Latest news with #SmallHeath
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Plaque for Birmingham's black housing association builders
A dozen men from the Caribbean who created a black housing association in Birmingham in the 1970s are to be recognised with a blue men, part of the Windrush generation who came to post-war Britain, used their "vision, resilience, and community spirit", relatives said, to create the first black housing association in the Self Build was established in Small Heath after the men encountered a country gripped by economic hardship while they faced racism and discrimination. Dr Yana Johnson, daughter of one of the men, said she was very proud and the plaque, to be unveiled at her former home on Tuesday, would always mark what they did. Ten houses were built on Millward Street and two on Green Lane and remain Johnson has been integral in helping remember the legacy the men created along with the Nubian Jak Community Trust, a social enterprise dedicated to celebrating black and minority heritage, and said the men did not fully appreciate what they had achieved. Her father Keith died 20 years ago, some former owners were still alive and would hopefully be attending the ceremony, she trust, which is awarding the plaque, said the men were determined to create opportunity where none was offered and sought to provide homes for their families and affordable rentals for others in their Self Build evolved into African Caribbean Association for the Furthering of Economic and Social Sustainability, ACAFESS and "laid the foundation for a landmark moment in British history", the trust said. "We can't forget what they did," Ms Johnson, a beauty entrepreneur and gospel artist, said and added said she has learned so much about the community."I posted a tour of the street and the houses on TikTok and it's got like, 50,000 hits in about 24 hours which is amazing and it's not just my story, I'm hearing from so many others about their stories," she Jak Beula, CEO of the trust said: "It's one thing to be told that England was built with streets of gold. It's another thing to arrive in the mother country and discover this was not the case. "But the greatest thing of all is overcoming the discrimination that came with trying to find accommodation and to go on and build their own Streets of Gold. "In doing so, 12 great men unbeknown to them, would create Britain's first Black Housing Association in 1973." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Record
10-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Record
Brits with butterflies in garden told to take urgent action 'before it's too late'
The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme has released the latest annual results and they show that 2024 was one of the worst years on record for butterflies in the UK Gardeners who are lucky enough to have butterflies gracing their gardens are being urged to take immediate action, following alarming new data showing a significant drop in butterfly numbers over the past year. The most recent annual findings from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, published on 28 March 2025, reveal that 2024 was one of the worst years on record for butterflies in the UK. The situation is even more dire in certain areas. In Devon, four butterfly species have seen their numbers plummet to the lowest levels in at least a decade, according to fresh data from Butterfly Conservation. Data from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme and Butterflies highlight substantial declines in populations of Wood White, Small Heath and Silver-washed and Dark Green Fritillaries. Local recorder Pete Hurst told Bird Guides that habitat destruction, large-scale pesticide use and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change have left already dwindling populations unable to bounce back. He labelled the figures as "concerning", pointing out that Silver-washed Fritillary was down 38% compared to the 10-year average and Dark Green Fritillary down 60%. These results mirror a broader national trend, with 2024 identified as the fifth-worst year for butterflies across the UK, and over half of all species now experiencing long-term decline for the first time on record. Gardeners are being encouraged to play their part in boosting butterfly numbers. The Woodland Trust suggests that one of the most effective ways to do this is by providing food sources - flowers. Butterfly-friendly plants. Butterflies are nectar feeders, so a straightforward method to attract more butterflies to your garden is to plant a variety of vibrant flowers. Butterflies are drawn to blooms such as bluebell, lavender, red campion, cornflower, primrose, bird's-foot-trefoil and clover. Buddleia is also a butterfly favourite, however, the Woodland Trust advises against it due to its invasive nature, which can rapidly spread and potentially harm other native plants. Ensure your flowers are planted in a bright, sunny area that's protected from the wind. If space is limited, consider using a window box or large pot. Fruit trees. The juice from ripe fruit provides essential energy for butterflies during autumn, while spring blossoms serve as an excellent nectar source for pollinators. Other plants. While they may not be the first choice, these plants also aid butterflies. Some have flowers that benefit adult butterflies, while others serve as valuable food sources for caterpillars. Create a butterfly feeder. In addition to planting for butterflies and their caterpillars, you can also assist by providing a sweet treat to give them an energy boost. This is particularly beneficial in autumn when many plants cease flowering and nectar becomes less accessible. Add a quarter cup of sugar to two cups of water and heat in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes. Immerse a brightly-coloured cloth in the sugary water and position it near some flowers. Alternatively, you could place overripe fruit in a warm, sunny spot. Mushy bananas are particularly popular – butterflies adore their sweet, sticky texture. ----------------. The UK butterfly abundance statistics from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS), spearheaded by Butterfly Conservation, the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and JNCC, provide butterfly population trends from 1976 to 2024 at a UK level for 58 of the 59 regularly occurring species. Overall, the most recent data reveals that 2024 was one of the worst years on record for butterflies in the UK, ranking 45th in the 49-year series. For the first time since monitoring began, more than half of butterfly species (31 out of 59) in the UK are now experiencing long-term decline, with nine species having their worst recorded year, including Small Tortoiseshell, Chalk Hill Blue and Small Copper. Moreover, common butterflies, which inhabit gardens, parks and the wider countryside, experienced their second-worst year since 1976. In the shorter term, compared to the previous year (2023), 51 of the UK's 59 species declined in 2024, while six species showed an increase. Steve Wilkinson, Director of Ecosystem Evidence and Advice at JNCC, earlier this year remarked on the crucial nature of wildlife monitoring following insights from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme: "The results revealed by the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme highlights why robust wildlife monitoring is absolutely essential for conservation. Without the dedicated efforts of thousands of volunteers tracking butterfly numbers, we wouldn't fully understand the scale of this decline." He elaborated on the significance of such comprehensive surveillance: "This comprehensive surveillance allows us to identify which species need urgent intervention, track long-term trends, and measure the effectiveness of our conservation efforts. The UKBMS data doesn't just tell us about butterflies – it provides a critical indicator of the health of our wider environment. In the face of habitat loss and climate change, these monitoring schemes provide the evidence base we need to take meaningful action before it's too late."
