The Asian Today Issue 248 – July 2019

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27 YEARS FOR THE KING OF BOLLYWOOD! PROMOTING EDUCATION, EDUCATION, DIVERSITY DIVERSITY && INTEGRATION PROMOTING INTEGRATION www.theasiantoday.com

It’s been 27 Years since Shah Rukh Khan first came onto our TV screens and what an inspirational actor he has been to the Bollywood Industry.

To commemorate his time within the film industry Shah Rukh recreates iconic bike scene from Deewana on completing 27 years in Bollywood.

SRK thanked his fans on Twitter for wishing him on completing 27 years in Bollywood.

He made is debut in 1992 in the film, Deewana.

27 Years ago, Shah Rukh Khan paved his way into Bollywood and earned the filmfare ‘Best Male Debut Award’ for the film Deewana. On completing nearly three decades in the Hindi film industry, SRK’s twitter was flooded with wishes from fans.

With

BRINGING YOU NEWS SINCE 2002

FORCED MARRIAGE CRACKDOWN

DESIXPRESS: GOSSIP • INTERVIEWS • MOVIES & MUCH MORE! TURN TO PAGE 21

THE LATEST BOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

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Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas jet OFF to South France

#27GoldenYearsofSRK became the aisi choti choti baatein No 1 trending hashtag … hoti rehti on Twitter hai Senorita” in India.

Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997): The Bollywood superstar took “Rahul, naam toh suna to Twitter thanking his hoga?” fans in a Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998): special way by recreating the “Pyar dosti hai … agar popular song Koi Na Koi woh meri Chahiye sab se achchi dost nahin from his debut film. In ban the video, sakti, to main usse kabhi he expressed his gratitude pyar kar hi nahi sakta …” towards fans for their immense Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham love and support throughout these (2001): “Zindagi mein years and called his journey agar kuch “Half banna ho, kuch haasil his lifetime on earth”. karna ho, kuch jeetna ho … toh hamesha Here’s a few of SRK famous dil ki suno … aur agar quotes… dil bhi koi jawab na de toh aankhen Baazigar (1993): “Kabhi kabhi band karke apni maa jeetne ke liye kuch haarna aur papa bhi ka naam lo … phir dekhna padta hai … aur haar kar jeetne har manzil paar kar jaoge, waale ko baazigar kehte har hai” mushkil aasaan ho jayegi Darr (1993): “I love you … jeet Kkkk… tumhari hogi, sirf tumhari.”

Kiran” Chennai Express (2013): Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge “Don’t underestimate the power (1995): “Bade bade deshon of a mein common man.”

Shahid Kapoor new role as ‘Kabir Singh’

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THE COUNTRY WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CASES OF FORCED MARRIAGE WAS PAKISTAN WITH 769 CASES

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ENGLAND FIRST WIN IN THE WORLD CUP PAGE 32

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It may be 2019 but in the South Asian community forced marriages are still on the rise

WEST BROM MARKET GETS A REVAMP

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BANGLADESH WITH 157 CASES OF FORCED MARRIAGES

T

he figures for forced marriages are still on the high and with the summer holidays approaching its is even a more worrying time as many will not return for their next academic year.

The Government’s Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) is

urging teachers to be alert to students who may be at risk of forced marriage.

A forced marriage is defined as one in which one or both spouses do not or cannot consent to the marriage, and violence, threats continued on page 2

ITS HEATING UP IN HARBORNE PG 26

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It’s more common for young women being forced into marriage by dominant male family members but it is also a significant problem for young men too. continued from front page

or any other form of coercion is involved, and is a criminal offence.

The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), a joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Home Office provides support to victims of forced marriage as well as expert training and guidance to professionals working with victims or potential victims.

To help teachers recognise potential forced marriage victims, the FMU has identified three important warning signs to look out for over the next few weeks: • A student is anxious about or is fearing the forthcoming school holidays • Surveillance of a student by cousins or siblings at school or being met by family at the end of the day • A student is prevented from going on to further or higher education Other signs to consider include: persistent absence; requests for extended leave; decline in behaviour, performance or punctuality; not being allowed to attend extra-curricular activities

or sudden announcement of engagement to a stranger.

The number of forced marriage cases rose by 47% in 2018 compared to the year before with a rise of male victims of 297, the highest number reported in seven years.

It’s more common for young women being forced into marriage by dominant male family members but it is also a significant problem for young men too.

The country with the highest number of cases of forced marriage was Pakistan with 769 cases, followed by Bangladesh with 157 cases.

Officers from across England and Wales will join with UK Border Force where Operation Limelight will focus on flights connecting the UK to destinations where there is a high prevalence of forced marriage. Airport and airline staff will be educated to spot the signs and increase their confidence in reporting suspicious activity to police.

Intelligence will be used to identify and seek victims who are about to leave or have just arrived back in the UK Forced marriages have

only been criminalised since 2014, and while men are now beginning to find their voices, campaigners insist the real proportion of male cases are much higher.

Natasha Rattu, the executive director of charity Karma Nirvana, said she hears from victims of honourbased abuse and forced marriages almost every day.

In a statement, the

minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability, Victoria Atkins, said forced marriages were an "abhorrent crime", and could "mark the start of years of abuse".

She said: "In 2018, the Forced Marriage Unit provided support to more victims than ever before.

We will continue to raise awareness of forced marriage

so that all those affected by it know where they can go for support."

The reasons behind why it happens - there's a protection of perceived cultural and religious beliefs that parents hold, and in many cases a child will be promised to someone from a young age. Breaking that promise between families is seen as a 'dishonourable' act.

opened, to help regenerate the square and the Westside area of the city.

Cllr Brigid Jones said: “This is the next important stage in the re-imagining of Centenary Square: it is no longer just a space to pass through – it is now a worldclass public space where people can stop, relax and socialise and take in the incredible things around them.”

Regeneration works were majority-funded by the Greater Birmingham and

Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, who awarded a £10.55m Enterprise Zone grant, with additional funds secured through Section 106 planning infrastructure levy (£1.2m) and city council funding (£3.8m).

Tim Pile, Chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We’re very excited to witness the opening of this world class space, reinforcing Birmingham’s status as a global city. This high quality public realm can be enjoyed by those living, working and visiting the city, and is the perfect centrepiece for the surrounding landmark buildings and developments.

“It will provide a key focal point for the broad range of public and private sector investments currently taking place adjacent to Centenary Square at Paradise, Arena Central, Symphony Hall and West Midlands Metro, and hopefully help to attract even more.”

Graeme Massie, architect who won the design competition, said: “We are delighted with the completion of our competition-winning proposals for Centenary Square, and now look forward to seeing it evolve into a key gathering place for

the people of Birmingham and visitors to the city.”

Judith Webster, Chief Executive of Music for Youth, said: “The National Festival is a real highlight of Music for Youth’s annual music programme. This is our 15th year hosting it in Birmingham and we’re always delighted to see performances from local talent as well as those who’ve travelled in from across the UK. Music plays such an important role in young people’s lives – it allows them to express themselves creatively and can have a really positive impact on their mental health – that’s why we keep coming back to Birmingham to celebrate and support the next generation of musicians!”

Margaret Willis, CEO of Unity Bank Trust, which is sponsoring the outdoor stages taking place in Centenary Square and across Birmingham, added: “At Unity, our goal is to lend responsibly to firms and organisations that share our vision to help create a better society. By providing a platform for young musicians across the country to perform and develop, Music for Youth is making a real difference to young peoples’ lives while demonstrating that they share our values.”

New look Centenary Square opens to the public

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One of Birmingham’s flagship public spaces was officially opened to reveal its new design in a special ceremony(Wednesday 3rd July 2019).

Centenary Square’s new look was unveiled nearly five years after Birmingham City Council launched a competition to redesign one of the city’s biggest squares, which attracted 185 entries from more than 30 countries.

The winning entry, designed by Edinburghbased firm Graeme Massie

Architects, includes a mix of trees, small plants alongside a new reflection pool and integrated seating.

Cllr Brigid Jones, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, was joined by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Cllr Mohammed Azim and the Lady Mayoress, Bushra Bi, to open the square by switching on the pool’s 28 water jets.

The project was launched with a competition in October 2014, after the new Library of Birmingham had

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Targeted Attack Plans to restore Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick 'iconic' dome on Sparkhill Murder

The iconic dome on Smethwick High Street requires major work to restore the Sikh temple.

Plans have been put in place to restore the landmark Sikh temple to former glories.

A funding campaign was started in order to raise the funds to restore the broken dome at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sikh temple on Smethwick High Street by November.

A crowdfunding page has been launched to help restore the landmark Gurdwara, which was to recently listed by Historic England.

The dome was built in 1997 and was constructed out of 40 tonnes of concrete.

Now, after years of weathering and lack of maintenance, extensive work is now needed to fix up the dome - but it needs a hefty £150,000 to complete the work.

A spokesman for Guru

Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick said it was one of the first and oldest Gurdwaras in the UK. He added: "The Gurdwara Sahib is highly regarded as one of the finest buildings in the West Midlands and contributes to the rich heritage and impressive skyline of Birmingham.

More recently Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick was included in the prestigious list of Historic England for one of the top ten places of faith and belief.

"The impressive dome which crowns this remarkable building is in urgent need of restoration works so that it can be restored to its original majestic glory.

"With the continuous support of the wider community we aim to complete this project by November 2019 to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji the first

Sikh Guru and founder of the Sikh faith. Jaswinder Singh President" The original dome design is based on traditional Sikh architecture principles and is similar to the Sri Akal Takhat Sahib in Amritsar, the highest political institute for all Sikhs.

The materials used on the original dome were imported from Punjab in North of India.

The JustGiving page states: "We humbly request everyone to share our campaign and to support this project, so that the Gurdwara gleams majestically once again."

The community of Sparkhill are in shock after a man was murdered in the area.

Malik Hussain, 35, from Small Heath was stabbed to death on Baker Street at around 11.20pm on Friday, July 12.

West Midlands Police believe Malik Hussain may have been targeted by the person who stabbed him.

Detective Inspector Caroline Corfield, from the force's homicide team, said: "A man has sadly lost his life and we're working to establish the circumstances around his death.

"He was discovered in the street with serious injuries and we’re particularly keen to gather information about a car which fled from the area.

"At this stage we believe this may have been a targeted attack and we're keen to hear from anyone with information which can assist our enquiries."

Officers are keen to hear from motorists who were in and around Baker Street, Warwick Road, Stratford Road and surrounding roads within the Sparkhill area between 11pm and midnight on Friday.

They hope that dash cam footage may assist the murder

A memorial has been created from flowers at a Stafford school to remember four children who died in a house fire.

Riley John Holt, aged eight, Keegan Jonathan Unitt, six, Tilly Rose Unitt, four, and Olly Unitt, three, died in the fire at their home in Highfields, Stafford, in February.

The children's mother Natalie Unitt, 25, her partner Chris Moulton, 29, and twoyear-old Jack all survived the fire after escaping through a first-floor window.

A memorial has been created at Castlechurch Primary School, where Riley, eight, went to school and Tilly and Olly, aged four and three, went to nursery.

Keegan was a pupil at Marshlands Special School.

Nicola Glover, acting headteacher of Castlechurch Primary School, said: "We've had a big wooden star planter made which has six points.

"Four of the points symbolise the children, one symbolises the school and one represents the community of Highfields.

"We currently have magnolias and bedding plants, the intention is that when it's time for planting bulbs one will be planted by each child in the school and they will bloom around the first anniversary.

"We had a grand opening on Monday afternoon and the Mayor of Stafford and

representatives from the emergency services came.

"Obviously time is a great healer although the first few months were very difficult, children are very resilient.

"As staff it has been very difficult as the staff are grieving but they also have to support the children as well but we've got through.

"We wanted to create a lasting place where members of staff and pupils can go and reflect in the garden.

"Paul Milgate-Scarrott has been the mastermind behind the scenes who has organised all of the materials and the volunteers who helped.

"The children loved it, some of the Year 5s helped to plant the flowers.

"After the event the PTSA

paid for an ice cream van to come and each child had a free ice cream."

The community rallied together after the tragedy and raised more than £30,000, which went towards funeral costs and a trust set up for Jack.

