Promoting Diversity for Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022
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JANUARY 2019
Connecting Communities - Inspiring A New Generation
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Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands John Crabtree OBE presents former Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Paul Sabapathy CVO CBE with the Lifetime Achievement Award. More coverage starts on Page 19
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by Kesa Nkulu
et us give homage to some of the world’s greatest artists, to much to mention, who brought love, peace and justice to hundreds of millions around the globe through Reggae music. Jamaica’s cultural sounds which are unmistakeable, the sounds that filled your heart with strength and hope would conquer the entire world.
gendre of music, got their inspiration and rebelliousness from the social message of Reggae music, this is a fact that they do not deny. The great freedom calls of the 1970’s – 1990’s seem now to be silent now,
wide spread however, will the social messages be lost in this new era. For the Reggae artists in the U.K., Lovers Rock was their child, a child of Love. I’m sure many a child was literally conceived due to the melodies
the transformation from Roots Rock Reggae to Ragga to Bashment and now the glorification of gun lyrics and misogyny, have now put Reggae music under the spotlight, despite being officially recognized and added to a list of international cultural treasures which, the United Nations have deemed worthy of protecting and promoting. Well, quite frankly, the whole world knew it anyway. As we can see, the appreciation for Reggae music is
sung by Lovers Rock artists. The time of struggle, racism, lack of employment (what’s changed?) were the intangible components that truly define the togetherness, the love and unity of couples of the Lovers Rock period. Has Reggae music been irreparably damaged, or is it a sign of the times that the once liberating lyrics of Dennis Brown, Gregory Issacs, Burning Spear, Toots and the Mayals, Black Uhuru to name but a few, are
What does Reggae music mean to you?
Reggae music was born out of the social and religious injustices that gave rise to a popular movement, just as the Blues gave birth to Rock music. Rosetta Thorpe once said of Rock music “Oh, these kids and rock and roll – that is just sped up rhythm and blues, I’ve been doing that forever.” Reggae was an accumulation of Ska, Blue Beat and Rock Steady, but ultimately it came from the drum and the ‘drum’ comes from Africa. The drum is like a great tree that has many branches of which one of them is Reggae music. Reggae music was the great liberator for Jamaican’s across the globe and Black people in general. It allowed the artists to express the climate of the day. Reggae music was our sword of truth by which we would chant sown Babylon and unite our people. Even Punk Rock, amongst other
£12 million to be invested into support for adoptive families
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now a thing of the past, pursued by the generations who danced and grew up in that era. Did the subsequent influx of money and fame soften and weaken the mighty fearless lyrics of the first Reggae pioneers? Did the artists who sang about repatriation actually repatriate when the monetary incentive came in? Every generation gives birth to a style of music expressing the social, economic and religious factors of the time. Without question, Reggae is not the force it used to be. To achieve that Reggae ‘high’ one must play the Reggae of yesteryear. Contemporary artist such as Chronix and one of our own Italo Skarcha to name a few are champions of old school reggae lyrics, which contains positive messages as opposed to a negative one. Can Reggae be seen as the Rasta Man`s music? I would absolutely say yes from let’s say the 70’s - 90’s, although the first pioneers of Reggae music were both Rasta and non- Rasta. The message of Rasta, especially repatriation and an African King was a life-line to the youth of that time. The social injustices of the day seemed to be confronted head-on by the Rasta youth, inspired by the music, however I am NOT saying that others with no Rasta affiliation are without significant contribution. In terms of Reggae music, the ideology and the beat meant that you felt its force from head to toe. To add, it is interesting how the modern day churches have re-vamped many of their Christian songs into a Reggae beat bonanza, even with exdancehall stars singing the religious verses. The Legacy of the original Reggae music was carved in stone, to preserve it is a part of our Story.
Thousands more adoptive families and special guardians are set to benefit from additional support after a special fund was increased by £12 million – taking
the total investment to £149 million since 2015. Three quarters of adopted children suffered abuse and neglect in their birth families.
Therapy can make an enormous contribution to helping those children come to terms with early experiences and build a brighter future. More than 35,000 families have already benefited from the Adoption Support Fund, which has provided things like cognitive therapy, play and music therapy, and family support sessions. Sue Armstrong-Brown, Chief Executive of Adoption UK, said: “This is fantastic news for adoptive parents across England. “I’m pleased that the government heard our recent message, delivered directly to the Children’s Minister by adoptive parents, that more support was needed. “Adopters told the minister that many had received life-changing therapeutic support through the Adoption Support
Fund. “This support makes all the difference to families parenting some of the country’s most vulnerable children - in many cases it has been the one thing that held the family together and prevented the child returning to care. “It’s vital that this support is safeguarded into the future, and I’m delighted that an additional £12 million has been allocated to support adoptive families.” Adoptive parent Rachael said: “Without the fund there's every chance our daughter wouldn't be with us right now, which would have been devastating for her and our family. The ASF has prevented her placement from disrupting and has kept our family together.”
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Baggies’ players spread Christmas joy to the wards P
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The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 3
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Street Cred Mag starts Page 13
l Matt Phillips with patient Harry Hodgetts, aged seven months
oorly patients at Sandwell Hospital were left delighted when West Bromwich Albion stars visited their bedsides to spread festive cheer. Head Coach Darren Moore, along with Harvey Barnes, Kyle Bartley, Sam Johnstone and Matt Phillips met youngsters in the Children’s Ward and visited patients on the stroke rehabilitation ward where they signed autographs, posed for photographs and handed them gifts. The event was organised in partnership with Your Trust Charity, which is run by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, and serves to enhance the experience of patients, their families and staff. Seven-month-old son Harry Hodgetts was being treated on the ward and received an electronic
activity centre from goalie Sam Johnstone. His mum Sarah said: “It’s such a nice gesture and a lovely thing for the players to do. Harry loves his present.” Amanda Winwood, Fundraising Manager, said: “It’s always a pleasure to welcome the Albion players to our hospital, especially at Christmas. “This year the players met not only some of our younger patients that we are currently treating but also some of those on our stroke rehabilitation ward.” Abbie Hanlon, Play Specialist, added: “It’s been really heartwarming to see how happy it makes our patients and it’s very kind that the footballers take time out of their busy schedule to bring in gifts and chat to them.” Darren added: “Some of these patients are avid Albion fans so it's good to get up close and personal with them.
"They cheer us on from the sidelines so it's up to us to help and encourage them through difficult times. "We want to lend our support and give them a boost to get better. It helps breed positivity. "It's important to come into the community - it's something I really believe in. "To hear their stories is inspiring to us all." And goalkeeper Johnstone echoed the words of the Baggies boss following the visit. "We came here to visit people who are going through a hard time, probably going to be in hospital over Christmas, kids and adults," said the Albion stopper. "It's meant to be a period for celebrations and spending time with family. "Hopefully we've put some smiles on people's faces."
The forgotten men of World War I The Chinese Community Centre-Birmingham has announced that it will stage the first exhibition about the Chinese Labour Corps in the West Midlands in February 2019, coinciding with Chinese New Year. In November 2018, Britain commemorated the end of World War I with events across the country. One group that has been consistently overlooked is the Chinese Labour Corps (CLC) – volunteers from mainland China who were sent by the Chinese government to support the British and French armies on the Western Front. While hostilities ceased in November 1918 and troops returned home, the CLC remained behind to clear battlefield debris
FROM BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT
into 1919 with the final units not leaving until September 1920, almost two years after armistice. Their contribution was never acknowledged in Britain until a campaign to recognise the CLC began in 2013. The full exhibition will be on
display at CCC-B from 1st – 8th February 2019. After this, selected items will go on display in the Spotlight Zone of the Library of Birmingham from 11 February-1st March. The exhibition & talk are free.
0844 338 5000 birminghamhippodrome.com Calls cost 4.5p per min. plus your phone company’s access charge.
Page 4 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019
Mavesyn Ridware WW members pay it forward Weight Watchers Wellness Coach Emma Tiso and her fabulous WW (formal Weight Watchers) members have been 'paying it forward' with very generous charity donations over Christmas. Successful members of the Mavesyn Ridware parish workshop, in Staffordshire, are so grateful for the impact that Emma and WW have on their lives and the lives of their community that they wanted to 'pay it forward'. As well as food items donated to charity and raffles held, 2 very generous members gave Emma £1000 to a charity of her choice. Emma stated; "I have the most amazing members. Because we change lives, 2 members, daughter and mother in law, from my Ridware studio handed me a cheque for £1000. There were lots of tears in the workshop. The money has been donated to St Giles hospice in memory of 3 lovely ladies, 1 sadly of a member we lost earlier this year.” She presented the cheque to St Giles hospice last week which is such an incredible charity that needs £9million a year to keep going.
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Chinese communities worldwide to celebrate the ‘Year of the Pig’ C
hinese communities around the world will be celebrating the ‘Year of the Pig’ as their New Year, also known as the ‘Spring Festival,’ or ‘Lunar New Year’ in modern Mainland China, begin anytime between late January and mid-February. Celebrated at the turn of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar, it is their most important traditional festival and this year of the ‘Pig’ – though, believed to be the most unlucky for people born in previous years of the Pig – will, as ever, have plenty of festive decorations and activities, catering from children to adults of all ages. Face paints, hands on
workshops, plus the ‘must have’ act - lion dance and fire crackers as just some of the activities that will take place.
In Birmingham’s Chinese Quarter (in and around the city’s Arcadian Centre, Southside) a record number of expected people can also indulge away with authentic Chinese street
food, from dumplings to noodles brought together from a wide variety of Chinese regions; Vibrant Chinese music, along with talented artists will also be performing back-toback cultural dances or movements on multiple stages on the 10th February The event has become one of the most widely celebrated festivals on the calendar and James Wong, Chair of the Chinese Festival Committee (Birmingham) said: “Each and every year, welcome all to join in the festivities celebrating one of the oldest celebrated festivals in the world. “Our free festivals are inclusive and open to all and we hope to welcome more people than ever to this year’s ‘Year of the Pig’.”
New book shows kids the importance of self-belief and teamwork According to www.mother.ly, building selfesteem can help reduce a child’s anxiety. It is vital to equip children with confidence so that they can survive and realize their full potential through small or big achievements. Eleven-year-old Phoebe LiYen Yong offers a book that teaches children to believe in themselves. A lover of the ocean and its creatures, Yong brings the blue waters to children through ‘Brotino The Legendary Crab’ (published by Partridge Singapore). The book offers hand-drawn illustrations that lead readers through a colorful journey in the deep blue sea
of Shailiha. The book imparts a valuable message to young children on the importance of self-belief and teamwork. A legendary crab named Brotino goes on an underwater adventure with his newfound school friends and encounters several dangerous situations in their eventful journey. Along the way, they meet interesting characters of both good and bad. Brotino learns to take risks and discovers his true destiny — to save the town citizens of Shailiha from evil pirates. Ultimately, his bravery and leadership gets them out of harm's way. The mother of the young author concluded; “Whilst it is
important that young children learn to be independent through individual effort, it is also important for them to learn how to be a team-player. This book teaches them to share their talents by working together, because in doing so they will achieve so much more.”
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Town Hall Symphony Hall @THSHBirmingham thsh_birmingham townhallsymphonyhall
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Shaun is S Chasing The Dream
LAMONT DOZIER PLUS SUPPORT: JO HARMAN
haun Wallace, the Dark Destroyer from ITV’s The Chase has released his autobiography ‘Chasing The Dream’. The qualified Barrister held a book launch and signing at The Old Bailey in London on the 18th December. With specially invited guests, friends, and colleagues, the book went down a storm. Look out for an exclusive interview with the Dark Destroyer in The Phoenix Newspaper soon!
MON 18 FEBRUARY 7:30PM
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Monthly views
withTony Kelly Have a Happy & Healthy New Year
H Hospice staff delight patients with surprise festive party
B
l Staff and volunteers at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice surprised patients with a Christmas party
ig-hearted staff from a Birmingham hospice surprised patients and their loved ones this December, with a music-filled Christmas celebration. Team members from Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice swapped their notepads for guitars, as they played a lively set of Christmas tunes for
patients to sing along to. The one-off ‘band’ – made up of hospice social workers, bereavement counsellors and volunteers – performed the set at Umberslade Nurseries in Selly Park, with the aim of spreading festive cheer to the people they care for. Patients were also treated to
turkey and stuffing sandwiches and homemade mince pies, as the team played classics such as ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ and ‘Jingle Bells’. Josephine Walker, who has been using the Hospice’s services for 18 months, said: “What a lovely surprise – it’s nice to be able to come down here and celebrate this
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ounger people with modern skills and experiences are need to compliment and enhance the existing trustee board to move the West Bromwich African Caribbean Resource Centre into the future. If can you spare a minimum of 4 hours a month and feel you can positively benefit the organisation we want to hear from you! We want to diversify our board and are particularly keen to recruit younger people who are unrepresented on the board. Following a board skills audit a number of areas were identified as requiring improvement. We want to improve our
community offer of quality health, social care, cultural, children and young peoples services.
