Warning over latest telephone scam in North Solihull

SCAMMERS posing as telecoms engineers are reportedly ringing homes in North Solihull.
Police have confirmed reports from residents in Chelmsley Wood, Fordbridge and Marston Green, who are being called by conmen posing as workers from BT Openreach.
The crooks claim that they have identified a problem with the homeowner's computer and try to cajole their victim into giving them remote access to the machine.
Their hope is to gain access to online bank accounts.
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: "If you haven't already reported a problem with your computer and you get a call out of the blue the chances are it's a scam.
"BT will not cold call you and ask for remote access to your computer, Do not give your personal information, computer password or bank account details to anyone who cold calls over the phone."

Changes to charity support "as clear as mud"

COUNCIL FUNDING: Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens has received
support through the Community Initiatives Fund.

SOLIHULL Council has faced criticism after confirming a decision to scrap the Community Initiatives Fund (CIF), which has this year pumped around half a million pounds into charities and voluntary groups.
Last  month, councillors agreed to shut down the fund in its current form, having heard evidence
that it was “no longer fit for purpose”.
The decision is likely to cause disquiet among the beneficiaries, despite assurances from the local authority that support for organisations will continue via a new arrangement.
A total of £471,450 has been shared between five good causes in 2017/18. Among them Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens, which received £37,000, and Age UK, which picked up £71,640.
The single largest sum (£241,800) was awarded to Citizens Advice Solihull, which has a branch in Chelmsley Wood town centre.
Councillor Chris Williams (Green, Chelmsley Wood) was among those to raise concerns about the funding changes.
“The report [explaining this] was as clear as mud,” he told Other Side of Solihull.
“DIAL, based in Kingshurst, which supports disabled people, have already had a huge cut in their funding in recent years.
“I’m keen we don’t see the same with Sustain, the CAB, Age UK or other much-loved organisations. The Green Party group will be keeping a close eye on this.”
Coun Williams noted that guarantees about funding to the current beneficiaries do not extend beyond 2018 and suggested the move was part of a general trend of cutting support to the voluntary sector.
In response to criticism, Solihull Council has described the new arrangements as “an administrative change”, arguing that much of the money in the old fund had become tied up in contracts.
Councillor Karen Grinsell, cabinet member for adult social care and health, said: “The decision will not have any impact on the current 2017-18 spending plans.
“The dissolution of the CIF does not change any of the contracts associated with the budgets.”

Oddities spotted over North Solihull

STRANGE objects were spotted in the skies above Castle Bromwich earlier today (Sunday).
A local resident, who asked not to be named, noticed three dark-coloured objects heading towards the Hodge Hill area at around 12noon.
They managed to snap this photo as they passed overhead - with the admittedly blurry image showing markings vaguely reminiscent of military-style camouflage. So is it a drone, a high-flying shopping bag or something more sinister? The truth is up there...

Teenager takes top education award

SUM OF HER EFFORTS: Ellie De'Athe and the Grace Academy's Assistant
Principal Shaun Donald.

A STUDENT from the Grace Academy was among the star pupils recognised at the Solihull Borough Education Awards.
Ellie De’Athe was named as the borough’s Most Improved Maths Student, after impressing teachers at the Chelmsley Wood school.
Having been shortlisted earlier this year, the Year 12 pupil was hand-picked from a long list of nominees.
"In Years 7 and 8 I wasn’t good at anything and really struggled," she said.
"However, I hate failing so I made a decision to turn my life around. I started revising and revising and, for me, it was a great motivator to have competition.  My friend Sophie challenged me and, because she was my friend, it made it fun and we had a laugh.
"I knew I wanted to try harder and that is what I did.  I was always asked by my teacher, Shaun Donald, if I wanted to move up a set because he believed in me.  Shaun Donald was the main reason I got such a high grade in Maths."
Ellie is now considering going on to study criminology or photography at university.
Coun Ken Meeson, cabinet member for children, education and skills, said: "The judging panel were hugely impressed with the number of outstanding nominations and the winners can take great pride in being chosen from such a strong field."

Those who live alone invited to Chelmsley Xmas dinner

BOSWORTH Community Centre is planning to organise a special lunch for those people who would otherwise spend Christmas Day on their own.
Up to 20 people will be able to share a meal at the Chelmsley Wood venue on December 25.
Figures from Age UK suggest that around 873,000 older people will have little or no contact with anybody else over the festive period.
Charity director Caroline Abrahams said: "For many lonely older people the festive season also brings back memories of happier times in years gone by, reminding them of partners and other close relatives and friends who are no longer around and who they sorely miss."
The community centre's Christmas lunch will be taking place from 12.15-3.00pm. Space is limited, so to reserve a spot call 0121 770 8570.

