A leading Sutton Coldfield GP has said a massive effort was under way in the town to vaccinate 1,000 people a day as the new omicron Covid variant spreads.
Sutton Coldfield Group Practice has ramped up its capacity, to meet that ambitious target, according to a report in the Express and Star newspaper and website.
Doctor Rahul Dubb, the local GP leading on vaccinations, said the efforts were in response to the government announcement and target of offering booster vaccines to all over 18s by the end of the year.
He said: “We are putting these appointments on the National Booking Service and you can book either online or, if you do not have access to the internet, by ringing 119.
“Please remember, if you have not had any vaccination as yet or not completed your initial complete two jabs, or three for those who are immunosuppressed, you can have these at the Sutton Coldfield Town Hall as well.
“It is also vital to continue precautions of washing hands, maintaining space and wearing a mask as advised by the government.”
He added: “I am forever grateful to our volunteers and all SCGP staff who are making this possible by lengthening the times they work to 13 hour days, with more vaccinators and working through some of the bank holiday period to ensure we get our local residents protected as best as possible.
“Although the government have advised us to focus on vaccinations and urgent care as top priorities, I am proud that the practice is being run without closure of services while simultaneously upscaling the vaccination effort.
“Please get your booster jab at three months after your last jab, as soon as you’re eligible to have it. Wishing all Sutton Coldfield residents a safe and Merry Christmas.”
This is the slightly eerie picture of The Parade in Sutton Coldfield at 7.30pm on December 16, virtually devoid of revellers just a week before Christmas.
There’s little sign of the festive season and the Christmas lights and decorations looking slightly out of place in the deserted street.
The place would normally be packed with works Christmas party-goers, but it would appear people have voted with their feet to avoid the Omicron virus.
While many of the pubs and restaurants had people on their premises, they were far from full and most had emptied by around 9pm.
Maybe people are saving cash or waiting to get further news of the virus and its spread, but its clear that yet again hospitality is suffering more than any other sector and prosperous Sutton Coldfield is no exception.
Jo Edwards and Paul Edwards at the Sutton firm’s officeSome of the successful JE Consulting team
Sutton Coldfield firm wins recognition for supporting clients during lockdown
A leading consultancy firm involved with delivering more than 3.6 communications to businesses across the UK during the COVID-19 lockdowns, has scooped a prestigious award.
Judges at this year’s Just.Marketing Awards have announced Sutton Coldfield marketing agency, JE Consulting, as a winner of Best Performance During COVID-19 category for its support of accountancy and legal firms during the pandemic.
The firm helped deliver this staggering number of communications to the clients of some of the UK’s top professional service firms during the last year.
The hard work and commitment not only helped them to retain clients during the most difficult of circumstances but also win new clients.
The win places them alongside top campaigns produced by Sage UK, Mazda and Green Cola.
This achievement and its team’s wider work to support these sectors impressed the judges at the awards that were organised with the help of the PRCA (Public Relations and Communications Association) and backed by the Creative Marketing Council.
They were particularly impressed with the speed and effectiveness of the content produced by the firm’s Recover and Rebuild campaign.
Working with more than 100 firms of accountants and solicitors, JE Consulting’s team helped their clients to educate and inform businesses and individuals throughout the nation about the complex changes brought about by COVID-19 – a role they continue to support to this day.
This was achieved through the production of regular articles, press releases, guides, social media content and dedicated hubs.
Jo and Paul Edwards, JE Consulting’s founders and directors, said: “We are over the moon to win this award. It is fantastic recognition of the incredible hard work that we put in during one of the most challenging periods in recent history.
“The content and marketing strategies that we implemented for accountants, solicitors and many other companies have played a significant role in helping them to survive and thrive.
“A big thank you has to go to our team, who worked tirelessly, and our clients who stood by and supported us through all that the pandemic has had to offer.”
Julie, Ian and Riley Deaves taking part in TreeCycle in January 2021.
