The Phoenix – March 2015
Continued from Front Page sessions for children under the age of five. Escorting the Duchess on the visit, Chief Executive of Action for Children, Sir Tony Hawkhead, said: “We are very grateful to Her Royal Highness for her interest in the vital work we do, not just in Sandwell but at our 650 services across the UK. We were especially pleased to introduce The Duchess to the work we do with families to develop emotional wellbeing in children and give them the confidence and self-belief to fulfil their potential.” On her departure, six-year-old Rohan Hayer from Wednesbury in Sandwell and his cousin Annya
Singh, 5, from West Bromwich, presented Her Royal Highness with a babygro for the forthcoming new addition to the royal family and an Action for Children t-shirt for His Royal Highness Prince George. Annya said: “The princess was so beautiful and smiley! I had a great day and I will never forget her visit to our centre.” Donna Ebanks, is a 35-year-old
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NEWS
HRH The Duchess of Cambridge visits Action for Children centre in Smethwick
Grand Central Birmingham Recruitment Process Begins
ith Grand Central Birmingham due to open this September, the city is gearing up to ensure that residents from Birmingham and the wider city are ready to take advantage of more than 1,000 job opportunities that will be created. Construction has now begun on the final phase of Birmingham’s major new retail and dining destination that will sit above the transformed New Street Station. When completed this autumn Grand Central will enhance the city’s retail landscape and open up a mix of retail, hospitality and customer service roles in the heart of the city. Training providers are now preparing local candidates to develop the right skills and attributes to meet the expectations of employers coming to
the city, enabling them to recruit the best workforce from the local community. Shilpi Akbar, co-chair of Birmingham Growth Alliance Partnership (BGAP)and Assistant Director for Employment, Birmingham City Council said: “With over 1,000 jobs being created at Grand Central, this partnership is committed to reflect Birmingham’s diverse community and showcase the skills of Birmingham’s jobseekers.” Grand Central Birmingham will be anchored by a 250,000 sq ft John Lewis shop, one of the retailer’s biggest outside of London, which will be providing over half of the 1,000 opportunities available. Richard Brown, Grand Central Development Director said “Grand Central is committed to providing local jobs for local people.”
mother of Ben, who is 10, Olivia, four and two-year-old Samuel. She said: “It was Samuel’s 2nd birthday on the day, so it’s going to be amazing to tell him when he is a little older to understand what he did to celebrate! I hope the visit will help Action for Children reach more people and for more families to come forward and ask for help if they need it. I am currently going through the 'terrible twos' and it’s so help-
ful to have another person’s help and ideas of how to manage those. It’s a fantastic service to have at the heart of the community and I am proud that it is getting the recognition it deserves.” Action for Children runs Cape Hill Children’s Centre in Smethwick on behalf of Sandwell Council. It is one of seven children’s centres operated by the charity in the borough, and one of more than 200 across England.
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The Phoenix – March 2015
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POLITICS
The Phoenix – March 2015
What's the meaning of Respect?
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he Respect (Respect, Equality, Socialism, Peace, Environmentalism, Community and Trade Unionism) party was set up because of the need for a left-wing alternative to the three (New Labour, Conservative and
Liberal Democrats) established parties. None of these, they feel, represent the interests of ordinary working-class people or those who want a fairer, more equal and just society. It rose out of the great anti-war movement which took to the streets in 2003 to protest against British involvement in the war in Iraq. Two million people, of all backgrounds, marched through London, and they all knew what our political class didn't know and don't seem to know now; namely that our continued policy war, invasion and occupation has been an unmitigated disaster. Former Labour MP, George Gal-
loway, was elected as its first MP in the East London constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow in 2005, defeating New Labour's Oona King. He stood down from the seat at the 2010 election but was returned to parliament in 2012 in a stunning by-election win in Bradford West. He is Respect's voice in parliament, and he speaks for millions of people who oppose war, racism
and the austerity vision of our political class. Ten years on and Respect, the party that stands against racism and bigotry of all kinds, is still fighting for those same causes and want a world in which the democratic demands of the people are carried out; a world based on need not profit and where solidarity rather than self-interest is the spirit of the age.
