The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020 by The Phoenix Newspaper

Promoting Diversity for Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022

#BLM We Stand With You Against Injustice

JULY 2020

Connecting Communities - Inspiring A New Generation Inside This Month

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Malala Celebrates Oxford Exams - Page 14

No Justice, No Peace Birmingham comes to a standstill as Millions march worldwide in solidarity

s tears continue to reverberate, worldwide, UKs second city demands ‘justice and peace’ The cry of “I Can’t Breathe” was the ‘soundtrack’ as thousands upon thousands of people converged onto Birmingham’s Chamberlain Square to pay homage to the murdered George Floyd – as well as the vast number of similar cases that have taken place in custody, in police stations in the West Midlands. With a figure well in excess of the mentioned 5,000 at its height, this prelude to the memorial in honour of George Floyd, the largest outside London, had to be moved from its original Victoria Square location because of the numbers that organisers were anticipated with all who turned out – those being Black, White, Asian and others from the multi-cultural UK, men women and children - added to what was a well underestimated total.

Continued on Pages 4 & 5

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Love And Respect To All Of Our Hardworking

2020 Vision Of Hope

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Will The Black Lives Matter Demonstrations Result In Far Reaching Changes? By Dr Tony Talburt

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he deaths of black people at the hands of the police in the USA have been a long and gloomy feature of the country’s history. The death of George Floyd on 25 May 2020, however, seemed to have reignited a sense of soulsearching and questioning within the USA and across the world. Following days of demonstrations and calls for greater racial equality, there appears to have been some positive and welcome signs, in a few places. However, will these go far enough to satisfy the demands of the demonstrators or will we witness Arab Spring-like episodes that were high on demonstrations but low on actual political change? First we had the peoples’ Spring of 1848, then the Arab Spring which started in 2010 and now we could refer to the Black Peoples’ Spring of 2020. Whereas the revolutions of 1848 brought about some degree of change across Europe, the Arab Spring has not. The political upheavals which started in Tunisia in 2010 gave rise to further demonstrations in countries such as; Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Iraq and Syria. There were changes in the faces of governments everywhere, but very little significant transformation in terms of political accountability, transparency and liberal or plural democracy. In the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s death, a number of measures or reviews were announced to address different aspects of racial inequality. Some of these seemed a little reactionary. For example, in the USA, President Trump announced that police use of choke holds should be restricted. Although President Trump opposes players taking the knee before football matches, this public act seems to have

gathered momentum in England, footballers are taking a knee before matches and, for the first few games at least, they will be wearing logos promoting ‘Black Lives Matter.’ The Rugby football Union (RFU) have also called for a review to take place with regard to the singing of the song ‘swing low sweet chariot’ as it is linked to slavery. There are calls from Oxford University to take down Rhodes’ statue and a few monuments celebrating confederates are being removed in cities in Virginia, and Alabama in the USA. Lloyds of London, one of the UK’s largest insurance companies, has apologised for their role in the transatlantic slave trade and have promised to make financial contributions to Black and Asian communities. Do these examples of selfreflection and reactions mean that the issue of racial injustice or discrimination is finally being addressed? As important as these moves might seem, they cannot of themselves change peoples’ attitudes and rid society of the systemic institutional racism that exists in some of the major sectors of many Western societies such as the police, education and the world’s leading business and financial institutions. Perhaps, what is needed is not reactionary statements or hurried initiatives, but careful and deliberate long term policies. One obvious area where changes could begin is in education. While some are calling for more emphasis to be placed on the inclusion topics like the significance of colonialism in British history, this might not be enough. Whilst history cannot be rewritten, it can, of course, be reinterpreted. All schools could incorporate a themes in their specifications that include the role of Africa and Africans in history and their connections with Britain and the

rest of the world prior to and during the colonial period. Focusing on the colonial period reinforces the idea that Europe’s involvement with Africa is as recent as just a few hundred years. This , of course, is not the case. Whilst changing legislations requires a few signatures in the Houses of Parliament, changing attitudes need the input of the whole nation.

It is only through the education and transformation of attitudes that we can realise that all lives matter equally. Until we reach that point, there will be more killings by police, and the Black Lives Matter initiatives or campaigns, just like the Arab Spring, will create a great deal of noise, without fundamental change.

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NEWS

Nathaniel Peat Shows Endless Drive And Talent I n his drive to end energy poverty, Nathaniel Peat is a social entrepreneur and international motivational speaker who eyes Jamaica on his march to energy equality for all. The multi-award winning international speaker, business coach, engineer and pilot has featured in Forbes Magazine, listed on the 2018 EMPower Financial Times List, and has the likes of Sir Richard Branson as a close friend and confidante – He was invited onto Sir Richard’s Necker Island for his business GeNNex, which empowers communities through Solar in developing countries. In his younger days he represented Great Britain as a youth delegate for the G20 Toronto young entrepreneurs summit 2010.

With a BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering, and MSc Advanced Manufacturing Systems from Brunel University, his story of overcoming hardship, personal change, success, failure and perseverance forms the backdrop that epitomises his grit, determination and singlemindedness that now sees him at the ‘top table’ of any highpowered business meeting – with the aim of doing good for him and his’. At age 25, he founded The Safety Box organisation, which uses grassroots methods to interrupt violent behaviour, build entrepreneurship and foster achievement in young people using alternative curriculum in British schools. Once listed on the Courvoisier Observer's Future 500 Next Generation List, he was a key

organiser and speaker of the first Youth Jamaica Diaspora Future Leaders Conference, he was the first double award winner of the Enterprising Young Brits Awards and the first UK Future Leader Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board member to the minister responsible for Diaspora Affairs within the Jamaican Government. A recipient of the Alumnus of the Year medal from Brunel University for outstanding achievement, Nathaniel also received the London Peace (DREAM) award at City Hall, and spoke at Barclays global headquarters alongside Marcus Agius, and Sir Steve Bullock to encourage entrepreneurship among young people. He was also instrumental in assisting the Diana Award to expand internationally into Jamaica.

l Nathaniel Peat, social entrepreneur and international motivational speaker. Peat was invited to become a fellow (FRSA) and was the winner of the UPF Youth Achievement Award, and also received the Governor General Award for Excellence from Sir Patrick Allen ON, GCMG, CD, K.St.J at Kings House.

Most recently, Nathaniel was the man responsible for getting the European team together for Friends Unite for JA, bringing together communities to work with Caron from America to raise funds for the needy in Jamaica.

With him being an international Reality TV star, and listed in the under 40s section of the Powerlist 2011 to-boot, is there no end to the talent that is Nathaniel Peat?

l Nathaniel with Sir Richard Branson

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UK’s Second City Demands ‘Justice And Peace’

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Continued from Front Page

With it being the largest demonstration ever seen in the region, every ‘Man-Jack’ of this immensely mass crowd craved for change in their lives here in Britain today. And as the cries of “Black Lives Matter” and “No Justice, No Peace” bellowed beyond what felt like the length and breadth of the city’s wellworn Broad Street, As George Floyd died under a policeman’s knee in Minneapolis, in the US, that too-regular occurrence proved one too many for the world to ignore. The demonstration was a truly

significant step forward after decades of similarly brutal deaths carried out by rogue officers. This was a ‘game-changer’ as Birmingham’s young and old – though mainly young – became one massively loud voice against veryprecedentedly racially motivated police interventions, too many of which go unrecorded. With that in mind, and with messages made clear, the crowd then snaked their way throughout the city centre streets to then gather outside the West Midlands Police’s Lloyd House headquarters, for eight minutes and forty-six seconds, to again voice their disgust at the

murder in the US and the likewise incidences in their region. The 8mins 46secs representing the length of time the ex-police officer Derek Chauvin forced his knee on 29-year-old Floyd’s neck – aided and abetted by the other three officers on the scene. In a star-studded memorial in America, Baptist Minister and Civil Rights Activist Reverend Al Sharpton said; “George died of a regular American malfunction”. “When you see people gathering and marching throughout the UK, in Canada, Germany, France, Australia, Israel and Spain, among other countries around the world, it

proved that it’s a different time – a different season.” Making a barbed comment about President Trump’s photo opportunity, taken after the murder; and the inflammatory remarks he made, Rev. Sharpton said: “Don’t use the Bible as a prop. “It’s time for a change - It’s time for you to get your ‘knee off our neck’ so we can flourish”. That was the very plea which reverberated around Chamberlain Square - some six thousand miles away. But very relevant in the UK today.

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Now Is Not The Time For Silence A

l Romana Campbell

Birmingham music charity is turning up the volume on three local black artists who have been invited to compose musical responses on the theme of racism, both individual and systemic. Jazzlines is a unique programme of creative jazz music and talent development initiatives based within Performances Birmingham Limited (PBL), the charity that runs Town Hall and Symphony Hall (THSH). It offers performance opportunities to emerging and established contemporary jazz musicians as part of a thriving, artistically excellent programme in venues

across the city and commissions cutting-edge new work, providing support to ensure future performances and a legacy for new projects. Supported by the grant made to THSH by Arts Council England under the National Portfolio Organisation scheme, Jazzlines’ innovative commissioning, touring and talent development programmes enable the now flourishing Birmingham scene to progress have shaped a sustainable and creative environment for young emerging jazz musicians to develop. The three young artists that have been asked to compose new pieces for Jazzlines are: Reuben James is a fastemerging British singer, songwriter and pianist. His virtuoso jazz techniques and soulful, evocative voice have led him to be widely regarded as one the most exciting and creatively assured artists to have emerged in recent years. Although perhaps best known for his ongoing collaborations with Sam Smith, which have included co-writing songs for Smith’s four-million-selling album The Thrill of It All, James has written for and performed with an array of international star acts including the likes of Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Herbie Hancock, Elton John, John Legend, Tori Kelly, Little Mix, Disclosure and Liam Payne. Reuben signed with Warner/ Chappell in 2018 and has since been working on his own material, exploring the boundaries between jazz and pop. Romarna Campbell is a

l Xhosa Cole

drummer, composer and producer from Birmingham. From a very young age, music has been at the heart of everything that Romarna does, with a particularly large Hip-Hop and Jazz influence. Music has afforded her the opportunity to travel around the world, including studying at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. She has also had the

great honour and joy to perform around Europe and the US with many people, including Courtney Pine, Billy Childs, Soweto Kinch and more, as well as lead her own bands and projects with many of her peers and friends. Currently, Romarna is working on her debut EP. Xhosa Cole, a BBC Young Jazz Musician winner, is an embodiment of the success of numerous Birmingham community arts programmes, having first played the tenor saxophone at Andy Hamilton’s Ladywood Community Music School. However, it was Holyhead School’s Jazz band with Ray Prince and Sid Peacock that lead him to pursue music, joining the THSH Jazzlines Ensemble, Birmingham Schools Symphony Orchestra and many more. Handsworth-born Xhosa continually pushes his playing while studying with teachers and mentors including Mike Williams, Jim Bashford and David Austin-Grey. He performs regularly around Birmingham and writes for commissions by the Ideas of Noise Festival and Bobbie-Jane Gardener’s ‘ForWards’.

l Reuben James

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Celebrating 85 Years Of Giving By The Cadbury Foundation T

he Cadbury Foundation, which was set up in recognition of company founders George and Richard Cadbury, is celebrating its 85th birthday today. Originally named ‘The Charitable Brothers Trust’ in 1935, The Cadbury Foundation builds on both the brand’s rich heritage and the Cadbury brothers’ conviction that investing in local communities is good for business. The brother’s revolutionary approach saw them focus on creating a prosperous, enterprising and inclusive community at the company’s home in Bournville, Birmingham. With green spaces and the health and wellbeing of their employees at the heart of their work, the area became known as the ‘factory in a garden’. Since inception, the Foundation has been making donations to

charities across the UK and Ireland supporting organisations to thrive and further benefit the communities they serve, with many of the Cadbury family serving as trustees throughout its history. The very first donation made by The Cadbury Foundation was for £40 and was granted to Stirchley Girls Club in 1935. The first substantial contribution was then made in 1936 to the Bournville Village Trust, which enabled it to purchase the Weatheroak estate for £36,773. The Foundation is still going strong 85 years later and over the last 15 years alone has donated more than £10 million to registered charities and community partners across the UK and Ireland. Today, it has longstanding partnerships with a number of inspirational organisations, such as The British Paralympic Association, Down Syndrome

Ireland and Grocery Aid. The Foundation also makes a number of grants to support emergency appeals including South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation in response to the flooding at the end of 2019 and more recently supported the National Emergency Trust Coronavirus appeal. Along with national charities, the Foundation also supports smaller local charities that are important to its employee’s through a variety of programmes, such as its Cash Match initiative, which recognises employee fundraising efforts by matching the total amount raised. The company’s ‘Your Charity Your Choice’ scheme also proves exceptionally popular each year and sees employees nominate wellbeing-related charities that they have a personal connection to, with the final shortlisted charities voted for by the wider work force.

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BUSINESS AND FINANCE

Almost £40M In Vital Grants Paid To City Businesses T he total amount of vital coronavirus business grants so far paid to City of Wolverhampton businesses is closing in on £40million. Eligible city businesses who have yet to claim their coronavirus business support grants are also being urged to submit their online form. More than 3,400 businesses have now received a share of £38.8million distributed by City of Wolverhampton Council from the Government’s Small Business Grant Fund and Retail Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund, since April 6. Over 94% of requests for funding have been paid and there are currently a further 162 city businesses at various stages in the process, working with the Council. Eligible businesses have been contacted by letter and/or email and allocated a code, a Business Account reference number, and a link to a web form to capture the relevant business information. Businesses are encouraged to check their post and emails for correspondence from the Council. Anyone with any business

support queries should call 01902 290242 between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Thursday or from 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays. All forms submitted by businesses are subject to thorough eligibility checks, and to ensure

that they meet the criteria of: • Being the ratepayer • In occupation of the business on 11 March 2020. The council is dealing with a high volume of calls to update records and is working as quickly

as possible. Following this, businesses are contacted and invited to confirm their eligibility for a grant. Further communication with businesses may be necessary if any of the required information is missing. City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor Harman Banger, said: “We are doing everything we can to support our small businesses to access this money including proactively contacting businesses who are eligible. “We have staff on hand to support businesses who require help and advice with the online process, and I would urge eligible businesses to get in touch. “If you’ve already filled in an online form but haven’t received your grant payment yet, please bear with us. “We yesterday (Monday) also launched the Discretionary Grant Fund for small and microbusinesses who have been ineligible for other schemes. “But I would urge businesses to first ensure they are not eligible for a grant from the Small Business Grant Fund or Retail Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund. “Rest assured, we will make sure every business is supported in whichever way possible.” The Government guidance on the size of the grants is as follows: • small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief, and have a rateable value of £15,000 or less; or • grant funding of £10,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value of £15,000 or below; or •grant funding of £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value between £15,001 and £50,999.

oho Road Business Improvement District (BID) received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2020, a group of volunteers based in Handsworth, in Birmingham, have been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. Soho Road BID is a volunteer led organisation that manages the Soho Road Town Centre, with over 700 members and a team of approximately 100 volunteers who get involved in many different elements of their work. And it is one of 230 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of nominations remains high year on year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to

Soho Road BID receives Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Award recipients are announced each year on June 2 and the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation, with this year’s, as ever, wonderfully diverse. They include volunteer groups

from across the UK, including a community shop in Cornwall, an environmental group in Swansea, a group working with refugees and vulnerable people in Stirling and a thriving community arts centre in County Down. It’s Chair, Bob Balu says: “We are delighted to receive such a prestigious award. “This recognition means the

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world to the BID Board and pays tribute to all of our volunteers as it shows that the work we do is appreciated within our community and nationally. We are also honoured to be the only Business Improvement District to receive the award in 2020 and possibly in the history of the awards.

Realistic Economic Priorities vs Health Imperatives with Dr Christopher Johnson

h i l s t perspectives differ among scientists, politicians and the citizenry, a delicate balance must be struck, between assuaging public health concerns and economic imperatives, as the mutation period of COVID-19 becomes even more challenging to reconcile. One the one hand, the science of epidemiology is advising on the ‘cautious’ re-opening of sections of the economy. Conversely, economists are offering stark warnings, as the consequential effects of the health pandemic take their toll on vulnerable people. Recent estimates (April 2020) suggested that the UK economy is underperforming at a rate of over 20% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, since early January 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been issuing expert advice and guidance to governments to take necessary precautions to avert the kind of instability that the current pandemic is likely to create. Yet slothfulness, indecision or dithering and mixed messaging, have led to lamentation that governments were not prepared for this ‘unknown-known’ even though there was veritable evidence of the effects this health disaster could have on economies, the world over. The unpredictable prognoses of this virus have perplexed specialists from across the medico-health disciplines. What kind of practical measures should be in place? Analysts have predicted a contraction of the global economy including a wide cross section of the 50-odd Commonwealth NationStates. Complexities such as underperformance in local and regional economies, are also indicative of increasing opportunities for technical advisory and allied services.

