British woodworking champion Amarjit Binji crowned ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’

The boss of a British woodworking firm has been crowned 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Amarjit Binji, Chief Executive Officer of AJB Group, beat off stiff competition to win this prestigious title at the Midlands Business Awards (MBAs). Winners across the 11 categories were announced at a gala black-tie event held in Leicester on Friday (March 4).

BritJam receives Citation from the Jamaica High Commission

BritJam UK, and Khori Hyde, it's founder, has been presented a citation by Seth George Ramocan CD, Jamaica High Commissioner to the UK at the Jamaica High Commission in London, UK.

BritJam is the number 1 international Spring Music event in the Caribbean. It infuses British/American culture with the Jamaican culture and turns it into a week of unbelievable fun where thousands of participants from the United Kingdom, Europe, USA and the Caribbean come together in famous tourist locations in Jamaica.

Starting in 2010, their first festival attracted 200 attendees from the UK, 85 from the USA and 35 from three Caribbean islands (Nassau, Cayman and Antigua) and had a combined total of 15,890 local and international patrons attended the festival over the week.

Over the years the numbers continue to grow by the hundreds and to date, we have experienced approximately 750% growth which translates in over $200,000USD in the local market place and $1,000,000USD total value creation per staging since 2015

The citation from the High Commissioner reads as follows:

“Presented to BritJam UK on the occasion of its 10^th anniversary of establishment.

I commend Mr. Khori Hyde, Founder, the Executive, members and friends of BritJam UK for their dedication over the years creating opportunities to promote tourism as well as strengthen cultural connections and empower young people of Jamaican heritage within the United Kingdom, to stay connected to their roots and culture. The organization has also played a key role in building and maintaining strong links between Jamaica and the second, third and fourth generations across the United Kingdom.

Congratulations and God’s richest blessings in the years ahead!”

As BritJam continues to push the brand as an authentic connector and cultural enabler, it is only fitting that the UK will see a homecoming event dubbed 'BritJam Live'. This will be held on 2 January 2022 at world famous Troxy in London.

With the continued support of launch event partner, Victoria Mutual Group (UK), they are then focusing on celebrating Jamaica 60 in the motherland of Africa - 1 week, 3 cities.

Ghana has been selected as its first destination on the continent and the brand BRITJAM is celebrating its 10th Anniversary experiencing significant growth year on year from 15-22 August 2022.

As the festival continues to attract millennials, with readily available disposable income, they treasure our festival as a best kept secret and return with others of similar interests each year.

Brits are chasing beauty and acceptance at a huge cost

British people are said to prioritise their looks over their finances, as shockingly a third of Brits feel that looking 'unkempt' is more shameful than having debt.

Brits drain savings with nearly a third turning to funds to make ends meet

A new study of 1,000 UK adults, from digital financial coaching app Claro Money, has revealed that 28% of Brits are dipping into their ‘rainy day’ funds just to make ends meet when their outgoings rise above their income.

Rather than use their savings funds for goals like luxury holidays, remodelling the family home or a brand-new car, research has found that the rising cost of daily living including food shopping, childcare, petrol, and energy are starting to eat away at Brits’ future finance goals and plans.

Brits wait 18 months before talking to a new partner about finances

Brits are more comfortable opening up about previous relationships with a new partner than their financial history, reveals new research from Capital One UK. 

Adults will discuss past relationships on average within 11 months of dating someone new, but it takes them 18 months to open up about their finances including details on how much they’ve saved and what they owe.

BRMB is Back!

Iconic Birmingham radio station BRMB returned to the airwaves after Ofcom approved the name change of Big City Radio.

Bromford hosts open day event at Blythe Valley to showcase brand-new Shared Ownership apartments

Property seekers in Solihull are being encouraged to attend Bromford’s upcoming open day event at Blythe Valley, where they can learn more about Shared Ownership and the housing association’s brand-new apartments.

The open day will be taking place on Friday, November 12 from 3pm to 7pm, and be held at the Blythe Valley housing development, off Central Boulevard in Blythe Valley Park.

Bromsgrove MP Javid returns to front-line politics following Hancock despatcher

New Health Secretary Sajid Javid says that he wants to see a return to normal as quickly as possible after replacing Matt Hancock. Mr Javid said he would do all he could to "deliver for the people of this great country".

