This week I want to start by talking about something close to my heart; then you will notice a few Easter items have hopped into view, with schools breaking up today. We also had a Full Council meeting on Tuesday, so I’ll give you some insight as to what was discussed there too.
PSA (prostate specific antigen) testing has been in the news quite a lot recently, as well as news of possible developments in alternative screening methods for prostate cancer. I had my own battle with this awful disease, at the time I was Mayor, not an experience I would wish anyone to go through. That my time in local politics, and indeed on this earth, was not cut short is due largely to the early identification of the issue via a PSA test. There isn’t a national NHS screening programme of the sort we see for other cancers, but any man over the age of 50 can ask their GP for one. Finding it early, and getting treatment started quickly, is vital.
The school Easter holidays are upon us, many people will be going away or enjoying days out with the family - I wish you a lovely time if that’s the case. Our HAF (holiday activities and food) programmes will get underway tomorrow and run the course of the holidays. They are a fantastic support, providing essential childcare support to families eligible for benefits related free school meals, allowing parents and carers to work or have respite during the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays.
But it’s not only children’s activities - family sessions, for both children and their parents/carers, are running at both our borough leisure centres, Planet Ice and Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens. Find out more and how to book here. All activities include a meal for eligible participants, this includes adults for the family activities.
If you aren’t eligible, most HAF activities, including both children and family sessions, are available at very competitive prices. This is a great opportunity for families to have fun, exercise and spend time together this Easter. You can find out about all activities available here.
Before I move on to talking about our council meeting, I just want to quickly mention the King’s Awards for Business. They’re an enormously prestigious thing, carrying the name of the monarch as they do, and can bring massive benefits to your business if you are a winner. We will be running a webinar for Solihull businesses interested in applying on 7 May. You can find out all the details here.
On Tuesday, Full Council discussed many matters: the meeting ran to about four and a half hours and you can watch it all back here should you so wish. Just a few words about the motions before us, as they raised important issues.
All members of the council voted to support a motion committing to tackling domestic violence and supporting victims. It is a dreadful issue, affecting millions of people across the country, many here in Solihull. We already do a lot of work in this sphere of course, but the importance here is to publicly recognise the scale of the issue and commit ourselves to specific actions to address it. The full text of the motion (and the others I will talk about next) is in the agenda here. Domestic violence is just not acceptable, it is a blight, and we will work closely with partners in other organisations to ensure that we really are doing everything we can to tackle it.
We also voted to support a motion recognising the need to continue and expand our work supporting neurodivergent people in the workforce. Not just as an employer ourselves, but also for instance through our employment and skills team. I have talked before about the principle of opportunity; well it is a completely missed opportunity to have people with diverse skillsets unable to use them to the fullest extent in the workplace. Many neurodivergent people see things in unique ways, offering solutions to problems that neurotypical people find harder to see. We all have a responsibility to ensure that everyone is able to reach their potential and it is great we have committed to continuing our work, to do just that.
Finally, (although it was actually firstly on the night) there was a motion calling on the Council to join the Mayors for Peace organisation. This was not supported, not because Solihull Council has any intention of starting a war (and I am reliably informed that we do not have any nuclear weapons to give up), but rather because I and many of my fellow councillors simply were not convinced that this is relevant business for the council or a proper use of limited resources. The wish for peace is universal and we will look at working together towards a motion promoting better understanding and elimination of violence, with tangible actions that we can both agree on and where we can take action locally.
Before I sign off, a little personal news. I don’t talk about my own life here very often, but in the next few weeks my wonderful wife and I will be celebrating our golden wedding anniversary. It is something I am very proud of, we are still going strong after 50+ years and very happily so: I wish the same joy for all of you.
Thanks for reading,
Councillor Ian Courts.