tyburn mail april 2015 complete
DESCRIPTION
All 24 pages of the April edition of Tyburn MailTRANSCRIPT
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UK Generalelection and
BirminghamCouncil electionThursday 7th MayPolling stations
open from 7am till 10pm
LoCALjoBS
Page 18
Manpower office staffhave emptied filing cabi-nets and packed away fur-niture from their CastleVale base. Their training rooms in Spitfire Househave a deserted look about them.The staff left the building last week,carrying files, a portable air-condi-tioner and assorted office parapher-nalia. That looks like the end of Manpowerfor 2015. No more recruitment forJLR. One of the office staff spokeabout a return in 2016. Nothing defi-nite.
Half a mile away, workers had beengiven letters telling them that theircontracts would soon be ending.“We have been let down.” That’s howthe Manpower workers at the Jaguarfactory in Castle Vale feel. Hundreds of them have been handedletters telling them that their con-tracts will end before they can begiven a full time job.Manpower have declined to com-ment, saying that it is an issue forJaguar. JLR have not responded torequests for a comment or clarifica-tion. This decision in a car factory thatappeared to be doing well and hasenjoyed plenty of recent investmentis a sharp reminder of the lack of jobsecurity for contract workers.
CoMMenT
Letters Page4
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Ann Holtom
Your local choice on May 7
VoTeForMike SHArPe
Thursday 7th MayTurn to page 15
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DUMPEDLocal fury as Jag pulls plugon Manpower contracts
Castle Vale Concords UnitedTwo teams, shoulder to shoulder.In the green shirts, Castle Vale Concords. In the blue, Concords Utd.They played against each other in the final of the Jim Summerfield Cuplast Sunday. Castle Vale Concords won a well fought contest 1-0, in frontof a crowd of around 300 people who enjoyed the game and the after-noon sunshine at Sutton Coldfield Town’s ground.
Free Tickets toBBC Good
Food Showand BBC
Garden Showpage 18
Taylor SheldonThe
Fashionof
Coachella
Page 6
Catherine Lavelle
View from theClassroom
Page 16
.....just finished a night shift andreceived my letter after being prom-ised at least 12 months work 5months in told I’ve got less than 5weeks left. Absolute joke. Gave upa full time job to come and work forJaguar on the promise that I wouldhave minimum 12 months and I’mnot even one of the worst off.Thereare people there who are going tomiss out on a contract by a coupleof weeks. Manpower worker at JLR
....how on earth are these workersable to plan for the future? Howconvenient workers’ contracts toend just before they are due apermanent contract. Shame on you JLR. Manpower worker at JLR
.... it’s a ploy to get all Manpoweron the 5 year contract .None willever get taken on. They want a very small full timework force ,and to hire and fire therest at will ..Manpower worker at JLR
Tyburn Mail page 2
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Chivenor School in CastleVale will be closed foreleven weeks over thesummer to allow for majorrefurbishment andasbestos removal from theceilings.The school will close three weeks earlythis term, on Friday 26th June, and will
not re-open until Monday 14thSeptember.Headteacher Darren Mann says thatasbestos will be removed from thewhole school area. New boilers, a newfire alarm system and a new lightingsystem will also be installed.The school has been given £200k byBirmingham Council and £500k bygovernment to pay for the work.Darren Mann says: “Although there areshort-term negative impacts caused bythe closure, in the longer term, thismeans that improvements that wehave planned for the school buildingscan be done locally because we willnot have to worry about the dangersof asbestos.”
The school has sent a letter to parentsinforming them of the arrangements.Parents attended an informationevening about the refurbishment andclosure last Thursday, 23rd April at theschool. According to UKATA, national expertson the dangers of asbestos: Asbestos becomes dangerous when itis disturbed and dust particles becomeairborne and subsequently inhaled. It is prevalent in many buildings builtprior to the late nineties and manypeople come into contact with it with-out realising what damage they mightbe doing to their health until it is toolate.
Asbestos removalgives Chivenor 11-week summer hols
Kingsbury School’s firstofsted report since theappointment of Markrhatigan as headteacherhas been published thismonth.Inspectors suggest that significantimprovements have been made inrecent weeks.The news is a boost to the school as itseeks to assure parents of primaryschool children that they can offer agood education.Mr Rhatigan has held meetings withparents, giving them the opportunityto see the school in action.
He says that an Ofsted team will visitthe school again in the summer term.“By that time,” says Mark Rhatigan, “Iam confident that the school will bemaking the progress that it shouldtowards the removal of special meas-ures.”The report follows a two-day visit byinspectors in March, just four weeksafter Mr Rhatigan had taken up hisappointment.“..in the very short time since yourappointment, the actions taken by you
and your senior leaders are showingearly promise of the much more rapidimpact required,” says the report.“All the teachers spoken to during theinspection were very positive aboutthe changes you have made in recentweeks. “They cited much higher expectationsof students’ behaviour, of planning forlessons and of the level of challengepresented to students, alongside muchgreater clarity about how they wouldbe held to account for students’progress and the quality of teaching.Teachers feel they are being supportedas well as challenged to improveteaching.”But, says the report, “at this earlypoint these new ways have not had asubstantial impact on the quality ofteaching overall.”It begs the question as to why anOfsted team decided to visit the schoolso soon after the appointment of anew headteacher, if they agree thatthere had not, in the space of amonth, been enough time for his radi-cal measures to take effect.
Kingsbury headteacher MarkRhatigan: praised by Ofsted for thechanges he has brought to the schoolsince his appointment in February.Ofsted will visit again later this term.
remember those peoplewho used to claim theyhad seen a UFo hoveringabove Castle Vale?And we all thought they were daft. Or that the drunken story-tellers hadspent too long in the Artful Dodger orthe Trade Winds?Well, it turns out after all that some-one was spying on the Vale fromabove.While we were happily listening toAbba, Leo Sayer and Rod Stewart.And watching Aston Villa beat Evertonin the League Cup final. After TWOreplays.Now, a map of Castle Vale has beenrevealed that was produced by aRussian surveillance team in 1977.It details the water treatment works,the local farms, roads and river - all inthe Russian alphabet. The Centre Eight tower blocks areclear. And the motorways, factoryand railway lines.The Russian surveillance map ofCastle Vale has been included in a listof documents put before the Cityplanning committee.It’s part of a set of detailed proposalsto build a new Greenwood Academy
on Farnborough Fields.The architects’ team has also includedhistorical information from World War
II, detailing Castle Vale’s vulnerabilityas a bombing target for the GermanLuftwaffe during the 1940s.The historical analysis is just one of58 documents put before the plan-ning committee this month, designedto show that the architect team hasdone all its research, and that the siteis now safe from unexploded bombsand a nuclear missile threat. Apparently there is no evidence ofany unexploded bombs within a mileof the proposed site for Greenwood.That will come as a relief to teachers,pupils and builders.The plans are on the BirminghamCouncil planning website. Comments, and objections to theplans should be made in writing
Rememberthe 1970’s....when the Russians were
spying on Castle Vale?
On theright roadOfsted message toKingsbury School
A Russian view of Castle Vale: 1977
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letters and emails to Tyburn MailWriTe To: [email protected] or by post to: The editor, Tyburn
Mail, Lower Ground Floor, Topcliffe House, B35 6BT
Tyburn Mail does not publish anonymous letters, but wewill withold your name and address if you request it.
KAY’S HiSTorYA monthly series of ancient facts by local history enthusiast Kay Hunter who lectures on his subject in Birmingham and West Bromwich. Kay also broadcasts on 107.5 Switch radio.
opinions expressed on the letters pages are published in the interests of freespeech. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Tyburn Mail.
Write by email to:Write by email to:tyburnmailtyburnmail
Sir william Beatty M. D.F. r. S. (1773 1842)senior surgeon onboard H. M. S. Victorywho famously nursedthe mortally woundedLord Nelson ( 17581805) through his finalagony.Beatty, with his two assis-tants treated the continu-
ous flow of wounded, in the cramped,dimly lit, cockpit of H. M. S. Victory,performing amputations, on limbsshattered by grapeshot, men impaledon oak splinters, broken bones andstemming the blood flow of severedarteries.He performed eleven amputations,
without anaesthetic fromwhich only two men sub-sequently died. William Beatty eventuallybecame surgeon, physicianand apothecary, to thechannel fleet and theGreenwich Hospital. Beatty was knighted for
his services to the nationin 1838.
