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NEWS: Discover “hidden treasures” at first Erdington High Street Community Market on Saturday 28 February

Words by Ed King

The first Erdington Community Market is to be held on Erdington High Street on Saturday 28 February, with stalls open to the public from 11am to 5pm.

Organised by the Erdington Business Improvement District (BID), the Community Markets will offer a range of crafts, artwork, gifts, toys, and food from local traders – plus those special one off “hidden treasures” you can only find on a market stall.

Local artists will be presenting original work, alongside stall holders selling handmade gifts and crafts, uniquely tailored clothing lines, personalised decoupage gifts, family recipe food, homemade cakes and treats, and much more.

Local trader selling children’s toys and gifts at LYLC Winter Warnmer event on Erdington High Street / Photograph by Ed King for Erdington Local

Stalls will be situated on the pedestrianised area outside Wilton Market, giving local shoppers and visitors to the Town Centre a chance to visit Erdington’s longstanding indoor market as well – where they can pick up everything from fresh meat and electronics to luggage and clothing.

A spokesperson for Erdington BID and the Community Markets told: “Erdington Town Centre has a rich history of markets and traders, as well as a bustling business community.

“In 2026 we’re bringing this past into the present and launching our regular Community Markets on the High Street.”

Stalls and public engagement LYLC Summer Fun Day event on Erdington High Street / Photograph by Ed King for Erdington Local

They added: “High Streets across the country are suffering, with national chains closing stores and more people shopping over the Internet.

“But the Erdington Community Markets will be a chance to find those special hidden treasures you can’t find online, as well as enjoying an afternoon of free fun and children’s entertainment on Erdington High Street.”

The Erdington High Street Community Market on Saturday 28 February will be running alongside a Community Fun Day from 11am to 3pm – organised by Oikos Church and Café, celebrating their respective 15 and ten year anniversaries on Erdington High Street.

The Oikos Community Fun Day will include free family fun, including a bouncy castle, face painting, temporary tattoos, arts and craft workshops, and live music – supported by Erdington BID’s LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY (LYLC) campaign.

Oikos will also be hosting a special Community Meal, undercovers outside on the High Street, where people can join together to enjoy good food and company.

Oikos host a Community Meal at their High Street venue every month which attracts a friendly crowd from across the local community.

LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY stickers on display on information stand at Community Fun Day / Photograph by Ed kIng for Erdington Local

Erdington BID’s LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY campaign was set up to encourage positive engagement with Erdington High Street and Town Centre.

With support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the LYLC campaign hosted a series of Summer Fun Day and Winter Warmer events in 2026 and has a programme of activity planed for Erdington Town Centre across 2026.

For more information, or to get involved in any of the Erdington BID Community Markets or LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY events, please email: [email protected]

 

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: Residents invited to become Community Health Champions and transform local wellbeing

Staff at Witton Lodge Community Association (WLCA) engaging in community outreach work / Photograph supplied by WLCA

Words by Witton Lodge Community Association

Residents across Birmingham are being offered a unique opportunity to become a catalyst for change in their communities.

The Birmingham Community Health Champions programme is officially open for applications, inviting passionate individuals to step forward, gain expert knowledge and lead the way towards a healthier, more informed and connected city.

Funded by Birmingham City Council’s Public Health Team and delivered in partnership with Witton Lodge Community Association (WLCA), the initiative is designed to bridge the gap between health services and local residents.

Building Connections

By empowering ‘trusted voices’ within the community, the programme aims to ensure that vital health information isn’t just a list of statistics for people to access but a supportive conversation between friends and neighbours.

The benefits of joining the programme and becoming a Community Health Champion are extensive. People will benefit from:

  • Professional Training: Gain free, monthly expert-led training on critical topics including mental health, nutrition, cardiovascular health, diabetes and air quality.
  • Personal Growth: Develop communication skills, build your CV and grow your confidence.
  • Flexibility: The role is designed to fit around your life. Whether you have hours to spare or just a few minutes for a chat, your contribution matters.
  • Full Support: Champions receive ongoing guidance and all travel expenses are fully reimbursed.

 

Tackling Inequalities

Waheed Saleem, Head of Programmes and Partnerships at Witton Lodge, added: “Community Health Champions will be trusted voices within their communities.

“By using the knowledge gained through the programme they will be able to make a real difference.

“Anyone with a passion to make a difference can join. This is a great opportunity to address health inequalities and improve wellbeing across Birmingham.”

