11/04/2017 Midlands Today

The Worcestershire charity worker who's fundraising to adopt

an orphaned boy from Uganda - she first held him when he

More than ?20,000 has been pledged to help them leaping Emily back to

the UK. More than ?20,000 has been pledged

to help Emilie bring A bigger problem than heroin -

concerns from the friend of a homeless man who died

after taking the drug black mamba. Like, the homeless people,

they're just taking it about the next day then,

you know what I mean? They've survived the construction of

the West Coast mainline and the M6 - concerns that Staffordshire

woodlands could be under threat Make do and mend -

the toy repair workshop Make do and mend -

the toy repair workshop which is proving an unlikely hit

with the gaming generation. And after a weekend of summery heat,

today offered some welcome spring But there are changes ahead -

those details in the forecast later. When Emilie Larter held a five-day

old orphan in her arms, it set her on a path

to becoming his mother. The 25-year-old, from

Worcestershire, was volunteering for a charity in Uganda

when she met the child. She became baby Adam's full time

carer, and is now fundraising to help her cover the costs

so she can adopt him. When his mother died, he and six

other children were orphaned. Since then, he's been cared

for by Emilie Larter, who was working for a charity in

Uganda. She's now fostering him,

and plans to adopt. is it bit more when it came to

leaving him that I realised that when I spent months working in

England his first steps and I want to be with him all the time.

Emilie's hoping to raise the money for the adoption online,

At her family home in Leigh Sinton, near Malvern, her parents have been

Once we realise that there was a bond created their we were all

emotionally involved. It came in stages but now we can get on with it

and hopefully that bring him back as soon as possible.

Emilie has to foster Adam before she can apply to the Ugandan courts

She'll then need to get permission from the UK

I believe the support network of my family and friends is so important

and will never get that in Uganda. is so important and will never get

that in Uganda. Already more than ?20,000

pounds has been pledged. Emilie hopes to bring Adam to the UK

by the end of this year. It's more of a problem than heroin -

that's the view of a friend of a man thought to have been killed

by the drug Black Mamba. Last year so-called 'legal highs'

were criminalised, leading to a rise Closer to home, in Birmingham,

a homeless man was found dead in Fletcher's Walk

on Sunday after taking it. A shrine has now been set up -

the problem persists. It gets you so high that they don't

really care the just taking it they don't have to worry about tomorrow

it a bigger problem than any other drug. It's just cheap and easy to

He got hooked on black mamba in prison and was filmed as part

But today he's clean and says he has been for months.

His friend Paul has also managed to stop smoking spice.

Although the pair are homeless and temptation is all around,

they say it's too dangerous to start again.

At this laboratory at Birmingham City Hospital,

you're in and blood samples of addicts are put into

an analyser to screen for substances in the drugs.

At this laboratory at Birmingham City Hospital,

you're in and blood samples of addicts are put into

an analyser to screen for substances in the drugs.

urineand blood samples of addicts are put into

an analyser to screen for substances in the drugs.

