Council and district news

Council job vacancies

• Part-time Swimming Instructor, Wombourne Leisure Centre – closing 5pm on June 20th.
• Membership and Retention Officer (Fixed Term), Codsall Leisure Centre – closing 5pm on June 22nd.
• Relief Leisure Assistant, Penkridge Leisure Centre – closing 5pm on June 20th.
• Elections and Executive Support Apprentice – closing 5pm on June 20th.
• Biffa Class 2 Driver, Municipal Waste Collection – open application date.
• Swimming Instructors, all leisure centres – open application date.  

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

Climate Prize: Community projects given £4,200 boost to combat climate change

Residents young and old will be carrying out new projects in a bid to mitigate climate change thanks to more than £4,000 in funding from a Climate Prize scheme.

South Staffordshire Council has awarded the money to schools, community groups, and parish councils across the district for more than 20 initiatives set to take place this year.

Winners of the £4,200 prize fund – launched to mark the council’s Climate Change Festival – include St John’s Primary Academy in Essington, Wild about Perton, Friends of Bilbrook, Friends of Barnfield Sandbeds, and St Christopher’s Primary School in Codsall. All winning bids received £200 each.

Find out more here

Celebrate the life of Councillor Isabel Ford

A celebration of life event is being held in memory of the late Councillor Isabel Ford later this month.

Cllr Ford, a longstanding councillor of 20 years, sadly passed away at her home in Penkridge on April 30.

The memorial event in her honour will take place on June 26th at 4pm, at St Michael’s in Penkridge.

Waste and Recycling

What can I recycle in the blue bag and blue bin?

Garden Waste Collection Service 

Networking event

Join us for breakfast and networking at our next South Staffordshire Business Place Partnership event on June 24th.

The Business Networking Breakfast provides local businesses with the opportunity to speak with the council and supporting partners.

The event will have a low carbon theme and guests will hear from the Staffordshire Business & Environment Network (SBEN) team on the support available to businesses to help them better understand and reduce their carbon footprint.

For more information and to book your place, click here

Monkeypox

Monkeypox is a rare infectious disease, but there are several cases in the UK.

Monkeypox is a viral infection usually associated with travel to West Africa. It is usually a mild self-limiting illness, passed on by very close contact with someone with monkeypox and most people recover within a few weeks.

The virus can be passed on if there is close contact between people and the risk to the UK population is low. Monkeypox can affect anyone, and it can be passed on through close physical contact like kissing, skin-to-skin, sex, or sharing things like clothing, bedding and towels.

Find out more here

Leisure latest

Drowning Prevention Week

Summer School Holiday Activity Camps

South Staffordshire Council’s leisure centres are working in partnership with Aspire Active Camps to provide children’s holiday activities this summer. 

The camps will be at Codsall and Wombourne Leisure Centres between July 25th and September 2nd.

Camps will be running at Cheslyn Hay and Penkridge Leisure Centres from Monday, August 1st to Friday, August 26.

Places are limited and bookings are now being taken. For more details and to book, visit https://www.aspire-sports.co.uk/active-camps

South Staffordshire Training Academy

South Staffordshire Council’s leisure centres provide a range of courses to train people to become lifeguards, swimming teachers and water assistants.

For full details on courses, click here

New gentle exercise class

A new gentle exercise class has started at Penkridge Peace Memorial Hall, every Monday, from 11.45am to 12.45pm. 

For more information visit https://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/leisure/good-life-health-fitness-in-the-community.cfm

Partnership updates

Fundraising event

Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis & Squash Club is hosting a fundraising event to top up its Special Educational Needs, Disability and Junior Development Fund.

The event, taking place on June 29th, will include a cake sale, tennis challenges, a HEAD racket experience day, a raffle and more.

For more information, click here

Be scam aware

71% of people in the West Midlands have been targeted by a scammer so far this year as the cost-of-living crisis takes hold, new research by Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West has found.

For information on the genuine types of help available and how you’ll receive it, see the sections titled ‘If you’re struggling with living costs’ and ‘Grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills’ on the Citizens Advice website.

Signs of a potential scam include:

• It seems too good to be true
• You suspect you’re not dealing with a real company or a genuine person
• You’ve been pressured to transfer money quickly
• You’ve been asked to pay in an unusual way – such as with iTunes vouchers or a transfer service
• You’ve been asked to provide personal information such as passwords, PINs or other verification codes

If you’ve been scammed:

• Talk to your bank or card company immediately
• Report the scam to Citizens Advice
• Text scams can be reported to your mobile phone provider by forwarding it to 7726
• Report the scam to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040