at the London Olympia, in the UK, exhibitors and sponsors list is long and distinguished, with the likes of St. James Place Wealth Management, Remax, Almanzora, Baker Woods, Mansion Global, Yamaha Music, Corcoran Group, Prime Properties, the International Property Awards and many more already expected to be present. The two-day event will highlight fabulous properties on sale; including - Beachfront homes in Dubai and The Caribbean to Asian

penthouses, Prestige golf villas in Portugal, Spain and Florida to French Chateaux, Luxury apartments in New York, London, Moscow and MonacoEuropean mountain & lake retreats to Australian Waterfront Homes. One exhibiter, Annette Reeve, of Mayfair International Property, said: “We’ve been here every single year and it does exactly what we want; it brings our clients terrific exposure for their properties.” Alessandra Merola, of The Good Estate Agency Overseas concurred: “We have made a lot of good business contacts and I recommend joining the show next year. I know we’ll be back for sure.” The Luxury Property Show 2018 will be held from November 1 to 2.

Institute says UK Housing Market subdued in Early 2018

he number of sales, new buyers, and properties coming onto the market has fallen, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said. New buyer inquiries fell for a 10th successive month and the number of properties coming on to estate agents’ books slipped back to the record-low levels seen around the middle of 2017, signalling there will be no imminent pick-up in activity. Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at the Rics, said: “The latest Rics results point to housing transactions remaining pretty subdued over the coming months

despite some more positive comments from contributors to the survey. Lack of inventory on agents’ books continues to provide a major challenge with the number of valuations being undertaken not suggestive of a pick-up in new supply anytime soon.” House prices edged upwards at a national level according to the survey, but sellers of top-end homes in particular were struggling to achieve asking prices, the Rics said. Of the estate agents surveyed, 67% said the sales price achieved on homes priced at £1m or more had come in below asking price.

The figure dropped to 56% of agents for properties listed between £500,000 and £1m. The biggest price falls continued to be in London, but they also dropped in the south-east, East Anglia and the north-east. On the flip side, the north-west of England, Northern Ireland and Wales posted the strongest price growth compared to the rest of the UK. “Divergent regional trends remain very much to the fore with the market in many parts of the country still actually behaving in a solid if unspectacular way despite the downbeat headlines,” Rubinsohn said.

Councils Could Save £Millions by using NLPG Councils could save up to £54.4m a year if they consolidated their property data using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) – a standardised database of property information supplied by local government. The potential benefit from the NLPG was calculated by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) following a survey of 30 councils. The CEBR estimate assumes that the NLPG data is used to improve all council services and that the councils stop using any other sources of address data. The study did not estimate the potential benefits to users of council services if councils used NLPG as their sole source of data. Some councils have already standardised their address data using the NLPG. Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council has consolidated more than 100 sets of property data into just one set that it has made available through its intranet to 10,000 employees.

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Page 38 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: UNIWA

l UNIWA Leadership team with His Excellency Ambassador George Adesola Oguntade, CFE, CON,

Connecting Communities

t was a joyful day, despite the inclement weather on Saturday 17th March as Ambassador George Adesola Oguntade, CFE, CON, High Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the United Kingdom and his wife Modupeola Adewemimo arrived in Birmingham to join the United Nigeria Welfare Association at its Annual Stakeholders Dinner Meeting. UNIWA is the Umbrella body for Nigerian Associations in the West Midlands, and membership is open to all Nigerians living in Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country, and they also welcomed the Minister and Head of Section for Consular Education and Welfare, Mr Emmanuel Namah

The Editor In Chief of The Phoenix Newspaper was on hand to personally welcome the High Commissioner to Birmingham, and to present him with copies of The Phoenix Newspaper, Phoenix Nigeria and Peepoo, showcasing the newspaper’s 7th Anniversary Gala Dinner and Awards which he was unfortunately unable to attend. In his welcoming speech, UNIWA President Dr Toye Ajeigbe spoke of the discord within the Nigerian community. Where there should be one mass of people showing solidarity and working together instead there are splintered groups of Yoruba, Igbo, and others, taking what they need for themselves and not looking to better the Nigerian Diaspora as a whole.

