Promoting Diversity for Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022
Celebrates With The Diaspora SEE PAGE 9
MARCH 2020
Connecting Communities - Inspiring A New Generation
Facing the Fire for B
ig names from across the West Midlands are all fired up for a daring fundraiser from Acorns Children’s Hospice in a few weeks’ time. Captains of industry and leaders from the world of business and politics will be among those walking over hot coals on Thursday 12 March in the Acorns Firewalk. The event, which is taking place at the Black Country Living Museum, is being held to help fund the charity’s vital work caring for life limited and life threatened children and their families. Participants braving the heat include renowned Birmingham chef and Wilderness owner Alex Claridge, regional business leader Paul Cadman, Brummie broadcast legend Ed James, Chief Executive of MDTI and Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Professor Martin Levermore MBE, and inspirational entrepreneur and also Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands Fleur Sexton.
All Your Entertainment News - Page 17
Holland and Barrett Clean and Concious Beauty Launch Pages 34-35
2020 Vision Of Hope
Continued on Page 11
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Page 2 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
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l Dr Marcia McLaughlin F.Birm.Soc
About The Editor In Chief of The Phoenix
D
r Marcia McLaughlin F.Birm.Soc is a positive, forward thinking individual who loves life and people. She enjoys supporting the community and providing a source of reference that provides encouragement and hope for others. Having been in the media for over 30 years, she has been a pioneer in pushing good news for the past 25 years, having launched her first publication, The Enterprise, back in 1990, whilst an employee at the Birmingham Post and Mail, part of the Mirror group. Marcia believes that communication is key to the harmonious co-existence of communities. Knowing and being able to understand your neighbour breaks down barriers that can cause conflict. The media is the most influential platform we have and we must utilize it to reach the individuals that make up each community. Her aim is to inspire a new generation, to provide hope, energy, passion and role models in order to promote self belief and understanding of how to RISE like the Phoenix from the Ashes. To be involved with a newspaper that focuses on the positive rather than the failure and negative elements of others gives Marcia a sense of self worth and achievement. So many people talk about the negative news that invades their lives every day when they pick up newspapers. Marcia has changed that for the good. She gives people a positive outlook on life. Bad news is everywhere, but good news comes exclusively with The Phoenix. With a daily online newspaper that reaches over 5000 readers per day, a weekly newsletter to over 40,000 people, and a monthly printed publication that hits 800,000 people, The Phoenix Newspaper UK is a multimedia one stop shop with an exciting blend of local, national and international news at your fingertips. This is an exclusive and unique platform that embraces the need in you. Tried, tested and proven time and time again, The Phoenix has the ability to break down the walls of ignorance and misinformation. We are true to what we say, and what we say is the truth.
Has The West Finally Lost Its Global Appeal And Significance?
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By Dr Tony Talburt
t the recently c o n c l u d e d Munich Security Conference in 2020, held to discuss the major global security issues, it analysed the security policy developments in China, Europe, Russia and the United States, as well as regional issues in other parts of the world. From these discussions, the conference identified a growing concern over the increasing uncertainty regarding the role and purpose of the West. This was sense of decay and decline in terms of the significance, relevance and purpose of the West, has been described by the Munich Security Conference as ‘Westlessness.’ Certainly, for the better part of three decades following the end of World War Two, the West was at the heart of the global capitalist system. Furthermore, by the end of the 1980s, and the collapse of the Eastern communist bloc of countries, this period was hailed by a few, as evidence of
the triumph of the West. So what seems to have gone wrong now? Why is there a sense of Westlessness? At one level, we can cite examples such as the growing influence of Western-based social media companies like Microsoft, the growing influence of multinational corporations, or the significance of Western sports or entertainment celebrities, as examples of the significance of the West. However, as far as global politics and power are concerned, there appears to have been a shift in which centre stage is no longer dominated by the West. Two examples help to demonstrate this point. To begin with, the United States foreign policy under President Trump has helped to shift the political dial. Back in the 1940s, the USA felt it needed to play the leading role in ensuring the global capitalist system’s survival and stability. Due to the Cold War tensions between the East and the West that characterised much of the four decades following
World War Two, the USA was particularly proactive in playing the roles of financial banker, major market, as well as military power. Currently, the USA’s foreign policy does not seem to regard its Western allies as politically or militarily significant as before. President Trump has,
at different times, also been critical about the UN, NATO, and the EU. The USA’s policies over the Iran nuclear deal and the President’s ‘deal of the century’ for the Middle East peace plan, have not been welcomed by most EU countries who find themselves having to fall in line behind America or risk the wrath of Trump. These developments have caused some European leaders to question and rethink about repositioning and redefining Europe and the West. The second reason for the apparent shift from the West, has to do with the influence of China which is regarded as the economic growth engine of the world. China accounts for more than two thirds of the total economic growth in the five emerging BRICS economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). China is the world largest exporter and the second largest importer. Whatever happens in China in terms of economic growth or slow down, affects the rest of the world. With China’s combined economic and military power, the rest of the world, in particular, the West, is taking them seriously. In addition, China has been engaging in significant economic partnerships and
development programmes in Africa, and the Caribbean and is spreading its global influence through such partnerships. The fact that China is also a non-western, non-capitalist economy, again demonstrates how the world’s global economy no longer centres around Europe, and indicates the extent of non-western powers in global affairs. What these two examples demonstrates, is that, with these two leading economies and attending to their own global affairs, the centre stage is no longer focused so much on Western Europe and the USA, but increasingly towards the non-western world. President Trump is not as interested in the West as previous presidents were and China’s sphere of influence is increasingly towards the nonwestern countries. If one also takes into consideration the fact that Russia is increasingly playing roles in significant conflicts in Iran and Syria, this further indicates the extent to which the West is no longer dictating terms in such global issues as before. This helps to provide good reason for leaders in Western Europe to feel uneasy about their role and significance as a global force, and perhaps an uneasy feeling of Westlessness.
Comment On Tacky’s Revolt
C
ome the turn of the 17th century, Jamaica was the jewel in the economy of Britain and America. The sugar trade was sweet as the two countries took advantage of the wealth of imperial goods throughout the Caribbean at large. But, the fact that the possessions were gained through shear, unimaginable brutality must not be missed as we eat our cereals, or drink our coffee and tea. The system used to acquire the sweetener, back then, was ruthless, heartless and without reproach. Deaths – due to overwork
by those who were on the ‘front line’ of the sugar trade was humongous. In Westmoreland, records show that for every birth there, the deaths of two or more people were accounted for whilst developing the commodity. So, to overcome that, the plantation owners would just ship in mire ‘fresh blood’ from the Ghanaian coast to continue their shocking form of wealth-growth. There was, however, change ahead. In 1760 there were revolts in Jamaica, which, subsequently, mirrored revolts that was taking place throughout Europe, Africa and the wider
Caribbean between the British, French and Spanish dictatorial regimes. Historian and author, Vincent Brown, concluded that “recognizing slave revolts officially as ‘warfare’ would be the first step in a new category in Atlantic slavery. Jamaica’s revolt reverberated throughout the Caribbean and influenced the movement towards the abolition of the slave trade, then slavery itself across the Atlantic trade routes. Leading the way to recover the lost dignity of a previously strong people.
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The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 3
The Phoenix Newspaper 10th T Anniversary Gala Awards
NEWS
he Phoenix Newspaper is proud to announce it will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner and Awards Presentation Ceremony at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham, UK, on the 19th September 2020. As we look forward to the Commonwealth Games 2022, Birmingham is one of the most exciting creative and innovative cities. We want to invite people of all nationalities, culture and colour, to let them know that Birmingham is setting the pace, sharing the love, stoking up the fire for everyone to come and see and be part of it. The Phoenix Newspaper is leading the way. If you are a person who believes in love, connecting communities and diversity as a rule, let us hold hands, join together and move forward. A 2020 Vision of Hope. This year, the celebration will be bigger than ever before, with royalty, world leaders, high ranking military officials, dignitaries, specially invited guests and of course our wonderful readers, supporters and friends coming together to share in the successes The Phoenix Newspaper has had over the last 10 years. Regardless of your race, colour, creed, gender or sexuality, The Phoenix Newspaper is here to spread positive news about all people, combatting the overhyped and sensationalised news pushed by the rest of the mainstream media. One hand cannot clap, and only by coming together in solidarity can we move forward in such uncertain times. The Phoenix has been promoting and celebrating the power that the diversity of our nation has, inclusive of all of the sectors that make Britain ‘Great’ for a decade, and while it wasn’t an easy journey for us by any means, we now have a publication that is accepted, trusted, and loved by people of all walks of life and nationalities. This is an awards ceremony that recognises diversity, inclusion and success from all sectors and walks of life, so this year make sure you don’t miss out – nominations for the awards will open next month, so make sure you put forward your favourites, as well as vote for them to win!. For 2020 the charity that we are supporting is Acorns Children’s Hospice, and the amazing work that they do with babies, children and young people aged 0 – 18 years who have life limiting or life threatening conditions and associated complex needs with a network of specialist palliative nursing care and support. We are looking for sponsors to support us in delivering this year’s event. So if you are a company, and organisation or government body who champions diversity, inclusion and the common good, identify yourselves by supporting this cause. There are a wide variety of sponsorship opportunities available, and sponsors from all sectors are welcome, for sponsorships contact Jo Price on jo.price@thephoenixnewspaper. com or for general enquiries email galadinnerandawards@ thephoenixnewspaper.com. To purchase tickets please visit https://phoenixnewspaper2020. eventbrite.com SAVE THE DATE.
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Page 4 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
MOUNT ZION I FUNERAL CARE SPOTLIGHT
Mount Zion I Funeral Care – Taking On Your Strain In Your Greatest Hour Of Need
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arking its official opening, Mount Zion I Funeral Care announced its presence by inviting the local community with a very special launch, at its venue on Stone Street, in Dudley, in the West Midlands, by welcoming specially invited guests, business people and transient shoppers into its home to let all know that they are there and will provide the best first-class service as the deceased enters their final resting place. Providing unhinging advice and support through every step of the way, the independent friendly funeral services offers affordable packages that include: removal into their care 365 days a year, clinical care, washing, dressing, arranging funerals, conducting funerals, casket or
coffin, hearse and 2 limousines, horse drawn carriages, weekend arrangements, weekend funerals, mobile arrangements, international repatriation, service orders, hand drawn portraits, bespoke funeral plans and dignified care With full asset protection they will offer you great protection on your estate for greater protection and inheritance whilst making sure the legacy of your loved one is secure. Under the auspice of owner and Funeral Director, Hannah Donaldson, the independent and hugely friendly funeral service will provide affordable packages whilst it serves and caters for all cultures and religions. No matter who - No matter when. “My team and I, Mount Zion I, are here to look after the people who struggle to get things together in their time of need”, Hannah
says. “When a family experience bereavement they need genuine people to be there to organise the sorrow full event to make it a special goodbye that you be proud of. “I spend people’s money like my mum sent me to the shops to buy the best quality, trust me I know what time it is when you’ve lost a loved one and what it takes to get it right”. She (Hannah) and her team take great pride in everything they do and are 100% customer-focused - always going that 'extra mile' to meet their client's needs and wishes. To that end, they also work alongside the esteemed Asher Portraits, in Birmingham, who can provide a stunningly surreal handdrawn image of the loved one so you can hang on a wail for eternal
l Paul Taylor, Philip Johnson & Hannah Donaldson memories to keep. Mount Zion I also uses Marlow’s Private Ambulance’s Ltd who are available 24 hours a day to assist in funeral services. Her team can also explain any of the services they offer including traditional funerals, green or humanist celebrations, monumental masonry, cremation ashes and our range of funeral plans. With her mission to be a successfully offer unique products and services for your family as she working towards creating a better, fairer service and to enhance the memories of those passed customers and the community at large, Mount Zion I Funeral Care is there to serve – no matter what! So, in your hour of greatest need, let Mount Zion I Funeral Care take the strain off of your shoulders while you take things easy.
l Hannah Donaldson
Send your stories in to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com
@PhoenixNewsUK
The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 5
MOUNT ZION I FUNERAL CARE SPOTLIGHT
Mount Zion I Funeral Care www.mountzionifuneralcare.co.uk Hannah Donaldson 23 Stone Street, Dudley, DY1 1NT Contact Number: 07713982779 Contact Number: 07828081318 E: info@mountzionifuneralcare.co.uk E: hdonaldsonosbourne@gmail.com
l Paul Taylor, Philip Johnson & Hannah Donaldson with Dr Marcia McLaughlin, Editor in Chief of The Phoenix Newspaper & Rupert Phillips
Independent friendly funeral services providing affordable packages that consist of: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Removal into our care 365 days a year Clinical care Washing Dressing Arranging funerals Conducting funerals Casket or coffin Hearse and 2 limousines Horse drawn carriage’s Weekend arrangements Weekend funerals Mobile arrangements International repatriation Service orders Hand drawn portraits Bespoke funeral plans Dignified care
We are here to serve and cater for all cultures and religions! Why Mount Zion I? • • • •
Mount Zion I Asset Protection Protect your estate today Secure your legacy Protect your inheritance
Unique products and services for your family • • • • • • •
Confidentiality consultancy Pre-Paid funeral plans Will writing services Lasting power of attorney Living trust Protective will property trust Probate and estate administration
The Mount Zion I Funeral Care team are here to look after the people who struggle to get things together in that time of need, when a family experience a bereavement they need genuine people to be there to organise the sorrowful event to make it a special goodbye that you be proud of. Let Mount Zion I Funeral Care take the strain off of your shoulders while you take things easy.
thephoenixnewspaper.com
Page 6 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
NEWS
B
irmingham-based restaurant, Holy Moly – home of the ‘Proper Mac’ – has teamed up with national charity FoodCycle to help the charity support vulnerable people in the local community each week with hot meals. FoodCycle combines surplus food, spare kitchen spaces, and volunteers to create three-course meals for people at risk of food poverty and social isolation, whilst helping those who may not be able to afford to feed themselves or their children. Holy Moly donated its first selection of its vegetarian cheesy ‘Proper Mac’ to the UK charity in January and will be providing hot meals each week. Justin Powell, Regional Manager Midlands at FoodCycle, said: “We are thrilled to have Holy Moly onboard supporting us in feeding people who may be struggling with hunger or loneliness. “The backing of local food suppliers and restaurants is vital to us in order to provide free community meals; we can’t thank Holy Moly enough for their ongoing assistance each week and what is the start of a fantastic partnership.” Paul Elliott, Head of Business at Holy Moly, added: “FoodCycle do some incredible work supporting the local community. The charity is made up of amazing volunteers who provide so much to those in need and being able to play a
Race is on to find city’s Community Champions
Holy Moly teams up with Foodcycle to donate meals small part in helping means a lot to us all here.” Holy Moly opened its doors back in 2018 as Birmingham’s first ever Mac ‘n’ Cheese restaurant. Located in Grand
Central, the Harlem-inspired soul food heaven, is the perfect place to go if you’re looking for a light bite, dinner with the family or a drink with your mates. Established in 2009, FoodCycle
runs 42 volunteer-powered community projects across England, with five in the Birmingham area, the latest of which was launched at the Falcon Lodge Community Centre in
Sutton Coldfield. To find out more and to get involved, head to the FoodCycle website.