Beyond who you know to who can do
We are now actively recruiting for the following UNPAID director/ trustee roles: • Human Resources • Service Quality & Well-being • Children & Young People’s Services (Priority) • Digital (Priority) • Business Development • Facilities If you agree with our mission
values and ambitions we want to hear from you . We want to diversify our board, so these positions are open to those who are in agreement with our mission aims and values regardless of race, gender, class, creed, religion, sexuality or disability. The deadline for expressions of interest is 15th February 2019 and we aim to have new directors in place by 1st April. If you are interested please email our administrator angela.mahabeer@wbacrc. org.uk in the first instance with your CV and we will do the rest. For an informal chat you can speak to Shane Ward by phone on 0121 525 9177 mentioning Directors roles.
time of year with other people. “There’s been a wonderful atmosphere and I’m grateful that my son was invited to come along too – it’s good to spend time with him, doing fun things.” Josephine, along with the other patients, is currently being cared for by the Hospice’s ‘Support at Home’ service – an initiative which sees trained volunteers visit people in their own homes to offer friendly companionship and a listening ear. The service aims to combat the growing problem of isolation in the community, as well as offer busy carers an opportunity to take a break for a few hours each week. Birmingham St Mary’s lead palliative care social worker, Maxine Jones, hasn’t played guitar for over 25 years. She said: “It’s been fantastic to dust off the old guitar and get performing again. Although I felt a bit nervous, when I looked up to see people singing along and laughing, it made every second worth it.”
BUILD A BETTER YOU
Health and Wellbeing Starts Page 40
appy and healthy New Year to the Phoenix newspaper readers with emphasis on the word ‘healthy’ as on the 25th of this month all roads lead to West Bromwich African Caribbean Resource Centre, Thomas Street, B70 6LY at 6.30 p.m. where the theme for the evening is Towards Better Health. At the start of every year some people decide to make lifestyle changes and healthy living counts as a priority which is often neglected to our detriment. Shane Ward the Chief Executive Officer of West Bromwich Centre a registered charity serving the community since 1985 secured a grant from Healthy Sandwell and at this year’s AGM invites the community to two presentations on prostate cancer and diabetes. Cynthia Dwyer, Founder and Co-Director of the Hugh Dwyer Inspirational Foundation and a cancer awareness advocate of the West Midlands African Cancer Action Group is the guest speaker on prostate cancer. Tony Kelly one of the West Midlands Diabetes UK Community Champions is the guest speaker on raising awareness of type 2 diabetes which is more prevalent in the black community. Chief Executive Shane Ward says “Like many charities we have had difficult times since the recession, losing services and experienced staff. “We have had to manage on a much reduced budget but our accounts show that we are turning the corner as we have improved our financial health thanks to partnership working and making the most of opportunities. “We want to become more financially stable and diversify our income so we are less dependent on public funding. “ The charity hopes to use the AGM to showcase their achievements and attract new younger people with modern skills to come on the Board to support it moving in to the future. We will offer new trustees a full induction and opportunities for their transferable skills and experiences that would support trustees in their professional lives. The charity has a strong provision of social care, health and well-being services including a day service for older people, hospital based befriending and settlement service and a registered domiciliary home care service supporting vulnerable people in the community. We are now seeing the benefit of previous educational work as each year more chil-
dren who attended our Saturday school are graduating so we want to re-engage young people and are looking at ways to do this and improve our offer to them.’’ For more information contact Angela Mahabeer administrator 0121 525 9177 Angela. mahabeer@wbacrc.org.uk Visit the website www. wbacrc.org.uk or check them out on Facebook. The Hugh Dwyer Inspirational Foundation was set up in memory of Hugh Samuel Dwyer who sadly passed away on 4th June 2010 aged 59 after being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in February of 2009. He had been going to his GP on and off for three years prior to this. It is a known fact that one in four black men are at a higher risk of developing this disease due to suffering in silence and late diagnosis which is treatable if diagnosed early. His wife Cynthia says: “Hugh inspired many people and therefore it was only fitting to set up a charity in his memory. Initially, we focused on prostate cancer which is sadly how we lost Hugh. “The aim of the Foundation is to promote well-being and awareness campaigns and activities particularly focusing on the Black and Minority Ethnic communities mainly in Warwickshire and the West Midlands including breast cancer.’ She adds: “It remains a dream of my late husband and I to put something back in the community especially to support Black Minority and Ethnic (BME) who are or have suffered with cancer and the knock-on-effect this can have on the whole family. “We faced many challenges to get the right support for him during his illness. Through one of our listeners on our Sunday afternoon internet radio music and chat show we were signposted to an organisation in Nottingham BME - Cancer Communities Support (CEO: Dr. Rose Thompson). “With Rose’s help she not only gave us and our family support but also helped us to understand what Hugh was going through. This enlightened us of what we wanted to do within the community for others who are going through a similar experience.” In Cynthia’s efforts to reach out and engage with communities please contact her via: Mobile: 07950666623 Email: theinspirationalfoundation@yahoo.com Facebook: Cynthia Haddasah Dwyer Let’s hope many people turn up to this free New Year community event where healthy refreshments will be served. Tony Kelly
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The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 7
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Severn Trent one of the UK’s top 50 places to work
Prospects for Entrepreneurship in a Post-Brexit Era with Dr Christopher Johnson
A
S
ward-wInnIng journalist, editor and publisher Dr Christopher Johnson writes his monthly column in The Phoenix aiming to inform, educate and entertain.
ince June 2016, the spectre of Britain leaving the EU aka ‘Brexit’, has implicated future prospects for SMEs. Whitehall mandarins’ preoccupation with Brexit is impeding the orderly development-growth of the small firm sector despite a redoubtable enterprise spirit. Will 2019 witness a downturn in the fortunes of high growth sectors in the UK economy. If so, what object lessons for the UK economy can be gleaned from this oftrepeated market scenario? The Federation of Small Business (FSB) published a Report (November 2018) which cited among other matters, that female-owned businesses contributed £105bn to the UK economy (2015 estimates). This represented an increase of 40% from 2012, added to the fact that these firms accounted for an estimated 23.85% of private sector employment. However, this optimism is undermined by persistent structural challenges for small firms. Nearly two thirds of owners spoke of rising operating costs in the third quarter of 2018, two percent more than during the same period in 2017. Growing labour labour costs (40%), utilities (33%) and rent (21%) are attributed to the causes of increased expenditure outgoings. Over a third considered fuel a major problem in rising operating costs, with approximately 34% referring to problems securing quality staffing. The ongoing Brexit saga has also affected ethnic entrepreneurs’ investment
plans. The FSB contended that minority business owners outside London and the Southeast Regions, found it difficult to obtain investment capital. Approximately 43% of female business owners described the accessibility of new credit as ‘poor’, noticeably more than their male counterparts (38%). They attributed this to a lack of viable banking alternatives in mainstream. Currently, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Lloyds and HSBC control 80% of the commercial borrowing sector. The notion of SMEs turning to credit union finance, was floated by this contributor over a year ago. The time is opportune, for authorities to encourage local firms to utilise this instrument as a viable alternative especially for those operating in low income and underserved cities and suburbs. A strategy of lending can proceed in a dynamic fashion according to Table 1 below: Nevertheless, it is important to underscore these fundamental principles of a credit union; as an agency designed to: • Mobilise financial capital. • Service individual-group needs. • Act as non-formal banking institution. • Lend money at affordable or discretionary rates. • Promote the practice of collective self-help amongst members. • Be a viable alternative for high interest bank loans etc. • Exemplification of mutual respect, trust and values by members.
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W
ater Company, Severn Trent, has been recognised as one of the best places to work by Glassdoor. The FTSE 100 Company was number 44 in the rankings, and honoured with a ‘Glassdoor Employees Choice Award.’ Neil Morrison, Human Resources Director at Severn Trent, said: “It’s a fantastic honour to be named one of the best places
to work, as here at Severn Trent we really value our people. We work hard to create an awesome place to work. Without our employees we wouldn’t be able to deliver a brilliant service for our customers so, with that in mind, we aim to create a fantastic environment for our teams, and to focus on areas that matter the most to them so they have a great working environment.”
Severn Trent employs over 6,000 people across its whole region, which covers the Midlands, down into the South West to the outskirts in Bristol and up into the peak district and just south of Sheffield. The company was honoured as one of the top places to work alongside other companies such as Apple and Google, thanks to employee-based reviews collected by employee review site, Glassdoor.
National museum part of £7m city Wetherspoon plan
Table 1 Proposed Credit Union SME Lending Strategy, (Adapted from analysis of SMEs versus Credit Union facts, 2017-2018) Strategic Areas
Pointers of Assessment
Nature of Company
Size, business age, sector, formalisation of management and accounting standards.
SME Choice of Banks
Current banking relations, primary bank for business and choice.
Preference for Additional Capital
Personal money, bank borrowings, additional partners, family and friends.
SME EngagementRelationship
Accessibility, information, knowledge, ability to understand and guide.
5Ps of Marketing
Product, pricing, promotion, premises and people.
W
etherspoon has chosen City of Wolverhampton to host its national museum as part of official plans submitted to the council for a £7 million makeover of The Moon Under Water pub. The exciting scheme also includes proposals to build a 70-bedroom hotel above the Lichfield Street venue. The 40,000 sq ft space above the pub, with its Art Deco frontage, has been empty for
more than 30 years. It was previously home for the old Co-op store, which opened in 1931, and sits opposite the Grand Theatre. If the plans are approved, it could generate up to 50 jobs. The news follows the Grand Theatre’s recent announcement of plans to expand into the former post office next door to build a pop-up theatre and the council’s proposal to pedestrianise part of Lichfield Street. Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “We have great
plans for the popular The Moon under Water pub in Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton. “Subject to planning permission we aim to invest £7 million on the new pub, to extend it and also to build a hotel above it. It would also create many new jobs. “We believe this will be great for the pub, its customers and just as importantly the city itself. “We are also confident that it would act as a catalyst for other businesses to invest in Wolverhampton.
Glassdoor Chief Economist, Dr Andrew Chamberlain, said: “To help people find the best jobs and the best companies, the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards recognise employers at the top of their game. ‘Glassdoor Best Places to Work’ winners are strategically investing in company culture, career growth opportunities and more, which also serves as a major recruiting advantage.” “We also feel the museum will prove popular with people who want to know more of the history of the company and see artefacts from the past. The fact that Wetherspoon wishes to house it in Wolverhampton is positive for the city.” The vast five-storey building, where The Moon Under Water is based on the ground floor, takes up half of one side of Lichfield Street but only the pub is currently based there. Its neighbour, the old tavern O’Connells, closed around five years ago and the majority of the 40,000 sq ft premises is currently dereclict. Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for City Economy, added: “This planning application from Wetherspoon is very welcome and, subject to approval, will breathe new life into this building. “There is currently £1 billion investment in the city centre and this exciting scheme is another example of the growing in confidence in our city. “It will deliver a significant number of jobs and for a national chain like Wetherspoon to choose City of Wolverhampton for its national museum is an honour.”
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- BUSINESS AND FINANCE -
Midlands-based tech firm creates 60 jobs with new £1million hub M idlands based Retail IT consulting and technology firm REPL Group has opened of a new office in Warwickshire. The £1 million pound investment will boost employment in the region by creating jobs for 60 new employees, generating a 200% increase in the company’s testing team. The Warwick-based tech hub will act as a testing lab for the firm as it increases its R&D testing and data science capabilities. Following a reported 38% yearon-year growth in sales in the first six months of 2018, this is the latest in a string of new locations opened by Henley-In-Arden based REPL Group, coming after new openings in the US, Japan and most recently South Africa. The new hub, which will house the Group’s test centre, will be headed up by Neil McGregor, operations director, and Antony Kaplan, test director.
REPL Group executive chair, Mike Callender, commented: “The REPL test practice has grown significantly over the last 18 months, as well as performing manual testing in the test lab, we have also made great strides in automated testing and Robotic Process Automation (RPA). “The team has seen remarkable results with automating testing in systems that were previously thought to be impossible to automate. “This has resulted in the ability for regression tests on new releases to be run overnight, while also enabling performance and scale testing on these systems.” By increasing investment in the technology team, REPL has also appointed Rafik Salama - an expert in AI and machine learning, having undertaken 10 years of academic research on applied
The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 9
Gibson’s ‘Lord Of The Butterflies’ Comes To The UK
W
l Contemporary Poet Andrea Gibson
machine learning at Birmingham, Cambridge and Oxford - as head of data science to strengthen the company’s dedicated data science division. Callender added: “The opening of our new offices is not only creating new opportunities for us as a business, but we are also providing new employment
opportunities to the people in those areas. “Our people are a vital part of REPL and it is great to see that they are being recognised for their contributions to the industry, with our CEO Cerys Johnson having also been announced as a finalist for the West Midlands Woman in Tech Award.”
inner of the first ever Women of the World Poetry Slam in 2008, Andrea Gibson remains one of the most captivating performers in the spoken word poetry scene today. Known for pulling hearts out of chests to either wrench or kiss, Gibson has authored four full-length collections of poems, an illustrated book of their most memorable quotes (Take Me With You, Penguin 2018), and has released seven beloved albums. Gibson regularly sells out 500+ capacity standing
room only venues to eager audiences,mouthing along every word, further popularizing the art form and creating a space for each person in the room to feel, and to heal. In a fierce oscillation between activism and love, Andrea Gibson’s newest literary triumph, released Nov 2018, ‘Lord of the Butterflies’ is a masterful showcase from the renowned poet whose writing and performances have captured the hearts of millions. Andrea’s ‘Lord of The Butterflies’ tour will be coming to the UK in May 2019.
