A sad day for Sutton Coldfield library users
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Above: At the protest walk in support of local libraries. Birmingham Council has confirmed the potential closure of three of Sutton’s four libraries.
This week bankrupt Birmingham City Council finally confirmed what many people in the Royal Town had feared – the potential closure of three of our four libraries.
Everyone knows that, as a consequence of Birmingham’s disastrous financial mismanagement, services are facing the axe across the city, with libraries at great risk.
This week the City Council went public with its cost-cutting proposals, confirming that only Mere Green Library would remain open five days a week, as a library and ‘community hub’.
Our libraries in Walmley, Boldmere and Sutton Town Centre will close unless a community partner can be found to run – and fund – them.
This is a damning indictment of the financial mismanagement of the city council, which effectively declared itself bankrupt last year and is now being overseen by Government commissioners.
Don’t be fooled by claims that this meltdown is the result of underfunding by the last Government – it is a mess caused by a refusal to deal with a mounting equal pay claim and a botched IT system. Even the GMB union has described it as a crisis of the council’s own making.
Library users in Sutton Coldfield will be deeply saddened by the news, while others will be infuriated by the withdrawal of a service that they have already paid for, through their Council Tax.
In June I joined determined campaigners who walked from libraries in Boldmere, Mere Green and Walmley to our Town Centre library, in a ‘Walk to Read and Support’, organised by the brilliant FOLIO Sutton Coldfield group.
Sutton Coldfield’s libraries are among the most used in the city, and part of the fabric of our community. Residents won’t forget what the City Council have done to them.
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Residents protest over Police Station closure plan
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Above: Residents organised this protest outside Sutton Coldfield Police Station last week.
Concerned residents held a protest outside Sutton Coldfield Police Station last week. The event, which was organised by residents, illustrated just how concerned local people are about the plans by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to shut the station and sell off the site, while converting semi-detached houses into a much smaller facility.
They were joined by Jay Singh Sohal, a long time local campaigner (who many of you supported to save our police station when he stood for Police and Crime Commissioner in 2021).
Jay is calling for a public consultation and is supporting Town Councillors and I as we seek answers on your behalf.
Jay has shared an article with detailed information - including the fact that residents are paying £8m a year in Council Tax police precept yet face a dwindling local police service and the loss of a community asset.
You can read Jay's news post about the Police Station here: https://tinyurl.com/mryzmyw5
There is still no word on whether the PCC will accept an invitation by Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council to attend their meeting next month and answer questions. There has been a shocking lack of transparency over the situation, and scant details on what will replace the station which has served Sutton since 1960.
However, this most important matter will be debated in the House of Commons on Wednesday, September 4th, after I requested that a special adjournment debate be held.
To be clear, I hugely value the hard work carried out by our local officers, and I know concerned residents simply want to ensure that our town is protected by a proper, fully functioning police station.
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Sutton students pick up their GCSE results
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Congratulations to all the young people across Sutton Coldfield who picked up their GCSE results this week - we are so lucky in the Royal Town to have schools that work hard to ensure local students reach their full potential.
Below is a round-up supplied by local schools.
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Following a set of strong A Level results last week, students at FAIRFAX ACADEMY, founding school of the Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust, are celebrating another successful year of GCSE performance.
High standards have been maintained across all core subjects. 80% of students achieved grade 4 and above in English, over 79% achieved grade 4 and above in Mathematics and over 79% of students achieved two Science GCSEs at grade 4 or above.
In addition, the number of Grade 9's achieved by Fairfax Academy students has risen, and the vast majority of subjects have increased grades on previous years.
For the full story and more pictures, click here: https://tinyurl.com/FairfaxGCSE
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Headteacher Samantha Kibble expressed her ‘overwhelming’ pride regarding the remarkable results achieved by Year 11 students at ARTHUR TERRY SCHOOL this year.
She said: “The results stand as a testament to the commitment, tenacity, and diligence shown by our exceptional students.
“We are delighted that many Year 11 students will be returning to our ‘Outstanding’ Sixth Form as they embark on their A Level journey next year.
“The ethos at Arthur Terry remains: Be Proud, Be Kind, Be Ready, and this cohort have demonstrated the importance of living and breathing our motto.
For the full story and more pictures, click here: https://tinyurl.com/ArthurTerryGCSE
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Staff and students at JOHN WILMOTT SCHOOL celebrated pleasing results across a range of subjects in both GCSE and vocational qualifications.
