The 2026 Summer Reading Challenge is delivered by The Reading Agency in partnership with public libraries and supported by Universal Music Group UK. It encourages children aged four to 11 to read six or more library books to help maintain their reading skills and confidence over the summer. “ This initiative provides the perfect opportunity to help our children develop a lifelong love of reading and encourages positive extra-curricular activity during the school holidays. “In 2025, 171 new participants joined the challenge in Walsall, an 11 per cent increase compared to the previous year. “ Councillor Matthew Eason, Portfolio Holder…

A vehicle has been seized and four people have received fines following separate fly-tipping incidents across Walsall. Working in partnership with West Midlands Police, Walsall Council seized a vehicle on June 18 linked to two separate fly-tipping offences in the borough. The vehicle was identified during investigations into incidents on Park Road, Willenhall, on 25 April 2026 and Cairn Drive, Walsall, on 27 May 2026. A potential offender has been identified, with further enquiries ongoing. The seized vehicle will be held as part of ongoing investigations. Should it remain unclaimed, further action, including disposal, may be taken. The seizure…

Working alongside partners including West Midlands Police, the Home Office Immigration Team, NHS colleagues and Community Protection officers, licensing teams carried out checks on licensed vehicles, visited licensed premises and undertook targeted enforcement operations throughout the week. One of the largest operations in the week saw Licensing, Community Protection, Wolverhampton Police and Walsall Council’s MOT testing team inspect 12 licensed vehicles (3 Hackney Carriage and 9 Private Hire vehicles) during an evening enforcement exercise. Five vehicles were suspended after concerns were identified including expired MOT and vehicle parts which were unsafe due to damage. Licensing and Community Protection officers also…

The HAF programme brings together a four-week programme of holiday fun for children and young people aged 5-16 during the summer holidays, plus some additional sessions for the whole family to enjoy. To bring the programme to life, the council works in partnership with over 75 local providers to host activities where children can have fun, meet new people, and develop new hobbies and skills. The programme will run for four weeks over the school holidays, starting on Monday 3 August and finishing on Friday 28 August 2026. “ Our successful HAF programme has supported thousands of local families over…

Led by Walsall Council, the initiative was delivered in partnership with Walsall College and the Walsall Archive for All (WAFA) project. As part of the project, students were able to host a private exhibition, with the work viewed by their families and invitees at Bloxwich Police Station on 4 June 2026. The exhibition features over 30 pairings from Jack Haddock’s collection, capturing the evolution of daily life, buses, trains, canals and boats across the borough. The project is funded by a £249,020 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The WAFA project team are digitising 9,000 items from the collection…

Walsall Council is supporting the Men’s Wellbeing Alliance as it marks Men’s Health Week (15-21 June 2026), with a borough-wide call for men to access support early and for local communities to play an active role in improving men’s health and wellbeing. The Men’s Wellbeing Alliance, a growing grassroots collaboration between community groups and organisations across Walsall, is leading the way in building a more connected, accessible and preventative approach to men’s wellbeing. Working alongside the Alliance, the Council is helping to strengthen partnerships, amplify local support and ensure services are reaching men where they are, before issues reach crisis…

Walsall Council Public Health is encouraging women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 to check if they are due to attend their cervical screening appointment this Cervical Screening Awareness Week (15–21 June 2026). Cervical screening saves lives by detecting changes early, before cancer can develop. Cervical screening is a test for human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus that can sometimes cause cancer. It is one of the most preventable cancers and attending screening when invited is the best way to protect health. Around 3,300 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the UK each year, but most…

Walsall Council’s Public Health team has been named Team of the Year for Walsall at the Black Country Integrated Care Board Cancer Workforce Awards, held on 13 May 2026. Colleagues from Walsall Public Health at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust winning their awards at the Black Country Cancer Workforce Awards. Colleagues from Walsall Council and the NHS were recognised at awards, which celebrate the collective efforts of partners across health, local authority and the voluntary and community sector to improve cancer prevention, screening and early diagnosis for residents. The Public Health team was recognised for its strong commitment, expertise and…

Bloxwich Launchpad, a new digital skills and business support hub in the heart of Bloxwich, Walsall, has been shortlisted in three categories of this year’s Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) regional awards. Following its formal opening in October 2025, Bloxwich Launchpad has been shortlisted in the Community Benefit, Public Sector and Refurbishment/Revitalisation categories of the West Midlands RICS awards recognised for its positive community impact, creative reuse of an existing space and the partnership work between public and private sectors to deliver the new service. “ I’m incredibly proud that Bloxwich Launchpad has been shortlisted in the RICS…

Since the start of the year, the choir has united through music and song, and last week they performed for the very first time. Made up of Walsall Council’s foster carers and the staff who support them, the choir has become a vehicle for community and wellbeing, and a way for choir members to use music as an emotional outlet. Sonia Percival is a member of the choir and said, “I was singing before I could talk, although some people might say I still haven’t quite mastered the ‘in tune’ part! The choir has brought me friendships, laughter, connection and…