Recycling Christmas trees raised £65k for hospice
Sutton Coldfield people are being urged to help make St Giles Hospice’s annual TreeCycle campaign next January (2022) the most successful yet.
Since 2016, local families and businesses have been disposing of their real Christmas tree in a clean, convenient and eco-friendly way by signing up to have their trees collected by the hospice’s army of volunteers in return for a small donation.
In January this year, 76 volunteers took part in TreeCycle. They picked up 4,428 Christmas trees, raising over £65,000 for the hospice, which cares for local people and their families living with a terminal illness.
This year St Giles is hoping that even more people will sign up to have their real Christmas tree recycled – and is calling for volunteers to step forward to help collect trees in January (2022).
Chloe Herbert, Head of Fundraising at St Giles Hospice, said: “TreeCycle is a brilliant fundraising campaign which supports our work at the hospice and makes a real difference to the environment too, so we’re delighted to be running it again this year.
“We received an amazing response from our supporters and volunteers last January, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’re hoping that this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever. If you’ve got a real Christmas tree then please sign up to TreeCycle, and we’ll take away your tree with no mess and no fuss.
“We’re also looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join our TreeCycle team – so if you want to banish your winter blues by taking part in something truly worthwhile then we’d love to hear from you. It costs St Giles £850,000 every month just to keep our services going so every donated tree and every hour volunteered makes a huge difference to everyone at the hospice.
“St Giles would also really like to thank Lichfield Tree Works, Greener Composting and Wincanton – without their support this campaign would just not be possible.”
Julie Deaves (47), a regular St Giles volunteer who lives in Lichfield and runs a business with her husband Ian (48), has taken part in the last two TreeCycle collections with Ian and their 12-year-old son Riley.
She said: “We absolutely loved taking part. It was really nice to do something worthwhile together as a family. St Giles is a great cause and it was really good to be able to help out. Riley really enjoyed it too – he said that when he’s a teenager he’s going to volunteer and get all his mates to join in.
“Volunteering for TreeCycle is our way of giving something back to the local community and we’d encourage anyone who is thinking of taking part to get involved. Signing up as a volunteer for TreeCycle is also a great way to be able to contribute to a good cause by giving up your time.
“Not only is it very rewarding,” she added. “It’s a great workout too and a good way to start getting back in shape after Christmas. It’s also great for the environment as you are putting your old tree to good use, as well as saving you time as you don’t have to queue at your local tip.
“TreeCycle is a great event which really helps the charity and the difference it makes is beyond words – especially when the charity is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic when shops had to close and events were cancelled.”
This will be the seventh year that St Giles has been running TreeCycle to raise funds for the hospice, and teams will collect trees from around Lichfield, Walsall, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Burton, Rugeley, Burntwood, Uttoxeter, Swadlincote, Stafford and surrounding areas.
TreeCycle will be collecting trees from Wednesday 5th until Wednesday 12th January 2022. The suggested donation for trees up to 8ft is £10 and the donation for trees up to 10ft is £12. For trees over 10ft, please call 01543 432538.
Collections must be booked by 5pm on Wednesday 5th January 2022 and trees should be left out overnight on Tuesday 4th January as collections will start early the following morning.
Lichfield Tree Works and Greener Composting in Wall, Lichfield, will be recycling the trees for agricultural uses and as a result artificial trees cannot be accepted.
To find out more about volunteering for TreeCycle, please email fundraising@stgileshospice.com or call 01543 432538. For more information or to book a collection visit www.stgileshospice.com/treecycle.
The impressively laid out bar area at the new Ale Hub in Mere Green
Sutton’s newest drinks venue pulls in the punters
‘People have been really welcoming to us and we have had a really successful opening day.’
Those are the words of the manager of Sutton Coldfield’s newest pub, which opened its doors on December 2.
A tiny yet welcoming atmosphere awaits ale enthusiasts at the tiny, but impressively laid out micropub.
Locals enjoy a drink at the packed venue on Hill Village Road
Run by the McDiarmid family, it will be their fourth Ale Hub and manager Dan Truepenny says he has no doubt it will be a success.
