:00:07. > :00:08.Hello, and welcome to a special edition of Midlands Today.
:00:09. > :00:11.We're live in Stoke Heath in Coventry, and tonight we're
:00:12. > :00:29.Friends old and new are celebrating a special birthday, and the power of
:00:30. > :00:32.community spirit. Everybody helped out, because nobody had anything
:00:33. > :00:37.anyway. It wasn't a case of having more than somebody else, nobody had
:00:38. > :00:41.anything. Over the next humans, we will be delving into the BBC
:00:42. > :00:48.archives and talking to communities we do not often hear from. -- the
:00:49. > :00:53.next few months. Valley House has helped thousands of vulnerable
:00:54. > :01:00.people across Coventry. I will be tea dancing indoors with people from
:01:01. > :01:06.Stoke Heath, but will you be able to be outside this weekend? Find out
:01:07. > :01:11.later. More families are coming forward after the avoidable deaths
:01:12. > :01:15.of at least eight babies in Shropshire. If they had got her out
:01:16. > :01:19.sooner, I truly believe it would have been a different story right
:01:20. > :01:23.now. And advice for motorists head of the Easter bank holiday, one of
:01:24. > :01:28.the busiest weekends of the year on the roads.
:01:29. > :01:30.Good evening and welcome to Coventry.
:01:31. > :01:32.Let me take you inside the charity Valley House.
:01:33. > :01:35.They've welcomed around 50,000 people through their doors over
:01:36. > :01:40.It's the perfect place to start our new series
:01:41. > :01:45.These special programmes will celebrate the unsung community
:01:46. > :01:49.heroes, who make the West Midlands such a great place to live.
:01:50. > :01:54.Over the next half hour we'll take you back to the 70s
:01:55. > :01:59.of neighbours in Stoke Heath who turned an old council house
:02:00. > :02:02.into a safe haven for local people who had fallen on hard times.
:02:03. > :02:07.We've also been finding out what community spirit
:02:08. > :02:15.Shefali's with some people who know all about that.
:02:16. > :02:17.Yes, I've been well looked after by these lovely people.
:02:18. > :02:20.A bit later, we will be hearing how they've been catching up
:02:21. > :02:23.on old times and helping us find the good samaritans in the area.
:02:24. > :02:26.84 Valley Road opened in 1977 as a homeless
:02:27. > :02:33.The support it offered was pioneering.
:02:34. > :02:36.The local volunteers who set it up thought their idea was a simple one.
:02:37. > :02:39.It was what tight knit communities did, they looked out for their own.
:02:40. > :02:43.Our Special Correspondent Peter Wilson brings us up to date
:02:44. > :03:02.with a charity that really did begin at home.
:03:03. > :03:09.The BBC programme, Open Door, in ancient indeed, captured in an
:03:10. > :03:14.exciting new community project. The people of Stoke Heath, Coventry, had
:03:15. > :03:18.taken on a house owned by the council.
:03:19. > :03:21.It became more than a hostel for the homeless, it offered hope and a
:03:22. > :03:23.sense of family. One of So life begins at 40
:03:24. > :06:24.for Valley House. We'll hear from its new chief
:06:25. > :06:43.executive a little later. Thank you for having us and making
:06:44. > :06:49.us feel welcome. Tell us about what Valley hosted with you. It got me if
:06:50. > :06:53.it on the ladder, somewhere to live. Post before I came to Valley House,
:06:54. > :06:58.I lived in a tree in the local park for a couple of days. When I came
:06:59. > :07:03.here, they helped me out. And it moved on from there. Is it fair to
:07:04. > :07:09.say without Valley House, YouTube and not be together, would you? We
:07:10. > :07:17.met there, we have been together 35 years, we have three children. -- U2
:07:18. > :07:23.would not be together. Is it possible for it you to sum up what
:07:24. > :07:25.Valley House has done to the community? Cel I think it has
:07:26. > :07:38.brought people together, to be honest. Back in those days, people
:07:39. > :07:46.work together. I have seen how it has developed to know. I have not
:07:47. > :07:50.gone down there, to be honest. Thank you for sharing your story with us
:07:51. > :07:53.and making us welcome. Plenty more from Stoke Heath litter in the
:07:54. > :07:58.programme, but now we will go back to Nick in the studio.