And this week is was revealed that the inquests into their deaths was delayed until October while the police investigation continues.

The inquests were opened earlier this year at Burton Town Hall and said the cause of their deaths was "yet to be ascertained".

The house on Sycamore Lane where the children died was gradually demolished last month and is being replaced with grassland.

A 25-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by gross

investigation.

It is believed dash cam footage could have captured details of a car they want to identify.

Detective Inspector Nick Barnes, from the force’s homicide team, said: "We are working round the clock to find whoever was responsible for Mr Hussain’s death and are following a number of active lines of enquiry.

"However, I am particularly keen to recover any dash cam footage which could be crucial in identifying a car which fled Baker Street soon after the stabbing.

“We believe this could be key in helping us to catch the killer and would ask anyone who can help to come forward as soon as possible."

Tributes have poured in for Malik Hussain and his family and friends.

Many people have taken to social media to share their condolences with the devastated family.

Anyone with information is asked to contact West Midlands Police.

Alternatively, you can call 101 any time, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Quote log number 3231 of 12/7/19.

negligence following the fire have been released under investigation while enquiries continue.

Memorial created for children who died in Stafford house fire

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KARMA GROUP CELEBRATES 26 YEARS IN INDIA BY AWARDING SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS T

he travel and lifestyle brand continues to support children from Christel House India, in Bengaluru.

Karma Group, the awardwinning internationally renowned travel and lifestyle brand, recently celebrated 26 years of operations in India.

Marking this milestone, Chairman and Founder John Spence awarded the Preverger Penguin Prize Scholarship to several talented students from Christel House India in Bengaluru. Karma Group has been supporting this organisation since its inception.

Christel House India was founded in 2001, and since then, Karma Group has supported several of its programmes. Christel House has been successful in providing education and a strong character development programme, as well as regular healthcare, nutritious meals, guidance counselling, career planning, family assistance and College & Careers support for underprivileged children.

Karma Group raises funds with its annual Penguin Walk, held at Karma’s Le Preverger estate in France, to provide full university scholarships to three students from the institute.

Karma Group has empowered these students to pursue their educational dreams by removing the financial barriers in their path. These students are given the opportunity to become a part of the fabric of India’s future in business and the community, transforming their lives forever. One such student, Ms. Sindhu P, expressed her gratitude for the support from Karma Group. Being a scholarship awardee, Sindhu will now be able to pursue a Bachelor in Hotel Management at one of the best universities in India, turning her dreams into a reality. “I fondly recall one of my experiences during fifth grade,” said Sindhu. “At one of the initiatives under Karma Cares, I enjoyed a five-day holiday at Camp Royal in Goa, which was a life-changing experience. I’m immensely grateful to Mr. Spence for his support.”

Karma Group has been awarding this scholarship for 14 years, as well as conducting a five-day, fully-funded camp for the children since 2002. Each student associated with the initiative has benefited from the scholarship, and all of them are doing well in their respective fields and academic endeavours.

“Karma Group has enjoyed

Chairman and Founder John Spence

Christel House Kids at Camp Royal

an incredible journey in the Indian travel and hospitality industry for over 26 years and along the way it has been a true privilege to make a difference to the futures of many wonderfully gifted students and through them their communities,” said John Spence, Chairman and Founder, Karma Group.

“These scholarships serve as the perfect way to celebrate both our successes, and those of these talented and promising students.

Whatever you give to the

universe comes back and that’s where the whole ‘karma’ thing comes from. I believe it’s everyone’s duty to do what they can to help the world around them and this is at the heart of all of our global enterprises.”

ABOUT KARMA GROUP Karma Group, an international chain of luxury resorts and hotels, is focusing to expand further into the India market. The group currently owns and operates 7 resorts in India.

From beautiful and serene

Karma Chakra, Kerala

Ms. Sindhu P

Karma Chakra nestling on the palm fringed shore of Kerala’s Lake Vembanad to the sanctuary of Karma Havelli in the enthralling City of Jaipur and the luxurious resort of Karma Royal Palms, by the silver sand beaches of Goa, Karma has a resort to suit everyone.

John Spence, Chairman and Founder of Karma Group first visited Goa in 1993. He was inspired and captivated, realising this was the place where he wanted to develop his first resort property. He sold his flat and car, cashed in his life savings and within a week had bought his first asset in Goa. From these humble beginnings, 25 years later, the award-winning travel and lifestyle brand has 30 resorts operating in more than 10 countries. www.karmagroup.com

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Birmingham Council's West Brom Market first modular home gets a revamp

Built in a warehouse around 20 miles away, craned into place in an hour and its new tenants ready to move in – this is Birmingham City Council’s first ever modular home.

The modern looking two-bedroom detached property was unveiled at Heaton Street in Hockley this morning and hailed as an ‘exciting chapter’ by council leader Ian Ward as the authority strives to meet demanding house-building targets over the next decade to serve a swelling population.

Inside has been designed with contemporary furniture courtesy of the Family Fund

charity while it features all of the mod cons you would expect as well as an upstairs and downstairs bathroom while the master bedroom even boasts its own balcony.

“It’s nice, it’s a lot newer than the one I’m in and hopefully the bills will be a lot cheaper,” said 53-year-old John Nolan who officially moves in tomorrow with his 19-year-old son.

He is downsizing from a four-bedroom home in Aston and was chosen as the occupant out of more than 90 bidders for the pioneering scheme.

The council’s housing arm Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust (BMHT)

stated that the ‘ModPod’ would complement its traditional housebuilding.

Arguably the most significant benefit is that they can been delivered on problematic brownfield sites – of which the city has more than 1,000 – which typically ramp up the development cost, do not accommodate affordable housing and often put off private developers.

BMHT already has council approval to build a further 54 units across six sites over the next 12 months, subject to planning consent.

They aim to deliver double that in two years before conducting a review of the modular homes programme.

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Erdington Methodist Church Wesley Road Erdington Birmingham B23 6TX

West Bromwich’s indoor market faces a major overhaul in a bid to reverse the decline in traders and attract more shoppers.

The 1970s market building appears outdated next to newer developments elsewhere in the town such as New Square Shopping Centre, say Councillors.

And although the market is profitable, Councillors have grown concerned as the loss of traders has accelerated in the last two years.

Changing habits such as the rise of online shopping are also thought to have impacted on trade despite stall holders’ fees being cut.

A consultation will be launched next week to seek the views of traders, shoppers and industry leaders.

It will seek to draw up a detailed business plan to transform the indoor market and improve that part of West Bromwich town centre.

“In recent times, shopping habits have changed and despite cutting stall holders’ fees to help existing traders and encourage new ones, we recognise that we need to do something more radical

to revitalise the market and regenerate this area of the town.

“We need to build a modern and more attractive market facility which includes other businesses and residential apartments, and we need to explore potential investment and partners to work with us to redevelop it.

“This consultation provides us with an excellent opportunity to get people’s view and push ahead with this exciting development for West Bromwich.”

If approved, the consultation will be carried out during the next few months.

Following the consultation, a report outlining the preferred option for redevelopment will be brought back to the cabinet within 12 months.

Councillor Lloyd added the council had also submitted an expression of interest for funding from the Future High Streets Fund.

This would help it buy and demolish sites, get land ready for development and improve public areas in West Bromwich town centre, as part of its wider regeneration

plans.

The aims of the fund are to invest in high-quality town centre living by improving transport networks, converting former shops into new homes, and restoring historic high street buildings to create new work spaces or cultural venues.

Rebecca Jenkins, chair of the West Bromwich Business Improvement District, said: “I am pleased to see that the council is committed to the ongoing redevelopment and improvement of West Bromwich town centre.

“The indoor market needs to be brought up to date to meet modern shoppers’ expectations. I look forward to the opportunity for businesses to give their views in the forthcoming consultation.

“I also welcome the council’s efforts to access funding from the Future High Streets Fund so as to support a more strategic development of the town centre.”

If successful the council will be asked to submit a funding bid later in the year.

A report to be discussed at the next cabinet meeting.

Birmingham workers traded their day to day jobs to become litter-busting heroes to help clean up the streets for thousands of extra summer shoppers.

Kitted out with litter-picking tools, workers from John Lewis, Primark, Selfridges, Metro Bank and M&S took part in a day of community action across the city centre.

More than 30 bags of rubbish were collected as part of the project.

The scheme was supported

by Retail BID Birmingham, the Business Improvement District for the city centre shopping area and members of Birmingham City Council’s street cleaning team.

The litter-pickers spent a morning dealing with waste hotspots, aided by Retail BID’s Business Patrol Officers. All equipment was provided by Birmingham City Council.

The BID recently launched a new programme of street deepcleansing to remove grime and dirt from pedestrian areas.

Among the areas washed were the recently-installed flagstones outside the Apple Store on New Street, near the new Primark on High Street and paving on John Bright Street near popular bars and restaurants.

Lisa Williams, Deputy Chair of Retail BID Birmingham and Head of Branch at John Lewis & Partners,

said: “John Lewis Partners joined a team from Selfridges, Marks and Spencer, Primark and Metro Bank to work alongside the BID team and city centre cleaning operatives to help clean up our city.

“We all work and travel through our city and have seen close up the challenge of keeping our streets clear and clean and were keen to get involved. In volunteering in this community project we really want to help restore the pride in our fabulous city and help to keep it beautiful.”

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Birmingham cancer expert named Teenager charged After Shooting At as UK-India Top 100 influencer

Professor Sudha Sundar University of Birmingham women’s cancer expert Professor Sudha Sundar has been named as one of the most influential people in UK-India relations.

Professor Sundar is included in the India Inc. Top 100 – published as part of UK-India Week 2019 and listing key influencers across arts, culture, and media that help make the UK-India relationship so successful.

The list is a result of painstaking research collated by an expert editorial team, profiling influential people in the arts, culture, and media. Professor Sundar was named in the Top 100 in recognition of her influential role as a thought leader championing closer UK-India collaborations through her research and commitment.

Professor Sundar is

currently leading a cohort study to investigate the factors causing breast and ovarian cancer in women, in collaboration with a number of centres of excellence in India, including the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, Punjab and the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kolkata.

Professor Sundar commented: “It’s an honour to be named in the Top 100.

My inclusion also serves as recognition of the University of Birmingham’s deep and continued commitment to engagement with India and its people.

“Delivery of affordable and equitable cancer care is one of India’s greatest public health challenges. There is a

lack of cancer research that can guide early detection, prevention, and treatment strategies tailored to India.

“Our work at Birmingham is helping us to understand the unique epidemiological, clinical and genetic backgrounds in Indian women with cancer which will help risk prediction, diagnostic testing and prognostic research.”

Professor in Gynaecological Oncology at the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Sudha Sundar also serves as the President of the British Gynaecological Cancer Society (BGCS) - the first female gynaecological oncologist elected to this post and the third President from the University of Birmingham.

Much of the University’s work with its Indian partners focusses on tackling a number of the 17 Global Goals identified by the United Nations to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity – all with specific targets to be achieved by 2030.

As well as finding new ways to tackle cancer, this research includes work on understanding and reducing urban air pollution and helping India’s farmers become more productive through sustainable cold chain networks.

Exclusive Rolls-Royce worth £280k- 'stolen' from Birmingham Company

Professor Robin Mason, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International) commented: “I am delighted that Professor Sundar is named in the Top 100 UK-India Influencers. This rightly recognises her great contribution to relations between our countries, as well as her research and the impact that may have on lives in both the UK and India.

“This recognition also reflects the long-standing special bond between Birmingham, and in particular, our University and India. We created the University of Birmingham India Institute to celebrate and deepen the thriving partnerships that we have in India.

“Whether through academic research and scholarship, teaching and postgraduate research, policy analysis and debate, collaboration with corporate partners, or public engagement in culture, the India Institute will maximise the impact of our work in India.”

He added that a UN Global Goal of particular focus at Birmingham is ‘Good Health and Well-being’, and one of the India Institute’s first initiatives was to host a workshop exploring ethnic diversity and the genetics of cancer.

A Barber Shop

A teenager has been charged with attempted murder after a shooting at a barber in Walsall.

Uzair Shahid, 19, from Lichfield Road, Walsall, has been remanded after appearing before the town's magistrates court on Tuesday 26 June.

