Community project brings radio to Smith's Wood

ON THE AIR: Terri-Anne Coope and Johnny Dean, from Switch Radio

Other Side of Solihull recently attended one of the radio workshops taking place weekly at Auckland Hall...

IT’S Saturday night and a Smith’s Wood community centre has been transformed into a fully-fledged radio studio.
Members of the Switch Radio team are at Auckland Hall as part of a new scheme designed to give local residents the chance to get a taste of broadcasting.
Over the course of 12 weeks, children and adults will be able to find out what it’s like behind the mic as part of a partnership with the Cars Area Together group.
It is hoped that the free sessions will open up a range of opportunities on the estate, from giving school pupils the chance to learn a new skill to boosting the employment prospects of slightly older residents.
It’s something that Terri-Anne Coope, who has a weekly show on Switch, feels very passionately about.
Having previously studied just down the road at what was then Smith’s Wood Sports College, she fell in love with community radio and is now the station’s head of social media.
“It’s so scary,” she says, when asked how it feels to sit down to broadcast for the first time. “But once you’ve done that first link it gets so much easier.”
In fact the 21-year-old believes that her involvement helped her win a place on her current media and communications course at Birmingham City University.
“I didn’t have the right UCAS points, which was why the experience I’d got here [at Switch] proved so valuable in helping me get in to study the degree that I wanted to.
“That’s a good example of how community radio helps shape people to go on and do exciting things.”
Many stations such as Switch sprung up around the UK following changes to broadcasting laws a little over 15 years ago, which opened the airwaves up to a whole range of not-for-profit, locally-focused operators.

Broadcast licences are issued by the regulator Ofcom, with stations having to abide by many of the same regulations as their larger commercial rivals.
Johnny Dean, another member of Switch’s presenting team, who is busy with the buttons and dials of a fairly formidable looking control panel, says that many of the rules are “common sense stuff”.
“It’s making sure there’s no naughty words and so on and so forth,” he says, having just double-checked for bad language in one of the songs on his playlist.
The music itself is being broadcast out across a roughly 5km area, with shows catering for everything from RnB and hip hop to gospel, by way of mod, dance and darkwave.
Reggae, Johnny reveals, is about the only genre not wholly represented in the schedules. Although who knows, perhaps the specialist Switch are looking for will be discovered during one of the Auckland Hall sessions!
The radio project runs at the Sunbeam Close venue on Saturday evenings (from 5-7pm). If you are interested in getting involved email Terri-Anne (terri@switchradio.co.uk).

Duke of Edinburgh students create WWII mural

A MURAL commemorating those who fought in the Second World War has been emblazoned on a wall in Chelmsley Wood.
The bold design - which features the silhouettes of soldiers and fighter planes against a Union Jack backdrop - was created by a group of young men studying for their Duke of Edinburgh Award.
It forms the backdrop for the estate's Victory Garden; a patch of land off Lumley Grove which was created by local social enterprise Gro-Organic three years ago.

Rubbish dating back decades discovered in borough parks

RUBBISH RESULT: Everyday waste can go years without
degrading.

LITTER picks in the north of the borough are regularly uncovering rubbish strewn among trees or hedgerows which dates back years, if not decades.
Sunny Luke, a member of the Facebook group Talking Rubbish Solihull, is among the dedicated volunteers trying to clean up public spaces - filling multiple bags with bottles, wrappings and other waste during their spare time.
During one sweep of Lanchester Park, Smith's Wood, a crisp packet was retrieved which had an expiry date of 2009.
A few days later a Walkers bag was picked up which appeared to date from 2006, if not 1996 (the best-before-date was smudged and difficult to read).
Although even these finds were trumped by a crisp packet collected on the other side of the borough, in Damsonwood, earlier this month which dated from July 1987.
The salt and vinegar snack bag was promoting Star Wars and had aged almost as well as the sci-fi film franchise; the colours had faded slightly, but the bag itself was intact and most of the writing on the back was perfectly legible.
In recent months there has been renewed concern about the problem that plastic waste is causing the environment.
At the start of the year, Prime Minister Theresa May committed to eliminate all avoidable plastic rubbish by 2042, although some have argued the Government needs to do more.
Previous studies have suggested that everyday items such as carrier bags , toothbrushes and plastic coffee cups could take centuries to biodegrade.