Page 10 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019
g n i t o Prom xcellence E
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.
Sir Geoff Palmer appointed Jamaican Honorary Consul to Scotland
D lity a u q High rom f e r ld ca child e years o fiv o t h t
bir
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- EDUCATION, TRAINING & RECRUITMENT -
istinguished Jamaicanborn scientist, Sir Professor Godfrey ‘Geoff’ Palmer, OBE, has been appointed the country’s first Honorary Consul in Scotland with His Excellence Seth George Ramocan, CD, High Commissioner, saying he was very pleased with the appointment of a man who has demonstrated an undying love for Jamaica through his many decades of leadership, advocacy and promotion of the strong historical, social and economic ties with Scotland. Born in St Elizabeth, in 1940, Geoff, as he is known to friends and colleagues, migrated to Britain in 1955 as a part of the ‘Windrush Generation’ before overcoming early educational and other challenges, to later graduate with
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a degree in Botany from Leicester University in 1964. In 1968, he graduated with a PhD in grain science and technology from Edinburgh University. While working at the Brewing Research Foundation he invented the Barley Abrasion Process, which revolutionised the brewing industry. He was the first person in Europe and the fourth in the world to have been honoured with the American Society of Brewing Chemist Award of Distinction. In 1989, he became the first Black professor in Scotland. He was knighted In 2014, for services to human rights, science and charity. He is a founding member of the Jamaica Society Scotland. During his working life, Professor Palmer travelled and lectured worldwide and was instrumental in the development of the cereal,
sorghum as food and brewing material in Africa. He also helped to secure the first export of British barley to China. On his retirement, in 2005, he was made Emeritus Professor of the Heriot-Watt University and he has accepted Honorary Doctorates from a number of Universities including the University of the West Indies. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and of the Institute of Brewing. Professor Palmer, who is also a human rights activist, has researched, written and lectured extensively on the Scottish links with slavery and the Slave Trade, including Scotland’s role in the Abolition of Slavery. He currently serves as the Honorary President of the Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council.
Recruitment expert offers top tips to students Finance students at the University of Wolverhampton have been given top employment tips from a leading recruitment firm. Kelly Brown, Executive Business Manager at Reed Accountancy in Wolverhampton, visited the University to present a talk titled ‘would you employ you?’ The visit was part of the University of Wolverhampton Business School’s focus on preparing students for the world of work. Kelly offered tips to Finance and Accounting students to help them become more employable and give themselves a better chance of competing for graduate level jobs. She also discussed the importance of relevant work experience and what the recruitment market looks like for new graduates. Kelly said: “We were talking about the importance of experience when engaging with recruitment agencies, and that could be within a gap year or sandwich year to give students a bit more knowledge about the career they are hoping to go into and to gain some more soft skills along the way.”
l Dan Lockley with his 3 titles
Birmingham student wins World Champion kickboxing title A student at Birmingham City University is celebrating after beating 1,000 competitors to win the International Combat Organisation Kickboxing World Championships. As part of Team England, 18 year-old Dan Lockley won three world titles during this year’s competitions which took place in Rome. “I won in the 16-18 competition on mats, before winning two titles in the 18-35 competitions in the ring and on mats,” said Dan, who
studies Criminology and hails from Telford in Shropshire. “I’m both overwhelmed and proud as this year was the first time I’ve fought in the adult category.” Dan began kickboxing at the age of four and he has previously held English, British and European titles as a junior fighter. “I would like to become a police detective after University and I aim to retain two of my world titles at next year’s World Championships which are being held in Scotland,” added Dan.
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- NEWS -
Local Children Dream Big With Grand Theatre Panto Project
The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 11
New Skills For Little Nippers thanks to Grant
T
en local Primary Schools have taken part in a Grand Theatre project which saw performance poet and comedienne Emma Purshouse deliver creative writing workshops in schools throughout the year. This inspired them to write short bedtime stories, some of which were published in a book and all of the entries are now on display at the Light House in Wolverhampton until the end of January. The project, which launched in February 2018 culminated in a unveiling event which was attended by the schools involved along with their teachers and Emma Purshouse who read out a selection of stories. 30 stories have been published into a book which has been designed and printed by JPL Print & Design Ltd who were also in attendance alongside Promise Dreams who will receive the profits from the sales of the book as a donation to their charity. The schools involved are Spingdale Primary School, Uplands Junior School, Newbridge Preparatory School, Woodfield Junior School,
l Councillor Ann Jarvis, James Marsh and Councillor Bill Cherrington with children at Little Nippers
l Children from Warstones Primary School, where Emma Purshouse attended as a child. Fallings Park Primary School, Warstones Primary School, SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary Academy & Nursery, Pinfold Street Primary, Priory Primary School and Rivers Primary Academy.
James Collins, Creative Learning Co-ordinator at the theatre said; “it was a fantastic day unveiling the hard work of the children all of whom came together to see their work on display. The work represents the
entire community, with children of all different backgrounds joining as one to celebrate their achievement over the past year.”
A group that works to improve the team building and social skills of Tipton children has received a special Sandwell Council grant. The Little Nippers group provides children aged 5-11 from the Princes End area with workshops on sports, cosmetic making, cookery classes, robotics, seasonal crafts and movie sessions. Children also got to enjoy a trip to Dudley Zoo’s Winter Wonderland event where they met Santa Claus and received a present. The Thursday sessions started in November at St
Mark’s Church Hall and will run to mid-March. Group chair James Marsh said: “I would like to thank Sandwell Council and local councillors who have supported us with funding to enable children to visit Santa and provide sports equipment and craft materials that will be used by children and make a difference to their lives.” Councillor Ann Jarvis, town chair for Tipton, said: “This is a wonderful idea and the programme will give children a safe and warm environment where they can enjoy activities.”
Page 12 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019
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Young entrepreneur launches innovative pay-what-you-can restaurant in Brooklyn
A
lready a successful business owner Francesca Chaney has a great taste for food and a big heart for underserved people. Her Brooklyn-based vegan restaurant called ‘Sol Sips,’ is not only famous for its healthy food but is also recognised for letting patrons pay what they can afford even if it cuts into her profits! She developed an interest in healthy eating when she was just a child. She was inspired by her mother, who is a vegan, and became a vegan herself when she was 18-years old. Since then, she began dreaming about opening up her own restaurant that offers nutritious, plant-based foods. Initially, she started ‘Sol Sips’ as a pop-up shop in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn before making the location permanent. Now, at the young age of 22, she and her staff serve plant-based
beverages and plant-based ‘bites’ made with only four ingredients or fewer that are soy-free and with low acidity. One of the best-sellers is a plant-
based dish that is an alternative to the New York staple -- eggs are made of chickpeas, bacon is tempeh, and the cheese is dairyfree. More than introducing a unique and healthy food alternative, Chaney wanted more people, especially those who are in
underserved communities, to be able to come and eat at Sol Sips. So she decided to create a brunch menu with a sliding-scale pricing - which means people can enjoy their dishes for a price that's anywhere between $7 to $15. That way, she hoped everyone can take part in the dishes. "We started that initiative," Chaney said, "because we wanted to make sure that everyone that lives here can get more foods that help us to get our nutrients in." Since it's already a given that she couldn't make much money with such altruism, there are people and organisations who wanted to help Chaney with her cause. Dairy-free brand So Delicious which Chaney herself uses in her dishes - donated $5,000 to help her continue her advocacy. Also, earlier in 2018, she started a ‘GoFundMe’ campaign to help her with the expenses to further expand Sol Sips.
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Residents views taken on board as Sprint rapid bus plans develop Regional transport bosses are carefully reviewing their plans for three Sprint rapid bus routes in Birmingham and the West Midlands following consultation feedback. Residents affected were asked for their views on the three proposed routes: A34 Walsall to Birmingham city centre, Sutton Coldfield to Birmingham city centre via the planned neighbourhood at Langley and Peddimore and A45 Solihull and Birmingham Airport to Birmingham city centre. Around three-quarters of people who responded either partially or wholly supported the introduction of fast, tram-style buses on key commuter routes. But some respondents also raised concerns some of which will be taken into consideration as the designs develop over the coming months. Key issues raised were over the loss of parking provision on the A34 and the proposed route
through Sutton Coldfield, Langley and Peddimore. Consultation results were published by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). West Midlands Metro Mayor, Andy Street, said: “We are delighted that so many people welcomed our plans for a modern and reliable bus rapid transit system for the West Midlands. “We also recognise that some residents raised genuine concerns about the introduction of Sprint and are committed to consider alternative designs to see if we can address those understandable concerns.” Sprint is designed as a new, modern, high quality and reliable public transport service using tram-style buses on dedicated lanes with priority through junctions. The low floor, high capacity vehicles feature multiple doors
allowing people to quickly board and get off, further improving journey times. Councilor Waseem Zaffar, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Birmingham City Council, said: “Sprint will play a hugely important role in helping to encourage more people out of cars and onto public transport, which in turn will reduce congestion on our roads as well as polluting vehicle emissions. I have been in regular contact with TfWM to ensure that we have a scheme that is not only acceptable to local residents but also meets our objectives of substantially improving Birmingham’s public transport offer, so I am pleased that the Mayor and TfWM are listening to the feedback received during the consultation.” The designs will now be reviewed and a further response issued during Spring 2019.
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The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 13
Music fashion Film Gadgets holiday education health and fitness
JANUARY 2019
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T.ROADZ
CELEBRATING The NEXT GENERATION
Page 14 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019
ENTERTAINMENT
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www.streetcredmagazine.com
THE HOTTEST ENTERTAINMENT SUPPLEMENT
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I
Editors note
t has come to the end of 2018 already, it feels like only yesterday it was Christmas 2017 and I mean really where has this year gone? As they say time flies when you are having so much fun and work to do.
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/markdwaynemedia
shoot a new music video called ‘Wild Out And Mellow’ which features me on white sand beaches and taking in the sun surrounded by beautiful women, I danced on yachts and had a go at snorkeling.
It has been a very interesting year indeed and far too many highlights and phenomenal experiences we could talk about in my editors note but there really isn’t enough time.
We got to travel on boat in the Blue Lagoon and past fabulous mansions owned by Michael Jordan and Oprah Winfrey. And as if we did diving in the area where they did the film set for Scooby Doo.
I will however mention the main adventures that have stood out for me, one being our dynamic trip to the Bahamas in October and staying in the multi million Atlantis Holiday Resort I took the opportunity with both hands to
This year we made a massive impact with Street Cred at Shardfest in July where our tent stole the show and was a festival of its own. Fast forward to December of course was our ground breaking Phoenix Newspaper 8th
Anniversary Awards at the ICC attended by government officials, top celebrities and all that was high calibre. You see each of those highlights I have mentioned I could write pages and pages going into great detail and that was nowhere near half of what we did in 2018. I hope your year has been as adventurous as mine and you have a great 2019. /markdwaynemedia /bigscreenphoenix /thephoenixnewspaper /streetcredmagazineonline
The Holiday Event delivers a true premium experience
T
oronto based events management group Epic Events, gave party-goers a festive reason to brave the chilly Canadian weather at its recent inaugural edition of ‘The Holiday Event’. Even with wintery temperatures, the Epic Events team still managed to receive a
/MarkDwayneMedia /MarkDwayneMedia
positive turnout of loyal patrons who yearned to beat the cold front with a genuine Caribbeanstyled food & drink inclusive holiday experience. The Heydenshore Pavilion in Whitby, Onatrio (just east of Toronto) was uniquely transformed to suit the holiday season. Epic Events set the scene with its distinct décor, displays
and technology resources such as decorated cocktail tables, specialty lighting, big screen projections and even trees. The venue provided a classy, effective and most importantly warm environment that gave an all-in-one feel of both an energetic dinner & dance and an intimate end of year affair.
