Shadow Minister visit to Walsall
The Rt Hon Francis Maude MP, Shadow Minister for the West Midlands, made a trip to Walsall North at the beginning of November. We started of visiting the Blakenhall Village Centre with the Manager Mike Bryce who gave us the background to New Deal in Blakenall and Bloxwich. Looked around the new deal area and met the Tom Perret, Chairman of New Deal.
Visited Young Peoples Information Centre with its amazing services for young people, including confidential medical advice, and offering young people aged 11 - 19 access to free and confidential services in one location. The centre offers activities on site and can sign post young people to other opportunities that are available to them across the borough. The centre aims to offer easier access to services facilities include an IT suite, Café, Training Kitchen, Mini College, Health and Wellbeing clinic, Careers advice.
Next stop was the New Deal Work on the Horizon project - Since it opened in June 2005, Work on the Horizon has helped hundreds of local people benefit from a wide range of job related advice and support services. In fact, during this period the shop, which is located on Bloxwich High Street, had welcomed a massive 615 residents through its doors, arranged training for 124 people and has helped nearly 100 local people to get jobs.
Our last visit of the day was to Barcroft School in Elm St, Willenhall with the Head and Chair of Governors Peter Hancox – we had a look around the school and were shown the impressive plans for the schools rebuild due to start next year.
Finally back to the Lyndon tree to meet to meet Walsall Councillors, Candidates and members where Francis told us all to keep campaigning.
