04/09/2026
Karen’s Column Friday 4 September
We’re at the start of a new school year and it feels like the weather has really tried to drive home the message that the holidays are over. I’m not complaining about the much-needed rain of course, but summer does seem to have come to an abrupt halt.
As pupils head back for another year of hard work I want to wish them all luck in their studies, whether they’re taking exams this year, moving up to secondary or even going to school for the very first time, it’s a momentous time and I hope everyone has a good experience.
We’ve got a couple of big birthdays to celebrate in Solihull. I’m going along to an event at the NEC to mark its 50th anniversary. I want to congratulate everyone there on the fantastic work they have done to make it such a great events venue, bringing so many millions of visitors to our borough over the decades. They’re still investing and developing, with the Invictus Games coming up next year in addition to the usual array of national and international events. I’m proud to have them in Solihull and look forward to seeing what the future brings.
In Solihull Town Centre, Touchwood are celebrating their 25th anniversary tomorrow (5 September) with a packed day of events, limited edition memorabilia and competitions (https://www.touchwoodsolihull.co.uk/whats-new/celebrate-25-years-of-touchwood). It’s a huge part of our town and home to so many great shops and restaurants. It was a massive change when it was built and first opened but it’s definitely an important part of the fabric of Solihull now. Many residents will of course remember when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Touchwood and opened the Golden Jubilee Gardens not long after the centre had opened. It shares that honour with the NEC, which was visited by Her Majesty the day after it opened to the public in 1976. Two venerable local institutions with a link to our beloved late Queen, happy birthday to them both and here’s to many more years.
I visited another important local business this week, as I took a trip to JLR’s factory at Lode Lane to visit CEVA, their logistics partner, to thank them for the amazing work they have done for community parenting in Solihull. They and their staff have generously donated time, money, and plenty of energy to help improve the lives of our care-experienced children and young people through things like an Easter Egg collection, renovating accommodation and important meeting spaces, and by funding a trip to Alton Towers. This kind of support is absolutely invaluable, and I was grateful for the chance to say thank you in person. It was also really interesting to see and hear about the work they do, keeping that giant manufacturing site supplied and rolling. I look forward to continuing to strengthen this relationship with a company and a staff group who are really committed to working to help their local community.
Before I go, I just want to pay tribute to the amazing work of the West Midlands Fire Service this summer. Hopefully the recent rain will have reduced the risk of any further wildfires, but they have been incredible in their efforts to keep people and their homes and businesses safe in the last few months in really difficult conditions.
Thanks for reading, enjoy your weekend,
Karen