TNCMC Spreads Its Message Far And Wide
A search to find the unsung hero to spearhead an exciting new community campaign has been launched by Birmingham city council The Community Champions will play a key role in the local area as the city prepares for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Heading up the campaign is local volunteer Hector Pinkney MBE – better known by many as ‘Mr. Handsworth’. He explains; “We’re looking for community heroes. They could have helped a neighbour in need, coached a local sports team, or given up their free time to help others.” The successful nominees will have made a positive difference to public life and as Community Champions will perform a vital liaison role, working with the city council to create a direct link to their community. This will help the council to better understand how local people feel and to develop exciting activities throughout the journey to 2022. People can nominate friends, relatives or colleagues, or someone who has made a positive difference to their life. Alternatively, people can put themselves forward. Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “It is an exciting time for the city as we prepare for the games. This initiative is a great opportunity for local people to have their voice heard and play a key part in helping to create a legacy we can be proud of. “Hector is a true inspiration and epitomises what it is to be a community champion. We want local people to embrace this opportunity and constructively address issues they feel passionately about.” Go to Birmingham city council’s website for further information about the initiative, how to nominate, plus terms and conditions.
l Left to right: Ken Straun, Rev Hudson-Wilkin, Don Campbell & Rev Phyllis Thompson.
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t the New Testament Church of God (NTCG) Northampton on the 15th Feb 2020, thanks to Rev Phyllis Thompson B.Ed LTh MA & former NTCG National Director of Education, The National Caribbean Monument Charity (TNCMC) was invited to The Oliver Lyseight Annual Lecture Series.
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Speaking on the day, Don Campbell said “It was a pleasure for Ken and I to represent TNCMC at this event. The event was well supported and the guest speaker was Rev HudsonWilkin, Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen. “It was certainly an occasion to continue raising the profile of TNCMC, which was definitely achieved.”
l Hector Pinkney MBE
0208 865 1922 (London)
@PhoenixNewsUK
The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 7
NEWS
Birmingham 2022 plans take major step forward l Team England Athlete Nathan Douglas, Birmingham City Council Leader Cllr Ian Ward, WMCA chief executive Deborah Cadman, Team England athlete Abazz Shayaam-Smith, Birmingham 2022 CEO Ian Reid, Deputy Mayor of the West Midlands Bob Sleigh and Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council Cllr Brigid Jones
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roposals for the redevelopment of the Alexander Stadium were approved by Birmingham City Council’s Planning Committee – making a major milestone in the preparations for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. At the heart of the wider effort to regenerate Perry Barr, the £72million plan will see the venue become a high-quality venue for diverse sporting, leisure, community and cultural events in the decades to come. Initially, the stadium is set to be the focal point of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, hosting the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as the athletics events during the 11-day event which features 6,500 athletes and officials from 71 nations and territories.
Post-Games it will be at the centre of a regenerated Perry Barr, which is receiving more than £500million of investment in the coming years, which also includes new housing, improved transport and related upgrades to infrastructure and public space. The revamped stadium is set to host a range of tenants including the world-famous Birchfield Harriers Athletics Club and Birmingham City University providing a new home for the university’s sports and exercise students, bringing an exciting new partnership and purpose to the stadium beyond athletics – as well as becoming a focal point for a range of leisure, health, wellbeing and community activities for local residents and the wider general public. Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “We’ve always been clear that
Birmingham 2022 is about much more than 11 days of fantastic world-class sporting action. The Games are about regeneration, improved health and wellbeing, promoting the city on a global stage and building civic pride. Abazz Shayaam-Smith, triple jumper and Team England scholarship recipient, said: “The first time I came here I was 13 years old. It’s now going to be really inspirational. I’ve seen the designs and it’s going to look really good.” Ian Reid, Chief Executive for Birmingham 2022, said: “The Alexander Stadium is a pivotal venue for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, as not only will it host the track and field events for athletics but it’s also where we will stage our official opening and closing ceremonies for the Games.”
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by Steve Williams
From despair to hope – When Aziz met Vijay
hen humility, humanity and integrity collide, an explosion of human kindness, at its highest degree, makes you feel at peace with mankind. And, for that, look no further than Dilbar Authentic Indian Cuisine, because it was there where the story of when Aziz met Vijay will pull at the most sternest of heartstrings. When Aziz Khan was made homeless, after losing his home in Walsall, in the West Midlands, he had nowhere to go and found himself roaming the streets of Birmingham and begging to keep himself alive. He would spend four nights begging on the city streets – whilst sleeping in bus shelters and phone boxes - until one night, on Broad Street, he was spotted outside the Dilber Indian restaurant – where his life would change for the good. He was approached by Shaeed Latif, a Westside BID street warden, who introduced him to Dilber manager, Raj Uddin, who, in turn, led him to restaurant owners, Vijay Bulsara and Pam Bassi. And, showing great heat and compassion, offered the hugely grateful Aziz a job there. “I’m somebody who gives people chance and was able to offer Aziz hope” Vijay said. He’s happy here and we are happy to have him. “We are just glad to give him (Aziz) a chance”, Pam added. Aziz said: “From Desperation and despair, to real hope and aspiration. I have so much to thank Raj, Pam, Vijay and all at Dilbar for giving me this chance to rebuild my life”.
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Page 8 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
BUSINESS AND FINANCE
Deputy leader candidate, Butler, intensifies campaign during second city visit
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by Steve Williams
ith changes afoot in UKs government, the Shadow Secretary of State for Women & Equalities, Dawn Butler MP, was in Birmingham having ‘thrown her hat in the ring’ having declared her interest of becoming the Labour Party’s next Deputy Leader. Serving as a Member of Parliament for Brent Central, in London, she was in the second city drumming up support for her candidacy for what will be a new shadow government following their record-breaking defeat in the recent general election. Rooting her campaign in local communities, she visited the recently opened Legacy of Excellence Centre, in Newtown, in the city, to address a large audience as she made clear her plans for power and her/the Party’s way forward. “We must have policies and procedures that will work for everyone”, she said “and for me that means empowering the regions and rebuilding the trust. “Then, it’s all about empowering the country as a whole”. Highlighting her manifesto, she said: “I am looking at a race and faith manifesto and with that I aim to have policies put forward that will make everybody’s voice be elevated and heard. “I want to unite our party and harness the talent of everyone, infest in campaigning infrastructure in the regions, towns and cities, continue to champion
great policies and to work loyally with the Leader to elect a Labour government. “It’s important that we have the proper systems to overcome issue. In an exclusive one-on-one with locally based entrepreneur, business man and philanthropist, Paul Ramsey – who is a leading advocate in championing young people - she was able to more fully the policies she is emphasising on. Talking to him about the broad church of gaining widespread votes – for her in this personal campaign and the Labour Party in general - she pointed out to him the importance of votes from the young when she said: “It’s about listening and encouraging them, and putting them ‘front-andcentre.’ “The more that they are engaged, the less they are likely to feel ignored. She told him: “Like the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, I will make sure that young people have their ‘ownership’ of the Labour Party as we prepare for future government come the next general election. “I will put the young front and centre of my campaign and let them have ownership of the Party. “It’s about listening and encouraging them”. “There’s nothing sweeter than being in government”. Dawn Butler said. “Let me take us back there”. Up against Rosena Allin-Khan, Richard Burgon, Ian Murray and Angela Rayner, the Labour Party leadership takes place on April 4.
Challenges and opportunities for SMEs for the next five years with Dr Christopher Johnson
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l Chairman of The Phoenix Newspaper, Paul Ramsey with Dawn Butler MP
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s the new Tory Government proceeds to implement its manifesto, the administration and supervision of policies for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be a formidable challenge for the next five years at least. Given Britain’s formal exit of the EU and a potential trade deal in the offing, uncertainty and confusion can affect the smooth functioning of business operators as they try navigating a regulatory regime conducive to new markets. We will examine some vital areas of consideration in this connection. Firstly, the assumption is that Britain’s exit of the EU will offer trading opportunities with other countries around the globe; its 50% trade with the continent is likely to be affected by this political dispensation. Hundreds of EU regulations such as data protection safeguards, occupational health and safety, equalities, human rights, procurement and other regulations have been written into English Law. This means that existing and new firms will have to reorganise their strategic and operational systems to keep pace with emerging trends in a post-Brexit world. Secondly, areas such as healthcare, technology futures, manufacturing and allied industrial sectors, will have to grapple with new procurement standards for goods and services either imported from, or exported to Europe. The issue of quotas, tariffs and other such trading arrangements will have to be clear and settled to maintain confidence among distribution and supply chains. The latter depend heavily on internal market forces via state intervention measures, to help businesses sustain market share.
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ward-wInnIng journalist, editor and publisher Dr Christopher Johnson writes his monthly column in The Phoenix aiming to inform, educate and entertain.
If these chains are disrupted they can have a knock-on effect on consumer prices thereby undermining potential growth spurts to the national economy. Thirdly, the restricted movement of very skilled personnel can also impede advances in science and technology, all of which are vital to research and development (R&D) for SMEs that are interested in exporting. Over the past 30 years or so, EU Structural Funds have supported SME start-ups, provided resources for capacity building for women and minority ethnic-owned firms and boosted business network associations especially within the 9 English Regions. The UK small firm sector is remarkably resilient. Interest by minorities in micro to small start-ups in healthcare, food and hospitality, construction, engineering and personal care, reflect volumes. State and regional officials must use the honeymoon period of the new Tory Administration, to analyse trends across business, the professions and the sciences and their corresponding impact on SMEs in the 12 UK Regions. A former Chancellor admitted in 2019, that it was difficult to gauge or determine, accurately, the gross value-add (GVA) of each region. The lack of an intelligence observatory is partly responsible for this policy anomaly. It would be helpful therefore for the relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive review of the small firm sector, using an ethnographic axis. In this way, they will be in a better position to identify measures that are needed to sustain growth and development of both the regional and national economy.
0121 339 5885 (Birmingham)
@PhoenixNewsUK
The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 9
NEWS
l H.E. Seth George Ramocan, High Commissioner For Jamaica, Grace Foods CEO Andrea Coy and Dr Marcia McLaughlin, Editor In Chief of The Phoenix Newspaper
Grace Give Back To The Diaspora
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t was a gathering to say ‘Thank You’ as internationallyr e n o w n e d Caribbean food producers, Grace Foods, showed their gratitude for the support garnered – on this occasion –throughout the UK and beyond. At the invitation of Grace Foods CEO Andrea
Coy, and hosted by Grace Food’s erstwhile Trade Development Coordinator, Aisha Anifowoshe, at the swanky Sheraton Grand - on London’s Park Lane, some of the Jamaican Diaspora’s distinguished ‘sons’ and ‘daughters’ were proud to be present and be part of what was truly a humongous affair
And, as they draw ever closer in marking its 100th anniversary in 2022, they travelled from near and far, from around the UK and beyond to play their part – and thank one of the world’s greatest food institutions. In the presence of His Excellency Seth George Ramocan, High
Commissioner of Jamaica who gave a passionate address to a captivated audience of how Grace has impacted on the Jamaican people as a brand now recognised the world over, the gathered guests heard how they should all play their part in this great Jamaican institution, whose ethos is to inspire
and support education in the young people of Jamaica. Here is just a taster of who was there and what it was all about – at the Grace UK Diaspora Reception. Look out for the full coverage in the April edition along with our Instagram Facebook and YouTube channels.
Send your stories in to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com
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Page 10 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
BUSINESS AND FINANCE
Speaker, Adams, continues to bring Boroughs together for the greater good
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ach year the Speaker of Hackney, Council, Councillor Kam Adams, selects charitable causes to support, both by fundraising and/or attending associated events. This year the Speaker has chosen three worthy charities; Sistah Space Sanctuary, Sporting Hackney Mind and The Ivy Street Family Centre. And, as such, The Phoenix Newspaper was invited to his annually-held charity fundraising dinner – a kind of ‘thank you’ to all of the charities’ supporters – by way of fellow London Borough
Council Speakers, Leaders and contributors, including Tropical Sun. “This is not a gala – it’s just a dinner to say ‘Thank You’” host Cllr Adams said to the large array of invited fellow Speakers, London Borough Council Leaders – including Cllr Mohammad Sadiq, Leader of Sutton Borough Council, Cllr Victoria Obaze, Speaker (and the first Black female Speaker) of Tower Hamlets, the Mayor of Haringey Sheila Peacock, Zulzufi Hussain Mayor of Redbridge, Barnet Mayor Caroline Stock, Cllr Ernest Ezeajughi, Mayor of Brent, Ealing
Mayor Dr Councillor Abdullah Gulaid and Hammersmith & Fulham Mayor Daryl Brown – and The Phoenix Newspaper’s own Dr Marcia McLaughlin. With a ‘formally informal’ meet and greet at Hackney Town Hall relaxing the array of dignitaries, it was all off to downtown Hackney and the forever-exquisite Tad Restaurant for a culinary treat and the venerable delights of Turkey and for Nigerian born Cllr Adams to make clear that his charitable fundraising is no way near finished as he continues to do his very large ‘bit’ for making his borough a much better place for all.
l London Mayors and Speakers in the Speaker of Hackney’s Chamber
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The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 11
Daredevils Take On Fire Walk Challenge Continued from Front Page
Zoe Baggott, Acorns Senior Area and Events Fundraising Manager, said: “We’re thrilled to have so many high profile supporters signed up to next month’s Firewalk. Having them on board will really help to raise the profile of the event and the money they raise will make such a difference to the children and families we support. There is still plenty of time to sign up for this unmissable experience. Walking over fire is definitely one of the most extreme and exhilarating things you can do and while it might seem like scary stuff, professional fire walkers will be on hand to make sure everyone has the best possible time.” Acorns Firewalk will see the doors to the iconic Black Country Living Museum open after dark for this unmissable fundraiser, with exclusive nighttime access to the attraction. Those not feeling so brave can come along to watch thrill seekers
NEWS
and enjoy seeing the museum at night. Highlights on offer will include a vintage bus down to the docks, wander around the museum’s cobbled streets, schoolhouse and old shops and their world-famous traditional fish and chips. Zoe added: “The Night at the Museum and Firewalk is perfect for all the family as there will be so much to see and do. Not only will you have a great evening and maybe even conquer the coals, you’ll be helping us continue our work caring for children and families.” This event costs £40 when supporters pledge to raise £100 sponsorship and includes night entry into the museum. Tickets for night entry into the museum are £10 for adults and £5 for children, with under 2s free. For more information or to sign up for Acorns Night at the Museum and Firewalk, please visit www. acorns.org.uk/acorns-firewalk
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Page 12 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
CENTRAL SAINT MICHAEL’S SIXTH FORM ADVERTORIAL
l Central Saint Michael’s Principal Dr Matt Lamb, Mayor of Sandwell Cllr Ann Jaron and Sandwell College Principal and CEO Graham Pennington at the rebranding of the college
Sixth Form Opens C Its Books To Next Set Of Students After Record Breaking Results
entral Saint Michael’s Sixth Form in West Bromwich is on the lookout for its next crop of A-Level success stories after the Class of 2019 delivered the best results in the college’s history, hitting a pass rate of 99 per cent for the fifth year in a row. Formerly known as Central Sixth, the campus has refreshed its brand to match the existing first-rate facilities, which helped towards another successful summer of results last year. With 100 per cent pass rate in 24 subjects and 91 per cent of learners progressing on to university, the college is now accepting applications for 2020/21. Prospective students will have the chance to see how the college delivers its impressive statistics at open days on Thursday 5th March and Saturday 7th March, where current students, tutors and alumni will be on hand to chat about how Central Saint Michael’s Sixth Form will help get new enrollers into their favoured university or career path. On offer are over 30 different courses, which not only prepare pupils perfectly for university, but also give them the skills to go straight into work. Classic subjects such as English, Maths and the Sciences are offered alongside specialist qualifications in Accounting, Criminology, Politics and more, allowing students to amass their UCAS points in whichever way suits them best. The high percentage of young people
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passing their course is backed up by students exceeding the national score for A-Level and AS-Level. Respectively, results were eight per cent and seven per cent better than the UK average, allowing graduates to take their pick of career options or universities upon receiving their results. The 91 per cent of 2019 graduates who went on to university have reached all corners of the UK, heading off to destinations such as Cardiff, Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Student of the Year, Edward Woodvine has relocated to Bristol following his time at Central Saint Michael’s Sixth Form, one of many continuing their education at a Top 20 rated university. Commenting on the successes, Dr Matt Lamb, Principal of Central Saint Michael’s Sixth Form, said: “It was another fantastic year of results here at the college for both our first and second year students, and we were thrilled to see Central Saint Michael’s Sixth Formers being accepted into some of the country’s leading universities. “It’s never too soon for this summer’s school leavers to begin exploring their options, and our staff are always happy to chat to prospective students about how they can achieve incredible results and the different options available for every young person.” For more information on Central Saint Michael’s Sixth Form, visit www. centralstmichaels.ac.uk
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The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 13
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EDUCATION, TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT
g n i t o Prom xcellence E
As part of our ongoing commitment to promoting the positive and inspirational individuals and organisations in our communities, The Phoenix Newspaper presents Promoting Excellence - a closer look at our role models, entrepreneurs, community figures and success stories.
