14/11/2011 Midlands Today

Welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines: 100 days after the riots,

anger over funding cuts to youth projects, many are in danger of

folding. It is hard, desperately hard, and it is getting harder.

Thieves and to the misery to householders whose homes have been

wrecked by flooding. Like being in a war-zone, say

residents, who face years of living side-by-side to boarding at the

halls -- boarded-up homes. And the much loved ruins of

Welcome to the start of the week here on Midlands Today. 100 days

after the riots, a warning that youth services are in crisis. One

youth worker says the young people she deal was wave are facing the

toughest times in more than 25 years.

We have spoken to 14 youth associations in the Midlands

representing hundreds of voluntary organisations which have had their

funding cut and fear their futures are under threat. To youth workers

recognised for their outstanding contributions have spoken out to

our special Correspondent. Bright police standing guard

outside Birmingham's Mailbox Shopping Centre. The images of the

riots in August, greed and consumerism. 100 days after the

riots, what lessons, if any, are there to be learnt? I have been

talking to people who were working with the next generation and I have

also been listening to young people. The Stonehouse Gang, a youth club

in Selly Oak. You are on your journey... Lesley Franklin is a

human dynamo, constantly encouraging young people from every

age group. This year she was awarded an MBE. Have funding of

�20,000 has now been cut. It is as tough as ever. I do not know how it

is going to get any easier. It is the 1970s, this is the Stonehouse

Gang's founder Harry Webb. He was a newspaper journalist who set up the

club in 1938 after seeing young people going through the courts

accused of anti-social behaviour. For more than 70 years, the gang

has changed young people's live for the better. For how much younger --

longer? It is frightening. How can we possibly a find the money that

has been cut, not just for this year, but for every other year?

Lincoln Moses is another MBE e hold up. His football teams have taken

youngsters out of Birmingham's toughest estates. He is a

despairing after losing his grant of �18,000. With the lack of funds,

there is not much you can do to engage or empowered the young

people. The young people will make the wrong decisions and they are

very guilty of making the wrong decisions. 100 days on, what do

young people think about the riots? I sat down with 15 and 16 year olds

at Perry Beeches School in Great Barr. They have had classes

discussing the issues and special assemblies. Many of these

youngsters were told to stay indoors by their parents when the

looting took place. I do not feel much sympathy for those in the

riots because I thought it was cheap opportunism. People have

improved. We are trying to build up our reputation, especially in our

school and community. I felt embarrassed at the time that it was

happening because you do not feel it is -- you do not feel proud it

is happening in your country. Birmingham City Council did not

want to take part in this report. They have had to cut �1.7 million

from a youth service budget. They say that less than a third of under

18-year-olds work involved in the riots. Although Hampton are looking

to cut half a million pounds from its huge budget. Where the riots a

blip or a sign of the Times? I feel people may riot again because I do

not see many pragmatic changes and much difference made to their lives

in the hundred days since the riots. I fear that but I would say, look,

at let's get our young people on board. Every council in our region

is consulting people over the scale of the cuts to youth services. It

costs just �1.20 for a child to attend the Stonehouse Gang. That is

money that these young people feel is well spent.

We are joined now from Westminster by James Morris, the MP for

Halesowen and Rowley Regis. He serves on the communities and local

government select committee. Good evening. Is it time now to protect

youth centres from the cuts? understand the importance of youth

services but I do not think it is directly relevant to what happened

in August. The riots in Birmingham were an act of organised

criminality and we can't get away from that fact. It was not some

kind of crisis to do with the youth. This was to do with organised

criminality. Not condoning crime or criminals, or anything like that, I

am looking at the situation. High youth unemployment, deprivation and

boredom. Terrible things. All ingredients than it can lead people

into crime. That is why the government has taken two

initiatives. The Prime Minister announced a couple of weeks ago the

establishment of a new unit which is going to be looking at turning

round the lives of Britain's 120,000 Most Honourable families in

Britain. The Home Secretary announced the implementation of a

new plan for tackling youth violence -- the 100,000 most

vulnerable families. We are taking issues of social breakdown in

certain areas of society very seriously. We heard from youth

workers who say it is the worst time they have ever seen for money

and funding for youth projects. What are you going to do to inspire

young people when it seems like everything is against them? They

have not got a job and let us remember that not everyone is a

natural self-starter. People need help. The statutory youth provision

is under pressure but across our communities they are still a number

of very innovative community and voluntary groups working with young

people. We need to make sure that we harnessed that the vibrancy to

tackle some of these problems to do with young people. It is not always

the statutory provision that is the best in our countries. We need to

find ways for the voluntary sector to innovate. That does not take

away from the fact that the riots were organised criminality and we

need to tackle some of the underlying problems, improving

school discipline and getting back to supporting families. Thank you

very much. Still to come, back to the day jobs

for the Stourbridge striker whose FA Cup heroics won his team a

second chance against the professionals in Plymouth.

Thieves have been preying on flood victims whose homes were devastated

by a burst water main. Wearing high-visibility jackets and posing

as council workers, they have stolen possessions piled up on

driveways. They start as a huge clear-up operation got under way.

The latest dramatic pictures to emerge from the flight as a 2

million litres of water from a burst water main were released on

to this estate. Today as the huge clear-up operation continued, news

that thieves had been targeting the flood victims with possessions

piled high outside people's homes, it is reported that scrap the yet -

- scrap dealers have been removing valuable items. The pensioner who

lives here have lost a washing machines, tumble dryer and a fridge

freezer from her drive. Dreadful. Disgusting, what people can do to

the likes of anybody. The losses caused by the flood were big enough

without the intervention of the fees. Around 150,000 homes were

damaged. Sifting through the wreckage at her house, this lady is

one of many residents forced to move out and stay with relatives.

Even now, I keep waking up and think, it has not happened. The

fright of waking up to water in the house and getting my seven-month-

old out to safety, it was frightening. Although the water was

in people's homes for a short period of time compared to flooding

from, say, a Rivera, the damage is substantial and extensive and will

take many weeks or months or even longer to prepare for -- repair.

As council binmen help with the clear-up, the council leader called

for assurances from the water company involved. We want them to

give us an assurance, that all of the water mains are safe,

maintained, so we do not see a repeat of this. This was without

doubt a freak event. Everyone here is hoping that it also turns out to

be a unique event. The family of a vulnerable disabled

woman who was tortured and murdered have hit out at a report that says

her death could not have been prevented. A serious case review

into the death of 27-year-old Gemma Hayter concluded that there weren't

numerous missed opportunities to help her. Her sister believes that

the authorities could have done more.

27-year-old Gemma Hayter was a vulnerable young adult who would

endure abuse in return for friendship. There was such a

situation which led to her death. She was systematically beaten

before choking on and blood on this disused railway line in Rugby. In

September, three of her so-called friends were jailed for murder. Two

others were jailed for manslaughter. The serious case review looked into

the role of various agencies who had dealing with verve including

the police, local housing associations and health trusts. It

found that no single agency had a full picture of what was going on.

In short, there were missed opportunities. The report does not

name or shame any individual agency but Gemma's family believe they

were let down but Warwickshire social services. All of the

instances that they have dug up and the times they could have helped

her, it is devastating. It is maddening. It is incredibly sad.

The report also stated there was no evidence that Gemma's murder could

have been prevented or predicted. There were systems problems for

some of the health services and for social care which we have already

addressed by setting up a single point of access so all referrals

for vulnerable adults come into one. And in fact, we now have a legally

binding partnership arrangement. Warwickshire County Council has now

written to Gemma's family offering an apology and say they are

continuing to implement their findings.

Luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover has seen another rise in global

sales. The number of vehicles sold rose 16% in the last three months.

Sales in China continued to power ahead, up by a staggering 87%.

However, sales in the UK and Europe remain flat because of continued

economic worries. Our transport correspondent is at a Jaguar

dealership tonight. This is more good news, after last week's

decision to hire an extra 1000 workers at Solihull? Indeed, it is.

There seems to be no stopping Jaguar Land Rover. If they are due

to have their work force of around 20,000 people, more than they had

before the recession. Growth seems to be rid -- powered by growth in

China. Also, Russia, Brazil, and India. They have more money and

they want a quality product. What about the other side of things?

Should we be worried that sales in the UK are flat? 75% of everything

that Jaguar Land Rover makes is exported. 12% goes to China. There

are worries over the eurozone crisis. They wait and see approach

being adopted by many people. There is also talk of a 10% drop in car

sales in Europe next year. It is a worrying trend.

Thank you. The government has been accused of abandoning Stoke-on-

Trent after pulling the plug on a regeneration scheme. People living

on a boarded up straight say it is like being in a war-torn country.

The government says it will be providing a multi- million pounds

Stoke-on-Trent has been livid -- living with boarded-up streets ever

since the government pulled funding on a major programme to the new

housing stock. It has left people like Florence Walker living in

limbo. I've spent a fortune on my house over the years. Luckily my

house is stopping, but the only thing is, if you look round the

area, it is not a nice area any more. It looks as though I live in

their group. Now a Manchester University professor has accused

the government of giving up on the Midlands. Ideologically this

government doesn't believe in intervention, it believes in sink

or swim depending on how competitive places are. Large parts

of the North of England and Midlands are being left to sink

because they are not competitive. The government refused to be

interviewed but issued a statement saying the regeneration programme

in Stoke-on-Trent wasn't working but they would shortly be

allocating a fund to help people who have been trapped in half

demolished areas. Brendan Nevin thinks things are so bad in Stoke

the end the auction people now have is to leave. Hundreds of millions

of pounds worth of investment has been made which will be lost. It

sent a message to local people if they want a good standard of life

they have to leave. Mary will have more background on

Inside Out tonight at 7:30pm. Tomorrow morning BBC Stoker will

host a debate on why it regenerating the City is taking so

long, that is from 11am. The Prime Minister has been in

Birmingham to talk about trading opportunities with Holland. He

joined the Dutch Prime Minister Marc Rutter on a visit to

Birmingham Science Park, shown some of the new technologies being

developed in the city. A survey of employers says Britain is facing a

slow and painful loss of jobs but Mr Cameron says his government has

plans to create employment. We are rolling up our sleeves and do --

doing everything we can to promote growth and jobs. We have cut our

corporation tax rate, investing in apprenticeships and making sure we

focus on capital spending, roads and stations, and at the heart of

it has to be the plan to keep a good plan for dealing with our

debts and deficits. Still to come: preparing for the

big moment, the school children who formed a choir and the first

performance is live on television for Children In Need.

Trading autumn's path, after a lovely weekend the gloom up from

last week returns. But for how Today it is an important date for

Coventry. It is the anniversary of the blitz on the City which claimed

more than 500 lives and destroyed the cathedral. Tonight the scheme

is starting which is hoped will result in the cathedral becoming a

space dedicated to civilians affected by war. It could also help

preserve the ruins of the old cathedral and the ravages of the

elements. Welcome to the atmospheric ruins of

the medieval Coventry Cathedral. There has been a church on this

site since the 13th century. On 14th November, 1940, 500 people

lost their lives and the Cathedral was destroyed. Now the cathedral

need to raise �1 million to restore and preserve the ruins for future

generations. Tell me why do you really need this money? The ruins

are the ruins. They are but they keep falling into disrepair. We had

a big crack we discovered in the summer which threatened for part of

the wall to collapse into the street which would mean we would

have to close the book of the safety so we have to repair them

and stabilise the in their current condition. Also to uncover some of

their secrets. There was a big crowd under here. It would unveil

another glory. You have become somewhat obsessed

with Coventry Cathedral. What is it about the cathedral that leads you

fire? It was voted on to a Walker World

Monuments Watch a list of the most endangered sites in the world so we

have a duty of care. You cannot help be moved by this place, it is

a place of memorial, reconciliation, extraordinary medieval art which

reminds us where Coventry was once one of the greatest cities of

Britain. Tonight there will be a service at the new cathedral where

all the plans for the future will be laid out. We will bring that

back to you tonight. Non-League Stourbridge Town

Football Club are celebrating a cash windfall tonight. They have

just been told next week's FA Cup replay against Plymouth will be

shown live on television. The �30,000 hope will get wouldn't pay

a week's wages for many a Premier League favour -- player but the

money will go a long way at Stourbridge. More than enough to

buy some new shirts. Look closely, something is missing. Ever since

the club was formed in 1876 there have been two Letter ares in

Stourbridge. Officials were not impressed when they spotted the

embroidery error. But they are now in the second round draw for the

first time ever. Not embarrassing, it is something unique. It wouldn't

have done at man United. Obviously not. The letter art may have been

missing from the shirts but the initials RR went missing on the

pitch. Ryan Rowe was back with the family firm creating a new driveway

today. If he looked a bit tired, no wonder, Saturday's post-match party

in Plymouth turned into an all- nighter and his workmates were

there as well. It was a cup tie that they will never forget. First

they were delighted when Stourbridge Ford back to equalise.