He urged the gathered businesspeople, doctors, religious leaders and community leaders to see past their differences and work together to create a better future for Nigerians in the UK. It was also announced that UNIWA will be the main body for the region for all Nigerians to go through to reach the High Commission. His Excellency spoke to the group about his tenure in office so far, including his intention at a local level to increase biometric data collection to get a full and proper count of the Nigerian Diaspora in the UK. “I am worried over the absence of accurate statistics about the Nigerian Community in the UK.” He was also proud to announce that he is in the process of revamp-

ing the Nigerian High Commission website “to ensure that it is up to date and user friendly” while also looking to utilise social media platforms to ensure faster and easier engagement with Nigerians across the UK. The High Commissioner was met with rapturous applause as he announced that for the first time, Nigerian passports will be valid for 10 years, up from 5 years currently. As the High Commissioner had only celebrated his 78th Birthday the week before, UNIWA presented him with a delicious birthday cake as the group celebrated with him.

l The High Commissioner is greeted upon his arrival l Marcia McLaughlin presenting the High Commissioner with copies of The Phoenix publications

l Marcia McLaughlin presenting the High Commissioner with copies of The Phoenix publications

l Marcia McLaughlin and UNIWA President Dr Toye Ajeigbe

l Cutting the birthday cake

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The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 39

OVERSEAS NEWS

l Cllr Aminu (second left) with the His Excellency Ambassador George Adesola Oguntade, CFE, CON at the launch of his book

l His Excellency Ambassador George Adesola Oguntade, CFE, CON with Cllr Aminu

Cllr Aminu highlights the Nigerian-British politicians in new book

he argument about the contribution of parliamentary democracy is intriguingly convin-

cing. The winning accentuation of the parliamentary vote-based system in the United Kingdom is both profoundly situated and dynamic. Undoubtedly one reason the parliamentary democracy is very regarded the world over. The articulation of multiculturalism and assorted human variety in politics are crucial to its twist, and the reason for the British natives of Nigerians plunge in getting into elective workplaces. Notably, the number of British citizens of Nigerian descent getting into elective offices has

grown over the years. These range from municipal Councils, to Members of Parliaments (MPs) and Greater London Assembly (GLA) individuals. The distinctive ways to deal with integration underscored by the parliamentary majority rule government and the urgent requirement for emphatically determined vote-based investment set this in the worldwide spotlight. Considering this exceptional circumstance, Adedamola Aminu's Nigerian-British Politicians in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland: A Book of Profiles has been published at a vital time. The book gives a strengthening range of thoughts featuring the commendable commitments of

those recorded, particularly at the grassroots level. It exhibits the Nigerian-British commitment to administration inside the political arrangement of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The thoughts featured inside the profiles emphasising that British of Nigerian descent are to be sure extraordinary achievers. Having made progress in their chosen professions, they are getting engaged with legislative issues to impact their community decidedly. The book introduces a spearheading agenda to underscore the commitments of both rested and serving government officials, utilising the unquestionable hotspots

for data that could be acquired thinking about the limitations of time and assets. The ideas in this spearheading documentation are model. The presentation is the thing; that displays can and ought to be compact, precise, meaningful, engaging, unique and worldwide in scope. It is a commitment to universal legislative issues and makes first perusing for anybody, from understudies to the general reader. The book addresses an invigorating counteractant to the tangles that may arise in governance. The book gives bibliophiles superior care and documentation of how the British-Nigeriansgovernment officials landed at where they

were. It is cognisance of what parliamentary majority rules system should offer an aspiring personality even as respects to the safeguarding of history. It gives political researchers the correct data to engage with the accentuation of the prosperity of the citizenry. The book has succeeded so to say, concerning everything that associates with the people profiled and the interface with the blessings of successors. The book gives the perusers and yearning lawmakers an extensive record of what to anticipate within the group implied - the Nigerian-British people. It is distinctive as a guide, sup-

porting perusers to discover documentation of praiseworthy accomplishments of the individual MPs, GLA individuals, and Councillors. It gives tips and learning references on how better to present to the world another positive side of the Nigerian-British. Moreover, it complements on various tips to setting up an induction, care act, and concocting that may exist inside the political benefits of advancing multiculturalism and diversity. By and large, it is a model book. Leading Management Publishing has published a book to be prescribed for giving winning thoughts in profiles and clearing discussion of the commitments of Nigerian-British. The book is all around educated, exquisitely made and an exciting publication to peruse. The book will address perusers who search for a compact, yet quick portrayal of people who have so separated themselves by striving to incorporate into the body politic of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, taking care of human issues with governance framework and structure. Simply exemplary! Emmanuel Ojo Ademola Professor of Information Technology Management Photographs courtesy Jermaine@diasporapr.com

