THE BLOXIDGE TALLYGRAPH

During the 1980s-90s much of the council housing on Lower Farm Estate, Bloxwich, was sold off to the tenants.  What remains in rented accommodation is managed by Walsall Housing Group. 

Lower Farm Community Association was set up in June 2005 by a group of local residents who were concerned there were no community facilities in their area.

The group has a constitution and bank account, and is run by a management committee of 12 people, made up of local residents.

The group offers social activities and events to older people that prevent them becoming isolated and feeling socially excluded. During the past twelve months the community association has organised three excursions to various places of interest such as Tissington Well Dressing, Llandudno, and Worcester Xmas market. All of these have been over-subscribed and many of the older people have made new friends and feel less isolated and more part of the community, This is shown by anecdotal evidence and feedback forms.

The group also works with the children and young people in the area to ensure they have activities to take part in such as arranging educational activity visits during school holidays.  The group has looked at ways of reducing anti-social behaviour in the area, which has included setting up a junior committee so that the young people have a voice and say in what activities take place. The Association also works with Walsall Youth Service to arrange detached youth workers to visit the area twice a week.

Lower Farm Community Association also holds a community "Fun Day" in the summer and a community Christmas event, both of which have been well attended by the local community.

Unfortunately at present there is no available building within the local area for the community to use as a base, this has meant that the activities for the community have to take the form of a visit to other places. The summer "Fun Day" takes place at the local open space and the Christmas event has been held at the local school.

In 2006, Lower Farm Community Association organised a fine and well-lit Christmas Tree on the traffic island at the centre of the estate.

Additional Information

Lower Farm Estate is situated in the Bloxwich area of Walsall Metropolitan Borough, which is 51st out of 355 local authorities in the Index of Deprivation (2004) and is amongst the 10% most economically deprived local authorities in terms of income.

Fewer 15 year olds in Walsall obtain 5 or more GSCE"s at Grade C or above than the national average. People living in Walsall have a lower life expectancy than for England as a whole.

Background information supplied by Lower Farm CA


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FUN DAY CANCELLED AFTER FREAK WEATHER 

A planned family fun day in Bloxwich has been cancelled for a second time after bad weather returned to waterlog the field.  Lower Farm Community Association was due to stage the popular event on Sunday 19th August but heavy downpours have made the open space unsafe.  Parks staff from Walsall Council visited the green on Lower Farm Estate to evaluate its condition on Wednesday and organisers have now cancelled the fun day.  It was originally planned for July but freak weather forced it to be rearranged.  Members of the association have no plans to change the date again.

Lower Farm CA Secretary Margaret Bull said the group was disappointed to completely cancel the event which was due to have a bouncy castle, roadshow, slides, music, a selection of stalls, quad bikes and refreshments.

16 August 2007  (source:  Express & Star)

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