New fleet of machines to help keep Sutton Coldfield tidy
The streets of Sutton Coldfield will soon be getting a clean sweep with when a fleet of cleaning machines comes on line.
Ongoing efforts to improve Birmingham’s neighbourhoods have been bolstered by a deal that has seen the city council start to take delivery of 31 new street sweeping vehicles.
The vehicles will be deployed across the city and they replace ageing machines that had reached the end of their operational lives.
The roll-out to the city’s four waste depots is due to be complete by the end of March and the vehicles are replacements as part of an ongoing lease deal.
Cllr John O’Shea, Cabinet Member for Street Scene and Parks at Birmingham City Council, said: “Clean streets are consistently a high priority for people in this city, so it is important that our hardworking crews and teams have the tools available to them to achieve the aspirations that residents have for Birmingham.
“We are always looking at how we can best utilise technology and innovation to improve the cleanliness of our neighbourhoods – and street sweeping vehicles are one of the well-established ways to help do this.
“Our fleet was in need of an upgrade and we will now be able to deliver a more reliable and effective service in the future. Keep a look out for the vehicles on a street near you soon.”
Juliet Dubberley, Online Retail Manager at St Giles Hospice, packing a fragile item ready for safe delivery
St Giles Hospice call for eBay support
Online shoppers are being asked to support a local charity during the latest lockdown by visiting the St Giles Hospice eBay charity shop.
Although St Giles, which offers care at tis centres in Whittington and Sutton Coldfield and in patients’ own homes across the region, has had to temporarily close its high street shops in response to the Government’s latest Coronavirus safety measures, the hospice’s popular online eBay shop currently lists more than 550 items for sale.
St Giles Hospice Head of Retail Lynwen Truesdale said: “The money raised by St Giles Hospice shops plays a vital role in funding the services which we offer our patients. But as we have had to close our high street shops and cancel many fundraising events during the COVID-19 crisis our message to our online shoppers is that we’ve never needed you more than we do right now.”
Since its launch in February 2006, the St Giles eBay shop has raised more than £850,000 to support the hospice in its work caring for patients living with a terminal illness and their families, and it sells a range of books, magazines, toys and games, jewellery, shoes and clothing, collectibles and more.
Lynwen added, “We have a wide range of books, toys and games which are just the thing for keeping everyone engaged and entertained during lockdown. We also have make up, beauty and healthcare products and gift sets, perfect for Valentine’s Day gifts.
“Our high street shops may be closed at the moment but people can still support us by shopping online in our eBay online charity shop, which is still very much open for business.”
Lynwen added that the charity has ‘top-rated seller’ status on eBay, meaning that St Giles Hospice is one of eBay’s most reputable sellers, consistently delivering outstanding customer service with a five-star rating and positive feedback.
As well as more mainstream items, quirky and unique items go up for sale frequently on the online charity shop. Over the years these have included a 1608 leather-bound ‘Geneva Bible’ which sold for £850; a rare Royal Doulton Sir Francis Drake Toby Jug which sold for £483; and a Royal Doulton Ali Baba figurine, which sold for £1,500.
One donated item sold on the eBay online store raised an amazing £4,256 for St Giles Hospice – a pair of rare Zeiss WWII German U-Boat commander’s binoculars.
“We can’t wait to re-open our high street shops, but until then, please continue to shop with us online,” said Lynwen. “We’d ask all of our supporters to spread the word to friends and family so that they can support us too.
“Although our shops are currently closed, we need to raise £850,000 every single month just to keep our services going and our dedicated care teams are still out there working 24/7 in our hospices and out in our community.”
You can find out more and visit the St Giles Hospice eBay online charity shop at www.stgileshospice.com/ebay
Sutton Coldfield Town Hall will allow for a huge increase in vaccinations from Monday
Venue to triple the number of jabs
AS the success of the Covid-19 vaccination programme gathers pace, Sutton Coldfield Group Practice has announced a change of vaccination arrangements from next Monday, February 1.