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The youngest award winning grime sensation with big boy bars
A
star is born and in his own words spoken in his rhymes a legend descended from
heaven. That we may have to agree with him because what this dynamic 13 year old has achieved is like something we have never seen before for someone of his age. T Roadz from Birmingham has what you really call god gifted talent. The big boy bars he spits are of a wise man who has been in the music game for years. Explosive content that is all positive, conscious and in your face. Seeing this kid you can feel the hunger and true confidence of someone who really wants to make it big. T Roadz has achieved so much in one short year, releasing his own music videos, mixtapes, performing at festivals and gaining fans all over the world on his social media. Mark Dwayne of Street Cred Magazine discovered the T Roadz buzz on the internet and gave him his first magazine feature and a festival performance which was at
our Streetcred tent at Shardfest and woow it went down a storm to over 1000 people. Major companies since then like Nike and Foot asylum have taken a liking to T Roadz and use him to promote their products. BBC 1xtra has invited him into their studio and he has recently won his first ever award the Street Cred Next Generation Award at The Phoenix Newspaper 8th
We Love The 90’s, the ULTIMATE nineties tour is coming to Resorts World Arena on Saturday 14 December 2019. In a huge line up featuring Jenny Berggren from Ace Of Base, Vengaboys, 2 Unlimited, Snap!, Whigfield, Haddaway, DJ Sash, Rednex and many more, We Love The 90’s will see your favourite nineties pop acts perform over 60 UK Top 10 smash hit singles for one incredible night of nostalgia. So, dust off the platform heels and grab the knee-high socks, because the nineties are officially rolling into town. Expect to hear all of the best nineties tracks performed live – Ace of Base ‘All That She Wants’, Vengaboys ‘Boom Boom Boom Boom!’, 2 Unlimited ‘No Limit’, Haddaway ‘What Is Love’, Whigfield ‘Saturday Night’, Snap! ‘Rhythm is a Dancer’ and many more huge nineties hits to take you back in time to the greatest era in pop.
Anniversary Gala. His crew Self Success, Ash on Cam, Montanna, Starzzy and Trappy are well behind him in the management and music production, at his school he is signing autographs and taking photos with fans daily. T Roadz has already supported rap star Mist by winning a competition to perform with him through clothing brand Levis.
This kid has the likes of all the top MCs in Grime loving his sound and sharing his videos comparing him to top rappers like Kano Dizzee Rascal and Wiley. If this is big then what is next to come? At this stage he is succeeding in a major way and with a recording deal he will go all the way to the top. Major labels like Sony are already fighting to sign him up. There is no denying that T Roadz is set to become the next grime superstar. . The future is looking amazing with constant award nominations and celebrity endorsements. Here is to our new star T Roadz who you can find on his Instagram that has over 22k followers, see his unique freestyles, videos on SBTV and Black Box. Watch out for big boy bars
The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 15
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 16 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019
ENTERTAINMENT
The Resorts World Arena goes live
Previously known as the Genting Arena, the 15,700-capacity venue will use the new brand name, as a means of aligning it to the popular Resorts World Birmingham leisure and entertainment destination – directly opposite the Arena – which opened three years ago. Phil Mead, NEC Group Arenas and The Ticket Factory Chairman said: “The alignment of the Resorts World brand to our world class arena will serve both parties well in maximising branding opportunities. “Resorts World Birmingham was the first piece of the Group’s leisure strategy to transform the NEC campus into a 24hour leisure and entertainment destination, and has helped us to increase campus footfall, reaching 7.5 million in 2018. “As a top destination on many touring routes, the Arena has recently played host to global artists such as Iron Maiden, Paul Weller, Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue and has invested in excess of £3 million in its facilities since partnering with Genting UK, enhancing the customer experience both front and back of house.”
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Ariana Announces her Sweetener World Tour W ith her powerful vocals and astonishing range, Ariana Grande has emerged as one of the most magnetic and massively successful performers in pop music today. At age 25 she’s delivered three platinum-selling albums and surpassed 18 billion streams, in addition to nabbing four Grammy Award nominations and landing eight hits in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. With 2016’s critically acclaimed ‘Dangerous Woman,’ Grande both boldly defies expectation and reveals the full force of her voice (recently hailed as an “extraordinary, versatile, limitless instrument” upon her appearance on Time’s “100 Most Influential People” list). Since making her full-length debut with 2013’s ‘Yours Truly’ (featuring the game-changing, triple-platinum smash ‘The Way’), Grande has brought her striking vocal presence to a genre-blurring breed of pop, taking on R&B, soul,
and electronic music with equal nuance and assurance. Arriving in 2014, her sophomore effort, ‘My Everything,’ garnered a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album and spawned the 6x-platinum hits ‘Problem’ and ‘Bang Bang’ (a Grammy nominee for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance). Ariana embraced a more uncompromising vision than ever before in the making of Dangerous Woman. With People noting that the album “celebrates feminine might,” Entertainment Weekly praised Grande for “having something meaningful to say with that jaw-dropping voice — one of the most exquisite in pop today.” Grande wrapped up her widely lauded Dangerous Woman Tour in support of the album last year, performing 85 arena shows worldwide. Through the years, the longtime actress and former Broadway star has proven the scope of her talent by appearing on ‘Scream Queens’ and ‘Hairspray Live!’ and
showcased her comedic chops by hosting ‘Saturday Night Live.’ With her social media following now surging past 200 million, Grande has also earned numerous accolades from the MTV Video Music Awards, ‘iHeartRadio Music Awards,’ and ‘American Music Awards’ (including the highly coveted Artist of the Year prize). Her recent single ‘No Tears Left To Cry’ debuted at #1 on iTunes in 88 countries worldwide and began the next era for her upcoming fourth full length studio album Sweetener. With the release of ‘Not Tears Left To Cry’ she became the first artist in music history to see the lead single from her first four albums debut on the Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100. Last year she has graced the prestigious magazine covers of TIME’s Next Generation Leaders, FADER, and British Vogue. The highly anticipated album, Sweetener, was released in August 2018 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart.
Gig Listings TOWN HALL & SYMPHONY HALL
l Bastille play Birmingham’s O2 Academy on the 29th and 30th
BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY
January 05 CityLightz 11 Catapult Club 12 Catapult Club 17-19 The Streets 22 Mastodon 24 OMYO 25 Catapult Club 26 Mused 26 Daniel Sloss 27 Bronnie - Geeks & Freaks Tour 29-30 Bastille 31 The Wombats
O2 INSTITUTE
January 08 Ella Mai 12 Kojo Funds 13 A Bowie Celebration 17 Avatar 18 Dan + Shay 23 Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats 26 Gavin James 28 Monarchy 29 The Dandy Warhols
29 Amy Shark 29 This Wild Life + William Ryan Key 30 Israel Nash
ARENA BIRMINGHAM
January 05 Vitality Netball Superleague Super Ten 18-21 Strictly Come Dancing Live 2019 22 Frank Turner 23 The 1975 25 Snow Patrol 27 BBL Cup Final 2019
NEC
January 10-13 Autosport International 10-13 Performance & Tuning Car Show 19-20 National Running Show
January 01 The Johann Strauss Gala (SH) 02-13 The Tiger Who Came To Tea - Live! (TH) 06 Viennese New Year (SH) 09 Haydn To Beethoven (SH) 10-11 Birmingham City University Awards Ceremony January 2019 (SH) 13 Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet (SH) 15 Charles Esten (TH) 16 Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto (SH) 17 Matthew Wadsworth and Julia Doyle (SH) 19 Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto (SH) 19 Neil & Liam Finn (TH) 20 Black Dyke Band (SH) 21 Ben Howard (SH) 23 Town Hall Tour (TH) 23-24 Tetzlaff Plays Sibelius (SH) 23 Rafał Blechacz in recital (TH) 24 Bring Your Own Baby Comedy (SH) 25 Paul Carrack (SH) 26 Anton & Erin - Dance Those Magical Musicals (SH) 27 A Night In The West End Kerry Ellis (TH) 27 Dave Gorman (SH) 28 Echo Eternal Horizons (TH) 30 Beethoven’s Violin Concerto (SH) 30 Low (TH) 31 St Petersburg Philharmonic – Rachmaninoff and Mahler (SH)
SLADE ROOMS, WOLVERHAMPTON
January 05 VIP Record Fair 12 Whole Lotta DC & Mentallica 18 Francis Dunnery 26 Gin Annie
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The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 17
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Paloma, Parties, Presents and Preparations W
e caught up with Paloma Faith to talk roller skates, Christmas dinner and Gremlins!
Is there a particular Christmas present that you remember well from your childhood?
Fisher price roller skates. I have a cassette tape recording of my mother asking me what I would like one Christmas and true to self I replied “nothing” and she says to me “Paloma you must want something, if you could have anything in the world what would it be?” And I said “fisher price roller skates”. I love that tape. Memory is a funny thing because I probably would have forgotten those skates if I didn’t have the tape. I used to skate up and down my street on them because I wasn’t allowed on the road.
For the Christmas dinner, did you go all out?
Yes but I hate turkey so I have to be imaginative about the meat!
I am a huge fan of jamie Oliver’s best roast potatoes and I love sprouts in the oven with balsamic and honey! An amazing combo. Every year I always do all the cooking and have all the guests I like my house to be welcoming and warm and fun. So I like to have a nice breakfast and go through the stockings and then start cooking. It’s a lot of work I usually feed 10.
Do you open any presents on Christmas eve? What about a stocking?
One on Xmas eve! It stems from my childhood my mother was always very excited about Xmas and used to say let’s open one and I still do today.
Having grown up in London have you ever experienced a proper white Christmas?
Yes in the 80’s! Our garden was about a metre squared and it was all white . I built a snowman and my cat walked about in it and left paw prints. It was very magical until the sludge a few days later.
What would be your dream present?
A Leica camera they take lovely pictures. I am also a bit obsessed by Gucci.
Given the chance, would you go abroad for a holiday or stay at home over Christmas?
I like to go away just after Xmas for some winter sun. I over work usually and really rely on these holidays to rehabilitate.
Real tree or fake tree?
Fake tree it’s better for the environment and no needles! I go to town on the tree yes and over the years I’ve got some excellent ones. This year my fave purchase has been an avocado on toast bauble.
Fav Christmas movie and song?
Gremlins because it’s weird and dark and reminds me of my childhood. Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt. She really sexed it up!
We have seen your video for Its Christmas and I Hate You and numerous other covers you have done, but would you see yourself embracing the Christmas album proper and recording your own? Maybe, never say never.
Has having a child of your own made Christmas a much more magical holiday?
I think so. I have already started explaining the magic of Christmas by reading the stories and explaining the whole thing. My little one is not very aware of it all right now but just starting to come to terms with it Paloma Faith’s The Architect Zeitgeist Edition is out now via RCA Records
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 18 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019
ENTERTAINMENT
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Timber in the National Forest Wins Major National Award Timber, the new outdoor arts festival celebrating the story of the National Forest, has won the highest accolade in the festival world, taking Best New Festival at the UK Festival Awards ceremony held in London last week. It was chosen from a challenging field of national competition. This coveted award is just one of a clutch of accolades picked up by the festival recently. It also won Best PR campaign at the Outdoor Events Awards event in Bath last month, and at Leicestershire’s Tourism and Hospitality Awards it was awarded Favourite Festival. The judges for the latter said: “The ambition and vision for this festival were exceptional … a unique and exciting event that
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embraced the spirit and ambition of its unique setting: the National Forest.” John Everitt, Chief Executive for the National Forest Company, said: “We are thrilled with this array of awards for Timber in its first year. We wanted to make something truly exceptional that would engage people in the National Forest’s unique story, and inspire people to reconnect with trees, woodlands and the natural world. All our supporters, partners, and the festival artists and performers, plus all the festival-goers themselves, helped us make Timber the success that it was, and we can’t wait to present another amazing festival in 2019.” The National Forest Company worked with award-winning
festival producers Wild Rumpus to create the three-day camping festival, which took place in July this year at Feanedock Woods just outside Swadlincote. Through music, art, woodland activities and a lot of fun, it celebrated the transformative impact of forests. John continued: “Feedback received from festival-goers this year spoke of a real connection with nature, and the amazing atmosphere. It was so chilled out and a contrast to other festivals with its imaginative use of extensive woodland spaces, and intimate music stages set within the woodland glades.”
Peter Pan So at Birmingha Hippodrome
Bringing the house down by taking to the skies, Peter Pan is a swashbuckling hit for all the family!
