Millennium Point have once again teamed up with innovative event specialists The Wine & Events Company to present a fun and unique showing of the smash-hit musical, The Greatest Showman, alongside five themed wines, entertainment and a very big screen.

Tickets are just £33.95 (plus fees) and takes place Saturday 22nd April at 7pm.

Grab your tickets from Eventbrite before they sell out!

‘So why don’t we rewrite the stars?’

Orphaned, penniless, but ambitious -and with a mind crammed with imagination and fresh ideas, the American entertainer, Phineas Taylor Barnum (Hugh Jackman), will always be remembered as the Man with the gift to blur the line between reality and fiction. Thirsty for innovation and hungry for success, the son of a tailor manages to open a wax museum; however, he soon shifts focus to the unique and the peculiar, introducing extraordinary, never-seen-before, live acts on the circus stage. Now, some people call Barnum’s rich collection of oddities, an outright freakshow, but when Phineas, obsessed for cheers and respectability, gambles everything on the opera singer, Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson), to appeal to a high-brow audience, he will lose sight of the most crucial aspect of his life, his family. Will Barnum, the greatest showman, risk it all to be accepted?

‘I wish for happiness like this forever’, you after five wines, probably

Tickets are priced at £33.95 (plus fees) and you’ll get more than just a screening!

The Greatest Showman on a very big screen

Hosted in our giant screen Auditorium – previously the region’s biggest and best IMAX – our host Tony Elvin, from film geeks The Wine and Events Company, will be providing entertainment and movie trivia throughout. For example, did you know Zendaya did all her own trapeze stunts? We definitely won’t be trying that on the night!

Along with all of this, the film will be paused at intervals so you can enjoy five themed wines.

Our movie and cocktail events are not to be missed!

Check out one of our last ones of the eighties classic Dirty Dancing below. Guests had the time of their lives with a live band, themed cocktails, and movie trivia with host Tony Elvin.

Getting to Millennium Point

Millennium Point is in the Eastside of Birmingham City Centre just 5 minutes’ walk from Moor Street and 15 minutes’ walk from Grand Central and the tram. There is also limited parking on-site which means we’re easy to get to regardless of how you travel. For more information, please click here.

Background

The Dorothy Parkes Centre is an award-winning community centre based in Smethwick, an area in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands. They provide a safe place of welcome and opportunity for the local and wider community.

There is a variety of groups, classes, and activities that are available at the centre which all aim to help tackle local issues.

Aim of the project

The Centre had the aim to deliver eight science shows, during the school holidays over a twelve-month period and engage an audience who would not normally participate in learning in environments like this. The three-hour long sessions were themed around seasonal times of the year. They were led by science communicators from award-winning STEM organisation Femtinos.

Continuing, the aim with the project was to also raise the profile of STEM skills and careers. Dorothy Parkes thought that the members of the local community did not know the value of STEM and how it was linked to a diverse range of careers.

What impact has it made?

A £20,000 grant was awarded to Dorothy Parkes Centre. The project was popular in the area with a range of events happening throughout the year. Halloween, Easter & Commonwealth were all fun and interesting themes to engage the young community. Each session welcomed 50 young people and 50 parents to take part.

To build on the grants legacy, sessions were filmed and then uploaded to YouTube for wider audiences to view and the accessibility to do it from home.

‘We are delighted to have had the opportunity to run this project for the last twelve months. The quality of the shows and the feedback received was fantastic and it will be missed. A lot of families commented on what a great offer it was during the school holidays and the fact it was educational helped the children and even some of the parents.’

Why did they receive the grant?

The centre wanted the local community to view the centre as a one stop hub for the community. STEM was completely missing from the schedule and they hope they can continue the sessions for the wider community.

The project application was all about the advancement of STEM and education for the public benefit within the Smethwick area of Sandwell. The Dorothy Parkes Centre wanted to address the STEM skills gap through education and re-education of STEM skills for children and parents.