The students at the school, which is part of the respected Arthur Terry Learning Partnership and is set to be renamed the Royal Sutton School at the start of next term, have shown real resilience and have overcome many challenges ensuring their potential is their reality.
Lisa Lockley, Assistant Headteacher at John Willmott School said, “We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of our young people, to thank the parents who have supported them so well and last, but by no means least, to thank the teachers whose hard work and commitment has made this success possible. What a team effort!”
For the full story and more pictures, click here: https://tinyurl.com/JohnWillmottGCSE
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BISHOP WALSH CATHOLIC SCHOOL celebrated outstanding results across a range of qualifications including GCSE and BTEC.
The pass rate for Grade 4 and above across all GCSEs at Bishop Walsh is 85%. Nationally, this figure is 67%. Additionally, a third of all grades were 7 and above at Bishop Walsh, compared to 22% nationally. We are also pleased to announce that the progress made between male and female pupils is equal and our disadvantaged pupils have closed the attainment gap with non-disadvantaged pupils.
Natalie Brodie, Principal at Bishop Walsh, said: “We are so proud of the achievements of all Year 11 pupils who have collected their results today. They have all worked incredibly hard to achieve excellent GCSE and BTEC results and have truly demonstrated a commitment to our ethos of ‘Guided by Christ, we aspire to achieve.”
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Celebrated columnist to talk at Sutton supper event
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Above: Matthew Paris is coming to Sutton Coldfield.
I am delighted to announce that Matthew Parris, the nationally renowned columnist, journalist and political columnist has agreed to come to speak at the Westminster Supper Club on Friday 27th September in the Royal Town.
Coming two days before the start of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, his reflections ahead of the Conservative leadership contest will be fascinating and thought provoking.
The Westminster Supper club is chaired by Mrs Kay Noone, the President of the Royal Town’s Conservative Association. The club meet three times a year for a two-course meal and to hear political and non-political speakers.
Further details and tickets are available from info@suttoncoldfieldconservatives.
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Learn about the history of the Royal
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Above: The history of the Royal is to revealed in an event for Birmingham Heritage Week.
The countdown until Birmingham Heritage Week is progressing, with all kinds of brilliant events planned by Sutton Coldfield Heritage Network between September 6th and 15th – I am looking forward to getting involved and learning more about the Royal Town’s history.
One special event will give an illustrated talk about the history of the newly refurbished Royal Cinema, the art deco gem at Maney Corner.
From Odeon to Empire to Royal – the talk at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, organised in collaboration with Future of Cinema in Sutton (FoCiS), promises to take you on a journey through the cherished cinema’s history, to learn about its past, present and glittering future.
Then, after an interval, the Town Hall lights will dim for a film showing Sutton Coldfield life captured in footage spanning 80 years.
A dedicated team from Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers (SCMM) have been busy renovating films from their Club’s archives. Their collection includes short Documentaries, Dramas, and Comedies made by local film-making enthusiasts since 1937.
The event is organised by Sutton Coldfield Heritage Network with the support of Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers and Future of Cinema in Sutton Coldfield (FoCiS), and is on Monday, September 9th from 4.30pm-6.30pm at Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Hall.
Tickets cost £4 and can be booked by visiting: https://birminghamheritageweek.co.uk/event/cinema-and-sutton-coldfield/
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100 years of Highbury Players
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As part of the centenary celebrations for Highbury Players, Highbury Theatre is holding an open day on Sunday, September 1st and would like to welcome as many people as possible into the theatre.
Highbury Theatre is a non-professional theatre in Sheffield Road, Wylde Green. It is one of the oldest, established amateur theatres in the city and a founding member of the Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain.
It is one of Sutton’s Coldfield’s true gems, and I have always hugely enjoyed my visits to the theatre over the last 25 years. The Highbury Players are renowned for the exceptional quality of the the shows they produce.
In their centenary year, the Players are also looking to the future, and are using the open day to launch their new Youth Theatre, which will give young people aged 11-18 the chance to get involved in all aspects of theatre, both onstage and off.
They will then be opening their season with The King’s Speech which runs for two weeks from 10 to 21 September. The theatre’s film season is launching with The Great Escaper on 15 September.
More information and tickets can be obtained via our website https://highburytheatre.co.uk
See the further information section at the bottom of this newsletter for more.
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