Apart from the Society's regular and ongoing committees, there are from time to time special committees or functions set up to undertake specific projects or support village events that operate at seasonal times of the year.
2012 marks the Golden Jubilee (50 years) of both The Knowle Society and the Diamond Jubilee (60 years) of the ascent to the throne of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Society is working with other community leaders to ensure that an appropriate celebration including closure of the High Street on Monday 4th June for a Street Party is planned to mark these special occasions.
The Society is also planning a variety of other events throughout 2012 to celebrate its Jubilee.
The Society is the lead organiser for one of the largest annual events in the village, the switching-on of the Christmas lights each year. Knowle Traders takes responsibility for all the lights on premises, the Society takes responsibility for organising the Christmas tree and the lights on that tree. The Knowle Society organises the closing off of part of Kenilworth Road and the logistics of the event.
On the day itself all the participating organisations provide stewards, Knowle & Dorridge Round Table provides Father Christmas and a street collection, the Traders provide refreshments, Arden Academy provides the Ardennaires to play and the church leads the carol singing.
As one of the larger organisations in the village, the Society seeks to maintain effective relationships with the wider community and values the links that it develops from time to time. The opportunities and perhaps even pressures for the Society to consider additional roles in the community from increased 'Localism' are making this an area of increasing importance for the Trustee Directors.
Recent examples of new links being developed by the Society (community laision) are Arden Academy and Knowle Library. Links with the local schools and the Library are not new but the nature of these particular links is new.
Recent activities (July 2011) include the conclusion of a ground-breaking agreement between The Knowle Society and Solihull Council in which the Society provides volunteers to enable the extension of library opening to Saturday afternoons. A photo-competition Knowle as I see it was also organised for young people to express their likes and dislikes about Knowle in photographs. This concluded with a photo-call of the winners, both pupils of Arden Academy. One of the Society's aims is develop young people's interest in the community of Knowle, perhaps through a youth section and this is seen as a 'toe in the water' towards achieving that objective. See the News Log for stories on both Library volunteeering and the photo competition.
This festival organised by the Friends of Knowle Park in Knowle (Jobs Close) Park on a June Saturday in most years, is always supported by The Knowle Society with a suitable stall (gazebo) and is viewed as an important opportunity to develop awareness of the Society amongst the wider Knowle community.
A partnership of:
is working to replace the old bus shelter and redundant toilets on Knowle Green with a new 'pavilion' style bus shelter. See consultation.pdf attachment below.
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| consultation.pdf | 313.37 KB |