A lack of experience is no barrier to becoming a Community Health Champion. People don’t need a medical background or prior work experience in a medical or health setting, they just need to have a genuine desire to help others.

The programme provides all the tools people need to share practical, accessible health advice through everyday conversations.

Joining is simple. Interested residents can apply via the Volunteer Brum platform by completing an Expression of Interest form. This is followed by a friendly introductory conversation and a comprehensive induction session.

Alternatively, you can get started immediately by completing the Community Health Champion Getting to Know You Form – North Birmingham.

For more details, please call Fauzia on 0121 382 1930 or email: [email protected]

For more on Witton Lodge Community Association visit: www.wittonlodge.org.uk

Witton Lodge Community Association is a leading partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Oikos Café and Church celebrate 10 and 15 year anniversaries – with Community Fun Day on Saturday 28 February

On Saturday 28 February, between 11 am and 3pm, Oikos Church and Café will be hosting a free Community Fun Day outside their venue on Erdington High Street – with stalls, games, live music, family friendly fun, and a special Community Meal.

The special event is to celebrate the 10 and 15 year anniversaries of the Church and Café respectively, and the many years that Oikos has been a vibrant and cherished part of the Erdington community.

Ahead of the anniversary Fun Day celebrations, Nicola Murray shone our COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT at this long standing and well loved local stakeholder.

Words by Nicola Murray

A decade of coffee and community is being celebrated on Erdington High Street as Oikos Café marks its 10 year anniversary, as well as 15 years of Oikos Church serving the area.

Since opening its doors in 2006, Oikos café has grown into far more than a place to eat and drink, it has become a vital “third space” – a place between home and work where connections are formed and cemented.

Pastor Dan Mandley, who has been part of Oikos since its origin, says the vision was always people focused. He explains the church “started the café because we love the Erdington community, we see that there is a great need for a space where people can come and just be, and be known.”

Outside of Oikos Cafe on a sunny day on Erdington High Street / Yellow Mustard Photography

To mark the milestone, Oikos will be hosting a free Community Fun Day on Erdington High Street, outside the café, to “celebrate all of the amazing people of Erdington.”

This event will bring people together through food, activities and family entertainment. The celebration is designed as a thank you to the community that has supported Oikos Café over the last 10 years – and the people they have reached through their church over the last 15 years.

Community focus is what makes Oikos shine, with many customers remarking it is what sets the café apart. Loyal customers often call it “one of the best things about Erdington,” reiterating the café’s reputation as a social anchor on the High Street.

It has become a real community hub where people feel known, and a part of something bigger.

Staff serving inside Oikos Cafe on Erdington High Street / Photograph by Yellow Mustard Photgraphy

Over the years, the café has opened its doors to a variety of groups and events. “It has been so great to see so many different groups using the space, from the Women’s Institute to schools and music groups,” said Mandley.

Oikos Café plays a significant role as a flexible venue where different parts of Erdington life intersect and are celebrated.

One of the main highlights of the decade has been its regular and free Community Meal, held on the last Thursday of each month.

“It is an evening where we feed over 100 people from all walks of life and backgrounds,” adds Mandley. “The diverse community of Erdington is represented on these evenings and people get to know each other; many friendships have been made off the back of those events.”

The success of Oikos Café would not be possible without their volunteers, who have been central to making the vision of Oikos a reality.

Oikos Café reflects the church’s long-term commitment to Erdington. In a time when many public social spaces are disappearing, Oikos has left its mark on the community.

There are over 30 volunteers every week that make the café function. Over the past decade, more than 250 volunteers have offered their time, supporting everything from events to daily hospitality.

The café has helped offer paid work, and the ability to develop skills.

Outside of Oikos Cafe on Erdington High Street / Photograph by Yellow Mustard Photography

And as the 10 and 15 year celebrations begin, the focus is not only on the past but the future, “We have loved doing it over the last 10 years and we are looking forward to the next 10 years” Mandley remarked.

The Oikos anniversary Community Fun Day will be held on Saturday 28 February, between 11am and 3pm – outside Oikos Church and Café on Erdington High Street.

The event is partnering with the Erdington BID as part of LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY campaign and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – with support from Birmingham City Council, the West Midlands Combined Authority, and the Mayor’s Market Fund.

For more on Oikos Café and Church visit www.oikoscafe.co.uk

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LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR? The Great Affordable Housing Robbery

Colorful wooden houses in a scattered pattern, representing the housing market’s response to government policies / Photograph from Adobe Stock Images

Erdington Local often receives desperate messages and stories about HMOs or Exempt Accommodation – as the problems that stem from poorly managed housing stock roll roughshod across the constituency.

