The directors of a city business where cockroaches contaminated surfaces and equipment have been successfully prosecuted by City of Wolverhampton Council. Acting on a complaint, the council’s environmental health officers visited The Millions Kitchen, in Showell Road, and discovered the infestation. Food preparation surfaces, equipment and food packaging were all found to be contaminated by contact with cockroaches when officers made their inspection during August 2023. Chris Onohwano Igomuaye and Sikiru Owolewa, directors of The Millions Kitchen, each pleaded guilty to a breach of The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 during a hearing at Dudley Magistrates Court on…

This is a balanced budget for 2025/26, subject to the outcome of the final local government settlement. It includes proposals for spending, efficiencies and council tax. “ The Government must address funding for local authorities to enable councils to meet rising demand, particularly in social care. Walsall Council has a track record of strong financial management, but it is not sustainable for us to keep raising council tax and using our reserves to balance the budget. This is a national crisis that this council can’t solve on its own. What is needed is a fair, multi-year government settlement in future…

Wolverhampton’s Young Poet Laureate and Primary Poet Champion were officially unveiled at this year’s Wolverhampton Literature Festival. Young Poet Laurate Agneta Krieva, from Ormiston SWB Academy, and Primary Poet Champion Florence Ehigie, from SS Mary & John’s Primary Academy, were chosen from dozens of budding poets after winning a competition organised by Wolverhampton’s library service. This year, children and young people are asked to write a poem about friendship entitled ‘Life is better with friends’. Councillor Obaida Ahmed, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Digital and Community, said: “For the past 5 years, our library service has been…

The Foundation is offering around 20 grants of up to £7,500 each to help with the project costs of running dementia clubs and memory cafes in areas of high deprivation affecting older people over the age of 65 years in Great Britain. Although applications will be accepted from all areas of England, Scotland and Wales, priority will be given to those applications working in more deprived areas. Please see the specified areas in the guidance notes on the Foundation’s website. Locations have been selected based on data from the ONS, Age UK, and the Centre for Ageing Better, with a…

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is offering grants of between 20,000 and £14.642 million to not-for-profit organisations for projects that take surplus food off farms and into the redistribution system with the aim of helping to fight hunger in communities in England. Proposals need to: Build stronger collaborations with farmers to access surplus food. Expand logistical capacity to transport and distribute rescued produce efficiently. Invest in critical infrastructure such as refrigeration, storage facilities, and transport vehicles to keep food fresh and safe for redistribution. Procure packaging and labelling equipment to streamline the handling of surplus goods.…

In the spirit of Valentines Day, Walsall Council is encouraging residents to love their environment by disposing of their waste responsibly. Each year in the UK, approximately 220 million roses, 25,000 tonnes of plastic and cardboard packaging, 25 million cards, and 13,500 miles of gift wrap are sold. Walsall Council is encouraging residents to think mindfully about their gift purchases and ensure that waste is disposed of responsibly. presents to reduce waste. By being mindful of our choices, we can all help make Walsall cleaner and greener and avoid contributing to landfill. “ Councillor Kerry Murphy, Portfolio Holder for…

Older adults may be slower to learn actions and behaviours that benefit themselves, but new research shows they are just as capable as younger people of learning behaviours that benefit others. Researchers at the Universities of Birmingham and Oxford found that youngsters, in contrast, tend to learn much faster when they are making choices that benefit themselves. The study, published in Nature Communications, focused on reinforcement learning – a fundamental type of learning in which we make decisions based on the positive outcomes from earlier choices. It allows us to adapt our choices to our environment by learning the associations…

‘The Grand Sale’, a new national retail campaign from Honda, designed to make purchasing a new Jazz even more enticing for customers across the UK is now live. From Wednesday, 5th February 2025, to Friday, 28th February 2025, retail customers can enjoy £1,000 (Inc. VAT) off the purchase of a new Jazz. The sale is available to cash or finance customers, in conjunction with Honda’s existing finance offer of 3.9% APR. Olivia Dunn, Head of Communications for Honda Motor Europe (UK) said: “We’re delighted to go live with ‘The Grand Sale’ on the Honda Jazz from 5th to 28th February.…

People are being reminded of the importance of regular testing as National HIV Testing Week gets underway. Run by HIV Prevention England, the annual event highlights how regular testing is helping to reduce the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV, or who are diagnosed late. Testing is free, quick and confidential, and the only way for people to know their HIV status. Anyone diagnosed with HIV will be able to access free treatment and support. Testing for HIV is also useful for HIV-negative people who are considering interventions such as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of…

JLR’s Barbara Bergmeier has been named the overall winner at the inaugural Autocar Drivers of Change awards. Held and judged in association with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and Ennis & Co, Autocar Drivers of Change is a new initiative championing diverse talent in the automotive industry. A sibling event to Autocar Great Women, these awards celebrate the automotive industry as a place that welcomes everybody. The 40 Autocar Drivers of Change winners are individuals who are driving change and promoting diversity in their business in whichever role they perform. They were named at an awards ceremony at…