Hospice offers prizes for keepy-up experts

People in Sutton Coldfield are invited to get into the football spirit ahead of the Euros with St Giles Hospice’s Keepy-Up Challenge!
St Giles Hospice is thrilled to announce the launch of its latest fundraising initiative – the Keepy-Up Challenge!
As football fever sweeps across the continent ahead of the Euros, St Giles is inviting supporters to join them in a game-changing challenge to raise vital funds.

Whether you’re a seasoned striker or just starting out, everyone can be a champion in this event.
The rules are as straightforward as a penalty kick: Sign up to the Keepy-Up Challenge to receive your free fundraising pack and activity tracker, then show off your skills by completing as many keepy-ups as you can
throughout the Euros 2024 period, between 14th June – 14th July.

Oli Duffy, 14 years old, from Elford, took part in the challenge last year to raise money in memory of his Grandad Willis, who died at St Giles.
Oli said: “My grandad was a keen sportsman so I think he would be proud
of me for raising money for St Giles and raising awareness of the work that they do. I found the challenge fun as it kept me active and helped me with my football skills!”

Sam Colclough, Events Coordinator at St Giles Hospice, added: “Our Keepy- Up Challenge is a winning opportunity for local people to blend their love of football with fundraising for St Giles.
“Every pound raised goes directly towards supporting local people, and
their loved ones, living with a terminal illness.”

But the excitement doesn’t stop at the final whistle! Participants who reachthe medal target (£50 for individuals, and £200 for a team) will receive a Keepy-Up Challenge medal in the post and be entered into a prize draw to win an array of sporty prizes, including the chance to win four England match tickets.!
For more information and to sign up for the Keepy-Up challenge, visit:
http://www.stgileshospice.com/keepyupchallenge/

Arthur Terry partnership grows

Sutton Coldfield based The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) has welcomed two Birmingham schools to its growing multi-academy trust.

Deykin Avenue Junior and Infant School in Witton and Paget Primary School in Erdington officially joined the Sutton Coldfield based multi-academy trust of schools on 1 June.

They join partner primaries in Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Lichfield and Warwickshire, as well as neighbouring Erdington primaries Brookvale, Slade and Osborne – which is currently celebrating its recent Ofsted success.

The 24-strong ATLP multi-academy trust has 17 primary schools, six secondary schools, one all-through school and one national teaching school hub across Birmingham, North Warwickshire and Staffordshire.

Led by Richard Gill CBE, who is also chair of the national Teaching Schools Hub Council, the ATLP has a proven track record of rigorous school improvement where headteachers and other leaders work together to share best practice and learn from one another as well as from other external networks and partnerships.

Deykin and Paget join ATLP after a period of mutual due diligence which has included formal consultation with parents, staff and the local community.

Deykin Avenue acting headteacher Sharon Brewer said: “What a fantastic opportunity to be part of the ATLP and work closely with a likeminded family of schools who share our strong moral purpose of putting children at the heart of all we do. 

“The Partnership has a proven track record for school improvement, so not only will this have a real impact on teaching and learning, but it will provide numerous opportunities for our children – and our wonderful local community – to flourish.” 

Paget Primary School headteacher Vicky Nussey said: “We are excited to have joined the ATLP as it is the right choice. The values that the Partnership holds shone through immediately and its vision and hopes for the children align with mine. We feel part of a learning family and that’s hugely important.

“The school needed more support, particularly within the School Improvement Team and with succession planning and future-proofing, so benefiting from the ATLP’s infrastructure will support this significantly.”

Richard Gill CBE said: “I’m delighted to welcome Deykin Avenue and Paget to the ATLP. Both are friendly and welcoming schools at the heart of their learning communities. They share the same vision and values of our learning family – to work together to drive forward school improvement, ensuring that each and every child has the opportunity to excel.

“I’m looking forward to working with Sharon and Vicky as we strive collectively as One Trust to make a lasting difference to the children in our care and the communities we serve. These are exciting times for our learning family, and it’s fantastic to be able to welcome Deykin and Paget to our North Birmingham hub of schools.”

