Trinity High School & Sixth Form Centre in Redditch has marked the grand opening of its brand new STEM room, a cutting-edge facility that is revolutionising the way students engage with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. The project, funded by Millennium Point’s STEM grants programme, has transformed a once-neglected space into a vibrant hub for innovation, creativity, and hands-on learning.

The STEM room, located at the heart of the school’s Creative and Technical Faculty, is the result of a collaborative effort between dedicated staff members, enthusiastic students, and the invaluable financial assistance provided by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust. The project saw the conversion of a previously unused and unloved space, into a state-of-the-art facility designed to inspire and empower future engineers, designers, and scientists.

The new space serves as a classroom, computer suite, and rapid prototyping room equipped with a laser cutter and 3D printers. Students have access to industry-standard software like Fusion 360, allowing them to design, create, and witness their ideas come to life. The room accommodates up to 25 students and is currently being used for GCSE Engineering classes, computer science lessons, and after-school STEM club activities. The room has also welcomed visits from middle school students as part of their transition programmes and supports art classes and 3D jewellery design.

Nigel Ford, Headteacher of Trinity High School & Sixth Form Centre, said: “We are immensely grateful to Millennium Point for its invaluable contribution, which has not only enhanced the educational experience but also revitalised a neglected space to breathe life into our STEM subjects. By introducing real-world technology to our students, they can now develop their design ideas and witness them materialise before their eyes. It’s truly astonishing to see their enthusiasm and pride in their accomplishments.”

Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point, said: “We are delighted to have played a role in transforming Trinity High School & Sixth Form Centre’s STEM room into a vibrant and innovative space for learning. This initiative perfectly aligns with our mission to promote STEM education and empower the next generation of innovators. Trinity High School’s dedication to this project has been commendable, and we are delighted to have played a part in making this vision a reality.”

A special plaque unveiling ceremony took place on December 5th, 2023, to formally open the new STEM space. The ceremony was attended by school staff, students and representatives from Millennium Point.

Read more about Millennium Point Trust Grants here.

6 Steps to Plan the Ultimate Office Christmas Party

Everyone looks forward to the festive season and for businesses, there’s one thing staff are looking forward to – the Christmas party! That’s why we’ve put together a list of steps you should follow to ensure you host the very best Christmas party.

Start planning early

Have you ever tried to plan a Christmas party with only a few weeks to spare? It takes a surprising amount of time to plan and leaves you saying that you’ll prepare it well in advance the following year, but you never do. Well, this year is the year!

Venues tend to get booked up early so it’s a good idea to start planning around July or August. During this time you can figure out your budget, ideate the venue and think about the activities you want to complete.

Manage your budget effectively 

It’s important to effectively manage your budget so that you can make the most of the money you have available to create the very best Christmas party. When looking at your budget you should:

When you plan your Christmas party early you’ll have the opportunity to shop around for the best priced party packages or venues. This will allow you to make the most of your budget.

Pick a venue 

Choosing a venue that suits what everyone wants can be difficult and a little overwhelming. But with a little planning and getting staff involved in the decision making you may find it simpler to find a venue. During your research, you should:

When choosing a venue you’ll want to consider how close it is to the office and how long it’ll take for employees to get to and from the location. At the end of the day, you don’t want to book somewhere that’ll take the majority of attendees too long to get to. This could cause a lot of people to decline your invitation.

Plan activities 

Depending on the type of Christmas party you’re holding, it can be fun to complete some activities. This could be as simple as a Secret Santa or best Christmas outfit award. For those looking for more extravagant activities, you could go bowling, book an escape room or go go-karting.

Consider catering and food options

Once you’ve chosen your venue you can start to think about catering options. If you’re hosting your party at a restaurant or bar this may not be something you need to think about. However, they may offer you the choice of their normal menu or set Christmas menu.

If you’re holding your party at a venue that doesn’t offer food options, you might want to look for a caterer. When doing your research you should:

Invite staff

It sounds obvious but it’s important to remember to invite your staff. This can be done through online or mailed invites or by adding it to their calendars. After all, you want to ensure everyone attends after you’ve put so much hard work into planning the party.

