Tina Swani, CEO of Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust discusses the problems causes by the cost-of-living crisis

The aftermath of the Covid19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have been major contributors to the current global cost-of-living and energy crisis and as a result, SuttonColdfield Charitable Trust expects to receive a greater influx of applications from organisations and individuals applying for grants from the Trust.

We are proud to say that over the past two years, we have continued to award well over £1,000,000 in grants each year to individuals and organisations to support residents living in Sutton Coldfield. This has included over £74,000 of school clothing grants, amongst other grants to schools and non-profit community organisations. Our grants have enabled more people to access arts, culture, employment, foodbanks, sports, emotional wellbeing support, and activities to reduce loneliness. 

We have also awarded grants to non-profit organisations that have put sustainable initiatives in place such as low energy lighting and heating as these are both cost-reducing and also support the environment. 

We anticipate that the volume of grant applications will continue to increase as demand grows, but recognise that not all organisations and individuals in Sutton Coldfield know we can help. 

The mission of the Trust is to alleviate hardship and improve the quality of life for residents of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield through the provision of housing and grant awards to support individuals and community organisations. 

We support individuals experiencing a range of circumstances such as ill-health, disability, or other disadvantage, and anyone in these categories can make an application for items such as domestic equipment, further education, childcare costs or for other necessities. 

“Inclusion is a big priority for the Trust. We understand the state of the current economic climate has meant that many individuals and families are struggling to afford the basics, so we want individuals and organisations to know how to make a grant application – particularly those who may not have reached us in the past. 

“The application deadline for school clothing grants closed in June 2022 and re-opens in March/April 2023 – more information will be advised nearer the time. 

“Our website sets out how to apply for a grant – please visit the grants page on https://www.suttoncoldfieldcharitabletrust.com.

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Who are we?

The principal objectives of the Trust are the provision of Almshouses, the distribution of funds and other measures for the alleviation of hardship and other needs for inhabitants and organisations within the boundaries of the former Borough of Sutton Coldfield.

The Trust’s origins can be traced back to Tudor times. Throughout a long history it has improved the lives of generations of people in Sutton Coldfield, particularly those in the greatest need.  It has sustained its core priority to alleviate suffering, while redefining and extending its benefits to reflect changing times and needs.

1528

Bishop Vesey, a native of Sutton Coldfield, persuaded Henry VIII to grant a Charter in 1528 establishing a Warden and Society (Corporation) to govern the Town.  The Corporation was obliged to use rental and other income to provide poor relief and improve the locality. Over the next four centuries, other bequests and endowments came within the Corporation’s oversight.  

1707

Thomas Jesson, a local merchant, left land and money to provide apprenticeships for boys and to distribute bread to Sutton’s poor. 

1825

After a long and famous legal action, the Corporation’s charities were reorganised and enriched by lands acquired in the 1825 Enclosure Award.  From this time, Almshouses were built and the Charity provided elementary schools (including teaching and uniforms) for Sutton’s children.  Practical necessities such as coal, blankets and boots were widely distributed.  In pre-welfare state days, the charities financed nursing and medical care for needy people and made grants to widows.

1886

The Town became a Borough and the Trust took over the Corporation and various related charities within one body.  This operated closely alongside the Council and was administered by the Town Clerks.  New Almshouses were built, including two in the 1890s from a bequest by Frances Lingard.

1974

At the time Sutton Coldfield became part of Birmingham, the independence of the Trust was safeguarded, ensuring the continuing provision of benefits for individuals and organisations within the former Borough boundaries.  Although the separate historic charities have been consolidated into one charity, the Trustees’ fundamental aims and priorities are still very similar to those pursued by Bishop Vesey and his successors over nearly five centuries.

2012

The name of the organisation was changed to Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust to more appropriately reflect the Trust’s role within the town as an independent charity, which no longer has a direct association with the local authority.

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Price rise forces move

A centre which supports people with cancer across the West Midlands has launched an urgent hunt for a new base after a huge increase in fees meant it could no longer stay in its home of 11 years.

The Cancer Support Centre in Sutton Coldfield has around 500 clients, with an army of volunteers and a team of specialist therapists who help them deal with the trauma of a cancer diagnosis.

The centre offers therapy and wellbeing sessions, information, advice and a friendly safe space for people looking for reassurance or support.

