Citylife in Lichfield May 2024

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Committed to Improving Services By Doug Pullen, Leader of Lichfield District Council With so much focus on some of our key infrastructure and regeneration projects, such as the re-development of the Birmingham Road site, a new leisure centre, and the creation of a Greenway between Lichfield and Chasewater, it’s sometimes easy to ignore some brilliant achievements that perhaps only interest a much smaller number of people, but which are quite literally life-changing for those affected. People living across Lichfield District with mobility or accessibility challenges are able to access the governmentfunded Disabled Facilities Grant scheme. Around £1M of funding is provided to the Council each year – which helps people to stay independent at home, reducing hospital admissions and preventing or delaying a move into residential care. Nationally there is a huge backlog of applications, and we were no different, with our contracted providers struggling to meet our targets. That's why we decided to take action and bring the service back in-house, with a new approach aimed at making the process smoother and faster. Using our wholly-owned, arms-length company, Lichfield WMTS, we brought in a new team, streamlined processes, focussed on the individual residents’ needs and set some incredibly stretching targets. Just one year in, the results speak for themselves. Since bringing the service in-house and implementing our new approach, we've shaved weeks off the time it takes to get funding awarded – halving the time from application to approval. Not only that, but we've also seen a significant increase in the number of grants awarded, meaning we've been able to help even more people make vital adaptations to their homes and improving their quality of life in the process. This success story is a testament not only to our brilliant team at LDC, but I hope also to our ongoing commitment to improving services for our residents. I'm incredibly proud of the strides we've made with our Disabled Facilities Grant scheme. By bringing the service back in-house and implementing our new approach, I know that the team have been able to make a real difference in the lives of those who rely on this vital support. Our work certainly doesn't stop here - I’m continuously looking for ways to enhance our services and better meet the needs of our community; hopefully I’ll be able to write about many other ways that we have improved our services in coming editions of CityLife! Delivering to the Community By Darren Ennis, Leader of Burntwood Town Council We did it! Some moments in life just make you jump for joy and receiving confirmation that our bid to the Government’s Community Ownership Fund for over £180,000 was successful was one of those moments. Months of hard work from councillors and officers led to this outcome and the funding will enable us to renovate and modernise the former Chase Terrace Methodist Church turning into a Community Centre for residents. The procurement process has now begun, and we will be working with local businesses to help us to deliver this project, ensuring the building will be fully transformed to a high specification, something Burntwood deserves. I cannot put into words how ecstatic I am about this project. Over the past few years, the Town Council have been working with other partners to raise awareness of dementia and make Burntwood a more dementia-friendly place to live. The 13th – 19th May marks Dementia Action Week, a national campaign to encourage people to take action on dementia. We have put together a programme of events during the week for people living with dementia and their carers to access, the details of which can be found on our website and social media pages below. Partners including Burntwood Leisure Centre, Burntwood Library, MHA Communities, Magnolia Friends and more are involved in raising awareness during this week, and the Town Council will also be hosting a 10 free Dementia Friends information session on Monday 13th May for anyone who may be interested in understanding more about dementia. As well as a community that supports its residents, we are also striving to make our town safer. I recently had the chance to visit Smalley Court Retirement Village to talk about defibrillators as the residents have opted to raise money to fit one on their building, bringing a benefit to the whole community. Burntwood has a significant number of defibrillators across the town, not only because of the excellent work of our Council and councillors to prioritise their installation and maintenance, but through support from amazing businesses and community groups like Smalley Court who simply want to make Burntwood a better and safer place. It’s all steam ahead on the skate park too. Funds from Burntwood Town Council and Lichfield District Council have been agreed and work now begins on the planning and implementation of this facility which will be based at Burntwood Leisure Centre. Although the previous skate park was removed by Staffordshire County Council, the community came together to campaign for a replacement and Burntwood Town Council’s joint working with Lichfield District Council demonstrates how councils can and should work together for the betterment of the community. If you need further information on our events, services, or sponsorship opportunities, this can be found by following Burntwood Town Council on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or on our website www.burntwoodtc.gov.uk.
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Page 15 and 16: New Beginnings: Our Window and Door
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Page 28 and 29: The Darling Buds of May By Lesley S
Page 30 and 31: Here at Just Granite Ltd, we pride
Page 32 and 33: New Pub Launches in the City Cityli
Page 34 and 35: Dress to Impress By Sophie Shelley
Page 36 and 37: Sunflower Foot Health & Beauty Owne
Page 38 and 39: The Month in Pictures We take a loo
Page 40 and 41: Tastes of the Season By Simon Smith
Page 42 and 43: Twelve Angry Men By Jono Oates Irem
Page 44 and 45: Lichfield Camera Club Lichfield Cam
Page 46 and 47: What’s On Promote your event in o
Page 48 and 49: Spotlight On… Jazz & Blues Festiv
Page 50 and 51: CLASSIFIED To Advertise call:- Stev

Citylife in Lichfield May 2024

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