An appeal is going out for residents, community groups, schools and business to support their town by becoming ‘bloomers’ and adopting one or more of the planters which will be brightening up Brierley Hill this summer.
You are cordially invited to the next meeting of the Community First Brierley Hill panel which will commence at 7pm on Wednesday 15th January at St Michael’s Church, Brierley Hill. The panel aims to encourage participation from members of our community and all are welcome to attend its meetings.
On November 19th the Community First Brierley Hill panel met in public to consider grant applications from six organisations. Recommendations were made to fund five of these with grants totalling £4,370. This blog posting contains the minutes of the meeting.
Age UK Dudley has been recommended for a £750 Community First grant after expressing concerns about older people in Brierley Hill, feeling lonely and missing family and loved ones who have passed away, during the Christmas period.
The grant will help to contribute towards organising a Christmas Party.
Stourbridge’s prestigious What? Centre has been recommended for a £750 Community First grand to extend its work with unemployed young people to Brierley Hill. The grant will contribute towards the cost of running one on one counselling session from Brierley Hill library.
Plans for a new, internet based Community Radio station in Brierley Hill are on track following the recommendation of a £850 grant from the town’s Community First panel.
Owned and operated by local people from the Brierley hill area, volunteer roles at BHCR provide students and trainees with a chance to learn professional-level skills in all areas of media production. They can learn to make documentaries or mix live music. They can find out how the record industry works with radio stations and can develop interview skills, design their own cd cover, learn how the process of uploading their music online with mp3 tabs and covers included.
The Tiny Tots parent/carer and baby/toddler group which meets at Albion Street Church, Brierley Hill has been recommended by Brierley Hill’s Community First panel for a grant of £820 towards its activities. Free of charge for the past 4 years during term time, the group has successfully provided a safe, enriching environment for young children and their care givers. Positive relationships have been formed within the community and attendance has grown with consistent members and newcomers joining regularly. The grant will help to enhance the provision, structured sessions of music time were offered weekly last term which had a very positive impact on the children and the numbers of people attending.
The 3Cs – Cake Cuppa and Chat group, offering support and counselling to people who have suffered bereavement has been recommended for a £1,130 grant by the Brierley Hill Community First Panel.
Pleasing news on Brierley Hill in Bloom – planters have now been identified for purchase, involvement is growing, and planting is underway. 26 planters each with four linings are to be purchased, more businesses are getting involved, and plans are to start at Five Ways and radiate out.
The Community First Brierley Hill is a government programme which has allocated funding for voluntary and non-profit making groups in the Brierley Hill area. The next meeting of the panel – made up of local residents – will be considering applications from Age Concern UK, Brierley Hill Community Radio, Learning 4 Life and Outreach. Meetings are open for everyone in the local community to attend, and this posting contains the agenda and links to the papers the panel will be considering.