Dudley Together (Page 1) - Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

Dudley
together
W I N T E R
2 0 1 0
Brierley Hill | Dudley | Halesowen |
Sedgley | Stourbridge |
INSIDE
G
New Year
hope for
Dudley
business
G
Festive treat
for the homeless
PLUS
G
Win tickets for
comic Ed Byrne
my borough, our borough
5
Letter from
the top
Sarah Dugan
Chair, Dudley
Community
Partnership
Welcome to the winter edition of
Dudley together and our final
edition of 2010.
The economic downturn has
made it a challenging year for
many residents and businesses in
the borough and as a partnership
we have worked hard to continue
to meet your priorities. While the
economy continues its recovery
into the New Year, we will work
closely together to ensure your
public services are delivered as
efficiently and effectively as
possible.
During the winter months, public
services like health see a surge in
demand due to an increase in
viruses. While hospitals and
surgeries are geared up for the
rise, there’s a lot people can do to
keep themselves well over winter.
For advice turn to pages 6-7.
We also look at how winter
services work around the clock to
keep the borough moving and the
roads clear when bad weather hits.
Tackling crime comes under the
spotlight in this edition with a focus
on the work of safe & sound.
Finally the magazine, produced
by Dudley Community Partnership,
looks forward to the New Year with
a guide to what’s on at our halls,
museums and parks.
On a personal note, I’d like to
wish everyone a merry Christmas
and I look forward to bringing you
news about your services in 2011.
contents
4 NEWS
The council is urging dog owners to
make sure their animals have collars
and identity tags as the number of
unidentifiable strays increases.
6 HEALTH
Stock up their medicines
cabinet for the
festive period.
8 VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are
cooking up a storm
this festive season, so
that some of Dudley
borough’s most vulnerable
people can enjoy a hearty
Christmas meal.
Park rangers are offering a
number of physical activity
sessions at local healthy hubs.
20
11 SAFETY
A special four-page report
highlights the work of safe &
sound, Dudley’s community
safety partnership.
17 EDUCATION
Did you know that all three and
four-year-olds across the
Dudley borough are entitled to
free nursery education?
10 BUSINESS
Work on a new £12-million
Art and Design Centre in
the heart of Brierley Hill
is creating local job
opportunities.
18 ENVIRONMENT
Gridlock busting gritters
at Dudley Council are
geared up for a winter
of keeping the borough’s
highways clear when snow strikes.
20 CULTURE
Here in Dudley there’s no shortage
of groups offering all sorts of
dance style, from traditional tea
dances to street.
14 OUT & ABOUT
Lots to see and do.
10
17
15 WIN!
Tickets for comedian Ed Byrne.
* COVER STORY: New year hope for business leaders Laura Loveys and Kevin O’Toole. For full story, see page 10.
Feedback
If you have any comments to make or suggestions
about future editions of Dudley together please contact us.
Send your letter to The Editor, at Dudley together, Marketing and
Communications, Dudley Council, FREEPOST*, MID22308, Dudley, DY1 1BR.
If you would like this magazine on
audiotape, in large type, or a translation
into your own community language
please phone 01384 815228
Design: Cutting Edge Solutions (07792 912994)
contents
dudleytogether 3
News
L
L
In Brief
News
New free guide to
hospital services
People visiting hospitals in
Dudley now have all the
information they need at
their fingertips thanks to a
new pocket-sized guide
produced by the Dudley
Group of Hospitals.
The handy fold-out guide
includes maps of Russells
Hall Hospital and the Corbett
and Guest Hospital
outpatient centres, as well as
information about car
parking, visiting times and
how to become a member of
the trust.
The free guide also
includes information about
how to reclaim parking
charges, how to apply for
concessionary passes, how
visitors can help the trust
tackle infections and what
on-site facilities are
available.
The map of Russells Hall
Hospital includes a full list of
services provided at the site
and is colour-coded so
visitors can easily find the
area they need to get to.
The guide will be available
before the end of the year in
all outpatient areas and from
reception desks.
Waste collections
Your bin bag and recycling
collection day will not be
affected over the 2010
Christmas and New Year
period.
Collections will be made
on all weekday bank
holidays meaning your
normal weekly collection
day remains the same as
usual.
Turn to the back page for
more details.
4 dudleytogether
news
It’s a dog’s life for
abandoned strays
More than 500
unidentifiable stray or
abandoned dogs are
picked up by Dudley
council’s stray dog
contractor each year.
The council is urging dog
owners to make sure their
animals have collars and
identity tags with their
contact details on so that
dogs can be returned to
them. Every dog picked up
by a warden costs the
council at least £60, plus
vet bills and kennelling
costs if they are unclaimed.
Forty per cent are
reclaimed with the owner
footing the bill.
Paul Evans, Dudley’s
principal environmental
health officer, said: “Many
callouts could be avoided if
I Paul Evans and dog warden Jonathan Cook are asking
people to make sure their pets have identity tags.
all dogs had identity tags,
which are a legal
requirement under The
Control of Dogs Order
1992.
“Many finders of stray
dogs would be quite happy
to return a dog to its owner
but without this information
they simply are unable to.
In addition, owners could
have their animals microchipped to make sure they
can be identified.
“Unfortunately many
dogs in our borough are
simply abandoned.
Pressures on finances,
relationships and sadly just
boredom of their pet dog
are just some of the causes.
“Particularly at this time of
year we want people to
think seriously about the
long-term commitment,
which may be over a
decade, before giving a
dog a home.”
Currently all stray dogs
are taken to Rosedene
Animal Boarding and
Rescue Centre, in Rushall,
Walsall.
They’re fun, outgoing,
inspirational and making a big
difference to a park near you.
Dudley’s nine park rangers
are offering a number of
physical activity sessions and
community work at the
borough’s new healthy hubs.
The team, which consists of
eight park rangers and one
senior park ranger, is employed
as part of the nationally funded
£4.5million Healthy Towns
scheme. They are based at hub
buildings in Silver Jubilee in
Coseley, Netherton Park,
Huntingtree Park in Halesowen,
the Dell Stadium in Brierley Hill
and Mary Stevens Park in
Stourbridge.