We began reporting on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) back in August 2020, with our EXPLOITED series – written by a journalist with lived experience of the situation. Click here to read.

Since then, articles published across the country have described countless communities living in the shadows of egregious landlords and duplicitous housing providers.

But there is always more than one side of the story. And in a new series, LOCAL AMBASSADORS reporter Trish Jones – who worked extensively in the social housing sector – takes a first person look at the nation’s ongoing housing crisis.

And asks, why is it becoming more and more difficult to simply LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR?

An aerial view above the drab rooftops of run down back to back terraced houses on a large residential estate in the North of England

Words by Trish Jones

I was brought up on a Council estate in the 1960s at a time when Council housing was highly prized with airy rooms and gardens as big as allotments.

Estates were planned to house people ‘for life’. Bungalows were available for older people, once their children had grown, freeing up three bedroomed homes for couples with young children.

Bespoke flats were integrated into the plan for singles and childless couples. Housing was made available for key workers such as caretakers, teachers, doctors and police constables – and schools, shops, and community centres were all supported by the local neighbourhood.

Generic aerial view of Birmingham UK city centre apartment towers / Photograph from Adobe Stock Images

Since Thatcher introduced the ‘Right to Buy’ our Council houses in 1980, there has been a significant crisis in affordable housing supply in the UK. Household debt increased, and the policy is felt most acutely by those who cannot afford to buy.

Councils were prevented from using the money to build new Council houses and Council housing became rundown and poor.

According to research from the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government and New Economics Foundation, over two million houses have been sold off to date and four in 10 are now in the private-rented sector – where rents are partly financed by public funds via housing benefit payments to private landlords.

A gavel and a miniature house on a desk symbolising the connection between real estate and legal matters / Photograph from Adobe Stock Images

Housing Benefit was introduced in 1983 and designed to help people on low incomes to pay for rented accommodation, whether in or out of work. However, the state allocated funds often only covered part of the monthly rent with the tenant having to make up the shortfall.

Housing Benefit is currently being replaced by Universal Credit, which may cover housing costs differently.

Now we face a fully blown housing crisis with unaffordable house prices, an acute shortage of homes, and sky-rocketing rents – offering quick profits for a few with money, at the expense of ordinary people.

Images representing affordable housing / From Adobe Stock Images

The landlords’ lobby has become a powerful political force – and some MPs and Councillors are themselves, private landlords. While this is not illegal it cannot help but influence housing policy at every level.

This card trick with public money means a large chunk of housing benefit goes into the private purse instead of into maintaining and developing affordable homes for all.

Next time LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR? Will look at Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and the Exempt Accommodation rip-off. 

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, or have something to tell us, LOCAL AMBASSADORS wants to hear from you. Email: [email protected]

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FEATURE: Birmingham Bulls – one of UK’s oldest American Football teams makes Erdington it’s new home

Birmingham Bulls team photo for 2025 season / Photograph supplied by Birmingham Bulls

Words by Sebastian Muscroft

Birmingham Bulls are one of the oldest American Football teams in the UK, having been founded in 1983, as well being as the longest standing squads not merging or changing their name.

The club has had a successful past, winning four National Championships and multiple European campaigns – including winning a bronze medal along the way. To add to this, they have also had (and still) have GB athletes within their members.

The club used to train near Kings Norton, in South Birmingham, before moving to Spring Lane Playing Fields – run by Spring Lane CIO – at the start of the 2025 season.

The move was due to their Kings Norton training group being too far out of the city, with poor transport links, and the problems this posed to recruiting new players and staff – as well as the difficulties some squad members had accessing the grounds.

But why Spring Lane Playing Fields, why Erdington? And why now? LOCAL AMBASSADORS spoke to Birmingham Bulls’ Head Coach Doug Cotterell to find out more.

“Erdington have been an absolute God send,” told Doug, “[Spring Lane CIO have] been very accommodating and can’t do enough for us.

“Where they are and what they’re offering us, it makes sense to move all the Birmingham Bulls set up – the academy, everything.’’

Birmingham Bulls on Spring Lane Playing Fields / Photograph supplied by Birmingham Bulls

Birmingham Bulls’ move coincides with Spring Lane CIO’s recent plans to re-develop the playing fields and include a multipurpose 4G pitch, a new café, and a new club house – which Coach Cotterall also explained played a crucial role in the club’s decision to move grounds.

