News Archives - Page 14 of 25

The deadline for our life-changing fully funded undergraduate scholarship at Birmingham City University is midnight on 31st January 2021.

Each year, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust fully fund an undergraduate degree at Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, which covers over 20 different courses across computing, digital technology, engineering and the built environment. Now in its seventh year, the Millennium Point Trust Scholarship has already funded six young people from the region through their degrees at Birmingham City University.

The competition is open to applicants aged 17 and over within the West Midlands Combined Authority, who are looking to start a qualifying degree in September 2021. To apply, they need to download and complete our quick and easy application form from our website by answering four questions. They will then submit their completed form to [email protected] by Sunday 31st January 2021. We will invite five applicants to a final assessment day in March 2021 before deciding a winner.

Why apply?
If you win you we’ll pay your tuition fees. If you make it to the shortlist you get a range of benefits and support that develop your core skills and create opportunities to help you kick start your career in science, technology, engineering and maths. You have nothing to lose by applying.

Get started
If you or someone you know is interested, head over tomillenniumpoint.org.uk/scholarship to download the application form before 31st January 2021.

Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands. Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint.

We are delighted to report that the Millennium Point Charitable Trust has contributed more than £25m over the past six years to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) across the West Midlands.

Profits from the commercial activity from the building and venue go towards trust.

Despite a year rocked by covid-19, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust amassed multi-millions in contributions and donations in 2020 as part of its mission to provide continued support for the region’s STEM sector; this has included funding more than 40 projects in the form of small grants to fund STEM-related projects in the region; working with Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and The Built Environment to offer a free undergraduate degree through the Millennium Point Scholarship, with applications for the seventh year is open now; an annual donation to ThinkTank Science Museum and rent reductions for STEM tenants.

CEO Abbie Vlahakis standing next to Jean McLeod of the PSP at King Solomon International Business School.

Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point said: “This year has highlighted the significant role STEM plays in the world today, from medical breakthroughs to technology that keeps us all connected. We’re immensely proud of the quality and breadth of STEM-related projects that the Millennium Point Charitable Trust has been able to support. The Trust has made a significant difference in the region and, particularly with projects such as our scholarship, it’s encouraging to see young people taking a real interest in STEM as a future career.”

Where does the money come from?
All of the commercial activity that takes place in the landmark building and multi-award-winning conference and events venue feeds back into the charity. The charity then donates and invest in STEM-related organisations, projects and initiatives that benefit Birmingham and the wider region.

For further information on the charity or the venue please get in touch with our team.

Press enquiries please contact Jon Perks or Allyson Loots at CAB Campaign – [email protected] / [email protected]

Our landmark venue opened its doors on Monday 11th January as the first NHS mass vaccination site in Birmingham. The centre is run by the NHS in Birmingham and Solihull as part of the regions Covid-19 vaccination programme and will vaccinate up to 2,500 people a day and play a vital role in protecting lives, and in supporting the recovery of our region.

Five days on we take a closer look at how the first week of having this life-changing vaccine has gone.

As part of its support for the vaccine centre, Birmingham City Council has gifted use of the multi-storey car park based on Jennens Road, to enable NHS patients attending their vaccination appointments to park free of charge. Millennium Point is also easily accessible on foot from New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill Stations is well served by local bus routes and is a 10-minute walk from the city centre.

Please note: Only attend the vaccination centre at Millennium Point once you have confirmation of an appointment.

For information about receiving vaccinations in Birmingham and Solihull please visit www.birminghamandsolihullcovidvaccine.nhs.uk/ or call 119

For information about vaccinations at Millennium Point please see www.millenniumpoint.org.uk/nhs

Our landmark venue, Millennium Point, will become the first Covid-19 mass vaccination centre to operate in the Midlands.

The centre will be run by the NHS in Birmingham and Solihull as part of the region’s Covid-19 vaccination programme. It will be run on a strictly appointment only basis, with the NHS contacting people directly to book their appointments over the coming days.

Commenting on the announcement, Abbie Vlahakis, CEO at Millennium Point, said:

“We are very proud to be able to support NHS staff in delivering the Covid-19 vaccination programme in Birmingham. We are working closely with the NHS in Birmingham and Solihull, partners, staff and volunteers, to provide a crucial service to thousands of people across the region.

“It’s important that we’re clear with the public that this centre will be operating by appointment only, so they should not attend unless they have already been directly contacted by the NHS and have an appointment booked. We would like to thank everyone in advance for supporting us and the NHS to ensure that the centre can operate as efficiently as possible.

“Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on lives and livelihoods in Birmingham and the opening of this mass vaccination centre represents a vital next step in the region’s recovery from the pandemic. We are delighted that Millennium Point can play its part in making this happen.”

As well as being a landmark building and events business, Millennium Point is an award-winning not-for-profit Charitable Trust, with all profits from its activities as an event, conference and exhibition space being reinvested to support science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) related projects, initiatives and organisations across the West Midlands.

Abbie Vlahakis continues: “The mission of our Charitable Trust is to advance science, technology, engineering and maths for the benefit of the public, so it’s a great honour to work in partnership with the NHS to deliver this ground-breaking vaccination programme. It’s thanks to incredible advances in research that we stand ready to roll-out the region’s biggest ever mass immunisation project and we’re committed to doing all we can in support.”

For information about vaccinations at Millennium Point please see www.millenniumpoint.org.uk/nhs

For all press enquiries, please contact:

Ruth Pipkin              [email protected]
Rachel Worthing        [email protected]
Grace Coniry            [email protected]

The saying goes “Eat, Drink and be Merry”, so despite the new restrictions we plan on doing just that! Christmas is well underway and the team at Millennium Point is back with another list of awesome ideas to make your Christmas that little bit more Brummie! As always, businesses listed are in no particular order and are by no means the only Brummie independents on offer, a quick google will show you loads more or you can check out sites like Independent Birmingham or Birmingham Updates who have their own lists of independents. Here are 3 ideas for Christmas Treats that Support Local Brummie businesses!

Wine & Cheese
There are very few things in life that are better than cheese, and having a cheese board is the staple for many of us at Christmas time. Add wine into the mix and it’s pretty much what dreams are made of, with both components bursting with their own unique flavours which pair with each other surprisingly well. With that in mind, Arch 13 at Connolly’s Wine, Jewellery Quarter, is a wine bar and retail experience which showcases unique wines, great cheese and meat platters and pairings between the two. Right now, they are offering some excellent Christmas cheese boards which include locally sourced chutney. It also goes without saying that they have an abundance of sensational wine to keep your Christmas merry. Check them out here.

Locally Brewed Festive Beers & Beer Crackers
Birmingham is a hotbed for micro-breweries with around 15 of them in operation from the the crisp IPAs of Indian Brewery Company, the funky ice cream flavours of Burning Soul, or the zany and totally vegan Rock & Roll Brewhouse. With the ongoing measures a lot of these places are now doing an array of home deliveries of their choice favourites alongside gifts, merchandise and more. For the ultimate festive vibes however, we wanted to talk about Backyard Brewhouse and their selection of seasonal thirst quenchers. Bad Santa, Kris Kringle and Sanity Claus have all been specially brewed for the season. Bad Santa (6.8%) is a full bodied, tawny special bitter. Sanity Claus (5%) is a double dry hopped beer with a light sweet note. Amber in hue, it has a blend of hops like Mosaic and Citra to create a big tropical flavour. Our festive favourite however, is Kris Kringle (4.3%) for both look and taste. Light red in colour, Kris Kringle is a full bodied golden ale with a delicate blend of spice and orange giving you that warm and cosy festive feeling. Backyard Brewhouse also stock beer crackers, with a mystery bottle of beer in each cracker! These are great stocking fillers or could even replace the traditional crackers on the dinner table.

Hand Crafted Christmas Cupcakes
It’s a fact that calories don’t count at Christmas time, and even if they did, any guilt can be instantly nulled by the phrase “Oh go on then, it IS Christmas”. For a mouthwatering festive treat look no further than the Christmas Cupcakes from Kiss Me Cupcakes. This local cake studio in West Heath, is everything we love in an indepentent – ethically sourced ingredients, creative in their artistry and products made with passion. Now you can celebrate the magic of Christmas with a festive selection of cupcakes decorated with adorable reindeer, holly and robins in 4 four flavours. That’s not all they do, with a variety of other festive treats to enjoy alongside the cupcakes such as Christmas Tree Brownies. These are handmade in their cake studio and delivered directly to your door.

There you have it! While Christmas is a little different this year, there is no better excuse than to enjoy it as much as possible and feel good doing it knowing that you are helping small businesses have a Christmas too! Share your top picks for festive treats from local Brummies over on social media and tag in @millenniumpoint.

