NEWS: Erdington’s Leon Edwards retains UFC Welterweight title in confident five round fight at 02 Arena

Words by Ed King

Erdington UFC star Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards (Jamaica/UK) has retained his Welterweight title, beating Kamura Usman (Nigeria/USA) in a confident five round fight– winning on points by a majority judges’ decision.

Fending off continuous attempts by Usman to grapple Edwards to the floor, the UK world champion stayed strong on his feet and out boxed his way to final victory.

The UK based UFC fight, held at the 02 Arena in London, was the third time the two UFC stars had met in the octagon – with each fighter having won one of the previous two fights.

When Edwards won the Welterweight title from Usman in August 2022, he was losing on points until a decisive head kick in the fifth round that sent Usman crashing to the mat and Edwards home wearing the belt.

This time, however, Edwards held a confident stance from the start, landing continuous leg kicks and slipping or blocking Usmans attempts at head shots.

Round one saw each man test their opponent, with Usman holding the centre of the ring and Edwards picking up points with some well placed leg kicks.

Round two saw the first of Usman’s take downs, and the first of Edwards’ resilient responses to his opponent’s attempts to pin him to the mat.

In round three Edwards lost a potentially crucial point during another attempt from Usman to grapple the Birmingham fighter onto the floor, alongside a low blow that paused the fight and saw Edwards issued with a warning.

However, out maneuvering Usman throughout the fight, Edwards went on to dominate rounds four and five – albeit a close call at every step – displaying supreme control and fortitude whilst Usman seemed to be grasping for a take down.

In a flurry of well landed punches during the tail end of round five, Edwards secured his title, with most of the audience already applauding his win before the judge’s final decision.

Through a display of controlled and professional power, Leon Edwards showed the world just why he is the deserved holder of the UFC Welterweight belt – giving the young people in Edrington a home ground role model they can both identify with and be proud of.

After the fight, Kamura Usman told BT Sports: “He (Edwards) had a great gameplan. I always said from the start we’d meet again and I’m not done. We will see each other again.

“I always gave him props for what he’s accomplished. He’s a brother like myself and great respect. London you’ve got yourself a great champion.”

Waiting in the wings, however, was cocky Colby Ray Covington – current No2 in the UFC Welterweight rankings and a likely contender to face off against Edwards in the next title fight.

For more on Leon Edwards visit

www.ufc.com/athlete/leon-edwards

NEWS: Erdington’s Leon Edwards to defend UFC Welterweight title in UK fight with Kamaru Usman on 18 March

By Erdington Local editorial team

Erdington UFC star Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards will defend his Welterweight title on Saturday 18 March, stepping back into the Octagon to face Kamaru Usman (Nigeria/USA) – the man whom Edwards took the belt from in August 2022.

Promoted as UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3, the event will also see Lightweight contenders Justin Gaethje (USA) and Rafael Fiziev (Azerbaijan) face each other as part of the evening’s main card contests.

Further main card bouts will see Flyweights Joanne Wood (Scotland) verses Luana Carolina (Brazil), and Welterweights Gunnar Nelson (Iceland) verses Bryan Barberena(USA), in the first UFC pay per view event to be held in the UK since 2016.

There will also be several prelim bouts at UFC 286, including Featherweights Nathaniel Wood (UK) verses Lerone Murphy (UK) and Jack Shore (UK) verses Makwan Amirkhani (Finland), alongside Lightweights Sam Patterson (UK) verses Yanal Ashmoz (Israel).

Since Edward’s knockout win in August 2022, the British representing UFC stars have hoped the champ’s success will bring more domestic attention to the worldwide sport. UFC head honcho, Dana White, was also quick to announce the title challenge would be held in the UK.

However, rumours were that Usman would not be able to commit the London based contest, after fellow Welterweight MMA star Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson told sport media: “Kamaru Usman is having hand surgery, I know they (Leon Edwards) want to fight somebody in March and they were looking at Jorge Masvidal.

“He’s a stand-up fighter, which kind of inspires me a little bit because our division is heavy wrestlers, and Leon Edwards is a striker and he’s champ.”

It was also briefly speculated the world title fight might be held at Villa Park, after the Birmingham raised Edwards told UK Talk Sport last October: “To have it back in Birmingham in Villa (Park)… that would be amazing.

“I don’t think there’s a roof though at Villa, so it would probably be a bit difficult to do in early next year around February/March/April.

“To have the guy from Birmingham be able to do it, to achieve it. To bring it back now, it would sell out straight away.”

