Boldmere Pages May/June 2020

May / June 2020

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Boldmere Pages ereod m d l o B bourho Neighum News For side In

Culture from your sofa 6 of the best things to stream in lockdown

Advice & tips from local organisations about the COVID-19 crisis

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Well, hello you!

I do hope that in this difficult time, you are all staying safe and well. This is something that none of us even imagined would happen, and the situation certainly is unprecedented. I’m not even sure what to write here as it is something I never thought I would have to do. The best I can say is that we will endure, and that we as a local area, a city and a nation, will bounce back.

But for now, please stay home and stay safe.

Follow all the advice we are given from local and national government, particularly around social distancing which is saving our NHS. I want to give special thanks to our wonderful local NHS staff, our care workers and our essential services workers, including our amazing shop workers who are keeping the nation going in this difficult time. You are all truly heroes and deserve so much more than a round of applause, but for now this is all we can give you and it is stirring to hear this ring out around Boldmere every Thursday.

Welcome page

Editor’s Letter

Robin Gray Editor

boldmerepages@grayjonesmedia.com

Nick Moreton Designer

nick.moreton@me.com

Links www.boldmerepages.co.uk

My thanks also need to go out to the Boldmere Neighbourhood Forum and the National Lottery Community Fund for making this issue of the Boldmere Pages happen and to enable us to offer discounted advertising to those businesses still open and serving Boldmere.

I hope to see you all out and about in Boldmere as soon as we are able, but for the time being, please stay at home and support each other from afar.

Robin

In this issue...

Culture from Your Sofa……. p.4-5 An Update from our City Councillors…… p.8 Neighbourhood Forum News…… p.10-11

Facebook.com/theboldmerepages Twitter.com/boldmerepages Instagram.com/boldmerepages boldmerepages@grayjonesmedia.com Cover image by Lisa Carpenter www.lisacarpenterphotos.com

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A Guide to Bordeaux

Culture from your sofa Given the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, more and more cultural establishments have been opening their doors digitally for us to enjoy from home. From movies, to art, to theatre, here’s our pick of the best things you can see and do from home!

Google Arts & Culture Google has the most extensive assortment of museum collections of any online resource. They have partnered with more than 500 museums and galleries around the world, from London’s National Gallery to Los Angeles’s Getty Museum to Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum. The platform’s a “street view” feature that lets you virtually tour the institution, and galleries of artwork, where you can take a closer look at individual paintings.

Visit artsandculture.google.com to get started.

The Shows Must Go On Andrew Lloyd Weber is streaming his back catalogue of shows available to stream to home audiences for one night only on YouTube. We’ve already had Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Phantom of the Opera. Keep your eyes open on social media for what’s next and when, and check out the YouTube channel for some extra interviews and announcements.

www.youtube.com/theshowsmustgoon

National Theatre At Home The NT has risen to the occasion by unveiling a mighty line-up of some of its greatest hits, to be streamed online on Thursdays at 7pm and then available for seven days. Recently we’ve had “Twelfth Night”, “One Man, Two Guvnors” and “Treasure Island”. In addition, the National Theatre Collection, featuring 30 world-class productions, are now free to stream at home for UK state-funded teachers and pupils.

For more info, visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/nt-athome 4

New Films from Your Sofa As the nation’s cinemas are currently closed, Amazon and other streaming services like Disney+ and Now TV have stepped up to become the home for new movies and also fast-tracking recently released movies on to their platforms. Some of the best ones to watch include Trolls: World Tour, Emma, Onward and Artemis Fowl.

Visit Amazon Prime Video, Now TV and Disney+ to start exploring!

BBC Arts: Culture in Quarantine BBC Arts is running a series of arts programming called ‘Culture In Quarantine’, a virtual festival of the arts rooted in the experience of national lockdown. Taking place across television, radio and online, Culture in Quarantine will give the nation access to the arts at a time when we need it the most. Providing extraordinary access to shuttered exhibitions, performances and museums, a virtual book festival and much more besides.

Visit bbc.co.uk/arts for more info.

Keep Dancing!

Brighten up self-isolation with free online dance workshop hosted by the professionals at Sadlers Wells. It’s launched a new platform called Digital Stage where it will present performances and curate classes for children and older people to do at home. The teachers are artists from around the world and alongside the classes, you’ll also be able to watch dance performances from the likes of BalletBoyz and Rumpelstiltskin by balletLORENT, all shows that were due to run at the theatre pre-coronavirus.

www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/2020/digital-stage

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Please pre-order to avoid disappointment

From your City Councillors Rob Pocock and Kath Scott…

Birmingham, including Sutton Coldfield, has been one of the areas hardest hit by the coronavirus epidemic. Many of our older and highrisk residents are ‘self-isolating’ and feeling the effects. As your City Councillors for Sutton Vesey Ward, we have worked to bring help and support to local Boldmere residents affected by the COVID-19 epidemic.

To help local people in need, the City and Town Council have come together, along with Age Concern and several community groups, through a community partnership umbrella, under the title ‘Sutton Coldfield Together’. The aim is to help people through the crisis, and also to protect the vulnerable from the scandalous behaviour of scammers and crooks.

To volunteer your help, or to assist an individual in need, the contact points are: • • •

Sutton Together Helpline (hosted by Age Concern) – 0121 362 3650 9.30-4pm Monday to Saturday Email - info@ageconcernbirmingham.org.uk – this email can be used by anyone in need, regardless of age, to find out how they can get help.

Facebook:- https://www.facebook.com/groups/ColdfieldCovid19/

Anyone wanting to make food donations, can register this on the Sutton Coldfield Together site above. The City Council also have a city wide food donation group established. Please go to the Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) website, either offering support/food or wanting support/food (there are two different forms) https://theaws.co.uk/relief/ or https://theaws.co.uk/support/. Alternatively, call them directly on 0121 728 7030.