The charity was set up 21 years ago and for the past 11 it has been based in Lindridge Road, within the St Giles Hospice Supportive Care Centre.

The lease ends in January but as the cost of living increases, the price of rent and room hire has also gone up and the charity can not afford to stay.

Marie Moore, vice chair of the CSC trustees, said: “Our priority is to reassure our clients, volunteers and staff that our service and support will continue and our huge thanks goes out to them in this time of change.

“After 11 years of sub-leasing space at Lindridge Road, St Giles, our landlord, has given notice for us to quit by January 17. We have been actively working with them over the past two months to identify if there is a way in which we could continue to share the building.

“Sadly, a workable solution has not been found and the new price to rent the space is well beyond our reach.

“We are now in the challenging position of having to find an alternative home very quickly to make sure there is no disruption to our service.

“Our intention is that we will remain in Sutton Coldfield, or the immediate surrounding area.”

Marie said the charity survived through the Covid pandemic by moving some services online through Zoom sessions and YouTube videos and this would continue regardless.

“We do need our face-to-face support to continue though,” she added. “It’s so important for our clients – sometimes all they want is a cup of tea and a chat in person. We can offer support, advice and reassurance and that’s all better done face-to-face.”

The charity has enlisted the support of Sutton Coldfield MP Andrew Mitchell and the trustees are now calling for the community to get behind them and help in the search.

Marie said temporary premises would be accepted in the short term if a search for a long-term home was not immediately successful. She urged anyone who is aware of any suitable premises or who can help in any way to get in touch.

“With the help of our teams, clients, supporters and the public, we hope to end this uncertainty quickly,” she added. “If we work together, this will be easier to cope with and manage.”

Anyone who knows of suitable premises or who would like to make a donation should call 0300 012 0245 or email info@suttoncancersupport.org

For more details about the centre, visit www.suttoncancersupport.org

Hundreds gather for fundraising walk for St Giles Hospice

Hundreds of heroes assembled on Sutton Park on to raise vital funds at the St Giles Hospice’s Hero Walk.
The fun day on Saturday 24 September attracted over 100 brightly-dressed walkers and their doggy sidekicks, and helped to raise vital funds for patients, and their families, who are living with a terminal illness.
Amongst the crowd of heroes was seven-year-old Joshua Motum-Reynolds, who took part in Hero Walk after his grandma died at St Giles Hospice just a few days before the event.
He said: “I wanted to take part so that I could raise money in memory of my grandma – I’ve raised £565.”
Josh attended the event with support from his brother, mum and dad. Josh’s dad continued to praise the care that St Giles Hospice staff provided for his mother, badging them as “awesome”.
Walkers enjoyed refreshments and family photos at the ‘Hero Hub’ before the army of fancy dress fundraisers set off on their walk at 11am, whilst being cheered on by the Mayor of Sutton Coldfield, Councillor Janet Cairns.

She said: “I was absolutely thrilled to attend St Giles Hospice’s first event in Sutton Coldfield – it was a fantastic event and the stalls and the volunteers supporting were absolutely brilliant. Everyone who took part is a hero for raising money for St Giles Hospice.”
Throughout the four kilometre walk, heroes that attended were tasked with a series of challenges to complete along the way from spotting the St Giles superhero, to posing for a super selfie.
The event featured entertainment from the Rock Choir, along with a warm up with Vanessa from Core300 in Sutton Coldfield and some motivational anthems from DJ Rob Taylor.
Six-year-old Leo Garsed was the first person to cross the finish line. He completed the walk with his mum, dad and brother, Enso, to raise money for St Giles Hospice.
Zoe Wright, Events Manager at St Giles Hospice, said: “We had a fantastic day for our first ever St Giles event in Sutton Coldfield – thank you to our amazing fundraisers who crossed the finish line and picked up their medals.
“Each year the Hero Walk gives people the opportunity to pull on their capes and show they care by celebrating the hero in their own lives. They can be members of their family, someone they’ve lost, nurses, teachers – anyone who has made a difference to them who deserves a special thank you.”
If you’d like to take part in an event or raise money for St Giles Hospice, please visit www.stgileshospice.com/events for further details.

Solicitors support ‘Make Your Will’ campaign in aid of St Giles

St Giles Hospice is giving people the chance to make their will for free during ‘Make Your Will Month, with two Sutton Coldfield solicitors’ offices taking part.