One of the biggest vintage kilo sales in Birmingham is back again at Millennium Point. Visit and shop tonnes of sustainable, vintage, retro, and branded fashion for just £20 per kilo, taking place Saturday 4th February 2022.

That’s not all, between 3-4pm the price per kilo will drop to £15, and by then it’s free entry – bargain! Your ticket is valid throughout the day, and fresh stock will be added at regular intervals. That means you can take a break and recharge at Mulino Café on level 2 of Millennium Point before hunting for your next favourite outfit.

You can book your ticket here.

Get stuck in and have a good rummage at the Kilo Sale

This is a rummage event which means each rail is divided into product type categories, like shirts or sweatshirts, jackets, or T’s. Just get stuck in and see what you can find.

As the items are pre-loved, and Kilo Birmingham try to keep the stock price as low as they can, you may find the odd snag or a missing button. Our advice is to find your outfit, save money, and repair!

You can also pre-buy vouchers and gift vouchers for the event, we can’t think of a better gift for a vintage fashionista. The event will also accept cash, card, Apple pay, and Google pay.

Why buy second hand?

At Kilo, they believe that style is eternal, and your clothes should be too. By shopping from the past, we can be kind to the future and help to reduce fashion’s impact on the planet. Each year, 350,000 tonnes of clothing go to the landfill in the UK. There’s so much amazing fashion already in existence, so let’s make use of what we’ve got and shop second hand.

How Millennium Point is becoming more sustainable

As a multi-award-winning landmark building, it is vital to do our part to aim to be as sustainable as possible. As times have changed, Millennium Point have adapted to try and become greener to protect our planet and promote the importance of sustainability.

A range of processes have been put in place to ensure we aren’t wasteful or adding to our carbon footprint. We have energy management and the journey to net zero carbon at the heart of all our decisions. We try not to create waste but when we do, we segregate and recycle as much as we can. Lastly, for our events we encourage staff, tenants, and visitors to make green travel choices where they can.

Can’t make the event? You can still discover your new style and buy online at Kilo

Shopping sustainably has never been easier; Kilo also has the option to shop online. Choose from a range of branded t’s, denim shirts, jeans, and skirts.

Or visit their website and find out when your next Kilo event is happening, their team are always buying fresh stock so you can always be spoilt for choice at their events.

Millennium Point always have something going on!

Keep up to date with the latest Millennium Point news and events. We can’t wait to welcome you to our landmark building!

Going to university can be really expensive and it can be really hard to fund your university experience. However, scholarships are a great way to help students by supporting them financially. 

If you’re a student and looking for extra financial support during your university years, you may have assumed that you’re not eligible for a scholarship, however you may be surprised at the types of scholarships some organisations offer.

This blog will explore everything you need to know about scholarships and how you can apply.

What is a scholarship?

Scholarships are a form of financial aid given to students to help accelerate their education. They usually come from independent third parties and universities and students don’t need to pay them back.

Who can apply for a scholarship?

There are various reasons why you may be able to apply for a scholarship, including:

Types of scholarships you can apply for

It’s often assumed that scholarships are only for typically academic subjects, however this isn’t true. Scholarships are available for a variety of reasons and subjects.

Here are some examples of the types of scholarships available:

Scholarships at Millennium Point 

Millennium Point has partnered with Birmingham City University to give a fully funded Undergraduate degree at their Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment.

Visit our website to apply for the 2023/2024 applications today.

Key dates 

What courses are included?

Multiple courses are included in our scholarship partnership with Birmingham City University, such as:

Are you eligible?

To be eligible for our scholarship you’ll need to meet the following criteria:

How can you apply for the scholarship?

You are currently able to apply for the scholarship through our online application form. The form will consist of a few questions about you and why you think you should be chosen for our scholarship in partnership with Birmingham City University. 

The application process has two stages, with the final stage being an assessment day and the chosen candidate getting their university tuition paid for in the form of a grant.

Visit our website today to learn more about the application process and whether you’re eligible. 