He said: “It is our first pub on a main road and the feedback we have had so far has been really positive.
“People have been very keen to welcome us and we offer something that is pretty unique in this area.”
There was standing room only on the opening night and locals welcomed the fact that its specialises in real ales.
It is small with around 12 tables, but people spending their first evening there were able to do what the owners had planned for the venue.
That was to be able to socialise and enjoy good ales with just background music as the only distraction. The former premises of Garner Canning Solicitors on Hill Village Road will add more variation to the already vibrant food and drink scene.
The owners said they have a love of real ale and their aim is to help to revitalise the local pub scene and provide the community with a choice of refreshing and well-kept drinks in a relaxed and friendly environment.
Final work continues at the new Ale Hub in Mere Green
Welcome for Sutton’s newest drinks venue
Sutton Coldfield’s newest pub will open its doors next week on December 2. Work is continuing at the Mere Green venue to get the micropub ready for the grand opening on Thursday.
Run by the McDiarmid family, it will be their fourth Ale Hub.
The former premises of Garner Canning Solicitors on Hill Village Road has been undergoing a refit and in its new incarnation will offer traditional ales for drinkers together with a selection of gins, other drinks and bar snacks and provide a relaxed environment for customers.
It will be open from midday to 11pm seven days a week.
The former solicitor’s office on Hill Village Road
The mini boozer, will have a capacity of around 12 tables. There will be background music, but no electronic machines, with the emphasis on conversation and socialising with few distractions.
Opening well in time for Christmas, it adds a new dimension for drinkers in the Mere Green area, adding more variation to the already vibrant food and drink scene.
The family said they have a love of real ale and their aim is to help to revitalise the local pub scene and provide the community with a choice of refreshing and well-kept drinks in a relaxed and friendly environment.
The tiny new pub, sandwiched between a general store and a barbers shop, will offer another option for tipplers in the area.
How the new hotels in the Larnaka region of Cyprus will look
A host of new hotels are on the horizon for the Larnaka region of Cyprus – including resort hotels, boutique establishments and even lodgings in historic, listed buildings, expanding the choice of accommodation available to visitors.
At present, there are 25 applications approved or under consideration across the city centre and beyond, whilst several units already under construction will soon be opening their doors to welcome their first visitors.
In particular, the Voroklini-Pyla coastal area (also known as Larnaka-Dekeleia Road) is seeing a luxury resort boom along its strip, starting with the 2022 season openings of the Radisson Beach Resort Larnaca and the Solaar Boutique Hotel.
The 5-star Radisson Beach Resort Larnaca will have a 404-bed capacity and rooms with private pools, a spa, four food and beverage outlets and event venues.
The Solaar Boutique Hotel & Spa (where the former Michael’s hotel stood) will have a 114-bed capacity, three private villas, luxury spa, rooftop restaurant and conference room with sea views.
Another three deluxe establishments along the same strip are in the approval process pipeline; a four-star hotel with apartments on the site of the former Beau Rivage Hotel; an adjacent five-star complex, and a further luxury hotel east of Golden Bay Beach Hotel. The addition of further high-star hotels along this particular area of the coastal road will also tie in with the area’s upgrading and further new development following the removal of the oil refinery tanks.
The beauty of accommodation in Larnaka region has always been its diversity, and with the increase in hotel units continuing to provide a balanced mixture of grand resorts for luxury laid-back relaxation, and quirky city establishments for the traveller who likes to explore, visitors are sure to find somewhere that is perfect for their ideal holiday!
WEST Midlands Police are again attempting to stem the tide of knife crime with another Operation Sceptre initiative in Sutton Coldfield.
Police says that with Covid restrictions in place they can’t involve the community in their work as much as they would like to, but Sutton residents may see officers involved with weapon sweeps where we will be looking for knives hidden in public places.