But the clash of the UFC titans is now fully confirmed for the 20,000 capacity 02 Arena, with one man set to walk home once again as UFC Welterweight Champion of the World on Saturday 18 March.

Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman have met in the ring twice before, with Usman defeating the Jamaica born and Birmingham raised Edwards by unanimous judge’s decision in December 2015. However, when the pair met for a title fight last summer, Edwards came back to win via knockout – delivering a kick to the head that floored Usman in the final moments of the contest.

Held in Salt Lake City, Utah (USA), on 21 August 2022, Usman was leading confidently on points until the last couple of rounds – when Edwards eventually feinted to get his opponent off guard and landed the decisive knockout blow direct to the temple.

In a post-match interview, an emotional and victorious Edwards told the world: “I can’t put it into words. It’s been a long four years. They all doubted me, they all said I couldn’t do it. Look at me now.

“I’m from the trenches, I’m built like this. I do it for everyone coming behind me. I told you it was possible. We can win a belt, from the UK.”

Leon Edwards was born in Kingston, Jamaica, but moved with his brother Fabian to Birmingham when he was a teenager – training at the now closed MMA gym on Erdington High Street.

Getting his first title fight after beating Californian Nate Diaz in June 2021, Edwards went on to make history as the UK’s second only ever UFC Champion and Birmingham’s first world title holder in the sport.

Since winning the world crowing fight in August ‘22, Leon Edwards’ portrait has been painted front and centre on a community mural by the old Maplin site at Six Ways Island – which identifies all the aspects of Erdington people can be proud of.

UFC commentator Joe Rogan, who’s podcast The Joe Rogan Experience is listened to by nearly 13m subscribers worldwide, has long championed Leon Edwards.

After the knockout victory against Usman, he told Edwards: “You have accomplished one of the hardest things in combat sports you beat the best fighter in the world, you are champion of the world.”

Now, just over 6 months later, Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards and Kamaru Usman will face each other once again to settle the one all score – with the coveted Welterweight Champion belt returning to its rightful owner.

Leon Edwards will fight Kamaru Usman on Saturday 18 March, at the O2 Arena in London – with pay per view streaming options online. For more on UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3, visit www.ufc.com/event/ufc-286

For more on Leon Edwards visit www.ufc.com/athlete/leon-edwards

NEWS: Jaguar Land Rover workers left “baffled” by halt in production at Castle Bromwich, amidst growing fears over plant’s final closure

Words & pics by Ed King

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) workers have been left “baffled” by a halt in production at the Castle Bromwich plant, amidst growing fears the site will finally close for good.

Production line staff working on the XE and XF models were ordered to down tools last month, with staggered sabbaticals issued after each ‘block’ had finished its workload – with those working on the ‘body in white’ stage sent home from 13 February.

Erdington Local has further been told the number of agency staff at JLR’s Castle Bromwich plant, employed through the Randstad recruitment agency, have been kept on site “painting and cleaning” or just “standing around doing nothing.”

According to staff at the Castle Bromwich plant, the recent halt in production has been known about since last year – with the down time being used to “help repurpose the site” and offer extra vocational training to full time employees.

It is also reported that Jaguar Land Rover have offered support for any community work undertaken by staff during the break.

JLR workers at the Castle Bromwich plant were initially told they would all be back on the shop floor from 27 March this year.

However, many now fear plans to stop all car production at the site – currently set for March 2024 once production of the F Type has finished – could be brought forward and they may not be back at work as planned.

One JLR Castle Bromwich worker told Erdington Local: “The current downtime is baffling as no one knows when, and if, production will start again.

“There is a senior shop steward openly telling people that Castle Bromwich is finished and all the planned projects are doomed to failure, which is in total contradiction to what management are saying.

“The people who wish to stay (at JLR Castle Bromwich) just want the company and union to be honest, but… I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

Erdington Local approached Jaguar Land Rover for comment and received a quick reply from the company’s head office, stating:

“Like other automotive manufacturers, we are currently experiencing some supply chain disruption, including the global availability of semi-conductors, which is having an impact on our production schedules.

“As a result, we adjust our production schedules to reflect this.

“We continue to see strong customer demand for our range of vehicles. We are working closely with affected suppliers to resolve the issues and minimise the impact on customer orders wherever possible.”

Erdington Local was then referred to the JLR Castle Bromwich administration, who have yet to provide any further comment.

