On Wednesday (9 July) I visited the Energy Centre in Tudor Grange Park to see how things are progressing on the exciting new energy network project for Solihull Town Centre. I’m pleased to report that everything is coming along very nicely, with over 5 kilometres (more than 3 miles) of underground pipe already installed, including the 600m section along Homer Road which I know many of us were glad to see completed.
Vital Energi, who are our partners on this ambitious project, are pressing ahead with the next stage of the work. I’m looking forward to seeing the benefits it brings to many buildings in the heart of Solihull, including The Core, which will be amongst the first to be connected.
In the future, we hope to have a school, a college and the leisure centre enjoying affordable low carbon energy which doesn’t get hit as badly by the kind of fluctuations in the prices of gas that we have seen in recent years. You can read all about it here, but I was very impressed with what I saw during my visit. It’s all very state-of-the-art, and I’m looking forward to going back again soon to see how things develop, as they’re hoping to have the first customers connected by the end of the year.
On Tuesday we had Full Council, where there was a lot of important discussion, including the passing of our new Council Plan. There’s much more information about this on our website, but it sets out our main priorities and how we plan to achieve them. It’s worth taking a look at, we have consulted extensively with partners and our residents to make sure that our ambitions align with yours, and as far as possible we are delivering what you want responsibly, efficiently, and effectively.
With school summer holidays starting very soon, I want to make everyone aware of the support available for families through this period. From Monday 14, you will see a new Here2Help Families this Summer section on the Here2Help webpages.
From funding, free school meal vouchers and food parcels through the Household Support Fund (HSF), access to family support services, fun summer day events, support with school uniforms and other essentials through Solihull’s dedicated Family Hubs, and more summer activities than ever before through the Holiday Activity & Food (HAF) Programme. In addition, for the first time, Solihull residents qualifying for benefits-related free school meals whose children attend school outside of the borough can now claim a free school meal voucher for the summer through the online form.
Speaking of HAF, there’s a lot on this summer with four brand new providers joining us, which means we’ve got our biggest ever range of activities available. There’s a great spread on offer, from Wild Earth Movement’s nature focused craft activities to multi-sports camps including football, tennis and even dodgeball! If you’re eligible you’ll have been contacted already, and some activities still have space available so visit the HAF booking page to secure your space now.
I also want to take the chance before the end of term to say to everyone breaking up for summer, well done on your hard work this year, especially those of you who had exams to sit. Enjoy the break, get outside and spend as much time as you can with your friends. Remember, long summers are something all us adults look back on fondly and wish we could still have, so make the most of it! To all the teachers, thank you for another year of brilliant work getting the best out of the children and young people of Solihull. We have so many brilliant, talented youngsters here and I really appreciate all you do to nurture them and help them realise their huge potential.
If you’re finishing school now or in the next couple of years, but aren’t sure about next steps, the Skills for Success team will be delivering workshops over the summer to support Year 11-13 pupils in Solihull to navigate various work and training pathways. The workshops cover CV writing, skills for interviews, apprenticeships, application support, overview of pathways and transition. Please find details in this eflyer and share with young people.
Thanks for reading, it’s looking like a hot one this weekend so enjoy the sunshine but remember to keep cool too!
Councillor Karen Grinsell, Leader of Solihull Council.