In the words of the Sutton Together partnership, “It is important that we all now focus our efforts in line with Government advice and this coordinated local response to give Sutton Coldfield the best chance of fighting COVID-19 together”.

As Boldmere residents may know, we have regularly held public meetings in the Carpenters Arms, and monthly advice bureaus in the Boldmere Library. Unfortunately we’ve had to suspend these until the ‘lockdown’ is lifted. We hope to be back on the high street, out and about, holding meetings and advice bureaus again as soon as possible.

Finally we’d like to express our grateful thanks to all who are helping our community get through this. That includes the NHS, social care workers, and all those working in essential support and supplies. But an often forgotten and absolutely vital local lifeline are the retailers still loyally working in our Boldmere high street. Daily they are exposed to the risks themselves but are keeping our local services alive and open to serve our local community.

We say to them, on behalf of the many people who rely on you, we owe you a huge debt of gratitude.

Rob Pocock & Kath Scott 8

Future improvement to Boldmere’s road and pavements Residents will be aware of the longstanding problems there have been, with the Council’s ‘roads and pavements’ contract with the construction company Amey. This contract has now been terminated, and it’s now been agreed the job will be taken on for the next 18 months at least, by Kier Highways Limited.

The Amey contract finally ended on 31 March and as from 1 April, Kier Highways are now in charge. They will be responsible for potholes, streetlights and everyday repairs.

The City Council will also be re-starting the longer term re-construction of roads and pavements that need a full scale overhaul, using the Tarmac Construction company for these jobs.

There’s a huge backlog of this work to catch up on, because of what was not done for several years under the previous contract. There will be a list of backlogs published later this spring, of the roads and pavements scheduled to be upgraded in the next year or two. Unfortunately this work is all on hold for now, until the national ‘lockdown’ is over.

It’s going to need to be a real ‘roads rescue’ job over the next few years, to catch up, on pavements in particular in the Boldmere area which are getting to be real trip hazards.

If you want to flag up any problems you think are especially urgent, please email me on rob.pocock@birmingham.gov.uk and I’ll feed them into the ‘sausage machine’!

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Neighbourhood Forum News Dear Residents, We are producing this edition of Boldmere Neighbourhood Forum newsletter to try to assist residents with information local to our community. Funding for this has come from “The National Lottery Community Fund� for which we are very grateful. Local groups and individuals are welcome to contribute to future issues. Contact the editor at boldmere.forum@talktalk.net Green Waste Advice from Birmingham City Council You may probably be aware that due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, the City Council has suspended its green waste collection service to all but existing customers. Our civic amenity sites also remain closed during the lockdown period.

Whilst we appreciate that these measures will undoubtedly cause a great deal of disruption, we would nevertheless strongly encourage ALL Birmingham residents to be considerate of their neighbours before considering lighting a bonfire or barbecue, and especially so during the Covid-19 crisis, as smoke can cause severe additional difficulties for those suffering with respiratory issues or those self-isolating due to the virus and longing for some fresh air in their gardens.

Smoke also is a nuisance to neighbours especially when they are not able to remove themselves from the smoke. We therefore strongly advise composting garden waste where possible, or safely storing it until our recycling facilities and garden waste collections can resume normal operation.

Sutton Coldfield Together – Age Concern & Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council

Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council and Age Concern Birmingham are working together with the Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust, and voluntary, community and faith organisations across Sutton Coldfield to ensure that local residents in need are able to access the support and information they need during these unprecedented times. A new Sutton Coldfield Together website has been created where help can be requested, and this also has the details of local organisations and groups offering support and services to those in need. You can access this at: tiny.cc/suttontogether.

Alternatively, you call the Age Concern Birmingham helpline on 0121 362 3650.

We know that we have a caring community here in Sutton Coldfield and that many people will want to help out, and so the website also has a facility for those wishing to get involved to register as a volunteer, as well as advice on how to be a good neighbour in a way that keeps everyone safe.

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In addition, the Sutton Coldfield Neighbourhood Network Scheme will be offering support to voluntary and community groups and faith organisations who may need advice and guidance together with access to additional resources to enable them to deliver support and services to residents at this time and you can contact them on NNS@ageconcernbirmingham.org.uk.

It is important that we all focus our efforts in line with Government advice and this coordinated local response to give Sutton Coldfield the best chance of fighting COVID-19 together, to safeguard vulnerable people, avoid duplication and share only accurate and up to date information.

NHS Mental Health Support Launched for Birmingham & Solihull A range of new, easily accessible mental health support is now available for patients in Birmingham and Solihull. These services are provided by a range of local organisations, and offer emotional help, guidance and reassurance to people in Birmingham and Solihull who may be finding the current Coronavirus situation overwhelming.

Group

Opening hours and contact details

0-18 year olds in Birmingham

7 days a week (10am-6pm): • 0207 841 4470 • askbeam@childrenssociety.org.uk

11-25 year olds in Birmingham and Solihull

Peer to peer support through moderated discussion forums, self-care tools and resources and online mental health counselling and chat services from 12pm-10pm during the week, and 6pm-10pm at weekends: • www.kooth.com

Over 18s in Birmingham and Solihull

7 days a week (9am-11pm): • 0121 262 3555

Key workers

7 days a week (9am-11pm): • 0121 663 1217

For more info visit: www.birminghamandsolihullccg.nhs.uk/your-health/mental-health-support-offer

The Boldmere Neighbourhood Forum column is made possible by a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund

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Visit www.hallsgardencentre.com/let-us-deliver for sample stock list.

Call Us On: 0121 354 6858 or WhatsApp/Text 07936 919591 Minimum order of £40.

Local contactless delivery charge £10, or free delivery on orders over £100.

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