Below is the programme of new courses starting in January in South Birmingham including Stone HallAdult Education Centre in Acocks Green, where new courses includes:
Have a go at… Ebay, Patchwork, Quilting & Embroidery, Creative Writing and Computers – First Step.
Click on the picture below to see the whole directory for South Birmingham courses. You can also phone Stone Hall directly on 0121 464 9150 or call in from Monday 5th January 2015 onwards.
******Update Monday 15th December**** Apparantly the majority of dustbins and boxes were collected over the weekend. If yours was not then leave it at the front of your property and it will be collected in the next 7 days according to our councillors.
If you have received wheelie bins and no longer require your old recycling boxes and old dustbin then you can put them out on the front of your property, for collection by the council over the weekend of 13th & 14th December, they will then recycling them. The council ask that they are, as far as possible, clean before they are collected. Put them out before 6am on Saturday 13th December and they will collect them on either the Saturday or Sunday, or you can dispose of them responsibly yourself.
You can however keep the containers if you wish. An old dustbin could make a water butt or compost bin.
Also you can now order your Garden Waste Collection for 2015 via the website and save £5 if you order before 31st December – the annual cost is £30
Click hereto continue or commence the Garden Waste fortnightly collection in the springtime.
For more about rubbish and litter and what to do about it click on the Village in Bloom Page for the latest in a campaign to clean up our streets.
Managed by the Community Development Foundation Supported by HM Government’s Office for Civil Society, Community First is an England-wide programme which has run for nearly 4 years. Two funds of money, worth £80m, have been created to help communities come together, become more resilient, and make their local area a better place to live. The funding comes to an end in March 2015
Each eligible Birmingham Ward had the opportunity to apply for this community funding scheme. Each ward had a Community First Panel, made up of 4 to 8 local people who would represent their community to produce a Community First Plan and to recommend local projects/activities for funding. Panel members were all volunteers and no individual received any financial advantage for their work.
It was also necessary to identify and work with a Panel Partner, who were able to offer support and advice to the panel and ensure that all was fully accountable and transparent in carrying out their responsibilities. Acocks Green Ward Panel received excellent support throughout this period from the Birmingham based Chamberlain Forum who were also a member of the panel. The Acocks Green Community First Panel was ably chaired and administered by Jon Morris of Fox Hollies Neighbourhood Forum with support from the Chamberlain Forum and panel members. They were collectively responsible and facilitated near £90,000 funding being made available for local community organisations over the 4 years. The Neighbourhood Forum are very grateful to the team of volunteers involved for this valued and much-appreciated work, on behalf of the community of Acocks Green. To give you an example of some of the organisations that received support from the Community First funding, here are just a few of the beneficiaries:
Friends Community Centre
Fox Hollies Skills Club
Acocks Green Carnival
Sport 4 Life
House of Play and Education
ReCom
Churches Together Acocks Green
Jericho Job Club
Westley Vale Millennium Green
Acocks Green Focus Group
219th Birmingham Scout Group
C de Vision
Gospel Oak Community Centre
Acocks Green Village in Bloom
From Zero to Hero Steering Group
Many of our local organisations, working with dedication and passion for the local community, rely upon external funding such as Community First. The fairness and management of the allocation of these funds is an essential part of the process. The community groups have subsequently benefitted many people. As representatives of Acocks Green, once again we say a Big Thank You!
Acocks Green Carnival has been the biggest annual community get together for 41 years. Many local organisations take the opportunity to promote their causes and raise funds at this important family- focussed summer event. The planning for next year’s carnival starts early and the Carnival AGM will take place on:
Thursday 20th November at 7pm at Acocks Green Methodist Church. Shirley Road.
.Stone Hall’s Carnival Float 1987. Photo courtesy of Acocks Green History Society
Because of the dwindling committee, 2015 is likely to be the last Acocks Green Carnival. At the AGM the future of the Carnival will be discussed. New people and enthusiasm for the event could help secure its future. If you are interested in playing a part in the annual organisation of the event then please come along to the meeting or get in touch with the committee:
Acocks Green Carnival
c/o Fox Hollies Forum
Greenwood Avenue
Acocks Green
Birmingham
B27 7RA
An opportunity to find out more about the goings on in our constituency and voice your opinions to help plan future district priorities. If you require more information contact: Kam Badhan, Professional Support Officer, Yardley District Office Tel: 0121 464 9095 or email: kamaljeet.badhan@birmingham.gov.uk
Many local people will be interested in the developments at Eastbourne House, Yardley Road. There was much relief that this beautiful Victorian building with many of its original features intact, has been conserved and it now houses a new music school. The owners of the school welcome local people to come along and have a look at this important landmark house and find out more about the music school. Here is their website for more information: Kimichi Music School . The school will be open from 10am to 4pm and everyone is welcome to come and have a look round.
