I take great pride in Solihull, our borough is a great place to live and I know the majority of residents will agree. Lots of people living in Chelmsley Wood are about to have even more reason to be proud of where they live, as they will see the benefits of up to 20 million pounds of investment in their community across the next ten years.
This is being funded as part of an initiative called Pride in Place. It targets specific areas to help residents, businesses and community groups to deliver real improvements that matter to local people. We approved the plan at Cabinet last night, and the Council will be helping to implement it but really, we will just be supporting people in Chelmsley to do what they think is best with the money.
We have to appoint someone to chair a board to oversee the funding, and they will then be responsible for assembling the rest of the board, the majority of whom must live or work in the area, which constitutes most of the Chelmsley Wood electoral ward. We’re still working through all the finer details of which groups and organisations will be eligible to apply for money, but a lot of it is set aside for capital investment – allowing residents to take ownership of the places that matter in their communities.
I’m delighted that Chelmsley Wood is getting this investment. There’s a tight-knit community there and they will see real benefits from this money being spent in the way it should be – decided by local people and creating maximum impact for everyone who lives there. Obviously, there will be a lot more detail to come about Pride in Place, but we’ll be appointing a chair in the near future, then they can assemble the rest of the board, make a plan and enable the money to come out to organisations in the area over the coming year.
More good news, at least for pupils (and teachers!), it’s half term next week. I hope everyone enjoys the break. Our Holiday Activities and Food Programme is running, it’s the first time this has happened during a February half-term, and will bring welcome fully-funded activities and healthy meals for kids who qualify for free school meals. If your child is eligible, you can book activities here.
On Tuesday it’ll be Lunar New Year, so if you’re celebrating I hope you have a great time. I know it comes with a lot of delicious food amongst other traditions. There’s a lion dance parade in Touchwood next Saturday (21 February) which will keep the fun going.
Finally, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. I hope everyone has a lovely time whether they’re doing Valentine’s, Galentine’s or any other variation, hopefully love is in the air.
Thanks for reading,
Karen