Janet Foster has been appointed as the Community Co-ordinator for the Friar Park Project, a post funded by Sandwell Council, hosted through Sandwell Consortium and based at Friar Park Children’s Centre.

This new post has an emphasis on addressing the issues of high levels of unemployment, low skills/qualification levels, high dependency on welfare benefits, low aspirations, combined with low levels of community  engagement generally, across the Friar Park estate.  Given all of that Janet is  looking forward to the challenges ahead..  Janet has spent her first thirty days networking with the borough’s key people, establishing contact with organisations, finding out what is available in the neighbourhood and most  meeting local residents. And asking them about their concerns and worries  their hopes and dreams and  their aspirations for themselves and their families.

By way of introduction, Janet comes to us from Healthwatch Sandwell, where she was working with the volunteer Board members to be more effective in their representation on various health and social care committees,  having previously worked for over 30 years, in such diverse settings as youth & community services, community education, social services neighbourhood management, tenant engagement and  sheltered housing management.

Janet has, like so many, experienced the difficulty of being made redundant and having had to find work, an experience which will stand her in good stead as she works with the local community and helps them to get back into work.

Her training in Youth and Community Work, here in the Midlands, and her vast  work experience, her commitment to equality and diversity along with her very positive “can do “ attitude Janet is a welcome addition to the team here at Sandwell Consortium.

Outside of work Janet loves musical theatre and at the time of writing is looking forward to her first visit to see The Carpenters tribute show at Wednesbury Town Hall.

She also likes learning languages, although her recent attempt at Turkish was dreadful, as her Turkish friend so gently reminded her when she ended up with the wrong order.   Janet is married to Geoff, who she met at College in Birmingham back in 1976 and they stayed and made the Midlands.   Apologies to those of you who support the Albion… but Janet supports Middlesbrough Football Club… her  home town; Wolves… because its where she  lives and, because “you should always support your home  team”  and   Liverpool (the mighty Reds!)…  because it’s her husband’s home team. 

Over the coming weeks and months she looks forward to working alongside local people to benefit the community in whatever way she can.

If you would like to contact  Janet – she has a mobile  07867 952 774, you can email  her on janet@sandwellconsortium.co.uk and if you are passing why not call into the  Children’s Centre on Dorsett Road  – where you will always find a welcome and a cuppa.