The practice has been granted permission by NHS England to change the designated Falcon Lodge Medical Centre to the town hall, which will enable it to triple current rollout capacity, which currently stands at 2,300 per week at Falcon Lodge.
That site will revert to a surgery and be open to patients again, while Ley Hill Surgery will continue to provide vaccinations.
“Once again we are indebted to the patience of the patients of that site for the loan of their medical facilities,” a spokesman said.
There will be also be free parking in the pay and display car park on Anchorage Road opposite the town hall and The Townhouse (Royal) pub has also granted free parking there for people attending for vaccination. A temporary pedestrian crossing will be put in place in the vicinity in the next few days. Either the Pfizer or Astra Zeneca ‘Oxford’ vaccines, both of which are very effective, will be administered depending on the deliveries received.
A spokesman for the practice said that permission for the change had been granted after a lot of work behind the scenes aided by University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) Trust, Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (BSOL CCG), Sutton Coldfield Town Council and local MP Andrew Mitchell.
A spokesperson added: “To avoid any confusion we are continuing to vaccinate at Falcon Lodge right up to this Sunday, so please turn up if you have an appointment for vaccination this weekend.
“We have a wide pool of vaccinators including retired doctors and nurses, paramedics, nurses seconded from different organisations, physios, podiatrists etc to enable us to continue to deliver medical services from our individual sites. The site will be active for 9 hours per day 7 days a week vaccine supply permitting.
“We are pleased to report that Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust (BCHC) staff have also begun doing home visits to vaccinate our housebound patients who are not able to travel to any vaccination centres.”
The practice said it has received positive feedback from patients who have had their vaccinations at Millennium Point in Birmingham city centre. There is free parking right next to the centre and it is well signposted and marshalled with short waits.
So if patients are invited to be vaccinated there you should do so if you are able to travel there fairly easily but if you cannot then we will be calling for you to have your vaccine given locally so please don’t worry.
Also some patients are being invited to M W Phillips pharmacy in Great Barr for their vaccinations, with further updates in due course.
Ley Hill Surgery, part of the Sutton Coldfield Group Practice is leading the way
Covid-19 vaccinations in Sutton Coldfield are ramping up, with Ley Hill Surgery in Mere Green delivering the jabs alongside Falcon Medical Centre.
Around 7,000 vaccinations have now been performed, despite around 60 patients not turning up for their jab appointments, although the wintry conditions and deep snow could have been a factor.
Due to the way the vaccines are stored and transported, there is a limited time to administer them and plan the number of vaccinations based on who is attending. Non-attendance by patients may cause vaccines to be disposed of unnecessarily.
The news comes as NHS staff started delivering life-saving COVID jabs at a network of more than 1,400 vaccinations sites this week across England.
The Sutton Coldfield Group Practice, which includes Ley Hill Surgery, Four Oaks Medical Centre, Sutton Park Surgery, Vesey Practice, Tudor Practice and Falcon Medical Centre, is leading the vaccination in Sutton and confirmed it had now given more than 7,000 injections.
It delivered its biggest vaccination day so far last Saturday, January 23, with 1,650 receiving their jab. Of that total, 1,288 vaccinations were given that day in Ley Hill with 362 more at the Falcon Lodge site.
On Sunday, Falcon Medical Centre was operational and Pfizer jabs were given ‘without wastage despite the many people who could not attend due to the weather’.
A spokesperson for Sutton Coldfield Group Practice said: “We have now administered over 7,000 vaccinations in total with this week’s target being around 2,300 vaccinations. Unfortunately, 66 patients failed to attend their appointment last week. The practice is now working through those in their 70s with a target of immunising the top four groups by the middle of February.”
The practice said: “We have commenced vaccinating patients in the 79 to 70 age group. If you fall into this category, we will contact you very soon. We are rapidly working down the lists of these people so please bear with us!”
The practice added: “Please do not call us to arrange a vaccination. You will receive a call when the time comes for you to book in for the vaccination.”
As the rollout gathered pace countrywide, an Asda supermarket in West Bromwich, an Islamic education centre in Derby and Bolton Wanderers Football Club are among the new sites operating this week.
