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Issue 27

March 2021

Completely

Bromsgrove

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Are you struggling to care for an older loved one? It’s understandable right now that you may have concerns about moving an older loved one into a care home. But if you’re struggling with their care because their needs have become too much, Care UK’s Chandler Court is here to help. Chandler Court is a luxury, purpose-built home where the compassionate and expert teams deliver quality care you can trust, in a safe, warm and welcoming environment. With safety top-of-mind for everyone right now, it has enhanced its already-robust infection control measures to keep residents and colleagues safe, and has a dedicated ’Covid safe’ indoor visiting suite which is accessed from the garden. Why choose a care home over care at home? In a nutshell, Chandler Court provides consistent, quality residential, dementia and nursing care – 24 hours a day from people they trust in beautiful surroundings that feel like home. Your loved one will be only seconds away if help is needed – providing you and your family with the ultimate peace of mind day and night.

See the difference Compare care home life with the experience your loved one might have with care at home, and you start to see a big difference. With care at home visits time constrained, and often with a different carer each time, it’s hard for carers to provide companionship and fulfilling activities. At Chandler Court, the lifestyle team organise a huge variety of group as well as one-to-one activities, with plenty going on each day. And with a café, a cinema, bar, hobby rooms and hair salon, plus many new neighbours, there is plenty to keep residents busy, happy and fulfilled. Not restricted by set time slots, residents living at Chandler Court can get up at a time that suits them, eat delicious chef prepared food when they want and have a late night when they wish. Discover flexibility and assurance with the Care UK 28-day guarantee Care UK’s 28 day guarantee gives you complete confidence and flexibility if you are not absolutely happy, or simply change your mind about the need for a care home*. To find out more, visit careuk.com/28-day-guarantee To find out more about life at Chandler Court call 01527 907828 or email paul.chamblers@careuk.com Chandler Court care home Recreation Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B61 8DT careuk.com/chandler-court

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Welcome

elcome to the March issue of Completely Bromsgrove.

What a difference a day makes! At the time of writing, we had literally just come out of sub-zero temperatures into an extreme difference of ten degrees. Nature is quite extraordinary, and it now feels like spring is cer tainly just around the corner with spring bulbs displaying their wonderful colours. As Suzi M writes in her gardening ar ticle in this issue, March is by far one of the busiest months of the gardening year. I hope this gives everyone some light at the end of what has seemed like an endless tunnel. The vaccine is being rolled out at great speed across our district and I would personally like to thank everyone involved in administering the vaccine for all their hard work. Also in this issue, Bromsgrove District Council share with us the benefits of keeping fit and healthy and the impor tance of exercise. I do believe that many people are unaware of the wide range of activities available to the people of Bromsgrove. Please check out the council’s website www.bromsgrove.gov.uk for more details. For anyone that is not aware, on Sunday, March 21st we will all be asked to complete our census forms. This year, for the first time, Census 2021 will be a ‘digital first’ online survey. Happy reading and until next month keep safe, keep healthy and keep your distance

Women in Business Our MP’s message Keep Bromsgrove Beautiful Gardening B’grove Climate Action Hogarths feel-good sign

Completely

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Bromsgrove Tel: 07948 086870 Email: completelybromsgrove@gmail.com

4 Completely Bromsgrove

Michele Ford

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Contents 6 8 10 12 14 16

Very best wishes,

Ollie’s latest project SW Healthcare Senior Snippets Health and Wellbeing Education Lockrum Fields New School opening

28 29 31 32 33 34 35

History Census 2021 Bloodwise fundraising St John’s Spire repairs Author, Ian Jukes Recipe B’grove Sporting F.C.

Visit our Instagram or Facebook page and leave a comment, we would love to hear from you. www.facebook.com/completelybromsgrove

Sales: Michele Ford Tel: 07948 086870 Design: Matt Walton Design The contents of Completely Bromsgrove magazine are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of Completely Bromsgrove magazine. Every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, but Completely Bromsgrove magazine cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents, or any consequence thereof.

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS

How hospitality know-how helps Butcher’s Block earn community hero status

mong the few positives that have arisen from the pandemic is the rise in suppor t for Britain’s independent - and in many cases – family businesses.

Time and again over the past 11 months they have stepped up to the plate, organising delivery services for residents who are shielding or self-isolating and providing a socially distanced shoulder to cry on. Included in this distinguished list of Bromsgrove businesses doing good is Butcher’s Block in the High Street. Owned and run by Michelle HolseySheppard and her wife Lilith, the store’s communityminded ethos is the perfect riposte to those who say: Why do you need to be open when the supermarkets are? Providing outstanding customer service is in Lilith’s DNA. Growing up in Leicestershire, she has worked in front facing businesses all her life, running event bars and a bistro before moving into marketing for a magazine publishing company. She continued to balance her time between both the marketing and butchers until being made redundant last year. “I’m just good at chatting to people,” she cheerfully admits. “Michelle star ted in the butchery trade 20 years ago when she was 15 so I’m a newcomer to the trade really.” What Lilith lacks in experience she more than makes up for in enthusiasm. Her homemade ready meals, which began outside the shop but moved indoors due to the pandemic, began with a simple shin of beef stew and elevated to spicy new heights with a Jamaican goat curry. The service has proved invaluable during lockdown as it means that residents, especially those who are elderly, can obtain nutritious hot meals that just need to be heated up. “It’s never been more impor tant to eat well and stay strong,” said Lilith. “Life’s too short to eat poor quality food. Many of the dishes I produce are from cuts of meat that aren’t that well known but are just as tasty, for example, ox cheek stew or Irish stew made from neck of lamb. “Butcher’s Block has a very strong ethos in that everything is done to order. There’s no minimum spend or amount – if people want one sausage or one slice of ham, they can have it. We don’t pre-pack anything.

