birmingham-gateway-update-winter-2012…

Equinox : A Cultural Olympiad Choral Celebration

Saturday 17th March 2012 Symphony Hall Birmingham

www.citychoir.org.uk/Equinox

EQUINOX will be a once in a lifetime celebration of the rich depth of our local cultural heritage. After two years of creative planning, Symphony Hall will witness the realisation of the vision of bringing together 350 choral singers and percussion groups reflecting the Chinese, Indian, Arabic, African Caribbean, Eastern and Western European communities of Birmingham and the West Midlands. The concert will open with a percussion fanfare composed by John Barber, before each of the cultural groups perform pieces reflecting the universal themes of equality, creation, family and citizenship. This 2012 Cultural Olympiad event will climax with all performers combining in the world premiere of a unique composition by Midlands composer Christopher Long, conducted by Adrian Lucas. The text in Hindi, Mandarin, Polish, Arabic, Swahili and Latin has been chosen by the performing groups.

Voices and percussion are the oldest forms of music making. Singing has the power to communicate human emotion both between …

Just 12 months ago Leicester stood where Birmingham is now standing - on the cusp of the most significant constitutional change the city had seen in generations.

For many people, the prospect of an elected mayor for Leicester was something they rightly questioned. It was a step in to the unknown. Of course it created fears and raised questions that couldn’t be immediately answered.

Some people raised concerns about the prospect of an unaccountable autocrat being given a green light to push forward their own agenda. Others asked whether this would open the doors to someone without the skills or experience to do the job. And what of the role of Lord Mayor? Would this new elected mayor spell the end of decades of civic tradition in the city? It is inevitable that people in Birmingham are feeling some of that uncertainty now.

When Leicester City Council decided it wanted …

Gisela visited the Citysave Credit Union in Waterloo Street to learn more about the benefits of saving with a credit union.

Credit unions provide a savings and loan service to its members.  Citysave accepts applications for membership from Birmingham residents and Birmingham workers.  Credit unions are owned by its members and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

With community based staff and many of the main Birmingham employers allowing a payroll deduction to be set up direct to Citysave accounts, credit unions provide a convenient and fair savings option.

View the Citysave Spring newsletter here for more details on the service offered or visit the website at www.citysave.org.uk

spring-newsletter_for-web

Citysave Chief Executive, Angela Clements, is pleased with the change in legislation that will allow the Credit Union the option to widen its membership.

“On the 8th November 2011, UK credit unions finally heard that the long awaited Legislative Reform Order (LRO) for Credit Unions and Industrial & Provident Societies had been approved following its long journey through the Houses of …

Gisela Stuart is supporting the launch of Chance to be Chancellor 2012 and is calling on schools and young people in Birmingham, Edgbaston to take up the challenge to learn about, and share their opinions on, Budget 2012.  

Run by the Citizenship Foundation, in partnership with Aviva, Chance to be Chancellor is open to all 14-18 year olds across the UK.

Running until the 20th February, participants can enter into a national competition to win great prizes and visit HM Treasury in London.

To find out more and get involved visit:

www.chancetobechancellor.org.uk

Chance to be Chancellor is an online tool that challenges young people (14-18) to make informed decisions on real taxation & spending policies.

Last year Chance to be Chancellor engaged 3000 young people across the UK and published their views in the first ever ‘Youth Budget’ which was launched.…

Events in celebration of Women are taking place weekly in the run up to International Women’s Day.

Search for International Women’s Day events by county. 

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/search.asp?country=221…

Gisela spoke out after a week in which two English cities opted to create an elected mayor to fight their corner on the national and international stage. Councillors in Liverpool will be adopting the model as part of a deal with Government that will see the city benefit from an extra £130 million for schools, housing and job creation.  Meanwhile, voters in Salford have also backed the change and will be electing their first mayor at the local polls on May 3rd.

Birmingham voters will finally get their say on whether to adopt a mayor at a referendum in May, but the vote is only taking place because Government Ministers stepped in and ordered a poll.

Gisela said:

“The fact that Salford and Liverpool have taken the initiative on mayors, whilst our Birmingham’s Tory/Lib Dem coalition has had to be dragged kicking …

Yvonne Davies, CEO of the Birmingham Citizens Advice Bureau Service, collected the latest donation cheque for £50 from Gisela Stuart.

Populus provided the cheque in appreciation of Gisela taking part in their latest Populus Parliamentary Panel Survey.

www.populus.co.uk

Gisela said:

“The CAB provides a valuable service for the community that is reliable and accurate.  I totally recommend that more people get involved in ensuring the service is able to continue.

For more information on the service and how you can get involved, log onto their website”

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/…

Gisela Stuart showed her support for local warmth scheme, npower Health Through Warmth, by visiting a resident who has received help.

Gisela was joined by Volker Beckers, CEO for RWE npower; Jane Britton, county manager for the Royal British Legion and Elaine Midwinter, Health Through Warmth scheme manager. The visit was hosted by resident Veronica Low, who was helped by the scheme when her boiler broke down.

