They became foster carers sixteen years ago after the birth of their son Luke, choosing a path that allowed them to spend more time together as a family while supporting children who needed a loving home. After many years of dedicated service, Paul and Dianne have now retired from fostering. To thank them, the Mayor of Walsall, Councillor Louise Harrison, welcomed them to the Mayor’s Parlour on 17 March. Speaking about their time as carers, Paul and Dianne said, “Fostering has been the most rewarding and life‑changing journey of our lives. Over 16 years we’ve been privileged to offer children…

Leader of the Council, Kerrie Carmichael was joined by Tunmi Agbona and Natalie Nyengerai from Sandwell College and representatives of Sandwell’s Culture Forum Sandwell Council is entering Smethwick into the first ever UK Town of Culture competition, celebrating the town’s vibrant and cohesive community, rich heritage and growing arts and culture scene. Made 50 years ago from six proud towns, the borough of Sandwell is a place built on making things happen. It’s where industry met innovation, and where strong, creative, diverse communities shape its future. Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, Leader of the Council said: “If it can be made, it’s…

Sandwell Council has begun work on a series of 38 new priority road safety projects across the borough as part of its Community Road Safety Concern Programme this year. Six are already completed or nearing completion and more are on the way. Over the past 25 years, Sandwell has halved the number of casualties on its roads, including reducing child casualties by 60 per cent. This significant reduction follows a long-term programme of targeted engineering measures, road safety education, and support for police enforcement action. The council is continuing this work through its Community Road Safety Concern Programme, which focuses…

A number of vehicle safety concerns have been addressed during a targeted enforcement operation by Walsall Council’s Licensing Services. The operation was carried out in Brownhills on Friday 28 March and was delivered in partnership with West Midlands Police, Community Protection Officers and specialist vehicle testers. During the operation, 12 licensed vehicles were stopped and brought in for inspection. Of those, six vehicles were suspended from use due to safety concerns, with three also issued prohibition notices preventing them from being driven until defects are addressed. A number of the issues identified related to tyre safety, including damage, excessive wear…

Sandwell Council’s Cabinet has agreed to invest an extra £1.5million to help maintain roads and footpaths, building on the authority’s top national Green rating for highway maintenance. This boost means the council will invest more than £14million in total over the next year on keeping Sandwell’s roads, footpaths and street lights well maintained. The additional £1.5million – approved by the council’s Cabinet last month – will specifically support maintaining local residential roads as well as footpaths in neighbourhoods and town centre shopping areas. Sandwell has recently celebrated a Green rating under the government’s new national traffic light system for…

Sandwell Council has helped turn dozens of abandoned properties into homes as part of a major push to tackle empty properties across the borough. The announcement comes as councils across the country mark National Empty Homes Week (9-15 March) – demonstrating the work being done to bring wasted empty properties back into use. The work includes tackling long-term empty properties in Smethwick and West Bromwich over the past 11 months – helping to provide housing for up to 50 local families a year. There are currently around 1,500 privately-owned properties that have been empty for six months of more in…

Staff involved in the campaign together with the Cabinet Member for Adult Services Health and Wellbeing, Councillor Jackie Taylor and Dr Frances Howie, Director of Public Health holding campaign materials. Sandwell Council has been shortlisted for Campaign of the Year at the 2026 Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards for its impactful men’s mental health campaign, You ok, mate? This national recognition reflects Sandwell’s commitment to being a caring, community‑focused council that puts residents’ wellbeing at the heart of everything it does. It also comes at a time when the council is being recognised more widely for its improvement and transformation…

Almost 7,000 primary school pupils from across 20 schools in Walsall have recently taken part in a national programme to encourage children to eat more vegetables through fun, engaging activities. Image reads Eat Them to Defeat Them. Eat Them to Defeat Them. Eat Them to Defeat Them, a programme by Veg Power, is a well-established initiative that has been running for several years in other areas of the country, including in Walsall. The programme is funded by Walsall Council’s Public Health team. Veg Power is supported by schools, catering teams and public health partners across the country and…

The council is to invest around £1.66million to create and enhance Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) resources at Ocker Hill Academy in Tipton and Wood Green Academy in Wednesbury. This funding will help more children and young people to learn, grow and thrive in their local communities and contribute to new purpose‑built facilities being delivered as part of the Department for Education’s national School Rebuild Programme, which is comprehensively redeveloping both academy sites. At Ocker Hill Academy, the existing SEND resource offer will be expanded from 10 to 15 places, strengthening an already well‑established offer for pupils…

A major new Learning Campus is set to open on the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital site, marking a significant milestone in the regeneration of Smethwick and the wider Sandwell area. The campus will expand access to education, training, and professional development for residents of all ages, helping local people gain the skills needed for future careers in a rapidly changing economy. Developed through a unique partnership between Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS trust and its Learning Works, Sandwell College, the University of Wolverhampton, Aston University, and Sandwell Council the Learning Campus will provide access to entry-level learning through…