As the festive period fast approaches, somewhat in unusual circumstances, things wouldn’t be the same without watching a Christmas classic. We’ve put together six Christmas films that you need to watch this Christmas. So what are you waiting for, sit back, open the chocolates and enjoy some cinematic festivity.

6. THE POLAR EXPRESSAt six we have Robert Zemeckis’s animated classic The Polar Express. The Polar Express tells the story of a young boy on Christmas Eve who embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on The Polar Express to meet Santa Clause. The boy’s journey is a memorable one and shows the ways of friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas.

Featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, who was also one of the film’s executive producers, in multiple distinct roles, with Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett and Eddie Deezen in supporting roles.

5. THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROLNumber five brings us to another festive classic, where Michael Caine stars in the 1992 hit, The Muppet Christmas Carol. The film is a retelling of the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his dastardly ways. Come Christmas Eve night though that begins to take a different shape as he is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and future.

Featuring Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, Kermit The Frog as Bob Cratchit and The Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens.

4. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

At four, we have the 1946 classic It’s A Wonderful Life. The story tells of a young George Bailey, overwhelmed by family obligations and a sense of responsibility toward his community. As George increasingly becomes more unhappy, he thinks about ending it all until his life takes a positive step when he meets his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence goes on to show George what his town would have looked like if it hadn’t been for all his good deeds over the years.

Featuring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore and Henry Travers.

3. DIE HARDOur film choice at number three brings us to LA on Christmas Eve for the action hit Die Hard. Bruce Willis plays NYPD cop John McClane who sets off on a Christmas vacation to visit his wife Holly who works for the Nakatomi Corporation. The couple head to the Nakatomi headquarters for a Christmas party where things start to take a turn for the worst. A group of robbers led by Hans Gruber take control of the building and hold everyone hostage, with the exception of John. With no immediate police response, John embarks on a mission with the lives of the hostages in his hands.

Featuring Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson and Paul Gleason.

2. ELFIt wouldn’t be Christmas without watching Will Ferrell’s great performance as Buddy, in the Christmas hit, Elf. The film begins 30 years prior to the films events. A baby crawls into Santa’s sack and ends up at the North Pole. The baby grows up to be named Buddy and is raised by a group elves. After believing he was part of the elf family, buddy discovers the truth about his birth farther Walter Hobbs and heads to New York to track him down. Buddy soon experiences human culture and when Walter’s relationship with Buddy interferes with his job, he is forced to reevaluate his priorities.

Featuring Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart and Edward Asner.

1. HOME ALONESo we finally get down to number one and how could we forget about Kevin McCallister fending off the troublesome duo of Harry and Marv in Home Alone. As Christmas time arrives the McCallister family set off for their vacation trip to Paris. As the family embark on a mad rush to the airport they completely forget about Kevin who is left at home. Kevin soon realises the situation and starts to enjoy having the house all to himself. As Christmas Eve arrives, Kevin soon learns the danger he is in as two burglers Harry and Marv attempt to break into the McCallister’s home. Kevin acts quickly by wiring up well designed booby traps in order to bring the burglers to justice.

Featuring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard and Roberts Blossom.

Today we take a fond look back to 2017 when the annual Big Wheel and Ice Rink came to Eastside Green opposite Millennium Point. For those of you who you unaware, each year the city welcomes a few festive staples of the Birmingham festive calendar including the Frankfurt Christmas Market and the Big Wheel and Ice Rink. In 2017, the usual home of the Big Wheel & Ice Rink in Centenary Square was out of bounds due to the ongoing development work around infrastructure and the new tram links. After a few considerations, Eastside Green on New Canal Street was chosen as the temporary site for the festive attraction, directly opposite our landmark public building. The location was chosen for it’s close proximity to the city centre and Digbeth, parking via the multi-story at Millennium Point and the travel links via Birmingham Moor Street and New Street.

What was there?
Described as “bigger and better than ever” at the time, the attraction included numerous fairground rides, food stalls, festive decor and, of course, the ice rink itself with its own lounge and the big wheel – all lit up to create its own magical winter wonderland. Food stalls included German bratwurst and Chinese bibble waffles to quarter-pounder burgers and ostrich burgers, with one stall even offering a full Christmas dinner plated up or wrapped in a giant Yorkshire pudding! the on-site Christmas Bar boasted a huge 30ft tree protruding from its roof (although it didn’t top our 39 ft tree!) where people could stop and enjoy a warm Bailey’s hot chocolate alongside mulled wine, prosecco and ciders. The bar also had a viewing platform where people could watch family and friends zoom around on the ice. If this wasn’t magical enough, the festive Coca-Cola truck pulled appeared on site for a few days as one of its locations around the UK! The attraction was opened by Santa himself and the Lord Mayor in late November and it ran straight through to New Year’s Day, staying open late New Year’s Eve so visitors could reign in the new year in style.

