Tag: Birmingham

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NEWS: Erdington Rotary Club open Peace Garden at Spring Lane Playing Fields – Thursday 21 September

Words by Ed King / Pics supplied by Erdington Rotary Club

On Thursday 21 September, Erdington residents and people from across the district are invited to the opening of a new Peace Garden at Spring Lane Playing Fields – organised by Erdington Rotary Club (ERC).

Anyone interested in attending has been asked to arrive at around 1pm, ready for the ceremony to begin in full at 1:30pm. The event is free and all ages are welcome, with light refreshments served by the ERC.

Unveiled in line with World Peace Day, the ‘place of peace and reflection’ will be housed in the playing fields’ ‘tiny forest and ecological area’ and is the first stage of an ongoing commitment which will ‘develop over the coming years.’

Dignitaries honouring the event will include Erdington Ward Councillor and Leader of Birmingham Conservatives Robert Alden, alongside the Rotary Club’s Immediate Past District Governor (IPDG) John Parkinson and Past District Governor (PDG) Margaret Morley.

Participants will be invited to plant a Peace Rose to commemorate the occasion, with dignitaries present further invited to address the crowds. Once open to the public, ERC are also keen to bring young people into the Peace Garden’s development, hoping ‘community participation’ will further underpin the project.

Peace Gardens are described by Collins English Dictionary as ‘a public park that is dedicated to peace’,  and have an international legacy of representing nations and states situated together in a natural setting.

Whilst reports of the first ‘Peace Garden’ vary, many have been proposed and bult in the shadow of major conflicts, disputes, or disasters.

One of the most prominent Peace Gardens in England is located in front of Sheffield’s Town Hall, first built in 1938 and now containing several memorials for citizens of Sheffield who were killed in conflicts including in the Spanish Civil War and the Korean War – alongside both World Wars.

Sheffield’s Peace Gardens also contains a memorial to those killed at Hiroshima, after an internationally sanctioned atomic bomb was dropped on the city by North American forces in 1945 – reportedly killing up to 150,000 people.

Sponsored by the supermarket chain Tesco, who have an Express outlet at Six Ways near Erdington High Street, the Peace Garden at Spring Lane Playing Fields is part of the local Rotarian’s ‘Create Hope in the World’ agenda which sees the Club support many local charities and projects.

The project was further supported by £250 that ERC were awarded for environmental work with The Queen’s Green Canopy Project.

The idea for a Peace Garden came after ERC were awarded a peace pole for the work they do supporting Erdington Cricket Club and encouraging young people to play sport.

A spokesperson for Erdington Rotary Club told Erdington Local: “Club members decided to build the garden because we were awarded a peace pole by our District Leadership Team, this was in response to our very successful cricket project at Spring Lane.

“We all felt that it would be lovely for the community to have a place to meet within the local green space.

“We will be installing a bench so that people will have somewhere to sit for a while and in due course we will be planting a rose garden there as well, these will be Peace Roses and Rotary Roses.

“The garden will also be used as an educational opportunity to introduce young people to the concept of positive peace. We feel that such a facility is much needed in the modern world.

“This is a Rotary/United Nations project and has no religious or political affiliations, we hope that everyone will use it and that it will become a genuine community asset.”

Click here for more on Erdington Rotary Club – or visit their Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087397171800

For more on Spring Lane Playing Fields visit www.sports-facilities.co.uk/sites/view/6007466

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NEWS: Erdington based gun dealer jailer for over 14 years after operation by the Regional Organised Crime Unit

Words by Ed King / Pics & video released by West Midlands Police

Earlier this week an Erdington based gun dealer was jailed for over 14 years after a successful operation by the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU).

Jordan Geoghegan (23) from Summerlee Rd, Pype Hayes, was arrested at his home address after police discovered the ‘tools’ needed to repurpose blank firing ammunition into lethal bullets, along with shotgun cartridges and bullet casing.

Further searches of his mobile phone uncovered video footage of Geoghan brandishing a series of guns, including a variety of handguns, alongside text messages of being able to buy cheap guns from the United States and how he planned to kill someone with a shotgun – West Midlands Police reported.

