Jobs a good'un!

Courtesy of the We Are Bearwood blog (click here for their ‘it’s good in the wood’ website!) we found out about 2 job vacancies which would genuinely make you feel HAPPY at work.

One of our favourite local charities, BUDS, is advertising for two vacancies, one working for the HAPPY Project in conjunction with BUDS and the other as a Volunteer Support Assistant.  

The Happy project aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the elderly in Oldbury, Langley and Smethwick.

Here are the details:

Vacancy 1 – Volunteer Support Assistant  16 hours per week         £8p/h
*Contract period July – Dec 2015

Vacancy 2 – HAPPY Support Assistant  16 hours per week          £8p/h

*Contract period July – Mar 2016

*Contract dates could be extended dependent on funding.

To apply, please email admin@buds.co.uk for an application form and job description.

Closing date 10 July 2015

nterviews w/c  13 July 2015

 

 

From Lightwoods to Las Vegas

Go Esther Turner! 

 

Esther's performed at Lightwoods Park May Day event and the Bearwood Shuffle so we were thrilled to see her on BBC local news this morning.

Esther’s going to be supporting (and writing with!) The Jacksons in Las Vegas soon but before all that’s she performing at Bands on The Beacon this coming Saturday.  The festival takes place at Barr Beacon in Aldridge and Esther’ll be on stage at 5pm.

There will be a longer news story about Esther on tonight’s Midlands Today….don’t miss it!

 

 

PS You can follow Esther right here and here's the link for the Bands On The Beacon Festival

Sunny Afternoon!

 

So much happening at this year’s Warley Woods Picnic in the Park on Sunday 5^th July….we can’t wait!

 

Bring your picnic, bring your family and friends and we’ll see you there. 

Just make sure you remember to bring the sunshine too. 

 

PS  The Kinks at their finest...Sunny Afternoon...

 

 

 

Happy Hours!

As blogged about by our fellow Bearwood bloggers, We Are Bearwood (check out their great website right here!),  St Albans charity have an ideal way for you to spend some very happy hours.

"Thank you for setting me up with someone so genuine and thankful. She’s made a big difference to my life’.  Volunteer, St Albans Befriending Project

 

How would you like to feel like this, just from volunteering a couple of hours a week? If you think you would enjoy spending 1-2 hours per week with a new friend who is usually isolated, read on.  A Smethwick based charity called St Albans is currently looking for new volunteers to help bring support and happiness to people in our area.

What is St Albans?
You can read all about them on their website – basically they are a Smethwick based charity that provides pre-school support for 3-5 year olds, a befriending service,  lunch club and advice services – and lots more besides, by the sound of it.

What’s the befriending project?
There are many people in Bearwood, Smethwick, West Brom and Oldbury who spend long periods of time on their own with no-one to talk to or no support to go out and about. 

At We Are Bearwood, we know this is an issue for people of different ages (and we’re currently researching what we can do about it).  At St Albans their focus is on people aged 55 and over.

They are looking for volunteers who are over 16 who think they could spare a couple of hours a week. 

 When we asked the Louise, Befriending Project Coordinator for more information, she explained all about the support that is given to volunteers:

Volunteers just have to get in touch with us and we’ll invite them for a discussion where they can fill in a short application form. They need to provide 2 references and we sort out a DBS police check and then we can provide a little bit of training about roles and responsibilities (for example, befrienders are NOT carers – they are, simply, friends!).
 
We are careful to match up the volunteers with the older people, depending on mutual interests (such as crafts or places they like to visit).  If a match is made the first visit is never alone and we check in every week with both people to make sure they are comfortable and happy with their match.
 
Some people like to just sit and natter, others share a hobby or like visiting garden centres, cafes or going on walks.  It’s lovely to hear about friendships developing that are mutually rewarding – especially between younger and older people.

Over time St Albans also offer optional training courses to volunteers, like a more in-depth training about how to support vulnerable adults, disability awareness (where you might be challenged to make a cup of tea with a blindfold on!) and how to spot safety issues in homes such as a dodgy cable or an overloaded socket.
 
There’s lots of evidence now about how volunteering can really improve volunteers’ own sense of happiness and wellbeing, as well as be really valuable to the person you’re supporting.

So if you have a couple of hours you can squeeze in to your schedule and you like the sound of the support you’d be given, why not give Louise a call and find out a little bit more about it?"

You can contact Louise by:
Tel: 0121 558 0018
Email: Louise.Denneny@stalbans-cc.co.uk

You can also follow the work of St Albans on Facebook  and on Twitter @StAlbansComm

Thank Fish It’s Friday!

This coming Friday, 19^th June, it’s Fish Friday so Chamberlains Quality Fish and Chips Restaurant (on Hagley Road) will be celebrating everything fish! 

