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ChicJessieTaylor Sheldonfashion guruPage 6

....I object to BirminghamsLabour Council telling the worldthat the city cares deeply aboutnature, while - at the same time Birmingham residents can seethe amount of green space inour city steadily reducing......

Councillor Deirdre Alden

Everythingyoull ever want to know about

WhEELiEBinsPage 2

.....I will hold my hands up; Ihave parked in a disabled spot.....

Letters:page4Local jobs:Page 8

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Birmingham was onceworld famous for producingcars.Now it produces traffic jams.The Chester Road project was due to end on3rd July. It is over three months behind schedulebecause of difficulties with utility services. It willnow run through the hot dusty summer monthsand into October, possibly even November. Drivers are spending hours in stationary traffic,on journeys that should take just minutes. Residents have been disrupted by noise. Theliving space of Cadbury Drive residents has hada large slice of land cut off, so that a busythree-lane thoroughfare will soon run just yardsfrom their front doors.The Councils Highways Department is respon-sible for the Chester Road improvements. TheGovernments Highways Agency is in charge ofthe roadworks at Junctions 5 and 6 of the M6.The Council say they have been hampered byutilities companies, including gas, electricity,water and telecommunications, who have beenslow to carry out their work.Local motorists and residents are asking:Was it wise to dig up so many roads at thesame time? In an area where the largest facto-ry has significantly increased its workforce inthe past 18 months? With a new centre foremergency vehicles nearby? And HGV lorriesparking on double-yellow lines outside the GKNfactory?

Minor traffic-flow amendments and trafficreduction during school half-term have slightlyeased congestion in the past week, but theproblems for motorists and residents are set tocontinue for months.

FANCY A TREAT?Best prices in town... turn to page 23

More complaints: Letters - page 4; Robert Alden- page 20; No lights for Tangmere - page 8

Page 15

Not much room for pedestrians, notmuch distance from gardens.....

...Dumper truck sitting on yourdoorstep...

...busy new carriageway comes soclose to gardens, homes and families

Tyburn Mail page 2

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D&D female DECORATORSWe are now halfwaythrough the roll-out ofwheelie bins inBirmingham, with thedistricts of Erdington,Perry Barr and SuttonColdfield to follow inthe coming months.This affects most readers ofthe Tyburn Mail andthrough this article I want toconfirm what is happening,why we are bringing wheelie binsin, and address some of the con-cerns that people may have.By the time you read this, youshould have received a card fromthe council informing you ofwhether we have assessed yourproperty as suitable for wheeliebins.As has been mentioned inprevious articles, this will begreen if you are judged assuitable. It will be red if youare judged not suitable,while high-rise blocks of flatswill not be a part of thescheme.I know some people are con-cerned about the source offunding for this scheme. It isnot coming from money currentlyused to provide other services thatresidents rely upon.The council won 30million from a

fund set up by the Government toimprove refuse collection services our bid was based on the introduc-tion of wheelie bins and a businesscase that showed a do nothingapproach would end up costing thecity an extra 8million per year bythe end of the decade.Elsewhere, wheelie bins have led to

increases in recycling rates (cuttingthe amount of waste going to land-fill) and ended the scourge of ourstreets ripped open bin sacks, cre-ating an unsightly mess. Earlyresults from other parts of the cityindicate bins are helping on bothfronts.

Birmingham is in the bottom quar-ter of the UK league table for recy-cling rates. All of the top 100 per-

forming councils use wheelie bins.Things have to change and the newbins will be a key part of that.Residents often ask us will I befined if the bin lid is open or if I putout additional black sack waste withmy bins?Instead of talking about fines, wewould prefer to talk with the resi-

dents about why the lid is openor why there is additional waste is there enough room in thebin for the household? Is therecycling being separated cor-rectly? Are more recycling binsneeded?We take a common-senseapproach to these issues andalso recognise that at certaintimes of the year where house-holds create more waste (such

as Christmas), we will take a rea-sonable amount of side waste rubbish put out in sacks at the sideof the bins. In terms of extra recycling, if card-board is bundled and fastened withstring and placed at the side of theblue-lid bin, we will happily take it

away. We are finally bringing the citysrefuse collection system into linewith that used by almost allcouncils up and down the coun-try and the end result shouldbe a cleaner and greener city,thanks to a more efficient andcost-effective service.

For more information, pleasewatch our short video at

www.birmingham.gov.uk/wheeliebins

Wheelie binsset for Tyburn

Kevin MitchellAssistant Director, Fleetand WasteManagement,Birmingham City Council

Tyburn Mail invited Council bossKevin Mitchell to set out the facts

....at certain times of the year wherehouseholds create more waste (suchas Christmas), we will take a reason-able amount of side waste rub-bish put out in sacks at the side of thebins....

....In terms of extra recycling, if card-board is bundled and fastened withstring and placed at the side of theblue-lid bin, we will happily take itaway.....

Tyburn Mail page 3ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Tyburn Mail page 4

letters and emails to Tyburn MailWRITE TO: tyburnmail@yahoo.co.uk or by post to: The Editor, Tyburn

Mail, Lower Ground Floor, Topcliffe House, B35 6BT

Tyburn Mail does not publish anonymous letters, but wewill withold your name and address if you request it.

KAYS HISTORYA monthly series of ancient facts by local history enthusiast Kay Hunter who lectures on his subject in Birmingham and West Bromwich. Kay also broadcasts on 107.5 Switch Radio.

opinions expressed on the letterspages are published in the inter-ests of free speech. They do notnecessarily reflect the views ofTyburn Mail.

Write by email to:Write by email to:tyburnmail@yahoo.co.tyburnmail@yahoo.co.

ukuk

Coaching days in the eighteenthCentury were far from glam-ourous, as depicted on Christmascards, and Inn signs.

Journeys by stagecoach, were not apleasant experience. The coach was acumbersome vehicle, with no springswhich constantly jolted its passengerson rough and poorly maintained roads.For those sitting outside, many were

injured falling off, or arriving at their

destination dead from hypothermia. The welfare of the horses was not

paramount. The average lifespan of ahorse on the express routes was justfour years, and on the slower routesaround seven.

Coaches became largely obsoletewith the arrival of the railways in the1830s.

Personal collection.

You ThinkouR BusesaRe Bad...?

Dear Editor,I recently read the letter pub-lished in the January edition(Tyburn Mail) about non blue-badge holders parking in disabledbays. As a father I would like to express myfeelings about blue badge holderswithout children parking in parent andchild bays. You can't complain about the misuse of

one provision when on occasion theshoe is on the other foot. I recently had to walk our 3 year-oldson across Asda car park as a bluebadge holder took the last parent andchild space and when I confronted himall he did was wind up his windows andshrug his shoulders. I agree car parks should be monitoredas SOME blue badge holders are asbad as SOME other drivers. Matt Woodall

Blue badgeholders arenot all saints

Dear Readers,Everyone at CVTRA would like tothank all the people that havedonated food at Sainsburys viathe collection point in store overthe last 6 months. In August 2014 White Watch kicked offthe project with the fill a fire engineday. It was really a really successful dayand the generosity has continued.We have helped over 100 families withSainsburys shoppers generosity.A personal thank you also has to go toSheila Hyland for organising and beingso supportive of the project along withall the Sainsburys staff.Some clients that access the servicehave not eaten for days. This is a muchneeded lifeline for people that arestruggling financially.We were also able to support 25 fami-lies with food parcels over theChristmas period with Christmas foodhampers.Once again a big thank you to every-one! The difference you make to peopleby donating food helps so much morethan you will ever know. Thank you!Sam LoweEmployment and Crisis Fund Officer CVTRASpitfire HouseCastle Vale

Thanksfor food

Ok, I will hold my hands up I haveparked in a disabled spot beforeas I was going to the cashpoint. But it still does not give the disabledreasons to deliberately cause an argu-ment. As I returned back to my car I wasconfronted by a man who claims he isdisabled. He advised me that I wasparked in a disabled bay. He hadwatched me walk to the cashpoint andback.My reply was I went to the cashpointthere are still loads of disabled spacesand considering you are alreadyparked in a space I do not see theproblem.He advised me that I am not meant topark there and referred to me as ablack bitch.There were three people who wit-

nessed his racial abuse and actuallyadvised the man that he can be arrest-ed for racism.As he is walking towards me with hiswalking stick, he advised the witness-es he knows the law. I find it hilarious that people want tocomplain about things like this anddon't want to give the full story.In the future I suggest they tell thestory fully before they lodge com-plaints and what makes the situationworse is that he blatantly waited forme to get back to my car consideringhe watched my movements thendecided to approach me knowing thatit did not concern him. I have a saying: what does not con-cern you leave it alone details supplied by email

Racist abuse forusing disabledcar park space Castle Vale womanadmits tax credit

fraud:(Tyburn Mail website)NemesisSo this woman has bro-ken the law, and beenpunished. Isnt it a greatscandal though thatHMRC seem unable(unwilling?) to pursuethe huge tax-avoidingcorporations? These are the ones who

are milking the UK byfailing to contribute theirfair share. Its a matter of principle no-one should beabove the law. But of course its easierto go after the littlepeople who dont haveexpensive lawyers toprotect them.

