Local MP, Andrew Mitchell, visited Minworth Primary School and met headteacher Kelly Lickley.
He said:
“I very much enjoyed my visit to Minworth Primary School and we had excellent talk with Year 3 pupils about the environment.”
Councillor John Cooper and the Royal Town’s council are helping the school develop their library services while the company Winvic – developers based in Peddimore - have and are providing renovation and internal decoration which is very welcome and appreciated by the school community.
On Friday 11th March Andrew Mitchell met with Chief Superintendent Mat Shaer to discuss the state of policing in the Town.
Both Mat and Andrew reflected on the positive news that crime rates in the Royal Town are falling.
Burglaries have gone down by an impressive 35% since 2020 (the last year for which comparative figures are available); robberies have fallen by 14% while vehicle crime rates have dropped by 19%.
Andrew Mitchell said,
“There has been a great deal of concern across the Royal Town about vehicle crime and I am delighted that the corresponding police campaign has proved so effective in reducing the numbers of these crimes occurring. We would not have achieved these results without the support of a stellar policing team based in Sutton.”
In addition, Mat Shaer confirmed that the Royal Town’s police station is seeing an increase in activity supported both by the robbery squad and an increased number of CID officers that are based at the Sutton station.
Andrew added:
“This is further evidence of the appalling call by the Police and Crime Commissioner to close down Sutton’s police station. Once again, I urge him to think again and bin these mistaken Labour supported proposals. The latest
crime reduction figures show that we need to be pumping more not less police resources into the Town. We must continue to maintain an effective policing hub in Sutton Coldfield. That is what my constituents have a right to expect in terms of the policing of a Royal Town with 100,000 inhabitants.
There has also been further welcome news about the crackdown in low level anti-social behaviour and the intensification of the work being done to tackle county lines drug activity”.
Andrew Mitchell also raised with the Chief Superintendent the response times by neighbourhood police officers to complaints and enquires from local Councillors and constituents. Mat Shaer undertook to ensure that these were improved
The Publishers Association and Booksellers Association has held its Parliamentary Book Awards when our very own Royal Town MP, Andrew Mitchell, was presented with the award for the best biography, memoir or autobiography.
Andrew said:
“I accepted the invitation to attend the Parliamentary Book Awards as I had been nominated for the best biography category with no expectations at all and to my great astonishment, I won! I really was very surprised but am, of course, absolutely thrilled to have received the award.
“On 24th March, I am doing a talk at the Town Hall based on the book, “Beyond a Fringe” which will kick off the fundraising for the refurbishment programme and hope many will come and support the event for this great cause. Tickets at £10 each are available at the Town Hall.”
Andrew Mitchell MP, has visited the collection point at Sutton Coldfield RFC in Walmley which has been co-ordinated by Joanna Fletcher. He has seen firsthand the generosity of our Royal Town community.
Andrew said:
“Over the last two weeks we have seen an extraordinary collective effort of the Sutton Coldfield community.
“Collections have been pouring into the Sutton Coldfield RFC from so many including Sutton Coldfield Scouts and local businesses such as WAA Chosen and Sidley Piper Homes Birmingham MET College, Sutton Coldfield Campus, King Edwards Lichfield and Solihull School.
“This inspiring collection has seen food, medicine, nappies, personal hygiene items and specialised outdoor equipment for Ukrainian refugees in Poland and those who are still stranded in Ukraine.
“Every item was packed and segregated by adults and children who were very keen to do something that could help others in need.”
Joanna Fletcher, who has co-ordinated the collection said,
“We are now sending 24 tonnes of donations with a dedicated transport to the branch of the Polish Red Cross in Rzeszow. From there everything will be sent to the Red Cross in Lviv, a city in Ukraine where volunteer drivers will deliver goods to everyone in desperate need. Nothing will be wasted.
“Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this great effort. Hopefully our energy, love and compassion will be able to ease the suffering, even in some small way, to the war victims in Ukraine.”
Andrew added:
“The Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal (the DEC) has been heavily supported by people living in Sutton Coldfield and remains, in my view, one of the most effective conduits for urgently needed humanitarian relief.”
