Step along to Chelmsley's children's shoe sale

A KIDS' shoe sale will be taking place at Coleshill Heath School's Community Hub this week.
Second hand and nearly-new shoes, trainers, pumps, wellies and other children's footwear will be on sale for the next three days.
All items are £1.50 and in good wearable condition.
Opening hours are: Tuesday, January 30 (10.30am-1pm), Wednesday, January 31 (10am-12.30pm) and Thursday, February 1 (10am-12.30pm).
All proceeds will go to Children's Clothing Solihull, a social enterprise set up to help provide items of clothing to families going through a difficult time.

Launch of mental health service for Solihull's young people

YOUNG people in Solihull can access free mental health support as part of a new initiative.
The borough council this week announced an 18 month pilot scheme for Kooth, to provide help to 11-25-year-olds.
The service offers online self-help materials and a counselling service from 12noon-10pm weekdays and 6-10pm at weekends.
Kooth will be run in partnership with mental health services and the voluntary sector.
Dr Angela Brady, a local GP and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group’s lead on mental health, said: "We are delighted that young people in Solihull will now be able to access this invaluable service and get mental health support when they need it most, in a way which is convenient to them."
Figures suggest that mental health issues - including depression, anxiety and bipolar - affect around one in 10 children and young people in the UK.
The Kooth counselling service can be accessed here.

High-speed car chase ends down by the riverside

END OF THE ROAD: The chase came to an end near the River Cole, off
Forth Drive. Picture by @trafficwmp

AN EARLY morning police chase - which saw cars tearing through the streets of North Solihull - ended with a suspect trying to escape across a freezing river.
The 15 minute pursuit of a suspected stolen vehicle - sighted in Shard End - yesterday morning  (Friday) had passed through Marston Green and Chelmsley Wood.
Alarmed pedestrians - some of whom were parents on the school run - reported seeing patrol cars racing after a vehicle, with a helicopter following overhead.
Photos posted on social media revealed that a police car had apparently knocked over a postbox at Whateley Green, Castle Bromwich, during the chase.
A stinger device was finally used to bring the car to a sharp stop in the Forth Drive area. The suspect had attempted to escape across the nearby River Cole, but a police sergeant was waiting on the other side of the watercourse.
West Midlands Police confirmed that a 38-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of car theft. The car, understood to be a Fiesta, was later towed away from the riverside by one of the force's 4x4s.

Take part in the Big Birdwatch at Castle Bromwich

CASTLE Bromwich Hall Gardens will be holding an event to mark the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch tomorrow (Sunday).

Every January, the leading wildlife charity asks people to spend an hour counting how many species they can see. 

The nationwide survey - in which thousands take part every year - allows the RSPB to build up a comprehensive picture of bird populations around the country, as well as giving scientists an idea of which species are seeing an increase in number and which appear to be in decline.

The Birdwatch will coincide with the Gardens' Snowdrop Saunter, a chance to visit the site and spy one of the earliest flowers of the year. Hot chocolate will be served in the 18th century greenhouse and there will also be family crafts to enjoy.

The event will run from 11am-3pm. For more about the event and full details of admission charges visit the website.

A bright idea to support Meriden Adventure Playground

SUPPORTERS of Meriden Adventure Playground will be lighting up the local area tomorrow night (Saturday).

People will be gathering to take part in a sponsored "neon walk", with all proceeds going direct to the community facility.

The brightly-dressed procession, expected to be brandishing glow sticks, will be setting out from the playground at 5pm. Hot chocolate and biscuits will be served to warm up participants at the end of the route.

The fundraising event was originally due to take place last month, but had to be postponed at the eleventh hour due to the snowy weather.

If you picked up a sponsorship forms for the original December date you can still use this, alternatively the paperwork is available from playground staff.

Police appeal following Castle Brom burglary

POLICE have today released CCTV pictures of men wanted in connection with a burglary in Castle Bromwich last week.
The break-in happened at a house in Kingsleigh Drive last Monday (January 15) between 7.00 and 7.35pm.
The culprits are believed to have been linked to other burglary offences in the local area.
If you have any information please call Det Con Fitzgerald on 101 or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Chelmsley to host event on benefits shake-up

AN EVENT will be held in Chelmsley Wood this month, offering residents the chance to discuss a controversial overhaul of the benefits system.
The Citizens Advice Solihull Borough (CASB) is organising the event, providing the opportunity for local people to ask questions about Universal Credit.
A spokesperson said: "We would like to hear from people who have tried to make a claim, have made a claim, gone through the process and are [being] paid Universal Credit."
The session will be held next Wednesday (January 31) at The Junction, in Chapelhouse Road. It will run between 1-3pm.
Universal Credit is a fundamental shake-up of the country's welfare framework and was designed to replace six means-tested benefits and tax credits
The Government has argued the changes are designed to make the system more efficient, but critics claim that it will hit incomes and have a negative impact on various vulnerable groups.