During his two year stint as Jaguar Land Rover, erstwhile CEO Thierry Bolloré outlined plans to dedicate parts of the car giant’s Castle Bromwich site to extra services such as stripping down batteries and reconditioning used fleet vehicles for hire or resale – as part of his ‘Reimagine’ strategy.

With Castle Bromwich employees canvassed to sign up for the extra services, alongside further options to relocate or take voluntary redundancy, many staff believed a better future could be secured if they enrolled in the new teams.

However, Erdington Local has been told there is “no significant progress” in the new ventures, causing more concern the extra activities – and revenue streams – outlined in the ‘Reimagine’ strategy will not come to fruition.

Now with production halted at the Castle Bromwich plant, and reportedly no face to face communication from Unite the Union “in two and a half years”, the hundreds of JLR Castle Bromwich staff currently on hiatus are left to fear the worst.

A spokesperson for Unite the Union told Erdington Local: “Unite is totally committed to ensuring continued employment for all JLR workers on all UK sites.”

If you work at Jaguar Land Rover or have been affected by any of the issues mentioned in this article, and want to tell us your side of the story, please email: [email protected]

FEATURE: Erdington retailers are losing thousands on “lawless” High Street scourged by shoplifters

Words by Ed King / Pics by Ed King and Studio Creativity

Erdington’s retailers are losing thousands every week as the “lawless” High Street is scourged by shoplifters, many of whom are repeat offenders known to local law enforcement.

“It’s every day,” tells Karen Leavy, store manager at Peacocks on Erdington High Street. “The ones that we know of it could be up to two or three times a day. Then there are one’s that we don’t know of, going to the back of the shop and detagging stock. They are an everyday occurrence as well.

“From 2019 up to last year it’s improved, but we’re still losing about £250 a day.”

Karen’s family have worked in retail for many years and are no strangers to shoplifters, or an underwhelming response from local police teams.

“I previously worked at the Peacocks in Stechford,” continued Karen, “and we had somebody who was shoplifting constantly. He went to court, got a slap on the hand, then he started coming into this store (Erdington) and doing it here.

“They can spit at us, they can kick out at us, they can call us all the names under the sun, but we can’t do anything to them. And he’s literally got away with thousands of pounds worth of stuff.

“I’d given the name to the police, and I’ve never heard anything about it since. My mum worked in the this store many years ago and she got punched full force in the face by a shoplifter, and nothing was done about that.”

Since 2010, policing budgets across the West Midlands have been slashed by Government cuts, with the region losing a reported £175m and 2000 police officers – around 25% of those in active service, and over 50% allocated to community policing.

In a recent meeting organised by the Erdington Business Improvement District (EBID), at the request of the Erdington MP Paulette Hamilton, Sargeant Simon Wheeler encouraged local retailers to report every crime to get more officers allocated to the area.

But many local shops still struggle. Karen continues: “I’ve given the information to the police, but it means I’m off the shop floor… I can be on the phone for 45mins to an hour trying to get through.

“One person off that shop floor could allow three of four shoplifters in the shop. I physically can’t do it; I literally can’t leave the shop floor.”

Even for retailers with dedicated shop security the battle is still steeply uphill. At the other end of the High Street, the Coop supermarket is just as plagued by shoplifters as Peacocks, suffering the same pattern in repeat offenders.

Coop manager Ben Hall told Erdington Local: “We haven’t got police presence on the High Street and that’s just enticing criminal behaviour. We get a lot of shoplifters in here and I think it’s rather lawless on the High Street at the moment.

“There was a shoplifter who came in over the space of a week and a half, and stole about £500 worth of bottles of spirits.

“Finally, we caught the man in action, stealing, and we detained him and rang the police. Martin (security guard) went through all the correct procedures, logged it with the police and got a crime reference number, and burnt off all the CCTV footage.

“Then the policeman came and said there was nothing they could do.

“We understand how hard it is for the police, but my staff come in and work their socks off – they go above and beyond for the business. The police should be doing the same thing.”

Like the Coop and Peacocks, to many retailers more police presence on Erdington High Street seems to be the answer. But in the shadow of austerity and with a city to patrol, the argument continues over available resources.

And stuck in the middle is Erdington Street Warden, John Lynch – employed by the EBID, who also provide a radio system for local shops to warn each other of offenders. Having worked on Erdington High Street for years, John is a familiar faced deterrent to many shoplifters in the area.

“It’s got to the point where shops have stopped reporting thefts because they know nothing will come back from it,” tells John, who keeps receiving calls through his radio.