Photo: Joanna Fletcher, Andrew Mitchell MP and Johanna Medlicott whose company has also donated a generous financial contribution towards Ukrainian humanitarian aid
If you want to donate money, there are a number of charities providing humanitarian relief in Ukraine.
Donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal
The UK Government matched, pound-for-pound, £25 million of public donations to this appeal.
In Poland the authorities have issued a statement calling on the UK public not to provide further in-kind donations.
Our Royal Town MP, Andrew Mitchell, has visited Joanna Fletcher who runs YogoJo Foundation and heard all about the work she is doing to set the Foundation up as a charity.
The Foundation is set to provide an online well-being programme “Move Up Your Mind” that will benefit mental and physical health and improve the performance of children and adolescents.
The pilot of this programme is planned to be rolled out in the first instance in primary and secondary schools in our Royal Town.
Andrew said:
“This is an excellent venture and I shall assist in any way I can to get Joanna the charity status she needs to start fundraising to get this fantastic work off the ground.”
Andrew added:
“I even had a go at some yoga myself as seen in the picture with Joanna – I have to be honest – I need to practice!”
Our Royal Town MP, Andrew Mitchell, has visited Workspace Technology to meet with Roy Griffiths, Managing Director, and Andy Orton, Sales Director.
The company is opening a new production facility in Minworth where they will be producing pre-fabricated data centres and sensitive compartmented information facilities.
Andrew said:
“These secure, attack resistant, transportable, enclosures, prevent entirely, both acoustic and electronic eavesdropping, in any environment. The opening of this business will bring new highly skilled engineering jobs to the Royal Town; and I very much look forward to returning for the official opening in the foreseeable future.”
Photo: Andrew Mitchell MP meets Roy Griffiths, Managing Director Workspace Technology
Andrew has met Kazi Rahman the Chairman of the Angels Foundation at the food bank, run by the Baptist Church on Trinity Hill in our Royal Town to assist them handing out parcels to organisations who help people in need.
The Angels Foundation, started in 2011, has carried out many projects at their own expense before and during the pandemic – both in Birmingham and internationally. Its work has included support packages of sleeping bags and warm clothes for the homeless and those struggling financially.
During the pandemic Angels delivered educational packs, masks, food, books and stationery to families and children; and assisted with print outs and gave lifts to people to the vaccination centres.
The Foundation also works on projects abroad particularly in South Asia where they have raised money for children to have school uniforms, water fountains and more.
Andrew said:
“It was such a pleasure to be able to help them today and to thank them for their dedication and all their fantastic work.”
Andrew also thanked the staff at the Baptist church who run the food bank six days a week.
Andrew added:
“The volunteers at the Church, much like the volunteers at the angels foundation give up their own time to help the community and they are a true testament to the community spirit in our Royal Town.”
Photo: Andrew with Kazi Rahman (Chairman) and his angels
Andrew Mitchell MP has visited Moor Hall Primary School and met with Headteacher, Andrew Steggall.
Mr Steggall took Andrew on a tour around the school where he met with some delightful staff and pupils.
He took questions from Year 5 on a range of issues including homelessness, Covid-19, Parliament and life as an MP.
Andrew inspected the new building which has made such a difference to the schools and includes an extension to their hall and a new art hub and have been celebrating diversity through music and art and taking care of the environment.
Andrew said:
“Our schools have been incredible throughout the pandemic and Moor Hall is absolutely no exception, I can’t praise them highly enough.”
Our Royal Town MP, Andrew Mitchell, met with Joanna Fletcher who runs YogoJo Foundation and heard all about the work she is doing to set the Foundation up as a charity last week.
The Foundation is set to provide an online well-being programme “Move Up Your Mind” that will benefit mental and physical health and improve the performance of children and adolescents.
The pilot of this programme is planned to be rolled out in the first instance in primary and secondary schools in our Royal Town.
Andrew said:
“This is an excellent venture and I shall assist in any way I can to get Joanna the charity status she needs to start fundraising to get this fantastic work off the ground.”
Andrew added:
“I even had a go at some yoga myself as seen in the picture with Joanna – I have to be honest – I need to practice!
Photo: Andrew Mitchell MP with Joanna Fletcher who runs YogoJo Foundation