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

For instance, in West Africa, there is an urgent need for support to the small firm sector especially street vendors and cottage industry operators who are unable to access state help. India and the South Asian Region - the Punjab inclusive - requires an injection of financial capital and research development services. Its agriculturally-based economy is being undermined severely. There is also the likelihood of many households losing property-assets. The Caribbean and Latin American Region requires business advisory services to help with the portfolio of investment-readiness. Tourism has been affected as the cruise ship business segment of the transport and logistics sector, is said to have lost millions in passengers/cost of sales. In addition, there is limited strategic information and data in terms of public guidance countrywide, on the types of industry sector support available for the 10 UK Regions including England. Commentators say that food and hospitality, construction, the creative industries, manufacturing, private transport and logistics, education and training, retail and wholesale, personal care among other sectors, are likely to affected most. Prior to the health pandemic, there was considerable unease at the level of under-investment for new product market entry for the majority of these sectors. This situation resulted in business under-performance which impacted negatively on jobs, wealth creation and owners’ reputation. There is no doubt that, regional bosses will have to conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine the right mix of new policies to be instituted. These initiatives will help to stimulate regional commercial, industrial, semi-manufacturing, social enterprise and civic sectors.

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NEWS

Council Leader Backs Harvey’s Petition

andwell Council is supporting a petition created by a Sandwell student. Harvey from St Michaels CE High School is campaigning for an annual day to pay tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of NHS staff, after seeing how many health and care workers have lost their lives. Councillor Yvonne Davies, Leader of Sandwell Council, said: “The council is backing the idea of having a day to celebrate all of the individuals who have been

Join In An Online ‘Garland Workshop’

l Harvey and Cllr Millard at Britannia Park

there for all of us through this crisis. “So many people have sacrificed a huge amount to make sure the rest of us are safe and looked after - our NHS staff, our carers, our binmen and women, all our bus drivers and all of those important workers.” Councillor Danny Millard, deputy leader of Sandwell Council said: “I was approached by Harvey’s family who asked if I could help publicise the petition Harvey had started. “We are so proud of Harvey

and the difference he wants to make. The NHS do a fantastic job and have faced such a terrible time through the pandemic so a day to celebrate each and every NHS worker seems fitting. It’s also great to see the younger

generation leading the way. “I urge everyone to get behind Harvey and sign the petition.” To sign Harvey’s petition, which has already attracted nearly 400 signatures, go to www.change. org and search ‘Annual National

Health Service (NHS) Day.’ The direct link to the petition is: http://chng.it/zCsjDbVd The video of the leader and Harvey can been seen at: https:// youtu.be/JVYZ8JpFyjw

People are set to join Ushvani Spa, in collaboration with Shilpa Reddy Flower Design, for a special online ‘Garland Workshop’ – a beautiful afternoon of festival-style flower garland making using handcrafted sustainable paper flowers. Perfect for crafty adults and children alike - a brilliant activity to fill the long school summer holidays! Shilpa, the creative director of fashion-forward flower brand ‘Shilpa Reddy Flower Design’ will demonstrate how to create a stunning floral lei in her signature style. Those joining will have the chance to make their very own lei alongside her that will include flowers such as the Hibiscus, the national flower of Malaysia in a nod to Ushvani’s roots. At a cost of £25 per kit (and £15 per additional Garland), participants will also receive a complimentary Ushvani Balm (rrp £35) – to help with the inevitable headache that craft related activities with children might create! The workshop, on Saturday August 1, will take place online via Zoom.

Tech giant Microsoft aiming ‘to replace journalists with robots’ Media in the United Kingdom and the United States have reported that Microsoft is set to replace dozens of contract journalists on its MSN website and, instead, use automatic systems to select news stories. The curating of stories from news organisations and selection of headlines and pictures from the MSN site is currently done by journalists. Sources say that artificial intelligence will perform these new production tasks. Microsoft has said that it was part of an evaluation of its business. In a statement, the tech giant said: “Like all companies, we evaluate our business on a regular basis. This can result in increased investment in some places and, from time to time, redeployment in others. These decisions are not the

result of the current pandemic”. Microsoft, like some other tech companies, pays new organisations to use their content on its website. But it employs journalists to decide which stories to display and how they are presented. It was reported that around 50 contract news producers at the Seattle Times in the US, for instance, will lose their jobs at the end of June, but a team of full-time journalists will remain. Some of the sacked journalists warned that artificial intelligence may not be fully familiar with strict editorial guidelines and could end up letting through inappropriate stories. Microsoft is one of the many tech companies experimenting with forms of so-called robot journalists to cut costs. Google is also investing in projects to understand how it might work.

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WMPCC Adds To Academic Advisory Board A University of Birmingham researcher has been invited by the West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner to join his new Academic Advisory Board. The West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson invited Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Professor of Economics and Director, Centre for Crime, Justice and Policing with fellow academics from across the West Midlands to contribute to join his new Academic Advisory Board. One of the main purposes of the board is for academics to come together and present their research to the PCC and identify new and creative ways they can work together to reduce crime in the West Midlands. Academics from the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, Aston University, Newman University, Coventry University, Wolverhampton University and Warwick University have all agreed to join the board.

Prominent New Mural Lifting Spirits In The Black Country

mural situated in a prominent spot in the Black Country, in the West Midlands, has been spotted with the artwork paying tribute to Captain Sir Thomas Moore who raised more than £30m for the NHS as well as a tribute to the armed forces and the heroic efforts of the National Health Service. Based in Rowley Regis, it is painted on wall which belongs to Brookfleet taxis and The Little Beech pub, both owned by local couple Richard Wade and Mandy Wade. Their daughter, Kiera Wade is the licensee of The Little Beech pub and commissioned the artwork. She said: "We took the pub on last September and worked really hard, not just on

the interior of the pub but to clear the wasteland that was located in front where the mural now stands. "We wanted something eyecatching and to lift the spirits of the locals in these difficult times. "Our children were so excited about the idea, they donated some of their pocket money to buy paints for the mural. "We are blessed to have the talented Lynsey Marshall do such a wonderful job and we hope it will be admired for many years to come by the people of Blackheath." Local tattoo artist Lynsey Marshall and her son Jasper worked on the mural in the evenings to avoid curious passersby. She said: “When I was asked to do the mural, I couldn’t turn it down. It’s a subject close to

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my heart and I really did enjoy painting it with help from my son Jasper.” Councillor Danny Millard is very impressed at the difference the mural has made to his home town of Blackheath. He said: “This is a fantastic artwork which has really brightened up a corner of Blackheath that was in a bit of a mess before. “This mural has made such a difference and given us something in Blackheath that we can all be really proud of.”

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NEWS

The Great British Mealtime Returns

Severn Trent’s Community Fund open for new applicants Severn Trent’s Community Fund is open for applications after being refocused to help vulnerable communities during coronavirus. The company has awarded nearly £700,000 from its Community Fund to 39 projects across its region since March, as part of its goal to donate more than £10 million over the next five years to projects that will bring benefits to local communities and the environment, across the Midlands. Daisy Powell, Community Fund Manager, said: “It was really important to us that we were able to directly support everyone affected by the coronavirus crisis through our emergency funding but we thought now was a great time to try and get things to back to something approaching normality. “Community spirit and wellbeing are as important as ever right now, so we wanted to get back to supporting those amazing groups which are supporting the most vulnerable people in our region or which have great projects they need to get off the ground to help loads of people.” The company has donated almost £700,000 so far from the Community Fund, and some of the groups that have benefitted from grants include a volunteer coding project where children can programme plants to water themselves, a Food Farmacy incentive delivering healthy organic food to doorsteps, and a Family First project, that offers advice and support to parents and families on areas including food and nutrition, physical and mental health.

BAME Recruitment To ‘Change The Face’ Of Police

ecruitment targeted at people from Black, Asian and Multi Ethnic (BAME) background could “change the face of the West Midlands Police force, bosses have said. West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson said that 1,000 BAME officers will be recruited over the next three years. He said that the force, currently 11% BAME, should reflect an area where about 30% of people are BAME. Recent anti-racism demonstrations have highlighted issues between police in the UK and the BAME community. Following Black Lives Matter protesters recently gathering outside the West Midlands Police headquarters, in Birmingham, the force is being investigated over the high number of complaints made relating to the overexcessive force it uses against Black men.

A staggering 91% of Brits now claim that mealtimes have become an essential family occasion during lockdown, and they’re loving it! Half of British households (49.2%) confess that family mealtimes were either rare (39%) or never happened (10%) before lockdown according to new research. The research, conducted by pizza brand Chicago Town, polled 4,227 households across the UK in May 2020 and shows how families have been brought together by the global pandemic; some positive news against the backdrop of worrying times. As well as eating together at mealtimes, households are playing together too – with family and friends games’ nights, using popular video chat platforms, now high on the agenda.

Asked, why, after nearly six years in office, he chose now to announce his commitment Jamieson said that cuts to police had prohibited large-scale recruitment. Now, with funding for 20,000 police officers from the Home Office, he said: “We have got a much better opportunity to make a real change”. Chair of West Midlands Police’s Black and Asian Federation, Karen Geddes, said that it was a positive statement. “It’s a good number to put out there, I’d like to see how”, she said. “How is he going to do that, what is the strategy behind it, what are we going to do if we don’t achieve it?” Being the second biggest force in England, West Midlands Police has 6,495 officers. The 1,000 new BAME officers will be among 2,750 recruits which, after replacing those leaving the force, will mean 1,200 new police officers.

London the most affordable city for renting over the last five years According to the latest rental market analysis from deposit replacement scheme, Ome, London has been the most affordable city for renting in England and Wales over the last five years when taking into consideration the increasing cost of renting. Ome dissected rental market statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) across 19 major cities in England and

Wales to see how the cost of renting in each area had increased over the last five years, as well as the average yearly increase during that time. The data shows that as a whole across England and Wales, the cost of renting has increased by 8% in five years; increasing by an average of 2% annually. While London remains the most expensive region for flat out rental costs (£1,697), the city has proved

the most affordable where rental increases are concerned. The average rent in the capital has increased by just 1.3% in the last five years, an average annual increase of just 0.3%. Leicester has seen the largest increase in rental costs with tenants seeing a 26.8% increase in the last five years, increasing at a rate of 6.1% a year.

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Page 12 - The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020

NEWS

TUC warns of high youth unemployment The Trades Union Congress (TUC), which brings together more than 5.5 million working people who are members of its 48 member unions, has warned that the West Midlands is on the brink of a surge in youth unemployment. It has published new analysis which shows that young workers (aged 25 and under) in the West Midlands face the highest risk of unemployment due to the coronavirus crisis. While workers in all sectors of the economy face employment risks due to the coronavirus crisis and the recession that is expected to follow, two sectors in particular are at much higher risk of losing jobs compared to others – ‘accommodation and food’ and ‘arts, entertainment and recreation’. The analysis suggests that, without urgent action, the West Midlands may be on the brink of a surge in youth unemployment, because: • Of 359,000 UK workers aged 25 and under in the West Midlands, 89,000 work in the high-risk sectors of ‘accommodation and food’ or ‘arts, entertainment and recreation’;

• 25 per cent of West Midland workers aged 25 and under work in these two sectors, compared to just six per cent for workers older than 25; • Workers in the West Midlands aged 25 and under are therefore four times more likely to work in one of the two sectors where jobs are at greatest risk. In addition to layoffs, recessions make it much harder for young people seeking to enter the labour market for the first time, as employers are doing much less hiring. This is part of the reason why youth unemployment following a recession tends to be much higher than for other workers. The TUC is therefore calling for a job guarantee scheme to stop those without work becoming long-term unemployed, with early access to the scheme for young workers.

Midlands Air Ambulance Receives Training Funds T he Wesleyan Foundation has supplied the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity with a £5,000 grant so it can deliver crucial lifesaving training in CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and bleed control to the public. The Midlands Air Ambulance attended over 930 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and over 115 penetrating injuries in 2019. In serious incidents, bystander support before the advanced clinical care team arrives can make a vital difference to a patient’s survival. Following a public staff vote, the Wesleyan Foundation, part of Birmingham-based Wesleyan - the specialist financial services provider, made a commitment to the emergency service charity prior to the lockdown due to Covid-19. Once restrictions are lifted, and with social distancing in place, the charity plans to deliver ‘Mission Support’ training to businesses, organisations and community groups in the Birmingham area. This will give each group practical advice on how to undertake CPR

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and utilise severe bleed control techniques, for example for those who have suffered a stab wound, and provide a bleed control kit that contains several necessary items, including bleed control gauze and tourniquet for limb injuries. Emma Gray, fundraising and marketing director for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, stated: “Our Mission Support training offers two hours of crucially

important lifesaving techniques. “The support from The Wesleyan Foundation has been extremely welcome and, in due course, will enable us to offer our training to a greater number of businesses, organisations and community groups within the region, which could help save more lives in the Midlands.” Caroline Hill, chief people and strategy officer at Wesleyan,

added: “These are challenging times for everyone and we’re continuing to look at different ways we can support our trusted professions and wider community. “Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is doing great work providing training for important lifesaving techniques across our community and we’re proud to offer our support.”

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EDUCATION, TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT

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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.

Malala’s Joy At Finishing Oxford Exams H

uman rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai has expressed her joy and gratitude after finishing her final exams at Oxford University. The 22-year-old, who survived a shot to her head by the Taliban, studied politics, philosophy, and economics. She tweeted; ‘I don’t know what is ahead. For now it will be Netflix, reading and sleeping.’ Ms Yousafzai, who was born in

Mingora, in Pakistan, was attacked for saying girls should be allowed to stay in education. She was shot in the head, neck and shoulders while travelling home from school after writing an anonymous diary about life under the extremists. After recovering from her nearfatal injuries, she and her family relocated to Birmingham in the UK. In 2014, she became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize, at the age of 17. Three years

Students Fear Over Lockdown Grades Student insurance providers, The Insurance Emporium, recently surveyed 1000 students who were in further and higher education at the time of lockdown to see how they really felt about the unprecedented situation of their exams being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over half of the students (51%) in the survey felt they would have got higher marks had they been able to sit the exams rather than receiving predicted grades. The vast majority (71%) had been planning to rampup their grades by doing extra revision in the final weeks leading up to the exams. Lockdown put paid to these plans, of course, leaving over half (53.5%) wishing they could just have sat their exams to get their ‘real marks’. 40% of the students said they felt ‘robbed’ that they had missed the chance to sit their exams but 29%

were ‘grateful’ to not have to go through the exam process. Whilst 29% did not expect to be going back to school, university or college in September,† sadly 7% did not expect to be able to resume their studies at all now. Whilst a minority of the students felt lucky and relieved to be receiving predicted grades instead of having to actually sit the exams (17% even agreed that they had ‘dodged the bullet’) a quarter were nevertheless left feeling anxious by the situation, with over a third left feeling they would now be unable to prove themselves (36.6%) and unable to fulfil their potential (35.4%) as a result of the exams having been cancelled. Almost a quarter (24%) of the students were planning to repeat the academic year, and to re-sit their 2020 exams in order to get the grades they felt they had worked for and deserved.

later she accepted a place to study at Lady Margret Hall at Oxford. Malala tweeted two pictures as she announced the news that completed her degree. In one, she is celebrating with her family in front of a graduation cake. The other picture was taken after a “trashing” , a tradition that is carried out at the University where students are covered with food and confetti after competing their exams.

