Patrick Mezzano from Ward End has won a fully funded degree at Birmingham City University (BCU) after being named the winner of this year’s life-changing Millennium Point Charitable Trust Scholarship.

A record number of students applied for this year’s Millennium Point Scholarship, but Patrick stood out on the assessment day held in May and secured his Scholarship. 2024 Scholarship finalists, Joe Paddock, Jordan Badger, Benyamin Bansal and Shahzeb Khan, were also awarded laptops by the Trust to help with their further studies.

‘Patrick embodies everything that Millennium Point stands for’

Patrick is the tenth local student to benefit from the Scholarship scheme, which is run in partnership with the university. He wowed judges with his vision for creating affordable housing for all, and now is closer to making his ideas a reality as he will go on to study Real Estate at BCU.

Patrick commented: “I am over the moon to have won the Millennium Point Scholarship! I am really excited about starting my degree in Real Estate, and hopefully using it to help other young people whose housing ambitions have been impacted by the current financial crisis.”

Millennium Point CEO and Scholarship judge Abbie Vlahakis stated: “I am delighted that Patrick is this year’s winner and that we can support him in making his dream a reality. Patrick embodies everything that Millennium Point stands for with his passion for using his education to transform the lives of those around him. I can’t wait to see what Patrick achieves with his degree, and I’m thrilled that Millennium Point could enable an exciting academic future for him.”

10 years of Scholarship success

Each year, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust funds tuition fees for an undergraduate degree in partnership with Birmingham City University at their Faculty of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment. The faculty covers over 20 different courses across computing, digital technology, engineering, and the built environment.

This year marks 10 years of the Millennium Point Scholarship. Alongside Birmingham City University, the Millennium Point trust has been transforming the lives of students for a decade, empowering them to make their mark on the world. Patrick is the latest winner of the Scholarship and follows last year’s winner Safa Bibi, who is about to complete her first year studying for a degree in Computer Science.

The Scholarship is just one of the flagship initiatives of the Millennium Point Charitable Trust. £40 million from the landmark Millennium Point public building and multi-award-winning venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City Centre has been invested in projects, events, and initiatives which support the growth of STEM education and industry in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.

Thinking of studying at BCU? Why not start with a Millennium Point Trust Scholarship?

For those interested in the 2025 Scholarship programme, further information on how to apply or get involved can be found at www.millenniumpoint.org.uk/scholarship

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our charity’s brand-new brochure. Inside you will find information about our landmark £40 million in STEM donations and activities, and how this has benefited the West Midlands.

Be the first to read by clicking below –

Starting off with a note from our CEO, Abbie Vlahakis

‘The Millennium Point Charitable Trust prides itself on offering fantastic STEM-related initiatives, awarding more than £40 million to charities, schools, and community groups to champion science, technology, engineering, and maths projects across the West Midlands region.

Our STEM Grants scheme forms a core part of our strategy to end STEM poverty and enhance education.

In addition to this our annual Scholarship funds an undergraduate degree at Birmingham City University’.

A biplane, STEM gardens, adventures through the stars and MORE!

On average, we provide £411.3k in grants each year. To date we have provided £3.7 million in funding via grants, to over 160 groups in the region.

You can find out more information about our previous grant recipients here.

Celebrating 10 years of Scholarship success

Annually, we provide funding for a Scholarship for an undergraduate degree, in partnership with Birmingham City University. The Scholarship programme is aimed at students who are looking to start a career in the Built Environment, Computing, Digital Technology or Engineering industries.

Find out more about our previous Scholarship winners here.

Community minded, working together for the future of the West Midlands

Being an award-winning venue in the middle of Birmingham has allowed us to support the community and other charities in additional ways, including using our own building to host their events.

From STEM festivals to the STEM Roundtable, you’ll find it all in our brochure.

Support Millennium Point today!

Our mission is simple, to advance education for the public benefit. We invest more than £4.8 million each year towards furthering STEM education in the West Midlands. We’ve already funded over 100 grants projects and inspired over 3,000 people with our activities.

Learn how you can support Millennium Point on our website.

 

Opting for a managed office space can significantly reduce the stress of owning or paying for a space you need to run and furnish yourself. When this is paired with being located in Birmingham you have the perfect opportunity to expand as a company and truly invest in your staff and customers. 

This blog will explore the benefits of renting managed office space in Birmingham:

Greater flexibility and scalability

Managed office spaces often provide flexibility, such as short-term contracts or giving you the option to come out of your agreement early. This allows you to easily adapt to changes within your business. 