WMP further reported one of the guns featured in the video was recovered and confirmed it was ‘found to be live’, although it was ‘not clear if the others were real or imitation.’

Police also found evidence the ammunition Geoghegan was looking to sell was being made directly by him, possibly at his Erdington home address.

WATCH: Gunman who boasted about weapons in videos jailed for more than 14 years

Following his conviction this week, West Midlands Police released the incriminating pictures and video footage of Geoghegan engaged in the attempted sale of deadly weapons.

Police also released a selection of the text messages found to have been sent by Geoghegan, where one states: “12 double barrel, Model 27 semi auto MK sten…. There the kinda things I can get aha just don’t tell no one.”

Another said: “Need a pocket rocket for tomorrow g if you got one cheap that slaps.”

Jordan Geoghegan was brought to justice after a successful operation by Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), as part of the wider Operation Target – conducted by West Midlands Police and the ROCU across the region.

Operation Target works with regional partners and in line with the National Crime Agency to tackle organised crime in the West Midlands, which the force say nationally leads to more deaths ‘than all other national security threats combined, including terrorism’ and costs the UK over £37 billion annually.

Det Chief Insp Peter Cooke, from the Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “Geoghegan was what was known in the criminal world as a ‘clean skin’ – with no criminal record. This obviously gave him some confidence that he could carry on his illegal operation undetected.

“He was wrong. A thorough investigation found traces of his DNA found on the bullets, as well as numerous mobile phone videos showing him handling guns.

“The text messages he was exchanging with other criminals show he was serious and committed to the trade in illegal firearms.

“He had the tools, knowledge and skills to produce large quantities of live ammunition which would certainly have made their way into the hands of criminals who use illegal firearms on the streets of Birmingham.

“We are absolutely committed to tackling serious and organised crime in the West Midlands and will use all of our tactics and powers to bring those involved in it to justice.”

Geoghegan appeared at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday 11 September, admitting possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, and being involved in the sale or transfer of ammunition.

He was jailed for 14.5 years.

West Midlands Police further stated: ‘Others who Geohegan were in contact with have been investigated, with one person jailed for five years for possession of a firearm.’

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BACK TO SCHOOL: ‘Ambitious’ Stockland Green School impresses Ofsted inspectors with ‘tenacious’ approach to safeguarding

Words & pics supplied by Stockland Green School

Staff and students at Stockland Green are celebrating after inspectors praised the school as a place where “leaders care deeply about pupils’ well-being”.

Ofsted inspectors, who visited the site in Slade Road, Erdington, on 14-15 February, confirmed that Stockland Green School remains a ‘good’ school, and praised it for its “family approach”.

They also praised safeguarding and wellbeing measures at the school, which is part of the respected Arthur Terry Learning Partnership.

Head of School Rebecca Goode said: “We were delighted with this Ofsted report, as we really saw the inspection as an opportunity to showcase our school, to show the inspectors the very best of our team and our students, and help them understand the journey we are on as a school.

“The report talks about us as a ‘family’, and how we really care for our children and about our safeguarding work being ‘tenacious’ – because we are very driven as a team to ensure that our children get the very best in all aspects of education.

“However, it’s not just about grades and results – it’s about ensuring that we give the very best to our young people.

“We always want to ensure that the children have the belief to be whatever they want to be, and that ultimately they become fully rounded citizens who are going to contribute positively to the community.”

According to the Ofsted report, pupils at Stockland Green are happy, and say that they feel safe.

It said: “This is because leaders care deeply about pupils’ well-being and they make sure that staff know pupils well.

“When bullying occurs, pupils say that teachers help resolve the issue quickly and make sure that it does not happen again. Leaders have ensured that the school’s values of ‘aspire, believe and achieve’ are shared by all staff. This has created an environment where there are high expectations about how and what pupils will learn.”

Inspectors said the school’s leaders actively promote pupils’ wider personal development.

It said: “Well-being weeks linked to lessons provide a range of valuable experiences that help make learning real. Most pupils take part in extra-curricular clubs or activities.”