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Page 40 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

HOLIDAY AND TRAVEL

Jamaica’s Best Kept Secret O

ne of Jamaica’s best kept secret, located at the edge of the Caribbean Sea, in a cove along the magnificent Runaway Bay on Jamaica’s World famous north coast, Pipers Cove Resort features an outdoor pool and terrace. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available. This unique property is family owned and operated, and provides the perfect destination for your vacation. The air-conditioned rooms at the Pipers Cove feature a private balcony, a dining and seating area.

The kitchens have refrigerator, stove and cooking utensils. Activities in the surrounding of the property include snorkeling, scuba diving and water skiing. Runaway Bay Golf Course is 1.6 miles from the resort. The Seven Oaks Sanctuary for Wildlife can be reached within 5 minutes’ drive. Dunns River Falls can be reached within 20 minutes by car, while Ocho Rios is 30 minutes by car from the Pipers Cove. This property also has one of the best-rated locations in Runaway Bay! Guests are happier about it compared to other properties in the

Now Fly Direct From UK To Australia

area. Couples particularly like the location — rating it very highly for a two-person trip. This property is also rated for the best value in Runaway Bay, with guests getting more for their money when compared to other properties in this city. It is approximately 60 minutes from Montego Bay, 25 minutes from Ocho Rios and Dunn’s River Falls and close to many other attractions. There they speak your language!

History was in the air as Qantas Flight QF9 became the first scheduled non-stop flight between Australia and the UK, as it took-off from Perth, before touching down in London's Heathrow Airport completing its 14,498km (9,009mile) in just over 17 hours. Called a "game-changing route," by Qantas’ Chief Executive, Alan Joyce, the historic flight, on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, carrying more than 200 passengers and 16-crew, which had the flight's captain, Lisa Norman, saying: "We have been working towards this for the past three years and it’s very exciting. When I joined Qantas not in my wildest imagination would I have thought this possible.” Speaking at an event ahead of the inaugural flight, Joyce said the earliest Qantas flights between Australia and the UK - known as the "kangaroo route" - had taken four days and involved seven stops.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 41

OVERSEAS SPOTLIGHT: MY WEDDING DAY

l Father of the Bridge, Aliko Dangote with Fatima Dangote and husband Jamil Abubakar with Bill Gates

l Fatima Dangote and husband Jamil Abubakar

Africa’s ‘Wedding of the Year’ The Dangote Family Way

lready in place as ‘THE’ wedding of the year, in Africa, a stunningly beautiful Fatima Dangote was the ‘Belle of the Ball’ as she tied the knot with new husband, Jamil Abubakar, in a star-studded, lavish ceremony, in Kano, Nigeria. With a guest-list which read like a who’s-who of African – and the wider world’s – greatest (each one receiving a their own top-end

Rolex watch in their personal gift bag) and most powerful, this was a wedding, though formal in stature, would go down as one of the most memorable occasions in the country’s history as it was the perfect opportunity for all to ‘let their hair down’ and just be part of what the three-day extravaganza for all to be part of. Its worldwide appeal highlighted with the presence of Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Bukola

Saraki, His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ile-Ife, Senator for Osun West, Ademola Adeleke, as well as Microsoft magnate, Bill Gates, many state governors and members of the National Assembly and many more who witnessed the bestowal of billionaire Aliko Dangote’s daughter, Fatima, to pilot, Jamil, who is the son of former Inspector General of Police, Retired I.G Abubakar. In a bright, exciting and fulfilling atmosphere - which generated

l Cutting the cake

l The happy couple with Aisha Buhari

l High Profile guests included Olusegun Obasanjo Former President of Nigeria

throughout the whole of Kano - it was Senator Adeleke who made his own headlines as he took to the dance floor, to lead a merry dance, the likes of which was a sight to behold – truly outstanding! So, as Nigeria, neh, the world celebrated the nuptials of Fatima and Jamil, we salute you, Senator Adeleke, for show your entertaining, uniquely creative dance-side – PRICELESS!!!

