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Archive for the ‘cohesion’ Category

Introducing a small grants funding open to groups and organisations operating in the Lozells and East Handsworth Ward to support activities related to environmental issues.

This is a grant programme funded through a donation by Apollo Group to Midland Heart and is being overseen by the Lozells and East Handsworth Environment and Housing Forum.

Click below to download the full guidance and application form:

LEHEHF Small Grants Guidance and Application form FINAL

 A total of 14 grants will be awarded of:

 Gold            1 x £1500 award

Silver           3 x £500 awards

Bronze        10 x £200 awards

 Closing date is Wednesday 23^rd May at 6pm

 Please feel free to circulate this to your contacts in the area. For further information please contact me on the contact details in the guidance notes or leave a comment below.

At 6.30am on Thursday 16th February, officers from the Lozells and East Handsworth neighbourhood policing team executed a warrant at a house on Alfred Road following a tip-off from the community.

Following a fingertip search of the property, officers recovered approximately 200 wraps of suspected heroin, a large bag of suspected powdered heroin, approximately £3000 cash, and a firearm.

A 40-year-old man who was in the property at the time was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply and firearms offences.

On Wednesday 15th February, the team also raided properties on Robert Road and Westminster Road recovering cash, drugs and associated drug dealing paraphernalia. Two men were arrested and were later released on police bail pending further enquires.

Sergeant Lucy Bird who led the action, said: “As a result of our action, and with the communities support, we’re seeing a domino effect on suspected drug dealing across the city. One raid is leading to another and another.  Local people who recognise the harm drug dealing is having on their neighbourhood have been incredibly supportive. Having seen our tough stance, they are coming forward to offer additional information which we hope will lead to further raids in the very near future.”

Anyone with information on those responsible for drug crime in our neighbourhood should call police on 101. Alternatively, people who do not want to speak to officers directly should contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.  For those using drugs, information on support services in Birmingham is available by calling 0800 073 0817.

With the clocks recently going back and the darker nights firmly upon us, officers in Lozells and East Handsworth would like to encourage local residents to think about their home security.

Statistics show that burglary offences traditionally rise during the winter months, with many people leaving their proprty insecure or failing to follow a few easy to apply crime prevention techniques.

To help secure your home during the winter months, please consider the following advice.

- Consider purchasing a timer switch for your lights. These are inexpensive and ensure homes are not left in darkness to alert burglars to an empty property.
- Always ensure that windows and doors are securely locked when ot in use. An opportunistic burglar only needs a few seconds to enter an insecure property and steal your belonging.
- Remember to cancel any milk or newspapers that you usually have delivered if going away for a few days. A burglar may notice these and be alerted to an empty home.
- Keep sheds, out houses and garages locked – your tools could be used to break into your home.
- Neighbourhood Watch is an effective way to keep your home and local community safe. You can find details of how to join or set up a scheme from the partnerships officer at your local station. Please call 0345 113 5000 for details.

Sergeant Lucy Bird, responsible for policing in Lozells and East Handsworth, said: “Figures have just been released to show that there have been 2,300 fewer victims of burglary so far this year compared to last. By following the helpful advice above, you can help us to further reduce this figure and ensure that your home remains as safe and secure as possible this winter.”

For more crime prevention advice, daily police updates and interaction, please visit us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/brumpolice.

For further advice about keeping your home secure, please visit: www.safer-homes.org.

Contact your local Neighbourhood Policing Team with any intelligence or information regarding crime at lozells@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk or on 0345 113 5000 ext 7862 6712.

Many thanks to Lozells Central Mosque for welcoming the Lozells Faith Leaders Forum and other visitors last Friday. We enjoyed a very rich time of sharing stories from our holy books and significant events in our lives in the beautiful surroundings of Lozells Central Mosque. Then those of us not used to Asian hospitality were caught out because we were not prepared to be offered food and had eaten. The evening ended with a lovely meal served by the Mosque which gave us time to chat and get to know each other better. A special thank you to Matloob Hussain who arranged everything at the Mosque for this event.