COVID Research Project on Child Protection Services Impact A new research project, awarded £360,000 from the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation, will explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child protection practice and children and families, with the aim of improving the capacity of social workers to keep children safe in a period of institutionalised social distancing. The study, which will be led by the University of Birmingham, will look at how social work practice, which relies heavily on achieving closeness to keep children safe, most often in the family home, can help families in a period of social distancing, increased stress, poverty, risks of domestic abuse and other harms within families. During the early phase of the COVID-19 lockdown, social work organisations produced practice guidelines reflecting social distancing recommendations. This project will help fill this gap and provide much-needed guidance on how some of these new measures involving social distancing on home visits can be implemented effectively during and after the pandemic.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020 - Page 15

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT

Make UK Call On Next Generation Of Female Engineers To #ShapeTheWorld

o mark this year’s International Women in Engineering Day, Dame Judith Hackitt, Chair of Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation, is calling on young women across the Midlands to join its diverse and talented intake of apprentices, to meet the on-going challenges that both the sector and UK now face. The proportion of women in the UK joining the sector as apprentices is 7.5%1; at Make UK, however, women accounted for almost 10% of the 2019/20 intake at its Technology Hub in Aston, Birmingham. Dame Judith commented: “2020 has demonstrated to us all, more than ever before, the need for talented people to address the challenges we face in engineering, manufacturing and in every aspect of how we live our lives. “Solutions to some of the biggest challenges we’ve ever faced require diverse and inclusive teams – women and men from all backgrounds. Young people who really want to make a difference in the world choose engineering. Make UK’s centre at Aston is a shining example of diverse and inclusive groups working together to shape the future. More than

ever before your talent and your passion is needed in manufacturing.” Vicky Stanislavska, an apprentice with Alcon, added: “I decided to go into engineering because I believe that there are so many opportunities in this field, because of my interest in cars, and I wanted an opportunity to work in the automotive industry. I also had a passion for art, so design engineering was a logical solution to combine both interests. Places will always need engineers and there are so many jobs which women would enjoy.” Evie Hammond, who is in her third year as a Severn Trent engineering apprentice, spent her first year of studies at Make UK’s Technology Hub. She commented: “Not only have I gained on-the-job experience, but I have also gained the same academic achievements of someone that went to university to do a similar course. I definitely made the right decision!” Now in its seventh year, ‘International Women in Engineering Day’ is an international awareness campaign which raises the profile of women in engineering and focuses attention on the amazing career opportunities available to girls in the industry. The theme of this year’s campaign is #ShapeTheWorld.

l Evie Hammond, Severn Trent Engineering Apprentice

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Eton apologises to ex-student for racism The headmaster of Eton College has said that he is “appalled” by the racism that was faced by the first Black to complete his studies at the prestigious British public school. Nigerian writer Dillibi Onyeama obtained his school-leaving certificate from Eton in 1969. He wrote a book about the racism that he experienced at the school and was subsequently banned from visiting there. Head Master Simon Henderson said that “we have made significant strides since”, but acknowledged that there was "more to do". He made the apology in response to a feature published by journalist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani about Onyeama's experiences and his thoughts on Black Lives Matter. He also said that he would invite Onyeama to meet him in order to apologise in person and "to make it clear that he will always be welcome at Eton". "We must all speak out and commit to doing better - permanently - and I am determined that we seize this moment as a catalyst for real and sustained change for the better," Henderson added. Onyeama said that the apology was not necessary and did not change his view of Eton, which on the whole was positive.

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WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE

A Rainbow Heart

l Makena on her Birthday

By Joan ‘LJ’ Hunter

ne of the most joyous times in any family, is to the news that you're having baby. For Tracey and Paul from Birmingham, this was exceptional news, as this was their second such special moment in this family. Life is not always fair, and Tracey and Paul already experienced having lost their first born Malachi age five months old, who was Haemophilic, a illness inherited disease, transmitted by females to their male children, and is very rare in black families. Sadly this was not diagnosed until after Malachi died, as there is no

testing for this condition pre birth, sadly. Their story about their second child is about two F's, their 'F'aith and their little 'F'ighter; her name is Makena Straker-Sharpe. Excitedly the expected parents went to their third trimester test to hear news they not expecting. "It was a shock being told my unborn child had a heart condition and it was a very worrying time waiting for her to be born. “We were told Makena would need surgery very early on, possibly at only a few days old.” Makena was born on the 15th May 2008, and had her first surgery at five days old. A follow up procedures was

planned for her at nine months old, and another before she started school, all at the Birmingham Children's Hospital. Makena started school in October 2012, but sadly after a few months, Makena started to go into heart failure, and remained in this serious condition, JanuaryMay 2013. A week after 5th birthday in May 2013, the family had planned three day stay at Freeman's Hospital Newcastle, for and Organ Assessment to discuss the likelihood of Makena even having this operation, and what it would entail. Tracey and Paul were already told before they set off for their five hour trip to Newcastle, that Makena would not be on the the priority list . The day after arriving at Freeman's Hospital, Makena went into cardiac arrest and there Tracey and Paul had to trust a medical team they didn't know, and who their daughter didn't know to save her life. Tracey and Paul in their words 'put their trust in their 'F'aith', as they realised that Makena was in the right place at the right time, as they realised that this cardiac arrest could have happened on the motorway as they drove to Newcastle. It was a close call, and they saw their child who they had watched fading but fighting in front of them for the past five months, go from non priority to priority in 24 hours. On the 12th June 2013 Makena was the beneficiary of a heart donor. However Makena was again have to show her inner 'F'ighter, and her parents to call on on their 'F'aith, in

2014 when sadly Makena was diagnosed Lumpha Tumour in the stomach, and had to undergo chemotherapy. Tracey and Paul are grateful to the family who said '"yes" to this organ donation, which gave her the strength to fight this latest illness. They know Makena’s heart came from a young woman, and give thanks to her every day for giving Makena the gift of life. They hope to honour the memory of Makena's donor by raising awareness, and encouraging more people to understand just how important organ donation is.” Makena has represented team GB in Winter Transplant Games 2018 Switzerland, Summer Games in Newcastle 2019, Makena is the 4th fastest 9-11 year olds, in the world for 50 metres, she came 4th in the world in the long jump for 9-11 year olds. In February, Makena represented Team GB at the 2020 World Transplant Games, which took place in Canada, and was preparing for the Transplant Summer Games in Coventry; which has sadly now been cancelled. But fear not, Makena is planning her own fundraising campaign. Makena has found lockdown particularly difficult because she is is also shielding. Makena's misses her family and friends s has had to rely on social media to stay in touch with family and friends, and has been encouraged by her parents to write down her feelings to help her cope with her Emotional and Mental wellbeing. Makena's wants to become a singer, sharing her uplifting voice with others, and is truly a woman of excellence.

l Makena at the World Transplant Games

l Makena in the long jump in Newcastle 2018

l Mekena Straker-Shapre with her mom and dad, Tracey Straker & Paul Sharpe

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The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020 - Page 17

Music fashion Film Gadgets holiday education health and fitness

JULY 2020

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Friends Unite For JA

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ENTERTAINMENT

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GRAND THEATRE AWARDED EMERGENCY FUNDING

l (L to R) Hardish Virk, Jay Singh, Peter Chand, Jaivant Patel,Vicky Price, Ranjit Khutan, Pushpa Alexander, Ram Singh

olverhampton Grand Theatre has been granted a £30,000 funding bid from Arts Council England. In April 2020 Arts Council England announced a 160 million emergency response package to the Covid-19 pandemic. A proportion of this money was set aside for Non-NPO organisations of which the Grand is one. Over the last three years the Grand has made huge strives with its Community and Audience Development work and this funding will be used to continue over the next twelve months. Highlights of previous success include: • The Grand collaborated with every secondary school in Wolverhampton over 2018 and

2019. • Developed the first South Asian Ambassador group and increased South Asian Audiences by 20%. • The first theatre in Midlands to deliver a full programme of work for patrons living with Dementia. • Worked with community groups including, Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline, Breast Cancer Support Group Wolverhampton and the Refugee & Migrant Centre and The Teenage Cancer Trust. Consultant Hardish Virk has been working with the Grand for the last eighteen months predominantly leading the South Asian Ambassador group and now, thanks to the funding will continue into 2021. He said, "The debate around diversity, inclusion, access and equality is nothing new to the arts sector, but what is satisfying is when an arts organisation commits to strategic development and change. Wolverhampton Grand Theatre has demonstrated over the last 18 months a cross-departmental commitment to developing South

Asian audiences (who make up a high percentage of the local ethnic population but historically has not been reflected in the theatres' audiences). This has included a process of setting up an ambassadors' group; addressing representation on the board, staff and in the programming; developing local and regional partners; community outreach work; audience development campaigns; cultural awareness training and mentoring for existing staff.” He continued to say, “There has already been significant organisational development in terms of learning, representation and partnerships plus an increase in South Asian audiences but we recognise that sustainable change and development requires longterm investment. Grand Theatre Associate Director of Development and Communications, Vicky Price said, “We are absolutely thrilled to receive this funding from the Arts Council. The work carried out by the dedicated Grand Theatre team has created a huge sense of pride and accomplishment.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Sitting In Limbo – A Story Beyond The Windrush Scandal

ritten by Stephen S. Thompson, this hard-hitting BBC factbased drama, inspired by the ‘Windrush Scandal’, ‘Sitting In Limbo’ followed the traumatic and emotion-filled experiences of Anthony Bryan, who was wrongfully detained by the UK Home Office and threatened with deportation. With a powerful cat - led by Birmingham-born actor Patrick Robinson and Nadine Marshall - this was the shocking story highlighting just one of the hundreds of stories about people who were wrongfully detained, and then deported in too many cases, by the UK government,

having been in Britain; working and paying taxes, plus so many other relevant contributions, and then the long and too-often wronged path Jamaican-born British citizen Bryan follows; from his working life in the UK, his arrest, custodial spell, through to his wrongful imprisonment. As a member of the Commonwealth and under the British Nationality Act 1948, he, and the hundreds of others in his situation, had a legal right to be granted full settlement in the country without citizenship documents. But, having lived in the UK for some 50-years, Anthony still found himself subject to the UK government’s so-called

‘hostile environment’, which was introduced by the then Home Secretary Theresa May. During his long and ‘emotionallyexpensive’ journey to clarification of his obvious legitimacy, he loses his job and unable to claim any benefits, is forcibly removed from his home and detained as an illegal immigrant. “The government is living ‘fast and loose’ with their deportation tactics”, Bryan’s barrister said when the case was heard in court. But after sitting in limbo for 5-weeks in detention, and a lastminute intervention by his legal team, he was not deported. “Even the judge criticised them (the Home Office)” Anthony’s son said.

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In light of the environment which has developed worldwide, following the brutal murder of George Floyd in the US, it’s the institutionalised racism that is

cutting deeper for too many for no other reason than not looking the same. ‘Sitting In Limbo’ proved to be just a ‘smortiss-board’ of what

has always – and, sadly - still is overwhelmingly prominent in today’s world.

0121 339 5885 (Birmingham) l The Stereophonics return to Arena Birmingham on February 29th

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ENTERTAINMENT

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Grammy to drop ‘urban’ from award category

l Sushant Singh Rajput

Bollywood mourn death of superstar Sushant Singh Rajput

he Grammys are set to stop using the word “urban” to describe music of Black origin in its awards category. The prize for the ‘Best Urban Contemporary Album’ will now be renamed ‘Best Progressive R&B Album’ amongst other changes. The Recording Academy said that the changes had to be made to ensure that its awards were “inclusive and that it reflected

the current state of the music industry”. The move follows Republic Records saying that it would no longer use the word ‘urban’ to describe its department and music genre. Chief Awards Officer, Bill Freimuth, said: “As a peer-driven and peer-voted awards, members of the music community are directly involved in the growth and preservation of the Grammy process.

“Each year we receive a number of rule change proposals from artists, producers and songwriters asking us to reevaluate our process to better reflect the current state of the music industry and how it’s evolved over the past 12 months. On television, HBO Max, has taken off the classic film, ‘Gone with the Wind’ following calls for it to be removed. The US streaming service said that the film, made in 1939,

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was “a product of its time” and depicted “ethnic and racial prejudices that were wrong then and wrong today”. Set during and after the American Civil War, the film has long been attacked for its depiction of slavery. Ironically, one of its stars, Hattie McDaniel, became the first Black actor to be nominated for, and win, an Academy Award for her role as the domestic servant, Mammy.

aid to be one of the biggest stars in Bollywood, one of its best known and shining light, Sushant Singh Rajput, was found dead in his apartment in Mumbai, in India. Mumbai police announced the tragic news before saying that they believed that his took own life Best known for his role in ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, where he played the legendary cricketer, the 34-year-old Bihar-born star was also well-known as being popular for his TV work. The actor’s last film was

‘Chhichhore’, which was released in 2019. His former manager, Disha Salian, 28, died in the recent past days after falling from the 14th floor of a Mumbai building. In an Instagram story following her passing Rajpul wrote; ‘It’s such devastating news. My deepest condolences to Disha’s family and friends. May your soul rest in peace.’ Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi was among the many people who paid tribute calling him “a bright young actor gone too soon”.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Streisand and West investing in future of Gianni Floyd Singer and actor Barbara Streisand has made George Floyd’s six-year-old daughter a stockholder in Disney. Gianni Floyd posted a picture of her new shares on Instagram, thanking Streisand in the caption. “Thank You Barbara Streisand for my package, I am now a Disney Stockholder thanks to you”, she wrote. Shares in Disney are currently valued at around $115 (£92). Before the coronavirus pandemic, they traded as high as $150 (£120). It is not clear how many shares Streisand purchased for Gianni, whose father was murdered whilst in police custody, after an officer knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds – his death sparking worldwide protests for an end to racism and demands for police reform. Hip-Hop mogul Kanye West has also provided financial support for the schoolgirl having launched a college fund to cover the cost of her tuition.

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ENTERTAINMENT

PRIDE 2020 TO TAKE TO STREETS OF BIRMINGHAM

,000 digital billboards across the UK - donated by Clear Channel - will be taken over with photographic images created by and featuring members of the LGBTQ+ community celebrating Pride from their homes Every summer, towns and cities across the UK including Birmingham are filled with LGBTQ+ people celebrating Pride, but this year that wasn’t going to happen - until now. New grassroots campaign Pride Inside will see queer people take over digital outdoor screens in all four nations of the UK with stunning images of what Pride means to them to ensure their continued visibility this Pride month. The initiative - the brainchild of writer, performer and drag star Ginger Johnson - is

supported by Out of Home media and infrastructure company Clear Channel, which has donated 1,000 digital billboards the length of the country from Glasgow to Southampton, including iconic Storm sites on Lambeth Palace Road and Hammersmith Tower in London. The campaign aims to represent the full spectrum of the diverse LGBTQ+ community, with more than 120 queer contributors and photographers teaming up to create images from their homes or local public spaces, all socially distanced of course. They include the lead singer of a Belfast queer punk band - together with her pet rat, a Newcastle drag king, an NHS nurse in south London, original members of the Gay Liberation Front and an award-winning

engineer who came to the UK as a refugee and went on to named one of the BBC’s top 100 influential women in the world. The images will appear from Monday June 15 for two weeks, with a potential reach of around 10 million people. Pride Inside hopes the campaign will inspire other queer people across the UK to carry on the Pride celebrations at home and create their own images, posting them online under the #PrideInsideUK hashtag. A specially designed website will feature resources to allow people to learn more about Pride, those taking part in Pride Inside and how they can engage with each other.

Sewing machines flying off the shelves as #BigCommunitySew grips the nation Surging demand for sewing machines has seen many stockists sell out across the UK, as thousands of people have joined the #BigCommunitySew in a national effort to provide everyone with face coverings. From Monday it will be compulsory to wear a face covering on public transport, and volunteer sewers across the country have been stepping

up their efforts to ensure communities are prepared. The fashion designer and founder of the #BigCommunitySew, Patrick Grant, who is better known as a judge on BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee, estimated that over 350,000 face coverings had been made. Paying tribute to the sewing community, he said they had become a “volunteering powerhouse” and wasn’t

surprised that sewing machines were now in short supply. “You can’t buy one for love nor money,” he said. “For thousands of people, sewing has gone from being a hobby to an essential service. Sewing machinists have been looking after the NHS, providing hundreds of thousands of scrubs, and now they’re doing the same for the wider community in making face coverings.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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AVICII Invector Encore Edition To Hit the Switch!

he critically acclaimed rhythm game, AVICII Invector comes to Nintendo Switch September 8th on what would have been the powerhouse performer’s 31st Birthday. In August, avid fans will be able to jump into the critically acclaimed action with a free demo, available on the Nintendo eShop. All new tracks to debut on Nintendo™ Switch will be available to purchase as downloadable

content for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Created by Hello There Games, in partnership with Wired Productions Ltd., and supported by AVICII Music, AVICII Invector Encore Edition continues the vision set out by AVICII himself, fusing music with gameplay to give players a new way to experience the artists legacy. In the spirit of celebrating AVICII’s music, AVICII’s friends and family has completed the project started by the Swedish

DJ himself as AVICII Invector Encore Edition takes players on a pulsating adventure, soaring through stunning environments with the precision and skill to master all difficulties. Tim Bergling’s vision for experiencing his music will see players turn up, tune-in and fully immerse themselves in an audio/ visual dimension of serenely zen visualscapes. Both the Wired Productions and Hello There Games teams are music fans through and through,

and recognise its ability to make a lasting impact on the world stage. As such, all music royalties will support The Tim Bergling Foundation, which advocates for the recognition of suicide as a global health emergency and promotes removing the stigma attached to the discussion of mental health issues. AVICII Invector is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and releases as the Encore Edition on September 8th 2020 for Nintendo Switch and PS4 in physical retail.