6 Completely Bromsgrove

“Also, unlike the supermarkets where 20 people may have handled a tin before you pick it up, we are the only people who handle what we sell and everything is served over the counter.”

The store’s delivery service has proved a real boon to many, not just in the Bromsgrove area as food packages have travelled across the Midlands and as far as Lilith’s 71-year-old best friend in Leicestershire. Eggs from Westonhall Farm and a selection of cheeses – including Snowdonia Black Bomber, Fowlers and a selection from Lilith’s home county – can also be added on request. Whatever the nation’s ‘new normal’ turns out to be, Bromsgrove shoppers can be sure that Butchers Block’s mission to meet their customers’ needs with a smile and providing suppor t, socially distanced or otherwise, will remain.

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A message from our MP

n December 8, the world’s ﬁrst coronavirus jab was delivered safely into the arm of Margaret Keenan in Coventry. In the following two months, this country has achieved an extraordinary feat, administering over 15 million vaccines to our most vulnerable people. In Bromsgrove district, we have achieved the national target and are now moving to vaccinating the over 65s. By February 12, the Ar trix vaccination centre had delivered more than 12,000 vaccines. Furthermore, our fantastic GPs in Bromsgrove had delivered more than 14,000 vaccinations in just over ﬁve weeks. I would like to thank everyone involved in making this possible and urge all residents to get vaccinated when invited to do so. Though we have made progress, the level of infection remains high in Bromsgrove district. Furthermore, across the country there are more people still in hospital today than at the peak last April and admissions are running at 1,600 a day. We also know the threat that new variants of this terrible disease can pose, so it is crucial that we keep transmission down.

and I am extremely pleased for all the staff at Waseley. It was my pleasure to support their efforts to get this funding over the line in Westminster.

It is encouraging that a new rapid Covid-19 testing site has opened at the Ryland Centre in Bromsgrove. Anyone can get tested, as long as you are not showing symptoms of Covid-19. Around one in three people who are infected with Covid-19 are asymptomatic, so please get a test, especially if you are not working from home.

We also recently celebrated UK National Apprenticeship Week. In my time as an MP, I have seen ﬁrst-hand how apprenticeships can unlock doors for people and support businesses of all sizes. Now more than ever, supporting local opportunities is crucial as we look to secure the strongest possible recovery from this virus. Please visit my website www. bromsgrovedistrictjobs.com to ﬁnd out more about local organisations suppor ting apprenticeships.

Before the February half term, I was delighted to see Waseley Hills High School selected to be par t of the Prime Minister’s school rebuilding programme. This funding will make a lasting difference to local students

In these challenging times, I would like to thank all residents who are doing their bit to defeat this virus. As ever, if I can be of any assistance, please do get in touch via s sajid.javid.mp@parliament.uk

8 Completely Bromsgrove

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Keeping Bromsgrove Beautiful through lockdown A t Completely Bromsgrove we love to hear about the fantastic efforts of our local #litterheroes from our friends at Keep Bromsgrove Beautiful.

As part of their daily exercise many members of the group are taking their pickers and bags out and collecting up litter in their neighbourhoods – it’s actually a great excuse to get out on the cold days when staying indoor feels like the easy option. Being outside boosts your mood, and cleaning up your local area makes you feel good too. The team at Keep Bromsgrove Beautiful encourage local pickers to report their activity on the KBB Litter Log www.tinyurl.com/ KBBLitterLog. The group regularly reports the ﬁgures on to the KBB Facebook page and we were amazed at the numbers. It was wonderful to see that the restrictions in place over the last 12 months haven’t stopped the community focused group from getting out there and doing their bit! Including the efforts made during the Great British September Clean, which we reported on in the October edition of Completely Bromsgrove, since March 2020 their litter picking achievement is impressive. 568 volunteer hours have been spent collecting 422 bags of rubbish and recycling. Brilliant! Thank you and congratulations to all involved. In addition to these ﬁgures the team of Duke of Edinburgh Award Students who signed up to litter pick as their volunteering contribution have spent 41 hours collecting 41 bags of rubbish. The students began litter-picking close to home, but are now carrying out more targeted picks in areas where there is a build up of litter, like the industrial estates. Well done D of E team! It’s fantastic to see the Keep Bromsgrove Beautiful group continuing to be successful and supporting the students in their extra-curricular activities. KBB’s regular monthly group litter picks, which had been very well supported during 2019, have been put on hold in line with current restrictions, but this hasn’t stopped members of the group getting out, carrying out solo litter picks and making a difference to where they live. With the national focus on litter picking starting to increase it is hoped that there will be a change in behaviour and more people will start to love where they live and drop less litter. Until that happens the team at Keep Bromsgrove Beautiful encourage us all to “keep picking!”. Show your support for the group by following the Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/ KeepBromsgroveBeautiful

10 Completely Bromsgrove

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GARDENING

Get ready for a busy month in the garden W

e can breathe a sigh of relief as spring is once again upon us. The garden has survived yet another winter and days are getting longer.

