A LABOUR Party member who sits on Tamworth Borough Council has resigned from the party due to feeling ‘betrayed’ by his fellow party members.
Cllr Matthew McDermid resigned from the Labour Party group at a full Council Meeting at Marmion House this week, Tuesday 15 September.
Cllr McDermid who was elected as a Borough Councillor for the Castle Ward which covers the Town Centre in May 2012, will now see out his time as an Independent Councillor, with no ties to any political party.
It a statement which was read out at the meeting Cllr McDermid, who lives in Wilnecote, described how he has been let down and betrayed.
In the audio of the speech which was provided to Tamworth Informed, Cllr McDermid sounds shaken by his decision.
In the speech, Cllr McDermid said: “It is with great sadness that I make this statement, with just over three years as a Labour Councillor for Castle Ward.
“Today I resign my membership of the Labour Party.
“When you are betrayed by the people that you trust, in friends and colleagues in the labour party, just to get on politically. I feel that the labour party in Tamworth have betrayed the values that I hold.
“Some people have betrayed years of friendship, just to get in to the spotlight and further their political career.
“I recognise that some of my constituents in the Castle Ward will feel let down by my decision, but I pledge to them that I will work hard to help them all up until the next election in May 2016 to help them as an Independent Councillor.”
The resignation from the Labour Party by Cllr McDermid means that the Labour group now gold only 10 of the 30 seats on the Borough Council.
Speaking to Tamworth Informed via Twitter, Cllr McDermid said:
@matthewmcdermid: @TAMinformed I did what I thought was right for me and my family it wasn’t easy to come to this decision.
SMOKERS in Staffordshire are being urged to quit by joining forces with friends and family as part of next month’s Stoptober campaign.
With latest figures showing that around 16 per cent of adults smoke in the county, Public Health England is urging residents to sign up together for the 28 day mass quit attempt - as research shows people are more likely to succeed if a friend or family member stops as well.
This year, Stoptober will be providing quitters with a personal touch from some of the nation’s leading comedians – Bill Bailey, Rhod Gilbert, Al Murray and Shappi Khorsandi. Messages of support and encouragement will be sent straight to quitters’ phones and emails throughout October.
Last year almost 3,000 people in Staffordshire signed up for the challenge, the highest number in the West Midlands.
Alan White, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing, said:“The long-term, chronic impact of smoking on people’s health and quality of life is well documented, but smoking also costs society too.
“Not just through the effect of people seeing their loved ones suffer in later life – but in terms of the enormous costs to the NHS for smoking related healthcare.
“We know kicking the habit can be very difficult, but we would everyone thinking of quitting to give it a go by signing up for Stoptober with a friend this year.”
Staffordshire residents looking to give up smoking can now do so with help from a new one stop advice service. The Healthy Staffordshire Hub gives people information, advice and guidance on a range of health related topics such as, stopping smoking, cutting down on alcohol consumption, achieving a healthy weight, healthy eating and being active.
People can access the support by calling 0300 111 8006.
During Stoptober people can go online and search for ‘Stoptober’ to sign up to the 28 day challenge, where there are a range of support tools to choose from including email, text and an app.
THE dark evenings may be drawing in but that is no reason to stay at home; there is plenty on offer at Tamworth Assembly Rooms.
Throughout October with a packed programme of events, featuring everything from music to drama – and a bit of wrestling thrown in for good measure.
As October is also the month of ghosts and ghouls, the entertainment programme starts in spooky style with a Ghost Hunt with local paranormal events group Eerie Evenings on October 2. Those brave enough for the challenge will be invited to seek out the Assembly Rooms’ spooks into the early hours.
The event includes platform readings from psychic mediums and late-night vigils during which participants will be able to use scientific ghost-hunting equipment and join in controlled ‘contact experiments’, such as séance, table-tipping and Ouija.
The completely authentic investigation has no actors or ‘stooges’ and is definitely not for the faint-hearted.
It takes place from 9pm to 3am. Tickets cost £45 per person and must be booked through Eerie Evenings on 0845 201 3994 or visit www.eerie-evenings.com.
Kicking off the month’s musical entertainment, The Kast off Kinks will be on stage on Saturday, October 3, with former members of legendary band The Kinks getting back together to re-live the good times.
This great line-up features original drummer Mick Avory, John Dalton (Kinks 60s and 70s) on bass/vocals and Ian Gibbons (Kinks 80s and 90s) on keyboards/vocals, with Dave Clarke of The Beach Boys’ fame on guitar/vocals.