Hosting a Christmas party at Millennium Point

Here at Millennium Point, we have extensive experience in hosting and planning events and parties. We offer two party packages that could be perfect for your business:

Shared party night 

Our shared party package is £44.95 per person plus VAT and is perfect for smaller businesses looking for that big party experience, without spending a fortune. The package includes a three-course meal and our Platform dancefloor where you can dance the night away to our DJ playing festive hits. The menu includes:

Starters

Main Course

All mains served with seasonal greens

Dessert

Exclusive Party Night 

This package is £49.95 per person plus VAT. You’ll have the choice of a two or three course meal and will have the opportunity to dance on the dancefloor and have access to a private fully licensed bar. The menu includes:

Starters

Main Course

All mains served with seasonal greens

Dessert

Take a look at our Christmas party packages page to discover more about what we have to offer.

Encouraging STEM education as a part of early learning is an important stepping stone in helping children build a career path in STEM. STEM subjects help contribute toward innovation, creativity and improved quality of life. That’s why we here at Millennium Point are working hard to create opportunities that encourage the younger generation to get into the industry. Our STEM grant and scholarship help students and not-for-profit organisations bring projects to life and study university courses that truly boost their experiences within STEM. 

What is STEM? 

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and is a combined approach where all subjects are taught together and not separately. This helps equip students with the right skills to undertake a career within the industry. 

Creating equal opportunities in STEM

Despite STEM subjects being prominent in a range of industries, a lot of them are unfortunately lacking a female presence. For example, only 25% of computing jobs and 15% of technology jobs are occupied by women. 

To truly achieve successful benefits for society a diverse workforce should be created within the STEM industry. Currently, only 28% of the workforce is formed of women. Some factors causing the gender gap in STEM include:

How can the gender gap be closed in the STEM industry?

It’s important that the gender gap is closed within STEM industries, especially within business, culture, government and legislation. Welcoming all genders and cultures within the industry will bring diverse experiences and help further innovation and creativity. 

The following steps can help close the gender gap in STEM:

Prioritising attracting and retaining women 

By attracting and retaining more women, the gender gap will start to narrow. To do this, more needs to be done to shout about how great STEM subjects, jobs and sectors are. Through improving marketing and advertising and getting more people talking about the industry, STEM benefits from a well-skilled, diverse workforce. 

Break down stereotypes

Unfortunately, there are still lots of stereotypes surrounding women’s intellect and STEM being a male industry. As a result, a greater effort needs to be made to break down stereotypes suggesting that STEM subjects are better suited to boys. When this is achieved, girls should feel more confident to study and undertake careers in the industry.

Improve workplace cultures

In order to encourage more women to join the workforce, businesses must improve their workplace culture. By removing gender pay gaps, hostile work environments and creating better career progression for women, the gender gap will start to close.

The benefits of STEM

STEM education has a range of benefits including:

Millennium Point’s STEM Grant 

The Millennium Point Charitable Trust provides funding annually to not-for-profit organisations, schools, and colleges across the West Midlands Combined Authority area. Applicants can apply for up to £20,000 to fund their STEM-related project subject to meeting the eligibility criteria and demonstrating a measurable impact in STEM education and / or STEM career choice. We also welcome applications for smaller grants from £1,000.

Find out more about our Grants here. 

Millennium Point’s STEM Scholarship

We’ve partnered with Birmingham City University to give a fully funded undergraduate degree at their Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment. 

To be eligible for our STEM scholarship you will need to meet the following criteria:

Applications open Monday 8th January and can be found here. 

3 Reasons to Book a Conference Room With Millennium Point

Create a great first impression, through using a conference room for your meetings, staff onboarding and training sessions.  However, these shouldn’t just be used to win over new clients. Using a conference room during regular client meetings also shows that you value your client’s time, helping you build lasting relationships.

At Millennium Point, we understand the importance of creating strong relationships with your clients and staff. That’s why this blog will explore 3 reasons why you should book a conference room with us.

1. Location

Book a conference room at Millennium Point, and let our location enhance your event experience. We provide not only the perfect conference room but also the best backdrop for a successful and convenient meeting. 

After the day’s business is concluded, why not take advantage of our prime location to build personal relationships and connections? Being located in the centre of Birmingham means you’re only moments away from a range of bars and venues where you can unwind and connect with your staff and clients.

2. Added benefits 

Some of our office spaces come with their very own conference rooms that are equipped to help you host the very best meetings or training sessions. Our rooms benefit from:

3. Networking opportunities 

A range of companies rent out our properties and conference rooms giving you the opportunity to meet new people and build potential client relationships. 

Our conference rooms aren’t just for meetings, they’re here to encourage networking opportunities. Through providing a dedicated professional setting, attendees feel comfortable to share ideas, collaborate and build relationships. When you have the right atmosphere you can truly connect with your staff and customers. 