 

Fish Friday is the National fundraising day for the Fishermen’s Mission and Chamberlains will be angling to raise lots of funds for our UK fishermen and their families.

 

Simon, one of Chamberlains owners, explained to welovebearwood that “We are delighted to raise funds for the Fishermen’s Mission on Fish Friday 2015, to support UK fishermen who risk their lives every day to catch our fish and to help the families of our fishermen lost and injured at sea. This year Chamberlains will be serving our mouth-watering seafood Tapas throughout the whole weekend alongside our award winning fish and fishing is the most dangerous peacetime occupation. The Fishermen’s Mission is the only UK charity supporting these unsung heroes who battle the waves to bring home our fish. Tackling danger at sea and poverty at home, the Fishermen’s Mission provides a lifeline of emergency assistance and compassionate welfare around the whole UK coastline.

 

Alison Godfrey, Director of Fundraising for the Fishermen’s Mission has said that “Fish Friday is our biggest annual fundraising day. We are encouraging all our supporters to join with us on Friday 19th June to enjoy some tasty fish, celebrate our UK fishermen and raise as much money as possible!”

 

With fin-tastic dishes such as Sticky Bream and Holden Cider battered gougons of cod, marinated tail of monkfish in fluffy batter, crab sushi on the fish & seafood tapas menu this weekend you wouldn’t be wrong in saying that Chamberlains is not just your “ordinary chippy”! All plates are only £4.95 each including 50p donation to the Fishermens Mission.

 

Don’t forget it’s Father’s Day on Sunday, 21^st June!  If you’re running out of ideas of what to get your Dad this Father’s Day and bored of buying him the latest Status Quo CD, Top Gear DVD or tie which he never seems to wear why not treat him to some fish and seafood tapas instead.  Perfect excuse for you to try Fish and Chips cooked in cider too!

 

To reserve a table call Chamberlains on 01214297709 or visit them on their website right here or facebook, just click here. 

 

For details about the Fishermen's Mission please visit here!

 

 

Webbs on the web!

 

 

So much exciting news from Webbs Walled Garden about their new online store, special offers and the Summer Garden Party to finish off the summer in style.

 

Have you looked at Webbs Walled Garden Gift Shop online store?  Go on…do it now!  It all looks so tempting, loads of loveliness to buy and all at fantastic prices.  Click here to find out why we think so.

 

The shop are also offering 10% off ALL online purchases, it’s so easy just use the coupon code welcome1 when buying online.

 

 

Are you getting married or in need of a suitable wedding present? Check out Webb’s gorgeous range of wedding gifts, stationery and venue decoration.  You won’t be disappointed!  There’s also a wedding offer - 15% off wedding stock when you spend £20 in the wedding category.  Please quote weddme1 with your online purchases.

 

 

Webbs have also just confirmed the date of their Summer Garden Party, Saturday 12^th September and it’s FREE for everyone to enjoy! 

 

 

 

We’ve been promised music, tables and chairs and who knows maybe a bit of dancing all under a huge white gazebo.   

 

There will be stalls from Webbs suppliers including Charlie's Moms Chocolate Factory, Urban Herbs, The Time for Company, Hannah Belle Hair Accessories, Chubby Pink Piggy Creations and a guest fine cake maker and cupcake seller.

 

 

 

There are freebies on offer too.  Yeah! Chocolate samples to enjoy made by Jen of Charlie's Moms Chocolate Factory and a free cream tea per person, handmade scones by our guest cake maker using finest Award Winning jam by Ita of The Time for Company.

 

 

Teas and coffee and drinks for the kids too. 

 

So c’mon Bearwood…mark the date in your diary now!

PS All photos courtesy of lovely Samantha Davis, who runs Webbs Walled Gift Shop. 

 

It's History!

 

 

Newsflash! 

 

Another great event alert from our fellow Bearwood bloggers, We Are Bearwood. 

 

Here's what they told us about the Lordswood Girl's School Local History evening which is taking place this coming Thursday....

 

"Students at Lordswood have turned their local history studies into fantastic displays for you to come and enjoy on the evening of 11th June, 7-9pm. It sounds fantastic – such a diverse range of exhibits (see the list below!), developed by students who have been encouraged to follow their passion for local history. If you’d like to go there’s a really simple form to complete – just click here.

The girls involved are super excited because the Lord Mayor has just confirmed that he will be attending.  