Applications are now open once again for the life changing scholarship. In partnership with Birmingham City University each year Millennium Point Trust fund an undergraduate degree at BCU.

There are over 20 courses to choose from included in the scholarship.

Update: Keep an eye out for 2024’s application, opening Monday 8th January 2024. 

Hatem impressed judges last year and secured Scholarship victory

Hatem was currently studying an Extended Diploma in IT (Network and Security) at Solihull College and had ambitions to study Computer Science at university. Information of the Millennium Point Scholarship landed in Hatem’s inbox, where he knew straight away, he had nothing to lose by applying.

Scholarship

In Hatem’s application he made it clear how much winning the Scholarship would mean to him, his great passion for computers and his mission to use computing and technology to better lives. The Millennium Point Charitable Trust team were hugely impressed with Hatem’s application and selected him along with four other finalists.

All the finalises attended an assessment day at Millennium Point, where they each presented to a panel of five judges, Hatem impressed the panel the most and was selected as the lucky winner of last year’s Scholarship, which has already helped launch the careers of seven outstanding STEM students. Hatem’s degree in Computer Science at Birmingham City University (BCU) started in September 2022.

Applying is easy and simple

The competition is open to you if you are 18 by, and looking to start an undergraduate degree in September 2023 and within the West Midlands Combined Authority, who are looking to start a qualifying degree in September 2023.

Read the application form carefully and start to answer each question. Think about why you want to study your chosen degree and what you want to do in the future. Also discuss any personal attributes and skills that could help you be the next winner of the Scholarship.

Scholarship

It’s a two-stage application, with the final stage being an assessment day. If you make it to the final, you will be invited to participate in developmental workshops. These will focus on supporting our personal development and professionalism in both interview and presentation skills.

We’re here to help you every step of the way

We want everyone to have the best chance of success when applying for our Scholarship scheme, and sometimes bigging yourself up can be a little daunting. That’s why we have created a helpful guide to aid you through your application. Keep an eye out on our social media for any new blogs, videos or resources that can help further.

You can always contact our friendly Trust team for any other enquiries you may have.

Unlock your student’s future by getting your school involved

Get your school involved and spread the word about the Scholarship. Tell parents, young people, teachers, and colleagues. The bigger it gets, the more impact we can make together.

We have created a Teacher’s Portal with assets and information that can help you provide students information on how to apply.

Are you a business wanting to get involved? Visit our Business Portal here.  We’re always looking out to collaborate with businesses and professionals on the MP Trust Scholarship.

Why do we do this?

At Millennium Point we believe that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is important for the future of the region. Now, more than ever young people need our support and encouragement for them to unlock their potential. The scholarship is just one of the ways we can provide support to help them achieve people’s goals.

Apply today to start your Scholarship journey

Applications are now open with the deadline on Friday 17th March 2023, apply now and see what you can achieve!

2024 update – 2024’s applications open Monday 8th January 2024. 

Due to the impact of Covid and the increasing number of people working from home, hybrid events are on the rise to accommodate everyone’s needs. With many businesses finding leads through networking, it’s important to find a way to meet people online, therefore causing an increase in hybrid networking events. 

What is a hybrid event? 

Hybrid events combine both in person attendance and virtual presence to ensure as many people can attend as possible. Due to this it’s important to choose the right streaming service for you.

is a great way to host a hybrid event, as it can provide easy access for guests. Some platforms will allow you to stream directly through them and others, such as Vimeo and YouTube, will need you to use third parties. 

Connecting the in person audience and virtual audience

Due to many people attending events to network, it’s important to bridge the gap between in person and virtual attendees, to help give valuable experiences.

Different platforms will allow you to host polls, breakout rooms, direct messaging and digital business card exchanges, allowing both virtual and in person attendees to interact with each other. 

Ensuring your in person audience brings devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones, will allow them to interact with others through digital chats. Furthermore, including Q&A’s and opportunities for attendees to get to know each other will allow people to stay engaged throughout your event.

