Week 216– Back on the campaign trail again!
Parliament has been dissolved, campaign lines are being drawn and it’s election time again! This week I am writing this column not as your Member of Parliament, but as your Conservative candidate for Royal Sutton Coldfield, in the up-coming General Election on July 4.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be telling you about my key objectives if I am re-elected, updating you on the campaign trail – but also sharing with you lots of interesting and useful stories from across our Sutton Coldfield community.
A message from Andy Street
Above: As the General Election campaign begins, Andy Street has sent a message to Sutton Coldfield residents.
I know so many people in Sutton Coldfield were left deeply disappointed when our brilliant Mayor Andy Street lost the Mayoral election by a desperately slim margin of 1500 votes, from an electorate of two million.
This week, as I begin my own campaign for the General Election, Andy has sent this message of support, for which I am hugely grateful:
“It was my honour to lead the West Midlands for seven years as Mayor. Throughout that time, I have seen firsthand how Andrew was an outstanding champion for his town.
“He was always “on my case” ensuring that the Combined Authority which I lead put Sutton Coldfield residents first.
“He ensured we invested in your Town Hall, Town Centre redevelopment, and transport network. He was shoulder to shoulder with me in winning private investment, and equally determined to prevent the loss of our precious green belt.
“Moreover,I learnt that Andrew was a man of principle with a deep social conscience and adesire to do his best for all communities. He is a good friend.
“Ideeply regret not being able to continue my service to Sutton Coldfield, butwould urge everyone to ensure the Town does not lose another true champion.”
The Town Centre – a new era is set to begin with more than £50 million in investment
Over the next four weeks, I will outline my four big objectives for Sutton Coldfield, which I want to have achieved by 2028, when we celebrate the 500th anniversary of our Royal charter.
These cover the Town Centre, The Cottage Hospital, the Town Hall and Sutton park.
This week, I want to focus on the town centre, which is on the cusp of a great deal of exciting changes.
Thanks to years of hard work and lobbying, an exciting new era is about to begin for Sutton Coldfield town centre. With the Town Council’s impressive Masterplan already in place – which aims to shape a vibrant town centre fit for the 21st century – we are winning huge investment that will make it a reality soon.
Sutton is to receive £20million from the Government’s Towns Fund – which will be managed here by the Sutton Coldfield Town Council, rather than being mishandled by bankrupt Birmingham’s Labour leadership.
The new owners of the Gracechurch Shopping Centre, BPG and SAV, who are now sharing their ambitious redevelopment plans with residents, are being backed by £10million from the West Midlands Combined Authority. This will ensure that work begins quickly once the consultation process is completed.
Thanks to sterling work by Andy Street, our brilliant former Conservative West Midlands Mayor, Harvey Norman, a major international retailer, will soon be filling one of the big empty units in the centre too.
Perhaps the most obvious sign of the improvements to come can be seen round the corner on Brassington Avenue, where work has begun on the new Aldi store, finally making use of a site that has been empty for decades.
And £25 million is set to transform the town centre’s transport connections, kickstarting even more regeneration and created a suitable welcoming point for visitors to the town centre.
All of this investment is the result of my work with our outstanding Conservative team and, if re-elected, I am determined to ensure all of this money is used to deliver a town centre that we can be proud of.
It is also in stark contrast to the financial mess being caused by the Labour leadership in Birmingham, which is resulting in your Council Tax going up by 21%, bin collections being cut to once a fortnight and libraries facing closure.
Despite the desperate situation in Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield is clearly still an attractive place for investors – such as Harvey Norman, Aldi, the Gracechurch and the new owners of our Grade II listed cinema. It’s vital that we retain a strong, experienced Conservative voice to ensure that inward investment continues, and that potential investors aren’t put off by Labour’s financial meltdown.
I know how important the Town Centre is to local people, and my pledge is to deliver the plans that are in place and continue to work to bring in even more investment.
Hold the front page – it’s the Royal Sutton Coldfield Charity News!
Exciting news from Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust (SCCT), who this week announced ambitious plans to publish a newspaper to support and publicise the work of the many, many voluntary and community groups who make the Royal Town such a special place to live.
This autumn the Trust will be launching Royal Sutton Coldfield Charity News, a FREE newspaper which will feature voluntary and community groups across the town.
Sutton Coldfield is fortunate to have so many brilliant charities, voluntary groups and community organisations, all of which used to benefit hugely from the coverage they regular enjoyed in traditional local newspapers like the Royal Sutton Coldfield Observer.
However, since these newspapers closed, local groups have often struggled to get vital publicity.
Coverage of these groups is so important as it celebrates successes, publicises events, generates donations, recruits volunteers and raises awareness of vital issues.
