Leamore Walsall
West Midlands
Staffordshire

Forest Arts Centre
Hawbush Road
Leamore
Walsall
WS3 1AG
Telephone 01922 654555

Your on-line web guide to Leamore Walsall

September 2010 Courses to gain new skills
People who want to get fit, learn a new language or take up a new hobby are being urged to be among the first to secure their place next term at Walsall Adult and Community College in Leamore. The community college is holding its Early Bird enrolment day on Saturday 10 July from 10am to 2pm. The college is preparing for a busy and successful enrolment period with lots of adult learners expected to start the new term in September 2010 on a variety of courses. There are courses on Spanish, French, Italian and Chinese Mandarin languages as well as opportunities in dance, Mendhi and fitness classes. These classes are a mixture of daytime and evening sessions. There's opportunities to do courses in literacy, numeracy, information computer technology (ICT) NVQs and Learning for Living and Work. Adult community learning evening classes in art and craft and relaxation and holistic therapy are also being offered at the collegeâ?Ts Hawbush Centre, off Leamore Road. And workshops focusing on computers, buying and selling on Ebay and using Facebook will no doubt be of interest to many students. Early Bird enrolment day will guarantee your place for next term. Come along and speak to one of our tutors to find out more. For further information about these or any of the other courses that the college runs, call into Hawbush Centre (entrance in Beeches Road) or telephone 01922 654510. Or our Whitehall Centre, Weston Road, Walsall. 01922 721421

Free graffiti removal service from Leamore area private properties by walsall council. A new initiative to remove graffiti without charge from privately owned residential properties has been launched by Walsall Council's Street Pride team subject to the owners signing disclaimers. Graffiti is one of the issues being targeted by the council as part of the Wipe It Out section of its ongoing Cracking Environmental Crime campaign. Between January and December 2009 180 reports were received of graffiti and 198 removals took place. Previously the Street Pride team was only able to remove graffiti for free from publicly owned land, street furniture and buildings. It is hoped the new approach will help improve the overall appearance of Walsall borough and encourage more people to report graffiti. The scheme will initially run on a six month trial basis upto approx December 2010 and if successful could be made permanent. Andy Ody, Street Pride Grounds Manager, said: "Traditionally people tend not to report graffiti and instead just accept it as part of the street scene. "Probably the one area which causes real concern to people is graffiti appearing on private properties. In the past we have been able to remove this but only at a charge. Service standards set by the council relating to publicly owned land, street furniture and buildings outline racist and offensive graffiti will be removed within 24 hours and the remainder as quickly as possible. Graffiti in parks will often by removed by park rangers with the more difficult cases referred on to Street Pride. On the spot fines of £80 can be handed out to anyone caught spraying graffiti. If a prosecution is pursued through the courts, the maximum punishment available is a 10 year prison sentence if the case is sent to crown court. Graffiti can be reported to Walsall Council on 01922 653344 or by e-mailing streetprideemail@walsall.gov.uk

More than 1,000 pupils from primary schools all over Walsall will be on song in a week-long choral festival event being staged at Walsall's Forest Arts Centre. The Walsall Primary Singing Festival, organised by the music department at Forest Arts Centre, is in its third year and celebrates the high standard of singing among talented youngsters. The 2010 festival will feature 1,400 children from 47 primary schools all battling to be crowned Primary Choir of the Year and will run from Monday 21 June until Friday 25 June at Forest Arts Centre in Hawbush Road, Leamore. Judges will be Sarah Inglis, Forest Arts Centre choral director and Cathy Lamb assistant director at Lichfield Cathedral and area Sing-Up co-ordinator. Graham Lewis, Forest Arts Centre performing and creative arts co-ordinator, said: The festival is a fantastic opportunity for pupils to showcase their vocal talents and shows the high standard of singing that is produced in Walsall primary schools. The festival has five competitive categories KS1 Class, KS1 Choir, Lower KS2 Class, Upper KS2 Class and KS2 Choir. One of the winners in these categories will also be named Choir of the Year.

Wednesday, 19th May, Women Behaving Badly at Forest Arts centre, Hawbush Road, Leamore at 7.30pm. Tickets £7 and £5.