Benefits of a hybrid event 

Below are a few benefits hybrid events have for your company:

Tips for planning a hybrid event 

When considering hosting a hybrid event it’s important to plan the event properly to ensure it runs smoothly and engages your audiences.

Here are a few tips for planning your next hybrid event.

Give attendees control 

During Covid, everyone lost control over their own lives, making it important to people that they can make their own choices now.

Hybrid events allow people to choose whether they want to attend in person or virtually, allowing them to feel as though they have made decisions that suit them best. 

Providing chat boxes and breakout rooms can also give attendees the opportunity to decide whether they want to engage further with the event by asking hosts questions and engaging with others. 

Ensure your event location provides everything you need

It’s important to find an event location that meets your needs and allows your event to run smoothly.

 Below are a few questions you should ask yourself when searching for the right location:

Make your in person attendees feel safe

When hosting an event it’s important to make your attendees feel safe. You can do this by communicating clearly before and during the event about how the day will run and any rules they may need to follow, such as whether you have any Covid safety or fire safety requirements.

Providing information on whether attendees will be recorded or photographed is also important as you need to give people the opportunity to opt out.

Don’t forget to record your event!

Recording your event allows attendees to re-watch the event or let those who couldn’t attend, watch it in their spare time. 

Recording the event also allows people to share it with others, helping you gain more business leads and interact with a wider audience. 

Choosing Millennium Point to host your hybrid event

Here at Millennium Point, we pride ourselves on our forward thinking approach. We’re always looking for new and exciting ways to improve our client’s events.

Contact us today to see how we can help you host your hybrid event. You can even use our own streaming platform and cameras to host and record your event for guests!

Here at Millennium Point we offer grant funding to help support companies and charities improve engagement within STEM related subjects. 

Below are a few examples of Schools Millennium Point has helped through grants and funding.

Longwill School for the Deaf – Sensory STEM 

Longwill is based in Northfield, Birmingham and is a specialist school for deaf children aged between 2 and 11. The school is underpinned by a sign-bilingual philosophy that encourages the fullest possible development through early communication.

What challenge did Longwill face?

The school came to us wanting help to create ways for pupils to develop an interest and understanding in science through using speech and sign language. The small grant is being used to purchase 10 visualises and compound microscopes which are high impact learning tools. These can be used in STEM lessons to magnify flowers, leaves, skeletons or fossils onto screens to help children develop a scientific understanding.

What impact has this made?

This has given 50 children between 3 and 11 the opportunity to engage in scientific activities in ways they previously hadn’t been able to. 

The school received a small grant as they presented an outside-of-the-box approach to inspiring children with disabilities to engage with  STEM subjects.

To read more about the Longwill School for Deaf, click here.

Aston Villa Foundation – ‘STEM Stars’

The Aston Villa Foundation is a registered charity in charge of the community and social responsibility work of Aston Villa Football Club. Their mission is ‘working together to enrich lives’. They work with a variety of backgrounds in Birmingham and support Aston Villa’s wider family as well. 

What did the foundation need help with?

STEM Stars introduced a new STEM programme in six schools within a 3 mile radius of Villa Park, where funding will be used to buy a Sphero robot package to help teach young people coding through using football. 

The programme aims to encourage young people to better engage with STEM education and raise aspirational levels, as the areas around Villa Park are both educationally and income deprived. 

What impact has this made?

The STEM programme has allowed young people to engage with computer science in ways they wouldn’t previously be able to access.

The programme gained a small grant as they identified key problems in the area while providing imaginative solutions to STEM related issues. 

To read more about the Aston Villa foundation, click here.

Ahead Partnership – STEMfestWM

Ahead Partnership is a leading social enterprise aiming to connect children with employers to promote education and employability while raising awareness of STEM careers. 

The project

The project involves a week-long festival with employers and 250 students chosen from secondary schools and FE sixth forms/colleges across the West Midlands. The festival aims to enthuse young people in STEM and build a stronger talent pipeline. 