We’re in no doubt that the Lord Mayor and locals alike will be pretty impressed by the displays, just take a look at what’s going to be on offer:

• John Dudley’s role in putting Lady Jane Grey on the throne
• Aston Hall – King Charles I’s visit, attack and sacking
• Wartime Birmingham, including Birmingham’s contribution to WW1 (economy and recruitment); the Birmingham Blitz; and theiImpact of WW2 on life in Birmingham
• Medieval Birmingham
• Tudor Birmingham
• Civil War Birmingham
• Industrial Revolution Birmingham
• Life in Victorian Birmingham
• Birmingham Museum and Gallery model
• Domesday book entries for Birmingham and Harborne
• Tudor Life
• Henry VIII and the Reformation’s impact on Birmingham
• Battle of Camp Hill
• Battle of Birmingham
• City of a Thousand Trades
• Key individuals: Matthew Boulton, Joseph Chamberlain, John Cadbury, James Watt, William Murdoch, Abraham Darby III
• Birmingham Daily Gazette articles ‘Scenes in Slumland’.'Report of the Police Establishment, and the State of Crime in the Borough of Birmingham’ 1887
• Birmingham population changes

Impressive huh?  Well in addition to that, we’ve been told that some students visited the WW1 Battlefields in France and Belgium and have filmed their own documentary on their experiences, including heir search for the local heroes from Harborne who fell in the Great War. They will screen this documentary twice during the Showcase – well worth a viewing.

It’s not just students’ work on show as local history societies and re-enactors have been invited to have their own “stall” to engage visitors and add to the evening."  

Rose Hegarty from Lordswood Girls explained:

You may wish to showcase primary sources and artefacts, such as eyewitness accounts, photographs, and maps of your local area during a specific time period to enable us to build a full picture of all areas of Birmingham.

You may have members who are passionate about talking about an aspect of local history who wish to share their interest in the form of a display of images or other multimedia (some resources can be provided). Groups may have members who are passionate about re-enactment or music from particular periods, and may wish to also use the Showcase as a platform to introduce this to others and network with teachers and schools across Birmingham.

All we ask is that it is “local” to Birmingham and it is “history”! Any time period or focus of a stall can be accommodated and we would encourage a diverse range of stalls to engage students, parents, visitors and educators."

If you’d like to attend you can find more information by clicking here! 

Get in there quick though, this is local history in the making!

The Lost Bears!

Another post we couldn't wait to share with you from We Are Bearwood.

"So you heard that two of the bears went missing from the Bear Trail?  Well Joel, aged 9, has written a wonderful story for us about what the bears have been up to – and it seems they’ve been on a shopping spree!  Full of some great writing and even a poem and a song, we love this story – thank you Joel for helping us see the funny side!  A little prize will be making it’s way to you very soon! "

“The Bearwood Trail”

 

At the dead of night, when no one was watching, the Warley Pacers bear and the Abbey Junior bear transformed into REAL bears.

Bear decorated by Abbey Junior School children. Last seen at the Bullring!

 

They were both following the Bearwood Trail, and found themselves going the same way. They weren’t looking at their surroundings, just the trail map. They then bumped into each other and SCREAMED. As they were bears, this is what their screams sounded like: “ROOOOOOOOOOOARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!”

 

They both knew each other, they were actually friends. So they decided to hang out for once. They wanted to go to THE BULLRING!

Oh how they both dreamed to go to the Bullring. It was a risk to sneak out to a place like THAT at night! Or was it? Well, YES, it definitely was! It was raining cats and dogs already. No, SERIOUSLY, it’s not a figure of speech in this case. They saw an army of frighteningly fat cats and dogs about to land on them. The two bears were quite surprised. Their jaws dropped, which made them look like they were about to eat a large Wheetabix. Though soon, they realized that it wasn’t raining cats and dogs. It was actually a large team of cats and dogs that was led by a weird dog that was no bigger than eleven Macbooks, and no wider than seven, small babies. The two bears feared that that was what he’d been eating lately!



The Warley Pacers bear, allegedly on the run with the Abbey Juniors Bear!


They realized that they should run when they saw the look on the big dog’s face that was probably trying to say:

“Right now we could eat a bulky Pukka pie

A piece of cheese as thin as string

and a small frog’s eye!

and all of Burger King!

A big chunk of YOU

and a brown, sloppy piece of p…”

The bears thought they should end the song they were playing in their little heads, (before it got gross) AND RUN!
They ran, and ran, all the way to the Bullring, and ran through the doors before they automatically shut and stayed like that ’til morning. However, the evil cat and dog army didn’t make it in time, so they bashed against the super, secure doors and went flying backwards into the local bins. However, now the cheeky, little bears could go and have fun in the glorious Bullring. They switched on all the lights, turned on the music and sang:

We’re inside the Bullring,

the place fit for a king.

Let’s try some sushi

and eat some jelly!

Lets try some doughnuts

and try samples of peanuts.

Lets eat that big bull made of jelly beans.

Which shall definitely fill me!

Lets try some new clothes

and some gadgets from Apple that we loathe!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!

 

If you know of any other young storytellers who want to share their story about the missing bears, please ask them to get in touch with We Are Bearwood.  You can email them at wearebearwood@gmail.com.  They can't wait to publish them.