Word from the Chair
You know it's nearly Christmas when the German Market rolls into town, and last week, as I sat at my desk listening to the sound of the various stalls being put up in the distance, I started to feel in high festive spirits – and it’s only November! However, the feeling was short-lived as I realised how much work there was to be done between now and the ‘silly season’. The latter also looks set to be quite a busy one for Birmingham Future, with a number of events due to take place, including the annual Christmas Party at Red Bar on Thursday 4 December. This promises to be a cracker (excuse the pun), with food, drink and live music to boot. It’s definitely one not to be missed. You can read more about this event further down in the e-bulletin. Also in this month’s e-bulletin is news about Birmingham Future’s exciting new charity venture with Birmingham Community Foundation, BYPY sponsorship news and lots, lots more. It has been a busy month, so thank you to all our members for their continued support, attendance at events and participation in projects and initiatives. Keep up the excellent work!
I’m off for a bratwurst and a glass of gluhwein.
News & Events
A Bright Future for the Birmingham Community Foundation
Birmingham Future, the representative body of young professionals in the city, has announced a partnership with the Birmingham Community Foundation.
The Future Foundation will channel funds raised by Birmingham Future into specific projects chosen by the organisation to receive grants via the Birmingham Community Foundation.
Birmingham Future, as part of its on going commitment to personal social responsibility, has pledged to raise funds for the Future Foundation during its many activities during the year. Key fundraising activities will be the Birmingham Future Ball and BYPY (the Birmingham Young Professional of the Year.)
In addition, members can undertake other activities and raise funds through the year with both individual and company wide initiatives.
The Future Foundation was launched at a lunch held at Del Villagio in Broad Street attended by Birmingham Community Foundation Chief Executive, Derek Inman.
The Fund received its first monies as Matt Taylor, Chairman of Birmingham Future, pledged at least £1500 raised from the Birmingham Future team who took part in the first ever Birmingham Half Marathon.
Chief Executive of Birmingham Foundation, Derek Inman, is delighted that Birmingham Future has chosen the charity as official partner: “The Birmingham Foundation has a proud tradition of support from the city’s business community. Birmingham Future represents a vibrant, active and committed group of young professionals who are not only looking to further their careers in the city but to give something back to its community."
“With the launch of the Future Foundation, we now have a conduit to the organisation’s fundraising efforts that offers control over which projects it wishes to support. We look forward to working closely with Birmingham Future and developing our relationship with them and most importantly ensuring that together we can make a positive and significant contribution to our local communities.”
Cobbetts snap up sponsorship of BYPY 2009
Top 50 law firm Cobbetts LLP is set to sponsor Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (BYPY) for the second year running. 2009 will be the ninth annual BYPY and Birmingham Future, the young professionals’ networking group behind the event, is hoping to build momentum with the awards next summer in the build up to BYPY’s tenth birthday in 2010.
BYPY chair, Roula Samaha, HR and training manager at the Radisson SAS Hotel, said: “We’re all really glad that Cobbetts has decided to support us again this year. With their backing, 2008’s awards were the best so far and we’re hoping that next year’s will be even more spectacular. We can’t wait to join forces again.”
Graham Muth, partner at Cobbetts, said that after the success of last year’s awards the firm was keen to be a part of the event again.
“Cobbetts is pleased to support BYPY in recognising and rewarding Birmingham’s talented young professionals, They represent the future of Birmingham’s professional services sector and it is important that we do everything possible to encourage them. BYPY is one of the city’s premier events and we are glad that we managed to secure sponsorship for 2009,” he said.
The 2008 awards at the ICC saw Wragge & Co’s Anthony McCourt crowned Birmingham Young Professional of the Year. Anthony won the legal sector and beat five other sector winners – Charlotte Crossley, from Core Marketing, in the Communications category, Nick Morgan, from the Big Cat Group, in the Entrepreneurial category, Deepak Parekh, from Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, in the Financial category, Emma Whigham, from Atkins in Property and Construction and Claudia Santillo, from Adlestrop Consulting, in the Recruitment and Training category.
For more information about BYPY 2009, which will take place at the ICC on Thursday 4 June 2009, email Martina Fajksova at Birmingham Future, martina@birminghamforward.co.uk or call 0121 632 2203.
Strategic Committee set out stall for Annual Survey with some great member benefits…
The time of year is upon us once more, when all Future members are asked to complete the annual survey, which will be published in early December. Members will receive an email detailing how to complete the survey, which is an extremely useful tool to help shape the future of Future. To top it all off there are even some fantastic prizes for those who complete the survey, with the first prize being dinner at the Hyatt and further prizes soon to be unveiled.
The Birmingham Future blog…
The Birmingham Future blog is going from strength to strength, with regular updates, interviews and articles being posted for the benefit of members. Blog administrator Jason Norris has been doing the majority of this, but recruiting new contributors along the way. Members are encouraged to keep checking the Future Blog as regularly as possible and new items to look out for this month include: A member feature interview with Carolyn Pugh, who has recently joined the Graduates into Employment committee; a post half marathon report; a review on the ‘Graduates Welcome’ event and much more. Visit: http://birminghamfuture.wordpress.com.
Birmingham Future’s Half Marathon team… extract from the Future blog:
On Sunday 26 October, the Birmingham Future Half Marathon team successfully took part in the city’s first attempt at the 13.1 mile event. Sunday’s weather was far from perfect, with rain and strong winds, but all of the Future team made it round safely.