But scientists say it's becoming harder to detect new chemicals

since the so-called 'legal highs' like black mamba were

They say they need more samples to help find

Professor Berg is now trying to organise a meeting with police,

paramedics and homeless charities to look at a way forward and stop

We need lots of samples from people that aren't able to provide them to

tell us what they're taking. Professor Berg is now trying

to organise a meeting with police, paramedics and homeless charities

to look at a way forward and stop And if you want more advice then

you can log on to a free and confidential website -

Ask Frank.com - or there's a phone Pictures have emerged of the moment

armed police raided a house on a residential street

in Birmingham, after reports that a young man had been seen

at the property with a gun. The footage,

which was taken by a passer-by on a mobile phone, shows

three teenagers being led from the property in

Bordesley Green at gunpoint and asked to lie on the floor

while a house is searched. West Midlands Police say this

is routine procedure Overreaction, I can see why

people might say that, but if you just remember

that the information that the officers were given,

that someone had gone into that house with more than one weapon,

it was a residential address, As people are coming out, we don't

know who is left within there, and there is only a few the officers

to deal with all of that. They did their best to maximise

all of the safety of everybody that was in there and they were only

on the floor for a very short amount of time and they dealt

with it as best they could, given the situation

presented to them. A woman has died following

a housefire in Newcastle-under-Lyme, The emergency services

were called to Turin Road A woman was brought out

but she died at the scene. The fire had gone so bad

that the windows were The outside on the porch

area was all on fire. Something very shocking,

very shocking. The online retailer Amazon has

announced it's planning to start recruiting 800 people

later this year to work at its The new facility will

be at Browns Lane and will employ a range of staff,

including engineers and IT specialists,

as well as warehouse operators. The government's announced

?3.8 million of research funding, for a high-energy battery research

project based at the It'll be led by BMW,

to develop batteries which could be Almost ?500,000 will also be

spent on another project, More than a hundred social care

workers are quitting their jobs here in the West Midlands every day,

that's according to the social care Carers themselves say poor pay

and long working hours are partly The issue has prompted one company

in Shropshire to give 10% pay rises to its staff

to try to hang on to them. Our reporter Joanne Writtle has been

looking into this and joins me now. Well, the adult care system

has begun to collapse As you say, 105 carers leave their

jobs in the West Midlands everyday. A former carer in West Bromwich told

us she left after eight years because she was struggling

to pay her bills - but felt guilty about leaving

the people she was looking after. She now works for the GMB union

which is campaigning for better It was really tough me,

I found it very difficult to leave. The fact that, to work in that

sector, I had to do a lot of long hours and I'd need to work 60 hour

weeks in order to pay the bills. But I felt very guilty for leaving,

because I am a very caring person. And I did and still do care

about the people thatI looked after. I just hope that it does keep more

carers in work, you know. We don't want to see it get any

worse because people are going to go I mean, it's quite a taxing

job I should think. They go from one to the other

with always working with someone. There is anything being done to

prevent people leaving the profession?

Carers say they have adhered responsibility, people's lives in

their hands. There can at least. A year ago he

had 100 carers on his books now he has 80. Tee 18

The reason they leave, one is low pay and the pressure

The reason they leave, one is low pay

and the pressure of the work, because

Also, in terms of the amount they get for their

mileage and upkeep of their car and there is an absence of benefits

the Department of Health says the following statement. More than half

of those who quit last year left the care sector altogether.

Our top story tonight, the Worcester troop charity If you have a story

you think we should be covering, you can e-mail us, or contact us on

Facebook or Twitter. "They are our living cathedrals" -

that's how Staffordshire's ancient woodlands have been described,

but they could be under threat. The Woodland Trust is concerned

seven woods could go, if the proposed route for Phase 2

of the High Speed Rail project The route goes from

the West Midlands to Crewe. Here's our transport

correspondent Peter Plisner. Ancient woodland with a sprinking

of bluebells at Whitmore Wood near Newcastle-under-Lyme -

this rare forest would be destroyed if the current

plans for HS2 go ahead. species of conservation concern.

land-based habitat, with over 200 There are fantastic

reservoirs, natural castles - our living cathedrals,

if you like. This area is already something

of a transport corridor, with the West Coast Main Line over

here and a couple of miles Ancient woodland has

survived the construction of both THOSE projects,

but the proposals for HS2 would see major earthworks here -

meaning the trees would have to go. Whitmore Wood is one of seven

ancient woodlands seriously affected by the HS2 line as it tracks north

from Birmingham to Crewe. Local residents are also concerned -

their homes have been affected too, and many have already sold out

to HS2 Ltd. Plans here include two tunnels,

which both the Woodlands Trust and residents like Fred Smith say

could easily be joined together We are disappointed that it wasn't

included in last year's Environmental Impact

Assessment report. HS2 has already changed a route

in Buckinghamshire, where - as this video shows -

the Chiltern tunnel has been extended to protect

another ancient woodland. People in Staffordshire now want

the same to happen here. A major new Birmingham

music festival has been The three-day festival,

called Beyond The Tracks, will take place in the city centre

in September, and will feature a number of bands from Birmingham

including two of the headliners. But with a number of big

festivals having failed in recent years in the city,

can this one really work? Ben Sidwell's at the location

for the festival now. They must be pretty

confident it will work, Ben? They are, and I think the location

is going to play a big role in that. That is the main train line in and

out of Birmingham, and if we go the other way, that is Curzon street,

weather station for HS2 is going to be, and further run from that the

city centre itself. But it is not just the location that has a second

city feel, the line-up is made from a lot of Birmingham bans as well.