What impact has this made?

The project impacted 250 pupils, 16 schools and 2 further education colleges. Students have also developed confidence through participating in events and have developed an understanding of how their learning links to different careers. 

The partnership gained a small grant due to its extensive portfolio of successes in engaging young people in education and equipping them with the skills and links needed for the industry. 

To learn more about the Ahead Partnership, click here.

Trinity School – STEM Room

Trinity High School is a co-educational academy school for 13-18 year olds located in central Redditch.  

The challenge

Students at the school are highly interested in STEM, however the school was previously unable to provide them the resources they needed. The solution to this was to transform an old art room into a new STEM room, fitted with computers and CAD/CAM machinery to provide learning within ICT, Maths and Science.

What impact has this made?

The project has enhanced  teaching of the STEM curriculum and has allowed the school to expand their after school STEM activities. The room is also being used as a STEM learning hub for other schools, helping to expand STEM skills across the area. 

The school gained a small grant due to them demonstrating how the project would impact both the school and the wider community. 

To learn more about Trinity high school’s STEM project, click here.

King Solomon International Business School: Breaking the barriers to STEM

King Solomon International Business School is Birmingham’s first Christian free school with 1,200 students aged 4-19. 

The school aims to close the diversity gap through a fully realised STEM programme of extracurricular activities, helping encourage students to consider a STEM career path. 

How did we help to fund this programme?

Millennium Point has helped fund multiple extracurricular activities, including:

What impact did this have?

The projects aim to engage everyone in the school in STEM related activities, having a positive impact on 1,200 students between 4 and 19 years old.

The school gained a small grant as King Solomon School demonstrated a clear passion for STEM and provided a clear objective for increasing diversity in STEM. 

To learn more about the King Solomon project click here.

To learn more about how Millennium Point’s grants can help you impact STEM education, get in touch with us today.

Applications for life changing scholarship open next month on Monday 9th January 2023. In partnership with Birmingham City University each year Millennium Point Trust fund an undergraduate degree at BCU.

There are over 20 courses to choose from included in the scholarship. The deadline is on Friday 31st March 2023, meaning plenty of time to complete the application.

Hatem impressed judges last year with his passion for Computer Science

Hatem was studying at Solihull College with ambitions to study Computer Science at university. In Hatem’s application he made it clear how much winning the Scholarship would mean to him, his great passion for computers and his mission to use computing and technology to better lives. The Millennium Point Trust team were hugely impressed with Hatem’s application and selected him along with four other finalists.

All the finalists attended an assessment day at Millennium Point, where they each presented to a panel of five judges, Hatem impressed the panel the most and was selected as the lucky winner of this year’s Scholarship, which has already helped launch the careers of seven outstanding STEM students. Hatem has since started his Computer Science degree at Birmingham City University that started in September 2022.

Applying is easy and simple

The competition is open to applicants aged 17 and over within the West Midlands Combined authority, who are looking to start a qualifying degree in September 2023.

Read the application form carefully and start to answer each question. Think about why you want to study your chosen degree and what you want to do in the future. Also discuss any personal attributes and skills that could help you be the next winner of the Scholarship.

It’s a two-stage application, with the final stage being an assessment day. If you make to the final, you will be invited to participate in developmental workshops that will focus on supporting our personal development and professionalism in both interview and presentation skills.

We’re here to help you every step of the way

We want everyone to have the best chance of success when applying for our scholarship scheme, and sometimes bigging yourself up can be a little daunting. That’s why we have created a helpful guide to aid you through your application. Keep an eye out on our social media for any new blogs, videos or resources that can help further.

You can always contact our friendly Trust team for any other enquiries you may have.

Unlock your student’s future by getting your school involved

Get your school involved and spread the word about the scholarship. Tell parents, students, teachers, and colleagues. The bigger it gets, the more impact we can make together.

We have created a teacher’s portal with assets and information that can help you provide students information on how to apply.