TrafalgarSurgeon
Two faast food outlets, DixyChicken and Chicks restau-rant will soon open in CastleVale...
People moaning about ‘another’takeaway… Nobody is forcing youto use this outlet!! I for 1 am look-ing forward to this opening!Chippy is shut for most the dayand the other 2 are also only openearly evening!!! anonymous
Should never have been allowedto open, that makes 4 takeawayson the high street out of 7 shopsall next to a primary school. J Davies
Chivenor School is closing for11 weeks over the summer toallow asbestos to be removed
..for years Chivenor has beenbadly patched up really needspulling down and rebuilt but gov-ernment stopped that happening.I really feel for parents that workand will have child care issues butthis work really needs to be doneAnonymous
Although I appreciate that theworks are essential, however, howare working parents going tomanage to cover 11 weeks holi-day? I can only hope that theschool has worked with the other3 primary schools on the estate tosupport parents with alternativeprovision.Concerned parent
An inconvenience yes, but notexactly the head’s fault that thebuilding never had all the
asbestos removed, nor that BCCwouldn’t replace the boilers (pret-ty sure they’re the originals fromwhen it was first built). I onlyhope they provide plenty of workbooks to see the children throughthe 11 weeks so the school workdoesn’t suffer come September.
Why don't they put temporaryclass rooms up? Pegasus and thecomp did it in the past. Louise read (facebook)
Working parents, paying out moremoney for clubs and that's if kickstart will start early... 6 weeks isbad enough now it's 11 that's justa JOKE. And more to the pointwhat about our kids’ education!!Natasha Delaney (facebook)
I knew we were having anextended summer holiday but did-n't realise it was almost twice aslong! Leanne Millar (facebook)
I did ask the school about 2weeks ago and they said 8 weeksmax. Will they be paying ourwages or for child care for 11weeks!!!!!Natalie wood (facebook)
JLr terminates Manpowercontracts
That's always been the way withagency work, poor bxxxersSteve whale
Manpower staff will have to work5 years before being offered per-manent contract. Never going tohappen. How can anyone plan forthe future? Shame on you JLR.‘DupedbyJLr’
Comments fromTyburn Mail’s online news site
Kay is now running a monthly local history group atCastle Vale Library in Spitfire House.The group meets each month, starting on 24th Marchfrom 2-4pm.entry is free. All welcome.
Dear editor and readers,
i would like to congratu-late the dog owners ofCastle Vale. They have managed to turnthe Vale into the biggest dogtoilet in Birmingham. They come from their flats, drives, culde sacs. They walk along main roadslike Yatesbury, Park Lane,Farnborough, Baginton, Manby,Turnhouse and Tangmere, let theirdogs foul the grass verges and walk offwith their bags of sand and dirt making
out they have cleaned up after thedogs.They don’t give a damn as long as it’snot outside their homes. Every vergeon the Vale has dog waste on it, evenCentre Park and outside shops.It’s about time Birmingham Counciltook these people to task and enforcedthe £1,000 fines they warn dog ownersabout, and name and shame them inthis paper.It’s time to give the kids a clean andhealthy Vale to live on.
Name and address supplied
Vale has become ahuge toilet for dogsName, shame and fine the foulers
Dear Sir,Having had my wheelie bins deliveredout the front of my property, I kindlyasked the gentleman if he could putthem round the back as I’m disabledand my collection is done round theback.He said he would go and ask someonebut did not come back, having got thebins in to my back garden where Ihave no room for them.The next morning I phoned the coun-
cil about this matter and was amazedto hear them tell me to make room asmy old bins will not be collected untilSeptember. If I put my old bins out in the street forcollection now I would have to pay tohave them removed.Also if I send the wheelie bins backthen all my collections will stop and Iwill have to take them to the local tipmyself.Why am I paying council tax? Will theyreduce my payments? I don’t think so.Does any one else have this problemwith their bins?
From a concerned tax payer.details supplied
Wheelie binproblem fordisabled
Voices ofspringIf you have a gardenThere’s always work to do,Beds to hoe, grass to mowThings to plant anew;Shrubs and bushes to be pruned,Dead wood to cut away,Fresh young shoots to tie and trainAnd apple trees to spray
Plots to dig and leaves to sweepAnd compost heap to make,Tubs and benches to be painted,Leaning trees to be stakedEdges of lawns to be trimmedA broken fence to mend,The shed to be put in order And the rockery to tend;Ragged hedges to be clipped,The kitchen patch to weed,Pots and boxes to be sortedReady for the seed,Borders to be planted outWith next year’s show in view,In a garden you can always Find a job to do.
by Tom walkerCastle Vale gardner
Top: William Beatty’s surgical andamputation instrumentsAbove: Nelson’s statue, next toSelfridges and St Martin’s Church
Dear editor,It is lovely to look outside my bedroomand living room windows to see daf-fodils, jonquils and many more assort-ed types of daffodils nodding theirheads in the breeze, first thing of amorning. It brings a smile to my face just look-ing at them. I hope it brightens upother people living in the Croft andthose that cross the island.
I bought these bulbs last year from B& Q who let me have a large bag for£2.00 as it was split. I had C.V.C.H.A.get their gardeners to plant themHope that you can come and have alook at the traffic island that now looksa live with flowers.... Hazel Carroll,Filton Croft, Castle Vale
Daffodils onSpitfire Island
Dear editor,The Birmingham royal ArtilleryAssociation would like to thankSainsburys in Castle Vale forallowing them to make a collectionon Saturday 21st March 2015.The amount raised was £474.52Thank you once againGerry BrienChairman
Thanks fromthe RoyalArtilleryAssociation
Dear Editor, i wanted to thank the Tyburn Mailfor the work the paper has doneover the last few weeks to bothcover and promote the hustings inerdington. I think the effort the Tyburn Mail hasgone to has made a huge difference inensuring that the hustings have beenwell attended and successful debates
giving residents a chance to engagewith all the candidates. Thanks must also go to the threehosts; Switch Radio, YMCA and theBaptist Church as well as the TyburnMail for ensuring residents had their-chance to quiz us all, as well as theother candidates for agreeing to par-ticipate.
Yours sincerelyCllr robert AldenErdington Ward
Hustings thanks
Tyburn Mail page 5Tyburn Mail page 5
Tyburn Mail page 6
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Coachella: one of theworlds most prestigious,music and art festivals. Across the Californian ground, you
will find huge art sculptures, stageswith live performances from topname celebrities (this year was privi-leged with appearances from Drake,Florence and the Machine, ACDC andmore) and then anyone and every-one with an amazing sense of style.Everyone goes crazy for Coachella
fashion, because it gives us some-thing to get excited about building up
to Summer. High-waisted denim shorts, classic
crotchet, kimonos... However, thisyear I managed to spot some celebri-ties sporting original Spring styles,meaning that for at least one year wecan escape from the cliché florals.Adding a Western feel to your bag or
jackets with a flow of black and brownfringe is a huge SS15 trend. Open shoulder is a huge hit this sea-
son too, particularly when styled ongypsy crop tops, as worn by KendallJenner recently, which would be greatto pair with the comeback of the A-linedenim skirt. Also, get away from jelly shoes this
year and go for a pair of gladiator san-dals which are slowly creeping theirway into the high-street (just keep inmind the risk of a striped tan).Then, one trend which managed to
transition from Winter to Spring iswhite jeans. Because, living in England, it's rare
that we get a real Summers day, sopairing these with some sandals, acrop top and thin kimono would beideal for days when there's a bit of abreeze but you still want that Summervibe.
by TaylorSheldon
Tyburn Mail’s fashionreporter
TYBURN MAIL’STYBURN MAIL’SAWARD WINNINGAWARD WINNINGFASHION REPORTERFASHION REPORTER
CCCCooooaaaacccchhhheeeellllllllaaaaDesert festivalsets scene forsummer trends
Pensioner admitsseven-year pensioncredit fraudA Castle Vale pensioner has been
given a 12-month conditional dischargeafter admitting earning some moneywhile receiving pension credit.The 71 year-old pleaded guilty at
Birmingham magistrates court to acharge under the Social SecurityAdministration Act.The court heard that she dishonestly
failed to notify the Department of Workand Pensions of a change in circum-stances over a seven year periodbetween 2007 and 2014 that wouldaffect her entitlement to pension credit,namely that she was in receipt of earn-ings. She also admitted making a falsestatement to the DWP.The court imposed a £100 fine.