Having greater flexibility also enhances your scalability, as shorter contracts allow companies to easily adapt to changing requirements by expanding or downsizing their office space. This is particularly effective during the current cost of living crisis as it helps businesses better navigate the current climate and their finances.   

Equipped workspaces

One of the many benefits of managed office spaces is that they tend to come fully equipped. This can include things like desks, chairs, high-speed Wi-Fi and audio equipment. This can reduce costs as businesses won’t necessarily need to spend money on furnishing their office space. 

Having a well-equipped space can also lead to higher productivity and improved employee motivation. For example, spaces with lots of natural light and comfort can improve productivity and wellbeing.  

Cost effective 

Managed offices are cost effective as they reduce the amount of things companies need to pay for. For example, traditional office spaces require payment of gas, electricity and water bills, as well as furniture and maintenance costs. However, when it comes to managed office spaces these costs are often included within your rent instalments. They also tend to include things like reception support and cleaning costs. This helps to reduce overhead costs and provides a much more cost effective option for office spaces that still offer an exceptional look and feel. 

Excellent location

Birmingham is an excellent location for your next office space. There are a variety of successful businesses in the heart of Birmingham City centre providing the perfect opportunity for networking, helping companies form new relationships with potential clients, customers and employees.

Being placed in the centre of Birmingham also places businesses near a variety of transport links, whether staff, clients or customers want to travel by train, bus, car or even plane, the choice is theirs. This makes it much easier for people to attend meetings or get to work, making it more likely that you’ll get the most out of your new office space. 

Being located near a variety of shops, activities, restaurants and bars also allows staff to explore the city personally or as a team, contributing toward a better work-life balance and fostering better professional relationships.  

Enhanced work-life balance 

With managed office spaces having added amenities, such as a kitchen area, breakout spaces or fitness facilities a greater work-life balance can be achieved for you and your staff. Providing different spaces for your employees to work and relax in can create a better work-life balance as it can give them time to incorporate movement and breaks within their working day. 

Furthermore, research shows that people who work in spaces with natural features report 15% higher levels of overall wellbeing. This can include things like:

Managed office spaces tend to take a holistic approach to people’s working lives, allowing staff to seamlessly transition between their professional and personal life.  

Renting managed office space at Millennium Point

Here at Millennium Point we have a variety of office spaces that could be perfect for your business. We offer:

We’re also located in Eastside in the centre of Birmingham, surrounded by a community of educators, innovators, creators and forward thinkers. As a result we are:

We also have a range of benefits you can take advantage of, such as:

If you’re looking to rent a new office space for your business, explore our available properties today.  

Where we started 

Opening on the 29th of September 2001 and officially being opened by Her Majesty on July 2nd 2002, the Millennium Point project was originally developed in partnership with a number of public and private sector institutions. 

Millennium Point was spearheaded by Birmingham City Council, Birmingham City University (formerly known as the University of Central England) and the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.  

What we’ve achieved 

We’ve achieved a lot in a short period of time. For starters, we’re home to some of the city’s leading institutions, like Birmingham City University, Birmingham Metropolitan College, Think Tank and Marketing Birmingham that have either been based in or continue to operate in our facilities. 

We’re also the lead funder for the Science Park based in ThinkTank and have funded various other projects in the West Midlands area, such as the Ark Trindal Primary School’s science area.

At the end of the day, we here at Millennium Point aim to give back to our community by providing opportunities in STEM, helping to host fantastic events and acting as an excellent landlord for thriving businesses in the Midlands.

Millennium Point’s Charitable Trust 

Our award-winning charitable trust invests over £4.8 million a year towards furthering STEM education in the West Midlands. 

Our mission

At Millennium point we aim to advance education for public benefit. We look at the industrial and technological processes that have shaped the modern world and that will shape the future. 

Our flagship initiatives 

Our vision

Ultimately we want to be recognised as a leader in the promotion of STEM education and careers. We aim to do this  by meeting these goals:

To discover more about the work our Charitable Trust does, visit our charity page here.

Exceptional events spaces 

Millennium Point is Eastsides largest events hub, where we have a variety of spaces, including our giant screen auditorium, perfect for any event. 

Our spaces benefit from:

Why choose to host your event at Millennium Point?

Hosting your event with us increases your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), while giving back to the West Midlands. 

All commercial profits from our events business and landmark public building go to our award-winning Charitable Trust. The Trust has invested over £25 million back into the West Midlands across the last six years to help support the growth of STEM education. 

When you hold your event at Millennium Point your money makes change happen! For example your money could go toward some of our projects like:

To discover which space could be best for your event, try out our Events Space Matcherator and one of our team will be in touch. 