Is anything possible in politics?
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s there an unnecessary fatalism about representative democracy today? Contemporary accounts paint a bleak picture: the death of political parties, democracy ‘hollowed out’, and a mutual withdrawal from politics by both citizens and politicians. Imagine for a moment that a Conservative-led coalition is defeated at the general election. It is replaced by what could loosely be called a centreleft coalition that includes the Green Party. But this new government does not have a majority in parliament. It represents only the largest minority group and survives
day to day by scraping together temporary coalitions - deal by deal, issue by issue. With many polls suggesting that no party in Britain may win a majority in May and all parties showing an extreme reluctance to contemplate coalition government, the mainstream parties could agree to support each other's budgets until 2022, depending on who is in government. Could something like this happen in May? Seems as likely as…well…a coalition government - and image just how likely that was, in 2010. Anything is possible.
Birmingham to set-up Community Governance Consultation
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irmingham City Council wants to know what people think of local democracy, how it is, and how it should be. It wants to know what people think about services in their neighbourhoods too. Today it started a conversation with the people of Birmingham about these issues, as part of its Community Governance Review agreed by the City Council in September. Everyone – communities, individuals, organisations and councillors – is invited to comment on how Birmingham is governed over the next ten years. Leader of Birmingham City Council, Sir Albert Bore, said: “This is not a paper exercise. We are committed to creating a fair, prosperous and democratic city and as part of that we believe that every citizen of Birmingham should have a voice. Our public services exist to create opportunities and inde-
l Sir Albert Bore pendence for all and how they are governed matters. I would urge everyone to get involved in this consultation – let us know your ideas, thoughts and concerns about the future governance of this city.” The Community Governance Review will cover a wide range of issues to do with local democracy and service delivery.
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HOLIDAY AND TRAVEL
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Over half of Birmingham families haven’t visited London
ith the Easter h o l i d a y s around the corner, a survey has shown that despite a wealth of culture and top attractions our capital city is being overlooked by families in Birmingham as an option for a break away. Commissioned by the Royal Garden Hotel, which offers a family-friendly package, the survey revealed that almost half of parents in Birmingham think London is too expensive for the average family to visit. Contrary to this, the research showed that seven of the top ten experiences in London that parents in Birmingham think will enrich their children are either free or have a minimal cost. Two in five parents are under the illusion that London museums charge for entry, however top attractions that children want to visit such as the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum actually have free general admission all year round. Another interesting finding is that a third think London hotels don’t cater for families when
The Phoenix – March 2015
in actual fact there are many family-friendly hotels offering great value room packages during school holidays. Commenting on the survey, Jonathan Lowrey, General Manager at the Royal Garden Hotel, said: “It’s a pity to see that lots of children in Birmingham are missing out on visiting the country’s capital city. With our research showing the top ingredients for the perfect family break are spending quality time together and having fun things to do and see, families are missing a trick if they don’t consider visiting London this half-term or Easter.” He continued: “We know that planning a family holiday can be a challenge and our research shows that the top stresses for parents are travelling to the destination, packing and organising fun things for the family to do. With easy transport links and a wealth of free and reasonably priced attractions to alleviate these worries, London offers families the opportunity for an action packed break away with the kids without having to compromise on great value.”