The plaice to be for Chelmsley chip lovers

FRYING HIGH: Chelmund's Fish and Chips will open this Thursday.

CHIP, chip hooray! A fast food outlet run by the local community is set to open its doors in Chelmsley Wood next week.
The traditional fish and chip shop is based at one of the retail units at Chelmund’s Cross, with all profits raised from the venture ploughed back into the local area.
The enterprise is a joint effort between the nearby Three Trees Centre, Development in Social Enterprise, the Olive Branch Kitchen, Chelmsley Baptist Church and St Andrew's Church.
Staff have now been recruited to run the business, with equipment including fryers and fridges having been brought in.
After several weeks of preparation, it has now been confirmed that the grand opening will take place this Thursday (March 1) at 4pm.
There has been a lot of interest in the project, with the BBC's The One Show having done some filming last week. It's understood the magazine programme will broadcast a piece on the chippy in the coming weeks.
An official Twitter account, which has been providing regular updates on the launch preparations, said the idea had also received a warm response from local people, with residents welcoming the news that the takings will be going to community causes rather than "some shareholder’s second Mercedes."
Youth activities, older people's groups and various community events will be among the main beneficiaries of the project.

Meadows will once again brighten up local roadsides

A WILDFLOWER project which won plaudits from North Solihull residents is to return this year.
A colourful display of poppies, cornflowers and other species brightened the roadside on Bosworth Drive and at the Lowbrook Way open space.
While flowers were also sown on the other side of the Coventry Road, those in the north of the borough were particularly welcome given the fact that a greater number of residents locally don't have their own garden.
Now the Love Solihull team has confirmed that the grass is being prepared for this summer's flowers.
The current timetable will see the seeds sown in April, with the meadows expected to come into full bloom between June and November.
Other Side of Solihull is currently checking to confirm if the same sites will be seeded as in 2017, and if there are any plans for additional displays.

Facility for excluded pupils moves to Smith's Wood

A CENTRE for school pupils who have been permanently excluded is moving to a new home in Smith's Wood, following concerns that its old base was distant from many students.
Summerfield Education Centre, which supports 11 to 16-year-olds, will be moving to Jensen House, in Auckland Drive, from next week.
The move was agreed following concerns that many children were travelling several miles to get to the pupil referral unit in Olton.
When Jensen House - which was most recently being used as offices - became vacant, the decision was taken to make the move. The site had in fact originally been used as an education centre, so planning permission was secured to return it to its original use.
Councillor Ken Meeson, cabinet member for children, education and skills, said: "Moving the Summerfield Education Centre to the Jensen House site will be much better for the pupils.
"They won’t have so far to travel and they will have much more space too.  Altogether this will make for a much improved learning environment where we can support our youngsters and get them back on track."
Department for Education figures released last summer, which related to the 2015/16 school year, suggested that there were 62 exclusions at Solihull's state secondary schools.
Pupils will start at the new premises from Wednesday (February 28).

Fines doled out to parents for school absences

SOLIHULL Council has brought successful prosecutions against parents for missing time at two schools in the north of the borough.
On Friday of last week, Birmingham Magistrates Courts ordered a father to pay a total of £600 in fines and costs after he allowed his child to take one week's unauthorised absence from Fordbridge Community Primary School.
Solihull Council has said that it is the first case of its kind brought by the local authority following a landmark legal battle last year.
In April, the Supreme Court ruled that a man from the Isle of Wight had acted unlawfully in allowing his daughter to take a week off during term-time.
The outcome of the long-running dispute set a precedent in dealing with similar wrangles elsewhere in the country.
In a separate case, also relating to North Solihull, a mother was sentenced after her child missed 36 sessions at Smith's Wood Primary Academy between May and October last year.
The defendant, who failed to attend court, was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £834.

The colonel keeps trading in Chelmsley Wood

A NATIONAL takeaway chain has confirmed that outlets in Pine Square, Chelmsley Wood, and on the Chester Road, in Castle Bromwich, are open for business.