The school was also praised for creating an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs.

It said: “Teachers have secure subject knowledge, and they know their pupils well. They create purposeful learning environments for all pupils, including those with SEND. Teachers also use a range of routines to help pupils learn.”

On safeguarding, the report said staff were motivated to prioritise wellbeing.

It said: “Staff morale is high, and they are proud of the role they play in pupils’ education. Leaders make sure that safeguarding is of the highest priority for staff.

“They provide regular training and updates. Staff are vigilant, and quick to report any concerns they have. Leaders are tenacious, and they follow up all concerns raised.”

Headteacher Marie George said: “I’m delighted for Mrs Goode, her team, the students and the community that Stockland Green has been recognised in this way.

“It’s a great achievement, especially when you consider the impacts of the pandemic, which were compounded in our own community, around Stockland Green.

“The school’s response has been to make sure that our children have a safe place to come to, that they are loved and cared for, and get an ambitious curriculum, which was also recognised by the inspectors.

“By taking that caring, ambitious approach, we give our children real life chances, to ensure that they are equipped to go on and meet the demands of the world around them.”

For more on Stockland Green School visit www.stockgrn.bham.sch.uk

**If your school would like to be part of Erdington Local’s BACK TO SCHOOL pages then please email edking@erdingtonlocal.com – with the name of your school in the subject box.**

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NEWS: Bagot Arms Golf Society hope to raise over £5000 for men’s mental health charity

Words & pics by Liam Smith

Preparations are being made by the Bagot Arms Golf Society ahead of their charity golf day on 21 July 2023, where organisers hope to raise over £5000 for a men’s mental health charity.

The event, which is taking place at Bromsgrove Golf Centre in Worcestershire, is in support of ‘It Takes Balls to Talk’ – a nationwide campaign ‘which uses sporting themes to encourage people, particularly men, to talk about how they feel.’

According to the charity’s website, 5% of men in the UK are suffering from one of the common mental health disorders, for example anxiety or depression. The website further states suicide is the second leading cause of death amongst males aged 15 to 29, and that three out of four of all suicides are men.

The Bagot Arms Golf Society, now operating out of Hollyfields Conference & Sports Centre in Pype Hayes, formed in 2009 out of the old Bagot Arms pub less than a mile away from Pype Hayes Golf Club.

The society have a history of organising and being a part of fundraising events and charity days, including a ’72 holes in one day’ challenge in aid of MacMillan which saw four members raise over £5,000 for the cancer charity.

They have also raised money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund.

Tony Roche, founding member of the Bagot Arms Golf Society told Erdington Local: “Mental health issues can affect anyone and can be caused by several factors. Suicide continues to be three times more common in men than in women.”

Steven Smith, also a founding member and Pype Hayes resident, told: “Since our inception in 2009, we have always felt it important that we try to raise money for charities. It is an important part of our society.

“We have a day upcoming in July, which is fully booked, with 60 golfers in attendance and all 18 holes of the course generously sponsored by local businesses.”

The society are still actively raising as much as they can as the event nears.

Steven added: “We have recently set up a JustGiving page. We set an initial target of £1,000 and we have already hit £735 and it would be great if any of your readers could help.”

The Pype Hayes golf group hope to raise over £5,000 with all the money raised from the event along with online donations. A JustGiving page can be found here: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bagotarms-golfsociety

For more on the Bagot Arms Golf Society visit: www.bagotarmsgs.com

For more on the ‘It Takes Balls to Talk’ campaign visit: www.ittakesballstotalk.com

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NEWS: Pype Hayes parks to get £100k through Future Parks Accelerator Programme

Words by Liam Smith / Pics supplied by Erdington Local and Cllr Mahmood

Pype Hayes residents met with Councillor Basharat Mahmood (Pype Hayes, Lab) on Tuesday 2 May to discuss funding secured for three parks in the area: Pype Hayes Park, Paget Green, and Sorrel Park.

A handful of local residents were present at Pype Hayes Park to hear the Councillor, who was joined by members of Birmingham City Council’s parks team, speak on the potential plans for the parks as part of the Future Parks Accelerator Programme.