The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership is based in Sutton Coldfield. It has more than 15,000 students, staff and governors. 

A Sutton Coldfield care home held a very special celebration to mark Birmingham Pride.

Residents and the team at Care UK’s Bishop Manor, on Jockey Road, decked the home out in rainbow flags and brought out their feather boas to welcome drag artist Aunty Ginger, for an afternoon of glamour, humour and music.

Accompanying the entertainment was a range of activities, including face painting, singing and dancing, which all promoted the message of inclusivity for residents and team members.

Sidney Knight, aged 88, said: “We had a fantastic day celebrating Pride and Aunty Ginger was incredibly vibrant. Some of the jokes were cheeky, but everyone enjoyed them. The last time I saw a drag act was at last year’s Aging with Pride event here at Bishops Manor.

Thomas Bampfield, General manager at Bishops Manor, said: “We had a fantastic time celebrating Pride and flying the rainbow flag.

“Here at Bishops Manor, we’re committed to ensuring the home is a welcoming and supportive place for everyone, which is why we were delighted to be able to show our support for the LGBTQ+ community with a very special celebration.

“Pride month has a wonderful way of bringing people together and we are thrilled everyone enjoyed the celebration; it was great to see everyone get involved laughing and singing. I’d like to say a massive thank you to Aunty Ginger for entertaining us all – she definitely got the party started!”

All team members at Bishops Manor have taken part in equality and diversity training as part of the home’s dedication to creating an open and warm environment. This is supported by Care UK’s LGBTQ+ Network, which provides training and guidance to team members on related issues, as well as developing an open culture in every care home.

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Bishops Manor incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The building has been designed to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents. 

To find out more about Bishops Manor, please call Jody Sedgwick, Home Admissions Advisor, on 0121 667 3734, email jody.sedgwick@careuk.com or visit careuk.com/bishops-manor

A Sutton Coldfield care home is opening its doors to the community for a special commemoration. On June 6, from 2pm – 4pm, Care UK’s Mercia Grange, on Lichfield Road, is welcoming local people to honour the 80^th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944, with its very own lamp lighting ceremony.

At Mercia Grange, the team have been hard at work organising a special commemorative event which will see residents and guests enjoy a 1940s-themed party, complete with bunting, flags, popular wartime songs from singer Tony Wall and the attendance of the British Legion. The culinary team will serve wartime themed refreshments.

To commemorate the Normandy Landings Care UK is partnering with royal pageant master Bruno Peek, CVO OBE OPR, coordinator of ‘D-Day 80 Lamp Light of Peace’. Along with charities supporting the three forces and the Merchant Navy Association, over 100 Care UK homes will take part in this nationwide tribute.

The lamp, which represents the peace that followed the end of World War Two, will be lit at 3pm by Gerald Rose, 94, who was part of the army, serving in Africa, Judy Redgrove, 66, who served for 13 years in the Women’s Royal Naval Service, and Roy Hubbard, Chairman at the British Legion.

Gerald said: “I am very proud to be chosen to light the lamp. It is so important for the community of veterans to come together to remember this day. The Veterans Group in Sutton Coldfield meet regularly and have even had a lunch meeting at Mercia Grange.”

Michael McNelis, Home Manager at Mercia Grange, said: “Here at Mercia Grange we’re always grateful for an opportunity to strengthen our relationships with our neighbours, so we’re looking forward to welcoming the community for a special event marking the 80^th anniversary of D-Day.

“This is an incredibly important milestone for many residents, and we’re keen to honour and remember all those involved. Music is a fantastic way to bring back memories for older people and a wonderful way to bring communities together, so we’re thrilled to welcome Tony to get everyone’s toes tapping.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming new and old faces into Mercia Grange as we mark such a significant moment in history.” 

To find out more about how Care UK is supporting the initiative, please visit: careuk.com/dday-80th-anniversary

Care home celebrates opening at grand event

A Sutton Coldfield care home is inviting the local community to attend its grand garden launch. Care UK’s Mercia Grange, on Lichfield Road, will be opening its doors on Monday 20^th May, from 2pm-4pm, for its grand garden opening celebrations complete with the mayor and local police force in attendance.