Perfect properties 

Here at Millennium Point we have a range of properties that could make a perfect home for your business. 

So what makes us different from other properties?

To discover more about the properties we have to offer, get in touch with us today.

While we’re only 22 years old, our rich history has set us up for a lifetime of providing support to Birmingham and the West Midlands, helping them thrive and build a brighter future for those wanting to pursue a career in STEM. 

While we have already achieved some amazing things, we’re not going to stop here. Whether you’re looking to host an event or find a new home for your business, just know that your money is helping us provide a better future for our younger generations.   

Encouraging STEM education as a part of early learning is an important stepping stone in helping children build a career path in STEM. STEM subjects help contribute toward innovation, creativity and improved quality of life. That’s why we here at Millennium Point are working hard to create opportunities that encourage the younger generation to get into the industry. Our STEM grant and scholarship help students and not-for-profit organisations bring projects to life and study university courses that truly boost their experiences within STEM. 

What is STEM? 

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and is a combined approach where all subjects are taught together and not separately. This helps equip students with the right skills to undertake a career within the industry. 

Creating equal opportunities in STEM

Despite STEM subjects being prominent in a range of industries, a lot of them are unfortunately lacking a female presence. For example, only 25% of computing jobs and 15% of technology jobs are occupied by women. 

To truly achieve successful benefits for society a diverse workforce should be created within the STEM industry. Currently, only 28% of the workforce is formed of women. Some factors causing the gender gap in STEM include:

How can the gender gap be closed in the STEM industry?

It’s important that the gender gap is closed within STEM industries, especially within business, culture, government and legislation. Welcoming all genders and cultures within the industry will bring diverse experiences and help further innovation and creativity. 

The following steps can help close the gender gap in STEM:

Prioritising attracting and retaining women 

By attracting and retaining more women, the gender gap will start to narrow. To do this, more needs to be done to shout about how great STEM subjects, jobs and sectors are. Through improving marketing and advertising and getting more people talking about the industry, STEM benefits from a well-skilled, diverse workforce. 

Break down stereotypes

Unfortunately, there are still lots of stereotypes surrounding women’s intellect and STEM being a male industry. As a result, a greater effort needs to be made to break down stereotypes suggesting that STEM subjects are better suited to boys. When this is achieved, girls should feel more confident to study and undertake careers in the industry.

Improve workplace cultures

In order to encourage more women to join the workforce, businesses must improve their workplace culture. By removing gender pay gaps, hostile work environments and creating better career progression for women, the gender gap will start to close.

The benefits of STEM

STEM education has a range of benefits including:

Millennium Point’s STEM Grant 

The Millennium Point Charitable Trust provides funding annually to not-for-profit organisations, schools, and colleges across the West Midlands Combined Authority area. Applicants can apply for up to £20,000 to fund their STEM-related project subject to meeting the eligibility criteria and demonstrating a measurable impact in STEM education and / or STEM career choice. We also welcome applications for smaller grants from £1,000.

Find out more about our Grants here. 

Millennium Point’s STEM Scholarship

We’ve partnered with Birmingham City University to give a fully funded undergraduate degree at their Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment. 

To be eligible for our STEM scholarship you will need to meet the following criteria:

Applications open Monday 8th January and can be found here. 

St Basils are back planning the oldest and biggest sleepout in the UK in Birmingham. On Friday 1st December, St Basils will host their annual big sleepout at Millennium Point in Birmingham to raise vital funds to support young people experiencing homelessness in the West Midlands.

This year our own Millennium Point team member Liam will also be taking part to help raise important funding for the amazing work St Basils do.

St Basils are a homelessness charity based in the West Midlands that have been supporting young people in in fear of losing their home since 1972.

St Basils are not charging for this event, it is FREE! But get involved and raise as much as you can by having people sponsor you. Free vegan curry and hot drinks will also be served by Langar Aid on the night! The atmosphere will be set by a Christmas Brass Band before the challenge ahead of keeping warm on a cold winter’s evening.

Before heading outside, participants will watch a presentation inside Millennium Point, where St Basils will share heart-warming stories from young people.

You can register for the event here.

Homelessness shouldn’t be part of growing up

St Basils work with young people ages 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, to enable them to find and keep a home, grow their confidence, develop their skills, increase opportunities, and prevent homelessness.

Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium point, said: “We are pleased to offer our venue, for the third year, to support the brilliant work St Basils does. Their commitment to improving the lives of young people aligns with our own charitable mission here at Millennium Point. We urge as many people and businesses as possible to sign up and join us at the sleepout. Together we can raise funds so St Basils can continue to provide life changing support to young people in dire need throughout our community”.

