Community News

The Leader of Sandwell Council has offered his condolences to the families of victims of the terrorist attacks that took place across Paris on Friday night. Mayor of Sandwell, Councillor Barbara Price, will be writing a letter of support to the Mayor of Le Blanc-Mesnil - a town in the north eastern suburbs of Paris - which is twinned with Sandwell.

World Heritage Site and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace will once again play host to the UK's premier picnic concert series as the Battle Proms returns to Woodstock on Saturday 16 July 2016.

Households are being warned not to give their home’s water pipes the cold shoulder this winter and wrap them up warm before temperatures plummet. The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) has joined the Met Office and WaterSafe in urging consumers to take action now to protect their pipes from freezing and bursting in the icy grip of winter.

Hundreds of people turned out to pay their respects to the men and women of the Armed Forces, past, present and future, at Wolverhampton's Observance of Remembrance. The annual ceremony began with a parade led by the Band of the West Midlands Fire Service through the city centre featuring detachments from ex-Service, Regular, Reserve, Cadet Units and representatives of other local uniformed organisations, before dignitaries gathered at the Cenotaph in St Peter's Square for the traditional Drumhead service.

West Midlands Police's plans for policing have been described as "outstanding" by the national police watchdog. The latest report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary for England and Wales (HMIC) also highlights the tougher cuts being faced by West Midlands Police, compared to the rest of England and Wales.

People are being asked to have their say and help shape a new strategy which seeks to continue the good work being done to tackle youth and gang violence in Wolverhampton. Over the last few years, the city's existing Reducing Gang Related Harm Strategy has helped to greatly improve the lives of those communities blighted by gangs, bringing about a fall in gun and knife crime in the process.

The Commonwealth-wide Youth Worker of the Year for 2015 has been awarded to Victor Ochen, founder of the African Youth Initiative Network, a Ugandan NGO that works to empower young people to promote democratic leadership and civic engagement in communities that have faced conflict. On receiving his award, Victor said: “I am very grateful for the recognition from the Commonwealth.

Action for Children’s annual Byte Night event has raised more than £1 million to help vulnerable children and young people living in the Midlands and across the UK. More than 200 technology and business experts in the Midlands bedded down for the night on St Paul’s Square in Birmingham on 2 October, joining almost 1,200 people across the UK for the challenge of sleeping rough to raise vital funds for the charity.

An awards ceremony has been held to honour members of the public from across the West Midlands region who have gone beyond the call of duty to help save lives and support the work of West Midlands Ambulance Service’s 4,500 staff.

Community groups in Sandwell can apply for funding to help people stay fit and healthy.  Grants of up to £5,000 are now available from Sandwell Council and can be spent on new or existing sports facilities in the borough. As part of its drive to boost levels of physical activity, the council has introduced Community Activity Network Development Officers (CANDO) in each of Sandwell’s six towns.

People are being invited to come together and honour those who fought and died in the two World Wars and other conflicts this Remembrance Sunday. The city’s annual Observance of Remembrance will be held at the Cenotaph in St Peter’s Square on Sunday morning (8 November, 2015).

An event organised by Save the Dream, which featured a day of sport activities held in Times Square, New York. The event featured Olympic gold medalists, Para-athletes and international music stars; all united together to call for universal access to sport and was sponsored by Qatar Airways.

The final brick was laid last week at a £9 million development that will enable more older people in Haringey with care needs to live independently in their own homes. Protheroe House, on Chestnut Road, Tottenham, is a brand new development with 50 flats designed to enable independent living with the safety net of high quality personal care and support provided by a specialist on-site team.

Another open space in Haringey is now officially flying the flag of quality, after the prestigious Green Flag was raised in Queen’s Wood. The Friends of Queen’s Wood gathered with the council, other park users and volunteers to celebrate the raising of the flag, which follows an announcement in the summer that the green space would receive the nationally-recognised status.