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…

Mindful eating is an approach to food where you pay full attention to eating. Research has shown that eating mindfully can improve digestion, help regulate appetite and helps us enjoy our food much more. Here we share some simple ways to incorporate mindful eating into your daily routine: Preparing your food For many people, cooking can feel like a chore but it doesn’t have to be a rushed experience or something we do on autopilot. Whether you’re chopping, slicing, or marinating, the art of being mindful when you are cooking is an ideal opportunity to focus your attention on textures,…

Top employers in the UK automotive sector are investing in a major skills drive to grow apprenticeship numbers by almost a sixth in 2025, according to a new survey by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), as manufacturers embark on a ‘green growth decade’. With the UK celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (10-16 February), there are few more exciting places for apprentices to be than automotive, as the sector innovates to deliver a new generation of zero emission vehicles. More than £20 billion of investment has been committed to Britain’s EV transition in the past two years alone1 –…

In 2021, there were 26,415 unpaid carers in Walsall, representing 10% of the borough’s population. Local authorities have a duty to identify and support young carers, of which there are currently 276 in Walsall between the ages of 8 and 21. The voices of carers have been instrumental in developing the strategy, sharing their experiences of what caring is like for them, and what support they feel they would benefit from. Six priorities have been identified within the strategy, for both adult and young carers. These include recognising the positive role carers have on society, ensuring their health and wellbeing…

Image from www.sandwell.gov.uk The Restoration of the historic community buildings was completed by the people for the people. The award is sponsored by Hortons’ Estate Limited. The 2024 award recognises the restoration of the High Street’s striking Grade II Town Hall and Library. The Town Hall was designed by Alexander and Henman, opening in 1874 –5, with the Central Library by Weller and Proud, added in 1907. The Central Library was a gift to the people of West Bromwich from the astonishingly generous Scottish-American philanthropist and industrialist, Andrew Carnegie, who endowed 660 libraries in the United Kingdom alone. The Victorian…

Birmingham’s annual settlement to fund public health services has been announced to be £108 million in 2025/26. This confirms an increase to the existing annual public health grant of 3%. The government funding, announced on 7th February, will be used to continue driving vital services such as smoking cessation, addiction recovery, health visitors, school nurses, sexual health clinics, and public health support for local NHS services. It supports the government’s 10-year plan to shift the focus from treatment to local prevention programmes tailored to communities, which it hopes will reduce pressures on the NHS. This, in turn, supports Birmingham City…