Challenge yourself and make a difference

The Big Sleepout sees hundreds of people from companies, families and groups taking part by challenging themselves, raising money and having fun; particularly in the much coveted ‘creative shelter competition’.

Can’t make it to Millennium Point, you can still make a difference

St Basils will also be running ‘The Big Sleepout from Home’ at the same time. So, if you can’t make it to Millennium Point, you can still get involved in your back garden, office, community hall or ‘sofa surfing’ at home.

You can find out more and apply for your Big Sleepout pack by emailing [email protected].

Supporters can also make one off donations here, it costs £9 a day to support a young person and keep them at a St Basils project.

Want to book an event space with Millennium Point?

The multi-award-winning Millennium Point has over 20 versatile event spaces to choose from and an experienced events team to help you with your event.  

For further information about the event, charity, or venue you can get in contact with our team.

Scholarships are a great way to offer people the opportunity to study a university degree that may not have the financial needs to do so. Unfortunately, nearly ¼ of students in the UK can’t afford to go to university, making scholarships an excellent way to get people into further education and advance their careers. 

So how are we at Millennium Point supporting students in the West Midlands with our STEM Scholarship funding? 

What is a Scholarship?

A scholarship is a form of financial aid provided by independent third parties or universities to support students through their education.

What does our STEM Scholarship involve?

At Millennium Point our STEM Scholarship gives one student a year the opportunity to study a STEM degree at Birmingham City University, with students being able to study courses relating to:

We have over 20 courses you can choose from that you can explore on our scholarships page.

To be successful within your application, you’ll need to undergo two stages.These are your initial application and an assessment day.

If you make it to the final, you’ll be invited to get involved in developmental workshops that will support your personal development and professionalism within interviews and presentation skills. 

Eligibility 

To be eligible for our STEM Scholarship you’ll need to meet the following criteria:

How to apply 

The online application form will be accessible in January 2024 and will include questions about who you are and why you think you should win a free degree at Birmingham City University. 

You can sign up for notifications at the bottom of the page or check back in January to see when the form goes live.   

Meet our latest Scholarship winner, Safa

Our latest winner Safa Bibi from Small Heath has started studying computer science at Birmingham City University as of September 2024. Safa became interested in the computing industry while at Secondary school and further developed it through watching speeches made by women in STEM. 

As a result of our scholarship, Safa is able to further pursue her passion for computing and she hopes to be an inspiration for others and encourage them to follow their passion regardless of their religion or race.   

Millennium Point’s 2024 Scholarship application is now open. For more information on how to apply or get involved in the Scholarship program please visit www.millenniumpoint.org.uk/scholarship.

 

 

At Millennium Point, giving back to the community is massively important to us, which is why we have our Millennium Point Charitable Trust where we invest funding to help further STEM education in the West Midlands. 

This blog will explore how we’ve helped people and schools around the West Midlands gain better STEM opportunities. 

Millennium Point’s charitable mission

Our mission is to advance education for public benefit. We have a special emphasis on, but not limited to, the industrial and technological processes that have not only shaped the modern world but will also play a pivotal role in shaping the future.

Flagship initiatives 

We have three exciting flagship initiatives built for improving educational opportunities. These include:

Grant funding 

This provides funding for not-for-profit organisations, schools and colleges across the West Midlands Combined Authority area. Applicants can apply for up to £20,000 to fund a STEM-related project, as long as it meets eligibility requirements. Their idea will also need to showcase the measurable impact it will have on STEM education and/or a STEM career choice. 

We have awarded over £2,100,706 to charities, not-for-profit (NFPO’s) organisations, community groups and schools over the last 5 years. 

To learn more about how our grant funding works, take a look at our page.  

The scholarship programme

We’ve partnered with Birmingham City University to provide a fully funded undergraduate degree at their Faculty of Computing, Engineering and The Built Environment.

Applications are currently closed for 2023, but you can keep an eye out for next year’s applications opening here.

The STEM Roundtable 

The STEM Roundtable brings together leaders from STEM industries, primary and secondary schools, further education, higher education and NFPO’s in STEM sectors. 

The Roundtable aims to:

Key objectives 

We have a few key objectives we’re aiming to meet, as we support others in their STEM journey. These goals include:

Case studies 

Over the years we’ve supported many schools and organisations in the West Midlands, as well as those looking to pursue a career in STEM. So here are a few examples of people and organisations we’ve helped.

St Edmund’s Campion RC School

We’ve worked with St Edmund’s Campion RC School to create a STEM club that provides chances for children to explore topics that aren’t in the curriculum and work on large-scale projects.

