Community buzz spring 2018

buzz COMMUNITY

SPRING 2018

the Birmingham

PROM SATURDAY 9 JUNE 2018

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VICE-CHANCELLOR’S VIEW WELCOME

Welcome At the University we are passionate about making our local community a fantastic place to live and work. This year sees the return of the Birmingham Prom, a spectacular evening of free entertainment open to all. We are also delighted to announce the launch of the University’s first Community Living hub.

On page 5, have your say about how the hub could be used to support the local area.

From the Community Buzz team

Join the CPRSpine Register Let’s beat back pain together The University’s Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain has launched a new initiative to improve the lives of people living with back pain. Our CPR Spine Register will allow us to work closely with those whom our research aims to benefit, and enable our internationally recognised researchers to share research results more easily. If you have back pain and are interested in being involved in studies to help find a solution to this condition, join today.

Community Buzz is now on Twitter You can now keep up-to-date with all the latest news, promotions and events at the University by following us on Twitter. Never miss a thing on our dedicated social media channel for the local community.

Follow today @UoBcommunity

Sign up at CPRspineregister@contacts.bham.ac.uk

UNIVERSITY NEWS

On your marks, get set, go!

Hundreds of staff, students, graduates and community members will hit the starting line for the Great Birmingham 10k run on the 6 May to help raise the aspirations of young people.

This year Team UoB are supporting the University’s 10,000 Lives appeal, helping to fundraise for 10,000 life-changing opportunities for 11–25-year-olds across the region. Spanning the whole student journey, from school pupil to new graduate, we will provide opportunities including widening participation activities, scholarships, work experience, paid internships and mentoring to develop confident and employable students. Make sure you follow #TeamUoB and cheer on our runners.

Discover how you can change a life at birmingham.ac.uk/10000Lives

If you missed your chance to enter the 10k, fear not. We host free timed runs every Sunday at 10.30am on the Vale campus.

Explore our events at greatrunlocal.org/events/ midlands/birmingham/ the-vale-birmingham-5k

STEP FORWARD. CHANGE 10,000 LIVES.

Transforming burns treatment World-class athletes will be going for gold on campus as our new squash courts and hockey pitches are set to become two of the city’s Commonwealth Games venues in 2022.

Zena Wooldridge OBE, Director of Sport at the University and member of Birmingham Commonwealth Games Steering Group, said: ‘It is absolutely fantastic news that Birmingham will host the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The city of Birmingham and the University have a long and pioneering heritage and passion for sport, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to welcome the world to a recently transformed city, and a global sporting city.’

Birmingham is one of the UK’s leading sporting universities with a reputation for providing outstanding facilities for our student-athletes and local community. This year, our students selected for the Gold Coast Games include: Sarah McDonald (Athletics), Elise Dixon (Badminton), Jordan Trebert (Badminton) and Amy Costello (Hockey).

Explore our community sport facilities at sportandfitness.bham.ac.uk

We often think of sugar as bad – it rots our teeth and is one of the main causes of obesity.

But, University researcher Professor Liam Grover and his team are revolutionising the way we look at sugar. They have created an eye drop from sugar solution that has been proven to effectively treat corneal burn scarring, reversing almost all the damage to the eye after application. This eye drop has won multiple prizes, and is now packaged with hopes to move to clinic next year.

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VICE-CHANCELLOR’S CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT VIEW

transforming

our campus Creating a green oasis The creation of the Green Heart, a 12-acre parkland at the centre of campus, is on track to open in early 2019. The project involves ambitious environmentally friendly initiatives which will ensure the parkland is a sustainable and natural landscape for people and wildlife.

Last year, we planted the first of 160 new trees which will include over 40 species in total. As well as tree planting, the Green Heart will bring a variety of wild flowers, shrubbery and lush

grass areas to campus. The incorporation of nesting sites and water features will also attract wildlife including bats, swifts and hedgehogs. Make sure you visit us in June to see the first stage of the parkland open in University Square.

Watch the Green Heart animation at birmingham.ac.uk/greenheart

Building on strong foundations

The University is redeveloping its campus to create outstanding new facilities for our students, staff and the local community.

We’ve seen the opening of the University of Birmingham Sport & Fitness club, the restoration of the Lapworth Museum and now, we have announced a collection of new projects until 2026. With so much activity on campus, we need to make sure that everyone understands the changes. Therefore, we’ve installed new signage across campus outlining the timings of these major projects over the coming years.

Keep up-to-date with the changes at birmingham.ac.uk/building

@uobgreenheart

COMMUNITY LIVING

IS NOW OPEN We are passionate about making Selly Oak a great place to live and work.

We are bringing the University to the heart of the community so we can work together on the big issues. Based in the Bournbrook Pavilion on Aston Webb Boulevard, Community Living is a new hub which offers space and opportunities for people across the local community to engage with one another, and the University, on the things that matter to them, by using our collective knowledge and resources. Claire Bent has been employed as the University’s Community Engagement Manager, and will head up the Community Living hub. Her wide-ranging experience in community leadership, youth and student work, and working within the wider Not for Profit sector, makes her the ideal person to turn your ideas into reality.