Back In 2019 Showcase Thursday 31st Jan 7-9pm
Mockingbird Cinema, Custard Factory, Birmingham For tickets www.wearepunch.co.uk or 0121 224 7444
B
i r m i n g h a m Hippodrome opened its doors on Pantomime season with the high flying swashbuckling singing sensation that is Peter Pan! Matt Slack, in his 6th consecutive pantomime season at Birmingham Hippodrome immediately engaged the crowd with an impressive rendition of “This is Smee”, the first of a number of Greatest Showman references throughout the night. Taking the lead as Peter Pan with his stunning vocals is Jaymi Hensley from Union J, bringing the cheeky and cheerful character to life with ease, and with Jimmy Osmond as Captain Hook, and Meera Syal in her panto debut as the Magical Mermaid, the main
cast is rounded off very nicely. Slack has the audience in the palm of his hand, from the rousing chorus of “When I say Mister, you say Smee!” every time he comes on stage, to his perfectly timed innuendos, impressively memorised increasingly difficult tongue twisters, a great story involving flags and a whole section of singalong soundclips. Pantomimes are targeted at children of all ages (even into their 30’s, 40’s and even further!) as well as their parents, and there is something for everyone on the Hippodrome stage. The ensemble cast provide the energy throughout many of the numbers, and the Timbuktu Tumblers as the Neverlanders provide a sight that you need to see to event attempt to
comprehend, they were fabulous. One act that had everyone’s heart in their mouth was Sascha Williams along with Stephanie Knock as The Drunken Pirates, taking a balancing act to a whole other level, a good 4 meters above the stage! Of course, pantomime is a live production, and where things can go wrong, things will go wrong, although thankfully very much more comedic in their nature than sad or painful. A slight wardrobe malfunction left our dastardly Captain Hook without a moustache, despite a few flustered attempts to reattach it, and in another oral issue, during a particularly unfortunate section of a
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oars am
The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 19
8th Anniversary Gala Dinner And Awards PHOTO SPECIAL
Oh What A Night!
l The Pan-African Royals, Their Royal Highnesses HRH Princess Moradeun Adedoyin-Solarin & HRH Princess Toyin Onagoruwa with Mr Emmanuel Nammah - Minister for Welfare & Community Affairs, Nigeria High Commission
l Marcia McLaughlin,Editor-In-Chief of The Phoenix Newspaper with Daniel Riley, Assistant Editor
l Tessa Sanderson CBE presented the Sporting Hero Award
Page 20 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019
- 8TH ANNIVERSARY FEATURE -
thephoenixnewspaper.com
l Willard Wigan and Janice Blanchette
The People That l Beverly Crichlow and guests
l Robert William Antcliff and Talisa Barnett
l Tara Tomes and Norma Lewis
l Bimal Pattni & Bobby Ayyub Syed
l Janna Geiregger and Jessica Staniforth
l Jas Sansi
l Diana Crabtree
l Lavern Dunkley & Mo George
l Kesa Nkulu and Mafuta Sam
l Noreen Khan and Mandeep Hira
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The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 21
l Councillor Tristan Chatfield and Jamaica Deputy High CommissionerAngella Rose-Howell
Made The Night
l Carlton Ellis J.P, Tessa Sanderson CBE and Wade Lyn CBE
l Beverly Linday OBE OD VLL and Professor Martin Levermore
l Lynn GodfreyÂ
l Brigadier Richard Carter and Ninder Johal
l Shaun Wallace and Debra Clarke
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You Beautif
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l Irwin Sylvester, Tessa Sanderson CBE and Wade Lyn CBE
l
l Niah Joe Stewart, Telisha Warner and Lloyd Blake
l Mo George and Shaun Wallace
l Aleck Brailsford and Nyree Chambers
l Janine Richards and Wayne Irie
l Lisa Comley-Burke and Roland Comley
l Charmaine Burton
l Dr Dharam Vir Duggal and Dr Saroj Kumar
ful People!
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Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands, John Crabtree, and Diana Crabtree
ri Duggal
l Lord Mayor of Birmingham Yvonne Mosquito with Wayne Irie
l Phyllis Peters and guests
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l Tom Arscott and family
l Guests with Warrant Officer1 John Thacker
Elegance a l Jahmi Williams
l West Midlands Police
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l Mark Dwayne with Richard Loftus
and Class
l Rue Jay and Guests
l Maz Iqbal and guests with King G Mall
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l Paul Harrison of PK Media, Cllr Sybil Spence and Kapil Wadhwani, Tropical Sun
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l Andy Street and guests
l Bobby Singh
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Celebration
l Apache Indian and Desmond Jaddoo
l Miss Megumi Mesaku and Henry Bonsu
l Relley C
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A Gathering Of The Good Of Th
l Alex Akwaeze and Andy Street CBE
l Diane Shawe and JP Martinez
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f The Great & he Community
l Olusegun Dosumu and Abiola Dosumu
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Peter Pan So at Birmingha Hippodrome
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oars am
tongue twister, rather than “Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits”, Meera Syal ended up blurting out … well, I’m sure you can figure out the rest! Oh yes you can! Qdos have been pantomime partners with Birmingham Hippodrome for years, and the scenes, props and the utterly terrifying Tick Tock Clock showcased exactly why. Long may the partnership continue! From beginning to everyone joining in for the Osmond classic Love Me For A Reason as a wonderful musical finale, Peter Pan was a whirlwind of pantomime glory. If you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, the show runs until the 27th January 2019. What are you waiting for?!
St. Kitts Music Festival 2019 Gets ‘Smoking’ Hot Smokey Robinson has been announced as one of the performers at the 23rd annual St. Kitts Music Festival. Kicking off what is sure to be a star-studded line-up, the St. Kitts Tourism Authority in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism, announced that Smokey Robinson will be performing alonside French Montana, Popcaan, and Davido. The music festival will take place from 26 to 30 June 2019. “It is gratifying to see these top musical artists join the roster for the 2019 St. Kitts Music Festival,” said Minister of Tourism, International Trade, Industry and Commerce the Hon. Mr. Lindsay F.P. Grant. “Each year, this event features top international acts along with a mix of local and regional talent showcasing a broad range of musical genres. It is one of the reasons that our Music Festival is a unique event and appeals to such a wide audience.” Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, added, “System-wide air arrivals were up 28.1% in June 2018 as compared to June 2017, the biggest June increase we have seen in recent
years, demonstrating the success of our marketing of the event in driving travel to St. Kitts for the festival in what is otherwise a slow period.” Now entering its 23rd year, the St. Kitts Music Festival attracts both
locals and visitors alike. It features a wide range of musical styles on the popular market, including R&B, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Soca, Calypso, Gospel and Contemporary music.
FROM BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT
0844 338 5000 birminghamhippodrome.com Calls cost 4.5p per min. plus your phone company’s access charge.
Page 32 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019
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SpideR Senses Tingling
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
S
ome may praise the original live action Spider-Man, with Tobey Maguire as the best, while others prefer the Andrew Garfield reimagining, and others still preferring Tom Holland’s version in Awakening and The Avengers, but one thing that is always a staple is the same old origin story. But that changes with Into The Spider-Verse. It starts off familiar enough, butwith a Peter Parker 10 years into his time as the webslinger, before we’re introduced to Miles Morales, a Spider-Fan, struggling to fit in at school, who once again finds himself on the sharp end of a
review
spider-bite and it all happens again, but completely different. Praising this movie is honestly easy, but where to begin is the most difficult. There is a gripping and fast-paced storyline, spanning both hilarious moments and heart wrenching scenes, and some brilliant voice acting from the likes of Jake Johnson as a tired and weary Spider-man, Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacey a.k.a. Spider-Woman, and Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir. But the standout part of this movie has to be the art itself. With
wORDS by DANIEL RILEY
a complete shy away from Pixaresque animation, and back to a frame limited cel-shaded style that evokes the very comic books that the character and film are based off. “We are using these contemporary 3D, CG animation tools, but we want every artist to remember that every frame is an illustration of something. “We are trying to bring the human hand back into visibility on top of all the amazing technological achievements,” wrote Phil Lord, Writer and Executive Producer of Into The Spider-Verse. The artistic design choices flow directly into the soundtrack of the movie as well. Far from the flowing orchestral tracks usually reserved for the dramatic entrance of the hero, or the culmination of a fight scene, we are treateed to a wide variety of jazz, hip-hop and R&B, harking back to Mile’s roots through his parents, and also to the more gritty, down to earth feeling that this film evokes from beginning to end. There has been a lot of, stigma is probably the wrong word, but unease at the animated superhero films of late, but even if you are apprehensive about seeing Into The Spider-Verse, it is definitely worth watching. Even for someone who has no idea about the multi-verse or the other characters involved in the film, it is an enjoyable thrill-ride from start to finish. Every character is impeccably written, easily able to hold their own stand-alone film should that be where this goes, and with the brilliant writing from joking one minute to a heartfelt admission the next, you’re always kept on your toes. If you miss this at the cinema, it’s well worth picking up on DVD or Blu-Ray once it’s out.
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The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 33
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New Festive West End Success For Music Birmingham Repertory Theatre Ahead For Old Heads? With 2018 now history, thoughts turn to the year ahead. 2019 has a whole gamut of great new music in store. From Stormzy to The Spice Girls, the next 12 months will see the return of the planet's biggest pop stars, and a few exciting new names taking their first steps into the big league. 2018 was a fallow year for most of pop's A-listers - with a knock-on effect on album sales, which fell by an estimated 25%. But the New Year promises a crop of major releases that could reverse that trend – from the likes of the afore mentioned Stormzy, plus Rihanna, Lana Del Rey, The 1975, Dua Lipa, Foals, Mark Ronson, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and the seemingly unrivalled all-time comeback queen, Madonna. An interesting year ahead!
B
l Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company. Pic Credit: John James irmingham Repertory Theatre (The REP) is celebrating a hat-trick of West End successes as three of its productions played in London last month. And they all happen to be Christmas shows! Nativity! The Musical originally premiered at The REP in October 2017 and opened at the Eventim Apollo on 19 December. Patrick Barlow’s The Messiah opened in Birmingham last
October and is now running at The Other Palace; and the theatre’s long-running production of The Snowman is currently celebrating its 21st consecutive season at The Peacock. All three shows were produced, built and premiered by The REP and success of them is part of the theatre’s focus to extend the life and profile of the work made in Birmingham. Stuart Rogers, Executive Director at Birmingham Repertory
Theatre explains: “The REP now priorities securing a future life beyond Birmingham for as many of its productions as possible, often through coproducing with commercial producers, other regional theatres or touring companies. “We have one of the bestequipped production facilities and a group of highly-skilled carpenters/metalworkers, scenic artists, costume makers, lighting and sound technicians all housed
in the building and can therefore offer a high-quality one-stop shop in which to create the new shows of the highest quality. “We’re delighted to have three productions running simultaneously in London throughout December. We hope that both The Messiah and Nativity! The Musical go on to have as long and successful Christmas lives as The Snowman has enjoyed”
ENTERTAINMENT
BTS 'worth $4.9 billion a year' to South Korea South Korean boy-band BTS are worth more than $3.6 billion (S$4.9 billion) to the country's economy every year -- equivalent to the contribution of 26 mid-sized companies - a research institute said. The floppy-haired songsters were also the reason that one in every 13 foreign tourists visited South Korea in 2017, the Hyundai Research Institute said. Known for their boyish good looks and meticulously choreographed dance moves, BTS - short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates as Bulletproof Boy Scouts - have become one of South Korea's best-known and most valuable musical exports. The septet also became the first K-pop band to top the US album charts, a sign of the genre's growing global appeal. That appeal has helped boost the brand image of South Korean products abroad, the institute said, making BTS a valuable economic asset. More than $1 billion in consumer exports, such as clothes, cosmetics, and foodstuffs, were associated with them, it said. If BTS maintain their popularity they can be expected to generate an economic value of 41.8 trillion won over the next 10 years, the institute added.
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Megumi Mesaku
aka miss megoo
You saw her at The Phoenix Newspaper 8th Anniversary Gala Dinner and Awards where she wowed the audience with her fusion of reggae and jazz, going from table to table. Look out for a special Exclusive Feature on this talented lady coming soon to The Phoenix Newspaper
Michelle Williams Collection ● Unique bespoke tailormade hairpieces ● Look your best at a ball, wedding, christening or even Ascot ● One-to-one consultations & personalised designs ● Available in a wide variety of styles ● 30 Years experience in the hairdressing industry
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l Gordon Murray CBE
CBE For Murray’s ‘Services To Motoring’
Automotive designer and engineer, Professor Gordon Murray has been awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in the Queen’s New Year Honours 2019. The accolade is in recognition of his ‘services to Motoring’ after a lifetime of devising and delivering creative and ground-breaking projects in the motorsport and automotive sectors. Gordon Murray said: “It is extremely humbling to receive a CBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours. “I’ve spent more than 50 years doing what I love, working with a wealth of highly-talented and creative people around the world, but primarily in the UK. “From the competing during the heyday of Formula One, to designing the world’s fastest supercar, I’ve loved every minute. “I’d like to dedicate this honour to all those I’ve worked with over the years and I look forward to an exciting new future for the Gordon Murray Group.” Having designed his first car in 1967, Murray moved to the UK to join the Brabham Formula One Team as Technical Director winning two world championships (1981 and 1983), and then moved to McLaren International as Technical Director in 1988 where the team won three consecutive championships – 1988, 1989 and 1990. Having accrued 50 Grand Prix wins in Formula One, he went on to establish a new company – McLaren Cars Limited. The Company’s first project was the renowned McLaren F1 Road Car. A racing version won two world sports car championships and the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1995. Murray guided several other successful projects at McLaren Cars, culminating with the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren programme.