“Like with Peacocks, there was one guy who was robbing them every Sunday – they knew his name, they’ve got CCTV, they reported it, but they’ve never heard anything back to this day.

“Then we had a member of staff who was assaulted in Farmfoods, who was punched in the face. They knew the offender; they knew his name. The man who was assaulted has never heard anything back about that at all.

“The police say people aren’t reporting crime, but they are reporting crimes – they’re constantly reporting crimes, and all they get is a crime reference number, it’s logged, and they never hear anything after that.

“I know the police are busy, but they should focus on the more serious crimes on the High Street,” continues John. “I’m getting complaints on a daily basis about all the drug dealers outside Iceland, so that needs to get looked into.

“And when you’re talking about assault, large thefts, and continuous thefts, those people do need to be dealt with as they’re causing a major problem.”

John has also been the victim of assault, with one man breaking a restraining order to come back to Erdington High Street to steal – having only been out of prison for one week, after serving time for previously assaulting John and a police officer.

“I reported it to the police,” tells John, “the burglary offence and the breach of the restraining order… and to this day I’ve heard nothing back. The store’s heard nothing; I’ve heard nothing.

“They had CCTV footage. All the evidence was there, somebody said they would come and take a statement, but I heard nothing more about it. This was around October last year.”

But despite the imbalance of crime and punishment, there is still a communal desire to see significant change – with a ransacked police force and beleaguered community ultimately wanting the same thing. Law and order.

Plus, existing local legislation such as the Public Space Protection Order (PSBO) can be used to great effect.

Erdington Local recently witnessed officers PC Stiles and PC Bird deescalate a potentially violent clash, using the threat of a fine through the PSBO to remove an aggressive woman from the High Street.

As the offender stormed off, she shouted back at the officers who had successfully moved her on: “that’s why I don’t like coming here.”

Many feel regular communication and information sharing between police, the Street Warden, and the retail community would also go a long way – helping to send a message of ‘no tolerance’ to crime on the High Street.

As Ben at the Coop was quick to add, after highlighting the day to day issues that face his staff, his store, and the High Street at large: “I don’t want to seem like I’m just picking on the police.

“Albin (security) got assaulted by a shoplifter, and the police arrived within seconds and dealt with it fantastically. There also an officer called Dave, and he’s brilliant – I can’t sing his praises high enough.

“But if we can work together and get better police presence on the High Street… and it’s not just for the Coop, it’s for the whole High Street.

“We need to work together.”

NEWS: “Every donation, big or small, makes a huge difference,” thanks from John Taylor Hospice as Treecycling initiative gets closer to target

Words by Ed King / Pics supplied by The Hospice Charity Partnership

Erdington’s John Taylor Hospice (JTH) are sending out a New Year thank you to everyone who has supported their Treecycling initiative so far.

With more than 4000 people already signed up, the local hospice has currently raised over of £70,000 in donations – getting closer to last year’s fundraising total of £110,000.

With around 200 people across Birmingham and Solihull joining the Treecycling initiative every day, the Grange Road hospice is hopeful to beat last year’s target – helping them support more people and their families with expert end of life and palliative care.

The deadline to register for the Treecycling initiative is Monday 9 January, to get involved or for more information visit: www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/Treecycling

Jess Bolton, Community Campaigns and Digital Fundraising Manager at The Hospice Charity Partnership said: “We want to say a big thank you to everyone who has booked their Christmas tree into our Treecycling service so far.

“We’re thrilled to be closer towards our target of 5,500 trees to collect on 14-15 January.

“If you have had a real tree this Christmas and haven’t arranged your collection yet, you have until Monday 9 January at midday to book.

“We currently have an army of 150 amazing volunteers ready to hop in their vans and collect your trees, so you won’t need to lift a finger or worry about getting needles in your car!

“Every donation, big or small, makes a huge difference, enabling someone in our community to receive the care and support they desperately need.”

Having run for over ten years, the Treecycling initiative is an important part of JTH’s yearly revenue – the Grange Road hospice relies on charity fundraising and donations to generate 40% of the money needed to stay open.

In exchange for an affordable donation, the Treecyling volunteers will collect your old Christmas tree from your home on Saturday 14 or Sunday 15 of January ’23 – helping clear away the Christmas clutter whilst raising much needed funds for the local hospice.

John Taylor Hospice is now part of The Hospice Charity Partnership (THCP), which also includes Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice.