Cllr Mahmood told Erdington Local: “I am delighted to have secured £100,000 of funding from Birmingham City Council as part of the programme to be spent on improved our much loved parks and open spaces in Pype Hayes.”

Councillor Mahmood was elected to the Pype Hayes Ward in Birmingham’s local election on 5 May 2022, beating the Conservative candidate, Clifton Welch, by 92 votes.

Mr Mahmood campaigned for Labour with objectives to tackle “crime, and antisocial behaviour. Improve youth provision” and to ensure “our parks and green spaces are maintained and well resourced.”

At the meeting this week, one of the main talking points among the residents in attendance was on Pype Hayes Hall.

Pype Hayes Hall was built in 1630 by Henry Bagot, whose family lived there for over 250 years, and eventually sold to Birmingham City Council in 1920 for use as a convalescence and children’s home.

In 2014 the Council then sold the Grade II listed building to Bromford Mill Properties for only £25,000, after the private developers outlined £11,000,000 plans for a 60 bed luxury hotel, spa, and swimming pool.

Although since being sold, the hall and its multiple buildings have remained off limits within the park – slowly decaying, whilst development on the site still yet to commence.

One resident described the hall as “an absolute blight on the park.”

Other residents suggested how it could be repurposed into facilities such as a café with toilet access as well as a community centre.

The gardens next to Pype Hayes Hall, which park visitors can still use, were also mentioned, with Danny Squire of the Sutton Coldfield & Erdington Park Rangers saying: “we would like to get the community take a more active role in the management of the gardens, and to encourage people to grow and maintain these spaces.”

Other suggestions included involving the schools in the local area to get more involved with the park, with gardening projects and groups seen as a potential solution.

Councillor Mahmood added: “All points raised at the meeting will be forwarded to the relevant departments, including the concerns raised about Pype Hayes Hall.

“These meetings give residents the opportunity to discuss issues and concerns with me.

“They help bring about change and I would encourage everyone to get involved to make Pype Hayes cleaner, greener and safer.”

Residents are to be encouraged to attend further meetings about the parks and their funding.

For more from Cllr Basharat Mahmood visit www.facebook.com/PoliticianLabourParty

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NEWS: “Inspiring” Castle Vale gymnast Zion Aserie wins series of awards at British Gymnastics Championships 2023

Words by Erdington Local editorial team / Pics supplied by Aserie family

Castle Vale gymnast Zion Aserie (16) has won a series of high profile awards at the recent British Gymnastics Championships 2023, held in Liverpool at the end of March.

Competing in the Under 18’s category, the Erdington athlete was awarded bronze medals in both the Floor and High Bar competitions.

Aserie went on to further win the silver medal in the U18 All Around category, and to beat athletes from across the UK to become the U18 Rings Champion – winning the top spot after fierce competition from Leeds Gymnastics Club.

With his eyes firmly set on one day reaching the Olympic podiums, Zion Aserie trains alongside world class athletes including celebrated world champion athlete Joe Fraser – also from Birmingham.

But despite his staggering success at the recent Liverpool held competition, which sees top level athletes go head to head for the coveted medals, Zion Aserie was almost not able to compete due to an acute stress fracture to his lower spine.

Nine months ago, doctors told the young athlete he had to leave the gym and spend three months recuperating, for fear of causing permanent or lasting injury.

With the crucial competition only months away, the young Aserie was forced to follow medical advice – leaving a question mark hanging over whether he could compete in the March 2023 event at all.

Having spent a decade training at City of Birmingham gymnastics club at the GMAC in Perry Barr, and with the Paris Summer Olympics scheduled for July/August 2024, the possibly permanent setback was a crushing blow to the young Castle Vale gymnast who had a promising future in the sport.

Zion Aserie is also a regular cast member of CBBC show Gym Stars, which follows the lives of some of the UK’s most promising young gymnasts.

Zion told: “I was devastated when my mum told me the results of my MRI scan.

“To think that it could have meant the end of my gymnastics career when all I’ve ever dreamed about is making it to the Olympics.”

