admin, Author at Pioneer Magazines

Christmas Church Services

Walsall Magazine — St Matthews Church in the Snow by Phil Buckley

Church services may be subject to change in line with national and local restrictions, so you will need to contact individual churches before attending in order to book your space. Many of our churches were unable to provide details before we went to press.

Aldridge

Aldridge Methodist Church

Anchor Rd, Aldridge WS9 8PT

Christmas Day 10.30am: Christmas Day service

Our carol service will be via Zoom and we are exploring the possibility of a Christingle service.

Please call or check our facebook page for updated details.

Tynings Lane Church

Tynings Lane, Aldridge WS9 0AS

Sat 19th Dec 4-8pm: Church is open to drop in for a carol and prayer experience (no need to book, spend as much or as little time as you like).

Sun 20th Dec 4pm: All Age Christmas experience. Come dressed up and explore Christmas as a family.

Christmas Eve 6pm: Christingle on Zoom. Get in touch for your Christingle in a bag and a zoom invite to join in Christingle wherever you are.

Christmas Eve 9:30pm: Midnight in Bethlehem. A communion service.

Christmas Eve 11:30pm: Midnight Communion

Christmas Day 9:30am: Christmas morning Communion for all ages

Brownhills

The Calvary Pentecostal Church

Brickiln Street, Brownhills, WS8 6AU

Christmas Day, Communion Service 11am-12noon

Sunday 27th December, Communion Service, 10.30am

Clayhanger

Clayhanger Methodist Church

Clayhanger Lane, Clayhanger WS8 7DS

Sunday Services have recommenced fortnightly at 4pm.

1st & 3rd Sundays in the month

Contact for details of Christmas services.

Pelsall

Pelsall Evangelical Church

Old Town Lane, Pelsall WS3 4NJ

Sun 13^th Dec 6pm: Carol Services

Sun 20^th Dec 6pm: Carol Service

Christmas Day 10am: Christmas Morning Family Service

Please sign up via our website.

Rushall

St Michael the Archangel

Leigh Rd, Rushall WS4 2DS

Sun 13th Dec 4pm: Family Carol Service

Sun 20^th Dec 4pm: Carols by Candlelight

Christmas Eve 11.30pm: Midnight Mass

Christmas Day 8am: Holy Communion

10am Christmas Communion

Please look at our website www.rushallparish.org for further details in early December

Shelfield

St Mark’s Parish Church

Green Lane, Shelfield WS4 1RN

9.00am & 10.00am – Spoken Services of Holy Communion; Every Sunday of Advent

(29th November; 6th December; 13th December & 20th December)

24th December – 11.30pm – Midnight Mass (first Communion of Christmas)

25th December – 10.00am – Holy Communion on Christmas Day

27th December – 9.00am & 10.00am – First Sunday of Christmas; Holy Communion

Extra Online Services:

Please note that our Online Services are joint services with St. John’s, Walsall Wood.

To access these, see St. John’s details further down or go to: St John’s Walsall Wood on YouTube or via stjohnswalsallwood.com

St. Michael & All Angels Church

Hall Lane, Pelsall WS3 4JN

Sun 20th Dec 6.30pm: Service of Lessons, Carols and Music

Christmas Eve 4.30pm: Crib Service

Christmas Eve 11.15pm: Midnight Mass

Christmas Day 10am: Christmas Day Communion Service

Sat 26th Dec 10am: St. Stephen’s Day Eucharist

Sun 27th Dec 10am: St. John’s Day Eucharist

Mon 28th Dec 10am: Holy Innocents Day Eucharist

Streetly

Blackwood Methodist Church

Blackwood Road, Streetly B74 3PL

Happy Christmas from Blackwood Methodist Church!

Please see www.SuttonParkCircuit.com for events and services.

St Anne’s Catholic Church

Bridle Lane, Streetly B74 3HB

Thurs 24th Dec Vigil Mass for Christmas 6pm: Blessing of the Crib

Thurs 24^th Dec 8pm: Mass of Christmas night

Fri 25^th Dec 8.30am: Mass of Christmas dawn

Fri 25^th Dec 11am: Mass of Christmas day

Sat 26^th Dec St Stephen, Martyr 11am: Servers’ Mass

Walsall

Broadway United Reformed Church

Gillity Ave, Walsall WS1 2PY

https://broadway.urcwalsall.uk

“Live” services at the church will only take place on Sunday mornings at 10.30am,

including 20th and 27th December.

In addition to Sunday online “virtual” services, extra online services will be arranged for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Check our website for latest details.

St Mary’s the Mount RC Church

Glebe St, Walsall WS1 3NX

Thurs 24th Dec

5:30pm: Children’s Carol Service

6pm: Christmas Folk Mass

11:30pm: Parish Carol Service

12 Midnight: Christmas Solemn Mass

Christmas Day

9am: Christmas Solemn Mass

11am: Christmas Solemn Mass

St. Stephen’s Day

Sat 26th Dec

10am: Mass with all altar servers -Renewal of Commitment

5:30pm: Sunday Vigil Mass – Special Blessing for Families

Feast of the Holy Family

Sun 27th Dec

9am: Sunday Mass – Special Blessing for Families

11am: Sunday Mass – Special Blessing for Families

Mary, Mother of God

Fri 1st Jan 2021

10am: New Year Thanksgiving Mass

St Matthew’s Church

St Matthew’s Close, Walsall WS1 3DG

Details of our Christmas services will be available on our church website www.stmatthewswalsall.co.uk and displayed outside church. Also being publicised via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stmatthewswalsall; Twitter: @StMattsWalsall and Instagram: @stmattswalsall.

Walsall Wood

St John’s Parish Church

High St, Walsall Wood WS9 9LP

Church Services:

Every Sunday at St John’s 9am & 10am

24th Dec11.30pm: Midnight Communion

Dec 27th 9am & 10am: Feast of St John

Extra Online Services:

Sun 8^th Nov 2pm: Walsall Wood Remembrance Service

Tues 1^st Dec 6pm: World AIDS Day Service

Sun 13^th Dec 5pm: Christingle

Sun 20^th Dec 6pm: 9 Lessons & Carols

Dec 24th 5pm: Crib Service

Dec 24th 11.30pm: Midnight Communion

Dec 25th 10am: Christmas Day Communion

Sun 20^th Dec: Drive In Carol Service @ The Horse & Jockey Pub, Carpark, WS9 9AJ (details on stjohnswalsallwood.com)

Sun 27^th Dec 10am: Sunday Feast of St John

NB: Our Online Services are joint services with St Mark’s, Shelfield & High Heath. To access them just go to: St John’s Walsall Wood on YouTube or via stjohnswalsallwood.com

Great Barr Church Services

St Margaret’s Church

Chapel Lane, Great Barr, B43 7BA

Please check website www.stmargaretsgreatbarr.org.uk

St Paul’s Church

Walsall Road, Hamstead, B42 1ES

Sun 20^th Dec Carol Service: A pre-recorded version available to view online via our Facebook page

Christmas Eve 6pm: A pre-recorded children’s Christmas bedtime story which will go online via our Facebook page

Christmas Eve 10pm & 11.30pm: Midnight Mass services

Christmas Day 10am: Holy Communion service

Please note that due to COVID-19 restrictions on numbers, places will need to be booked at these services by ringing the church office on 0121 357 8941 or emailing church@stpaulshamstead.org.uk and social distancing must be observed, face coverings worn and sanitising guidelines followed.

St Matthew’s Church

Aldridge Road/Birdbrook Road, Perry Beeches, B44 8RA

For these services you will need to ‘book a pew’ by phoning the office on 0121 360 6964

Sun 20th Dec 6pm: Carol Service

Christmas Eve 6pm: Crib Service for all ages

11.30pm: Midnight Mass

You can join in our phone-in worship now and over the Christmas period. All you need is your phone, and it’s a free number from most phones (if in doubt check with your provider.) Every Tue. and Thur. at 8pm, and Sundays at 10.30am. Just phone 0333 011 0616, and then when asked enter the code 1499 488#. For regular updates please visit www.stmatthewsperrybeeches.org.uk

Beacon Evangelical Church

Sandwell Road, Handsworth, B21 8NH

Our Christmas services should be available online on our YouTube channel, Beacon Evangelical Church Handsworth:

Sun 20th Dec 11am: live streaming of our Christmas Family Outreach Service (Those who wish to attend in person should contact the church in advance to access our booking system).

Christmas Day service will premiere at 10.30am on YouTube.

Perry Hall Methodist Church

Rocky Lane, Perry Barr, B42 1QF

At the time of writing we are unsure how we will celebrate Christmas this year, but we will be celebrating! If you would like to join us, please look at the latest information on our website https://www.perryhallmethodist.org.uk/

Great Barr Methodist Church

Sundial Lane, Great Barr B43 6PA

If you would like to join us, please look at the latest information on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/greatbarrmethodistchurch/

If you would like to join us at Great Barr Messy Church, please look at the latest information on our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/GreatBarrMessyChurch/

Our thanks to Phil Buckley for allowing us to use his wonderful image of St Matthews in Walsall.

Family Firm’s Boost For NHS Charities

Aldridge Magazine — L-R Natalija Komisarova – All Pack, Joe Fielder – Champlaincy Team Leader Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, George Clarke – MD Allpack, David Powell Matron Lead for Quality.

An Aldridge family firm came up with a novel way to help families working from home and the NHS at the same time – raising £2,000 in the process.

Allpack Packaging, which is celebrating 25 years in business, developed easy to assemble cardboard desks and chairs during lockdown which proved a real hit.

Managing Director George Clarke explained: “Like many businesses we’ve had to adapt during the pandemic and came up with the idea of creating cardboard desks and chairs for children which our Creative Design Executive Steven Cook brought to life.

“We appreciate that many families have been trying to juggle home schooling with working from home themselves and thought our products helped to bring a fun element to this. Children have been much more willing to sit down and do their work when they’ve been able to help put a desk and chair together themselves. They’ve been so popular that we’ve also developed adult versions and are really proud of these products.

“We pledged to donate £1 from every item sold to NHS Charities as we wanted to show our thanks and support to all of those in the NHS who have supported us at this terrible time. We were thrilled to be able to raise £2,000 and come into Walsall Manor Hospital to hand over the cheque.”

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s Chaplaincy Team Leader Joe Fielder and Matron Lead for Quality David Powell were only too pleased to receive the cheque – as well as try out Allpack’s desks and chairs for themselves!

The trust has been successful in securing cash from NHS Charities to refurbish its chapel area and multi-faith room which Joe and David described as “a much-needed boost to an area that has been lacking in TLC for a while.”

The photo shows L-R Natalija Komisarova who is responsible for procurement for Allpack, Joe, George Clarke and David. The company also kindly donated cuddly toys and a couple of desks and chairs to the hospital’s Children’s Ward.

For more information visit the Allpack website

Beacon Farm: A Slice of Rural Life

Nestled at the foot of Barr Beacon is a place that could be described as Aldridge’s ‘best kept secret’ – but it is a hidden treasure that more and more people are discovering.

Beacon Farm, off Beacon Road, has been in the Lilwall family for generations, rearing cattle, breeding pigs and growing produce for local people. Peter Lilwall first took over the farm 35 years ago, after his uncle passed away.

“The buildings were derelict, but Peter spent three months living in a caravan on the site, repairing and rebuilding the place and getting it up and running,” says his wife, Pauline.

“We’ve spent the last 22 years extending and improving the farm to create what it is now.”

The result is a thriving working farm that also supports a number of businesses on the site, selling everything from restored furniture to bicycles – but it’s the farm’s own butcher’s shop that has developed a following of loyal customers who are willing to travel miles to buy quality, farm-reared meat.

“We rear cattle on the farm and breed pigs too – all fed on grain that we mill ourselves – which means that the meat we sell in our butcher’s shop is incredibly high quality,” Pauline said.

“Most of our trade comes from word-of-mouth, and people keep coming back once they have tried our produce.”

The butcher’s shop sells meat products, black pudding, bacon, pork pies, fresh eggs and pork to die for.

The farm also has a popular grocery business, selling vegetables grown on the site alongside fresh produce brought in daily from wholesalers.

The COVID pandemic has had a positive effect on the farm’s trade, bringing new interest in quality food.

“During lockdown our trade in the butcher’s shop trebled,” Pauline said, “and now we find we have retained a lot of those new people.

“I think a lot of people didn’t want to queue in supermarkets to buy their food and, if you compare our meat to what you might buy in a large supermarket it really is superior. So I think the lockdown changed people’s shopping habits in a good way.”

Those changing habits have also introduced a new kind of customer to the delights of Beacon Farm.

“We have always had a lot of older customers – some have been coming here or 20 years – but we are now seeing a lot more younger people coming here too,” Pauline said.

“Young people these days care so much about what they eat, and I think they can see that the food we sell here is high quality.”

Throughout the pandemic, the farm has stuck to all the strict guidelines laid down by the Government, following hygiene rules, restricting the numbers of people in the shops at any time and practising social distancing.

All of this has been carefully overseen by staff who pride themselves on friendly, welcoming and homely customer service.

“People have been very understanding,” Pauline said, “they have been amazingly supportive.”

Perhaps the most unusual thing about Beacon Farm is its location – a slice of rural life right on the doorstep of the urban West Midlands.

The couple’s two sons live in Sutton, while their daughter lives in Little Aston.

“I think we get the best of both worlds living here,” Pauline said. “If I look out of any of our windows, the view is trees and countryside, but at the same time we are just a short drive away from Aldridge, Walsall, Sutton and Birmingham.

“I suppose that’s why people are often so surprised when they first discover us. We quite often get a new customer who says: ‘you know, I’ve lived around here all my life, and I had no idea this farm was here!’”

Thanks to the quality food they produce and the recommendations of loyal customers, it seems more and more people are discovering the secret of Beacon Farm.

https://www.facebook.com/farmonthebeacon/

Bespoke Cake Maker Helping Local Charities & Good Causes

A bespoke cake maker is cooking up major support for local charities and good causes in the area.

Surkita Chauhan, who runs Bite Me Cakes from her home in Horseshoe Crescent, between Great Barr and Pheasey, has a bespoke recipe to succeed in business and help charities and other causes along the way.

The company, which has been up and running for three years, has a Zero Waste policy whereby excess cakes and other food items are donated to charities and local care homes.

Surkita, who runs the business with her fiancee Haidar, said their business was enjoying major success despite Covid-19 and she said despite that she wanted to continue her support of good causes close to her heart.

“We are looking to set up a charity within our own business to support good causes. We are always doing something for charity,” she said.

“Bite Me Cakes is a zero waste company and whatever we have left we give to food banks, charities and care homes. It is very important to us that we do charity events.”

Surkita, 31, has been baking since the age of 14 but in the last three years has been operating as a luxury, bespoke cake maker who creates amazing culinary creations to individual customers needs and requirements.

She said: “We try to think outside of the box and offer something different. Our website is under development and hope to have that up and running soon. We do a lot of business on Instagram and offer cake collection from us and delivery all of which is contactless.

“For Christmas we do luxury hampers with different options including traditional Black Forest Gateaux, shortbread and cakes with a festive theme.

“We also provide a service where we can send brownies by post anywhere within the United Kingdom.”

Surkita said her business had many plans for the future including opening up a new shop for the first time.

She continued: “We are looking to open up a new shop in the future. I run the business with my partner Haidar – he is the business side and I bake but I am teaching him to bake.

“Bespoke is our speciality, whatever you want as a customer we can make it happen. We have done cakes for shop openings and we have even had enquiries from celebrities so our business is really getting noticed.

“We are a bespoke, luxury cake maker – we have even made a cake in the shape of a work van. We are trying to set ourselves apart from other businesses.

“Business has been really good – we are the busiest we have ever been,” she added.

For further information about Bite Me Cakes or to make an order, please call 07950 364874 find on Instagram here or email biteme_cakes@yahoo.com

Carpet Cleaners With A Big Heart

Aldridge based Knight & Doyle Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning have helped two local community organisations with free carpet cleaning at the Stan Ball Centre in Bloxwich and donating a fogging machine and solutions to Pelsall Community Centre.

Both organisations were working very hard to re-open their services whilst making their premises Covid safe. Pelsall Councillor Garry Perry told us these activities have been given the name ‘reset opportunities’ because organisations have to reset their offer to service users. He explained that the key issue surrounding re-opening is one of confidence. Not confidence in organisations but giving people the confidence that they are coming into a Covid secure environment. This has put cleanliness and hygiene at the forefront of welcoming people back.

The Stan Ball Centre contacted Knight & Doyle for a quote to clean the carpets in the daycare room for the elderly. They had already received some quotes so were amazed when Knight & Doyle said they would do this for free! They cleaned a 60sqm room and also donated bottles of sanitiser. Chief Executive Eleanor said, “They arrived as planned, worked hard and we are really pleased with the results, our carpets look like new.” She continued “We are a charity and really appreciate when companies share our vision of supporting the local community and help us out along the way.”

