New Heights Warren Farm Community Project could win Award

Congratulations to New Heights Warren Farm Community Project, which has reached the final of the National Lottery Awards 2013.

They could win a £2,000 cash prize and appear at a star-studied BBC One event.

You can vote for them until 24 July.

On the Buses

National Express West Midlands have announced changes to local bus services 66, 934, 935 and 997, as well as a new 936 service.

The 66 will run to Birmingham, via Perry Common, Erdington, Star City, the Gravelly Industrial Park, and Nechells.

The 997 will have a new route, serving, Beacon Road, Collingwood Drive, Frampton Way, the Deer’s Leap,  Queslett Road East and Streetly (Aldridge Road & Foley Arms).

The other changes mean that there will be fast, limited-stop buses form Kingstanding to Birmingham every seven to ten minutes.

The 934 will be extended from Pheasey to Walsall via Barr Beacon.

The 935 (and 935A) routes are unchanged.

The new 936 limited stop service will go from Birmingham to Kingstanding, Pheasey, Aldridge, Ogley Hay and Brownhills.

The 934, 935, 936 and 997 will have a new city centre stop, on Lower Bull Street. There are some timetable changes, too.

Changes take effect from June 9. Services outside B44 are also affected. The new timetables are online.

Free Social Media Help for Voluntary Organisations

Volunteers in North Birmingham – including the B44’s Andy Mabbett – are running a series of drop-in “Social Media Surgeries” to help local voluntary organisations develop an on-line presence.

Anyone from a not-for-profit organisation, whether a registered charity or just a community group, can get help with Twitter, Facebook, bogging, digital photography, video making, and more. And there’s no charge!

There are three venues, the nearest to B44 is Costa Coffee, at Princess Alice Drive (near Tesco). Surgeries there are on 26 March, 28 May (changed from 20 May) and 15 July, each at 6pm.

Further sessions are at St. Barnabas Church cafe, Erdington high Street, on 18 April (10:30am), 16 May (2:30pm), 13 June (10:30am) and 11 July (2:30pm).

The third venue is Falcon Lodge Community Centre, Churchill Parade Sutton Coldfield B75 7LB. Surgeries there are on 22 April and 19 June, both at 10am.

All sessions last for an hour and a half, but you can drop in at any point. Equipment is provided, though you can bring your own if you need help using it.

More details, and other venues further afield, are on the Social Media Surgery website.

Local Street Dance Classes

Fab Street Dance

Classes for all ages

07407865045
facebook.com/bfabstreetdance
b.f.a.bstreetdance@gmail.com

Consultation Findings on Wheeldon Recreation Ground

After a consultation in October 2012 by Birmingham City Council’s Be Heard has posted its findings on improvements to Wheeldon Recreation Ground.

The top 2 findings were:

-positive response to proposals
-public agree to plan

To see full consultation details click here.

New Medical Facility

Curated from the Great Barr Observer Newspaper Facebook Page

Permission has been granted for a new state-of-the-art medical centre on Shady Lane, which will accomodate 8,000 patients. Kings Road and Old Oscott Lane surgeries will merge and move to the new building, at the site of the former Capco Pressworks, and will be known as Oaks Medical Medical Practice. The site has been vacant for almost four years.

Local Dog Care Service

Local Halloween Party

Live Web Chat with Police for Oscott Residents

There will be a live web chat held with the Inspector Karen Geddes from the local West Midlands Police Unit at 3pm on Wednesday the 31st of October.

More details can be found here.

All change: Bus service 451 becomes route 5

Sandwell’s buses are changing. So how does this affect B44?

Well, until now, Kingstanding Circle has been served by route 451, between West Bromwich and Sutton Coldfield. From tomorrow, that is renumbered to route 5.

More details — and the new timetable — are on the NetworkWM website: Sandwell Timetables.