Work to create more ‘bee beaches’ and restore historic heathland habitats is being carried out across the West Midlands. This conservation effort is part of the Purple Horizons Nature Recovery Project, led by Natural England. The work involves using diggers to remove vegetation and create bare ground areas – known as ‘bee beaches’ – which are crucial habitats for many threatened pollinators. This project, now in its second year, has created even more bee-friendly habitats across seven sites: Shire Oak Park, Barr Beacon, Pelsall North Common, Chasewater Country Park, Brownhills Common, Wharf Lane and Muckley Corner.  The work is being…

Wolverhampton residents are being urged to remain vigilant and follow some important guidance when considering aesthetic procedures available on the High Street. Environmental Health officers at City of Wolverhampton Council are concerned that people are not always aware of the safety risks and potential complications involved. Officers want to encourage residents to ask questions and report any concerns before undergoing aesthetic procedures such as Botox, anti wrinkle injections, cosmetic or dermal fillers, chemical peels or skin boosters. They recommend the following: Make sure you have a pre-consultation before undergoing any procedure. This should look at your medical history and give…

Interactive water feature at Darlaston swimming and fitness centre Various sessions are being held between Monday 17 February and Sunday 23 February, including public swimming sessions at Bloxwich and Oak Park Active Living Centres and Walsall Gala and Darlaston Swimming and Fitness Centres. Ever-popular Big Bounce events will be held on Tuesday 18 February at Bloxwich Active Living and Friday 21 February at Oak Park, pre-booking online for these sessions is recommended. There will even be roller-skating sessions on offer, firstly at Oak Park on Wednesday 19 February from 1.30pm to 3:00pm, Followed by session at Bloxwich Active Living on…

Music for All, the charity of the UK musical instrument industry, is currently accepting applications for its first funding round of 2025. Groups, schools, any form of educational establishment, community projects, charities, and organisations that are bringing music to their communities in the UK can apply. Priority will be given to applicants who are most in need of help. In the current round, grants of up to £2,000 are available in the following areas: Working with primary school-aged children –  community-based groups providing music-making opportunities to young-people aged between 4–11 can apply, including groups operating in caring as well as…

Bentley Motors has officially opened its new state-of-the-art Excellence Centre for Quality & Launch. The new facility, opened today by Gunnar Kilian, Member of the Board of Management at Volkswagen AG, and Bentley’s Board of Management, will be pivotal to the brand’s preparations for the first Bentley BEV. The world’s first Urban Luxury SUV will be launched next year and today’s opening sets a key milestone in transforming the 85-year old site for a new age of electrification. Bentley’s industry-leading Beyond100+ strategy will see the company reinvent its entire product range to support an electrified future. The company’s new digital,…

L-R Paul McCormick (Speller Metcalfe), Holly Winby (Speller Metcalfe), Cllr Adrian Andrew, Associate Leader Walsall Council, Kate Moore (Speller Metcalfe), Samuel Minett-Smith (Speller Metcalfe) and Matthew Bailey (Speller Metcalfe) Bloxwich Launchpad is a new and exciting digital skills hub in the heart of Bloxwich due to open in Spring 2025, it will be housed in the former Post Office on Market Place. The scheme is funded through the Bloxwich Town Deal and aims to improve access to digital skills support and training, as well as business support, for the people of Bloxwich. As part of the agreement with Walsall Council,…

The UK’s used car market grew by 5.5% to 7,643,180 transactions in 2024, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Marking eight quarters of continuous growth, the year saw 400,488 more vehicles change hands than in 2023, with growth in the new car market fuelling availability and wider choice within the used sector.1 Transactions rose in every month in 2024, as they did in 2023, with Q4 up 4.0% to 1,746,051 units. The top three popular body types remained the same for another year, with superminis taking the top spot,…

Walsall Council has installed new equipment and scheduled a series of Community Workout sessions to help residents maximise the benefits of these new additions. The new equipment is now available at Aldridge Airport, Pelsall Common, Pleck Park, and Holland Park. An additional set of equipment is scheduled for installation at Walsall Arboretum, with the anticipated completion date set for Spring 2025. “ The new equipment encourages healthy physical activity and, most importantly, is free for everyone to use. We hope that having this new equipment will attract more people to try it out for the first time. Outdoor gym facilities…

Advances in understanding the basic biology behind the causes of diabetic retinopathy could have potential therapeutic implications later down the line. A recent paper published by the experimental ophthalmology team at the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing in Nature Communications, sheds light on the mechanisms that cause eye damage in as many as 80% of people who have had diabetes for several decades. Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes, a result of high blood sugar levels damaging the retina at the back of the eye. It can cause blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated, so regular check-ups are important for…

Balsall Common – Young Driver, the UK’s foremost under-17s driver-training company, has just taken delivery of its first Suzuki Swifts as part of a 170-car deal with Suzuki UK that will see children given more than 150,000 lessons a year in the new model. After 15 years and nearly 1.5 million lessons, Young Driver has been responsible for dramatically reducing accident rates among its alumni, with only 3.3% of former students being involved in accidents in the first six months after passing their driving test*, versus the national average of 20%**. The company, led by motor industry stalwart Ian Mulingani,…