Good Morning Solihull 👋

And just like that… October is here. 🍂

This week’s Spotlight feels like a proper changing-of-the-seasons edition.

We’ve got a brand-new Solihull advice service launching today, an important reminder about the bin collection changes starting next week, and a lovely excuse to get outside this weekend with a free local parkrun.

Then we’re firmly into autumn mode. 🎃

There’s a new country pub opening in Tidbury Green, 30% off at Zizzi, local pumpkin picking in Meriden, a magical half-term trail at Packwood House and plenty more Halloween dates to start getting into the diary.

And if the darker evenings are already making you dream of getting away, we’ve found flights from Birmingham to Kraków and Málaga from just £14.99 one way.

Let’s get into it.

— Max

A new free advice service officially launches across Solihull today, Thursday 1 October, with the aim of making it easier for residents to get help closer to home.

The new Here2Help Advice Service will be delivered by Citizens Advice Solihull Borough alongside Colebridge Trust, Entraide, Gateway Family Services and Shelter. It replaces the previous Community Advice Hubs and will eventually offer face-to-face support across all 17 wards of Solihull, as well as help over the phone.

Residents will be able to get independent advice on a wide range of issues, including benefits, debt, housing, employment, disability rights, adult social care, health and immigration.

The roll-out will happen gradually, with urgent cases and people already waiting for support prioritised first while new local venues are introduced.

👉 📞 Need some help? You can contact the service on 0121 788 6527 or find out more through Citizens Advice Solihull Borough.

One worth remembering before you put the bins out next week...

From Monday 5 October, most Solihull households will move to the borough's new waste collection system, including the introduction of weekly food-waste collections.

Residents should have received two new food caddies: a smaller one for the kitchen and a lockable outdoor caddy. You can put things like plate scrapings, fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags and other food waste inside, although liquids shouldn't go in.

🍎 Your food caddy will be collected every week, on the same day as your other bins. Simply leave the outdoor caddy at the edge of your property by 6am on collection day.

The other big change is that black-bin rubbish collections will move from weekly to fortnightly for most households from 5 October. Recycling collections and garden waste collections for subscribers stay as they are.

♻️ Spotlight tip: pop your house number on your outdoor food caddy now, it could save some confusion when everyone's new caddies appear on the pavement next week!

👉 You can also check your updated collection dates on Solihull Council's online bin calendar.

If you’re looking for a good way to start an autumn Saturday, Solihull has two free 5k parkruns every Saturday morning at 9am; one at Brueton Park and another at Babbs Mill.

You don’t need to be chasing a PB either. You can run, jog, walk, volunteer or simply head down to cheer people on, and both events are designed to be welcoming whatever your pace or experience.

I’ve run a few with my father-in-law before, and one of the things that really stands out is just how friendly, supportive and welcoming the atmosphere is. There’s a real sense that everyone is there to encourage each other, whether you’re flying round at the front or walking your very first 5k.

It’s completely free to take part; you’ll just need to register with parkrun before your first event and bring your barcode if you’d like an official time.

🍂 Fresh air, a bit of movement and a friendly local crowd, not a bad way to start the weekend.

📍 Brueton Park & Babbs Mill
🗓️ Every Saturday
⏰ 9am
💰 Free

👉 Find out more from the Park Run App

A lovely one to get in the diary if you’re an unpaid carer, or know somebody who is.

Carers Trust Solihull is holding its next get together at Picnic Basket Café in Marston Green on Thursday 15 October, offering carers a relaxed place to have a cuppa and cake, meet other local carers and share experiences.

There’s also the option to arrange a one-to-one support session if you’d like some extra help or advice.

It’s a simple idea, but sometimes having somewhere welcoming to sit down, talk to people who understand and find out what support is available can make a real difference.

📍 Marston Green, B37 7AE
🗓️ Thursday 15 October
⏰ 10:30am–12pm
☕ Drop in for a cuppa, cake and a chat

👉 The event is for carers registered with Carers Trust Solihull.