This is by far one of the busiest months of the gardening year so dust off those tools and shake off your gardening gloves. It is time to sow seed and cut back winter shrubs before they awaken.

Some tips for success: Use a mix of three par ts multi-purpose compost with one par t grit for good drainage.

The brightly coloured stems of cornus (dogwood) have helped brighten the dull winter days and are available in reds and golds. Just a little attention now and this will produce a stunning display for next winter. Your secateurs should be clean and sharp; you can afford to cut the shrub back hard.

Water bulbs once after planting then regularly when in active growth, you can reduce watering once the leaves star t to die down.

Now is the time to think about your summer displays and plant summer bulbs. There are so many to choose from that are ideal for growing in pots, such as alliums, lilies, freesias and agapanthus. They will perform best when the soil is beginning to warm up.

Plant at three times their depth and one bulb width apart.

To promote good ﬂowering next year, feed the bulbs weekly with a liquid tomato feed. Begin feeding as soon as shoots appear, and stop feeding once the foliage starts to die down at the end of the season. Get ready to roll your sleeves up and take advantage of a free aerobic workout this month both in the garden or on your plot, but most of all enjoy the rebir th of spring. By Suzi M, garden lover and plotter at Roundhill Allotments

Jobs in the garden for March Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials, share extra plants with friends. Prune bush and climbing roses and give them a good feed to help promote the forthcoming blooms. Protect the tender shoots from slugs with the use of beer traps or copperbands, apparently slugs don’t like copper! Plant your chitted (sprouted) seed potatoes at the end of the month. Prepare a bean trough by digging a trench and gradually ﬁlling it over the next couple of months with your kitchen scraps (loosely cover whilst ﬁlling takes place). When “full” cover with soil until you are ready to plant your beans. This will rot down and feed your beans throughout the season and also compost your peelings. If the lawn shows signs of growth, mow, ensuring that the mower blades are on their highest settings and tidy the edges. In late March apply a lawn feed to encourage strong growth and give the lawn the boost it needs after the dormancy of winter. Disperse worm casts with a hard brush.

12 Completely Bromsgrove

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Choose eco alternatives to peat and pesticides to help your garden grow G

ardens represent nearly 30% of urban areas in the UK and they must play their role in tackling climate change and maintaining biodiversity. At this time of year gardeners across the UK are invariably turning to store-bought compost which often contains peat. The UK’s peatlands (13% of the world’s total) are superheroes of our ecosystem as altogether they store about 20 times more carbon than our forests, along with mitigating ﬂooding, purifying water and providing a home for rare species. At the present rate, roughly 10,500 football pitches of peatlands are being subjected to damage a year by the hor ticultural industry. This destruction releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere and it is critically impor tant that gardeners preserve the world’s peatlands by choosing alternatives. Look for the bag stating “peat-free” when purchasing. Springtime is also when gardeners across the UK will be thinking about helping plant growth and controlling garden pests. It’s important to move away from chemical fer tilisers and synthetic pesticides to ensure the world’s long-term ecological health. A teaspoonful of soil should contain more friendly micro-organisms than there are people on the earth today. However, the long-term use of chemical fertilisers kills these micro-organisms, ultimately releasing greenhouse gases and decreasing soil fertility. Chemical fertiliser also has the potential to create runoff polluting the local air and water so it’s essential for gardeners to create and use organic compost to ensure healthy resilient plants in the long term. Synthetic pesticides, like chemical fertilisers, also have long-term ecological effects by harming

14 Completely Bromsgrove

pollinators and in turn, the larger food chain, i.e. birds, frogs and hedgehogs. Luckily the gardener has many alternatives to synthetic pesticides; physical barriers (like netting, sheep’s wool or even crushed eggshell which is good for deterring slugs), companion planting (like growing garlic with roses), plant oil sprays (like onion, garlic, eucalyptus or chrysanthemum), encouraging natural predators (like ladybirds, beetles, frogs and birds) and rotation planting. This advice is brought to you by Bromsgrove Climate Action. New members are always welcome to ﬁnd us on Facebook by searching for “Bromsgrove Climate Action” or by emailing bromsgroveclimateaction@gmail.com

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Championing the way for brighter days

Photo by Tom Humphries www.tomhumphries.co.uk

ogarths Hotels and restaurants, the Midlands-based hotel group, are championing the way for brighter days during these challenging times.

In December 2020 Hogarths Stone Manor installed a large neon sign at the entrance to the hotel. The sign reads: “Everything is going to be alright.” These neon lights have been a beacon of hope to many in the local community and the Hogarths team have been overwhelmed by the daily messages they receive from passers-by who say the lights have given them reason to smile. Ellie Beattie, general manager at Hogarths Stone Manor, said: “The past year has been so difﬁcult for many and we’re honoured that our sign has given the public a little glimmer of hope when they’ve needed it. “Our sign is a small gesture of solidarity from all the team at Hogarths to each person in the local community and of course the hospitality industry. Eventually these difﬁcult times will become a distant memory and we can return to welcoming guests back to Stone Manor.”