Audiences to The Kast off Kinks can expect all the top hits from the popular band, including You Really Got Me, Dedicated Follower of Fashion, Sunny Afternoon, Lola, Waterloo Sunset, Apeman and many more.
Tickets for this fun night out are priced at £20 and £18 concessions.
After the success of Oktoberfest at this year’s Tamworth Beer Festival, German food and beer will be served up again, this time alongside music from some of the town’s top bands, at Rocktoberfest.
Music lovers will get to see four top bands for the ticket price of £4, with Structures, This Sun No More, Twin Cities and Sopwith Snipe, all taking to the stage on Friday, October 9.
A rip-roaring comedy musical with an Oscar-nominated score that will have audiences shouting from the highest hills will also play out on stage this October.
Thirty years since they last trod the boards with Calamity Jane, members of Tamworth Arts Club are bringing it back for another round, this time with a new cast and new production team.
The show will be performed daily between Wednesday October 14 and Saturday October 17, with two performances on the Saturday. The evening show on Saturday will also be a British Sign Language interpreted performance.
Anyone who wants to enjoy the fun is advised to get their tickets booked early as the Friday night show is already sold out.
Tickets to see Calamity Jane are priced at £14.50, £12.50 concessions and £50 for a family of four, made up of two adults and two children. VIP tickets are available for October 15 at the price of £18.50, including pre-show interval drinks and snacks.
A sensational tribute to one of the world’s greatest recording bands plays at the Assembly Rooms on October 23 when The ELO Experience comes to the town.
A firm favourite with Tamworth audiences, The ELO Experience reproduces some of the Birmingham band’s greatest hits, including Mr Blue Sky, Living Thing, Telephone Line, Sweet Talking Woman and Wild West Hero.
The legacy left by Jeff Lynne and The Electric Light Orchestra barely needs an introduction; between 1972 and 1986 they achieved more combined UK and US top 40 hits than any other band on the planet.
Formed over seven years ago, The ELO Experience is the world’s foremost tribute to this great band. With a stunning light show and large screen projection to further enhance the experience, audiences are sure to enjoy this incredible musical journey through time.
Tickets for The ELO Experience are priced at £21.
For something completely different, WrestleForce brings another action-packed show to Tamworth on Saturday, October 24, with its Monster Mash Halloween extravaganza.
The WrestleForce athletes will face frightening creatures for one night only in this special show for the whole family. Will the monsters keep coming back from the dead and prove to be unstoppable? Or will the heroes find the strength to overcome the power of the darkness? Get your tickets now at the price of £12/£10 concessions to experience the fight of your life.
A classic children’s fairytale will be brought to life on the stage when LP Creatives present Hansel and Gretel on Sunday, October 25, with performances at 12pm and 4pm.
The production brings together amazing magic, comedy and impressive sets and costumes, as well as dragons, illusions and maybe even a custard pie or two.
Tickets for this extremely light, fun-filled, feel-good feast for the whole family are priced at £12, £10 concessions, or £40 for a family ticket. Youngsters under the age of two get in free of charge but must be registered with the box office in advance.
Roy Orbison & Friends will see some music legends recreated on stage for an evening of toe-tapping nostalgia on Friday, October 30.
Barry Steele is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading tributes to Roy Orbison, having stunned audiences across the globe with his uncanny visual similarity and ability to authentically revive the musical giant’s sound.
Using original film footage and backed by his fabulous band and big screen, this celebration of The Big O’s legacy is unmissable.
Barry will be joined by Paul Molloy as a young Elvis, Boogie Williams as Jerry Lee Lewis and Stars in Their Eyes winner Maxine Maxumber as Dusty Springfield for an incredible evening of entertainment. Tickets to see Roy Orbison & Friends are priced at £19.
The month’s entertainment ends in side-splitting style on Saturday, October 31, when Cornish funnyman Jethro returns to the Tamworth Assembly Rooms with more great storytelling and general ‘hysterical nonsense’.
Armed with nothing more than a microphone, and delivered in a warm Cornish accent, Jethro has the rare ability to paint hilarious pictures in the mind. Tickets are priced at £20.
Tickets for all shows can be purchased via www.tamworthassemblyrooms.co.uk, from Tamworth Tourist Information Centre in Corporation Street, or the Box Office on 01827 709618. A transaction fee of £1 is payable on all online and telephone bookings.
THE free summer sports programme run by Tamworth Borough Council has been hailed as a huge success – with 3,266 children taking part in 111 activity sessions across the seven weeks it was running.