The Big Wheel & Ice Rink returned in 2018 in a more limited capacity due to the start of HS2 works on part of the green, but we will never forget the huge success it had in 2017 and how it transformed a cosy space outside our award-winning venue into a winter wonderland! Sadly, like the Frankfurt Market, it has not returned to Birmingham this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, don’t get too downhearted because, like the Christmas activities at Millennium Point, it will be back in 2021!

Did you visit the Big Wheel & Ice Rink when it was outside Millennium Point? Let us know on social media by tagging @millenniumpoint.

Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint. Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands.

On Wednesday 9^th December our award-winning venue Millennium Point hosted an exclusive audience with two of the candidates for Mayor of the West Midlands. Our Level 4 Auditorium space welcomed Mayor Andy Street and Liam Byrne MP, where they were interviewed by Simon Topman (Chairman of Millennium Point).

How The Event Was Presented
The event was lived-streamed to the Millennium Point YouTube channel and was hosted by The Lord Mayor of Birmingham’s Charity. Each mayoral candidate discussed their vision for Birmingham, giving us an insight into the future opportunities and challenges for the region. The event also offered the opportunity for audience members to send in questions for both mayoral candidates. These were read out by Simon Topman, with Andy and Liam giving their responses.The Interviews
Andy Street was the first interview and he discussed some prevalent topics including job opportunities in the construction industry, more leisure potential in Birmingham, addressing industry skill gaps in the region and the road ahead for the hospitality industry recovery, including the need for larger grants.

Once Andy Street had concluded his vision for Birmingham, Liam Byrne was next to discuss his with Simon. Liam discussed a number of topics including building new careers for young people in the region, green manufacturing to support local organisations, building new cancel homes and putting an end to hunger and homelessness.If you missed the event last week or would like to watch any of the discussions again you can access all the content by clicking the button below.

Live Streaming at Millennium Point
Our Events team worked hard behind the scenes to set up this live stream and make sure everything was delivered successfully. There was a number of features included on the live stream including on screen graphics, switching of different camera angles and an introduction video by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham’s Charity. Below you can see some different shots of the set up.We are delighted to announce this package is now available for you to add to your events package. Our award-winning venue prides itself on being forward thinking and always looking ahead for new and exciting ways to enhance our clients event experience. This package offers a professional and affordable live streaming service designed to ensure that your delegates can enjoy your event wherever they are.

If this is something you are interested in then don’t hesitate to contact our friendly Events team today on 0121 202 2200 or email [email protected].

A leading music industry-academic at Birmingham City University has welcomed the findings of UK Music’s Music By Numbers report and calls for UK Government and industry to work together to secure further support tackling ongoing challenges presented by Covid-19 and Brexit.

Dr Matt Grimes is the music industries course leader at Birmingham City University and member of UK Music’s Music Academic Partnership (MAP) initiative. Dr Grimes warns that ‘the UK’s music industries are facing the biggest existentialist crisis in history due to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, but that the year on year growth recorded in the Music By Numbers report available to read here, is likely to be significantly damaged – potentially irreparably – by both the pandemic and new legislation following the UK’s exit from the EU.

Dr Matt Grimes Senior Music Industry Lecturer Birmingham City University

“Amongst the headlines from UK Music’s latest report – recording data from January 2019 – December 2019 – is a stark reminder of the music industries’ importance, documenting an increase in its financial contribution to the UK economy via an increase of 11.8% from 2018 data to £5.8 billion. But after the worst year on record, with the widely reported brutal blow to the live music sector, what does the latest data tell us about how the UK’s music industries can recover from the combined challenges posed by Covid-19 and Brexit?

“We need the UK Government to negotiate and put in place a simplified system to enable the continuation of reciprocal artistic exchange between the UK and EU. This is just one of a number of ‘next steps’ we must see taken in order to protect and secure the massive contribution that music makes to the UK’s economy and cultural fabric. Other steps highlighted in the UK Music report include Covid-19 recovery and revival; a continuation of and a more robust system for workforce support during the pandemic, to make sure that skilled workers are ready to reactively and successfully hit the ground running at the earliest opportunity post-Covid.

