On Tuesday (21/10) I attended the West Midlands Combined Authority Investment summit arranged to promote and bring investment to major projects in our region. I was there to fly the flag for Solihull and our key development projects such as Mell Square and Arden Cross, as we push to ensure our ambitious plans can be fully realised with the support of government and private investors. There was plenty of interest from government ministers, businesses and investors, but I want to see concrete support like HS2 releasing the land for Arden Cross and solid funding for the infrastructure that so many projects regionally, not just in Solihull, will depend on.
Good news ahead of the summit on Monday was that Atos, who help businesses with digital transformation using AI, announced a £10 million investment in the Midlands including a hub at Birmingham Business Park. It will bring more skilled, future-proof jobs to our borough and I’m looking forward to welcoming Atos to the Solihull business community.
This week I also visited Norton Motorcycles, and what a privilege it is to have such a high-quality manufacturer based right here in Solihull. They’ve been making bikes for 127 years and it was great to hear about their future plans. I can’t say too much, but they’ll be launching new designs very soon and they look amazing. Norton, together with the rest of our brilliant manufacturing sector here in Solihull, provide thousands of good jobs for local people.
More support for small businesses will be available at our breakfast event for SMEs and micro employers on 5 November. It’s an opportunity to find out about grants that are available for supporting local young people into employment via the Youth Trailblazer programme. The event, at our recruitment and training centre in Chelmsley Wood, will give an overview of the programme and help business owners and managers learn how it can benefit them and see how their needs can be matched to the skills of people looking for work.
We’ve also got an event coming up with free advice and support for landlords and managing agents. Solihull Landlord Forum is free to attend and will include advice on best practice and legislative changes from industry experts. It’s on Thursday 27 November between 6pm and 9pm in the Civic Suite. Find out all the details here.
Diwali was earlier this week, I hope all who celebrated it had a wonderful time, it’s always a pleasure to see the lights and celebrations and thank you for being mindful of neighbours when setting off fireworks.
It was World Mental Health Day earlier in October. Together with the Cameron Grant Memorial Trust we’ve launched a wellbeing postcard competition, asking children and young people across Solihull to design a postcard to promote positive mental health and wellbeing. The four winning designs will be printed onto physical postcards and distributed through schools and colleges in Solihull.
Finally, it’s half-term next week so I hope Solihull pupils and teachers enjoy the well-earned break. Our HAF programme will be running during October half term for the first time, providing a wide range of fun activities for children whose families are in receipt of benefits related free school meals for free and at a low price to others.
Thanks for reading,
Karen