Two ‘firsts’ helped to boost the programme this year – it ran for seven weeks instead of six and all activities were completely free of charge.
The programme was run by the council’s Sports Development Team, with sessions provided by sports clubs and groups throughout the borough.
Activities available throughout the seven-week programme were boxing, swimming, sky trail, crazy golf, rugby, bowling, cycle safety, tennis, water sports, street dance and ice skating. They took place across the borough, with venues at the Castle Grounds, Tamworth Boxing Club, Wilnecote Leisure Centre, Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Planters Garden Centre, Cliff Lakes and Tamworth Namco Funscape bowling alley.
In all, a total of 222 hours of sporting activities took place during the programme, provided by 11 clubs and groups.
A five-day rugby camp at Tamworth Rugby Club attracted 67 young participants – 70% of whom had never played the sport before. A number of them have now gone on to become junior members of the club.
The scheme also gave a big boost to the sport of stand-up paddle boarding, with the Central Stand-Up Paddle Boarding Club forming a weekly children’s club every Sunday, thanks to the interest generated by the summer scheme.
Councillor Rob Pritchard, Tamworth Borough Council Deputy Leader, said: “We are delighted that the summer sports programme has been such a massive success and pleased to see so many young people taking part in sport.
“The huge amount of positive feedback we have had from children, parents and groups taking part is testament to the success of the scheme – as is the fact that a large number of children taking part in the programme have continued with their chosen sport now that the scheme has ended.
“We will continue to build on the success of the programme and make sure that next year’s is even bigger and better. We would also like to thank all the sports clubs from across the borough who were involved in the scheme for all their hard work.”
THE search is on for dancers to be part of this year’s pantomime at the Tamworth Assembly Rooms.
Aladdin runs for 19 performances this Christmas, and the Tamworth Pantomime Company are on the lookout for men and women between 16 and 30 years old who want to join the dance troupe.
Olivia Shepherd is playing the princess in Aladdin, and she is also the choreographer.
Olivia said: “The dancers are a huge part of the pantomime experience and bring the songs to life. The dances are very often part of the scenes, rather than a stand-a-lone performance, and the cast will join in as well.
“I started my pantomime career as a dancer for over ten years before I made it onto the main cast. It’s the most fun you can have on stage, and an experience I will never forget. It really stands you in good stead for a career in muscial theatre, but for those who just do it as a hobby it is a great way to spend your Christmas”
If you are interested in auditioning to be a dancer in this year’s production of Aladdin, or just want more information, please email [email protected] or call 07825213197.
Aladdin runs from 16 December to 3 January and tickets are tickets are £12 adults, £9 concession and £38 for a family ticket.
They are on sale now from the Tamworth Tourist information Centre on 01827 709618 or by visiting www.TamworthAssemblyRooms.co.uk
STAFFORDSHIRE parents with children looking to attend a secondary school in September 2016 can now apply for places.
Last year, nine out of 10 parents were allocated their first choice secondary school, with 98 per cent allocated one of their top three preferred schools.
Now, parents can apply online for next year’s secondary admissions atwww.staffordshire.gov.uk/admissions, and have until 31 October to get their preferences in.
To help parents, the county council has released its five top tips for making the most of the admissions process.
County Councillor Ben Adams, Cabinet Member for Learning and Skills said: “Our admissions team deal with thousands of applications for secondary schools every year. Despite increasing pressure on school places, we still manage to offer the majority of parents their first-choice secondary school.
“We know the admissions process can be quite daunting for a lot of parents, so we do as much as we can to make the process as easy as possible. Even so, there are a few things parents can do when applying to ensure they have the best chance of being allocated one of their secondary school choices.”
The five tips are:
The most important thing is for parents to make sure they apply for at least three schools. Just putting down one school in the hope it will be allocated doesn’t always work, and parents may end up getting a school they would not normally have chosen.
Ensure one of the schools chosen is the catchment area school. Parents are more likely to be allocated their catchment school especially if there is increased demand for school places
Make sure you understand the admission criteria for your chosen schools, as this will give you an idea of the likely outcome of your preference
Visit your preferred school – talk to the headteacher and other teachers so you can be sure it is the right one for your child. Open evenings will be held within the next few weeks
Ben continued: “Recently, there has been talk nationally of amending the admissions criteria to ensure siblings are given priority. In Staffordshire, we amended our admissions criteria a few years ago to give a higher priority to children who had siblings at the school they were applying for. This was to reduce cases where siblings were attending different schools, putting extra pressure on parents. All schools in Staffordshire that fall under the local authority give preference to sibling applications.”