It costs £15,055,467 to run both sites per year – £1,254,622 per month, £289,528 per week, £41,361 per day, and £1,723 per hour.

Projects such as the annual Treecycling initiative are crucial in keeping John Taylor Hospice operational, which first opened in 1910 and has been providing free end of life and palliative care for over a century.

All the money raised through the Treecycling initiative will go towards the core costs of running the Birmingham hospices and supporting those who are cared for by The Hospice Charity Partnership and their families.

Detailing how the money raised from the Treecycling initiative could be used, Jess Bolton added: “Over 600 people each year get the specialist care they need at our Selly Park (St Maty’s Hospice) and Erdington (John Taylor Hospice) Inpatient Units.

“Almost 3,000 people each year are cared for by our Community Palliative Care Teams in the comfort of their own home.

“Each year over 1,600 people are supported emotionally, practically, and spiritually by our charity’s Social Care and Wellbeing Teams.

“Our Child Bereavement Service has over 800 support sessions with bereaved children each year; supporting them through the most difficult of times and helping children on their journey of grief.”

To take part in the Treecycling initiative, simply sign up before Monday 9 January via an online registration form and make an affordable donation, with all proceeds going directly to the hospice charity: www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/Treecycling

To sign up for the ‘Treecycling’ charity fundraiser and support John Taylor Hospice visit: www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/Treecycling

For more on John Taylor Hospice visit www.johntaylorhospice.org.uk

NEWS: Help John Taylor Hospice help others through their Treecycling initiative this Christmas

Words by Ed King / Pics supplied by The Hospice Charity Partnership

Help Erdington’s John Taylor Hospice (JTH) raise the money they need to help others this Christmas by signing up for their Treecycling initiative.

In exchange for an affordable donation, the Treecyling volunteers will collect your old Christmas tree from your home on Saturday 14 or Sunday 15 of January ’23 – helping clear away the Christmas clutter whilst raising much needed funds for the local hospice.

Having run for over ten years, the Treecycling initiative is an important part of JTH’s yearly revenue – the Grange Road hospice relies on charity fundraising and donations to generate 40% of the money needed to stay open.

John Taylor Hospice is now part of The Hospice Charity Partnership, which also includes Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice.

It costs £15,055,467 to run both sites per year – which equates to: £1,254,622 per month, £289,528 per week, £41,361 per day, and £1,723 per hour.

Projects such as the annual Treecycling initiative are crucial in keeping John Taylor Hospice operational, which first opened in 1910 and has been providing free end of life and palliative care for over a century.

All the money raised through the Treecycling initiative will go towards supporting those who are cared for by The Hospice Charity Partnership and their families.

Here are a few ways your donations can help.

£10 will provide tasty home-cooked meals and refreshments for a day for someone staying on the in-patient unit on one of the hospice sites.

£15 can buy a teddy bear with a recording of a loved one’s voice for a bereaved child to treasure as a keepsake.

£19 will pay for one hour of Day Hospice service, supporting people to live well, manage their symptoms and take part in therapeutic activities.

£27 pays for a bereavement support session to help a family member cope with the loss of a loved one.

£42 pays for a specialist bereavement support session to help a child coping with the loss of a loved one.

£69 pays for a community nurse to visit someone at home, helping them manage their symptoms and coordinating their care.

£83 covers the cost of a home visit from an occupational therapist. This helps people become as independent as possible so they can keep doing everyday things – whether that’s simply getting around the house, cooking a family meal, going to the shops, or seeing mates down the pub.

£237 could pay for a whole day of a community nurses care, giving patients and families the support they need in the comfort of their own homes.

£492 could pay for 24 hours of nursing support for a person being cared for on one of our inpatient units.

£1,035 could pay for someone to have round-the-clock expert palliative and end of life care on one of the hospice’s inpatient units.

To take part in the Treecycling initiative, simply sign up before Monday 9 January via an online registration form and make an affordable donation, with all proceeds going directly to the hospice charity: www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/Treecycling

Jess Bolton, Community Campaigns and Digital Fundraising Manager at The Hospice Charity Partnership said:

“We are so excited to welcome back Treecycling, our flagship campaign. Not only is it a great service, it’s also a hugely important fundraiser for us, having raised over £500,000 since 2011 for palliative and end of life care.

“By booking your collection and making a donation, you will make a difference to local people living with life-limiting illness, whilst making your life easier and being kinder to the environment – what’s not to love?

“A huge thank you to all of our wonderful supporters that have or will make their Treecycling booking in 2023 – we couldn’t do what we do without you!”