On the day, residents and community members will be invited to join the mayor, Tony Briggs, to plant an apple tree in the home’s garden to mark the special occasion, and to admire the spectacular spring blossom. The apple tree will serve as a legacy, with its growth creating a sense of connection between the past, present and future.

As part of the celebrations, there will also be champagne to toast the opening and a BBQ for guests to enjoy on the garden patio.

John Goring, aged 90, said: “I’m really looking forward to the party. I spend a lot of time in the garden, where I used to grow tomatoes. I’m excited to plant a tree with the mayor and enjoy a glass of champagne with him.”

John and the other green fingered residents at Mercia Grange also attend a bi-weekly gardening club, providing residents with the opportunity to socialise and develop meaningful friendships.

Michael McNelis, Home Manager at Mercia Grange, said: “We are delighted to be marking the official opening of our new garden and to celebrate with our neighbours, relatives and special guests. We can’t wait to show everyone the welcoming, friendly atmosphere we’ve created and how beautiful our garden looks in bloom this spring.

“Spending time in nature is so important for residents’ mental and physical well-being, and has been shown to improve attention, mood, memory and emotional regulation. So, we’d also like to say a massive thank you to Head Gardener, Gill Whittingham, who has been hard at work preparing the garden for its grand launch.

“On behalf of the team and residents here at Mercia Grange, I’d like to invite the people of Sutton Coldfield along to what promises to be a fun afternoon for all – we’re keeping our fingers crossed for some sunshine!”

For more information on Mercia Grange, please call Customer Relations Manager, Rachel Mackay, on 0121 314 3196, or email rachel.mackay@careuk.com

Mercia Grange provides full-time residential, nursing, dementia, and short-term respite care. The three-storey care home, which features 67 ensuite bedrooms, has been designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hair salon, and café.

A care home in Sutton Coldfield has teamed up with local school and joined a nationwide campaign to save traditional recipes from being forgotten.  

Keen to keep their recipes bubbling away in Sutton Coldfield for many years to come, residents from Mercia Grange have rolled up their sleeves and donned their aprons with the help of pupils from Little Sutton Primary School to show just how tasty their food favourites from the past are. 

A poll of 2,000 adults carried out by Care UK, which operates Mercia Grange, on Lichfield Road, found almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of the nation no longer use family recipes that have been handed down through the generations, however, 43 per cent of people surveyed are keen to save them.

In a bid to prevent family recipes passed down through the generations from being lost forever, Care UK has launched a free downloadable recipe book – Recipes to remember, which features recipes shared by care home residents across the UK.

From food enjoyed during World War Two to quirky desserts from the 1970s, the book includes residents’ favourite foods, alongside recipes tailored to support older people by Care UK’s award-winning chefs. 

On the day, resident Pam Long and the youngsters made and decorated waffles, using her original recipe from the 1950s. 

Pam said: “How lovely to see the children all together. Lots of lovely creations were made and they were very tasty.”

Michael McNelis, Home Manager at Mercia Grange, said: “We’ve certainly been whipping up some treats here at Mercia Grange as we headed to the kitchen to revisit residents’ food favourites from decades gone by.

“Regardless of age, food plays an important part in all of our lives, and there’s something special about the way the senses have the ability to evoke happy memories and emotions – which is why keeping old family recipes bubbling away and sharing them with younger generations is so important.

“It was fantastic to welcome pupils from Little Sutton Primary School to Mercia Grange for an afternoon spent cooking! Everyone had a great time talking about their favourite foods – and seeing the pupils get into a pickle with weird and wonderful names of foods from the 70s was certainly the cherry on the cake!”

To find out more about Care UK’s Recipes to remember initiative or to download your copy of the recipe book, please visit: www.careuk.com/recipes-to-remember

For more information about Mercia Grange, please call Customer Relations Manager, Rachel Mackay, on 0121 314 3196, or email rachel.mackay@careuk.com

St Giles Hospice joins calls for a new funding model

With a financial crisis looming over the hospice sector, St Giles Hospice is supporting calls for a new model to fund end of life and palliative care.

