Education
Council to spend £900,000 enforcing COVID-19 lockdown compliance in Birmingham
Birmingham City Council will use almost £900,000 to support the enforcement and compliance of COVID-19 regulations to keep people safe from the pandemic’s risks, following news of a new lockdown. In an announcement, the local authority said 46 officers, including eight dedicated to parks and open spaces, will be deployed across Birmingham to bolster the…
BLACK HISTORY MONTH | INTERVIEW: Tarik Ross-Cameron
Spoken word artist Tarik Ross-Cameron has developed his craft over the years and now delivers creative workshops and programmes to other young individuals. A performance poet, writer and facilitator, Tarik is an Associate at city arts collective Beatfreeks and a Development Coordinator at Punch Records. We caught up with him to find out more about his…
Social gatherings of more than six to be banned in England
Social gatherings of more than six people will be illegal in England from Monday in response to a sharp rise in coronavirus cases across the country. Currently, the lawful limit on gatherings is 30 people but a new legal limit will ban larger groups meeting anywhere indoors or outdoors for social purposes, according to Downing Street. From Monday,…
Coventry asylum seeker with disability launches crowdfunder to raise fees for his PhD study
The struggle of a Coventry-based, disabled and wheelchair-bound asylum seeker to raise tuition fees for his PhD in the UK is continuing with no end in sight. After applying for admission to five UK universities, asylum seeker Dickson Tarnongo was offered a place by a Midlands-based university. The university gave him an offer with a…
Dyslexic artist launches sign language poetry video with young children to raise disability awareness
A video has been released for Learning Disability Week featuring young school children from across Birmingham sign performing a poem written by a dyslexic poet from the city. Joe Cook, 28, is a dyslexic poet, performer and musician who works in a primary school teaching poetry and rhyme Year 4 to Year 6 pupils. To mark Disability…
Fake coronavirus news stories increase online Islamophobia, study finds
A new study warns the coronavirus crisis has fuelled online hate speech by racist and fascist groups and individuals which could lead to attacks against British Muslims after the lockdown. The study carried out by Imran Awan, Professor of Criminology at Birmingham City University and Roxana Khan-Williams, found that Islamophobic online ‘Cyber Hubs’ were being…
West Midlands Police donate hundreds of free soft drinks from Birmingham college to NHS staff
Officers from West Midlands Police have been delivering soft drinks to NHS workers after a local college asked for assistance in distributing excess stock from vending machines. Following the coronavirus lockdown and closure of educational institutions, South and City College in Birmingham had hundreds of untouched drink bottles, from a wide variety of brands, left over…
Former BBC and Al-Jazeera journalist enlisted to teach media skills to refugees and migrants
An international journalist who has worked for BBC News and Al Jazeera will be hosting a media skills workshop in Birmingham next week to inspire and empower refugees and migrants to share their stories. Hasan Patel, a communications specialist who has worked in the US, UK and Qatar, will be sharing his knowledge or journalism and news broadcasting with…
Queer Question Time planned for Birmingham ahead of General Election 2019
A political hustings tackling issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community is taking place in central Birmingham this week. As the General Election approaches, ‘Queer Question Time’ returns once again, with members of the public putting their questions to representatives of all the major political parties.
The ongoing struggle of Brits living with HIV, on the eve of World Aids Day
As millions around the globe mark World Aids Day on Sunday the 1st of December, an estimated 101,600 people are living with HIV in the United Kingdom. According to the independent HIV charity, “Avert” awareness and knowledge around HIV continues to drop in the UK.