Senior park ranger, Tom
Weaver, said: “Our first few
months have been absolutely
fantastic, it’s so great to get out
into the parks and make a real
difference. We believe everyone
can do their bit to help make
Dudley a healthy borough and I
would encourage all residents
come down to their local hub
and get involved.”
All hub buildings have a
community room, storage
space, public toilets, office space
and a kitchen and are
complemented by free-to-use
outdoor gym equipment.
Under the project Dudley
Council is also developing active
travel corridors, which aim to
improve cycling and walking
routes across the borough.
For further information visit
www.dudley.gov.uk
/healthytowns or to sign up for
regular updates email
healthytowns.cexec@dudley
.gov.uk
College offers computer course for visually impaired
People with visual impairment are
developing their computer skills thanks
to a new course at Dudley College.
The course gives visually impaired
people the opportunity to access the
internet, send emails and communicate
electronically. It is being run by the
college together with the Beacon Centre
for the Blind, The Thomas Pocklington
Trust, Dudley Vision Support Services and
Dolphin.
Curriculum manager Mike Hollis said:
“The whole point of the course is to give
visually impaired people the opportunity
to learn how to use the internet, word
processing and send emails effectively to
communicate in the same manner that
sighted people take for granted.”
The college also works with more
advanced learners offering courses at
Level 1 and 2 using JAWS and
Supernova software.
For more information please contact
Jo Griffin on 01902 687961 or
01384 363223 or email jo.griffin@
dudleycol.ac.uk
Rangers make
fitness fun
I Racing to help you get fit are the
Heathy Towns’ nine park rangers.
news
dudleytogether 5
Health and well-being
Health and well-being
Coughs and sneezes? Let’s beat diseases
Two pages of advice and information to help you keep healthy this winter...
1 Stock up on your
medicine cabinet
Health chiefs in Dudley are urging
people to stock up their medicine
cabinet for the festive period.
Over Christmas it may not be as easy
to get a routine GP appointment at your
local practice and while health bosses
are encouraging people to use the GP
out of hours service and Dudley
Borough Walk-in Centre, they are
advising that keeping a well-stocked
medicine cabinet at home can help you
treat many minor ailments, cuts and
bruises.
The basic requirements for a medicine
cabinet are listed below and if you are
unsure your local pharmacist can advise
you further. You should have:
Antacids for indigestion.
Antiseptic cream for cleaning
cuts
and grazes.
paracetamol or ibuprofen
for pain relief in adults.
Paracetamol or ibuprofen syrup for
children.
Bandages, plasters and dressings.
Basic first-aid manual.
Cold or flu relief.
Decongestant for adults and
children.
Thermometer.
Aspirin,
You may also find useful
Cotton wool.
Anti-diarrhoeal for stomach
Adhesive tape for securing
dressings.
Cough medicines.
Disposable gloves.
Scissors with rounded edges.
Sterile gauze pads.
Throat lozenges.
Tweezers.
Phone numbers to your clinic
and
emergency numbers.
It is vital you store medicines out of the
reach of children and check any
medicines that are already in your
cabinet for their use by date. These
medicines can be taken to your
pharmacist for safe disposal.
Always follow the instructions on your
medicine and never exceed the stated
dose.
If you do feel unwell, either see your
pharmacist, contact NHS Direct on
0845 46 47 for further advice
2 Think before attending the
Emergency Department
Clinicians in Dudley are gearing
themselves up for what is
traditionally one of their busiest
periods.
The surge in demand for services with
the colder weather often sees patients
turning up at the Emergency
Department at Russells Hall Hospital –
sometimes by-passing the community
services that are in place to help them.
Ashes Mukherjee, consultant in
Emergency Medicine, said: “The
pressure on Emergency Departments
traditionally increases as the winter
weather begins to bite. With winter
+Dudley Primary Care Trust+
6 dudleytogether
upsets.
promoting a sense of well-being and health
viruses and an increase in respiratory
conditions, we expect to see more
patients visiting the hospital for
treatment over the coming months. We
are keen to emphasise that there are a
range of local community services
available to patients, and it is really
important that they understand what
each of these services can provide, to
enable them to make the most
appropriate choice when seeking
medical advice and treatment.”
NHS Dudley has issued some tips on
how to avoid having to go to hospital in
an effort to help people get the
treatment they need faster. People
needing treatment should consider:
NHS
Direct - offers over the
telephone advice and help at any
time both day and night. They can
be contacted on 0845 46 47.
GP out-of-hours service, offers
advice, access to a doctor if your GP
practice is closed and you urgently
need to see a doctor between
6.30pm-8am. They can be
contacted on 0845 145 1800.
Pharmacists are experts in
medicines and how they work. You
can talk to your pharmacist in
confidence, even about the most
personal symptoms and you don’t
need to make an appointment. In
Dudley there are around 60
pharmacies but if you wish to find
your nearest one, contact Family
Health Services on 01384 366017
or visit www.dudley.nhs.uk.
Emergency Dental Treatment can
assist with severe dental and facial
pain (out-of-hours 7.30-9.30pm
/Saturday/Sunday and Bank
Holidays) and can be contacted by
calling 01384 213735.
The Dudley Borough Walk-In Centre
is open from 8am-8pm, seven
days a week and is at Holly Hall
Clinic, Stourbridge Road. No
appointment is required.
Ashes Mukherjee added: ”We see
people at times in the Emergency
Department who have just attended
for a second opinion, we also see
people who feel that an attendance
adds more weight to an absence from
work. My advice to people in the
borough is to help us to help those
people who really need to be seen at
ED. Please look at the other services
available to you in the first instance.“
3 Check on neighbours
NHS Dudley and Age UK Dudley are
encouraging people to look in on
older neighbours as the cold
weather might be making them
more isolated than normal.
Figures show around half of all
people aged 75 and over live alone
and 17 per cent of older people have
less than weekly contact with family,
friends and neighbours.
Sally Huband, chief officer Age UK
Dudley, said: “We need to remember
that older people are very independent
and will not ask for help. We suggest
that if you have older relatives or
neighbours just give them a ring or
knock on their door and ask if they
need any shopping or help.”
4 Top tips to avoid
Norovirus this winter…
Good hygiene will help you avoid
vomiting-related illnesses over the
winter months, say health experts.
Norovirus, or the winter vomiting bug
as it is sometimes called, is a group of
viruses that are the most common
cause of gastroenteritis (stomach bugs)
in England and Wales. It is estimated
that between 600,000 and a million
people in the UK suffer from symptoms
of Norovirus each year.
The symptoms of Norovirus begin
around 12 to 48 hours after becoming
infected and will usually last between
12 to 60 hours. Symptoms will start
with the sudden onset of nausea
followed by projectile vomiting and
watery diarrhoea. In addition some
people may have a raised
temperature, headaches and aching
limbs. There are three important things
to remember if you do suffer from
Norovirus this winter:
Keep well hydrated.
Wash your hands, with
soap and
water, especially after going to the
toilet. Hand gels are not effective
against Norovirus
Increase cleaning, with a bleach
based product, especially toilets
and touch points like taps and
door handles.
not visit hospital or your GP if
you are concerned, call NHS Direct
or your GP.
Do not return to work until 48
hours after your symptoms have
subsided.
Do
Barry Jones, lead infection control
nurse for NHS Dudley, said: “Norovirus
is a short term illness and there are no
long-term effects. There is no specific
treatment for Norovirus but it is
important to drink plenty of fluids to
prevent dehydration.
“You can help others not to become
infected by the virus through a good
standard of hygiene – this includes
thorough hand washing before and
after contact and regularly cleaning
hard surfaces such toilet handles and
taps.“
+Dudley Primary Care Trust+
promoting a sense of well-being and health dudleytogether 7
Volunteering
Volunteering
Caring team cook up a treat
Top volunteers Thomas Sidaway,
aged 18, and Annie Miles, aged 91,
receive their respective awards.
Turkey and all the
trimmings are on the
menu this Christmas
for the homeless
and the vulnerable
Volunteers will be cooking up a
storm this festive season, so that
some of Dudley borough’s most
vulnerable people can enjoy a
hearty Christmas meal.
Dudley-based Heaven’s Kitchen
will be serving turkey with all the
trimmings and a mountain of
vegetables to homeless and lonely
people at their annual Christmas
party.
Jeanette Jones, Lucille Ross and
Joan Howles cooked their first
Christmas meal for the group in
2007 and haven’t looked back.
Now joined by a whole team of
volunteers, including Mavis
Ainsbury, they cook more than 50
delicious meals each year to give
their guests at a Christmas party to
remember.
But it’s not just during the festive
season that the dedicated team
volunteer in their busy kitchen. All
year round healthy delicious
meals are given to a growing
number of local vulnerable
people.
The group estimate that since
starting, it has served up more than
3,000 three course meals to local
people in need. And this doesn’t include
their recently launched breakfast club,
or the sandwiches that every person
who comes to them is sent away with.
The group, which is part of Dudley
Christian Fellowship, started when
Jeanette and her husband Malcolm,
together with Richard Pearson, took to
Awards celebrating the vital
work of the volunteer army
Talking turkey: Jeanette
Jones and Mavis Ainsbury will
be offering a really festive
welcome for vulnerable
people this Christmas.
the streets with hot soup and sleeping
bags to find out if there was a need for
a support service.
Now the group’s weekly sessions are
not only attended by homeless people,
they also support many others facing
difficult circumstances, either because of
various addictions or poor mental
health. The group has made a warm
safe environment where their guests
enjoy companionship in addition to
support from the group’s other services,
including a Community Support Worker,
Dudley Counselling Centre, and the
offer of clean warm clothes.
Volunteer Graham Bishop said: “The
hot meals, support and care we provide
go a long way to raise the self-esteem
and quality of life of many local
disadvantaged people. By giving a
‘We were so tired of doing the same old thing in the run
up to Christmas we decided to give something back...’
8 dudleytogether
community spirit
helping hand to get back on their
feet, many of our guests have
gained the confidence to rejoin their
families and get back into training
and employment.”
So why do they do it? “It’s our
passion” said volunteer Jeanette,
“We were so tired of doing the
same old thing in the run up to
Christmas we decided to give
something back.
“It makes it worthwhile when all
year round our guests wish us
farewell with full bellies and big
smiles on their faces.”
There were smiles all round
at Dudley Volunteer
Awards as scores of the
borough’s top volunteers
were recognised with
special honours.
Awards were presented in
categories ranging from
Community Hero and
Sporting Champion, to the
safe and sound Award for
community safety at the
event organised by Dudley
Council for Voluntary
Service (CVS).
Senior officials who make
up Dudley Community
Partnership joined local
volunteers to celebrate the
difference volunteering
can make.
With more than half a
century between the
youngest and oldest
volunteer present, 18year-old Thomas Sidaway
was named Young
Volunteer of the Year.
Thomas was recognised for
the many hours that he
dedicates to 3rd Brierley
Hill Scouts.
In contrast, the oldest
volunteer was 91-year-old
Netherton resident Annie
Miles who scooped the top
award of the night.
Annie was presented with
the Gordon Lindsay Award
for long service in memory
of former Dudley CVS
chair.
community spirit dudleytogether 9
Business
Trainees bridge the generation gap in jobs push
Trainees Paula Reece, aged 19, and
Richard Smith, 22, are bridging the
generation gap at sheltered housing
in Dudley, thanks to the Future Skills
jobs scheme. The pair are working
with tenants at Woodhouse Court,
promoting self-care and organising
fun activities for residents. Future
Skills, part of Dudley Council’s
employment and skills agenda, finds
placements for the unemployed. Carol
Millington, Dudley’s health promotion
and self-care co-ordinator, said: “The
inter-generational aspect of this –
younger people helping older people
– has been particularly successful.”
Eurocraft surfs the
telecom airwaves
New jobs are set to be created
at a Dudley business which
supplies specialist equipment to
global telecommunication
giants.
Eurocraft Enclosures, a leading
designer and supplier of
customised housing for
communications technology, says
its business is going from strength
to strength. The company, based
in Cinderbank, which employs
100 people, has been supplying
telecommunication enclosures to
British Telecom for more than 50
years since it was formed in
1960. It is headed up by
co-owners Kevin O’Toole,
managing director, and Laura
Loveys, operations director.
Laura said: “Kevin and myself
led a management buy out eight
years ago and since then we have
gone from strength to strength,
securing new business and
customers. We are now expecting
to grow in 2011 with new jobs for
the region and further
investment.”
The company has started to see I Kevin O’Toole and Laura Loveys, who are taking
Eurocraft from strength to strength.
growth as a result of BT’s Infinity
Rollout of superfast broadband, and as regeneration bosses as part a new
a result of a contract with Virgin Media.
programme launched by the council to
In addition it also has contracts with
engage with the borough’s strategic
Fujitsu and Alcatel Lucent along with a
companies and major employers. The
host of other blue chip communications aim is to ensure all major companies
companies. Eurocrcaft Enclosures was
have a direct point of contact with the
recently visited by Dudley Council
local authority.
10 dudleytogether
creating a prosperous borough
I College principal Lynette Cutting and
project manager Gordon McCartin dig the
first sod, and (below), how the new Art &
Design Centre will look.
Jobs cheer as £12m
campus takes shape
The £12-million investment in a new
Art & Design Centre in the heart of
Brierley Hill is creating local job
opportunities.
Stourbridge College is investing in a
new Art & Design Centre which will
house up to 1,000 students. The new
building, in Venture Way, will open in
September next year. Lynette Cutting,
college principal, said: “We have
worked hard to make sure we have
good value for money on every aspect
of the building and it’s going to be
inspiring for the students.”
Gordon McCartin, project manager
for builders, BAM Construction, said:
“We will involve local suppliers and
create local employment opportunities
as well as making a commitment to
support the college with training and
development.”
Andy Almond, partner at architect’s
Pick Everard, said: “We have created
an excitingly dynamic design which
reflects the nature of the aspiring
students.”
Duncan Bower, development
director at Westfield, added: “Local
employment growth through high
standards of training and education is
paramount to the prosperity of the
area and we are extremely pleased to
be contributing towards Stourbridge
College’s new facility with the sale of
land.”
News Extra
Help for tenants
Have a say on managing homes
People struggling to secure a
housing tenancy are getting a
helping hand thanks to a new rent
deposit scheme. The Dudley
Council scheme helps people who
meet set criteria to secure and
maintain a private tenancy. It is
aimed at the homeless, those
threatened with homelessness and
those not a priority on the
council’s housing list. For more
details, call 01384 815070.
Council tenants across Dudley are being invited to
have their say on how they want their homes and
estates managed. The Tenant Services Authority
(TSA) is seeking people’s views on a number of
possible local housing standards which it is required to
have in place by April next year. A short questionnaire
is available on line from December 13 at www.dudley
.gov.uk/housing - just follow the link to Your homes,
your standards. The closing date for tenants to make
their comments is January 31 2011. The findings will
be presented to a borough forum in February and the
local standards must be in place from April 1 2011.
New card on offer to
beat sharks menace
Castle & Crystal Credit Union in
Dudley is offering a new service
to its members in a bid to
protect them from loan sharks.
The credit union’s new Alto
Mastercard can be pre-loaded with
cash to purchase goods up to the
value on the card, preventing the
owner from inadvertently getting
into debt.
Alto Mastercard has been
launched to encourage existing
and new members in time for
them to load a Christmas loan of
typically £350-500 on to the card,
dependent upon the ability of the
credit union member to meet the
loan repayments. The Christmas
loan is normally spread over 12
months to ensure that members do
not roll over the debt from one
Christmas to the next.
The new card has been hailed a
success by the Financial Inclusion
Unit at the Department of Work
and Pensions in Birmingham. It
has agreed to allocate £10,000 of
its Growth Fund to pay the initial
card fee of £6 for members of
several credit unions in the West
Midlands.
To find out more, call 01384
815771, visit the branch at 25
New Street, Dudley or visit
www.castleandcrystal.co.uk.
I Get
down
to your
nearest
leisure
centre.
Make a date to get in shape
Give yourself a great
workout without
breaking the bank by
getting fit at the
borough’s leisure
centres. Crystal, Dudley
and Halesowen leisure
centres and the Dell
Stadium are gearing up
for new members keen
to take up great
membership packages
in the New Year. Rita
Pearce, promotions
officer, said: “Becoming
a member costs from
as little as £24 a month
and gives you unlimited
access to public
swimming, a full range
of fitness classes, use of
the state-of-the-art
gyms and the running
track. Our centres also
offer an Options+
leisure discount scheme
for concessionary
groups which gives a
50 per cent discount on
a range of activities on
a pay and play basis.”
To find out more about
your local leisure
centre and the activities
on offer call 01384
812800 or go to
www.dudley.gov.uk
/sport.
Residents star
in alarms DVD
Residents are starring in a
new DVD explaining the
benefits of Dudley’s
Telecare Service. The
DVD features the stories
of local people talking
about the service and
how it has helped them.
Dudley Telecare Service
provides a complete
range of telecare alarm
solutions to help people
live independently. All
Telecare alarms are
linked to the services’s
round-the-clock
monitoring system.
Copies of the DVD as
well as advice are
available on 0300
5552040.
I Pictured above is Ceri
Davies from Kingswinford
who features in the DVD.
Here to help
More and more people are
turning to the Citizens Advice
Bureaux for help and
information, says the charity.
In the West Midlands, the
CAB advised more than
830,000 problems from April
2009 to March 2010, an
increase of 22 per cent on
the previous year. Debt was
the biggest area of advice.
Dudley District CAB has
offices in St James’s Road as
well as Brierley Hill,
Halesowen and Stourbridge.
For more information, call
01384 816 222. For online
advice and information, see
www.adviceguide.org.uk
news
dudleytogether
15
Education
Education
Bright sparks stay
safe this winter
Be bright and be seen is the
message to people out and
about over the winter
months.
Dudley’s road safety and
travel awareness team is
urging people out walking or
cycling near traffic to make
sure they wear bright colours
and reflective clothing.
Wendy Howard, Dudley’s
senior road safety officer, said:
“Autumn and winter usually
see an increase in road traffic
casualties because it’s dark,
dull or misty when we travel to
work or school. That’s why it’s
a good idea to be bright and
be seen when walking or
cycling near traffic.
“In the daytime, it’s a good
idea to wear light, bright
colours. Once it is dark
fluorescent colours won’t
make a difference.
That’s when reflective
clothing and accessories such
as stickers or wristbands to
improve your visibility to
drivers, are needed.
If you are out at night it’s a
good idea to plan routes and
crossing places that are well lit
and if there’s no pavement,
walk at the edge of the road
facing the oncoming traffic, so
16 dudleytogether
I Keeping
safe on the
roads this
winter.
Top tips to be
seen
Brightly coloured or
shows up
fluorescent clothing
well in daylight.
gear.
ctive
refle
r
Wea
I
t
Remember, fluorescen after
clothing doesn’t work
dark.
pavement, walk
I If there’s no
traffic.
facing the oncoming ing
s and cross
I Choose route
lit.
are
places that well cross,
t place to
I Find the safes
n.
Stop, Look and Liste
bike has
I Make sure you
reflectors.
working lights and
I
promoting individual and community learning
you can see and be seen
more easily. And don’t forget if
you are cycling, you also need
to be easy to see. The law
requires all bikes to have
clean, working lights at night
– red at the back, white at the
front.
“You should also have
reflectors in the same colours,
and it’s a good idea to have
yellow spoke reflectors as well.
If you are nervous about
cycling in the dark, you can
book cycle training sessions to
help improve your confidence.
For more information visit
www.dudley.gov.uk/roadsafety
or call 01384 815432.
Students
take centre
stage in
anti-bullies
campaign
I Members of the Chatback
team celebrate their award.
Top award for
TV film crew
Fourteen young people
involved in fostering in
Dudley have received
two of television’s top
awards. Their film,
Handle with Care, won
best short film and best
production craft skills at
the Royal Television
Society Awards in
media and television
for the Midlands.
The young people,
who are either fostered
or their parents foster
for Dudley Council,
attended a starstudded ceremony held
at The Great Hall of
Birmingham University.
Handle with Care
follows the lives of two
love-struck teenagers
and the cast of young
people are joined in
the film by Black
Country actress Josie
Lawrence.
In the film, 15-year
old Danny is fostered
by Josie Lawrence, and
helps his friend Emma
to escape a home life
of alcoholism and
violence. The cast
helped script and
develop the storyline
which was partly
funded by Mediabox.
The cast formed
Chatback productions
following the success of
a previous DVD about
children in foster care.
Nursery
fun, free
of charge
Families wanting to give
their children a great start
in life can often be put off
by money worries.
But did you know that all
three and fouryear-olds
I
across the Dudley borough
are entitled to free nursery
education? The Extra time
for threes and fours scheme
gives young children 15
hours per week of free
nursery education for 38
weeks of the year.
Children can attend up to
five sessions per week, with
each session lasting a
minimum of three hours.
You can choose to take
up your child’s free
entitlement with a wide
range of childcare
providers in the private,
voluntary, independent or
local authority sector.
These include full day
care, sessional care, school
nurseries, pre-schools,
children’s centres and
some childminders.
You can
access the
free place as
long as your
chosen provider
is registered to deliver
the free entitlement.
You may even be able to
Youngsters make the most of free
nursery education.
take the 15 hours of free
entitlement flexibly over a
minimum of three days, if
your childcare provider is
able to accommodate this.
You may be able to
choose from a variety of
combinations of hours to
suit your work, training and
other family commitments.
Under the scheme, hours
must be taken over a
minimum of three days and
with no more than two
different childcare
providers.
To find out the settings at
which you can claim your
free nursery education
place please contact
Dudley’s Family
Information Service on
01384 814398/9 or go to
http://fis.dudley.gov.uk/fsd.
If you require further
information on the free
entitlement please call the
Dudley free entitlement
helpline on 01384 818125
or 01384 818085 or visit
www.dudley.gov.uk
/earlyyearsandchildcare
Students from
borough schools are
featuring in a video
campaign to raise
awareness of
bullying.
Dudley Council
launched the videos
during national antibullying week in
November as part of
a long-term
campaign to tackle
the problem.
The five video clips
went live on Youtube
and are on the safe &
sound partnership
website.
They focus on
physical bullying,
being deliberately left
out, name calling,
peer pressure and
cyber bullying.
Kat Lafferty,
Dudley’s anti-bullying
co-ordinator, said:
“Bullying comes in all
different forms and
each one can be
equally devastating
for a young person.
“These videos will
help students from
primary school right
through to college
identify with bullying
in its many guises. We
hope the videos will
raise awareness of
the problem and
encourage them to
seek help if they are
being bullied.”
To find out more
contact Kat Lafferty
on 01384 813751.
promoting individual and community learning
dudleytogether 17
Environment
TOP
a green
for TIPS
Christmas
Dreaming of a green Christmas?
Here’s how you can celebrate the
festive season in style without it
costing the earth...
Reduce the energy of your
Christmas lights: Switch to either
LED lights, choose lights that are
powered by solar power or
rechargeable batteries.
Recycle your Christmas cards: And
make gift tags for use in the
following year.
Donate any unwanted gifts: As
Christmas is the season of
goodwill, donate these gifts to a
local charity shop and give others
the opportunity to enjoy them.
Keep warm this Christmas:
Remember to close your curtains
at dusk to keep the warmth in and
reduce your energy bills.
Buy food carefully: When doing
your Christmas food shopping, buy
products with the least amount of
packaging and try to buy the
amount of food you will need to
avoid waste.
