Better late than never. Click on the screenshot to visit the article at the Express & Star.

Just a quick note to point out that the Express & Star have finally got around to covering the Brownhills School community facilities withdrawal story, with a few extra details.

For anyone who’s not aware of the backstory the original post is here, and followup here; the Advertiser carried a good report last week and an excellent letter from the Brownhills Local Committee.

It seems the line is currently that withdrawal is justified because ‘Out of the 700 children in the school, only eight use it out of hours’ – an interesting but pointless figure; the community doesn’t merely consist of schoolkids from that school and that’s the point. However, that does seem to be an excellent way to teach kids selfishness and that only their needs are relevant…

Further, pointing out that the Swim School and others are commercial is a bit odd, too. So what? All the better to negotiate a more appropriate price, surely. The whole idea is that the facilities are open and chargeable.

Anyone who was hoping for help from Sir Richard Shepherd MP will be sadly disappointed. A disheartening but predictable stance, after all, this isn’t Aldridge. Tory big society at work there, clearly.

I repeat here again; this is purely about the decision. I have respect for the achievements of the school, head and staff, and trying to distort that is disingenuous in the extreme. I’m not the sharpest tool in the box by a long stretch, but I have learned over the years that if you want to do something unpopular, it’s usually better to try and take the folk who will bear the brunt of your action with you.