Leader of Walsall Council, Councillor Garry Perry, has called upon agencies in Staffordshire in a bid to collectively tackle the use of illegal off-road bikes. In a letter to Staffordshire Police, the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s office, and to the Canal & River Trust, Councillor Perry has requested a roundtable discussion to devise a joint operational approach to address the issue. The letter explains Councillor Perry’s concerns about off-road vehicles, the dangers they pose to the communities they disrupt, and how he believes agencies can work together better to deter the issue. Three hotspots on the Walsall/Staffordshire border…

What’s the largest organ in your body? It’s your skin! It provides a protective covering for the other organs of the body. It changes to regulate your internal body temperature. And it’s a good indicator of overall health and well-being. People spend thousands of dollars on skin preparations to make your skin look vibrant and glowing. They’re all topical products – products that we put on top of our skin. But if we spent just a fraction of the money we spend on these preparations on RAW FOODS, we’d begin to see an immediate change in the texture of our…

Hosting the new community stall at Bilston Indoor Market are pupils from St Thomas More Catholic School in Willenhall with Councillor Jacqui Coogan, cabinet member for children, young people and education and Councillor Obaida Ahmed, cabinet member for digital and community A new community stall giving opportunities for local organisations, schools and charities has been launched at Bilston Indoor Market. The stall, in the centre of the market, is a designated place for local groups to raise awareness of projects, share information or organise fundraising. It is free for local organisations to use and has been funded by £3,000 from…

Walsall Trading Standards, in partnership with West Midlands Police and a specialist search dog team, including sniffer dogs Griff, Bran and Cooper, searched seven retail premises and one associated vehicle. Illegal goods were found in the vehicle and all shops visited, including across storeroom floors, hidden concealments, and even inside a jigsaw puzzle box. The seizures removed more than 150,000 cigarettes, 20.5kg of illegal hand rolling tobacco, and 1543 illegal disposable vapes from Walsall’s streets. “ Our Trading Standards team really put the pieces together with this investigation, managing to find goods which pose a real danger to our residents…

Birmingham City Council is delighted to announce that three local schools have been granted the School-Based Nursery Capital Grant for the 2024-2025 academic year. Grestone Academy, Montgomery Primary Academy, and The Shirestone Academy will receive funding to expand and enhance nursery provision, creating more childcare opportunities for local families. This funding initiative is part of the government’s wider strategy to increase access to early years education, particularly in areas where demand for nursery places outstrips supply. The initiative aims to ensure that families across the country have better access to affordable, high-quality early years provision, supporting children’s development and preparing…

UK businesses and consumers could benefit from lower prices on imports of everyday essentials like spices and juices as the Government takes further action to make the UK the best place to do business and kickstart economic growth. In a further demonstration of the government’s commitment to free trade and responding to business need, the UK Global Tariff will be temporarily suspended on 89 products saving UK businesses up and down the country at least £17 million a year. The products include plywood and plastics, which are essential for construction – making life easier for chippies all over the country.…

Council homes in a Wednesbury neighbourhood have undergone a major refurbishment, with two new apartments also created to help provide much-needed housing. Sandwell Council and its contractor SWG Construction have completed the refurbishment and new-build project in Thorn Close, Wednesbury. SWG has revitalised 12 one-bedroom and 16 three-bedroom two-storey apartments, while also adding two brand new one-bedroom single-storey apartments within the original under-used underpasses. The project not only improves the quality of housing for residents but also enhances the surrounding environment with new landscaping, garden roofs, modernised communal spaces and upgraded facilities. Alongside the new apartments, SWG completed essential works…

The London Eid Festival returned in spectacular fashion this past weekend at Westfield London, welcoming thousands of visitors from all faiths and diverse backgrounds to mark the end of Ramadan in a joyful, sunlit celebration of food, culture, and community. Taking place from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th April, the first weekend of this two-part event began with early festivalgoers arriving at Westfield Square well before the 11am opening to enjoy freshly cooked halal street food. From there, guests made their way into the central area of the Westfield mall, which had been transformed into a vibrant indoor market…

The facility, located at Grenfell Allotments, had gone unused for 10 years prior to work. To deliver the work at no cost, a collaborative approach was pulled together through Walsall Council’s Corporate Social Responsibility Programme (CSR). Barhale and sister company BCS Group provided labour, tools, PPE and signage for the project. Travis Perkins provided all the materials free of charge while Flannery Plant Hire provided a heavy plant dumper and mini digger, including transport to and from site. For groundworks, Speedy Hire provided strimmers. For the work to be carried out, vegatation had to be removed, along with the dilapidated…

Young Driver®, the UK’s foremost under-17s driver-training school, has steered clear of leasing for the first time after taking delivery of its brand-new 170-strong Suzuki Swift fleet, which will provide 150,000 driving lessons for children each year. After 15 years, 1.5 million lessons, and multiple fleet changes, Young Driver has bucked the industry norm and purchased its new fleet outright, rather than leasing the cars. Due to a combination of strong residual values for the Suzukis, and the ability for Young Driver to only offset its loan interest and depreciation against profits – rather than the entire lease payment -…