Throughout October, local solicitors have generously offered their time and expertise free of charge to provide a number of appointments for anyone to make or amend their will at a reduced cost, in return for a suggested donation to St Giles Hospice.

To take advantage of the offering, simply book your appointment with one of the participating solicitors and mention ‘St Giles Hospice Make Your Will Month’.

 At your appointment you will be asked to make your suggested minimum donation – £100 for a straightforward single will or £150 for a straightforward mirror will.

Sally Redmond, In Memory and Legacy Manager at St Giles Hospice, said: “Make Your Will Month is an ideal opportunity to make or update your existing will, whilst supporting the future of St Giles Hospice.

“Writing a will ensures that your family know what your wishes are, about your plans for your belongings and about funeral arrangements if you choose to include them. It can spare your loved ones from having to make important or complicated decisions at a distressing time.

“We’re hugely grateful to the local solicitors offering their time free of charge to support St Giles, and all the money raised from the donations will go towards providing vital care and support to our patients and their families.

“Appointments are limited and are on a first come, first served basis, so please get in touch soon to make sure you don’t miss out.”

There is no obligation to include St Giles Hospice in your will, but if you chose to, a gift of just one per cent would have an incredible impact on St Giles and ensure that its services are available not just now, but for generations to come.

The firms taking part include:

• Astle Paterson, Burton on Trent
• Enoch Evans LLP Solicitors, Sutton Coldifeld
• Woollastons Solicitors, Sutton Coldfield,
• Red Lake (UK) Ltd Solicitors, Tamworth
• Rutherfords LLP Solicitors, Tamworth
• Pickerings Solicitors, Tamworth
• Somerfield & Co, Lichfield
• Davisons Law, Lichfield
• King Will’s Wills, Stourbridge

For more information on Make Your Will Month and to book your
appointment, visit http://www.stgileshospice.com/willmonth

Good Hope increases capacity with 48 beds

Pressure on Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield caused by the pandemic has been eased with the opening of two new wards. Both opened within days of each other at the Rectory road site and will accommodate 48 patients, helping the NHS get back on track, following the impact of COVID-19.

The new wards will allow the extra bed capacity to be realised within the existing hospital estate, with wards 14 and 17 moving to occupy the newly- built ward spaces.

Ward 14 (Stroke) has moved into the new ground floor ward (Ward 28), with surgery moving into the new first floor ward, now Ward 29 on Friday 26 August.

The space Ward 14 and 17 vacate will then be reorganised and optimised for its new uses, providing the much-needed boost to the number of beds available to treat patients.

Construction of the new wards began in March 2022 and took just under six months to complete, with more than 70 lorries delivering the bulk of the ward in modules, during a single impressive bank holiday weekend in May.

Waiting lists across the NHS have grown to the highest levels ever seen owing to the pandemic, and this was particularly serious in Birmingham, with hospitals seeing the highest number of inpatients with COVID-19 anywhere in the country.

This led to more than 17,000 people waiting two years or more for a procedure at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) in the autumn of 2021.

But by July this year, the Trust had brought that number down to fewer than 100, with the remainder waiting for reasons of patient choice or complexity of treatment.

The Trust is now focused on bringing down the number of patients waiting more than 78 weeks for a procedure; while also working to improve other measures, such as a reduction in ambulance handover delays, and improvements to its cancer performance measures.

New wards have already opened elsewhere in the Trust, with two wards having opened at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) in February.

A further ward will open at QEHB in September, and two new wards will open this winter at Heartlands Hospital.

Mazda CX-60

By Bill McCarthy

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Mazda’s continuing moves to compete in the premium sector has gathered pace with the new CX-60 flagship its first plug-in hybrid.

A stylish SUV with a range of just under 40 miles on electric power only, it is aimed firmly at the likes of BMW, Audi and Mercedes, with a classy interior and an impressive range of standard kit.

There are three models, Exclusive-Line, Homura and Takumi with a starting price of £43,950 rising to £48,050. All come with four-wheel drive and eight-speed auto transmission.

Mazda makes some of the best looking SUVs around and the CX-60 is no different with its sleek profile, prominent grille flanked by slim light clusters, roof bars and stylish alloy wheels.

The newcomer makes much of its Japanese heritage with its ‘Crafted in Japan’ theme, with the interior on the range topping Takumi featuring natural wood grain and high quality Japanese style woven fabrics.

They are clever alright, but I preferred the more normal soft-touch finish on the other two models.