New safety measures in place as Cadbury World prepares to reopen

adbury World, the much-loved family tourist attraction, has announced a raft of new measures to help guests enjoy their visit safely and maintain social distancing, as the team prepares to reopen after the COVID-19 lockdown. The planned changes include reducing the number of visitors admitted each day and asking all guests to pre-book tickets. On arrival, everyone will also have their temperature checked before entering the attraction. Visitors will still be able to enjoy the full self-guided tour of Cadbury World, which now includes social distancing circles laid out on the floor, helping everyone to stay a safe distance apart. Hand sanitising stations have also been installed in each zone. Guests will be able to take a magical journey through Beanville on the Cadabra ride, seeing the talented chocolatiers in action before drawing their name in chocolate in the Have A Go zone. Famous Cadbury

characters, including Freddo and the Caramel Bunny, will also return to meet and greet guests. Cadbury World also plans to extend its opening hours on weekends and during the school holidays to help spread visitors out throughout each day. Gerrard Baldwin, general manager at Cadbury World, commented: “The health and safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority and the whole team has been working incredibly hard over the past three months to introduce our new safety measures, from enhanced cleaning to social distancing guidance. “We’re delighted to hear the government’s latest announcement which now provides the certainty for us to plan for our opening date. We look forward to being able to announce that very soon and start welcoming visitors back safely to our chocolatey world.” For more information about Cadbury World, please visit www.cadburyworld.co.uk.

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Stormzy pledges £10m to fight racial inequality

l Stormzy (Frank Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0) usic superstar, Stormzy has made a pledge in the form of £10 million to organisations, charities and movements in the UK who are tackling racial inequality, justice reform and Black empowerment. The internationally-renowned multi-award winning grime star said that he will make his donation over the next 10 years. He said: “We have to fight against the odds of a racist system that is stacked against us and is designed for us to fail from before we are even born”. The Croydon-born artist, who is of Ghanaian parents, said that he was making the donation to fight racial inequality because “the uncomfortable truth that our country continuously fails to recognise and admit, is that

Black people in the UK have been at a constant disadvantage in every aspect of life – simply due to the colour of our skin. “I’m lucky enough to be in the position I’m in and I’ve heard people often dismiss the idea of racism existing in Britain by saying ‘If the country is so racist how have you become a success?!’ and I reject that with this: I am not the UK’s shining example of what supposedly happens when a Black person works hard. “There are millions of us. We are not far and few. We have to fight against the odds of a racist system stacked against us and designed for us to fail from before we are even born. He has also funded Black British students at Cambridge University.

ENTERTAINMENT

Dennis Lloyd shares video for new single from debut album

ulti-platinum international artist Dennis Lloyd shares the animated video for his new single; ‘Alien’ that was released via Arista Records, the first track off his forthcoming debut album. Directed by Yoav Aluf at Plonter Animation Studios, the video tells a story about an alien who crashes on earth and meets a young boy who helps him search for his lost dog. Despite the alien initially being reluctant to trust the boy, the two form a strong bond throughout their journey together. The video’s message is that regardless of our backgrounds, we’re all looking for the same things in life: to feel loved, safe

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and to have a place we can call home. Lloyd stated: “This was the first song I wrote after returning home from tour. At some point on the road you can lose track of where you are, waking up in a new city or country each day, to new people, cultures and foods. In a way I felt like an alien on a spaceship, exploring the world.” Born and raised in Tel Aviv, in Israel, Lloyd released his debut EP, “Exident”, last year. The lead single, ‘Never Go Back’ landed on Spotify’s sought-after playlist, Today’s Top Hits, on day one of its release. TIME Magazine praised ‘Never Go Back’ as an “equally alluring follow up” to Lloyd’s global smash, ‘Nevermind.’ In addition, Forbes proclaimed,

“Lloyd creatively blends the elements of pop, R&B, rock and reggae, breaking global boundaries in addition to crossing them.” Lloyd travelled the world on the sold-out Never Go Back Tour, with highlights including show-stopping sets at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, New York City’s Governors Ball and Dover, DE’s Firefly Festival. Last autumn, he embarked on the sold-out Never Go Back Tour: Part III, which spanned across 16 European countries.

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ENTERTAINMENT

ive Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company, have announced Utilita Live From The Drive-In – a series of live drive-in concerts situated across 12 venues in the U.K. Live Nation is reimagining the live music experience during a time of social distancing by allowing fans to enjoy concerts in a one-of-a-kind drive-in setting from their own private individual viewing zones next to their cars. Designed to comply with all official guidelines, Utilita Live From The Drive-In will deliver the U.K.’s premier drive-in experience featuring a series of music concerts, theatre performances, comedy shows and family experiences this Summer. Utilita Live From The DriveIn will see some of the biggest names in U.K. music perform live on stage backed by a full concert production that audiences can experience from the comfort of their designated area, with each vehicle appropriately distanced from one another. ‘Utilita Live From The DriveIn’ will also offer carefully curated family events for kids of all ages from West End theatre

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Live Nation UK Announces Summer Concert Series

extravaganzas to interactive science shows, fun live music and DJs and some very wellknown TV stars and characters from children television – more to be announced and added to the schedule. Utilita Live From The DriveIn confirmed live performances with more to be announced already include: Ash, Beverley Knight, Bjorn Again, Brainiac

Live, Brand New Heavies, Camp Bestival Live, Cream Classical Ibiza, Dizzee Rascal, Embrace, Gary Numan, Jack Savoretti, Kaiser Chiefs, Lightning Seeds, Nathan Dawe, Reggae Roast Vs Gentleman's Dub Club, Russell Watson, Sheku and Isata KannehMason, Sigala, Skindred, The Snuts, The Streets, The Zutons and Tony Hadley.

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erformances by Bounty Killer, Busy Signal, Skip Marley, Beenie Man, Christopher Martin, Lila Ike, Sister Nancy, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and music by Max Glazer Federation Sound provided the focal point for the #FriendsUniteForJA Benefit Concert that aimed at raising vital funds to help communities impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic in Jamaica. The 60 minute virtual benefit concert, sponsored by JetBlue, Caribbean Food Delights, GraceKennedy, Caribbean Producers Jamaica, Sanmerna and First Global Bank pulled out all the stops to support the star-studded worthwhile event. Streamed and broadcasted to millions of viewers in the USA, Canada, the UK and around the world, on multiple platforms, the event, hosted by DJ Khaled and Record Producer, Busta Rhymes was set up to raise funds for children and families and also aid communities on the island who are affected by the pandemic. While the recorded death rates have been contained in the Caribbean island, the fallout of the quarantine still persisted despite the government’s efforts as the coronavirus crisis continue to create unique challenges that have led to job losses and school closures, which in turn, directly affects food instability and impacts on already vulnerable communities. And, despite the massive efforts by the government, healthcare workers and the county’s citizens, Jamaica remains in great need of external support for its population – especially the more vulnerable groups. President of the AFJ (American Friends of Jamaica) said: “The AFJ’s #FriendsUniteForJA Virtual Benefit Concert was a call to action for those who love Jamaica and want to help the most vulnerable communities on the island who have been most impacted by Covid-19. “The work of the AFJ is always focused on supporting the people of Jamaica and we ask all who are Friends of Jamaica to join us and to donate what they can.” Executive Director of the AFJ said, “Covid-19 has affected the livelihood of many across Jamaica and requires collaborative effort if the country is to restore its standing. “We come together as Jamaicans and Friends of Jamaica in a spirit of Unity and Solidarity.” The event provided an opportunity to tell the Covid story from Jamaica’s perspective with a heartening representation of human resiliency as attendees were able to view the broadcast in a dedicated chat room with friends - which began 30mins before the telecast - with each chat room containing 10 participants in an exclusive experience similar to a zoom chat format that included special guests and celebrity drop-ins. Following the initial broadcast, the #FriendsUniteForJA Benefit Concert is available on YouTube to continue encouraging organisations and individuals to contribute to fundraising for food insecurity, education and economic impact programs in Jamaica. The show was restreamed live on VP Records, Tuff Gong International, HYPE TV and Swish TV/The Phoenix YouTube channels, Jamaicans Inspired, Reggae Britannia Twitter & Instagram and other media platforms. Donate to this worthy cause at afjdonate.org

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ENTERTAINMENT

Todrick Hosts Global Pride

he fabulous, multifaceted Todrick Hall has captured the current situation in his own inimitable style with his COVID-19 themed anthem ‘Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrubs’ and the ‘Quarantine Queen’ EP. His profile has since exploded, resulting in him being chosen as the iconic cover star of Billboard’s

Pride 2020 issue, headlining HBO’s first ever digital Pride and appearing on numerous landmark TV shows including The Late Late Show with James Corden. Todrick Hall had another big week, which culminated with him hosting Global Pride for YouTube via his channel. He performed on the main stage as part of an all-star line-up that

features artists over 24 hours such as Adam Lambert and Melissa Etheridge, while the event will also feature videos from over 500 Pride organisations from all over the world. It has been estimated that an international audience of up to 3 billion people visited Todrick’s channel throughout the course of the event.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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Facebook Awards Funding To Academic Partnership

acebook has awarded funding to a team of academics from the City-Region Economic Development Institute (City-REDI) at the University of Birmingham, the School of Geographical Sciences at the University of Bristol, and the Alan Turing Institute, to undertake datadriven research focusing on how the ongoing digital revolution affects regional economic growth and the industrial landscape, and

which businesses and places reap higher benefits from digitalisation in the UK. Digital technologies, such as the Internet of Things, enable innovation and promote economic development, creating new opportunities for industry sectors and regions. However, these technologies can also lead to significant socio-economic and geographical divides, with many areas unable to access the benefits and opportunities these technologies provide.

The research team, using data to uncover the extent and scope of the digital divide, will work extensively with .uk domain datasets taken from the Internet Archive, a publicly available digital library, preserving the public web. Complementing this data, micro-data from the Business Structure Database, a live register of firms registered for VAT and/or Pay As You Earn (PAYE) in the UK, and data from the UK Innovation Survey will be used to provide

a comprehensive analysis of how the digital footprint varies across the UK, by sector and geography. Lead-researcher, Professor Raquel Ortega-Argiles from the University of Birmingham, states, “The Digital Economy is now part of the fabric of people’s lives, and our reliance on it has only grown since the COVID-19 pandemic. “This further highlights technology’s capacity to disrupt, either to support the levelling up agenda for regional economies, or to strengthen the divisive growth paths. “This research will inform how the UK can address and rebalance these regional inequalities.”

Metroidvania Fans Get Your Wallets Ready

ith one of the first consoles I owned being a SNES and one of the most memorable games from that console being Super Metroid, when I first saw Outbuddies DX my younger self jumped for joy. From the superb audio soundscape, to the perfect pixel art, Outbuddies DX brings everything that MetroidVania fans could want in a game. Set deep in the Ocean and infested with hostile Lovecraftian creatures and lethal environmental hazards, players must dash, dodge, and blast through Bahlam, a danger-filled sunken fortress of the Old Gods. By deploying the Buddy unit to manipulate and scout the surroundings through hacking, scanning and telekinesis, the players will discover ancient weapon systems and gear upgrades to battle through a gigantic sunken labyrinth. Outbuddies DX offers a nonlinear gear-based progression system for both combat and level-layouts. Selecting weapons from the four-tier upgradeable system, as well as split-second reflexes and memorisation of attack patterns are essential for players to stand a chance against an onslaught of unforgiving bosses and to escape Bahlam’s hostile maze. Outbuddies’ praised atmosphere is supported by OGRE’s thematic soundtrack written as an ode to the 16-

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bit Megadrive/Genesis era. Based on the feedback from corespeedrunners and Metroid-enthusiasts since the game‘s PC release, Outbuddies DX now offers vastly improved visuals and a variety of new features added to the well-received original. Outbuddies’ local co-op mode allows a second player to control Buddy with an expanded tool set. The only slight drawback personally is the inability to change your controls. While this may not seem like a dealbreaker for many people, the control scheme for Outbuddies is complicated at best, and confusing at worst. However, once you’ve got your head around the button combinations and sometimes unforgiving mechanics, the game opens up to reveal a very polished game with some incredible waves of nostalgia at every turn. From the nod to Metroid’s “portal doors” that you open with a shot, and some with charged shots or missiles, as well as bombs and all the usual tropes, Outbuddies DX is an entertaining and fun trip through Bahlam. Outbuddies DX is now available on Steam, GOG, Humble, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. We reviewed it on the Nintendo Switch, which is currently £14.99 at time of writing.

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Birmingham Botanical Gardens Re-opens B irmingham Botanical Gardens, the historic, heritage attraction, is to re-open its doors this week for the first time since closing in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The independent charity which runs and maintains the 15 acres of grounds with lawns, seasonal borders and Grade II listed glasshouses introduced a safe, phased re-opening from June 17th, to ensure the safety of visitors and staff. James Wheeler, chief executive of the Gardens, which is located in Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, said all visitors must book an allocated slot online, which will help to restrict numbers entering and to avoid queues, in accordance with Government advice and best practice. “We are so pleased to be able to announce the re-opening of the Gardens, in line with Government advice, so that

our members and visitors can enjoy our wide open spaces and tranquil environment while maintaining all-important social distancing,” he said. Last month, the Gardens announced it had received a lifeline £47,500 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Emergency Fund to help it meet its running costs after closing on March 24 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The closure meant the charity received no revenue from entry fees, weddings and conferences. When it opens its doors, the gardens, glasshouses, shops and plant sales will be open, although the tea room and children’s playground will remain closed for the foreseeable future. The Gardens will be open daily from 10am until 6pm, subject to change, and to ensure there is effective social distancing, everyone must book a time slot in advance.

ENTERTAINMENT

Now is the time to Play At Home with Escape Hunt

scape Hunt, the global provider of immersive entertainment experiences, has released a brand-new game in its ‘Play At Home’ collection. ‘Level Up’ is a one-hour experience suitable for one to six players aged eight and over. The game can be played within households or via video chat, so it is perfect for friends, family members or colleagues looking to connect and have some fun while still social distancing. In Level Up, players have discovered a mysterious old console from the 1980s and must play their way through the retro game levels to beat the computer and shut it down before a dangerous virus hiding in the software escapes. Downloads cost £14.99 per game at https://bit.ly/3elj9Y6, so get your favourite gamers together and step into the digital world in this race to save yourselves and uncover the dark secrets of the Seiyako Technologies videogame empire. Since opening in 2013, Escape Hunt has expanded rapidly, opening nearly 50 locations across 27 countries around the world and entertaining thousands who have enjoyed their current games. Escape Hunting involves teammates losing themselves in incredible new worlds, taking on pulse-racing missions and facing exciting challenges created by the Escape Hunt Studios team. Groups must work together to follow a series of fiendishly clever clues and complete their mission before their time is up.

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ENTERTAINMENT MOTORS

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Why E10 Eco Fuel Could Damage Classic Cars A Hagerty UK investigation into the imminent introduction of E10 fuel has highlighted the risks it poses to hundreds of thousands of owners of classic cars, modern cars and motorcycles alike. Experts warn that the introduction of E10 is the most significant threat to old cars since the switch from leaded to unleaded fuel. Four-star fuel was banned in Britain from 2000, on environmental grounds. It’s for similar concerns over air pollution and CO2 emissions that E10 will soon be dispensed by the nation’s petrol pumps. The Government has targeted 2050 as the year that Britain

will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to a net zero. By introducing E10 fuel it is claimed CO2 emissions could be reduced by 750,000 tonnes per year. That’s the equivalent of taking 350,000 cars off the road. Although many cars run E5 without significant problems, doubling the amount of ethanol in the fuel can cause a variety of issues in older cars. Ethanol is hygroscopic, which means that it absorbs water from the atmosphere. This can lead to condensation in fuel tanks, fuel lines and carburettors and cause corrosion in brass, copper, lead, tin and zinc components.

INTRODUCING THE NEW ‘BUSINESS CLASS’ HOME OFFICE

ith home working looking set to stay, GlamperRV, the bespoke luxury motorhome brand, is launching a new ‘business class’ home office the GlamperRV Business Line - which can also be used as a mobile office hotel, and on post lockdown weekends away or adventurous touring holidays. Offering an ultimate home office space without the need to move house, the GlamperRV Business Line motorhome will enable business people to travel to meetings while avoiding hotels, restaurants and additional shared facilities. Full business class facilities include a large central desk, LED lighting, bathroom, multiple USB charging points, mobile wifi, Nespresso coffee machine,

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large fridge freezer, blackout blinds and plug sockets without the need for an electric hook up, courtesy of a powerful in-built inverter. Measuring 7.39m long and 2.33m wide, the GlamperRV Business Line also comes with full kitchen facilities, separate bedroom with double bed and en-suite shower room, additional drop-down double bed and a large garage space for bikes or other storage. Customable options range from large flat screens to living space air conditioning and exterior gas points so you can fire up the BBQ at the end of the working day. Out of hours, the GlamperRV Business Line will sleep up to four people, along with seating for four to five around its large central desk. Says GlamperRV managing

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director Lucy Caillé: “Working from home looks set to become the ‘new normal’ for many business people as a result of COVID-19. Finding the right long-term solution for home working is now high on the agenda for many people - along with a safer overnight option for when we do need to travel to meetings and work away from home post lockdown, without the need to share facilities or stay in a hotel. “It’s also an ideal solution for those who will need to return to work-away commuting a few days a week at business class standards. Thousands of pubs, farms and even vineyards across the country in addition to the more traditional campsites already offer overnight parking for RV campers.”