His appointment comes after Mr Hancock stood down for breaching Covid rules by kissing a colleague. Bromsgrove MP, Javid, who has had several key government roles, said his predecessor had worked incredibly hard.

His return to the cabinet comes 16 months after his shock resignation as chancellor. But Labour criticised the appointment, saying he had been an "architect of austerity" that weakened the NHS.

Hancock announced his resignation after pressure had been building for him to quit following the publicationof pictures and a video of him and Gina Coladangelo, who are both married with three children, kissing. The (Sun) newspaper said the images had been taken inside the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on 6 May.

Following the revelations, a number of Conservative MPs, as well as Labour and the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, called for Mr Hancock to go. Following him (Hancock) breaching his own social distancing rules, Prime Minister Boris Johnson accepted the then Health Secretary's grovelling apology  but was never going to firing Matt Hancock over his secret affair and, according to Downing Street, considers the matter closed.

Ms Coladangelo is also leaving her role as a non-executive director at the DHSC.

Mr Hancock has ended his 15-year marriage to his wife, Martha, and the relationship with Ms Coladangelo is understood to be a serious one. Javid's return to a senior cabinet role comes after he abruptly left government in February last year, a month before he was due to deliver his first Budget.

At the time, the prime minister ordered him to fire his closest aides and replace them with advisers chosen by Number 10 if he wanted to remain in post - conditions he said he was unable to accept.

Bruce Castle Museum awarded £40K grant to boost digital offerings

Bruce Castle Museum & Archive has received a grant of £40,000 from the Art Fund’s Respond and Reimagine programme to deliver a new project; #Unlocking the Castle: The Key to a Digital Future.

The project will use innovative approaches to bring Bruce Castle Museum and the wonderful heritage it holds about Haringey to new audiences online. Providing a new digital platform, for the first time the museum will be able to take digitally-curated collections to be explored not only locally, but beyond Haringey and around the world.

It will provide additional online resources to complement this and offer ‘tasters’ for visits to Bruce Castle itself, but would also support remote access to those local communities which have been especially vulnerable and isolated due to Covid-19.

Over the first six months of 2021, Bruce Castle will be working with different audiences and communities, offering opportunities to co-curate exhibitions and projects online using 3D-digital scanning of collections to develop fun and exciting interactive content for schools, families and life-long learning.

Councillor Mark Blake, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “I’m delighted that Bruce Castle Museum has been awarded this grant. The Museum is a Haringey treasure and vital guardian of the borough’s history.

“This grant will allow even more people in Haringey and further afield to enjoy the museum’s fascinating collections and learn about our local heritage.”

Bruntwood CEO reacts to Levelling Up White Paper

Chris Oglesby, CEO of property giant Bruntwood shares his thoughts on the Levelling Up White Paper released by the government recently.

Also chair of Innovation Greater Manchester, he said: “One of the most eye-catching positives in today’s Levelling Up White Paper is the commitment to increase R&D spending outside of London and the South East. The current imbalance here mirrors the regional inequalities that are at the heart of Levelling Up. 

BSA celebrates 50 years of trading

2021 is a special year for BSA, as they celebrate 50 years in the business. They are known for their extensive experience and expertise in the fire safety and security sectors. 

The company ‘BSA Security and Fire’ was started by Tony Willert in 1971 operating as part of a division of ‘Willert Electrical’. Starting his days working as an apprentice for ‘Lowestoft Electrical’ he later decided to go it alone, working from his garage at home and doing jobs from his estate van. 6 years later he bought his first business premises and to add to the growth, a couple of permanent staff member’s.

BSol ICS appoint new Non-Executive Director for Inequalities

Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (BSol ICS) have announce the appointment of Dr Patrick Vernon OBE as its new Non-Executive Director for Inequalities.

Dr Vernon is a prominent equality campaigner with more than two decades of experience in the voluntary and public sectors. With expertise in developing and managing health and social care services, public health, grant programmes, regeneration and employment projects, he was awarded an OBE in 2012 and an honorary doctorate from Wolverhampton in 2018.

Budget and council tax agreed

Sandwell Council's budget for the coming financial year has been agreed which leaders say will protect frontline services and recognises the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the local community. Councillors have approved a council tax of 1.99% to fund local services, plus an extra 1% to help pay for adult social care services meaning a total increase of 2.99%.