They are among 1,438 vaccinations sites ranging from GP and pharmacy-led services to hospitals and large-scale Vaccination Centres that are now operating across the country.
NHS staff are also visiting those who cannot go to their local service or travel to a Vaccination Centre.
Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director for the NHS in England, said: “The NHS vaccination programme, the biggest in health service history, has got off to a strong start.
“NHS staff have worked hard with businesses, community and faith groups to set up an extensive network of vaccination sites that offer a range of options for people in all areas to receive their injection.
“We want to protect as many people as swiftly as possible and this latest milestone, with more than 1,400 sites up and running, means that we can continue to expand delivery as more vaccine supplies come on stream.”
The vaccination programme began with just 50 hospitals hubs on December 8. There are now more than 250 hospitals delivering the jabs along with 1,000 GP-led services.
High Street pharmacies are now vaccinating at 117 sites and there are also 47 large-scale Vaccination Centres, capable of jabbing thousands of people each week.
Residents in Sutton Coldfield are being asked for their views about how their complaints are being handled by Birmingham City Council.
The council is in the process of revising their complaints process, however before we launch the new approach – we would like to hear your views.
It is keen to invite citizens who have previously complained to or have an interest in how the council handles complaints, to tell us what you think about the new process.
The process review includes; knowing how to complain, when to complain, how to be kept informed and how the Council can learn from complaints.
The council says: “We want all citizens to be able to say: ‘I felt confident to speak up and making my complaint was simple. I felt listened to and understood. I feel that my complaint was dealt with efficiently’.”
In addition it would like residents to tell it their experiences of complaining to the city council or to hear from citizens about what a good complaints process would look like for you.
If you would like to be part of the panel influencing this change, please email getinvolved@birmingham.gov.uk with a brief description on how you think you can help with revising the complaints process in addition to letting us know if you are from a minority ethnic group and if you class yourself as a disabled person. The deadline for your expression of interest is 5th February 2021.
The council is hoping to include as many people as possible in the meeting which will be held using Microsoft teams, a web based application. The meeting is scheduled to take place on 11th February 2021 from 2pm – 3pm.
Everyone who shows an interest is forwarded a meeting invitation.
Grim reality of Covid revealed by top news photographer
Tim Thursfield is the award-winning chief photographer at MNA Media, aka Express & Star/Shropshire Star. Here he tells CATHY DOBBS about what it’s been like covering the pandemic – from the desperate scenes at intensive care at Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital to growing hopes for the vaccination programme at Lichfield Cathedral
ICU staff battling the pandemic at New Cross Hospital. Pictures: Tim Thursfield, courtesy of MNA Media
Tim is used to having to keep his hands steady – whether he’s taking a picture of a raging fire or snapping a convicted murderer. But nothing could stop his hands from shaking on a recent trip to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.
“It was nerve-wracking thinking about going onto the intensive care unit because, naturally, you worry about how safe you are going to be,” says Tim, who is group chief photographer for the MNA. You know you are going to an environment that is full of Covid-19 and no matter what you wear and what you do, you know there is a risk.
“As you walk through those double doors onto the ICU it suddenly hits you, the enormity of what we are dealing with. Staff are rushing around and shouting to each other as buzzers are going off – they are saving lives, and to be allowed to see that was an incredible privilege. Afterwards, when I got in the car to send my pictures back to the office, my hands were shaking – it was a shocking experience I will never forget.”
Since March last year Tim and the other photographers who work for the MNA have been documenting the pandemic, through all seasons and with each change in the public’s perception.
Inside the intensive care unit at the hospital
Ambulances lined up outside New Cross Hospital
Full PPE is vital inside the intensive care unit
Staff working all hours to care for patients at the unit
“When this hit us in March the newspaper did portrait shoots with the emergency services, as we knew then the pressure they were under,” says Tim, who has won photographer of the year at the Midlands Media Awards for the last two years.
