Yesterday, Thursday 25 January, the Council hosted a service for Holocaust Memorial Day in the Council Chamber. The Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Diana Holl-Allen and the Deputy Leader, Councillor Karen Grinsell, welcomed dignitaries, local school children and members of the public. Solihull School pupil Yichen Pan delivered a moving performance of a JS Bach suite on the Cello which was followed by a powerful speech from Dr. Martin Stern MBE, a Holocaust survivor. Dr. Stern talked about his experiences as a child, taken at five from his classroom in the Netherlands and deported to a concentration camp in Eastern Europe. His harrowing account is a reminder to us all of the capacity our species possesses to demonstrate the extremes of evil and of kindness.
Dr. Stern survived the war due to the generosity of a lady called Cathariena De Jong, who at great risk to herself looked after him in that terrible time. After the war, still a child, he came to Britain. He learnt the language, worked hard, studied medicine at Oxford and spent a long and distinguished career caring for his patients in this country. His survival and his arrival here made our country a richer place, and I’m grateful to him and so many others like him who experienced such horrors but have lived their lives with such kindness. The great sadness, of course, is that so many others did not get that chance.
Cllr Tony Dicicco approved the latest Adult Social Care Local Account at his decision session on Monday and it’s now available on the Council website Local Account for adult social care.
The Local Account sets out what the Adult Social Care directorate has delivered during 2022-23 for Solihull residents, along with our ambitions and priorities for 2023-24. The Local Account also highlights good practice and the difference our care and support services make to the lives and wellbeing of residents.
The excellent St Basils Solihull Youth Hub has relaunched following their move to their new location in Chelmsley Wood Library. They play a crucial role in the Council’s effort to support 16-25 year olds who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. They’re offering a drop-in service now to make themselves as accessible as possible. My colleague Cllr Mark Parker, the Cabinet Member for Housing, and the Deputy Mayor Cllr Ken Meeson paid them a visit this week to find about their work. You can read all about their visit and the work of St Basils here.
The Council has launched an informative new website showcasing our award-winning Catering Service for primary school pupils in Solihull and surrounding areas. The website provides the information parents and schools need all in one place, including downloadable menus, with full details of ingredients and allergens for each meal and information on local suppliers. Please do take a look at the website and share with family and friends with primary school-aged children.
I’d like to thank our friends Veolia for their generous donation of kits to support Solihull’s growing community of volunteer litter pickers. They’ve funded 140 kits worth over £2,000, to help Love Solihull – Solihull Council’s environmental campaign. They currently have over 1,300 volunteers across the borough. As the campaign’s membership has expanded, so too has the amount of litter picks taking place across the borough – and demand for equipment has never been so great.
I want to make everyone aware of the extensive business support and new grants available to entrepreneurs in Solihull. There’s a wide range of support available through the Birmingham and Solihull Growth hub, and a couple of different grants available, worth up to £100,000, to help business flourish. You can find out more about all the options here.
We’ve awarded a new round of grants to support Short Breaks providers throughout the borough. Short Breaks offer valuable support for children and young people with disabilities and their families. Ranging across sport, art, theatre and many other areas, these activities are available to those who struggle to access ‘mainstream’ opportunities. There’s more information, including details of eligibility, here.
Finally, I mentioned the launch of the new Long Acting Contraception service in Solihull in a previous edition of the message. I’m pleased to report there’s been excellent take-up since it began last August, all the details are available here.
Thanks, and have a good weekend.
Councillor Ian Courts