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MOTORS

Celebrating 25TH ANNIVERSARY M OF HISTORIC LE MANS WIN cLaren Automotive is celebrating one of McLaren’s greatest motorsport achievements – victory on its first attempt in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – with a special edition 720S coupé. Just 16 of this Le Mans edition will be available in Europe, from a total of 50 worldwide. The 720S Le Mans has been created to mark 25 years since McLaren F1 GTR #59 won the world-famous endurance race. Driven by JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya, the car took the chequered flag on June 18, 1995. Three other McLaren F1 GTRs finished in the top five, with victory at Le Mans also ensuring McLaren a place in motorsport history as winners of the French 24-hour classic, the Formula 1 World Championship and the Indianapolis 500. Taking the 720S supercar to a new level of exclusivity, each of the Le Mans edition cars carries a dedication plate featuring a ‘McLaren 25 Anniversary Le Mans’ logo. The VIN of each car will begin with 298, in recognition of the number of laps completed by the race-winning F1 GTR – one more than its closest rival.

2nd Place For Aston Martin In Le Mans 24 Virtual The FIA World Endurance GTE Championship leaders Aston Martin Racing secured a dramatic runner-up spot in the GTE class of the first ever Le Mans 24 Virtual, the spectacular official online simulation of the event of the world’s most famous endurance race. Having qualified fifth on Friday, the four-man crew of the #95 Aston Martin Vantage GTE ‘Dane Train’ comprising of GTE Pro points leader Nicki Thiim (DEN), fellow Aston Martin Racing driver Richard Westbrook, Lasse Sørensen and sim-racing ace Manuel Biancolilla (I) held their nerve in a fiercely-contested battle with old real-world foes Porsche and Corvette to rise up to P2 in the final hours of the race. Thiim made a fantastic start with a triple stint that ensured the car was in the hunt from the off. Staying on the lead lap for much of the race thanks to strong stints by Westbrook and Biancolilla. Sørensen – the brother of Thiim’s teammate Marco - fittingly took the chequered flag having produced a scintillating triple-stint through the night and ensured the #95 was in a position to capitalise as others fell by the wayside.

Ducati Starts Production Of The Superleggera V4 The first Superleggera V4 has come off the Borgo Panigale production line (click here for the video). This is the #001 of the 500 units scheduled in a limited and numbered series; the only motorcycle in the world approved for road use with a frame, swingarm and carbon fibre rims, is finally available. A masterpiece of mechanical engineering, technique and "made in Italy" design, which sets a new benchmark in terms of performance, style and attention to detail. The exclusivity of the materials and technical solutions adopted on the Superleggera V4 are also reflected in the maximum number of motorcycles envisaged: 500 numbered units accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. The progressive numbering of the motorcycles (XXX/500), coinciding with the chassis number, is shown on the steering

head, and on the ignition key. The uniqueness of the Superleggera V4 project is underlined by the experiences that Ducati together with Ducati Corse have exclusively reserved for the owners of the motorcycle: the "Superbike Experience" the possibility for all fans who purchase a Superleggera V4 to be able to try out the Panigale V4 R that takes part in the SBK World Championship on track at Mugello. Even more incredible and exclusive is the opportunity - limited to 30 owners of the Superleggera V4 - to purchase access to the "MotoGP Experience", thus realizing the dream of every sports motorcycle enthusiast. For the first time it will be possible to ride the Desmosedici GP on the circuit, followed directly by Ducati Corse technicians. Both “Experiences” have been confirmed for 2021.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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Piera Van de Wiel releases ‘Used’ to end violence against women

reakout musician Piera Van de Wiel has captured the attention of the United Nations to raise awareness of the increase in domestic violence due to Covid-19 quarantine through her breakout new single ‘Used’. In the song’s impactful lyrics, Piera sheds light on the dark reality of domestic violence by giving women around the world the voice they deserve. She is passionate about social impact and understands how music can be used as a vehicle to increase awareness of global causes. ‘Used’ is an emotional rollercoaster of how people can feel so safe when they let your barriers down, only to feel used, abused and taken for granted. However, it ends with a lasting positive message of strength and hope. Piera Van de Wiel’s song ‘Used’ is available through all the normal channels. All proceeds from her new song are going to the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women. This aims to prevent violence against women and girls by empowering groups especially at risk of violence, including adolescent girls and indigenous or ethnic minority women, and by engaging strategically with boys and men as well as traditional and faithbased leaders to prevent violence. A singer-songwriter and actor passionate about social impact and storytelling, Piera is the founder of ‘Stronger with Music’, a collective that promotes the importance of music and mental health and music and social impact. She has worked and performed with various organisations globally, including the Barefoot College International, Applaud Our Kids Foundation at 54 Below, the Aspire Artemis Foundation. Poera has sung at the United Nations headquarters in New York for International Women's Day, sponsored by the Mission of Djibouti, and at other UN-sponsored events around the world.

Five Major Reveals at The Guerrilla Collective Award-winning game publisher, Headup, has surprised global indie fans with five major reveals in the first two days of the Guerrilla Collective Event. On the first day Headup revealed a world premiere of the upcoming roguelike card game RPG Cardaclysm, developed by Elder Games. Another surprise was the release date announcement and kick-off pre-order for the wild-west top-down shooter, Colt Canyon for PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on June 16. You can pre-order this action-fueled pixel art gem now with a discount! Last but not Least, two console games, the SHMUP Rigid Force Redux and the true Metroivania gem Outbuddies DX, were officially released alongside the event for Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. Yes, you can grab and start playing them immediately! On the second day, Headup will reveal a world premier of the unique adventure game

Lost At Sea, currently in development by the criticallyacclaimed creators of The Inner World franchise and the studio behind the 2020 IGF honorable mention Minute Of Islands, Studio Fizbin. Lost At Sea is a game about life. It’s about the journey we all take and the monster we all face. What are the most important moments in your life? Set on a beautiful island, you will fight death and fear to remember the moments that connect us all and make life worth living for every one of us. Cardaclysm: Shards of the Four is a procedurally generated collectable card game mixed with action RPG elements that let’s you face the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in epic card battles! Collect creature and spell cards throughout your journey and unleash their power if anyone opposes you!

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ENTERTAINMENT

The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020 - Page 31

BIG DAVE’S SAFE PAGE

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It’s Time To Ask: Is The World Listening?

oday I am very proud to announce I am now the new Brand Ambassador for the Phoenix Newspaper and its sister paper the Phoenix Africa. I am both honoured and proud to have the opportunity to write my page for both the newspapers, which have a huge global audience which stretches across the Commonwealth, Africa and beyond. Which I and many others consider to be the most positive, diverse newsprint in the UK, across the Commonwealth and now across the African Continent. When I write my page for the Phoenix Newspaper, I don’t consider the colour of the skin of my readers, nor do I consider individual religions, race, gender, age, or sexuality to be important as I write for you as my friends. The world is in pain and we all need to come together to heal the hurt and close the wounds that biggotory causes. Only then we will start to see a change in our society and our communities that we live in. The death of George Floyd no one doubts was both horrific and

unnecessary and the officers in question will no doubt be held to account for their actions or lack of intervention in this case by due legal process. Many have felt outraged and the public expression of

both anger and grief have seen riots and protests across the globe and not just centred in the USA but also here in the UK. It is more important than ever that we all and especially the decision makers

learn to communicate and realise that 90% of communication is the ability to listen and 10% to talk, not the other way round. As Big Dave says, we

should all Talk, Talk, Talk, and now we must Listen, Listen, Listen. We should learn to respect one another as life is too short. If there is one thing that we should learn

from this pandemic, wiping down surfaces with bleach, detergents and washing your hands with soap is all necessary and we need to take the time afforded to us to wipe the hatred out of our hearts and learn to respect one another. Because remember there are two viruses affecting the world. Both of which take lives and cause much anguish, pain and heartache in equal measures. One of which is the Coronavirus, the other is bigotry. There is one race, the Human Race, there is one blood, Red Blood, all life is precious. No one’s life is more important than the next and there is one lesson we should all learn that life is too short, so get hatred out of your heart. Let us build Safe, Positive Relationships and bring our Communities together. So let our voices be so loud every bigot in the world hears it and listens to the message that life is too short so let us try to be kind, compassionate and understanding of each other. So wake up World and start to LISTEN. Stay Safe, Stay Strong, Spread The Love.

Big Dave is a huge opportunity waiting to become a solution. The visibility of social enterprise is only going to increase as part of a mature forward looking economy so that the country is full of optimism, opportunity and a sense of purpose and achievement. Having ambition, passion, enterprise, and innovation lie at the heart of the Big Dave ethos. The idea is to introduce a social engaging character that will symbolise and galvanise the country with the idea of the Strength Of Britain. This will be for everyone to get behind the character that represents a force for good and inspiration, so that Big Dave the character and Big Dave the person, become one and that they stand together as social

champions and friends to all. This exciting new concept has to be truly ambitious having innovation and enterprise as the engine that drives this program forward in a competitive global culture, putting young people first working together as teams, partners and most importantly as friends. Our mission statement is ‘ We all need to be caring and cared for and to look after one another. We all should consider the needs of others, to reject totally the quite unacceptable association with negative behaviours and to do our best in life. We should live our life in a way that is honourable and acceptable for ourselves and the communities that we live in.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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Elle Mambetoy Presents New Fashion Collection

New Single From JP Saxe

oronto-born, critically acclaimed singersongwriter JP Saxe, today releases his latest single, ‘Hey Stupid, I Love You”, from his forthcoming project out later this year. The track was written by JP and Scott Harris (Shawn Mendes) and produced by Ojivolta. JP explains: “I’ve recently figured out that when someone asks you for more love, it’s easier just to give it to them, than to convince them they don’t need it. Also, after a few songs that feel a lot like who I am alone at 3am at my piano, grueling and emotional, this one feels more like me at 3pm, and it feels like the way I love – rambling, and dorky but ultimately sincere. That’s what we wanted the video to feel like, and shooting it with long distance lenses all

outside made for a real silly (and sunburnt) day.” The new single follows the success of JP’s duet with Julia Michaels, titled “If The World Was Ending” which reached number 14 in the Official UK charts and remained in the Top 40 for 12 weeks. Despite being released in October 2019, “If The World Was Ending” continued to strike a powerful chord at the peak of the pandemic. To help support the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in its global response to COVID-19, JP and Julia tapped Alessia Cara, H.E.R, Keith Urban, Sam Smith and more for a special charity video, with all proceeds donated to Doctors Without Borders.

ashion designer Elle Mambetov was recently released from a UK prison after serving two years before the U.S. government intervened to free her. Her unbelievable journey shows how a successful African American woman can go from the catwalk to the confines of a prison, and what she did when she discovered she was a victim of fraud at the hands of her own friend. A London Fashion Week designer at the age of 26, Elle was born and raised in Texas to a single mother. Her identity as Black Muslim woman has been inspired by her travels - which have taken her all over the world and back. She has built brands in foreign lands, done business deals with former British Prime Minister David Cameron, and secured partnership deals with Toni & Guy and Evian. After being the victim of fraud at the hands of one of her own friends, Elle has now returned to America with both an incredible

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story and striking new fashion line with Los Angeles set as her home base. She has revealed her luxury womenswear line Elle B. Zhou in a jawdropping online virtual presentation with the help of supermodel Shahad Salman. Previously featured in Vogue, ELLE, and Harper's Bazaar, Elle is poised to change the perception of modest fashion into something truly unique and sophisticated with the launch and virtual presentation of her luxury womenswear brand. "This collection is my brain, heart and soul stretching to collide two worlds of fashionable existence,” Elle said. “Representative of my own journey into dressing modestly; each cropped top, short sleeved shirt, and pair of trousers have been re-positioned to fit within this new world as I seek to redefine modest fashion." See Elle's presentation of her virtual collection for yourself at ellebmambet.com.

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Ibidunni Ituah-Ighodalo

orn in Lagos State, she was a former beauty queen who became the winner of the first edition of the Miss Lux beauty contest at the age of 18. She was a former attendee of the Lagos Business School - where she obtained a degree in Business Management – before becoming a Fellow of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria. The wife of a Nigerian preacher, she then became the co-pastor at the Trinity House Church in Lagos alongside her husband, Ituah Ighodalo. She also ran Elisabeth R which redefined events management spaces for

weddings – where she was also a much sought-after consultant and birthdays. She headed the Ituah Ighodalo Foundation which was designed to complete families and keep hope alive as couples go through the issues of fertility. More recently, she then travelled across the length and breadth of the country building isolation centres for Covid-19 patients. She died of a cardiac arrest, age 40.

Sushant Singh Rajput

orn in Patna, in India, he was one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, and was best known for ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, where he played the legendary cricketer as well as being popular for his TV work. Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi was among the many people who paid tribute calling him “a bright young actor gone too soon”. Believed to have taken his own life, he was found in his apartment

OBITUARIES AND NOTICE BOARD

in Mumbai, age 34.

he Essex-born multiaward winning actor was best known, in recent years, for his role as Bilbo Baggins in the blockbusters The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. His illustrious career saw him receive the 1967 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in The Homecoming and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of King Lear. He won the 1981 BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role as athletics trainer Sam Mussabini in Chariots of Fire, for which he was also nominated for an Academy Award.

Sir Ian Holm CBE His other well-known film roles include Ash in Alien and Father Vito Cornelius in The Fifth Element, Chef Skinner in Ratatouille. Other films include Oh! What a Lovely War, Young Winston, Jesus of Nazareth, Alien, Chariots of Fire and The Hobbit films. He was 88.

Willie Throne N

ickname ‘Mr Maximum’ the Leicester-born professional snooker player won the 1985 Classic, his only ranking title. He lost in the final of the 1985 UK Championship after leading 13–8. World ranked at No.7, he was noted for his break-building – his highest being the maximum 147 (one of 126 century breaks) in the 1987 UK Championship. After retiring as a player, he became a regular commentator. Previously married to Fiona Walker, with whom he had twin sons and a daughter, he then

Dame Vera Lynn CH DBE OStJ

B married to former Miss Great Britain winner Jill Saxby. Diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2015, he was recently placed in an induced coma after suffering respiratory failure in hospital before going into septic shock. He died aged 66.

est known as the Forces Sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn, the nation is mourning the passing of the woman whose songs helped to raise morale during World War II. The singer was best known for performing hits like ‘We’ll Meet Again’ to the troops who were on the front line in countries such as India and Burma. In a statement, her family confirmed that she died with them (her family) around her. They said that they were “deeply saddened to make the announcement of the passing of Britain’s best-loved entertainer”. Ahead of the recent 75th

anniversary of VE Day during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Dame Vera said that simple acts of bravery and sacrifice still defines our nation. Following that, she then became the oldest person to have a top 40 album in the UK charts, beating her own record when her Greatest Hits album re-entered the charts at No.30. Dame Vera, who sold more than a million records by the age of 22, was also remembered for singing ‘The White Cliffs Of Diver’, ‘There’ll Always Be An England’, ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’, ‘Wishing’ and ‘If Only I Had Wings’. She was 103.

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Page 34 - The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020

NEWS

‘Captain’ Tobias Charity Walk Inspired By WWII Veteran Sir Tom F

Coral Mapping Tech In The Commonwealth The Commonwealth Secretariat is joining forces with Vulcan Inc. to help member countries manage their ocean spaces via cutting-edge mapping technology. Commonwealth countries are responsible for more than a third of the world's coastal ocean, and 45 percent of its coral reefs. The new tool will use satellite technology to create countryspecific data and generate highresolution images to help map, manage and monitor coral reefs in the Commonwealth. Announcing the initiative in time for World Reef Awareness Day, SecretaryGeneral Patricia Scotland said: “The threats confronting our ocean are numerous and can be perceived by governments as overwhelming, with 90 percent of coral reefs at risk of disappearing within the next few decades due to climate change.

l ‘Captain’ Tobias

THIS SPOT COULD BE YOURS!

ollowing the recordbreaking efforts of Captain Sir Tom Moore, a nine-year-old boy who has cerebral palsy was inspired to follow suit by walking the distance of a marathon in his street. The Sheffield-born school boy used a walking frame to walk about 50 metres a day having originally planned to complete I kilometre in his local park to raise money for charity,. Instead, Tobias, who is also autistic and cannot stand or walk unaided walked 750m per day until he completed the 26-mile challenge.