Summer openinghours for RecyclingCentresBirmingham’s three main Household
Recycling Centres (HRCs) are openfrom 8am to 8pm every day of the weekduring the summer season.They are at: Lifford Lane, Kings
Norton, B30 3JJ, Holford Drive, PerryBarr, B42 2TU and James Road, Tyseley,B11 2BAFor the same summer season (April to
October) the other two HRCs will beopen 8am until 8pm on weekdays andat weekends from 8am until 4.30pm.They are: Tameside Drive, CastleBromwich, B35 7AG and Norris Way,Sutton Coldfield, B75 7BBResidents taking their unwanted items
and waste to any of the five HRCs areadvised to do so during the normallyquieter times, from Tuesday toThursday before 10am and after 3pmweekdays
Tyburn Mail page 7ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
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More people are finding jobsacross the whole country, accord-ing to latest figures.But it’s been another disappoint-
ing month for Tyburn. In contrast to most other areas of
Birmingham, there has been aslight increase in unemploymentin Tyburn.It is one of five of Birminghams 40 wards to suf-
fer a rise in the number of people without a job.A total of 844 people are out of work in the
Tyburn – that’s four more than last month.320 people in Tyburn have been jobless for a
year or more (no change)210 young people are out of work (five more
than last month)The UK has 2.4% of its population on the
jobless listWest Midlands has 3.0%Birmingham has 6.1%All ten districts in Birmingham saw the jobless
numbers fall last month.The district with the highest unemployment is
Ladywood: 14.6%The lowest is Sutton Coldfield: 1.3%Erdington is 5.5%, with 3,332 of its popula-
tion out of work.
Jobs joy formost of city
Back in business: The chart shows a rise in the number of people getting jobs.Birmingham (dark blue) trails behind the country, but has seen a big rise in recentmonths,almost back up to the levels reached before the recession started in 2008
The dark blue areas show high unem-ployment. This map has lightened upconsiderably in recent months
Tyburn Mail page 11ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
Castle Vale Community Housing AssociationGeneral Enquiries: 0121 748 8100Repairs: 748 8101 (24 hours)email: [email protected]: www.cvcha.org.ukOpening hours: Mon-Wed 9-5pm; Thurs 9-7pm; Fri 9-4pm.
CASTLE VALE COMMUNITY HOUSING ASSOCIATION, 11 HIGH STREET, CASTLE VALE, BIRMINGHAM B35 7PR
Most of our customers willknow that CVCHA send out regu-lar surveys about our work. Weuse the information you give usto report to our Board and to ourstaff. Survey information is used to help us to
manage our contracts and improve per-formance. It is also a key way for CVCHAto compare our performance againstother Housing Associations.
So what have wechanged?Questions: We have reduced the
number of questions across all our sur-veys and made them shorter.Ratings: Instead of just asking you if
you are satisfied or dissatisfied, we haveadded a neither option to our ratings sys-tems for each question.Comments: We have added space on
all our survey forms for your commentsand suggestions on how we can improveour services.Consent: We will ask you for your
consent to contact you about your surveyanswers – so if you are unhappy andwant us to contact you, you need to let usknow by ticking a box on the survey form.Contact Methods: We will continue
to use postal surveys, but we will also useemail, telephone and text surveys. Wehave made the surveys shorter and sim-pler to enable us to use more ways tocontact you.Prize Draws: We have always run
prize draws for some surveys. We havechanged these to a monthly draw. Eachmonth, we will draw 3 completed surveysand those customers will win a £25voucher. We will publish the draw detailseach month in the Tyburn Mail.Information: We have added informa-
tion to every survey letter to tell youabout how we use the data collected, andto confirm that CVCHA remove all person-al data before use.If you have any questions about
Customer Satisfaction Data, pleasecontact Zoe Hopkins, CustomerService Manager on 0121 748 8100.You can see a selection of ourPerformance Information eachmonth in the Tyburn Mail.
CustomerSatisfactionSurveys
Tyburn Mail page 12ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
NEWS FROM CASTLE VALE COMMUNITY HOUSING ASSOCIATION
ASSET MANAGEMENT UPDATE
Financial Year2014 -2015
Projects to be Procuredduring 2015-2016 •Appoint a contractor via competitive tender to carry out electri-cal inspections on communal areas and domestic properties.•Appoint a contractor via competitive tender for the installation ofLED lighting to communal areas of all CVCHA managed Highand Low rise blocks•Assessment of contract requirements with regard to the upgrad-ing of Door entry systems.
Procurement •Procured a new Repairs and Voids Contract with G. Purchasefor the next 5 years via a competitive tender process evaluatingboth cost and quality of service. •We will be appointing contractors during May 2015 following for-mal tenders being invited to carry out ExternalDecoration/Cleaning and Internal Decoration to Communal Areasin blocks and non domestic premises owned and managed byCVCHA. This contract will deliver the decorations cycle over thenext five years.•We will be appointing contractors during May 2015 following for-mal tenders being invited to carry out carpet replacement to com-munal areas over the next 3 years.
The Asset Management team at CVCHA have hada busy and productive year with involvement inongoing contract management as well as pro-curement and forward planning.
During this financial year we have completed:7,287 Day to Day repairs113 Voids 68 Aids and Adaption projects including 20 Bathroom conversions to Wet Rooms.
Carried out repairs and improvements related to FireRisk Assessments for all communal areas on theestate plus non residential buildings. Completed 100% of Gas Servicing/Landlords GasSafety Records.
Through our Major Works programme:
204 Kitchens have been renewed 353 Boilers have been replaced and upgraded tothe more efficient Vaillant Boilers. Carried out a pilot of LED lighting improvement toa block communal area. Installed LED lighting upgrades to communal areasof Phoenix Court.
An Introduction to
DIGITALAre you confused about computers? Interested inthe internet? Passionate about Photography? Orjust want to learn?To Find out more come along to our brand newgroup and learn new skills, brush up on old ones,share thoughts and ideas, improve your wellbeing,meet new friendly people and most importantly havefun!We will meet every Monday from 2pm-4pm @ TheSanctuaryNo Tablet or Camera, no problem we have someavailable for free loan!
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Tyburn Mail page 13ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
NEWS FROM CASTLE VALE COMMUNITY HOUSING ASSOCIATION
ARE YOU A CVCHA TENANT?It’s nearly time to nominate yourself to get on Board...The CVCHA Tenant election process for 2015 has started! If you are a CVCHA tenant, you cannominate yourself to become a Board Member on our Operational Board.We have 6 places reserved just for tenants and 2 of these places are up for grabs this year.Full information on the nomination process will be in the next edition of Tyburn Mail.
Keep an eye out in next edition of Tyburn Mail formore information. If you have any questions, you can email HannahPryce at [email protected] or call 748 8121
Judith IzenstainJudith has been a resident of Castle Valesince 2004 and is secretary to the CadburyDrive Area Resident Group. Judith is alsoinvolved with the local community and is a vol-unteer in her spare time at the John TaylorHospice. During her working career Judithserved as a PA to the Housing Manager atBirmingham City Council and has also workedin administration for the Fire Service.Judith has been a Board Member since 2009.
Edina Gurnhill
Edina has been a tenant on the Castle Valeestate for over 30 years and witnessed itsdeterioration and subsequent rise, throughmajor regeneration, in the nineties and earlypart of this decade.
Edina has been a Board member since 2010.
Sue SpicerSue has been a resident of Castle Vale for over 47years. Sue was previously a member of theCommunity Action Team serving as Vice Chair for aperiod and served as Chair of CVCHA. Previouslyemployed as a Customer Services Manager, herspare time is involved in a number of voluntaryorganisations, most notably Radio Lollipop atBirmingham Children’s Hospital where she has beena volunteer for 26 years. Sue is also a residentmember of the Neighbourhood Partnership Board.Sue also sits on the Vale Education Partnership.
Mariama DialloMariama has been a resident of CastleVale since 2012. She is a midwifery studentand volunteers at a Housing Association inPerry Common as a Receptionist andAdministrative Assistant.
Mariama has been a Board Member sinceSeptember 2014.