Walsall Youth Theatre is performing the popular Return to the Forbidden Planet at Forest Arts Centre between 13 and 15 April.
Audiences are being invited to join Captain Tempest and his fearless crew as they journey into hyperspace and beyond.
Simon Pugh, Walsall Council performing and creative arts officer, said: This is a real fasten your seatbelt-type of show with hits such as Great Balls of Fire and The Monster Mash on the menu, Walsall Youth Theatre can boast some superb talents and the young actors and actresses involved have been rehearsing hard to stage an unforgettable show.
Performances are being held at 7.30pm and tickets cost just £5 available from the box office on 0845 111 2900 or on the door, 30 minutes before the curtain goes up.

8th April 2010, Turtle tales at Forest Arts Centre in Leamore
Children can enjoy a fascinating story based on a trilogy of turtle tales about following your dream at Forest Arts Centre this Easter.
The Journey of Turtle gives youngsters the chance to enjoy an imaginative journey through the evolution and learning of this ancient creature.
Performed by the award winning Lempen Puppet Theatre Company the story will be told using shadows, table-top puppets and traditional storytellers.
The touring show, aimed at children over five, has already visited several venues across the country to critical acclaim.
The show takes place at Forest Arts Centre on Thursday 8 April at 2pm. Running time is 50 minutes, with tickets priced at just £5, available on the door or from the box office on 0845 290 111.

From Barry Norman to Elvis - via Morecambe - without leaving Leamore in Walsall !
A feast of entertainment is being laid on with a recreation of the Himalayas - complete with snow - just one of the treats on offer to audiences.
Forest Arts Centre can boast an impressive line-up of events including An Audience with Barry Norman in which the famous reviewer talks about his favourite films and the play Beating Berlusconi in which football fan Kenny Noonan recalls a 30-year history of Liverpool.
Other highlights include A Tribute to Elvis, the acclaimed Women Behaving Madly and Morecambe which charts the humble beginnings of one of Britain's best-loved comedians through to the glamour of international stardom.
The next show is Wild Irish which is a must for fans of traditional and contemporary Irish music.The band features the legendary fiddle playing of Donegal's Brian Patton, the velvety vocals and guitar work of Pete Kelly and the foot stomping rhythms of bass player Simon Hayward.
Tickets for the 7.30pm performance cost £6.

Walsall Adult & Community College has been graded as 'Good' in March 2010 following the first Local Authority Ofsted inspection to take place in the country under the new inspection framework.
Maria Gilling, principal of Walsall Adult & Community College said: "We are thrilled with the outcome of our first inspection and the grade awarded. Walsall Adult & Community College is a brand new college formed in August 2009 through an amalgamation of The College of Continuing Education and Walsall Community College, who were both graded as satisfactory in previous Ofsted inspections.
"The governors and staff have worked extremely hard to ensure that adult learners in Walsall receive good quality education when they come to Walsall Adult & Community College, it is really great that this has been recognised and reflected in the Ofsted report."
Some of the main findings from the report include:
* Success rates are high and achievement is well above national rates
* Much of the teaching and learning is good
* The college has productive partnerships with a wide range of voluntary & statutory community partners
* The college is particularly effective in widening participation for marginalised communities
* The management of change and strategic direction of the college is good
* Safeguarding arrangements are good
The college offers hundreds of courses for employed and unemployed people and for businesses across the borough in more than forty venues including libraries, community centres, schools and employers' own premises.
For further information on courses and services to businesses offered by Walsall Adult and Community College please contact:
Walsall Adult and Community College
Hawbush Centre (entrance from Beeches Road)
Hawbush Road
Leamore
Walsall
WS3 1AG
Telephone 01922 654510

Jungle Book magic recreated in Leamore, Walsall
Mowgli, Baloo and Shere Khan will be brought to life by young actors when they recreate a classic tale.
The Jungle Book is being staged by members of Walsall Youth Theatre who have been busy rehearsing since last September.
Audiences can look forward to hearing favourite songs including “I wanna be like you” and “The Bare Necessities” from performers aged between eight and 13 from a host of Walsall borough schools.
The show will be on at Forest Arts Centre in Hawbush Road, Leamore, on Friday 12 March 2010 at 7.30pm and Saturday 13 March at 1.30pm and 3pm.
Tickets cost £5 and are available from the box office on 0845 111 2900.
Simon Pugh, Walsall Council performing and creative arts officer, said: “Jungle Book is a charming story that is suitable for a family audience but is enjoyed by people of all ages.