Whilst the hotel itself remains closed to the public, guests will be able to see the sign on their way in and walk around the grounds as part of their daily exercise. The team will be onsite so that guests can purchase hot beverages and sweet treats and most importantly they will be a positive, smiling face and open to conversations. This is a woodland walk so it can be muddy depending on the weather. Payments for refreshments will be by contactless card only. There is no access to bathrooms. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome. There will be litter bins around the grounds and guests are asked to leave nothing but footprints.

Whilst the hotel remains closed under Government guidelines, the team working onsite have stated they want to give more to the local community. Its private grounds are now open every Sunday between 10am and 3pm to enable local residents to walk around sections of 28 acres of land boasting rolling views of the Worcestershire countryside.

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S TO N E M A N O R www.hogarths.co.uk

HOW TO STAY HEALTHY DURING LOCKDOWN AND BEYOND We all know that there is a direct relationship between our physical activity, and health, but for most of us it is difficult to know what to prioritize and how to stay on track. Physical activity can be broken down into any repetitive movement that increases your heart rate, even slightly. Your heart is a muscle that needs a workout to stay healthy just like any other muscle and increasing your heart rate even slightly helps to keep it healthy. Benefits you will feel from regular physical activity include: • Improved sleep • Maintain healthy weight • Manage stress • Improved quality of life The health benefits are even more impressive: • -40% risk reduction of having Diabetes type II • -35% risk reduction of cardiovascular disease (England’s biggest killer) • -30% risk reduction in falls, depression, anxiety • -25% risk reduction in joint and back pain • -20% risk reduction in Cancers (colon & breast) Making time for exercise in lockdown should be easy. However, home is not necessarily the best place to do your structured activities, as there are distractions everywhere and procrastination is easy when there are other more pressing things to be done, like watching television! Let’s look at easy wins and how we can do a bit without it feeling too much of an effort. Bromsgrove Council has a web page that lists some walks that you may not know about, as well as the Worcestershire Countryside Interactive Map. Motivation is key and one of the ways to motivate yourself to get physically active is to “do a bit”. Even a small amount of movement helps us to feel better and will spur you on to do a bit more.

Build strength to keep muscles, bones & joints strong

If you do feel that you need some motivation to get going then we can point you in the right direction, as well as discussing the type of activity that is appropriate for your health. At Bromsgrove Council we have several education and exercise programmes designed to help people living with arthritis, back pain, weight issues, and many more. To see a full list of our programmes as well as our ongoing community sessions such as Zumba, Pilates, Couch to 5k go to our website and search the activity in the top right-hand corner: www.bromsgrove.gov.uk or contact Hayley Gwilliam on 01527 881404 or email hayley. gwilliam@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk

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Local award-winner Ollie’s latest project

romsgrove cinematographer Ollie Walton, whose company Fix 8 Films won a BAFTA best British short film gong for 73 Cows, played a leading production role in a landmark film project in Birmingham. World’s Stage, a series of seven shor t films, is the latest instalment in the Everything to Everybody project, which aims to bring the Birmingham Shakespeare Memorial Library into the heart of 21st century life. Suppor ted by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and History West Midlands, the collaboration between the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City Council comprises a three-year programme of community activities which will climax in conjunction with the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the Second City. It will explore the ways in which culture can come to life for people and communities and confidently expects to change Shakespeare in the process. The project’s patron is the Birmingham born and bred actor, Adrian Lester. Created in 1864 to celebrate William Shakespeare’s 300th bir thday, the memorial library was the world’s first great Shakespeare collection and once had such an excellent reputation that the Soviet government deposited 300 items in the collection during the Cold War. However, in recent years it has become a neglected asset. World’s Stage features a cast of 140 multi-lingual people from Birmingham, who perform in most of the 93 languages to be found in the collection. Split

20 Completely Bromsgrove

into five acts, the films showcase people of various ages, communities and backgrounds performing Shakespeare’s lines in a vast range of languages and dialects, largely without subtitles. “We wanted to see and hear Shakespeare in these beautiful languages,” said Daniel Tyler-McTighe, director of ar t collective 27:31, who collaborated with Ollie, a former Nor th Bromsgrove High School pupil, and John Roddy from Audio Bassment on the project. “Even if we don’t understand those languages, we just wanted to enjoy them as performances or as visuals.” The films explore the concepts of learning, speaking and living Shakespeare in a vibrant, diverse city. Children from a local primary school perform a scene from Henry V in multiple languages and there is also an eight-language version of the “All the world’s a stage” speech from As You Like It. The World’s Stage crew were: Director - Daniel Tyler from 27:31 and Creative Multilingualism, cinematographer and editor - Ollie Walton of Fix 8 Films, sound - John Roddy from Audio Bassment, production manager - Laura Killeen, unit still photographer - Ben Gregory Ring and production assistant - Sean Bould. All seven short films can be viewed on the project’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/ UC0Slt8atR9oqw8UyMHJO8JQ/videos

