Aston University is launching a new sanctuary scholarship scheme for students who have sought refuge in the UK. Up to four sanctuary scholarships are on offer, due to a generous donation by prominent businessperson Matthew Crummack, currently chief executive of Domestic & General. They will be known as The Ernest Edward Scholarships in memory of the donor’s grandfather, Ernest Edward Crummack, who left school aged 12 to work in a coal mine. Read more
Plasma is used to make immunoglobulin, a medicine used to treat many rare diseases in immunology, neurology, and more. Only around 25% of appointments at Birmingham plasma donor centre in New Street are being filled each day. NHS Blood and Transplant needs more people to start donating plasma, to build stocks. Read more
BVSC attended the national Volunteer Expo Live event at the NEC on 6 and 7 May to promote volunteering in the City. It was a fantastic event which gave us the opportunity to engage with a wide range of individuals who wanted to volunteer or organisations looking for more volunteers to join their teams. Read more
Does your charity or not-for-profit organisation think about its brand? Or do you think branding is something only commercial firms do? After all, you might think, we are not selling anything like cars or trainers or clothes – what need do we have for a brand? Read more
On Friday we officially launched our brand-new Witton Lakes Eco Hub, offering local people an array of services and activities that will support them with health and wellbeing, employment and skills, and benefit advice, along with wider support needs, such as fuel and food poverty. Read more
Following the recent Open Day at our Arden Place, we were delighted to welcome familiar and new faces to find out more about this modern build, supported living scheme, for adults with learning disabilities and/or Autism in their own tenancies. Read more
Personal development charity Sport 4 Life UK and Boston Tea Party’s first joint skills day on March 17 supported a small group of young people, three of whom have been offered trial shifts and possible traineeships with the national cafe chain. Read more
Afzal will support The Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Mr John Crabtree OBE – the Queen’s personal representative in the county – in a number of ways including attending on Royalty during official visits, representation at citizenship ceremonies, supporting the armed forces of the Crown and encouraging charitable and voluntary work and local initiatives to benefit the community. Read more
Over 100 Neighbourhood Network Scheme workers, local community organisations and officers within the council’s Adult Social Care directorate came together on Wednesday 30 March to share their achievements and celebrate the way in which older people’s lives have been enhanced through the work of NNS teams. There was an opportunity to hear from each of the NNS schemes about the impact they had made. Read more
To tackle the climate emergency, we must change the way we live, travel and how we consume to meet our net zero targets. BVSC attended an excellent day run by the Centre for Sustainable Energy, celebrating Birmingham based projects who are working on exciting new environmental initiatives in the city to help it achieve its net zero targets. Read more
The Hospice Charity Partnership’s John Taylor site has been awarded the top rating of outstanding following a recent inspection from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Health regulators, who visited the Birmingham-based charity unannounced in January 2022, published their report today in which they praise the hospice for going ‘above and beyond’ to provide expert palliative and end of life care for patients, families and carers. Read more
On the 29th March 2022, 30 young people from across the UK who have all experienced homelessness came together to influence positive change as they took part in national Youth Homeless Parliament. Read more