Sir Michael Lyons to be Press Club guest

OUTGOING chairman of the BBC Trust Sir Michael Lyons will be guest speaker at a lunch event hosted by the Birmingham Press Club in May. Sir Michael was appointed the first permanent chairman of the Trust in 2007, the body established to oversee the BBC following the abolition of its board of governors. He has extensive knowledge of and links to the region, having been a Labour councillor in Birmingham during the early 1980s and the city council’s chief executive between for seven years until 2001. Sir Michael, who lives in Sutton Coldfield and leaves the post in May, was also previously chief executive of the then Wolverhampton Borough Council and Nottinghamshire County Council. The event is sponsored by Bournville College and is being held at Hotel du Vin on May 12. Press Club chairman John Lamb said: “It will certainly be interesting to hear more about what is the most important media organisation in the country, and one which remains a huge influence in Birmingham and the West Midlands, despite the decline of other media in the region in recent years.”

Greg Norman appoints Warwickshire PR firm

INTERNATIONAL sportswear brand the Greg Norman Collection has appointed start-up PR firm Owl Communications to handle its media programme. Warwickshire-based Owl, which was launched by former Freshwater Midlands managing director Anne Parry earlier this year, will be working on PR activities for its golf apparel and accessories. She has previously worked as PR and marketing consultant to the Professional Golfers’ Association and Ryder Cup. She said: “The opportunity to work with an international brand inspired by one of the world’s leading golf professionals is really exciting.”

Free Spirit’s African adventure for charity

THE two youngest members of Rednal-based Free Spirit Film and TV travelled to Africa to produce a charity documentary. Brothers Alexander and Elliot Weaver, aged 20 and 23, spent 10 days in Ethiopia with members of Birmingham charity ‘Life Uplifted by Change in Africa’ (Lucia). The one-off documentary is intended to demonstrate to current and potential investors how the charity’s fundraising is helping women’s self-help groups, individuals, orphanages, schools and businesses in Ethiopian villages. Elliot Weaver said: “We are delighted to help Lucia in any way that we can to support their work. It was a humbling experience and one that is impossible to walk away from without affecting your perspective.”