He added: “The space they’ve got is massive, as well as the new stuff that’s coming on board… everything going on is attractive for us and they’ve offered the world – they can’t do enough for us – so that’s the main reason we moved’’.

Andy Trueman sits on the Board of Trustees at Spring Lane CIO, the recently registered charity committed to establishing Spring Lane Playing Fields ‘as a resource for Sport, Education and Wellbeing for the community of Erdington and its surrounding areas’ as stated on their website.

Birmingham Bulls on Spring Lane Playing Fields / Photograph supplied by Birmingham Bulls

Spring Lane Playing Fields has already been used for community events, and host regular training sessions and fixtures for sports teams including Erdington Rugby Football Club, Erdington Cricket Club, Walmley Cricket Club, and Colron Football Club. Now they welcome Birmingham Bulls to their grounds.

Andy explained: “Most of the sites in Erdington are football so we wanted to include some minority sports or slightly different sports and that was a good fit when the Bulls approached us, as it gave us variety.

“With the Bulls coming to the site it also means we have an alternative contact sport for both summer and winter, which is particularly important as one of the key concepts for the site is about trying to get kids out of knife crime and into sport.’’

Birmingham Bulls on Spring Lane Playing Fields / Photograph supplied by Birmingham Bulls

He added: “It makes sense for the Bulls; it allows them to consolidate both the men’s and junior sections onto one site. At Spring Lane, they have pitch of their own which will be fully licenced to them in the next couple weeks.’’

Birmingham Bulls are set to stay at Spring Lane Playing Fields for the foreseeable future, hoping the move will grow the club and participation. The club also states anyone is welcome to come and get involved, both on the pitch and off.

Birmingham Bulls play their next game at Spring Lane Playing Fields on Sunday 19 April, against the visiting Wakefield District Raiders.

PICTURE GALLERY: Birmingham Bulls during their 2025 season

For more on Birmingham Bulls visit www.birminghambulls.co.uk

To find out more about joining our LOCAL AMBASSADORS programme and editorial team, supporting community journalism and grassroots content creation, email: [email protected]

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NEWS: Tensions flare up on Castle Pool car park as “very rude” Unite bin strike protest group limit access for schools and residents

Unite the Union strike protest roup on car park by Castle Pool, Castle Vale (Credit – Tracy Fisher, Erdington Local)

Words by Tracy Fisher and Ed King

Tensions flared earlier this month after the presence of a protest group on the car park by Castle Pool, off Farnborough Road, limited access for local schools coming for swimming sessions.

On Thursday 5 February, members of Unite the Union supporting industrial action by the city’s bin workers organised an afternoon of public engagement.

But staff from the swimming pool warned coaches bringing local children in to use the facility would have been blocked from accessing the public car park.

Speaking to our Castle Vale Local reporter as the protest was still taking place, a senior member of staff from Castle Pool told: “I did ask them to move, purely because we have schools come in and… they need somewhere to park, and [the Unite members] wouldn’t move and still haven’t moved now.”

They added: “I found [the Unite members] to be very rude to be honest. Not the best at all, just ransacking everybody who’s walking through just to take [rubbish to] the bins.

“It’s not good, it’s not good at all… its safeguarding for us at the pool as well, it’s not good.”

Local resident taking wheelie bin to MHWC on car park by Castle Pool, Castle Vale (Credit – Tracy Fisher, Erdington Local)

Local residents were also hampered getting their rubbish to the Mobile Household Waste Centre (MHWC), a Council operated free to access waste collection unit scheduled to be on the car park from 7.30am to 12.30pm.

Residents were seen parking elsewhere and having to walk their wheelie bins to Mobile ‘Tip Truck’ at the preapproved collection point on the car park.

One of the protest group, identifying themselves as part of Unite the Union, explained: “We’re here to try and raise awareness to the residents of Castle Vale, because a lot of people are still unaware of why we’re striking.”

When asked about reports the presence of the group had been making it difficult for residents to access the Mobile Tip Truck, with cars unable to fully access Castle Pool car park, they added: “No, no we haven’t. We’ve just been talking to local residents, explaining why we’re here, what we’re doing.

“Mostly once they’ve understood the situation, and why we’re here and why we’re striking, a lot of the local residents [are] totally supporting us now…. we’ve had a couple that were against us and we’ve managed to sway them and now [they] fully support us.”