Completely Bromsgrove

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Positivity and enthusiasm reign at Artrix vaccination centre T

he Artrix in Bromsgrove opened its doors on January 25 as the first large-scale vaccination centre in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Open from 8am to 8pm, it has the capacity to vaccinate 20 people every five minutes or up to 2,500 people every day. In the weeks and months leading up to the opening, there was a tremendous amount of planning behind the scenes, with staff and volunteers working tirelessly from morning until night to transform the Artrix from theatre to vaccination centre and they’ve been overwhelmed by the phenomenal response from members of the public who’ve passed through the doors since. The enthusiasm that residents have shown has been nothing short of inspiring and has helped to keep energy levels high, both at Artrix and at other centres across South Worcestershire. At the time of writing, more than 183,000 patients in Herefordshire and Worcestershire have received their first coronavirus vaccination since the programme began on December 8, 2020. That’s 98% of over 75s and 76.5% of those aged 70-74 – as well as a vast number of clinically extremely vulnerable patients and health and social care staff outside of these age groups. How you can help the Artrix team: • Please don’t come to the Artrix without an appointment – we’re not a walk-in centre, so you must have an appointment booked beforehand.

22 Completely Bromsgrove

• Don’t contact the NHS to seek a vaccine unless you’re in a group that’s been called forward to do so. You can follow SW Healthcare on Facebook for the latest updates on when you should expect to be called in. • If you receive an invitation letter from the NHS, but aren’t able to get to the Ar trix, please be patient – your GP will be in contact soon to get you booked in for an appointment at a local site. • When you’re booked in, please attend your appointment at exactly the time you’re asked to – not early or late – so we can avoid queues in this cold weather. • Once you’ve been vaccinated, please continue following the guidance in place to help the NHS control the virus and save lives.

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Senior Snippets –

Staying happy as spring arrives

elcome to the latest edition of Senior Snippets: the monthly advisory column with the older members of our community in mind, brought to you by Annie Dixon-Dunn of Home Instead Redditch & Bromsgrove.

As we continue to face a global pandemic it can be hard to keep spirits up, especially through the cold and dark winter months. But as we enter March and with the vaccination programme being rolled out, we wanted to look towards a brighter future. With March 20th being International Day of Happiness, what better way to reflect on how we respond to crisis and make that response the calmest, wisest and kindest possible. After all, the only way we are getting through this is together. Keep calm.You may feel like things are out of your control now – and that is fine. It sounds simple but remember to breathe, doing a simple five-minute breathing exercise everyday can really benefit your mental health. Spend some time just focusing on your breathing – nothing else.This helps to bring you back into your body and disrupt negative thoughts.Try to focus on what really matters – this helps us to respond constructively. Stay wise. There is nothing wrong with having a bad day, but you must also actively make decisions that are good for you. Turn off the news and get out of the house for a walk. If you are not as mobile and unable to get out of the house, get back into a hobby you once enjoyed or start a project at home. Be mindful of what you are putting into your body, stay hydrated and eat plenty of fruit and veg.

Be kind. We are all in this together, even when forced apart. You may feel like just one person, but you can make the difference. Even the people who appear the happiest can need a ‘pick me up’, it is as simple as giving someone a compliment or telling someone what they mean to you. Stay connected in whatever way you can, make a call, send a text, learn how to video call. If you think the art of letter writing is lost, why not become pen pals with a friend or family member who lives far away from you, receiving a letter would make their day. For more information about Home Instead or if you have a suggestion for a future topic, please write to me at annie. dixon-dunn@homeinstead.co.uk Alternatively, you can call 01564 741620.

Live Well, Stay Safe We do more than just Care: Shopping for essentials and packing away for you Cleaning and disinfecting of high touch surfaces Picking up medication and support prescription requirements Posting letters to keep in touch with loved ones Helping use technology to video chat with families Home Care is Safe Care

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HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Tried and tested game can aid children’s mental welfare M agical U is a fun and engaging game designed to help children with their learning process. It helps the child to communicate and understand their feelings where they are able to be who they truly desire to be and live their lives as fully as they possibly can.

By encouraging the child to play Magical U, it allows them to not only engage in learning the process of life, but it helps to clear any programming that can be getting in the child’s way. Magical U allows the child to access their own subconscious programming and by playing the game they can reprogram themselves in a positive and uplifting way to how they wish to feel. The game helps children achieve this with as little emotional upheaval as possible. Learning with them and from them through play is a gift for all involved and creates a way for them to express themselves as never before. With Magical U you can help a child unravel a problem as they go on their own emotional journey with the cards. If the child does not want to take the journey as themselves they can help a favourite toy or doll. Either way it will have the same effect of releasing negative programming from their young subconscious minds. The benefit is enormous and allows a child to release negative memories quickly and easily before they become problematic in life. The more curious and playful you are within the game the more a child will feel comfortable to play, express and release whatever emotions they are struggling with. As you support a child through their journey you will also gain benefit and insights into yourself and your own childhood as well as present day challenges and feelings. It is simple, easy and for kids of all ages. Don’t forget our world is pretty crazy right now and we need all the tools we can find to help ease the confusion for our children as well as ourselves. Magical U is a tried and tested next generation tool to support you, your children and all the children in your