Saying that heard about Captain Tom and that he wanted to raise £10,000 by doing what he described as a “ginormous challenge”, he raised a staggering target sum – and still counting – for his two favourite charities; Sheffield Children’s Hospital where he attends for regular treatment and Paces School, where he attends for conductive education, which emphasises on developing the children so that they can achieve as much independence as possible by following physiotherapy programmes as well as being educated at the same time. His proud mother, Ruth, said:

“When Tobias heard about Captain Tom’s challenge, he felt a kinship with him and decided to replace his sponsored walk with a marathon attempt instead. He started on March 21, which was pretty much the time when the lockdown started and looked to finish by the end of May. “Tobias”, she added, “is just thrilled at the response that he has got – and still getting”. The plucky youngster wanted to raise money for the ‘A New Home for Paces’ to provide a new school with improved facilities.

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Revitalise celebrates reopening of charity shop in Hampshire Revitalise, known as the people who create respite holidays for disabled people and their carers at their Netley Waterside House centre in Southampton, are pleased to say that their first charity shop reopened yesterday in Stubbington and made a fantastic £400 on the first day alone – three times what they made on the same day last year! These charity shops are a valuable way for Revitalise to raise funds for their vital work and are crucially important in the current climate. The pandemic has hit all charities hard financially - a summary from the Institute of Fundraising estimated that half of charities in the UK potentially

face collapse within six months without financial support and the average projected loss of voluntary income at almost 50%. Revitalise desperately need the support of local customers as restrictions start to lift. The charity has gone above and beyond to ensure each of their 14 stores, dotted around the South Coast region, are safe for staff and customers, with a wide-range of health and safety measures in place, including social distancing and hand sanitising stations. Andrew Pallister Revitalise Head of Retail said: “We are so pleased to be reopening our charity shops and welcoming back our loyal customers, many of whom have let us know over

social media that they have been missing us. We are committed to making the stores as hygienic as possible and the wellbeing of our staff and customers is the highest priority. We look forward to seeing you!” During the COVID-19 crisis, Revitalise have adapted their usual holiday experience at their centre at Revitalise Netley Waterside House, to instead provide a place to stay safe either short or long term, for disabled people in urgent need of respite due to the restrictions of lockdown. The centre is also supporting the NHS by welcoming nonCOVID patients from local hospitals, freeing up beds for people with the virus.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020 - Page 35

NEWS

West Midlands Charities Receive £25,000 In Donations

ix charities from across the West Midlands have been chosen by employees of Mondelēz International (owner of Cadbury) throughout the region to receive a donation of up to £5,000. Each year, the company’s UK employees are invited to nominate wellbeing-related charities or projects close to their hearts, with the final shortlisted charities voted for by the wider work force. In 2020, Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, Lindens Primary School in Walsall, Cannockbased charity Special Needs Adventure Playground (SNAP) and Grocery Aid have each been granted £5,000 from The Cadbury Foundation, whilst Sandwell Advocacy and Cerebral Palsy Midlands have received £2,500

from the Foundation, as part of Mondelēz International’s ‘Your Charity Your Choice’ scheme. Tom Higgins, a technician from the factory in Bournville factory, nominated Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity on behalf of a colleague whose young daughter was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. SNAP is a small charity supporting young people with disabilities to join in with the types of play others may take for granted. Cadbury World’s operations manager Tim Gimbert nominated the charity, which will use the grant to add specialist sports equipment to its facility. Colleagues from the company’s distribution centre in Minworth voted to support stock specialist Wayne Hand’s nomination for Lindens Primary School. The

school focuses on catering for the needs of all children, with the donation used to support pupils who are dealing with anxiety and depression. Employees at the chocolate factory in Marlbrook, Herefordshire, chose the charity Grocery Aid to receive the £5,000 grant. The charity helps people across the whole of the grocery industry, providing support to members of the industry in times of need, both financially and emotionally and has specifically supported a site employee through a difficult time. A further £5,000 grant was split between Sandwell Advocacy, to aid training courses for the volunteers, and Cerebral Palsy West Midlands after a voting tiebreak. Cerebral Palsy West Midlands are completely reliant

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l Special Needs Adventure Playground (SNAP) on fundraising to get its disabled citizens out into the community, whether that’s to GP appointments, local attractions or accessible holidays. The Cadbury Foundation was set up in 1935 in recognition of Richard and George Cadbury and their investment in the welfare of their employees and the local community. Across all Mondelēz International’s UK sites, £90,000 will be pledged as part of the ‘Your Charity Your Choice’ campaign.

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Page 36 - The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020

LET’S TALK WITH DONALD CAMPBELL

Let’s Talk The Missing Chapter Continues...

he National Caribbean Monument Charity (TNCMC) was established to design, create and install a monument in the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire, in recognition of 18 Caribbean Islands and the British flag because of the diaspora of Caribbean people in UK (Total 19 Islands), in recognition of British Caribbean Islands Service personnel, past, present and future. The plan is to install this monument by December 2021, costing £500,000.

The make up of TNCMC can be seen on our flag page as follows: The motto of this charity is SEPARATED BY WATER, BONDED BY CULTURE, recognising the distances separating all Islands but still remain culturally very similar. 19 Islands flags and the logo of TNCMC A crest in each corner of the page: Top left – Royal Navy Top Right – Army Bottom left – Royal Air Force Bottom right – Merchant Navy.

With Donald Campbell

ALL FLAGS AND CRESTS ARE ALIVE WITH INFORMATION PERTAINING TO EACH IMAGE. Today we are extremely happy to feature an article about an outstanding individual who served in the Merchant Navy. How would you like to support this

charity? You can become a member of TNCMC: https://thenationalcaribbeanmonument. org/memership or make a donation: https://thenationalcaribbeanmonument. org/donations

Captain Derrick Atkinson C aptain Derrick Atkinson is a Jamaican born Master Mariner with over 40 years experience in the Merchant Navy. He commenced his seagoing career with the Jamaica Banana Producers Steamship Company where he served as an officer cadet to the rank of Second Navigation Officer before seeking employment in other shipping companies to gain experience and progress his career. This proposed Memorial to include representation from the Merchant Navy alongside the fighting forces of the Army, Air Force and Navy holds a special sentiment to him as he recalls his early days of sailing on “S.S Jamaica Planter” and meeting Chief Engineer Strivens who had served on the old “ S.S. Jamaica Producer” during the Second World War and survived being torpedoed off the Azores whilst returning to UK laden with a cargo of bananas, fruit and metal. He narrated details of his anxiety, his five sleepless nights, wearing his life jacket 24 hours per day and the long hours worked to keep the stricken vessel afloat to arrive in London.

In London the vessel was discharged, repaired and the crew some of whom were Jamaicans resumed their duties without fuss or fanfare to sail back to Jamaica and continue their contributions to the war effort and supply needed vital produce. Mr Strivens’s story has been indelibly etched in his mind and has made him more reflective when he transited the Azores and remember the story and the two words of the telegram Mr. Strivens would send to his family each time the vessel passed the Azores in bound to UK - AM SAFE - . Remembering Chief Engineer Strivens’s incident aboard a Jamaican owned and registered vessel and the contributions of the Jamaican ratings on board makes Captain Atkinson proud to be a representative for the brave and selfless West Indian men of the Merchant Navy who unceremoniously served during the war. After leaving Jamaica Banana Producers Steamships Company Captain Atkinson spent 6 years employed by General American Transport Tanker Company (GATX) where he was promoted to Chief Officer within his first year of joining.

Written by Donald Campbell - 20 Jun 2020

A rank he retained until the fleet was sold. GATX however retained him as an independent consultant to supervise the loading and discharge of their tankers between the Arabian Gulf and South Africa. In 1980 he joined the Chinese owned,and world largest privately owned shipping company- Worldwide Shipping Company as Chief Officer in their tanker division. He was promoted to Master / Captain in 1982 - the rank he retained until 2001 when he was relocated and promoted to the company’s Singapore head office as Fleet Captain. Within 4 months of being relocated he was promoted to General Manager in charge of Fleet Personnel. The post remit was the responsibility for all aspects of the management of the multinational seagoing officers and ratings worldwide. This involved negotiating with International and Local Unions, Training and Development of staff, Career Paths, Compensations, Compliance, Budgets for both seafarers and the companies international offices, with specific emphasis on nationality and cost of living per location.

At the height of operations the company employed in excess of 5000 personnel of 9 main nationalities and maintained 6 owner offices and liaise with 4 independent agencies. In 2010 Captain Atkinson retired from Worldwide Shippimg Company - then rebranded as BW Shipping- and returned to UK. Captain Atkinson’s experience in international fleet personnel jatreds afforded him to travel frequently to Singapore and China to advise, lecture and provide manning solutions. Between 2012 to 2014 Captain Atkinson returned to Singapore as Senior Manager with American Eagle Tankers, a subsidiary of Petronas Malaysia, as consultant to advise and set up their Fleet Personnel Department. Captain Atkinson is now fully retired after a life of dedication to his profession which rewarded him with almost 20 years as Captain on Very Large Crude Oil Carriers (VLCCs), 10 years as General Manager, exposure to different cultures, worldwide travel and being admitted to the Honourable Company of Master Mariners and Freeman of the City of London since 2002 to present date.

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s Covid-19 shows no sign of ending anytime soon, and restaurants are among the hordes of businesses that were forced to close their doors since lockdown began, one particular food outlet have decided to remain providing food – but not for their regular adoring customers. Based on Broad Street, in Birmingham, Dilbar Restaurant, which provides the best of quality Indian cuisine, is providing its freshly made food and donating it to hospitals and other medicalrelated centres in the city and the wider West Midlands. Co-owner and Managing Director, Vijay Bulsara, along with fellow co-owner Pam Bassi, for the past few weeks have been donating some of Dilbar’s favourite foods to NHS staff and key workers as a way of saying ‘Thank You’ for their heroic and on-going work in the face of the relentless pandemic that is coronavirus. “With Coventry being my home city”, Pam says: “I felt it my duty to make enquiries about

The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020 - Page 37

NEWS

Dilbar Restaurant Providing Best Of Indian Cuisine To NHS the possibility, and then began delivering food to Coventry University Hospital Dialysis Centre. “All of the staff there was hugely overwhelmed by the gesture and incredibly grateful for what Dilbar (Restaurant) did for them. Not content with that, both Vijay and Pam hit upon the idea of providing their sumptuous food to other hospitals and medical centres local to their restaurant. “It was something that both Vijay and I felt was the least that we could do”, Pam says, “by way of showing our appreciation and gratitude to the work carried out, day-in, day-out, by our National Health Service and other essential

services”. She goes on: “We then decided to offer food to staff at Dudley Hospital Dialysis Centre before then the Sandwell Doctor’s Surgery centre. “The NHS has always done fantastic work under whatever circumstance. But, under the present pandemic Vijay and I felt that we really had to give something back. “We take our freshly-made food to wherever ourselves – fully p.p,e.’d – and the feed-back has been nothing but ‘outstanding’.” And that is nothing more than you would expect from one of Birmingham’s leading restaurants – OUTSTANDING!

Face coverings mandatory on trains and other public transport As train operators start to increase the number of services they are running, and the government’s requirement that face coverings be worn on public transport came into force on 15 June, passengers have been encouraged to stay alert and sensible. CrossCountry Trains, which runs services through the West Midlands from the SouthWest to the North East, explained why face coverings are now necessary. “We are doing this to further reduce the risk of infection,” the company said. “Used properly, face coverings can help prevent the spread of the disease. Social distancing and good hand hygiene are still very important. “The government’s instructions state that a face covering is a cloth that should ‘cover your mouth and nose while allowing you to breathe comfortably. It can be as simple as a scarf or bandana that ties behind the head.’ “We want people to wear face

coverings from when they enter a station all the way through their journey, including exiting the station at the other end. If people are then moving onto the bus, tram or tube, they should avoid taking off their face covering while they interchange to avoid touching their face or mouth unnecessarily.” Children under 11 are exempt from wearing face coverings, and some passengers may not be able to wear a mask due to medical issues. Regardless of whether

someone is wearing a mask, people should keep their distance – at least two metres, if possible. Passengers are still being urged to only travel is absolutely necessary, and some train operators, such as Avanti West Coast that runs through the West Midlands from London to Scotland, are recommending that all passengers book a seat so as to be sure they can catch the train that they want, and avoid peak periods. (Pic Credit: TfL DLR)

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Page 38 - The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Couple names new-born twin babies Corona and Covid As the coronavirus pandemic continues to bring bad news, one bit of ‘positive’ is the story of two twins born during India’s countrywide lockdown have been named Corona and Covid. The boy and girl siblings were born to parents Preeti and Vinay Verma at Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Memmorial Hospital in Raipur in Chhattigarh state. A delighted Preeti said: “I was overwhelmingly pleased with the delivery – given that it followed several days of difficulty. “Because of that, my husband and I wanted to make this memorable”. She went on: “The coronavirus proved to be dangerous and lifethreatening, but the outbreak also made people instil good habits into themselves”. The couple, who originate from Uttar Pradesh, now reside in Purani Basti, in the city.

Covid-19 Symptoms Could Be Far More Severe For Smokers

ith latest Government g u i d a n c e suggesting people who smoke may suffer more severe coronavirus symptoms than non-smokers, people are being encouraged to #QuitforCovid. The updated government guidance to smokers and vapers says that people who smoke generally have an increased risk of contracting respiratory infection and of more severe symptoms once infected. Smoking also involves repetitive hand-to-face movements, which increase the risk of viruses entering the body and, as a result, Covid-19 symptoms may be more severe in people who smoke.

Stopping smoking will bring immediate benefits to your health, including if you have an existing smoking-related disease. This is particularly important for both you and for health services at a time of intense pressure on the NHS. The guidance says that e-cigarettes can be an effective aid to stopping smoking and staying smokefree and, for most people, vaping remains significantly less harmful than smoking. Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “Smoking damages your lungs and weakens your immune system. This makes it more likely that you will have complications

if you get sick and that it will take you longer to recover. “Smokers are also much more likely to get other health problems. So the best thing a smoker can do is to quit, to protect themselves, to protect others and to reduce the impact on health services. “If you want to quit there's plenty of information to help you, including support from the NHS and stop smoking aids, on the council’s website at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/ besmokefree." The #QuitforCovid campaign – www.todayistheday.co.uk – and encourages people to join the conversation, share their own story of quitting and hear from other people how they are getting on with their quit attempts via l Smoking could make Covid-19 Symptoms more severe social media using the hashtag coronavirus. Kind campaign offers clear and #QuitforCovid. There’s lots of advice on how simple advice about how people The latest information and guidance around coronavirus people can protect themselves and can help themselves, and how is available at www.gov.uk/ their families from coronavirus they can support others who may coronavirus and on the council’s from the NHS at www.nhs.uk/ be particularly vulnerable at this time. own coronavirus pages at coronavirus. The council’s Stay Safe, Be www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/

From spring 2020

the law around organ donation in England is changing Unless you choose to opt out, you will be considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when you die. Whatever you choose, let close family or friends know to help ensure your decision is honoured. To find out more about your choices, including how to opt out: visit organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 303 2094

PASS IT ON

NHS fees to be scraped for overseas health staff NHS staff and care workers who come from overseas countries are to be exempted from having to pay a surcharge to use the health service after mounting pressure from MPs. A spokesperson for Boris Johnson has said that the Prime Minister had asked the Home Office and Department for Health to exempt National Health Service and care worker “as soon as possible”. The operation Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was “a victory for common decency”. The health immigration surcharge on non-EU migrants is

£400 per year and is set to rise to £624 in October. Officials are now working on the detail and more will be announced "in the coming days". But it is understood the plan will include exemptions for all NHS workers, including porters and cleaners, as well as independent health workers and social care workers. The chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, Dame Donna Kinnair, said the charge had created "an unfair and unjust financial burden", adding: "At last the government has agreed with us. "This will ease the pressure on

families who may be struggling financially or emotionally as a result." The PM's spokesman said: "[The PM] has been thinking about this a great deal. He has been a personal beneficiary of carers from abroad and understands the difficulties faced by our amazing NHS staff. "The purpose of the NHS surcharge is to benefit the NHS, help to care for the sick and save lives. NHS and care workers from abroad who are granted visas are doing this already by the fantastic contribution which they make."

