The Residents Association (RA) is a group of villagers (forming a committee), who volunteer their time to meet monthly to monitor a wide range of issues which have an impact on our village life, with the aim of driving changes and improvements. These include Policing, planning matters, highways, transport, support of local groups, social events and provision of facilities in the form of the Recreation Ground and the Pavilion.

The RA consider planning applications that affect the whole community, such as the proposed redevelopment of the former Jaguar garage and a threatened motorway service area on our doorstep. We make objections or recommendations to Solihull MBC on your behalf to endeavour to protect or maximise the benefits to our village environment from such developments. We campaign to maintain and improve public transport.

The land on which the Facilities stand is owned by the village, having been donated to us by a kindly benefactor many years ago. The land is held in trust on our behalf by Hockley Heath Parish Council. Solihull MBC have no jurisdiction on the land and do not contribute towards its upkeep or the provision of services.

The Parish Council does not have the resources to manage the Facilities on a day to day basis, this task being carried out by members of the RA, calling themselves the Management Committee. This committee take bookings for the hall and football pitches, organise services such as cleaning and maintenance of the building, and try to improve the facility whenever possible. In recent years the external area of the building has been improved with repairs to roofing, guttering and new doors, a new kitchen has been installed, the hall interior has been painted (by volunteers from the village) and we are in the process of acquiring new tables/chairs and renovating the toilets/changing areas. Income from use of the hall and football pitches does not cover our outgoings. We therefore rely on support from the Parish Council or from other sources (eg applying to National Lottery to fund new furniture).

You will see from your recent Council Tax Bill that you pay an amount to Hockley Heath, this year around £43.64 per household. This fee is paid to Hockley Heath Parish Council, which also currently incorporates the villages of Cheswick Green, Dickens Heath and Tidbury Green. These funds are held by the Parish Council. When the Residents Association need support to improve the Facilities we can apply for funding from the Parish Council, which has to be approved by the Parish Council committee (also volunteers) before we can get our hands on the money. Some support is given direct to the village, in the form of grounds maintenance (eg cutting the grass, emptying of bins, etc).

Do you enjoy the Fireworks Display in November? Did you attend the Village Fete in September last year? If not, you missed some cracking events. Do you enjoy reading this annual Hooter? These events and the Hooter you are reading now were organised and funded by the Residents Association.

The team of volunteers making up the committee consist of a group of hardy individuals who have been persevering for many years to support your village (one member having been on the committee for in excess of 20 years). Many members have to stand down this year due to work, health and family issues.

Without this team, the Parish Council would have little choice but to close down the Facilities – by this, we mean closing the Recreation Ground gates permanently, locking the Pavilion doors never to be opened again, and who knows what would happen to the site in the future ….?

Can you spare a couple of hours here and there to join us? The more of us there are, the easier the job of delivering the kind of service we want to provide to the village.

PLEASE SUPPORT US. JOIN THE COMMITTEE. ATTEND THE MEETINGS (SECOND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH, 8PM, PAVILION).