24 Completely Bromsgrove

life to navigate through the maze of lockdown, isolation confusion and more. It targets emotions and fears and works on many different levels to reveal and set the stage for healing bothersome emotions and resolve subconscious programming and blockages. Perfect for either individual or guided play, Magical U is easy to learn, simple to use, and fun for everyone. For a free introduction, contact me for details at colette@thegarsides.net or visit www.windsofchange.academy

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Wider Ambition opens a new school in Stoke Pound E ducation provider Wider Ambition has announced the opening of a new school in Stoke Pound, near Bromsgrove, for academically able students with autism, anxiety and related needs.

Until recently, academically able students with autism in Worcestershire who were unable to access teaching in a mainstream classroom often either had to sacrifice their academic aspirations or attend residential schools away from home. Wider Ambition became aware of the significant gap in local provision and has teamed up with a group of parents and professionals to transform a six-bedroom bungalow into the specialist day school, Lokrum Fields, which can accommodate up to 18 students aged from nine to 16. Lokrum Fields is situated in beautiful grounds and overlooks open countryside, allowing the academic and social curricula to embrace opportunities for outdoor learning. A ‘home from home’ atmosphere will enable students to feel safe and secure. The calm feel of Lokrum Fields’ rural surroundings is reflected in the low sensory, spacious premises, where students can access sensory areas and individual workspaces. The specialist teaching and therapeutic suppor t work alongside the environment to remove the barriers to learning faced by students in mainstream settings, helping them to achieve academically and fulfil their aspirations. Cindy, a young therapy dog, will welcome students in the morning, provide cuddles and deep pressure therapy, play ball on the large paddock and see students back to their transport and on their way home. The curriculum at Lokrum Fields is based on the national curriculum and is designed to support students to achieve a good range of GCSEs and leave Lokrum as confident, enthusiastic, and resilient learners. Students and families will be encouraged to build links with each other and the local community

26 Completely Bromsgrove

and par ticipate in exciting extra-curricular activities, like the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Staff are keen to hear from local businesses who would be willing to support students in work experience placements when the time comes. All the Lokrum Fields staff work closely with students, families and professionals to tailor the provision to each student and remove the barriers to learning that have prevented them from accessing the curriculum successfully in previous placements. The Wider Ambition team hopes that this will be the ﬁrst of a number of educational settings in Worcestershire and that the future will now look brighter for students who have this par ticular proﬁle of needs.

Sajid Javid MP welcomes approval of new free school in Cofton Park B

Image for illustration purposes only

romsgrove MP Sajid Javid has welcomed the announcement that families in Bromsgrove will benefit from a new free school that has been approved by the Government. Austin Park Primary Academy in Cofton Park is among 21 new free schools that will be delivered as part of the programme. It will provide 420 new places for children aged between four and 11 and 52 fulltime nursery places. With the application now confirmed, a proposer group can now begin the task of converting its vision into reality, working with officials throughout the process. Sajid Javid MP said: “I am delighted that families in Bromsgrove district will benefit from the creation of new good quality school places that Austin Park Primary Academy will bring. “Delivering a word-class education system is at the heart of our effor ts to level up oppor tunity across the country, and by ensuring every child gets a good education, we can help them unleash their potential.” Gurinder Singh Josan CBE, chair of the Victoria Academies Trust, said: “This is excellent news for the children, families and community of Cofton Park. “The free school application process is rigorous and demanding and we are proud to have been successful. It is a testament to the hard work of the team behind the bid.

“This will be a purpose-built school tailored for the speciﬁc needs of the children who we look forward to welcoming over the years to come.” Sharron Philpot, CEO of the trust, said: “We are passionate about ensuring that every child has access to a quality education enabling them to be the best they can be. “By answering the call to provide much needed places in this area, including provision for a Mainstream Autism Base, we believe we can impact on the lives of many more children.”

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HISTORY

A picture of the past

census has been held in England and Wales every decade since 1801 except in 1941 because of World War Two.

Looking back at the data gathered by the census gives us a picture of what life was like and how our society has developed over the decades. Historians and people interested in tracing their family tree ﬁnd the information held in the censuses invaluable for their research. The censuses from 1841 to 1911 are available online via commercial websites such as Ancestry and Findmypast, where, for a subscription charge, you can search and download information from the censuses, about the people or places you are interested in. Local historians Jenny Townshend and Julian Hunt helped to produce posters for the “High Street on Parade” exhibition in 2014. Much of the information they gathered about the residents living and working in the buildings on Bromsgrove High Street was gained from researching the censuses. The posters are available to view on The Bromsgrove Society website: www.bsoc. co.uk/our-town/high-street-posters Similarly, anyone who has watched the TV programmes A House Through Time or Who Do You Think You Are? will have seen how a picture of a family or building’s past is built up from entries in the census.

