Youngsters taking part in the Yo! Active summer programme join, left to right, Lisa Johnson, Service Manager for WV Active, Councillor Obaida Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Community, and Grace Whiston, Community Activation Officer, Wolves Foundation, for one of the activities at WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams Children and young people across Wolverhampton are being encouraged to sign up for a summer packed full of fun, free activities with Yo! Active over the next few weeks. Yo! Active is delivered by WV Active and Wolves Foundation and offers a wide range of free activities all year round to…

Visiting housing tenants and asking them how they are has been the focus of an intensive week of activity by Birmingham City Council. Housing officers have visited around 2,000 council tenants in just one week to check in with people, to get to know them face-to-face and to ensure they are receiving the support they need. Officers visiting properties have been able to refer tenants for financial advice, identify potential savings on energy costs, determine if properties or gardens require any repair work, and identify tenants interested in being involved on local tenant boards. The visits are an opportunity for…

A city landlord who threatened to unlawfully evict a tenant with a young family has given an undertaking to the courts to stop business activities for 3 years following investigations by City of Wolverhampton Council. In the first case of its kind in the city, Aunberin Kawal Saddique, sole trader and director of Emerald Lettings and Developments Limited, gave an undertaking to the courts to cease engaging in the letting and rental management services of private residential properties until 17 July, 2028. The undertaking means that Saddique, who manages 36 properties across the city, has agreed to not let housing…

Encouraging residents to be responsible dog owners are (from left) dachshund Stan with his owner Richard Bracey and Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services at City of Wolverhampton Council Dog owners are being encouraged to follow a simple phrase when taking their pets out in public to help keep the city safe and clean for everyone. ‘Collar, tag, microchip, bag’ is the expression that City of Wolverhampton Council is asking everyone with a dog to keep in mind when they take their pooches out and about. The aim is to remind dog owners of their legal responsibilities…

This level of sleep deprivation increases the risk of serious injury or fatality in safety critical situations. Published in Science Advances, the biomarker used a combination of markers found in the blood of healthy volunteers. Together, these markers accurately predicted when the study volunteers had been awake for more than 24 hours under controlled laboratory conditions. The biomarker detected whether individuals had been awake for 24 hours with a 99.2 percent probability of being correct, when compared to their own well-rested sample. When a single sample was considered without the well-rested comparison (similar to a diagnostic blood test), it dropped…

(L-R) Back row – Gary Norwood from 2Logic, Viren Dhunday, on work placement with the council’s People Development and Experience Team, Keene Bathan, Waste Logistics and Quality Officer at the council following work experience, Sarah Prescott, council Youth Employment Support Manager, Tiah Faulkner, a Level 4 Data and Information Governance Apprentice at the council following work experience, Councillor Chris Burden, council Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, and Emma Wheway from Elec Training. Front row – Students from The Khalsa Academy in Wolverhampton Employment partners have come together to issue a rallying call to Wolverhampton businesses to…

Wolverhampton’s Yo! Summer gets underway next week with a wide range of activities on offer to children and young people. They include 35,862 places available for eligible children and young people, as part of the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, delivered at 46 locations across the city by 36 providers thanks to over £1 million worth of investment. There’s something for everyone with activities ranging from sports and outdoor adventures to arts and crafts, trips, drama and productions, martial arts, cooking, snooker and much more – visit Yo! Wolverhampton Young Opportunities for full details. These activities and food are…

A computer generated image of what the approach to the new outdoor market canopy could look like heading from the bus station (Image credit: Greig & Stephenson Architects) The multi million pound redevelopment of Bilston Market is set to get underway next week. City of Wolverhampton Council is investing more than £5 million in major improvements to the market that will deliver “the absolute best market in the West Midlands” with more modern, more accessible, and more vibrant spaces for traders and the local community. Works are set to officially begin on Wednesday 23 July and will feature better…

Poundland founder Steve Smith Steve Smith launched the retail chain Poundland in 1990. From humble beginnings he worked his way up from selling on market stalls to running the multi-million-pound retail business which he went onto sell almost 20 years ago. Speaking recently at the first ever We Are Walsall 2040 conference, Smith originally from Willenhall, was optimistic about the future of the borough: “It is the people of Walsall who make me most proud to come from this area. I built my business with good people and with good people, who work hard, you can achieve a great deal.”…

“Simpson & Partners, the UK based sustainable EV manufacturer welcomes the UK Government’s reintroduction of the Electric Car Grant, offering up to £3,750 off new fully electric vehicles under £37,000. Bringing back this support originally phased out in 2022 marks a vital step in reducing the upfront cost barrier and accelerating the shift to low-carbon transport. The additional £63 million investment in EV charging infrastructure is equally encouraging. By addressing practical concerns like cross-pavement charging for households without driveways and depot charging for fleets, this scheme helps ensure the transition to electric mobility is accessible to more people, not just the early…