As preparations continue to secure leading lights in the worlds of music, comedy, wellness, food and nature for ALSO24 Festival this summer, the heat is on to find Midlands volunteers willing to help bring the festival to life. Now in its eleventh year, ALSO24 – on July 12-14th, brings together performers and musicians, best-selling authors, celebrated scientists and experts in a variety of fields to create a one-off ‘magical and immersive experience,’ in Compton Verney, Warwickshire. Festival organisers are now looking for volunteers from across the Midlands who would like to take advantage ..read more

Jo Wheelwright-Horne was inspired to establish Stratford’s now hugely successful Sunday Lunch Club after experiencing the loss of her mum to a brain tumour. After eight years and more than £100k raised for local charities, Jo now finds herself rallying the Club’s members to support another cause close to her heart – her husband’s cancer battle. Alex, 59, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma last year after his dentist spotted a worrying patch in his mouth and immediately referred him for a biopsy. More tests detected tumours and the news that his condition is incurable has left the couple ..read more

Parents Chris and Jenny Byrne will be powered on to cross the finish line at the London Landmarks Half Marathon on Sunday, to support the Warwick charity which helped them through their daughter’s cancer battle nine years ago. The couple, from Wolverhampton, are running through the capital in aid of Molly Ollys, the children’s charity that supported them following Rosie’s leukemia diagnosis, in 2015. Jenny and Chris Byrne in training. The charity was established in Warwick in 2011 by Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw, of Hatton Park, following the death of their eight-year-old daughter Molly from a r ..read more

Brides-to-be will have the opportunity to bag a bougie bargain while also supporting two Warwick charities, at a fundraising Wedding Fayre in Warwick. More than 40 brand new wedding dresses and accessories in a variety of styles and sizes will be available to buy at knockdown prices during the one-off event, organised by The Gap Community Centre on May 18th. The gowns, worth a total £80k, were donated to Molly Ollys by Boho Bride when it closed its doors at Stratford Garden Centre last year. Boho Bride’s Lynette Turner said: “We had a lot of dresses that we couldn’t take with us, so after our ..read more

Two new tenants have been announced for Bell Court for the spring and summer. For foodies, Beleza Rodizio will be bringing a Brazilian flavour to Stratford in its ‘all you can eat’ steakhouse menu that promises a ‘festival for the senses.’ Portuguese for ‘beauty,’ the name Beleza captures the essence of the rodizio-style steakhouse that is inspired by the colours and vibrancy of Brazil. Rodizio – or ‘rotation’ – refers to the way the gauchos rotate around the room with skewers of different grilled meats, stopping off at tables to carve. Legend has it that the rodizio style of service originat ..read more

A charity established by a Coventry woman following her own experience of stillbirth, has donated a £2k CuddleCot to a new baby loss centre in Birmingham. The special refrigerated cot has been presented to Woodland House at Birmingham Women’s Hospital, by The Luca Foundation. The CuddleCots are designed to act like a refrigerator to keep the body cold which allows the parents to have up to a week with their baby and, if they wish to, even take them home with that equipment. Raj & Rup Lal from sponsors DRD Capital Birmingham present the CuddleCot to Woodland House. Sharon Luca-Chatha’s life ..read more

Visitors to a new free community festival in Stratford can now enhance their experience with some first-class foodie fun, thanks to Cocktail Tours, based in Warwick. The ‘Food and Drink Tasting Experience’ offers people the chance to get a fuller flavour of what’s on offer at the new Pursuits Festival, on May 11-12th. Those wishing to purchase tickets for the Tasting Experience receive three complimentary drinks, three ‘try before you buy’ food tasting vouchers and an exclusive use bar – for £29.95pp. The free event, on the Recreation Grounds, promises a blend of cultural activities on the th ..read more

When it comes to fundraising, a team of fundraising colleagues are ready to jump to it for a Warwick charity. Staff at Gallagher in Brierley Hill are taking part in an Easter Bunny Hop on March 28th, in aid of children’s charity Molly Ollys. Two groups from the insurance and risk management company will each cover half of the 22-mile route, from Gallagher’s Birmingham site to the charity’s offices in Warwick – dressed as bunnies! The latest event planned forms part of the company’s third year of support for Molly Ollys and will take the fundraising total to more than £43k. Other fundraising ha ..read more

A new chapter is being marked in the 200-year-old history of a popular Leamington watering hole, as work gets under way on its major transformation into a new-look Italian restaurant. The first glimpse of the new design for Tavola has been unveiled – inspired by Italian surrealist painters of the 1920’s – as the doors close on the current café in Clarendon Street this week. It comes exactly one year after 44 Café, Bar & Bistro was taken over by entrepreneur Rob Singleton, supported by Gavin Leach, both from Leamington, and marks the boldest change yet for this familiar corner of the town ..read more

A popular local event celebrating the historic part of Leamington is to take place every month through the spring and summer, its organisers have announced. People are being invited to make tracks to The Old Town Railway Arches next month, for the first in a series of the special days, hosted by the business owners. Arches Day is a free event which includes a line-up of live musicians and DJ sets as well as street food supplied by Nico’s Pizza and Warwick Street Kitchen. The next event, on April 6th, has been organised by four of the businesses which operate out of The Arches on Victoria Busin ..read more