The Tech Of The Future? H
yundai Motor Company announced the world’s first smart fingerprint technology that allows drivers to not only unlock doors but also start the vehicle. Hyundai plans to implement the technology initially in Santa Fe SUV model that is to be released in select markets on the first quarter of 2019. To unlock the vehicle, the driver need to place a finger on the sensor located on the door handle. The encrypted fingerprint information will be identified and delivered to the fingerprint controller inside the vehicle. The driver can also easily start the vehicle by touching the ignition that is also equipped with a fingerprint scanning sensor. The technology also provides a customized driving environment. Matching information of driver preference with fingerprint data, the vehicle automatically adjusts seating positions, connected car features, and side-view mirror angles according to the driver. “In the future, Hyundai Motor plans to further expand the application of the technology
to allow the adjustment of temperature, steering wheel position, and many other features which will be tailored to driver’s preferences” said Albert Biermann, President and Head of Research & Development Division of the Hyundai Motor Company. “This will ultimately offer quality driving experience to each and every Hyundai customer.” Hyundai also addressed the security issues on the smart fingerprint technology. With capacitance recognition, which detects differentials in the electricity level in various parts of the fingertip, the fingerprint technology efficiently prevents forgeries and faked fingerprints. The technology’s chance of misrecognizing other person’s finger print as the driver’s is only 1 in 50,000 making it five times more effective than conventional vehicle keys, including smart keys. Moreover, through real-time learning of fingerprints supported by ‘dynamic update’ system, the fingerprint system can continually improve its success rate.
‘Range Anxiety’ to Disappear ELECTRIC CARS are within a whisker of meeting the range demands of more than one in three motorists, new figures reveal. Exclusive research by DrivingElectric.com, the independent consumer advice website for electric vehicles, shows 37% of motorists cite up to 300 miles as the range that will entice them to buy a pure
The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 35
EV. That means they’re in for a surprise, because a growing number of models are within a handful of miles of delivering that distance on a single charge. So cars like the long range Hyundai Kona Electric – which can cover 292 miles – fall just eight miles short of the most common figure for consumers’ range ambitions.
Ever since the first electric cars appeared in the UK market, motorists have cited range anxiety as the main reason for holding off on an EV purchase. But improvements in technology are coming faster than many motorists realise, which means many don’t know their demands for range have already been met.
MOTORS
Dry Jan? How About Safer January On The Roads? ROAD SAFETY and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist is urging all road users to put safety at the top of their 2019 agenda. The call comes as we once again prepare to make those well-intentioned turn-of-the-year pledges to do more of this or less of that. Thinking about road safety makes particularly good sense in January. After all, there is the end of the holidays and the big return to work to contend with, as well as the long nights, the threat of bad weather and often the worry that goes with a pile of Christmas bills to pay. Any or all of these can play havoc with our attention on journeys, according to GEM. GEM road safety officer Neil Worth said, “We admire those who are determined to improve their fitness, commit to a month without alcohol or any other healthy plan. But if we all committed to a few minor changes in the way we use the roads, the benefits for everyone would be significant,”
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ENTERTAINMENT
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W WITH RHEA DEHANEY
elcome to another edition of Teen flair where I give you advice highlight realer people, travel experiences and much more! Happy new year! How did you celebrate the new year? This month I will be reflecting on my trip to North Yorkshire. I love to travel. I’m ecstatic to show
you my interesting travelling experiences. I look forward to 2019 as i’ll be visiting Germany, Berlin. I am also thrilled to introduce you to my University flatmate, Donovan Moss who I have gotten to know during my first year at University of West London. I am astonished by his massive achievements, especially at a young age!
From Bahamas to UK
S
uch a peaceful experience, away from the outside world, perfect place to bond’ I visited North Yorkshire with NCS an amazing summer program for teenagers 15-17 yrs old. I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my entire life. Being such a city girl, I’m not used to camping, animals and seeing much of woodland areas. When I visited we were all split into different teams, so we engaged in risk - taking activities such as abseiling which was one of the craziest sports i’ve ever done. I challenged myself to abseil of a high cliff which was very scary not having tried it before.
What was your experience like moving from the Bahamas to the UK?
Moving from my hometown in Nassau, Bahamas to the UK has been one of the most hectic things I have ever experienced in my life. I was subsequently supposed to arrive in London on September 1, 2018 but I ended up enrolling into University on October 1, 2018. The main reason for my late arrival was my visa: unfortunately, I did apply for my UK visa late but I did pay and request for an expedition. Laying in my bed at home after two weeks of anticipating of my visa, I finally got the email that it had arrived! I called my mom, rushed to receive my passport with the visa attached and left on the next flight to London, England. Upon arrival I caught a taxi from Heathrow airport to my accommodation, then to the University to enrol in to my classes.
I’ve had the pleasure of tasting some of your dishes, how long have you been cooking for and who taught you to cook?
I have been cooking for approximately 4 years, but professionally 1 year. I taught myself basic methods of cooking and rudiments of culinary arts. Over time I had obtained mentorsChef Kwivan Miller and Chef Smalls.
Out of all the dishes you like to cook what is your favourite dish to cook?
My Native hometown dish- Stew Conch
If you haven’t you’ve got to try it! The hard part is actually just climbing over the cliff. DO NOT look down! Once you begin climbing down it just gets easier and easier. If you’re like me and you spend a lot of time on your phone, I would advise you to leave your phone at home, or challenge yourself not to go on it when you visit, or else you’ll also miss a lot of the beautiful scenery if you have your phone. We also had time to have a campfire full of marshmallows and singing. It was so relaxing, after a long day being in such cold weather, it allows you to appreciate small things such as camp fires whilst wrapping up in blankets!
You fall.. You freeze!
I took part in raft building, it was hilarious, I would say apart of travelling, depending on who your with it makes a big difference. A tense competition took place to see who’s raft could stay afloat without any team members falling into the water. Now as you probably know, Yorkshire isn’t known for sunny weather. Because the water was freezing, we all became even more competitive to not fall in! I’m not a fan of cold weather, but it is all worth while when you rise early and have a chance to watch the sunset rise. If you also need peace of mind there are many camping sites or parks to clear your mind! Great place if you just want a peaceful rest or time to bond with family and friends.
Check out my first Youtube video ‘Rhea Dehaney’ I hope you are blessed :) Why do you think it is important for young people to pursue their dreams?
It is very important for this generation to pursue their dreams mainly because of the image the world is portraying. Dreams and purpose is something that drives the human spirit, it what distinctively separates a human being from all other creatures on this earth. Without it, we will all be strolling aimlessly and just living- which is actually the biggest tragedy in the world.
Are there any downfalls in the culinary industry, and what are your favourite moments whilst being in the industry?
There are many downfalls in
this industry from long working hours, heat, rough environments, perfection of your craft, difficult customers etc. The main issue is staying positive to your goal as a chef, because it is a very long process which takes years! My best moment in the industry was when I worked at Atlantis Paradise island in the Bahamas, and I was chosen by two restaurants to create speciality dishes for them.
What advice would you give someone who would like to pursue the Culinary industry?
Do not give up Do not let others put negativity in your mind Do not boast Always be creative Never take no for an answer
KEEP IN TOUCH 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, 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
Scripture of the month
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The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 37
- OBITUARIES & NOTICE BOARD -
Mushirul Hasan
A
historian of modern India, he wrote extensively on the partition of India,communalism, and on the history of Islam in South Asia. A former Aligarh Muslim University and Cambridge University scholar, he was a Professor in the Department of History and Culture, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He also served as the Director of Academy of Third World Studies
in Jamia Millia Islamia from 2000 to 2010. He was the ProVice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia from 1992 to 1996. Later, he served as the ViceChancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia. In 2010, he was appointed as the Director-General of the National Archives of India and was then elected as the President of the Indian History Congress in 2002. He was 69.
Dame June Whitfield DBE
Pete Shelley T
H
e was the lead singer of punk band, The Buzzcocks, who are best known for their hit; ‘Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've).’ Said to be one of the UK's most influential and prolific songwriters of his era who
inspired generations of musicians over his five-decade career, he formed the band in Bolton in the 1970s, and were regarded as a more polished, but musically no less influential outfit than seminal punk ‘royalty’ the Sex Pistols. Dying of a suspected heart attack, he was 63.
he radio, television and film actress first starred in the radio comedy ‘Take It from Here’ before appearing on television with Tony Hancock throughout his television career. She the played the leading role in the television sitcom ‘Beggar My Neighbour’ before also appearing in four Carry On films: ‘Nurse, ,’Abroad, ‘Girls, and ‘Columbus. She and fellow-Carry On star, Terry Scott, began a long television ‘husband and wife’
partnership in ‘Happy Ever After’ and ‘Terry and June.’ From 1992, she playing Edina Monsoon's mother in the BBC sitcom ‘Absolutely Fabulous.’ She also played a regular character in ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ as well as a recurring character in ‘The Green Green Grass’ as well as also playing Agatha Christie's Miss Marple on BBC Radio 4. She was 93.
Dionne Rose-Henley Frederick Fasehun
T
Sharmeen Said Khan
W
ith her sister, Shaiza, they were pioneers for Pakistan women's cricket after watching the 1993 World Cup final. They were inspired to create their own team and, after attending
Concord College in Shrewsbury and Leeds University, in 1997, they secured the right to have a Pakistani women's team. A regular Test, 1-Day and T20 international, she died aged 36, after battling with pneumonia.
Notice Board
A
former Jamaican athlete who specialised in the high hurdles, she competed at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games.
She went on to coached sprinters and hurdlers at Coastal Carolina University in 2017. Losing a lengthy battle with cancer, she died age 49.
he Nigerian medical doctor, hotel owner and leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress studied science at Blackburn College before studying at Aberdeen University College of Medicine. He also studied at the Liverpool Postgraduate School before a Fellowship at the Royal College of Surgeons. He further studied acupuncture in China under a joint World Health Organization and United Nations Development Scholarship Program.
In 1977, he set up an Acupuncture Unit at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, in his home country. He resigned in 1978 and immediately set up the Besthope Hospital and Acupuncture Centre – a first for the Chinese medical practice - in Lagos. He died in the intensive care unit of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, age 83.
urprise!
, Big S p o h S e l t Lit
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:
Festival Saturda of Happiness y, June 2 9, 2019 The Ne w Bingle y Hall 1 Hock Birming ley Circus ham B1 8 5PP
0121 339 5885
2019 Awards
Chinese New Year February 4th 2019
To Advertise
are open for nominations now Visit http://bu lgarianbusines sawards.com for more info rmation
0121 339 5885 or 0208 865 1922
Page 38 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019
- INSPIRED ARTS AWARDS -
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King G Mall to Inspire an
l King G Mall with the winnersof his Inspired Arts Awards
A
by Steve Williams
mongst an array of some of the region’s leading figures, TPN Media Founder/Managing Editor Marcia McLaughlin proved a winner, yet again, as she received major recognition, at the Dhol King G Mall’s Inspired Arts Awards 2018. Always known for his dedication, determination and struggle with a smile - for over 50 years - artistic director, teacher, music producer and performer, Gurcharan Mall BEM, was the ultimate ‘giver’ at this, the 7th anniversary of what is a fast-growing Awards show which highlights the leading lights in his native Punjab culture and the wider multicultural world of music, arts and multi-media. Himself an internationally renowned multi-award winning star, Bhangra legend, King G Mall, was ‘at his best’ rewarding those who have inspired him – or have been inspired by him. So many in attendance on the night, other musicians and artists in their own right, stated how he is not only just a powerful musician but an Uncle, Father and Friend to each of them. It was a very humbling experience
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- INSPIRED ARTS AWARDS -
Continuing nd Reward to see artists so openly celebrating each other. And, amongst the artisan awardees – which marked G Mall’s own relentless drive in making Indian art more mainstream - The Phoenix Newspaper’s own Ms. McLaughlin’s deserved reception of a King G Mall Inspired Arts Awards 2018 proved worthy, as said by all present. In its 7th year, the inspired, motivated arts awards – hosted by BBC presenter, Satvinder Rana, this was a further opportunity for Gurcharan to say a special ‘Thank You,’ to Marcia, for the ongoing support she has given him – specifically - over many years and for continuing to be the leading light in connecting communities under ‘one umbrella – The Phoenix Newspaper.’ Other King G Mall Inspired Arts Awards 2018 winners were; Parvinder Rehal, Anjuman, Bally Gill, Jagdeep Ji, Sarbjeet, Sakhuntla, Manesh, Raj Dave, Suki Bhart, Bobby, Danny, Sunil, Dippa, Simon, Avtar, Kuljeet, Ajee, Vishal, Sikandar and Akash. Alongside Marcia McLaughlin, other ‘Special Appreciation Awards’ went to; Bill Kooner, Aman, Punjabi Rasoi and Amarjit Bhaji.
The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 39
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Police find themselves innocent after ‘bigot’ posters The police in Scotland who posted anti-Christian posters have investigated their own actions and determined they are innocent. According to WND, the internal investigation came following a complaint that was filed by the Barnabas Fund Christian ministry. The ministry said it filed a complaint about “hate crime” posters from the police and Scottish government. The posters were addressed “Dear Bigots.” “Division seems to be what you believe in,” the poster said. “We don’t want your religious hate on our buses, on our streets and in our communities. But a senior police officer said the posters are not “based on malice or ill will towards any social group.” The Barnabas Fund ministry said the posters were upsetting to Christians. Barnabas CEO Hendrick Storm said he was “shocked” at the posters. Rev. David Robertson of St. Peter’s Free Church in Dundee called the poster a “contradiction.”
