Residents, community groups and businesses in Smethwick are being urged to take part in an important online survey to help shape the town’s future. Smethwick is set to receive up to £20million in government funding through the Plan for Neighbourhoods – a 10-year investment programme that will support local communities and drive positive change across the town. The Smethwick Partnership Board, which is overseeing the delivery of this ambitious programme, has launched a short survey to understand what matters most to local people. Feedback from the survey will help identify key priorities for the town and guide how funding is…

Illegal goods with a retail value of approximately £365,000 were seized in an operation carried out by Walsall Trading Standards and West Midlands Police on 2 July 2025. Officers, supported by a specialist search dog team, investigated four retail premises, one associated vehicle, and a storage unit. The operation uncovered approximately 100 kilograms of illegal hand-rolling tobacco, 287,000 illicit cigarettes, and 350 illegal disposable vapes. Sniffer dogs Griff, Cooper, and Bran—highly trained in detecting tobacco and vapes—assisted the team. At a self-storage yard, Griff identified a unit containing the illegal cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco. Inside, some counterfeit cigarettes were even…

With high temperatures forecasted, Walsall residents are advised to take steps to stay well during the hot weather, as the UK Health Security Agency (in partnership with the Met Office) issues a yellow heat health alert for the West Midlands. The alert is in place from Wednesday 9 July to Tuesday 15 July. High temperatures can pose a risk to health, particularly for older adults, young children and individuals with long-term health conditions who may need extra help to stay cool. “ As warmer weather is forecast, there are things we can do to stay well. Keep indoor spaces cool…

City of Wolverhampton Council’s Wolves at Work team is continuing to deliver a range of community drop-in events across the city to support local people with employment, training, and career development. The latest events come during Employability Week (7 to 11 July) and are open to all Wolverhampton residents aged 16 and over, who are looking for work or considering their next career steps. Further drop-in sessions taking place this week are: Oasis Café, Whitburn Close, Wolverhampton, WV9 5NJ, on Wednesday, July 9, between 1pm and 2.30pm Bilston Public Library & Art Gallery, Mount Pleasant, Bilston, WV14 7LU, on Thursday,…

The city council is running a phase 3 consultation on the future of its three council-run care centres: Kenrick, Perry Tree and Ann Marie Howes. Perry Tree care centre This follows feedback from the previous two consultations and takes into account the government commitment to integrated health and social care and an analysis of the current and future demand for social care support in Birmingham. The revised proposed option would mean Birmingham City Council keeping the three care centres open, providing residential and respite care at Kenrick centre and integrated and intermediate care across Ann Marie Howes and Perry…

Students repurpose old materials to create a blooming gorgeous flowerbed For the second year running, Malvern Park in Solihull town centre has welcomed another stunning flowerbed designed by the talented students from Newlands Bishop Farm. This year’s theme – chosen by the council’s environmental contractor, Veolia – was re-use and upcycle. The team repurposed old materials, including tyres and a wheelbarrow, to creatively display plants to create striking focal points within the flowerbed. The display includes bee friendly plants as well as sensory aspects, creating a colourful vision for all park users to enjoy. The team has also sourced, grown…

Walsall residents are being encouraged to adopt healthier choices by cutting down or quitting alcohol as part of Alcohol Awareness Week (7–13 July). The Beacon – Change Grow Live, commissioned by Walsall Council’s Public Health team, is raising awareness of the health and social impacts of alcohol. The service, which provides specialist treatment for individuals experiencing alcohol and drug addiction, is offering guidance and support to anyone looking to take control of their alcohol consumption. Advice on safer drinking includes keeping within the recommended limit of 14 units per week, spreading drinking over three days or more and having several…

People are being encouraged to think about their drinking habits and the risks posed by alcohol during Alcohol Awareness Week, which gets underway today (Monday 7 July, 2025). The City of Wolverhampton Council and substance misuse service Recovery Near You will be highlighting the harms associated with alcohol and the treatment and recovery support which is available in the city. Representatives from Recovery Near You and SUIT, the Service User Improvement Team, will be available at locations throughout the week offering support, advice and, where appropriate, interventions. At some locations, a fibroscanner will also be available to identify the early…

Amrik Sangha, a Health Improvement Officer with the City of Wolverhampton Council, with one of the vape kits that are available to people who want to Swap to Stop smoking A new programme which has already helped well over 100 smokers in Wolverhampton to quit has been extended for another 12 months. Launched by the City of Wolverhampton Council last year, Swap to Stop provides free vaping kits and behavioural support to help people stop smoking. The service is delivered over a period of 12 weeks by trained members of staff who offer free vape starter kits alongside support…

Councillor Jacqui Coogan, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, joined Headteacher Lorraine Downey, Chair of governors Linda Guest and children and support staff to celebrate Green Park School’s Good Ofsted rating Staff and pupils are celebrating after Green Park School was judged to be Good by Ofsted, with inspectors describing it as an ‘ambitious and caring’ school. They visited Green Park at the end of April and, in their report published recently, found that staff have ‘high expectations and a deep understanding of all pupils’. The school, which supports learners aged three to 19 with complex physical…