Words by Afzal Hussain – Chief Officer of Witton Lodge Community Association
Witton Lodge Community Association Chief Officer Afzal Hussain outside Wellbeing Hub on Erdington High Street / Pic by Ed King
At Witton Lodge Community Association, we see the power of community-led action on a daily basis, and the incredible impact this has on improving the area and the lives of local residents.
Through our community hubs across the Erdington, we provide a comprehensive support system that is easily accessible and provides numerous services to thousands of residents in the heart of our community.
We continue to advocate for more community services and recently hosted visits from Cllr Mariam Khan, Cabinet Member of Health and Social Care and Joanne Roney, the newly appointed Managing Director for Birmingham City Council.
We also hosted a hugely successful marketplace at Perry Common Community Hall, bringing a diverse range of local community and council services direct to our residents.
Against a difficult financial backdrop for the City Council, we hope to continue to work with the Council and demonstrate that there is another way to deliver local services that work with the grain of communities.
Witton Lodge Community Association is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.
Witton Lodge Community Association (WLCA) are thrilled to announce the upcoming Shaping Birmingham’s Future Together (SBFT) Marketplace Roadshow, coming directly to Perry Common Community Hall and delivered by WLCA.
This incredible community event is designed to bring vital local services and resources right to your doorstep. This event is perfect for everyone in the Erdington and North Birmingham community, whether you’re:
Seeking employment support
Looking for housing advice
Interested in health and wellbeing services
Wanting to get involved in community initiatives / volunteering
John Cotton, Leader of Birmingham City Council said: “The Shaping Birmingham’s Future Together Marketplace Roadshows are a great opportunity for people to learn more about the services and support available from Birmingham City Council and a wide range of partner organisations and community groups.”
He added: “These events showcase our city at its very best.”
WLCA at Perry Common Community Hall / Image by Ed King
Event details Date: Wednesday, 26 February 2025 Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Location: Witton Lodge Community Association, Perry Common Community Hall, Witton Lodge, 87 Witton Lodge Road, Erdington, B23 5JD
Witton Lodge Community Association is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.
As part of a wider health initiative the Witton Lakes Eco Hub team invites you to take part in the Green Mile Challenge – a walking and running distance challenge that is inclusive to wheelchair users and designed to inspire health, fitness, and connection to nature.
Over 12 weeks, your mission is to rack up as many miles as you can, either individually or with a group. You can join anytime within the 12-weeks, but we do recommend at least 6 weeks to see progress.
Get involved in the Green Mile Challenge and enjoy:
Optional Free Mini Health Checks on Week 1 & 2 and 11 & 12 – Booking essential.
Weekly Green Steppers Walking & Striders Running Group – Starting at
Witton Lakes Eco Hub, off Faulkners Farm Drive, B23 7XX.
Witton Lakes Finale Celebration 5k Race Sat 26th April – Register to take part.
HOW IT WORKS Our Route: It’s 1-mile all the way round both Witton Lakes! Take on our scenic 5k loop around Witton Lakes, complete with 1km markers to help track your progress. Perfect for beginners, those training for Couch to 5K or those of you aiming for a personal best on your park run!
Track Your Progress: Download and use the free Strava Fitness App to record your distance and efforts, join The Green Mile WLCA Club.(This app is compatible with all other fitness app and sports watches)
Entrance to Witton Lakes Eco Hub / Pic by Ed King
Join a Group: Take part as an individual or connect with our local walking and running groups:
Red Hot Chilli Steppers Walking Group – Mondays, 11am – 12:30pm: Starting point – Perry Common Community Hall, 87 Witton Lodge Road, Perry Common, B23 5JD
Erdington Walking Group – Mondays & Fortnightly Thursdays, 6:30pm – 7:30pm: Various Locations, email: [email protected], call 07990 109 117 or search the group via Facebook.
Every Wednesday & Thursday you can also join the Eco Hub’s weekly walking and running programmes. Meet at the Eco Hub Café.
Green Striders Running Group (Couch to 5K) with Jemma – Wednesdays, 9:15am – 10:15am (Beginner to Intermediate).
Green Steppers Walking Group with Scott – Wednesdays, 1pm – 2pm (All abilities). Sensory Stroll with Diane – Thursdays, 11am – 12pm (Easy Walking). Celebrate Your Achievement – Eco Hub & Witton Lakes 5K Race!
At the end of the challenge, we’re hosting a 5K Finale Race Event on Sat 26th April at Witton Lakes, followed by a celebration social at the Witton Lakes Eco Hub with prizes, snacks, and drinks. Bring along your family and friends to cheer you on!