“It was closely followed by getting pictures of families and school children painting rainbows to show their support of the NHS. People spoke about how they were passing the time in the nice weather and enjoying a break from the daily grind.
At the hospital there was an urgency that I’ve never seen before and the amount of staff there was unbelievable – everyone working their hardest to keep the patients alive
He added: “That first lockdown was filled with hope that we would soon see the end of this – if we knew it was going to last a year I don’t know if people would have been as buoyant.”
During the second lockdown, in the lead up to Christmas, Tim noticed that people saw the seriousness of the virus.
“There were more deaths, but at the same time a lot of people had their sights set on seeing their family at Christmas,” he says. “I often spoke to people who hoped that if everyone behaved themselves during that lockdown they would be able to celebrate at Christmas and New Year – but we all know that wasn’t the case.
“I think the current lockdown has been the hardest on everyone – January is often a tough month for people, but also the number of deaths is at its highest.
“The main bit of hope people are clinging on to is that we start to see results from the vaccinations.”
Photographers need to be out on the road every day, but Tim says the whole team has had to re-think how they take pictures.
“Taking photos with social distancing in place has been tough as you can’t group people together – and that doesn’t look great on photos,” he says.
“It has changed the way we approach photos, keeping it to just one person or a couple if they live together. Also, wearing PPE and taking a photo comes with its challenges – you have to hold your breath to stop the view finder from misting up.”
Tim, who has spent the last three decades taking photos for newspapers in the Midlands, says there are two photo shoots he will never forget – his recent visit to the ICU and seeing the vaccination programme at Lichfield Cathedral.
Divine hope in place of despair as the vaccination programme is rolled out at Lichfield Cathedral
The symbol says it all at Lichfield Cathedral
“At the hospital there was an urgency that I’ve never seen before and the amount of staff there was unbelievable – everyone working their hardest to keep the patients alive,” he says.
“There was no doubt those people were in hospital because they had Covid, they didn’t just have a cold or the flu, they were seriously ill.
“The ICU and Lichfield Cathedral were two extremes. In the hospital I saw anxiety and despair, and for the staff it was every hand to the pump. In the cathedral I saw hope and camaraderie between the staff and patients – a feeling of ‘let’s get this sorted’.
“I’ve photographed Lichfield Cathedral several times, but this time it was completely out of this world and was like I was walking into a different place. The pillars and stained glass windows gave away the fact that it was Lichfield Cathedral. However, just looking on ground level it feels like you are in a huge clinic with medical staff walking around. You have a feeling that you are in living history.”
The world is still battling with the virus and Tim says that he believes that Covid-19 is the story that generations will be talking about for years to come.
“I tell my daughter Freya ‘you have to remember this as you will tell your grandchildren about it one day and you will go into schools and tell other children about how you lived through this’,” he says.
“It has been a privilege to document the pandemic – I’d never wish to experience this, but it’s something that none of us will ever forget. This virus is the biggest event in our lifetime and I’m sure I’ll never cover something of this scale again.”
Work under way at the Children’s Emergency Department at Sutton Coldfield’s Good Hope Hospital
Plans are under way to create a new multi-million pound Children’s Emergency Department at Good Hope Hospital, writes Bill McCarthy.
The new department will provide eight treatment cubicles, a new reception space, as well as a quiet room and wellbeing room. It also means that more space can be dedicated to treating adult patients in the area vacated by the current department.
The single-storey building represents an exciting opportunity to design a care environment around the specific needs of children and young people.
The entrance to the department will remain in its existing location, with a new ambulance entrance and drop-off area. Paediatric patients will have their own waiting area and separate corridor spaces.
Computer images of the design and how the new centre will look
Paula Lane, Lead Nurse – Paediatric Emergency Department, said: “The team are really excited about the project and are helping to design the new spaces based on our experience of working on the front-line with children and young people.”
Sharon Holland, Operations Manager – Emergency Department, added: “From a Trust perspective, the new department represents a huge investment in Good Hope Hospital and is a unique chance for us to work with colleagues across our clinical divisions to get it right for children and young people.”