:07:59. > :08:00.In other news, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital trust
:08:01. > :08:03.are accused tonight of failing to properly investigate the deaths
:08:04. > :08:06.Jack Burn and Sophiya Hotchkiss died shortly after birth,
:08:07. > :08:08.but their families say their concerns were
:08:09. > :08:14.The local coroner is now considering opening an inquest
:08:15. > :08:17.As Michael Buchanan revealed yesterday, there've been at least
:08:18. > :08:19.eight avoidable baby deaths in Shropshire in three years.
:08:20. > :08:29.Michael joins us now from our studio in Shrewsbury
:08:30. > :08:35.How do these new families say they have been failed? Essentially, what
:08:36. > :08:39.they are saying is that the deaths of their babies were not properly
:08:40. > :08:50.investigated, or they were not involved in any investigations.
:08:51. > :08:53.Advice from the Royal College Of Obstetricians And Gynaecologists
:08:54. > :09:02.says that families should be involved so that the most can be
:09:03. > :09:07.learned from each case. One woman was concerned that she was feeling
:09:08. > :09:10.unwell, and about the health of her baby, but she was left in a side
:09:11. > :09:15.room for 40 minutes. By the time staff came to check on her, they
:09:16. > :09:19.realised that her daughter had a weak heartbeat, and though her
:09:20. > :09:23.daughter was born, she died just hours later.
:09:24. > :09:26.If they had got her out before, I truly believe it would have been a
:09:27. > :09:33.I would not be sitting here talking to you, because I would have a
:09:34. > :09:46.three-year-old running around. It is not just that case, we'll so
:09:47. > :09:52.spoke to Healy Matthews. In March of 2015, she had a long and difficult
:09:53. > :09:59.labour, lasting 36 hours, with many delays and mistakes, and although
:10:00. > :10:04.her son, Jack, was born, he also died within hours of his birth.
:10:05. > :10:10.Since we realise this and investigated this, because we have
:10:11. > :10:17.spoken to the coroner, who is now considering opening an inquest into
:10:18. > :10:23.Jack's death. I want an inquest, I want something done. More research
:10:24. > :10:31.into it, and someone held accountable for killing my boy. I
:10:32. > :10:37.was expecting a healthy baby. What has been the Trust's reaction to
:10:38. > :10:43.this? The trust has said that they investigate all deaths, and they do
:10:44. > :10:50.learn from it. They acknowledge that they need to communicate -- the need
:10:51. > :10:53.to improve their locations with families, and in these two cases,
:10:54. > :10:57.they did not engage fully with the families.
:10:58. > :10:59.A cash machine has been stolen from a Post Office
:11:00. > :11:02.in Malvern after it was rammed with a stolen mechanical digger.
:11:03. > :11:04.The building in Barnards Green was attacked at 3:20 this morning.
:11:05. > :11:07.The cashpoint machine was then dragged along the road
:11:08. > :11:08.before being abandoned at Blackmore Industrial Estate.
:11:09. > :11:13.A puppy dealer has been jailed for 33 months
:11:14. > :11:15.for trading in sick and dying dogs in Staffordshire.
:11:16. > :11:18.Jamie Parvizi from Scholar Green near Stoke-on-Trent
:11:19. > :11:22.admitted 21 offences of cruelty and fraud.
:11:23. > :11:25.The RSPCA launched an investigation after receiving complaints
:11:26. > :11:30.The charity says the sentence is the longest prison term ever
:11:31. > :11:37.More than 17 million drivers are expected to take to the roads
:11:38. > :11:40.over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and many of them will be passing
:11:41. > :11:48.But be warned, as figures from WAZE, the crowdsourced, sat nav app,
:11:49. > :11:51.show that Good Friday afternoon is the worst day to travel,
:11:52. > :11:55.with drivers spending 25% longer in the car than the average Friday.
:11:56. > :12:00.Here's our Transport Correspondent Peter Plisner.
:12:01. > :12:03.This is what you will probably encounter at the
:12:04. > :12:08.busiest times, but there are ways of war avoiding the worst congestion
:12:09. > :12:10.busiest times, but there are ways of avoiding the worst congestion
:12:11. > :12:14.On busy days, people really see the value of this...
:12:15. > :12:17.Finlay Clark runs the free traffic up, WAZE, which it is claimed is one
:12:18. > :12:20.of the most accurate satnavs when it comes to traffic alerts.
:12:21. > :12:22.All of the information we are getting is from
:12:23. > :12:25.real drivers out on the roads, so everyone is crowdsourcing and
:12:26. > :12:28.sharing their traffic data, so we can see all
:12:29. > :12:30.the traffic hotspots on the
:12:31. > :12:34.road, and route you around it so that you avoid the traffic.