A
Collaboration formed between UoB School of Dentistry and Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Dental Sciences and Research in Punjab
l Prof. Robin Mason, Director India Institute, University of Birmingham signing MoU with Dr. Kavipal Singh, Principal, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Dental Sciences and Research
ality u q h Hig rom f e r ld ca child e years o iv f o t irth
b
Day Nursery
O
en N Copm Birm ingoswoaot i n g Birmin ham B n to gha us Parkm Biunseisnses s Pa!rk
g Takin ns io s s i m ad now For more information or to enquire about admissions visit:
www.wigglesandgigglesdaynursery.co.uk Contact us: 4360 Waterside Centre, Birmingham Business Park, Solihull Parkway, B37 7YN 07825082937 contact@wigglesandgigglesdaynursery.co.uk
Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed between Sri Guru Ram Dass Institute of Dental Sciences & Research (SGRD), in Punjab and the School of Dentistry at the University of Birmingham (UoB) as part of the collaborations taking place between India and UK in the healthcare sector. It is aimed at promoting exchange of students, staff and of best practices, to develop understanding of research and education between the two institutions. UoB and SGRD have collaborated to foster exchange of students and staff mutually for short period of time, to work together to promote dental sciences and practical applications of the findings in India, UK and globally, which will enable them to gain foreign expertise and exposure. The two institutions will seek methods of cooperation that will be mutually beneficial.
£1,000 for foundation tackling language and literacy barriers A Birmingham based charity that aims to bring literacy support to disadvantaged people has received £1,000 from one of the UK’s largest housebuilders. Persimmon Homes Central chose Fluence Foundation CIC as one of its Community Champions, a national funding programme where charities and groups can apply for up to £1,000 to match funds they have raised themselves. Fluence Foundation was started three years ago by the Hore family. Its aim is to fill the gaps left by frontline services and to help disadvantaged and vulnerable people overcome language and literacy barriers preventing them from engaging with other organisations or services. A spokesperson from the Fluence Foundation said: “Our ‘Nobody Left Out’ project will be based in Birmingham and support homeless people to gain the missing basic skills that make it difficult for them to get support from other agencies or move towards employment. Our project also develops their communication skill and confidence.
Study shows boys are more likely to have basic life skills when leaving primary school Children in the UK are leaving primary school without basic life skills such as being able to brush their own teeth, dress themselves and tell the time, and now research reveals that girls may be falling behind. According to a new study, almost one in six (16%) primary school leavers are unable to swim, despite the national curriculum stating that all children should be able to swim 25 metres by this time. One in ten (9%) can’t use a watch to tell the time, whilst a tenth can’t dress themselves at this age. And although previous studies suggest that girls outperform their male peers on all levels, the new research by watch and sunglasses
specialist, Tic Watches, suggests that boys are more advanced when it comes to more practical life skills*. A concerning one in seven (15%) girls leave primary school unable to brush their teeth without assistance, compared to just 4% of boys. Equally worrying, 10% of girls of the same age are unable to dress themselves, compared to 8% of boys. The research also showed one in ten boys left primary school unable to ride a bike (10%), compared to one in six girls (16%). Meanwhile, one in ten girls are unable to tell the time using a watch (10%), in comparison to 8% of boys at this age.
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The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 15
EDUCATION, TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT
Tropical Sun Helps Prison Link And Birmingham Prison To Transform The Visits Centre Into A Weekly Training Centre
O
n the 25th of February, After 10 weeks of training in Prison Link’s Basic Training In Prison Work, participants gave their final presentations at the 10th session of the course. Course Tutor and Prison Link CEO, Ricky Dehaney, first
l Jane Bailey, Chair of Halow with her Visits Centre Managers, telling the class how they facilitate 5000 children a year to visit their dads in Birmingham Prison.
created the course in 2004 and in the recent years of austerity the sponsorship of Tropical Sun has helped Prison Link by subsidising the course and make it affordable and accessible. The course (which is run 4 times a year) was delivered for the first time at Birmingham Prisons visits centre with the support
l Youngest Participant Toseef Waeem “I gained a lot of confidence due to the course and my aim now is to become a Prison Officer. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to afford the course without the sponsorship of Tropical Sun”
of Governor Paul Newton (who Dehaney says is one of the leading governors in the country), Chair of Halow Jane
Gallagher and Paul Harrison Community Brand Ambassador of Tropical Sun. As well Tropical Sun giving
their usual sponsorship they helped with some of the financial challenges of making the centre suitable for a criminal justice course. Chair of Prison Link Bishop Mike Wilson says “ I am so grateful that Tropical Sun is now in its 3rd year of Sponsoring Prison Links Criminal Justice course, which has the added value of helping us survive so we can help the families of prisoners with information, advice and guidance”. For more info about the next course contact Prison Link on 07949203280 or go the website www.prisonlink.info
l Tunji Moore presenting said “I got a paid job as a mentor through the course so I am grateful to Prison Link and Tropical Sun”
Pupils in charity drive for Birmingham’s vulnerable Pupils at a Birmingham Academy have been on a charity drive for the city’s most vulnerable communities. Caring pupils and staff at Small Heath Leadership Academy created 20 hampers for the Birmingham City Mission to help provide comfort to young and old this winter. The mission was established in 1966 and has been offering food, friendship and support to
some of the most vulnerable and marginalised people for over 50 years. The school also held a Christmas fayre and a Christmas Jumper Day to raise much needed funds for charity. In total, pupils at the school have raised in excess of £1,700 over the half-term. The charitable work forms part of the school’s annual Festive Winter Gift Programme, which
takes place across all 28 schools that are part of the multi-academy trust, Star Academies. Mrs Al-Ani, Principal at Small Heath Leadership Academy said she was proud of the way the school’s community had come together to raise funds for those in need. She said: “Our pupils, staff, parents and carers have worked exceptionally hard to help make a difference to those who might be
struggling over the winter period. “As a school, we know how important it is to play an active role in our local community. We want all our pupils to understand how they can help others and the value of charitable giving. “We are so very proud of our whole school community who have worked so well together to help an excellent local cause.”
West Midlands graduates enjoy salary benefits from their degree Graduates from West Midlands universities who stay to work in the region can see a substantial premium from their degree, new data reveals. The figures, published for the first time, show the earnings of graduates from each university in different regions of the country five years after they have finished their studies. For almost all the West Midlands’ universities, graduates who stayed to work in the region earned a higher average salary than local non-graduates who had at least five A*-C GCSEs. The data also highlights that degrees from West Midland’s universities are also valued by employers across the country.
Students from the region’s major universities like Birmingham and Warwick Universities had higher average earnings than non-graduates in every region in England. Universities Minister Chris Skidmore said: “It is great to see graduates who study and stay to work in the West Midlands are reaping the benefits of our worldleading higher education. “This data highlights how important universities are to their regions and play a key role in their local economies. “This data is a milestone for the thousands of future students, helping them to work out whether university is for them, and where to study and work.”
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Page 16 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE
A True Woman Of Excellence: Professor Sarah Hainsworth P rofessor Sarah Hainsworth OBE FREng is Pro-ViceChancellor and Executive Dean for the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Aston University. Sarah studied for her undergraduate degree in science of engineering materials at
the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and went on to study for a PhD, looking at the interaction between ceramic surfaces and nylon fibres. Her first job postPhD was as a postdoctoral research at the University of Newcastle, looking at the use of advanced coatings on components for applications as diverse
as razor blades to Formula One engines to carpet-cutting blades. Sarah moved from Newcastle to Leicester to take up a lectureship in the Department of Engineering where she was appointed to teach tribology (the study of friction, lubrication and wear) and develop the experimental research facilities in the Department. Sarah was promoted to Senior Lecturer then Reader and then Professor of Materials and Forensic Engineering. Sarah’s research has focused on using materials in automotive applications and in power plant to improve performance and help reduce CO2 emissions. Her forensic engineering research has been focussed on understanding the forces generated in stabbing attacks and in understanding how the sharpness of an implement influences its ability to penetrate the skin. She has also worked on understanding how tools leave marks on bone in cases of dismemberment. Sarah has used her expertise to provide expert witness reports in criminal cases, and when the remains of Richard the third were found in a car park in Leicester in 2012 she was ideally placed to help investigate how he had died and the weapons that had been used to create the injuries seen on his skeleton. Shortly after being promoted to Professor, Sarah became the Graduate Dean at the University of Leicester, and became a member of
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the senior management team for the University. She worked with colleagues not just in science and engineering but in arts, humanities, business, medicine etc. After her term as Graduate Dean ended she became Head of Engineering at Leicester. She left Leicester in August 2017 to take up the role of ProVice-Chancellor and Executive Dean at Aston University, leading the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The School comprises six Departments and three research institutes, including Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies, which works on sensors and optical communications, the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute which investigates energy and sustainability, and the Aston Institute of Urban Technologies and Environment which works in the area of Smart Cities. In her School she has colleagues working on using bioenergy to decrease CO2 emissions, optical fibres and communications sensors for transmitting data at high speeds, 5G networks, big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence, logistics and supply chain optimisation for moving people and goods around, and how to recycle plastics into materials for roads. This work is helping to solve global and societal problems, and is having an impact in our region. Sarah’s key responsibilities are managing the School’s portfolio of courses, student experience and satisfaction, research and enterprise activity and financial performance. She also spends lots of time on
staff recruitment, promotions, performance and development. Sarah believes that the basis of delivering great performance is teamwork, and she has assembled a good team of leaders who are helping to move the School forwards. Sarah thinks that the quality of your team is really key to good leadership. In leading a large team one of the basic facts is that you are not always the expert, so the skill is in harnessing the talents of others. Leadership for Sarah is about setting boundaries, being clear about vision and expectations, and defining the purpose. It is also about the support to others in her team and remembering to extend a hand backwards and develop others. She tries to lead with continual reflective evaluation; and the support of feedback, a great coach, and trusted colleagues is crucial. She continuously monitors and measure progress against targets on the basis that as engineers she naturally likes measuring data, but also on the basis that what gets measured gets done. Sarah is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering which is the highest professional recognition for an engineer in the UK. The RAEng is the UK’s national academy for Engineering. Sarah is Chair of the Academy’s Diversity and Inclusion and is passionate about encouraging young people to take up careers in STEM. Sarah strongly believes that we need to embrace diversity and inclusion. The evidence of the benefits of this is utterly compelling,
with major organisations such as McKinsey, MIT, Credit Suisse, Gallup, Deloitte, and PWC time and again showing that diverse teams are more effective for business than less diverse teams. Sarah really believes that one of the major challenges facing engineering is the diversity challenge: - The engineering workforce is just 12% women contrasted with 47% women in the overall UK workforce; - and just under 9% of the engineering workforce is from BAME groups compared with 12% of the broader population. The business and ethical cases for improving diversity and inclusion in engineering are clear. It is crucial that the engineering profession, who are shaping the world around us and designing solutions for some of the biggest challenges our world faces, are reflective of the society they seek to serve. UK engineering is also facing a serious engineering skills shortage and we can’t afford to waste talent. There is a clear business imperative for organisations to be able to draw on the abilities of a diverse workforce to generate the ideas and products that will ensure the UK continues to compete globally. Engineering UK say that we need another 59,000 engineers to meet demand. National Grid have recently said that 400,000 jobs are needed to meet the carbon netzero target. Whilst 400,000 may seem a high number, it is considered to be “the tip of the iceberg in terms of the wider impact of net-zero across other industries”. Many of society’s big challenges – sustainability, health and poverty, for example – are all issues that engineering can help fix, and Sarah is passionate about developing the Engineers of the future who can address these problems.
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The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 17
Music fashion Film Gadgets holiday education health and fitness
MARCH 2020
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Experience The Magic
As Disney favourites take to the ice
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Page 18 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
ENTERTAINMENT
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THE HOTTEST ENTERTAINMENT SUPPLEMENT
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Digbeth nightlife mapped out in new street art work
T
he vibrant nightlife of the Digbeth area in Birmingham has been mapped out in a new street art work unveiled in the historic city quarter. The 16ft by 10ft ‘Digbeth Nightlife’ creation, commissioned by Richard Hughes, owner of bar and nightspot The Ruin, Digbeth and produced by renowned Midlands street artist Andrew ‘Title’ Mills, will proudly sit on the Little Ann Street side of the venue. Illustrating the diverse evening offering across the warren of roads and streets that make up Birmingham’s creative centre,
the new art work – produced by Title over 48 hours – features 37 venues offering live music and DJ sets, bars and pubs, eateries, games and entertainment as well as Moor Street Station and Selfridges markers to aid with navigation. Ranging from Irish pubs to British barbers, craft beer specialists to board game cafes, and tapas themed bars to hidden clubs, the ‘Digbeth Nightlife’ map is a visual document of the rapidly changing landscape of the post-industrial area. Speaking about the latest addition to the area’s eyepopping collection of graffiti
and street art, Ruin boss Richard praised the breadth and depth of the local economy, saying: “Dedicating a new piece by Title to the explosion in evening entertainment that we’ve seen here in the past couple of years – following the success of our Digbeth Dozen piece in 2018 – seemed a great way to celebrate the community that is building here as well as offering a guide for visitors and residents alike. The Ruin is very proud to be part of Digbeth’s vibrant and thriving night-time economy alongside so many hard-working and creative venues and their teams.”