So, this September SCCT will be publishing Royal Sutton Coldfield Charity News, a free 16-page newspaper that will be delivered to homes across Sutton Coldfield.
While initially intended to be an annual publication, if the first edition proves to be popular and valuable to the community, SCCT may increase its frequency.
The Royal Sutton Coldfield Charity News will include features about SCCT’s work, however, half of its pages will be devoted to news about local charities, voluntary groups and community organisations.
This will include charity and social organisations, community groups, local sports clubs and teams, charity news from schools, stories about local charity appeals and charity projects that would benefit from publicity.
I am a proud supporter of SCCT, which can trace its heritage in Sutton right back to Tudor times. It has been supporting local people for centuries and I welcome this brilliant new project to help local groups.
If you have a story or would like to feature in the first ever edition of Royal Sutton Coldfield Charity News, email [email protected].
Please get in touch before the deadline of Friday, June 14th.
Civic Sunday
The Town Council would like to extend an invitation to all residents to attend the town’s civic service at 2pm on Sunday 9th June, at Holy Trinity Church.
This multi faith service is a great opportunity to celebrate our brilliant community and the groups and volunteers that work so hard.
This year the service will include the inauguration of Lord Fowler as High Steward of Royal Sutton Coldfield.
At the Annual Meeting of Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council on Tuesday 21st May 2024, The Rt. Hon. the Lord Fowler of Sutton Coldfield was appointed High Steward of The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield. This prestigious title has been bestowed on distinguished servants of the Royal Town for nearly 500 years.
It was announced that, on the recommendation of the Mayor, Cllr John Perks and the Leader of the Council, Cllr Simon Ward, the ceremonial role of High Steward has been resurrected and The Rt Hon. the Lord Fowler be appointed by the Town Council to the honorary role.
Having served as MP for the Royal Town for over twenty-seven years, from 1974 – 2001 when he provided exemplary representation for his constituents, his appointment is in recognition of his distinguished public service. Lord Fowler served in Cabinet roles as Secretaries of State for Transport, Health and Social Security and Employment and is highly regarded for his campaigning work around equal rights.
The position of High Steward was originally granted to the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield by King Henry VIII in 1578, under the Royal Charter which also formed the first Town Council for the Royal Town.
Residents should please contact the Town Council office at [email protected] to get further details or RSVP.
I am so pleased this ancient tradition in the Royal Town is to be revived. And I know that many people who live in Sutton Coldfield will be pleased and proud.
There could be no more fitting person to be honoured in this way than Lord Fowler, my distinguished predecessor who quite apart from being the Lord Speaker until recently, has been one of the most distinguished people fighting to combat HIV and AIDS both in the UK and around the world.
Good luck to Royal Sutton Fun Runners
This weekend sees the return of the Royal Sutton Fun Run – the 41st event to be held since 1982.
Over the years this amazing run, which covers 8.5 miles, has raised £5.1million for local charities, voluntary groups and good causes across our community. Last year alone it raised £187,000!
This really is a unique event in so many ways - because of its route through the streets and the Park, because of its non-competitive ‘walk, jog or run’ ethos, because of the way it benefits lots of different charities, and because of the way residents line the course to cheer the runners on.
Quite simply, it’s an intrinsic part of Sutton Coldfield life.
As I write, the weather forecast for Sunday looks to be great for the thousands of runners who will take part – so I would like to wish them the best of luck!
Pioneering mental health support at Fairfax Academy
Above: Siobhan Smith-Innis is providing mental health support for students at Fairfax Academy.
Fairfax Academy students are getting vital support with the challenges of modern school life – after the school appointed a ground-breaking in-house mental health expert.
Siobhan Smith-Innis, 28, spent the last nine years working for Sutton Coldfield’s YMCA, visiting local schools to work with young people one-to-one.
Now Siobhan, who trained as a primary school teacher, is using the life-coaching experience she built over those years in her new role as Fairfax’s in-house Mental Health Lead.
She can be found in a welcoming, light and relaxing office, where the walls are decked out with the key messages of a support process she has introduced at Fairfax –called ‘breathe’.
Siobhan explained: “The idea behind ‘breathe’ is very simple – we allow students to take a deep breath and give them space to talk.
“Sometimes it’s about listening, sometimes it’s about doing something that will distract them from their daily life, and sometimes it’s even about saying nothing, having peace and quiet.
“I try to make sessions as informal as possible to make it less intimidating, because I want students to feel comfortable opening up.
“I even do “walk and talk” sessions, walking around school having a chat. Some students just need a quiet space to work, which gives them a less overwhelming space than a classroom.”
For the full story, click here: https://suttonschoollife.co.uk/2024/05/20/fairfax-academy-mental-health-appointment-helps-students/
Monster fun in town centre
Visit Royal Sutton Coldfield BID, which represents hundreds of traders and business in the town centre, has a number of brilliant events planned for June.
On Saturday, June 15th they are holding a Dino Day, when Chomp, the world’s biggest T-Rex, will be returning to the Royal Town.
Then, on Saturday, June 22, the BID will be kicking off celebrations to mark this summer’s football championships with a Euro Football Fun Day.
Finally, on Sunday, June 30th, the popular Farmers and Craft Market will be open along the Parade.
And there’s lots more to look forward to in July, including a jazz festival!
For more information, visit www.visitroyalsuttoncoldfield.co.uk
Another glimpse inside our Royal Cinema!
After a brilliant reaction to last week’s picture, I thought I would share another behind-the-scenes image of the work that is going on to restore our beloved cinema, now renamed The Royal.
There is so much excitement about how this much-loved landmark is being returned to its original art deco splendour, with a planned reopening by the end of July.
This is so much more than a lick of paint too – the whole interior is being renovated, with plush new seating, a stunning lobby and decorative work which highlights the art deco architecture much of which had been painted over and covered up over the decades.
This picture shows me with Manager Des Christie, on the newly re-opened balcony which will overlook the lobby, and include a new licensed bar and seating area. The perfect place to enjoy a drink before taking it to your seat to enjoy a movie.
I can reveal I was also allowed into the main projector room, where much of the original equipment still remains, which is watched over by a resident ghost!
The Royal’s new owners, Paul, James and Deborah Jervis, are members of Britain’s longest-standing cinema family – whose business, PDJ Management, has strong connections to Sutton Coldfield – and they deserve huge thanks for the way they are lovingly resurrecting this architectural gem.
I am so proud of helping facilitate the discussions that helped lead to the Jervis family becoming owners of this important local landmark, which holds s many memories for generations of Sutton Coldfield people.
Gillian Keegan’s visit to the Royal Town
Above: Our Conservative Association chairman Nigel Waldron, our President Kay Noone, the leader of our Town Council Cllr Simon Ward, Gillian Keegan and I
Last week we had the great pleasure of welcoming the Secretary of State for Education to the Royal Town to meet Education leaders from throughout the Town (not as part of the election campaign which had just been called) for a longstanding engagement and an exchange about education in U.K. generally .
It was a great meeting - very constructive and worthwhile.
Gillian then came and joined senior local conservatives and friends at the Westminster Supper Club where she spoke and answered questions over dinner at Sutton Coldfield golf club.
NB: The Westminster Supper Club is open to anyone who is conservative-minded in Sutton Coldfield, meets 3 times a year and over a great and good value Dinner, hear from local and national speakers on political and non-political issues.
It is run by our President Mrs Kay Noone, and if interested in coming please email - but after the election – [email protected]
Above: Gillian Keegan and Distinguished local activist Charlotte Hodivala.
New Hall Hotel
Above: with Matthew Voyle, the general manager of New Hall Hotel
Last week I visited New Hall Hotel, who have been granted permission to keep their pavilion for longer, a beautiful venue which can be used for weddings and other events. New Hall Hotel are looking to request a further extension, after which they will return the pavilion to its original purpose as an archery field, as used by King Henry VIII.
The Hotel have also doubled their bed occupancy rate by 30% this year!
Above: This Yew Tree walk at New Hall Hotel is 600 years old – and is said to have been frequented by Henry VIII!
Wishaw Development
Last week, at their request, I visited the Developer of the “Thrive” proposal for a 300-acreindustrial park on Green Belt land. This is over the border from us in the Royal Town in North Warwickshire, however it impacts on Sutton Coldfield because it effects Wishaw - including their beautiful cricket ground, church and pub, The Cock Inn.
Summoning up my inner Mrs Thatcher, I can sum up the meeting thus: - “No, no, no”.
Since the dissolution of parliament yesterday, I am no longer an MP. However, I am still the Deputy Foreign Secretary and Minister for Development and Africa until the General Election on Thursday 4th July.
North Birmingham 4 Ukraine visit the Houses of Parliament
On Tuesday, I was delighted to invite 50 guests from the North Birmingham 4 Ukraine group to visit the Houses of Parliament and take an expertly guided tour around the Palace of Westminster.
Everyone enjoyed the grandeur of the building, particularly the site in Westminster Hall where President Zelensky stood and addressed both Houses of Parliament when he visited in 2022.
I am so glad North Birmingham 4 Ukraine enjoyed their trip, and a special thank you to Noran Flynn for getting in touch with me and organising this for everyone.
Further information
Upcoming Visit Royal Sutton Coldfield BID events
JUNE
1. Saturday15th June 10am-4pm – DINO DAY
2. Saturday22nd June 10am-4pm – EURO FOOTBALL FUN
3. Sunday30th June 10am-3pm – FARMERS & CRAFT MARKET
JULY
1. Saturday13th July 10am-4pm – EURO FOOTBALL FUN
2. Sunday28th July 10am-3pm – FARMERS & CRAFT MARKET
3. FRIDAY19TH- Sunday 28TH JULY – JAZZ FESTIVAL:
19th The Duke Inn 20:00 Willy & The Poorboys
20th Simpson’s Gin Bar 19:00 Sheila Waterfield Trio
21st PattyFreaks 13:00 Calypso Moon
22nd Coffee#1 13:00 Roy Forbes
22nd Heavenly Desserts 16:00 Playing Django
22nd TheThree Tuns 19:30 The Shakedown Brothers
23rd TokinTea 13:00 Tenement Jazz Band
23rd Brewhouse & Kitchen 20:00 Big Al Nicholls Band
24th The Gate 19:30 Honey boy Hickling Band
25th Eleon 19:00 Swing Café
26th Caffe Botanico 13:00 The Washboard Resonators
26th Brewhouse & Kitchen 15:00 Hot Club of Halifax
28th PattyFreaks 13:00 The Upsiders
28th The Station 19:00 Warren James Skiffle Group
AUGUST
1. Saturday 10th August 10am-3pm – KID’S CARFEST
2. Sunday 25th August 10am-3pm – FARMERS & CRAFT MARKET
3. Tuesday 27th August 11am-4pm – KID’S MUSIC WORKSHOP
SEPTEMBER
1. Saturday 14th September 10am-8pm – FOOD FESTIVAL
2. Sunday 15th September 10am-5pm – FOOD FESTIVAL
3. Sunday 29th September 10am-3pm – FARMERS & CRAFT MARKET
OCTOBER
1. Sunday 27th October 10am-3pm – FARMERS & CRAFT MARKET
2. Halloween event TBC
NOVEMBER
3. Sunday17th November – VEGAN MARKET
4. Sunday24th November 10am-3pm – FARMERS & CRAFT MARKET
5. Christmasevents TBC
Free Heart Test, by CRY UK
Civic Service
the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield's Civic Service to be held at Holy Trinity (CE) Church, Church Hill, Mill Street, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1TF at 2.00pm on Sunday 9th June 2024.
The annual service welcomes our civic guests and those who represent the many public and voluntary organisations within our town. The service provides a visible reminder of the important roles in our society which ensure our safety, well-being and public services. This year, we have moved the service to the afternoon to enable a greater number of our community to attend.
Get involved with UK Parliament Week this November
Over 2,000 organisations all over the country have already signed up for this year’s UK Parliament Week (18-24 November)!
Join in to explore UK Parliament. Find out what happens at Parliament and learn how your group can get involved. Sign up today to get your free kit!
Community games
I am looking forward to the Royal Town’s Community Games this summer, a jewel in our crown since 2012 and something very special that we all really enjoy. It is a great afternoon promoting health and happiness and something that I participate in every year with our annual tug-of-war challenge, a highlight in the Royal Town’s calendar!
Above: the tug-of-war at the community games between the town’s elected politicians and the youth of Sutton Coldfield. It will be held on Saturday this year.
Breast Friends, Make Up Workshops
Advocacy Matters, Recruitment Event
Highbury Theatre
Civic Society Summer programme
Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System’s Fairer Futures Fund
This ringfenced £22.2m Fund first launched in 2022, with various funding streams awarded up until 2027 for projects which will improve the health and wellbeing of citizens across Birmingham and Solihull; reduce health inequalities and support communities to stay well.
Applications are now open for public and VCFSE sector organisations in Birmingham to bid for Citywide Small Grants being made available via the Fairer Futures Fund.
A total of £2.46million is available through the new Citywide Small Grants, with organisations in Birmingham able to bid for up to £15,000 per year, or up to a maximum of £45,000 for individual projects over a three-year delivery period.
The deadline for applications for the Citywide Small Grants scheme is 5pm on 12 July 2024. For more information on how to apply, visit the Heart of England Community Foundation website (https://www.heartofenglandcf.co.uk/ffcw-small-grants/)
Sutton Arts Theatre- what’s on
MMR immunisation and measles awareness
Measles is circulating in the West Midlands, and the MMR vaccination provides the best protection against measles.
Please be aware of measles symptoms: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/measles/
If you think you or your child may have measles, contact your GP practice but do not visit unless instructed, as measles can spread to others easily, and 1 in 15 children can develop serious complications, such as meningitis and blindness.
For protection against measles, contact your GP practice to get your MMR immunisations.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/46QPPn1
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