Claudette GriffithsClaudette moved onto the estate as a young child,with her family, in 1978. Even when she lived off theestate she was a frequent visitor, she then moved backon Castle Vale in 1995. Recently, she has becomeinvolved with: ‘Unvale The Happy Snappers’, a localphotography group through which she held her firstexhibition, she had positive feedback. She is a memberof: ‘Knits and Pieces’, she knits theme displays someof which they sell, all profits going to charity very nearto the estate, geographically.Claudette has been a Board Member sinceSeptember 2014.
Wendy WalshWendy is a lifelong resident of Castle Valewho played a key role throughout the regen-eration. Wendy volunteers her spare timeat East Birmingham PHAB and is part ofother local groups in Castle Vale includingbeing a member of the NeighbourhoodPartnership Board.
Wendy rejoined the Operational Board in2013.
Tyburn Mail page 14ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
@ The Sanctuary 0121 748 8111
Do you currently feellike life is really hardwork? Has something hap-pened that you are reallystruggling to cope with? Are you finding it diffi-cult to keep your financesin order or to pay yourrent or mortgage? Are you worried aboutyour health? Would you value somesupport or advice?
Then look no fur-ther than theIndependent LivingSupport Service.
We offer a confidential sup-port service for individualsand couples on Castle Valewho are finding life challeng-ing and need some advice andsupport to get back on track.
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If you would likemore information orwould like to make aself-referral thenplease contactAdrian Warburton,our IndependentLiving SupportOfficer on 0121 7488124 or drop intothe Sanctuary or theHub @ PhoenixCourt for a referralform.
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I have always appreciat-ed good music, and now Ihave discovered more.
In this two weeks that I have beenfree from sixth form, I discovered thenew album – To Pimp a Butterfly byKendrick Lamar.
Depending on your music taste,you’ve probably heard of Kendrick. I’mone to listen to every genre, I neverstick to one because I always findsomething different.
We all love a good catchy pop song! After listening to this album, I was so
taken back. I had originally only heard
Swimming Pools by Kendrick, and asmuch as I loved that song I neverremembered to keep up with hismusic. I was reintroduced to Kendrickwhilst spending time with a friend, andthey played the album for me. Thealbum is so much more than justsongs, they’re actually taking to you.There’s articles floating around aboutKendrick and what his songs mean,and many believe this album isrushed—even Kendrick himself.
If this is rushed, then jeez. I will besurprised to see what he does thatisn’t. In a lot of the songs he says “Iremember you were conflicted…” andcontinues it.
He adds more and more as thealbum goes on and I think that isbeautiful.
It connects all the songs, and makesthis wonderful story. All you have to dois really pay attention to words he issaying, and the way he is portrayingand you get beauty and passion.
I have always been very passionateabout music, although I don’t have a
musically talented bone in my body, Iappreciate the music we are presentedwith.
If you haven’t heard of Kendrick, orhave but not his new album—I sug-gest you give it a chance. I know youmay have not liked things you’veheard before but this so different andit’s so creative.
All musical talent should be celebrat-ed, famous or not! Never be afraid toshow appreciation for the music youlove.
Thank you for reading!
by Tyburn Mail student journalistBrooklyTaylor
Kendrick’sslick musicdoes the trick
Kendrick Lamar [Photo: Kim Metso]
As children of all agesprepare for their forthcom-ing tests I would like tocelebrate their resilience,determination and sheer‘grit’.
Many of our children when faced
with a challenge don’t give up but findanother way to get to the answer.
This is perhaps the most valuablelesson of all- that giving up is not anoption!
From the 4 year old who after aweek of trying has finally built a towerof ten bricks without it falling down at
the 7th, 8th or 9th brick, to the 11year old that continues to strive inevery lesson to ensure they achievethe very best in their SATs next month.
The look on their faces at that ‘lightbulb’ moment, the tone of voice whenthey whisper ‘I get it now!’ or the
shared glance of achievement with afriend- those moments are priceless!And these are the moments that ourchildren will remember and use asthey get older and face the many chal-lenges that everyday life will throwtheir way.
As someone once said to me: ‘If atfirst you don’t succeed, then try andtry again!’
This is surely the most valuable les-son of all!
by Catherine LavellePrincipal, Pegasus School
..From the 4 year old whoafter a week of trying hasfinally built a tower of tenbricks without it falling downat the 7th, 8th or 9th brick,to the 11 year old that con-tinues to strive in every les-son to ensure they achievethe very best in their SATsnext month.....
VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOMThe most valuablelesson of all...
Happy birthday!Reigan Boyle, aged 6, andParis Phillips, aged 10, bothphotographed at PegasusSchool on their birthday
A Bromford man has beenjailed for 24 weeks forusing threatening behav-iour towards his femalevictim over a prolongedperiod.
Calvin James O’Neill aged 35 ofDreghorn Road, Bromford, also admit-ted being in possession of a quantity ofcocaine, a Class A drug, inFarnborough Road in Castle Vale on16th February.
Birmingham magistrates heard that,
between 1st and 16th February thisyear, he caused a female victim inSutton Coldfield to fear that violencewould be used against her.
Magistrates were told that he hadcaused systemic harassment over along period of time in front of a child.He has convictions for previous similaroffences.
O’Neill changed his original plea toguilty, and was ordered to pay finesand costs.
He is now subject to a restrainingorder.
Bromford man jailed forprolonged harassment
Tyburn Mail page 17
31/05/15
Tyburn Mail page 18JOBS-JOBS-JOBS-JOBS-JOBS-JOBS-JOBS-JOBS-JOBS-JOBS
Part-Time Office CleanerMon - Fri (16 hours)References RequiredApply: M KisielHastingwood Securities LimitedHastingwood Industrial ParkWood Lane, ErdingtonBirmingham B24 9QRTel 0121 386 6600
Tyburn Mail has FIVE pairs of tickets available forthe BBC Good Food Show Summer 2015, at the NEC from11-14th June. Tickets are valid for general admission on anyday excluding the Saturday (13th). They also allow admission into BBC Gardeners’ World Live.Promising to be one of the summer’s tastiest days out, BBC Good Food Show willhost many of the nation’s favourite chefs and celebs, a wide range of local andregional artisan producers and everyone’s favourite big name brands. There is something for all food lovers.
to be entered into the free draw for tickets, call 0121 749 1343 or email: [email protected]
Paget SchoolPype Hayes
LunchtimeSupervisors£7.85 - £9.66 per hourPaget Primary School, Paget Road,Pype Hayes, Birmingham, B24 0JP,Tel: 0121 464 3902Email: [email protected]: www.paget.bham.sch.ukWe wish to appoint a lunchtime supervisor as soon as possible towork 8.75 hours per week term timeonly.The successful applicants will join ourexperienced and hard-working team insupervising and creating play opportu-nities for our happy and friendly chil-drenbetween the ages of 4 – 11.The hours of work are 11.45 a.m.until 1.30 pm - an hour and 45 min-utes, five days per week, term timeonly, where you will be responsible forsupervising children in the dining halland playground areas.Previous experience of working withchildren is desirable but not necessaryas full in-house training will be given.We welcome enthusiastic, flexible andcreative individuals to join our friendlyschool.Closing Date: 8 May 2015 at 9.00 a.m.Interviews Date: 21 May 2015For further details, or an applicationpack, please telephone or email theschool at the above email address.Further information about our schoolis available on our website:www.paget.bham.sch.uk
HR AdvisorSalary - £24,956 - £28,041 (Depending on experience)It is an exciting time to join our HR team. We have restructured theteam and have an opportunity for an experienced HR Advisor to deliver aproactive and efficient HR advisory service to the group ensuring compli-ance with employment legislation and HR best practice.This is a generalist role; as such the successful candidate will take theoperational lead on HR activities within a specified business unit toinclude Recruitment and Selection; Absence Management, Learning andDevelopment, Employee Relations and Health, Safety and Wellbeing andthe delivery and co-ordination of planned and ad hoc projects.
The successful candidate will have significant experience at HRAdvisor/Officer level; have sound knowledge of current employment leg-islation and the ability to provide HR advice and guidance to staff andmanagers on complex employment and employee relations matters. Youwill have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, the ability torelate to staff at all levels and be sensitive to confidential and personalissues. Line management experience is desirable to support the group’sApprentices and work experience placements.You will also have strong IT skills with Word and Excel experience tointermediate level and experience of HR management systems. A work-ing knowledge of Cascade HR would be an advantage. You will hold a recognised HR qualification and be CIPD qualified (ornearing completion). An organised approach, attention to detail and theability to manage your own workload is essential.