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Page 42 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

ADOPTION AND FOSTERING

ith a national shortage of Foster carers across the UK, there are more children than ever who need a caring and loving environment, which every child has the right to experience. Whether a crisis in the family, illness or relationship difficulties could be some of the reasons why a child is placed in care.

F Adoption & Fostering Our ongoing campaign to help the children in need in our communities

l Shakeel Ahmed and Zahida Bibi

Call for more Asian Support for Vulnerable Children

randparents Shakeel Ahmed and Zahida Bibi are encouraging and empowering other Asian parents to help transform a young child’s life. The Birmingham couple provided short-break foster care to a child before becoming her fulltime carers. The little girl at first rarely wanted to leave the house now takes on various activities with her favourites including trips to the park and parties with her friends. The couple hope to encourage even more families to open their homes and their hearts to vulnerable children and young people. Shakeel and Zahida were introduced to the concept of shortbreak foster care when two of their own children were born with life-limiting conditions and the family needed some additional support. The children sadly passed away but the couple were inspired by the help they received and decided to become carers themselves and

joined the Barnardo’s West Midlands Fostering & Short Breaks Service. In 2011 they were matched with the young girl with a life-limiting condition and profound disabilities which confined her to a wheelchair – providing her with respite care once a month, for four nights, taking responsibility for all aspects of her care. The placement was such a success that they were invited to become her full-time foster carers a year later, in 2012, and have been looking after her ever since. Shakeel said: “Our own children had grown up and we enjoyed looking after Aaliyah, so we were happy to welcome her into our home. We’ve taken her to the cinema, circus, hotels and even Disneyland Paris, but she really likes going to the park. She enjoys the fresh air and seeing the ducks.” “She can’t speak but she giggles and laughs,” Zahida added. “And seeing her smile makes our day.”

ive new Regional Adoption Agencies have been granted £3.4 million as part of the government’s ambition to create a world-leading adoption system with faster matching, so children are placed in loving, stable homes more quickly. The additional funding will go to 17 councils to speed up the matching process between children awaiting adoption and adoptive families, as well as improving adopter recruitment and reducing costs. Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “We want every child to be in the loving, stable home that’s right for them, and adoption can transform the lives of these vulnerable children - and their adoptive families - in a remarkable way. By coming together and joining forces through the work of Regional Adoption Agencies, councils can use the network to match children with the right families much more quickly.” Regional Adoption Agencies were created to replace the previous system of council adoption, to bring together groups of local councils to work together on adoption. The regional agencies help widen the pool of potential adoptive families and help match children awaiting adoption with the most suitable family as quickly as possible. This model also provides more support for adoptive families going through the process and for those considering adoption, as well as helping to improve the

There are already so many fantastic individuals who foster and adopt children into their families- but we need more! At the Phoenix, all of our team are committed to raising awareness of fostering and adoption through our campaign not just for the month of May, but for an entire 12 months!

We will be highlighting the inspiring work of current carers, the extensive support and training that is available and the difference that you could be making in a young persons’ life. If you feel that you can offer this, or even if you would like to find out a little bit more – don’t hesitate! It could make the greatest difference to a child’s life.

Funding Boost to Improve Speed and Quality of UK Adoption Services

quality of services locally. Regional Adoption Agencies were introduced with a commitment for all councils to join one by 2020. To date, 141 councils have joined a live or developing

regional agency. Andrew Christie, Chair of the Adoption Leadership Board, said: “Regional Adoption Agencies will be the platform on which a modernised adoption service is

built; providing better support to adopters and transforming the life chances of many of the most vulnerable children. Funding five more RAA projects is a major step towards this goal.”

Government is Failing Foster Children - MP’s

Ps are saying that children in care who are switching between several foster parents are being failed by the Government. A Commons committee is demanding a review of the care system after hearing from over 100 foster carers and children cared for by the state. The Education Select Committee says that a national college for foster carers to bolster capacity, better advocacy services and placing children with their siblings should be key priorities. However, the UK’s leading fostering charity, The Fostering Network, says only one in 10 foster carers receives the equivalent of the National Living Wage for a 40-hour week and more pay is vital to boost carer numbers.