They will also be:
Test purchasing – where we will be checking that retailers are being responsible and only selling knives to people of the correct age
Using knife arches and knife wands to search for weapons
Having a more significant presence at transport hubs including bus stations
Police say they would normally be talking to children in school about knives and the dangers of knife carrying but we cannot do this at the moment.
However, if you want to take this week as an opportunity to talk to your child about knife crime officers have help and advice on how to have that chat, including what to say on our website.
Festive fun as families take part in the Rudolph Run at Tamworth Castle
Fun begins with St Giles Hospice Rudolph Run
Fundraisers are being invited to spread a little Christmas cheer and kick off their festive fun as the St Giles Hospice Rudolph Run makes a welcome return to Tamworth Castle next month (December).
Runners, walkers, teams of friends and families – and their four-legged friends – will be able to take part in the popular festive fundraising event either in Tamworth Castle Grounds on Sunday, 5th December, or in their own local area.
The annual Rudolph Run was cancelled last year (2020) because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with supporters taking part in their local area instead. Rudolph Run Your Way proved so popular that it is being offered as an option this year as well.
This year’s Rudolph Run hopes to see hundreds of supporters – many in fancy dress – stepping out to help St Giles Hospice, which cares for local people and their families living with a terminal illness.
St Giles Hospice Events Manager Zoe Wright said the Rudolph Run is a fun-packed event suitable for all the family, including pet dogs, and with either a 3km or 6km route to run or walk, there is something for people of all abilities.
“Everyone at St Giles loves the Rudolph Run,” said Zoe. “For us – and for our loyal fundraisers who come back year after year – it marks the true start of Christmas. It’s a colourful, festive event, which never fails to get people in the Yuletide spirit and adds to the seasonal sparkle – and by raising sponsorship as well as dressing up and having fun you can make a real difference for the families who need us most.
“So many people who take part love to dress up, and they put so much effort into their fantastic costumes. Each year we see whole families and teams of friends or co-workers coming along dressed as Christmas trees, reindeer, elves and snowmen, which really adds to the fun. So join us in your Christmas jumper, support us dressed as Santa or enjoy an adventure in your antlers at our 13th annual Rudolph Run!;
On the run in the grounds of Tamworth Castle
“If you’re unable to join us at Tamworth Castle, you can still take part in your own time. Simply spread some festive cheer in your Christmas gear around your local area as we did last year – taking on Rudolph Run “Your Way” anytime between Friday 3rd and Sunday 5th December.”
Over the last 12 years, the St Giles Hospice Rudolph Run has raised a staggering £83,000 to help care for local people, and their families.
Zoe added: “We’d love to say a huge thank you to everyone who takes part each year. We simply couldn’t do what we do without your support. Your entry fee covers the administration cost of the event, but it would make a huge difference if you could raise sponsorship too.
“With only a third of our income funded by the Government, your support really is crucial in helping us deliver our care – especially at this time of year, when we are helping families who may be facing their last Christmas together and trying to make it as special as possible for them.”
A donation of £40 to St Giles could pay for one hour of the hospice’s Advice and Referrals team. A donation of £202 could pay for visits to a patient in their own home by St Giles community nurses, and £676 could fund 24 hours of hospice care for a patient at the end of their life.
St Giles has also unveiled a host of festive fundraising events and ideas to help people who want to support the hospice at home, work or school in the run-up to Christmas this year.
Zoe said: “Friday, 10th December will see our annual Jolly Jumper Day taking place, where people are encouraged to wear their wonderful woolly for a suggested donation of £1. We’re also promoting our Secret Santa Swap, encouraging people to donate the funds they would have spent on a Secret Santa to St Giles.
“You can also get a Merry Messages Poster to write messages for your family, friends or colleagues, make dedicated donations as gifts or we can give you loads of ideas to host a festive fun day. We’re also selling a wide range of our popular charity Christmas cards.”
The iconic lighthouse on Turnberry Golf Course, which is open to the public
The west coast of Scotland has many famous sons, and no, we’re not talking about Donald Trump and his offspring. Yes, Trump does own the famous Turnberry golf course, but this part of the world, Ayrshire, with its rugged coastline and secluded beach is famous for other Scotsmen and women.