Unite the Union strike protest group on car park by Castle Pool, Castle Vale (Credit – Tracy Fisher, Erdington Local)

One local resident, John, who was at Castle Pool Car Park whilst Unite were present and regularly uses the Mobile Tip Truck, told Castle Vale Local: “I think with the amount of Unite people here it’s a bit intimidating.”

He added: “But you know, I listened to them, what they had to say, because there’s always two sides to every story.”

The Unite the Union bin workers dispute with Birmingham City Council has been ongoing since March 2025 amid concerns over job losses and heavy pay cuts. In a recent ballot, Unite members voted to continue the strikes until September this year.

The industrial action is part of an ongoing issue over between Unite the Union, representing waste management staff, and Birmingham City Council, that has been affecting the city since John Clancy was Leader in 2018.

Earlier in the morning of 5 February, there were added reports of friction between Castle Vale’s Councillor Ray Goodwin (Labour) and the Unite bin striker protest group.

Outside of Castle Pool, Castle Vale (Credit Ed King, Erdington Local)

Cllr Goodwin, who is also Birmingham Labour’s Chief Whip, has been active in securing the MHWC trucks in coming to Castle Vale – with the North Birmingham estate receiving more visits than other areas across the city.

The senior member of staff from Castle Pool previously quoted also witnessed the altercation with Cllr Goodwin. They told: “It wasn’t very nice, they (protest group members) were like pushing him (Cllr Goodwin) really, to move out the way…”

They added: “There was about ten (protest group members) there… there’s absolute no need for that anyway, whatever you’re trying to do.”

Castle Pool is run Castle Pool Community Partnership, made up of local staff and community volunteers, following an asset transfer from Birmingham City Council in 2015 which saved the swimming pool from closure.

A member of the protest group identifying themselves as a Unite member confirmed: “We had a local councillor here this morning… [He] got a bit upset when I asked him whose pockets were being lined through this, so that says it all doesn’t it.”

Flyer for ‘Unite the Union Bin Strike Public Meeting’ on Castle Vale (Credit Ed King, Erdington Local)

Castle Vale Local has reached out to Councillor Goodwin and Unite the Union for further comment. At the time of writing, neither has responded with a public statement.

Others quoted in this article have had their identities shielded for fear of reprisals.

An event labelled ‘Unite the Union Bin Strike Public Meeting’ is being held at the Castle Vale Residents Association Club, on Yatesbury Avenue, on Thursday 19 February – between 6pm and 8pm.

Flyers for the event invite Castle Vale residents to “come along and ask questions to bin workers about the strike”, with “light refreshments provided”.

The Mobile Household Waste Centre is scheduled to be back on Castle Vale on 28 March (by Castle Pool) and 31 March (321 Yatesbury Avenue).

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, or have something you’d like to add to the story, please get in touch by emailing: [email protected]

 

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OPINION: A message from Paulette Hamilton, MP for Erdington

Paulette Hamilton MP outside Yenton Primary School, Chester Road, Erdington / Photograph supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP

Words by Paulette Hamilton MP

The new year has begun with real progress for families across our community. I am delighted that Gunter, Yenton, and Chivenor Primary Schools will soon open Labour’s free breakfast clubs, building on the support already reaching local schools.

That commitment to fairness is matched by decisive national action. After years of decline under the Conservatives, I was proud to see West Midlands rail services brought back into public ownership.

Services at Erdington and Gravelly Hill stations will now be run for passengers, not shareholder profit, helping to deliver the simpler, more reliable railway our communities deserve.

After the success of securing Kingstanding’s £20 million Pride in Place funding, I have been meeting residents and local organisations, listening directly to those who know the area best. Their voices will shape the priorities for this funding.

The next crucial step is appointing a chair to the local board, and I encourage anyone who lives or works in Kingstanding South East and shares our vision for renewal to apply.

Yet, as we deliver, the Conservatives are descending into chaos. Senior Tories like Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, architects of their party’s failed immigration policy and economic wreckage, are now rebranding themselves within the ranks of Reform.

They are one and the same. This is a desperate reshuffle of the same failed deck, offering no real solutions for communities like ours.

Despite the political noise, I remain committed to fighting for investment, fairness, and opportunity for Erdington, Kingstanding, Castle Vale, and South Oscott, today, tomorrow, and every day.

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

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OPINION: John Lambert, Chair of Reform UK Erdington Branch

(l-r) John Lambert – Chair of Reform UK’s Erdingotn Branch, and Reform UK local campaigners by Kingstanding Circle

Words by John Lambert

Dear residents of Castle Vale, Erdington, Gravelly Hill, Kingstanding, Oscott, Perry Common, Pype Hayes, and Stockland Green.