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The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 19
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ENTERTAINMENT
BRB’s Stunning Swan Lake B irmingham Royal Ballet maintained their ridiculously high standards as they brought Peter Wright and Galina Samsova’s ‘81 production of Swan Lake to Birmingham’s Hippodrome. Ballet’s greatest love story returned to Birmingham, and for ballet first timers, Swan Lake first timers, or even seasoned theatre goers, this romantic fable of ill-fated passion, powerfully illuminated by Tchaikovsky’s legendary score
played live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, has to be one of the most amazing experiences. Principal’s Tyrone Singleton and Céline Gittens danced exceptionally well, leading a full flock of equally talented dancers. The designs of Philip Prowse perfectly frame every set piece, from the palace’s dark marble to the dreary lake beautifully silhouetting creeping branches. The meeting of Gitten’s Odette and Singleton’s Siegfried was wondrous to behold, with delightfully swan-
like accents both with her head and hands, while the entranced Siegfried watches on. Coming to Birmingham on the back of a stint at the Mayflower in Southampton, before it moves onto The Lowry, Sunderland Empire and Theatre Royal Plymouth, it was evident as to why the performance was already receiving rave reviews. Under Paul Murphy’s direction, the orchestra put on a beautiful performance of Tchaikovsky’s score, perfectly complimenting the stunning views on stage.
l Natasha Oughtred as Odette and Jamie Bond as Prince Siegfried with Artists of Birmingham Royal Ballet; photo: Bill Cooper
Criticizism grows of BAFTA’s lacking of diversity in nominations
A
fter Joaquin Phoenix used the platform during his ‘Best Actor’ award acceptance speech for the film Joker to criticize the British Academy and then the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, also hit out at a lack of diversity this year’s BAFTAs all eyes will be on the upcoming Oscars as they again seem to have mostly ignored films about women and people of a BAME culture. Phoenix’s comments followed an outcry about the all-white acting nominations line-up at the 73rd Awards event at the Royal
Albert Hall in London. He said: "I think that we send a very clear message to people of colour that you're not welcome here. “I think that’s the message that we’re sending to people who have contributed so much to our medium and our industry in ways that we’ve benefited from,” Phoenix said. “I don’t think anyone wants a hand-out or preferential treatment, although that’s what we give ourselves every year. I think people just want to be acknowledged, appreciated and respected for their work.”
In his address Prince William said: “The Academy’s voters must stop overlooking Black and Ethnic Minority talent”. The Prince, who is president of the Bafta, added: “It simply cannot be right in this day and age” that film awards have allwhite shortlists. “Both here in the UK and in many other countries around the world, we are lucky to have incredible film-makers, actors, producers and technicians, men and women of all backgrounds and ethnicities enriching our lives through film.”
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0121 339 5885 (Birmingham) l The Stereophonics return to Arena Birmingham on February 29th
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Page 20 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
ENTERTAINMENT HEALTH AND BEAUTY EXPO
H
undreds of people turned out to the Health and Beauty Expo at the British Indian Association on Ealing Road in London. Celebrating Brent as London’s Borough of Culture (LBOC), Brent’s Mayor Cllr Ernest Ezeajughi and 10 current and former mayors from across London including last years LBOC Waltham Forest, Ealing and Redbridge. Featuring stalls promoting laughter yoga and reiki healing alongside a number of fashion and beauty stalls, there was also some very impressive Indian dancing, delicious Caribbean, Indian and European food, as well as a gospel singer. “It was amazing. The weather wasn’t fantastic but all the mayor’s showed up,” explained Paul Harrison, Tropical Sun’s Brand Ambassador. “It was a recipe from heaven for us to have people come together.” There were hampers for the Mayoral visitors containing goodies from both Tropical Sun and some of the stalls on the day. “Everyone really appreciated it,” Paul continued, “and nobody left empty handed.”
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London Mayors Come Together For Health And Beauty Expo
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ENTERTAINMENT
ENTERTAINMENT
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MARCH Gig Listings BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY
Tour Announcement
T
he Weeknd has announced his new headline world tour, The After Hours Tour, on the heels of his upcoming album, After Hours. The After Hours Tour will showcase state of the art production and one of the most innovative stage
designs to date, containing the most LED lights and video for an arena show. Produced by Live Nation, the world tour will hit cities across United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and France with support from 88GLAM and Sabrina Claudio across Europe.
After Hours album merch bundles became available with the announce of the title track and album preorder. All purchases of the album or album bundles via the UK webstore also give priority access to pre-sale tickets for the upcoming UK and EU tour dates
March 01 Michael Kiwanuka 01 Nasty Cherry 03 Marika Hackman 03 Supergrass 04 Supergrass 07 Bulsara and His Queenies 07 Magic Lantern Rave 12 Phil X & The Drills 13 The Blindboy Podcast Live 13 Catapult Club feat. The Mood 14 Poppy 14 The Southmartins (Tribute To The Beautiful South & The Housemartins) 14 Stiff Little Fingers 18 The Regrettes 19 Home Free - Dive Bar Saints World Tour 19 Twinnie 20 Catapult Club feat. The Last Rogues 21 Skull Fox 21 Lee Scratch Perry 26 Rat Boy 27 Blossoms 27 Darcy Oake 28 The Slow Readers Club 30 M Huncho 31 William DuVall (of Alice in Chains)
O2 INSTITUTE
March 02 Love Fame Tragedy 06 The Orielles 06 Gala Disco Polo 06 Catapult Club feat. Southern Smoke 07 Oh Wonder 11 Turnover 12 Jax Jones 13 Ghetts 13 Tori Kelly 14 Uproar: The Laser Spectacular 2 16 Louise Redknapp 17 Palace 17 Hak Baker 18 NF - The Search Tour 19 Highly Suspect 19 The Cat Empire 21 Yelawolf 21 Rews 22 Grace Carter 24 I PREVAIL: The Trauma Tour 24 DigDat 25 Cigarettes After Sex 26 Mr Sam & The Dednutz 26 The Subways - Young For Eternity 27 The Alarm 27 Catapult Club ft. Kitchen Party Club 27 Lightning Seeds Jollification 25th Anniversary Show 28 Kojey Radical 28 Midland 30 GZA - 25th Anniversary of Liquid Swords 31 Barenaked Ladies
Regional Cheerleading 28 David Gray
ARENA BIRMINGHAM March 01 Michael Ball & Alfie Boe Back Together 02 The Original Harlem Globetrotters 04 An Evening with Whitney The Whitney Houston Hologram Tour 07 James Arthur 11-15 YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships 2020 19 What’s Love Got To Do With It? 22 Shreya Ghoshal 28 Gymnastics World Cup 2020
NEC
March 01 The National Wedding Show 05-08 Crufts 10 RCNi NURSING CAREERS & JOBS FAIR 11-14 The Big Bang Fair 2020 13-14 The National Franchise Exhibition 14-17 The Photography Show & The Video Show 17-18 Naidex 17-18 Smart Home for Assisted Living 19-22 Sewing for Pleasure inc Fashion & Embroidery 19-22 The Creative Craft Show 20-21 Dyslexia Show 21-22 MCM Comic Con 21-22 MINIATURA – THE DOLLS HOUSE SHOW 26-29 The National Homebuilding & Renovating Show 27-29 Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show
TOWN HALL & SYMPHONY HALL
March 01 Sampad Asian Spring 2020 (TH) 01 Paul Carrack The 20/20 Tour (SH) 02 Brendan Cole - Show Man (SH) 03 Tommy Tiernan: tomfoolery (TH) 04 The Beryl Chempin Memorial Piano Masterclass with Gabriela Montero (TH) 04 Tom Watson: Downsizing (TH)
RESORTS WORLD ARENA
March 05-08 Crufts & Best In Show 2020 12 KISSTORY presents The Blast Off! Tour 21-22 Dream Extreme: Super
04 CBSO: A German Requiem (SH) 05 Max Raabe & Palast Orchester (TH) 06 Jimmy Carr: Terribly Funny (SH) 08 Gabriela Montero in recital (TH) 09 Lunchtime Organ Concert For All The Saints (TH) 09 An Evening with Frankie Bridge: Open (TH) 09 Jazz Connective: Sara Colman, Riverloam Trio ft. Paul Dunmal and Bowrain (SH) 10 CBSO: Bartók and Bruckner (SH) 11 Clannad (SH) 12-13 Stewart Lee Snowflake/Tornado (SH) 12 Jess Gillam in recital (TH) 13 An Evening with Sarah J Maas (TH) 14 Carmina Burana (SH) 15 Jamie Cullum (SH) 15 The Dublin Legends (TH) 16 West Midlands Music Big Sing (SH) 17 Susan Boyle - The Ten Tour (SH) 18 Elvis Costello & the Imposters (SH) 19 David Baddiel: Trolls Not The Dolls (SH) 21 BANFF Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2020 (BLUE PROGRAMME) (TH) 21 Elektra – Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (SH) 22 University of Birmingham Music Society presents Verdi’s Messa da Requiem (TH) 23 Lunchtime Organ Concert – Thomas Trotter & Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (SH) 23 Simon Höfele in recital (SH) 25 Colin Thackery (TH) 26 BLADE RUNNER In Concert (SH) 27 CBSO: 100 Years of Movie Magic (SH) 27 Giovanni Pernice - This is Me (TH) 28 Pod Bible Podcast w/ Drunk Women Solving Crime & Richard Herring (TH) 28 Singalong with the CBSO: Verdi’s Requiem (SH) 28 Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast (Except at The Birmingham Town Hall) (TH) 28 Drunk Women Solving Crime (TH) 28 Satinder Sartaaj (SH) 28 Table Manners with Jessie Ware (TH) 29 Films to be Buried With with Brett Goldstein (TH) 29 Standard Issue (TH) 29 Singalong with the CBSO: Verdi’s Requiem (SH) 29 The Two Shot Podcast (TH) 30 Magnum (TH) 30 A Night at the Symphony Hall with the Royal Air Force and Friends (SH) 31 Goldfrapp (SH) 31 A Theatre For Dreamers - An Evening of Words and Music featuring Polly Samson and David Gilmour (TH)
l Satinder Sartaaj comes to Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on 28 March
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Page 22 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
ENTERTAINMENT
B
lackburn, a small town in Lancashire known for its textiles in the 1800’s, it’s rarely a byword for music. Dig a little deeper, you’ll find copious amounts of musical collectives spreading the length and breadth of of the small county town. One artist in particular is Tayyib Hussain, aka, ‘InSain’. Born and raised in Blackburn currently studying in Manchester, the young producer marries a fusion of Grime and Hip Hop, wrapped up in a professional mix that would make any seasoned Mc salute. The self-taught producer started out making beats at Pleckgate High School as a past-time. This later flourished into something he would take seriously “initially I started making music in high school, I didn’t take it seriously for ages, once I started getting into it though, I quickly latched onto Grime”. In his early days, InSain explains he has always loved music. “It’s cliche, but I have always loved music. My mum would play whatever bollywood songs she was feeling at the time whilst cooking or cleaning up so I got into the habit of that a little”. With no idea about production, InSain recalls going around his cousins who was a DJ, and running through a 5minute tutorial of some DJ software and a little know production suite named ‘Reason’. After going home and completely forgetting what the software was called, he searched the web anyway and stumbled upon FL Studio (Fruity Loops for the OG’s). After getting to grips with the software, InSain started looking for artists to work with. He later on teetered across a priceless opportunity to be a part of the grime crew ‘Rhymes Galore’ (shouts to Rame) along with a few other talented producers including myself (insert wink face here). He started producing raw, brash beats that really stood out, distinctive 808’s, throbbing drums, all topped off with many bells and whistles, InSains music was a destructively uncooked journey. Of late, InSain has been releasing music through the
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Are you InSain?
iews v Inter YouTube p l a t f o r m ‘EveryDayGrime’ (Shouts to Westy) as well as producing the track ‘Too Many Soundbwoy’ for the Essex-based Grime group ‘Stars & Deeza’. The track in question got played on BBC The South for weeks! Now in the process of stockpiling music, InSain’s aim is try to create something contrasting “I’ve been working with local
rappers and singers to try to create a vibe that’s different , I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone”. InSains eyes are looking to the future, with an EP on the horizon, he explains how the small touches equate to big touches. “The EP is pretty much ready to release, it’s just about adding the finishing touches now and knowing how and when is best to release”. With enormous amounts of support from his family and friends, InSain explains how
excited his family get when he takes a step forward musically “whenever I’m on radio, no matter how small my family is always buzzing. My fiance will text in to let the radio host know I made a beat if it gets played haha I recently, literally, had a 4 second clip of a beat get played on ITV and my mum has it recorded. Not sure if she’s got that recorded to mock me though or if she’s genuinely happy haha. They’re very supportive, I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
InSains unlimited goal is to set up a charity which teaches kids who aren’t in school or work something in media, this is one of the kindest most genuine ideas I’ve ever heard. InSain goes on to say “whether it be music, film, photography, etc. I’d love to get to a point financially where I could set that up without having to work to fund it as we go along”. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing InSain personally now for a number of years, whenever I’ve needed help he has never said no,
this article is to promote what a wonderful musical InSain is, but I hope it comes across how much of a wonderful human being he is to. Anything you’d like to add? “Not really, other than thanks for having me! It’s been fun”. Socials Twitter @InSainRG Instagram @insainproducer Facebook @InSainProducer And don’t forget to check out Alien Muzik on Twitter @Alien_Muzik, and on Instagram - alien_muzik
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The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 23
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Carlos Is Looking To BRB’s Future
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t has been less than a month since Carlos Acosta took his position as Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, but in a short space of time he has already made a big impact. The Phoenix Newspaper caught up with Carlos at a media breakfast ahead of Swan Lake’s return to the Hippodrome, where he talked at length about his ambitions for BRB and for ballet in Birmingham. “It is a big challenge for me, I love big challenges. It’s a large company, and it will give me the chance to evolve,” explained Carlos. “I have been blessed to work with companies all over the world and to have gained so much knowledge that I want to pass on to the dancers.” “Our key aim to position ourselves differently. Traditional Ballet Companies talk about the past a lot, but we want to see what is happening today, to be more appealing and mainstream. “I’m bringing Don Quixote because it’s a very accessible ballet, parents will be able to
bring their kids as they will be in for a really great journey with flamenco dancers and bull fighters. “This mad world which is very funny and colourful, it’s basically the extension of who I am as an individual.”
Curated By Carlos
A three week summer festival spanning London and Birmingham will take place in June 2020 and will give a unique insight into Carlos’ cultural influences and his vision for BRB, as a company hungry for creative collaborations. It will be staged around the Birmingham premiere of Don Quixote from the 19th-27th June. “This season we will have over 20,000 tickets for £20 so that we can get people in the city to participate in and enjoy the ballet. “It also needs the engagement of the people, and I want to change the audience composition, I want to see a more diverse crowd, but it takes effort on both sides.” Carlos was also honoured with
a plaque for his very own seat in the city’s iconic Symphony Hall, ahead of the Company’s A Valentines Celebration Evening of Music and Dance on Friday 14 February. He is only the second artist to have a seat named after him by the venue, with the first being singer Tony Bennett. Speaking about his seat dedication Carlos said; “It’s a huge honour to have a seat dedicated to me in the
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iconic Symphony Hall, not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this happening. “I’m very grateful for this recognition and I only feel further inspired to do my very best for the city of Birmingham.” It seems like the Birmingham Royal Ballet is in great hands, and with support from all of the wonderful communities in Birmingham, Carlos’ legacy will be one to remember.
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Daniel O’Donnell Hops Over To Symphony Hall Birmingham
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aniel O’Donnell, MBE, the loveable, Irish folk singer, TV personality and philanthropist, with over 20 UK Top 40 albums and sales of 10 million records to date, hops over from Ireland this autumn to delight fans with a show at Symphony Hall on Tuesday, 13 October 2020. After rising to public attention in 1983 O’Donnell has since become a household name in
Ireland and Britain; he has also had considerable success in the US and Australia. In 2012, he became the first artist to have a different album in the British charts every year for 25 consecutive years. He has sold over ten million records to date and is widely considered a ‘cultural icon’ in Ireland. O'Donnell is also a prominent ambassador for his home county of Donegal and competed on BBC’s Strictly Come
Dancing in 2015. Known for his close relationship with his fanbase, and his charismatic and engaging stage presence, O'Donnell's music has been described as a mix of country and Irish Folk. Of his fans, O’Donnell says: “There are no words to describe the feelings that I get from an audience when I perform on stage. It is heaven on earth to me. Without the people who follow me I would not have this life. They say that when you ‘re doing a job that you love, you never work a day in your life. Well, that is certainly the case with me. I have never worked since I became an entertainer. So I have a great respect and great love for the people who follow Daniel O Donnell the entertainer”. “I’ve always loved meeting the people after shows. Sometimes now I feel that I am meeting people too quickly and I would love to be able to say, ‘We need to slow this down’. I know we can’t slow it down because you’d be there all night. I do a long show and meeting people is not the norm for the majority of performers. So I know we have to keep it quick and that I can just go and say a quick ‘Hello’ to people and have a picture taken.”
