There аrе usually three grоuрѕ – thоѕе whо lеаd, those whо fоllоw аnd thоѕе whо аrе ѕimрlу рrеѕеnt. You will quickly notice thаt оnе оr twо children аrе thе ones who hаvе thе idеаѕ that оthеr сhildrеn ассерt and fоllоw. Thеѕе аrе thе lеаdеrѕ. Othеrѕ have ideas аnd оffеr ѕuggеѕtiоnѕ аnd оссаѕiоnаllу their idеаѕ аnd suggestions are hоnоrеd, uѕuаllу because thе “leaders” аllоw thеm tо bе. Thiѕ group will gеnеrаllу jоin in аll the асtivitу оf thе group аnd bесоmе the “fоllоwеrѕ.” The сhildrеn in the third group will sometimes jоin thе grоuр as a fоllоwеr and ѕоmеtimеѕ ѕit on…

City of Wolverhampton Council is improving weed control with two new quad bikes. From left are Andrew Harrison, grounds maintenance; Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services; and Matthew Sheffield, grounds maintenance The fight against weeds is revving up a gear as City of Wolverhampton Council uses quad bikes to speed up spraying. Almost 500 miles of the city’s highways and footpaths are currently being treated by the bikes which allow council staff to spray more quickly and efficiently by covering larger areas in less time and targeting weeds more directly. Using the vehicles reduces both time and…

We’re delighted to announce that our colleague Bart Shirm has won the regional RTPI Young Planner of the Year Awards for Planning Excellence 2025! The Royal Town Planning Institute’s award recognises the brightest and most outstanding planners who can demonstrate significant career achievements. Bart clearly showed this through his work to secure funding for the Tipton Town Centre Regeneration project and unlocking housing delivery on brownfield sites. Bart spoke about his career at the council: “I’m honoured to have been named RTPI Young Planner of the Year for the West Midlands. Since moving from the private sector into my role…

Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services at City of Wolverhampton Council, with contact details for the Shop a Tipper scheme City of Wolverhampton Council’s Shop a Tipper scheme has resulted in another successful prosecution for fly tipping – and another gift card for an eagle eyed resident. Following a report of dumped waste in Wednesfield and further information being provided by the witness, the council was able to bring the case to court. As a result, the resident received a £100 Enjoy Wolverhampton gift card for the details they reported through Shop a Tipper. Officers are now…

Solihull Family Hubs are launching a new outreach hub located in Meriden. Whilst not a dedicated Family Hub building, the outreach hub based at Meriden Church of England Primary School will provide yet another support and activity site for children and families in Solihull. Meriden CofE Primary School is the second Family Hub outreach location in Solihull, with the first outreach hub being situated at Shirley Heath Junior School since November 2024. Leader of Solihull Council, Councillor Karen Grinsell, welcomed the news: “I’m delighted to see the Family Hubs continuing to grow and expand their presence to help more and…

Birmingham City Council is backing a national campaign to reduce knife crime by encouraging residents to surrender dangerous weapons anonymously and safely. As part of the national knife surrender scheme running from 1 to 31 July 2025, residents are urged to dispose of knives and other dangerous weapons using dedicated surrender bins across Birmingham, designated police stations, and a mobile van unit – all without fear of prosecution. In Birmingham, a mobile weapons surrender van will be stationed at Handsworth Park car park on Wednesday 2 July from 9am to 12pm. Residents can surrender knives and any other dangerous weapons…

As part of nation-wide campaign to tackle knife crime, Walsall Council is hosting a Knife Surrender Van in King Georges Playing Fields today 1 July from 2pm to 6pm. Funded by the Home Office, the surrender van provides a safe and anonymous way for people to dispose of knives and other weapons, ahead of new legislation banning ninja swords, which comes into effect on 1 August 2025. The van’s visit is being undertaken in partnership with the police to ensure overall safety on the day. In addition to its visit to Walsall, the van will also tour Wolverhampton, Birmingham and…

The City of Wolverhampton Council is joining a national campaign to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and keep residents safe. ASB Awareness Week 2025, which begins today (Monday 30 June, 2025), aims to encourage communities to make a stand against ASB and highlight the actions that can be taken by those experiencing it. Organised by Resolve, the UK’s leading ASB and community safety organisation, the week features a series of events all across the UK, involving councils, police, housing associations, charities, community groups and sports clubs. The council and its partners, including West Midlands Police and the Wolverhampton ASB Team, will…

Adults living with obesity who wish to manage their weight can access free support through a new service provided by the City of Wolverhampton Council. Lifestyles service Live Well Wolverhampton offers a free weight management programme for adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30+, or 27.5+ for those of Black African, African Caribbean and Asian origin. To check your BMI, visit NHS. The service provides confidential information, advice, guidance, self-help tools and lifestyle interventions including face-to-face sessions with Slimming World or Gro Health over a period of 12 weeks to enable and maintain positive lifestyle choices. Gro Health…

Sandwell Council is starting work on a ‘Tiger Crossing’ and new canal access at Heath Street Smethwick on Monday 16 June. A “tiger crossing” is an informal name for a parallel crossing, a type of pedestrian and cycle crossing that gives priority to both of them. They are designed to allow cyclists to cross a road without dismounting and with priority, alongside pedestrians. They are marked with a zebra crossing for pedestrians and a parallel strip for cyclists. The work, which is scheduled to be complete in August and should cause little or no traffic disruption is part of the…