In return we offer an attractive benefits package including FlexibleWorking Hours, Pension Scheme, Annual Performance Related Bonus,Annual Leave up to 25 days and Casual Car User Allowance.Closing date for receipt of applications is Monday 18th May 2015 at12.00 noon Interviews will be held on Wednesday 27th May 2015.Further information and application packs are available to download fromour website at www.cvcha.org.uk or by calling the HR Team on 0121 7488154Alternatively contact HR, CVCHA, 11 High Street, Castle Vale,Birmingham B35 7PRFor an informal discussion about the role please contactJeanette Wyatt, HR Manager on 0121 748 8151.CV’s or Agencies will not be accepted
Castle Vale Community Regeneration Services is a well established charitable social enter-prise with a primary focus on Castle Vale. CVCRS is a subsidiary of Castle Vale CommunityHousing Association (CVCHA) and all applications will be processed via CVCHA.
Employment Support Assistant20 hours per week12 Month Fixed Term Contract Grade 3 - £17,593-£19,767 per annum
To assist the employment support workers to provide initial assess-ments of client needs and identify support to remove barriers to enablevulnerable residents to access employment/training opportunities.
The successful candidate: you will have:•Experience of working within a support work role •Experience of working with a range of clients in a community setting•You will also have excellent communication and inter-personal skillsbeing able to deal with issues of a sensitive nature•Knowledge and understanding of information advice and guidanceservices•Working knowledge of Microsoft applications•Flexibility to work evenings and weekends
Closing date for receipt of applications is Thursday May 7th at12.00 noon and interviews will be held on Monday 18th May 2015.
Further information and application packs are available to downloadfrom our website at www.cvcha.org.uk or by calling the HR Team on0121 748 8154.CV’s or Agencies will not be accepted
Tyburn Mail page 19
Castle Vale and Tyburn
Prompt service
Prompt service
guaranteed
guaranteed
Castle Vale Town Under 10s willbe doing a bag pack at the B&Mstore in Castle Vale Retail Park onSaturday 2nd May.The youngsters are trying to raise money for
new kit and training gear. This is the second
fund-raising event undertaken by the enterpris-ing young footballers.They raised £300 with a raffle during the
Christmas period to buy some tracksuits.Now they are hoping that money from the bag
pack can take them a bit closer to their target forkitThe Under 10s team have just finished their
first season together. According to Laura, one of the Mums whose
husband is the manager and coach, they aremaking plenty of progress.
“Some of the players have shown lots ofimprovement and we are just getting better withevery game we play,” says Laura.
Bag-packingUnder 10s hopingfor B&M support
The Community EnvironmentalTrust have run a ‘SPRING’ clean-up ofthe Castle Vale Conservation Area!
Over the past few weeks I have noticed theConservation Area being misused more andmore (irresponsible dog owners, fly tippers andlitter bugs being the main offenders).
But CET’s youth members and staff wanted tomake an immediate positive impact upon ourlocal environment, both for our benefit, and itsflora and fauna.We needed a little help from our friends. Peter
Richmond, Chief Executive of Castle ValeCommunity Housing Association (CVCHA) gener-ously provided the CET with safety equipmentand resources, whilst on the day we were sup-ported by the leaders, volunteers and membersof the Youth Team from Castle Vale CommunityRegeneration Services (CVCRS), CVCHACommunity Wardens, Sarah and Asha andCVCHA’s Estate Services Team. A BIG thank youto everyone who was involved.
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT TRUST
Spring cleanby Sarah OulaghanCommunity Environment Trust
Tyburn Mail page 20
Competition winnersFree tickets to Who Do You Think You Are?Ladan Varnous of WoodlandsFarm Road, Pype Hayes.Lorraine Lycett of MontagueRoad, Erdington.Donna Cluley of Lancaster Drive,Castle Vale
Old and young get together Castle Vale older people and youngsters
from Greenwood Academy are gettingtogether on Thursday April 30th for a dayof discussion, activities and some fun, saysproject manager Bob Brueton.
The event is organised by Castle ValeInter Generation Group. “This is a great opportunity for young and
old to come together to discuss a range oftopics which will hopefully give a greaterunderstanding of each others lifestyle,issues and ambitions,” says Bob.The discussions will be translated into
artwork and a short piece of drama.Altogether around 40 people are expectedto take part with a wide age range.Students from the sixth form are helpingfacilitate the day which will take place atthe Astral Centre.
As a local campaigner, andcurrently council andParliamentary candidate, Iam strongly re-stating myopposition to the proposal tobuild a school on the aban-doned Saab Garage site onEachelhurst Road. I have already sent in an objection
to the plans to Birmingham Councilin which I have raised the issue of airpollution levels in the light of thefindings of the Environmental AuditCommittee of the House ofCommons which call for a ban on sit-ing schools and other public servicesnear busy main roads.I am renewing my call because
councillors on the planning commit-
tee have postponed coming to ajudgment on the school until theyhave done a site visit. I welcome this decision as the
councillors certainly need to see forthemselves just how close the site isto the busy dual carriageway ofEachelhurst Road, what the safetyimplications are for residents andpotential staff and students at theschool and to get a better idea of thetraffic implications for residents if theschool is built. Whatever the school’s consultants
say, this site is just not the rightplace for a school. I support the objections of the res-
idents who have petitioned thecouncil with concerns about highwaysafety, noise and disturbance fromthe playground, insufficient parkingfacilities and the design. If the officers are minded to
approve the application I will expectto see a detailed rebuttal of theobjections I have submitted basedon the Environmental AuditCommittee’s pollution findings.
by Ann HoltomParliamentaryspokespersonErdingtonLiberal Democrats
Eachelhurst Road isno place for a school
Louise RowlandGovernment AffairsJaguar Land Rover LimitedBanbury RoadGaydon WarwickCV35 0RR
Dear Louise,Parking Problems around Jaguar
Land Rover’s Castle Bromwich PlantAs you are aware the problems for
the local community as a result ofinconsiderate parking by people work-ing at Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) CastleBromwich plant (whether directemployees, DHL employees or con-tractors) has been raised on a numberof occasions at the JLR CommunityForum. It is therefore disappointing that I
have to contact you once again on thissubject as the actions of a minoritycontinue to both disturb and disruptthe everyday lives of residents in theareas surrounding the plant.As you have set out at the
Community Forum meetings JLR do
provide adequate parking for employ-ees within a reasonable walking dis-tance of the plant and I am sure thatyou share my disappointment that aminority of employees continue topark inconsiderately in nearby residen-tial streets. Unfortunately despite the steps that
representatives of JLR have outlined toaddress this it continues to be an on-going problem. There is also a growing feeling with-
in the local community that JLR areonly paying lip service to the problemand these feelings are given credencewhen the problem seems to be so per-
sistent. I am sure that JLR shares my con-
cern to tackle the problem in a signifi-cant way to both resolve the problemsbeing faced by local residents in theireveryday lives and to prevent this neg-ative impression gaining any furtherground.I therefore request that local mem-
bers meet with the relevant represen-tatives from JLR and City Council offi-cers to review the steps taken toaddress the problem by JLR to date; toconsider their success or otherwise;and most importantly to agree a strat-egy going forward to address the issueonce and for all. The success and growth of JLR is
something that the whole region canbe justly proud of and is celebrated byeveryone. That is why it is importantthat positive steps are taken toaddress the problems and issues thatcan arise from this growth. I look for-ward to your reply.