KFC has been forced to keep some of its UK branches closed after admitting to "teething problems" with a new partnership to get deliveries of chicken to premises.

This evening (Wednesday), these two outlets in North Solihull were among those listed as being open to customers.

In a statement online, a spokesman said: "Getting fresh chicken out to 900 restaurants across the country is pretty complex!

"We won’t compromise on quality, so no deliveries has meant some of our restaurants are closed, and others are operating a limited menu, or shortened hours."

Quake, rattle and roll in North Solihull

MANY residents in North Solihull reported feeling a minor earthquake yesterday (Saturday) afternoon.
The tremor - which measured 4.4 on the Richter scale - took place at around 2.30pm.
The epicentre was traced to some 20km north, north-east of Swansea, Wales, although the effects were felt by Britons as far east as the Home Counties and as far north as the outskirts of the Lake District.
In the north of the borough, some residents told Other Side of Solihull that they had seen furniture shaking or pets reacting to the earthquake, but for others the event passed unnoticed.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) said it was the largest earthquake to hit the mainland UK for ten years; a 5.2 magnitude tremor shook homes in February 2008.
That said it was still a very minor event by international standards and there have been no reports of major damage or anyone being hurt.

Teens charged with meat cleaver robbery in Castle Brom

TWO teenagers were this week charged with an armed robbery in a Castle Bromwich street.
It's alleged the young men - aged 16 and 17 - had threatened the 64-year-old victim with a meat cleaver as he walked along Manor Park Road. The man was unhurt but a mobile phone and cash were stolen.
The incident is alleged to have occurred on Tuesday (February 14) at around 8pm, with the arrests made less than an hour later in nearby Chester Road.
Two teenagers, who hail from the Birmingham area but cannot be named for legal reasons, were subsequently charged with robbery, possession of a bladed article and possession of an offensive weapon by detectives.
They are understood to have appeared before Birmingham Magistrates Court yesterday (Friday).

Man struck by train at Marston Green

EMERGENCY services were called to Marston Green Station yesterday (Friday), after a man was hit by a train.

British Transport Police confirmed that the incident had occurred at around 1pm.

Services were subsequently cancelled, affecting passengers travelling to destinations including Birmingham New Street, Coventry and London Euston.

Network Rail said the section of line had reopened by around 3.30pm, although trains did not call at Marston Green until the evening.

The incident is the latest in a series at the station - with a man having died there in August last year. 

Marston Green scheme to help nesting birds

A BRAND-new set of bird boxes has been installed at a wildlife habitat in Marston Green.
The wooden boxes were created by local residents Raymond Oley and Keith Gilbert and have recently been fitted in the trees at Millennium Wood.
Bickenhill and Marston Green Parish Council said it was hoped that they would be used by nesting birds in the spring.

Council hails North Solihull scheme to assist cyclists

NORTH Solihull has become one of the first areas outside of London to create special crossings that include cycle lanes.
The set of five "parallel crossings" combine a traditional zebra crossing with a parallel cycle lane and have been installed in Windward Way, Arran Way and Green Lane.
The aim is to end any confusion among drivers about when to give way and will mean that riders no longer have to dismount.
Councillor Ted Richards, Solihull Council’s cabinet member for transport and highways, said: "Solihull Council is committed to making it easier for cyclists to use our roads for a whole host of reasons.
"We want to reduce congestion and air pollution and also encourage people to keep fit and healthy.
"The new parallel crossings will make these roads safer for cyclists and are an imaginative and cheap way to support cyclists in the town."
North Solihull has been at the forefront of efforts locally to encourage cycling, although some initiatives continue to divide opinion. Most notably, a cycle lane installed along the Chester Road is often attacked by critics for being little used and having contributed to significant congestion on the route.

Event to raise funds for Anne Dunkley memorial window

A FOLK concert is to take place in Marston Green this weekend to help raise money for a memorial window at St Leonard's Church.
We revealed last year that worshippers intended to install a stained glass design in the church porch, celebrating the life of former church warden Anne Dunkley (pictured).
The upcoming concert will take place at Marston Green Parish Hall, in Elmdon Road, this Saturday (February 17), from 7.30-9.30pm.
Tickets are £8 each, with all proceeds from the event going direct to the appeal.
Book yours from Audrey Horsley (on 0121 246 7436) or Jenny Staite (0121 779 6184).