To sign up for the ‘Treecycling’ charity fundraiser and support John Taylor Hospice visit: www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/Treecycling

For more on John Taylor Hospice visit www.johntaylorhospice.org.uk

NEWS: “I’m ready to celebrate Christmas,” tells cardiac arrest car crash victim to life saving off duty Erdington paramedics

Words by Ed King / Photographs supplied by WMAS (group photo, left to right: Abi Conlin, Roy Taylor, Colin Cady, Bea Cady, Grace Harris, Maria Johnson)

On the run up to Christmas, two off duty Erdington paramedics have been reunited with a man whose life they saved after he suffered a potentially fatal cardiac arrest.

In October, Colin Cady was driving through Sutton Coldfield when his heart stopped pumping – forcing him to lose control of his vehicle and crash into a tree.

Luckily, off-duty Erdington paramedics Maria Johnson and Roy Taylor were passing at the time of the accident and immediately rushed to Colin’s aid – administering essential cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and roadside assistance until an ambulance arrived.

Now just days away from 25 December, Mr Cady was reunited with the lifesaving duo – wanting to thank them for helping him survive the ordeal and giving him the chance to celebrate another Christmas with his family.

Mr Cady told: “There really are no words to say thank you to those who saved my life that day. I count myself incredibly lucky that multiple off-duty emergency service staff were there at that moment, and that they came over to help me.

“Thanks to their actions, I’ve been able to celebrate my 53rd birthday recently and I’m ready to celebrate Christmas this year, one that I wouldn’t have seen if it weren’t for the fantastic work of the emergency services staff and staff caring for me in hospital.”

As defined by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), a cardiac arrest is when the ‘heart stops pumping blood’ and the ‘brain is starved of oxygen’ – causing the victim ‘to fall unconscious and stop breathing.’

Early CPR can be pivotal in keeping someone in cardiac arrest alive, with the BHF further stating: ‘In the UK there are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) a year… just 1 in 10 people survive. Early CPR and defibrillation can double the chances of surviving an OHCA.’

After witnessing the car crash, Maria Johnson and Roy Taylor rushed to Mr Cady’s aid – using both their medical training and a nearby Public Access Defibrillator to keep him alive whilst waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

Maria Johnson said: “It’s lovely to see Colin under such positive circumstances. It’s also such an important moment to appreciate just how fantastic bystander CPR and AEDs are.

“In this case we were able to assist with saving a patient’s life, not as ambulance staff but as bystanders, which is something that anyone with good CPR knowledge could do.”

Roy Taylor added: “While passing by and witnessing the incident, it was natural to go over and see if I could help at all, then seeing Maria there too was an incredible stroke of luck.

“Maria and I know each other well and have years of experience behind us so we both went into autopilot and tried to help Colin to the best of our ability while an ambulance was being called.”

On Wednesday 21 December, thousands of ambulance staff across the UK were involved in industrial action over rates of pay and working conditions – with the government refusing to engage in negotiations.

Despite the mass strikes, according to West Midlands Ambulance Servive ‘staff were left working to respond to respond to the most urgent calls such as cardiac arrests and other very serious cases such as heart attacks, strokes, difficulty in breathing and maternity cases.’

Some healthcare trusts and unions have scheduled further strike for 28 December and January 2023.

What is cardiac arrest? – British Heart Foundation

To learn more about cardiac arrest and CPR from the British Heart Foundation visit: www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/conditions/cardiac-arrest   

For more from West Midlands Ambulance Service visit: www.wmas.nhs.uk

NEWS: John’s 12 days of Christmas – sign up for ‘Treecycling’ and make Christmas extra special at John Taylor Hospice

Words by Ed King / Pics supplied by The Hospice Charity Partnership

Erdington’s John Taylor Hospice are bringing back their Christmas ‘Treecycling’ initiative this winter, to help make the festive season extra special for the patients in their care.

As many of us rush around looking for Christmas presents and Cranberry sauce, staff at the Grange Road hospice are busy granting wishes for their patients – made possible by the money raised through projects such as the Treecycling initiative.

In exchange for an affordable donation, the Treecyling volunteers will collect your old Christmas tree from your home on Saturday 14 or Sunday 15 of January ’23.

Having run for over ten years, the Treecycling initiative has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to help support John Taylor Hospice – which relies on charity fundraising and donations to generate 40% of the money needed to stay open.