Recycle your wrapping paper: As
an alternative to wrapping paper,
consider wrapping your presents in
brown or recycled paper and use
string or raffia as an alternative to
sticky tape.
Avoid use of plastic: Use reusable
bags or cotton bags rather then
accepting new plastic bags with
every purchase.
Deck the halls with real holly:
Instead of spending money on
artificial Christmas decorations, let
nature decorate your home go for
holly, seasonal berries, ivy and
evergreen branches for your
decorations.
Environment
Council is
winning
the war on
potholes
True gritters on standby
Gridlock busting gritters at
Dudley Council are geared
up for a winter of keeping
the borough’s highways
clear when snow and ice
strike.
A 40-strong team based at
the council’s Lister Road depot
keep more than 460
kilometres of road clear
during severe weather.
Last year the country
experienced the coldest winter
in 30 years and saw council
gritters out on the roads 65
times from November through
to March.
Currently preparations are
under way to ensure grit
stocks are again kept to a
level to ensure borough roads
are salted throughout the cold
spell.
The council has ordered
more than 6,500 tonnes onto
site this year compared to
around 4,500 tonnes for the
same period last year and is
now monitoring road
temperatures and will respond
accordingly.
With ten lorries and eight
gritting routes the team makes
sure all of the borough’s
principal routes, classified
roads, town centre and bus
routes are salted.
In addition they grit roads
where there are school
crossing patrols and school
entrances with the exception of those
schools in culs-de-sac.
Mike Bosworth, who heads up the
team, said: “We are on 24-hour
standby from November through to
April to ensure the highways are kept
clear so traffic can keep moving.
“As well as the crews on the gritting
vehicles, we’ve got mechanics who
repair faults and office support staff
18 dudleytogether safeguarding and improving the environment
Rising to the
challenge:
Dudley Council
workers working
to keep roads
clear this winter.
who work around the clock when
really bad weather strikes.
“To get ahead of the game we use
sophisticated monitoring equipment
to gauge road surface temperatures
as well as radar readings which
identify weather fronts.”
The team also maintains 750 grit
bins, which are topped up when
necessary so people can treat the
roads outside their homes.
A staggering 12,000
potholes have been
repaired on Dudley’s
roads since last year’s
cold snap.
As Dudley Council
prepares itself for
another winter season,
transportation bosses
have revealed the extent
of their work over the last
few months.
Since April this year, the
council has repaired
around 2,000 potholes
each month making a
total of more than
12,000 repairs.
This work followed the
coldest winter in 30 years
and was funded through
£252,000 from the
government's emergency
winter damage fund.
In addition to this
£200,000 of extra
funding was allocated
from the council's
budgets specifically in
response to the road
conditions.
The government's
emergency winter
damage fund involved
£100 million to assist
local authorities following
last year’s cold weather.
The search is on for the borough’s new Energy Hero
Dudley Community Partnership and
the Dudley Climate Change Group
are about to launch the Energy
Heroes Awards 2011.
Energy Heroes is an annual award
scheme which rewards the energy
saving achievements of individuals
and organisations which can
demonstrate a concerted effort
towards saving energy.
Projects which have an impact on
reducing energy use and carbon
emissions such as awareness raising
activities, encouraging alternatives to
car travel or energy management
initiatives will be eligible for entry.
The Energy Heroes Awards
highlight the many people, groups
and organisations that are saving
energy and money. Look out for
more details in the New Year.
safeguarding and improving the environment
dudleytogether 19
Culture
Culture
With the BBC’s Strictly putting dance firmly on the map, more and more people are
hot-footing it to dance classes. Here in Dudley there’s no shortage of groups offering
all sorts of dance style, from traditional tea dances to street. There’s no better time of
year to discover the diversity dance on your doorstep, and to get moving...
Malcolm and
Joan Vanes step
to it at Dudley
Concert Hall.
Strictly speaking...
Dancers head
for the London
2012 Olympics
Young dancers from
Dudley are taking part
in an extravaganza as
part of the country’s
Cultural Olympiad.
In the lead up to the
2012 Olympics
youngsters from the
borough will take part
in Godiva Awakes, a
breath-taking dance
performance to be
unveiled in Coventry
before the group
travels to London to be
part of the 2012
celebrations.
Maggie Lewis said:”
The Godiva
performance is part of
dance activity in the
lead up to 2012 and
the Cultural Olympiad.
“Dancers took part
earlier this year in a
project called Making
Links which celebrated
the chain-making
industry through a
series of innovative
dance performances.
“It began in May with
a performance at
Himley and moved on
to Netherton as part of
the Titanic anchor
celebrations. It is now
going on to showcase
at Birmingham
Symphony Hall.”
“Dudley has seen a huge rise
in the dance activity and
hundreds of young people
have access to high quality
dance training and
performance,” says Maggie
Lewis from Dudley
Performing Arts.
“There are so many
opportunities to get involved in
dance from school workshops
to community dance groups
and here in Dudley we are
leading the way.”
Dudley hosts a government Merhado Evans, aged 21, Jamie Purchase,
funded contract in the Black
18, and Rashad Ali make the most of the
Country for Youth Dance
dance sessions in Netherton.
England, one of only nine in
borough that make it possible
the country, which runs a
Hot foot it to community
for people to get involved.”
variety of dance groups
dance performances at...
Declan Lewis, aged 13, goes
alongside Netherton-based
Stourbridge Town Hall
to a regular street dance class
Dudley Performing Arts.
March 7.
in Netherton. He said: “I’ve
Maggie said: “Dance is very
Dudley Concert Hall
been dancing for four years
popular and with Youth Dance
March 21.
and I love it. You get to learn
England DPA provides dance
Brierley Hill Civic Hall
new skills, it’s great.”
classes, dance training and
May 24.
Student Merhado Evans, 21,
dance performances.
