Walsall Council’s Parking Services has received reports from members of the public regarding suspicious text messages claiming they have outstanding parking charges. Please be aware that these messages are a scam. Walsall Council does not send text messages requesting payment for parking charges. If you receive one of these fraudulent messages, please do not respond or click on any links. Instead, report it to Action Fraud: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

This year’s Summer Reading Challenge, the Story Garden, gets underway in Wolverhampton on Saturday (12 July). Young readers are invited to sign up at any of the city’s 16 libraries for free, join the adventure and discover a magical world where stories grow. The annual Summer Reading Challenge is delivered in partnership with The Reading Agency. Last year over 1,200 young bookworms took part, visiting their local library at least three times and reading at least six titles over the summer. Participants can take part in competitions and will receive a certificate and medal on completion of the challenge. To…

A series of free family fun days will take place across the city this summer to encourage everyone to love their community. The Love Your Community fun days will be taking place at Pendeford Dovecotes TMO on Wednesday 30 July, the Cannock Road Gurdwara on Thursday 7 August, Lanesfield Church on Wednesday 13 August, and St Joseph’s Church, Coalway Road, on Wednesday 20 August. Each will run from 11am to 3pm and all are welcome. Partners including the City of Wolverhampton Council, community organisations and charities, the police and other service providers will be on hand to provide a day…

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,…

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…

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…