Healthy food and excercise equipment / Pic from Adobe Stock Images
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BENEFITS
This inclusive programme is designed for all fitness levels and offers something for everyone:
Improve Your Health: Gain fitness, enhance your physical and mental well-being, and embrace an active lifestyle.
Spend Time Outdoors: Explore the natural beauty of Witton Lakes while enjoying fresh air.
Make Connections: Meet like-minded people and form new friendships through group activities.
Mini Health Checks
To support your journey, we’re offering free health checks during the first two and final two weeks of the challenge. These health checks include BMI (height & weight), blood pressure, heart rate and hip-to-waist ratio. Please note that health checks are optional. If you are unable to attend during these times, contact us to arrange an alternative date. We accept individual or group bookings.
Week 1 & 2 Mini Health Checks (27 Jan – 7 Feb)
Monday – Friday: 10am – 12 pm & 2pm – 4pm
Saturday 1st Feb: 10am – 12 pm
It’s easy to join the Green Mile Programme, simply contact the Eco Hub Office on 0121 227 3200 or email the team, [email protected] or [email protected]
Witton Lodge Community Association is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.
Words supplied by Witton Lodge Community Association
Minister of State for Employment McGovern & Paulette Hamilton MP meet young people at Witton Lodge / Pic supplied by Witton Lodge Community Association
On Thursday 9 January, the Minister of State for Employment Alison McGovern MP attended a special event at Witton Lodge Community Association to discuss plans for reform of employment and skills in the UK.
The visit included a roundtable discussion with the North Birmingham Economic Recovery (NBER) Board as well as hearing directly from local young people about their experiences of looking for work.
Roundtable discussion on Labour reform
Minister McGovern engaged in a productive roundtable discussion with the NBER board including Chair and Erdington MP, Paulette Hamilton who shared their work to boost the local economy in North Birmingham by connecting local businesses and residents with sustainable opportunities.
This collaborative session highlighted the critical importance of community-led approaches in shaping effective employment policies, harnessing economic growth and securing investments, creating employment opportunities and connecting these to local communities.
During the roundtable, the Minister expressed interest in the successes and lessons learned from the partnership, highlighting the importance of place-based partnerships that offer essential wrap-around support. She also discussed effective ways to assist individuals facing significant challenges in securing employment, emphasising the role of local partner organisations in providing support and strategies for their successful integration into the workforce.
Afzal Hussain, Chief Officer of Witton Lodge Community Association, remarked: “We’re thrilled to welcome Minister McGovern and showcase our youth-focused initiatives at Witton Lodge and the progress of the North Birmingham Economic Recovery Board.
“Our community-driven strategy is creating opportunities for young people, addressing the critical challenges of youth unemployment in our area. Through collaborative efforts, we’re developing sustainable pathways to connect local young people with meaningful job prospects and skills development programmes, ensuring a brighter economic future for our next generation.”
Minister of State for Employment McGovern and Erdington MP Paulette Hamilton meet NBER Board Witton Lodge / Pic supplied by Witton Lodge Community Association
Youth employment and skills workshop
Following the roundtable, the Minister actively participated in a busy employment and skills workshop with local young people, organised by Witton Lodge Community Association. This session provided key insights into employment and career opportunities for young people in our local area, aligning with NBER’s commitment to creating jobs and enhancing training opportunities tailored to community needs.
This hands-on session provided a unique opportunity for Minister McGovern to directly engage with local young people and hear their firsthand experiences and ideas about employment and career prospects.
During the session the participants provided key insights into employment and career opportunities for young people in our local area, revealing concerns about inadequate careers advice, lack of work experience opportunities, and challenges in securing employment due to insufficient childcare provision. It also highlighted the need for more accessible and user-friendly alternatives to traditional job centres that sometimes fall short in providing tailored support for young people.
During the workshop, the Minister listened intently as young participants shared their perspectives on the challenges, they face in the job market and shared some of the government’s plans for improving career opportunities for youth employment.
Minister for Employment Alison McGovern said: “The fantastic work being done here at Witton Lodge Community Association to support young people into employment is exactly what our Get Britain Working Plan is all about.
“As part of these reforms, we will be launching a Youth Guarantee trailblazer in the West Midlands to ensure all 18-21-years-olds are earning or learning. At the same time, we are transforming Jobcentres and connecting local work, health and skills services to boost employment, drive up opportunity and spread prosperity here in Erdington and across the country.”
Erdington MP Paulette Hamilton welcomes Minister for Employment Alison McGovern to Witton Lodge Community Association
Witton Lodge Community Association is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.