An Enchanting Royalty Descend
T
ake adventure to new heights as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and your friends from around the Disney Kingdom come together with Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival.
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stage for a star-studded talent extravaganza as Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival skates into the UK.
Gear up to enter a world of excitement as the show skates into an arena near you this Spring.
Come and see how far Moana goes on her action-packed voyage with mighty demigod Maui. Sing along with Sebastian as he strikes up his band along with the Daughters of Triton as they introduce Ariel.
The production will be visiting Birmingham at the Resorts World Arena from 30th April – 3rd May 2020. Tickets are available from www.disneyonice.co.uk
Get tangled up with a chorus of rowdy inhabitants from the Snuggly Duckling when they get a visit from Rapunzel and Flynn Rider.
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy set the
Relive a tale as old as time when Belle opens her heart to
new adventures as the Beast’s enchanted objects take center stage for a dazzling skating spectacle. Experience Anna’s devotion to her sister, Elsa, on her journey to stop an eternal winter. “We wanted to capture the moments and attributes that truly define these beloved characters and we’ve really done that through these stunning athletic performances. That’s what makes Magical Ice Festival different, we selected iconic scenes and then took our time on the details to create truly awe- inspiring performances.” says Director Patty Vincent
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The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 25
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g Mix Of Disney d On Birmingham
Army Reservist Releases Her First Single To Help Combat Stress
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reservist Army officer, who is also an accomplished singer-songwriter, has released her first single. Lieutenant Colonel Thao Nguyen, of Birmingham-based 202 Field Hospital, has recorded a song, Trapeze, about mental resilience. The single is being released across social media, including iTunes and Spotify, with proceeds going to Combat Stress, the UK’s leading charity that helps military veterans deal with mental health issues. Thao says: "A few years ago I went through a dark time in my life and turned to music, particularly singing, to help with my mental well-being. "With the support of my vocal coach, Kirsty Morris, and my
Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival is an exhilarating showcase of royalty, highlighting the stories of Disney’s most beloved heroines with energetic choreography that will have audiences singing, dancing and cheering for their favourite Disney characters as they each embark on their own epic journeys. “By pulling together moments from classic Disney stories to the breakout feature film sensation Frozen and combining them with elements of comedy and music, we developed a truly unique way to retell each fairytale,” says Producer Juliette Feld.
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husband, Chris, family and friends, I have been able to share my love and joy of singing through live performances. "Trapeze is about when you are ‘lost in the darkness’ and you ‘are never alone because I know that you care’.” Thao lives in Milton Keynes where she works as a GP. She joined the Army Reserves in 1997 as an Officer Cadet while she was in medical school. She wanted to use her medical skills to help injured troops and has served as an Army medical officer on exercises in France, Germany, Gibraltar, New Zealand and the United States of America. Thao added, "As a serving army officer, I dedicate this song to all
our past and present servicemen and women because ‘together we are stronger than we ever were before’. "The song is also dedicated to anyone who has gone through, or is currently experiencing, their own dark time. It is never too late to talk and it is always okay to talk." Thao is raising money for Combat Stress via an online fundraising page. Just search for 'Thao's TRAPEZE Charity Song' on www. justgiving.com
COMPETITION For your chance to win a family ticket of 4 to see Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival, just answer this simple question!
Which famous mouse is Disney most well known for? a) Danger Mouse b) Mighty Mouse c) Mickey Mouse Just email your answer, with your name, address and contact number to competitions@thephoenixnewspaper.com with the subject “Disney On Ice 2020 Competition”. Competition closes at 23.59 on 10th April 2020. There is no cash alternative.
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Page 26 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
THE SIGNATURE AWARDS BIRMINGHAM 2020 ENTERTAINMENT
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l Small Business of the Year - Imperial Roofing Supplies UK Ltd
l Contribution to Industry and Commerce
Signature Awards 2020 Continues to Celebrate Businesses Great and Good l International Enterprise of the Year - GB Tyres
A
s it again shines a bright light on the success of often not acknowledged businesses and organisations – locally, nationally and international – the 2020 version of the highly successful Signature Awards again ‘stepped-up’ with some of the great and good gathered at the ICC Birmingham to celebrate experienced business professionals, entrepreneurs and start-up business people
alike. In its usual exuberant surroundings it was yet another stand-out show, headed by its organister the much celebrated and respected Ninder Johal DL, CEO of the Nachoral Group of Companies, and his wife Narinder. With the event’s ubiquitous presenter, the BBC Asian Network presenter Tommy Sandhu again hosting the night; what was there not to love at this Signature Awards – Sponsored by Investec Wealth & Investment?
In the presence of some of the West Midlands region’s favourite ‘sons’ and ‘daughters’ – the likes of which included Lord Digby Jones, the former Director General of the CBI and Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Bobby Singh, celebrated founder of multiaward winning estate agents, Love Your Postcode, equally celebrated solicitor and lead partner at Bailey Wright & Co. Solicitors - Karen Bailey, Diamond Travels’ Dr Beverley Lindsay OBE OD, Dr Steve Walker of ART Business
Loans, broadcaster and successful business woman Anita Bhalla and TPN Media’s own Editor In Chief, Dr Marcia McLaughlin F.Birm. Soc, all was set fair for this 2020 edition – with Acorn Children’s Hospice the main beneficiaries of the night’s proceedings. “We have a lot to shout about in the West Midlands”, Ninder said. “With Coventry being the City of Culture, in 2021, Birmingham hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and the West Midlands becoming the UKs first
l Excellence in Real Estate - Barrows & Forrester Property Group
l Excellence in Financial Services - Falcon Insurance
l Excellence in Promoting Apprenticeships -Training Event Safety Solutions
l Business of the Year - Enzen
l Business Woman of the Year - Tehmi Parinchy l
Excellence in Legal Services (Individual) - Vic Younis
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The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 27
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l Excellence in. Legal Services (Organisation) - FBC Manby Bowdler
- Dr Aman Puri
full-scale 5G test-bed there’s a lot to be proud of in this region. “And, in addition, we can also celebrate the coming West Midlands-India partnership we have to make sure that we get on
the ‘front foot’ when it comes to international business. “We are at the cutting-edge of technology here” he said “so we have to invest in our future and cherish the region’s diversity”.
l Excellence in Financial Services (Individual) s Mandeep Rajput
Having thanked The Phoenix Newspaper as one of The Signature Awards main supporters over the years, he went on to say: “Let’s make sure that we leave a legacy”. Martin Lord, Senior Investment Director at Investec added: “All of us here have the great opportunity to make an impact on our future. And we (Investec) are here to help you to succeed and preserve wealth. “Now is not about ‘me’ – like in the yuppie era. It’s about collective growth. “Life is a journey – not just an event. “For what he has done – for the West Midlands – we should address Ninder as ‘Your Highness of the West Midlands’.”
With a much-hyped auction offering some fantastic prizes – and raising always-welcomed funds for Acorns Children’s Hospice - to add to what was yet another outstanding ‘Signature Awards Birmingham’ as always, will be remembered for highlighting all who is great and good in business – local national and international “Don’t be scared to take risks”, Ninder said. He is prime example of rewards at hand when you willingly do. As the Signature Awards continue rising from strengthto-strength, all eyes are already on Ninder Johal’s other night of rewarding greatness – the Nachural Awards 2020!
l Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion - Irwin Mitchell
l Excellence in Creative and Design - HDY Agency
l Excellence in the Owner Practice for the Professionals - ASR
l Business Person of the Year - Lola Ojomo
l Entrepreneur of the Year - Gurpreet Bassi
l Excellence in Community Services - HugglePets In The Community and Bootcamp Media
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ENTERTAINMENT FASHION AND BEAUTY
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Beyond Hair Summit 2020
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By Joan ‘LJ’ Hunter
eyond Hair Summit 2020 took place this year in Birmingham on 8th February 2O20 at Millennium Point ,the event which is in it's third year, was previously held in Nottingham. Hair is crucial part of every black women's make up, the concept of Beyond Hair is about going beyond what’s on the outside, and looking at how define ourselves and whether we are women who also have substance in a very image focused world. A Entrepreneurial vision started by two friends, Oyinkansola
Adebayo and Laolu Dada, who met whilst studying at Nottingham University. Laolu discovered that Oyin had hidden talents as a hairdresser and there their relationship strengthened, as Oyin became Laolu’s go to stylist whilst at university. There they also found their common passion for building businesses that not only create profit but have strong social impact in doing, The Beyond Hair Summit started out as an event to launch Niyo Enterprise, which comprised of two brands - Niyo Network
(events and empowerment) and Niyo Hair (mobile hairstyling services that service over 200 clientele across the Midlands). The 2018 event was a huge succes, it attracting over 100 women. which led to these ladies decision to makes this an annual event, for in-depth talks around personal development, creativity and entrepreneurship, that sets out to empower women to use ‘innovative tools to economically empower’ themselves. The Beyond Hair Summit has evolved into a platform and launching pad for women - black women to be empowered to reach
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their potential , connect with high networth individuals and educate themselves. We know that black hair and beauty is the honey for many but when you attend the event you leave with more than hair products. The event gave an opportunity an opportunity to anyone with a ideas to attend the open audition Dragons Den Style to pitch to win £1000. The judges has a difficult decision to make, as all the
entrants were ‘Excellent’: • Dawn Duhane, Just Hair, online platform/ecommerce website that makes ethical high quality hair extensions made easy. • Laurece Dawson, Black Origins, game studio that create new innovative games by black gamers and designers. • Fola Dandare, Innovating into a tech business that simplifies the process black women use for buying product and booking hairstyling appointments. • The winner : Ronke Oladele
with her project Anchorise. Anchorise, a social enterprise centred on empowering young women through education in the developing world by creating raw material such as pineapple leaves, to make low impact handbags and stationary products. Ronke is currently conducting this research at the researched at the University of Birmingham where she is a student. Her hope is the sale of these bags, will help to fund young girls in Nigeria to maintain their place in education. The judges all agreed that Ronke’s idea was scalable (into an enterprise that could grow and make great profit), the presentation and communication were excellent , core value of the reason behind the business were moving They closed the event by Thanking the Sponsors who were Crème of Nature , Kera Care , Vive Con Style , Olu Olu foods , Black Beauty and Hair magazine , The Eman Effect ( Emmanuel Asuquo – Financial Advisor), BYP Network , and the statement of see you at BH2021
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Bentley DEFINING B OPEN-TOP LUXURY
entley Mulliner Bentley’s bespoke commissioning division - is today announcing the introduction of the new Continental GT Mulliner Convertible: the luxury pinnacle of the Continental GT family. Mulliner has gone above and beyond the industry-leading craftsmanship so synonymous with Bentley and the world’s definitive Grand Tourer to create the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible and redefine the pinnacle of roof-down automotive luxury. The new Continental GT Mulliner Convertible has been created to appeal to those customers wanting an even greater focus on beautiful details. The new Double Diamond design has been inspired by Bentley’s exclusive Diamondin-Diamond interior quilting design concept, which adorns all four seats, the door casings, rear quarters and now for the first time furnishes the tonneau cover. The Diamond-in-Diamond interior quilting itself has been tailored to include contrast stitching in two complementary
MOTORS
colours to accentuate the thread against the quilting. It takes almost 400,000 stitches to deliver this quilting across the cabin of the car, with each diamond containing exactly 712 individual stitches – each one precisely aligned to point to the centre of the diamond it creates. Developing the embroidery process to deliver this process alone took 18 months. Furnishing the sleek and muscular profile of the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible are all-new 22” 10-spoke painted & polished wheels with floating, selflevelling wheel badges that remain upright as the wheel rotates. The ultimate handcrafted Continental GT Convertible interior offers eight custom-made three-colour combinations. A new Mulliner-designed colour split defines the eight colour ways, including a third accent colour to the interior in the form of a distinctive design line. The hand-stitched hides are embellished with unique Mulliner branded embroidery.
HRH The Prince Of Wales Visits Aston Martin Lagonda St Athan Aston Martin Lagonda welcomed His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to its new manufacturing facility at St Athan in Wales. The visit was also enjoyed by a group of Aston Martin apprentices and school children from the local area who came along to see the new facility. Aston Martin Lagonda, St Athan now also bears a plaque, commemorating the Royal visit, which was presented to the team by His Royal Highness. During today’s visit, Aston Martin Lagonda apprentices had the opportunity to talk The Prince of Wales through the skills and knowledge they’ve gained during their time as apprentices. The group has a strong mixture of skills, coming from commercial roles such as marketing and communications, through to manufacturing and engineering. Aston Martin
Lagonda currently employs 93 apprentices across its operating sites. The final step in the manufacture of every Aston Martin is the application of the marque’s iconic wings badge to the car. A very special pre-production DBX received the Royal seal of approval when The Prince of Wales applied its wings. Aston Martin Lagonda Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman said: “It was an honour to welcome His Royal Highness to St Athan today. To have transformed St Athan from a former MOD site to a facility fit for a Royal visit makes us all feel extremely proud. “It is well-known that The Prince of Wales is a fan of Aston Martin, so it was a pleasure to be able to show him around the
future of the brand here today.” Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart said. “Locating this world-class and globallyrecognised brand in St Athan is a huge vote of confidence in the Welsh workforce. “It is an example of how the UK and Welsh Governments can work together to secure the investment of companies like Aston Martin Lagonda driving economic growth and creating jobs. “I look forward to the first made-in-Wales Aston Martins rolling off the production line later this year.” St Athan is the home of Aston Martin’s first SUV, the DBX. Upon the commencement of full production at St Athan in the second quarter of 2020, the company will have created up to 600 new highly-skilled jobs, rising to 750.
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Page 30 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
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Madonna, Queen of Pop Rules London S By Mandip Singh Taunque
ublime, classy and surreal are the words I use to describe a truly unforgettable night of singing, music and, unexpectedly, chatter by the undisputed Queen of Pop, Madonna, who took over The London Palladium for a series of intimate performances as part of her Madame X world tour. As massive fans for nearly all our lives, my sister and I have been fortunate to have seen Madonna at least once during each of her world tours over the past 20 years. What amazes us
the most is Madonna’s ability to do something different each time. Opting for theatres as her choice of venue for her Madame X tour, Madonna created an intimate setting where for the first time we got to truly engage with her. This was a new side we hadn’t seen before, she was softer yet still enigmatically strong and we felt she wanted us to have as much fun as she was having. She chatted to members of the audience and even took time out to have a beer with them during the show. At one point she did some fundraising when she auctioned off a polaroid she took of herself on stage for her Malawi charity.