Wheelie bins:(facebook)Linda Curtis Don'tknow how other peoplefeel but I for one wel-come the wheelie binsstops all the cats foxesand rats ripping our bagsopen. Also I never haveenough space in myrecycle boxes and when

its windy I end up pick-ing up rubbish all overmy garden ,so don'tknow who the councilloris who say that mostpeople are against thembut he has not asked anyof my friends or neigh-bours.

Spitfire Island:(facebook) Donna Barron Do youknow when they aresorting out SpitfireIsland ? It's so danger-ous! It's a joke.Someone is going to getseriously hurt soon.They need to sort thisout and fast.

Dear Editor,Starting from when work startedon the new paint plant on ChesterRoad we have had problems fromjaguar workforce parking at the rear of our properties.Some days its so bad we have troublegetting deliveries and if we had to calla fire engine, no chance!They park on the access road to thehealth centre so you cannot see whatscoming round the bend.We have had your security guys put-ting leaflets on their windscreen to no

avail.Please don't leave it till there is anaccident or someones house burnsdown.The problem is on Long Croft Close.My house backs on to it.Sometimes I have problems gettingmy car out of my drive.I hope you can help solve this prob-lem as few months ago my neighbourhad a problem getting a funeral car in- it caused a lot of problems for myneighbour.Name and address supplied

Funeral car blockedout by selfish parking

The MarchTyburn Mail

will be published on

Wednesday 18thMarch

Dear Editor,Having read the letter in the JanuaryTyburn Mail about carnival I amprompted to make a request to CastleVale residents. I was greatly involved in 17 Carnivalsfrom 1993 until 2010 when I 'retired'!At one time it was the second biggestin Birmingham second only to

Handsworth and also hosted for a fewyears the Scottish Pipe band andDancing competitions. The memories come flooding back! I would like to create an archive ofCarnival including any prior to 1993. Ihave quite a lot of photos and pro-grammes but if anyone has any pho-tos/programmes/other memorabilia Iwould like to hear from you. I would also like to record peoplesmemories of Carnivals. Please contactme on 07766923361 or e mail bob-brueton@yahoo.co.uk Bob Brueton

Carnivalphotographs

Dear Residents,What has happened to our bus routesto and from Sutton Coldfield? I havebeen asked today.Residents of all ages, particularly inFarnborough Road, are feeling thestrain of what they see as a poor pub-lic transport service.The public are being persuaded toleave their cars at home.

But what is the alternative? they ask.Customers are buying bus passeswhich they are unable to use at certaintimes.If you would like me to delve furtherinto the suggestions by residents thenplease let me know. If I am to approach the bus companiesthen I will need a hefty argument. You can call 0121 303 2029 and leavea message

Cllr Mike SharpeTyburn Ward

Bus problems

Dear Editor and readers,Our old mag seems to be bombardedwith photos and lies from politicianssince Tyburn Mail took over., in myopinion.

They all sing from the one hymn sheet.Why can we spend millions on warsand some of us are on foodbags?Charity begins at home, we werealways taught in the 1930-40 waryears and we had more dinner timethan dinners.And no free food bags. I wish.The rich get richer, and the poor getpoorer. Why? Ask these councillors.

Tom Walker45 years on Castle Vale

Too much talkfrom politiciansin Tyburn Mail

Commentsfrom TyburnMails onlineand facebook-pages

Tyburn Mail page 5

Tyburn Mail page 6

A Tyburn driver has admitteda total of 92 charges of break-ing regulations regarding driv-ing a large goods vehicle orpassenger carrying vehicle.Mohammed Sulemann, aged 51, ofErdington Hall Road, pleaded guilty tothe charges which included failure touse appropriate recording equipment,failure to take rests of appropriatelength between journeys, and drivingfor longer periods than regulationsallow. The offences took place in July andAugust last year.Birmingham magistrates ordered himto pay a total of 1,934.00 in fines andcosts.

Driver admits92 offences

A teenager who is not oldenough to have a licence hasadmitted driving a car danger-ously.The 16 year-old boy, from Castle Vale,cannot be named.He drove a Ford Focus dangerously atMidpoint Way in Minworth on 16thJanuary. He knew that the vehicle hadbeen fitted with false number plates. Hehad no insurance and no drivinglicence.Birmingham magistrates referred himto a youth offender panel for ninemonths. They ordered him to pay costsof 100 and disqualified him from hold-ing a driving licence for 12 months.

16 year-oldadmits drivingcar dangerously

What do you think ofwhen you hear awardshow fashion? Let me guess: glamour,sophistication and style? Three things that theGrammy's lacked this year.Just like most people, I was interest-

ed to flick through photographs fromthe prestigious event so I could sit andenvy the celebrity lifestyle and theirextravagant wardrobes. However, this year, there was noth-ing award winning or jealous worthyabout the outfits worn.Firstly, for guys at fancy events thedress code is easy - black tie. But no, Kanye decided to show up,slouched in his chair in a burgundytracksuit and bright trainers. Then, Pharell Williams looked asthough he had just come back from asummer holiday and didn't haveenough time to put on the rest of hissuit, as he turned up in a blazer, kneelength shorts and trainers.But one outfit that we couldn't misswas Rihanna's voluminous, flamingopink dress. Her skirt was more fabricthan anything else and took up almostall the carpet! (I don't know what wasmore lively and voluminous: her skirtor Sia's crazy, blonde wig). But two eye-poppers - but not sur-prising in the slightest - were KimKardashian's dazzling, gold "dress",which just looked like a glitzy dressingdown which tried to show off as muchleg and cleavage possible andMadonna's gothic ensemble, whichto me can only be described as under-wear.Nevertheless, there was one outfitthat I liked (and no it wasn't TaylorSwift's mermaid dress). Jessie J turned up with a sleek,pushed back hair style and a floorlength, sheer gown, embellished in ablack, floral pattern from chest to toe,with a long train following her frombehind. Her style was one of the very fewthat I liked and thought looked chicand perfect for an awards ceremony.

by TaylorSheldon

Tyburn Mails fashionreporter

TYBURN MAILSTYBURN MAILSAWARD WINNINGAWARD WINNINGREPORTERREPORTER

Outfits? Morelike misfits atthe GrammysJessie Js chic look shows gaudysuperstars how to dress in style

THE DROME CAFE AND FISH BARTHE DROME CAFE AND FISH BAR1230 Kingsbury Road, B35 6AE 0121 351 2543

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above Rita Ora and Sam Smith(photo WireImage)below: Kim Kardashian

left: Jessie J, chic in black gown

Tyburn Mail page 7ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Tyburn Mail page 8

Free job ads in Tyburn MailContact Frank Kennedy on 07770 895 413or at: fkennedy@tyburnmail.com

Gemini Gemini Hair SalonHair SalonCastle Vale require part time(20 Hrs.)

Unisex StylistQualified to level 3NVQ.Applicants must be experienced in all aspectsof modern and traditional hairdressing.