Boat having to navigate around the burnt out wreck
Clear route once again
****** UPDATE: Great news that in the last week the Canals and River Trust have now removed the sunken burnt out barge that had been a serious obstacle to other boats. Thanks to Dave Treadwell for the photos. Also we have had quite a few people say they would like to help with this community project but are still looking for more community-spirited people to come forward. *****
Many people around Acocks Green enjoy walking and exercising along our ancient waterway, the Grand Union Canal which runs adjacent to Westley Vale Millennium Green, Oak Meadow and through the Grade II listed Vineries Bridge. It almost feels like you are in the countryside here and that time has stood still. It is a place to escape our busy lives and enjoy peace and quiet, the views and the wildlife. Back in June a group of locals organised a litter pick along a stretch of canal and quite a few people got involved and took an interest in helping out. Litter is one of the main problems that blights this natural beauty spot. As a way to encourage local communities to take an interest in their local canal the Canals and Rivers Trust have launched a scheme to encourage local groups to take active role in looking after the waterways. For example this could be a guided walk, nature survey or litter-pick
Autumn on the Grand Union
Bridge 86, built c.1794
Attempts to re-float the sunken canal boat
Click on this link to read more about the scheme: The Canals and Rivers Trust Adopt a Canal Scheme . The campaign is based around the understanding that one activity takes place on the canal at least once a month. Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum is interested to see if local people who enjoy the benefit of having the waterway on their doorstep would like to sign up to be part of this working group. Just a few hours a month would be enough to have the official backing by the Canal and Rivers Trust. As well as improving your local neighbourhood, it gives people the opportunity to get to know others in the area and get some fresh air and exercise. Are you interested? Please contact us by responding to this post or the Contact Us page. We can then go from there. Your details will be kept confidential and not be published on this site (unless you specifically wish us to.).
There are still places left in the Free Computer First Steps course. Do you or someone you know want to gain more confidence using IT? Or learn how to access the internet or use Word? Ask at Reception of Stone Hall or give them a ring. The course runs Monday 12.30 to 2.30pm and 6.30pm to 8.30pm and Wednesday 3.30pm to 5.30pm (Unfortunately there is no disabled access to this course).
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Acocks Green’s Adult Education Centre has a wide array of courses to make the most of this September. Whether you want to learn something for fun, get more out of life, or gain an important qualification to help your job prospects, you may well find a suitable course in Acocks Green, or at one of the many other Adult Education Centres across the city.
Stone Hall Adult Education Centre, Warwick Road, Acocks Green
There are day time and evening courses, from improving your English and Maths, learning how to use a computer, singing, clothes making, British Sign Language, computerised accounts and LOTS more. Some courses are free of charge, or if you are in receipt of certain benefits you might not have to pay. The full programme of classes is here. You can enrol for most courses on line, on the phone: 0121 303 4318, or at the centres in person from Monday 1st September to Saturday 13th September. The usual advice is that if possible, turn up at the time of the class you are interested in. At these times you can usually get to meet the tutor. From September you can also phone Stone Hall Centre directly on: 0121 464 9150 Or you can call into Acocks Green Library to pick up the full programmed of Adult Education Courses across the city. Learning something new cchange your life (in a good way)!
Wheelie bins in the Acocks Green Ward will be delivered during the month of October. However do not start using them until week commencing 24th November. A leaflet with all the information you need will be with the Wheelie Bin and a calendar of the new collection dates.
Watch this new video made by local school children:
From November our recycling and rubbish collections are changing. The council has recently been posting out information about the new wheelie bins. They will be delivered from October if your household has been deemed appropriate, having received a ‘Green Card’. Each suitable household will receive two wheelie bins, one for household rubbish and one, with separate compartments for recycling.
Wheelie Bin Deliveries will start from the end of September for up to 8 weeks for all suitable (green card) households. Each household will have 2 wheelie bins, (unless a request has been received for a second recycling bin from larger households) . Each bin will be fitted with a microchip that will be associated with the property address. Each bin will also be marked with an address label that states the house number to which it was delivered. An information pack will also be provided, including a collection time calendar, bin use instructions and information about the green waste bin collection service. New bins will be sealed with a tape which will remind residents not to put the new wheelie bins out before the start of the scheduled collection times, as shown on your calendar.
Large Households – If your household consists of 6 or more people then if you wish you can also apply for a larger household rubbish wheelie bin and an additional recycling bin. You must however contact the council by Tuesday 2nd September to put this additional request in. You can complete the form at the website: www.birmingham.gov.uk/wheeliebins or phone them on 0121 303 1112 (Mon to Friday, 9am-5pm)
Collection of old bins and recycle boxes – a date is to be arranged for the collection of your old dustbins and recycling boxes. Alternatively, residents can keep their old bins/boxes or take them for disposal at the Household Recycling Centres.
Start of Wheelie Bin collections – This will commence from 24th November 2014
Possible Change of Delivery Day – Because of the major changes to the service, there may be changes to your current collection day. You will be informed if this is the case when the bins are delivered.
Non Wheelie Bin Properties – If you should receive a ‘red card’ which informs that your property is not suitable for wheelie bins there will be no change – you will remain and continue with black-bags/recycling boxes.
-Blocks of high-rise flats will not receive a card. These properties are already on communal collection services with large containers and they will remain unchanged.
-Houses in Multiple Occupation will receive an information leaflet which informs of what can / cannot go into each of their bins. There is currently a mix of collection services at such properties and the opportunity will be taken to standardise these as a communal collection service for both rubbish and recycling wherever possible. This will be carried out from September, separate from the main assessment and delivery of new wheelie bins. . Blocks of flats comprising 4-8 properties will also receive an information leaflet which informs them likewise. As these also have mix of services and the opportunity is being taken to standardise these on a communal collection service for both rubbish and recycling. This will be carried out on a bespoke basis during the autumn.
Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum 