- St. Paul`s Community Trust

The Balsall
No. 253
Feb 2006
FREE
Heathan
Your Community Newspaper
Local News & Featur
es
Features
Listening & Learning
Library
Champions
Children from three local schools took part in a special book
launch in January. The event which celebrated the ‘Feeding
Their Minds’ Project saw children enjoying a puppet show
entitled ‘Yummy Yummy, I’ve got junk in my tummy’
performed by Community Artist Bev Dunne. This was then
followed by the presentation of certificates by local Councillor
Jerry Evans.
The ‘Feeding Their Minds’ Project, which was funded by the
‘Neighbourhood Renewal Fund’, aimed to encourage active
involvement in the library service by children. Children from
Clifton, Park Hill and Heath Mount Primary Schools were
asked to help select future book purchases for their local library
shelves.
Councillor Evans said of the initiative, “I’m pleased to be
invited today. Libraries are of great importance today.
Command of literacy is very important in today’s society”.
Silver Service at
St Paul’s Nursery
Staff at the St. Paul’s Nursery won a highly prized award
recently at the annual Quality Accreditation Award Ceremony
at the Council House. Having already gained a Bronze
‘Growing Together’ Quality Award, staff at the nursery were
overjoyed when they received notification of their Silver
classification.
The awards, which were set up over four years ago by the
Birmingham Early Years Development Partnership to
improve standards in early years education to a national level,
are now much sought after and demonstrate
proven quality in childcare provision.
St Paul’s Nursery Manager Suzanne Downer
said of the award, “I’m thrilled to bits to
receive this award on behalf of the staff. It
recognises the hard work and commitment
of everyone concerned”.
On the evening, Tony Howell, Strategic
Director of Learning and Culture presented
the awards and stated to a packed audience,
“These awards demonstrate the commitment
of the people who work in this industry to
continuously improve services”.
Staff at the Nursery will now be going for
gold and look forward to the challenges ahead.
The Balsall
Heathan
Your Community Newspaper
Open Day at Clifton
Road Mosque
Members of the Shi’a Muslim community recently held an open
day at the Clifton Road Mosque as part of their Ashura Awareness
Week. The event, which aimed to educate members of the
community upon aspects of their faith, was held during the
observance of Ashura, a religious event marked by all Muslims.
Ashura which literally means ‘10th’ is a significant event in the
Muslim calendar and is held on the 10th day of Muharram which
is the first month of the Islamic year.
Shi’a Muslims use the day to commemorate the martyrdom of
This month Heathans demonstrated their annoyance at the ineffective
consultation process employed by the Council when the Friends of
Balsall Heath Park protested when the Lord Mayor visited Balsall
Heath Park to plant trees. The fight to save the Birmingham Sports
Centre has had the similar problems with regards to the process of
consultation.
It is a poor indictment of the recent push by the City Council and
the Wards across the City for active citizenship when residents are
forced to protest in such a manner. As the views of many Heathans
are being ignored, so it would seem are the views of residents across
the City in Parry Barr and Great Barr who have rejected the idea of
losing more of their park for example.
However on a brighter note well done to organisers of the recent
Big Bash at the former Mosley Arts School who managed to raise a
staggering £5,800. The Heathan would also like to take this
opportunity of congratulating the volunteers at Sure Start Balsall
Heath who managed to raise £300 through a jumble and auction
sale. Well done everyone!
Newsdesk
Editor
Reporters
Contributors
Director
Photography
Distributors
Graphic Design
Design/Layout
Printed
0121 464 4376
Peter Cole.
Peter Cole
Christina McGuinness, Lisa Jarvis, Nicky Barron,Yunis Khan,
Emdadur Choudhury,Sajid Khan, Chris Duggan & DickAtkinson
Anita Halliday.
Jane Atkinson & Peter Cole.
St. Paul’s Community Trust staff,The West Midlands Probation
Service,The BalsallHeath Forum, May Pearson & Ann Molloy
Peter Cole.
Peter Cole.
by Clarkeprint Ltd.
St. Paul’s Community
Development Trust.
The Balsall Heathan is published by St. Paul’s Community Development Trust.
St. Paul’s Community Development Trust is a charity (number 508943) and company
limited by guarantee. The Heathan is not run for profit and is financed by sponsorship,
advertising and the assistance of charitable trusts.
The Balsall Heathan is distributed free to 6000 homes in the area.
The Editorial Board welcomes contributions from all who live in, work in or
are concerned for the welfare of the area. They are delighted to have
the help of volunteers with any aspect of running the paper. Please call us
on 0121-464 4376
Please send your news and views to The Editor, St. Paul’s Centre, Hertford Street, Balsall
Heath, Birmingham, B12 8NJ. Tel: 0121-464 4376. Fax: 0121-464 2555
Email [email protected]
Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet of Islam in 680 AD.
Hussein who along with seventy-two other men faced an army
of thirty thousand was murdered during the battle against the
ruling Caliph, Yazeed, on the 10th day of Muharram in Karbala
(modern-day Iraq), which is now an important pilgrimage site
for Shi’a Muslims all over the world.
Shi’a Muslims observe the day in mourning for Hussein and in
remembrance of his martyrdom. In the tradition of keeping the
lessons of this event alive, Clifton Road Mosque held a series of
talks and seminars through out the week leading up to Ashura
and invited members of the community to an open day on
Saturday February 4th. Visitors from all over the world attended
the event and enjoyed a delicious buffet.
Big Bash
January 2006
Residents of Balsall Heath started the year with a very special
Big Bash. This event was held on 15th January at the former
Moseley Art School. The aim of the event was to raise money
for the Tornado Hardship Appeal. People came from as far as
London, to dine on food cooked by local Restaurants, and to
watch local performers showing off their talents. The
entertainment was very varied, with both Asian and English
singers, musicians, dancers and DJs. We also had a colourful
fashion show by Desi Catwalk.
The event was organised by Carmel Bailey, resident of Runcorn
Road, supported by Nicky Barron from Balsall Heath Forum.
Carmel and Nicky are very grateful to all of the businesses that
donated goods or services for the event. They are also grateful to
the individuals who gave their time at the event, to help make it
run smoothly.
The Big Bash
b r o u g h t
together local
community
organisations,
businesses,
performers and
individuals.
Everyone who
came on the
day said they
had a great
time, and a total of over £5800 was raised for the Tornado
Hardship Appeal.
Focus Housing
Involves Residents
In response to the concerns of residents, Focus Housing Central
has brought in a successful Neighbourhood Officer from another
part of the city to
tackle
issues
involving crime
or
antisocial
behaviour and to
increase tenant
involvement.
Jelly Magirazi,
who previously
worked in the
North East of
Birmingham had
great success in
gaining
the
confidence of
residents and
helping them to
help create better
services through
Focus. Because
of this, Jelly has
been asked to
carry out the
same work in
Balsall Heath.
Through talking
to
active
Thank you To All Who Helped with the Big Bash,
including:
Venue
Entertainment
British Muslim Association
Asian Fashion - Desi Catwalk
Food
Ska sounds - The Heels
Al Faisals – Stoney Lane
Urban sounds - DJ Alf Tupper
Lahore Karahi- Highgate Road
Bhangra sounds - DJ Titchy B
Sparkbrook Caterers
Bollywood Dancers - Desi Nash
Plaza – Ladypool Road
Traditional music - Asian Arts
Adils – Stoney Lane
Face Painter – Jules
Yusef – Moseley Art School
Childrens Entertainment - Jilly Jelly Bean
Zam Zam – Ladypool Road
Other Community Support
Dawat – Ladypool Road
Balsall Heath Forum
Saleems – Ladypool Road
Sure Start Balsall Heath
Caspian Pizza Moseley Road
St Paul’s Community Development Trust
Caspian Pizza New Street
Tornado Affected Neighbourhoods
Roti Junction – Stoney Lane
Group
Crumbs – Ladypool Road
Prime Focus
Popular Wines – Ladypool Road Sparkbrook Neighbourhood Forum
Cloth/décor
Khushtboo – Ladypool Road
Public Cloth Store – Ladypool Road
Rosena Fashions – Ladypool Road
residents and agencies Jelly has identified that the young people in
Balsall Heath need to be involved in projects and so will be working
in partnership with local agencies and organisations to provide
social activities, community projects and to actively involve all
the residents. Issues regarding rats and rubbish raised by the Balsall
Heath Forum and active residents will be one of the first initiatives
to be tackled. Future plans for these problems will involve the use
of skips and bulk collections for Focus residents, as well as working
in partnership with Environmental Health Officers to tackle pest
problems.
In addition, Jelly plans to set up surgeries at Strensham Road
Community Flat where advice on housing issues for Focus Housing
tenants can be discussed in confidence. When asked about his new
role Jelly stated, “We aim to provide a local service which is
responsive to the needs of local people. In order to do this, we
bring our service to our customers in their homes and ensure that
we contribute to the management of the neighbourhood as a
whole. As the Neighbourhood Officer responsible for Balsall Heath
I am in the area most days and able to offer advice, support and
information on housing issues”.
Focus residents in Balsall Heath are welcome to contact Jelly
regarding any concerns they have with either the quality of their
homes, environmental issues, security or nuisance problems.
Focus also has a number of forums which enable residents from
across the city to exchange views, share concerns and influence
decision making. Jelly would be happy to facilitate Focus residents
participating in such groups should you wish to do so.
For further information contact Jelly
Magirazi, Neighbourhood
Officer, on 0845
6020 545.
A Year Of Helping
The Community
Community front office volunteers at Edward Police Station
celebrated a year of helping their community this month. The twelve
volunteers who give their time to the initiative free of charge took
time, along with members of the Police, the Balsall Heath Forum
and Community Wardens to enjoy a well-deserved meal. The meal,
which was cooked by the Community Wardens, was a thank you for
the good work they have done throughout the twelve months and
the support they have given to members of the community who
have visited the front desk (between 3 and 5 pm on Mondays to
Fridays)
needing
assistance.
The initiative
which began
6th December
2004 has to
date dealt
with around
600 enquiries
and through
the CCTV has
had
a
dramatic
effect upon
crime in the
area. Before being accepted on to the scheme, each volunteer has to
go through a Criminal Record Bureau check before they can take up
post in either the CCTV or front desk initiative.
Pat Lewis who has been with the front desk volunteers since the
beginning said of the scheme, “I used to be on the front desk, but I’m
moving to CCTV. This will be very useful as I’m studying criminology
on the Open University and will allow me to study behaviour more
in depth”. For Gwen Carragher, who is disabled, the scheme allowed
Your Local
Library
“Your Library
Needs You!”
By Sajid Khan
The ‘death’ of the novel has been foretold many times. Invariably,
it is book lovers who must keep it alive. Multiple computers are a
prevalent feature of most Community Libraries today, offering a
wealth of instant and interactive data and communication at the
click of a button. Balsall Heath Library has, accordingly, embraced
this resource, fully endorsing the innumerable benefits such
technology extends. However, the core of a Library is comprised
of books and a love of books and what they can offer without
having to be plugged into a socket. Above all, these books can be
taken home, free of charge, to read at your own convenience.
her the opportunity to get out of the house, “For me it’s the meeting
people and providing help that I enjoy. It’s not trying work and it’s
something I can do”.
Pat Wing Neighbourhood Manager at the Balsall Heath Forum said
of the volunteers, “I would just like to say to the volunteers a very
big thank you. Without them this office would not be open and it is
their generosity that makes all this possible”.
When asked about the volunteer scheme Munib Rehman from the
Community Wardens said, “I’m really proud of them, without their
help none of this would be possible”. If you would like to know
more about these initiatives and are interested in joining the volunteers
then contact the Balsall Heath Forum on 0121 446 6182/3
As part of a new initiative to reduce crime and increase residents’
awareness of home security, Balsall Heath Practical Care Project
is offering elderly residents the opportunity to improve their
household security. This will involve postcode marking of large
and expensive objects and the fitting of door locks, window locks
and door viewers. Stocks of the
security devices are limited and will
be fitted free of charge on a first
come first served basis.
Balsall Heath Practical Care
Project is a voluntary organisation
that aims to provide practical
maintenance support and advice to
residents living in Balsall Heath.
The scheme particularly assists
elderly residents of the area. If you
are, or know of, someone who
would benefit from the service
phone 464 4376.
To help anyone who enjoys reading fiction to expand the number
of stories they read, Balsall Heath Library has introduced its very
own Book Reviews in the Library, appraising pre-eminent works
of contemporary and classic fiction. This resource has been devised
to help borrowers facing that most unrelenting of all dilemmas
during a Library visit – ‘What should I read next?’
The selection is based on the judgement and recommendations of
our dedicated team of Library Assistants, who not only have
expansive experience but are also in frequent contact with books
and readers. It has been designed to offer a simple and convenient
point of reference for readers in pursuit of something different.
The main criterion for each book selection is based, inherently, on
the reading experience and the pleasure derived from these
experiences.
Balsall Heath Library is of inestimable value to literature
enthusiasts, whether you are a teacher of literature, a student of
literature, a member of a reading group or just read for sheer
pleasure. We are sharing a selection of our personal recommended
reading. The choice, however, is yours and is always open to
individual consideration. Our selection of novels represents a
fraction of the thousands’ of fiction titles available at our Library
and via Birmingham Libraries’ extensive catalogue service. We
invite anyone who wishes to broaden their reading horizons.
Moreover, this is your Community Library and, as such, welcomes
your reading suggestions too.
ODPM inquiry into a safe
Sports Centre, pitch, &
College
by Dick Atkinson
The Council has been trying to sell the Sports Centre, pitch
and college site for some years. It says it is doing so because
the money gained from the sale will help to fund a new college
on the vacant land between Haden Way and the old Moseley
Road.
In the place of centre, pitch and college, the council aim to let
a property developer build a giant bulky goods retail shed.
Nearby residents, Percy Shurmer School, the Health Trust and
others objected. They say that they too want a new college but
that its new building can be funded by other means. They
want to retain the centre and pitch and do not want a large
commercial building in their place. So, the Office of the Deputy
Prime Minister (ODPM) decided to inquire into the situation.
He asked: Is the Council right? Should this sale and
development go ahead or not? Are the residents right? Should
the Sports Centre and pitch be retained?
To help the inquiry to decide the merits for and against, it also
had to decide whether to close the old path which runs between
the Sports Centre and pitch and build a new one between the
new development and Percy Shurmer School.
The Government Inspector finished looking into these
matters on Feb 3rd 2006. He now has to go away and, having
heard both sides, decide what he thinks. He then has to report
this to John Prescott the relevant Secretary of State.
What will Mr Prescott decide? Nobody knows. His decision is
expected in a few weeks, either way, one side will be
disappointed, the other happy. However, instead of seeing
this as a ‘winner/loser’ situation, all concerned might see it as
being a new step in the development of Balsall Heath. All
concerned have stated their case. All concerned should make
the best of whatever the ODPM’s decision is.
Well Done
3Es Enterprises held their annual presentation evening on 24th January
2006, where learners were officially given their certificates for
successfully completing their Apprenticeships in Early Years Care
and Education. The event took place at 3Es Head Office at
Kingshurst where Operations Manager Marin Grubb presented the
hard earned certificates which took around two years to gain.
Dawn Phipps stated, “ The learners have all worked extremely hard
with many gaining Technical Certificates and Key Skills accreditation
to achieve a whole framework Apprenticeship including their NVQ
Level 2.”
3Es are currently arranging interviews for a new programme starting
April 2006 at the St Paul’s Community Development Trust, Hertford
Street, Balsall Heath. Any nurseries who can help with offering a
place for an Apprenticeship to have “on the job” experience should
contact Dawn Phipps on 0121 788 1001. No financial contribution
will be required from the nursery.
Anyone interested in applying for an Apprenticeship in Children’s
Care, Learning and Development should call 3Es on 0121 788 1001
and application forms will be sent out. EMA Allowances will be
available for successful applicants subject to household income.
Jungle Jottings
by Chris Duggan
Believe it or not, it is time to start
planting and sowing again. In late
February broad beans can be planted,
round peas can be sown from Febuary
onwards. If you have a warm sunny indoor
window sill then start some radishes and
winter lettuce off. They will need “hardening
off” or placing somewhere not too cold
before they are planted out. If you would
like to find out more visit our website
www.jngl.org.uk or ring 0121 446 4798 for a newsletter
If you’re planning to grow potatoes this year then Jungle
has TEN different varieties of organic seed potatoes ready
to chit. They will cost £2 per kg (20% off for members and
associates in B11 and B12, 10% off for Friends of Jungle).
You can read all about the different varieties on our website
Pictured receiving their certificates from left to right are
Haleema Idris – Level 2 Apprenticeship Framework, Shabana
Akhtar – Level 2 Apprenticeship Framework, Sally Doak –
3Es NVQ Assessor (currently working towards her V1 – Internal
Verifier’s Award), Zainab Ibrahim – Level 2 Apprenticeship
Framework, Nazmin Akhtar – Level 2 Apprenticeship
Framework, Aliya Aslam – Level 2 NVQ, Nicola Matthews –
Level 2 Apprenticeship Framework, Michelle Booton – Level
2 Apprenticeship Framework. Many of these learners were
initially assisted by St Paul’s Development Agency to gain
access onto 3Es Apprenticeship Programme.
at http:// jngl.editme.com/Potatoes
Jungle still has space available at a local allotment and is
running an L plate gardening session every Friday between
10.30 & 1.00 p.m. We also have grants of up to £100 to help
you get started. Ring 0121 446 4798 for details.
At present Jungle is reaching the end of a grant from The
Big Lottery Fund. We are looking at ways we can continue
to exist and how to develop our work in Balsall Heath. If
you would like to be involved in the consultation process
please come along to our annual members meeting on
Saturday 4th March
between 2 & 4 p.m at
the Balsall Heath
Churches Centre. It is
a great chance to meet
other green fingered
Balsall Heathans, eat
some great food and
gain inspiration. We
hope to see you there.
D
PULL OUT AND KEEP
BALSALL
HEAL
TH
HEALTH
….Your new health magazine
Community
Resource
by Christina McGuinness
In this month’s Healthy
living Supplement, I would
like to bring to your
attention the Strensham
Road Community Flat.
The Flat is located on the
Corner of Strensham
Road and Edgbaston
Road.
The
organisations
involved in developing the
Community flat are;
Balsall Heath Healthy
Living Centre, Sure Start,
The Yemeni Women and
Children society, Balsall
Heath Forum and Focus
Housing Association.
The purpose of the community flat is to provide a wide
range of services to the local residents of Balsall Heath
and surrounding areas.
Some of the current activities that are taking place at the
moment are; Extend (arm chair aerobics), Best Buddies
(Breast Feeding Support Group), English Classes,
Women’s development group, Family Learning
Workshops, Local residents meetings and an Arabic
Supplementary school.
There are plans in the near future to run group sessions
such as a Home work club, Youth clubs, Healthy Lifestyle
workshops, Coffee mornings, Gardening clubs, smoking
cessation, Focus Housing residents involvement group,
alternative health remedies, crèche facilitated early years
groups, and gentle exercise classes. There are also
plans to run and develop one to one sessions such as
health consultations, benefits advice and talk therapy.
We are also open to ideas. Any community, voluntary and
statutory group or organisation who are currently looking
for a venue to deliver their services should contact us.
Ideally we are looking to deliver activities that will involve
local residents in health, education and personal
development.
We’ve also got a large
garden area to develop
and any input in this
project would be greatly
appreciated.
So you’ve briefly read
about the Strensham
Road Community Flat,
why not pop in and see it
for yourself? We are open
from 9am – 5pm Monday
to Friday. Our address is
59a Strensham Road,
Balsall Heath, B12 9RP.
The access to the flat is
on the corner of
Edgbaston Road and
Strensham Road, through the back gate entrance. Our
telephone number is 0121 440 6311. We look forward to
hearing from you soon.
Bird Flu
What are the risks?
Who should we believe when it comes to preparing for
the possible onslaught of Avian Influenza – the tabloid
newspapers, our neighbours, the newsreaders? Perhaps
the best source of information is the Government’s
Department of Health itself. Below is some information
from their website (www.dh.gov.uk) which should answer
some of your questions.
What is bird flu?
Avian influenza or ‘bird flu’ is a highly contagious disease
of birds caused by influenza viruses (similar to the ones
that cause ‘normal’ flu in humans). It can range in its
severity from mild illness with low mortality to a highly
contagious disease with a near 100% fatality rate in the
birds that contract it. Without getting too technical, there
are many subtypes of the virus but there’s one particular
type (H5N1) that poses the greatest threat to human health
because not only is it very severe in poultry, it is also
capable of infecting humans.
How can it infect humans?
It’s very rare for people to get bird flu and those that do
have had close contact with infected birds. Historically,
people infected with bird flu have only caught the virus in
this way. YOU CANNOT GET BIRD FLU FROM EATING
POULTRY OR EGGS! Especially if they are cooked properly
(Food Standards Agency).
Person to person transmission
There is NO evidence that the virus can pass from person
to person. Some instances have been reported but
are isolated and unconfirmed.
-
Dispose of dirty tissues promptly, bag
them and bin them.
Maintain good basic hygiene, wash
hands frequently with soap and
water.
- Clean hard surfaces frequently using a
normal cleaning product.
Make sure children follow
this advice.
If you do catch flu:
Risk of a human pandemic
Firstly, what is a pandemic? We’ve
all heard of an epidemic, this is
usually ‘normal’ flu and it happens
every year, seasonally, around the
world but only affects a single
community, population or region.
A pandemic occurs on a much
greater scale spreading across
the world, affecting hundreds of
thousands of people across many countries.
Experts fear that the H5N1 subtype of bird flu could cause
the next pandemic for two reasons:
1)
It’s demonstrated that it can infect people – and infect
them severely.
2)
The virus can mutate, that is, it can change itself to
make it easier for it to infect humans. A pandemic
could occur if somebody who is already infected with
the human flu virus caught bird flu. The two viruses
could then produce a hybrid that could readily spread
from person to person.
What can be done?
The Government has stockpiled millions of vaccines to
use against bird flu. These are antiviral drugs that have
been successful in treating the H5N1 type of bird flu.
However, because of its ability to mutate, if we do end up
with a pandemic, the vaccines might not work against the
new form of virus so new vaccines will have to be made.
It’s reassuring to know that the UK Government has had
a national influenza pandemic plan since 1997, and was
one of the first countries to have one. It’s been continually
updated and revised and the most recent one was
published on 19 October this year. It can be accessed on
the Department of Health website. The plan outlines how
many different organisations would slow down the spread
of the infection and minimise disruption. The World Health
Organisation said “This is a high quality plan, which
shows the UK continues to be at the forefront of
preparations internationally for pandemic influenza. We
hope that every country will develop their preparations to
the same high degree.”
What can I do?
You can’t completely eliminate the risk of catching flu,
whether it’s bird flu or ‘normal’ flu, but here’s some
common sense advice on how to minimise the risks:
-
Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing – use a
tissue!
Stay at home and rest.
Take medicines such as
aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen
to relieve symptoms (following the
instructions on the medicines).
Children under 16 must not be
given aspirin or flu remedies
containing aspirin.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Should a flu pandemic occur, more information will be
given at the time through leaflets, websites and the media.
HARMLESS – YOU’RE
LIVING A DREAM
by Yunis Khan
My name is Kassim and I’m 26. Let me tell you how I got
here, how I killed the light in my mother’s eyes.
I’ve lived here for as long as I can remember. We never
had much, but then nobody did, so it didn’t really bother
me. Well, not much anyway. I went to Clifton school. Mum
did her best to put clean clothes on our backs and always
told us how proud she was of us. She promised us that
one day we’d amount to something, if only we worked
hard. I loved to see that look in her eyes, I think it was
hope.
My father lost his job when I was fourteen. We didn’t see
much of him before then. He would leave early in the
morning and by the time he got back he had little more to
say than, ‘Shut it, I’m trying to sleep!’ As the bills mounted,
he had even less to say, and then he didn’t talk at all. He
sat and stared blankly at the wall, and would sigh and
mutter to himself in some strange language. Mum told
us not to worry, that he was not himself anymore, but
would be better soon. Later the doctors would tell us that
it was depression.
I’d just had an argument with dad when Bobby called for
me and said he had something to show me. We made
our way to the park. It was the first time I smoked a joint.
I felt dizzy and light headed, my pulse raced. I was nearly
sick. The earth had been swept from my feet. After a minute
or two, I felt less dizzy and sick. Soon, the things that had
been bothering me felt like they really weren’t that bad
after all. I felt like I was living a dream, I could take on the
world, if I wanted to. I felt unstoppable. By the time I was
twenty I’d have a place of my own, far from here. I’d be
driving an M3 convertible, holidaying with my pals and
living it large.
Bobby said I was high and talking trash. I’d show them all
through working hard beginning with that English
assignment I had to hand in the following day; but first I
needed a few more drags and maybe a joint for later.
That’s how it started. I never did get that assignment in, it
just wasn’t important anymore I had something better, I
thought. The joints took the edge off the troubles at home
and made me feel a bit better about myself, but I found it
hard to concentrate in class or remember things. After a
while, whenever I was supposed to be in school, I was
doing a bunk to have a joint with the boys. Still, the prospect
of the life on the dole didn’t seem that bad, at least I’d
have some cash for a ten bag or two. That’s how it begins
to get you.
I became a seasoned smoker. I would light up first thing
in the morning, sleep until early evening and then session
until the early hours. I hardly ate anymore, the thought
made me sick. That is, until I had an attack of the munchies
at 3am, and thank god for the 24-hour petrol station. There
was nothing like a Mars bar and a can of Coke last thing.
As the years passed, I felt myself worsen. It was hard to
make sense of everyday things. I felt confused and locked
myself away more and more. I’m thin and underweight
and it’s hard to breath sometimes. Mum said I should
see a doctor, that I don’t seem myself and maybe I’m
becoming like my father. I don’t know if she knows how
much that hurts. She says they’ll put me right, that I’ll get
a job and buy that car ….and the house and...........I’m
Kassim and I’m 26 ….I think….Mom’s lost that glow in
her eyes and she cries a lot. In the end, I didn’t amount to
anything and I can’t bear to see the hope go from her. I
really can’t handle it. Cannabis isn’t making it hurt less.
Maybe I need to try heroin.
The Department Of Health says it is now generally agreed
among doctors that cannabis is an “important causal
factor” in mental illness.
Smoking cannabis is not risk free especially amongst
people who are predisposed to psychosis. In individuals
who suffer from schizophrenia symptoms are known to
worsen with cannabis use.
Cannabis in itself is viewed as a relatively harmless
recreational drug. For many this will be the case and
remain so. But for others it is playing Russian roulette
and can result in absolute disaster. The Government is
currently reviewing all academic and clinical studies.
The Character Kassim is a fictional creation based on
my recent research and conversations with several lads
from Balsall Heath.
DIZZY
By Christina McGuinness
Often at the end of my aerobics classes, women come to
me and ask me all sorts of health related questions.
Recently one of those questions was about Dizziness.
Dizziness is a common complaint, yet when some one
says, “ I feel Dizzy” it’s hard to know what they mean – the
term is used for a wide range of sensations, all with
dramatically different causes.
So how can we make sense of it all? The various feelings
we call dizziness – feeling unsteady on your feet; as if
you’re about to faint; or as if you’ve just spun around – are
your body’s warning that something has gone amiss with
your balance mechanism. It is an amazingly sophisticated
set of systems, which we’re only just beginning to
understand.
Ear ear
Ear problems can cause hideous dizziness. Infections of
the middle ear – very common in young children –
generally cause earache, hearing loss, and dizziness if
the infection reaches the inner ear. The dizziness caused
by such disorders is called vertigo. (The spinning kind of
dizziness).
All the balance information from the eyes, inner ears and
body is processed in the brain and this is where a lot of
dizzy feelings begin. The brain is highly sensitive to
anything that interferes with its blood supply, so when
this happens we will feel light headed or in extreme
circumstances lose consciousness. Anything that lowers
blood pressure too far or too fast can produce this effect
i.e. an irregular excessively fast or slow heart rhythm;
high doses of drugs to reduce blood pressure; sedative
or tranquillising drugs; or heart diseases that weaken
the hearts pumping action. These signs and symptoms
would have to be medically diagnosed and treated
accordingly.
Neck Problems such as a sprain or whiplash can cause
dizziness, due to the brain misinterpreting pain signals
from the nerve pathways of the upper spine as coming
from the inner ear. If this is diagnosed then the best option
would be physiotherapy.
Most common causes of dizziness can be prevented by
avoiding certain intakes and environments. Shortage of
oxygen to the brain causes headaches and dizziness.
This is dizziness that we can fix our selves.
Excessive exertion or exposure to hot surroundings can
make you pass out because blood vessels dilate and
the body dehydrates, reducing the volume of blood
circulation. So all you guys and girls who enjoy the Sauna
in Sparkhill Baths think, should I be sitting in here for 3
hours or should I have intervals of 10mins in and 20mins
out? Drinking plenty of water all the time can eliminate
the dizziness.
Standing or sitting for long periods of time causes blood
to pool in the lower part of the body. You’ll notice dizziness
when you get up quickly. This is particularly bad if you
suffer from circulatory disorders, however it happens even
if you don’t. Take your time getting up, or better still keep
moving the joints.
Alcohol, nicotine and Narcotics cause dizziness, by
altering the brains actions. Dizziness is a warning sign, a
useful one at that. It’s a sign telling us enough is enough.
Whatever it is we are doing we should stop right now.
Checking out our gas settings and ventilation at home
can be a certain measure to avoid dizziness. Carbon
monoxide poisoning from poorly ventilated boilers, fires
and stoves cannot only cause dizziness, but also death if
not early detected.
Glucose is another vital substance, the chief source of
energy for brain cells. Low carb, and low calorie diets can
be the perpetrating factor in feeling dizzy. Get some advice
from the Healthy Living Team on losing weight. We’ll help
you with a dizzy free eating plan.
I’m So Dizzy my head is spinning, like a whirl pool it never
ends, and it’s you girl making it spin, you’re making me
dizzy! (In the words of Vic Reeves and the Wonderstuff,
1990) Emotions can make us dizzy. Emotion and over
excitement can make you breathe faster and deeper
producing a state of hyperventilation. In the sixties we
had Beatle Mania and Elvis to blame for this type of
hysterics. (Probably in a crowded situation, where
squashed, over heated young girls, not only fought to get
to the front, but fought for what ever oxygen was available)
The only cure is a paper bag to breathe in and out of so
that the body’s blood can accumulate carbon dioxide
again.
WHEN SHOULD YOU SEEK ADVICE?
Frequent or severe attacks of dizziness could be a sign of
something serious. Get medical advice if you’re unsure
what’s going on, or if you experience any of the following
symptoms or scenario’s
Your speech is affected
You’ve had an injury or blow to the head
You have blurred vision
You’ve had an episode of unconsciousness
You’ve had a severe headache, or a type of head ache
you aren’t used to
Your hearing is impaired
You have numbness or abnormal sensations, such as
tingling, anywhere in the body
You have weakness of a limb
You have difficulty walking, or tend to fall
You notice an irregular pulse, or a very slow or fast
heartbeat
You have pain in the chest
PREVENTION OF EVERYDAY DIZZINESS
A Good Start… begin the day’s activities with some
breakfast
Eat regular meals to keep your blood sugar levels up. (GI
diet advice)
Don’t get up too quickly if it often makes you dizzy.
Don’t stand or sit motionless for long periods of time
Don’t over indulge on Alcohol and nicotine
If you’re taking medication that makes you dizzy, tell your
GP
Vitamin B supplements help with nerve damage
Balsall Heath
Forum Focus
Tornado Hardship Fund
The Big Bash event in the Art School on January 15th raised £5,800.
The Sultan Bahn Trust has contributing £1,000 to the Hardship
Fund. This puts the total raised voluntarily over £20k. A number
of distressed local residents have now been helped by this fund.
However, despite promises by local Councillors, the Council has
yet to contribute a penny. TANG (the group of affected residents)
hope that the Council will soon give a sum which matches the
amount raised locally.
David Cameron’s
Fact finding visit
On January 20 th, David Cameron, the new leader of the
Conservative Party, bought half his Shadow Cabinet to visit Balsall
Heath. They stayed for the whole day. The aim of the visit was to
find out how residents had transformed the area and the
implications of this for his party’s policies about urban renewal.
The visitors arrived at 9:45am, visited St Paul’s Community
Development Trust, Edward Road Police Station, the Street Watch
Cabin, the Benmore flat, the Kings Centre, the Tree Nursery and
Mary Street Church Centre. They met 20 local projects ranging
from the IRC to Jericho and Apna Ghar, and listened to dozens of
residents and their partners.
In the evening, David Cameron met 250 residents for a Communal
Meal, entertainment and a ceremony at which 10 unsung local
heroes were Honoured.
David said that he had been very impressed and had learned a great
deal. Residents too were impressed by him, his eagerness to listen
and the fact that he had bought so many of his Shadow Cabinet,
but no press.
Those present at the meal represented many others. They wrote
down plans for the further transformation of Balsall Heath. They
gave advice to the Visitors about what their national policies
should be. One resident, Mr Chouhan, said the day had been “a
great success. The evening gathering was as representative of the
area as you can get and the ideas generated were fantastic”. He
added: “I congratulate the Forum on laying it on. More power to
its elbow”.
The Green Team
The Forum’s Green Team are going from strength to strength.
They now have orders for dozens of planters and hundreds of
hanging baskets from outside Balsall Heath.
Readers who visit Ladypool Road will have seen the new Post
Tornado polythene tunnel. It can handle thousands and thousands
of plants. So, this coming spring for Balsall Heath promises to be
the greenest yet.
Those Honoured
at the Communal Meal
Kamran Fazil, from the Sultan Bahn Trust and School who have
donated £1,000 to the Tornado Hardship Fund and who collected £1m
for the Pakistan Earthquake Disaster Fund.
Santhi Raja Karuna, who has worked tirelessly to help the Seven
Streets Residents Association, and who served the needs of the Sri Lanka
Tsunami Disaster by collecting wagon loads of clothes and goods.
Sanjeer Duggal, who is prepared day after day to get his hands dirty
picking up the rubbish which others put down, then plants flowers in the
place where rubble once stood.
Edna Shaw, who is Balsall Heath’s best bouncer of litter louts. No man
is too large for Edna to confront, shame and scold. “Don’t ever do it
again”, she tells them. And they don’t.
Rohan Green, who lives in Birchwood Road, the area most devastated
by the Tornado. He, like Brenda, has helped put the street back together
and, for this, got his windows put though by drug dealers who want the
area to be weak, not strong. His response? “I won’t give in.”
Carmel Bailey, who organised a fantastic concert for the community
last Sunday. It raised several hundreds of pounds for those who suffered
most from the Tornado and caused many people to have a night to
remember.
Brenda Queeley-Smith, who lost most of her house and possessions
in the Tornado. Yet, she has spent many hours helping others to put their
homes and lives back together again. And, never once has she complained.
Dorothy McKenzie, who lives on the Benmore Estate, saw it in bad
times and helped it to recover. She now helps to run a daily playscheme
there.
Gwyneth Carragher, Syeda Farjana Akhtar, Syeda Dilshad
Akhtar and Syeda Nasima Akhtar on the front desk of Edward
Road Police Station. Day after day, they keep this station open to the
public so their needs can be dealt with on the spot. Without their voluntary
effort the relation between the public and police would be poor and the
victims of crime would be poorly served.
Vijay Parmar, who has spent many long years as a Volunteer cook
catering each and every day for dozens of Asian Elders of all faiths.
PARKS
CONSULTATIONS
Work is being planned for two parks in Balsall Heath; Balsall Heath
Park and Seven Streets Park. Balsall Heath Park was devastated by
the tornado last July, and a large replanting project is necessary to
restore it to its former self. Seven Streets Park is a very small park,
and though we now have a park warden, who has spent a lot of time
tidying and tending it, years of previous neglect mean there is a lot
of room for improvement.
Residents can be involved in the planning of the parks development,
and any who have ideas or questions, should approach the relevant
groups. There is the Friends of Balsall Heath Park, the Tornado
A f f e c t e d
Residents Group,
and Friends of
Seven Streets
Park. Contact
details for these
groups can be
obtained by calling
Balsall Heath
Forum on 446
6183.
From One Affected Community
to Another
Volunteers from Sure Start Balsall Heath held a jumble sale and furniture
auction on Wednesday 1st February in response to the plight of family
members of Zainab, a staff member at their Sure Start. The volunteers
managed to raise a total of £300 through sales of bricabrack, food,
refreshments and an auction.
The volunteers found themsleves moved by news relayed by Zainab’s
relatives from her home village in Pakistan. She recounted the harsh
reality of the winter. In one incident a make-shift hospital, housed in a
large canvas tent, collapsed under the weight of the snow fall and patients
were forced to stand out all night in the snow. Zainab expressed her
feelings of powerlessness.
Many of the volunteers having been affected by the recent Birmingham
tornado, empathised with the people affected by the earthquake. As a
consequence the volunteers responded by planning a fund raising initiative
to be held for victims of the recent earthquake in Pakistan. Veronica
Puffett, a Sure Start volunteer and local resident said: “I would just like
to thank everybody involved for all their hard work and the kind donations
made by local residents. We hope that this event has gone some way in
helping to alleviating those effected by the Earthquake in Pakistan.”
Iram Weir a fellow volunteer stated “This has been our first experience of
organising an event of
this nature and both my
self and Veronica have
learnt a lot and look
forward to helping
others with similar
events in the future.”
Balsall Heath Sure Start
volunteers contribute to
their local community by
taking voluntary placements in many local community projects. Carrying
out a variety of tasks such as administration duties, IT support, childcare,
mentoring, classroom assistant, community work and youth work. For
further information on Sure Start ring 0121 464 6349.
In partnership with South Birmingham College
FREE
English Classes
(Listening, Speaking, Reading & Writing)
Are you a refugee, or an asylum seeker or do you
simply need to learn or improve your English?
ENROLMENT NOW!
Mondays to Fridays
9.30am – 12.30pm and 1.00pm – 4.00pm
at
Roselodge House
5 Stone Road
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2HH
(behind the big drive-in Macdonalds on Bristol Road)
We may be able to help you with travel expenses
Mentoring and advocacy services also provided
TEL: JONATHAN on 07929 854481
or KENNY on 07868 740052
or FELICIA on 07881 552498
Please send your letters to: The Editor, The Balsall Heathan, c/o
St. Paul’s Community Project, Hertford Street, Balsall Heath, B12 8NJ
Dear Editor,
I am 86 years old and I live in a sheltered flat on my own as my
husband died 15 years ago. On Christmas Eve I was visited by a
Warden. He said his name was Khalid and he gave me a food
hamper and a hug and wished me a Happy Christmas.
The food was lovely but it was the hug which I’ll remember and
his wishes, He told me that the food has been collected by the
children who go to the local schools.
I was overwhelmed. Will you please thank Mr Khalid and the
children for me? I didn’t know that people cared.
Thank you all very much indeed.
Mrs Lawson
Oldfield Rd
Dear Editor,
I read the article ‘What was the owner thinking about?’ I mean
what was the owner thinking about, turning the site into a fast
food service? We do want to decrease the rate of heart diseases
and diabetes in Balsall Heath.
I think the site should be turned into a women only training/
education centre because we do not have one in Balsall Heath for
only women. Also some parents do not wish that their daughters
attend a mixed college or in some situations the girl does not want
to attend a mixed college. Balsall Heath has developed a lot as an
area but now is the time to focus on the education facilities.
Yours truly
Neelam Rose
Age 14
Dear Editor,
Sale/Closure of Birmingham Sports Centre
I am a resident of Balsall Heath and have lived in the area for over
25 years. I fully support Percy Shurmer Junior School, Mount Pleasant
Community Centre, The Birmingham Sports Centre including Astro
Turf, and Joseph Chamberlain College especially in its efforts to
modernise/rebuild its current premises.
I strongly object to the sale and demolition of the Sports Centre and
Astro Turf and the rebuilding of retail units in their place. I refute
the argument put forward by the City Council that the sale is necessary
to help towards funding for the new College. Post 16 education is
not the responsibility of the City Council, but of the Learning and
Skills Council which had a budget of over £8 billion in 2004. A
letter from the Learning and Skills Council shows that the College
could have applied for all of its cost however no such application
was ever made.
It is commendable that the council have given a prime site on Haden
Way to the College for well below the market value. I feel that this
is sufficient help, as no such consideration had been given to Matthew
Boulton College less than a mile away which has relocated successfully.
Sparkbrook/Balsall Heath is one of the most deprived areas in the
country and is generally top of every set of deprivation statistics.
The Sports Centre is a valuable and affordable community asset,
well used and generally meets the needs of the community especially
the young people. Issues relating to young people are of major concern
and paid workers and volunteers have been very successful in getting
them to channel their energies through sports and related activities
provided at the Sports Centre.
the council to accommodate the facilities that are being taken away
from the Birmingham Sports Centre.
All this good work and goodwill will be lost if the Sports Centre is
closed. Alienated people will find it difficult to use the new facilities
as they would not want to use a facility that could be seen as part of
the College, other users will also find it difficult to use. This new
centre will only be open to the public in the evenings and weekends,
whereas the existing Sports Centre is open all day for public use, and
offers more choice.
I would like through the Heathan to clear up any confusion that may
exist about why Friends of Balsall Heath Park should protest against
trees being planted in Balsall Heath Park by the Mayor on Monday
23rd January.
Demolishing the Sports Centre and erecting retail units in its place
will be of little value to the people of Balsall Heath, there will be no
increase in their quality of life especially for those residents living
close to the new development, the opposite sadly will be the case.
What we will have however, is a major retail development in a
residential area.
There will be more traffic on our arterial and local roads, this in turn
will lead to rat runs, a significant increase in the volume of traffic on
the nearby housing estate, longer journey times for commuters,
congestion, pollution, and noise levels that will be greatly increased,
a 622 space multi storey car park, and heavy goods vehicles next to
houses and school, featureless buildings and the repositioning of the
public footpath. A footpath that is well lit and has existed for more
than 30 years and is well used by residents and visitors. This diversion
will lead to longer journeys for residents, to visit the doctor’s surgeries
and other medical facilities, and the local buses. This development
will result in loss of trade in Kings Heath, the City Centre and local
shops especially in the Ladypool Road area, houses and shops that
were severely damaged in this area by the recent tornado.
Danny Bailey
Kinver Croft.
Dear Editor,
About ten of us turned out at short notice to protest. We had two
messages:
No Consultation – No Cooperation
In November we met with the council and told them that we intend
to produce a ‘Residents Grand Plan’ for the park which goes further
than replacing trees damaged by the tornado. We wanted to be fully
involved in any developments and specifically did not want trees
planted willy nilly potentially getting in the way of plans yet to be
developed.
In December we received notice of the Council’s plan to plant the
trees and the planting ceremony, which completely ignored our views
above, asking for our comment. December is famously a quiet month
for voluntary organisations. Unable to meet or give comment we
then received short notice of the planting date, invited Mayor and
school kids etc. This was non-negotiable. It appears that Birmingham
City Council’s idea of consultation is to meet with you, hear your
views, ignore them and then inform you of their plans and impose
them on you.
The new Tesco’s development less than half a mile distance will be
selling the same types of goods and will be in direct competition
with this development. There will be very limited job opportunities
for local residents. A survey of major retailers in the area would
show that not many local people are employed by them.
The Mount Pleasant Community Centre will not be replaced
according to the current plans, this centre is well used by the
community and is the only venue large enough to accommodate the
numbers of people that attend functions such as weddings, birthday
parties and other social gatherings. To date no suitable replacement
venue has been identified.
Much has been written about the development and why it should
succeed, yet in all of the reports that have been presented, the
authors have failed to mention Percy Shurmer Junior School which
is adjacent to the development, and which has a special needs unit
catering for children with hearing difficulties. The relocation of the
footpath, the building of a service area, access and exit road and a
car park next to the school is of grave concern to residents and the
school community.
Pollution, noise and their effects on the pupils have not been
considered. Noise and vibration are extremely difficult for people
with hearing impairment to deal with; security of the site especially
along the perimeter bordering the relocated public footpath will be
a major issue. The school with its limited budget cannot afford to
install double-glazing and insulation to sound proof the unit, and
the rest of the school. Much has been made about the college, the
council and their needs, yet the junior school; its staff and pupils
have been completely ignored.
There is no question that this proposed development will have a
severe effect on the community, especially the users of the junior
school and residents that live adjacent to the new car park. I believe
the college, Sports Centre and Astro Turf can coexist on the same
site as they do at present.
The final irony of this story is that the residents of Great Barr are
fighting hard to save their green space, this is the space earmarked by
Wrong Trees Wrong Place
We didn’t want a load of limes left over from a nursery placed
primarily to allow us to be on CCTV whilst in the park, already
encroaching on the limited grass area used for football and possibly
in the way of other future activities and facilities.
There has been a lot of work done by people in Balsall Heath to
draw up plans for what we want to see in the form of regeneration
in the park and area as a whole. We hope our protest has made it clear
to the council that our definition of consultation is very different
and that theirs is not acceptable.
