Thanks to all those who joined in at the Westley Vale Clean-Up on Saturday 16th October. Lots of locals took part including Fox Hollies Scout Group.
Tea Break for the Volunteers
The sun shone and workers cleared path edges, pruned, lay woodchip and planted bulbs.
Scouts and Volunteers at the Westley Vale Millennium Green Autumn Clean Up
Autumn is a great time to enjoy the changing colours and appreciate our treasured open space.
Fox Hollies Environmental Centre on Greenwood Avenue (off Shirley Rd), are inviting local children to their centre to meet the animals and take part in Spooky Crafts.
From Monday 25th, from 2pm til 5pm (10 til 4pm on Saturday) craft sessions will run at a cost of £2 per session.
All children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. For more info phone 0121 706 0652
Also Acocks Green Library celebrates Halloween for 6 to 12 yr olds on Saturday 30th October. From 3.15 to 4.15pm there is a Spooktacular Bash – games, stories crafts and a prize for the best fancy dress costume. See staff to book your place or phone 464 1738
This Saturday – 16th October, the trustees of the Westley Vale Millennium Green are organising an autumnal tidy up of the site. Everyone in the area is welcome to come along and get stuck in with some practical help – to clean up our treasured green space. Volunteers are invited to meet at 10am at the gates on The Avenue, (or just turn up when you can). Equipment is provided but gardening gloves are a good idea. Refreshments free to all workers.
Volunteers enjoying their tea break at the Westley Vale Spring Clean-Up 2010
At the spring time tidy up there was a great turn out of enthusiastic local people – lets see if we can match the crowd of last time.
The Yardley Festival is a week long programme of events for children and young people running during the October half term week – 23rd to 30th October.
There are lots of free activities taking place during half term in our area – from sport, music, canoeing, dance and beauty and jewellery workshops. You can pick up a programme at the local libraries or check out the website:
http://www.igtby.com or you can phone 07917 172554. Details are also available on Facebook.
Most activities need to pre-book so make your choices and get booking now!
This Thursday – 30th September at 7.30pm at the Baptist Church Hall.
Why not come along and find out more about your neighbourhood and meet with others from the local community.
Our guest speaker is from Birmingham charity called the Jericho Foundation. They work as part of the Best Network and help unemployed people in our area find work.
Refreshments served. Meeting usually closes around 9pm
where: Baptist Church Community Hall, Yardley Road, corner of Alexander Rd, close to the Police Station
We all want to be a little fitter & healthier, and walking is such an easy way to improve your health: It doesn’t cost anything, you don’t need any special equipment, you can vary the distance and speed, and you can chat with people at the same time. You also get to know your local area better, watch the changing seasons and hear the birds sing! How many reasons do you need?
Cottesbrooke Walking Group meet every Wednesday at 9am at Cottesbrooke Junior School and always welcome new walkers. As a special one off walk this Sunday the group will be doing an easy circular walk, as part of Walk 4 Life, here in Acocks Green. The walk is way marked and measures 1.5 miles so should take about an hour maximum.
Meeting point: no.11 bus stop close to Yardley Cemetery Gatehouse opp Mansfield Rd.
Time: 4pm Sunday 26th September
distance: 1.5 miles
duration: approx 1 hr
details: level, no steps, pushchair-friendly
Everyone welcome but NO DOGS allowed in cemetery
Floods, tornados, power cuts, road traffic accidents, burst water mains, gas leaks – you never know what might happen in our area! However forewarned is forearmed. Birmingham City Council has a free service to keep us informed of such incidents. You can be prepared by receiving up to date emergency texts, or voice mail messages to your landline, about emergency incidents that occur in your area. Sign up to receive Birmingham community alert messages. It only takes a minute. Use the link to find out more information about this hi-tech free service.
If you do not have a mobile phone, registration forms are available at most neighbourhood offices, libraries and leisure centres.
Acocks Green Carnival has a long and successful history in our area and is one of the few community organised events that can boast a street procession. The organising committee plan the details of the day well in advance and are always looking for new ideas and input from enthusiastic people.
The first committee meeting for plans for Acocks Green Carnival 2011 takes place on Thursday 23rd September at Acocks Green Methodist Church on Shirley Road at 7pm. Maybe you or your organisation would like to get involved in making the day an even greater success. This is a great opportunity to put something back into our local community. Or perhaps you work with young people who might like to get more involved in promoting the carnival and encourage others to take part?
Acocks Green Carnival Parade 2010, Photo: Robert Jones
For more information you can contact the carnival committee via Fox Hollies Forum, Greenwood Avenue, B27 7RA, tel: 706 0652
For a taste of last year’s wonderful carnival click on the link to Robert Jones’s wonderful photography collection:
If you are interested in learning more about cinema there is an opportunity to study Film right here in Acocks Green at Stone Hall Adult Education Centre, next to Acocks Green Primary School. Students who are successful on this course can apply to join a Part Time degree in English and Cultural Studies at The University of Warwick. Two students who took another course in the same series, on English Literature, who finished this summer are now being considered for degree places at Warwick.
Brenda Crockett from Acocks Green, looking forward to Film & Cinema Studies at Stone Hall
Tutor, Julia Larden says: ‘This is a fantastic opportunity for local people who want to take a degree at a prestige university. However, whether you have higher education aspirations or not, the course is also designed as an informative and lively introduction to Film. There will be lots of great films on offer and info about how to read film, interpret camera techniques, use of lighting, imagery and much more. No previous knowledge, or qualifications of any kind, are necessary”.
Click on the link for the full details of the course:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/cll/open_courses/certs/filmandcinema/
There is a freebie offer too: people who come along to Stone Hall on
Saturday 11th, at 11 O’clock for a free ‘taster’ session lasting 45
minutes, and then decide to sign up on the spot, will receive a free
£10 book token, from the University.
Adult Education at Stone Hall
Stone Hall also offers lots of other courses leading to qualifications, as well as Leisure and Fitness classes, to find out more call in or phone 464 9150 or for Birmingham Adult Education Courses in general phone: 303 4318
Residents of Acocks Green are invited to the Police Tasking Meeting this Thursday. These meetings take place on the first Thursday of every month at 7pm. As well as local police, regular attendance is made by a representative from Birmingham City Council. The aim is for the Police, residents and City Council to work together on issues and concerns of the people of Acocks Green. Everyone welcome, our local police want to hear from you! The venue is Archbishop Ilsleys School, entrance by Karen’s Estate Agents.
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Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum 