Yesterday, Thursday 24 August, was Ukrainian Independence Day. There was, of course, a particular poignance to the occasion given their continued fight against the violent and unprovoked Russian invasion of their country. The day also marked 18 months since the start of that invasion. The Ukrainian people have fought tenaciously, and with the continued support of their Allies we hope they are able ultimately to restore control over their land.
That support of course goes beyond the weapons and training provided by governments, we’ve seen so much of it here from the families who opened their arms and their homes to welcome Ukrainians who were forced to flee the conflict. It’s also been evident in the hard work of the Council and voluntary sector teams who have done so much to ensure that new arrivals have felt at home in the borough, whether they’re staying for a long time or just waiting to be able to return to their homes in Ukraine.
I’d like to take this chance to thank everyone involved in that effort. I hope that by next year Ukrainians will be able to celebrate their independence as a country free from war and invaders.
It’s well documented that there is a national shortage of foster carers to provide loving homes for children who have encountered challenges with their family life. Here in Solihull, we always want to hear from people who may consider providing a home for a Solihull child. Whether that’s for long term, short term, respite, emergency, or short breaks foster care, or for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Our fostering team are introducing a new initiative for residents to ask questions about what it’s like to become a foster carer. Monthly informal drop-ins will be held at different venues across the borough, providing a face to face, informal and no obligation way to find out more about fostering a Solihull child. The first drop-in session is at John Lewis’ Place to Eat restaurant, in Touchwood, on Thursday 14 September from 11:30am to 12:30pm. Visit https://www.fosterforsolihull.co.uk/ and scroll down to ‘upcoming events’ to book your place for the drop-in session or one of our virtual information evenings.
Good leadership is vital in business, which is why I’m very pleased to tell you about the government funded Help to Grow courses. They’re targeted at leaders in SME’s (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) and designed to ensure that your business has leaders with the right training in strategy, innovation, financial management, employee engagement, and digital adoption. They’re pretty comprehensive courses, and well worth signing up to, especially when 90% of the cost is met by the UK Government. You can find out more about the courses, many of which start up again soon, here.
I was delighted to read that Solihull has come second in the country for take up of our cycle training programme by our youngsters. By the time they leave primary school, a wonderful 84% of our children have taken part in free level 1 and 2 Bikeability training. Not only is this great for their physical health and wellbeing in the here and now, but they can come back to cycling for travelling to secondary school, travelling to work when they’re older or just for the fun of it. Active travel has excellent environmental impacts as well of course, so there are many reasons to celebrate the success of this excellent scheme. You can read more about it here.
The Local Government Boundary Commission is currently undertaking a review of the ward boundaries here in Solihull and for Councils across the country. It’s important that residents get involved in the consultation process so that the Commission gets the fullest and most accurate picture of life here in the borough, to help them make informed recommendations. They look at things like where people live, shop, send their children to school and various other factors to determine which areas should be grouped together.
Please note that this does not affect the external borough boundaries. For example, it is now fairly well known that for the purposes of parliamentary elections only, we have two wards, Castle Bromwich and Smiths Wood, that will move into the adjacent Hodge Hill constituency at the next General Election, but that has nothing to do with the current Council boundaries or the delivery of council services
I know these things can seem very technical and removed from day-to-day life, but they really do have an impact on things like who represents you as a councillor and how services are delivered. If you can take a few minutes to participate in the consultation, then please do. Click here to find out more and take the survey.
And finally, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office is looking to recruit young people to get involved as Youth Commissioners. They’re looking to appoint passionate people aged 18 or under to engage with senior decision makers about crime, justice, and victim services. If you or someone you know might be interested, please take a look here for more details. Applications close on Monday 28 August so act quickly.
Thanks, and have a great weekend,
Cllr Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council.