But with the help and support of both his family and his coach, ex GB gymnast and double commonwealth champion Luke Folwell, Zion was eventually able to return to the gym – committing to 24 hours of rigorous training each week to stay at the very top of his game.

When the British Gymnastics Championships 2023 finally came round, Zion proved his fortitude by not only competing at event but taking home a bevy of medals and awards – including becoming the U18 Rings UK Champion.

Now back home in Birmingham, the young sports superstar has other challenges on the horizon – with his GCSE exams only a few weeks away.

His mum, Irene, told: “I am so proud of what Zion has achieved so far. My job is to ensure that he is able to work towards his dream of becoming an Olympic gymnast.

“He has what it takes, never makes excuses and is now reaping the rewards of his hard work. His resilience and determination are inspiring.”

Zion Aserie competing in the U18 Floor event at British Gymnastics Championships 2023

For more on Zion Aserie visit a www.linktr.ee/gymnastzion or follow him on Instagram at www.instagram.com/gymnastzion

For more on the British Gymnastics Championships 2023 visit www.british-gymnastics.org

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NEWS: New Year Erdington bus passengers set to save 30% as part of Get Around for £2 campaign

Words by Ed King

This New Year, passengers on Erdington bus routes will be set to save nearly 30% on all single journeys – as the Government introduces it’s Get Around for £2 campaign.

Launched on Sunday 1 January and running until Friday 31 March, the public transport project will see over 130 bus operators slash their single fare prices on over 4600 routes across the county

With bus companies across the UK taking part in the New Year money saving scheme, all but two running through Erdington are taking part in the national initiative.

An average single fare on buses across the UK normally costs around £2.80. But the New Year prices are now capped at £2 until the end of March, following a £60 million Government investment to encourage people to use public transport.

Passengers using the following bus routes through Erdington, operated by West Midlands Travel and Arriva Midlands West, will benefit from the Get Around for £2 initiative:

96 (Chelmsley Wood – Kingstanding), 11A/11C (Birmingham Outer Circle), 28 (Small Heath – Great Barr), 66 (Birmingham – Sutton Coldfield), 77/77A (Walsall – Erdington), X3/X4/X5/X14/X15 (Birmingham – Sutton Coldfield), 110 (Birmingham – Tamworth)

Operators Diamond Bus and The Green Bus, who run the routes 600 (Brookvale Park – Erdington Circular) and 842 (Aldridge – King Edwards Handsworth Boys School) respectively, are not listed as taking part in the Get Around for £2 campaign.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “By helping passengers outside London save almost a third off the average single bus ticket and taking two million cars off the road, the £2 bus fare cap is a fantastic way to start the new year.

“Buses are a key part of our vision for a clean, efficient and modern transport network that is affordable for everyone. That’s why we’re investing £60 million to encourage everyone to hop on the bus and ‘Get Around for £2’.”

As part of the National Bus Strategy, published in 2021, the New Year public transport initiative also forms part of the Government’s Help for Households campaign, supporting people affected by the rising cost of living.

A press release from the Department for Transport further stated: ‘The Government will continue to work closely with bus operators and local authorities and consider future support to help passengers continue accessing reliable and affordable bus services after March.’

Norman Baker, Head of External Affairs at Campaign for Better Transport, added: “Affordable bus travel really is a win-win.

“Capping bus fares in this way will help struggling households, cut traffic congestion and carbon emissions, and inject new life into dwindling bus services.”

To see the full list of bus services you can save on in Birmingham as part of the Get Around for £2 campaign, visit www.gov.uk/guidance/2-bus-fare-cap

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NEWS: Erdington poet Paulette Francis Green to stage manage world première of She’s Royal

Words by Ed King / Images supplied by Paulette Francis Green & Blackstory Partnership

“I’m pleased someone from Erdington can be part of this fantastic play, but the important thing about She’s Royal is the hidden history that many people did not know about.”

Erdington poet and spoken word artist Paulette Francis Green (Empress P) is set to stage manage the world première of She’s Royal, launching at the Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Studio on Tuesday 18 October.