CLAIRE ‘At Community Living we are excited to have this wonderful space to join with the local community in serving the area by figuring out how we can live, work and thrive together. We’d love to hear from all those who live and work in the local area, so that we can understand more about what you need and want from us, and how we can work together to make that a reality.’

You can pop to the Community Living hub to say ‘hello’, or email Claire at c.e.bent@bham.ac.uk to explore your ideas, ask questions, or to arrange to meet her.

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RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

Research in practice

Are you one of the city’s many business owners and want to build your reputation?

Birmingham Business School’s Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business is helping companies act responsibly. Supporting Lloyds Banking Group’s ‘Helping Britain Prosper’ initiative, our research addresses global and local social, environmental and economic challenges to break down the obstacles business owners face when making responsible choices.

Find out more about the University’s Centre for Responsible Business at birmingham.ac.uk/ responsible-business

Be part of our vision to city make Birmingham the … for responsible business

an rights are being 1. Source ethically. If hum ment damaged, iron exploited or the env it. ge llen cha do your bit to Find out whether it. aud ility sib pon 2. Do a res positive or negative your business leaves a . nity mark on the commu customers. and ff sta r 3. Listen to you ive workforce and lus inc e, ers div a Create y and wellbeing. promote fairness, equalit t. Customers ren spa 4. Be honest and tran y can trust the ore bef , you t need to trus your business.

OUR FUTURE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS At the University, we train 1,700 healthcare professionals, including over 500 Medical and Dental Sciences students. Our future healthcare professionals undertake rigorous training to ensure they meet the challenges of modern medicine. Whether in a hospital or a community healthcare centre, you are likely to encounter our dedicated students working full-time alongside their studies to develop the skills needed to deliver excellent patient care. n Our Medicine students attend 11,806

placements each year across the region which includes supervised practice in hospitals and GP surgeries n Our Dental Surgery students begin to practice on patients in their third year, under supervision, at the Dental Hospital in Edgbaston, performing all the functions of a fully trained dentist

n Our Pharmacy students complete placements

in Primary Care, Hospital Pharmacy and Community Pharmacy throughout their studies which includes providing information to patients and dispensing medicines n Our Nursing students experience all aspects of adult, child and mental health care, and are placed across the Midlands from the first year of their degree Explore our health courses at birmingham.ac.uk/mds

EVENTS

Blooming brilliant events Celebrate the arrival of summer at one of Winterbourne House and Garden’s fantastic events. Explore the University’s tranquil sevenacre botanic gardens and stock up on some of the most highly prized plant specimens from specialist growers at the Rare Plant Fair in May. If you fancy something theatrical, perhaps a Shakespeare performance is just the ticket or, sit back, relax and enjoy classic tracks from the Jazz Ramblers. Winterbourne also hosts regular workshops on everything from printing, sketching, stained glass and botanical art; there’s something for everyone.

Discover more at winterbourne.org.uk/ whats-on

WHAT’S ON AT THE

Set your imagination alight with the Barber Institute’s latest exhibitions.

The Rhythm of Light – Scottish Colourists from the Fleming Collection Glorious landscapes, still lifes and portraits by this talented quartet of 20th-century British artists. Until 15 May 2018 Men of the Docks – George Bellows National Gallery masterpiece visits the Barber. Until 9 September 2018 Drawn to Perfection – Italian Masterworks from the Royal Collection Beautiful drawings by major artists from the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

15 June–23 September 2018 The Last Roman – Peasant to Emperor Exploring the ‘Last Roman Emperor’ and his powerful influence on coinage, politics and culture. Until 14 April 2019 FREE admission, open 7 days a week barber.org.uk

WHAT KILLED THE DINOSAURS? In 2017, a team of scientists were documented by the BBC as they studied the infamous Chicxulub crater in Mexico. On 16 May, join host Professor Alice Roberts, as she introduces Professor Joanna Morgan (Imperial College London). Discover what the team learnt about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs and its implications for understanding extinction.

Date/time: 16 May, 5.45pm Venue: Birmingham & Midland Institute Register: tinyurl.com/y7fyajnc

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the Birmingham

PROM SATURDAY 9 JUNE 2018

SAVE THE DATE

birmingham.ac.uk/events

Gates open from 6.00pm with music on the Main Stage from 7.30pm. There will also be a range of food and drink available, or bring your own picnic. Make sure you join us early and grab your perfect spot in Chancellor’s Court before it gets busy.

Book your free tickets at birmingham.ac.uk/prom

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Bring your family and friends for a free evening of spectacular entertainment at the Birmingham Prom. Join us at the heart of campus, in Chancellor’s Court, on Saturday 9 June, from 7.30pm. With music from the University’s talented Orchestra and Choir, you’ll be blown away by an outstanding programme of well-known classical, Broadway and film scores.