All feature leather upholstery and heated front seats, while the cockpit-style dash features digital console and a central screen which controls functionality like navigation, infotainment through the high end Bose system, and smartphone connectivity, using a rotary controller next to the gear lever.

Other switches and controls are robust and logically placed and it feels as classy as anything in the premium sector.

Standard kit is impressive even with the ‘entry’ model with the usual powered and electric aids, including heated steering wheel and front seats and head-up display. Move up the grades and get you more equipment.

It packs plenty of power with Its combination of Skyactiv-G 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, 29 kW electric motor and 17.8 kWh high-capacity battery.

Mazda Intelligent Drive Select (Mi-Drive) offers a choice of five drive modes: Normal, Sport, Off-Road, Towing and EV, the latter allowing purely electric-powered driving. 

As an SUV it is also highly practical, offering plenty of space for five occupants together with a large 520-litre boot which opens up into a cavernous space with the rear seats folded.

It took a large gazebo, with all the bits and pieces and with plenty of space left to spare.

Performance is impressive with a combined 327PS available and a torque figure of 500Nm, delivering strong pulling power and making the most powerful road car ever from Mazda.

It blasts to 60mph in under six seconds but still delivers excellent economy, with a theoretical maximum fuel consumption of 188mpg and emissions of 33 g/km. This means low tax and Benefit in Kind taxation at just 12 per cent.

On a mixed circuit of roads and hills, with engine and electric motor working together, the more realistic figure showed at around the mid-50s mpg. However, for shorter journeys on electric power alone, then huge mpg figures are achievable.

When EV power is exhausted also allows for the engine to kick in and charge the battery, for instance if you are approaching a congestion or low carbon area and need to switch back to electric only.

On the move, the car is quiet enough except when you floor the throttle there is a pleasant growl from the engine. Gear shifts are generally smooth, but sometimes slightly jerky when feathering the accelertor. There is a little wind noise and the large wheels, up to 20-inch, can mean significant road noise on poorer surfaces. But it also offers excellent manoeuvrability for such a big vehicle with an excellent turning circle.

On the road, the car handles well and features Mazda’s Kinetic Posture Control technology which mitigates body roll when cornering by braking the inside rear wheel to draw the car body downwards, so it does feel stable when cornering.

This became apparent on a prolonged drive around Welsh mountain routes, where the car clung limpet-like to the road through hairpins and sweeping bends.

All Mazdas are packed with safety kit with a comprehensive array of airbags, while the newcomer adds a new 360-degree monitor with extended field of view at low speeds; Hill Descent Control (HDC); Adaptive Cruise Control (i-ACC), and Traffic Sign Recognition.

Two option packs are available across all grades at £1,000 and £1,100 respectively. The Convenience Pack adds extra interior lighting and sockets, a 360-degree camera, privacy glass and wireless phone charging and Driver Assistance Pack, which adds adding adaptive headlights, adaptive cruise control (adding up to semi-autonomous driving capability) and cross-traffic alert front and rear.

But even that extra cost keeps it below its German rivals for similar spec, which is the whole point really. Like the Volvo XC-60, it is a viable and attractive alternative.

The new generation straight-six 3.0-litre e-Skyactiv X petrol and 3.3-litre e-Skyactiv D diesel engines, which feature M Hybrid Boost – Mazda’s 48V mild hybrid system, will join the CX-60 range in the future.

World’s biggest T-Rex wows Sutton Coldfield town centre

Sutton Coldfield town centre was transformed into Jurassic Park for a day on August Bank Holiday Monday when a special prehistoric visitor roared in.

‘Chomp’ – said to be the world’s biggest, most realistic T-Rex – was the town centre from 11am-2pm and he wowed the crowds in the packed town centre.

Children and their parents clamoured to be pictured with the dinosaur as he patrolled the town centre.

The prehistoric VIP was  part of the new Visit Royal Sutton Coldfield BID programme of year-round events which aims to encourage more people to choose the town centre as a destination to spend time, eat, drink, shop and relax

The free event was organised by Sutton Coldfield Business Improvement District (BID), the programme of events also includes a new monthly Farmer’s Market.

BID Manager Michelle Baker said: “We’re aiming to make Sutton Coldfield town centre a big attraction, and they don’t come much bigger than Chomp, who is the world’s biggest, most realistic and friendliest Tyrannosaurus Rex!