Sincerely
Mike SharpeBirmingham Councillor,Tyburn Ward
CAR PARKING PROBLEMSOPEN LETTERTO JAGUARLAND ROVER
by Mike SharpeTyburn Councillor
(Labour)
ST CUTHBERT’S CHURCHHigh Street, Castle Vale
Spring FayreSaturday 16th May
11am - 1pmTombola
Refreshments Raffle with £50 first prize
Nearly new bric a brac50p
entry
Police are asking the citycouncil to get an injunctionbanning car-cruisers in theBirmingham north area.They want the injunction that has
been granted to the Dudley, Sandwelland Wolverhampton areas to beextended to help them tackle the prob-lem.Police in north Birmingham and
Tyburn are currently using section 59notices to fight the car-cruiser prob-lem. These are warning notices whichcan result in the confiscation of thevehicle for a second offence.Local police have issued 74 section
59 notices to car cruisers on FortParkway and the A38 between AsdaMinworth and Bassetts Pole in the past14 months.Four motorists have been issued with
second notices, which meant thatthose vehicle were also seized.One vehicle was seized in the
Wolverhampton area after his first sec-
tion 59 notice had been issued inBirmingham North.Seventeen of the s59 notices have
now expired, leaving 57 still in force.“The fact that we haven’t seized
more vehicles suggests that onceissued with a Section 59 notice, thoseoffenders are taking note of the warn-ing and are staying away from thearea,” says a spokesperson for WestMidlands Police.“We continue to try and tackle this
problem and weekly discussion takesplace in the Birmingham north sectionto give an overview of the currentactivity. Local CAPT (Community ActionPriority Team) officers are dedicated topatrols on a Sunday night and at othertimes resources are used when a morespontaneous response is required. Wehave also asked for Birmingham CityCouncil to consider the Black Countryinjunction and ascertain if they areprepared to take this forward forBirmingham, as they are the lead forthis legislation.”
Police wantcruiser ban tospread wider
A 31 year-old Castle Vale man hasbeen charged with arson followingcriminal damage to a police vehicleparked by the police station.
The car was damaged on Sunday22nd March when the window wassmashed and the front seats were setalight.The man was arrested and charged
on 20th April and will appear atBirmingham Magistrates Court earlynext month.The arrested man was identified fol-
lowing examination of CCTV footage.
Man chargedwith arson attackon police car
A Castle Vale shoplifter hasbeen ordered to pay an extra£130 in fines and costs aftershe broke the terms of hercommunity order.Helen McAlinden, aged 21, of Mere
Avenue, admitted failing to keep to theconditions of her curfew imposed bythe courts following shoplifting andassault offences.She had previously admitted stealing
an iron, a CD player, cleaning products,two clothes horses and a scarf, worth
£65 in total, on 8th February. All of thegoods were recovered.Birmingham magistrates had put her
on a 12-week curfew and ordered herto pay £110 in fines and costs.Last October she was fined £50 by
Birmingham magistrates for usingthreatening behaviour.Last January she was ordered to pay
£100 each to two police officers ascompensation for assaulting them, fol-lowing shoplifting offences inGracechurch Shopping Centre at H&MStores and at Poundland.On that occasion, magistrates also
ordered her to attend a 60-day angermanagement course and a 19-daythinking skills course.
Shoplifter breakscurfew order
TYBURN MAIL ONLINEtyburnmail.com
Tyburn Mail page 21
Just as the Spring sunhelps to bring out thebutterflies – TheButterfly Effect projectcomes out of its earlyplanning stages tobegin delivery in CastleVale.It may have appeared quiet
after all the action of the ITVPeople’s Millions Lottery cam-paign back last November, butbehind the scenes Active Artshas been busy working on howto make sure the £50,000 canbe best used in line with its BigLottery Fund application.
There have been a couple ofsmall events already this year,inviting people to come alongand celebrate the winning ofthe funds and to be part ofplanning ideas. Which hasseen new people and regularcommunity participants gettogether to dream and helprealise what comes next. There will now be a flurry of
activity as residents of CastleVale are invited to be part ofThe Butterfly Effect by becom-ing a local leader, a volunteerat events or behind the scenesor to get involved in one of thefour events to take placebetween now and the end ofNovember.£50,000 sounds like a lot of
money but there’s lots of bigideas and we want to get asmany people involved as possi-ble. We want to hear fromanyone who’d like to get
involved Active Arts are lookingfor people interested in gettinginvolved in the music, dance,drama, film and productionworkshops building towardsperformances this Septemberas well as people who’d like toset up a new sowing group onthe estate which has beenasked for.Some of the funds are being
used to help set-up new com-munity activities with mentor-ing support, if you’ve got anidea and you’d like some start-up support, Active Arts want tohear from you.If you’d like to get involved
arrange to meet up withProject Manager Claire Marshalvia: [email protected] or
visit the website for all thedetails and termswww.activearts.wordpress.com
Building on thebutterfly effectby Claire MarshallActive Arts
Regular readers of mycolumn will know thatI have a special inter-est in developmentsaimed at raising thestandard of care givento children in the“care” of their localcouncil.As a result I was really interest-
ed last month when on a seminarin Newcastle part of our workinvolved looking at someresearch done by the Universityof Bath. This looked at the benefits for
children who have experienced atraumatic event in their lives, ofbeing placed in a foster homewhich had a pet.I was particularly interested in
the idea, due to the experience Ihad a number of years ago whenI had regular contact with asmall elderly person’s home andsaw the improved levels of emo-tional wellbeing when the homeowner’s dog came in and satwith the residents. The research showed that the
presence of animals in a fosterhome helped to reduce anxiety
levels in two ways. Firstly by “softening”
which is where the pres-ence of a pet helps thechild to see the fosterhome in a positive lightand secondly by“switching” where hav-
ing developed a relationship withthe pet the child seeing that thepet trusts the carer begins totrust them too.Of course the reported 6%
increase in dog attacks last yearin England is a genuine cause forconcern; however, the exampleof Hertfordshire Council showswhat can be achieved if councilsare willing to approach the issuecreatively. Their Fostering Recruitment
team, have not only produced aguide to inform foster parentsand social workers about thebenefits of having pets in thehousehold, but have startedhosting sessions with a local dogtraining school focusing on bothhaving fun with your dog as wellas dog safety. Statistics show that in cities like
Birmingham one in four familieshas a pet dog, and that with theright policies, local councils canhelp children in care not onlyenjoy the positive experiencethat having a pet brings, butimprove their emotional, educa-tional and physical outcomeswhile they remain looked afterchildren.
by Mick BrownTyburn Councillor
Labour
Providing care for looked-after children
Last month popular localcampaigner Clifton Welchand I joined BirminghamTrees for Life and childrenfrom Holy Cross CatholicPrimary School and GunterPrimary School. We planted 1,000 whips (small
trees) and a few larger trees inPype Hayes Park, along theEachelhurst Road side of thepark.
Clifton and I, as we are always happy todo, got stuck in and got our hands dirtyhelping plant the trees across and gener-ally help out.Hopefully this will form a wonderful
mixed woodland coppice in years tocome. It was great to see local schoolchildren being given the chance to plant
trees locally which they will now get tosee grow as they do in the years to come.A special thank you to everyone at
Birmingham Trees for Life for organisingthe event, getting all the trees and equip-ment together. The work they do across the City is
excellent and we as always were delight-ed to support them here in Tyburn Ward.Of course this will also increase the
number of leaves, in autumn time, inEachelhurst Road in the future and wehave raised with the Council the need toensure leaves from new trees and onesfrom the existing trees need to be prop-erly cleaned up so they are not a hazardto people on Eachelhurst Road.If we can help you with anything
please contact myself and local cam-paigner Clifton Welch by calling07505745808, [email protected], or writing to 96Orchard Road, Erdington, B24 9JD
by Robert Alden
Erdington Councillorand ParliamentaryCampaigner(Conservative)
Planting Treesfor Life in PypeHayes Park
The Castle ValeLiteracy Champions pro-gramme has been blos-soming over the last fewmonths, says organiserCarla Belle.Families have been taking
part in six weekly sessions atthe Castle Vale Nursery andChildren’s Centre with FamilySupport Volunteers to encour-age their children to love read-ing.
As part of the sessions theyhave been taking part in storytime, singing and rhymes, artsand crafts, visited TyburnLibrary and have received threefree books.
If you live in Castle Vale, havea child aged between 2 and 5years old and would like to takepart in the programme, pleasecontact Carla Belle on 0121748 8189.
LOVINGREADING
Castle Vale Literacy Project
Tyburn Mail page 22
Feathers could soon beflying as fast food outletsget into a flap in CastleVale. Two chicken foodoutlets are in hot competi-tion with each other. One of them is next to
betting shop William Hillon the High Street, but notmany punters would layodds on which of thecluckers will come out ontop when the chips aredown.
It could be hennybody’s guess.Dixy Chicken in Castle Vale High
Street will have a menu similar to KFC.All Dixy chicken is Halal meat. A few hundred yards away, another
fast food restaurant, Chicks, will soon
be opening to the public, next door toCostcutters.The menu will be similar to Pizza
Hut, according to owner AbdulRashid.It may be a couple of motnhsbefore Chicks opens to the public.