In a recent survey by Hospice UK, it was uncovered that the hospice sector is facing an estimated deficit of £77 million in the 2023-24 financial year – primarily fuelled by rapidly rising costs.

Data suggests that adult hospices have to raise around two-thirds of their income from charitable funding.

For St Giles Hospice, it costs around £10 million a year to provide its specialist care services and, with 25 per cent of this funded by the Government, the hospice relies on donations and income generation from the local community to continue its vital care.

Kristy Clayton, Director of Clinical Services at St Giles Hospice, said: “Our vision at St Giles is for ‘A world where everyone has fair access to specialist palliative and end of life care’ and it is only with appropriate funding from the Government that we can meet this vision.

“Every year, we care for thousands of people across Staffordshire, North Birmingham and surrounding areas, both on our Inpatient Unit and in their own homes.

“But with rising costs, exacerbated by the current economic climate, and donations squeezed as our supporters struggle to cope with the cost of living crisis, we need the Government to increase its funding to ensure that everyone continues to receive the end of life care that they deserve.

“After all, we only have one chance to get that right.”

A Parliamentary debate on hospice funding took place in the House of Commons on Monday, April 22.

Conservative MP Sally-Ann Hart said that the current funding model, which is reliant upon charitable fundraising, is “uncertain and unsustainable”, whilst Labour MP Colleen Fletcher added that “this sector’s reliance on fundraising for much of its income brings with it significant risks.”

St Giles Hospice was pleased to see this vitally important topic on the agenda, but is urging the conversation to continue.  

“We’re facing a funding gap this year of £1.5 million and we know that we’re not alone, with many hospices across the UK in the same position,” added Kristy.

“It’s only thanks to our incredible local community that we’ve been able to care for patients, and their loved ones, over our 40-year history. But we need to ensure that St Giles is here for another 40 years, and beyond. 

“We need a new funding model for end of life care – and we need it now.”

Town prepares for the big day in June

The iconic Sutton Fun Run is back with new sponsors for when the starting gun is fired in June.

West Midlands law firm George Green LLP Solicitors – who opened their third regional office in Sutton Coldfield last summer – have partnered with the Royal Sutton Fun Run as a supporting sponsor.

Registration for this year’s Fun Run has now closed, with the event scheduled for Sunday, 2 June at the end of spring half term.

Gemma Fenton, Family Law partner at George Green LLP Solicitors, said: “As one of the Midlands’ leading law firms, serving both businesses and individuals, we took the decision in the summer of 2023 to open our first office outside the Black Country.

“Our Royal Sutton Coldfield office, located in Emmanuel Court, Reddicroft, in the heart of the town centre, is our first venture away from Cradley Heath and Wolverhampton.

“We’ve been very proactive supporting community initiatives and organisations within the Black Country where we’ve been based since 1897.

“The Royal Sutton Fun Run is the largest annual fundraising event within the town, so it was a natural choice to support the event to show our commitment to the town and encourage staff to participate and raise money for our chosen charity Mary Steven’s Hospice.”

Tracey Spare, Fun Run Event Director, said: “We’re delighted to welcome George Green LLP Solicitors as a supporting sponsor for 2024. It’s rewarding to see new businesses within the town wanting to support the Fun Run both as a commercial sponsor and encouraging staff to participate and raise money for charity.

“We hope this is the start or a long-term relationship with George Green LLP Solicitors and wish them every success with their new office in the town.

“Over the past 42 years, the Royal Sutton Fun Run has distributed over £5.1 million to charities with thousands of participants taking part each year. Without commercial support from businesses such as George Green LLP Solicitors, this wouldn’t be possible, so thank you.”

Premium touches for Suzuki’s supermini When it comes to small cars, Suzuki knows a thing or two. Take the new Swift, revamped for 2024 and redefining what a supermini stands for. The firm als…

Source: New Swift better than ever | On the road