A 23-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach at Katz Kutz in Wolverhampton Road, Birchills, on May 19.

Detective Inspector Chris Fox, from force CID, said: "This is a significant step forward in our

investigation, but we still need to hear from anyone who may have information which can assist our enquiries."

Shahid is due to appear before Wolverhampton Crown Court on July 25.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk between 8am and midnight, or call 101 anytime quoting crime reference 20WS/118797F/19.

Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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"Competitive pricing with effective results" Call DAVE on: 07715 676333 All types of marketing material distributed door to door Officers swoop after a posh motor was spotted driving in front of police station.

Exclusive Rolls-Royce picked up as being stolen later was recognised after a automatic police number plate camera.

As the exotic RollsRoyce was stolen from a Birmingham company, officers seized the handmade Rolls-Royce on Sunday 7 July, at 3pm.

The magnificent motor has been often driven by the rich and famous such as Tyson Fury, who dotted out £282,000 on one only last year. Officers say the Birmingham Company shall not be named as it will make a big dent for them in the near future.

A spokesman for the Met Police said: “Police from Tower Hamlets caught up with the vehicle on Victoria

Embankment, where the vehicle was stopped and the driver was arrested at the scene.

“The car was reported stolen by means of deception from a company in Birmingham. The MPS is liaising with West Midlands Police.

"The male is currently being detained for questioning at a North London police station.”

Unit 6A Olton Wharf Richmond Road Olton Solihull B92 7RN

T: 0121 314 4837 M: 07715 676333 E: Dave@doordropsolutions.co.uk www.dropsolutions.co.uk

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Part of Ladypool Road Selfridges launches ‘quiet to become ‘one way’ hour’ for autistic customers

T

he heart of the world famous Balti Triangle is to trial a one-way system to improve traffic flow.

Birmingham City Council is introducing the measures on a section of Ladypool Road, between the junction of Alder Road and Brighton Road, from this summer.

Cars will only be able to travel towards the city, while cyclists will be able to travel in both directions.

The one-way system will be in place for up to 18 months while the council assess feedback. If successful, the layout could be made permanent.

A statement on the council website reads: “Ladypool Road is a thriving local centre and part of the world

famous Balti Triangle, with lots of local shops, restaurants, takeaways and other facilities.

“The road is quite narrow in some places and vehicles can often find it hard to pass each other. There is also limited space for parking and loading/unloading.

“Recent accident reports and speed surveys show there could be problems with safety along the road, especially at night.

“To address these issues, we are making a section of Ladypool Road oneway, between the junction with Alder Road and the junction with Brighton Road/Taunton Road.”

News of the scheme has been met with a

mixed reaction on various neighbourhood Facebook sites.

Some welcomed the idea while others doubt it will tackle the heavy traffic flow.

One resident said: “I live around there and I agree it should be one way but they could do with extending it further to add more of the road.”

Another wrote: “Seems ridiculous. Since illegal parking is the only reason it’s hard to pass, why not just enforce parking laws instead?”

One local posted: “I don’t want cars coming down the side roads to cheat the one way system …. it will cause more problems.”

In collaboration with the National Autistic Society, Selfridges Birmingham has launched a weekly quiet hour to help accommodate autistic shoppers and their families who struggle with loud music in stores.

The store says it hopes the move will help to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment.

Quiet Hour will take place every Thursday and will mean no music will be played from 9.30am until 11am, giving shoppers an hour and a half to enjoy the store in peace and quiet.

Sam Watts, General Manager at Selfridges Birmingham, says of the initiative: “We at Selfridges believe that everyone is welcome and by switching off the music for a short time, it will be a peaceful environment that people with sensory sensitivity will appreciate.

“It is our aim to be a fully inclusive store that provides a first-class customer experience for

everyone. All in-store brands have been fantastically supportive of this weekly, autism-friendly event by agreeing to turn off their TVs and music systems, too.”

There are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. Though all autistic people have difficulties around communication and interaction, each individual will have different strengths and challenges.

Tom Purser, Head of Campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: “We are very pleased that Selfridges Birmingham is following our lead by introducing a regular Autism Hour to make shopping easier for autistic people and their families. Over 11,000 shops took part in our Autism Hour campaign last October, and it’s great to see that businesses across the country are recognising how important Autism Hours can be.

“We hear from autistic people and their families that shops and other public spaces can be

challenging because of bright lights, strong smells and crowds or queues, causing them to feel overwhelmed. Our research shows that 64% of autistic people avoid shopping and 28% have been asked to leave a public place for reasons associated with their autism.

“There are 700,000 autistic people in the UK and their needs aren’t always immediately obvious. We know a basic understanding and small changes like quiet hours could transform the lives of autistic people and their families, allowing them to take part in activities that many people take for granted. We hope that more shops will be inspired by the impact of our Autism Hour campaign and do their bit to facilitate autistic people and their families to have the same opportunities as everyone else.”

To find out more about our Autism Hour campaign, please visit: autism.org.uk/autismhour

Head Teacher from Loxdale Primary School in Bilston praised by Ofsted for greeting pupils at the school gates every day.

Ofsted visited Loxdale Primary School in Bilston, concluding it had kept up the quality of education since its previous visit in 2014, and again gave the school a ‘good’ rating.

Headteacher Tricia Scott and her leadership team and governors were found to have identified the school’s key priorities and put appropriate plans in place.

The changes they had made led to improvements in “the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils”.

Parents were overwhelmingly supportive of the Chapel Street school,

with parents praising the fact that headteacher Tricia Scott and her deputy were at the entrance gates every morning to welcome pupils.

The children themselves were respectful and polite to each other and to visitors, and have plenty of opportunities to take on roles of responsibility. As a result, they “speak articulately and behave with a maturity that is beyond their years”.

Inspector Joanne Knowles said the school’s aim that children have “high aspirations and a sense of moral responsibility” was reflected in the work of staff and pupils.

Mrs Scott’s ambition and vision for the school were shared by all staff who felt “motivated and respected”.

There was also a strong safeguarding team in the school, with staff watchful of signs of any issues.

Staff and pupils will be moving to a new purposebuilt home at Bilston Urban Village in the autumn, when there will be two reception classes of 60 pupils per year, rather than one, as part of the Wolverhampton Council’s plan to create additional school places to meet rising demands.

Mrs Scott said: “We are all really pleased with the outcome of our recent inspection. I am lucky to have such a committed and dedicated team of staff, parents and governors to work with on a daily basis and we are excited for the next chapter at

Loxdale as we move into our brand new building in September.”

Councillor Dr Michael Hardacre, cabinet member for education and skills, added: “This is a very positive report which makes it clear that Loxdale Primary School is making strong progress under the leadership of Tricia Scott and her team.

“The school is preparing its children very well for the next stages of their education and I would like to thank everyone involved for all their hard work and commitment. I would also like to wish staff and pupils all the very best as they prepare to move into their new home at Bilston Urban Village.”

Wolverhampton school headteacher praised by Ofsted

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BIRMINGHAM 2022 CELEBRATES THREE YEARS TO GO WITH THE COMMONWEALTH SOCIAL

A FREE FAMILYFRIENDLY FESTIVAL OF SPORT, FOOD AND LIVE PERFORMANCES With three years to go until the Commonwealth Games, Birmingham 2022 is marking this momentous milestone in the countdown, to what will be a once-in-alifetime event, by hosting the Commonwealth Social, a free family friendly public celebration on Saturday 27th July 2019 from 12:00 – 19:00.

Taking place in Birmingham’s recently redeveloped Centenary Square, the Commonwealth Social will be a fabulous festival of sport, culture and food with the people of the

West Midlands at its heart, celebrating everything that makes this vibrant region special.

The Commonwealth Social is an opportunity for local people to join in the celebration of the upcoming Games, which will provide a unique opportunity to put the city and the region on a global stage. It will also be a first glimpse at the new Birmingham 2022 look and feel, which has been created by working closely with communities from across the West Midlands to create something that is truly representative of the region and its people.

Communal dining tables

in the centre of the square will encourage visitors to pull up a chair and sit alongside their neighbours, international athletes, DJs, local community leaders, tastemakers from the region, local celebrities and those working to make the Games possible, and bring together the community to put their stamp on the Games in the way that only Birmingham can.

Attendees can expect to be wowed by pop-up performances from regional talent including dance groups, brass bands, choirs and world DJ sets. Local street food traders from Digbeth Dining Club will provide an exciting range of cuisine from across the Commonwealth, including Caribbean, Mauritian, Indian and British, encouraging local people to enjoy exciting new flavours from around the world. Each trader will also offer a special dish with £1 of its proceeds going to Foodinate, a not-for-profit organisation working to end local hunger. Foodinate forms partnerships with restaurants, venues and charities to provide meals to local people in need, and has provided over 100,000 free meals so far.

Local food traders from Digbeth Dining Club The day will play host a number of sports demonstrations including 3X3 wheelchair basketball and much more. Team England athletes from the region and beyond will be in attendance to join in the celebration and mingle with local people.

Josie Stevens, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Birmingham 2022: “Local people are at the heart of Birmingham 2022, they are what will make these Games truly special, so we’re inviting people across the region to join us and some of our athletes to celebrating this major milestone.

Birmingham & the West Midlands has a rich cultural heritage so what better to way to bring people together than to unite over a shared love of sport, food and live performances!

“The Commonwealth Social is part of our ‘three years to go’ celebrations which also sees us out engaging with people across the region in the ten locations where we have sports venues.

We’ll also be unveiling our new ‘look’!

“Birmingham 2022 will be a world-class festival of sport and culture. It’s also a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity for our region to show the world the fantastic culture and community spirit we have to offer. The Commonwealth

Social is the start of creating a Games that will be a catalyst for transformation across the region.”

Team England gymnastics athlete Mimi-Isabella Cesar said: “The West Midlands has a wonderful rich community spirit and the Commonwealth Social is the perfect way to bring the region together for one great day. What could be a better way to kickstart what is going to be an exciting countdown to Birmingham 2022? I am proud to be a part of Birmingham 2022 and I can’t wait to get involved in everything the day has to offer.”

The innovative art-led research project has visited locations across the West Midlands throughout July, speaking to local people to better understand how the Games can make a positive impact for them and their community. Each Common Ground event produced an artwork drawn live by local illustrators Ruth Porter and Harley Davison, which serves as a visual interpretation of the conversations with the community. Those who participated in Common Ground will be invited to the Commonwealth Social for the reveal of the resulting artworks.

METRO BANK BRINGS THE a t e e g n a S BANKING REVOLUTION TO Kohli

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JULY 2019

Bio: I am a solicitor based in the Family Law team at Irwin Mitchell in Birmingham. I specialise in all aspects of family law including divorce, financial matters arising from a divorce or the breakdown of a relationship and children disputes.

I am a member of Resolution, committed to resolving cases in a constructive manner. I am also a committee member other young professionals of BPS Aspire Talent across Birmingham in their committee, supporting development.

Can you really have an amicable divorce?

The sole ground for divorce in England and Wales is that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. It sounds obvious and simple enough. However, the current law requires this to be proven using one of five facts; three of which attribute blame to the other party.

This effectively means that without having to wait up to 5 years, one person will have to be at fault. This “blame-game” can start the proceedings off in a negative manner and set a hostile tone going forward – which is unhelpful when there are important issues such as the children and finances to discuss.

The government seem to have recognised that attributing blame is antiquated and obstructive. They are discussing a new Bill in Parliament which replaces the need for evidence and removes the possibility of contesting the divorce. If this bill passes through Parliament, then hopefully an amicable divorce can become the norm.

For more from Sangeeta Follow her on Twitter @SangeetaKohli WINNERS OF MULTIPLE AWARDS WWW.THEASIANTODAY.COM

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BIRMINGHAM • New seven-day-a-week banking experience to open in city centre • Creates 25 new jobs for the local community • 4,500 safe deposit boxes available Metro Bank, the revolution in British banking, is set to open a brand-new store in Birmingham this summer, creating around 25 new jobs for local people. The store, located on the corner of New Street and High Street, will combine face-to-face banking with state-of-theart technology, providing residents and businesses with a customer-focused and convenient banking experience.

