Although it’s August, it’s my privilege and role to look after all in our Royal Town - together with my teams in Westminster and in Sutton Coldfield. If we can help, please let us know.
A level results on Thursday
This coming Thursday, AS, A Level and T Level students across the Royal Town will be receiving their results after much hard work during their exams. This year sees the return of pre-pandemic standard of grading.
I would like to wish everyone best of luck on Thursday. Regardless of your results there are always so many opportunities available through clearing and plenty of choices for your next steps, whether that’s training on the job through an apprenticeship, or continuing studying in higher levels, including through Higher Technical Qualifications.
Across all of our brilliant schools, teachers will be on hand to help give advice and guidance, and the National Careers Service also provides free and impartial careers advice and information - https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/. They also run a dedicated exam results helpline.
Once again, good luck to everyone this Thursday!
Dealing with Phone scams, from Age UK
I received a briefing from Age UK on how my older constituents can be target of phone scams and what advice I can pass on, since Sutton Coldfield has a sizeable elderly population.
Anyone can be a victim of a scam. It can be very distressing, and the impact is often emotional as well as financial.
It’s important to remember that if you have ever been scammed or a target of a scam, then you are not alone and there is support available.
More information is available here:
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/scams-fraud/phone-scams/
Age UK also provide support through our free advice line on 0800 055 6112. Lines are open 8am-7pm, 365 days a year.
Funding boost for social care staff this winter
It is very welcome news to hear that the Government has awarded Birmingham local authority £106,475,356 as part of its £600 million package to help with recruitment and retention in social care.
A stronger care system will better meet care needs around the country and support the NHS for future winters, preventing admission to hospital and helping people to be discharged from hospital more quickly, cutting waiting times for A&E and ambulances.
This investment will deliver tangible improvements to care and support services, benefitting millions working in or supported by care. It builds on progress the Government has already made on workforce reforms set out in the Next Steps to Put People at the Heart of Care plan - backed by an initial £250 million - which will enable better recognition of social care as a profession.
Hundreds of thousands of older people, disabled people and their carers depend day in, day out on our social care workforce. Care workers deserve a brighter spotlight to recognise and support what they do. That’s why we’re reforming social care careers and backing our brilliant care workforce with millions in extra funding.
These workforce reforms will help more people pursue rewarding careers in social care with nationally recognised qualifications. This investment in social care means more funding to go to the front line. This matters, because support for our care workforce is the key to more care and better care.
A stronger social care system, hand in hand with our NHS, will help people get the care they need, when and where they need it.
My Interview with Education Cannot Wait
The UK is proud to be a co-founding member and leading donor to Education Cannot Wait (ECW). ECW shines a spotlight on education needs of children caught up in crises around the work and is the best hope of an education for the 224 million crisis-affected children worldwide.
If you would like to, you can read about my interview with ECW, in which I talk about our support for education in emergencies here:
The £500 Speaker’s ‘Democracy For All’ Small Grant Scheme
The Speaker’s ‘Democracy For All’ Small Grants Scheme has been launched, funded through the income from the sales of Christmas cards and tours of Speaker’s House.
This brilliant initiative offers an opportunity for constituents to bid for £500 to deliver local constituency arts and educations projects with a focus on increasing the understanding of Parliamentary democracy across the UK.
So, if you are a school or organisation in the Royal Town and would like to be considered for this grant, then please email me by 23rd August, and I will select the top contender to be considered by the Speaker.
Above: A room in Speaker’s House in Parliament, the part of the Palace of Westminster where the Speaker conducts official business and lives.
Guided tours of Speaker's House are running from July to early October 2023 and tickets are currently available to purchase- The State Apartments Of Speaker's House Tour Tickets and Dates (seetickets.com)
Royal Sutton Coldfield Conservative Association Annual Dinner 2023
We are thrilled to launch the Royal Sutton Coldfield Conservative Association Annual Dinner 2023 this weekend!
Our speaker this year is the infamous, lively and passionate Rt Hon Johnny Mercer MP, my cabinet colleague and Minister of State for Veterans Affairs, who will be sure to provide us all with a phenomenally entertaining talk.
Please do join us at 7pm on Friday 3rd November 2023 at Moor Hall Hotel for a wonderful three course dinner and a fantastic evening with local Conservative friends, supporters and neighbours.
Tickets are £50 each, and tables of 10 can be purchased for £500.
We have already pre-sold a number of tables, so please reserve your place quickly to avoid disappointment.
Tickets can be reserved by emailing ckhorrocks@yahoo.co.uk
Above: Last year our guest of honour was former prime minister Theresa May, seen here with senior royal town Tories, your Member of Parliament, and your brilliant regional mayor Andy Street. The former Prime Minister spoke to a full house in what was a very successful and enjoyable event.
Heritage Week in Sutton Coldfield
I have received the below from Sutton Coldfield Heritage Network (SCHN):
‘Dear friends
I am delighted to send links to both the programme for Birmingham Heritage Week in Sutton Coldfield and to an exciting photo competition running alongside it.