One for the autumn diary…

The Mallard is opening its doors in Tidbury Green at 12pm on Thursday 15 October, bringing a new country pub to the Solihull food scene.

The building was previously Tidbury Green Farm, a working farm dating back to at least the 17th century, and the Grade II-listed farmhouse has now been transformed into a pub while keeping plenty of its original character.

Expect open fires, oak beams, local cask ales, wines and a regularly changing seasonal menu, with fresh dishes designed to reflect the time of year. There’s also a dedicated children’s menu, making it one to keep in mind for family meals too.

📍 The Mallard, Tidbury Green Farm, Tidbury Green, B90 1QZ
🗓️ Opening Thursday 15 October
⏰ From 12pm

👉 Check out their new website and menu here

If you’re planning a meal out over the next couple of weeks, here’s a decent saving.

Zizzi at Resorts World is currently offering 30% off food for members of its free Zillionaires’ Club until Friday 16 October.

The offer is available all day Monday–Friday, plus Sundays after 5pm, so it could be a particularly handy one for an early family dinner.

And there’s another deal running at the Resorts World restaurant too: two people can share a pizza, two sides and two soft drinks for £25.

📍 Zizzi, Resorts World Birmingham
💰 30% off food
🗓️ Until 16 October
📱 Zillionaires’ Club membership required

👉 Check out Zizzi’s latest deals here

With half term creeping closer, we’ll be keeping an eye out for more kids-eat-free, £1 kids’ meals and family dining deals across Solihull over the next few weeks. 👀

October has arrived, which means pumpkins, autumn trails, half-term plans and the first proper wave of Halloween events. 🎃

There’s plenty happening over the next few weeks, so this one is worth saving. Here are a few dates for the diary…

🪁 Under the Same Sky — Tudor Grange Park — Saturday 3 October
A colourful free community event is coming to Tudor Grange Park on Saturday 3 October, bringing together music, movement, handmade kites and a community procession created by people from across Solihull. The afternoon finishes beneath a huge seven-metre aerial rig, with a family-friendly performance combining aerial dance, physical storytelling and flying props.
👉 Under the Same Sky

🎃 Halloween Craft Fair — The Greswolde Arms, Knowle — Sunday 11 October
Get into the spooky-season spirit at the Halloween Special Lazy Sunday Social at The Greswolde Arms in Knowle on Sunday 11 October, 12–4pm. Expect local crafters, psychic readings, holistic therapy tasters, coffee, cake and a relaxed Sunday atmosphere.
👉 Halloween Craft Fair — Knowle

🎨 Solihull CEP Tea Party — The Core — Friday 23 October
If you work with children or young people, this free afternoon at The Core is well worth knowing about. Taking place on Friday 23 October, the Solihull CEP Tea Party brings together local artists and creative organisations for workshops, talks, CPD tasters and plenty of chances to make new connections, with free tea and cake thrown in too.
👉 Solihull CEP Tea Party

🎃 Halloween at The Barn — Meriden — 17–18 & 24–31 October
Pumpkin season is officially here. The Barn at Berryfields in Meriden is opening its five-acre pumpkin field on 17–18 October and every day from 24–31 October, with pumpkin picking, farm animals, a maze, eco-skating, axe-throwing, a Halloween shop and street food all on site. Entry starts at £5pp, or £19 for a family of four.
👉 Halloween at The Barn

🧙 Mystical & Magical Woodland Trail — Packwood House — 24 October–1 November
Packwood House is getting a spooky autumn makeover for half term with its Mystical & Magical Woodland Trail, running from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. Families can head out onto the Welly Walk in search of autumn treasures and spooky surprises, with themed crafts and a prize at the end. The trail costs £3.50, with normal admission charges applying for non-members.
👉 Mystical & Magical Woodland Trail

💿 Simply 90s Halloween Special — The Regency Hotel — Saturday 31 October
Fancy swapping trick-or-treating for a proper 90s throwback? Simply 90s takes over The Regency Hotel in Shirley on Saturday 31 October, 6pm–midnight, with two rooms of 90s hits, dance classics and four DJs. It’s an over-30s event, fancy dress is welcome and tickets are expected to go quickly.
👉 Simply 90s Halloween Special

A huge congratulations to the Bears!