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Weapons and ammunition discovered after Birmingham police chase
Lethal weapons and ammunition have been recovered by police in Birmingham following a police chase in the early hours. Officers found a gun, ammunition and a machete close to an abandoned car off Heybarnes Road, next to Heybarnes Recreation Ground in Small Heath, on Tuesday (May 6). The gun was said to be 'potentially viable' and was discovered near the car which had earlier been in a pursuit after the driver failed to stop. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Forensic checks are being carried out on the vehicle and the weapons as police look to trace their owners. Read more: Police swoop after 'suspicious vehicle' spotted by residents Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp , click the link to join A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: 'We've recovered a gun, ammunition and machete as we continue our work to take weapons off the streets of Birmingham. 'The weapons were discovered off Heybarnes Road, Small Heath, at just before 4.30am today (6 May). 'Items including a potentially viable firearm were located not far from an abandoned vehicle, which had earlier been pursued after failing to stop for officers." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read more: Romanian burglar's message to British citizens after rampage in Birmingham Get the latest BirminghamLive news direct to your inbox The statement continued: 'The car has also been recovered and we're now carrying out further enquiries to establish who these weapons belonged to. 'We're determined to keep you safe by removing such weapons from within our communities. 'It's all part of Operation Target – our 24/7 mission to tackle serious and organised crime in the West Midlands.'
Metro
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
BBC fans have hours to binge 'phenomenal' series before final season drops
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video TV lovers need to catch up on all four seasons of BBC's 'fantastic' comedy Man Like Mobeen ahead of the season five release. The fifth season will also be the swan song for the Bafta-nominated series created by and starring Guz Khan. Man Like Mobeen is set in Birmingham and follows the titular Mobeen (Guz), a former drug dealer attempting to be an upstanding Muslim and member of the community in 'the ends' (aka Small Heath). He gets up to plenty of antics with his friends, Nate (Tolu Ogunmefun) and Eight (Tez Ilyas), and has a sweet and protective relationship with his younger sister Aqsa (Dúaa Karim). As the synopsis reads: 'All Mobeen wants to do is follow his faith, lead a good life and keep his little sister on track. But with his dodgy past chasing him, can he stay on the right side of wrong?' The first season aired in 2017 and quickly became a staple British comedy with the fourth season coming out in June 2023 and ending on a nail-biting cliffhanger. Almost two years later fans will finally get to see the epic conclusion to Mobeen's story with a whopping six-episodes, and there's still time to catch up ahead of the premiere. Although it seems like a big undertaking it's only a total of 17 episodes, with each one coming in at a modest 20 minute runtime making it a bite-sized binge. One anonymous reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes said: 'Highly underrated. It's easy to love and root for the ensemble in Man Like Mobeen. There's comedy, there's drama, and there's great chemistry. A must-see.' Another fan, Thimal D, echoed: 'Man Like Mobeen's fourth season is phenomenal. Guz Khan's and Tboy's chemistry is fantastic and hilarious with brilliantly-written moments of comedy ever-present throughout the 4 episodes, even during the most devastating of scenes.' Over on X, user bob_bajwa shared: 'Just watched season 4 of Man Like Mobeen – hats off brother, that was sik!' 'Man Like Mobeen has me in tears,' Rubzzzz1 said. 'Rewatching Man Like Mobeen before the new series starts this week, so good! Guz Khan, we've spent the weekend in hysterics,' lynsey dickson added. And even co-star Tez (who may or may not appear in later seasons), celebrated it as a 'manic, fun, self-contained story.' More Trending As for the new season, there's plenty to look forward to with the description reading: 'In the final series, Mobeen must save Aqsa but can he even get a passport or a plane ticket to the UAE? And will he convince his friends to join him?' Announcing the return of the show in October, Guz joked he couldn't even 'shop at Aldi without someone popping out from behind the bread aisle' and asking about another season. He added: 'So for you, and only for you, here's one, final, very last, never to be done again season of Man Like Mobeen. P.S Please don't make me make anymore, I got loads of kids to raise and that. Love you.' View More » Man Like Mobeen returns on Thursday May 1 at 9pm on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer. The first four seasons are available to stream now. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Doctor Who is fixing its biggest mistake – but it might be too late MORE: EastEnders confirms special episode for return of show's biggest ever legend MORE: Strictly Come Dancing pro sparks quitting fears after announcing new career move