Veronica, 74, has diabetes and angina, which can make her sensitive to the cold and cause her symptoms to get worse. Last year, she was left without heating or hot water during the winter months. 

Veronica contacted The Royal British Legion for assistance, who quickly referred her to the Health Through Warmth scheme. The local Health Through Warmth co-ordinator, based at Black Country Housing Group, then arranged for quotes and installation of a new central heating system.

The measures were funded by contributions from the unique npower Health Through Warmth Crisis Fund and The Royal British Legion.

Veronica said:

“Having no heating or hot …

MP’s welcome HS2 announcement.  Gisela has been a strong supporter of the Yes campaign in favour of the High Speed Rail project. http://www.giselastuartmp.co.uk/mp-supports-campaign-for-high-speed-rail/

Full details of the announcement and plans are available online.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2012/january/statement-on-high-speed-rail/

http://www.hs2.org.uk/

http://assets.dft.gov.uk/greening-20120110.htm…

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice volunteer, John Ridd is running in the London Marathon to raise funds for the Hospice.

To sponsor John, you can either pop into one of the St Mary’s Hospice charity shops or donate via John’s page at www.virginmoneygiving.com/ridders or email John john.ridd@bsmh.org.uk

John said:

“I have worked for Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice for 18 months and have seen firsthand the great job they do at the hospice and that is why I am running the London marathon for them to raise £5000+. 

Since its launch in 1979, the Hospice has cared for tens of thousands of people with conditions such as cancer, motor neurone disease and MS.  In addition to a 25-bed Inpatient Unit, where people can stay for vital respite, Birmingham St Mary’s boasts a 20-place Day Hospice and provides care to people who wish to stay in their own homes.

The Day Hospice is a community in its own right, with people of all ages visiting every week to find release through a range …

In appreciation for Gisela Stuart taking part in the ComRes October-November 2011 Parliamentary Panel Survey, ComRes provided a cheque for £75 made out to Cerebral Palsy Midlands, the charity of Gisela’s choice.

Harborne based Cerebral Palsy Midlands provides support, education, training and life skills to the local community and to their service users.

Gisela said: “I have been aware for several years of the good work that Robert Nutt and his team carry out on behalf of this charity.  In these difficult economic times I am very happy to support this charity to help ensure its future.”

http://www.cpmids.org.uk/…

Every Tuesday 12 - 2pm.

Everyone welcome.

Please call Jackie on 0121 440 2607 if you require further details.

Woodview Community Centre, Woodview Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2HU

E. mail: info@woodviewcommunitycentre.com

Website: www.woodviewcommunitycentre.com…

This resulted in a large increase in the number of calls to boiler manufacturers and heating installers from householders with condensing (high efficiency) boilers where the condensate drainage pipe had frozen and become blocked with ice. This then causes the condensate to ‘back up’ into the boiler and can cause a complete shutdown of the central heating system.

In the vast majority of cases such problems occur where the condensate drainage pipe is located outside. British Standards, Building Regulations and boiler manufacturers’ installation instructions currently allow condensate drainage pipes to be located either internally or externally, or a combination of these.

The Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) has therefore issued official guidance for householders on what to do if a boiler condensate drainage pipe has frozen - providing they feel competent to take the actions described.

http://www.centralheating.co.uk/checklists/frozen-condensate-pipes/frozen-condensate-guidance-households

Gisela …

Local MP Gisela Stuart has pledged to help eradicate fuel poverty from her constituency by ensuring vulnerable households know where to turn for help and support if they are struggling to heat their homes.

The MP for Birmingham, Edgbaston is backing National Energy Action’s Warm Homes Campaign 2011, which is supported by E.ON, and is stressing that community engagement is vital in combating rising levels of fuel poverty in the West Midlands.

The Warm Homes Campaign is a national campaign run by the UKs leading fuel poverty charity National Energy Action to raise awareness of fuel poverty and the issues surrounding living in a cold home.

This year has seen energy prices rise to record levels and the number of fuel poor households in the UK is now over 6.6 million. Over 28% of households in Birmingham Edgbaston are struggling to heat their homes.

Ms Stuart said:

“No-one should be dying of the cold in this country. I have pledged my support to work with groups and individuals within my …

‘You don’t come from here, do you?” the guy at the bus depot asked.

“Why do you say that?”

“You don’t sound it.”

“I’m the Edgbaston MP.”

“Yeah, but where are you from?”

“Guess.”

“You sound German.”

“You got it.” He was pleased to be right and without further comment we went off to find the hybrid electric buses.

“Not coming from here” applies to most of us who have made Birmingham our home. There are few true Brummies but plenty by choice. Over the years some groups may have found it harder than others to fit in.After the pub bombings in the 1970s it took a long time before the city and the Irish community were ready for a St Patrick’s Day parade. More recently being Muslim hasn’t been easy. These things come and go.