Let’s cut to the chase. On 9 February, we were with Nigel Farage at a rammed NEC rally. Say what you like about rallies, but the momentum is undeniable. Big-name defections like Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman, polls showing Reform ahead nationwide, it’s game on for May’s local elections.

Reform are gearing up to fight every seat in Birmingham and deliver where Labour’s let you down.

You’ve spelt it out loud and clear to us. Potholes wrecking Slade Road, Chester Road, and Gravelly Lane. Fly-tipping blighting Witton Lakes, Stockland Green’s back streets and Castle Vale’s parks.

Bin collections have been in meltdown since that endless dispute kicked off in early 2025 and those overcrowded HMOs and exempt accommodation fuelling anti-social chaos in Oscott and Kingstanding.

Birmingham City Council crashed and burned in 2023 effectively bankrupt. Council tax? It’s UP over 17% in two years and now they’re asking for another 4.99% hike while spinning yarns about how they’re “not bankrupt” because the books balance. Erdington residents aren’t fools. If it’s all so balanced, then why are the basics still in tatters?

Reform’s plan is simple and straight. Slash the waste, patch those potholes pronto, hammer fly-tippers with zero-tolerance enforcement, sort the bins so they’re reliable again and crack down hard on dodgy landlords and unsafe HMOs.

We’ll demand proper community policing, protect our parks and enforce planning rules that put residents first so our streets feel safe, clean and cared for again.

For more from Reform UK Erdington Branch visit www.reformerdington.co.uk

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OPINION: Erdington Cllr Robert Alden, Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

(l-r) Cllr Robert Alden and Cllr Gareth Moore outside Erdington Library during recent heavy rains / Photograph supplied by Birmingham Local Conservatives

Words by Erdington Ward Cllr Robert Alden – Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

Before Christmas Erdington library’s roof sprung a leak and despite an initial repair, it flooded a second time that has now seen it closed since then for repairs.

Over the last month Cllr Gareth Moore and I have continued to push the Council to get the roof repaired and the library reopened asap. We have asked officers for an urgent meeting on site to inspect the damage.

At the recent Council meeting we asked the Cabinet Member in charge of Libraries, Cllr Suleman, to hurry up and sign off funding for the repairs and to meet us on site to discuss the damage and how important Erdington Library is to our local community.

Sadly, this damage is another example of the cost of the Labour Council continually putting off proper maintenance. Gareth and I, along with the local Friends group, have all been warning the Council that the roof needed wholesale replacement.

This work was promised but has been delayed again and again by the Council. Now the damage and cost to repair it will be far greater.

Gareth and I know just how important our historic library is locally and we will not rest until we have got Erdington Library reopened.

This month has also seen the Labour run City Council announce another double whammy on residents with further Council Tax rises and service cuts announced for the next year. It means since Labour took control of the Council in 2012 Council Tax will have DOUBLED under their plans.

For more from Erdington’s Councillor Robert Alden and Councillor Gareth Moore visit www.facebook.com/ErdingtonNews

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OPINION: A View from the Vale – a message from Castle Vale Councillor Ray Goodwin

Councillor Ray Goodwin on Castle Vale High Street / Photograph supplied by Birmingham Labour

Words by Cllr Ray Goodwin

The past month has shown once again what can be achieved when communities are supported, empowered and listened to. The mobile tip truck has proved its value following the post-Christmas period, helping residents tackle waste and improve the environment they care so deeply about.

Alongside this, our dedicated community litter pickers have now collected an incredible 1,560 bags of rubbish — a powerful demonstration of civic pride and collective action.

But this is about more than numbers. It is about people. Across Castle Vale, residents are stepping forward to make a difference: volunteers supporting the food bank, neighbours organising clean-ups, and local creative talent like Duane Emsley, who is producing films that showcase the voices and stories of our community.

This is what happens when people are given the opportunity and support to lead change themselves.

I am often asked why I chose to get involved in politics, and why I am standing for re-election. The answer is clear. Politics should be about people — not rhetoric, not ideology, but real action that improves everyday lives.

Campaigners like the inspirational Jane Roche, who continues to fight for justice for families who lost loved ones to Covid, remind us that leadership means standing up for those who might otherwise be unheard.

Castle Vale proves that democracy is strongest when communities are at its heart. My commitment remains the same: to champion local voices, fight for fairness, and ensure that people-powered politics delivers real change where it matters most.

For more on Cllr Ray Goodwin www.facebook.com/thisiscastlevale