Congratulations to the brilliant Lionesses! They made us all proud with their fantastic and resilient performances throughout the tournament, but the final really was something else. For them to be so calm under pressure was amazing, and they really deserved to win that trophy for a second time. They never gave up, and I think we can all take some inspiration from the way they picked themselves up and never let their heads drop in the face of adversity and kept going.
I’m sure lots of little girls (and boys!) will want to follow in their footsteps and represent their country, and when their time comes, I hope they do it with the same determined spirit that the Lionesses did over the last few weeks.
On to more local matters now, and I’m happy to tell you that our successful self-driving shuttle trial has been extended. It’s called SCALE, and trials started in March this year as part of a wider government scheme to explore the opportunities that automated vehicles can offer. We are working with partners from the University of Warwick and Coventry University, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), autonomous vehicle manufacturer Ohmio, the NEC, Coventry City Council and automated vehicle simulation specialists IPG and dRISK.
As you can tell from the number of organisations involved, a lot of work has gone into our scheme, which has seen three self-driving shuttles successfully transporting passengers around the NEC campus. As we move on to the next phase, the aim is to extend the route, so it links Birmingham International rail station to Birmingham Business Park. I’m proud that we’re at the forefront of this, not just as a council but for the whole of Solihull. We have a long history of innovation here, and this is just the latest in that line of invention and development from our thriving high-tech manufacturing and research sector. I look forward to seeing how the next phase of the trials goes.
That sector is just one of the many excellent possible career paths which young people in Solihull can look to take as we near results day. If you aren’t sure about what to do next, our Employment and Skills Team are running a series of summer workshops to help you think about your options in further education, training, or going straight into a job.
For anyone looking to pursue a career in the hospitality or culinary sector, the Chelmsley Wood Culinary School will be opening in September and offering free courses. There’s a one-year course for young people aged 16-18 and an 8-week course for people aged 19+. Both courses cover food safety, preparation and cooking and will give you a great start if you’ve been inspired by The Bear and want to get into the kitchen yourself. Find out more about the courses from their website.
Finally, we’re a couple of weeks into the summer holidays now, and if you’re finding yourself running short of things to keep the kids entertained then take a look at the Visit Solihull what’s on page, there’s loads going on all across Solihull, including the Costa Del Solihull beach in Touchwood, running until the end of August, this year with a new Jurassic theme.
Thanks for reading, enjoy your weekend.
Karen