The project will help provide additional Emergency Department capacity and will open in spring. The team cares for approximately 19,000 children every year, with this number rising annually.
University Hospitals Birmingham Charity will also be contributing to the project, providing those ‘over and above’ elements which will help make the environment as comfortable as possible for children and young people.
Dr Sanjay Mistry, Emergency Department Consultant, concluded: “We are looking forward to being able to work in a superb environment which matches the great level of care we offer our young patients at Good Hope. I’ve worked as a doctor in ED for over 15 years and this new department is one of the most exciting developments I’ve been involved with. It will be of huge benefit to both staff and patients in the local community.”
We are looking for paediatric nurses to join our team at UHB. View the vacancies on NHS Jobs website via the link at the end of the page.
Our friendly team are passionate about staff engagement and compassionate care. Make a passion and a career come together.
Angela Birmingham, Matron Emergency Department at Good Hope Hospital, added: “We hope our new department will attract paediatric nurses interested in Emergency Care to join our team. We pride ourselves on providing a variety of professional development opportunities and clinical excellence.”
How you can help the hospital during this stressful time:
Please continue to use NHS 111 if you urgently need medical help or advice but it’s not a life-threatening situation. NHS 111 makes it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare services.
You can call 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk if:
you need medical help fast for you or your child but it’s not a 999 emergency
you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service
you don’t know who to call or you don’t have a doctor to call
you need health information or reassurance about what to do next
For less urgent health needs, contact your doctor or local pharmacist in the usual way.
For immediate, life-threatening emergencies, continue to call 999.
Socially-distanced volunteers getting ready to hit the road this month for a record breaking success
St Giles Hospice celebrates success
St Giles Hospice is celebrating the success of this year’s TreeCycle campaign after it collected more trees and raised more funds than ever before, including from venues Sutton Coldfield.
The environmentally-friendly recycling collection picked up 4,428 Christmas trees this month in return for a small donation to St Giles, raising over £65,000 for the hospice.
Last year’s collection picked up 3,430 trees, raising £35,000. All funds raised by TreeCycle help to ensure that St Giles Hospice can continue to be there for local people and their families living with a terminal illness.
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and the challenges raised by the new lockdown, St Giles was able to run the popular annual fundraiser for the sixth year running thanks to collection teams who followed the latest Government guidelines as they hit the streets.
Working in same-household bubbles, 76 volunteers took part in a socially-distanced operation which covered 3,176 miles between Wednesday 6th and Wednesday 13th January. They collected trees from Lichfield, Walsall, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Burton, Rugeley, Burntwood, Uttoxeter, Swadlincote, Stafford and surrounding areas.
Chloe Herbert, Head of Fundraising at St Giles Hospice, said: “We are absolutely delighted by the success of this year’s TreeCycle campaign and we would like to say a huge thank you to all of our volunteers and supporters for their support.
We were bowled over by the commitment and enthusiasm of everyone who took part this year
“Our income was badly hit in 2020 and continues to be so because we were forced to close our shops and cancel many of our events, and as a result of the latest lockdown our shops have had to close once more. This means that TreeCycle is more important to us than ever as we need to raise £850,000 every month just to keep our services going.
“We were bowled over by the commitment and enthusiasm of everyone who took part this year and the money raised will make a massive difference to local people at a time when they need us the most.”
DHL provided St Giles with vital logistics support during the collections, and the trees will be recycled for agricultural uses at Greener Composting in Wall, Lichfield.
“We’d also like to thank Lichfield Tree Works, Darwin Electricals and HiB for supporting TreeCycle this year,” added Chloe. “Our TreeCycle volunteers and corporate sponsors have been amazing.
“Everyone enjoyed taking part and we hope they will spread the word about TreeCycle so that next year we will have more volunteers coming along to help us collect even more trees.”
For more information about St Giles Hospice and the expert care it provides, please visit
Diggers and bulldozers clearing the ground at the new fenced off Lidl site in Mere Green
Work on the new Lidl store at the former Lucas factory site in Mere Green appears to be making slow progress since work got under way back in November. The store is expected to be completed some time this year.