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The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020 - Page 39

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Brother And Sister Raise Cash For NHS Heroes Through Pop Up Shop

eorge and Florence Bannister, aged seven and five, have shown incredible determination by setting up a show outside their home and raising a fantastic £250.61 for Good Hope Hospital Charity. The duo decided to raise funds to support our NHS at this difficult time, and so set about selling unwanted toys and other items to their neighbours. Showing wonderful entrepreneurship for someone so young, George has been setting up his shop by 7am each day so that he can reach his target audience – dog walkers! George and Florence’s kindhearted neighbours began to donate items for them to sell, and at one stage they were selling strawberry plants. Victoria Bannister, George and Florence’s mum, said: “We are all so proud of George and Florence for

raising so much money to support our local hospital. They had so much fun running the shop and I would like to thank everyone who made a purchase or donated an item for their support.” Mike Hammond, Chief Executive of University Hospitals Birmingham Charity, said: “Well done to George and Florence, on behalf of all of our doctors and nurses at Good Hope Hospital I would like to than them for the money that they have raised. “At this really difficult time we are so grateful for amazing fundraisers like George and Florence, whose hard work will help us to make a huge difference to our NHS Superheroes, and the patients that they are treating.” You can find out more about how Good Hope Hospital Charity is supporting staff and patients at this difficult time at: www. hospitalcharity.org/nhsheroes

Chippies: The Codfather of takeaways When the chips are down, it appears Brits turn to good oldfashioned grub as fish ‘n’ chips is revealed as the most popular takeaway food during lockdown. The sales data from online takeaway delivery platform, Foodhub, reveals the traditional dish has doubled in popularity with a massive 208% uplift in fish n chips orders since lockdown as uncertainty calls for familiar comfort food. This is followed by Quarter Pounder Burgers (158%) and Donner Kebabs (156%) as Brits look for ways to satisfy their taste for fast food. Other foods on the up since lockdown include Chicken Nuggets (146%), Sausage and Chips (152%), Chicken Burgers (147%) and Garlic Bread (148%). Pizzas are also included in the top 10 most ordered foods with Hawaiian proving the most popular, followed by Pepperoni.

l George and Florence Bannister Grief at any time is difficult and painful and even under normal circumstances the death of a colleague can be challenging and represent a significant loss. The realities of Covid-19 mean there are additional challenges for people mourning the death of a colleague due to the lack of access to support from friends, family and colleagues. The British Psychological Society’s Covid-19 bereavement task force has launched a new document, ‘Supporting each other following the death of a colleague’, to help people understand their feelings and reaction if they do lose a colleague during this time. Professor Nichola Rooney, chair of the task force, said: “Sadly, many people have been bereaved during the Covid-19 pandemic, with some grieving the death of a colleague. We spend a lot of time at work and often form close

BPS advice following the death of a colleague bonds with people we work with, so losing a colleague at a time when we may not have our usual support networks can be particularly difficult.” The booklet gives advice on how to cope with returning to work following the death of a colleague and encourages employees to take advantage of the support that is available to them and allowing for the fact

that work may be affected by the grieving process. It encourages people to take the opportunity to consider marking the death through a memorial at either at work or at home, if that is someone’s current workplace, but also to plan for other remembrance activities in the future once the current crisis abates.

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Page 40 - The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020

OVERSEAS NEWS

Mining firm apologises for destroying Aboriginal caves Mining giants Rio Tinto has apologised for blowing up 46,000-year-old Aboriginal caves in Western Australia dating back to the last Ice Age. The Juukan Gorge cave in the Pilnara region, were destroyed as Rio Tinto expanded an iron ore project that was agreed with the authorities. Many prehistoric artefacts have been found at the remote heritage site. Chris Salisbury, the firm’s chief executive, said: “We are sorry for the distress that we have caused. “We pay our respects to the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura People (PKKP)”. The PKKP are the original and traditional owners of the cave. He went on to say: “We will continue to work with the PKKP to learn from what has taken place and strengthen our partnership. “As a matter of urgency, we are reviewing the plans of all other sites in the Juukan Gorge region”. Artefacts found there include a belt made from human hair, analysis of which showed a direct link going back 4,000 years between the PKKP and the prehistoric cave-dweller.

The ECJ Announce Newly Elected Chair T

l Honourable Earl Jarrett O.J., C.D. J.P., Hon. LL.D

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he Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) has announced a new appointment. The Commission has just declared that The Honourable Earl Jarrett O.J., C.D. J.P., Hon. LL.D. has been appointed as its new Chair following a selection process that was undertaken by the commission’s four members and under the Electoral Commission (Interim) Act 2006 which states that; “the selected commissioners shall select one of the number to be chairman of the commission and so inform the Governor General.” Under the previous chair, The Honourable Dorothy PineMcLarty, who has now retired after 19-years of service, he

was originally appointed to the electoral commission, as a select commissioner, in 2013. A graduate of the University of the West Indies and now a Chartered Accountant, among the grand number of post he has, or still holds, he is, or has been, the Honorary Secretary of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, the North American Regional Director of the FIA; a Director of the Edna Marley College Art Foundation, Chair of the Jamaican Diaspora Foundation and is a member of the Executive Board of the Caribbean Association of Housing Finance Institute (CASHFI). She (Mrs Pine-McLarty) joined the Electoral Advisory Commission, as a Select Commissioner, in 2000.

l U.S. Sen. Rick Scott

US-China virus row flares with senator’s comment With deaths caused by the coronavirus outbreak has now passed 400,000 worldwide, the on-going row between the USA and China over the global pandemic has flared up again with a senator in the United States accusing Beijing of trying to block the development of a vaccine in the West. The Republican’s Senator, Rick Scott, said that evidence had come via “our intelligence community” but provided no details to back it up. Meanwhile, China issued a document defending its virus actions, saying that it briefed the US as early as January 4. Senator Scott, however, said: “We have got to get this vaccine done. Unfortunately we have evidence that communist China is trying to sabotage us or slow it down”. A staunch President Trump supporter, he then added: “China has decided to be an adversary to America and democracies around the world”. He said that “evidence” had come through the intelligence community and armed services and added: “There are things that I can’t discuss… I get provided information. “England or the US does it first, we’re going to share”. The Trump administration has consistently attacked China over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, whilst, meanwhile, being questioned for his handling of it at home.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020 - Page 41

OVERSEAS NEWS

Tani, A World Champ Aged 9

t eight-yearsold, Tanitoluwa A d e w u m i was already a ‘Champion’ after winning the K-3 New York State Chess Championship after playing the game for only one year. The Nigerian-born schoolboy, who began playing the game just to pass the time whilst sitting in his father’s shop in Abuja, was beating all before him from the get-go. It was after his father, Kayode, who ran a print shop in his homeland and accountant mother, Oluwatoyin, and his brother, Adesina Austin, immigrated to the United States – being Christians, they sought religious asylum amid the political turmoil under the Boko Haram organisation. Whilst homeless in a foreign country, his parents made it their priority to maintain the education of their children. Tani was enrolled into an

elementary school and was introduced to a chess club by one of the teachers. In 2018 he played in his first tournament. In 2019 he competed in the Annual New York State Scholarship Championships where he was graded eighth out of 74 competitors – with a large number of whom were from well-to-do families and could afford private tuition. His youthful, aggressive style of play saw academics making scientific studies of his application to the game. Leading YouTube chess stream ‘agadmator’ took time to publish and analyse his game. Legendary former World Champion, Garry Kasporaov, heaped massive praise on the achievement by a refugee immigrant in America. In his native Nigeria, Abike Dabiri, the Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora to President Buhari, called Tani; “a pride of the

nation”. In the US, he was getting mass attention including an invitation to meet former president Bill Clinton, and being interviewed on some of the country’s leading broadcasting organisations – all keen to find out more about the enigma that is Tanitoluwa Adewumi. Furthermore, he was getting funding support (in excess of $254,000) – the likes of which would set him, and his family, up educationally and wellbeingwise from then on. Now there’s a trust called the ‘Tanitoluwa Adewumi Foundation’ set-up to help other children who are in similar situations to him. With his ambition to becoming the youngest ever chess Grandmaster, his autobiography; ‘My Name Is Tani’, is already out in book stores and Hollywood is ready to tell his story.

Tourism Resilience and Crisis Centre being leveraged by global stakeholders says Bartlett

he Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) is being leveraged by stakeholders around the world to drive the industry’s full reopening and recovery from the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) says Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett. The Centre, established in 2018, is based at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, St. Andrew, and is mandated to enhance the capacity and capabilities of global tourism destinations to prepare for, manage and swiftly recover from crises or disruptions to the sector. Against this background, Mr. Bartlett emphasised the Centre’s importance at the opening of the latest Edmund Bartlett Lecture Series, in light of projections of a two per cent monthly contraction in global economic growth, and a one to two per cent decline in international tourism arrivals which, he noted, could result in lost earnings totalling between US$30 million and US$50 million, should the pandemic persist. Mr. Bartlett said that in keeping with its mandate, the Centre’s representatives have already engaged in a number of COVID19-related activities. These, he informed, include their participation in several

task force initiatives; global thought leadership activities, incorporating webinars, lectures and newspaper articles focused on the industry’s future; a tourism workers awareness campaign highlighting COVID-19 safeguards; data management and documentation of regional COVID-19-related activities; and establishing a monitoring and evaluation framework for post-COVID-19 reopening exercises across various regions. Mr. Bartlett advised that, in the case of the latter, the Centre will be working with the Government of Kenya and other African nations in their efforts to this end. This programmed intervention, he further indicated, results from the completion of a study by the Centre’s satellite office in Kenya on the pandemic’s impact on travel and tourism, measures

taken and the recovery pathways. “The report has [been] handed over to the National Tourism Crisis Steering Committee, composed of key stakeholders in tourism and related areas from the public and private sectors,” the Minister noted. Mr. Bartlett said other scheduled engagements include establishing a tourism resilience journal, which is slated to be launched on August 10 and additional webinars and lectures, such as Thursday’s forum. “I look forward to not just impact in terms of the ideas that [will] flow, but the activities that will ensue thereafter. It’s very important for us to be able to activate on our ideas and to implement effective measures that will inure to the growth and thriving capabilities of our destinations,” Mr. Bartlett said.

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Page 42 - The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020

HOLIDAY AND TRAVEL

Don’t miss out on our Education, Training & Recruitment Section

Incredible Celebrations Around The World To Visit In 2021

s lockdown begins to ease, turn your attention to ticking off that bucket-list next year as Scenic (www.scenic.co.uk) highlights a number of its itineraries that coincide with incredible celebrations around the world.

Cherry Blossom season in Japan

Coverage on Pages 14 & 15!

Join in hanami, the act of observing and appreciating cherry blossom in viewing season, on Scenic’s 19day Essential Japan tour. Travelling from Tokyo to Osaka and visiting some of the most incredible places Japan has to offer, highlights of the itinerary include a visit to Fuji Five Lakes, the Miyagawa morning markets

in Takayama, and Kyoto’s classical Zen garden at Ryoanji. Join Scenic’s 22 March 2021 departure to visit the incredible sights at the start of blossom season right across Japan. Prices start from £11,545 per person, including return flights from the UK, all internal flights, transfers, exceptional wining and dining experiences, luxurious accommodation, and all excursions.

Celebrate Diwali and the Pushkar Camel Fair in India

Wonder at the vibrancy of the festival of lights before immersing yourself in the annual Pushkar Camel Fair in Rajasthan on Scenic’s 18-day Jewels of India tour.

Be enchanted by the mesmerising holy city of Varanasi with a sunset river cruise on the mythical Ganges River before exploring magnificent World Heritagelisted temples in Khajurahoo. Marvel at the Taj Mahal while enjoying sundowners overlooking the architectural masterpiece and wander the charming streets of the gorgeous pink and blue cities, Jaipur and Jodhpur. Prices start from £8,345 per person departing 3 November 2021, including return flights from the UK, all internal flights, transfers, exceptional wining and dining experiences, luxurious accommodation, and all excursions.

Total Eclipse with world’s first discovery yacht, Scenic Eclipse

Set sail to Antarctica’s total solar eclipse, with Scenic Eclipse’s 23-day Antarctica, South Georgia and Falkland Islands itinerary departing 20 November 2021. For most, a trip to Antarctica will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience in itself, but those heading to the Antarctic Peninsula in December next year will be treated to a twofor-one bucket-list trip with a front-row seat to the total solar eclipse. Heralded as the only location where the solar Eclipse will reach totality, guests can enjoy the ultimate adventure in six-star luxury. Prices start from £18,225 per person.

Qatar Airways And UNHCR Partnership Delivers Aid Q atar Airways have announced a twoyear partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency to deliver on its purpose of providing humanitarian relief and assistance to the displaced globally. The partnership, which is a first between both organisations, will involve a strategic collaboration whereby Qatar Airways will support with the delivery of crucial aid supplies to those most in need during these unprecedented times. The agreement, which was signed in Doha, is an important synergy between Qatar Airways and UNHCR and a clear response to the current challenges that are presented by COVID-19. The partnership, which will be effective through to May 2022 will see UNHCR work closely with Qatar Airways to utilise the airline’s huband spoke network out of Hamad International Airport in Doha.

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By having access to a fleet of more than 200 aircraft, UNHCR will be able to deliver lifesaving support including water, medical care and hygiene materials to keep refugees, internally displaced people and host community members safe around the world. His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, said: “We are incredibly proud to join efforts with UNHCR to provide relief aid to people and communities most in need.

By having a robust international network, we are pleased to be able to give a helping hand to support this great cause. “During this crisis, we have worked closely with governments and NGOs to prioritise the shipment of medical and aid supplies transporting over 175,000 tonnes, the equivalent of approximately 1,750 fully loaded Boeing 777 freighters. “We are committed to making a difference and by working together, we are confident we will overcome

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the current adversities with strength, solidarity and resilience.” Speaking about the current challenges presented Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor and Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries at UNHCR said: “As the depths of COVID-19 continue to take the world captive, we never imagined the magnitude its impact would have, or just how many lives it would touch. “Our primary focus at UNHCR is to safeguard the rights and wellbeing of the most marginalised and vulnerable members of society. “It is times like these when we must take action and strive to find lasting solutions which is why our partnership with Qatar Airways is crucial. “With limited access to water, sanitation systems and health facilities, refugees are particularly at risk right now and that is why we are developing key responses to mitigate these challenges.”

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The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020 - Page 43

HOLIDAY AND TRAVEL

Services Resume

Atlantis Paradise Island Reopens To The Public

tlantis, Paradise Island, the lush, oceanside resort located on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, reopens on 7 July 2020. A dynamic destination that launched over two decades ago as a first-of-its kind modern marvel of nature and engineering, Atlantis has embarked on a new chapter tied to a meaningful connection with the ocean, Bahamian culture and the spirit of the property’s over 7,500 employees. The resort’s new, immersive programming connects guests to the rich history, art, people, food and festivities of the Bahamas. Atlantis features five distinct hotels in which to stay, from the iconic The Royal, The Beach and The Coral to the newly built luxury properties, The Cove and The Reef. The Coral has reopened as a multi-generational family escape with a new lobby, new rooms, and new amenities, including a new pool and

bespoke cabanas designed by Jeffrey Beers. Recently, The Cove celebrated a series of new design collaborations, restaurants and guest experiences, each paying homage to Bahamian traditions, culture, cuisine, colourful design and the ocean that surrounds the islands. The recent opening of The Cove brings two restaurants one led by Bahamian Chef Julie Lightbourn and one by renowned Master Chef José Andres - a newly designed poolscape and cabana sanctuary designed by Lulu DK and a soul-stirring art installation created by Antonius Roberts. While Atlantis will be open for visitors once again, strict precautions will be taken to make sure they all stay safe. There have been no reported cases of COVID-19 on Paradise Island, and Atlantis wants to make sure it stays that way. The Atlantis management team has long developed a sophisticated

Spain Takes Steps to Bring International Tourists Back

The popular tourist destination and major arts and cultural centre became the airline’s third destination in Italy to resume flights, marking a significant step in the resumption of global leisure travel. The national carrier of the State of Qatar has also increase flights to Dublin, Milan and Rome, with daily services. As one of the only global airlines to have maintained a significant schedule throughout this crisis, Qatar Airways is uniquely positioned to monitor trends in traffic flow and passenger bookings. The airline expects these additional flights to provide further seamless connectivity via its awardwinning hub, Hamad International Airport, with its Asia-Pacific destinations, in particular Australia where the airline continues to operate 21 weekly flights to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

approach to prevent the spread of illness. More recently, it has introduced additional best practices and guidelines focused on enhanced hotel cleaning practices, social interactions, and workplace protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This comprehensive approach has led to the Atlantis Clean & Safe Promise – a commitment to put health and safety first to protect every guest, every team member, the supply chain, and the community. As a result, capacity has been reduced throughout the resort to enable physical distancing of two metres. Floor guides and signage will serve as reminders throughout the resort to maintain physical distancing, and where possible, encourage one-way guest flow with marked entrances and exits. The reopening is being carefully managed, so guests need have no concerns and should just enjoy their time at Atlantis on Paradise Island. Now Spain – the world’s No.2 travel destination – has reopened its borders to foreign tourists. The country was one of the worst hit by the coronavirus, but, as it emerges from one of the continent’s toughest lockdowns, foreign tourism has become part of the equation. “As of now, Spain will be expecting you,” declared Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Saturday. “The moment has arrived ...Foreign visitors can now start planning their holidays to Spain.” According to Forbes magazine, the announcement came together with that of an official period of mourning in the country, lasting 10 days.