If you are planning to go to a Madame X show and don’t want spoilers then don’t read any further. Trust me, you would want to be surprised. It was clear that Madonna, who has lived in Portugal for three years, has been heavily influenced by her life there and without this I doubt we would have seen this side of her or indeed, hear this side of her on her 14th studio album, Madame X. She went on a journey and she took us with her. Her theatre setting allowed us to join her in a Portuguese fado bar setting. A fado bar? Until I heard Madonna’s Madame X and read up about its production, I had no
idea what fado music was. As Madonna explained fado means ‘fate’ and is a musical art form. Most travel websites will tell you that going to a fado bar is essential when visiting Lisbon. So Madonna decided to bring fado to us. Fado music is characterised by being expressive and melancholic. This made the perfect tone for part of Madonna’s set. That wasn’t the only genre Madonna introduced us to. Another part of the show was dedicated to ‘batuque’ music which, as Madonna described, was created by women that originated in Cape Verde. Madonna brought batuque to a whole new audience. Madonna joined a group of ‘batukadeiras’ on stage as they rhythmically played drums, sang and danced. This was a show like no other. Madonna’s setlist comprised mostly of her Madame X album however there were a few classic tracks. She opened with 1990’s killer dance track ‘Vogue’ which got the audience on their feet; She also performed ‘American Life’ from 2003 and her oldest track of the night, 1986’s ‘La Isla Bonita’. For the last track of the night before the encore Madonna
performed her 1989 hit ‘Like A prayer’ with a full choir and complete with a backdrop showing her original video. The song sounded just as good now as it did over 30 years ago. But what stole the show was her performance of ‘Frozen’ from her multi-award winning 1998 album ‘Ray of Light’. Whilst Madonna sat on a stool and sang, a giant clear screen came down which had a video of Madonna’s eldest daughter, Lourdes, doing an interpretive dance. Madonna’s vocals were on point and Lourdes’s dance was stunning. Mother and daughter were matched so well. The encore was a sublime rendition of ‘I Rise’ from her current album. Madonna was on stage for close to two hours despite sustaining several injuries on tour. Whilst fans were disappointed at a slightly shortened set list, they loved the fact that they had more opportunity to engage with the
queen of pop. This must be one of the best shows by an international artist of Madonna’s calibre that I have ever seen. At the time of writing Madonna extended a record she broke several years ago. She achieved a record-breaking 50th number one on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart with Madame X track ‘I Don't Search I Find’. By doing this Madonna continues to outperform runnerup Rihanna with 33 number ones. Beyoncé and Janet Jackson follow with 22 and 20 number ones, respectively. Madonna is every bit an icon and legend and long may her reign continue. ***** If you have an event you think our readers might be interested in, please contact me at m a n d i p . t a u n q u e @ thephoenixnewspaper.com
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The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 31
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BIG DAVE’S SAFE PAGE
Enough Is Enough It’s Time To Come Together As One F ollowing the referendum result in 2016 there was a 52% 48% split over leaving or remaining in the EU which led to a further 4 years of division within the country and split friends, families, colleagues alike dependent on which camp you fell into. Now that we have finally delivered the Withdrawal Agreement there is no going back. Now is the time when all UK citizens need to pull together in the same direction to deliver and make this country a prosperous nation for all. We need to stand together and come together once more, no matter what your political standpoint was, recognise that we can deliver a stronger Britain that is good for everyone. No more country divide, we are one nation and by working together we can harness people power to drive the country forward. Senior police officers, politicians, local city councillors and others
have come to the conclusion that the issues that we are facing today in our communities are becoming an epidemic in our towns and cities and we need to work together to find a solution. Now is the time for the community to stand together and be counted and say Enough is Enough. This is now beginning to happen and accelerating with various groups set up around the country to look at the issues that touch us all in some way in our normal lives and can be devastating when families find themselves having to deal with its effects. With this Enough is Enough attitude and mindset people power is starting to make a difference and having a positive effect and beginning to turn the tide away from negative pathways. So it shows that people power does have an effect and can be the silver bullet that many of these senior figures are looking for. So we all need to stand up and be counted and to send a strong message to the youth of today
that Enough is Enough. Most importantly spread the Love and stop hating each other and learn to Respect one another. We can build safe positive relationships and make our communities a safer environment for us all to live and work in. Because this is the ethos of the Phoenix Newspaper people power lately has shown to lead the way on all sorts of issues and topics that matter to us all. Read more about our work at www.dgangelofstrength. co.uk and on www.bigdave. online. It shows that by standing together we are much stronger and can build a wall that can halt negative influences rather than be the lone brick which will struggle to do so by itself. Having the fantastic opportunity to produce my own page in this incredible positive global newspaper which is also available online.
What is is important to everyone who reads it and how can we all come together and harness the incredible power that you the Community have and as as individuals together we have the ‘People Power’. I believe that ‘People Power’ is so strong and so powerful that if we could all come together we could start to see changes happening around various issues that affect us all in some way. I was told today that I never
give in until every door that I have knocked on and remains closed to me, I will continue to keep on knocking on doors until I achieve my set goals. It was also pointed out to me that young people should try to follow my lead and not give up so easily with issues that they may encounter. I have found that the more you work at a problem, something will happen in a positive manner, so one of my life quotes is ‘Work,
Work Hard, Work Harder’ I always say to people can you imagine how hard I have had to work to achieve my 26 world strength records, how many injuries I have had to overcome, how many buckets of perspiration, the how many’s go on and on. The one over riding thing that drives me are three words. These three words are so simple ‘Never Say Can’t’, but underpins my philosophy in life. Can’t is not in my vocabulary and negative thoughts are not there either. There is only one person who can deliver the goods at the end of the day and that person is me. So I am a lot like a radio that has FM and AM frequencies – FM is For Motivation and AM is Against Motivation. So make sure you are tuned in to life’s right channel and remember you are the one in control of the dial. Remember everybody spread the love.
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OBITUARIES AND NOTICE BOARD
Hosni Mubarak
Caroline Flack A
B
orn Muhammed Hosni El Sayed Mubarak, was the former president of Egypt and autocrat ruler of the country from 1981 until he was toppled in the 2011 popular uprising during the Arab Spring revolts in the region. He was jailed on charges that he had ordered the killing of protesters during the uprising, but was freed in 2017 after being acquitted of most charges by the country’s top appeals court. An unremarked vice president to Anwar Sadat, he was a stopgap in the anxious days of 1981 after Sadat was gunned down beside
him at a military parade. Few thought he would last. The son of a government clerk, he never expected to be president but when a very public assassination thrust the former bomber pilot into the job, he made it his mission never to give it up. He died after undergoing surgery – aged 91.
Harry Gregg OBE
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survivor of the Munich air disaster in 1958, he was often referred to as "The Hero of Munich" for his actions in pulling his Manchester United teammates – including Bobby Charlton, Jackie Blanchflower and Dennis Viollet – from the burning plane, as well as others like Vera Lukić, the pregnant wife of a Yugoslav diplomat and her two-year-old daughter, Vesna,
as well as his badly injured manager, Matt Busby. Born in Coleraine, in 1932, the Northern Ireland international goalkeeper played 247 times for the club also played for Doncaster Rovers and Stoke City and was capped 25 times before going into management with Carlisle United, Crewe Alexandra, Shrewsbury Town and Swansea City. After weeks of illness, he died age 87.
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television and radio presenter, she began her career as an actress, starring in Bo' Selecta! before presenting various ITV2 spin-off shows including I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! and The Xtra Factor before winning the twelfth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2014. The following year she began presenting The X Factor replacing the long-standing presenter Dermot O'Leary and then Love Island – leaving last year after being arrested for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend, the tennis player Lewis Burton. Born in London in 1979, she died at her home there; aged 40.
Wendell Rodgricks
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orn into a Goan Catholic family, the popular Indian Fashion Designer and author was also an activist for social causes who received the fourth-highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, in 2014. He began his fashion career by designing for Garden Vareli, Lakmé Cosmetics and DeBeers. He was advised to put "your country in your clothes" when he went to Paris and later launched
Kirk Douglas T his own label with his first show held at the Regal Room of the Oberoi Hotel, in Mumbai with works involving a wide range of fashion. He lectured on world costume history (at SNDT Women's University) to fashion journalism and styling for international advertising campaigns and was the first Indian designer to be invited to IGEDO (the world's largest garment fair) in 1995; the first Indian designer to open the Dubai Fashion Week in 2001; and was invited to present at the Paris Fashion Week Pret a Porter salon in 2007. Known for pioneering the idea of resort wear and for advocating eco-friendly fashion, he was a fellow design member of the Fashion Design Council of India. A writer, actor and activist, he died at his home in Goa, age of 59
he son of Russion Jewish imigrants, he was born Issur Danielovitch in New York 1916, he served in the US Navy in World War II, where he served as a communications officer in anti-submarine warfare before making his film debut in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers in 1946 (with Barbara Stanwyck) before being known for dramas, including westerns and war films - appearing in more than 90 films. He played an unscrupulous boxing hero in Champion in 1949, which brought him his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Other early films include Young Man with a Horn, Ace in the Hole and Detective Story - for which he received a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actor in a Drama. He received a second Oscar nomination for his dramatic role in The Bad and the Beautiful in 1952 and his third nomination for portraying Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956), which
landed him a second Golden Globe nomination. In 1955, he established Bryna Productions, which began producing films as varied as Paths of Glory and Spartacus working with a then young director Stanley Kubrick, taking lead roles in both films. He produced and starred in Lonely Are the Brave in 1962, starred in the Broadway play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, before returning to the big screen and Seven Days in May in 1964. Garnishing three Academy Award nominations, he received an honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, he was seen as one of the greatest male screen legends of classic Hollywood cinema. His son, Michael, today continuing the ‘Hollywood Great’ status he created from Day 1 in the industry. Surrounded by family at his home in Beverly Hills, he died aged 103.
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HOLLAND AND BARRETT SPOTLIGHT
Holland and Barrett Launch Beauty Concept Store A t their Birmingham Bullring store, Holland and Barrett are meeting the growing deman for ‘clean and conscious’ beauty following their sustainable launches and initiatives last year. The launch of their first ever beauty concept store featured 900 new beauty lines from some of the most clean and conscious brands around the world. Pioneering brands such as INIKA Organic, Ren, Hanna Sillitoe, Ilapothercary, Evolve and This Works and their new natural and vegan skincare products will be featured both instore and online.
At the front of the store sits an experiential sink area for live product demos, and halfway back is a Faith in Nature station, enabling customers to refill their empty Faith in Nature bottles with products of their choice. Holland & Barrett’s Beauty category director, Joanne Cooke who was present at the launch night said: “We are extremely excited to be trialling this new concept and to bring our natural beauty brands to life for our customers. “Experiential stores are a growing trend globally to encourage footfall on the high-street and are becoming an important part
of a customer’s overall retail experience. “At Holland & Barrett we are passionate and committed to providing our customers with an exciting and broad selection of natural beauty brands and products that meet all of their clean & conscious needs.” Also at the launch was beauty expert and former Dragons Den candidate Hanna Sillitoe, whose range of skincare products are at the heart of Holland and Barrett’s new selection. She spoke of her journey from suffering from psoriasis and eczema, to discovering the diet that helped to clear it all up, and to her appearance
on Dragon’s Den. Hanna was so proud to be part of the forefront of this new range, and gave advice to many attendees on the night. As a continuation of their mission to remain the leader in natural beauty, the chain want to engage both loyal and new shoppers with their exciting beauty offering in a more innovative and interactive way. Typically known for their natural remedies and health categories, the vegan movement that is taking over the UK’s shopping habits has allowed their expertise in this field to make them the number one destination for all your natural lifestyle needs.
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HOLLAND AND BARRETT SPOTLIGHT
l Hanna Sillitoe with Dr Marcia McLaughlin
l Indi Deol with Dr Marcia McLaughlin
l Neelam Heera
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AZUZA STREET
Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Birmingham East Donates Over £1000 For Worthy Causes By Mandip Singh Taunque
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l Saeed Ahmad Rafiq, President of Birmingham East of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Midlands (far right) presented a cheque to Mayor of Royal Leamington Spa Councillor Bill Gifford’s (third right) chosen charities
he Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Birmingham East held a mayoral charity cheque presentation and afternoon tea on Saturday 1st February 2020. The event was hosted by The Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, Birmingham East, and was attended by many dignitaries, charity representatives and members of the community. Saeed Ahmad Rafiq, President of Birmingham East of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Midlands led the cheque
presentations after more than £1000 was raised for a variety of charities across the Midlands. The monies raised will go towards helping the Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Birmingham City Councillor Mohammad Azim’s chosen charities and the Mayor of Royal Leamington Spa Councillor Bill Gifford’s chosen Charities. Also presented with a cheque was the deputy Lady Mayoress of Coleshill Town, Councillor Caroline Symonds. The event was attended by the Rt Honourable Member of Parliament Steve McCabe; Councillor Sarah BoadWarwickshire County Council; Chief Inspector Pervez Mohammad; Mrs Nadia Savage Justice of Peace for Warwickshire and Human Rights Warwickshire; Anna Sharkey, CEO of Adoption Focus in the West Midlands and members of the community. The Reverend Elaine Scrivens of The Parish of Bishop’s Tachbrook, Warwickshire, also attended the event, and was impressed. With the hospitality, and respect shared amongst all the guests. Regional President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Midlands Mr Syed Imtiaz Ahmed
l The Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Birmingham City Councillor Mohammad Azim (first left) receives a cheque for his chosen charities by Regional President for the Midlands, Mr Syed Imtiaz Ahmed (second right) and Mr Mohammad Salem JP from Royal Leamington Spa (second left). Also present is Regional Imam for the Midlands, Mr Abdul Ghaffar Ahmad (far right). said “we were honoured also to have the patron of Springfield Mind Mrs Satinder Kaur Taunque OBE. DL. and the Chair of Springfield Mind, Carol Roberts”. Satinder Taunque OBE. DL., Patron of Springfield Mind, was highly appreciative of the donation to Springfield Mind and said “many thanks for your
generous donation, hospitality and respect. Today’s event was a great success”. The charities supported on the day were Springfield Mind; The Pam Britton Alzheimer's Society; The Mayor of Coleshill town’s various charities and the Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Birmingham City's various charities.
The Nishkam family welcomes members of the British Council (Pakistan) The Nishkam Campus, in Birmingham, welcomed the British Council (Pakistan) to build bridges and get to know each other to explore future collaboration opportunities. After a tour of the campus, and having paid their respects to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the delegation met with Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh OBE KSG to speak about getting to know each other and discussions about future collaboration in Pakistan The members of the delegation were in the UK attending the World Education Conference in London.. “We draw upon our spiritual heritage and the principle of being nishkam (selfless) to guide the education of children”, Bhai Sahib said. Before presenting the Peace Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation to Nishat Riaz MBE, he continued: “The foundations for learning are laid by the mother and father who are the child’s first teachers and role
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models. “We believe the parents’ role is not diminished when the child starts to go to school, but their responsibility in playing an equal part in the education process increases as the child grows”. Ms Riaz - Director of Education, British Council (Pakistan), has fifteen years of experience of managing development programmes, has supervised large scale programmes on health, gender, skills, culture and education, was intrigued by all that was undertaken. The historic meeting between the Nishkam Group and the British Council (Pakistan) was very positive and encouraging, with the delegation keen to form collaboration and partnerships around valuesbased education, cultural awareness and peacebuilding.