King of Scots Robert I, better known as Robert the Bruce, was born at Turnberry Castle, he defeated the English during the first war of Scottish independence, while poet Robert Burns, also known as the National Bard and the Bard of Ayrshire, is also a native as is Alexander Fleming, who credited with discovering penicillin. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also hails from Ayrshire.
So there’s quite a history to the area and it attracts tourists looking for peace and quiet away from the madding crowd. Or, golfers looking for some of the finest courses in the world.
Our visit took us to a mobile home site halfway between the small village of Turnberry and the town of Girvan, just a stone’s throw from the sea. The views from the site, operated by Park Holidays are spectacular with the iconic Ailsa Craig dominating the view. Described as a huge volcanic plug of rock, it sits in the Firth of Clyde, 12 miles from the mainland.
It is famous for its “blue hone” microgranite, quarried to make curling stones that feature in the Winter Olympics.
It was also a feature during coverage of previous Open golf championships, with cameras taking lingering shots of its brooding presence in the distance.
The site itself features a number of carvan styles and we were lucky enough to bag a bit of a bargain, with one of the lower grade ‘Bronze’ grade caravans costing us just £230 for the week.
An added bonus was that we were automatically upgraded to a range-topping eight-berth when we arrived.
Facilities are decent enough, with laundry, waste disposal, play areas, small shop and bar/restaurant available.
The Firth of Clyde waves lap onto the beach at Girvan, the ninth hole at Turnberry, St George’s Square in Glasgow an autumn sunset from the campsite and the brooding Ailsa Craig in the distance
The bar looks out over Ailsa Craig and hosts evening entertainment depending on what stage of the season you are there. It was still going reasonably well in late September.
There is plenty to see and do within the immediate area, particularly if you are a fan of ancient buildings with castles.
Further afield, Glasgow is less than 50 miles away and can be reached by rail if you have had enough of driving. It’s a beautiful city and well worth a visit, with Glasgow Central one of the most iconic railway stations in the UK.
More locally, there are golf courses everywhere with Turnberry just a couple of miles away, while other Open courses like Troon and Prestwick are just up the coastline.
The most picturesque of course is Turnberry with the iconic lighthouse, built by the family of the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, in the middle of the course and Ailsa Craig in the distance. Public footpaths allow people to wander up the lighthouse and the runways which were used during the Second World War are still part of the course, although now unused.
Just next to the lighthouse, are the still visible ruins of Turnberry Castle, home of Robert the Bruce who defeated the English in battle. It is located between the 9th and 10th holes of the Championship Ailsa course.
Slightly further afield is Culzean Castle and Country Park is the perfect place for a family day out, while if you fancy a wee dram, a specialist whisky shop is nearby.
Turnberry itself offers some small beaches with rolling sand dunes and its flora, fauna and wildlife in general give the designation of Site of Special Scientifc Interest (SSSI), so well worth bringing our binoculars along. While Ailsa Craig still dominates here, further in the distance are the Isle of Arran.
While the site shop is small, carrying necessities, there is a boutique farm shop just down the road and for a more substantial shop in the small town of Girvan is about three miles away.
It’s a picturesque little town with a small harbour and a long promenade with access to beaches.
It hosts a large supermarket and the railway station for that trip to Glasgow.
We had postponed a foreign holiday and, given the huge rise in staycations during the pandemic, we were lucky to find somewhere as picturesque and relaxing. A first holiday in Scotland, definitely not the last
FACTFILE
Park Holidays UK, a major group of 40-plus parks in England and Scotland. Due to the popularity of holiday home ownership, there are currently no plans to provide any letting facilities in 2022. However, says the company, it’s likely that some holiday home owners will wish to make their accommodation available for sub-letting next year – and by the end of December, details will be known and published on the company’s website (www.parkholidays.com).
Sutton Coldfield Life 