COCKFIGHTIt’s hotting up in the High Street and the battle between
fast fooders Dixy Chicken and Chicks could get a bit tasty
The owners of Dixy Chicken havebeen a bit bemused... and a littleangry... that they have had to gothrough the lengthy legal process ofapplying for planning permissionbefore they could get started.They’ve stuck by the rules, filled in all the forms
and paid the bills.All the evidence is available for the public to
inspect, on the Council’s planning website.The High Street site used to be Flowerworx,
until manager Tracy Teale closed down the flowershop in 2013 because of rising rent costs.A five minute walk away, on the site of Castle
Vale’s last pub, the Skylark, the story is morecomplex.That’s where Costcutters has now established
itself, along with a hairdressers and a tattoo par-lour. There’s one vacant spot. The owner wanted it to
be a chip shop, but that plan was refused by theCouncil.So now it’s going to be Chicks - a chicken and
pizza place.So how did Chicks manage to get permission?There’s no evidence of a new application on the
council website. Only an application that was refused, when the
owner tried to open up a chip shop in 2013.But Abdul Rashid, the man who bought the
Skylark site, says everything he is doing is aboveboard and legal.Shops require A1 planning permission. Cafes
and restaurants (with seating) require A3 plan-ning permission. Pubs that sell hot food and alcohol require A4.Takeaways require A5.When Abdul Rashid first applied for chip shop
permission, the A5 status was refused. He lodgedan appeal, but withdrew it 8 days later.Then his agents, ZSP Ltd from Small Heath,
advised him that the Skylark pub was alreadylicensed for A4 status. So, he could open arestaurant on the site with that status. And that’swhat he plans to do.He is adamant that there will be no takeaway
facility, just tables and seating for 16-20 people.
The council agrees that he has permission forChicks. But their version of events is slightly dif-ferent.It goes like this.Planning rules were relaxed in March 2013
across the country, to encourage small business-es to set up. It was part of the government strat-egy to rebalance the economy. Jobs in the publicsector were being slashed. So the private sectorneeded to expand. Helping the private sectorbecame a priority... and planning rules wereeased to help new small businesses.So, A1 shops could become A3 cafes for a peri-
od of up to two years, so long as they were nobigger than 150 sq meters in floor space.Abdul Rashid has permission to open a retail
shop, with A1 status. He can extend that to opena cafe, with A3 status, on a temporary two-yearbasis. He has to inform them when he starts trad-ing as a restaurant, and the two years start fromthere.It could mean that Dixy Chicken’s owners have
gone through a lengthy legal process, when therewas no need for it because of the recent relax-ation of planning rules to help small businesses.
Chip shop...? NO Chicken ...? YESWhy the Council granted planning permission
Over the last year work-ing with localParliamentary campaignerRobert Alden we havebeen working with resi-dents to tackle unsuitableplanning applications, likethe proposal for a Schoolon Eachelhurst Road or fora HMO on Oval Road.
In addition we have carried outdozens of litter picks, like one inBirches Green or in Pype Hayes, aswell as working to re-open our PoliceStation Front Desk in Castle Vale.
This month I wanted to update resi-dents on our campaign to get WoodLane sorted. As residents will be aware over the
last year increasingly the road is
blocked by empty lorries waiting,sometimes for days parked along bothsides. If you go down and see the mess left
you can see clearly people are cooking
and preparing food from the back oflorries and are using the bushes as toi-lets. On top of this the road and pave-
ments are being blocked and rubbish
fly tipped. This is totally unaccept-
able. This is why we havebeen campaigning for theCity Council to sort parkingrestrictions, to clear up themess and to take preventa-tive action to stop it hap-pening again. This sort of thing cannot
be allowed to continue toblight our neighbourhood.
If we can help youwith anything pleasecontact myself and par-liamentary campaignerRobert Alden by calling07505745808, [email protected],
or writing to 96 OrchardRoad, Erdington, [email protected],or writing to 96 OrchardRoad, Erdington, B249JD
by Clifton WelchConservative candidate forTyburn ward
Wood Lane lorry parking:Council needs to sort this mess out
If you go down and see the mess left youcan see clearly people are cooking andpreparing food from the back of lorries andare using the bushes as toilets.
At Sainsbury’s, we arecommitted to making a pos-itive difference in the com-munities we serve, and wesupport a number of chari-ties, both on a national andlocal level.We have a number of corporate char-
ity partners, including The Royal BritishLegion, Comic Relief, and Carers UK.Each of our stores also selects a LocalCharity of the Year to support, which isvoted for by our customers. Our store’scurrent Local Charity of the Year isRotary Club of ErdingtonIn addition to this, there are a number
of other ways that we can support goodcauses in our local community•In store activities: fundraising, bag
packing, awareness standsWe have a number of days available
over the year for charities or communi-ty groups to come into store tofundraise or raise awareness. Some ofthese days are reserved for our corpo-rate charity partners, or our LocalCharity of the Year, and some are avail-able for other local groups. In order torequest a slot, you need to visit thestore to pick up an application form.These are available at our CustomerService Desk. Please note, due to highdemand, we are not able to support allrequests.•Food Donation PartnershipsWe have set up a Food Donation
Partnership with registered charity inour area looking for short life fooditems.•Community BudgetOur store has its own Community
Budget to make small donations to sup-port local projects or groups.•Local Charity of the YearEach year, our stores select a local
charity to partner with and support withfundraising and awareness raising.Winning charities are selected by ourcustomers each June. If you would liketo introduce your charity to the store tobe considered, please write to the StoreManager.Please contact Ryan Allan Store
Manager or Sheila Hyland PRAmbassador at our store if you wouldlike to discuss this further.
by Sheila HylandSainsburys, Castle Vale
Localsupport
Tyburn Mail page 23
Being born, makes everychild special and worthy ofa safe place to grow anddevelop.
That is why on November 5th 2014 Iattended a meeting to discuss whetheror not a school should be built on theold Saab site on Eachelhurst Road.
I also called and funded a secondpublic meeting to allow freedom ofspeech from you, the local people.
For some, the issue seemed to be“not on our doorstep” but for most, itwas the safety of the children travel-ling to and from the site.
The Lib Dem Candidate criticised mefor saying “what site is suitable for aschool?” I make no apology for thatcomment because it is a question tobe asked of any potential site.
I presented a resident-led petition toFull Council and was the only person
to turn up to speak at the Full PlanningCommittee.
I spoke only about the dangers ofspeeding cars, parking and congestiontogether with the close proximity ofthree spans of water.
The issue of the poor quality of
design was raised by other electedmembers.
At my request a site visit wasarranged and interestingly only the LibDem member of the committee didnot vote in favour.
The site visit was attended byaround thirty local residents, officersand the Planning Committee, minusthe Lib Dem member.
Every resident was given the oppor-tunity to air their views and carefulnotes were taken back to be consid-ered.
It was agreed the final decisionwould be made on Thursday 30th Aprilat Full Planning Committee and Ipromised to attend to hear the out-come.
We have to stand up for children andtheir safety whether it be on the road,in school, at home or at play.
As Lead Member for Road Safety forWest Midlands Fire and RescueAuthority I will continue to championsafer roads for all, but most important-ly all of our special children.
EACHELHURST ROAD FREESCHOOL PLANNING UPDATEWhat makes achild special?
by LyndaClintonTyburn
Councillor(Labour)
....The site visit was attend-ed by around thirty local res-idents, officers and thePlanning Committee, minusthe Lib Dem member....
Over 2,000 people werekilled in Birmingham as theLuftwaffe bombed the cityin World War II.Veterans of the Blitz in
Birmingham have written abook about their memoriesof the bombings.
They will be selling copies of:Birmingham Blitz, Our Stories inSainsburys in Castle Vale on Saturday9th May.
Barbara Johnson, 79 year-oldChairman of BARRA (Birmingham AirRaids Remembrance Association) says:
“We are a group of people who livedthrough the Second World War and wehave just published a new book. We willbe selling on that day. We also go intoschools and talk to children.
“We also have a Service every yearat St Martins in the Bullring.
“This year it is at 11am on Saturday19th September. We have the LordMajor and Lady Mayoress, the The LordLieutenant of the West Midlands,Castle Bromwich Air Cadets and alsoThe Birmingham Brass Band comingalong.