To apply contact Kelly on 0121 748 4848or email your CV to:info@geminisalon.co.uk

HallmarkVan & Truckrequire an

HGV MechanicWorking for a vehicle rental company based inColeshill to carry out all manner of mechanical work onsmall vans to HGV trucks and tractor units. Hours of work are 8.30am - 5.30pm.

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Senior Customer Service Advisors 21K Permanent NEC AreaMust have 2-3 years Customer Service experience in a call centre environment.

For further information please call our Birmingham team on0121 647 1081 or email your CV to amanda@hrgrp.co.uk

National Express West Midlands TRAINEE BUS DRIVERS

38 hours per week, 5 days from 7(including Evenings, Weekends and Bank Holidays).

This will be shift based and will include Early/Split/Mid and Late Shifts.Available positions cover Birmingham, Coventry and the West Midlands.

Pay rates are: 9.18 PER HOUR (rising to 11.31 after 5 years)You MUST hold a full UK Driving Licence with no more than 6 points and no disqualifications.

(Be able to produce both parts of the licence)Able to produce Right to Work and Identity Documentation

You must be aged 19+, claiming JSA/ESA (WRAG) and Pre-Work Programme only (as thiswill lead to a sector based work academy)

You must be prepared to train for a PCV LicenceTo find out more and to book an appointment:

Interested applicants should call the hotline where they will undergo a short telephone inter-view and if successful, will be booked an appointment for an assessment.

If successful at the assessment day, customers will be required to attend 2 weeks full timepre-employment training in Birmingham.

To book an appointment, please call the recruitment line on 0121 237 2075.Line opens Monday Friday 9.30am until 4.30pm and will remain open until all appointments

have been filled.(Attendance at the assessment day is by appointment only)

THIS GIRL CANMoney will be available

for organisations inBirmingham to promotewomens sport on 8thMarch, InternationalWomens Day.The City Council is using the day to

support This Girl Can, a campaignthat promotes physical activity byhelping women of all ages overcomebarriers to participation.The campaign aims to tackle the

rising gender gap between the num-ber of men and women playing sport.The poster campaign uses humour

and a sassy attitude to tackle thefear of judgement that preventsmany women taking part in sport.

The new road layout atSpitfire Island will notinclude traffic lights for theTangmere Drive exit andentrance.The other three thorough-

fares, along Chester Road andFort Parkway, will be con-trolled by traffic lights.A spokesperson for Birmingham

Councils Highways Department saidthat it is usual to have one arm of atraffic controlled roundabout to remainwithout traffic lights, as this helps thetraffic flow. The gaps created by the lights at the

other junctions will create a five-sec-ond gap that will enable vehicles tojoin from Tangmere, said a seniorCouncil highways engineer. The highways engineers have done

modelling exercises on the new sys-tem, and have concluded that therewill be no queues from Castle Valetowards the Chester Road.Highways engineers will put wiring

and ducts in place underground, incase there is a change of plan at a laterdate, so that traffic lights can beinstalled without major disruption.Local residents expressed concern

about the plans not to have trafficlights. The Castle Vale exit is where most of

the accidents happen, one residentcommented.At a public meeting in 2014 before

the Chester Road works started, ahighways engineer had suggested thattraffic lights controlling the Tangmereexit and entrance were an option.

No traffic lightsfor Vale exit offSpitfire Island

Tyburn Mail page 9

Six youngsters fromPaget School enjoyedan hours birdspottingin Plantsbrook NatureReserve, thanks totheir teachers and TheC o m m u n i t yEnvironmental Trust.The event was organised

by CETs Ben Kasper as partof the RSPBs Birdwatchproject.The Paget pupils, aged

from 7-11, had made bird-feeders which they placedstrategically to attract wildbirds which they then identi-fied and recorded for theRSPB.Mrs. Kim Lovell from Paget

Primary said: Taking part inthe Big Schools Birdwatch,and discovering the wildlifeat Plantsbrook is somethingthat our children love beingpart of. Connecting withnature in their local environ-ment has an incrediblyimportant and transforminginfluence on children.Ben Kasper from CET says:

The natural environment asa whole provides childrenwith a unique and innovativeplatform for learning to beachieved, about themselvesand each other, as well asintroducing and supportinginformation and respect forthe local flora and wildlife.

Paget twitchers

Treecreeper: this PagetSchool youngster aims toget high in the treetops tofix a birdfeeder atPlantsbrook NatureReserve on the RSPBBirdwatch exercise

Councillors havedefied a petitionsigned by 67 local res-idents of Erdingtonand granted retrospec-tive planning permis-sion for a Caribbeanhot food takeaway inErdington High Street.Councillors on the city

planning committee agreedby the narrowest of marginsto give approval for thetakeaway to continue trad-ing. Six councillors approved

the bid, five were opposedto it and one abstained.The petition had been pre-

sented to the Council byConservative Councillors forErdington ward RobertAlden and Gareth Moore.The premises, next door to

a Chinese take-away, usedto be a retail shop, but the

current occupiers opened itas a hot food takeawaybefore realising that theywould need fresh planningpermission for the change ofusage.Councillor Bob Beauchamp

spoke out against the plansfor the takeaway. Heexplained that there werealready several take-awayoutlets in the immediatevicinity. He added that thereare serious parking and con-gestion problems at theOrphanage Road end of theHigh Street and this wouldfurther add to them.The Planning Committee

voted to approve the plan,with a restriction on openinghours. The takeaway wouldhave to close at 11.30pm onweekdays and Saturdays,and at 10.30pm onSundays.

Fast-food petitionfails to persuadecouncil planners

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

G r e e n w o o dAcademy has comehighest in theleague tables ofsecondary schoolsserving the Tyburnward.52% of Greenwoods

pupils achieved 5A*-C inGCSEs including English andmaths in 2014.Scores were lower than

last year in all of the schools

listed in the box (right).Tougher exams, and thedecision to exclude re-sitsand some vocational qualifi-cations from the statisticshave all contributed to theapparent decline in stan-dards.St Edmund Campions

scores dipped from 60% in2013 down 14% this year.Fairfax School in SuttonColdfield, suffered an 18%fall, from 80% down to 62%this year.

GCSE figuresfor localschools are:Greenwood 52% John Willmott 50%John Henry Newman(Catholic College) 47%St Edmund Campion46%CTC Kingshurst 46%Stockland Green 43%Kingsbury School andSports College 36%Park Hall Academy(Solihull) 34%

Greenwood topsthe Tyburn table

Tyburn Mail page 10

The local Tenants and ResidentsAlliance (CVTRA) have taken overthe running of the library in CastleVale High Street.

It has now been officially transferredfrom Birmingham Council to theCVTRA, after weeks of delays while thelegal documents were finalised.

The library will be open four days perweek, on Mondays, Tuesdays,

Thursdays and Saturdays.It is the third council facility that has

been transferred to local managementin the past 13 months. Last January,the stadium and football pitches inFarnborough Road were handed overto the estates major housing associa-tion (CVCHA).

Last month, a local trust of volun-teers took over the running of CastlePool.

The rescue acts aim to use localenthusiasm and expertise to save pub-lic services from closure in the face ofa prolonged programme of budget cutsby Birmingham City Council.

Council handslibrary to TRA

Castle Vale PoliceStation will beclosing to the pub-lic on 28thFebruary.

The closure of policestation front desks atErdington, Kingstandingand Castle Vale policestations was announcedin November.

West Midlands Policesay they have to makecutbacks, and that thepublic nowadays con-tact the police by phoneor social media, ratherthan by visiting the local

station.Conservative and

Labour councillors havelaunched separate cam-paigns aimed at keepingthe three stations opento the public.

West Midlands Policehave announced that 27of its 41 front desksacross the region willclose this year, 17 ofthem by March.

Police station will closeto public at endof month

A survey of West Midlandsemployees has come up with atop 20 list of things that makeus happy at work.

