Council and district news
Polling district and Polling places review
| South Staffordshire District Council is conducting a review of polling Districts and Polling Places. The review will take place between November 2023 and January 2024.
Changes will then be implemented in time for the next UK Parliamentary Election scheduled to take place before January 28th 2025.
We welcome and encourage the views of all. Any person or body making a representation should, if possible, give alternative places that may be used as polling places.
We are currently in a consultation process which ends on December 11th at 5pm.
If you would like to make a submission more details can be found on our website by clicking on this link Polling Districts and Polling Places review | South Staffordshire District Council (sstaffs.gov.uk) |
Community bulb planting – thank you!
| We’d like to say a huge thank you and well done to everyone that joined us at our community bulb planting events at Sytch Lane Cemetery and Strawberry Lane Cemetery over the last couple of weekends.
Volunteers, including children, spent time planting a variety of bulbs, including tulips, daffodils, bluebells and snowdrops, which will help to enhance the peaceful and picturesque look of the cemeteries in the spring.
Everyone had a great time being out in the fresh air, meeting new people from their local area and families were also able to take home a free tree (generously donated by Forest of Mercia CIC) and a free bag of bulbs to plant in their own gardens, which will contribute towards our ongoing commitment to mitigating climate change in South Staffordshire. |
| Thank you also to the BBC Radio WM Sunday breakfast show who kindly invited us to join them on air on November 19th to talk about the community events and the work of Bereavement Services.
Look out for more community events at our cemeteries over the coming months. |
Vacancies
- Business Support Officer (Waste), closing December 8th
- Waste Contracts Manager closing December 8th
- Swimming Instructor (Wombourne Leisure Centre), closing December 11th
- Relief Swimming Instructor (all centres), closing December 15th
- Relief Leisure Assistant (Penkridge Leisure Centre), closing December 31st
All vacancies can be viewed in full and applied for on our recruitment site: https://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/vacancies
Leisure latest
Temporary Swimming Pool Closures
| Cheslyn Hay and Wombourne Leisure Centres swimming pools will be temporarily closed from Monday, December 4th whilst work is carried out to install new air handling systems.
Should the works remain on schedule, the pools are planned to re-open around the end of December/beginning of January. We will provide further updates in due course to notify you of progress and provide a specific re-opening date.
Follow Cheslyn Hay and Wombourne leisure centres on Facebook to receive the latest updates. |
Baggeridge Country Park Winter Woodland
Santa is bringing his Christmas Grotto to Baggeridge Country Park’s Winter Woodland this December.
Little ones can meet the elves, receive a gift from Father Christmas and have their picture taken with him.
There will also be live festive entertainment, a licensed bar and hot food.
The dates are as follows:
- Saturday, December, 2nd and Sunday, December 3rd
- Saturday, December 9th and Sunday, December 10th
- Saturday, December 16th and Sunday, December 17th
The events will run on each date from midday to 7pm.
Booking is essential. Call 0330 229 4041 or visit dangeroussheep.com/events
Half price: Children’s Christmas Aspire Activity Camps
Codsall and Wombourne Leisure Centres are holding the camps between Tuesday, January 2nd, and Friday, January 5th.
Camps are available for children aged 5-14 years and are bookable as full-day or half-day camps.
To find out more and to book a place, visit https://www.aaeg.co.uk/active-camps
Partnership updates
Community ownership fund
| The government is providing funding over four years to support community groups in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets and amenities at risk of being lost, such as community centres, parks, pubs and post office buildings.
Applications for round three will open on December 6th, 2023 and close on December 31st, 2024.
Further information on the fund click here: Community Ownership Fund support and advice – MyCommunity
Applicants can register for support webinars via the My Community website (link above) on the following topics:
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Get ready for winter
Make sure your home is ready for the colder winter months by ensuring your heating system is running efficiently.
These energy saving tips will help you save money on your energy bills and prepare your home for winter.
- Reduce boiler flow temperature
- Bleed your radiators
- Service your boiler
- Reduce hot water tank temperature
- Install smart heating controls
- Draught proof your house
- Insulate water tank
For further information from the Government, click on the link below:
Find ways to save energy in your home
Analysis undertaken by Warmer Homes shows many households are affected by fuel poverty, meaning the costs to heat their homes can be high.
These residents can be left with a residual income below the official poverty line or are unable to afford to pay to heat their homes, and this can lead to health related illnesses due to insufficient heating. The Staffordshire Warmer Homes is a scheme run by Staffordshire County Council, in partnership with district and borough councils, and can help by providing funding for energy efficiency measures.
We are currently working in partnership with Community Home Solutions to help eligible residents access a funding and to manage the customer journey throughout the process. To find out more information on how to access funding to heat your home, please visit: Staffordshire Warmer Homes – Warm Homes Scheme
Wombourne Parish Council
| Wombourne Parish Council are hosting their Annual Pantomime to be held at Wombourne Civic Centre on Saturday December 2nd. Hurry! You have time to buy some tickets.
Tickets are available for the 3.30pm showing of Aladdin and can be purchased by calling the Parish Council Office on 01902 896300. Entry is via pre-purchased tickets only, priced at just £8 for children, and £10 for adults. Doors open at 3.15pm. |
| Wombourne’s Christmas Carol Concert is on Thursday December 7th at Wombourne Civic Centre. Doors open at 6pm for 6.30pm start. Residents can join in the festivities and enjoy an evening of free entertainment by local Schools and Community Groups, as well as seeing a surprise guest at the end of the evening! Free tea and coffee will be served after the Concert. You do not need to pre-book for this one, places are free and available on first come, first served basis. |
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