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Competition ...any other business A roundup of news from Chamber members
Children learn about gardening
The children of keyworkers being looked after at a Sutton Coldfield school have been getting special gardening lessons during the lockdown, thanks to a Tamworth store. Plantsbrook School, in
Upper Holland Road, Sutton Coldfield, has kept its doors open to support key workers’ children, including pupils from Town Junior and Holland House Infants Schools. And, after a donation from
B&Q in Tamworth, the students have rolled up their sleeves and headed outside to learn about gardening. Assistant headteacher
Simon Hampshire said: “We have developed a gardening project along with the students that are coming into school, the idea is to help students understand where their food comes from and to give them an opportunity to produce some food too. “So far, we have had some
raised beds constructed and planted some potatoes and onions in them, built a greenhouse and weeded some of the flower beds and sowed some wildflower seeds. “Hopefully these will flower
and cheer students and staff up when they come into school.” The young gardeners are
trying to avoid using plastic in their gardening, and have been making paper plant pots to sow vegetable seeds in. Mr Hampshire added that any extra food grown by the students could be used to help the community.If there was a surplus it would be nice to share some of this food with our vulnerable families and students,” he said. B&Q at Tamworth provided
plants, potatoes, seeds and gardening equipment for the project. Martin Woodhouse, unit manager of B&Q Tamworth said: “We're pleased to be able to bring some colour and joy to the children and teachers at Plantsbrook School.”
70 CHAMBERLINK June/July 2020
Charity colouring-in book celebrates lockdown legends
A Birmingham-based illustrator and a branding consultant have teamed up to create a colouring-in poster book to raise funds for NHS workers. Inspired by the drawings people
were putting in their windows in support of the NHS, Sabina Gran created a series of hand-drawn colouring-in posters, which she uploaded to her social media accounts for people to download. Overwhelmed by the response – including messages from NHS staff and their patients – the artist teamed up with lifelong friend Anna Plotnek, who runs Coleshill- based branding and digital agency PLOTT, to create a book of eight images, including the Queen, Captain Tom Moore and Joe Wicks. Every penny from the ‘Lockdown
Legends’ colouring book will go to University Hospitals Birmingham Charity’s NHS ‘Superheroes Fund’, which provides support for frontline workers at the Queen Elizabeth, Heartlands, Solihull and Good Hope hospitals, along with the new temporary Nightingale hospital. Cash raised funds snacks and
treats for staff, overnight packs for those staying away from home and tablets so patients can video call their families.
Anna Plotnek: Inspired by the ‘Lockdown Legends’
The book is available to buy at
https://plott.lockdownlegends.co.uk for £10. Sabina said: “Researchers have
found the simple, meditative act of colouring in can help to alleviate anxiety, reduce stress and fear, and cultivate a deep sense of calm. “Whether you’re a grown-up or a
child, I hope the drawings will help to encourage positivity and mindfulness, as well as being a welcome distraction at this crazy time.”
Anna said: “Creativity brings people together, but it’s our
Lockdown Legends who are holding us together. To champion and thank these special people is the least we can do.” Charlotte Schofield, director of
fundraising at University Hospitals Birmingham Charity, said: “We are so pleased to be a part of this project. The money raised from the colouring books will go directly towards supporting out frontline staff who are working tirelessly to support our patients and fight the battle against Covid-19. The books are beautiful and I cannot wait to get one myself.”
New life at Solihull College
Solihull College’s Animal Welfare and Veterinary Nursing team have overseen the birth of three lambs at the college’s Blossomfield Campus. The lambs’ parents are four-year-old Olive, a
commercial crossbreed and five-year-old Spice, a Soay sheep. Olive had triplets last year so staff were very happy to see history repeat itself. Claire Powell, head of Animal Welfare & Veterinary
Nursing, Claire Powell, said: “We are helping Olive out by topping up the lambs with formula milk. We are going to ear tag them and then we will work on names for them all.” The award-winning Animal Centre at Blossomfield
Campus is a three-story building, which includes specialist rooms to accommodate the college’s diverse animal family. There are birds, snakes, meerkats, exotics and The team have been on site every day during the
New born: The triplets with their mother
Covid-19 pandemic, keeping the animals fed and cared for.
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