South Staffordshire Council celebrates 50th anniversary with awards evening and commemorative tree planting
What an eventful week it’s been!
South Staffordshire Council marked its 50th anniversary with a special celebratory event on Tuesday, 1st October 2024, bringing together 100 invited guests, including the Lord Lieutenant, Chairman of the Council, Leader of the Council, award winners, sponsors, Council Officers, and other distinguished attendees.
The evening, held at the new Community Hub, highlighted the Council’s significant achievements over the past five decades, honouring the people and projects that have shaped South Staffordshire into a thriving community. Cllr Kath Perry officially opened the event, delivering a heartfelt speech:
“Today, we honour not just the history, but the people—past and present—who have contributed to our community’s success. As we reflect on these achievements, let us look forward to many more years of collaboration, growth, and progress. So as we look back on the past 50 years, we celebrate not just the council’s achievements, but the spirit of South Staffordshire itself—a place where every resident, every staff member, and every initiative contributes to the rich community life.”
The evening’s programme reflected on key milestones, from the Council’s official opening on 1st April 1974 to royal visits, the Olympic Flame and Commonwealth baton relays, and the transformational initiatives that have shaped the district.
Highlights included a focus on the major planning developments of the South Staffordshire i54 and Logic 54, which have created around 7,000 jobs, with an additional 7,000 expected. The Council’s investments in commercial assets, now valued at £43.3 million, were also recognised.
One of the most significant moments of the event was the recognition of South Staffordshire’s volunteers. Awards were presented by the Lord Lieutenant, Mr Ian Dudson, and Chairman of the Council, Cllr Dan Kinsey, in celebration of the incredible dedication and contributions of the local residents. Following the presentations, Cllr Kinsey expressed his gratitude:
“It has been an absolute honour to present tonight’s awards and celebrate the incredible contributions of our residents. Their dedication and hard work truly shape South Staffordshire into the wonderful place we all love and call home.”
| The celebrations continued the next day, Wednesday, 2nd October, 2024, with the planting of a commemorative Liquidamber Sweet Gum tree at the Community Hub in Codsall.
The tree, generously donated by Boningale Nurseries, was planted by Chairman of the Council, Cllr Dan Kinsey, as a symbolic tribute to the Council’s 50 years of service to the community.
As part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to the environment and sustainability, a further 200 commemorative trees will be planted across the district in mid-November.
This initiative, in partnership with the Woodland Trust and community groups, underscores the Council’s dedication to its Climate Change Action Plan while celebrating its milestone anniversary.
Photo caption (left to right): Darren Allen – Tree Inspector and Tree Team Operational Manager, Ryan Taylor – Street Scene Performance and Climate Change Manager, and Cllr Dan Kinsey – Chairman of the Council. |
Charity football match is a great success! ⚽
Andy Aston and Emily Langford discussed fundraising ideas for the chairman’s charity and decided a charity football match would be a great idea.
With the help of the players and Cheslyn Hay leisure centre staff they managed to get the game organised for Saturday, 28th September.
The Offices vs Leisure charity football match went ahead and a great afternoon was had by all. The score was 4-3 to the offices and it was a fierce battle of experience vs youth, but we managed to secure the win in the end.
The leisure services raised a total of £366 and offices raised £70. The total raised was £436 for the chairman’s charity ‘Staffordshire Blood Bikes.’
We had a great turnout including Dave, Cllr Kath Perry, Cllr Dan Kinsey, friends and family of the players and members from the leisure centre supporting from the sidelines.
We would like to thank everyone who attended and supported the event.
Staffordshire farmers linked with Staffordshire Police and Council to tackle rural crime
| Lower Drayton Farm proudly hosted a Farm and Rural Crime event aimed at helping combat rural crime.
The event at Penkridge ran in conjunction with Staffordshire Police and South Staffordshire Council.
They joined the farming community to discuss a range of relevant subjects, including crime prevention, business planning, and mental health. A coordinated approach was called for, urging farmers to report crime to ensure police can investigate it.
South Staffordshire Council and Staffordshire Police were on hand to answer questions and support farmers. |
South Staffordshire LGBTQ+ Support Group
South Staffordshire LGBTQ+ Support Group is a safe place to meet like-minded people from the LGBTQ+ community to talk about how they’re feeling and get support from peers in a non judgemental and supportive way.
Refreshments are provided and you are more than welcome to bring a friend along with you.
Contact Stuart or Debra if you’d like to attend so we have a rough idea of numbers on: 01902 696228 or text 07966 255338.
There will be a free craft session on the day!
Sessions will run initially once a month to begin with.
Newly launched – High Street Boost South Staffordshire
| South Staffordshire Council are thrilled to launch their new High Street Boost programme.
Offering a transformative initiative designed to propel all independent village centre based businesses in South Staffordshire, to new heights.