Himley Hall July 1-3.
who goes to the same dance
“There are seven street
session, added: “I’ve been
dance groups for boys, 12
coming to the DPA street
become dance leaders
after-school dance classes for
dance class for the past year
themselves.
mixed groups, a Dance Like
and half. It’s cool and gives
”While the development of
Diversity group, and the DPA
you something positive to do.
dance has been fuelled by TV
breakers for eight to 19-yearIt keeps you fit, you’ve got a
programmes it is the many
olds.
skill and you get the chance to
programmes and dance
“We give local people the
perform dance.”
groups we have in the
chance to train in dance to
What else is on offer across the borough?
Did you know across the
borough there are...
Seven street dance sessions
for boys.
A post 16 group called
Dance Like Strictly teaching
the jive and lindy hop.
20 dudleytogether celebrating the heritage and diversity of local culture
Thirty nursery and school
DPA’s The Company made
creative, street and
contemporary dance
schemes.
Dance 4 All, an open access
group of for young people
with disabilities.
Dance leaders training.
up of dance professionals.
DPA dance theatre for 1825 year olds.
Sweet Inspirations offering
lots of dance styles for
young people with
disabilities.
Time for a
tea dance?
For an older generation
there’s nothing new
about Strictly - they’ve
always known about
the delights of
dancing. Take 75year-old Malcolm
Vanes and his wife
Joan, 80. The couple,
who were born and
bred in Eve Hill,
Dudley, have been
dancing for more than 40
years. Mr and Mrs Vanes,
who have three children,
six grandchildren and five
great grandchildren, go
out dancing three times a
week including a regular
Monday night and
Wednesday afternoon
dance at Dudley Concert
Hall. Malcolm said: “We’ve
been dancing together for
more than 40 years. It’s
wonderful to do because it
takes in so many things. You can
socialise, keep healthy and fit and
you can dance in all weathers.”
For your nearest tea dance hop down to…
Halesowen Cornbow Hall hosts a tea dance from 2-4
pm every Thursday. On Fridays from 8-11pm you can
learn ceroc (jazz and jive dancing) and there’s a dance
practice every Tuesday from 8.30-10.30pm.
Brierley Hill Civic Hall hosts ceroc every Monday from
7.30-10.30pm and ballroom dances every Wednesday
from 7-10pm.
Dudley Concert Hall hosts an afternoon tea dance
every Monday and Wednesday from 1-4pm and on
Wednesday evenings from 7.30-10.30pm.
celebrating the heritage and diversity of local culture
dudleytogether 21
Competition
What’s On
Out and about
DECEMBER
10 (7.30pm) - The 2010
Royal Marines Christmas
Spectacular, Dudley
Concert Hall.
14 (2pm) - Back to
Broadway Christmas
Show, Dudley Concert
Hall.
JANUARY
6 (8pm) - Kum-N-Avaloff
Comedy Night,
Stourbridge Town Hall.
FEBRUARY
2 (7.30pm) - Lenny Henry
– Cradle to Rave; A
Musical Journey, Dudley
Concert Hall.
3 (8pm) - Kum-N-Avaloff
Comedy Night,
Stourbridge Town Hall.
5 (7.30pm) - John Otway
and Band, Stourbridge
Town Hall.
15 (2pm) - The
Sensational Charleston
Chasers, Dudley Concert
Hall.
MARCH
3 (8pm) - Kum-N-Avaloff
Comedy Night,
Stourbridge Town Hall.
I Local lad Lenny Henry is at
Dudley Concert Hall on February 2.
22
dudleytogether
CONTACTS
L
L
Entertainment
Dudley Museum
& Art Gallery
St James’s Road, Dudley
Tel 01384 815575
www.dudley.gov.uk
/museums
Admission free
Open Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm.
Closed Bank Holiday
Mondays.
Bank Holiday Mondays
noon-4pm.
Broadfield House
Glass Museum
Compton Drive
Kingswinford
Tel 01384 812745
www.glassmuseum.org.uk
Admission free
Open Tues-Sun, noon-4pm;
Entertainment
in Dudley Live!
Box office
01384 812812
5 (7.30pm) - Johnny Cash
Roadshow, Dudley Concert
Hall.
19 (7.30pm) - Count
Arthur Stong’s Command
Performance, Stourbridge
Town Hall.
Movie matinees (1.30pm),
Stourbridge Town Hall.
Matinee shows on the first
Monday and third
Wednesday of the month.
Exhibitions
JANUARY
Ongoing - Saxons and
Vikings, Dudley Museum
& Art Gallery.
Ongoing (until February
27) - Glass Furniture,
Broadfield House. Crystal
tables and plate glass
chairs are among the
amazing exhibits.
15 (until March 5) Dudley Camera Club,
Dudley Museum
& Art Gallery.
out and about
* Wednesdays and
Thursdays - Running for
fitness at Mary Stevens
Park (9.30am Wednesday,
5.30pm Thursday). Meet at
Hub building, Mary Stevens
Park.
The Red House
Glass Cone
High Street, Wordsley
Tel 01384 812750
www.redhousecone.co.uk
Admission free
Open Mon-Sun 10am-4pm.
Himley Hall & Park
For opening times, call
01384 817817
www.himleyhall.org
15 (until April 24) - Loch,
Heather & Peat, Broadfield
House. Domhnall O’Broin
and Caithness Glass.
MARCH
12 (until May 7)
- Connections. Textile work
by the enigma group of
Worcester Artists, Dudley
Museum & Art Gallery.
Walks
Walks
DECEMBER
9 (10am-12.30pm) - Fens
Pools Winter Walk.
Pre-booking required at
01384 812780.
18 (2-3.30pm) - Cotwall
End Valley. Meet at
Brockswood Animal
Sanctuary car park.
24 (10am) - Christmas Eve
at The Leasowes. Meet at
The Leasowes Park.
26 (10.30am) - Boxing day
at Himley Park. Meet at
golfers’ car park, Himley
Park.
Dudley Zoological
Gardens & Castle
Call 01384 215313
Open every day from 10am
(except Christmas Day). Last
admission: winter 3pm and
summer (Easter-September)
4pm. NB. Grounds close 60
minutes after last admission.