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- AZUZA STREET -
Keeping Indian churches open over Christmas
I
n the midst of growing fear of violence around Christmas, ADF India and its allies have won several court cases protecting the right of Christians to freely live out their faith. Tehmina Arora, Director of ADF India, said; “Many were afraid of celebrating Christmas. We anticipated more anti-Christian violence and harassment. “The Indian constitution guarantees the freedom to practice and propagate religion to every citizen. The cancellation of Christmas events simply for fear of disturbances violates this basic right. “The state should never target people because of their religious beliefs but protect them.” Earlier in December, authorities denied Christians in the Karur district of Tamil Nadu permission to hold carol events after they requested police protection out of fear of the violence they experienced in 2017.
As a result, they were banned from holding carol services at all because it would cause disturbances to law and order. Lawyers of ADF India successfully intervened before the High Court of Madras, which has now ordered the police to grant protection to the Christians as they celebrate. In many states in India, Christians were not able to celebrate safely. With the rise of anti-Christian violence across India, Christian groups and communities fear the time around major Christian holidays. In particular, Christmas raises these fears as mob violence and arbitrary arrests are common at this time of year. Anti-conversion laws are a big part of the problem. Recently, ADF India has had another success in countering the legitimacy of these laws. The High Court of Jharkhand has agreed to hear a case challenging the state’s anti-conversion laws. This could ultimately set a precedent that leads to the repeal
of India’s anti-conversion laws. “We are very happy to take this first important step in challenging anti-conversion laws across India,” said Arora. “Everyone should be able to freely live out their faith. The injustice of these laws hinders Christians and other religious minorities in India from doing so.” Through the increase of anticonversion laws in India, hostility towards Christians and other religious minorities has risen. This has included arbitrary arrests, threats, physical assaults, and fear of practicing their faith in public. Hundreds of faithful and clerics have been detained because of anti-conversion laws already, including mass arrests. Overall, the effects of anticonversion laws have been disturbing and hostile as they are far from protecting freedom of religion and are more likely to undermine it. In combination with Hindu extremism they are violently exploited, putting religious minorities in danger.
Celebrating family community and culture during Kwanzaa A Celebration of family, community and culture, whilst many throughout the world marked December 25 to celebrate Christ, many others celebrated Kwanzaa, a PanAfrican holiday celebrating family, community and culture. Created by Dr. Maulana Karenga - Professor and Chair of the Department of Africana Studies at California State University - in 1966, Kwanzaa is celebrated by millions
from the African Diaspora throughout the world, bringing a cultural message which speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense. Given the profound significance of Kwanzaa, and its rapid growth relevance, integrity, beauty and expansive meaning of the holiday, it is always approached with depth of thought, dignity, and sense of specialness. The holiday, then, is always engaged as an ancient and
living cultural tradition which reflects the best of African thought and practice in its reaffirmation of the dignity of the human person in community and culture, the well-being of family and community, the integrity of the environment and our kinship with it, and the rich resource and meaning of a people's culture. Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 to January 1 in the UK.
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- PROPERTY -
The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 41
Housing Association ends year with growth in Wolverhampton
l Left to Right: Tenant Santosh Kumari, Nehemiah Scheme Mgr Clement Dune, PA Housing CEO Matt Cooney, Nehemiah’s Rita Samuels, Nehemiah CEO Llewellyn Graham and tenant Gobinder Sangha
Family-run convenience store finds new owners
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pecialist business property adviser, Christie & Co has completed on the sale of C H Brown & Sons, an iconic local convenience store in Stechford, Birmingham, with funding secured through specialist commercial finance broker, Christie Finance. Established in 1935, it has been owned and operated by the Brown family for over four generations, who have built an excellent local reputation throughout the years. Situated on a busy retail parade, it offers a wide array of products, including food, tobacco and off license – amongst other services. Previous owner, Stephen Brown commented; “With sadness, we put the business for sale so it could continue to be run by hard working and energetic people. We welcome the new owners,
Sanje and his team, who I am delighted to say intend to keep the name C H Brown, which will commemorate my grandfather, Cyril Harry Brown, and the history of the shop. A new refit is planned, opening hours will be extended and many other ideas will be implemented shortly, bringing the shop bang up to date once again!” New owner and local operator, M&M Family 3 Ltd has worked in the convenience sector for a number of years and operates a convenience store situated a short distance away from C H Brown. They plan to undertake a full refurb of the store and will keep C H Brown as the name of the business, in honour of the family that built up its local reputation. Sanje Siva of M&M Family 3 Ltd said; “We thank Christie and Co who helped us complete this process and Karmen Freimuth
who was there every step of the way to give us the right guidance for a smooth transaction. “We would like to wish the Brown family all the best for the future.” Director at Christie Finance, Stuart Pawelczyk - worked with Sanje and his family to secure funding for the purchase of C H Brown & Sons said; “My clients are all highly experienced retailers, operating several leasehold stores and petrol filling stations across the Midlands and South. They have developed an excellent reputation within the sector, enabling them to negotiate excellent terms with suppliers for the benefit of their customers. In view of this, I am confident they will make a real success of operating C H Brown & Sons and I hope to work with them all again in the future.”
New Home For Harry & Meghan As they await the birth of their first child, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be moving to their new home - Frogmore Cottage in Windsor on the Windsor Estate in Berkshire – in early 2019. And the Royal couple should be looking forward to their imminent move to the country even more after enjoying the country air on the annual Boxing Day shoot in Sandringham, in Norfolk. Harry and Meghan are expected to move into the early 19th-century house once renovation work is completed. A planning application has been lodged to Windsor and Maidenhead council but details of requested changes have not
been disclosed. However, it is likely that the security arrangements for the property will be increased, among other changes. The Duke and Duchess of
Sussex have been living in twobedroom Nottingham Cottage, one of the smallest properties in the grounds of Kensington Palace, since they got engaged.
West Midlands based Nehemiah Housing Association, is ending 2018 on a high, having this week taken ownership of 118 properties in Wolverhampton, after completing a competitive bid process to take ownership of the properties from PA Housing. This takes Nehemiah’s portfolio to 1243 homes in the West Midlands and includes 492 properties across Wolverhampton for single people and families, McCalla House Retirement scheme in
Graiseley and Seacole Court Young families scheme in Whitmore Reams and the newly acquired Shanti Niketan 26 bedroom sheltered scheme in Blakenhall from PA Housing. PA Housing, which owns and manages over 23,000 properties across the Midlands, London, Home Counties and the South East, took the decision to rationalise their housing stock and to review their geographical areas.
Page 42 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019
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- HEALTH AND WELLBEING
ocus F on Social Care
Direct Payments
H
l George Moore unveiling the Choo Choo Express
George unveils the Choo Choo Express
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n Tuesday 11 December, George Moore, a patient at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, unveiled the ‘Choo Choo Express’ after winning a competition to name his very own special festive Chiltern Railways train. Two-year-old George from Sutton Coldfield, who was treated at the hospital for croup and infected tonsils, beat off stiff competition to be announced winner of the exclusive children’s hospital competition. After much anticipation, the family finally saw George’s design brought to life for the first time today. His mum, Fay, 32, commented: “It was such a special moment to see George’s Choo Choo Express design on the side of the train. George’s eyes lit up and he was just so excited. We’re so proud of him, this train is going to be seen by thousands as it travels across the country and George just loves trains so seeing his design was the perfect prize. We hope that this will be a memory he holds close to him for the rest of his life. “We have been in Birmingham Children’s Hospital a lot over the past few weeks, with two visits to A&E with George for croup
and infected tonsils as well as a stint on the High Dependency Unit for our daughter, Betty, who had pneumonia and bronchiolitis. It’s been a tough month but hopefully we’re all on the mend and can enjoy Christmas at home.” Alan Riley, Customer Services Director at Chiltern Railways, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the children’s hospital with our special Christmas train this year following the success of last year’s Santa Train. Christmas is about giving, so we are pleased to be able to give this opportunity to George and his family and help them create festive memories at what must be a difficult time for them.” Serena Daw, Public Fundraising Manager at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “This year our Moments of Magic Christmas campaign is all about bringing magical moments to our patients and families and helping ensure their hospital experience is the best it possibly can be. “We’re so grateful to Chiltern Railways for deciding to support our patients and families in this way by giving such a unique experience to George and his family.”
Hospitals Making Millions from Car Park Charges Research has found that 124 out of 152 NHS trusts in England made more than £226m in 2017-18 from increased car parks with some trusts having doubled the cost of certain stays for visitors. Several hospitals have defended the charges, saying some or all of it goes back into patient care or maintaining car parks. That, according to a Freedom of Information requests by the Press Association, means that four in 10 NHS hospitals have increased their car parking prices in the last year. Parking charges at some hospital are capped for cancer patients but users are said to still have to pay upwards of some £144 during the course of treatment. "My attitude is there should be a fee but it shouldn't be a ripoff," said regular hospital user, Starleana Young, who recently had to stay in for a period following an operation. She was told not to travel by public transport in order to
minimise the risk of infection and was instead directed to the hospital's car park. Moira Fraser-Pearce, the Director of Policy and campaigns at Macmillan Cancer Support, said; “Cancer can have a significant impact on people’s finances and if they have to pay to park at hospital in England, these charges can add considerably to this – especially for those undergoing treatment on a daily basis.” Unison Head of Health, Sara Gorton, said: “If the government put more money into the health service, charges could be scrapped, and nurses, porters and their NHS colleagues would no longer have to pay through the nose simply to park at work.” A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We have made it very clear that patients, their families and our hardworking staff should not be subjected to unfair parking charges.” There are no hospital car park charges in Wales and parts of Scotland.
appy New Year, wishing you all and your families a happy and healthy 2019. This is the time for us all to make some positive lifestyle choices as we start this New Year and become healthier, fitter and well in 2019. I am going to try and ensure I am increasing my fitness through walking more and making sure I do at least 10,000 steps. So hopefully I will be able to shift those extra few pounds that crept on over Christmas and the festive period. When I first became Cabinet Member, one of the things that I was keen to improve was the number of our citizens who have eligible assessed care needs that take up a Direct Payment. A Direct Payment is a sum of money given to service users to meet their assessed care needs. A Direct Payment, allows our citizens direct control of the services that they want giving them the freedom to choose what services will support them to be more independent, active and improve their quality of life. I am keen that our citizens are treated with dignity and provide care that meets their needs. Birmingham’s level of Direct Payments when I first became Cabinet Member was low in comparison to other Local Councils. Previously citizens did not want to opt for a direct payment due to the worry of the paperwork and bureaucracy surrounding having the funds and keeping a record of expenditure. There is however, lots of support available that take away this pressure and can be explained further by social work staff. I am glad that improvements have been made and we have steadily increased the number of our citizens opting for direct payments. I wanted to share a case study that show how a direct payment can make a positive difference. Case Study - Mrs B is an older lady living in sheltered housing. She had been returned home by the
Your care and support – Direct Payments
l Cllr Paulette Hamilton police more than once, after leaving her flat late at night. She was once found in the city centre. She has dementia and the suggestion was she might need 24 hour care. However, the family were supportive of keeping her in her own flat (the manager of the sheltered housing was not!) and the daughter explained that her mother had had a series of untreated urine infections that she felt was the cause of the increased confusion. I explained the Mental Capacity Act and “least restrictive” to the scheme manager. It was agreed for her to have 10 nights waking night care, until such time as another course of antibiotics took effect. The funding was added onto the existing direct payment. We also arranged for Just Checking to be put in place as soon as the waking night care ended. Contrary to the views of the ambulance service and scheme manager, Mrs B did not need to go into a care home. Once her urine infection was fully treated, she returned to her “normal” pattern of sleep and this was evidenced by Just Checking. I visited her for the last time yesterday and she was in very good spirits. In fact, she is utterly delightful! The family have also funded just checking privately, as they felt it was helpful for it to remain in place. I don’t know if Mrs B will be able to say in her flat forever, but it most certainly would have been the wrong time to make such a significant decision about her future. This is just one example but there are many more, if you want further information on Direct Payments please log onto the City Council website.
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- HEALTH AND WELLBEING -
The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 43
Parents 'taking unpaid leave or using holidays to look after sick children'
On Your Marks, Get Set,
GO!
All the Sport action from Page 46!
