Sunday Running Club
This week the Sunday Running Club met on Saturday to celebrate their first anniversary and the tremendous contribution and success of the club in that time.
I joined them (at 6:30am!) to start them of on their anniversary 5km and wave them all off.
It was a roaring success with over 500 participants taking part in the 5K run. The atmosphere was electric, with runners of all ages and abilities coming together to celebrate the joy of running and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
A big thank you to Grant and his team for running such a successful group and in turn raising awareness about the importance of regular exercise and its impact on our physical and mental wellbeing.
6:20am in Sutton Park last Saturday!
Sutton Arts Centre
I also dropped by the Sutton Arts Theatre Open day.
Truly the Sutton Arts Theatre is a jewel in Sutton’s crown.
Sutton Arts delivers high quality theatre for the residents of Sutton Coldfield and are proud to be at the heart of the community which is very much where they belong.
Tickets for the upcoming production of Funny Girl, which will run from today until 1st July, are now on sale and you can purchase them online by clicking here:
https://suttonartstheatre.savoysystems.co.uk/SuttonArtsTheatre.dll/
It is always a great idea to support home-grown talent and I hope to watch the show myself before it leaves our theatre.
With the Chairman of Sutton Arts, Dexter Whitehead
Boldmere Juniors need new iPads!
I received some very persuasive and well written letters in the post from two Yr 6 students from Boldmere Junior School, Laura and Daniel, about their school’s fundraiser for new iPads.
If you would like to donate to their fundraiser, then please click here: https://gofund.me/97b971c7
Vaccinations community event
I would like to thank the Birmingham and Solihull vaccination team for hosting their Vaccinations community event in the Royal Town in conjunction with Age Concern and the Neighbourhood Network Scheme funded by Birmingham City Council.
They were there for general Health and Well Being conversations and support. They were also there to promote the uptake in over 75s and specifically over 80s for the COVID booster as well as talk about flu and the Shingles vaccine.
I await confirmation of the start date for the vaccination programme in Autumn which will again be in the Town Hall.
Armed Forces Day on Saturday
Tomorrow is Armed Forces Day, a chance to celebrate and show our support for the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to Service families, veterans, and cadets.
There are numerous events taking place tomorrow across the country to mark Armed Forces Day, and the nearest to us is in Birmingham city centre: https://www.armedforcesday.org.uk/event/armed-forces-day-82/
Paris
I am currently in Paris for the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. world leaders and ministers have gathered in Paris this week to set much-needed ambitious goals to reform the international financial system which UK development leadership must drive forward.
The poorest countries must have access to the financing they need and we need a system that is fairer.
When climate disasters strike, vulnerable countries must be able to focus on relief without worrying about debt. The UK is driving forward new loan clauses that instantly trigger debt pauses - and lenders are urged to follow suit.
If you would like to, you can read my article in the Times by clicking here:
Statement on the Ugandan School attack on Tuesday this week
On Thursday 16 June, there was an horrific and cowardly attack on Lhubiriha secondary school in Western Uganda, which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Government of Uganda have confirmed that 42 people were killed, of whom 37 were student, six people were injured, and further reports that a further five to seven people, which may include children from the school, were abducted.
The Ugandan authorities are pursuing the attackers, and those responsible for the attack must be brought to justice.
You can watch my full statement to the House here: https://www.andrew-mitchell-mp.co.uk/parliament/ugandan-school-attack
Cervical Screening Awareness Week
This week is #CervicalScreeningAwarenessWeek! Cervical screening saves lives and can stop cervical cancer before it even starts, but everyone’s experience is different. So, #LetsTalkScreening.
@JosCervicalCancerTrust have information, support, and tips to help make attending screening a little easier.
You can visit their website here: https://www.jostrust.org.uk/get-involved/campaign/cervical-screening-awareness-week
Sutton Park Wellness Festival
Trent Valley Line Summer Upgrade
From Saturday 15 July to Sunday 23 July, along with Sunday 9 and 30 July, Avanti West Coast will be running a reduced service on the West Coast Main Line as Network Rail carry out major upgrade work to the Trent Valley line. Customers making journeys in this period are strongly advised to plan ahead and check the Avanti West Coast website before travelling.
Royal Sutton Coldfield Community Games 2023
Outdoor Cinema in the Parade
A cinema will be opening in Sutton Coldfield this summer - a pop-up version in the Parade showing films and sporting events from Friday, July 14 to Sunday, July 16 with the films to be shown set to be announced nearer the time.
The pop-up venue will feature a large cinema screen, deckchairs to sit back in, a grass floor and white picket fence. And it will show a ‘selection of films and this year’s men’s and women’s Wimbledon tennis finals’, with those days featuring morning movies.
CSCS Course at Brandwood Centre
BUPA Foundation Green Community Grants
The BUPA Foundation have launched a Green Community Grants Fund nd are looking or grass-roots projects.
They are looking to support practical community projects which help both people AND planet health.
· Grants are available between £250 - £2,500
· Applications are welcome from all schools, registered charities and not-for-profit organisations across the UK and ROI
· The application window is open from 1 - 30 June.
Example projects could be:
· Improving green spaces for community activities to improve wellbeing
· Tree planting to improve air quality and biodiversity
· A school wanting to create an outdoor classroom or forest school
· A community group who’d like to create an allotment
· A voluntary organisation wanting to install sustainable equipment, such as a heat pump
Apply here: https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/4imACoVxqfrJRQJBu1-L5m?domain=groundwork.org.uk/
MHRC Locations
Please see below the visits scheduled for the week commencing 19th June 2023 of the BCC Mobile Household Recycling Centre.
· Mon 26/06/2023, Calder Drive B76 1GG, 07:00 - 12:45, Sutton Walmley & Minworth