Councillor Ray Nock has been formally confirmed as the new Leader of the Council at Sandwell’s annual meeting. Leader of the Council, Councillor Ray Nock, said: “I was born in Sandwell, and have lived and worked here all my life, so it is an honour and privilege to be elected the new Leader of Sandwell Council. “There is a lot to be proud of in Sandwell, and alongside my new Cabinet we’re totally committed to making our borough an even better place to live and work. “We are going to be working hard for all our residents and to…

Councillor Margaret Sutton (Great Barr, Tamebridge and Yew Tree ward) is the new Mayor of the Borough following a ceremony in the Council Chamber at Sandwell Council House on Tuesday (26 May). The Mayoress is Mrs Zoe Gallagher. The Deputy Mayor was named as Councillor Nathan Williams (Cradley Heath and Old Hill). At the ceremony, votes of thanks were passed to the outgoing Mayor and Deputy Mayor Steve Melia and Councillor Elaine Giles. Councillor Sutton confirmed that the charities she will be raising money for are the Midlands Air Ambulance and Sandwell Victim Support. Midlands Air Ambulance Midlands Air Ambulance…

Families across Sandwell are being invited to celebrate play, creativity and community this half term as Sandwell Council launches its Festival of Free Play, featuring more than 25 free activities. Running from 25 to 31 May, the festival brings together outdoor play sessions, library activities, creative workshops and family-friendly performances in parks, libraries and community spaces across the borough, including Oldbury, Smethwick, Tipton, West Bromwich, Wednesbury and Rowley Regis. The festival is delivered by Sandwell Council’s GoPlay and Library services in partnership with local organisations and is designed with children at its heart, championing children’s right to play, feel safe,…

In Sandwell – and across the UK – hundreds of foster carers open their homes to provide love, stability and care to children and young people in need of safety, stability and love. But many more foster carers are urgently needed to ensure every child can be matched with the right home for their individual needs. That’s why, from this week until 24 May, Sandwell Children’s Trust is backing the nationwide Foster Care Fortnight campaign, as Emma Taylor, Chief Executive of Sandwell Children’s Trust, explains: “Foster Care Fortnight is really important because it shines a light on the…

Leader of the Council, Kerrie Carmichael was joined by Tunmi Agbona and Natalie Nyengerai from Sandwell College and representatives of Sandwell’s Culture Forum Sandwell Council is entering Smethwick into the first ever UK Town of Culture competition, celebrating the town’s vibrant and cohesive community, rich heritage and growing arts and culture scene. Made 50 years ago from six proud towns, the borough of Sandwell is a place built on making things happen. It’s where industry met innovation, and where strong, creative, diverse communities shape its future. Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, Leader of the Council said: “If it can be made, it’s…

Sandwell Council has begun work on a series of 38 new priority road safety projects across the borough as part of its Community Road Safety Concern Programme this year. Six are already completed or nearing completion and more are on the way. Over the past 25 years, Sandwell has halved the number of casualties on its roads, including reducing child casualties by 60 per cent. This significant reduction follows a long-term programme of targeted engineering measures, road safety education, and support for police enforcement action. The council is continuing this work through its Community Road Safety Concern Programme, which focuses…

Sandwell Council’s Cabinet has agreed to invest an extra £1.5million to help maintain roads and footpaths, building on the authority’s top national Green rating for highway maintenance. This boost means the council will invest more than £14million in total over the next year on keeping Sandwell’s roads, footpaths and street lights well maintained. The additional £1.5million – approved by the council’s Cabinet last month – will specifically support maintaining local residential roads as well as footpaths in neighbourhoods and town centre shopping areas. Sandwell has recently celebrated a Green rating under the government’s new national traffic light system for…

Staff involved in the campaign together with the Cabinet Member for Adult Services Health and Wellbeing, Councillor Jackie Taylor and Dr Frances Howie, Director of Public Health holding campaign materials. Sandwell Council has been shortlisted for Campaign of the Year at the 2026 Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards for its impactful men’s mental health campaign, You ok, mate? This national recognition reflects Sandwell’s commitment to being a caring, community‑focused council that puts residents’ wellbeing at the heart of everything it does. It also comes at a time when the council is being recognised more widely for its improvement and transformation…

The council is to invest around £1.66million to create and enhance Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) resources at Ocker Hill Academy in Tipton and Wood Green Academy in Wednesbury. This funding will help more children and young people to learn, grow and thrive in their local communities and contribute to new purpose‑built facilities being delivered as part of the Department for Education’s national School Rebuild Programme, which is comprehensively redeveloping both academy sites. At Ocker Hill Academy, the existing SEND resource offer will be expanded from 10 to 15 places, strengthening an already well‑established offer for pupils…

A major new Learning Campus is set to open on the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital site, marking a significant milestone in the regeneration of Smethwick and the wider Sandwell area. The campus will expand access to education, training, and professional development for residents of all ages, helping local people gain the skills needed for future careers in a rapidly changing economy. Developed through a unique partnership between Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS trust and its Learning Works, Sandwell College, the University of Wolverhampton, Aston University, and Sandwell Council the Learning Campus will provide access to entry-level learning through…