Every year in the UK, a staggering 8 million real Christmas trees are tossed aside, contributing approximately 12,000 tonnes of waste to our landfills. This Christmas, we wanted to provide some eco-friendly tips for disposing your Christmas tree which are guaranteed to put you on Santa’s nice list!
Number One – Re-using your Artificial Trees
Artificial trees are made from a combination of materials and therefore cannot be recycled. Re- use your artificial trees as long as you can!
Number Two – Re-planting Trees
Mark out the area where the tree’s roots will spread, adding an extra 1–2 ft. Dig a hole that’s 2–3 times the width of the tree’s root ball and 1–2 in less deep than the height of the root ball. Please be aware that Christmas trees grow to an average 1 foot in height per year but this can vary from with different types.
Number Three – Recycling Trees
Trees can also be disposed of at any of the city’s five Household Recycling Centres:
• Sutton Coldfield, B75 7BB
• Perry Barr, B42 2TU
• Castle Bromwich, B35 7AG
• Tyseley, B11 2BA
• Kings Norton B30 3JT
Number Four – Recycling Real Trees
Birmingham City Council offers a free Christmas tree recycling service from December 26 to January 31, trees can be dropped off at parks across Birmingham from 9AM – 4PM. The nearest drop off point for Erdington residents is: Sutton Park, Visitor Centre, adjacent to Town Gate, B74 2YT.
Volunteers on the Treecycling campaign with Birmingham Hospice
Number Five – Christmas Tree Collection – Birmingham Hospice
The Birmingham Hospice has organised a Christmas tree recycling programme called Tree- cycling. On the 11th and 12th of January, Birmingham Hospice’s volunteers will collect and recycle Christmas trees in return for a donation.
They will be covering the following postcodes: B13, B14, B15, B17, B26, B27, B28, B29, B30, B31, B32, B38, B90, B91, B92.
Witton Lodge Community Association is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.
Words and pics supplied by Witton Lodge Community Association
Witton Lodge Community Association has launched the Community Voice Forum to empower North Birmingham residents in shaping local services through direct involvement in decision-making processes.
At Witton Lodge Community Association, we’re dedicated to amplifying the voices of residents across North Birmingham, to play an important role in shaping the services that impact their lives.
Through a new Community Voice Forum, we are excited to facilitate a cohort of passionate, motivated individuals to be involved in decision-making processes, directly influencing the creation and delivery of support services across Erdington and Sutton Coldfield.
To kickstart this new initiative, we recently welcomed over 40 local residents from across our community to hear about our goal to develop sustainable, resident-driven forums.
Community Infrastructure Facilitator Steve Sharma said: “We had a fantastic turnout at the launch of the Community Voice Forum at Perry Common Community Hall.
“Being community-led is at the heart of everything we do at WLCA, and we were delighted to connect with local residents, sharing our plans for the Community Voice initiative.
“We’re so encouraged by the positive response we received at the event and want to thank everyone that joined us on the day.
“Community Voice has the potential to make a significant impact in our communities, and seeing residents come together to use their voice and take control is incredibly inspiring. We’re very excited for the future of this much-needed initiative.”
Together, we want to connect with those who are passionate about their community and eager to help shape services and support across our six key themes: Housing, Employment, Health, Enterprise, Environment, and Volunteering.”
The Community Voice Forum welcomes people of all ages, ethnicities, and abilities from across North Birmingham to share their lived experiences and discuss the issues affecting them.
By doing this, we can gather tangible evidence of the issues facing our communities, identify gaps in existing services and work together to identify the support needed to address them.
Individuals passionate about their community with a desire to be part the decision-making process can join the Community Voice Forum by contacting Community Infrastructure Facilitator, Steve Sharma at WLCA via email at [email protected] or phone on 0121 382 1930.
Witton Lodge Community Association is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.
Words by Afzal Hussain – Chief Officer of Witton Lodge Community Association
(Ed’s note – this column was written for the Erdington Local printed edition and first published on 15.08.24)
At Witton Lodge Community Association, community has always been at the heart of who we are, and what we stand for.
There are times when these bonds of community are tested. Over recent weeks we have seen shocking scenes of violence and attacks against some of the most vulnerable in our society. Despite what some say, we know that these are not protests in the proud traditions of our country, they are acts of deliberate violence and intimidation intended to create fear, sow division and cause chaos.
In Birmingham, we appear to have avoided the worst of these, however, the risk remains, and we must be vigilant.