To sign up for the Treecycling initiative visit: www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/Treecycling

John Rastall, a patient cared for by John Taylor Hospice’s Inpatient Unit (IPU), wanted nothing more than to celebrate Christmas in style this year.

To make sure John was able to celebrate his favourite time of year, staff at the Erdington-based hospice decided to make Christmas come early and kicked off 12 days of festivities from 14 September.

The wonderful Inpatient Unit (IPU) Team decorated John’s room top to bottom in Christmas spirit – with a Christmas tree, his own advent calendar, and wall to wall Christmas decorations.

For the next 12 days, staff helped John celebrate Christmas with special gifts and festive treats – until ‘Christmas Day’ arrived on Monday 26 September.

After waking up in his festive duvet covers, covered in pictures of Santa and his reindeer, John was treated to his very own Christmas dinner – made specially by the hospice catering team.

After a second helping of turkey, John headed outside for another Christmas surprise – where the hospice staff had dressed up as Santa, an elf, a snowman, and Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

There was even ‘snow’ on the ground, courtesy of a snow making machine, that helped decorate the autumn lawn at John Taylor hospice in Christmas cheer.

John spent the rest of his ‘Christmas Day’ relaxing in his newly bought Christmas onesie and opening presents from people from across the hospice.

As an artist, John was especially excited with the beautiful art sets – with pencils, pens and drawing equipment – and wants to design his own Christmas cards for John Taylor Hospice to sell and raise money to help others.

John told staff: “I feel really lucky, everyone has been really kind. All my presents are amazing, thank you.”

John’s ‘12 days of Christmas’ was just one of the special activities and events that staff at John Taylor Hospice have organised for patients in their care, made possible by the funds raised by projects such as the Treecycling initiative.

While the care provided by John Taylor Hospice is free for all, to cover this, 40% of its costs need to be covered through fundraised income. This is why the hospice relies on donations and money raised through charity fundraising initiatives, delivered by a team of supporters and volunteers.

Mary Moorehouse, Discharge Coordinator at John Taylor Hospice, said the staff just wanted to make John’s time at the hospice as special as possible.

“John mentioned it to someone that he wanted to make sure he celebrated Christmas this year,” told Mary. “So, we discussed it as a team and decided to bring his Christmas forward.

“Our whole team have gotten really involved and we have had gifts donated from our IPU colleagues, their partners, and families and from teams across the hospice.

“John is a fantastic artist and will even be designing some Christmas cards for us which is wonderful.

“Thank you to everyone who got involved and helped us pull it off. We love to make dreams come true here.

“It has all been worth it to see John’s face and see him enjoying himself.”

John Taylor Hospice is located at 76 Grange Road, Erdington.

Now part of The Hospice Charity Partnership, alongside Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, John Taylor Hospice first opened in 1910 and has been providing free end of life and palliative care for over a century.

To sign up for the ‘Treecycling’ charity fundraiser and support John Taylor Hospice visit: www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/Treecycling

For more on John Taylor Hospice visit www.johntaylorhospice.org.uk

NEWS: Sign up for Christmas ‘Treecycling’ and support Erdington’s John Taylor Hospice this winter

Words by Ed King / Pics supplied by The Hospice Charity Partnership

Sign up to get your Christmas Tree ‘Treecylced’ this year and help raise money for John Taylor Hospice in Erdington.

In exchange for an affordable donation, the Treecyling volunteers will collect your old Christmas tree from your home on Saturday 14 or Sunday 15 of January ’23 – taking the hassle out of getting rid of your tree once Christmas is over, whilst at the same time supporting the local hospice.

Situated on Grange Road in Erdington, John Taylor Hospice first opened in 1910 and has been providing free end of life and palliative care for over a century.

Now part of The Hospice Charity Partnership, John Taylor Hospice was awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating by the Care Quality Commission following its last inspection in 2022.

Having run for over ten years, the Treecycling initiative has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to help support John Taylor Hospice – which relies on charity fundraising and donations to generate 40% of the money needed to stay open.

Plus, all the Treecycling trees will be turned into biomass fuel – a renewable energy source generated from burning wood, plants, and other organic matter that is much better for the environment.

To take part in the Treecycling initiative, simply sign up before Monday 9 January via an online registration form and make an affordable donation, with all proceeds going directly to the hospice charity: www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/Treecycling

Jess Bolton, Community Campaigns and Digital Fundraising Manager at The Hospice Charity Partnership said:

“We are so excited to welcome back Treecycling, our flagship campaign. Not only is it a great service, it’s also a hugely important fundraiser for us, having raised over £500,000 since 2011 for palliative and end of life care.

