Weekly News 280
Council job vacancies
- Full-time Leisure Assistant, Codsall Leisure Centre – closes at 5pm on August 31st
- Senior Caretaker – closes midnight on August 28th
- Corporate Services Apprentice – closes August 31st
- Relief Leisure Assistants, Codsall, Wombourne, Penkridge and Cheslyn Hay leisure centres – closes August 19th
- Biffa Class 2 Driver, Municipal Waste Collection – open application date.
- Swimming Instructors, all leisure centres – open application date.
- Senior Ecologist Officer, closing midnight on September 13th
- 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
New provider for The Hub Cafe
A new provider is soon taking over the management of The Hub Cafe.
As a result of the handover, the cafe facility will not be available between August 15th and 30th, to enable the new provider to mobilise.
The new cafe will open on August 31st with a soft launch and will be fully operational from September 5th
What’s on this weekend
V.I.P Fest Event
Very Important Pensioners
20th August at Halfpenny Green Airport
Two tribute acts, Frank Sinatra and The Shadows will perform. In-between the musical entertainment there will be a game of Prize Bingo and the evening concludes with a 50’s to 70’s disco.
The event commences at 5pm and concludes at 9pm.
There is a bar and limited catering.
Tickets can be purchased on the day.
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.
Camp Bestival Shropshire – Weston Park
Between Thursday 18th and Monday 22nd August 2022 Camp Bestival will be held over a period of 4 days at Weston Park. It is based on the Camp Bestival event at Lulworth Castle, Dorset, which has been running since 2008.
The event is a family festival featuring family fun activities; children’s shows; theatrical entertainment and live musical performances, together with a full range of gourmet and street food concession stalls and bar and refreshment facilities. Guests can also enjoy yoga, hot tubs and paddleboarding on the beautiful Temple Pool. The line-up includes Fat Boy Slim, Rag’n’Bone Man, Becky Hill, Sara Cox, The Proclaimers and Scouting for Girls. The grand finale is a firework show on Sunday evening.
The Environmental Health and licensing team have been working with the organisers to deliver a safe and successful event with minimal disruption to residents. Already the team have completed over 50 food inspections of food traders, and we will be monitoring noise and health and safety compliance over the weekend.
Anyone with concerns can contact the team at campbestival@sstaffs.gov.uk
Further information can be found at Camp Bestival Shropshire
We will also be posting regularly over the weekend .For up to date information follow the Facebook page.
Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022
Equipment Giveaway
Following on from the very successful Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham and surrounding areas recently, we have been notified that the CWG B2022 organisers are looking to share equipment from the Games with local groups delivering activities in local communities. Its all free and part of the legacy of the Commonwealth Games!
Please follow this link to find out more about this fantastic opportunity.…FREE CWG kit giveaway!!
Full details here: https://www.sportengland.org/funds-and-campaigns/birmingham-2022-commonwealth-games/commonwealth-games-equipment-giveaway
The opportunity is open to organisations providing inclusive and accessible sports, physical activity and wellbeing activities in communities in the West Midlands (Birmingham, Black Country, Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire, Hereford and Worcestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire).
Local Authorities are not eligible to apply for this but there are many community based clubs across a range of sports disciplines that could be eligible to apply.
Have a go….. you never know!
Leisure latest
Swim Teachers Course – STA Certificate level course at Wombourne Leisure Centre
6 candidates attended and passed the STA Level 2 Certificate in Teaching Swimming on Friday 12th August 2022 which is the second part of the Swim Teachers qualification. It was a great course to tutor, lots of hard work twinned with a lot of laughter and activities, lots of heat with some extremely hot days during the course, fire alarms going off and a short pool closure adding to the challenges we faced during the week however, it all ended with a great set of results in both theory and practical assessments at the end of the course. We had 9 advanced level learners attend on Friday for 1.5 hours of free lessons enabling the Certificate level teachers to put their new skills into practice. Big thank you to all those that attended!
