Solihull children, young people, and families with special educational needs and disabilities will soon have access to an even wider range of SEND specialist short break activities. This is thanks to continued funding from Solihull Council and new support from the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF)Programme. These include sessions after school, in the evenings, at weekends and during school holidays. From Easter 2026 to August 2027, ten local organisations will be offering 18 different activity programmes. These will include everything from non-contact boxing and forest school, to arts and crafts, youth groups and more. The aim is to give…

Planning permission has now been granted for a major new affordable housing development in Chelmsley Wood, marking a significant milestone in Solihull Council’s partnership with the UK’s leading provider of mixed-tenure homes, Vistry Group PLC to deliver 177 high‑quality, sustainable new homes for local residents. The scheme will transform the site of the former Simon Digby School. This well connected spot, located between the Chester Road (A452) and the M6, was originally earmarked for housing development in the adopted 2013 Solihull Local Plan. Planning approval follows extensive preparatory work undertaken by Solihull Council ahead of the application, including…

A free family bike ride and fun day is back for its third year in Wolverhampton. The Kidical Mass ride is on Saturday 13 June and cyclists of all ages are urged to sign up now for free. Riders follow a gentle route of 4.5 miles from East Park to Molineux stadium and back, on roads and cycle lanes developed by City of Wolverhampton Council. The family bike ride will start shortly after midday following some short opening speeches. There will also be plenty going on in the park from 11am to 4pm on the day, including…

Bilston is entering the running to be crowned the first ever UK Town of Culture in 2028. Wolverhampton Council will submit an expression of interest ahead of the 31 March deadline, with the strongest candidates to be shortlisted and each receive a £60,000 grant to work up their full bids. Three finalists will be chosen by an expert panel, with the winning town awarded £3million to deliver a year-long programme of cultural celebrations, while two runners-up will receive £250,000 each. The contest will run alongside the existing UK City of Culture contest, which was won by Bradford in…

Further focused care and attention is set to be given to city streets and communities thanks to the introduction of a second Love Your Community: Neighbourhood Team. City of Wolverhampton Council launched its Love Your Community: Neighbourhood Team initiative in January, a dedicated taskforce to improve the cleanliness, safety and appearance of local areas. The original team will now be boosted by a second which will start work over the coming weeks. This team will focus on the cleansing and improvement of the main arterial routes into Wolverhampton, making sure residents and visitors experience a sense of pride across…

WV Active Aldersley is celebrating this year’s World Cup with an indoor 5 a side football tournament, and teams are invited to sign up now. Taking place on Saturday 30 May, the tournament is open to everyone aged 16 or over. The first game will kick off at 9.30am, with the final taking place at 3.45pm. Teams will be guaranteed 75 minutes of indoor football, and even more if they qualify for the knockouts. The winning team will also receive 3, free indoor 5 a side sessions. Entry is £30 per team; to sign up, please visit Indoor…

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, cabinet member for City Transport at City of Wolverhampton Council City of Wolverhampton Council is continuing efforts to ensure roadworks carried out by utility companies are completed promptly and to a high standard. Water, gas and electricity providers are responsible for more than two thirds of all roadworks across Wolverhampton. The council works closely with these organisations to help plan their activity and improve how work is delivered. All works are shared publicly via the online Causeway One Network live map to help people plan their journeys. As part of its responsibility to keep the city…

There is plenty to do for families in Walsall this spring with a jam-packed schedule of fun, learning, and support sessions at Walsall’s Best Start in Life Family Hubs. Family Hubs sign with balloons There are four family hubs and nine community hubs across the borough welcome to families who want to enjoy free activities, meet other like-minded local families, or speak to professionals about support they may need. The Hubs deliver activities all year round and form part of the We Are Walsall 2040 vision to be a child-friendly borough and give children and young people the…

Pictured at the launch of SEND Wolves Forum on Monday are Sue Brunton, Admin Secretary; Tessina Fernandes, Member; Stacey Wooldridge, Co-Chair; Councillor Jacqui Coogan, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education; Natalie Brewer, Membership Secretary; Janet Grant, Member; and Emma Tweddle, Vice Chair SEND Wolves Forum has officially launched following a well attended event at Life Springs Church this week. The new parent carer forum will give parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) in Wolverhampton a stronger voice in shaping local services. Run…

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, Cabinet Member for City Transport at City of Wolverhampton Council next to Ring Road St George’s A fresh wave of full road resurfacing is set to begin across Wolverhampton as the council continues its investment in improving the city’s highways. City of Wolverhampton Council recognises potholes have been a source of frustration for many after prolonged wet and freezing weather this winter, which has accelerated damage on roads across the country. Alongside the ongoing 24/7 repairs programme, we are prioritising full road resurfacing schemes and other treatments that provide longer lasting improvements and better journeys for…