Written by Tonia Daley-Campbell and directed by Lorna Laidlaw, who plays series character Aggie Bailey in Coronation Street, She’s Royal explores the stories of two women of colour who were prominent members of the royal household under Queen Victoria – Sarah Forbes Bonetta and Sophia Duleep Singh, both goddaughters to the monarch.

A child slave in the court of King Ghezo of Dahomey (today southern western Nigeria), Sarah Forbes Bonetta was gifted to Queen Victoria via Captain Forbes – with the monarch impressed by her intellect and encouraging her to enter Victorian high society.

Sophia Duleep Singh was the British born third daughter of Maharaja Duleep Singh, who became a key part of the rising Suffragette movement and getting royal consent for the Equal Franchise Act in 1928, enabling women over age 21 to vote on a par with men. Singh would go on to establish the Suffragette Fellowship in 1930.

Paulette Francis Green, who has worked with Birmingham Opera Company and Erdington Arts Forum, told Erdington Local: “I think the story is important because we are made aware that there were people of colour in the household of the monarchy, in this example Queen Victoria.

“Because of what happened in India (colonial rule) she decided that she would have Sophia Duleep Singh as her goddaughter, along with Sarah Forbes Bonette. To me it’s’ a hidden story that needs to be told.

“Also, Queen Victoria’s relationship with Abdul Karim – who was initially one of her servants but became her cook, and we mention that in the play. So, you can see in the household of Queen Victoria she did have people of colour around her and in positions that were close to her.

“There are diaries by Queen Victoria… there is a part in the play that mentions her saying ‘regardless of people’s race, yes I will promote someone who is of colour.’

“So, it’s a good lesson – but it’s also saying stop being naive, stop thinking there weren’t people of colour around the monarchy.”

Throughout the rise and fall of the British Empire, which at its height counted over 412 million people as it’s subjects – 23% of the world’s population at the time, people from countries and dominions across the globe made England their home.

But the impact and presence of people of colour in the UK spans back throughout history, even to the times of the Roman Empire.

“I’m tired and also pleased we’re still having the conversation,” added Paulette. “But what people have to realise is that we (people of colour) didn’t just come to the UK in 1948 on the SS Windrush – we have been here since the Roman times, with Lucias Septimius Severus (Rome’s first African Emperor) who conquered Caledonia.

“There’s been a black presence in the UK going back centuries, just look at John Blanke – one of the key trumpeters Henry VIII’s court. And what is frustrating is that it is history, it is our history, and it should be told – it should be told in schools.

“There are so many things people of colour have contributed to British history, but why don’t people want to talk about it, why don’t people want to accept it. It happened, it happened, it happened…”

She’s Royal opens with its world première at Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Studio on Tuesday 18 October, with a performance at 7:30pm. There will also be performances of She’s Royal on Wednesday 19 October at both 1pm and 7:30pm.

Tickets start from £15 by calling the box office on 0844 338 5000 or online via: www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/shes-royal/

She’s Royal will also be performed at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre on Tuesday 1 November at 2.30pm and 7.30pm.

She’s Royal – official trailer

She’s Royal is an original production from Blackstory Partnership. For more on Blackstory Partnership visit www.blackstorypartnership.com

For more on the Birmingham Hippodrome visit www.birminghamhippodrome.com

For more on Paulette Francis Green (Empress P) visit www.instagram.com/empressppoet

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NEWS: Watch world première of Taking Flight from The Festival of Flying on Castle Vale – ONLINE TODAY AT 7PM

Words by Ed King / Pics by Claire Taylor – with additional images of Taking Flight by Andrew Moore

On Saturday 17 September, The Festival of Flying came to a close on Castle Vale – following months of community engagement, creative workshops, and inspiring sessions encouraging people on the North Birmingham estate to realise their ambitions and reach for the skies.

The grand finale, a world première of a specially commissioned aerial theatre performance called Taking Flight, will be streamed online today at 7pm – simply click here to visit the Active Arts YouTube channel, or stream directly via the window.