I came to England in 1974, having almost failed English in my German matriculation, and touted my wares as an apprentice bookseller. …

During a recent visit to the Birmingham Assay office, Gisela Stuart met up with their management team to view the plans for the new premises.

Gisela said:

“The Birmingham Assay Office plan to relocate to a new location in the Jewellery Quarter in 2013.  The move will further enforce the importance of maintaining the role of the Assay Office in Birmingham and in particular Birmingham hallmarking.

The subject of apprenticeships and the Gateway Project were also high on the agenda.”

http://www.theassayoffice.co.uk/nao_new.html…

As part of their Citizenship Programme, 180 Year 7 pupils from Bartley Green School visited parliament and met up with Gisela Stuart for a question and answer session in the Gladstone Committee Room.

Gisela said:

“Des Flood, the school’s Assistant Head, regularly brings pupils down to Westminster for a taste of how Parliament works.  The experience for all youngsters is available through the Parliament Education Service.”

The pupils then went on a tour of the sites close to Westminster - visiting Big Ben, 10 Downing Street, The Cenotaph, The Thames, Westminster Bridge, the London Eye and The Natural History Museum.

http://www.bartleygreen.org.uk/

http://www.parliament.uk/education/…

Gisela Stuart said:

“A job for every young person in Birmingham who is looking for a job, prepared to put in the hours and willing to work hard.

Birmingham is the fastest growing city for young people under the age of 25.  Yet, workless is rising across the City. Times may well be tough, but you can’t just write off a whole generation as we did in the 1980s.  

So my perfect Christmas present is not a “hand out” for the young, but an opportunity to prove themselves and get off to a good start in life.  In other words, I want them to have the same chance I had when I was their age.”…

National Express West Midlands and Centro unveiled their new state of the art hybrid buses at Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens, Friday 2 December 2011.

The new greener vehicles will be on the 22 between Birmingham and Kitwell and 23 between Birmingham and Woodgate early in the new year.  The services run on a joint 8 minute frequency during 7am-6.30pm and a 15 minute frequency the rest of the day.  The services will lessen the carbon footprint of the thousands of commuters they carry to and from work every single day.

The event was addressed by Peter Coates Managing Director of National Express UK Bus Division, Gisela Stuart MP for Birmingham Edgbaston and Councillor Angus Adams Chairman of Centro.

The 18 new state of the art buses have a distinctive livery illustrating the pride National Express West Midlands and Centro take in protecting the local environment.  Photos attached.

The new hybrid buses are a £5.2million investment into the future of low carbon and sustainable transport in the West Midlands, by National Express West …

Ahead of last night’s talks, Downing Street assured us that “the Prime Minister is very focused on getting the best deal possible” - just as every prime minister has said ahead of an EU summit. And then, against expectations, David Cameron went where none of his predecessors have and deployed Britain’s veto.

We have thereby effectively left the EU. We are, at least, marginalised outside its new eurozone core. But Cameron’s is a hollow victory.

For a start, his veto on new financial regulations won’t prevent the EU from trying to impose them on us, if that is what the eurozone majority decide within the single market provisions. If that happens, he will have a fresh and deeper confrontation over the nature of Britain’s EU membership.

Moreover, he went into these talks saying that a strong eurozone was in Britain’s interest. The Chancellor underlined this point yesterday by spelling out the likely years-long impact on Britain of a meltdown. Yet the …

Downing Street assures us that “The prime minister is very focused on getting the best deal possible.” That’s what every prime minister has said ahead of a European Council meeting. But what is “the best”? It’s a question asked abroad as well as here.

Previous British prime ministers’ European counterparts had a sense of what to expect. Gordon Brown would take off his headphones when others started to speak, but did act decisively when the banking crisis of 2008 left many others paralysed. Tony Blair was the most pro-European Prime Minister since Ted Heath. 

John Major had to battle with a small parliamentary majority and intransigent backbenchers at home.  Margaret Thatcher was strident in public, but a realistic though determined negotiator in private.

But in Europe they are not sure about David Cameron.  Maybe even he himself does not quite know what he’s made of.

He has few friends in Brussels. His relationship with the two key players has …

Gisela Stuart said:

” These shocking new figures show the Government’s reorganisation is costing the NHS even more than we first feared. It is scandalous that they are telling our local NHS to hold back millions of pounds for their own reckless plans whilst thousands of nursing jobs are being axed.”

Gisela has already seen a 36% increase in the number of patients waiting longer than 18 weeks for treatment in South Birmingham and a 62% increase in East and North Birmingham, since Cameron became Prime Minister.

Before his plans are even fully through Parliament, David Cameron’s reorganisation is hitting the NHS hard and costs are now topping £3.4bn across the country for the first time. Spending this amount on an unnecessary …

This is the latest update on the Birmingham Gateway project from Network Rail.

birmingham-gateway-update-autumn-2011

As a core campaigner, Gisela Stuart is pleased with the progress of the Gateway project which will see a redeveloped New Street Station and shopping area.…

The programme can be viewed again on BBC iPlayer site

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b018377x/This_Week_01_12_2011/…