Ocean Colour Scene, Editors and The Twang -

just three of the Birmingham bands who'll be taking to the stage

in their home city in September, at the brand-new Beyond The Tracks

First time we've played outside in Birmingham, so yeah,

Bill looks great, hopefully the weather's

going to be brilliant, September time, and we look forward

But can a major music festival be a success in this city?

Birmingham's recent track record isn't very good -

despite headliners such as Ed Sheeran, Fusion Festival

failed to make things work and has moved to Liverpool.

Wireless Festival, scheduled for at least three years

in the city, lasted just one, due to poor ticket sales.

What's different about this new one, though, is its location -

in the heart of Birmingham, Eastside City Park was the venue for

With up to 10,000 tickets a day, Beyond The Tracks Festival will need

similar numbers if it's to cement a place on the Birmingham

Let's speak to -- one of the organisers of the festival. John,

we've heard that the big festivals have failed in Birmingham. Why will

this succeed? I think previous attempts have come from maybe

companies outside the city. Our local knowledge and partnerships and

access to the local music scene I think will make as a success.

We know that Birmingham sells almost 1 million concert tickets a year,

the bubble people don't buy tickets for the big festivals. Why is that?

I think if you bought a line-up together that people are going to

kill for a ticket for, then, you know, you are good to have success.

We will find that in September. Birmingham is missing a big

festival, that's the one thing in the calendar it doesn't have. Yes,

we've run smaller festivals, this will be our first foray into a

bigger festival. Let's talk about the line-up. It has got a really

strong line-up,. Ocean Colour Scene. Editors. Throughout the line-up

there smaller bands from Birmingham, -- there are. So hopefully everybody

comes together and comes out for it. The festival takes place between the

15th and the 20th of September. Four months ago, Birmingham

got its first boxing world champion. Dan Pallet has joined me -

who are we talking about? His name is Tommy Langford, but he

is far more -- far more from being -- just a boxer.

Four months ago, Khalid Yafai became Birmingham's first

But in 2017, Tommy Langford could become the second.

He's unbeaten in 18 professional fights.

And a week on Saturday, he's fighting to become

the WBO's interim world champion at middleweight.

Concentrate - you're going to need to.

Tommy Langford is always on the move, he's got quick hands

Above him towers a giant poster, bearing the face

of Georgia's Avtandil Khurtsidze - the boxer who stands

He's highly avoided by all the top operators, but ultimately,

beating him puts me on the platform of those operators and gives me

the chance to fight and mix with the elite in the world,

and it gives me the right to start talking about the big, big names,

Victory at Leicester a week on Saturday would make Tommy

the interim world champion for the WBO at middleweight.

And if the current champion, Billy Joe Saunders, doesn't

fight him for the outright title within six months,

His coach at Hall Green Boxing Club

has watched him develop over many years.

In dark gyms, cold runs, everything else.

So the reward isn't now as such, it's just happened overnight -

it's been going a long, long time and he's ready.

But 27-year-old Tommy has further talents.

Once the gloves are off - the trainers are on.

And just a week after his fight, Tommy will join 7,000 others

He covers the distance five times a week in training anyway.

Yeah, makes a difference to doing it, you know,

ten o'clock at night plodding round Selly Oak on my own,

so that'll be nice, something to chase.

And I will be chasing people, I ain't that quick!

Tommy also has a degree in sports science from Birmingham University,

and he's a big fan of West Bromwich Albion.

But from the age of 11 he's dreamt of becoming

a world boxing champion - that dream could be within grasp.

Let's talk about football, and some great news for the Stoke

Yes, it's taken a year, but he's finally played again.

We filmed him back in training three weeks ago, but last night

he played a full game for Stoke's U23s against Brighton.

They lost 2-0, but he said he was "so happy to be back."

