After another successful Women On the Move Against Cancer (WOMAC) party and two weeks of fundraising known as WOMAC Weeks, the organisation has exceeded its pledge to 2024 charities Oesophageal Patients Association (OPA) and Cure Leukaemia to £8,000 each and donated a further £1,500 to three additional charities bringing the total donated so far this year to £20,500.Two fantastic causes – Oesophageal Patients Association (OPA) and Cure Leukaemia – were nominated by Committee members or Patrons thanks to the support they have provided to loved ones during a cancer diagnosis and treatment.OPA has led the fight against oesophageal and gastric…

Have you ever gone through a whole night worrying about your new job, tossing and turning while your over-worked mind broods over a million things all at once: how well will you perform in your new job or if the new colleagues will respond to you well or are you good enough for the job. It’s pretty scary stuff- walking through the double-sliding doors on your first day, and there it is- that shrinking fear clouding your mind from thinking clearly and positively. But it’s normal to feel high levels of anxiety in situations like this because 1) your about…

Charities and community groups from across the UK can apply now for funding from the Security Industry Authority’s ‘grants for good causes’ programme. The Security Industry Authority (SIA), an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Home Office, is the regulator of the UK’s private security industry. Each year, it offers a small number of grants from the money it confiscates from criminals through proceeds of crime confiscation orders. Last year, the SIA gave more than £72,000 to support seven projects, including human trafficking awareness workshops, employment and training opportunities for disadvantaged groups and training for volunteers in emergency first…

Grants of up to £15,000 to activity schemes for autistic children and young people, and their siblings, which run in the school holidays. Grants are usually for part of the costs. The funding is for either: Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations that: Priority for funding will be given to autistic-specific schemes. Applications open on 3 February 2025 and close on 28 February 2025.

Funding to Help Disadvantaged Groups to Improve their Communication Skills (UK Grants of up to £5,000 are available for UK registered charities for specific projects that improve communication skills for disadvantaged adults and supports NEET people into employment. The funder views communication skills as critical capabilities for people who want to improve their employment prospects, self-confidence, resilience, and life chances. The funding is for registered UK registered charities with an annual turnover of between £25,000 and £500,000 that are working to develop communication skills for people from disadvantaged groups who want to improve their employment prospects. Beneficiaries must gain at…

A total of 11 automotive leaders will feel the heat next month in Ben’s Industry Leader Challenge Sahara Desert Trek which is taking place from 26th February to 5th March.The following teams are tackling the Sahara challenge:Stuart James, RMIF Director; Kevin Flinn, RMIF Chair and Rob Collison, IGA Chair and Peter Whieldon, independent garage owner and photographerNeil Grant, Managing Director and Spencer Grinham, Sales Director – Hella LimitedMelanie Lowe, European Finance Director and Chris O’Rourke, Managing Director – LKQ Euro Car PartsIan Leedham, European Vice President Compliance, Legal & Public Affairs and Dave Brookfield, Vice President Human Resources Europe -…

Operation Cloud has removed items to the street value of nearly £5.7 million, with one raid resulting in £1 million worth of goods seized, the biggest of its kind in the city.Earlier this month, West Midlands Police launched a pilot initiative dedicated to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in Erdington. This initiative, Operation Fearless, works in partnership with the Council and others to combat burglary, theft, anti-social behaviour, and drug-related offences.Communities will see an increase in high-visibility patrols, including detectives, response officers, and neighbourhood policing teams, available 24/7 to respond to incidents and investigate crimes.As part of Operation Fearless, the…

pilot scheme to recycle unwanted furniture to some of the most vulnerable people in Birmingham who are facing homelessness, has helped several households for the past six months. The scheme identifies surplus furniture that council tenants are happy to donate when they leave their accommodation, stores them, and then uses a network of partners to find the furniture a new home. Previously, surplus furniture left behind by tenants would have to be thrown away by the council as there was no means to store or redistribute it. The scheme recycles furniture for rough sleepers, those in temporary accommodation and new…

Cllr Jayne Francis has said that the council is on track to ensure that all its residents can live in warm, safe, sustainable homes. Cabinet has approved proposals to unlock £1.6bn of investment over the next seven years into council homes. The council’s investment program began in April 2024 and has enabled just over £240m of investment over in its first year, improving the physical condition of just over 4000 homes. The investment programme for the second year will continue to accelerate this program, ensuring £1.6bn investment is geared towards making sure our homes meet decent home standards. The council…

The Alpkit Foundation, a not-for-profit independent charity, was set up by the British outdoor retailer Alpkit in 2015. It makes small awards that support grass roots, direct action projects where a positive difference can be made to remove the barriers in getting outdoors and experience the benefits of time spent outdoors.Community groups, schools and organisations based and working within the UK can apply for grants of between £50 and £500 to support:Diversity and inclusion projects that engage individual and groups from a diverse range of backgrounds.Environmental projects that seek to support, conserve, or generate understanding of our environment and wild…