Told through high energy dance, music, smoke, fire, and aerial movement, Taking Flight tells the tale of the evil ‘destroyers’, a wild bunch of greedy wrongdoers who are stealing all the natural resources from the planet. But just as a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, destruction never truly wins where hope lies…

For a sneak peak of the Taking Flight, check out the PICTURE GALLERY below for images from the spectacular show that closed The Festival of Flying on Saturday 17 September.

Led by Active Arts, The Festival of Flying was a continuous programme of community engagement on Castle Vale – encouraging people across the estate to explore exciting new ideas and creative adventures, combining arts and engineering.

The Festival of Flying followed the foundations stones laid by The Butterfly Effect project in 2015, where Active Arts Castle Vale explored how small actions on the estate can lead to big changes

Ending on a day of family fun and spectacle, The Festival of Flying closed with a one day event on the grounds on Greenwood Academy – starting with an afternoon Community Showcase with local talent performing on stage, including Castle Vale dance groups Centre Stage and Mini Movers.

Then at 7pm, hundreds of people gathered for the world première of Taking Flight – produced by critically acclaimed performance company Highly Sprung, in partnership with Active Arts Castle Vale and commissioned and written as part of The Festival of Flying project.

Taking Flight featured a cast of trained acrobatic performance theatre professionals from Highly Sprung, alongside local dancers and performers – including Castle Vales’s own Charlotte Dodds, who has travelled the world performing in theatre, film, and TV shows from the UK to New Zealand.

Charlotte Dodd told Erdington Local: “I have lived on Castle Vale most of life, and when I worked with Highly Sprung I gained a lot of confidence in myself and my work as a performer.

“They showed me that it is possible to have a career in the arts, and at the time that was a big thing for me. They believed in me.

“Coming back to perform on Castle Vale (at The Festival of Flying) and give something back to the community with feels very rounded. It feels like a journey has been complete.”

Check out the PICTURE GALLERIES below for a look at The Festival of Flying Community Showcase, and the live debut performance of Taking Flight.

Watch Taking Flight online today at 7pm:

PICTURE GALLERY (1): The Festival of Flying – Community Showcase / Claire Taylor

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PICTURE GALLERY (2): The Festival of Flying – Taking Flight / Claire Taylor and Andrew Moore

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To know more about The Festival of Flying and other projects from Active Arts, email Active Arts Project Director Claire Marshall on www.activearts.wordpress.com

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OPINION: A message from Paulette Hamilton, MP for Erdington

Pics supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP

It was sad to say farewell to our greatest and longest serving monarch last month. Queen Elizabeth II was loved by the people of our country and the Commonwealth, with her incredible reign lasting more than 70 years.

In my tribute speech in Parliament, I praised her devotion, integrity and service that should be an inspiration to us all. On behalf of the people of Erdington, Kingstanding and Castle Vale, I extended our deepest condolences to the King and the Royal Family. As the Elizabethan era ends, the dawn breaks on the reign of King Charles III. God save the King.

Now that the period of National mourning has ended, politics is back on the agenda. The rising cost of everyday household goods and energy bills is being felt across our community, and more increases are expected.

The impact is already being felt. I’ve been hearing some heart-breaking stories as local families struggle to cope with soaring costs. A father told me how he keeps his gas and electricity off so that he can save the money to keep his daughter and grandchildren warm.

Recently I delivered food parcels to someone who had been forced to choose between heating and eating. The challenges our community is facing are echoed across the country, and we desperately need real leadership to steer us through this crisis.

In early September, Conservative Party members chose Liz Truss to become our new Prime Minister. Hard working families across Erdington, Kingstanding and Castle Vale will be looking to her new Government for help.

But the Tories’ ‘trickle-down economics’ does nothing for our local community and it is scandalous that our new PM has chosen to prioritise tax cuts for the richest.

The Government’s recent mini budget completely fails struggling families who are trying to cope with the cost-of-living crisis.

The cost of their decision to cut taxes and borrow more, instead of raising money by taxing the huge profits that are being made by energy companies, will be felt for generations to come.

For more on Paulette Hamilton MP for Erdington visit www.paulettehamilton.org