Are you looking to start a new business? Why not get free help and support from the Coleshill Hub in conjunction with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. Please contact the hub or Business Coach Rita Booth on 07799359659 for further information.
Training Courses held at Coleshill Town Hall on Tuesday evenings, get in touch with Charlotte on 07947139769 for more information.
Good News, So Far
To recap the project so far, CASPER stands for Coleshill Art Space Project Everyone Respects. It has a Delivery Group made up of Mayor, Councillor Tony Battle, in the Chair and representatives from the Town Council, Parish Church, a local artist, the Civic Society, the Coleshill School, Love Coleshill and the Coleshill Post.
The Delivery Group has agreed to work with Peter Walker, who is the Artist in Residence at Lichfield Cathedral. He specialises in sculpting in hard metal, such as bronze.
There is an agreed crowd funded amount that is for a corten steel and bronze sculpture of around 11 feet in total height. It will be unique to Coleshill and capturing 2-3 key themes of the town’s history and heritage. The Delivery Group has seen the sketched idea but are keeping it a secret. The Borough Council has an agreement for it to be sited for a £1 rent per annum at the former coin-operated toilet site. The plan is to remove the grill bars but retain the front wall, as it provides separation from the road.
There is going to be an unveiling on 22 September but the Delivery Group is to work with various organisations to turn the day into a CASPER Family Fun Day. This will be a co-ordinated day of activity with a number of organisations all helping:
Then the Appeal!
The statue itself is fully funded on a ‘collaborative’ arrangement. In other words, by working with the sculptor, we are getting it for less than normal cost. However, the Delivery Group and Peter Walker jointly filled out an application for further funding from the Arts Council that has been unsuccessful.
We now need to appeal to businesses, voluntary organisations and residents to help further. The Delivery Group is making a fresh appeal for some additional business sponsorship or donations. These are needed for:
Light show As part of the sculpture promotion, we want to project a show of Coleshill’s heritage onto the wall of the parish church, on the side nearest to the Croft. As the Arts Council bid application was unsuccessful, we need to fund it other ways if we want it as part of the 22 September events.
Carved wooden benches. Dan Green, local wood carver has agreed to part-subsidise this but we need to finance the other part!
Entertainment. For the Family Fun Day, we need to hire bouncy castles and other attractions or pay for agents who can provide them.
Under-lighting. This was also suggested for below the statue but that would need separate funding to be possible.
Heritage Tour Markers. More of this below, but we need individual sponsors for 12 bronze, brass or wooden historic interest markers to be fixed around a trail.
If you are able to help on any of these, any donations can be taken via the Town Council offices now and do not suffer any crowd funder fees. We are looking for small note donations from residents and something of a few hundred pounds from businesses. Contact Colin or Megan at the offices or phone 01655 463326.
Heritage Trail (“Green and Yellow Tours”)
There is a separate application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a Heritage Trail (“Green and Yellow Tours” with the colour combination based on the town crest and bus shelter colours). The decision on this HLF application is expected in mid-June but we have to assume this might not be successful as well. We are looking at ways the trails could be started without funds (e.g. brass pieces onto wooden posts or features that Tame Valley Wetlands might provide). This would be as a last resort and perhaps the cheaper markers could be replaced over time with better quality designs as money was raised.
As described above, the High Street site location for the main sculpture will have two (or possibly three) of the town’s preferred themes. The Delivery Group are keen on the idea of having guides in green and yellow attire, taking these Heritage Tourism Trail tours, with markers which depict other points of the town’s heritage. Therefore, there could be a small stagecoach wheel, teacup, elephant, Roman centurion, highwayman mask, etc. all dotted around a 2-mile circuit of the town. This is subject to landowners’ permissions.
Ideally a rota of 3-4 Green and Yellow Guides would be needed which might be in exchange for tips or a small fee. We already have some people offering to be tour guides. However, again, please get in touch with Colin or Megan as below if you know someone wanting to get involved as a tour guide on a voluntary or small fee basis. The idea would be that the tour detail would be provided to the guides in a file form, so you don’t need to know it all.
Colin Greatorex /Megan Davies 01675 463326
COME ON KIDS, JOIN IN THE COLESHILL SUMMER OF SPORT 2018, you can even make your parents sweat on the Family Fun Days on the last Saturdays of May, June and July. Last year we had mums and dads playing “bubble football” and their children pushing them over, instead of tackling them, but the Sports Leaders were very good at turning the odd blind eye!! It was hilarious!
So, come on and sign up for the Saturday Sports Clubs on the Memorial Park, every week until the school holidays start, from 11.00 am until 1.00 pm, for extreme frisbee, rounders, football, tennis, games, archery etc and IT’S FREE.