More information about local schools can be access through the county council’s Do Your Homework website. www.staffordshire.gov.uk/doyourhomework gives parents tips on choosing the right school for their child, and general information on school performance.
TAMWORTH is set to become part of ‘Greater Birmingham’ thanks to approval by the Borough Council to join the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
Tamworth will maintain a vital role in the future growth and development of the prosperity of the West Midlands region, after the council voted unanimously to join the proposed West Midlands Combined Authority.
The proposed WMCA would be made up of the seven metropolitan areas of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton and could also include the district and borough councils within three Local Enterprise Partnership areas. Those areas are Greater Birmingham & Solihull – of which Tamworth is a member – Black Country and Coventry & Warwickshire.
The creation of the WMCA would allow for integration and collaboration across member authorities, which would work together on growth in key areas including employment and skills, health, housing and transport.
Ambitious proposals which could see powers devolved from Westminster to the new WMCA were submitted to Government earlier this month. If they are approved by the Treasury, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government would then need to agree to the creation of the WMCA. Both of those decisions are expected in October.
Tamworth Borough Council has been involved in the development and creation of both the WMCA and its ambitious devolution deal from the beginning of the process, with Cabinet member for Economic Growth & Regeneration, Cllr Steve Claymore, and Chief Executive Tony Goodwin attending all briefings, workshops and meetings.
Now the process has taken a step further forward, after members voted unanimously on Tuesday to accept the invitation to take up membership of the proposed WMCA. The plans received cross-party support.
The council also reaffirmed its commitment to continuing to work with Staffordshire County Council, the district and borough councils across Staffordshire and other stakeholders for the benefit of Tamworth and the wider community.
The WMCA is not a ’super-council’ and would not take over any of the powers currently held by Tamworth Borough Council. The borough authority would retain its identity and would not have to surrender any of its decision-making to the WMCA.
Cllr Steve Claymore, Cabinet member for Economy & Education, said: “This is a vitally important opportunity for Tamworth to play a major role in the future economic growth of the borough and the wider region. Membership of the WMCA will have great benefits for Tamworth and for the people who live and work here, as well as those businesses already operating in Tamworth and those who will be attracted to set up here.
“I am delighted that this has been given cross-party support and that we are all committed to working together to make sure we play a full part in the new Combined Authority, while at the same time retaining our distinct Tamworth identity.”
Tamworth Borough Council Leader, Cllr Daniel Cook, said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Tamworth to become a driver in the regional economy. This will bring major benefits for Tamworth and the people who live and work here. Let’s grab this opportunity and get going.”
PLANS have been revealed to reduce the overnight service at Sir Robert Peel Hospital’s Minor Injuries Unit, meaning that the unit will be unavailable to public for 11 hours each night.
Members of Tamworth Borough Council’s Healthier and Safer Scrutiny Committee will this week be formally informed of the plans.
A representative from the South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsula Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will be attending the meeting at Marmion House on Thursday, September 17, to speak to councillors about the CCG’s proposals for future provision at the town’s community hospital.
The commissioning group is recommending that the current 24-hour service ceases to operate between the hours of 9pm and 8am. In its report on the proposals, the CCG cited low attendance figures of the Minor Injuries Unit during the overnight period (seeing on average one patient every two hours) and a duplication of services.
If the plans are approved, patients would be diverted to the Pharmacy Common Ailments Service, Out of Hours GP service – which runs at the Sir Robert Peel Hospital between 6.30pm and 8am Monday to Friday and 24 hours on Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays - NHS 111 telephone service, or to their main A&E department at Burton or Good Hope hospitals.
Similar proposals have been put forward for the Minor Injuries Unit at Samuel Johnson Hospital in Lichfield.
Cllr Andrew James, Chairman of Tamworth Borough Council’s Healthier and Safer Scrutiny Committee, said:“South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsular CCG are attending Thursday’s scrutiny meeting to present the rationale behind their proposed changes to the Minor Injuries Unit at Sir Robert Peel Hospital.
“It is important for members of the committee, as both elected members for Tamworth and residents who may use the MIU, to understand the business case ahead of the CCG’s public consultation – which is expected to run from September 21 to October 18.
“It is also important to emphasise that the proposed changes to the opening hours are being put forward by South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsular CCG and not Tamworth Borough Council.”
The Healthier and Safer Scrutiny Committee meeting takes place at 6pm on Thursday, September 17, in Marmion House, Lichfield Street. Although the meeting is open to members of the public, who may attend to watch the proceedings, questions can not be taken from visitors on this occasion.