The census records shown here from 1871 and 1901 tell the story of the Jefferies family who lived on Bromsgrove High Street.The head of the household completed their census forms on the allocated census date and would have given the form to the enumerators (census ofﬁcials).The enumerators would complete the forms for families where no-one in the household could read or write. Between 1841 and 1901 the enumerator copied the details given onto a master form and this is what survives today. In 1911 the original forms were kept, with each household having its own form. Data collected each ten years is kept conﬁdential for 100 years so there is excitement about data from the 1921 Census which will be released next year. By completing this year’s census, you will give future generations an insight into what it was like to live during a pandemic and how it has affected our lives. So much of what we know about the past, on an individual or town level, is known because our ancestors played their part and completed the census. It is important that we all should do the same for those who come after us. Background images for illustration only

by Jo Slade

28 Completely Bromsgrove

Census 2021 will provide a detailed snapshot of the society we live in

he Census is a population survey that takes place every ten years and the next one happens on Sunday, March 21st. The survey builds the most complete picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. The exercise provides a detailed snapshot of the whole population and the society we live in, it is unique because everyone in the country answers the same questions about the same day. The census is the responsibility of the Ofﬁce for National Statistics (ONS) and it is compulsory for everyone to take part. All kinds of organisations, from local authorities to charities and businesses, use the information collected in the census to help provide the services our communities need. Census information also helps inform how billions of pounds of public funding is spent nationally. Census 2021 will highlight areas of deprivation, show the ethnic makeup of the country, provide information on living arrangements, health, education and the jobs we do. Data will help inform policy at a local and national level for years to come and will also provide important insights into the impact of the pandemic on our society. Everyone in England and Wales must complete their census or be included on a household census for the place where they are living or staying on March 21st.

For the first time, Census 2021 will be a ‘digital first’ online census. Letters will be sent to all households with an access code to complete the census online. Help will be available for people who need support to take part online and paper versions will also be available. The census creates an in-depth picture of society by asking questions about the individuals who live in each home, their names, age, sex and marital status. It also asks questions about the homes we live in, the location and number of people living there. New questions will cover service in the UK Armed Forces, gender identity and sexual orientation. It is hoped the statistics gathered will help to support veterans and assist organisations to combat inequalities. The ONS only publishes anonymous statistics from the census and confidentiality of the information provided is protected by law. No personal information given in Census 2021 will be shared. You can follow Census 2021 on social media channels Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @Census2021 and find out more online at www.census.gov.uk

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Keep your mind and body active by fundraising for Bloodwise

loodwise Bromsgrove, which has raised more than £1 million for the charity carrying out life-saving research into blood cancer over the past 32 years, is inviting residents to take part in two fundraising events this month. The group is holding a virtual quiz night on March 26. There will be no winners or losers, just the oppor tunity to test your brain cells and have a bit of fun. You can take par t on your own or with several people in your own household. The suggested donation is £5 per person. You can also sign up for the Walk of Light on March 27, walking as the sun sets from wherever you are and following your own route. Whether you walk in memory of a loved one, to reﬂect on what has been a challenging time for everyone affected by blood cancer, or because you want to light the way to a brighter future, there is room for everyone. Sign up at: www.bloodcancer. org.uk/get-involved/fundraising-events-andchallenges/sports-challenges/walk-of-light/ When you register, click that you heard about the event through the Bromsgrove branch and the money you raised will be credited to its account.

The group hopes that these virtual challenges will inspire you to take part and raise money. Unfortunately some research had to be cut because of the pandemic. Sadly blood cancer is still present and patients are ﬁnding it hard to get diagnosed at the moment. If you would like fur ther information on the charity or on these events, contact Nicole Harris at nicnoelharris@aol.com

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Inspiring heights! I

t’s almost impossible to imagine the ambitions of the parishioners in medieval Bromsgrove who decided they wanted to add a tower and spire onto their church building which stood on top of a small hill, just outside the town.

But build it they did! And so well that it is still standing as a landmark for our town today over 500 years on. Constructed in the 15th century using sandstone blocks, the spire is a largely hollow structure which sits on top of the square tower. Restoration work on the spire took place throughout the 1800s and in 1891, following a lightning strike, the top 25ft of the spire was rebuilt. This top section is a solid sandstone construction and includes a large iron rod which holds the stonework together and the weathervane in place. St John’s church has the tallest spire in Worcestershire. It stands 198 feet tall and can be seen from all approaches to Bromsgrove. It was built to be seen from afar and the large bells in the tower would sound out to call the local residents to attend church services. Over time the internal metal rod inside the top section of the spire has rusted. The rust expands the metal rod, causing cracks in the stone. In December 2017, when the cracks first appeared, emergency repairs were carried out by Dawson Steeplejacks. The cracks were filled with resin and eight steel straps were fitted to ensure the stones in the top section were secure.

32 Completely Bromsgrove

Recently the Steeplejacks returned to upgrade the repairs by renewing the resin and checking the straps. The two intrepid steeplejacks could be seen working at the top of Bromsgrove’s tallest building on a cold, blue sky day in early February. One steeplejack worked from the ladders secured against the spire (in shor ts!) whilst the other worked from secured ropes and was able to abseil round the spire to carry out the work. What an incredible view they must have had of the town and surrounding countryside. Whilst the repairs have made the spire safe, a full rebuild of the top section to replace the rusted metal rod is now required. The recent repairs were funded by the charity Friends of St John’s who are planning a fundraising project to ﬁnance the rebuild. For more information on how you can support the Friends of St John’s and make a donation towards the spire project visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/ FriendsStJohnsBromsgrove

by Jo Slade

University challenge on Artrix’s post-vax future

eams of university researchers are to pitch their plans for the future of Bromsgrove theatre and arts venue Artrix after its run as a Covid-19 mass vaccination centre.