Customers will be able to visit the store seven days a week, with no appointment

needed, and open a personal or business account on-thespot, leaving with their debit card in hand, along with internet and mobile banking set-up. 4,500 safe deposit boxes will also be available, with customers able to reserve a box from a month before the store opening.

Known for its exceptional customer service, Metro Bank recently achieved the top spot in the CMA’s Service Quality Survey1. The bank continues to grow its store network at a time when other traditional players in the industry are closing branches. The Birmingham city centre store will be the first of four to open in the region this year followed by new stores in Solihull, Merry Hill and Wolverhampton.

Local companies will benefit from a Local Business Manager ready to help them run and grow their businesses, as well as having free access to the Forum of Private Business’ wealth of bespoke resources and free use of the store’s meeting space.

Local residents and businesses are also encouraged to attend the store’s free events that are hosted throughout the year, from networking sessions, to charity fundraisers and family craft events.

Birmingham City Council Leader, Cllr Ian Ward said: “Birmingham’s residents want a well-connected and vibrant city centre, it’s great to see another new business investing in UK’s second city.

Birmingham City Council will be working closely with local communities and traders over the next few months to plan for future growth in the city and make sure Birmingham remains attractive, successful and thriving.”

Craig Donaldson, CEO at Metro Bank added: “Metro Bank’s continued expansion across Britain is empowering communities and businesses,

From fighting hackers with the latest cyber security techniques to programming robots, from learning a construction trade to gaining advanced manufacturing skills – the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is running a number of roadshows this month to inspire people to train for an exciting new career.

The roadshows are for unemployed people and those wanting to get a better job, and aim to explain what training courses are on offer in the West Midlands as the WMCA takes control of the region’s £126m adult education budget (AEB).

The events in Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall will feature colleges, training providers and job advisors, and will be jam-packed with information to help people access training, find work or plot a path to a better career.

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of WMCA, said: “The West Midlands is the growth capital of the UK, boasting booming industries and an expanding economy. But it is no secret that we are suffering from a shortage of skilled workers.

“By taking control of the £126m adult education budget, the WMCA can help tackle both unemployment and this skills

shortage by creating genuine work opportunities for local people, providing the training and qualifications that employers want and need.

“We have already launched the Beat the Bots fund to help workers at risk of automation, pledged to help train those with English as a second language, and highlighted the £25m investment we’ll make in new approaches to work-based training through the AEB. Now we want people to find out how our investment could change their lives.

“These roadshows will give people the opportunity to do just that, providing all the necessary information and advice to get a great career in a growing industry in the West Midlands, or, for those already in work, they are a great way to find training to boost skills and advance careers.”

The roadshows will focus on the region’s fastest-growing economies, including digital, construction, advanced manufacturing and engineering, and business and professional services, offering advice on what qualifications are needed to get jobs in these sectors, and how to access the training required.

Staff from local colleges and training providers will also be on hand to provide advice on training to help you get a job if you’re

unemployed, ways to improve your skills to give you better career opportunities if you’re working, and what specialist training is available to give you the skills for a particular job or trade.

Cllr George Duggins, leader of Coventry City Council and WMCA portfolio holder for productivity and skills, said: “These roadshows will be full of useful information to help you find a job, or get training to get a better job.

“We want to ensure the £126m adult education budget makes a real difference by enabling more people to get jobs or improve their earnings. I’d encourage people to come along to these roadshows to find out what help is on offer for them.”

The following roadshows are taking place this month: • Birmingham - Wednesday 10 July 2019, 12pm to 5pm Maitland Hall, 550 Washwood

and providing them real choice in who they bank with.

“We’re thrilled to bring the banking revolution to local residents and business in Birmingham, and we look forward to our store becoming a real hub for the local community in the city.”

The bank gives colleagues a Day to AMAZE – a day, when they would normally be working, to volunteer their time or skills or give back to their local community. In advance of the store launch, Metro Bank colleagues in Birmingham recently spent their Day to AMAZE cleaning up the city centre along with other local businesses to keep the area looking beautiful.

All stores are open at the most convenient time for local people, from 8am to 8pm Monday to Fridays, 8am to 6pm on Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sundays and bank holidays, 362 days a year.

The store will also be the bank’s first Midlands location to have a Metro Bank University on the premises – the bank’s internal training academy for colleagues, which offers over 75 courses.

Heath Road, Washwood Heath.

B8 2HF • Walsall - Friday 12 July 2019, 9am to 1pm Whitehall Centre, Weston Street, Caldmore. WS1 4EQ Part of Walsall Works Employ Your Skills Event. Please register to attend.

• Sandwell - Saturday 13 July 2019, 11am to 5pm Careers Expo Marquee, Sandwell Valley Park, Salter's Lane, West Bromwich. B71 4BG Part of the SHAPE Youth Festival • Coventry - Wednesday 17 July 2019, 2pm to 6pm The Job Shop, 1 The Bull Yard, Coventry. CV1 1LH • Dudley – Saturday 20 July 2019, 9am to 4pm Brier Fair (Marquee), Cottage Street, Brierley Hill. DY5 1RE Part of the Brier Fair For more information, visit: www.wmca.org.uk/events

WMCA roadshows to showcase job and training opportunities

SMASH HIT NATIONAL BHANGRA FESTIVAL 2019 JULY 2019

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included; Jin & Seetal Band, Kadam Verma, Subaig Singh, Banger, Shin Cobra, Jeet Kaur, Gurdeep Kainth, Khushi Kaur, Shehzadi Sultan, K Mohito, Kajal Soni, Royal Keys, Khadija Dilnawaz, Ruby Akhtar, Shrii Gautam, Dhol Frequency, Dhamak Panjabna Di, Haripa Dancers, Virse De Waaris, 4all2envy, Birmingham Crew DJ's.

Photos in this article are courtesy of official event photographer Sabah Ashraf from Sabzz Photography who masterfully captured the magical moments at this truly memorable occasion.

We congratulate organiser Bobby Bola and his team at Culture Unite for another smash hit National Bhangra Festival which took place on Saturday 22nd June 2019 at the luxurious Regency Banqueting Suite, 265 Hagley Road, Birmingham B16 9NA. This sell out family event for all generations was filled with Live Performances, Dinner, Dance and Exhibition. There was an

amazing atmosphere with attendees that included members of the Bhangra industry fraternity, VIP's, Dignitaries, general public from across the UK and beyond! Communities and cultures were truly united by the vibrant art form of Bhangra.

There was superb hosting

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JULY 2019

TOP OF THE CLASS! WEST MIDLANDS EDUCATION AWARDS: WINNERS ANNOUNCED Friday 5th July saw, the annual Education Awards celebrated the outstanding contributions of those who are making a difference to the education sector in the West Midlands.

The winners of the West Midlands Education Awards were unveiled at a glittering awards ceremony at the voco St John’s Hotel in Solihull, recognising both educators and educational supporters across sixteen categories with Birmingham City University as headline sponsors.

Those taking home the prestigious titles included, Innovating Minds (Transforming Lives Through Partnerships), Dr Laura Chamberlain – Warwick Business School (Teacher / Lecturer of the Year), Christ Church CE Primary School (Primary School of the Year) and Alan Pearson (Headteacher / Principal Dean of the Year.)

As well as taking home the beautiful glass trophies, each winner will have the opportunity to work with their category’s industry sponsor on a project that will be filmed and showcased at next year’s awards.

For the first time, the awards partnered with the Pearson Teaching Awards with all winners being automatically entered into the televised ceremony, which gets aired on BBC’s Classroom Heroes.

Guests were entertained throughout the evening by Presenter

Phil Oldershaw, there was an energetic live performance from students at Aston Performing Arts Academy and a hugely inspiring motivational speech from Charlie Fogarty MBE. Charlie, from Solihull, is a talented footballer who suffered a life-changing brain injury in 2012. He has since rebuilt his life to continue playing the sport he loves and has used his experiences to deliver motivational talks to everyone from school pupils and hospital staff, to aspiring young footballers.

Debbie Westwood, Headteacher at Christ Church CE Primary School, says: “I’m absolutely thrilled for my little school! We are privileged to work where we do in Sparkbrook, which is one of the most deprived areas of the city.

“The area means even more to me as I was born there, so I love the community and the staff, parents, students and families who make my job so much easier because it’s such a special place to work.”

Dr Asha Patel, Innovating Minds, continued: “We were up against some amazing organisations that operate on a national level, so to be announced as the winner was a huge shock!

This is particularly great for the team as they’ve put some much effort and hard work in to Innovating

Minds, which has grown incredibly quickly over a very short space of time.

“It’ll be a huge boost to take this award back to them and celebrate the amazing work they all do.”

Innovating Minds exists to nourish young people’s mental health. They work in educational settings to support by upskilling educational staff and enabling young people and their parents to have access to specialist psychological support.

Jas Rohel, CEO & Founder of the Education Awards, added: “The West Midlands has a great community of individuals supporting the education sector and making a difference in people’s lives. The ceremony has been a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on their achievements and give them the recognition they deserve.

“We’d lik e to cong r atulate b oth the winner s and finalists for the tr emend ous wor k they d o and for b eing p ar t of such a wond er ful event. A hug e thank y ou also g oes to our sp onsor s, amb assad or s, jud g es, or g aniser s and all those who attend ed and sup p or ted the awar d s.”

Following on fr om p r evious success, the awar d s will also b e held in M anchester, with hop es to exp and elsewher e in the UK thr oug hout 2 0 2 0 .

AWARD WINNERS: Educational Supporter of the Year Sponsored by The National Energy Hub Leamington LAMP Headteacher / Principal Dean of the Year Sponsored by Aspire People Alan Pearson – New Invention School Teacher / Lecturer of the Year Sponsored by Careers Calendar Dr Laura Chamberlain – Warwick Business School Transforming Lives Through Partnerships Sponsored by Touchwood Innovating Minds Secondary School of the Year Sponsored by Midland Metro Alliance Queensbridge School Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community

Unique maize maze revealed

by Staffordshire farm Following months of planning the National Forest Adventure Farm have revealed the design of its annual maize maze which will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

The maze design features Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 mission Saturn V rocket recreated in maize form.

Located near Burton upon Trent, the Farm has kept the design of the maize maze a closely guarded secret and this year farm mascot Crumpet the Cow flew to the edge of space to reveal the unique design.

The fluffy Friesian travelled over 35,000m capturing images of the maze design on a 4k high definition, 360° digital camera before parachuting back to earth safely.

The maze is open from July 13 until September 2, the National Forest Adventure Farm will transform into a hive of space exploration, including a new Space Rangers Alien Rescue interactive indoor attraction where children can train to become a Space Ranger and help save aliens.

Tom Robinson, one of two brothers who own the popular Midland’s tourist attraction said it was one of the most ambitious mazes to date, he said: “After months of planning we’re really excited to reveal the design especially as our 16th annual maze will celebrate the achievement of those pioneering astronauts 50 years ago.

“Families can find out what it is like to be an astronaut

Sponsored by Chauffeur Services Direct Services for Education Early Years School of the Year Sponsored by Love Writing Co. Highfield Day Nursery Outstanding Support for Students Sponsored by Aston University Aston University Engineering Academy Primary School of the Year Sponsored by Kumon Christ Church CE Primary School Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics Awards (STEM) Sponsored by Elonex Femtinos Educational Resource Provider of the Year Sponsored by Toppa Flash Academy Entrepreneurial Education

Establishment of the Year Sponsored by NatWest Warwick Business School Proactive Educational Provider of an Apprenticeship Programme Sponsored by Ascentia Corporate Coaching Infra Skills Further Education College of the Year Sponsored by West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association Sandwell College University of the Year Sponsored by Open Study College University College Birmingham Lifetime Achievement Sponsored by Birmingham City University Pete Griffin

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ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES and catch a rare glimpse of earth by viewing our 360 degree virtual reality video of Crumpet’s journey to space.

“Plus our brand new Space Rangers: Alien Rescue interactive indoor experience will be open to offer families the chance to become a Space Ranger and rescue the alien’s eggs.”

The maze offers three miles of paths, bridges and viewing towers tracing through a 10 acre maize field which by the mid-August will tower 2.4m.