The Stan Ball Centre is run by the local charity Bloxwich Community Partnership and provides adult care and support for adults of all ages.

When Knight & Doyle director, Rich Doyle, saw his local community centre were fundraising for a fogging machine, the business stepped up. They contacted Keir Pedley, Chair of the centre and not only donated the fogging machine, but also donated the solutions needed to run the machine and trained centre volunteers and cleaners on how to use it.

The fogging machine will be used to sanitise smaller meeting rooms between uses, and can be used by centre staff, volunteers and people hiring the rooms. This will allow for deep yet timely cleansing of the rooms so more people can use them. Pelsall Community Centre is used by a diverse range of people from youth and disabled groups to charities and the Townswomen’s Guild for all kinds of activities and sports.

Garry Perry said “Throughout the Covid pandemic I’ve seen countless local acts of kindness from both individuals and businesses. This is just one example of a business providing help to a local volunteer led organisation to add value to reset opportunities as we all learn to live with Covid. Without people like Knight & Doyle Pelsall Community Centre would be dipping into charitable funds. The rising stars of Covid are people doing things not for their own personal gain but to support local organisations.”

Knight & Doyle’s Rich Doyle said, “We are just pleased that we’ve been able to help out two centres in our local area that do so much for local people. Since the start of the Covid situation we’ve also sanitised the cars of NHS workers free of charge and this is something we continue to offer, as our time allows.”

Stan Ball Centre call 01922 403351
Pelsall Community Centre call 01922 682156 https://www.facebook.com/pelsallcommunitycentre/

Streetly Schoolgirl Donates Hair To Charity And Raises £1200

A seven-year-old Streetly girl has donated her hair to a charity that makes wigs for youngsters with cancer – and raised more than £1200 in the process.

Kimran Bhathal decided to get her hair cut after growing it long during lockdown earlier this year – and when a schoolfriend told her she had donated her hair to the Little Princess Trust, Kimran was keen to do the same.

Her mum Neeta, aged 35, said: “She’d already asked me why some little children have to wear wigs and when I told her why she wanted to do something to help.

We found out from the Little Princess Trust that it costs about £550 for each wig to be made and Kimran asked if we could raise some money as well.

We set up a JustGiving page and expected just family and a few close friends to donate some money, but once I mentioned it on a parents’ WhatsApp group, she raised £557 in just two hours.”

Buoyed by her success, Kimran redoubled her efforts and set her targets at £1200, which would buy two wigs at the Little Princess Trust.

After posting the charity page link on to a Streetly neighbourhood Facebook page, the Blackwood Primary School pupil reached her fundraising goal in just two weeks.

Kimran donated an impressive 14 inches of hair when she had her hair cut at BU Salon in Solihull, which is owned by a friend of her mother.

“I’m so proud of what she has done,” said Neeta, who lives with her husband Suki and four-year-old son Kyran. “We’ve had people we don’t even know donating to the fundraiser, which is really touching, too. It just shows how kind children are and how a community can pull together to make a better place.”

Anyone wishing to boost Kimran’s fundraising efforts can visit her JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kimran

Are You A Resident Of Walsall In Need Of Support?

Would you like someone to talk to?

Making Connections Walsall is a friendly service for people in Walsall that aims to address loneliness and social isolation and other issues that you may be facing.

How does it work?

There are lots of groups, organisations and clubs in Walsall which can support the health and well-being of local people. However, people often don’t know about them. Referrals are processed by the West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) who will connect you to your local hub organisation.

The social connector will contact you and they will discuss with you the types of activities you enjoy and will help you identify not only activities, but projects and services available in your community to support you.

Who is eligible?

– Residents of all ages within Walsall
– Those that are experiencing hardship, loneliness and isolation.
– Families, individuals and older people
– This service is about helping and supporting people to overcome the barriers that are affecting them, providing a listening ear and a helping hand

To discuss or make a referral, please contact: 0121 380 6690

You will be contacted by your local hub within 3 working days. A telephone assessment of your needs will be done, or a face to face assessment if Covid guidelines allow. For more information visit: www.walsall.gov.uk/covid-19_information

Tackling Loneliness Locally

Tackling lonliness locally is difficult in a normal year. The onset of winter, dark evenings and Christmas are when many people, especially the elderly, feel loneliness and isolation most acutely. Before the Covid pandemic research was already showing that loneliness and isolation was on the rise. Now as we enter another national lockdown the impact on the health and well-being of the elderly is incalculable.