You are invited to one of their dynamic launch events, where you’ll gain valuable insights through business and retail workshops.
Engage with interactive sessions led by experienced retail experts, discover tips and strategies that separate exceptional retailers from the average and learn from award winning experts who’ve been where you are and know the path to success.
The dates for the workshops can be found below:
Codsall, The Crown Joules Thursday 10th October 5.30pm – 7:00pm
Penkridge, Haling Dene Centre Wednesday 16th October 5.30pm – 7:00pm
Kinver, Edward Marsh Centre Monday 4th November 5.30pm – 7:00pm
Brewood, The Oakley Arms Thursday 7th November 5.30pm – 7:00pm
Wombourne, Civic Centre Wednesday 13th November 5.30pm – 7:00pm
Following the workshops their programme offers personalised, fully funded, one-to-one support ensuring you get the targeted assistance you need directly at your business premises. Their mentors are award-winning professionals with real-world experience and a track record of success.
Click here for further information and to register your place onto one of the above events. |
Help us celebrate National Customer Service Week
As you may or may not be aware, next week is National Customer Service Week and we would like you to support us in celebrating the fantastic work done by South Staffordshire Council employees throughout the week.
National Customer Service Week is a week-long opportunity to raise awareness of customer service and the vital role it plays in successful business practice and the growth of the UK economy.
This year’s national campaign focuses on five key themes:
The future of service is poised to undergo a profound transformation driven by rapid technological advancements and shifting customer needs.
National Customer Service Week is a dedicated time to honour the essential role that customer service professionals play in enhancing the customer experience and fostering brand loyalty.
- Effective Service Leadership
In today’s competitive landscape, where customer expectations are constantly evolving, strong service leadership is essential for driving innovation, building loyalty and achieving sustainable growth.
- Risk, reputation and trust
By prioritising transparency, consistency and ethical conduct, businesses can cultivate trust, fortify their reputation, and navigate risks effectively, ultimately delivering superior customer service experiences that stand the test of time.
- Customer Service Recognition Day
Customer Service Recognition Day is a great opportunity to recognise the invaluable contributions of all customer service professionals.
Follow us on Facebook, X and Linked In to keep up to date with our social media celebrations.
South Staffordshire council drop-in sessions
| Are you a resident of Penkridge, Acton Trussell, Bednall, Teddesley Hay, Dunston with Coppenhall, Hatherton, or Huntington?
We would like to invite you to our drop-in support sessions listed below dedicated to enhancing digital skills, providing welfare assistance and pension support.
Our first drop-in sessions for welfare support and digital adoption are planned over the next few weeks in locality one.
Council teams and partners will be attending the following upcoming events:
Digital support workshop and welfare support session
🏢Haling Dene Centre, Penkridge
📅17th October
⏱️11am till 3pm
Please click below for further information ⬇️
https://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/events |
Successful healthy ageing events in Staffordshire
| Online provider and professional workshops are coming up next week and in early October for the development of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board’s (ICB) Healthy Ageing and Frailty and All-Age Respiratory strategies.
The strategies will align with patient, provider and professional stakeholder priorities and we’ll be seeking the views of anyone who provides or offers respiratory, older adults or frailty care services, support or advice.
The dates of the events, being held on Microsoft Teams are:
Healthy ageing and frailty strategy
- Thursday 10th October from 10.30am – 12pm.
All-Age respiratory strategy
- Wednesday 9th October from 10am – 11:30am.
To attend one of the online events, please email claire.tallentire@staffsstoke.icb.nhs.uk with which event you would like to attend and a diary invite will be sent to you.
If you would like to invite a relevant colleague, please do share this email with them. We welcome feedback from as many different professionals as possible to help develop the strategies.
If you are unable to attend the events, please email Claire as above and we will send you a copy of the presentation/s and discussion areas for your feedback. |
South Staffordshire Councils Village Centre Improvement Fund
| As part of the Council’s approach to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), a degree of funding was prioritised to support further improvements to our key village centres and high streets.
The Council is now seeking applications aimed at bringing the village centres to life, increasing footfall and improving accessibility.
In principle, projects will be considered which meet support the following objectives:
- Strengthening social fabric and fostering a sense of local pride.
- Improving physical, cultural and social ties.
- Improving amenities, community infrastructure and green space.
- Building resilient and safe neighbourhoods, through investment in spaces and innovative approaches to crime prevention.
- Improved accessibility.
The deadline for applications is Thursday 17th October, 2024.
Click here to find out more and register your application. |
Job vacancies
- Relief Water Assistant, Penkridge Leisure Centre, closing 7th October
- Estates Officer, closing 20th October
- Planning Solicitor, open closing date
- Cleaner, Penkridge Leisure Centre, closing 11th October
All vacancies can be viewed in full and applied for on our recruitment site:
Find a job | South Staffordshire District Council (sstaffs.gov.uk) |
