More than 160 passionate and ambitious leaders, residents, and partners from across the borough came together at the first We Are Walsall 2040 conference.
They celebrated shared successes and explored new ways to collaborate, working towards making Walsall the most improved borough in the region by 2040 and a vibrant, thriving community people are proud to call home.
The event, held on Tuesday 24 June 2025 at the University of Wolverhampton’s Walsall Campus, also marked the launch of the first We Are Walsall 2040 biannual report, showcasing the significant progress made in the 18 months since the strategy’s inception.
Sacha Jones, Married at First Sight star, podcaster and ambassador for the partnership, hosted a lived experience panel joined by inspiring speakers.
Keynote speakers including Steven Smith, founder of Poundland, told a story of determination and vision. He began working at local markets and eventually expanded to managing industrial-sized units, before going on to found Poundland.
“When you share your business idea and people laugh, it usually means you’re on to something,” he said. “Most people laughed when I told them about Poundland.”
His top tips for success included: “Unless you believe in what you’re doing, no one else will,” “You’re only as good as your people,” and “Look after your customers—or someone else will.”
Also sharing their stories were Gavin Burrows from TMA Trojan, Sylwia Juranek from Reach for a Star CIC, Dawn Perry from whg, Joel Rushton, a Young Citizen and Virginia Mpofu, Social Worker. They talked about challenges they have overcome and the meaningful impact they have made in their communities.
Describing her biggest achievement, Sylwia said: “Creating my own space and designing community groups took a lot of hard work. Not everyone opens doors for you, sometimes you have to find the strength to invite yourself into that space. It can be intimidating; it’s a journey.”
Throughout the day, facilitated workshops drove forward key priorities on health, productivity, crime, children and young people, net zero, and financial inclusion, with insights that will continue shaping the borough’s future.
“ We invest millions of pounds each year in building new affordable homes for people who desperately need them and in maintaining and improving our existing homes.
We are deeply committed to working collaboratively with our partners to address the challenges our borough faces and unlock opportunities for everyone. The We Are Walsall 2040 Strategy enables us to work together to make our borough the most improved in the region, and we’re proud to play our part in this vision. “
Fay Shanahan, Corporate Director of Operations and IT
whg
The day finished with an insightful Q&A with leaders from housing, education, NHS, community and police, tackling everything from funding to future skills.
Shaped by the voices of more than 10,000 residents, businesses and organisations, the We Are Walsall 2040 Strategy launched in 2023.
Their feedback showed that people want a thriving borough where they feel safe, with clean, green streets and spaces, good jobs and leisure opportunities for all. The strategy was built on four ambitions: We Are Thriving and Happy, Healthy and Well, Prosperous and Innovative and Proud of our Borough.