Eco-friendly cruising in Antigua and Barbuda
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hile Antigua is the more popular of the two, now is the time to cruise over to Antigua’s exclusive sister island Barbuda. “Barbuda has emerged as a green cruising destination welcoming, smaller luxury cruise lines with discerning cruisers, and this will have a significant impact on the economy of the sister island” says CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Colin C. James. For the 2014-2015 winter season the island will receive calls from Europa, Ponant, Sea Dream, Club Med, Black Watch, Windsurf and Wind Spirit. A nature lover’s paradise, the island is filled with experiences that are sure to appeal to ecoaware cruisers. See Barbuda’s unique pink sand beaches, and
spectacular 17 mile stretch of pristine, unbroken beach. The largest Frigate Bird Sanctuary in the western hemisphere, accessible only by boat, the sanctuary contains over 170 species of birds in addition to the more than 5,000 Frigate birds that call Barbuda their home. Visitors are invited to take a wander through the charming Codrington village, founded in the 16th Century by Christopher Codrington. Explore historic sites, including Highland House, built in the 1720s, by the Codrington Family and Martello Towers, a fort built by the British and once used to guard Barbuda’s south-west coastline. A must while in Barbuda are the Caves at Two Foot Bay. Visitors on a hike through Barbuda’s Indian Cave, will discover an-
cient Amerindian petroglyphs. Anyone who visits this fishing island is invited to sample the local seafood and Barbuda’s famous, spiny lobster. Those cruising over to Antigua will also have plenty of opportunities to engage in environmentally sustainable excursions. With a 300 year history, St. John’s, the capital city of Antigua, is full of interesting sites and landmarks, making a walking tour the perfect way for cruisers docking in Heritage Quay or historic Redcliffe Quay, to soak up the history and culture of the town. Nearby landmarks include the oldest building in St. John’s, the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, built in 1747 for use as a Court House and the17th century St. John’s Anglican Cathedral.
Send your stories to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com
The Phoenix – March 2015
37 Page 39
SPORT - WITH STEVE WILLIAMS
Fresh new floor for WV Active Aldersley
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he sports hall at WV Active Aldersley has reopened after a facelift. The hall, which is one of the biggest in the region, hosts everything from basketball to badminton and even the odd frisbee tournament, has had its flooring relayed for the first time in a decade. The new flooring is suitable for many different activities, including wheelchair sports and roller hockey. Lines and markings have been laid for five-a-side football, netball and a sprint track. There is also a pole vault facility. The floor uses 4mm of high quality polyurethane resin with excellent force reduction properties which will minimise the risk of sports injuries for users of l Cllr Elias Mattu, Cabiner Member for Leisure and Communities surveys the new sports hall flooring at WV Active Aldersley, joined by Edward Cromie-Hellyar the surface. Among the first people to from Biker Buddies and children learning how to cycle. make use of the new floorral Baths and Bert Williams) with a new layer on top of the current ing were a group of local children no contracts or joining fees. floor. We aren’t lifting and disposlearning how to ride a bike during Councillor Elias Mattu, Cabinet ing anything, which saves a lot of their half term holiday through a Member for Leisure and Com- money and also helps the environscheme called ‘Biker Buddies’. munities, hailed the new surface. ment. WV Active is the new name for He said: “Not only is this surface I'm very pleased to say that desthe City of Wolverhampton Coun- tough, durable and versatile, it is pite the government cutbacks afcil’s sport and leisure facilities. It also very low maintenance. fecting every service area we are offers superb-value memberships Even when it wears out over still able to invest in our leisure across three sites (Aldersley, Cent- time, all it will require is applying facilities in the City.”
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ngland women's captain Charlotte Edwards led her country for the 200th time in international cricket. Edwards officially took over the captaincy from former England team-mate, captain and now the ECB's Head of England Women's Cricket, Clare Connor in 2006. Since then, she has hardly missed an international match, leading England in nine Tests, 109 One Day Internationals, and following the conclusion of the match against New Zealand in Lincoln today, 82 Twenty20 Internationals. During the 200 matches, Edwards has taken England to ICC Women's World Cup and ICC World T20 glory both in 2009, and has won the Women's Ashes three times as captain – once in England (2013) and twice in Australia (2008 and 2014). The feat confirms her status as the doyenne of the global women's game, and makes Edwards the most experienced international women's captain of all-time – Merissa Aguilleira is next on the list, currently with 137 caps in charge of the West Indies. Speaking ahead of the match against New Zealand today, Charlotte Edwards said: “It's going to be a very proud mo-
Charlotte Sets New 200-Match Milestone as England Women's Captain ment for me and I am hugely honoured to have led my country in so many matches. I still remember going out for the coin toss for the first time as England captain, and whilst it feels like a lifetime ago, I still have the same enthusiasm and passion for the game now as I did back then In 200 matches there are of
course a few highlights, but I think winning the ICC Women's World Cup in Australia in 2009 was something that was always a career ambition as a player, so to do it as captain was extra special. Equally, the double Women's Ashes wins in 2013 and 2014 will always be very memorable for me.
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