Yours
Russ Spring
Dear Editor,
The Communal Meal in the Church Centre on January 20th was a
great success. Getting the new leader of the Tory Party to spend the
day and evening with us was a real coup. More still, he listened and
will no doubt tell the local Council to help our neighbourhood.
So, I’d like to say a big thanks to those who organised the day. The
evening was such a great success that I suggest you now do this
regularly every month. It is a marvellous way of bringing us all
together. Well done.
Raja Amin
Hallam Street
Dear Editor,
I’m writing about a very unsavory incident which happened to me early
one morning this week... my first day back at work after the holidays.
I was woken by my cat first thing in the morning, she came into my
bedroom with a large bit of cardboard attached to her side. This was odd
even for her... (my husband has nicknamed her Stupido because of her
uncatlike behaviour).
The cardboard was covered on one side in a sticky substance - the side
which was attached to her fur. When I peeled off the cardboard the glue
remained on the cat, along with a stray sprout... then I realised the cardboard
was a home-made rat trap... with a decomposing rat stuck to it!
I would like to highlight to local residents that because of this trap, I ended
up with a decomposing rat corpse glued to my cat, in my bedroom. Perhaps
you can see how this would be a
health risk to humans, as well as a
horrible way for any creature to die.
I was very distressed when I found
out there was dead rat attached to
her. The cat was very distressed
when she had to have all of her long
fur on one side removed. It’s not a
good way to start the day. Whoever
put this trap out, please don’t do it
again.
Cats are generally excellent mousers,
but this is not the way to do it. I
would prefer her to stick to more
conventional methods of rat
catching in future.
Nicola
Eastwood Road.
Dear Editor,
Re Article on the transformation work in Sure Start venues across
Balsall Heath
I would like to give a big thank you to the Play House staff, and Sure Start
for providing the funding for the project, but Tindal Playgroup being one
of the venues for this project is not a Sure Start venue. Though we work
with Balsall Heath Sure Start we are however very proud of our
independence and the positive contribution that we make to families using
our facilities and the community surrounding Tindal Primary School.
Yours faithfully
Julie Doran
Sure Start Balsall Heath Response
We are sorry if there has been any misunderstanding over the article. Sure
Start Balsall Heath use a variety of different venues to stage its activities,
by stating this in the article was not implying that it was held at Sure Start
but a venue that we work closely with. Sure Start recognise and value the
contribution that Tindal playschool makes to the community and would
not want to offend them in any way.
Kathryn Day
Sure Start Dpuety Manager
Dear Editor,
May I thank the Forum for introducing us to Mr Cameron and letting us
tell him our story. I’m not a Conservative, but I was impressed by this
politician. He listened, did not interrupt and asked intelligent questions
and was respectful.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs E. Little
Balsall Heath Road
The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the editor
or the publishers. Letters may be edited for publication.
Letters will only be considered for publication if accompanied by a
name and address. These can be withheld if requested.
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Winning Season
by Emdadur Choudhury
St Paul’s Football Club have had many successes this year,
there has been a large amount of interest with the community,
hence the start up of the St Paul’s junior team.
St Paul’s Football Club also experienced some difficulties
during 2005, for both players and management, but with the
love of the game, enthusiasm and hard work by all involved
the team has started to achieve its full potential. The senior
team who play in the Birmingham Amateur Football
Association (BAFA) have gelled well as a team and January
has seen the team celebrate two wins and a draw. This has
rewarded the team by boosting moral and also means they
pushed up into fourth in the league, this will also give them
the possibility of a promotion into a higher division.
St Paul’s has also started an under 17s team who play in a local
league organised by the police. The matches are held at
Calthorpe Park every Saturday morning from 10.30am. The
juniors have played eighteen matches and are first in their
respective league with thirteen wins, three draws and 2 loses.
Sunday 29th January saw both the juniors and senior team
come together as a group and play in the Birmingham Futsal
Cup which is a form of Brazillian football using a size 4 ball
and demands great skill. This was the first time they were
playing together but they showed real maturity and exceptional
levels of skill. They made it to the quarter finals were they lost
6-3. The picture below is of the team who represented both
St Paul’s and Balsall Heath in the tournament held at the
Nechells Sport and Community Centre.
As organiser of the Football 4 All’ I would like to thank
everyone who has been involved with the team, especially AlFaisal Restaurant on Stony Lane who have been kind enough
to Sponsor the team with a cash injection that will help develop
St Paul’s Football Club during the rest of the season.
If there are any questions or you would like to know more
then please contact Maz or Errol at St Paul’s Community
Development Trust on 0121 464 4376.
WINNERS CELEBRATE SURE
START FOR CHILDREN
Sure Start Balsall Heath recently won a Partners in Excellence
award under the category of Achieving with Partners for
their partnership with English Heritage and The Well Being
Workshop for their ‘Journeys’ Project.
Winners of the “best of the best” were announced at an
awards ceremony at Lancaster House in London on 6th
December 2005, hosted by Cherie Booth, Beverley Hughes
and Naomi Eisenstadt, Director of the Sure Start, Extended
Schools and Families Group at the Department for Education
and Skills. Sure Start Partners in Excellence Awards honour
the best services for children and families, recognising and
celebrating excellence and innovation in the delivery of early
years, children’s and family support services across England.
Presenting the awards, Cherie Booth said: “Sure Start services
are helping families across the country get the start in life that
they need to succeed. The energy, enthusiasm and dedication
shown by all the people here demonstrate the commitment
to improving the life chances of all our young children,
especially the most disadvantaged and vulnerable. We are
putting the accent firmly on excellence - nothing less is good
enough for our children.”
Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children, said: “Congratulations
to all the winners. The Partners in Excellence awards are
about transforming the choices and chances of children,
families and whole communities. As always the standard of
entries has been extremely high. The projects represented
here are the very best of the best, and are truly inspirational
i
n
bringing
about
positive
change
f o r
children
a n d
families.”
T h e
‘Journeys’
Project
w a s
singled
out for the award for creatively addressing issues to do with
belonging and self worth in ethnically diverse, ante and
postnatal groups. Through the initiative, mothers and children
were given the chance to look at the history of immigration
in the West Midlands and the influence that its diverse
communities
have had
o
n
architectural
design in
the built
environment.
Among
t h e
places
visited
by the
group
w e r e
Wroxeter
Roman City, Wenlock Priory and Kenilworth Castle. As part
of the project the mothers kept journals and documented
each trip in order to chart their journeys of discovery.
Anthea Row from The Well Being Workshop said of the
experience “It was a rewarding experience to witness the
enthusiasm of the women who attended the Journey Project
It raised their spirits”.