:12:35. > :12:36.Satnavs will certainly come in handy, as
:12:37. > :12:38.extra journeys over the bank holiday weekend
:12:39. > :12:39.put even more strains on the
:12:40. > :12:44.It has been a mixed picture on the roads so
:12:45. > :12:47.far today, but tomorrow, Good Friday, is expected to be
:12:48. > :12:49.the busiest, as five million drivers head out on the
:12:50. > :12:53.The busiest time will be between 10am and 2pm.
:12:54. > :12:56.Saturday could be busy too, as shoppers mix with long-distance
:12:57. > :13:02.Just as well that Highways England has lifted many roadworks.
:13:03. > :13:06.We think, based on previous experience, it does make quite a big
:13:07. > :13:09.and significant difference to people's movements.
:13:10. > :13:12.But not for drivers on the M5, where long-running roadworks are set to
:13:13. > :13:15.continue for now, and further up the motorway,
:13:16. > :13:17.next Tuesday sees the
:13:18. > :13:21.start of a two-year renovation scheme on a viaduct.
:13:22. > :13:23.We are trying to encourage people to use
:13:24. > :13:26.other modes of transport, or if you have to use the car,
:13:27. > :13:31.Could you get around Birmingham using another route?
:13:32. > :13:34.The best advice, both before and after
:13:35. > :13:41.Easter, has to be, avoid travelling at the busiest times.
:13:42. > :13:44.The Easter weekend is often vital in the football season,
:13:45. > :13:53.After the joy of winning at Wembley, their relegation could be
:13:54. > :13:59.They're 11 points from safety with just 12 to play for.
:14:00. > :14:02.And there'll be a protest march before tomorrow's game
:14:03. > :14:06.The Sky Blues Trust says the club has killed stone dead any
:14:07. > :14:08.feelgood factor from Wembley by freezing season ticket prices
:14:09. > :14:11.rather than reducing them next season following relegation.
:14:12. > :14:14.They also claim the vast majority of season ticket holders
:14:15. > :14:22.And it's crunch time for Gianfranco Zola
:14:23. > :14:27.His position looks increasingly shaky, doesn't it?
:14:28. > :14:30.Zola has won just twice in 20 league games.
:14:31. > :14:32.Tomorrow they play a Rotherham side who are bottom
:14:33. > :14:39.If they can't win that one, the risk of relegation grows.
:14:40. > :14:42.I don't think Zola could survive the drop no matter how much
:14:43. > :14:45.Cricket, and Warwickshire begin their first home game
:14:46. > :14:51.Yep, and surprise, surprise, there's rain in the forecast.
:14:52. > :14:54.But it's not just heavy rain that can cause disruption.
:14:55. > :14:57.Rebecca Wood and I have been finding out why the weather is so important
:14:58. > :15:13.The start of the cricket season, it is freezing 's bitterly cold,
:15:14. > :15:16.normally wins. Typical, isn't? Yes. The weather is not just important
:15:17. > :15:23.for cricket spectators, isn't it? The staff as well. Meet Gary Barwell
:15:24. > :15:27.and his team. For the past few months, they have been mauling and
:15:28. > :15:31.preening to make sure that the pitch is second to none. But just like any
:15:32. > :15:35.Gartner, they have been keeping a close eye on the weather. I will
:15:36. > :15:41.have a look at the weather Pouille 56 different signs a day. I have
:15:42. > :15:47.five weather apps on my phone, and it is just for up-and-coming events.
:15:48. > :15:52.The weather has such important impact, so many games have been won
:15:53. > :15:56.or lost because of it. What is the worst type of weather you can
:15:57. > :16:09.encounter? Vein is the one that everyone looks at. -- theme is the
:16:10. > :16:13.one that everyone looks at. Is as much harder to catch the ball with
:16:14. > :16:18.cold hands, but when you see them polishing the ball, so there is a
:16:19. > :16:23.smooth side and a rough side, the more moisture in the era, the harder
:16:24. > :16:26.it is to bat, so it can affect who wants to bowl first, who wants to
:16:27. > :16:35.bat first, and it can change the whole dynamic of the game. Catch!
:16:36. > :16:42.Just about. Too much rain can cause disaster for everyone. The season is
:16:43. > :16:49.underway now, and it is pretty likely that over the next six
:16:50. > :16:52.months, rain will stop play. Even when the weather is so bad there is
:16:53. > :17:01.no cricket, there is always a picnic. Oi!