During the committee’s inquiry into the care system - which was sparked because of poor educational and mental health outcomes for looked after children - one young person said they had been through eight placements in four years. Others told of a struggle to stay in meaningful contact with siblings and family members. Committee chair, Tory MP Robert Halfon, said: “The foster care system is under significant pressure and yet this is an area of arguably greatest need. Foster children are some of the most vulnerable young people in our society but many are currently being failed by a care system which doesn’t meet their needs. Foster children shouldn’t face the prospect of numerous

l Tory MP Robert Halfon placements nor should they be excluded from decisions about their future. Efforts need to be redoubled to place children with their siblings. The Government also needs to do more to recognise the valuable service which foster carers provide. We should do more to stop the breakdown of the relationship between foster parents and children whilst also boosting the number of available foster carers overall with a national college - a welcome step in this direction.” Kevin Williams, chief execut-

ive of The Fostering Network, said offering better pay for foster carers is vital. He said: “We are pleased that the committee has included many of The Fostering Network’s recommendations, including the need for all foster carers to be given an allowance that fully covers costs, a push for more funding to make staying put work, access to whistleblowing legislation and a recognition of foster carers as child care experts who must be treated as equal members of the team.”

@PhoenixNewsUK

The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018 - Page 43

SPORT - WITH STEVE WILLIAMS

India Beat Pakistan in Team Snooker World Cup Final

l Zion Aserie

Zion, 11, Already a British Champion A number of British Champions were crowned at the 2018 Gymnastics British Championships, with plenty of impressive performances across the women’s Espoir (12/13 years), men’s under-12 and under-18 competitions. In the men’s under-12 allaround competition, at Echo Arena in Liverpool, Zion Aserie who trains with City of Birmingham won Gold with an amazing score of 71.650. The 11- year-old was almost speechless after his win; “It felt really amazing really,” he recalled. “It’s the first competition I’ve ever won so I’m just really excited about it. All of my hard work is paying off. I was so nervous because it’s the biggest place I’ve ever competed in. I got a taste of what it would be like competing in a Commonwealth or Olympic Games.” It’s been a tough few months for Zion who missed some major competitions throughout 2017 after breaking his wrist. An elite athlete since the age of 8, his performance at the 2018 British Championships demonstrated his determination to overcome his recent challenges. A member of the Great Britain development squad, training 6 days a week, he attends monthly training sessions at the prestigious Lilleshall training facility in Shropshire. Due to his injury he almost missed out on a place in the squad. But his successful performance at a selection trial saw him secure his place for the third year running. Chivenor Primary School pupil, Zion, from Castle Vale, returned to the Echo Arena, in March, to compete in the apparatus finals. His winning performance in the all around competition saw him comfortably qualify for all 6 apparatus finals. In the top set for all of his subjects, he will be attending John Willmott School, in Sutton Coldfield, in September.

Netball a New Addition at School Games 2018

l Pankaj Advani and Manan Chandra ndian pair Pankaj Advani and Manan Chandra staged a remarkable recovery to beat the Pakistani pair of Babar Masih and Muhammad Asif in the final of the inaugural IBSF Snooker Team World Cup. After being 0-2 down in the best-of-five final, in Doha, in Qatar, India found themselves in a deeper hole at 0-30 down in the third frame. The Indians made a shaky start in the final with Masih scoring a convincing 73-24 win over Chandra in the opener. Asif then went on to steal the second frame from Advani and won it on the black ball 61-56. Chandra and Asif found themselves in a seesaw frame but it was the Indian who changed gears and did most of the scoring with every given opportunity. Thanks to a well-crafted 39 break from Chandra and a classy

clearance of the final colours by Advani, the Indian hopes were kept alive. The third frame was a doubles match in which both Indians played out of their skin to stay alive in the final, winning it 72-47. Chandra, needing the green to be in the safe zone, left his opponent requiring snookers, but with a long pot on the brown, the humbled Pakistani conceded the frame and match. A delighted Advanti said: "After being 2-0 to Pakistan, we knew our chances of winning were slim. After winning the doubles frame we saw a glimmer of hope and knew it was up to us to dig deep and win both our singles matches. Manan played exceptional snooker when it mattered most. I'm really happy for him to win his first world title." This was Advanti’s 19th World title.

A Knock-Out Black Country Night with Champ, AJ

etball will be a new addition at this year’s national School Games Finals as the multi-sport event showcasing the most talented schoolage athletes return to Loughborough University. With the Netball World Cup on UK soil in 2019, the game is one of five new events and will feature 12 teams competing over three days of competition. All are Under-15s, with representation from eight Vitality Netball Superleague teams, including London Pulse, Yorkshire and home nations Netball Scotland and Netball Northern Ireland. The competition will feature

THIS SPOT COULD BE YOURS! Reach a diverse audience worldwide Postive, Informative and Objective News Inspiring a New Generation Keeping you connected with your community

• locally • nationally • internationally

fter adding the WBO to his WBA and IBF belts, still Heavyweight champion of the world Anthony Joshua will be making his Black Country debut when he will be at Wol-

verhampton Racecourse, for a Marvel's ‘Black Panther’ special evening, where he will be getting up close and personal with boxing and film fans alike for what promises to be ‘a night to remember,’ on May 18.

four stages; the first two of which seeing four groups of three teams play in single round robins. The final positions will determine the groupings for the next stage of the competition. Stage three will feature three groups of four teams, where groups 1 and 2 will be battling for standings to play in placing matches for positions 1-8, whilst group three will be competing for 9-12. Stage four will be a final placing game for each team to determine the final positions for the competition. The School Games Finals takes place from August 31 – September 2.

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Page 42 - The Phoenix Newspaper - April 2018

India win Snooker Team World Cup Final - Page 43

England Star, Morrison, Now a Reggae Boy?

British Champion at 11 - Inside Back

Bears Back Cycling Revolution

l Ravel Morrison Former England international, Ravel Morrison may soon be a Jamaica international, after the 25-year-old exManchester United and Queens Park Rangers player was approached, on social media, by the Jamaica Football Federation asking his present club, Mexican club, Atlas, to release him for the Reggae Boyz's friendly matches against Antigua and Barbuda. Reports suggest that the Manchester-born midfielder is keen and that the paperwork is being processed to enable him to player to play for the Caribbean country. The letter on Instagram, however, did read; ‘He will meet the members of the technical staff, conclude his applications to acquire the requisite documentation he needs to play in future games." It does implying that Morrison won't feature in the friendly matches. Morrison, who played for England at youth level, qualifies for Jamaica and considered representing them as far back as 2012. After developing through the ranks at Old Trafford, he also played for West Ham United, Birmingham City, QPR and Cardiff City before moving on to Serie A side, Lazio – who loaned him out to Liga MX side, Atlas. Jamaica did not qualify for this summer’s World Cup, but will be involved in the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League and the 2019 Gold Cup.

l Warwickshire and Birmingham Bears cricketers, Oliver Hannon-Dalby (left) and Aaron Thomason (right) with Gill Brook, Senior Transportation Manager Birmingham City Council

arwickshire County Cricket Club’s charity, the Edgbaston Foundation, has partnered with Birmingham City Council in a scheme designed to encourage more people to cycle to work and to reduce the level of transport by car. As recipients of a grant from Birmingham City Council’s Cycle Revolution, Warwickshire’s Edg-

baston Stadium, which is the biggest cricket venue outside of London, has been named as a Top Cycle Location after unveiling dedicated storage and changing facilities for cyclists. It now boasts a mix of storage racks, rings and shelter for up to 30 bicycles to be stored within the grounds of the stadium, whilst it is also purchasing three bicycles for staff to use. The investment will also provide

new dedicated changing facilities and lockers for cyclists in the Edgbaston Indoor Centre. Ravi Masih, Head of Community Engagement at Warwickshire CCC, said: “As a business and major employer in the city we’re committed to encouraging active, healthy lifestyles and to reducing the carbon footprint of the stadium and our employees. We’re thrilled to have three new bikes to support staff in their jour-

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neys to and from work, in addition to the new changing and storage facilities, which will be utilised by the thousands of visitors who come to Edgbaston, whether it be for cricket, a conference or another event. Councillor Stewart Stacey, Cabinet Member for Transport and Roads at Birmingham City Council, said: “The aim of Birmingham Cycle Revolution is to encourage more people to choose cycling as

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an everyday way to travel, so I am delighted that we have been able to support Edgbaston Stadium in putting this scheme in place. By providing valuable facilities for visitors and staff alike, the Stadium is now offering an excellent incentive for more people to swap four wheels for two, helping to reduce congestion on our roads and benefiting both the environment and their own health.”

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