The good news is that 1 of the candidates is starting work with us in September as an Award Level teacher and will be promoted to Certificate level now they have passed this course once they have completed their probationary period and, we have so far received 2 applications from other candidates looking to join our organisation!
If you have ever thought about being a swimming teacher – please contact our Swim Coordinator – Bridget Chambers at swimcoordinator@sstaffs.gov.uk or 07966255432 for a chat about what’s involved and how to get started! Visit www:sstaffs.gov.uk/leisure
Each year we have a massive turnover of staff who are moving onto universities or into full time work so we are always looking for new teachers to come on board and work with us!
National Pool Lifeguard Qualification – Wombourne Leisure Centre
Wombourne Leisure Centre have 12 prospective Lifeguards completing their National Pool Lifeguard Qualification this week.
There is another course scheduled for 24 October 2022. Want to become a lifeguard or part of our leisure team please visit Leisure South Staffordshire Council (sstaffs.gov.uk) and/or Current Vacancies South Staffordshire Council (sstaffs.gov.uk)
Cheslyn Hay Table Tennis Marathon
Cheslyn Hay table Tennis club is holding a Table Tennis Marathon.
The marathon takes place on Saturday, August 20th, from 8am-8pm.
The event is open to all and free to join.
For full details visit https://www.tabletennisengland.co.uk/event/12-hour-tt-marathon-cheslyn-hay-table-tennis-club/
Partnership updates
The Summer Reading Challenge has been a huge hit with Staffordshire’s kids this year, with over 3700 signing up so far – have the children in your life joined in the fun yet? It’s easy and FREE and is great to encourage a life time of reading for pleasure!
The Gadgeteers’ story
This year’s Summer Reading Challenge is all about science and innovation! Our six fictional characters, the Gadgeteers, love creating new inventions and working together to solve problems. They spend their days using their curiosity, creativity and innovation to come up with lots of awesome inventions. The printed core pack poster will show the setting for the Challenge: a community centre where our Gadgeteers are planning an epic summer party! Children will join the Gadgeteers in understanding the science behind a whole range of interests, including fashion, technology, cooking and music. In doing so, they’ll learn about inventions such as holograms, kinetic tiles, and non-Newtonian fluid.
How to take part at your local library
- Visit your local Staffordshire library to sign up for the challenge.
- You will receive a starter pack containing all the items you need to begin your reading adventure – including a pull-out poster and stickers! Take out three books and get reading!
- Return your first three books and borrow another three books. Receive your next set of stickers
- When you have read these three books bring them back to your local Staffordshire Library, and collect your completers certificate, medal and bookmark.
Watch our Summer Reading Challenge video to find out more or visited our Summer Reading Challenge webpage
In addition we are also offering the Mini-Challenge for pre-school aged children.
The Mini Challenge is bite sized version of the Summer Reading Challenge for our youngest readers. Children collect stickers on a special collector card for the books they borrow and read. Sign up at your local library now.
HMRC help with childcare costs
As children return to school after summer holidays, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding families who may be missing out on Tax-Free Childcare to register.
Families receive up to £500 every three months (£2,000 a year) per child, or £1,000 (£4,000 a year) if their child is disabled, helping towards the cost of before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, holiday clubs and other approved childcare schemes.
More than one million families in the UK are entitled to some form of government childcare support and the government is encouraging those eligible to not miss out on their entitlements.
For more information, click here
Help for Households and Cost of Living Payments
The Government is providing £37 billion this year to help households combat the rising cost of living.
If you’re eligible, you’ll be paid automatically in the same way you usually get your benefit or tax credits. This includes if you’re found to be eligible for a Cost of Living Payment or a Disability Cost of Living Payment at a later date.
For more information on the Help for Households scheme, click here
For more information on the Cost of Living payment, click here
There are also some discounts and offers available from businesses to help with the cost of living.
Find out more via this link
NHS: Help Us, Help You
If a friend or family member has been coughing for three weeks or more, encourage them to contact their GP surgery.
It’s probably nothing serious – but it could be a sign of cancer.
Early diagnosis saves lives.