Then they could hardly believe it when Ryan Rowe put them in front at

2-1. Eight minutes from time, a penalty looked to have clinched a

famous victory at 3-2. Sadly for 900 travelling fans Plymouth

equalised two minutes from the end to four -- force a replay at

Stourbridge a week tomorrow. great result. After we had will

settle down and had a think, a lot of the lads were quietly

disappointed. Came so close two minutes from the end. To score in

front of the fans, pretty special. Especially on an occasion like that.

So proud of him for scoring an Stourbridge town. Can they win the

replay? Definitely. What was the atmosphere like? Brilliant.

By next Tuesday night the new drive will be done and dusted and Ryan

and the lads will be off to the replay with Plymouth had been to

see their team finish the job to earn a home tie with Stevenage in

round two. Fantastic performance.

We are talking Children In Need, one of the biggest charity events

of the year and attracts one of the year's biggest television audiences.

This Friday children from a Birmingham school will be singing

live, nerve-racking enough, but the school choir has never performed in

public before. Just eight years ago Heartlands

High in Birmingham was a failing school, but now it has got a new

name, an outstanding Ofsted report and a new school choir during

opera's biggest performers yet. The pupils here have been rehearsing

hard for their big day and that is just as well, they are part of a

much bigger project performing live on BBC One on Friday night. They

will be performing to the whole nation at Aston Hall in Birmingham.

They have been so enthusiastic. The learning process of the song has

been really interesting. They have really enjoyed it. It has been a

wonderful experience. You have to wait until Friday to find out what

they will be singing but the People's thinks it will make an

impression. It is about staying strong, holding on. What these

children need to be doing, St stay strong and be brave. Career and,

don't give up. -- telling them to carry on. Watching their little

faces, they looked like they were really enjoying it. I am nervous,

but I thought with all this hard work I have put in it will pay off

at the end. People will be excited but we will be a bit nervous. We

will be fine. I will be backstage with them on

the night and I thought I'd better check they are ready. On Friday

night you all going to be live at Aston Hall on BBC One in front of

11 million people, exerted? Yes! -- excited?

Plenty more going on for Children In Need. A world record could be

broken in more than on Friday as BBC Hereford and Worcester are

asking thousands of people to dress as garden gnomes. They are touring

schools helping the children to make costumes. P will be assembling

at the Theatre in more than on Friday and hoped to raise thousands

of pounds -- theatre in Malvern. If you are raising money please let us

know. If you are taking photos try to

include a selection -- we will try to include a selection on Midlands

today. It looks as though we are back to

where we were at the beginning of last week with all the gloom that

we had today. But a couple of weeks to go before the official start to

into the sort of weekend we have just had will be increasingly rare.

It changeable week. A bit of movement. We could see some Centro

and sooner than last week. The varying wind direction is what

instigates the change. It will allow some of France to comment. --

some weather fronts to come in. A bit of rain on Wednesday, late on

Thursday. But there will be some sunshine in between. As far as

tonight goes, the cloud will thicken. Widespread drizzle. Quite

a cold night. A cold start tomorrow. He will be quite dreary and damp.

Tomorrow, an easterly is drawing innards slightly drier air. Things

will improve in the afternoon. Some more brightness in the afternoon,

temperatures could rise. On Thursday, some sunshine and it will

The full scale of the hacking scandal is revealed by a new

inquiry into press standards. After the riots anger over funding

cuts to youth project. Many are in danger of folding.

In half-an-hour on BBC when you think catch Kent -- tonight's

edition of Inside Out where a reporter from Sangat TV is reunited

with the police officer he helped during the riots. He gave the

officer make an arrest. That is in half a knot and BBC One. You can

also find out more about those plans to save the remains of

Coventry Cathedral for future generations.

Just 256 days until the Olympic Games. To design students from the

Midlands have achieved Olympic success stop Pippa Sanderson from

Malvern and Saiman Miah from Birmingham won a competition by the

Royal Mint to design to official coins for the Olympic and

Paralympic Games. -- two official coins. They will go on sale this

month. I'm never going to be fast enough to win the 100 metres. So it

this winning design competition, every feel like I have won gold.

I tried for tickets but was unsuccessful. But this is my way to

be part of the Olympics and British history. They do look rather good.