The ‘undulating’ course took its toll on some of the runners’ legs, with the first six or seven miles being predominately uphill! Matt Taylor, Future’s current chair, was delighted to be part of the day: “The blood, sweat and tears were all worth it in the end as I crossed the line, beating my previous half marathon time by a full five minutes. I was delighted to be running for Birmingham Foundation, and want to thank all the members of Future who took part”.
To read the full story visit the blog: http://birminghamfuture.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/to-next-year/
Future Member appointed youngest ever Civic Society Trustee…
Rob Langley, Birmingham Future member and deputy chair of the Future Marketing Committee has recently been elected as a Trustee of The Birmingham Civic Society. Rob becomes the youngest ever Trustee of The Society and will also be adding to this voluntary role as Chair of The Society’s Citizenship awards programme which works with schools throughout the City region. This appointment comes at a very busy time in Rob’s career, as he has just taken up new employment with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group as marketing manager: “I am really pleased to be working with The Civic Society on such a worth while cause, I was lucky enough to be on the judging panel of their Citizenship awards earlier this year and extremely impressed with the standard of work young people in the city had produced on their ‘improving Birmingham’ projects. I also hope that I can help as a catalyst for more young professionals from Birmingham Future to become involved with the positive work which The Civic Society do, as it is very closely aligned to the goals and ambitions of Future,” said Rob.
For more information about the Civic Society please contact Rob by emailing: rob@bcmg.org,uk
Education Business Links event.
Future members are asked to sign up for a series of interesting events, where they will help interview year 10 students for practice job interviews and answer questions from year 9 students about their own jobs.
If you would be interested in taking part and helping with this activity please contact Lyn Shields directly – lyn.shields@bxlworks.org.uk
The events are to be held on Thurs 4 and Fri 5 Dec at Shenley Court School, Northfield B29 4HE between 9am and 1pm and on Wed 17 Dec at Park View School, Saltley B8 3HG between 9am - 11am - Guess My Job for Year 9 (13 - 14 yrs old).
An important date for your diary: 4th December 2008
Ho Ho Ho - It's the Birmingham Future Christmas Party: 4th December - Red, 3 Temple Street, Birmingham, B2 5BN
The festive season will soon be upon us, and for this year’s Christmas Party, Birmingham Future will be offering something a little bit different. Naturally the Birmingham Future Christmas party will be one to be remembered and in order to make it a little more different to the usual meal of turkey and cranberry sauce, we have chosen to celebrate it in our own way. Rather than being tied to your tables for dinner, this Christmas party will give you the opportunity to move around and network whilst enjoying canapés and drinks as well as enjoying some live music. We want you to have a great Christmas this year so come along get together and have some fun, Birmingham Future style!
The event will cost £20.00 + VAT (£23.50) per person including dinner, glass of wine and entertainment. If you're interested in joining us please contact the office in the normal way.
Out and about in Birmingham with Lise-Ann Brennan…
Pizza Express 124/126 Wharfside Street Birmingham B1 1XL (Also Bullring, Brindley Place & The Citadel) www.pizzaexpress.com
Monday lunch and time for a pizza! Where else but Pizza Express?!
I’ve been a fan of the Pizza Express for many years mostly because of its superior status compared to the dark and greasy side of Pizza Hut (Apologies for those fans of the latter) The fact that you won’t find chunks of pineapple on your pizza is for me the mark of a good Italian pizzeria!
The newest addition to the Birmingham collection is located in the Mailbox in the site formerly occupied by Fino, and when we visited on Monday the restaurant was very quiet.
A new menu sees the introduction of 4 pizzas designed by top Chef Theo Randall, alongside the usual pizza and pasta dishes including the new Romano Pizza (a larger thinner base).
We started with a Noci nibble (roasted nuts in Chilli, Rock Salt and Rosemary) and a plate of Baked Dough Balls with Garlic Butter, both delicious! Followed with pizzas (when in Rome!!) I chose to have my Funghi di Bosco on a Romano base and my companion opted for a traditional base for his Giardiniera, a vegetarian pizza of artichokes and asparagus that is until you add tuna as he did!
The pizzas were excellent, the perfect balance of tomato and mozzarella with toppings ample yet not excessive. The only problem was my ‘thin’ Romano base pizza became cold particularly quickly. We skipped dessert, however, there are 11 to choose from.
Pizza is a great option for dining out and for a reliable fresh menu you can't fault Pizza Express. Keep an eye out for promotions too as they usually have some pretty good deals on!
Alternatives: Strada - www.Strada.co.uk. - Wharfside Street, Birmingham. Del Villaggio - Broad Street & The Bullring, Birmingham
The Cubes – men at work at the German Market
Birmingham Development Company invites you to join The Cubes at the German Market bandstand, 18.00, Friday 5 December for music and a few gluhweins.
BYPY ‘08 finalist Neil Edginton and Alan Chatham of the Birmingham Post’s Power 50 are performing as The Cubes by popular demand and celebrating Christmas.
- What: The Cubes – music and a few gluhweins
- When: 5 December
- Where: From 6pm, The German Market bandstand
Birmingham Future, One Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1 1BD
Telephone: +44 (0)121 632 2200 Fax: +44 (0)121 632 2201
_1.jpg "The Cube")
