What’s on this weekend

Word of Mouth Garden Party at Himley Hall

A music event is taking place at Himley Hall this Saturday.

Word of Mouth Prosecco and Club Classic Garden Party will run from 3 till 10pm.

There will be two stages at the ‘party’: a main stage playing house, garage, and disco classics, and a ‘bar stage’ playing RnB and soul.

Food stalls will also be on offer, with a dress code of ‘very smart’: no sportswear, caps or hoodies will be accepted. This event is for over 18s only.

A total of 3,500 people are expected to attend.

South Staffordshire Council’s Environmental Health and Licensing Team has been working with the organisers with a view to helping them deliver a safe and successful event.

For more information or to book, click here

Council and district news

Council job vacancies

• Senior Caretaker – closes midnight on August 28th
• Corporate Services Apprentice – closes August 31st
• Relief Leisure Assistant, Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre – closes August 19th
• Biffa Class 2 Driver, Municipal Waste Collection – open application date. 
• Swimming Instructors, all leisure centres – open application date.    
• Assistant Clerk, Lapley, Stretton and Wheaton Aston Parish Council – closes midday on August 25th. For more information on this role, click here

For more information on all South Staffordshire Council vacancies and for details on how to apply, click here

Commonwealth Games Time Trial events race through South Staffs

Staffordshire has been celebrating the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games this week, as the county hosted two events and top international athletes.  

On Wednesday, the sell-out mountain biking event took place on the nationally acclaimed trails at Birches Valley, Cannock Chase.

On Thursday, meanwhile, hundreds of people also turned out to cheer on the riders in the cycling time trial event, which hit the streets of South Staffordshire.

The race started and finished in Wolverhampton’s West Park and passed through Penn Common, Gospel End, Wombourne and Himley, offering residents the opportunity to spectate at one of five free road events being held over the course of the games.

See the full article here

Stand for what you believe in: Be a councillor

Interested in helping your community? Want to drive change?

Be a councillor in South Staffordshire and make a real difference.

On Thursday, May, 4th, 2023, all 42 South Staffordshire District Council seats, and all parish council seats, are up for election.

South Staffordshire Council is holding an event for anyone looking to stand, where potential candidates can find out more about what the authority does, plus the role of a councillor and the skills they need.

To find out more, click here

New Community Garden at Baggeridge Country Park

A new Community Garden has been created at Baggeridge Country Park, thanks to Breathing Spaces Therapeutic Services and Lottery funding.

The garden is open to park visitors and offers a peaceful place for families to enjoy the outdoors.

See the article in the Express & Star on the new facility here

New provider for The Hub Cafe

The Hub Cafe will soon be coming under new management.

Five-star rated food outlets

Our Environmental Health team has had the pleasure of awarding a number of food outlets the top rating of five stars for food safety.

The food hygiene rating reflects the standards of food hygiene found on the date of the inspection. The food hygiene rating is not a guide to food quality.

This week, top five-star ratings went to:

• Nelly’s Nursery, Penkridge
• Hartlands Master Grocers, Kinver

Leisure latest

Wombourne Leisure Centre revamp starts

Wombourne Leisure Centre’s refurbishment programme is due to start next week, with work starting on the entrance, reception, foyer and poolside changing rooms.

Further work is planned later this year to re-tile the pool deck.

Full details on the refurbishment progress can be found by following us on Facebook or by clicking here

Customers should be aware that from Monday, August 8th, the entrance into the main building will be closed – visitors will need to register at a temporary reception located at the front of the building.

Customers will also be signposted to alternative entry and exit points to access the facilities.

In addition to this, the poolside changing rooms will be unavailable, therefore swimmers will need to arrive swim-ready and will be required to dry-off on poolside and adopt the ‘robe and go’ approach.

Penkridge Leisure Centre swimming lessons set to re-start this month

Penkridge Leisure Centre staff are thrilled to be preparing for their swimming lessons to resume.

The Swim Academy was forced to temporarily suspend lessons due to an issue with the pool air handling system.

Work to the air handling has now been completed and we are looking forward to finally being able to welcome learners back to the pool.

Full details can be found on the leisure centre’s Facebook page.

Sports-themed summer activity camps and Space Scheme discounts

With Birmingham Commonwealth Games well underway and the huge success of England Lionesses becoming European champions, there’s no better time to get your children interested and engaged in sport.

Aspire Sports will be delivering a variety of sports based sessions this summer which are available every weekday.

Find out more at https://www.aspire-sports.co.uk/active-camps

In addition to this, South Staffordshire Council’s leisure centres are providing discounted access to gym sessions, 3G pitch hire and swimming, thanks to funding from The Space Scheme.

Find out more at https://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/leisure/the-space-scheme.cfm

Partnership updates

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue: Grass fire prevention

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue has issued the following safety tips to avoid grass fires which can have devastating effects:

• Never throw cigarette ends out of car windows.
• Make sure cigarettes are put out properly and disposed of in dedicated bins.
• Take your rubbish home or put it in a nearby bin.
• Don’t leave glass bottles lying on the ground. Sunlight shining through glass can start a fire.
• Don’t have open fires or barbecues in the countryside – they can easily set fire to the ground and spread.
• Keep matches and lighters out of children and young peoples’ reach and talk to them about the dangers of starting fires outside.

If you find a fire in the countryside don’t attempt to tackle it, call 999 and ask for the fire service immediately. Pass as much information about the location as possible, use the app What 3 Words if you have it to pinpoint the exact spot.

If you see a campfire or BBQ which has spread to the ground or surrounding area then call 999 and ask for the fire service immediately.

The Dog Safety Code

The Canine and Feline Sector Group (CFSG) Dog Safety Code highlights three crucial messages that all dog owners and families need to know:

• Be alert – always keep an eye on your dog around kids. Never leave them alone together
• Be aware – dogs use signals to tell us how they feel – what is your dog telling you?
• Be safe – any dog can bite. Accidents happen fast

Find out more about dog body language, keeping children safe around dogs, how to help your dog behave well and more here

Nature4All at The Kingswood Trust

The Nature4All project is all about connecting people to nature, developing, and preserving the environment, biodiversity, and wildlife conservation.

Funded by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, the aim of the scheme at The Kingswood Trust is to get people relaxing in many different nature spaces, to enjoy the fresh air and the seasons, and to feel happy.

Its secure, nine-acre site is accessible and there are many opportunities to engage with wildlife and animals. This provides a great setting for learning outdoors, communication, family days out and having fun.

Find out more about what The Kingswood Trust has to offer here