Trust to become smokefree site l Health Exchange Stop smoking advisors
T
here’s just 200 days to go before Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust goes smokefree across site. The new policy will come into place on 5 July, 2019 and the organisation is preparing for the change by urging staff, patients and visitors to get the help they need to quit now. Stop Smoking Services are available to staff and patients across Sandwell and West Birmingham with dedicated clinics at Sandwell, City and Rowley Regis Hospitals. Appointment slots can be booked with Caroline Kenny, and Stephanie Morris, Health Exchange Stop Smoking Service Coordinators, or Stop Smoking Advisor Nadia Al-Sohaini. Stephanie said: “We have a presence on the wards four days a week in the mornings, where we visit patients asking them if they would like help and if they accept, we can then support them further. “Staff are able to book an appointment at either Sandwell or Rowley Regis hospitals, or go along to a drop-in session at City. “During the one-to-one sessions,
we talk to the patient or staff member about how much they smoke, their motivation behind quitting and the health benefits of giving up. “We will also provide 12 weeks’ worth of Nicotine Replacement Therapy at no cost to employees.” When the ban comes into force, the workforce, patients and visitors will still be able to vape outside, away from entrances. Respiratory Consultant Dr Zia Ansari, said: “We see many patients and members of staff with respiratory conditions as a result of smoking. However, they are not very aware of the effects that it can have on their health. “We are finding that around 50 per cent of patients attending our respiratory clinics are smokers. “However, I believe the Trust going smokefree is a positive move and sends a clear message that it can seriously harm your health.” Latest figures from Public Health England show that smokers are four times as likely to quit using a combination of behavioural support, than no help or over the counter Nicotine Replacement Therapy.
More than two out of five parents have had to take time off work in the past two years to look after sick or injured children and are suffering financially and in their jobs as a result, new research from MetLife shows. Around 36% of those taking time off say they’ve had to take unpaid leave while 44% have had to take days off to look after children as holidays. Mothers are more likely to take unpaid leave to care for ill or injured children – 46% of women have taken time off work without pay compared with 29% of men. The financial impact can be severe – a third of selfemployed parents say it has cost them work while 22% of full-time employees say looking after children has meant increased costs and expenses. The study highlights worries about balancing family and working lives and is reflected in support for improved rights for time off work - nearly two out of three (63%) workers would support changes in the law to ease the pressure on families. MetLife UK’s Head of Individual Protection, Richard Horner, said: “Parents understandably need to focus on caring for children after illness or injury and the research shows that unfortunately it is an everyday risk with millions having to take time off work every year. “That can be tough on employers who are under financial pressure themselves but it is still worrying that so many parents have to take unpaid leave or use holiday time. It is even worse for selfemployed parents who lose work.”
Burning Your Christmas Day Calories Greedy Brits have been warned they will need to spend up to 13 hours doing rigorous exercise to burn off their Christmas calories alone, according to a leading health and fitness website. Research by online health and fitness site Vivotion.com has revealed that food consumed on the average Christmas Day – complete with breakfast, lunch, dessert, snacks and drinks – tots up to a massive 5,350 calories, which could take up to 13 hours of intense exercise to burn off.
Christmas is the time for splurging and enjoying a variety of tasty treats, and many of us forget – or choose to ignore – the number of calories we’re putting into our bodies over the festive period. By taking into account each food type usually found on our plates over the course of Christmas Day, the team have calculated that the average Brit will consume over 5,000 calories on this one day alone, which is double the recommend daily calorie intake for a grown man.
In order to wave goodbye to these extra, unwanted calories, the average person will have to spend between six and 13 hours completing rigorous exercise – like; tackle a 13-hour uphill walk, get in the boxing ring for over seven hours, or spend almost eight hours skipping with a rope. An hour of aerobic dance will be needed to burn off the roast potatoes alone, and an hour’s spin class will counteract just two pigs in blankets and a serving of honey roasted parsnips from the annual Christmas Day lunch.
Page 44 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019
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- OVERSEAS NEWS -
Don’t miss our Education, Training & Recruitment Section
Announced
Coverage on Pages 10 & 11!
BK Scholars Program gives Students up to $50,000 in
Scholarships
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he ‘Burger King M c L a m o r e Foundation’ is the charitable arm of the Burger King system and is a not-for-profit charitable organization who, together with Burger King Corporation employees, franchisees, suppliers and guests, have been able to make a positive impact in the communities in which they work and live and just recently the Foundation administered the ‘Burger King℠ Scholars’ program and the ‘BK℠ Family Fund.’ The Burger King Scholars program assists employees, employees' spouses or domestic partners, employees' children and high school seniors in the
United States, Puerto Rico and Canada in continuing their education. To date, the program has awarded more than $35 million in scholarships to more than 33,000 students. In 2017 alone, $3.7 million in scholarships were awarded to more than 3,400 deserving students. Integrity, high standards, entrepreneurial spirit, good citizenship and education were the values that defined BURGER KING® brand cofounder James W. McLamore. It was those values that helped realize a dream and it is those same values that are the core of the Burger King McLamore℠ Foundation (established in October 2005), to education.
The School of Leadership (SoL) is a prestigious institution that works for enhancing the capabilities and potential of youth. SoL is organizing the 18th Young Leaders Conference (YLC) from July 1st – 6th, 2019. The one-of-a-kind premium youth leadership conference promises to gather 300 young people between the ages of 18 and 24 from across Pakistan and the world. These youngsters will stay together for six days to share, learn and lead. The young leaders will be exposed to a variety of experiential learning situations and techniques to build capacity through interactive workshops, issue exploration sessions with 50+ specialists, panel discussions with dignitaries from the corporate, social, political, development, media, arts and intercultural sectors and a field trip simulating the process and challenges of development at the grass-root level. The theme for this year ‘Amplify – transcend limits’ is all about the journey of selfdiscovery by taking a deep dive within and recognizing one’s true potential towards leading a meaningful life. YLC 2019 is being led by two champions; Mohammad Osama and Dania Hassan. The conference will be supervised by SoL’s core team; Shireen Naqvi (Founding Director), Kamran Rizvi (Director), Umair Jaliawala (Director) Hammad Saeed (CEO), and Maalik Khaskhely (Executive Director).
What the US Government Shut Down means for Hawaii Tourism Hawaii was the first US State to take the initiative and inform their visitors about what the Federal Government close-down meant. The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) created a special ‘Alert Page’ on its website providing industry partners, visitors and residents with information and online resources about national parks, monuments and wildlife refuges in the Hawaiian Islands that could be affected by the partial federal government shutdown. The partial federal
government shutdown, which took effect on Friday, December 21 at 7:00 p.m. HST, may result in closures at national parks, monuments, and wildlife refuges, as well as suspension of select federally funded services, in the Hawaiian Islands.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority, with support from the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and its Island Chapters, continued in monitoring the situation as it provided updates as this situation progressed.
Send in your stories to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com
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- HOLIDAY AND TRAVEL -
The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 45
What’s hot in Singapore for 2019?
A
celebration of creativity, beauty and bold new ways of perceiving art, Singapore Art Week 2019 returns with a packed schedule aptly themed Art Takes Over, with activities and events spread across to the city’s galleries, museums and surprising spaces, even back streets and alleys. This seventh edition showcases works from some of the most dynamic
artists from Singapore and around the world, through a plethora of art-themed events ranging from exhibitions and walking tours to art fairs and symposiums. Visitors can gain a deeper appreciation of art with Southeast Asia’s firstever exhibition on the Minimalism movement. The event will give aficionados a rare chance to view the private collections of some of the city’s most discerning collectors.
Discover how centuriesold heritage and trailblazing street art come together on the vibrant streets of Little India, and marvel as the façade of the Civic District’s historic buildings transform into a spectacle of light and colour. Art lovers interested in the inner workings of the art world can attend discussions, dialogues and symposiums featuring noteworthy speakers and panellists.
Solo travel now the new luxury Combining adventure with luxury travel has been a trend for the last couple of years. But beyond that adventureluxury combination, travelers are simply becoming more adventurous. Whether the number of single people is increasing, or people in general are more well-informed and confident about travel these days, more and more people are choosing to explore the world and head off on global adventures by themselves. Online behaviour research tool, Hitwise, reported that
after analysing search engine usage among three million consumers in the UK, there has been a 143 percent increase in search for “solo travel” over the past three years. American poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist and historian, Henry David Thoreau, was once quoted as saying; “The man who goes alone can start today, but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.” In order to cater to this growing market, as a whole, travel brands are now supporting and encouraging solo travelers with
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a number of ways for brands to make solo travelers not feel disadvantaged for being on their own like; getting rid of single supplements, welcoming the surge of baby boomers travelling solo and catering more for women traveling solo. The rise of solo travel has reached even the cruising industry, a niche so popular with couples and groups with, in some cases, a 25 percent increase in solo travelers – with single supplement surcharge on many popular cruises now gone.
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Page 46 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019
SPORT - WITH STEVE WILLIAMS
A l Susanna Dinnage
Premier Pullout The Premier League says its prospective new chief executive, Susanna Dinnage, told the organisation she will not be taking up the position – shortly after she was named as Richard Scudamore's replacement, last November. She was due to take up the role early in 2019. "The committee has reconvened its search and is talking to candidates," said a Premier League statement. Dinnage will stay at media organisation Discovery, where she was the global president of the Animal Planet channel. However, she reflected on the role in recent weeks and informed the Premier League that she had decided that she wanted to stay in broadcasting. The Premier League is comfortable with acting chief executive Richard Masters and interim chair Claudia Arney continuing for longer as they resume their search.
fter a year in which England won Commonwealth netball gold, England's men reached the semifinals of the football World Cup, Lewis Hamilton won his fifth Formula One Championship, Anthony Joshua reigns supreme at the top of world boxing, Dina Asher-Smith claimed multiple medals on her way to becoming - currently - the fastest woman on the planet and Lizzy Yarnold took a second Winter Olympics gold, 2019 has a lot to live up to. But next year promises to be a bumper sporting year to rival the last one. England and Wales host the Cricket World Cup, the Ashes, the Women's FIFA World Cup takes place in France, the Netball World Cup is in Liverpool, cycling's Road World Championships in Yorkshire, the World Athletics Championships are held in Qatar, the Special Olympics World Games in March, in Abu Dhabi, the Africa Cup of Nations the inaugural Nations League final, in Portugal and Japan hosts the Rugby World Cup - to name only a few standout events. So who is set for a successful year?
- SPORT -
2019 – A Year for Major Sport Competitions
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Hall of Fame for Ponting Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting was formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame by receiving his commemorative cap from compatriot ICC Cricket Hall of Famer Glenn McGrath during the tea break on the opening day of the third Test against India in Melbourne. He was named in the Hall of Fame along with former India captain Rahul Dravid and England woman wicketkeeper-batter Claire Taylor during the ICC Annual Conference in Dublin last July, which Ponting could not attend. Ponting, after receiving the cap, said: “It’s an incredible feeling. When you play one Test for Australia, you join a very elite group of players but now to part of the ICC Hall of Fame, you join an even more elite group of cricketers, so it’s a pretty special day.”
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The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019 - Page 47
- SPORT -
Page 42 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2019
Hall Of Fame For Ponting - Page 46
A Look To 2019- Page 46
World Class Programme Slot For 6 Time Winner, Weir B
ritish Athletics have announced that an additional athlete has been offered membership to its World Class Programme for 2018/19. Six-time Paralympic Games gold medal-winner, David Weir CBE, has been added to the Paralympic World Class Programme and will join the Podium Potential section after revealing earlier this Autumn that he is targeting the 2020 Paralympic Games marathon in Tokyo. Para Athletics Head Coach, Paula Dunn, said: “We are delighted to see him join the British Athletics World Class Programme. David is one of our finest ever athletes and I am delighted he has set his ambitions to target the marathon at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. We will support him as he aims to achieve those goals.� Additionally, Ojie Edoburun has turned down his offer of membership.
l David Weir with his medals from London 2012. Photo Credit: Richard Gillin
l David Weir waving after winning Gold in the Olympic Stadium. Photo Credit: Tom Page
Sprint King, Malcolm, takes new lead role Down Under Celebrating The Phoenix Newspaper 8th Anniversary Gala Diner and Awards and much more!
Former World and Commonwealth sprint champion, Christian Malcolm has been appointed Head of Performance and Coaching at Australian Athletics, working alongside Head of High Performance Andrew Faichney and Head Coach Craig Hilliard. The four-time Olympic sprinter, who has worked with British relay squads as well as the Wales rugby team and as speed coach for the England cricket team will move to Australia with his family, with the aim of making Australian athletes more competitive at elite level. The 200-metre legend, 39, who won medals at World Championships and World Indoors, as well as the Commonwealth Games, said; "Australian athletes have a very strong record at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games and seeing the talent that exists, whilst I was with Wales team for the
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Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast I knew that they can achieve even more success by giving the coaches the support, advice and resources they need to do their job well." Since retiring as an athlete in 2014, Malcolm, who won the UK Sports Awards HP Coach of the Year and BBC Wales Coach of the Year in 2017, previously coached the successful British relay squads, as well as worked with the UK Paralympic team and Disability Wales. Australia Athletics say his role is to improve coaching structures with specific targets for the 2019 World Championships, 2019 World ParaAthletics Championships, 2020 Olympic Games and 2020 Paralympic Games. An IAAF World Junior Athlete of the Year in 1998, Christian also worked as a speed coach for the England cricket team and Wales rugby team.
l Christian Malcolm
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