Are you a business wanting to get involved? Visit our business portal here. We’re always on the lookout to collaborate with businesses and professionals on the Millennium Point Trust scholarship.

Why do we do this?

At Millennium Point we believe that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is important for the future of the region. Now, more than ever young people need our support and encouragement for them to unlock their potential. The scholarship is just one of the ways we can provide support to help them achieve people’s goals.

Learn more about Millennium Point Trust

Our multi-award-winning charitable trust invests on average £4.8m each year towards furthering Stem education within the West Midlands.

Over the years we have provided funding to scholarships, grants and projects that benefit the region. Find out more about our Trust in our brand-new brochure here.

Keep up to date when scholarships go live

Applications open on 9th January 2023 and end 31st March 2023, bookmark our scholarship page and get ready to see what you can achieve!

After a hugely successful event last year, St Basils returned to Millennium Point on Friday 25th November to host their annual big sleepout. The event took place in our Cinema Square car park and was once again successful at raising funds to help end youth homelessness.

The St Basils Big Sleepout is the oldest, longest running event of  its kind. It’s one of St Basils most popular events among their community, with volunteers challenged with sleeping out in the cold during winter to understand the difficulties that homeless people go through on a daily basis.

How St Basils are doing their bit to beat homelessness

St Basils work with young people ages 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, to enable them to find and keep a home, grow their confidence, develop their skills, increase opportunities, and prevent homelessness.

This year St Basils announced the annual event had amazingly raised £62,000 and funds are still coming in.

A community united

It was fantastic to see so many organisations braving the cold and taking part in the event, 400 individuals settled in for the night in cardboard boxes all to raise funds for the good cause. Throughout the night volunteers took part in the much loved Creative Cardboard Competition for the best dwelling, with a prize given to the lucky winner.  The cardboard boxes were provided by Schumacher, who have been providing packaging for the sleepout for over 15 years.

Much needed warmth was delivered with free vegan curry and hot drinks provided by the Langar Aid project.

Fundraisers were also entertained during the night by The Band of the West Midlands Fire Services to keep spirits high on a very cold evening.

Couldn’t make it to the sleepout? You can still make a difference

It costs £5 a day to support a young person and keep them at a St Basils project. Supporters can make a one-off donation here. Help change a young person’s life for the better today.

One school in the West Midlands is using their Millennium Point Grant to give back to the community. Turves Green Boys School applied for a grant for their project called ‘helping the elderly’.

Their plan was ‘to assist in making the daily lives of the elderly better and easier’ while learning STEM in the process.

Aim of the project

There are a number of retirement homes in the school’s area. The project was for students to meet with residents to find out what they needed and what the students could make for them. This would include carrying out research and designing and making the items.

Turves Green Boys School started off on simple projects such as door stops and has since moved on to more complex items such as coffee tables and seating. But ultimately, they will make whatever the residents need.

The application had asked for £1,000 to buy materials for the project. The school already owns two laser cutting machines and will also involve CAD/CAM design to complete the project.

Year 7 & Year 8 students were chosen for the project with the aim that they will go on to pick Design and Technology in their options and continue their STEM education.

Outcome of the project

Students from the school visited Millennium Point recently. They produced and delivered a presentation to the Millennium Point Trust team, explaining the process and showcasing the finished products.

Students are now doing projects in STEM that will cover Maths, Technology & Engineering, while building the name and reputation of the school in the local area. The project has also benefited the residents of the community.

Apply for a Millennium Point Grant today and watch STEM happen

Originally set to close on Friday 2nd December 2022, the STEM Grants application is now officially extended to Friday 16th December 2022 to give everyone a chance to apply this year. Over the last five years, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust has awarded over £2 million to charities, not-for-profits, community groups and schools to further STEM education.

Millennium Point STEM Grants are available from £1,000 to £20,000 to individual applicants to support science, technology, engineering & maths (STEM) education in Birmingham and the wider region.

You can apply here.