“By booking your collection and making a donation, you will make a difference to local people living with life-limiting illness, whilst making your life easier and being kinder to the environment – what’s not to love?”

According to the British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA), between 6-8 million Christmas tress are sold in the UK every year.

A citywide initiative organised by The Hospice Charity partnership, who run both John Taylor Hospice and St Mary’s Hospice in Birmingham, the Treecycling initiative has become a vital part of the charity’s annual fundraising.

Whilst the end of life and palliative care given at John Taylor Hospice and St Mary’s Hospice is free, hospices across the UK receive only 33% of the money they need to operate from the Government – relying on donations and money raised through charity fundraising initiatives, delivered by a team of supporters and volunteers.

Jess Bolton added: “Volunteers are vital in making Treecycling happen. The charity is on the lookout for incredible people to volunteer on the collection weekend (14 or 15 January 2023) picking up trees and dropping them at disposal sites.

“If you have your own van or flat-bed truck, fantastic! If not, the charity can provide vehicles for you to drive. Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in volunteering.

“A huge thank you to all of our wonderful supporters that have or will make their Treecycling booking in 2023 – we couldn’t do what we do without you!”

To sign up for the ‘Treecycling’ charity fundraiser and support John Taylor Hospice visit: www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/Treecycling

For more on John Taylor Hospice visit www.johntaylorhospice.org.uk

NEWS: Watch world première of Taking Flight from The Festival of Flying on Castle Vale – ONLINE TODAY AT 7PM

Words by Ed King / Pics by Claire Taylor – with additional images of Taking Flight by Andrew Moore

On Saturday 17 September, The Festival of Flying came to a close on Castle Vale – following months of community engagement, creative workshops, and inspiring sessions encouraging people on the North Birmingham estate to realise their ambitions and reach for the skies.

The grand finale, a world première of a specially commissioned aerial theatre performance called Taking Flight, will be streamed online today at 7pm – simply click here to visit the Active Arts YouTube channel, or stream directly via the window.

Told through high energy dance, music, smoke, fire, and aerial movement, Taking Flight tells the tale of the evil ‘destroyers’, a wild bunch of greedy wrongdoers who are stealing all the natural resources from the planet. But just as a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, destruction never truly wins where hope lies…

For a sneak peak of the Taking Flight, check out the PICTURE GALLERY below for images from the spectacular show that closed The Festival of Flying on Saturday 17 September.

Led by Active Arts, The Festival of Flying was a continuous programme of community engagement on Castle Vale – encouraging people across the estate to explore exciting new ideas and creative adventures, combining arts and engineering.

The Festival of Flying followed the foundations stones laid by The Butterfly Effect project in 2015, where Active Arts Castle Vale explored how small actions on the estate can lead to big changes

Ending on a day of family fun and spectacle, The Festival of Flying closed with a one day event on the grounds on Greenwood Academy – starting with an afternoon Community Showcase with local talent performing on stage, including Castle Vale dance groups Centre Stage and Mini Movers.

Then at 7pm, hundreds of people gathered for the world première of Taking Flight – produced by critically acclaimed performance company Highly Sprung, in partnership with Active Arts Castle Vale and commissioned and written as part of The Festival of Flying project.

Taking Flight featured a cast of trained acrobatic performance theatre professionals from Highly Sprung, alongside local dancers and performers – including Castle Vales’s own Charlotte Dodds, who has travelled the world performing in theatre, film, and TV shows from the UK to New Zealand.

Charlotte Dodd told Erdington Local: “I have lived on Castle Vale most of life, and when I worked with Highly Sprung I gained a lot of confidence in myself and my work as a performer.

“They showed me that it is possible to have a career in the arts, and at the time that was a big thing for me. They believed in me.

“Coming back to perform on Castle Vale (at The Festival of Flying) and give something back to the community with feels very rounded. It feels like a journey has been complete.”

Check out the PICTURE GALLERIES below for a look at The Festival of Flying Community Showcase, and the live debut performance of Taking Flight.

Watch Taking Flight online today at 7pm:

PICTURE GALLERY (1): The Festival of Flying – Community Showcase / Claire Taylor

 

PICTURE GALLERY (2): The Festival of Flying – Taking Flight / Claire Taylor and Andrew Moore

To know more about The Festival of Flying and other projects from Active Arts, email Active Arts Project Director Claire Marshall on www.activearts.wordpress.com