Warwickshire have won the County Championship Division One title, securing their ninth Championship with a dominant innings-and-79-run victory over Leicestershire at Edgbaston.

Captain Ed Barnard became only the ninth Warwickshire skipper to lift the trophy, bringing a fantastic Championship campaign to a fitting end in Birmingham.

🏆 The County Championship trophy is coming back to Edgbaston!

👉 See the full article here

The Solihull Barons' flying start to the ice hockey season continues.

Solihull travelled north on Sunday to face defending champions Blackburn Hawks — and came away with an excellent 2–1 victory, ending Blackburn's unbeaten start to the season.

It follows an action-packed opening few weeks which has already seen the Barons rack up wins against Nottingham Lions and Sheffield Scimitars.

Next up is another away trip, this time to Hull Jets on Saturday 3 October.

🔥 Definitely a local team worth keeping an eye on this winter.

Some great grassroots news from Earlswood Town.

The club is set to benefit from a £77,000 grant to help transform the facilities at Muntz Hall & Sports Field in Tanworth-in-Arden, which is currently home to Earlswood's U8, U9, U10 and U11 teams.

The funding will help modernise a pavilion which hasn't seen significant investment since the 1930s, adding upgraded changing rooms, showers, toilets and a new lounge area.

And it won't just benefit the football club — the site is also shared by the local tennis club, Scouts and cricket club.

👏 A brilliant investment in grassroots sport and a facility that should serve the local community for years to come.

A good weekend for Old Silhillians Hockey Club, too.

After beginning their league campaign with defeat against North Stafford, the Men's 1st XI bounced back with a 2–1 away win at Loughborough Town on Saturday.

They’re back on home turf this weekend, with Worcester visiting Silhillians Sports Club on Saturday 3 October at 1:30pm.

🏑 Another local side you can get behind this weekend.

October in Solihull is looking pretty good… but sometimes you still fancy disappearing somewhere else for a few days. 👀

Fancy disappearing for a last-minute city break this weekend?

Ryanair is showing Birmingham to Kraków from £14.99 one way on Saturday 3 October, with a flight time of around 2 hours 25 minutes.

October is a lovely time to explore the city without the summer crowds — think cobbled streets, cosy cafés, hearty Polish food and one of Europe’s prettiest old town squares.

For less than the price of some train tickets, that’s a pretty tempting spontaneous escape. 👀

✈️ Birmingham → Kraków
🗓️ Saturday 3 October
💰 From £14.99 one way
⏱️ Around 2hrs 25mins

👉 Search Birmingham to Kraków flights

Not ready to say goodbye to sunshine just yet? ☀️

Ryanair is currently showing Birmingham to Málaga from just £14.99 one way on Sunday 11 October.

You could spend a few days wandering Málaga’s old town, eating tapas by the sea or use it as the starting point for a Costa del Sol escape to places like Torremolinos, Benalmádena or Fuengirola.

And with the flight taking just under three hours, it’s surprisingly easy to swap a grey Midlands morning for the Mediterranean.

✈️ Birmingham → Málaga
🗓️ Sunday 11 October
💰 From £14.99 one way
⏱️ Around 2hrs 55mins

👉 Search Birmingham to Málaga flights

Prices checked on 29 September and can change quickly — fares shown are one way and optional baggage/seat extras cost more.

• Bin collections: https://digital.solihull.gov.uk/BinCollectionCalendar/
• Council news + updates: https://www.solihull.gov.uk/news
• Travel disruptions (West Midlands): https://disruptions.tfwm.org.uk/

Thanks for reading Solihull Spotlight 💙 let’s chat again on Sunday! Hit reply and tell me what you want more of next week: family, events, food, deals, walking routes, live music, sport, or hidden gems.

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