The Balsall Heathan - St. Paul's Community Trust

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People Make a Difference By Councillor Mohammed Ishtiaq Balsall Heath is lucky in that it has a vibrant network of Tenant & Resident Organisations, which actively campaign to improve your area. As one of your local Respect councillors I can assure you they are keeping us on our toes! I have been busy attending committee meetings of no less than 8 Tenant & Resident Associations in the area. Many of the areas have similar concerns. Kinver Croft Resident Group has highlighted to me concerns for greater security. At present we are working together consulting with residents on the best locations for new gates. Security loomed large as a concern for residents in Court Road, Cheddar Road, Jakeman, Hallam & Lincoln streets and your local Respect councillors are pleased to announce new security gates have been installed there with more to follow in Cobden Gardens Vincent Street & Hamden Retreat. Environmental issues also always loom large in Balsall Heath. Sherron Gardens’ Residents have requested that trees are properly pruned - and we are on the case. Vincent Street residents have requested and will receive new bins. Chesterton, Colville, Queen and Alfred Streets Residents Group have been unhappy with rubbish not being collected and concerns have Being Active in Balsall Heath Families in Balsall Heath have been given a major fitness boost, thanks to the local charity Sport 4 Life, who have set up a family physical activity class at Balsall Heath Children’s Centre. The charity has been providing a new type of fitness class at the centre – one where parents and their children (aged 18 months to 3 years) can exercise together – since January 2011, and over 29 families have attended the sessions delivered so far. The fun physical activity sessions, which include warm-up action songs, parachute games, beanbag challenges, been passed on to the Ward Manager - improvements are expected! Court Road and Cheddar Road have reported problems with rats in gardens and environmental services will be baiting all the houses. In Mary Street there have been problems with rubbish being dumped and people putting bags out on the wrong day so we have contacted environmental services to issue new publicity reminding residents of the correct rubbish collection dates. Alexandra Residents Group also highlighted rubbish as a key issue. In response the Balsall Heath Forum has helped out with two extra collections. A new committee has been set up involving residents from the Cheddar Road, Harbury Road Church and Tyga Youth Forum area to oversee the transformation of a disused garden into a communal space. Local residents are working closely with myself representatives from the local Church, Balsall Heath Forum and the police to get our target area cleaned up, safe and returned to the community. Taunton, Roshven, Kensington Avenues and Clifton Road Residents’ group have issues with build-outs while Clifton Road need the lack of parking and rubbish resolving. People are also asking for more recycling boxes. They have been ordered and can be picked up from the Balsall Heath Forum. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what your residents groups are doing. You will notice I mentioned no names. That is because there are too many people to mention, active citizens who go about week in and week out with dedication and determination doing the slog to improve Balsall Heath. I have been really impressed (and proud to be harassed!) by all of them!! Finally, I am really honoured to represent Balsall Heath and am fascinated by its rich history. I was really pleased therefore to be recently presented with a book by Val Hart recording some of the changes that have taken place over the decades. It’s a brilliant read crammed with great photos. Make sure to try getting hold of a copy. dance, cheerleading, and ball games, are a great way for kids to burn off excess energy and a good workout for parents too. Due to the young age of the children the activities are carefully chosen to suit their developing bodies and ability levels, and the sessions work on cardiovascular fitness, muscle strengthening, co-ordination and gross motor skills as well as developing communication, concentration, and listening skills. And best of all the classes are free thanks to funding received from the Heart of Birmingham teaching Primary Care Trust through the Be Active scheme. James Forrest, Manager of Sport 4 Life, says: “We are really pleased to have been able to set up these classes in Balsall Heath. The project has been a great success, with participants benefitting from a healthier, fitter lifestyle, as well as the chance to get out of the house, make some friends, and have a lot of fun!”
The Safe Haven Team If you are aged between seven and 19 and live in Sparkbrook, Sparkhill or Balsall Heath, you may have met PC Dave Steadman and Police Community Support Officer Tom Bradbury. Together Dave and Tom form the Safe Haven Team and work with young people in these neighbourhoods. They listen to what young people want the police to be doing in their area. As well as listening to the needs and concerns of young residents, they also organise events and activities such as football and cricket tournaments, go-karting, employment coaching and much more. Dave and Tom run a football league for 90 young people aged between 16 and 19, with the support of the Local Leagues organisation based in Balsall Heath. The league runs every Thursday between 6-7pm at Moseley School Health and Fitness Centre. There are currently nine teams from Sparkbrook, Springfield, Sparkhill, Edgbaston, Balsall Heath, Ladywood and Tyseley. The league was set up in November 2010 and the kits and pitch hire are funded by West Midlands Police and Moseley School. The league has proved to be a massive success and attracts young people from all over Birmingham. It also encourages young people to become involved in organised sport and gives them a positive activity to take part in. PCSO Tom Bradbury said: “This is a very privileged role to take on as we get the chance to work with lively and energetic young people who can often be portrayed negatively in the press. Their full commitment to this league and other Safe Haven projects The new team working in your neighbourhood to keep you safe! A new policing team dedicated to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath is already making a positive impact. The Community Action Team is led by Sergeant Andy Sharp. Andy and his team of 20 officers were only set up in January, but they are already seeing positive results and driving down crime. The team work from 8am until 11pm to target all reported crime in Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath. They use highly visible patrols to deter crime, as well as covert tactics and CCTV cameras to keep a close eye on criminals. They work together with partner agencies such as Birmingham City Council and with parking attendants to address issues that affect the community, like anti-social behaviour and illegal parking. Drug dealing has also been a focus for the team and a number of warrants have been carried out. The officers regularly patrol bus routes that pass through the area. Some recent incidents suggested that robbers were using public transport to find their victims. The team stepped up their bus patrols and have made several arrests. At the end of March, some officers from the team were flagged down in Sparkbrook by a man who had been assaulted and had shows that the future is bright in these areas.” PC Dave Steadman said: “The young people have all benefited from the league massively as not only have they enjoyed the competition, but we have also been able to support them in terms of coaching awards and employment opportunities. Many are in the process of becoming youth leaders at several of our youth bases, so they can support their community and lead from the front. “The league has helped to reduce anti-social behaviour significantly in the area, and importantly it has helped to improve trust and confidence between the police and young people. The league does need financial support for further seasons. If any local businesses can help the league to expand and thrive in the future, please get in touch!” On 27 May, West Midlands Police will be holding an awards evening to congratulate all the participants by awarding trophies, medals, fair play awards and a few surprises! The event will be attended by around one hundred young people at the Saffron Centre, Highgate. You can find out more about the team and the events they have coming up by finding them on Facebook. Visit www.facebook. com and search for ‘safe haven’ and ‘sparkhill police station’. Get in touch and tell them what you think! You can email the team at safehaveneast@hotmail.co.uk or call the team on 07896 987 720 or 0121 626 4182. his mobile phone stolen. Officers quickly found the offender and arrested him. He was later charged with robbery and will soon be appearing in court. Sgt Andy Sharp said: “Our team was created to reduce crime and improve the safety and confidence of our residents and that is what we are committed to doing. “During the last few months, through speaking to as many local residents as possible, we have a better understanding of what matters to people. We now have a lot of intelligence to tell us who offenders are and what offences are being committed. “Our team also need the support of local communities to make sure crime levels continue to fall. With the warmer weather approaching, we would encourage our residents to take simple crime prevention precautions such as keeping doors and windows locked. “Also, we would ask motorists to help us beat vehicle crime by keeping their vehicles locked and by removing valuables, such as sat navs and their brackets, from view.” When you see Andy and his team out on the beat, please go and speak to them and tell them what matters the most to you! Any member of the public who witnesses crime, or who may have information to help us tackle criminals, is urged to ring the police on 0345 113 5000. People can also leave information with Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”
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