1. Flexible hours and understandingwhen children are sick (52%) 2. Respect for employees (49%) 3. Hard working colleagues (43%) 4. Free parking or close to public trans-port ( 41%) 5. Being acknowledged for yourachievements/hard work (40%) 6. Having ideas listened to (38%) 7. Fun colleagues ( 37%) 8. Fast computer and broadband (33%) 9. Regular thank you ( 33%) 10. Realistic deadlines ( 32%) 11. Extra holidays for time of service(29%) 12. Patience and understanding of col-leagues/management (28%) 13. Pay review scheme ( 27%) 14. Nice toilets ( 26%) 15. Days off around Christmas thatdont come out of your holiday ( 25%) 16. Understanding that youre on holi-day/have finished work ( 23%) 17. Comfy chair ( 19%) 18. Regular progress reviews (19%) 19. Free tea and coffee (19%) 20. Quality tea and coffee ( 17%)

List compiled by The Association ofAccounting Technicians.

What makesyou happy atwork?Nice toilet, comfychair, free coffee,free car parking...

Residents of Castle Valeand Tyburn may qualify fora free bike fromBirmingham City Council.

In total, approximately 3,000 newRaleigh bikes will be given away topeople who are keen to cycle but cantafford a bike. A further 2,000 bikes willbe available for loan.

The closing date to apply for the sec-ond stage of the giveaway is March 31.A draw will be made in the first week

of April for the batch of 1,500 bikes.To qualify for a free bike loan, users

will need a valid Birmingham CityCouncil leisure card and have takenand passed the learn-to-ride BikeabilityLevel 2 and cycle maintenance cours-es. Bikes will be allocated by a lotteryto people who register on the schemeand pass the necessary courses.

The Big Birmingham Bikes team hasidentified postcodes, which includeB35 aand B24, where the need forthese bikes is greatest and applicantsmust be able to prove they live in oneof the qualifying areas.

To apply, go to: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/bbb

Free bikes

The Green Party has been raisingmoney by asking for public dona-tions on a crowdfunder website,so that it can enter candidates forthe General Election.

The plea on crowdfunder.co.ukclaimed that the Greens only have

enough money to fund five of the tenseats in Birmingham. Candidates musthand over a 500 deposit, which theyget back if they poll more than 5% ofthe votes cast.

The Green campaign appears to havebeen a success. They have found1,600 backers and have raised the2,500 for the remaining five places inBirmingham. But they have not yetnamed their candidate for theErdington constituency.

Green Party useonline fundraiser

The BNP (British NationalParty) may not enter a candi-date for the 2015 generalElection for Erdington.

A spokesperson for the party toldTyburn Mail that they were finding itdifficult to recruit potential candidatesthis time round.

At the 2010 General Election, theBNPcandidate for Erdington received1,815 votes and came fourth, afterLabour, the Conservatives and the LibDems.

UKIPcame 5th in 2010 with 842votes.

BNPfinding ithard to recruit

Tyburn Mail page 11ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Castle Vale Community Housing AssociationGeneral Enquiries: 0121 748 8100Repairs: 748 8101 (24 hours)email: info@cvcha.org.ukwebsite: www.cvcha.org.ukOpening hours: Mon-Wed 9-5pm; Thurs 9-7pm; Fri 9-4pm.

CASTLE VALE COMMUNITY HOUSING ASSOCIATION, 11 HIGH STREET, CASTLE VALE, BIRMINGHAM B35 7PR

Universal credit iscoming to Birmingham We received a number of suc-cessful applications for our activi-ty grants which have helped resi-

dents from Castle Vale either setup new projects or deliver activi-ties.

The aim of the grants is to provideopportunities for one off activities totake place that are organised by resi-dents, for residents of Castle Vale. Oneof the conditions of the grant is to pro-vide a photograph or selfie and wehave two great examples to share:

On the 1stFebruary, 14Castle Vale resi-dents went towatch Jack andthe Beanstalk atB i r m i n g h a mH i ppod r ome .This trip waslargely subsidised by the generouscommunity activity grant that wasissued by CVCHA, each persontherefore was in the position to goto the theatre for just 8.00 each.A great evening was had by all

ages that attended, for some thiswas the first time at the theatre sothe activity grant was very muchappreciated to make this possible. Thank you for the opportunity in

organising a brilliant trip.

So far, thefunds havebeen a wonder-ful help. I haveused the 200for a range ofaspects in myson TyrellW i l l i am s o n -Green's athlet-ics journeysuch as a new pair of sprint spikesand a physiotherapy session. Mylast purchase from the funds willbe used for a pair of moreadvanced running trainers inpreparation for the coming indoorand outdoor season, starting withthe Midland County Championshipcompletion.

More successful grant stories willbe in future editions of the TyburnMail. If you would like to find out

more, please emailrebeccabe@cvcha.org.uk or callBecki on 0121 748 8134.

Social ValueActivity Grants

Tyburn Mail page 12ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

NEWS FROM CASTLE VALE COMMUNITY HOUSING ASSOCIATION

Tyburn Mail page 13ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

NEWS FROM CASTLE VALE COMMUNITY HOUSING ASSOCIATION

At this time of year wetend to get more callsreporting damp andmould. In the majority ofcases our surveyors iden-tify the problem as aproblem with condensa-tion and not damp.

Condensation is not associ-ated with building defects orrepairs and is actually some-thing we create which can bereduced and in mostinstances eliminated by tak-ing some simple self helpsteps.

If left, condensation likelyto result in the formation ofmould which will increaseand spread.

CONDENSATIONWater vapour is always

present in the atmosphere.In the home this naturalwater content is increased bynormal living activities thatcreate steam, such as cook-ing, bathing, washing, boilingkettles, as well as breathing.The water vapour remainsundetectable while floating inwarm air, but upon contactwith cold surfaces like win-dows, mirrors and tiles, con-densation occurs and thevapour turns to waterdroplets.

Self Help Tips:VentilationProvide natural ventilation

whenever possible, by:-Opening a window (be

mindful of security)Covering pans when cook-

ing

Adding cold water beforethe hot water when filling abath

Ensuring the bathroomdoor is kept shut whenbathing and showering andfor a short period after toensure all steam has beenextracted

Using extractor fans pro-vided

Do not dry clothes on radi-ators

Do not use bottled gas orparaffin type heaters in thehome

Mould GrowthDampness from condensa-

tion can cause mould growth.Mould can be treated andreduced by using cleaningsprays available from DIYstores.

HeatingIt is much better to keep

your heating on low through-out the day than to haveperiods of high heat followedby periods with no heating.Constant heating allows theair to absorb more moisturewhich can be expelledthrough vents and extractorfans.

Heating can be increased inareas where condensation isa particular problem.

If you needany furtheri n f o r m a t i o n ,please contactCVCHA.

Condensationand mould in

the home

Digital HubFrom February 2015, the Digital Hub at Topcliffe House will be open on Wednesdays only from10am to 4pm.

For advice and information about getting online, access to lowcost computer equipment, and to find out more about DigitalInclusion,

please contact Zoe or Becki on 0121 748 8122 or 8134

Tyburn Mail page 14ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

@ The Sanctuary 0121 748 8111

Mentoring is theaction of an older ormore experienced per-son coaching or advis-ing a younger person. In this case, mentoring

means offering experiencelearned in life to pupils atGreenwood Academy.

CVCRS and GreenwoodAcademy have worked togetherto develop a bespoke mentoringprogramme to provide the bestpossible support to studentswho need extra support.

The programme began in early2014 and has changed anddeveloped in response to theneeds of the young people help-ing to:

Build confidenceImprove life skills; preparing

young people for adult lifeResilience trainingStress & anger management

Improving communicationskills, including body language

Dont just take our word for it,here is what some of the youngpeople have to say:

I think mentoring is the bestlesson going because they tell ushow to sort out your problemsand how to stop them happen-ing again.

They tell us when we are inthe wrong, and if we need tochange our attitude.

I like mentoring because ithas helped me build up my con-fidence.

It helps me with stress.You learn consequences and

good decisions to make in life.It helps me relax and calm

down.Helps me to learn what to do

now and in the future.A member of staff at

Greenwood said: Their ability toengage very hard to reach stu-

dents and make them partici-pate in their work, in a way thathas stopped them from impact-ing on the learning of others,has been invaluable...

Their help in the class has hada direct impact on certain pupilsand many students grades havenow increased because they arefocusing on the tasks at handrather than looking for distrac-tions.

If we can work withyour school or settingto develop somethingsimilar please get intouch with a memberof the team.

Mentoring atGreenwoodAcademy

Tyburn Mail page 15

The January issue of theTyburn Mail contained anarticle about a point Iraised at a Council meet-ing.Anyone who read the article will

have been left with the impres-sion that because I am aConservative, I must have goneto public school and run a house-hold with a retinue of servants.This is complete nonsense. There are lots of working people

who are Conservative including me.For the record I am the grand-daugh-ter of a Durham miner, went to a state

grammar school and live in a semidetached house. Birmingham, under Labour, has

apparently declared itself to be aBiophillic City, indeed the onlyBiophillic City in the UK and one of justa handful in the whole world. Like most people I suspect, I had

never heard the term before theCouncil officer gave his presentation,but in a nutshell it means a city whichcares deeply about nature.

To me, this seems at odds with whatis actually happening in our city. There is talk of building on the green

belt near Tyburn. A huge green lung has been lost on

the Edgbaston/Selly Oak border withthe building of the new QE Hospitaland associated road network. This has freed up the old Selly Oak

Hospital site but is that being turnedinto a green area to compensate? Notlikely!

That is ear marked for developmenttoo.In Erdington the former Nocks

Brickworks site, now green fields, hasbeen given planning permission for ahousing development.Birmingham is desperately short of

school places, but the MartineauCentre in Quinton a former schoolwith a playing field has recentlybeen given planning permission to beturned into a housing development.

In Goosemoor Lane Erdington aschool playing field has been built on. While in Harborne there is another

former school playing field - whichcontains the largest urban badger settin the West Midlands - and a planningapplication has been submitted tobuild houses on that too.Tyburn Labour Councillor Mike

Sharpe is the highly paid Chairman ofthe Planning Committee which agreesthese applications - which result in ourgreen spaces being covered with con-crete. Therefore I hoped he would have

something to say about the apparentdifference between what Birminghamsays and what Birmingham does. Unfortunately he was forced to

admit that despite being a seniormember of the ruling group onBirmingham City Council, he didnteven know that Birmingham wasdeclaring itself a Biophillic city. As I am someone who cares about

nature, I find that hugely depressing. I object to Birminghams Labour

Council telling the world that the citycares deeply about nature, while - atthe same time Birmingham residentscan see the amount of green space inour city steadily reducing. Actions speak louder than words.

From Januarys Tyburn Mail

THIS GREEN ANDPLEASANT LAND ISDISAPPEARING FASTOur Council must prove that it cares for the environment

by Deirdre AldenConservative Councillorfor Edgbaston

Biophilic ..... in a nutshell it means a city which cares deeplyabout nature. To me, this seems at odds with what is actuallyhappening in our city. There is talk of building on the green beltnear Tyburn.....

The number of new homesin the West Midlandsjumped by 16% last year,according to figuresreleased by NHBC (NationalHouse Building Council).Many parts of the UK, including

the West Midlands, are buildinghouses at a faster rate than London,for the first time since 2007, saystheir report.A total of 12,241 new homes were

registered in the West Midlands in2014, compared with 10,535 for theprevious year.In England, 127,007 new homes

were registered in 2014, comparedwith 117,969 for 2013.The NHBC sees this as good news,

as the housing sector industry helpsthe economy to flourish in its effortsto provide good accommodation.The UK population has grown sig-

nificantly in recent years, creating aneed for more homes. The popula-tion density of the UK is 256 peopleper square kilometre, one of thehighest in the world.Environmentalists are concerned

that green space and green beltland is disappearing to cope withthe rising population.

House-buildingrises

Oscar chancefor Brum girl?

Bournville-born actressFelicity Jones is up for anOscar at the awards ceremonyin Hollywood this weekend.The 31 year-old ex-pupil of Kings

Norton Girls School has been nominat-ed as Best Actress for her role as JaneHawking, wife of physicist StephenHawking, in The Theory of Everything.Felicitys previous film roles include

Catherine Morland, the heroine of theJane Austen story Northanger Abbey(2007), and Nelly Ternan, the secretlover of Charles Dickens, in the film TheInvisible Woman (2013).Felicitys own parents worked for a

local newspaper, The Express and Star,in Wolverhampton.

Greenwood Academyand Castle ValeCommunity HousingAssociation (CVCHA)are holding a joint con-sultation event aboutproposals to build anew school on the pad-dock, land onFarnborough Fieldscurrently reserved forhorses.The consultation event will

take place at GreenwoodAcademy between 3pm and6.30pm on Monday 23rdFebruary.Greenwood Academy has

already written to parentsand carers informing them oftheir proposal to build aschool on a new site, and ofthe consultation event.CVCHA would like the con-

sultation to include considera-tion of the whole area, includ-ing the allotments, the con-servation area, the paddocks,

the stables and the footballfields and stadium.The land belongs to the city

council, but part of it, namelythe football fields and stadi-um were transferred toCVCHA in January 2013 on a25-year lease. That lease hasa two-year get-out clause ifCVCHA decide that thearrangements are not work-ing.

Staff and governors atGreenwood Academy arekeen to have a new schoolbuilding. Greenwoods parent compa-

ny, Academies EnterpriseTrust, are also in favour of theplans to build a new schoolon a fresh site.The current site is in need

of major repairs, and is inferi-or in design and quality com-pared to a large number ofnew school buildings thathave been constructed acrossthe country in the past tenyears.Greenwood, formerly Castle

Vale School had been ear-marked for a complete re-build under the previousLabour governments BuildingSchools for the Future pro-gramme, but the plans werehalted as part of the currentgovernments austerity meas-

ures.The latest plans will be sup-

ported by those who feel thatthe current school building isnot good enough, is out ofdate, and does not properlyreflect the academic progressand aspirations of the schoolin the past 18 months. A newsite would further raise pupilself-esteem and aspirations,would provide betterresources for learning, andwould lift the status of educa-tion in Castle Vale.But many people will have

reservations about the plansto build on green space. Castle Vale is a densely pop-

ulated area.Its green space has been

considerably diminished inrecent years, and these plansindicate further intrusion intoenvironmentally rich territory.

Green fieldssite for newGreenwoodPublic consultation for paddock plans

Horse sense: a disconsolate lookingcreature in the paddock, casting aknowing glance over his shoulder atthe site of Greenwood Academy

Tyburn Mail page 16

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Its that time of theyear where everyoneis getting excitedabout festivals. There is many festivals

happening all around theyear, but the most popularones are; Download, Leeds,Reading, T in the Park,Glastonbury etc. All these festivals means

many teens are ecstatic togo, which results to parentsgoing crazy. I mean as teenagers we

think, Im 16 now, Im

totally responsible. Yourparents already know whatkind of teenager you are!Their worries are you keep-ing safe, and being aroundall those people. Campingon a site with a few friendsand a bunch of strangersisnt exactly comforting foryour Mom and Dad. Parents are always bound

to worry, but when youreach 16 youre still seenas a child. Youll always be

their baby! So Im going toshare some tips aboutkeeping safe at festivals,but still having fun! Now,festivals are hectic 24/7.Youve got teens and youngadults roaming aroundready to rumble, and thenbands giving it their all.There is never a dullmoment at a festival, thatswhy people love them somuch! 1. Always stay withyour friends/your tentroomies. Although you allknow where your tent is, itis safer to stay with oneanother. There are going tobe many people you dontknow at the festival, andalthough its GREAT tointeract with new people,its better to do it with yourfriends by your side. Aslong as youre all stickingtogether, youll be okay. 2.Dont leave valuables inyour tent. By valuables Imean like Mobile, Money,

Bank cards etc. Its best tocarry the significant thingswith you so that youre notat risk of losing them. Iwouldnt advise taking atablet, or laptop with you.Enjoy the music. Try andsteer from technology(apart from mobile.) whilstyoure there! I would 100%advise you to have yourmobile regardless of age.Your family members arestill going to want to knowabout your whereabouts,and your friends who cantmake it are going to wantupdates. And OF COURSE,you need to take pictures.Make memories! Those are my main two

main tips for being at a fes-tival. So if youre going;ENJOY! But be safe.Theyre times where youcan just go wild, but stickwith your friends. Have fun! Thanks for Reading.

by TyburnMail student journalist

Brookly Taylor

FestivalFever

Senior pupils at StEdmund CampionSchool have learnedhow to help someonewho has suffered aheart attack, thanksto medical expertsfrom BirminghamUniversity.The University Medics

were on hand to show thepupils how to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation andCPR techniques. They also demonstrated

how to treat a patient whohas suffered a heart attackby keeping their bodilyrhythms going until theparamedics arrive with

more specialist equipment.The Medics set up their

training scheme, calledHeartstart, a year ago.Since that time, they havetrained 1,500 people infirst-aid techniques forheart conditions.The two-hour session for

pupils in Years 10-13 leftthem with a fulfilling feel-ing, said organiser ScottBrierley. The thought of our stu-

dents being able to helpeven one individual willhave been worth the workthat went in to the visit.

University medicsgive vital skills toCampion students

left: a pupil practises mouth to mouth resuscitationabove: a University Medical expert demonstrates usinga dummy torso

The sun sets over a music festival. This ones not too far away, on Farnborough Fields.

Pegasus goes purplePupils at Pegasus School in Castle Valewill be wearing purple uniform fromSeptember 2015. The school, founded in the 1960s, hastraditionally had red uniform.

Comic Relief Fitness at SainsburysThe 24/7 Fitness team who have a gymand studio at The Fort will be bringingalong some of their equipment forSainsburys customers to test their fit-ness levels at Castle Vale Retail Park forComic Relief.The activities will be taking place in

the Sainsburys store between 10am-5pm on 13th and 14th March.Sainsburys staff will be giving away

prizes in the store and the caf.

Siobhan Walsh and a team offriends aim to take part in the 10kmWolf Run in Warwickshire in April.Competitors will climb, jump, wade,crawl, swim and run across harsh terrainincluding woodlands, obstacles, lakesand fields.Siobhan is doing the run in memory of

her late grandfather, to raise funds forJohn Taylor Hospice.

Howl long? Girls all set forgruelling WolfChallenge run

Siobhan Walsh, AmiePaintain and Kristel Paintain ready for the Wolf Run

How manyvotes will UKIPget in Erdingtonat the GeneralElection?Pype Hayes resident

Andrew Garcarz is theUKIP candidate thistime round. He feels that his Party

can take votes fromboth Labour andConservative votersbecause people are fedup with the two mainparties. He also feels that

many working classpeople want Britain toget out of the EuropeanUnion and take controlof their borders. UKIPdid not do well at the2010 general election inErdington, but there hasbeen a change in publicattitudes since then, MrGarcarz feels.

Left wing party TUSC(Trade Union andSocialist Coalition) arealso fielding a candi-date. Railway worker Ted

Woodley stood unsuc-cessfully as a localcouncillor for TUSC inStockland Green lastyear. He and his party

oppose cuts, and arecritics of all major par-ties, including Labour. The Conservatives

slashed Labours leadto just over 3,277 at thelast General Election.In 2005, Labour had a

majority of 9,575 whenSion Simon won theseat.Jack Dromey won

Erdington in 2010, buta cut in the majority ofover 6,000 votes gavecause for concern to theLabour Party.Will the rise of UKIP

benefit Labour, by tak-ing votes off theConservatives? Or will it make the

contest even tighter, bytaking votes off all threemajor parties?Last time round, BNP

(British National Party)got 1,815 votes. BNP may not have a

candidate this timeround. So that might be more

votes up for grabs byone of the other parties.Recent by-election

results suggest that theLib Dem vote nationallyseems to have col-lapsed. In Erdington last time

round, Lib Dems polled5,742 votes. If they lose votes this

time, which party willgain from their demise?Labour will start as

favourites, because theyhave won Erdington atevery election sinceWorld War II. And because the party

in opposition (Labour)tends to increase itsvote at the expense ofthe party in power.Psephology is the

study of elections andvoting patterns. It is a notoriously

complex and inaccuratescience.

GENERAL ELECTION 2015

May be, ormaybe not,in Mayvote

Tyburn Mail page 17ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Tyburn Mail page 18

Castle Vale and Tyburn

Prompt

service

Prompt

service

guarant

eed

guarant

eed

Tyburn Mail page 19ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Tyburn Mail page 20

COME AND JOIN USat The CrownThe Crown

(formerly: The Forget Me Not seniors) club Every Thursdaywe have Sequence, Ballroom, andLine Dancing, pus Raffles, Bingo ,and Cash Draws

from 12.30-3pmAdmission 1 members and 2 for visitorsNon members welcome last Thursday of the month.

Further enquiries call 0121 373 4108We are at 1069 Tyburn RoadB24 0THAmple parking or catch the 67 or 914 bus.

COME ALONG FOR A FRIENDLY, SOCIABLE ,AND HAPPY AFTERNOON.

Tyburn Mailprize winnersWinners of The NationalWedding Show tickets:-

Dylan O'Keeffe of SaltleyCottages, Erdington.Lesley Armstrong ofWoodlands Farm Road.Carol Johnson of CobhamClose, Castle Vale.

As a family we have beenable to support with child-care looking after ourgranddaughter Millie whileour daughter in law workspart time.As Millie is only 2 and a half, going on

16, she is not yet entitled to her 15hours free nursery placement. She goes to nursery one day a week

so I know the expense this incurs butit would be even higher if we, asgrandparents were not in a position tosupport on some of the days. It is interesting to know that grand-

parents, relatives and friends help isworth between 200 - 360 per weekand between 9,000 and 16,200 peryear. As far as I am concerned one of the

most important things to improve theeconomy is childcare. The cost of thisis soaring making it very hard if thereis no family support for parents orguardians to work. Many families are

faced with difficult choices on howthey balance family life and work life.In some instances people are prevent-ed from going to work because the ris-ing cost of childcare makes it impossi-ble and unaffordable. It is not onlylooking for childcare that suits you andyour child it is the nursery and beforeand after school costs that can bestressful and a real struggle.On one of the days we look after

Millie, Thelma takes her to a playgrouprun by Sure Start, this is an invaluableorganisation that gives support andguidance to many families yet DavidCameron has broken his promise onSure Start with 628 fewer children'scentres across the country since 2010.By 2015, the Tories will have takenaway up to 15 billion in support forchildren and families. As I said, affordable child care is

good for the economy.While the Tories do not have a plan

to tackle the cost of childcare beforethe election, Labour do, and havepledged to extend free childcare for 3to 4 year olds from 15 to 25 hours perweek for working parents paid for byan increase in the bank levy. Labour will also renew and reinvigo-

rate Sure Start, reforming the waylocal services work together ensuringgood quality support to all familiesthat need it.I am committed to the people of

Tyburn Ward and will always do mybest for all families and speak up forgood quality services for everyone.

by Mike SharpeTyburn Councillor

(Labour)

Rising costof childcare

....In some instances people areprevented from going to workbecause the rising cost of child-care makes it impossible andunaffordable.....

Mothers ReunionA Castle Vale singing group will be

performing at St Barnabas Church nextmonth.Generations Choir will be singing for

the Mothers night club reunion at thechurch in Erdington High Street onSaturday 21st February from 4-5pm.The Castle Vale based singers are

keen to recruit more members. Theymeet at The Astral Centre eachThursday from 5.30-7.30pm

Model RailwayThe Birmingham Model Railway Clubhave an open day from 11am-4pm onFeb 21st at their headquarters inCadbury Drive in Castle Vale. Organiser Bob Brueton says: There

will be lots of trains running for every-one to enjoy and have a go! Comeand see what goes on! You will beamazed!There is a small entry fee.

Veri long hoursVeri Peri hot food takeaway on theChester Road opposite Pype Hayes Parkhas asked to be allowed to open forlonger hours. The owner, AbrarMulvankar has asked Birminghamsplanning committee for permission toopen from midday till 11.30pm. At themoment, the opening hours arerestricted from 5pm-11.30pm.

As Liberal Democrat parlia-mentary spokesperson andTyburn Ward campaigner Ivery much wish to say 'thankyou' to all the local residentsand users of Castle Pool whohave supported the fight tosave the swimming pool fromthe threat of closure. I strongly welcome the news that the

pool will stay open thanks to the deci-sion by the Boldmere and KingsburySwimming Clubs, together with thePool User Group, to form a not-for-profit community charity which willnow run the pool. The issue has become timely again

because although the announcementabout it was first made last yearBirmingham Council has recently for-mally confirmed the deal. More importantly however the good

news that the pool stays open followsthe recent publication of figures show-ing a disappointing decline in the pop-ularity of swimming since the LondonOlympics. Sport England announced a drop in

the number of people swimming oncea week down by 245,000 in the past12 months. Our local Labour councillors prom-

ised they would keep Castle Pool openas a publicly funded facility. Despitethese pledges they withdrew the nec-

essary funding. Local people and pool users deserve

great praise for finding a way to keepthis super facility going. During the campaign to save the

pool I was pleased to help organise apetition, showing how strongly sup-ported this crucial community assetwas and this was certainly a factor inputting pressure on councillors to cre-ate the asset transfer of Castle Pool tothe Community Partnership. There is a now a need to keep up the

momentum to make sure the Councilsafeguard all our areas vital sportingfacilities given the importance to pub-lic health (and NHS resources) of hav-ing a fit and active population.

Pool successis great newsfor area andfor swimmingby Ann HoltomParliamentaryspokespersonErdington LiberalDemocrats

Greenwood students havebeen celebrating more suc-cess in their GCSE Englishresults.Following the exam in November last

term, a total of 56 pupils were handedout their results from the examination

board last week.All 56 of the pupils passed with a

high grade.

GCSEEnglishsuccess

Above: Teachers handing outthe sealed envelopes.The results: good grades, andhappy and relieved pupils,

Tyburn Mail page 21

Meeting two eld-erly and disabledcouples fromTyburn recentlyreally broughthome to me thepotentially devas-tating state ofhome care provi-

sion inBirmingham.Home care should be

about helping people getback on their feet after ahealth or personal crisis aswell as offering alternatives

to residential care andavoiding hospitalisation. Sadly as the cases of the

two families showed itsoften not working for theelderly and disabled peoplewho need it most, due toits inflexible systemdefined by specific tasksand time slots.Equally its not working for

the care workers them-selves, who are often poor-ly trained, poorly paid,working in a basicallyunregulated industry andoften little respected.Likewise councils such asBirmingham whose budgets

are shrinkingwhile demand isrising, are alsofinding the caresystem in needof urgentchange.In my view

home care wontbecome a realcareer until westart treating

both the cared for and careworkers with respect, so Iwas glad to see a reportfrom a group of serviceusers, trade unions, localcouncils and politicians ledby Paul Burstow calling for anumber of changes includ-

ing:-1.Minimum payments

for contact hours, to enableagencies to pay care work-ers at least the minimumwage.2.Moving away from

time + task commissioningto a result based system toimprove outcomes for thecared for.3.Improved monitoring

of existing contracts toensure the worst practicessuch as 15 minute care slotsare removed.4.Providing a clear

training & career pathwayfor care workers.Without a radical change

in the way that councilscommission services we willnot have a home care sys-tem that works for the peo-ple who use it, and peoplewill continue to find them-selves stuck in hospital, asthey cannot find the sup-port they need.As we approach the

General Election in May theneed is for the leaders of allpolitical parties to committo the political and financialreality to make the changes,which will make the homecare system work betterfor everyone concerned.

by MickBrownTyburn

CouncillorLabour

Home Care: wereheading for a crisis

Over the last 8 weekslocal campaignerClifton Welch and Ihave been challengingthe Council over theirfailure to keep our localroads moving.

Increasingly along the ChesterRoad, Tyburn Road and KingsburyRoads we are seeing trafficqueued back for miles due to thecollection of road works andimprovements that are takingplace locally and further afield on

the motorway network and CityCentre. While much of this work is of

vital importance what has beenso shocking is the way the Councilhave failed to plan for the knockon effects of each scheme. At the recent City Council meet-

ing it was made clear that theCouncil did not do any trafficimpact assessments of either theschemes individually or on thecombined effects. The traffic caused has proven

very difficult for residents andworkers alike to tackle on a dailybasis. The most damning thing of all

though has been the Councilsrefusal to consider any changesto the road closures or to otherhighways features e.g. scrappingbus lanes at junctions, whichcould help relieve the congestionand get our City moving again. Indeed rather than trying to

help get Erdington moving, oneLabour Councillor told the cham-ber we should all stop using carsand should make it harder for caruses. Considering how many people

in our area and City make a livingfrom the car industry, hardly help-ful advice. Going forward we will continue

to challenge the Council to getimprovements to highway clo-sures to help relieve the pressureon our local road network. If we can help you with any-

thing please contact myself andlocal campaigner Clifton Welch on07505745808, C-WELCH2@sky.com, 96 OrchardRoad, Erdington, B24 9JD

by Robert AldenErdington Councillor

and ParliamentaryCampaigner(Conservative)

COUNCIL MUSTTACKLE COSTLYTRAFFIC CHAOS

....The most damn-ing thing of allthough has been theCouncils refusal toconsider anychanges to the roadclosures or to otherhighways features....

....its not working for thecare workers themselves,who are often poorlytrained, poorly paid, workingin a basically unregulatedindustry and often littlerespected...

Tyburn Mail page 22ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Tyburn Mail page 23

by CliftonWelchConservative candidate forTyburn ward

Tyburn Maildaily newsonline at

tyburnmail.com

As readers will be awarefrom previous articles Ihave been working withpopular parliamentary cam-paigner Robert Alden andresidents for the last 18months fighting to save ourlocal School CrossingPatrols.

As a local resident myself, livingjust off Eachelhurst Road, I knowfrom first-hand experience howvaluable the job the crossing war-dens locally do. That is why I worked with

Conservatives from across theErdington and Kingstanding areas aspart of the Save Erdington andKingstanding Crossing Wardens cam-paign to save our local wardens. I am therefore delighted that the City

Council has announced this month toreverse its decision, taken last March,to axe the school crossing patrols andinstead reinstate the budget for 2015. This is a real success for local resi-

dents and is invaluable for local childrenand families. However the campaigndoes not end there. The Council has made this decision

just 86 days before polling day, morethan 18 months after first announcingit. While they are safe for 2015 we must

now fight to ensure the Council not onlyprotects them for future years as wellbut also reinstates the School Crossingpatrols they removed in the last 18months. Today the battle has been won, but

we will keep fighting to ensure Tyburnfamilies are safe on our roads in futureyears as well. If we can help you with anything

please contact myself andParliamentary campaigner Robert Aldenon 07505745808, C-WELCH2@sky.com,96 Orchard Road, Erdington, B24 9JD

The Honest Truth is a proj-ect which was organised byPolice and Fire Authoritiesfollowing the tragic deathof three youngsters fromthe same community.

Could it have been avoided? Yes it could!Three factors caused the crash:Speeding, distraction and alcohol.

So 1,500 driving instructors have sofar signed up to make young driversaware of the kinds of drivers and pas-sengers they will encounter and moreimportantly the kind they are.

I was privileged to be part of thispresentation in Shropshire as part ofmy Road Safety Role.

Want to learn more? Then visitthem on: www.thehonesttruth.co.uk, Email info@the hon-esttruth.co.uk, Facebook thehon-esttruthuk and Twitter @honest-truth.Families and friends who have a

young person learning or about to learnto drive should visit these sites and tryand encourage their driving school toget involved too.