The programme has been co-ordinated by Sutton Coldfield Heritage Network (SCHN), a loose association of individuals and local societies with history or heritage interests.
SCHN has now adopted a constitution and is setting up a community group business account with Lloyds Bank. We also have Facebook and Twitter accounts.
While this formalises the Network to a certain degree it changes nothing about the membership, which remains a non-subscription body.
As in 2022 SCHN has received a generous grant from Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust (SCCT) to support some of the events between 8th and 17th September 2023, for which we are extremely grateful.
Information about the programme for this year's Birmingham Heritage Week in Sutton Coldfield is live on the main Birmingham site and the following link goes directly to the SCHN Eventbrite page for the Sutton Coldfield programme:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/sutton-coldfield-heritage-network-50629663033
A brochure will shortly be printed for venues too.
We are also launching a photo competition (link here: https://sites.google.com/view/schn-photo-comp/home)
We do hope you might consider participating yourselves and sending this information to your your friends and contacts to encourage them also to take part in the competition and sign up for the events. While some have quite limited capacity and are booking up fast, the big open days will have room for many visitors.’
#MYTOWNHALL
Your Town Hall requires donations to protect our heritage building for future use.
We are launching an APPEAL FOR £200k in order to continue to support Your Town Hall and protect it for the future community use, value and enjoyment.
In this present situation of rising material prices, heating bills and social costs, why should YOU consider supporting your town hall? Because it is a precious historical building, an asset to the area, and the Trust needs support to keep it functioning.
How to Support:
We are asking you to be as generous as you can, to enable the Town Hall to meet its present commitments. We are relying on your support. Every little helps !
Thank you!
From all of the team at Sutton Coldfield Community Town Hall Trust and the trustees.
Donate with PayPal Giving Fund
You can read and subscribe to the Town Hall’s newsletter here: The Town Hall Presents: Summer is Here! (mailchi.mp)
Four Oaks Tennis Club, Warwickshire County Champs - Juniors, O-35s & Open
Our brilliant tennis club here in Four Oaks is hosting the Warwickshire County Championships for Juniors and Adults.
The Juniors and Over 35s events will be held locally at the Club on Highbridge Road and the 'Open' events at Leamington.
The deadline for entry is 6th August, which is next week, so don’t leave it too long!
See below posters for more details if you would like to enter:
UK Parliament Week
This year UK Parliament Week (UKPW) is taking place from 6-12 November.
Sign up for your free kit and explore @UKParliament and how to get involved on the issues that matter to you.
UKPW is a great way to find out about UK Parliament and get a better understanding of the crucial work Parliament does.
#UKPW ukparliamentweek.org
MHRC Locations
Please see below the visits scheduled for the week commencing 21st August 2023 of the BCC Mobile Household Recycling Centre.
· Thu 24/08/2023, Signal Hayes Road B76 2RF, 07:00 - 12:30 Sutton Walmley & Minworth
· Fri 25/08/2023, Avery Road B73 6PX, 07:00 - 12:30 Sutton Vesey
Upcoming deadlines, NDSU External Funding Update from Birmingham City Council:
· Monday 14 August 2023 at 5pm - The B&Q Foundation - Grants of up to £5,000 for garden projects, and up to £10,000 for building or indoor projects, available for charities who are using the funds to provide, maintain, repair or improve housing or community space; or to support people experiencing poor housing and homelessness.
· Tuesday 15 August 2023 - Connected Services Programme - Birmingham City Council has secured £1.1m worth of brand new devices from the West Midlands Combined Authority to support the Connected Services Programme. They are looking for voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations supporting adults who could use them in their work (from IAG provision to teaching digital skills) or work with adults who would really benefit from being gifted a device.
· Friday 25 August 2023 - Sport England Places and Spaces Crowdfunding Programme - Up to £10,000 in match funding to help community sport and physical activity groups create or improve facilities in their local area.
· Thursday 31st August 2023 at 12pm (midday) - Addressing housing issues in our communities: Building capacity and resilience within existing services across Birmingham - Up to £5,000 available for voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector organisations who have identified housing issues such as poor housing or homelessness in Erdington, Handsworth and Sparkhill areas of Birmingham.
· Thursday 31st August 2023 at 12pm (midday) - Didymus - Grants of up to £10,000 pa for a period of up to 3 years for UK registered charities and CIOs promoting social inclusion through the arts and education.
· Thursday 31st August 2023 at 5pm - Lloyds Bank Foundation - d/Deaf and Disabled people's organisations - This programme is for small and local charities with an income between £25,000 to £500,000 which are led by and working with d/Deaf and Disabled people who are experiencing poverty. Organisations can apply for a three year unrestricted grant of £75,000.
New NDSU webpage for funding and capacity building support for community groups and organisations
The NDSU Team have a new webpage on the BCC website which includes information about current funding opportunities and resources to help community groups and organisations in Birmingham access funding and capacity building support. Funding and capacity building support for community groups and organisations in Birmingham | Birmingham City Council