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Page 44 - The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020

PROPERTY AND REAL ESTATE

Welcome Boost To Haringey’s Housing Delivery Programme

Seven new sites have been added to Haringey Council’s council housing programme, as part of ambitious plans to deliver homes for residents across the borough. Construction has already started on 331 council homes at seven other sites, and these additional locations will mean that every ward of the borough could have a site for new social housing. The sites were agreed at a meeting of Haringey’s Cabinet last night, and their potential for development of new council homes will now be explored in more detail. The new sites are all on

council-owned land in Bounds Green, Fortis Green, Hornsey, St Ann’s, Stroud Green and White Hart Lane, and have been identified as potentially suitable locations to build new council homes. Any proposals will be discussed with residents in the areas. Meanwhile, the Roundway N17 site will be removed from the programme in favour of utilising the land to build a children’s home. Cabinet also agreed to progress delivery schemes at four additional sites across the borough that had already been included in the Housing Delivery Programme.

Estate Agent Revenue Plummets As Transactional Decline Hits Home

he latest research by estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has highlighted the declining revenue of the average UK estate agent due to a reduction in transactions, largely driven by the industry-wide lockdown as a result of the coronavirus. GetAgent looked at the average

fee charged by estate agents and what the total potential value is when considering all residential transactions. GetAgent then compared this to market performance over the last year and five years to see how lucrative it is to be an estate agent in the current market climate. In the financial year of 20152016, the average estate agent charged a fee of 1.3%+VAT which equated to £2,622 on the average house price of £201,695; £3,146 when taking VAT into account. Fast forward five years and this fee has dropped marginally to 1.25%+VAT, however, with house prices climbing to an average of £231,906 the average agent has seen income from each transaction climb by 10.6% to £2,899. The difference? A -11.8%

reduction in transactions, meaning that five years ago the 1,321,630 annual transactions within the resi market would have made the industry nearly £3.5bn in fees. With the lockdown in March seeing agents restricted throughout April and transactions plummeting as a result, this total value has seen a notable decline, with £86,373,744 lost in fees. Between 2018/2019 financial year and 2019/2020, the data also shows transactions have fallen by -1.9% meaning that while the average estate agents fee has still increased when compared to this time a year ago, the industry as a whole has seen revenues fall by nearly £25m where the fees secured on completed transactions are concerned. Founder and CEO of GetAgent. co.uk, Colby Short, commented:

Grenfell survivors say ‘nothing has changed’ In marking the third anniversary, survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire inferno tragedy, which killed a recorded 72 people, have said that “nothing has changed” three years after the disaster. Those who escaped from the tower block in west London said that they felt “left behind” and “disgusted” by a lack of progress in making other buildings safe. Some 246 buildings still have Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding. Churches across the city of London rang their bells 72 times to mark the number of those who died.

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The Grenfell blaze – the biggest domestic inferno since World War II – started as a small fire in a kitchen in one of the flats, before it spread to engulf the whole tower block at an alarming speed. A Parliamentary commission warned that cladding similar to that which was at the cemtre of the spread of the flames could cost up to £15bn to remove nationwide. On the third anniversary of the fire and with commemoration services online, survivors and relatives also expressed disbelief that a public inquiry had yet to conclude.

“The property industry has endured a tough couple of months and the Government’s lockdown of the market has had a notable impact on transactions and as a result, the revenue of many agents. “This struggle is likely to continue over the coming months as we inevitably see a further reduction in transactions. “The good news is not all agents are average and we’ve seen a monumental effort by many to adapt, evolve and in some cases, thrive in current market conditions. People still want to move and it will be those agents out on the front line helping them to do so that will remain relevant in an ever evolving industry. As ever these days, the best service will prevail and UK agents are really understanding that differentiator now. Hearings into the Grenfell disaster were paused in March due to the coronavirus pandemic and are due to restart on July 6. Campaign group Grenfell United – which was set up in the wake of the tragedy – organised a series of events, including online commemorations and a silent march was held to honour the victims. Also, a video message from international superstar singer Adele, who visited the site almost immediately after the fire, was played to a virtual service. She said: “Even though we’re having to do this in the virtual world, online, 2020 Zoom life as it is, it is still so important for us to mourn together, and for us to remember that night and to reflect on it and to also reflect on where we are now. “And, to also celebrate the lives that were lived before they were sadly taken away on that night”. At 22:30 BST, people across the UK were asked to shine a bright green light from their screens to show solidarity with the bereaved and the survivors. A virtual service was held and was hosted by the Bishop of Kensington.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020 - Page 45

AZUZA STREET

West Midland Faith Groups Show Solidarity With Black Lives Matter W est Midlands faith groups have come together to show their solidarity with the UK’s Black community, following the recent tumultuous events around the world. The region’s Faith Steering Group, which is convened by Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, has issued a statement of solidarity, calling on all organisations in the region to commit to building an inclusive community. This was unanimously agreed at the group’s latest online meeting which focused on the theme of community cohesion. The joint statement of the Faith Steering Group and the Mayor says: “The Mayor and Faith Steering Group are united in offering our support and solidarity to the Black community in the UK. Black Lives Matter, and our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have experienced inequality as well as those who are protesting peacefully. “Our diversity in the West Midlands is one of our most powerful assets. Our faith communities are made up by

people of all races and ethnicities, and we are made stronger by the connections between us. This has been evident throughout the Covid-19 crisis, when people of all faiths and backgrounds have come together to support their communities. “It is more important than ever that we work together for a fairer and more inclusive future. We must make sure that everyone in the West Midlands has equal access to opportunities and the same chance to succeed in life. We must rebuild an inclusive collective community where everyone respects and values each other. “We believe that now is the time for action. We ask for all organisations to work with their colleagues, members and customers to review their practices and to commit to making improvements. We must all work to create meaningful opportunities for change. “Together, we must stand up and reinforce the principles of equality, social justice and compassion and move forward into a fairer future.” In 2018 the Mayor launched the Faith Action Plan to form the basis

for strong collaboration between the Mayor’s office, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the region’s faith groups. The Faith Steering Group webinars have been held regularly since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown to share information, advice and support among religious groups across the West Midlands.

Church of England insist Irish epitaph row ‘does not reflect policy’ The Church of England has said that a ruling by one of its diocesan courts that an Irish epitaph must have an English translation “does not reflect” its national policy. Caroline Newey’s mother is buried in grounds owed by St Giles’ Church, Exhall, near Coventry. She wanted the headstone inscription to read; (“In our hearts forever”). But a judge ruled that it may be seen “as a political statement”. Margret Keane died suddenly two years ago, survived by her husband Bernie. Both had been born in the Republic of Ireland, but made their lives in the UK. The family said that it had been battling for two years to have the gravestone of their choice at the Meadows in Ash Green, in Coventry. In this instance, the church said that would be the Arches Court of Canterbury. The statement said that the Irish language has played a central role in the advancement of Christianity in England.

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Page 46 - The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020

SPORT - WITH STEVE WILLIAMS

Premier League Return Sparks Spike In Data The return of Premier League football last night caused a nationwide spike in data traffic on the O2 network from the week before, as fans streamed the games live. Data traffic started to increase after 4pm and began to peak at 6pm. The busiest hour was 8pm – just before kick-off for the Manchester City vs Arsenal match – where O2 saw a 13% increase in the amount of data used nationwide. The home cities of the four teams playing last night saw differing patterns. Interestingly, Liverpool saw one of the largest spikes (21% at 7pm) as fans hoped for a potential City loss. • Sheffield – 7pm 24% increase in data traffic • Birmingham – 7pm 13% increase in data traffic • Manchester – 8pm 21% increase in data traffic • London – 8pm 11% increase in data traffic Brendan O’Reilly, Chief Technology Officer at O2, said: “Our data shows that the football is bringing Britain together again – whether that’s chatting via text or calls, or online sporting ‘Watch Parties’”

Bear & Ragged Staff Charity T-Shirt On-Sale

arwickshire County Cricket Club has reinforced its fundraising plans for Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity and the NSPCC Childline service in Birmingham by releasing a new Bear & Ragged staff t-shirt, which is based on a design from men’s First Team Coach Jim Troughton. Available in men’s, women’s and children’s sizes, the t-shirts are priced at £15 each with all proceeds raised being donated to the two charities. Bears fans can now pre-order one of the special edition Bear & Ragged Staff charity t-shirts online at Store 94. However, please do bear in mind that all deliveries will take place once the current Government working guidelines are amended and staff can return to Edgbaston. The charity t-shirts follows on the commitment from Warwickshire

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CCC and Edgbaston staff to raise funds for both charities through the 2.6 Challenge; a series of exerciserelated challenges undertaken individually before the end of May. These challenges include Safety Manager David Clarke cycling 260 miles, Executive Membership Account Manager Heidi Smith undertaking 26 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on 10 consecutive days, and Head of Conference & Events Sales Maria Clune running 2.6 miles each day. Donations to the team’s fundraising efforts can be made at: https://bit. ly/2Z2tMIQ. The Club has also promised to use one of its Vitality Blast fixtures to celebrate the efforts of NHS staff later in the summer, whilst its home of Edgbaston has been donated for use as a COVID-19 drive-through testing centre, which is used to support the Government’s testing of key workers.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - July 2020 - Page 47

SPORT - WITH STEVE WILLIAMS

Birmingham CW Games 2022 start delayed The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will start 24 hours later than the original scheduled time because of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the sporting calendar. The move will allow all the athletes who are competing at the World Athletics Championships in Portland, Oregon, in the United States – which finishes on July 24 – an extra day of recovery. It will also avoid a clash the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Football Championships which is due to take place in England from July 6 to 31. Both Championships were originally scheduled to be held in 2021 but had to be postponed to 2022 after the rescheduling of the Tokyo Olympics following the global outbreak of coronavirus. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Executive Board has approved the change for the Games and it will now run from July 28 to August 8. A joint announcement from the CGF said: “It ensures that Birmingham 2022 will now boast two full weekends of Commonwealth Sport whilst extending the rest and recovery period for those athletes competing in the World Athletics Championships. “The alternative to the opening ceremony date also avoids a potential clash with the semi-finals of the recently rescheduled UEFA Women’s Football Championships, helping to protect and promote the profile of women’s sport”. John Crabtree, Chair of Birmingham 2022 said: “As well as this slight change to our dates we are working on a detailed competition schedule for our 19 sports, looking at how we can maximise the recovery time for those athletes who will be looking to participate in more than one major event in two years time”.

Villa Supremo, Aluko, Accepts Lioness Parris’ Apology F

Calls for Covid-19 exemptions The Olympic Federation of Ireland’s call for exemptions to current Covid-19 restrictions to assist athletes has been supported by Irish competitors. The Federation says that restrictions including a 5km travel limit in the Republic, puts athletes “at a significant disadvantage that may become too big to breach”. Peter Sherrard, the OFI’s chief executive, said: “The solution is a simple waiver”. He added that different restrictions and thus training options in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland was a “concern”. He also noted that Banbridge rower, Phillip Doyle, is training on the River Lagan and is unable to travel to the National Rowing Centre in Cork.

l Enio Aluko

or England Women’s Football star, Enio Aluko has said that she has “acknowledged and accepted” former international teammate, Nikita Parris’ apology for a controversial goal celebration in 2017. The international striker described celebrating with the then-England coach, Mark Sampson, who was accused of using discriminating language to Aluko, as “thoughtless”. In response, on her social media platform, Eni wrote: ‘Although I’m yet to speak with Nikita, I acknowledge and accept this apology. ‘Thanks. ‘Black women should always strive for unity not division.’ Aluka, now Sporting Director of Aston Villa Women’s football team, added: “During the current climate, Nikita leads the way for the England Women’s football team in acknowledging and addressing past individual and collective

actions with regards to racism”. After scoring a goal against Russia, Parris, 26, pointedly ran to Sampson to celebrate in their 6-0 World Cup qualifying victory in 2017. The former Manchester City player who now plays in France for Lyon wrote on social media: ‘At the time I focussed more on what I believed was showing unity when really it did nothing of the sort. It showed a lack of empathy, understanding and ignorance by singling out a voice that needed an ear to listen and a support system to help’. In the aftermath, Eni said that Parris’ celebrations were not respectful considering the number of complaints against the former manager at the time. The English Football Association apologised to the 102-capped Alluko for racially discriminatory remarks made by Sampson after a third investigation into his behaviour, but cleared him of bullying accusations.

l Nikita Parris

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Aluko, accepts Lioness Parris’ apology - Page 47

Bear & Ragged Staff charity t-shirt on-sale - Page 46

Belfry To Host UK Championship Of The European Tour’s New ‘UK Swing’

t has been announced that golf’s European Tour UK Championship will take place at The Belfry’s world-class, awardwinning Brabazon course, which has a rich golfing history having previously hosted a number of significant golf events including The Ryder Cup four times – more than any other venue in the

world – and 16 European Tour events, producing some of the most dramatic moments in the history of golf. While The Belfry is no stranger to hosting high-profile golfing events, the 2020 UK Championship will be the first event of this nature held at the resort since the British Masters in 2008, firmly placing The Belfry back on the tour agenda.

F1 launches diversity task force

Formula 1 has launched an equality and diversity taskforce to increase the opportunities for minority groups. The move is part of a wider commitment that will also see F1 support initiatives fighting against the coronavirus pandemic and promote sustainability. It coincides with the start of the delayed 2020 season in Austria in

July. Formula 1 boss Chase Carey said: “At our first race in Austria, Formula 1 will stand united to say loud and clear that racism It follows after Lewis Hamilton announced plans to set up a commission in his name to increase diversity in motorsport. The current – and six time – world champion said that he wants the Hamilton Commission to make “real, tangible and measurable changes”. In a newspaper column he said: “Despite my success in the sport, the institutional barriers that have kept F1 highly exclusive persist. “It is not enough to point to me, or to a single new Black hire, as a meaningful example of progress”.

The Championship will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and will see the best players in the game back on The Belfry’s most iconic course. James Macbeth Stewart, Resort Director at The Belfry, said: “We are very proud to be hosting the UK Swing’s UK Championship and to be playing a part in getting golf back up and running.

It is also a chance for us to help get the economy moving again as lockdown restrictions lift. “After a tough few months, we are delighted to see a positive outlook for the future of golf, and we look forward to welcoming players back on the course.” Following the suspension of the season due to the global

Coronavirus pandemic, the European Tour announced its plans for the resumption of the 2020 season with the launch of a new six‐week UK Swing, beginning in July 2020. The European Tour will take place behind closed doors and for the UK Championship, will have exclusive use of The Belfry Hotel & Resort with the safety and wellbeing of all

Take part in Sarehole Mill’s new 5k challenge

players, guests and staff being top priority. The Belfry Hotel & Resort, in Royal Sutton Coldfield, North Warwickshire, will play host to the UK Championship, the conclusion of The European Tour’s new ‘UK Swing’, from 27 to 30 August 2020.

Famous Birmingham site, Sarehole Mill, is asking Birmingham’s citizens to grab their trainers and take part in a new 5K challenge, Run of the Mill, to help raise vital funds for Birmingham Museums Trust. Over recent weeks Sarehole Mill has adapted its offering to keep engaged with the local community and now the team are encouraging us all the explore the area around the 250-year-old watermill and enjoy the benefits of getting active with this new event. People can run, walk or jog the 5K distance anytime during July, as long as you start or finish at Sarehole Mill and complete the distance in one go. The £10 entry fee will help to raise money to support the work of Birmingham Museums, a charity with nine extraordinary museum and historic properties across the city, including Sarehole Mill, which is

the inspiration for this fun run. Participants will get an exclusive Run of the Mill medal, which they will collect from the Sarehole Mill Community Shop and can go the extra mile and fundraise further to help Birmingham Museums if they are able to do so. While Sarehole Mill has been able to adapt, the other eight Birmingham Museums’ sites, including Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Thinktank, and Aston Hall, have had to remain closed because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Alex Nicholson-Evans, Commercial Director at Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “We’ve had such an amazing level of support from the local community at Sarehole Mill during this time, and it’s been fantastic to see people visiting the shop, buying fresh bread and sharing positive feedback about the Bakehouse.”

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