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Birmingham Thyagaraja Festival 2020
Birmingham Thyagaraja Festival Sustaining The Cultural Heritage Of India In The Midlands
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he Birmingham Thyagaraja Festival is the most popular annual festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance in the West Midlands. The annual festival, organised by ShruthiUK, in its sixth year is a celebration of Indian classical music and dance to commemorate the 173nd birthday of the South Indian Singing Saint & Composer Thyagaraja. The festival is vibrant and colourful and reminds us of our rich cultural heritage and our respect towards the legendary composer for his contribution to Carnatic Music. The festival this year featured artistes and professionals, including aspiring children and young adults participating from all across the UK, and abroad, showcasing their brilliant and extraordinary talents with great enthusiasm and paid homage to the great Singing Saint. The BTF 2020 is supported by the Consul General of India in Birmingham and the West Midlands Combined Authority, in partnership with Touchwood Solihull, Solihull Chamber of Commerce, Solihull Bid, Asian Chambers of Commerce and other premier educational institutions and corporates. Mr Andy Street, CBE, the Combined Mayor of the West Midlands was the special guest of honour and awarded the inspiring women award to Ms Swarnalaskhmi Ravi. The festival was presided over by Dr Aman Puri IFS, Consul General of India in Birmingham as the Chief Guest. Dignitaries at the festival included Mr. John Hudson OBE and his wife, Cllr Stuart Davis and Mayoress Sara Johnson, Cllr Stephen Reynolds, Mayor of Telford and Wrekin, Mr. Gurpreet Bhatia, DL, Mr. Robert Elliot, President, Solihull Chamber of Commerce, Mr Tony Elvin,
General Manager of Touchwood and member of the festival committee, Professor Martin Levermore MBE DL, Professor Paul Cadman, Cllr Raj Mehta and his wife.
Celebrating Women and honouring women achievers
Every year, at the BTF, in lieu of International Women’s Day honours women achievers at the awards ceremony, recognizes outstanding women, who have made a positive impact and contribution to the society through their skills and passion. The inspiring women honoured
during the BTF 2020 were: Ms Anjum Khan, Director, Asian Business Chambers of Commerce, in recognition of her contribution in bringing together business communities representing diverse cultures and to encourage diversity in leadership. Ms Anita Chumber, Director Birmingham Awards, for her contribution towards her services to diverse communities through broadcast journalism and inspiring other women as a great role model. Melanie Palmer, Operational & Strategic Lead, Solihull Bid, in recognition of her contribution towards her wonderful services
and commitment to the business community of Solihull and inspiring other women as a great role model. Professor Clare Mackie, Deputy Vice Chancellor BCU, in recognition of her contribution towards fostering academic excellence, as a strategic leader and great role model and for her outstanding services to Higher Education. Ms Swarnalakshmi Ravi, Student at Aston University is the president of the children’s parliament in India. She has been an advocate for the specially abled and also for the rights of women and children. She is a Student pursuing her Master’s degree at Aston University. The patron and the governing members of ShruthiUK would like to express their heartiest congratulations to all the inspiring women who were honoured this year. “Festivals such as the BTF, strengthens the cultural collaboration between the UK and India, defining India’s culture and its national identity and help to sustain the Indian culture and heritage in the Midlands,” explained Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan FRSA, Founder & Artistic Director, ShruthiUK. “It enables successful partnerships and helps people to connect and relate in a much better way through their culture and traditions. “These classical Indian festival and art forms have evolved and passed on from generation to generation and are still practised with great respect and fervour globally and to wider Communities, making it culturally diverse and distinct. “It helps them give the rich experience to learn, enjoy and to unite all of us through the Indian arts.” Photo credits: S. M. Irfan Tahir, WNTV
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HEALTH AND WELLBEING
40 Mile Marchers Set To Support Hospice Care City Organisations join campaign to tackle abuse
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national campaign aimed at preventing child abuse is being supported by Birmingham City Council and Birmingham Children’s Trust. ‘Together We Can Tackle Child Abuse’ is run by the Department for Education and aimed at informing people about the different types of child abuse and the signs to look out for. Councillor Kate Booth, Cabinet Member for Children’s Wellbeing, said: “Safeguarding
children is everyone’s responsibility and we can all look out for signs of abuse. As well as educating people about the issues this campaign offers reassurance about how the reporting process works and the support offered throughout. “One of the key messages of the campaign is that a fear of being wrong should not prevent anyone from reporting their concerns. Don’t forget, child abuse comes in many forms and doesn’t always leave a mark that you can see.”
A From spring 2020
the law around organ donation in England is changing
hospice is challenging people to walk 40 miles this March, to help protect vital services for local people living with life-limiting illness. Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice’s ‘40 Mile March’ is a new walking challenge, which sees participants walking a total of 40 miles throughout the month of March. Walkers can choose when and how they notch up their distance – whether it’s taking on one mile every day at the gym or going for a 10 mile walk at the weekend. The challenge can be completed solo or can be done with family, friends and colleagues. For the past 12 months, Birmingham St Mary’s has been celebrating its 40th anniversary, and this new walking event aims to unite people to help sustain its crucial services for the next four decades. Lucy Watkins, income generation director at
Birmingham St Mary’s, said: “Walking is a great way to get fit, boost your wellbeing and explore new places across our city – so if you’re looking for a new fitness challenge or simply want to get out-and-about more, this event is perfect for you. “With the 40 Mile March, we want people to come together and unite for hospice care, helping to raise much-needed funds and awareness for our services.” Last year, Birmingham St Mary’s cared for and supported over 1,700 individuals who are living with life-limiting illness across Birmingham and Sandwell – the highest number of people it has helped in a single year since it first opened. Although the Hospice is supporting more people than ever, the funding it receives from the NHS has not kept up with this demand. We now need to raise £9 million this year, and well over half of that amount must come through voluntary donations.
Lucy added: “As more people are living longer and with more complex illnesses, the need for hospice care is only going to increase. There is still many more people and their loved ones in our area who could benefit from hospice support. Taking part in the 40 Mile March is really simple but its impact could be huge, as every pound raised will go towards caring for and supporting more people when they need it most.” Every marcher will be invited to complete their final mile at ‘Spring Fair’ – an event taking place on Sunday 29 March at the Hospice in Selly Park. Walkers will be able to unite with others and march together to help raise awareness of hospice care. The Spring Fair is a familyfriendly event which is open to all – including non-marchers – and attendees will be able to enjoy face painting, arts & crafts, food vendors, and stalls selling one-ofa-kind gifts.
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
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Specialising in Caribbean Produce Fresh Meat & Vegetables Tel : 0121 551 1736 250 Lozells Rd, Birmingham B19 1NP
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HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Brave Toddler Beau Defies Doctors’ Odds To Become A Heart Star
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on Social Care
Fizz Free February
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his year, Birmingham for the first time joined Fizz Free February - a campaign to raise awareness of the damage fizzy drinks can have to health. The Fizz Free February Campaign aims to encourage as many children and adults as possible to give up all fizzy drinks for a month in order to stay healthy, save money and be kind to their teeth. As Birmingham’s lead for Public Health, I truly believe that if we are to get better outcomes and address inequalities across this city, Public Health must underpin everything we do and we must show people how small changes to their daily lives can make a huge difference. • Research has shown that you can save £438 a year if
you cut down one bottle of soft drink, per day for a year. • Drinking just one 330ml can of fizzy drink a day could add up to over a stone weight gain per year. • Tooth decay is the leading cause for hospitalisation among five to nine-year olds in the UK, with 26,000 children being hospitalised each year due to tooth decay - in other words, 500 children each week. • Fizzy drinks are the largest single source of sugar for children aged 11-18, and they provide an average of 29 per cent of daily sugar intake. So, cutting out fizzy drinks is an easy way to reduce your sugar intake and reduce the risk of dental decay. It’s so easy to under-estimate just how much sugar there is in a fizzy drink, so it’s vital that families are made aware so,
l Cllr Paulette Hamilton helping them to make informed decisions. The Fizz Free February campaign builds upon the work of Southwark, who led a similar campaign in 2018. That initial campaign was supported by many other authorities, including Sandwell, in 2019. Through the campaign we have been using the #TalkFoodBrum hashtag to help link the campaign to the wider Birmingham Food Conversation. Birmingham City Council also encouraged staff and councillors to take part and, although this is the first year Birmingham has gone Fizz Free, we have had over 30 elected members sign up to the campaign. Some, including Cllr Nicky Brennan and Cllr Waseem Zaffar have been very open and honest about their struggles, but they have stuck to the task. Senior officers and staff have also taken part, rising money for charity, including the Director of Public Health Dr Justin Varney, who has raised over £700 pounds for charity. NHS and Primary Care partners have also embraced what Public Health have been doing and I believe this campaign will get stronger each year, supporting our efforts to fight obesity and promote good dental health.
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l Beau Nelson
brave toddler who was born with half a heart played a starring role in an initiative to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) lifesaving research. Beau Nelson, from Sutton Coldfield, in the West Midlands, was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome - a very serious condition that meant the left side of her heart did not develop properly in the womb. Since she was born, she has already had to undergo three major heart surgeries and will endure further procedures later in life. However, she has defied doctors’ odds and, now aged two, she is living her life as normally as possible. Her mother, Demi Goodman, has since been inspired to
raise awareness of heart and circulatory diseases by sharing Beau’s story with the BHF. This included Beau’s involvement in the Tesco Heart Stars initiative, which saw Beau’s image and story displayed on posters in Tesco stores across the country. The posters encouraged people to donate to the BHF during a blockbuster weekend of fundraising in Tesco stores. Generous volunteers joined Tesco colleagues to collect donations in 500 stores across the UK. And both Beau and Demi were able to meet with volunteers, shoppers and when they visited their local Tesco stores in New Oscott and Aston Lane. Demi, aged 23, said: “It’s amazing to be a part of the Tesco Heart Stars initiative and we really enjoyed visiting the stores and meeting the volunteers. Without their help, the BHF wouldn’t be able to fund the life-saving research they do”. The family are now waiting for Beau’s next open heart surgery, which will aim to improve the amount of oxygen in her blood.
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OVERSEAS NEWS
Spice Island Beach Resort Recognised For 7th Year
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ir Royston Hopkin KCMG, chair and managing director of Spice Island Beach Resort received two prestigious honours at his recent 75th birthday celebration – the 2020 Six Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (AAHS) for the 7th consecutive year and a Six Star Diamond Award from the organization for Oliver’s, a first-time recognition for the resort’s fine dining restaurant. Joseph Cinque, chairman and CEO of AAHS, attended Sir Royston’s party to personally deliver the awards honouring
Spice Island Beach Resort’s owners, management and staff members as Grenada’s premier all-inclusive luxury resort. “We are very proud to start the New Year with news that Spice Island Beach Resort has been honoured once again with the AAHS Six Star Diamond Award for the resort as well as the first Six Star Diamond Award for Oliver’s restaurant,” said Sir Royston. “We constantly strive to achieve the excellence required in the luxury travel sector to earn these distinguished awards, which represent our dedication to providing the highest levels of customer satisfaction,” he added.
Qatar Education Minister launches unified portal for public services l Supreme Education Council building in Doha, Qatar - Darwinek: Wikimedia
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n line with Qatar’s e-government strategy digital transformation, the Minister of Education
and Higher Education (MoEHE) has introduced a unified portal for public services. This follows the Ministry’s earlier initiative to offer equivalency for school diplomas online. The dedicated portal will be beneficial to the citizens,
residents and other stakeholders as it will provide quick and hassle-free service through a unified window. His Excellency the Undersecretary of the MoEHE, Dr Ibrahim bin Salah Al Nuaimi said the launch of the portal builds on the Ministry’s effort to upgrade its services in line with
Qatar’s e-government strategy. The portal seeks to offer easeof-access services at any given time from any location, he mentioned. He further revealed that the portal will offer a host of services that will be made available to the public over multiple stages.
Dr Paresh Continues Successful International Keynote Addresses
Dr Paresh Rughani, speaker at The Phoenix Newspaper 9th Anniversary Gala Dinner and Awards - was humbled to be felicitated and deliver the main keynote address during the recent Global Festival Of Journalism.
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AFRICAN UNION 33RD SUMMIT FEATURE
l Dr Luck with Dr. Nstalia Kanem United Nations under Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN population Fund. l Dr Luck With U.S. Congresswoman Karen Bass, chair of the House Subcommittee on Africa at the office of the Deputy Chair of the African Union, H.E. Ambassador Kwesi Quartey
l Former Minister of Finance for Nigeria Minister Ngosi Okonja-Iweala with Dr Luck
l Dr Luck With President Emmerson Mnangagwa discussing Zimbabwe’s future and how the Diaspora can assist.
l H.E. Jewel Howard Taylor,Vice President of Liberia and President of the Senate with Dr Luck
l Dr Toni Luck with the Prime Minister of Norway H.E Erna Solberg
l Congresswoman Karen Bass of California who heads the House Subcommittee on Africa , H.E. Ambassador Kwesi Quartey Deputy Chair of AU Commission Dr. Toni Luck, representing THe Diaspora Africa Forum (DAF,) Congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia
l Dr Luck with Akinwumi Adesina President of the African Development bank with H.E. Dr. Isatou Touray VP of the Republic of The Gambia
l Madam Zuma and our brother the President of the AfDB WERE BRILLANT in discussion of the 5 year progress of Agenda 2063 the brainchild of NDZ. Recently elected President Masisi of Botswana remarks were instructive and the Champion of Agenda 2063 President Ouattara of Cote d’ivoire gave extraordinary and profound insights for the next decade.
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he 33rd African Union (AU) Summit took place in Addis Ababa from 21st January to the 10th February. Government Officials, Heads of State, and Businesspeople from gathered from across Africa and indeed the world, gathered in the Ethopian Capital to focus on ways to end regional violence including the conflicts in Libya and South Sudan. The theme for the summit was “Silencing the Guns: Creating conducive conditions for Africa’s development”. The presence of UN chief Antonio Gutteres at the twoday summit brought a strong message of solidarity to leaders. Addressing the gathering, Guterres said the world body’s partnership with the AU was “of paramount importance” and stressed the UN’s full support for the AU’s “landmark initiative” of silencing guns. “Ultimately, Silencing the Guns is not just about peace and security, but also inclusive sustainable development and human rights,” he said. He highlighted “three challenges of particular urgency” in Africa: eradicating poverty, tackling the climate crisis and silencing guns.
Meanwhile chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, warned “the persistence of terrorism threatens the collapse of some member states and must be eradicated”. “Looking at the achievements made in promoting peace and security in the continent, in recent decades, particularly since 2004, with the operationalization of the AU Peace and Security Council, the noble objective of silencing the guns and ending wars in the continent is achievable.” Gutteres reiterated his view that “we increasingly need peace enforcement and counter-terrorism operation implemented by the African Union and supported by the UN.” “It is obvious for the G5
Sahel today, but also for the larger coalition, that we will have to build to beat terrorism in Africa. The lack of support of the international community is clear today in the Sahel and Lake Chad. “The whole region has been imperiled by terrorism”, said Mr. Guterres, against the backdrop of rising extremist violence and transnational crime across the vast, porous borders of the Sahel region. “Thousands have been killed and countless more continue to suffer. In Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the increasing number and complexity of terrorist attacks on both civilian and military targets demonstrate the need for a more robust and integrated response with a focus on crossborder issues.”
l Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma former Chairperson of the African Union under her picture - the only woman to Chair the African Union Commission
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AFRICAN UNION 33RD SUMMIT FEATURE
l H E. Shale Work Zewde, President of Ethiopia only woman President in Africa at this time with H.E. Nkosazana Zuma the only woman be Chairperson of the African Union, currently Minister Coopetative Government in South Africa. l Dr Luck with H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, former outstanding President of the Republic of Nigeria
Dr Toni Luck, special guest at The Phoenix Newspaper 9th Anniversary Gala Dinner and Awards last year was one of the special guests at this years African Union Summit. As you can see, she met with many of the Leaders and and Heads of State during her time
at the summit. The report on the “Status of Gender and Development in Africa” presented to the Assembly of Heads of States and Government by Nana Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic of Ghana and the African Union Leader on
Gender and Development Issues in Africa, shows that the continent has made considerable progress in implementing commitments towards gender equality and women’s empowerment. African Union member states such as Rwanda, Namibia, South Africa and Senegal, are among the top l ten (10) countries in the world with the highest level of women representation in their Parliaments. Others, such as Ethiopia have, for the first time, achieved a parity government, with women fifty percent (50%) of its Cabinet. Sixteen (16) Member States have surpassed the thirty percent (30%) threshold of women’s representation in national Parliaments, with significant progress made in advancing women’s participation in holding elective offices and in positions of leadership. Further, Ghana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Burkina’s Faso, l Ethiopia, Liberia and Mali, have reduced significantly, the gender gap in terms of access and attainment of education. As the continent looks towards the rest of 2020, it remains to be seen if any of the initiatives and ideas discussed will come to fruition.