Properties with a conference room 

We have a range of excellent conference rooms perfect for any small or large meeting. Available rooms include:

H3: Station

Station is our  larger space , it combines one main room with multiple boardrooms that can be utilised for speaker green rooms, quiet spaces or offices. You can have a maximum capacity of 112 delegates if you opt for a theatre-style layout or 72 delegates if you choose a cabaret style. This flexibility makes it perfect for team activities, workshops or networking.  

This venue also benefits from:

H3: Express

Express is an all-in-one space with one main room and 3 small rooms that can be used as speaker green rooms, quiet spaces or offices. If you opt for a theatre style layout you can have a maximum of 100 delegates or 48 attendees when you choose a cabaret layout. This makes the space ideal for team activities, workshops, presentation opportunities and catering.   

The space also benefits from:

H3: Curzon rooms

Curzon rooms are perfect for training staff. They offer easy access and provide presentation facilities along with high-speed Wi-Fi. 

The space also benefits from:

H3: Curzon Suite

Curzon Suite is also a great place to undertake employee training. This space is surrounded by natural light helping to stimulate learning and innovation and also benefits from:

So if you’re looking to book a conference room at Millennium Point you can explore our range of conference rooms using our events space matcherator. 

St Basils are back planning the oldest and biggest sleepout in the UK in Birmingham. On Friday 1st December, St Basils will host their annual big sleepout at Millennium Point in Birmingham to raise vital funds to support young people experiencing homelessness in the West Midlands.

This year our own Millennium Point team member Liam will also be taking part to help raise important funding for the amazing work St Basils do.

St Basils are a homelessness charity based in the West Midlands that have been supporting young people in in fear of losing their home since 1972.

St Basils are not charging for this event, it is FREE! But get involved and raise as much as you can by having people sponsor you. Free vegan curry and hot drinks will also be served by Langar Aid on the night! The atmosphere will be set by a Christmas Brass Band before the challenge ahead of keeping warm on a cold winter’s evening.

Before heading outside, participants will watch a presentation inside Millennium Point, where St Basils will share heart-warming stories from young people.

You can register for the event here.

Homelessness shouldn’t be part of growing up

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.

Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium point, said: “We are pleased to offer our venue, for the third year, to support the brilliant work St Basils does. Their commitment to improving the lives of young people aligns with our own charitable mission here at Millennium Point. We urge as many people and businesses as possible to sign up and join us at the sleepout. Together we can raise funds so St Basils can continue to provide life changing support to young people in dire need throughout our community”.

Challenge yourself and make a difference

The Big Sleepout sees hundreds of people from companies, families and groups taking part by challenging themselves, raising money and having fun; particularly in the much coveted ‘creative shelter competition’.

Can’t make it to Millennium Point, you can still make a difference

St Basils will also be running ‘The Big Sleepout from Home’ at the same time. So, if you can’t make it to Millennium Point, you can still get involved in your back garden, office, community hall or ‘sofa surfing’ at home.

You can find out more and apply for your Big Sleepout pack by emailing [email protected].

Supporters can also make one off donations here, it costs £9 a day to support a young person and keep them at a St Basils project.

Want to book an event space with Millennium Point?

The multi-award-winning Millennium Point has over 20 versatile event spaces to choose from and an experienced events team to help you with your event.  

For further information about the event, charity, or venue you can get in contact with our team.

Thinking About Hosting an Exhibition in Birmingham? Here’s Why You Should Choose Millennium Point

Choosing the right location for your exhibition is paramount for its success. Nestled in the heart of Birmingham, Millennium Point is the ideal place for exhibitions where art, culture and innovation meet. That’s why this blog will explore the benefits of hosting an exhibition at Millennium Point. Benefits include:

Transport routes

Whether you and your guests are travelling by train, bus, car or even plane, we’re just minutes away from a multitude of transport options. This helps ensure as many people as possible can attend your exhibition no matter where they’re travelling from.

Hotels and hospitality

As a result of our excellent location, we’re positioned near several hotels, suitable for any budget. If you’ve got attendees travelling afar or you want to celebrate a successful exhibition in Birmingham, a hotel is a great option to help people make the most of your event.

Some great hotels include:

Our spaces:

We have a range of spaces perfect for your next exhibition, including:

Platform

Platform is perfect for larger exhibitions and is an open-plan semi-private event space on level 1. It also offers your very own built-in bar, presentation facilities and dedicated  AV equipment, essential to ensuring your event runs smoothly. 