Red Thumb DayI am hoping to arrange a RED

THUMB DAY when all drivers painttheir texting thumb red so that eachtime they are tempted to answer whilstdriving, their thumb will remind them ofthe dangers and the law.

Keep Safe.Lynda Clinton

by LyndaClintonTyburn

Councillor(Labour)

Now be honest- which driverare you?

Cheetah? Racing to thescene of your own crashBulldog? There is no fool-

proof way of drinking and stay-ing under the limit

Chameleon? Drugs will getyou smashed!Parrot? Mobile phones

dying to read your text?Chimps? Distractions? More

girls die as passengers thandrivers. Watch the road not thechimps in the back.Peacock? Try impressing

your mates without your car!Showing off, you may get aReg 59 and be off the road.Cat? Tired? How shattered

are you?

Rhino? Being hit up the backat 20mph by someone not seat-belted is same as being hit by arhino.

Schoolcrossingsuccess

Beauty studentswant customers

Ready for customers: with their teacher Sandra Joseph (centre) are Greenwood sixth form Beauty Students(left to right) :Shannon, Ashleigh, Kaylea, Tia, Chelsea, Keeley and Laura

Beauty trainees atGreenwood AcademysSixth Form want to givea range of beauty treat-ments to local cus-tomers.

The girls, along with theirteacher Miss Joseph, areoffering a range of treat-ments including facials, man-icures, pedicures and waxing,at discounted prices wellbelow normal High Streetcharges.

The girls have been taught theskills on their NVQlevel 2 course,and have given beauty treat-ments to fellow students.

Now the course demands thatthey demonstrate their skills onpaying customers.

If you would like to takeadvantage of the cut-pricebeauty treatments, call teacher Sandra

Joseph on 0121 675 2581or email: sjoseph@greenwoodacademy.org

OUR TREATGREENWOOD GIRLS GO COMMERCIAL

Laura

Kaylea

Chelsea

Ashleigh

Tyburn Mail is published by TopcliffeMedia Ltd. Address: Lower Ground Floor, TopcliffeHouse, B35 6BTTel: 0121 749 1343Managing Director and AdvertisingExecutive: Frank KennedyEditor: Clive Edwards

Admin: Mary EverillTyburn Mail is printed by Trinity MirrorPrinting Ltd Erdington

Castle Vale Pool User Group want totest the water to see how many ofyou would like a session at Castle

Pool each week, probably late after-noon.

Suggestions so far are Aqua aero-bics, gentle swim and just gainingconfidence in the water withoutbeing splashed.

BeActive funding has been foundby the new Castle Pool CommunityPartnership and our role is to try andencourage you to join us.

If you are interested in having achat or want to leave your contact

details then please do get in touch.Please Call Lynda Clinton on 07727

923 071 and she will make sure weget all of your ideas and details asquickly as possible to allow us to seewhether or not we have enoughinterest to go ahead.

In the meantime, stay safe andcome and join us.

Amanda Cutler Chair Castle ValePool User Group

over 60 andwant to enjoythe water?

Volunteers keeppool afloatThese young swimmers from

Boldmere Swimming Club are trainingeach Thursday evening at Castle Pool.Supervised by instructors, they are usingflippers to give their leg movements morepower, so that they can concentrate ontheir arm movements.

Castle Pool has been saved from closureby a local trust of volunteers. The Councilhave handed over the running of the poolto the Trust which includes Boldmere andKingsbury Swimming Club.

Castle Pool Community Partnership isnow looking for volunteer lifeguards.

Call Lynda Clinton on 07727 923071 ifyou can help.

A hat-trick for Daniel Cartermaking his debut for his newclub gave Paget Rangers a 5-1victory at theweekend over bot-tom club CotonGreen in divisiontwo of the MidlandLeague.

Morris and Evansscored the other twogoals for Paget.

Castle Vale Townscored their secondsuccessive victorywith a 2-0 win overColdlands FC at ValeStadium in division two of theBirmingham and District Alliance.

In the previous weekend, Castle ValeTown put an end to their run of fivesuccessive league defeats with a 4-2victory over bottom club BearwoodAthletic.

It was Towns first win since 22ndNovember.

Hat trick fordebutant Danny

LoCAL fooTBALL

Castle Vales professionalsnooker star Mitchell Mann hasbeen listed in 89th place in theranking of the worlds top pro-fessional snooker players.

The list was compiled after theGerman Open last month, and is basedon the amount of prize money the play-ers pick up.

Mitchell is competing in the WelshOpen at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiffthis week (16-22nd February). He isdrawn against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh ofThailand in the first round.

The winners of that tie go on to playRicky Walden or Lu Ning in Round Two.

Two of Englandsbrightest WorldCup stars playedregularly in theB i r m i n g h a mLeague on theirway to the top.

All-rounder ChrisWoakes played forWalmley in 2006.Woakes scored 37 runsin the recent matchagainst Australia. Healso took a wicket withhis bowling.

But on the downside,

he dropped a catch todismiss batsman AaronFinch, and the Aussieopener went on to top-score with an innings of135.

The Aussie total of342 for 9 wickets wastoo much for England,despite a heroic innings

of 98 from anotherBirmingham Leaguestar.

Batsman James Taylorplayed a few games forShrewsbury last seasonin the BirminghamLeague, and may wellturn out for them againthis summer..

Taylor is captain ofNottinghamshire, butstill manages to get agame in here and therefor Shrewsbury when hecan get time off torevisit the club wherehe started as a 16 year-old.

The clock isticking for Tim.Time is not onSherwoods side.

Starting this weekendwith Stoke, Aston Villaneed points to stay inthe worlds richestleague.

Three seasons of mis-ery under Paul Lamberthas left the fansdepressed and the play-ers downhearted.

Heres my list of sixtips for Tim Sherwoodas he dons the Villamantle.1.Smile. Let the

players enjoy trainingand encourage them tobe creative. Especiallythe midfield. Encouragethem to play a cuttingpass, not an easy,square pass.2. Pick Bacuna

in place of Sissoko.Theres not much tochoose between them,but Bacunas ability ondirect free kicks couldbe worth a couple ofgoals this season AndVilla need goals. West

Brom have scored morein 3 FACup games thanVilla have in 25 leaguegames.3.Tell it like it is.

If the players were rub-bish, dont try and tellthe media, and the fans,that they were excel-lent. Were not stupid.Lambert made us watchhours of goallessgarbage, and told us hisplayers were excellent.4.Dont fall out

with players. Lambertsrefusal to pick DarrenBent - who is now scor-ing for fun at Derby -was one of the mostdamaging sulks in Villashistory.5. Cleverley is not

clever. Dont pick him.Grealish is far more cre-ative. Pick him. Jacksthe lad.

6. Possession ispointless without goals.If your players are justpassing the ball aroundin their own half, oraround the half wayline, they are wastingeveryones time. Itmight help the stats,but it wont help thefight for survival.Midfielders are there tocreate chances, not justto keep possession.Players should pass theball, not the responsibil-ity.

Dont create boredom;create chances.

sherwoodsmerry mennew boss Tim needs to bring some

smiles back to the faces of his players,after the dour misery of the Lambert era

CRiCkeT WoRLD CUPBirmingham Leaguepaved way for futureengland cricket stars

James Taylor

Chris Woakes

snookeRMitchell startsWelsh openin top 100 list

Give us a smile, Tim: The Aston Villa players are on the field, but all cam-eras are pointing up towards the stands.Photographers need a photo of new boss Timsherwood, before the Leicester fACup game.

Caretaker boss scottMarshall: 100% win record

PiCky MoMs,PeRfeCT kiTYoungsters in Castle Vale Towns

Under 10 football team are lovingtheir brand new kit. Mother of one ofthe team Dolores Murrell said that she anda couple of other Moms were very pickywhen it came to the printing on the shirts.They are all delighted with the results.Riverside Driving Academy from SuttonColdfield paid for the kit. PBSports inChelmsley Wood did exactly as they weretold... and did a great job with the printing.

Castle Vale Town U10s, in theirnew kit, pictured with the goodguys from Riverside DrivingAcademy, who paid for it all.

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