Good morning readers and welcome to Tuesday’s edition of The Dispatch.
Today’s Brum in Brief leads on the excellent news that three Birmingham locals have been honoured in the inaugural Junior Trampoline World Championships. I’m sure The Dispatch readers are all incredibly proud of the young athletes representing our city, huge congratulations to them.
Before that, an update on growth which has continued to astonish us at Dispatch HQ. We now have 3,911 of you on the list, closing in on 4,000 before our one-month birthday next week. 52 readers have also pledged to pay for our reporting — thank you. And a special thanks to Lyle who left this lovely message for us:
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Brum in Brief
🌤️ Cloudy earlier on with bright spells later in the day. Gentle winds.
🤸 Three teenage gymnasts from Birmingham have won awards at the first-ever Junior World Trampoline Championships. Jaeda-Lei Jeffers, 16, was crowned Women’s Junior World Champion, while Alicia Field, 16, won the bronze. The Men’s World Champion title went to 16-year-old Bailey Forbes. Jeffers said: “The competition went well, but I wasn’t expecting to get to the final, so to achieve that and then come in first feels absolutely amazing. It’s so special to have done all this in my hometown, with all my family able to watch me as they wouldn’t normally get to see me compete at this level.”
🪀 An online company that sells toys for kids with special educational needs is being inspected by trading standards after customers said they had to fight for refunds when the items they ordered didn’t arrive. One woman claims she did receive a refund but was sent bullying emails demanding the money back. The owner of Sensory Education and its sister company Cheap Disability Aids, which are based near Walsall, did not respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment.
🕯️ A new annual event to remember the Holocaust will be introduced in Cannock Chase from next year. The memorial will involve a flame-lighting ceremony on 27 January, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, and Holocaust Memorial Day.
🚨 Two police officers were assaulted yesterday after attending a property on Yardley Wood Road. One officer “was slashed” according to a BBC report. Both were taken to hospital but have since been discharged. A suspect, in his 50s, remains in custody.
🍽️ The Midlands Sailing Club monthly supper club, co-hosted with Civic Square, takes place tonight from 5-8pm. The club is described as “a space for us to connect with and support each other locally, while also looking beyond our city with visits from inspiring speakers, practitioners and activists from around the country”.
🖌️ This talk on the Art History of Studio Ghibli with author Helen McCarthy caught my eye. Taking place at the Glee Club at 6pm tomorrow, the event promises to “take you on a journey through the studio’s history and inspiration, with time and space to appreciate selected artworks”.
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