Covid 19 & Vaccinations
An additional 286 cases of Covid 19 have been registered in Sutton Coldfield for the week of 14th – 20th August compared to an updated figure of 327 for the week of 7th- 13th August based on data from Birmingham City Council’s public health division.
The 7-day case rate between 14th- 20th August in Birmingham was 298.3 cases/100K population, compared to 323.9/100K for the period 7th- 13th August.
Over the 7 days leading up to 21st August, of 21,437 PCR pillar 2 tests, 3,220 (15.0%) were positive in Birmingham, a higher positivity rate than the West Midlands and England.
Birmingham ranks 14th in the region for pillar 2 PCR tests, with 1,877 tests per 100k population. 40,638 LFD pillar 2 tests were also carried out.
Hospital admissions range between 29 and 56 new cases a day at Birmingham hospital trusts over the 7 days from 14th- 20th August. There were 295 hospital admissions across the week, an increase of 21 admissions compared to the previous 7 days.
The attached image shows the number of vaccines per age group for Sutton Coldfield from data published yesterday.
Walk-in appointments are taking place at a mass vaccination centres across the Birmingham City Council area including on Bank Holiday Monday for those aged 16 and over. Please check the latest availability via: www.birminghamandsolihullcovidvaccine.nhs.uk/walk-in you can also continue to book in advance online as normal including bringing forward your second dose if your appointment is more than 8 weeks from your first vaccine: www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination
The Government has reached an agreement with Pfizer to purchase 35 million more vaccine doses which will be delivered from the second half of next year, as part of our plans to support any future booster programmes.
Royal Sutton Coldfield updates
Congratulations to Sutton Coldfield Rugby Club on their 100th anniversary which will be marked this weekend with a range of activities for all the family https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/birmingham/sutton-coldfield/2021/08/25/sutton-coldfield-rugby-club-set-for-milestone-moment/
Birmingham City Council has launched a new Housing Advice service on their website: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/advice-aid. The service includes a step by step guide to dealing with a wide range of housing issues.
Changes to Birmingham City Council’s Home to School Transport service have been confirmed following the termination of the contract with North Birmingham Travel. The new provider, Healthcare and Transport Services Limited (HATS) has now entered into a new contract to deliver the scheme. The City Council is working closely with HATS to ensure there is no disruption for children. There will be a series of engagement sessions and contact between HATS and the City Council with parents before the start of the new School year. www.hatsgroup.com/our-services/home-to-school-transport-services/
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has been confirmed as a key member of the creative team that will deliver the opening and closing ceremonies for the Commonwealth Games next year. The team also includes Birmingham-born theatre director Iqbal Khan, rapper Joshua 'RTKal' Holness and novelist Maeve Clarke. The opening ceremony will take place at the Alexander Stadium on 28 July.
A new survey has revealed that Birmingham Botanical Gardens is the most popular place in Birmingham for local people to ‘take a breath’ and connect with their lungs. The survey, commissioned by Taskforce for Lung Health, invited local residents to name their favourite city location where they can enjoy their own breathing space, as part of a brand-new awareness campaign around lung health. The campaign is encouraging people to pause and ‘take a breath’ for five minutes. Closer to home of course we are lucky to have Sutton Park on our doorsteps and I hope that everyone has a chance to relax over the Bank Holiday weekend and enjoy our local green spaces. https://www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/latest-news/news/2021/8/24/survey-reveals-brum-s-most-popular-places-to-take-a-breath/
Westminster news and Parliamentary business
This week I have signed a cross party letter to Robert Jenrick calling for a small change to make it easier for people in rented accommodation to own a pet. The list of permitted payments in the Tenant Fees Act (2019) does not include pet deposits, while sections 1 and 2 of the Bill also prohibit landlords from requiring a contract of pet insurance as part of a tenancy agreement. As a result, many landlords have understandably been reluctant to allow pets or have unfortunately increased rents for pet owners. Allowing landlords to secure a reasonable pet deposit, or to require pet insurance as part of the tenancy terms would make it easier for both tenants and landlords. Many property owners are happy to allow pets but would like the extra protection that a pet deposit or insurance scheme provides. A relatively small legislative change could make a significant difference.
Yesterday I was on BBC WATO to discuss the situation in Afghanistan ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfC7pZxxI-o) and I was on BBC WM and LBC today on the same subject. I have spoken to a range of constituents involved in the Afghan crisis in a variety of roles this week and I would like to thank everyone that has been in touch to outline their concerns.
On Monday Ministers announced £160 million of investment to improve the energy efficiency of social housing, making tens of thousands of homes warmer and cheaper to heat. The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund will help to upgrade windows, heating systems and doors of 38,000 of the UK’s least energy-efficient social rented homes - taking them from EPC ratings of D or below to a minimum C rating. This initiative will save tenants approximately £170 a year on energy bills and make their homes warmer, whilst reducing the UK’s carbon emissions. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-decarbonisation-fund
On Wednesday the Government announced £50 million for T Levels across England to improve and expand teaching space – helping students fulfil their potential and progress into well paid jobs. T Levels provide young people with high-quality technical equivalents to A Levels that are recognised by leading employers. The funding builds on the £133 million made available to support providers delivering T Levels in 2020 and 2021 which included capital to purchase specialist equipment. Further T Level funding is expected to be awarded later in the year.
Today over £16 million of funding has been confirmed to help restore 35,000 hectares of peatland in England which will help to tackle climate change and protect biodiversity. Peatlands play a vital role in trapping carbon and providing a wealth of benefits for our environment, including better water quality and natural flood management. This project marks a significant step towards achieving our goal to reverse the decline in England’s peatlands and will also contribute to our Nature Recovery Network.
Opportunities and Events
The Kickstart Scheme offers a 6 month paid job for those aged 16-24 claiming Universal Credit. The placements provide experience, training and improve future job prospects. Hundreds of jobs are available across the West Midlands: www.youthemployment.org.uk/WMKickstartJobs/
E4F New Start (entrepreneurs of the future) is a project aimed at supporting young people leaving education, those not in education, training or employment, and people who have lost their job due to the pandemic. The organisers are looking to support those who need help starting up a business that has an element of technology involved (such as e-commerce). The scheme is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority and delivered by Bruntwood SciTech. The scheme is now accepting applications for its second cohort. bruntwood.co.uk/scitech/business-support/programmes/e4f
The Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) has partnered up with Zellar, the first sustainability platform, to help businesses become sustainable and take the right steps to cut emissions by 2030. The Zellar platform simplifies and provides easy access to critical sustainability measures. GBSLEP is recruiting 100 local businesses who will be granted a year’s free access to the Zellar sustainability platform. https://gbslep.co.uk/resources/tender-opportunities/
Internet Matters and Electronic Arts have launched a new campaign called ‘Play Together/Play Smart’ which aims to equip parents and carers with the resources and information they need to promote safe and responsible gaming. https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/online-gaming-advice/
Visual artists working in the mediums of paint, photography, drawing, mosaic, sculpture and collage are invited to become part of a national conversation to transform understanding of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Commissions of £1500 plus a budget for materials are available for artists to create globe sculptures that will become a focus of walking tours in Birmingham and four other UK cities next year. https://theworldreimagined.artopps.co.uk/
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