The event space is also connected to our Auditorium by a central staircase giving you a great opportunity to create a truly exceptional experience. This space can also be fully tailored to your desired design. For example, you could choose layouts like:

Atrium

Atrium is an open-plan public space tailored to exhibitions, career fairs and vehicle and product displays and has even been used for TV sets. Being located on the ground floor helps you increase traction for your event, helping you boost sales and meet new clients or customers. 

You can also choose from three layout styles including:

Concourse

Concourse has a high footfall due to it being placed between the entrances of Birmingham City University and ThinkTank, giving your exhibition better visibility. The space also benefits from:

Extensive event hosting experience 

At Millennium Point we have extensive experience in hosting a whole range of events, from parties, exhibitions and exhibits. Our array of knowledge will help you perfectly execute an unforgettable exhibition and our testimonials highlight just that.

“We hosted our event for almost 200. Everything was planned meticulously and the team at MP really went the extra mile to make sure we had a fantastic event. I can honestly say the service I received from the point of booking, through to the delivery of the event was seamless.  

I’ve had nothing but great feedback from my Intercity colleagues who all attended the event – our venue gave us the wow factor we really wanted to achieve.’ 

So if you’re looking to host an exhibition at Millennium Point, get in touch with us today.

If you’re thinking about hosting an event, meeting or exhibition, we have a variety of spaces catered to different needs. Explore our events space matcherator to see which spaces could be perfect for you.

Celebrating the Season: Host Your Christmas Party at Millennium Point

As the festive season closes in, it’s time to start thinking about booking your work Christmas party. At Millennium Point we have extensive experience in hosting events, making us an excellent venue to host your Christmas celebration. So what are you waiting for? Check out our party packages below.

The shared party package

For smaller businesses still looking for that big party experience, our shared party package could be a great option. You will share your experience with other businesses, giving you the opportunity to build relationships inside and outside of your company.

On arrival, you can take a selfie under our 39ft Christmas tree before enjoying a delicious 3-course dining experience (a minimum of 8 people a table is required). After dinner, you can enjoy a boogie on the dancefloor with our DJ playing plenty of festive hits. 

Our menu includes:

Starters:

Mains:

Desserts:

The shared party package costs £44.95 per person plus VAT.

Exclusive party night 

Our Exclusive Party Package costs £49.95 and is great for bigger businesses. The package benefits from a three-course Christmas banqueting menu, stylish centrepieces, your own DJ and dancefloor, and a private fully licensed bar.   

Our menu includes:

Starters:

Mains:

All mains are served with seasonal greens

Desserts:

For those looking to book this package, a minimum of 100 and a maximum of 200 attendees is required. 

Location

Millennium Point is located in the centre of Birmingham, placing you close to a variety of transport links. We’re also near several hotels, such as:

This allows staff members to book an affordable hotel, letting them party the night away without needing to worry about catching the bus or train home.

There are also lots of exceptional restaurants and bars throughout Birmingham that are perfect for those wanting to continue the party or for those looking for a great spot for breakfast the next day.

So if you’re looking to host a Christmas party to remember take a look at our brochure to discover more.

“I cannot fault the level of service delivered by the Millennium Point events team. They provided excellent customer service from start to finish, were patient and genuine in their passion for ensuring that everything went as good as it could have.”

Millennium Point has continued to champion staff wellbeing by completing the Thrive at Work: Workplace Wellbeing Silver Award.

The accreditation recognises the organisation’s commitment to promoting the health and mental wellbeing of its team and follows last year’s Bronze Award.

What is Thrive at Work?

Thrive at Work is the West Midlands Combined Authority’s workplace wellbeing award programme. It helps workplaces around the Midlands to focus on health and wellbeing at work. Employers that gain accreditation to Thrive at Work are recognised as being committed to excellence in this field.

Putting Employees First

Following the award, Millennium Point will continue to champion the wellbeing of its team with initiatives throughout the year and is already working towards the Thrive at Work: Workplace Wellbeing Gold Award.

Vanessa Currie, Head of People, Learning, and Development said “We are proud to have completed the Silver Level of the Thrive at Work programme and to have received this recognition for our work. This award highlights the ongoing work of both our dedicated Thrive Team, and the wider team, who continue to make Millennium Point a fantastic place to work. It is very rewarding to see team members supporting the wellbeing of their colleagues.”

Keep up to date with Millennium Point

At our multi-award-winning landmark building, there is always something going on! Keep up to date with our latest news in our blog section here

Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint. Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands. 

Applications for our charitable Trust STEM Grants programme are now open!

Our 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. Applications close at 5pm on Friday 8th December 2023, meaning you have got just under a month to apply. You can apply here.

We want everyone to have the best chance of success. That’s why we have put some useful tips below.

A good plan is half the work done

To get started, complete the form that can be easily downloaded from our website. Have a read through all the sections and start to complete them in as much detail as you can as this will help us when our team begin to shortlist applications.

Clearly plan what the aims of the project and how those aims will be achieved. Don’t forget to include details on how the success of the project will be measured. This is where using ‘SMART’ objectives will be useful.

Make sure your application is detailed with what activities will take place, when, and where they will be carries out will also help chances of being successful. Have a look through your budget plan and ensure it contained the correct pricing and quantities for everything you need to achieve your project.

When talking about your project look at the link between the project and the selected category choice. Make sure the connection is clear to show why you’re doing the project and how it will benefit your chosen group. Also plan about the duration of the project, will it be throughout the year, or could the project be done in a day? Can the project be repeated with the resources bought, or is it a one-off project?

For extra help the guidance and FAQ pages will help you with your application, you can always contact our friendly Trust team too [email protected].

Submitting your application or grants

Have a read through your final application, ensure that it’s clear, precise and explains all about the exciting project you have planned.

After you have decided you’re happy with your application, submit it to us by email – [email protected]. Make sure you send it in before the 5pm on 8th December 2023.

What happens next?

Once it’s sent over, out fantastic Trust team will send you an email acknowledging receipt, you won’t hear from us again until a decision has been made. All applications will be read through by the Grants team and then moderated by a separate panel. It will finally be presented to our Trustees who will make the final decision on the successful applicants. At this stage you don’t have to do anything but wait for the good news!

Our grants help make STEM happen!

Over the past 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 Charitable Trust has previously seen the rewarding outcome of past projects such as designing the perfect community at Lyng Primary School and Sandwell College going 3D.

Last year Millennium Point Trust saw 100 applications from not-for-profit organisations in aim of receiving a share of the grant money.

 

Remote Witness follows Steve, a socially outcast withdrawn hacker. He spends his evenings eating takeout food while at his computer spying on people. One night, his morals are tested when the woman he is snooping on is in danger.

Directed by Richard Broomfield, we caught up with him, he told us more about the day filming in Express at Millennium Point.

What was the inspiration behind the story?

‘I have always been interested in stories which explore moral dilemmas, I wanted to create a film which showed how different characters would react in these situations. Whilst also looking at the dangers of toxic masculinity, something which is becoming much more of a  prevalent issue.’

Sounds intense! Any favourite moments while filming?

‘A real highlight for me was a particular scene that was incredibly challenging scene to film. The actors did an amazing job working with such a difficult subject. We also had a fantastic cast and crew, each brought great humour and positive energy to the set’.

A fantastic team can make all the difference, but were there any challenges?

‘Remote witness was a completely self-funded project finding money to make the film was a big challenge. As with most independent projects, it can be difficult to create something without the resources of a studio or production company’.

Why did you choose Millennium Point to film in?

‘We were struggling to find an office location which would be affordable and willing to accommodate a small indie production. We contacted Film Birmingham who gave us the details for the events team at Millennium Point. The team were really helpful and accommodating when we came to view the space, we had a tight budget and they helped us keep to that. The Express room was large enough to fit in all the equipment/ crew and props needed; we managed to get some great shots’.

What advice would you give to young budding directors or film makers?

’Immerse yourself in as much content as you can, TV, film, books, and games they’re all important in understanding how stories and characters work. Get out and network as much as possible, there are lots of events and festivals where you can meet, discuss and collaborate with other creatives. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people for advice or help most filmmakers are happy to help’.

Where can people watch Remote Witness?

‘Remote Witness will be entered into the 2024-2025 film festival circuit; we are hoping to have a small premiere for the film this winter/ I am incredibly excited to see people’s reaction to the film!’.

You can keep up with Richard Broomfield’s work on his Instagram for latest updates here.

Another one of his Films ‘Conversion’ will be screening here on 20th November as part of Birmingham Film Festival.

Need a filming location? Millennium Point can help with that

We may be known as home to Birmingham Film Festival and a great destination to have a film showing. But did you know our building can also be used as the backdrop to your next film?

From zombie hoards to fighting crime, we have had a fair few cinematic moments happen in our building. Get in touch with our friendly team today to discuss options for your filming needs.