We have just seen this poster:
CHEERLEADING
Ages 5-10 Years
Weekly cost £3.50
610 Community Centre Kingstanding Road Kingstanding B44 9SH
Thursday 5:00-6:00pmElite Futures is giving a unique opportunity for young people to develop their Cheerleading skills under the coaching and tuition of qualified coaches.
All staff are CRB checked.
For any queries please contact us at 07805 137597 or elite.futures@live.co.uk
Birmingham Citizens Advice Bureau launches appeal for support from local Birmingham community
Birmingham CAB (BCABS), the oldest and largest CAB in the UK, is appealing to the Birmingham community for support to enable it to continue its drop in advice service that has served the people of the city for 72 years, including the one in Kingstanding. BCABS is urging people to consider the local charity when deciding which worthy cause to make a regular contribution to.
Cuts to essential funding and seismic changes to the way funding is allocated has left a gap in the finance needed to keep the ‘drop in’ provision open and the predominantly volunteer lead service able to see clients who are in desperate need of advice .
Yvonne Davies, CEO of Birmingham CAB said ‘It’s a common misapprehension that BCABS is funded entirely via central or local Government grants. This is sadly not the case. We are an independent charity with no fixed central income. Now, more than ever, we have to fundraise locally and ask the public for support. The most useful support for any charity is regular contribution and that’s why we are asking people to set up a monthly standing order for as much as they can afford to enable us to keep this vital Birmingham service alive’.
Jack Dromey, MP for Erdington, said ‘I am proud to sign up for the BCABS appeal and support such an established and essential Birmingham charity. BCABS has done life changing work with countless Brummies in crisis and the loss of the Open Door Drop In service would be keenly felt by all in need of independent, impartial, confidential and free legal advice. I am setting up a standing order for £10 per month and I would urge others to think local when considering their charitable giving’.
The standing order form can be downloaded at www.bcabs.org.uk. Gift Aid information can be found at the same site. £10 per month would enable a client to get an hour’s free legal advice regarding debt, welfare benefits, housing, immigration, employment and many other crucial topics. BCABS is also approaching the Birmingham business community for similar ongoing support.
A West Midlands Police Oscott Neighbourhood Team public meeting took place at Maryvale Institute yesterday (Tuesday 24 Jan) evening.
It was attended by:
We were first welcomed by Father Tony Jones, Maryvale’s Estate Director, who briefly outlined Maryvale Institute‘s role as an educational centre for people of the Catholic faith.
Sergeant Bebb (picture by Andy Mabbett, CC-BY-SA)
Sergeant Bebb then introduced himself and his two PCSO collegues, explaining that other members of his team were busy patrolling the local streets to ensure that we weren’t burgled while we were at the meeting! He said he had been in his current, Oscott Neighbourhood Team, role for 18 months, but had been a police officer for 20 years, including some time as a detective.
He said that he and his team want to address local people’s concerns, and get a wide cross-section of the community involved in their work. He explained that his team covers the whole of the Oscott Ward, and has good recent record for reducing crime, although vehicle crime (theft of and from vehicles) had seen a 9% increase in recent weeks.
However, in and around Templeton Road, the crime rate is higher than rest of ward. In particular, three recent break-ins had occurred when thieves accessed properties from the right-of-way linking Templeton Road and Old Oscott Hill. Sgt Bebb said that this had been the cause of long term problems.
Father Jones commented that £15,000 of lead had been taken from the roof at Maryvale in November; the thieves removed a concrete wall to reach it.
A local resident asked “Why can’t we have gates, we’ve been broken into three times in 20 years”, to which Sgt Bebb explained that a legal right-of-way cannot be closed without agreement after a public consultation, and that some users of the right-of-way have objected to the proposed closure. He would support closure, and in the meantime regular police patrols check the right-of-way.
A suggestion to stop unauthorised vehicles without blocking row for pedestrians, as a “plan B”, received some support.
Father Jones said that if the right-of-way is not closed, then it would need to be very well lit, as women staff at Maryvale currently won’t use it at night.
Another resident called for the use of CCTV and Sgt Bebb commented that it the cost of this is currently being assessed.
Discussion then turned to two clusters of recent burglaries. These have taken place during late afternoon/ early evening, as people’s houses are dark & empty. Entry has mostly been made via a rear door or window; or in some cases by using flat roof to reach an upstairs window.
Sgt Bebb encouraged residents to take precautions, including:
Suggestions of possible drug dealing at a named location, reported by a resident, will be investigated.
Sgt Bebb gave advice on avoiding thefts from vehicles, including always cleaning SatNav sucker marks from windscreens and not keeping SatNavs or other valuables in glove-boxes when the vehicle is parked.
A resident complained about dangerous speeding on Oscott Hill, especially given the schools there. Sgt Bebb agreed to conduct speed checks.
In closing, Sgt Bebb thanked everyone for attending, and Father Jones for the use of the hall. He reiterated his wish to have more engagement with the community, which would help to reduce crime, and encouraged people to report suspicious activity, and to feel free to contact him or his colleagues about any concerns. Finally, he reminded everyone that, despite the issues discussed, Oscott is one of the safest places in Birmingham to live.
The West Midlands Police Oscott Neighbourhood Team can be contacted on oscott@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk or the new West Midlands Police non emergency number 101, extension 7851 6962. In emergency, dial 999.
The team’s next public meeting is scheduled for 6:00 pm on Thursday 2 February 2012 at Greenholm School, Greenholm Road, Great Barr.
Local B44 bus services are to be moved around in the City Centre over the next year starting from February the 16th. Services affected include the 33, 56, 907, 934/a, 935/a and 997.
Both the City Centre bus stop locations and the bus routes in the City Centre will be affected throughout the period.
More details about the changes can be found here
It is all part of the public transport expansion in the City Centre over the next few years which can be read about here
West Midlands Police‘s Oscott Neighbourhood Team have circulated this notice:
All being well, we’ll have someone there to cover the event.
We’ve just seen this flyer, currently being delivered around B44.
It says:
Like Music? Interested in competing with the UK division two national champions?
Already have a gift with music or fancy trying something new, why not come down and see what you think? With a wide variety of instruments from brass, drums and percussion or colour guard to interest those dancers out there, you’ll be sure to find something that interests you.
Beeches Cadets are searching for new talent to compete with us in our 2012 season.
We rehearse every Tuesday at Cardinal Wiseman School. Old Oscott Hill, Kingstanding. From 7pm — 9pm.
Why not come along and see what you think? We begin our rehearsals on the 10th January 2012. and every Tuesday following. We look forward to seeing you.
Also, Father Christmas is coming to a street near you on Tuesday 20th December. Raising money for Beeches Cadets, and wishing you all a Merry Christmas.
Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Any questions please call Andrew Dallison (Director) on 07786 254051
There are two events coming up at Saint Mark’s Church, Bandywood Crescent in the near future. There is a Christmas Fair on Saturday 3rd December from 11am to 2pm.
Then on Sunday 18th December at 7pm Saint Mark’s are taking part in a Guinness Book of Records challenge to have 15,000 all singing carols at the same time.