FEBRUARY
4 (10am-11.30am) - Quarry
Bank to Lye Wood and
Saltbrook Valley. Meet at
Quarry Bank Park, off Thorns
Road.
7 (10am-12.30pm) Leasowes, Illey and Lapal.
Meet at The Leasowes car
park.
WIN
* Mondays and
Wednesday - Nordic
walking (Mondays
5.30pm, Wednesdays
2pm). Meet at The
Leasowes car park.
Black Country
Living Museum
Call 0121 520 8054
Open March-October every
day 10am-5pm. NovemberFebruary closed Monday
and Tuesday, open
Wednesday to Sunday
10am-4pm.
JANUARY
1 (10am) - New Year’s Day at
Saltwells. Meet at the car park
off Coppice Lane.
2 (2pm) - Winter Warmer
Walk, Himley Hall.
Pre-booking essential on
01384 817817.
3 (10am-12.30pm) - Bumble
Hole to Leasowes. Meet at
Leasowes car park. Book in
advance.
7 (10am-noon) - Saltwells to
Bumble Hole. Meet at Saltwells
Nature Reserve car park.
18 (10am-1pm) - Kinver,
Prestwood, The Millions,
Enville. Meet at the Rock
Houses car park.
COMPETITION
* Every Thursday - Lutley
Walk (10am). Meet at Hub
Building, Huntingtree Park.
...pair of tickets
for comedian Ed
* Every Sunday Netherton Trail (2pm).
Meet at Hub building,
Netherton Park.
Two pairs of tickets to see
funnyman Ed Byrne at
Dudley Concert Hall are up
for grabs in our readers'
competition.
Ed stops off in the
borough as part of his 2011
UK show, Crowd Pleaser.
Tackling subjects as diverse
as being a nerd, owning a
cat, meeting your heroes,
and potentially becoming a
dad, Ed’s new show
demonstrates just how funny
a curmudgeonly man with a
keen eye for detail and a
sense of fairness can be. Ed’s
support on this tour, is fellow
Irish comedian Karl Spain.
Both take to the stage at
Dudley Concert Hall on
March 11.
To be in with a chance of
winning a pair of tickets,
simply answer the following
question:
* What is the name of Ed’s
new tour?
Send your answer on a
postcard with your name,
address and telephone
number to Dudley together,
Ed Byrne ticket competition,
Marketing and
Communications, FREEPOST
MID 22308, Dudley, DY1
1BR. The closing date for
entries is Friday January 7.
* Every Monday - The
Stourbridge Ramble
(9.30am). Meet at Hub
building, Mary Stevens Park.
* Thursdays - Silver
Jubilee Wrens Nest
Trail (10am). Meet at Hub
building, Silver Jubilee Park.
I Get out an about with Kim Braznell
and her team of park rangers
17 (10-1pm) - Buckpool to
Barrow Hill. Pre-booking
ooking required at
01384 812780.
22 (10am-1pm) - Tuckhill
and Kingsnordley.
Meet at car park by
Tuckhill church.
MARCH
4 (10am-11.30am) - Cinder
Bank to Black Brook Valley.
Meet at Saltwells Nature
Reserve.
7 (10am-12.30pm) - Clent
and Wychbury Hill. Meet at
Nimmings road car park.
24 (10-1.30pm) - Fens
Pools and the River Stour.
Pre-booking required at
01384 812780.
Regular walks
* Every Monday - Sedgley
Hall Farm Park
(1-1.45pm). Meet at
Northway Medical Centre.
* Every Wednesday - Priory
Park lap walking (10am).
Meet at Priory Pavillion.
* Second and last
Wednesday of every month
- Wordsley Trail (10am11.30am). Meet at Wordsley
Park main car park.
* Tuesdays and Thursdays Green-fit at Mary Stevens
Park (9.30-10.30am). Meet
at Hub Building, Mary Stevens
Park.
To find out more about
local walks, call Kim
Braznell, parkranger
/physical activity manager
on 01384 816992 or
07799070089.
Leisure centres
Why not visit one of the
borough’s leisure centres
call:
Crystal Leisure Centre,
Bell Street, Stourbridge.
01384 812910.
Dudley Leisure Centre,
Wellington road, Dudley.
01384 812815.
Halesowen Leisure
Centre, Great Cornbow,
Halesowen.
01384 812800.
Dell Stadium, Bryce Road,
Pensnett. 01384 812943.
out and about
dudleytogether
23
Key services in our borough
Dudley Council Plus
0300 555 2345
Housing Repairs
Management Centre
0300 555 8283
Callpay (24-hour
automated payment line)
0300 555 7000
Council tax and
housing benefits
0300 555 8100
Revenues (council tax
and business rates)
0300 555 8000
Emergency duty team
(out of hours social care)
0300 555 8574
The Benefits Shop
Priory Street, Dudley
01384 812639
Education enquiries
01384 814225
9am to 5pm weekdays
Registrar, births,
deaths, marriages
0300 555 2345
By appointment only at:
* Priory Hall.
* Stourbridge Crown Centre.
* Dudley Council Plus.
Social care enquiries
Social care adults
0300 555 0055
Social care children
01384 814225
Dudley Community
Partnership
www.dudleylsp.org
01384 814756
Dudley Council for
Voluntary Services (DCVS)
www.dudleycvs.org.uk
01384 267422
Dudley Primary
Care Trust
01384 322002
www.dudley.nhs.uk
Dosti
01384 265366
www.dosti.org.uk
Patient Advice and
Liaison Service (PALS)
Free phone
0800 073 0517
Citizens’ Advice Bureau
01384 816222
www.adviceguide.org.uk
Consumer Direct
(Trading Standards)
08454 040506
Dudley Group of Hospitals
www.dgoh.nhs.uk
Corbett, Guest and
Russells Hall Hospitals
01384 456111
NHS Direct
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
0845 46 47
Dudley Stop Smoking
0800 0850 652
Gas
For any gas emergency
0800 111 999
(24 hours)
Jobcentre Plus
0845 606 0234
www.jobcentreplus.org.uk