At these times (of hardship), it is up to all of us to demonstrate who we really are, and what we stand for – our shared values, common humanity, and solidarity. At the worst of times, we often see the best of people, and there have been many uplifting moments of unity and togetherness.
We know that our country has a proud history of overcoming such challenges and emerging even stronger, so whether it was the Blitz spirit during World War II, or more recently the collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic – the power of community has been, and remains, a beacon of hope and unity.
Social media has made life better and easier on many many fronts, however, there is increasing awareness about the dangers of misinformation. Please remain alert and help your neighbours and communities distinguish between facts and falsehoods.
In Erdington, our many communities and local groups play a pivotal role in promoting understanding and fostering cooperation between and within our communities.
This sense of belonging and connection contributes to us all feeling safe. Together we are stronger!
Witton Lodge Community Association is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.
Witton Lodge Community Association is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.
Words by Afzal Hussain – Chief Officer of Witton Lodge Community Association
At Witton Lodge we’re delighted to support the recent launch of ‘Community Voice’, a new community-led initiative that enables residents from across Erdington to have a real say on local issues and opportunities.
Together, we want to connect with those who are passionate about their community, including those ‘less heard voices’ eager to shape and deliver local services and improve their neighbourhoods.
Community Voice welcomes people from all backgrounds and will work hard to reflect the makeup of our local communities from across Erdington and North Birmingham.
We already know there is huge appetite, interest and expertise and Community Voice will help to amplify this.
Now, there is also the small matter of a general election. Our right to vote was hard-won through the tireless efforts and sacrifice of many, so please do exercise this right, and vote.
I was also reminded of sacrifice, during the recent D Day commemorations, when we heard moving accounts from our veterans about how British, Commonwealth and Allied troops made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms.
Your vote is your voice, and it holds the power to influence the decisions that affect local lives, shape our communities and determine the future of our country.
Witton Lodge Community Association is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.
Words and pics by Ed King / Promotional artwork supplied by WLCA
Local residents across Perry Common are invited to ‘Spring into Summer’ as the Perry Common Festival is set to return on Saturday 15 June, running from 12noon to 3pm.
Held on The Ring in the centre of Witton Lodge Road, the communal grass area by Storywood School and St Martin’s Church, the family friendly event is free to attend – with some activities costing only £1.
Event organisers are promoting a variety of events and entertainment for adults and children of all ages – including a super slide, bouncy castle, donkey rides, and a football cage.
The festival will also offer a chance to meet some of the emergency services that look after Perry Common residents, with a public engagement presence from both the local Fire Service and police.
Organised by Witton Lodge Community Association (WLCA) and The Active Wellbeing Society – with support from Urban Devotion Birmingham, St Matin’s Church, and The Friends of Witton Lakes – the annual event was first held in 2010.
But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the community summer festival was put on hiatus for four years – eventually returning to Perry Common in 2023.
A recognised “highlight for our community”, a spokesperson from WLCA further told how they are “are excited to continue this tradition in 2024” following the successful return of the festival last year.
The event takes on an extra special meaning in 2024 as it will also mark the 30th anniversary of Witton Lodge Community Association, the resident founded organisation established in 1994 after Birmingham City Council announced plans to demolish the estate.
Taking inspiration from the Stockfield Community Association in Acock’s Green, WLCA now manages over 200 homes in Perry Common and has spearheaded successful community developments – including the renovation of Perry Common Hall and transforming the old gatekeeper’s cottage and grounds at Witton Lakes into a thriving community garden and innovative Eco Hub.
WLCA have also used The Ring on Witton Lodge Road for a world record breaking community challenge, where they built the world’s largest holly wreath around the railings – with help from the local residents and children the at neighbouring Storywood School
Measuring a staggering 358.3m in circumference and 136.1m in diameter, the giant wreath was made of holly branches from Sutton Park and Christmas decorations donated Birmingham City Council.
Paul Tse, Flourishing Community Development Officer at Witton Lodge Community Association, added: “We are so excited to host the 2024 Spring into Summer Festival in the heart of Perry Common.
“2024 marks thirty years of Witton Lodge Community Association and we are delighted to host this event as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations!
“This event really captures and celebrates the vibrant community spirit that exists in our community, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone on the day!”
The Perry Common ‘Spring into Summer’ Festival will be held on Saturday 15 June at The Ring, Witton Lodge Road, Perry Common, B23 5JD. The event will run from 12noon to 3pm – admission is free with some activities costing £1.
For more information on Perry Common Festival and the other projects from Witton Lodge Community Association visit www.wittonlodge.org.uk or phone (0121) 382 1930