Once open, families can navigate the maze to find and solve space-themed puzzles and help a Lunar Crew fix their space craft in order to safely return to Earth.

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Wow! The evening on Monday 24th June 2019 at the Villa Park – Holte Suite the 4th Midlands Food Drink & Hospitality Awards took place in an atmosphere of excitement and high energy.

G

oing from to strength to strength this high profile Midlands event brought together the great and good, movers & shakers of the food, drink & hospitality industry.

With incredible winners announced, the euphoric atmosphere in the room made it a perfect celebration of the hardworking food, drink & hospitality industry.

A June, Monday night has never seen such an electric atmosphere in one place – no Monday blues here, a room full of over 550 people who make the regions food, drink & hospitality industry one of the best in the world and rightly deserved the honour and adulation.

The MFDH awards was again this year headline sponsored by Pepsi Max, with diamond sponsor Swallow Drinks and category sponsors Britvic, Bootcamp Media, Illy, Falcon Insurance, NA Consulting, Hollywood Monster and Adapt Accountancy.

The night kicked off with a stellar reception that welcomed the guests, hosts,

judges and sponsors to the beautifully decorated venue at the cricket ground. It was a night full of fun and frolics.

Host Ed James, known for his flamboyance and infectious humour, kept the guests entertained. They brought a sense of cabaret, zest and fun to the night that kept everything up and lively.

Live music & performance was provided by Birmingham’s most wanted entertainment collective, Aston Performing Arts Academy, who had the room up and dancing with their amazing and energetic performance.

The Town Hall Gospel Choir started the evening entertainment with their rendition of Bob Dylan’s songs in gospel style.

Drinks were aplenty and the tantalizing food was provided by Mahir’s Experience. The delectable cuisine was perfectly fitting for a night celebrating the very best in food, drink & hospitality Needless to say, when it came to the winners, the level of excitement and tension

was palpable. Some of the most coveted awards and winners of the night included Best Fine Dining Restaurant which went to The Boat Inn, Best Steak House which was awarded to the Gaucho and Best Chef which was picked up by Liam Dillon of The Boat Inn. The crowd moved to the after party after the awards was over, which saw yet more fun, laughs and partying with music provided

by DJ Dan Kelly Next year’s MFDH awards is already being planned and looks set to be even bigger, better and brighter. Look forward to seeing you next year!

For images from the night, see the links below. More will be released in the coming

days!

Pics by Mr Ladd Media - https://www.flickr.com/ photos/socialframes/ albums/72157709241304551 Pics by Jas Sansi - https://www.flickr. com/photos/jassansi/

MIDLANDS

FOOD DRINK & HOSPITALITY

AWARDS 2019

Aston Performing Arts Academy

The Town Hall Gospel Choir

FULL LIST OF WINNERS:

1. Casual Dining of the Year The Butlers Arms - Sutton Coldfield 2. Traditional Pub of the Year The Old Crown Digbeth Birmingham 3. General Manager of the Year Jayne O'Malley - The Edgbaston Birmingham 4. Bar Restaurant Manager of the Year Thomas James Matthew The Edgbaston - Birmingham 5. Fine Dining of the Year The Boat Inn - Lichfield 6. South Asian Restaurant of the Year Asha’s - Birmingham 7. Hotel of the Year Malmaison Birmingham - Birmingham 8. Gastro Pub of the Year The Broom Tavern - Alcester 9. Desi Bar & Grill of the Year The New Soho Tavern Birmingham 10. Venue of the Year Coombe Abbey - Coventry 11. Dessert Parlour of the Year Gelato Village - Leicester 12. Hotel Bar of the Year The Bubble Lounge - HDV Birmingham 13. Afternoon Tea Establishment of the Year The Edgbaston Birmingham 14. Boutique Hotel of the Year Hotel Du Vin Stratford-up- Avon Stratford-upon-Avon 15. Italian Restaurant of the Year Laghi's Deli - Birmingham 16. Hispanic Restauant of the Year Bar Iberico - Nottingham

17. Venue Design of the Year Sky by the Water - Birmingham 18. Brewery/Distillery of the Year Cotsworlds Distilley Cotswolds 19. Street Food Vendor of the Year Buddha Bellly - Birmingham 20. Food/Drink Festival/ Operator of the Year Digbeth Dining Club - Birmingham 21. Independent Coffee Shop of the Year Damascena - Birmingham 22. Cocktail Bar of the Year The Edgbaston - Birmingham 23. People's Choice Chung Ying Cantonese - Birmingham 24. Chef of the Year Liam Dillon - The Boat Inn - Lichfield 25. Drinks Merchant/Tasting House Loki Wines - Birmingham 26. Steak House of the Year Gaucho - Birmingham 27. Oriental Restaurant of the Year Chung Ying Cantonese Birmingham 28. Sommelier of the Year Stefan Liperowski - Hotel Du Vin - Birmingham 29. Food/Drink Blogger of the Year Bite Your Brum Birmingham 30. Best Insta of the Year The Fat Foodie UK - Birmingham 31. Vegetarian/Vegan of the Year No 12 Houndsgate Nottingham 32. Rising Star of the Year Katie Rouse - Crushed & Cubed Birmingham

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JULY 2019

A rise in deaths spark investigation at Walsall Manor Hospital

An investigation has been launched following a rise in deaths relating to kidney failure at Walsall Manor Hospital.

There were 17 deaths linked to renal failure in January and February this year, it has now emerged.

The unusually-high total raised concerns among health chiefs and sparked a review at the hospital.

Bosses said the review had so far confirmed seven of the patients received "appropriate" care before they died, but the other 10 cases are still being examined to see whether or not they could have been given better care.

A report said the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the Manor, received an "alert for January and February 2019 (acute and

unspecified renal failure) is under investigation".

The trust was given an "inadequate" rating by health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2017 and bosses are awaiting the outcome of the latest inspection.

Chiefs say they will be updating the Learning from Deaths policy following recommendations from NHS Improvement "following local observations" and "CQC risk identified during their inspection".

However, the report said hospital deaths had fallen compared to the last two years.

There are around 45,000 deaths a year linked to kidney disease in the UK, according to NHS figures.

Dr Matthew Lewis, the trust's medical director,

said: “The alert related to 17 deaths attributed to renal failure in January and February 2019.

"So far, the review has confirmed that seven of the patients had received the appropriate level of care.

Ongoing work will consider whether there were any issues in the management of the other cases. In addition we are looking at updating the Learning from Deaths policy to reflect changes in national guidelines.”

Councillor Rose Martin, head of adult social care at Walsall Council, said: "I'm sure the Manor Hospital will be looking into this matter very intensively to find out what has caused this.

"Let's hope they get to the bottom of it as soon as possible for the benefit of other patients."

Vape stores open at Birmingham Hospital’s as smoking banned New initiatives have been put in place in a bid to help eliminate smoking in two West Midlands Hospitals. Vape stores have been open in Sandwell General Hospital and Birmingham City Hospital.

The retail outlets, run by Ecigwizard, are based at Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich and Birmingham City Hospital, both of which are run by Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust.

The stores’ openings come amid a clampdown by the trust on smoking on its grounds, with people being issued £50 fines since July 5 if they light up.

Using e-cigarettes outside is allowed, on the condition it takes place away from doorways, while smoking shelters have been converted into vaping areas.

The trust’s medical director, Dr David Carruthers, said his organisation’s board and clinical leaders were united in the view that eliminating passive smoking on its sites was a public health necessity.

“Every alternative is available and we ask visitors and patients to work with us to enforce these changes,” he said.

“Giving up smoking saves you money and saves your health.”

Discounts of 30 per cent on vaping products are offered to NHS workers in a bid to change their ways.

Toby Lewis, chief executive of the NHS said, that staff have a responsibility to lead the way and to set an example to patients and visitors by not smoking.

Mr Lewis said: "It's difficult. If you come to a hospital and see NHS staff smoking outside you may get a little bit confused.

"It is about changing attitudes and it's about saying it's ok to be honest with each other, smoking isn't a bit of a nasty habit or

something naughty that you do, smoking kills."

He added "There's no such thing as a smoking break. Staff take the breaks that are required by law, we want our staff to be rested and we can support staff to do that.

"If a member of staff absolutely wishes to smoke they have to go off site.

"Our message to staff, our message to patients, our message to visitors is you wouldn't be a patient in a hospital and say I'm nipping out to the pub, you wouldn't come to work as a member of staff and say I'm going to take a break because I need to have a drink.

"Cigarettes are, of course, slightly addictive, but our message

is if you're working for the NHS we think when you're working for the NHS you should choose not to smoke."

Joe Lucas, head of retail for Ecigwizard, said his company was “incredibly happy” to support the trust’s smoke-free status.

“We are keen to offer vaping as an alternative to smoking, as a means to help people cut down or quit,” he added.

E-cigarette use continues to rise, with 6.3 per cent of British adults vaping in 2018, up from 5.5 per cent the previous year, according to figures analysed by NHS Digital earlier this month.

Just over half (51.5 per cent) of those vaping said it was to help them quit smoking.

“IT IS WHAT IT IS” “IT IS PR offers makreting and event support to businesses, retail, hospitality, leisure and third sector organisations.

Anita has used her organically gained knowledge to help support others by bringing a fresh look to supoorting businesses grow.”

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Your staff are your most important asset…..

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JULY 2019

This was the cry from the keynote speaker – Greg Reed who outlined how he had to change the culture of the Black Country based Homeserve in his position as the UK CEO. When he joined Homeserve in 2012 he was tasked to bring a culture change to overcome a regulatory, reputational and commercial near-death experience and Greg was part of a new executive team which set out to do this.

He gave examples of how

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a proactive approach of engaging staff can have a positive effect on culture and overall performance of the organisation in terms of profits which are now at £326 million and 2.1 million customers. Greg has been widely recognised with a clutch of awards for his outstanding steward of the organisation.

Mr Ninder Johal who is CEO of the organisers of the Awards, and who was until recently the President of the Black Country Chamber

of Commerce and sits as a Black Country LEP Board member spoke about the fall out of the general election vote. Whilst he asserted that it was going to be very uncertain in the short term but if the UK continued to innovate and add value to their products and build on the strengths of its economy and its role in world affairs, the future was still very bright. He spoke about the need to assert leadership and more critically to involve the voice of business during the Brexit negotiations.

He also spoke about the positive future for the local region and the potential of the West Midlands Combined Authority where he sits as a member of the shadow board.

The 4th Nachural Summer Business Awards celebrated a number of awards. The main winners on the night were TPL media, a company with offices in Wolverhampton, Black Country who operate in the

media, legal and customer engagement sectors. The business was recognised for its commitment to diversity, its extensive stakeholder engagement in Wolverhampton and its commitment to the local community. Employing over 450 people, its diverse set of operations has been growing rapidly generating turnover exceeding £30 million.

There was also recognition for local industrialist Stewart Towe who was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to Business and the community. Mr Towe who is Chairman of the Hadley Group has overseen growth of the business from £1 million turnover in the 1970’s to one approaching almost £200 million. He was also recognised for this commitment to the community through his various roles including Chairman of the Black Country Enterprise.

E, Salisbury Poultry is

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Other award winners included:

Business Start-up – Fluoro Tech Ltd Community Excellence – James Wong Business Person of the Year – Jaya Nayyar Entrepreneur of the Year – Mark O Sullivan Businesswoman of the Year – Farhana Sheikh and Amina Hussain International Enterprise and Innovation – Bowman Stor

a widely recognised and reputable poultry processing company in Ninder Johal CEO of Nachural and who sits on the West Midlands Growth Company, the West Midlands 5G ltd Board and a former President of the

Business of the Year

Business Women of the Year

Lifetime Achievement Award

Diversity and Inclusion – Barclays Promoting Apprenticeships in the Workplace – In Comm Training SME of the year – Dunton Environmental Customer Service of the Year – Lakeside Active Health Club Business of the Year – TPL Media Lifetime Achievement Award Stewart Towe CBE.

Black Country Chamber of Commerce was pleased with the sell out event and commented : ‘We had a fantastic speaker in Greg Reed who gave an insight into the importance of culture and the role of investment of training of employees. We had a brilliant set of highquality nominations from all over the Midlands and it was fitting that Stewart Towe was recognised for his role in giving back to the community in which his business operates. Too often business is not recognised for its commitment to society and its talent at creating wealth and sustainable communities.

