Hello Solihull 👋

The sun’s been making a welcome appearance this week, and it finally feels like the perfect excuse to get out in the garden, open the windows, and make the most of it!

There’s plenty happening across Solihull as we head into the end of April, from community initiatives and local events to food spots, live music and ways to get moving again now the weather’s improving.

In today’s edition, we’ve got a useful reminder ahead of next month, a brilliant grassroots fundraiser we’re supporting, some lovely community stories, and plenty of ideas for things to do locally.

Let’s get into it.

— Max

If you’ve had a poll card through the post recently, you’re not alone, local elections are coming up in Solihull on Thursday 7 May, and the deadline to register to vote is tomorrow, Monday 20 April.

It was a timely reminder for us too. After getting married last year, my wife had to re-register due to her name change, so it’s been a helpful prompt if you want to vote and to double check everything.

If you’ve moved house, changed your details, or haven’t registered yet, it’s worth doing now so it doesn’t get missed.

👉 Register to Vote

This week we wanted to give a shout-out to Wake Green AFC Juniors, who are fundraising ahead of the new season to help cover home and away kits, training wear, and essential equipment for matchdays and sessions. Like many grassroots clubs, they’re relying on community support to help make it happen and in a brilliant effort to raise the money, the boys are taking on the Wolf Run this summer. It’s the kind of local initiative we love sharing: young people pushing themselves, representing their club, and being backed by the wider community around them. If you’d like to support them, every donation makes a difference.

We’re also getting involved at Solihull Spotlight by launching our first referral campaign alongside the fundraiser. For every new referral to Solihull Spotlight, we’ll donate 50p to help support the club’s fundraising effort. So if you’ve been enjoying the newsletter and want to support a great local cause at the same time, this is the perfect moment to share it with a friend.

👉 Support the boys and donate here

A brilliant local initiative we love: Streets Studio, is bringing creativity out into Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green through a series of free sessions for young people. Think DJing, graffiti art, filmmaking, rapping and more, all with a really welcoming feel and no sign-up, no pressure and no cost. Sessions take place from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, with a Tuesday session at The Onward Club in Chelmsley Wood from 21 April, as well as Wednesday and Thursday sessions on the Solihull Youth Bus. It feels like the kind of positive local project that can help young people try something new, build confidence and connect with others.

👉 Find out more here

We also wanted to give a mention to the Knowle and Dorridge Memory Café, a friendly local group for people living with dementia and those caring for loved ones. It offers a welcoming space to pop in for a cuppa, conversation and gentle activities, important community support that can make a real difference. Sessions run every Tuesday from 10:30am to 12:30pm at Dorridge Methodist Church, Mill Lane, Dorridge, B93 8NY. It costs £3 per session, and there’s no booking needed, you can just drop in. The group was also recognised as Solihull’s Non-Profit Champion in 2025, which says a lot about the impact it has locally. If this could be useful to you or someone close to you, it’s well worth knowing about.

👉 Find out more here

If American BBQ is your thing, Hickory’s Earlswood is well worth a visit, especially with the better weather arriving. Their midweek deals are fantastic, they run a quiz night on the first Tuesday of every month, and the brunch menu is definitely worth a mention too. We’ve been for brunch ourselves, and I had The Hog & The Hen, pulled pork and eggs and it was delicious.

👉 Hickory’s Earlswood

One of this week’s food picks is La Stalla Italian in Balsall Common, a family-run local restaurant serving up classic Italian dishes in a warm and welcoming setting. Their menu includes everything from Spaghetti Carbonara and Seafood Tagliatelle to Risottos, Steaks and Antipasti, it’s one of those places that works well whether you’re after a relaxed meal out, a family dinner or somewhere to keep in mind for the weekend.

A tough afternoon for Solihull Moors yesterday, as they were beaten 3–0 at home by Boston United in the National League. The turning point came when Conor Wilkinson was sent off in the 66th minute, before both teams were taken off by the referee. After a 20-minute delay, Boston returned to score three times against 10-man Solihull.

On to the next one: Solihull travel to Yeovil Town on 25 April (12:30pm kick-off).

👉 Solihull Moor Fixtures

• 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 💙 We’ll be back on Thursday with more local ideas, updates and things to do. Hit reply and tell me what you’d like more of next week: family ideas, events, food finds, deals, walking routes, live music, sport or hidden gems.

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