While the work is progressing, traffic has been affected by the comings and going of construction traffic and temporary traffic lights, while dozens of letters of objection had previously been received from residents raising concerns over traffic levels and pollution fears.
The site has now been fenced off after diggers and bulldozers converged on the former industrial site in Mere Green Road, Sutton Coldfield.
Work does appear to be going at something of a snail’s pace when other Lidl stores, notably the newest one in Lichfield appeared to get built in no time at all. When asked for a progress report on the work or a potential opening date, Lidl had little to offer other than the obvious. A statement said: “We can confirm that construction has started on site and we will be issuing a release with full details of the store for the local community in due course.”
The former contaminated site has been an eyesore for many years, following the factory demolition and the time needed to get rid of the contamination at the site
This two-acre site is now being developed despite original plans being sent back to the drawing board during the planning process, before finally being approved. One local councillor described the original Lidl design as looking like a brown and white shed.
Diggers and bulldozers working at the start of the construction of the new store in Mere Green Road
The site will include the store and a number of parking spaces, finally opening up a site that has been blocked off with blue boarding for more than 10 years.
The store will offer a budget alternative to the giant Sainsbury’s store opposite, but is sure to create extra traffic and congestion in the busy Mere Green area. However there will be new jobs and a likely boost to the local economy with increased footfall.
The development could be the final piece in the jigsaw in the renaissance of Mere Green. The area been blighted for years with rows of boarded up shops, but that finally gave way to the Mulberry Walk development. Anchored by the Marks & Spencer food hall, the new shops and a number of smart bars, restaurants, coffee shops and a gym, complement the existing shops on Lichfield Road.
Four Oaks ward councillor Maureen Cornish has broadly welcomed the new store. She previously said: “Lidl will provide versatile shopping giving the public more choice, it will increase the footfall and competition between similar stores provides shoppers.”
Sue Bailey, Assistant Head at Arthur Terry Learning Partnership
ST GILES HOSPICE HELPS SCHOOL STAFF TO SUPPORT STUDENTS
A Sutton Coldfield school has been leading the way in training teaching staff from 14 schools to help students cope with the terrible loss of bereavement, writes Bill McCarthy.
Teachers from across Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield and Tamworth have received vital training to help young people facing loss and living with bereavement. Phoenix, the children and young people’s bereavement service for St Giles Hospice, has been working with staff from schools from the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP), which include Arthur Terry School, John Willmott School, Stockland Green School, Brookvale Primary School, Curdworth Primary School, Hill West Primary School, Mere Green Primary School and Slade Primary School in Birmingham. The session covered the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on young people as well as issues around bereavement and facing loss. Sue Bailey, Assistant Head at Arthur Terry, said: “We are very much aware that many families within our community of schools have lost loved ones during these difficult times. “Our aim as a partnership is to offer as much support to these families as we can and the training we received from St Giles will further enable our staff to do this. “The training was of a very high quality and left us feeling better equipped to support families and also how to access the expert support available from St Giles.
Arthur Terry’s assistant head teacher Sue Bailey
We look forward to further partnership working and would recommend this training to others.” Phoenix lead Jodie Phillips said the right support in schools for young people who had experienced the death of someone close to them was essential, particularly in the current circumstances. “Schools can be a safe space for young people, providing normality and consistency at times of extreme pressure and change, which is often the case when someone dies,” she said. “Working with ATLP to help their staff to support young people facing the death of a loved one or living with that loss is an important part of creating a safety net for those young people. “Given the right support, most grieving children and young people will not need professional help, but what they do need is the care of adults they trust who are familiar to them such as a teacher.” The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership is a growing multi-academy trust of 14 schools and one teaching school in Birmingham, North Warwickshire and Staffordshire. Phoenix offers support for any child or young person under the age of 18 who is facing loss or who has been bereaved, in the St Giles Hospice catchment area.
Referrals can come from parents, teachers, healthcare professionals or young people. To find out more, please call 01543 434536.
Sutton Coldfield Life 