But there was also a sense on the night of the awards that SME’s were looking for greater clarity from whom ever becomes Prime Minister with regards to Brexit and a demand for greater devolved powers from Whitehall so that regions can serve the needs of their local communities much more effectively with regards to skills, infrastructure and housing’.

The event was headlined

by Investec Wealth and Investment with supporting sponsors which included : Rational FX, Baldwins, Elonex, Oxbridge Home Learning, FBC Manby Bowdler, Falcon, Pathway Group, Capital Care Group, University of Wolverhampton, Vision Print, Cobra, East End Foods, Xero, Sandwell College, Hollywood Monster, Ace Weddings, DY5, Gloss and Mercedes Benz (Wolverhampton).

The headline sponsor for the event was Investec Wealth and Investment Acorns was the charity on the night where over 520 people attended and where over £10,000 was raised. Host for the evening was BBC’s Tommy Sandhu and the music for the evening was provided

by DJ Tony.

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YOUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

E H T R O F S R A E Y 27 !

D O O W Y L L O B KING OF ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

It’s been 27 Years since Shah Rukh Khan first came onto our TV screens and what an inspirational actor he has been to the Bollywood Industry. To commemorate his time within the film industry Shah Rukh recreates iconic bike scene from Deewana on completing 27 years in Bollywood.

SRK thanked his fans on Twitter for wishing him on completing 27 years in Bollywood. He made is debut in 1992 in the film, Deewana.

27 Years ago, Shah Rukh Khan paved his way into Bollywood and earned the filmfare ‘Best Male Debut Award’ for the film Deewana. On completing nearly three decades in the Hindi film industry, SRK’s twitter was flooded with wishes from fans. With

THE LATEST BOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

#27GoldenYearsofSRK became the No 1 trending hashtag on Twitter in India.

The Bollywood superstar took to Twitter thanking his fans in a special way by recreating the popular song Koi Na Koi Chahiye from his debut film. In the video, he expressed his gratitude towards fans for their immense love and support throughout these years and called his journey “Half his lifetime on earth”.

Here’s a few of SRK famous quotes…

Baazigar (1993): “Kabhi kabhi jeetne ke liye kuch haarna bhi padta hai … aur haar kar jeetne waale ko baazigar kehte hai” Darr (1993): “I love you Kkkk…

Kiran” Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995): “Bade bade deshon mein

aisi choti choti baatein … hoti rehti hai Senorita” Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997): “Rahul, naam toh suna hoga?”

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998): “Pyar dosti hai … agar woh meri sab se achchi dost nahin ban sakti, to main usse kabhi pyar kar hi nahi sakta …”

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001): “Zindagi mein agar kuch banna ho, kuch haasil karna ho, kuch jeetna ho … toh hamesha dil ki suno … aur agar dil bhi koi jawab na de toh aankhen band karke apni maa aur papa ka naam lo … phir dekhna har manzil paar kar jaoge, har mushkil aasaan ho jayegi … jeet tumhari hogi, sirf tumhari.”

Chennai Express (2013): “Don’t underestimate the power of a common man.”

Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas jet OFF to South France

Shahid Kapoor new role as ‘Kabir Singh’

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Zindagi Zindabad

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Zindagi Zindabad Katrina Kaif After hooking the audience with ‘High End Yaariyaan’, Ninja is ready to come back on the big screen with ‘Zindagi Zindabad’. Owing to its genre of contentbased cinema, the movie has been the talk of the town right from the word go, and today adding more to the anticipation, Ninja shared some pictures from the sets of the movie. After hooking the audience with ‘High End Yaariyaan’, Ninja is ready to come back on the big screen with ‘Zindagi Zindabad’. Owing to its genre of content-based cinema, the

reveals the only kind of movie she stays away from

movie has been the talk of the town right from the word go, and today adding more

to the anticipation, Ninja shared some pictures from the sets of the movie.

Actor Katrina Kaif gets scared easily, and that's why she likes to stay away from horror films.

She opened up about it during a conversation on IMDb original series The Insider's Watchlist.

Asked if there is a genre she doesn't watch, Katrina said: "Horror.

I'm too scared, it scares me. I don't want to be scared." But the actor has some 'go-to' movies.

"Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Hugh Grant movies can really get you out of a bad mood.

Sleepless in Seattle, Pretty Woman, Four Weddings and a Funeral -- there's an innocent,

pure, joyous quality about those films," she said, adding that Gossip Girl is her guilty pleasure.

She said she is a big fan of "classic cinema, with spectacle and the songs and the drama".

Ajay Devgn, Kajol go on road trip with children Kajol on Wednesday shared a family photograph in which the two actors along with their children are seen posing in front of their car with snow capped mountains in the backdrop. "Grumbles, rumbles and potato chips...

Road trip. Finally," Kajol captioned the image.

The photograph has over three lakh likes already.

Ajay married Kajol in 1999. The two welcomed their daughter Nysa in 2003 and son Yug in 2010. On the acting front, Ajay will next be seen in 'Taanhaji - The Unsung Warrior'.

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TOP Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas board TEN a private jet to South France

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THE BY: ASIAN TODAY HUSNA

BY: HUSNA

After a week of prewedding celebrations in Paris, Priyanka Chopra and hubby Nick Jonas were spotted hopping on-board a private jet to the South of France for Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner's second nuptials.

Looking effortlessly chic in a white pinstripe co-ords with a lacetrimmed negligeestyle top, PeeCee walked hand-in-hand with her man as they left their hotel to catch their chartered flight out of the city.

Shahid Kapoor opens up about new role as ‘Kabir Singh’

Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor is currently on a promotional spree for his upcoming film 'Kabir Singh' along with his co-star Kiara Advani. The film happens to be a remake of Telugu super hit film 'Arjun Reddy'.

In the trailer, we saw that Shahid's plays the character of an aggressive and violent person. Shahid's character Kabir smokes a lot. But the

actor doesn't endorse smoking in real-life.

The 'Udta Punjab' actor reportedly said he doesn't endorse smoking at all.

However, his role required it, as the lead uses it to channel his anxiety and rage. It wasn’t easy for him and it came to a point where he smoked almost 20 cigarettes a day.

BOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD

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standing in front of Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8 in New York's Tribeca, the building which served as the base for the 'Ghostbusters' in the 1984 original film.

Baar Baar Dekho

The Hook Tere Sang Up Yaare Song Tere Sang Yaare Rustom Vishal & Shekhar & Neha Kakkar Rustom

First Class Gani Gani ManiSingh Arjit Sandhu & Neeti & Akhil Mohan Mani Sandhu & Akhil

Morni Jag Ghoomeya Banke Jag Ghoomeya Sultan Guru Randhawa & Neha Kakkar Sultan

Hauli Hauli Tu Rendhe Garry Sandhu & Neha Kakkar Tu Rendhe Tindy & Rixx and Sudesh Kumari Tindy & Rixx and Sudesh Kumari

Tere Bin Woman Woman Rahat FatehftAli Khan Shide Boss Zack Knight Shide Boss ft Zack Knight

The Jawaani Peat Pe BootySong Peat Pe Booty A Vishal Flying Dadlani Jatt & Payal Dev A Flying Jatt

First Class Suit SuitSingh Guru Arjit Randhawa & Neeti Mohan Guru Randhawa

Ghar Tu HaiMore Pardesiya Tu Hai Goshal Mohenjo Shreya Daro Mohenjo Daro

Chashni Dishoom Dishoom Vishal & Shekhar Sau Tarah Ke Sau Tarah Ke

BHANGRA/POP BHANGRA BHANGRA

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'GHOSTBUSTERS 2020' 10.

'Avengers: Endgame' star Paul Rudd has boarded the cast of director Jason Reitman's new 'Ghostbusters' film.

The news was shared by the official 'Ghostbusters' Twitter account, where it posted a video of Rudd

Kala Chashma Duniya (Luki Chuppi) KalaBaar Baar Dekho Akhil &Chashma Dhvani Bhanushali

Tom Hanks:

Kai Saal Gabbroo Gabbroo Jassie Jaz Dhami Gill ft. Preet Hundal Jassie Gill ft. Preet Hundal

Mattha Mattha Akhil Akhil Teri Kami Jenny Johal Teri Kami

Taur Di Tru-Skool AshokJatt Prince, Kaur Ashok Time B4 YaPrince, Mind Tru-Skool Time 4 Ya Mind

Wang PBN &Da RajNaap Bains Ammy PBNAkh &Virk Raj Bains Billi Billi Akh

Mukar Sandhu Manni Gyi Manni Sandhu Welcome Gurj Sidhu To The Future Welcome To The Future

SajnaBina Tere De Naal TereSaggu Bina Monty Bups & Waris, Ginni Kapoor Monty & Waris, Ginni Kapoor

Take Off Skoda Skoda Ranjit Gary Sandhu Bawa ft. Bhinda Aujla Ranjit Bawa ft. Bhinda Aujla

TeriVaari Ikk MarziHor Ae Soch Lae Ikk Vaari Hor Soch Lae Harish Prabh Gill Verma Harish Verma

Viah Kulwinder Billa Kulwinder Billa Kulwinder Jass ManakBilla Kulwinder Billa

Ditch Boliyan Selfie SelfieBawa Boliyan Malkit Ranjit Singh ft. Dj Vix Malkit Singh ft. Dj Vix

UK UKARTISTS CHART UK ARTISTS

Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks said the upcoming film 'Toy Story 4' is as profound as the other instalments of the popular franchise. "The 'Toy Story' films accomplish what timeless classics aim for," Hanks said in a statement.

"They are full of innocent characters who face an endless trail of adventures.

We all know the likes of Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep and Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, and we wonder who we would be, if we were toys," he added.

Hanks, who has voiced character of Woody for 24 years, said each film in the series has taken Woody to surprising new places.

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I Don;t One Dance Care One Dance Drake Ed Sheeran feat&Wizkid Juston and Bieber Kyla Drake feat Wizkid and Kyla

Old ColdTown WaterRoad Lil NasWater X Cold Major Lazer and Justin Beiber Major Lazer and Justin Beiber

Someone Too Good You Loved Too Good Drake Lewis Capaldi feat Rihanna Drake feat Rihanna

VossiisBop This what you came for This isHarris what you came for Calvin Stormzy feat Rihanna Calvin Harris feat Rihanna

Hold Me Heathens Lewis Capaldi Heathens Twenty One Pilots Twenty One Pilots

Closer Bad Guy Closer Chainsmokers feat Halsey Billie Eilish Chainsmokers feat Halsey

Piece ofStrangers Your Heart Perfect Meduza Perfect Jonas BlueStrangers feat JP Cooper Jonas Blue feat JP Cooper

Tears(ft. Aloe Bacc) SOS Tears Clean Bandit feat Louisa Johnson Avicii Clean Bandit feat Louisa Johnson

This GraceGirl This Kungs Vs Cooking on 3 Burners Lewis Girl Capaldi Kungs Vs Cooking on 3 Burners

WeI Can't Don'tHave Talk Anymore If You We Don't Anymore Charlie PuthTalk feat Selena Gomez Shawn Mendez Charlie Puth feat Selena Gomez

Gurdas Maan UK Tour 2019 24

JULY 2019

The name Gurdas Maan needs no introduction. With a career spanning over 40 years, fans of Maan Saab can be found the world over.

It is not uncommon to see people of all different ages, race, religions and gender all unite in their admiration for the “One Legend for all Generations.” But it’s not just his mellifluous songs and soulful lyrics that have inspired his admirers all these years – his life’s journey is just as motivating.

His transition from a state electricity board employee to becoming the biggest name in the Punjabi industry can fill any disenchanted soul with a sense of encouragement and energy.

Gurdas Maan was born to Gurdev Singh and Mata Tej Kaur, an agrarian family of Giddarbaha, Punjab. As a child, Gurdas Maan always had an unprecedented love for both music and sports.

Growing up he would go on to win a bronze medal in a National Level Wrestling Championship and later even acquired a black belt in Judo!

Along with sports, he was also very active in cultural activities and would often take part in youth festivals.

One such instance changed his life when he performed “Sajna Ve Sajna” during a programme organised by the State electricity board

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Gurdas Maan UK TOUR 2019 Sat 13th July

THE SSE ARENA, WEMBLEY

LONDON Sun 14th July

DE MONTFORT HALL

LEICESTER Wed 17th July

St GEORGE’S HALL

BRADFORD Sun 20th July

ARENA BIRMINGHAM

BIRMINGHAM

association. The officials of the Punjab State Electricity Board loved his rendition so much that they offered him a job in the department. The young Gurdas Maan took up the offer and started working with the electricity board.

In spite of being occupied

with a job, his love for music never took a backseat. He continued to deliver stage performances and another such stage performance was about to change his fortune forever.

Gurdas Maan was noticed by a producer of

TV channel Doordarshan Jalandhar, at an event where he sang his famous song ‘Dil Da Mamla Hai’.

The producer approached Gurdas Maan to perform the same track in Doordarshan’s Studio. The 23-year-old agreed and

went on to perform the same in the TV channel studio. The song aired on 31st December 1980 and an anonymous Punjab State Electricity Board Employee became a household name overnight.

The legend of Gurdas

Maan was born. * Catch Gurdas Maan LIVE in concert as part of his One Legend for all Generations UK Tour 2019 brought to you by UK Box Office. For more information and tickets go to www.ukboxoffice.net *

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Our very own Graphic Designer and on the side Journalist - Anil Singh Gill brings his Food & Drink Reviews to The Asian Today, bringing all the news from hot restaurants to cool bars and everything in between.

Essentia

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It’s heating up in Harborne

The Leafy suburb of Harborne in South Birmingham has many Gastro style pubs and Traditional Boozers but not many in terms of Desi Pubs. There is a new pub on the Desi Bar and Grill scene, the Copper Fox Grill in Harborne a lovely pub Located about 5 minutes from Harborne High Street and great links and to the City as well.

The Copper Fox Grill has a friendly feel great for families to come and dine or to catch up with friends over a grill and a few drinks, it has a lovely outdoor area great for sitting in the summer.

Upon entry for of the establishment there is a giant board that displays the Copper Fox made out of one and two pence copper pieces which is a nice touch to the pub. The decor is nice with a modern and contemporary feel.

The drinks menu hosted local and craft ales, draught beers and some imported and limited edition spirits.

Now the menu is reasonably varied with a variety of curries, grills and Vegetarian and Vegan options the fish pakoras and king prawns stood out for me. They were packed full of flavour and went well with a pint. Definitely a sizzling feast and the mint chutney was flavoursome and went well with the new fish and seafood dishes.

I would definitely recommend going for a tasty mixed grill, they also do a takeaway service.

Copper Fox Grill 156 Quinton Rd, Harborne, Birmingham B17 0RP

Get more food news on twitter @theasiantoday and on the web : www.theasiantoday.com

LIFESTYLE

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We’ve all got a little post winter wanderlast so what better way to look ahead to your travels than with than easy guide to a capsule wardrobe for your spring summer holiday essentials.

Neutrals & Nudes

Struggling to find your favorite colour to wear this summer? How about going for something other than the bright bold colours. How about the neutral colours which you can pair up with absolutely everything! Opt

for these fleshy shades of caramel, beige, off-white and stone which will defiantly show off your holiday tan.

They are not necessarily on-trend pieces but provide a foundation for your summer wardrobe. You will need

to decide on which pieces to add to your wardrobe depending upon your wardrobe depending upon your own lifestyle needs, but these are items you may simply want to consider.

An easy way to build a

wardrobe is to select one to three fashion neutral colours that you like and that look good on you and begin assembling some fashion basics in these neutral colours. It's a good idea to have the following items in

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LIFESTYLE

IFESTYLE

JULY 2019

27

Wardrobe Beans, Lentils and Pulses

als

Beans, Lentils and Pulses are a common ingredient used in a variety of different cuisines around the globe. Not only are they versatile and delicious, but many types are also brimming with health benefits and important nutrients that your body needs.

5 Benefits of Beans, Lentils and Pulses 1. Loaded with Nutrients 2. Stabilize Blood Sugar 3. Increase Weight Loss 4. Promote Heart Health 5. Enhance Digestive Health There are several types of beans, lentils and pluses which you can incorporate into your diet.

1. Chickpeas - Chickpeas are high in protein and fiber, plus important micronutrients like manganese and folate.

2. Kidney Beans - Each serving of kidney beans is low in fat but packs in a good amount of protein and fiber, as well as folate, iron, manganese and copper.

3. Black Beans - In addition to being rich in protein and dietary fiber, black beans are also loaded with folate, manganese and magnesium.

4. Lentils - As one of the most nutrient-rich types of legumes available, lentils are a great source of protein, fiber, folate, manganese, iron and phosphorus.

5. Pinto Beans - Pinto beans are high in fiber, protein, folate, manganese and phosphorus, as well as an assortment of other key vitamins and minerals.

6. Peas - Compared to other legumes examples, peas are lower in calories but contain a hearty dose of vitamin K, manganese, vitamin C and thiamine.

7. Adzuki Beans - Although they are a bit higher in carbs than other types of legumes, adzuki beans are high in protein, fiber, folate and manganese, along with a number of other essential nutrients.

Adzuki Beans

Peas

the fashion neutral colours that you have chosen: • jacket • sweater • skirt

• pants • jeans This summer is all about the neutral colours so let’s see what in trend this season.

Pinto Beans

Black Beans

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JULY 2019

BUSINESS

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BUSINESS

Amazon will create 2,000 new jobs by the end of the year

The move by the online giant will take its UK workforce to almost 30,000 Online giant Amazon has announced it will create 2,000 new UK jobs by the end of the year in a move that will take its total permanent workforce to almost 30,000.

It's been described by Chancellor Philip Hammond as a "vote of confidence" in the UK economy, who also claimed it will help the country continue to lead the "technological revolution".

As well as London, the recruitment drive will stretch to various regions,

with the North West , South East and Scotland among those listed in Wednesday's announcement.

In the North West specifically, more than 90 jobs are available for professionals in fields such as finance, IT, safety and engineering.

They will be at the firm's operations facilities across Altrincham, Bolton, Warrington, Preston, Stoke and Manchester. A sortation site in St Helens is also due to open in September.

Welcoming the news, Mr Hammond said: “Today’s

announcement from Amazon is a clear vote of confidence in the British economy.

“This government is supporting business to create the high-skilled, high-paid jobs of the future, and these roles will benefit people across the UK, including the cities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Manchester and London.

“Thanks to our record investment in infrastructure, skills and research and development, we will continue to lead the technological revolution.”

Stefano Perego, Amazon’s vice president of UK customer fulfilment, said: “We are delighted to be recruiting for specialist managerial roles in our operations network in the North West, with competitive wages and comprehensive benefits from the very first day.

W

“These are highly-skilled roles working on exciting and innovative new technologies that benefit Amazon’s customers around the world.

We’re proud to employ thousands of people in the North West to ensure we continue delivering a fantastic level of service for our customers.”

As well as that, Amazon says it also has a number of positions for graduates in technical, non-technical and operations roles.

According to the online giant, graduates at Amazon lead teams work on key projects and help the company to provide an even better shopping experience for customers.

Amazon has partnerships with a number of universities to support graduates into these roles, and says it also welcomes applications.

JCB wins major £75 million order for 1,100 machines Digger-maker JCB has secured its biggest ever single order for Loadalls placed by a UK customer – as part of a two-year deal worth more than £75 million.

Ardent Hire Solutions, which has depots 11 across the country including one in Sutton Coldfield, has invested in a fleet of 1,100 Loadall telescopic handlers.

All of the machines are built at JCB’s Staffordshire factories – in Uttoxeter, Rocester and Cheadle – and are powered by JCB engines from the JCB Power Systems factory in Derbyshire.

They will all be fitted with the latest JCB LiveLink telematics fleet management system giving realtime information on the machines’ operation and safe usage.

Group managing director for global major accounts at JCB, Yvette Henshall-Bell, said: “We are delighted to secure this major order from one of the UK’s leading plant hire companies.

“It shows great confidence in JCB machinery and also in the wider construction sector which Ardent’s plant hire business

supports.

“JCB has worked closely with Ardent for a number of years and it’s testament to the quality of our range of Loadalls and safety credentials of our site dumpers, as well as the world-class service back-up, that we’ve secured this valuable business.”

Anuj Patel, head of marketing at Ardent Hire Solutions, said: “This latest acquisition further strengthens Ardent’s telehandler fleet which is the largest available in the UK today.

“The availability of advanced technology and telematics on the entire fleet was critical for us when specifying JCB machines.

“For Ardent clients, the knowledge that we are working closely with our supply chain to provide solutions that increase productivity, reduce their costs and, most importantly, reduce their on-site risk gives great reassurance.

“We are stepping away from the plant hire norm and offering a service that sparks real change in the market.”

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PROPERTY

THE ASIAN TODAY Top 3 places to live if you commute into Birmingham City Centre Where is the best place to live for the morning commute into Birmingham?

Commuting can sometimes be a nightmare, but we’ve found some of the best places to live in the West Midlands that might make fighting rush hour traffic worth it.

Solihull The leafy suburbs of Solihull have long been seen as one of the most desirable place to live in the West Midlands - and even the UK.

Solihull has previously been named one of the best places to live in the country, so it should definitely be on our list if you are looking for nearby town to commute from.

The overspill town has gained its reputation for green spaces, quality housing stock, excellent schools and fantastic Links.

Prime locations include Knowle and Dorridge, although these areas can be very pricey, with a four

bedroom house typically going for upwards of £700,000.

Commute times: Train: With regular trains into the city centre from Solihull station and Olton station, that can get you into the heart of Birmingham in just 12 minutes, this is one of the best ways to commute from Solihull to a city centre work place.

Bus: The 37 bus service runs frequently throughout the day and takes about 45 minutes to get into the centre at the busiest times of the day.

Sutton Coldfield The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield has long been one of the most sought after suburbs in Birmingham, and this trend seems to be continuing.

It has been named as the fourth least deprived area in the country, and currently has the most expensive house for sale in Birmingham - on the

market for a cool £7.5 million.

From the scenic Sutton Park with over 2,400-acre of parkland, meadows and woodland and the town centre having major high street retailers, quality independents and a vibrant restaurant community, Sutton Coldfield has a lot to offer.

Sutton Coldfield has an average sold house price of £307,640, making this one of the more expensive commuter towns.

Commute times: Train : The average train times to Birmingham city centre are around 19 minutes, with the fastest journey being 18 minutes.

On an average weekday, there are 144 trains travelling into the city from Sutton Coldfield.

Bus : Buses include the X5, 907, X14, 907 and 907, and will take around 40 minutes to an hour to get you to work in the city centre.

West Bromwich West Bromwich may not be typically seen as a sought after commuter town in the same way as Solihull or Sutton Coldfield, but affordable housing mean it shouldn’t be discounted.

The average price paid for a property in West Brom is £137,715, which is a lot cheaper than the Birmingham average of £181,364.

With the average price of a flat just £82,497, this could

be a great place for young professionals who work in Birmingham looking to get on the property ladder.

Commute times: Train: There are a range of train stations in West Brom that can get you to work in Brum, with the quickest taking just 10 minutes.

Bus: The 74 and 80 bus services will get you to Birmingham in around half an hour and run regularly throughout the day.

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MOTORING

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Lamborghini

J V S R O D A T AVEN

Aventador SVJ is this years must have car if you have some change to spare.

The SVJ is a twelve 12-cylinder, mid-engined series-production flagship supercar is not something you’ll forget.

The Aventador’s line goes all the way back through Murcielago, Diablo and Countach to the legendary Miura – and it’s a car with the stunning looks and fullblooded naked aggression to hold its own, even in comparison with its ancestors.

It burst onto the scene with almost 700 atmospheric horsepower and Machievellian four-wheel drive five years ago, and was updated to ‘S’ specification in 2017 to include four-wheel steering and even more grunt.

Now we have the heroic SVJ, which takes an already unmissable car and turns it into the world's greatest

attention-magnet, thanks to an astonishing body kit.