Dr Toni Luck and President Paul Kigame of Rwanda
Dr Toni Luck having a laugh with President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa
l President Ouattara of Ivory Coast discussing a visit with Dr Toni Luck
l Dr Luck and H.E. Dr. Isatou Touray, the VP of the Republic of The Gambia
l Dr Luck with Secretary General of the United Nations H.E. Antonio Gueterres
l Power women: Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma former Chairperson of the African Union and architect of Agenda 2063 : THE AFRICA WE WANT and H.E President Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi
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Page 44 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
HOLIDAY AND TRAVEL
T
he Cook Islands, a jewel in the South Pacific, is the ultimate romantic setting in which to exchange your wedding vows or choice of honeymoon destination. Imagine your wedding ceremony on a sun-drenched beach with sand between your toes, under an archway of tiare akaipoipo (jasmine) and frangipani with a turquoise lagoon backdrop. Make a dramatic entrance arriving on a traditional vaka (outrigger canoe) paddled by a warrior. Add some local tradition with ei katu's (flower garlands) for your head and atmospheric sounds from a ukulele and you'll have a simply unforgettable experience. As a wedding destination the Cook Islands are most famed for their pictureperfect beaches, however many alternative wedding settings are available. The main island of Rarotonga offers an interior dominated by spectacular volcanic peaks, cloaked in dense vegetation. To get that spectacular wedding shot you can exchange vows on the mountains, with a view of the reef encircled lagoon below. Equally idyllic photo locations include tropical gardens where you'll be surrounded by the beautiful and fragrant local plants, flowers and endless greenery. If you would like to do something completely different, some couples have even taken the plunge quite literally by diving beneath the sea to wed amongst the dazzling aquatic environment. Cook Islanders have a strong Christian (Protestant) faith and if you wish to have a church wedding in one of the picturesque white limestone churches then that is also a possibility. The setting set with the sounds of a Polynesian choir whilst the sunshine streams through the church windows. Local wedding planners, celebrants, stylists, photographers, musicians, caterers, hairdressers and makeup artists are on hand to ensure that you have all you need for your perfect day.
Say ‘I Do’ in the Cook Islands
easyJet’s Partner Wright Electric Begins Electric Aircraft Development
easyJet, Europe’s leading airline, have welcomed the announcement by its partner Wright Electric on its engine development program for its flagship 186 seat electric aircraft, named Wright 1. Wright is engineering electrical systems at the megawatt scale which will be necessary for commercial flight for its 186 seat electric aircraft. It is building a 1.5 MW electric motor and inverter at 3 kilovolts. These components will form the powerplant of Wright’s revolutionary Wright 1 aircraft and move towards aiming to pave the way for a future of zero emissions flight in Europe and worldwide. Wright also announced that it is
moving its headquarters to Albany, New York, to take advantage of the world-class engineering talent there. The motor development program is the next step towards building its narrow body class aircraft. Wright will be simultaneously conducting aerodynamic tests on its fuselage, which will inform the propulsion design. The company expects entry of service of its flagship Wright 1 in 2030. Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, commented: “This is another crucial step for our partner Wright Electric to move towards the introduction of commercial electric aircraft and it is exciting to see their ambitious timeline for testing and entry into service”.
Don’t miss out on our Education, Training & Recruitment Section
Coverage on Pages 14 & 15! As Japan's southernmost prefecture, Okinawa is comprised of 160 islands boasting a year-round warm climate comparable to Hawaii, Miami and Cancun. Just 3 hours by air from Tokyo and blessed with incredible natural beauty, from lush forests to crystal blue waters with abundant coral and golden sands, Okinawa is perfect for beach lovers and sport enthusiasts alike whilst still appealing to culture seekers thanks to its unique history and heritage. Renowned as one of the foremost diving and snorkelling destinations in the world, visitors to Okinawa can explore sunken shipwrecks and colourful coral reefs in the waters around the prefecture where there is an abundance of underwater wildlife including manta-rays, hammerhead sharks and tropical fish. River kayaking, surfing, whale watching, fishing and canoeing are also popular marine activities. For those looking for adventure on land, jungle trekking and hiking are popular with spectacular natural sights including subtropical forests and cascading waterfalls to be seen. Other popular pastimes include cycling, walking and stargazing alongside Karate – which
Discover Okinawa at IMM 2020
originated in the prefecture. Using the bountiful fresh produce its natural environment produces, Okinawa's culinary culture is also unique, heavily
influenced by both China and Japan. In fact, Okinawa's unique dietary culture is believed to be a key factor in Okinawa's status
as one of the world's longevity hotspots – or 'Blue Zones'.
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The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 45
PROPERTY AND REAL ESTATE
City’s growth continues skywards
Work set to start on £133m regeneration project
W
ork on a £133m regeneration project near the centre of Birmingham is set to start, with High Street Residential launching the first phase. The Cording Real Estate Group, a member of the Edmond de Rothschild Real Estate investment management platform, has already agreed a £49.7m forward funding deal for a ten storey building on the 2.2 acre site, bounded by Bromsgrove Street, Gooch Street North, Kent Street and Henstead Street. The Kent Street project will provide retail space, a café, gym and a residents’ hub, along with a minimum of 262 mainly one and two-bed apartments for private rent, which may increase to 279 units. Expected to be completed by
June 2022, the construction work is being carried out by Nobles Construction, with it hoped that work on a second 19-storey building will begin next year. "Birmingham is undergoing significant regeneration and represents a great place to invest," said High Street Group chair Gary Forrest. "Local demand for professionally managed, purpose built rental accommodation is rising quickly and to meet this we are creating high quality living spaces, future proofed through the use of the latest smart technologies." Fiona Rendell, partner at Clarke Willmott LLP, says: “It’s great to see significant levels of investment in an area of Birmingham which has been overlooked for so many years despite its proximity to the centre of the city. “Hopefully it’s a sign that despite
the political climate and the UK’s exit from the EU, Birmingham still offers plenty opportunities and will benefit from investors keen to support our vibrant city.” Fiona is a member of Clarke Willmott’s Commercial Property team and deals with a mixture of commercial property work. She acts for buyer, sellers, landlords and tenants in relation to commercial leases, licences, easements and covenants, due diligence investigations and various different landlord and tenant matters. High Street Residential proposes to deliver up to 1,300 apartments in Birmingham as part of a £300m development programme, with the Kent Street project representing the fourth site in a £400m UK residential investment fund for Cording.
Birmingham’s skyline continues to grow following the completion of a landmark 25-storey residential tower at the city’s largest purposebuilt private rented housing development by number of homes. Allegro at Exchange Square, opposite where the new HS2 terminal will be, offers 603 high quality apartments built exclusively for rent. A mix of studios and one, two and three bedroom homes are provided across three buildings, joined by a private 20,000 sq ft
landscaped roof garden and a 5,000 sq ft ‘resident’s hub’ that includes a concierge, members’ club style lounge, parcel lockers and state-of-the-art ‘wellness centre’. The 25-storey tower, which contains 296 homes, has just been completed, with the first five floors of the phased release - totalling 56 apartments - now available to rent, including the penthouse floors. Communications with the concierge and access to the parcel lockers are controlled by the Allegro App, which has been developed by property concierge platform Pinglocker. Other services that residents can receive via the App range from ready-to-eat gourmet meals to dry cleaning and apartment cleaning, ensuring a hassle-free lifestyle at Allegro.
2020of hope Vision
Confidence in Spanish property market high as Taylor Wimpey España launches 430 new homes Leading Spanish home builder Taylor Wimpey España has signalled massive confidence in the state of the Spanish property market, announcing plans to launch seven new developments during the first half of 2020. The properties will provide a combined total of 430 new homes, at a cost of €92 million. "The Spanish property market continues to demonstrate its strength and British appetite for homes here has picked up
significantly since the December election result,” explained Marc Pritchard, Sales and Marketing Director of Taylor Wimpey España. “During the first half of 2020, we'll be focusing on three areas that are particularly popular with British buyers: the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca and Mallorca." Taylor Wimpey España had already shared details of its new Compass development in Mallorca's Cala D'Or, where construction is already
underway. The two-bedroom/twobathroom apartments with spacious terraces will have two communal pools and spacious landscaped grounds, within easy reach of the stunning cove beaches that dot the south-east Mallorca coastline. To bring the first half of 2020 to a close, Taylor Wimpey España will be launching Essential at Javea on the Costa Blanca and Marbella Lake on the Costa del Sol.
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Page 46 - The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020
SPORT - WITH STEVE WILLIAMS
Lewis and Lionel share Laureus Award in first tie In a moment of sporting history, the greatest Formula One driver of his generation Lewis Hamilton and football legend Lionel Messi, were declared joint winners of the prestigious Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award, in front of a glittering international audience in Berlin. Six-time Formula One world champion Hamilton and six-time FIFA World Player of the Year Messi were so close in terms of their achievements in 2019 that even the ultimate sporting jury, the Laureus World Sports Academy, could not split them, with the voting being tied for the very first time in the 20-year
Children to no longer be allowed to head footballs
history of the Laureus Awards. The winners were revealed as the greatest room in sport gathered together to be part of the most important annual Awards Ceremony, this year celebrating the 20th anniversary of Laureus. It was at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards, in 2000, that Laureus Patron, Nelson Mandela, spoke the words which sparked the creation of the worldwide Sport for Good movement. From sports stars to sports fans and the young people in Laureus Sport for Good programmes around the world: Sport Unites Us.
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hildren aged 11 and under in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will no longer be taught to head footballs during training. This comes as new Football Association guidelines for coaches also puts limits on how much heading older children should do. The ruling follows Glasgow University research that showed
former footballers were threeand-a-half times more likely to die from brain disease. The English Football Association of Wales said its guidance for coaches on children heading the ball was currently under review with the findings being made available later this year. In a joint announcement from the FA, Scottish FA and Irish FA, coaches were advised that there should be "no heading in training in the foundation phase" - which covers primary school children, or under-11 teams and below. There are also new rules for age ranges up until 18, with headers being kept a "low priority" and gradually
becoming more frequent in training until the age of 16. There will be no changes to heading in youth matches, where the FA said headers are rare. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: "This guidance is an evolution of our current guidelines and will help coaches and teachers to reduce and remove repetitive and unnecessary heading from youth football. "It is a responsible development to our grassroots coaching without impacting the enjoyment that children of all ages take from playing the game."
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The Phoenix Newspaper - March 2020 - Page 47
Laureus Shared By Lionel and Lewis - Page 46
No More ‘On Your Head!” For Children - Page 46
World Cup winner to captain Phoenix in The Hundred Birmingham 2022 strengthen legacy planning with five new appointments The organisers of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, have appointed five new members to the Legacy and Benefits (LAB) Committee a cross-partner group set up to ensure that the city, region and country maximises the benefits of hosting the biggest sporting event to be held in the UK since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This group is collectively tasked with establishing a legacy strategy for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and overseeing the delivery of a comprehensive programme of benefits for the city and region linked to the Games. The new recruits, who’ll play a key role in ensuring that the region take full advantage of this unique moment in the national and international
spotlight, are: Fleur Sexton - Managing Director and co-founder of an awardwinning training provider, Casey Bailey – Assistant head teacher at Windsor Academy Trust. Anisa Morridadi – Founder and CEO of Beatfreeks Collective, Sarah Rennie – A highly experienced accessibility specialist who has worked closely with the transport sector and Nicola Ibbetson – Chief Commercial Officer at Aston Villa F.C. The LAB committee is
chaired by John Crabtree, who also chairs the Birmingham 2022 Board. He said: “We are delighted to confirm our new recruits and we’re pleased to have added five people that bring very different knowledge and experience but all share a passion for ensuring that the city of Birmingham and the West Midlands maximises the opportunities that hosting a globally significant event like the Commonwealth Games brings.
B
irmingham Phoenix has announced Moeen Ali as captain of their men’s team for the first season of The Hundred cricket tournament. The World Cup winner grew up just a short distance from Edgbaston, which will host the men’s home matches, and remains a much-loved member of the local community. He will lead a star-studded team that includes fellow World Cupwinning Birmingham local, Chris Woakes, as well as upcoming England bowler Pat Brown and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. Moeen said: “Every time that I come to Edgbaston it takes me back to some great first memories of coming here at a very young age. “I grew up in this area and to be the first-ever men’s captain of Birmingham Phoenix in a new and inclusive competition that will reach out to communities and welcome them in is very special for me. “We’re a tight-knit city in Birmingham. We have so much around us that bring the people
Premier League inducts first two in its Hall of Fame
together, no matter who you are or your background. I know how much of a uniting game cricket is and as a leader of the Birmingham Phoenix that is something I definitely want to promote. “We are lucky to have some of the best players in the country in our squad but also some amazing overseas players, so we know that the cricket is going to be really exciting.” Moeen has an excellent record as a captain having led Worcestershire Rapids to the past two Vitality Blast finals at Edgbaston, including their victory in 2018. He added: “Worcestershire is where I have developed as a player and as a leader and captaining them in high-profile games like at Finals Day will shape the way I will lead the Birmingham Phoenix. “It will also help that I’ve got my Rapids team-mate Pat Brown too because he is one of the best young white-ball bowlers in the country and when you add players like Chris Woakes, we have a strong local flavour that I’m sure can bring home the title.”
The English Premier League will be inducting its first two Hall of Fame names this month with a shortlist of nominees to be announced for future inclusion, voted for by fans. It will be separate to the English Football Hall of Fame, which has existed since 2002 at the National Football Museum. The Premier League version will recognise players of "exceptional skill and talent" from home and worldwide who have played in the game’s top tier since it began in 1992 – with candidates who have retired and whose Premier League career comes into consideration. Each inductee will receive a personalised medallion, engraved with the year of their induction. Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Masters, said: "The Premier League Hall of Fame is reserved for the very best in the game and will be an occasion for our fans around the world to look back over the years and help us celebrate some truly exceptional playing careers." The likes of legends such as former Manchester United star, Ryan Giggs, Arsenal’s Thierry Henry and former Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle United’s recordbreaking striker, Alan Shearer were the first suggested names on the list of world-class players to have graced the Premier League. Now, the very best of the best will receive a new highly exclusive honour after the Premier League’s announcement of its first Hall of Fame. Of course, though, the millions of fans of clubs who have graced the Premier League since its inception, in 1992, have their own individual to put forward. "Membership of the Premier League Hall of Fame will be the highest individual honor awarded to players by the League," it said in a statement. As a footnote; on what would have been his 59th birthday - former Norwich City, Nottingham Forest and England striker, Justin Fashanu, was inducted into the National Football Museum's Hall of Fame.
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