:17:02. > :17:02.Worcestershire start their season tomorrow.
:17:03. > :17:04.Meanwhile, across the border in Gloucestershire, a panel
:17:05. > :17:12.of council officials could be set up to deal with a row
:17:13. > :17:19.When you look at the history of Coventry, and Stoke
:17:20. > :17:22.Heath in particular, you can see the strong community
:17:23. > :17:31.This part of Coventry was a prime target during the blitz.
:17:32. > :17:38.The car engine plant became a munitions factory -
:17:39. > :17:42.it was targetted by the last of the bombs which fell on the city
:17:43. > :17:47.There's a different kind of fire-fighting going on today.
:17:48. > :17:52.Local authorities across the country are having to pull their belts in.
:17:53. > :17:57.Since 2010, Coventry City Council has lost
:17:58. > :18:03.?95 million a year Government grant funding,
:18:04. > :18:06.with another ?36 million - 15% of the overall budget -
:18:07. > :18:18.This means a lot of challenges for places like this.
:18:19. > :18:20.LJ Winterburn, the chief exec here has joined us.
:18:21. > :18:23.There are tough choices being made, particularly for the many charities
:18:24. > :18:28.like this one who are providing a range of services for the council.
:18:29. > :18:34.How do you prioritise? We are being hit quite severely by funding cuts
:18:35. > :18:39.from local authorities, but we have decided to be proactive in terms of
:18:40. > :18:43.looking to our local community to come up with fundraising ideas and
:18:44. > :18:48.initiatives, and turn to local trusts and foundations to continue
:18:49. > :18:54.the work we are doing, rather than looking to cut services. Watched
:18:55. > :18:59.your volunteers mean to you? Cel they are massively important.
:19:00. > :19:06.Through them, we are able to provide a range of services that are not
:19:07. > :19:10.available through Government grants. If there is anybody out there, who
:19:11. > :19:17.would like to volunteer for Valley House, please get in touch with us.
:19:18. > :19:23.Please sun up the future, how do you see it? It is about innovation,
:19:24. > :19:26.working in partnership with other organisations and the local
:19:27. > :19:27.authority to provide the best services. I can see why you got the
:19:28. > :19:31.job! Thank you very much. Throughout the day on social
:19:32. > :19:33.media, we've been asking what does community
:19:34. > :19:36.spirit mean to you? Mike Buick posted on Facebook,
:19:37. > :19:39."Community spirit is invaluable. "Yet in today's society,
:19:40. > :19:42.it rarely exists." Jackie Kay-Finnegan
:19:43. > :19:46.said, "Brilliant. "They've helped so many
:19:47. > :19:48.people over the year, "keep up the good
:19:49. > :19:52.work, Valley House" Keep your thoughts coming
:19:53. > :19:56.on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Shefali is over in the Valley House
:19:57. > :20:03.garden, with some new friends. We've been having a lot of fun,
:20:04. > :20:12.I've even had my dancing shoes on! Have you all been having fun? Cheers
:20:13. > :20:21.CHEERING let's find out what
:20:22. > :20:23.makes Stoke Heath such a smash hit with the people
:20:24. > :20:25.who live here. We sent legendary music
:20:26. > :20:37.producer Pete Waterman back I have worked with international
:20:38. > :20:40.artists, but Stoke Heath is still home.
:20:41. > :20:43.You can take the kid out of Coventry, but you cannot take
:20:44. > :20:48.Coventry out of the kid. I was born in that from there. Everybody knew
:20:49. > :20:53.my mum, Stella. My mum was Stella and my dad was John, and added that
:20:54. > :20:56.the new Stella and John. If you wanted something you went next door,
:20:57. > :21:00.and if you could not afford anything, you went into the shop and
:21:01. > :21:05.the you paid them on Friday. That was the community we were in. On
:21:06. > :21:10.this crass, I played for England, box fighting and, I won the World
:21:11. > :21:15.Championship three times on here. It was great, and everybody joined in,
:21:16. > :21:21.and if you did not have something, you could borrow it, and it was as
:21:22. > :21:25.simple as life was. That was my childhood. I am here to see what
:21:26. > :21:33.kids today do. Like Scott have a look. Hello. How are you doing? You
:21:34. > :21:37.ever, with ideas for yourself? I go to the trees and climb around, and
:21:38. > :21:42.see if I can get to the top of the tree first. It is a safe
:21:43. > :21:49.environment, so you do not have to feel uncomfortable. They will look
:21:50. > :21:55.after you. When I was here, I took it for granted, that is what
:21:56. > :22:00.community did. When you are older, that committee becomes very
:22:01. > :22:04.important to you. You can bring a community together at a place like
:22:05. > :22:09.this. When I was a kid, this was an allotment, but noticed the Stoke
:22:10. > :22:13.Heath Community Centre. Without the volunteers, he would not get a
:22:14. > :22:21.decent cup of tea, and a piece of cake. You have got to work with
:22:22. > :22:24.children, that is why we started the youth club, because children had
:22:25. > :22:33.nowhere to go. You can probably relates to that, coming from you.