“UK Government must develop a post Brexit copyright framework to enable music creators to fairly monetise their work; offer international trade support that further develops the UK music industries around the globe by entering into trade agreements that allow UK music to grow in key markets; a nurturing of the UK’s talent pipeline by an investment by the government into music education and the development and support of regional music boards; and tax incentive schemes, which are common in other countries, to support the growth and development of the UK music industries.

Music industries form part of the wider S.T.E.M umbrella, alongside digital technology, film and the games industry. The Millennium Point Charitable Trust is working in partnership with Birmingham City University to offer a fully funded undergraduate scholarship at the faculty of computing, engineering and the built environment. Courses eligible for funding include Music Technology and Sound Engineering and Production. Applications open on 2nd December 2020 for any young people looking to start their career in music. For more information or to apply please visit this page.

Promote Millennium Point Scholarship — Scholarship 2020 Finalists (From Left to Right) Kallum Wright, Chloe Copeland, Shennice Talburt, Lauren Davies, Amber Kelsey.

Dr Grimes concludes: “The music industry is critical to the UK’s post-Covid recovery. It may well have to mutate to survive and new models of music production, distribution and consumption may well emerge from post-Covid music industries. Models we hope will be able to sustain and grow what is a key national asset.”

For print, online and broadcast interviews with Dr Matt Grimes, please contact Lyle Bignon on 07740 753 779 or via [email protected].

Every year, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust Small Grants programme gives out grants of up to £20,000 to support science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education projects in the West Midlands. Applications are now open for 2021.

Here is one of the many projects that the programme has funded in 2020:

‘BREAKING THE BARRIERS TO STEM’

Who’s running the project?
The project is managed by a parent’s voluntary organisation in partnership with King Solomon International Business School – Birmingham’s first all-through (4-19) Christian free school, which specialises in international business and entrepreneurship. The Parent School Partnership (PSP) was established in 2015 by parents of pupils who attend the school. To this end, PSP activities have been by donation of time, gifts and resources from willing parents and community partners – and now Millennium Point.

What’s it all about?
An inner-city school in Birmingham with a high proportion of BAME (Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities) pupils, its ambition is to ‘break barriers’ and increase STEM engagement across the entire pupil population, whatever their gender or ethnicity, through a series of onsite activities, workshops, clubs, as well as STEM-related off-site trips. For a lot of children at the school, this will be their only chance to experience this kind of specialist learning in addition to the national curriculum and the aim is for them to be immersed into the world of STEM; give them opportunities that they otherwise would not have to boost STEM participation and be excited about the possibilities of careers in STEM.

The PSP and school has identified gaps in the children’s exposure to STEM learning and wants to reach individuals from urban, challenged or hard to reach backgrounds by providing all of this free of charge to prevent barriers to their involvement.

The project will include the following:

Code Club – an after-school club designed to immerse students in the world of code – HTML, Java, CSS etc.
Eco-friendly sensory wildlife garden – designed to help students explore science in a practical way and learn about life cycles, growing, plants, climate, habitats, weather. The Code Club will create a QR code for the various plants and environments, which can be scanned to get the information about the optimum climate for growth etc.
Equipment – for a variety of science and maths experiments, including one which will measure the carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide levels in classrooms and outside areas.
Excursions – a range of STEM-related school trips, including Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust; Planetarium at Thinktank; Jaguar Land Rover Wolverhampton; Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Who does it benefit?
The aim is everyone at the school, from ages 4-19, a total of around 1,200 pupils.

What they said: Jean McLeod, lead chair of the Parent School Partnership, said: “We want to increase STEM engagement opportunities across the whole school, both Primary and Secondary. We are an inner-city school in Birmingham – 98% BAME – and we want to make sure that this traditionally marginalised group is not missing out on opportunities for STEM learning and careers in STEM. We have identified gaps in the children’s exposure to STEM learning; we want to reach individuals from urban, challenged or hard to reach backgrounds by providing these activities without the barrier of cost.”

When’s it all happening?
Work on the QR codes and sensory garden began in September. Other projects will be delivered and completed across the school year.

About grant funding from Millennium Point
Applications for 2021 grant funding have now closed. For information on the Millennium Point Charitable Trust Grants programme 2022, please visit: millenniumpoint.org.uk/grants

(Images in order: Featured Image – Faith Smith and Dylan Binns, King Solomon International Business School, Pupils testing our the QR codes in their Sensory Garden, Abbie Vlahakis, Millennium Point CEO with Jean McLeod, Head of PSP, standing by the Sensory Garden.)