A ‘Virtual Consultancy Challenge’ run by Careers Network at the University of Birmingham will task postgraduate researchers with pitching their sustainable ideas for the arts venue. The challenge will see inter-disciplinary groups from the university meet with and ultimately pitch their proposals to their ‘client’, Artrix’s owners the Artrix Holding Trust, through a series of virtual meetings and video presentations this spring. Through the specialist training programme, the researchers will tackle the real-life challenges facing Artrix and spaces like it as a teaching tool for teamwork, project management, creative problem solving and pitching. The students’ ideas and expertise will also inform the Trust’s plans for the building once the vaccination programme has been completed.

Katie Hoare, PGR entrepreneurial development ofﬁcer and organiser of the Virtual Consultancy Challenge, said: “I was speciﬁcally seeking a client from the arts and culture sector and Artrix is perfect. It presents a fantastic opportunity for our researchers to address a very real challenge whilst developing their enterprise and employability skills and helping the Trust at the same time. I’m excited to get started.”

Margaret Sherrey, chair of the Artrix Holding Trust, said: “We’re delighted to lend our support to the NHS and the ﬁght against this pandemic at this time, but work doesn’t stop on ﬁnding a sustainable future for our beloved venue.

It’s the third such Virtual Consultancy Challenge and follows exploring the creation of an education centre at Worcester Cathedral’s Undercroft and the development of small business support from the Centre for Mental Health.

“Working with the university is just the latest step in that work. We’re working with people in the community, we’re working with the industry, and now we’re working with the university, where postgraduate students can hone their creative and business skills using Artrix as a practical example, and the Trust can receive their input.”

Artrix, which is owned by the Artrix Holding Trust, has been closed since Covid-19 restrictions began, with its former operator having gone into administration shortly afterwards. The trust, supported by the National Theatres Trust, is currently working on plans to ﬁnd a sustainable future for the facility. Completely Bromsgrove

Trout tacos

RECIPE

Method: Heat the oven to 200C, 180C fan, gas mark 6. Make the salsa; mix the red onion, avocado, tomatoes, lime zest and juice and chilli sauce in a bowl, taste and season if liked. Put the trout ﬁllets on a lined baking tray and sprinkle over the fajita seasoning with a little salt. Drizzle with the oil and bake for 10 minutes. Flake the ﬁsh and divide between the tortilla wraps, adding a spoonful of the salsa, a little rocket and some soured cream. Squeeze over extra lime wedges if liked. Wrap to eat.

Serves 4 Prep: 10 mins Cook: 10 mins

Ingredients: 6 British trout fillets 1 heaped tbsp Fajita seasoning 1 tbsp rapeseed oil 1 red onion, finely chopped 2 ripe avocados, stoned, peeled and diced small 4 tomatoes, deseeded and diced small Juice and zest 2 limes, plus 1 whole lime cut into wedges 2 tsp chilli sauce, we used Sriracha 12 – 16 small tortilla wraps, warmed 50g rocket 150ml low fat soured cream Per serving: 853 kcals, 43g fat, 12g saturated fat, 67g carbs, 14g sugars, 7.9g fibre, 54g protein, 2.4g salt

34 Completely Bromsgrove

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Still waiting for an end to Lockdown O

wing to Lockdown 3, there have been no matches for Bromsgrove Sporting so far this year and little prospect of any football now being played this season.

With a huge backlog of fixtures, there is no chance of finishing the league although no definite decision will be made until after the Government’s lockdown announcement at the end of February. Although there is a slim possibility of some friendly matches being played if restrictions are lifted, preparations are now being made on the expectation that season 2021/2 will start as normal in August. Having a little spare time however has at least allowed the board of directors to progress a number of administrative matters. Firstly the club web site is in the process of being updated and modernised and is expected to be launched before the end of February. Much of the content will be the same but the site will have a much fresher and friendlier feel. In addition it should work much better on mobile phones. When Bromsgrove Sporting started Playing in 2010, a lease for the Victoria Ground of 21 years was agreed with Bromsgrove District Council. However with only 10 years left, this needs to be extended to allow the Club to plan for the future and the good news is that negotiations by Phil Baker with the Council are well-advanced for a lease of 50 years. In addition the Articles of Association for the owning company, Bromsgrove Sporting Limited need to be updated, particularly to attract new investment and backers. All being well a new set will be presented to existing shareholders later this year. In the meantime, the Club is always willing to hear from any potential investors. There is no player news other than Jason Cowley has had his loan period with Kidderminster Harriers extended by another month, so at least he gets to play some football. Photos by All information about Bromsgrove Sporting Football Club can be Chris Jepson found on the website www.bromsgrovesporting.co.uk Completely Bromsgrove

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