This week marks the first anniversary of the start of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Games were of course centred in Birmingham, but many events were held here in Solihull at the NEC. Badminton, boxing, netball, para powerlifting, para table tennis, table tennis and weightlifting all took place there, with many of the athletes based near the venue for the duration of the Games. Across 15 venues over 1.5 million spectators came to witness 19 different sports, an incredible logistical achievement. This was especially notable after the late withdrawal of the original host city meaning the preparations had to be delivered over a shortened timeframe and during the Covid pandemic.
They also pushed boundaries, with more integration of para-sport than had ever been seen at a major multi-sport event than ever before and significant commitments on sustainability, accessibility, and legacy. In Solihull, that legacy spanned training opportunities like the Sports TV bootcamp at Solihull College, which saw 90 young people gain paid employment at the Games, environmental programmes like the Commonwealth Forest, and an increase in physical activity driven by the investment in facilities and equipment and a comprehensive programme of events in schools that tied into the Games.
Perhaps the biggest single day for the borough actually took place just before the Commonwealth Games themselves. On Tuesday 26 July 2022, we hosted a leg of the Queen’s Baton Relay entirely within the borders of Solihull. On that day, the specially commissioned Baton, which contained a message to the athletes from HM Queen Elizabeth II, was transported by runners, walkers, wheelers, cyclists and a horse drawn canal barge across a 40 mile route that covered nearly every corner of the borough. It brought out crowds at events in nearly every community and is a day that will live long in my memory. It was a (mainly) bright and sunny day and residents celebrated this global event, and turned a national and international spotlight on the corner of the world we as Silhillians are proud to call home.
I can’t possibly mention every highlight and every event that took place that day, but fortunately the Council’s wonderful heritage librarian, Tracey Williams, has done just that on the excellent Solihull Life blog. On a personal note, I look back with particular fondness on the moment the band of the Grenadier Guards led the baton on to stage at the close of the day in Jubilee Gardens. The gardens, opened by The Queen in 2002 for her Golden Jubilee, were a fine setting for a joyous musical finale, watched by a crowd of hundreds of Solihull residents of all ages. Such occasions come around so rarely, once in a lifetime really, so to have had that moment at the end of a day which saw thousands of people coming together to enjoy themselves across the borough was a great pleasure.
Speaking of the great pleasures in life, reading a good book is one that is hard to match. For most of us it’s a habit formed in childhood and carried through our lives, so please encourage any children aged 4-12 to get involved in the Summer Reading Challenge. They get stickers and can win prizes for reading six books through the summer holidays, as well as earning a certificate, a medal, and a free family swim at either of the Everyone Active leisure centres in Solihull for completing the challenge. It’s completely free to take part and will be running at all 14 of the Council’s libraries across the borough. I can’t encourage people strongly enough to get their children involved, that lifelong habit I mentioned is such a valuable thing, and this is a great chance to spark that interest. You can find out more about the challenge here. Don’t just take my word for it, we’ve been sharing some videos on our social media channels where children talk about why they love to read.
On the topic of development, when companies build housing estates or business developments they often have to pay something called the Community Infrastructure Levy. Some of this money is made available to Parish Councils and local community groups. A new round of funding from that particular pot is now available to community groups in Blythe, Lyndon, Shirley South, Shirley West, Silhill and St Alphege wards. If you’re interested in applying, take a look at the details here. The deadline is in November, so there’s time to get your application together, but if you think your group and your community could benefit, then please do apply, it’s great to see these funds being put to good use.
This week the Government announced another round of funding for a scheme that place Defibrillators in communities around the country. £1million has been committed to provide around 1000 new automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public places where they are most needed. I know a lot of sports clubs and community venues have already taken advantage, but if you haven’t, take a look at the details and see if you could benefit from having a life saving piece of equipment for your group or club.
Finally, this week (28 July to 6 August) is Keep Britain Tidy’s ‘Love Parks’ Week. I’ve spoken about the quality of Solihull’s parks in a few of these messages recently, and this is another excuse to get out and enjoy them. You can find out more about their campaign, including a push to make parks safer for all, on their website.
Thanks, and have a good weekend,
Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council
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