Louise Brierley

Solihull has launched the In Real Life campaign to reduce young people’s reliance on smartphones by encouraging schools, businesses, charities and the local authority to create phone-free environments. Alderbrook School requires pupils to lock away devices, while organisations such as Game Guru and Robocode offer incentives or policies promoting offline engagement and digital literacy. Young people involved report social and mental health benefits, and community groups stress the need for appealing alternatives to screen time to support healthy development.

Solihull’s ‘In Real Life’ campaign encourages young people to reduce smartphone use by promoting phone‑free environments across schools, businesses and community organisations. Alderbrook School has implemented mandatory phone locking for younger pupils, while groups such as Ordinary Magic and Meriden Adventure Playground highlight the mental health impact of excessive screen time and the need for real‑world activities. Local businesses, including a board‑game café and a tech education centre, support the initiative by offering incentives and promoting digital literacy. Young participants report improved social interaction and wellbeing when reducing phone use.

Businesses along the HS2 route in Warwickshire and Coleshill report severe financial strain from road closures, noise and dust caused by construction, prompting calls for an urgent review of compensation schemes. Hotel owners and a farm shop manager describe major losses, particularly from declining wedding bookings and repeated road closures affecting peak trading periods. A petition launched by a local councillor urges the government to introduce fair and timely compensation, while HS2 Ltd maintains that affected businesses do not qualify under current rules because they are not directly in the line of construction. Delays to the project have intensified concerns that some businesses may not survive long enough to benefit from any future support.