“We lay wreaths at our Memorial inEdgbaston Street for the 2,241 peoplekilled in Birmingham during theBirmingham Blitz.
“The day will be special this yearbecause it is close to VE (Victory inEurope) Day.”
BRUMBLITZIn memoryof thousandswho died
The memorial to victims of theBirmingham Blitz, near St Martinsin the Bull Ring
Students at KingsburySchool and Sports Collegehave demonstrated theircommitment to the local com-munity and good causes.
Last term, through an interformcompetition, each form group was seta challenge to raise as much money aspossible for their chosen charity with-in six weeks.
Each group submitted a fundraisingplan, further developing enterprise, lit-
eracy and numeracy skills by writing tocharities, organising events, designingposters, making invitations, calculat-ing money raised, re-investing moneyto make higher profits, and calculatingtheir percentage of the target figure.
Students were extremely creative inthe different ways they could fund-raise with activities such as: a spon-sored scuba dive, homemade cakesales, a fun run, Caribbean food,movie nights, secret auctions of localartists work, raffles, a balloon race andmany more activities.
Kingsbury teacher and Head ofHouse Natalie Pearson was veryimpressed with the students, andthrilled with the result: “We initially seta fundraising target of £1,000 as aschool and, to date, I am pleased toannounce that the students haveraised over £2,580 which will be splitbetween several local charities.”
Plans are in place to arrange studentvisits to the charities to hand over themoney.
In another example of Kingsbury
students making a positive mark onthe community, several recently spenttheir spare time picking up litter inWylde Green.
Organised in conjunction with WyldeGreen Neighbourhood Forum andErdington Police’s ‘Youth4em’ initia-tive, the youngsters spent a Saturdaycleaning up the area.
Youth4em involves young peoplefrom across Erdington giving theirspare time to improve their communi-ty. As well as litter picking, young peo-ple from Kingsbury and other localschools have been involved in graffitisurveys, speeding operations, commu-nity meetings and fund raising forJohn Taylor Hospice, as well as manyother activities.
PCSO Hayley Tiernan said “Local offi-cers are ever impressed with the ded-ication shown by the young people,who willingly and enthusiastically com-mit their spare time to improving theirlocal community, and assisting withlocal policing initiatives. Members ofthe public also regularly express theirthanks and appreciation for all thatthey do”.
CHARITYCHALLENGEby Kate RosePartnership and CommunicationsManager, Kingsbury School
Target: £1,000... Total raised: £2,580Kingsbury pupils’ boost for local causes
A balloon race and a sponsored diver were just 2 of the many fundraising initia-tives at Kingsbury which helped raise over £2,500 for good causes. bottom left: Kingsbury students team up to litter pick with PCSO Hayley Tiernan
and members of Wylde Green Neighbourhood Forum.
neck and neck on Eachelhurst Road
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Snooker professionalMitchell Mann will be sureto move up the world rank-ings after his brilliant per-formances in the WorldQualifiers in Sheffield earli-er this month.
The 23 year old Castle Vale star beattwo players ranked a total of 103places above him in the world rank-ings.
In the round one qualifier he beatAlfie Burden, and then went on tosecure a second round victory overNorthern Ireland international GerardGreene in round two. Burden is ratedas 56th best player in the world,Greene is even higher, in 41st place.
Mitchell was eventually knocked outin the third round by Alan McManus, aplayer who had ranked at number 6 inthe world for four years.
McManus had previously won majortournaments in Dubai and Thailand,and had already pocketed prize moneyof over £130k this season. McManusbeat Mitchell by 10 frames to 6.
This was Mitchell’s best performancesince he became a professional in Junelast year. His technical skill and his abil-ity to hold his nerve under pressurehave demonstrated that he has nowcome of age in the highly competitiveprofessional circuit.
Mitchell looksthe part in the
pro-circuit world
Castle Vale Stadium isglistening, thanks to amajor spring clean andpaint job.
A team of volunteers from CLC Grouphave spent several days at the stadi-um, using paint donated by Dulux, tosmarten up the inside and outside ofthe building.
CLC have a major contract with
CVCHA over the next five years tomaintain and refurbish their propertiesin Castle Vale. The work they havedone on the stadium is a gesture oftheir goodwill to the community.
Stuart Lilley of CLC (pictured 2ndfrom left) says that his professionalteam will be looking to recruit appren-tices for the local work during thecourse of their contract with the hous-ing association.
Dulux deluxelook for stadiumfrom CLC team
Three members of the CLC team who have painted Castle Vale Stadium, alongwith CVCRS board members John Sharpe and Sue Spicer, and CVCRS bossLisa Martinali with Laura Horniblow
BANK HOLIDAY PUBLIC SWIMMING SESSIONSSunday 3rd and Monday 4th May 10am till 12 noonAdults £4 Children over 5 £2 Under 5’s FREEFamily Ticket (2 adults + up to 3 children)£10 Spectators 50p
THIS WILL NOT BE A BeActive session
CASTLE VALE POOL USER GROUP TO RUN LIFEGUARDCOURSE AT THE POOL OVER 3 WEEKENDS FROM 6th June to 21st June.
A SWIM TEST WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE POOL ON SATURDAY23RD MAY FROM 10.15 am till 11.15 am. Anyone interested in beingconsidered for the course should turn up for the test. Costing will be available upon request to Lynda Clinton 07727 923 071.This course will be run with help from the Endowment Trust Fund and Birmingham City Youth Service
Tyburn Mail will bepublished onWednesday 20th May
Concords’ Cup contestin the April sunshine
SHEFFIELD SNOOKER SUCCESS
A small cloud of black rubber dust particles rises from the artificial grass eachtime the ball bounces at Sutton Coldfireld Town’s ground. It’s a good surface,but the pace of the pitch can take some getting used to. Castle Vale Concords’striker mis-times his shot and the chance to put his team 2-0 up has gone.
Castle Vale’s two Concordteams have scored over160 goals this season.
But they could only manage one goalbetween them in the Summerfield Cupfinal at Sutton Coldfield Town’s groundin the final last weekend.
Ex-Villa boss Paul Lambert wouldhave been proud of the goal drought inthe baking April sunshine.
Two solid defences, two decent goal-keepers, and two very hard working
sides ensured that this was a closecontest. Castle Vale Concords won 1-0.
The high-quality artificial pitch givesa good, consistent playing surface, butthe pace and the bounce takes a bit ofgetting used to, especially for strikers.Perhaps that contributed to the lowscoreline, too.
Over 300 people watched the twoVale sides finish off a fine season.Castle Vale Concords won their divi-sion, and the cup. Concord Utd fin-ished their first ever season strongly.
Boldmere St Michael’searned themselves £1,500in prize money when theybeat Desborough 4-3 lastAugust in the FA Cup extra-preliminary round.
Ten months and 15 rounds later in thesame competition, Aston Villa will earntheir club £1.8 million if they beatArsenal at Wembley.
Over 700 clubs entered the FA Cupthis year. Two are left.
Villa pocketed £450k prize money forbeating Liverpool in the semi-final. It’sbig money.
But it’s nowhere near as much as thePremier League offers.
Villa picked up over £73 million inPremier Legaue prize and televisionmoney last season - that’s £5 millionmore than the club who finished oneplace below them. Just finishing a sin-gle place higher in the league is worthmore than winning the FA Cup. Andnext year, the money is even bigger.
25,000 tickets have been allocated toVilla fans for the FA Cup final on 30thMay. When the game kicks off at5.30pm, thousands more Villa fans willbe watching the game live on BBC, hop-ing for some Sherwood silverware.
By that time, Villa’s Premier Leaguestatus should be secure and we can allrelax to watch Villa beat the Gunners,as the mighty Blues did four years ago.
But as Blues discovered to their cost,the real key to success is to avoid rele-gation.
Cup cashand gloryawaits Villa
Walmley tastespring successWalmley face Knowle and
Dorridge next Sunday (3rdMay) in the semi-final ofthe Williamson Trophy.
It’s been a great start to the newcricket season for Walmley. They wontheir opening league fixture lastweekend, beating Dorridge by 6 wick-ets in the Premier Division of theBirmingham League. And they earnedtheir semi-final place with two convinc-ing wins over Walsall and Dorridge ear-lier this month.