This has been introduced, due to the school having a high level of disadvantaged students and many of them feeling as though an academic future and/or STEM career is out of their reach.

The school received the grant as it was important that their afterschool program delivered excellent quality lessons and gave children the opportunity to learn about STEM subjects just like other children do. 

You can learn more about how we helped the school on our website.

Aston Villa Foundation – STEM Stars

The Aston Villa Foundation’s mission is to work together to enrich lives, which is why they deliver Aston Villa Football Club’s community and social responsibility work. 

STEM Stars developed a new STEM programme for six schools within a three-mile radius of Villa Park. The grant funding will purchase a Sphero robot package (this includes robots and a small pitch) which will use football to get children engaged in coding. 

Due to the area around Villa Park being highly deprived in terms of income and education, it was important that the grant went to something helping to give children better opportunities within the STEM industry, in this case focusing on coding. 

You can learn more about STEM Stars here.

Safa Bibi secures scholarship glory  

Last year our winner, Safa Bibi, used the scholarship to undertake a degree in computer science at Birmingham City University. 

Safa is the ninth winner of the scholarship, meaning we’ve already funded eight fantastic winners in their STEM career.  

If you’re interested in learning more about how the scholarship works and how you can apply, take a look at our scholarship page. 

We’ve been giving back to the community for the past 20 years and would love for you to get involved. If you’re interested, get in touch with us today!

Building on the success of last year’s SciSPORT event, which saw 1,000 visitors visit Millennium Point. We are excited to announce our next event in our SciSERIES, SciMED!

Last year we welcomed students from 28 schools across the region to participate in a range of thrilling activities, workshops, and talks delivered by organisations and personalities from the world of science and sport.

To get an idea what’s in store, watch below how the SciSPORT went –

This event is open to upper primary (years 5 & 6) and lower secondary (years 7 & 8) school students. To confirm your place, email our friendly Trust team [email protected].

SciMED – showcasing the importance of STEM in the medical industry

The SciMED event that takes place Monday 10th July, seeks to inspire the next generation of STEM students with all things ‘medical’ – from the traditional careers such as doctors, veterinary, and dentistry, through to wider STEM related sectors such as psychology, health, wellbeing, and pharmaceuticals, whilst showcasing technology and engineering advances in all associated sectors.

Students will be able to explore:

– Interactive workshops

– Sports and fitness

– Medical activities

The day also includes visits to the award winning ThinkTank Science Museum!

Sign up to book your school’s place today and discover all things STEM and Medical.

Get your company involved

There is still time to get involved with SciMED with your team. Promote your company and showcase your innovations to young people from schools across the region. With lots of exciting exhibitions already joining us, now is the time to book your place to ensure you get the chance to connect with the future of your industry.

This is just one of the ways we’re supporting STEM in the region

Our multi-award-winning charitable trust invests more than £3m each year towards furthering STEM education within the West Midlands.

Over the years we have provided funding to Scholarships, Grants and projects that benefit the region. Find out more about our Trust in our brochure here.

Applications are open for our life changing Scholarship programme. The programme, now in its ninth year, offers one lucky undergraduate complete funding for their degree, from a choice of over 20 courses at the faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment at Birmingham City University.

With many courses to choose from, we understand there’s a lot to take in, below we have broken these down to give you an insight into what’s available and what career paths you can take with each subject.

Engineering

A degree in engineering welcomes you to an ever evolving and diverse industry. This exciting opportunity offers lots of career paths where you can innovate and shape the world we live in.

Engineering courses available:

Digital Technology

The digital industry is forever evolving, offering lots of opportunities within the film industry, gaming, music and visual effects. If you’re creative and like being at the centre of digital innovation, a career in digital technology is for you.

Digital Technology courses available:

Computing

Computing is at the centre of most industries in some shape or form. With this brings multiple opportunities across a number of computing specialisms, ranging from computer science to digital forensics.

Computing courses available:

Built Environment

Birmingham has seen some exciting developments over recent years, with plenty more in the pipeline. Want to be part of future planning and developments that innovate and enhance cities across the UK? Then a career in Built Environment is just for you.

Built Environment courses available:

Begin your journey by applying for a Scholarship

Applications are straight forward and can be done by visiting our dedicated application page here. In order to apply you must live in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and be 18 years of age by, and looking to start an undergraduate degree in September 2023. Applications close on Friday 17th March 2023.

Our team are here to help every step of the way

We want everyone to have the best chance of success when applying for our Scholarship scheme, and realise ‘bigging yourself up’ can be a little daunting. That’s why we have created a helpful guide to aid you through your application.

You can always contact our friendly Trust team for any other enquiries you may have.