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Some wildlife 'may not return' after recurring fires
Butterflies, birds, insects and lizards are among the many species negatively affected by a spate of recent wildfires on the Mourne Mountains. There have been almost 300 such fires in Northern Ireland since 3 April. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said many were started deliberately. The National Trust manages a special area of conservation in the Mournes, "with the whole site designated specifically because of the habitat that's there", its lead ranger, James Fisher, told BBC News NI. He fears some species may not return after the wildfires. Firefighters are continuing to tackle a gorse fire at Brookeborough, County Fermanagh. On Friday, the fire service confirmed its staff attended 1,112 incidents from Thursday 3 April to Thursday 10 April, 296 of which were wildfires. Grayling and Small Heath butterflies "are really rare elsewhere so their population's going to be really impacted," Mr Fisher added. After a fire in the area in April 2021, the National Trust conducted a survey for invertebrates and found "a 90% reduction in invertebrate life" from burnt land compared to areas that remained unburnt. "They formed the basis for many of these habitats, in terms of food for the birds or for smaller mammals, or even the lizards that we find up there," he added. In the Mournes, Mr Fisher said rove beetles and other insects "support the skylarks and the meadow pipits that come from the lowlands to nest up in the uplands during this time of year". "Those birds, in turn, then provide a food source for some of the more charismatic birds, like peregrine falcons or kestrels." The mountain range has more than 50% of Northern Ireland's upland heath habitat, according to Mr Fisher. Upland heathland is characterised by the presence of low-growing shrubs, such as heather. "It's a real prime area for the only native lizard that we get in Northern Ireland - the viviparous lizard," he added. The April 2021 wildfires caused purple moor grass "to really take off" and prevented other plants, like heather, growing back. "It really changed the whole community from what we would designate an upland heathland community to an upland grassland or acid grassland community," he said. Cattle were placed in those areas to eat the grass, to try to re-establish the heath. Red grouse feed on young heather shoots and nest in the more mature heather stands. But with the fires destroying much of the vegetation in the area, Mr Fisher fears the red grouse will move out of the area, if the heather does not return. "With the time that it takes for the heather to reach maturity and to form the denser, more mature stands, the grouse just won't be able to survive there, so they won't come back," he said. Dr Neil Reid is a conservation biologist at Queen's University. He researched the impact of wildfires on the Mournes in 2011. He said those fires "covered about 10 square kilometres in a not dissimilar area to where they're burning at the moment". His research found that lots of wetland species, such as carnivorous sundews and bog asphodel, disappeared after the fires. Some birds had still not returned a year after the fire either. With wildfires seemingly happening in the Mournes every few years, Dr Reid says "it's kind of a death by a thousand cuts". "You lose a bit each time and the mountain becomes more and more impoverished, more and more grassland like and less and less wet peatland like," he added. "From the growth rate that we observed in the heather, we could extrapolate that would probably take about seven years for the heather to regain its full height again, but that doesn't mean that the ecosystem is restored. "That just means the heather has come back - a lot of those other species might never come back." Conservationist Andy Carden conducts bird breeding surveys in the Mournes twice a year. In spring, insect-eating waders arrive from Africa to nest and breed in the Mournes. "Without the insects and with burnt, blackened bare ground, they will not have the homes that they've flown here for," he said. "The ground nesting birds, like the skylarks and the meadow pipits, the wrens and stonechats, they'll have lost their nests and eggs." The area beside Bloody Bridge Valley, where firefighters tackled a two mile long fire, is a "very important" breeding ground for skylarks. He said it will be "a sad sight" when he does the next bird survey. "The habitat is just going to be destroyed," he said. "It's hard to know if there'll be any breeding going on in there at all this year. "It takes a long, long time for it to come back. "Places that have burnt a decade ago or more than that, you can tell and you can see that the vegetation is different. It hasn't come back." Hikers 'devastated' over Mourne Mountains wildfires Bloody Bridge wildfire contained as firefighters deal with others Wildfires are rural arson, says minister