Warning over Solihull's "shrinking" school budgets

CUTS in funding have left education services “heading for an iceberg”, Solihull Council has been told.
A long-running row about the resources available to schools was reignited at a recent Full Council meeting, during which a number of teachers outlined the problems they were facing on a daily basis.
Local parents have been campaigning for months for the issue to be addressed and with calls for action intensifying, Solihull Green Party presented a motion calling on the local authority to acknowledge that the situation was “unsustainable”.
Claire Melia, a school governor and a member of Fair Funding for Solihull Schools, said that over the next five years real terms funding per child would fall by £180 every year.
“That translates into an average reduction of £50,000 per primary school per year,” said the mum-of-two. “How can this be good for any of us?
“We know that local headteachers will do everything in their power to minimise the impact of the funding shortfall, but without your support local school budgets will simply continue to shrink.”
Teacher Coleman Doyle suggested that money was so tight that each child was allocated one pencil for every half-term and teachers were having to buy old library books from charity shops.
“I’m in the frontline, I’m in the trenches, fighting for your children and your grandchildren,” he told councillors, struggling to contain his emotion.
“If you don’t believe it, go to a classroom and find out. Not for a day, not for a week, for a term, for a year. Find out.”
Councillor James Burn (Green, Chelmsley Wood) said: “I’m hearing from councillors that all is really well and that money is sufficient, everything’s wonderful...
“And I’m hearing from teachers, including my mother... that actually the situation is really, really bad. That things haven’t been addressed.
“The question is who to believe and quite frankly I’d rather believe the teachers doing the job.”
Coun Ken Meeson, the cabinet member for children, education and skills, said that the council had been campaigning for years for fairer funding for schools, but argued that proposals put forward by the Government earlier this year would help matters.
“For years we have had a situation where schools in well-funded areas have had millions more in their budgets than Solihull schools.
“Some schools are still sitting on millions of pounds in reserves, are able to pay their headteachers more than the Prime Minister and, in some cases, supply every child with an iPad.”

Hundreds have their say on the future of North Solihull

YES WE CAN: Volunteer John Moose, chair of the steering group Simeon
Bright and volunteer co-ordinator Penny Keeling.

A PROJECT which aims to identify solutions to some of residents’ top priorities has been launched in North Solihull.
The Community Action Network (CAN) will be working with local people to address long-standing concerns, including the deterioration of parks and a lack of support for the area’s young people.
Over the summer, CAN members surveyed hundreds of residents in Fordbridge and surrounding areas, asking them what they liked about the community and those things they wanted to improve.
Chairman Simeon Bright said that local residents were ideally placed to push forward with initiatives which could make a real difference.
“It is clear that many people feel strongly about their area,” he said.
“Obviously now we’ve completed the survey, we don’t want it to just sit on a shelf. We will be looking at how we can move things forward.
“Sometimes people care about an issue, but it would be a real handful to tackle it on their own. It’s often when you get a few people together that they can make a difference.
“It’s these people, who have friends and family and extended family in the area, who are often best placed to do something. They understand the community because they live there and in many ways that's more helpful than having someone come in from outside.”
CAN was formally launched at the Bosworth Community Centre a few weeks ago, with a group of local people briefed about what was next for the project.
Penny Keeling, CAN’s volunteer coordinator, said: “The response from local residents [to the survey] was amazing.
“It showed real passion for the community in which we live and we will now look at how we can help the development of that community.”
Among those attending the Chelmsley Wood venue was Nicola Brady, who set up M.A.D. House – a facility for 11 to 18-year-olds.
CAN believes that this is “a shining example” of what can be achieved by residents, particularly in an area of services where there have been real concerns.
The organisation’s steering group is also pleased with the impact that a group for local mums, which meets weekly at the Community Centre, has had locally.
“Obviously there are constraints, but some of the things that can be done – which will make a difference – are actually fairly easy to get started,” said Simeon.
To find out more about CAN and how you can get involved visit their website.

What you want to see:

MORE than 400 residents took part in the survey, with locals asked their views at events including Chelmund’s Day.
Almost one in five of those questioned mentioned parks and open spaces, with many suggesting that the council did not value these areas as much as local people.
The decision to withdraw funding from Meriden Adventure Playground was a particularly sore point.
Around 15 per cent of respondents mentioned local policing and anti social behaviour, with off-road bikes and a lack of visible patrols among the main frustrations.
The single biggest theme to emerge was concern about the support available for children and young people and CAN intends to set up a group to look specifically at this issue.
Many of those surveyed felt that the closure of facilities ranging from Sure Start centres to the Kingshurst youth centre had taken its toll.
“This was something that came up time and time again,” said Simeon.
“There is a concern that there is not enough available and obviously that can store up massive problems for the future.”