Total council tax charges are different for each one of eight property valuation bands – and also include additional charges from police and fire services. Including the charges for police and fire services, most Sandwell residents will need to pay an extra 77p to 89p per week from April 1. This is the lowest council tax rise in the West Midlands.

Councillor Wasim Ali, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for core council services, said the budget - which was agreed at the Full Council meeting – acknowledged the impact of Covid-19 on the local community. He said: "The budget for the coming year again protects frontline services but also recognises the massive impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on our residents and businesses.

"In order to do this we are proposing an increase in council tax of 1.99% and an extra 1% for adult social care services. This is lower than the 4.99% allowed by government which has been adopted by neighbouring authorities, making the rise the lowest in the West Midlands and the minimum we believe is necessary to protect frontline services. We’re also one of very few councils nationally whose Council Tax Reduction Scheme provides 100% support to our lowest income residents.”

Cllr Ali said that the council's budget for 2021/22 had a £13.8 million shortfall and that the deficit would be met by using one-off balances and Covid-19 emergency funding, and that savings plans were now being considered to address the shortfall in coming years. He also gave a reassurance that the council’s free balance provision would remain stable at the end of 2021/22 and remain within the recommended limits.

He said: “This is the first time we have needed to use one-off balances to balance the budget but the pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges and it’s important to say that the council maintains a strong balance sheet and a comfortable level of reserves.”

Sandwell’s deputy council leader, Cllr Maria Crompton, added: “This has been a very difficult year for so many people, with our residents, businesses, community organisations, and the council, all facing financial challenges.

“We have approved a budget to protect frontline services for our communities while also keeping the council tax rise to the minimum we can in order to achieve this.” The budget also confirmed 2021/22 funding for the Sandwell Children’s Trust of £68.028 million and that the council’s fees and charges would be frozen for 2021/22.

Budget announcement signals Sunak's leadership ambitions - academic

Rishi Sunak's Spending Review and Budget announcement signals the Chancellor's leadership ambitions, Birmingham City University Associate Professor Steven McCabe has suggested.

"Chancellors delivering budgets have a tricky line to tread in trying to keep everyone happy,” he said. “The budget was, as many suspected, intended to serve multiple audiences. 

Budget balances investment in services against ongoing financial challenges

Birmingham City Council has published its latest financial plan. This medium-term financial plan follows on from the publication of a new Delivery Plan in November 2020, which outlined the Council’s priorities, actions and key commitments to May 2022. The key areas of focus include:

·         Reforming the way the Council operates;

·         Shifting the focus from crisis to prevention;

·         Increasing the pace and scale of economic growth.

The Council’s Financial Plan 2021–2025 provides firm financial forecasts for income and expenditure driven by the Delivery Plan. The plan aims to balance a significant programme of investment, transformation and support for the most vulnerable against continued financial challenges due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Above inflation, additional investment in services totals £69.1m in 2021/22, including a further £22.5m for adult social care, £12.3m for children’s services and £6.9m for neighbourhood services the latest financial plan goes to Cabinet on February 9 before going to Full Council for final approval on February 23.

The council has already saved over £700m since 2010. A different approach to the budget has been adopted this year meaning that there are no new savings proposals requiring public consultation – with most savings in the budget having already been consulted on and approved in previous years. The only material new saving is for ‘establishment controls’, for which there are no redundancies anticipated as the outcomes are likely to be deleted vacancies and reduced agency costs. This is budgeted to save £20.1m per year.

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “The plan has been produced against a backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the tragic impact that the last year has had across our city. Families have lost loved ones, businesses have struggled and jobs have been lost. Many people have struggled financially, mentally and in lots of other ways.

“The pandemic has highlighted long-standing issues and inequalities that must be tackled to ensure that every neighbourhood and every community across Birmingham benefits from the recovery to come. But Birmingham is, and always has been, a resilient city.  The strengths and assets that made this an attractive place to live, work and invest before COVID-19 have not gone away – in fact they are now more important than ever. We will make these ongoing strengths work for the people of Birmingham, building more homes, creating more jobs and ensuring that the benefits are felt in every street, neighbourhood and community.