Tackling Lonliness Locally

In September 2018 Age UK published their report on Loneliness in Later Life. Follow this link to access the report https://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/articles/2018/october/all-the-lonely-people-report/

Two of the main findings were firstly, there will be a predicted 49% increase in the number of over 50s suffering from loneliness by 2025/2026. Mostly because people are living longer. Secondly, the research found the risk of being ‘often lonely’ is much higher among people who are widowed, do not have someone to open up to, or are in poor health.

A couple of years ago Walsall Council held a meeting for local residents. The over-reliance on the internet as a source of information was identified as an issue. At The Pioneer and Great Barr Gazette we agree. If you are not on the internet or IT savvy, this can lead to feeling isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. Yes, we do have our website, but we are passionate about our printed community magazines. We know our magazines provide a life-line of information for many of the elderly residents of Aldridge, Walsall and across our area.

Covid-19 has made 2020 a horrible year. The cancellation of clubs and events. The day care services provided by organisations such as the Stan Ball Centre in Bloxwich, disrupted. Many of which have only just re-opened, has been a grave cause for concern. People, especially the elderly and those caring for others, rely on these activities for companionship and support.

Help Is At Hand

We believe it is our mission to inform and involve everyone of all ages, but especially the elderly, in what is going on in our local community. Throughout the Covid pandemic we have published articles on many local support groups. Such as Linking Lives Aldridge and Making Connections Walsall and how they have adapted to deliver their services either on the phone or in Covid-safe ways. We’ve also promoted community groups such as the Anvil Chorus in Great Barr and The Aldridge Shed to name but two.

The Community Support organisations in our local area have been outstanding in reaching out the vulnerable and elderly. Here are a few organisations you can contact for help. You can always phone us on 01922 660022 and we will signpost you to someone who can help you.

Linking Lives Aldridge – a befriending service offering friendship and support across Aldridge. Email Aldridge@linkinglives.uk or call 07307 865973

Making Connections Walsall – aiming to address loneliness and social isolation and other issues you may be facing. To discuss or make a referral ring 0121 380 6690

The Stan Ball Centre – a community centre for older and vulnerable adults operated by the local charity Bloxwich Community Partnership. Call 01922 403351

The Aldridge Shed – a UK initiative for people from all walks of life to come together to pursue their interests and hobbies. www.aldridgeshed.co.uk or contact Barrie on 07985 188256

If you are feeling lonely please do not suffer in silence, reach out to any of the organisations above and the many others in our area, some are listed on our Communities Directory. And to all local residents look out for each other and especially the elderly at this challenging time.

Yours locally

Aldridge Shed Is Back In Business

Aldridge Shed has opened its doors once more, albeit with Covid restrictions in place.

The Shed is part of a UK initiative which sees people from all walks of life coming together to pursue practical interests and hobbies.

Community and individual projects are undertaken with members sharing tools, skills and resources whilst enjoying the friendly social environment.

The thriving group from Aldridge meets on a regular basis to design, construct and repair various items, mainly from wood but also from other materials.

The Shed is currently open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with two sessions per day.

Attendance is currently by booking only so for more information visit www.aldridgeshed.co.uk or contact Barrie on 07985 188256.

The Watch Reopens

After months of closure The Watch has finally reopened at Pelsall Village Centre and MP Wendy Morton enjoyed a visit to catch up with their latest news.

The Watch is a community initiative which offers crime prevention and safety advice. As well as information leaflets regarding many aspects of safety and security, there is also an expanding list of products which can be bought at cost price. These include car steering locks, padlocks and TV simulators which give the impression that someone is home.

Residents who have concerns around personal safety and security are free to drop by and chat to experienced volunteer Edwin Venables. The Watch also enables Neighbourhood Watch sign ups and hosts community safety presentations for Walsall residents.

It is currently open Monday – Friday 9.30am – 3.30pm. Before setting out it is always worth contacting Edwin to make sure there is someone there (contact details below).

They are currently looking for volunteers to help the community with tackling crime and helping residents with reassurance.

Edwin can be contacted on 07305 994134 or email thewatchcsh@gmail.com

Caption: Wendy Morton, Bernard Cartwright & Edwin Venables Photo courtesy of Maria Smith