:22:34. > :22:39.But now you are under threat? And had ten people help the community?
:22:40. > :22:43.If we do not do it with volunteers, we cannot do it at all. What is
:22:44. > :22:47.amazing here, as you look at the older people, you look at the
:22:48. > :22:55.volunteers, and you realise that you cannot pay for this. It is genuine
:22:56. > :23:03.commitment to the community. We are trying to raise ?1000 for Ashley.
:23:04. > :23:07.Ashley needs a chest brace, and it is ?1000, which in this day and age,
:23:08. > :23:14.is not a lot of money, but the NHS will not fund it. So we do things
:23:15. > :23:20.like that, we take them camping, three days, we go camping, and stay
:23:21. > :23:25.overnight. It is a lot of work, but it is fantastic. Community spirit is
:23:26. > :23:27.alive and well, it is fantastic. If you can help them, you can, because
:23:28. > :23:34.that is what community is all about. You know, Stoke Heath Community
:23:35. > :23:41.Centre is such a busy place, youth club, adult education,
:23:42. > :23:43.mums n tots, dance classes, I waltzed over there this
:23:44. > :23:46.afternoon for a tea dance. There is nothing like a bit
:23:47. > :23:49.of Latin music, is there, to get you in the mood,
:23:50. > :23:53.but I tell you, this community centre is the beating heart
:23:54. > :23:55.of the community, I love coming here to come
:23:56. > :24:02.and meet my friends, get out of the house, unite the community,
:24:03. > :24:05.and talk about all the music. Just enjoy the friendship,
:24:06. > :24:19.and the hospitality that happens Because it is a really
:24:20. > :24:28.friendly community. As you can see, we all mix,
:24:29. > :24:48.so we all know each other. I am glad I was endorsed earlier on,
:24:49. > :24:55.because it has been quite cold today, I had a light coat on a
:24:56. > :25:00.couple of hours ago, but now I had to put on a parka. Quickly
:25:01. > :25:05.noticeable breeze, it is cooler than that. There is a lot of cloud
:25:06. > :25:10.plaguing us, it will be cool, and some rain at times, but on the
:25:11. > :25:16.positive side, there is some sunshine on offer, and plenty of dry
:25:17. > :25:20.weather as well. The best they will be Saturday. Let's take a look at
:25:21. > :25:22.the background story, and from that pressure chart, you can see that we
:25:23. > :25:26.are going to see Atlantic fronts are going to see Atlantic fronts
:25:27. > :25:35.that will bring in some rain over the weekend, and any rain will be
:25:36. > :25:40.down to a minimum. Tonight, some clear spells at the moment, but lots
:25:41. > :25:48.of clouds, which will thicken up from the Northwest. It should stay
:25:49. > :25:52.largely dry, however, just a few spots of rain across the north of
:25:53. > :26:02.the region, temp stuffing down to about seven Celsius. There will be
:26:03. > :26:07.flickers of brightness in a cloudy day, temperatures rising to between
:26:08. > :26:12.12 Celsius in the north to 14 Celsius in the south, with a
:26:13. > :26:16.moderate north-westerly breeze. Tomorrow night, the rain and showery
:26:17. > :26:19.outbreaks of rain will move southwards, but they will soon be
:26:20. > :26:25.out of the way, but the start of the day on Saturday will be quite sunny.
:26:26. > :26:29.Some pleasant spells of sunshine, but Saturday will be a two layer day
:26:30. > :26:33.with a noticeable breeze. On Sunday, a bit of rain to the north, but
:26:34. > :26:46.Easter Monday will be worst of all. Clearing up in the afternoon. From
:26:47. > :26:47.all others on Midlands today, have a lovely Easter. --