Yes, FREE, Coleshill Town Council have secured monies from Sport England to help get residents and families fit and active. Its summer time, the weather is improving, so come along and join in and get some fresh air and exercise. The Sports Leaders are great fun, fully trained, keen and enthusiastic.
In the school holidays we are also running a Summer Holiday Club, which will be held at the Community Centre, off Station Road/Temple Way, and on the adjoining field next to the Centre. Run by Elite Sports UK offering multi-sports, games, arts, crafts, table tennis and lots more. Sign up online for half a day or a full day and get a friend to go as well and have some fun!
Book now via www.elitesportsuk.com
For mums and toddlers (18 months to 4 years) we have also enlisted Alison from Relax Kids to run some “Little Stars” sessions in the Old Court Room at Coleshill Town Hall, every Tuesday morning (until the school holidays begin) from 9.30 am to 11.00 am, to promote movement, flexibility, self-esteem and help with strength, sleeping issues and even toddler tantrums! Again – it’s FREE, contact Alison on 07736835177 and come and make new friends, share a cuppa and let the little ones have some fun and age-appropriate exercise. It’s a win – win for all.
This is a great facility for all age groups for local toddlers, children, parents and families to enjoy, FREE, LOCAL AND FUN. We want to build on the summer programme that we launched last year and make this even more successful, so that its easier to gain funding for next year to make this facility more exciting and even bigger. BUT, we can only do this if YOU the families of Coleshill, so SIGN UP, JOIN UP, COME ALONG and ATTEND. I’ll repeat myself, at the risk of being rude, DO IT PLEASE, IT’S FREE and available to all, there’s only you stopping you from joining in, so don’t, just get out in the sun and have some fun.
It was with great delight that Councillor Tony Battle visited the Woodlands School on Friday 18th May to present his cheque for the mayoral funds he’d raised during his year as Mayor of Coleshill Town Council.
The exciting news is that Cllr. Battle has also been re-elected as Mayor of Coleshill for a second term and is presently deciding which charity, or charities to support for his 2018-2019 term.
The visit to Woodlands added to the pupil’s excitement as they were spending the day celebrating and learning about the Royal Wedding, which happened on Saturday 19th. Many of the pupils and staff were dressed in red, white and blue, there were union flags up in and around the school and the Mayor was asked to join in the Wedding Quiz by using an interactive iPad. Unfortunately, he didn’t win, as some pupils knowledge of the royal family was really excellent, and thus exceeded the Mayors!
During the assembly the Mayor presented the Deputy Head Claire Cookson with a cheque for £2300, which has been specifically ear marked for a new and bigger bubble tube for the school Sensory Room and also an interactive area too, to enhance the pupils experience and enjoyment in this special facility.
The Mayor was very touched to be presented with a super silver dish engraved with the school’s thanks for dedicating his fundraising work to the benefit of this exceptional school.
The visit also incorporated a tour of the school, which the children loved as it gave many of them chance to meet Cllr. Battle and tell him all about their royal celebrations. The deputy head was keen to show off the items being produced on the school’s ‘Lazer Blazer’ cutter which can cut and engrave on any base material and is currently being used to produce items to be sold at the monthly Community Café & Honesty Shop, held at the Town Hall.
The pupils now have their own pop-up shop at this monthly café and shop to sell the items they make with the Lazer Blazer and also some furniture items that they restore and upcycle. This gives the pupils great experience not only in school learning these practical skills but in running their stall and interacting within the community and serving customers. This opportunity is soon to be expanded to support some pupils working in the kitchen to help prepare drinks and light refreshments for visitors, thus all working together in partnership with the volunteers who offer their time to run the shop and café.
It is wonderful that the Town Council and Woodlands School are working together in this way and local Father Hudson’s residents are now planning to join in soon and also have their own pop up stall to sell some of the items they make at their Day Centre, like soap and bath bombs thus raising awareness of their services and integrating their members into a more active role within the Coleshill Community. It is wonderful to bring all different aspects and skills and groups within this wonderful community of ours together, to build strong bonds between all partners and work in collaboration with all residents and people thus creating unity, acceptance and support for all.
At our May meeting we discussed this year’s National Federation of WIs’ Resolution, “Mental Health Matters”. Our delegate Alison Wilks who will be voting on our behalf at the annual meeting at Cardiff in June outlined the moves to establish parity between mental and physical health and to make it as acceptable to talk about mental illness as about physical. She described the wide range of mental conditions which currently affect around 1 in 6 of the population, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, schizophrenia, compulsive behaviour, bi-polar syndrome and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. One central element of the resolution is to lobby government for better support for mental illness and our members agreed whole-heartedly, several describing how family members had suffered from psychological disorders which had often taken months or years to treat successfully. Our members voted unanimously for the resolution.
