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Archive for May, 2010

Wednesday 26th May 7.00 pm-8.30pm at St Francis Church Centre Wretham Rd

B19 1EB. 

There will be updates from the Lozells Neighboourhood Police Team, the new GP practgice at Finch Rd Medical Centre, Family HOusiing Association and the Lozells Neighbourhood Manager

Haile Selassie I Peace Foundation Charity was established in 2000 as a multi-cultural peace foundation based on the core beliefs and principles of Rastafarian. The Peace Officers are well known and respected members of the community in Lozells and the wider area but their work is under threat due to lack of funding for their work.

The Foundation is dedicated to helping people in the community: their work includes gardening, DIY and maintenance, earning them both local and national awards for their services to the community. They also fundraise for other people and communities, aiming to provide aid for people experiencing financial or social difficulties. A notable example was when the Foundation helped survivors of Hurricane Dean after it wreaked havoc on the Jamaican coast last year.

The peace officers also patrol alongside local beat police and played a major role in breaking down tensions and encouraging cohesion in the area.

Despite all the vital grassroots work being carried out in the heart of Lozells, the Foundation is experiencing a cash crisis and is struggling to find funding to continue their ground breaking work. Itabarica Napthali, President of the Foundation, explained:
“We have just lost a £10,000 gardening contract with the Green Leaf Gardening Project, which has been a major blow… The last grant funding we had was about two years ago from the Lottery, and now we are struggling to pay our rent.”

The end of the Peace Patrols would be a huge loss to Lozells and the Handsworth area, where they have gained respect on the streets and have done much to promote cohesion between different faiths. If you would like further information about the Foundation or would like to offer support then you can contact them on 0121 523 8161  or visit them at their Headquarters at 28 Hamstead Road, Handsworth B19 1DB or email haile.selassie@btinternet.com

Following the success of the Sure Start programme across Birmingham, a new service is being established to serve needs of local families with children under five. There are currently 67 Children’s Centres across the City and one – The Cherry Tree Childrens Centre is at the heart of Lozells.

Children’s Centres have been established to help every family with a child under 5 or pregnant women in the Lozells and Birchfield areas. They aim to offer a holistic service for families and brings together a range of services including advice and guidance, ante-natal care, high quality day care, drop in and targeted services and home visits. Centres also offer a safe fun place for families to enjoy special events, music and song, stories and other activities.

Children Centres are unique because they give local families the opportunity to get directly involved in running their local centre and empowering them to let the Government know what they think is best for their children and families.

The Cherry Tree Centre offers a wide range of services for families and pregnant women in Lozells and promotes improvement of life chances for families. In particular they strive to ensure that every child in Lozells can:

• Be Healthy
• Stay Safe
• Enjoy and Achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Enjoy economic well-being

To achieve these outcomes the Centre aims to provide advice and support for the whole family and is currently running smoking cessation clinics and a free confidential advice and advocacy service covering issues such as benefits, debts and  housing. To find out more about your local Children Centre and to find out what’s on offer there why not pop along to:  The Cherry Tree Children Centre , Graham Street, Lozells, Birmingham or call the Centre on 0121 675 5865

According to the neighbourhood policing team, crime has been falling dramatically in Lozells.  Targeted actions against drug dealing and other criminal activity has led to a reduction in recorded crime of 29%, and local residents can feel the difference. Over 60 members of the public turned up to a new combined community meeting on 30th January – that brought together Lozells Neighbourhood Forum, and the neighbourhood policing team – and were full of positive feedback for the police in making Lozells safer. The meeting heard from Chief Superintendent Paul Scarrott, who spoke and answered questions about the work taking place, and the role of the neighbourhood team.  In particular, he spoke in support of the approach to tackling drug dealing in the area, which has seen criminals excluded from the area, as well as being arrested and prosecuted through the courts.   Residents concerned that the problem was simply being moved and could easily return, were reassured that the approach made it easier to monitor and arrest dealers who were forced into less familiar territory, and that keeping Lozells free from such crime would remain a priority. As a result of the meeting, the Lozells team confirmed their top 3 priorities for the next two months which are to: 

• Continue the high visibility reassurance patrols of Lozells
• Maintain current low crime levels
• Pro-actively target of identified drug and other criminal activity 

Feedback and progress on tackling these priorities will be given at the next meeting, on Wednesday 26 March 2008 at 7:00 pm at Saint Pauls and Saint Silas Church Centre on Lozells Road. The Lozells Neighbourhood Policing Team operates out of Bridge Street West police station in Newtown. The team is made up of a combination of officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) who are committed to tackling short- and long-term problems faced by the community.  Contact: Lozells Neighbourhood Sergeant Aziz Ahmed, Tel: 0845 113 5000 (extension 7814 6523) Fax: 0121 626 6549 or email:  lozells@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk(Please do not use email to report crime: phone 999 if a life is in danger or a crime is currently in progress; otherwise call 0845 113 5000.)