Lottery cash supports projects in North Solihull

COMMUNITY projects in North Solihull were among more than 30 schemes in the borough to secure funding from the National Lottery last year.
A total of £9,960 was awarded to St Andrew's Church, at Chelmsley Wood, to help with the creation of a new community garden.
A separate sum of £9,490 was handed to Smith's Wood Primary Academy, again to help with the creation of a green space. In that case the money was to be invested in a sensory garden for use by local people.
In total, 34 schemes received cash from the Lottery's coffers, adding up to more than £400,000.
People can now nominate other deserving causes for the next tranche of funding. Grants are presented in seven different categories: heritage, health, education, the environment, sport, arts and charity.
Suggestions can be made by calling 0207 293 3329 or tweeting @LottoGoodCauses. The deadline for the next round of funding is April 8.

Emergency road closure in Meriden Drive

A BURST water main has led to the emergency closure of a section of road in Kingshurst.
Solihull Council confirmed that Meriden Drive, between the junctions of Tile Grove and Fordbridge Road, had been shut off in response to the leak.
Severn Trent has been tasked with repairing the problem, with work expected to be complete by 5pm on Tuesday (February 13).

Police appeal after sex attack at Babbs Mill

POLICE have launched an investigation following reports that a young woman was sexually assaulted at knifepoint in a Kingshurst park.
It is understood that the 26-year-old was attacked last Sunday evening (February 4) as she walked home through Babbs Mill Recreation Ground. The incident occurred at around 9pm.
Det Insp Westley Martin, from Solihull’s Public Protection Unit, said the force was doing "everything within its power" to investigate the assault and identify the person responsible.
"Police were alerted to the incident after the woman reported the attack to a third party," he said.
"As soon as we were informed, we commenced a comprehensive investigation. Specially trained officers have spoken to the woman, but to date we have only been provided with very limited information.
"I would appeal for anyone who might have seen or heard something suspicious to get in touch."
A team of officers are checking nearby CCTV for clues and patrols have been increased in and around the vicinity of the park.
Police would like to speak to anyone who was at the Recreation Ground, in nearby Schofield Road or surrounding streets between 8.30 and 9.30pm and who saw anything suspicious.
"You may think that what you saw bears no significance to this case, but your information could be extremely significant," said Det Insp Martin.
If you have any information call Solihull Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 (quoting crime reference number 20SH/28268R/18).

Plan to turn village guest house into children's home

A PLANNING application to open a children's care home in Marston Green has been submitted to Solihull Council.
The proposals would see Arden House, a guest house in Maple Leaf Drive, converted into a care facility and were lodged with the local authority last month.
Documents which form part of the application note that there has been a "steady decline" in trade for the bed and breakfast - which is modelled as a "Shakespearean retreat", with each of its guest rooms named after one of the playwright's characters.
The report notes that there has been a shortage of suitable care homes for youngsters has been identified and it is thought that a change of use would offer the site a viable future.
The applicants do not propose any major alterations to the property, which would be staffed 24 hours a day.
The application is likely to be considered by the council's planning committee later this year.

100 years of suffrage... but less than a third of our councillors are women

MILESTONE: Some of Solihull's women councillors mark the 100th
anniversary. Photo/Solihull Council.

ONE hundred years on from the change in the law which gave some British women the vote, Solihull is still some way off having a gender-balanced council.

Only 15 out of the 50 elected members who currently make up the local authority are female (30 per cent of the total).

This places the borough slightly below the national average; a study last summer suggested that 33 per cent of councillors in England are women.

Around 12,000 more women need to be elected to achieve a 50/50 split in local government nationwide, although concerns have been raised that the proportion has been stuck at around a third since 2007.

On current estimates, it will be another 68 years before there is equal representation in the nation's council chambers.

Analysis by Other Side of Solihull, carried out to coincide with the 100th anniversary of The Representation of the People Act, confirmed that the borough council continued to be disproportionately male. Our figure-checking showed.

• Six out of eight of Solihull's cabinet posts are held by men.
• The three largest parties on the council (Conservative, Green and Lib Dem) all have male leaders. The UKIP group is led by Coun Debbie Evans, although the party only has two councillors. Labour does not have a group leader, given that Coun Flo Nash is the party's sole representative on the council.
• Of the 16 Mayors to have held office since 2000, six have been women - although Coun Kate Wild is the only councillor during that period to have taken the chains twice.

Ahead of tonight's Full Council meeting, a group of women from different political groups posed for a photo in the council chamber.

Earlier in the day, Meriden MP Caroline Spelman shared a similar picture taken in Westminster, of around 100 women MPs and Peers.

When Mrs Spelman was first elected to Parliament in 1997, 120 of the 659 MPs were women. At the time this was a record figure, although the number had risen to 208 by the time of last summer's General Election.

Dame Caroline said: "The centenary of the Act is an incredibly important opportunity for us to reflect on how far we have come, thanks to the extreme bravery and sacrifice of the women who fought – and in some cases died – for equality.

"We all know that there is still more to do, and I look forward to working with people and organisations - such as [women's volunteer service] the Soroptimists - across the Meriden constituency to ensure we create an even more equal society."

Open event is just the job for those looking for work

AN EVENT to help the long-term unemployed back into work is taking place in Smith's Wood this week.
The session is being organised for jobhunters who have been out of work for nine months or more and will be held at Elmwood Place, in Burtons Way, on Thursday (February 8).
Citizens Advice, the Colebridge Trust and Solihull College will be among the organisations running support services at the event. There will also be a prize draw to win a Kindle Fire and refreshments will be served on the day.
The session will run from 11am-2pm. For further details call 0121 643 4343.

Chelmsley Wood rocks! Will you find one?

CHELMSLEY Wood residents are being encouraged to paint up rocks and hide them around the estate for other locals to find.

Part treasure hunt, part art project, the family-friendly initiative is the brainchild of the Friends of North Solihull group. 

Once a design has been painted on one side of a suitable stone, people are asked to write #ChelmsleyWood on the back. 

The group said: "If you are lucky enough to be a finder, you may keep your treasure or rehide it for someone else to find. 

"Please upload your pictures of rocks that you’ve found and rocks that you’ve painted and hidden!"

#ChelmsleyRocks advice:

• You might find suitable stones in your back garden, otherwise they can be bought fairly cheaply from garden centres and hobby shops.
• Friends of North Solihull recommend a base coat to seal the rock, before a design is painted on with acrylic paint. A spray varnish can be used to protect the picture from the elements.
• Rocks can be left in parks, on garden walls or by bus stops. Any location is fine, so long as it's in a public place and safe to access.

Meriden MP speaks in firework debate

MERIDEN MP Caroline Spelman has said she hopes the Government will introduce tighter controls on firework displays, amid mounting animal welfare concerns.
Earlier this week, Dame Caroline spoke in a Parliamentary debate about possible options for changing the law.
The discussion was triggered after more than 100,000 people signed an online petition, which argued in favour of limiting public use of fireworks to just four days a year (Bonfire Night, New Year's Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali).
In particular, concerns were raised about the fact that increasing use of rockets was causing difficulties for those with pets and livestock.
Dame Caroline, who chairs the all-party Parliamentary group on horses, pointed out that, since 2010, 15 horses had been killed and 60 injured as a result of fireworks being set off.
Commenting afterwards, she said: "We hope the Government will look at ways to tighten the licences around major displays so that more consideration is given to the  location where fireworks are being let off so that they don't cause animals - as well as humans - distress."
Following the petition, a spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: "Although there is some use of fireworks outside the traditional periods, we believe that the majority of people who use fireworks do so at the appropriate times of year and have a sensible and responsible attitude towards them.
"There are no plans at the moment to place further limitations on their use."

Airport plans and local development on meeting agenda

THE latest meeting of Marston Green Residents' Association is to be held next Thursday (February 8).
Items on the agenda this month are set to include development within the village and ongoing changes at Birmingham Airport.
The event will be held at the Baptist Free Church, Land Lane and starts at 7.30pm.