Exciting times lie ahead once we overcome the pandemic. HS2 is still happening, bringing jobs and opportunities; some of the UK’s biggest companies, such as PwC and HSBC, are proud to call the city home; we have fantastic universities that are producing a strong pipeline of talent; and next year we play host to the 2022 Commonwealth Games – a huge event that will really put Birmingham on the global stage. But though there are many reasons for optimism, this is also a city of challenges; a city where over a decade of cuts in funding from Government has left its mark on our public services.

“Our new Financial Plan will play a significant part in helping improve things for the people of Birmingham.”

Builders told to remove leasehold contract terms

Housebuilders Countryside and Taylor Wimpey have been told to change their leasehold contract terms by the UK competition watchdog or face legal action.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the unfair terms, which double ground every 10 to 15 years, trap people. It said the contract means people can struggle to sell or mortgage homes. The builders said they had already taken steps that address the issue.

The CMA said it had concerns that the clauses in the contracts may break consumer protection law. They must be removed and not used again, it said.

CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli said: "These ground rent terms can make it impossible for people to sell or get a mortgage on their homes, meaning that they find themselves trapped. This is unacceptable. Countryside and Taylor Wimpey must entirely remove all these terms from existing contracts to make sure that they are on the right side of the law."

He added: "If these developers do not address our concerns, we will take further action, including through the courts, if necessary." The watchdog is also looking into Barratt Developments and Persimmon Homes contracts.

Campaigners have called for leaseholds to be banned on new builds, and the government has said previously it would work to end the practice. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said unfair practices, including crippling ground rents, have no place in our housing market.

"This behaviour must end and I look forward to appropriate redress being forthcoming for leaseholders," he added. Taylor Wimpey said: "We will continue to cooperate with the CMA and work with them to find a satisfactory resolution, within the required timescale."

The housebuilder added that it stopped selling leases that doubled ground rent every ten years on new developments from 1 January 2012. In 2017 it launched a voluntary help scheme that covers the cost of converting terms so ground rents are linked to rises in the retail price index (RPI) measure of inflation and set aside £130m to cover the cost of lease conversions.

The company said that a significant number of Taylor Wimpey customers have already used this scheme and it remains open. Countryside said it had sold no properties with doubling ground rent clauses since 2017 and that it had an assistance scheme for people who charges doubled more than every 20 years. It said it would continue to engage constructively with the CMA to resolve this complex issue.

The National Leasehold Campaign (NLC), which wants to abolish new-build leasehold, said that Taylor Wimpey and Countrywide were two of the worst offenders in the leasehold scandal. NLC founder Katie Kendrick said the campaign was delighted with the CMA's stance.

However, she said that ground rents are only one of the ways for freehold investors to make money at the expense of leaseholders. "Leaseholders are navigating a feudal system that is stacked against them,” she said, “with rip-off permission fees, escalating service charges and, for many new build estates, estate management fees. The big developers could do more to provide redress for the systematic mis-selling of leasehold homes; they choose not to".

Building societies to raise mortgage rates

Leading building societies have said they will increase some of its mortgage rates due to the current economic outlook, saying rates on new fixed deals will rise by up to 0.45 percentage points. It comes amid expectations the Bank of England will have to raise interest rates higher than previously thought.

Bulat Utemuratov Foundation celebrates a decade serving Kazakhstan

Since 2014, the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation has been steadfast in bringing together people, ideas, and resources to create valuable and sustainable solutions that move society forward.

Bullring presents Late Night Out - an exclusive after hours evening of live entertainment and celebrity performances

In partnership with Gaydio, iconic shopping, dining, and leisure destination, Bullring Presents, Late Night Out — an exclusive live music event featuring star guests on Friday 26th May.

With limited tickets set to sell out fast, visitors will get access to Bullring’s after hours event from 9pm until midnight, hosted by RuPaul's Drag Race UK star and fan-favourite, Ginny Lemon. The event will feature a stellar line-up including music producer and promoter, Jodie Harsh, with a DJ set and Girls Aloud member, Nadine Coyle, with a special performance. Music will also be provided by Ginny’s fellow Drag Race UK star, Black Peppa, and DJs from Gaydio.

Bumble launches Black-owned Small Business Grants for Black History Month

With the return to real life dating, singles across the UK are heading back to their go-to spots for first dates.

However, today, more than half (57%) of Black British people in the UK have experienced racism or racial bias on a date.