The engine – which in the SVJ 759bhp at 8500rpm – is stupendous, even if its paddle shift transmission isn’t always worthy of it. It does feel hugely wide on the road, and is still a sledgehammer of an instrument on the track, although it’s developed greater handling delicacy and balance in later life.

As for drama? Off the scale.

From 1st July 2019 all manufacturers must install an acoustic sound system in new types of quiet electric and hybrid electric vehicles to improve road safety.

The government claims that this move helps to cement its position as a global leader in the transition to zero emission transport, by securing new regulations to make electric vehicles safer and provide greater confidence to vulnerable road users.

Sound generators will produce a specified level of noise when they are reversing or running below 20 km/h(about 12mph).

The sound generated will be similar to that made by a conventional engine and can be temporarily deactivated by the

driver if judged necessary.

The new regulation to make acoustic systems within electric vehicles compulsory will allow those who are visually impaired to hear vehicles more easily.

The news comes ahead of the one year anniversary of the government’s Road to Zero strategy, which has helped to achieve record levels of ultra-low emission vehicles on UK roads.

Michael Ellis, Roads Minister, said: "The government wants the benefits of green transport to be felt by everyone, and understands the concerns of the visually impaired about the possible hazards posed by quiet electric vehicles.

"This new requirement

Of course, as a road car, the Aventador SVJ must also be more thrilling than frightening, genuinely usable in places other than the widest, remotest and most perfectly surfaced A-roads, and rewarding at speeds well beneath the operating window of

its sophisticated new aerodynamics.

If not, the enviable status it holds as the only mid-engined V12 supercar on sale will count for little, and we can say straight away that you should instead plump for a Ferrari 488 Pista, a McLaren 720S or even the Performante.

New noise systems to stop ‘silent’ electric cars will give pedestrians added confidence when crossing the road."

The regulation will apply to all new types of ‘quiet’ electric and hybrid vehicles from 1 July 2019, and to all new quiet electric and hybrid vehicles registered from July 2021.

In March 2019 the government outlined the ambition for all future transport to be safer and more accessible in the Future of Mobility: urban strategy. The Department for Transport will convene a roundtable with accessibility groups to discuss the government’s commitment to making transport accessible for all, including the requirement announced on 1st July 2019.

JULY 2019

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SPORT

Sport

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Gala Dinner celebrates a fantastic year for Birmingham Charity Friday night saw Birmingham Youth Sports Academy (BYSA) round off an amazing year with a fabulous Gala Dinner held at Aston Villa FC’s Holte Suite.

The evening highlighted the important work they are doing in the community, working with young people to create a better Birmingham.

Following on from a multiaward-winning year, more than 500 guests attended the evening and showed their support for an organisation that is working closely with young people in Birmingham.

What started off 17 years ago as boys football project

by Anwar Khattak, BEM, now has sports for girls, as well as education and mentoring projects for inner-city Birmingham. Their ongoing mission to positively influence the lives of young people has seen thousands of young people graduate through the system since 2002.

The evening was hosted by sports Journalist and TV presenter Manish Basin. The event had a lot of support from the region including the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Azim and the West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street. Speaking on the evening, Mr. Street spoke about BYSA in a positive light; ‘You’re motivating youngsters through sports and mentoring to create role models. I am a firm believer that through sports and

teamwork we can learn to make a positive contribution to our community.’

Andy Street, West Midlands Mayor At a time when there are far too many headlines about knife crime, BYSA work with young people and help them integrate better with society at large. Kieran Quinlan, founder of the PitGym is such a local success story of someone who has overcome adversity and he received the Chairman’s Award this year.

This message was supported by the entertainment delivered by Aston Performing Arts Academy, a local community interest organisation who highlighted their love of Birmingham and its future.

Former England and Liverpool footballer, John Barnes, MBE, was the afterdinner speaker and he spoke about how organisations like BYSA can create environments through which youth can flourish.

Using football analogies, such as how Klopp has transformed Liverpool’s fortunes, he talked about how putting kids into the right environments can help them achieve more than society may perceive them to be capable of becoming.

Having received The Queens Award for Voluntary Service last year, it was appropriate that the Queens Toast was delivered

by Ninder Johal Deputy Lieutenant for the West

Midlands ‘BYSA is a fantastic organisation that does so much for the local community and this work has been recognised by The Queens Award for Voluntary Service. I look forward to seeing the organisation continue to grow.’

Ninder Johal, Deputy Lieutenant for the West Midlands In addition to many awards, BYSA has also signed a number of partnerships this year; TSB have supported education and mentoring projects this year and BYSA has signed the Armed Forces Covenant, which was presented to chairman Amer Awan on the evening by Major Naveed Mohammed MBE. ‘It is yet another great night for BYSA and I couldn’t be prouder of what we have

achieved this year. Our Volunteers give their time for a single purpose, helping kids feel better about themselves and realise their potential and today celebrates their achievements. I would like to thank our many well-wishers, supporters and sponsors who contribute to our continuing success.’

Amer Awan, Chairman, BYSA The event raised muchneeded funds for upcoming projects that in planning for the next 12 months and also raised awareness of how a city such as Birmingham is doing so much great work on the ground.

For more information visit the BYSA website – https:// bysa.co.uk/ To get involved as a member, volunteer or sponsor, email us at info@ BYSA.co.uk

The Staffordshire business leaders playing a major part in reviving a struggling football club

Port Vale FC was taken over by the owners of a Staffordshire fintech company in May. Business leaders in Stokeon-Trent are playing a major part in reviving a struggling Staffordshire football club.

Port Vale FC, which is based in Burslem, Stokeon-Trent, was taken over by

new owners Carol and Kevin Shanahan in May - ending Norman Smurthwaite's six-and-a-half-year tenure as owner of the League Two club.

The husband-and-wife, who own Staffordshire fintech company Synectics Solutions, completed the purchase of the club after a

number of failed attempts.

Now a fellow Staffordshire business has come in to sponsor one of the stands at the club.

Growing insurance company Autonet have agreed to sponsor the Hamil Road stand at Port Vale.

The Stoke-on-Trent company, which employs more than 1,000 staff, is headed up by CEO Ian Donaldson.

Ian said: "As a local business we have always been passionate about giving back to our local community.

"Port Vale is a huge part of Burslem and its community and, as I already do business with Kevin and Carol, I was very keen to get involved in their new venture as the owners of Port Vale FC, a

club that played a huge part in my own childhood.

"Autonet has been part of the community for many years and we are proud to now be sponsoring the Hamil Road Stand at Vale Park."

Carol said: "I am just delighted that first sponsor I brought in was Ian and Autonet. One of the major reasons for us buying the Vale was for the good of Burslem and the north of Stoke-on-Trent, and he is such an important part of that as a major employer.

He is also a friend and colleague."

"I look forward to bringing more of the business community either back to Port Vale or to join us for the first time to be part of this new era at the club."

Howzat?! Barnardo’s bowled over by support from Pakistani cricket stars

Pakistani cricket stars Babar Azam and Imam ul Haq have shown their support for children’s charity Barnardo’s while competing in the World Cup in England.

The batsmen signed two bats for Barnardo’s which will be auctioned off to help raise funds to transform the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children.

The stars heard about the charity’s work when they met Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan in London.

The pair proudly displayed Barnardo’s logo on their bats while competing in the vs England One Day International (ODI) Series in May. In the ODI series against England, Imam scored 151 runs in the third ODI match. This was the highest individual total for a Pakistan batsman against England in a one day international.

Babar is ranked 8th among the ICC Top 100 ODI batsmen. In the ODI series against England he

ended up as the joint leading runsscorer, scoring 277 runs including a century and two half-centuries.

Babar said on Twitter he was “honoured to be supporting Barnardo’s.”

Imam also tweeted: “They do great work supporting vulnerable children from all communities across the UK.” Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: As a huge cricket fan and amateur player, it was a real privilege to meet these young stars, and to tell them about how Barnardo’s supports vulnerable children across the UK. “Barnardo’s reaches out to children from all communities who need our help. Around 25% of the children we support are from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, so we’re delighted that Babar Azam and Imam ul Haq are helping raise awareness of our vital work, especially amongst the British-Pakistani community.”

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England’s First Win in The World Cup What a season of Cricket it has been with 45 days and 48 matches and England winning the world cup for the first time after beating New Zealand in an emotional and electric atmosphere at The Oval.

This might just be the greatest game

in cricket history.

The nation was watching on Sunday 14 July as England won after the most thrilling climax, both teams scored 241 in their 50 overs when they batted for an extra over apiece.

England were crowned world champions by virtue of having scored more boundary fours and sixes in the entire match.

Stokes and Buttler came on to face Trent Boult in the super over

and hit 15 from the six pressure balls.

Jofra Archer bowled England’s over and sealed the win in super over.

Archer took 20 wickets in the tournament, more than any England bowler at a World Cup. And finally, having bowled a wide, then been smashed for six to leave New Zealand needing just three off two balls, the 24-year- old kept his composure and only allowed one completed

run off each delivery giving England’s victory.

He had volunteered to bowl the Super Over, the highest-pressure moment in cricket.

Now, he wants to inspire the next generation of children to play the game.

Archer is determined to inspire kids to follow the game. He said: “I really hope that the kids watching want to play cricket for the whole week, all year, maybe to be professionals.

That’s all we want

to do, inspire the next generation, because someone is going to have to take over from us.

“England is multicultural. I didn’t choose where I was born. All I knew was that my dad lived here, he was born here and that I had an opportunity.

Nearly eight million people tuned in to watch the climax of England’s first men’s World Cup triumph at Lord’s on Sunday.

SOUTH ASIAN ACTION PLAN MARKS ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH URBAN CRICKET CENTRE OPENING England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) celebrated the opening of the new Urban Cricket Centre, ‘Leyton Cricket Hub’, just over a year on from the launch of the South Asian Action Plan.

The opening of the groundbreaking Leyton Cricket Hub, created in conjunction with Waltham Forest Council and Essex County Cricket Club, is the first Urban Cricket Centre of its kind.

Designed to increase participation and encourage positive social cohesion, the facility will provide accessible and affordable cricket for the local community, brought to life through programmes such as Women’s Soft Ball Cricket, All Stars Cricket and tape ball cricket.

Announcing the facility opening, Lord Patel of Bradford, Chair of the ECB South Asian Advisory Group said: “To mark the one-year

anniversary of the South Asian Action Plan with the opening of the first Urban Cricket Centre is a landmark moment. Cricket has a unique ability to reach across diverse social, cultural and religious groups and this centre hopes to contribute to building a stronger, healthier community.”

Speaking at the launch, Waltham Forest council leader, Clare Coghill, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be launching the Leyton Cricket Hub today – the first in the ECB’s plan to develop a network of Urban Cricket Centres.

“In Waltham Forest, we are totally committed to giving people the opportunity to pursue their passions, realise their ambitions and lead healthy and active lifestyles. Sport is a fantastic way of breaking down barriers to participation and this successful

partnership with ECB is a real asset for our residents, adding to an already eclectic sport, leisure and cultural offer in our borough.

“Our strength in Waltham Forest is through our diversity and we take great pride in giving a platform for our South Asian communities to enjoy and participate for many years to come in a sport loved around the world.”

Adil Rashid, England cricketer, added: “This is an exciting facility that will help grow the game amongst the South Asian community here. It’s important that people have places to play in inner-cities and this is a great example of how the sport can bring people together in the local area.”

One of the most notable successes of the plan has come via

£1.2m of National Lottery funding from Sport England to develop a network of 2,000 South Asian female role models to inspire the next generation of cricketers. The new volunteers are combining coaching and mentoring to support new players coming into the sport, helping to deliver All Stars Cricket - ECB’s entry level cricket programme for five to eight-year olds, across seven cities in the UK: Birmingham, Bradford, London, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester and Nottingham.

Shruti Saujani, ECB City Programme Manager, who is leading the South Asian Female Volunteering Programme, commented: “This has the potential to make a massive difference to cricket in this country. We are already seeing some incredible stories of South Asian women

across the country taking up the game and becoming role models for the next generation.”

For more detailed information

and to download the action plan in full, please visit ecb.co.uk/ southasiancricket or contact us via SouthAsianCricket@ecb.co.uk