And Birmingham City Ladies are just 90 minutes away from Wembley.

Yes, on Easter Monday they're at home to Chelsea

This afternoon two of the Blues players, Sophie Baggaley

and Jessica Carter, were supporting a new FA scheme to encourage

young girls to share their football dreams.

And for Birmingham City Ladies, that means clinching their place

We don't think we're underdogs any more, we know that we can go

and compete with the best teams such as Chelsea and Man City and Arsenal,

So we expect from ourselves to get to the final.

Everyone gets on really well, everyone's training really hard,

pushing each other in training, and that's only a good thing,

so come Monday hopefully that'll be evident in our performance.

Terrific achievement, let's hope they continue.

For those of a certain generation, the idea of make do

A repair cafe has opened in Coventry, to give kids and adults

alike the chance to bring in old toys and small

There are two things certain in life - kids love toys,

Which is why Repair Cafe Coventry is proving popular this Easter.

An idea which started in Europe has now come to Coventry city centre.

Commentary just has the most fantastic history of invention and

intervention -- innovation. -- Coventry. I've got kids growing up

in the city, and I wanted this kind of space for them.

This free initiative is supported by Coventry and Warwick University,

as well as the City Council, aiming to encourage upcycling

and introduce young minds to engineering skills.

It was a robot, and it stopped working. Today, the people here are

helping me fix it. It is fun, because it helps you fix toys and in

years to come you don't need to throw them away. So hopefully will

-- you will be able to fix all your time when you are grown up. And now

they will not have to buy lots of new ones! Yes. -- and your mum.

But it's not just kids that have been attracted to Repair Cafe -

I've got this old vintage goal, which has lost its arms. And I had a

go at repairing it myself. -- this old vintage goal. I thought somebody

here could help me do it. Judging by how the children are enjoying

themselves her, this place would be the last of its kind.

With plans to hold Repair Cafe monthly, don't throw away those

And if you're looking for a Fab Lab near you,

then you can log onto fablabs.io - I know it's a funny website

Let's catch up on the weather, Shefali is with me -

If you are looking for anything substantial, there isn't much on

offer. But as far as today went, it was full steam ahead. We had some

pleasant spells of sunshine, and so were the temperatures. Just a

fraction of what we had over the weekend, but very nice nonetheless.

These are slightly above the average for the time of year which is about

12. We had a bit of fair weather cloud bubbling up from time to time,

however it did stay dry across much of the reason -- region. However,

now we have got a slight fly in the ointment in the form of this cold

front which is slipping sideways is -- south eastwards through tonight.

The high pressure should weaken it substantially. It opens at the

gateway to more unsettled conditions, slightly more unsettled

conditions, for the remainder the weekend -- the week and Easter

weekend. But the rain should become lighter on Thursday and Friday.

Tonight we have some pleasant spells of sunshine to round of the day, and

then into the evening, starting off with clear spells but then that

cloud starting to increase. It should stay dry tonight, but then

the cloud will have the effect of holding temperatures up at around

seven or eight Celsius. Tomorrow it will be cloudy, through the day that

cloud will thin and break to produce brightness and sunny spells, but

behind that we've got some showery outbreaks of rain. Just the odd

heavier bust, but temperatures are bit lower than today, rising to

about 11 or 12 Celsius. -- just the odd heavier bust. So that breeze

slowly coming down tomorrow night, Clay was spells, but cloud breaking

up quite nicely so it will be a sunny start of the day on Thursday,

but we are looking at quite a bit of cloud developing on Thursday and

also Good Friday. -- cloudy spells. On tomorrow's programme,

we've been on the river bank - as the Environment Agency tackles

illegal elver smuggling. Exporting elvers outside the EU

is banned, but those who break that law can

make millions of pounds. We'll have a special report

on the growing problem. When sold into a share, those Elvis

can be worth as much as ?6,000 per kilo.

That's all from us for now, I'll be back at 10:30

There have never been so many people in work -

that's what the Government keeps telling us.

But what's the reality of this Tory jobs bonanza?

Well, if you're one of the millions of people working on

a contract without fixed hours or days, then it's not so good.