The committee members organised a variety of (Ahem!) ‘intellectual’ party games and pub activities as our Social Time entertainment, including swinging skittles, bagatelle, shove ha’penny, dice games, sucking peas up with a straw,carefully guiding a silver ball down a pair of rods into a numbered container and flicking cards into a wastepaper basket from a distance. The record score for this was 37 out of 52. After the serious discussions over the national resolution, members enjoyed letting their hair down, with everyone on the move and having a laugh.
Three members entered our monthly competition for a Poem for May Day and each recited her verses while the audience were asked to vote for their favourite. All three were so good and in such varied styles that it proved impossible to separate them so they were awarded joint first prize.
May Day – by Beverley Fathers.
With days becoming longer, the setting sun delays
The arrival of our nightfall, All hail the month of May
With warmer days enjoyed by all who venture out
And merging of the seasons, for Spring is all about.
Hear excited calls of children as thy gather all around
Their brightly coloured ribbons laid out upon the ground.
A whistle sounds and right on cue around the pole they dance and play,
With joyous, noisy merriment to greet the First of May
Poem for May Day – by Sally Smith
May Day is here
Flowers and buds bursting through in the Garden
Let’s dance to celebrate the month of May.
Set up the Maypole
Bright ribbons flowing free,
Dance and weave through the ribbons,
Celebrate the month of May.
Hooray Hooray!
Crown the Queen of the May,
Coronet of flowers adorn her head,
May Day, time to celebrate new beginnings.
May Day – by Darrilyn Downes
May Day is a special day,
When children love to sing and play.
They dance around the Maypole bright,
Their little faces filled with delight.
The daffodils are out in bloom,
Their bright colours fill any room.
This May Day comes but once a year
And is greeted with a happy cheer.
Members were encouraged to vote on prospective speakers for next year and to contribute ideas for thought-provoking talks, entertainments and demonstrations.
This year is the Centenary of the Warwickshire WI Federation this year and one of the events planned for this is a day-trip to Lincoln, organised by Johnson’s Coaches, on July 30th for any WI member in the county. Coaches for this area’s members will be going from Coleshill School which is offering free parking.
At our next meeting on June 12th at 7.30pm the speaker will be talking about the Middleton Lakes Nature Reserve and the competition is for a Posy from your Garden.
Visitors welcome as always – just turn up and join us.
Keep Fit attendees including Dora Colloby (Front Row, 3rd from right) and instructor Dot James (Front Row, 2nd from right)
The Keep Fit group at Coleshill Town Hall appears to be producing the secret of eternal youth, as Dora Colloby celebrates her 90th Birthday today!
Keeping mobile and active has certainly helped Dora to reach this tremendous milestone; as has the company of good friends.
Dot James, the groups instructor, is proud of the group she runs which keeps good numbers. The majority of her members are 80+ and this lovely informal keep fit class goes from strength to strength. Members are encouraged to go at their own pace and exercises are modified for those with limited mobility. One of her attendees had very limited mobility when she began classes but is now able to walk herself to fetch a cup of tea at break time, these are the results that matter.
If you or someone you know would like to come along to this friendly group classes run on Wednesday Morning 10am-12noon in The Old Court Room.
Town Council to install new bollards to protect Memorial ParkColeshill Town Council is to install two new retractable bollards in a bid to stop unwanted vechicles accessing the car park.
Using urgent business powers, Chairman of the Community and Environment Committee, Cllr Adam Farrell has authorised the spend after local Councillors and residents raised their fears that nearby incidents of travellers occupying land, might spread intoColeshill.
Cllr Adam Farrell said;
“The Town Council takes its responsibility to protect public land seriously. In 2016 we installed a number of measures to protect the grassed areas of the Memorial Park.
“We took action then and now we are taking action again, because Coleshill is not an easy target and will do all we can to protect our land from damage and vandalism.
“These new bollards will mean the Council can reduce the space available to enter the car park, preventing anything larger than a car entering the park.
“It is not sensible to use a gate to close the car park off. It means legitimate users of the park are penalised for something that hasn’t even happened. It also costs the council money in overtime as staff have to work beyond their normal hours to closethe gate late at night. We can’t close the gates all summer but we can raise the bollards as and when required, whilst still ensuring residents and sports groups can access the park as normal.
“All Town Councillors understand the concerns of residents and we hope this measure provides a sensible and practical way of providing long term additional protection for this fantastic facility.”
The work to install the bollards will take place in the next couple of weeks and the Town Council asks residents to be mindful of their existence when using the Memorial Park Car Park.
