The Sarojin, Thailand's luxurious 56-roomed boutique residence, is helping couples celebrate Valentine's Day in the most romantic of settings. With a beach-front dinner and spirit lantern release, on the white sands of The Sarojin's pristine beach, couples will find the ultimate 'Just for Two' experience in Khao Lak this February.

Before rising for an all-day A la Carte breakfast with sparkling wine, couples can enjoy the intimacy of their luxury residence, which comes complete with a couple's bath and private outdoor sun terrace. Throughout the day, guests can enjoy the serene beauty of the resort, relaxing by the pool, taking in the tranquillity of the resort's beach, enjoying the impeccable service or indulging in a spa treatment at the wonderful Pathways Spa.

For those wanting to really up the ante to impress their loved one, The Sarojin offers a range of romantic 'Just for Two'experiences, from private cooking and wine classes to private charters aboard The Lady Sarojin yacht and vow renewals under The Sarojin's very own enchanting waterfall.

To end the day in true romantic style, The Sarojin is offering a beach-front four-course Valentine's Day Dinner, which will see chefs delight diners with gourmet treasures from both land and sea. Starting with beautifully pan seared foie gras, smoked salmon and fresh strawberry avocado and feta dishes, diners will savour every dish from the start.

Following this, the resort will be delivering a range of sumptuous dishes, including Thai spiced calamari, traditional wok dishes and a selection of barbecue and carving dishes, from clams, red snapper and Andaman lobster, to tender roasted leg of lamb and pork loin.

For those that still have room; there will be a choice of 10 delightful desserts, including homemade rose ice-cream, amaretto brûlée, crepe suzette and chocolate heart cake. Throughout the meal a jazz trio band will play music to bring this secluded setting to the epitome of romance.

The romance doesn't end at desert though, each dining couple will receive a spirit lantern to release into the sky, making a wish as the glimmering light flickers across the sky.

Guests wanting to add a spot of pampering to their stay can enjoy one hour's Pathway Spa credit per room for each night's stay in a Spa Suite, which can be redeemed against daily massages or accrued for ultimate relaxation with the four-hour Nature's Midday Haven package for two people.

Leading student property company Purple Frog is looking to leap across to Worcester, after signing a contract with PFHD Worcester, which has set in motion plans for a 149-bedroom Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) scheme. Due to complete in the summer of 2020, the project will see the reinvigoration of a Grade II listed building on Henwick Road, preserving the historic Gothic-façade, while revamping and extending the interior to include a gym, study facilities, communal spaces, en-suite rooms and studio flats, perfect for the city’s growing student community.

The project will add to Purple Frog’s impressive portfolio, extending its presence beyond Birmingham, Nottingham, and Bristol, where it already manages properties for over 2,500 students nationally.

The decision by Purple Frog to look to Worcester as its next site location was an easy one: in the past ten years, the number of people applying to the University of Worcester has grown at a much higher rate than the national average, and it currently has over 10,000 students, contributing to the West Midlands’ higher education institutions total of £2.2billion to the regional GVA.

What’s more, the percentage of students studying at the university who come from outside Worcester is growing, meaning it’s more important than ever for quality, affordable student housing to be established close to the university. As it stands, the University of Worcester currently subcontracts 500 bed spaces in the private sector, as it does not have enough accommodation to supply its students. This latest development will tackle this problem head on, providing self-contained university accommodation, which in turn equally reduces the strain on local residential properties.

Speaking about Purple Frog’s expansion into Worcester, Managing Director Patrick Garratt, commented:

“This is an incredibly exciting time for us at Purple Frog, as Worcester is a city we’ve had our eye on for a while now: its prominent student population and its growing recognition as one of the region’s leading higher-education institutions means that there has never been a more exciting time to get involved with the university. There is clearly demand for high quality student accommodation and we’re looking forward to meeting that demand and providing a proper level of service to the tenants, the landlords, the investors and being good neighbours within the local community.”

The site being renovated has a rich history, as a former orphanage and more recently, the site of the YMCA. Both PFHD Worcester and Purple Frog are working closely with the Planning and Conservation Officer for Worcester City Council, as well as the planning consultants Malcolm Scott Consultants Ltd and DJD Architects, to ensure that the history of the building is kept alive, preserving its significance to the city in the process. Should the planning permission be approved, a handover period has been agreed with the current occupants to ensure that they are fully relocated to their new site before works begin, with both parties actively working together to ensure no loss of provision or service to its users occurs.

In order to ensure that both the historical significance and the future functionality of the building is upheld, both the planning consultants and the architects involved have been paramount. James Pugh from DJD Architects has been at the forefront of this part of the project, and stated:

“This is a fantastic opportunity to secure the future of one of Worcester’s most notable Victorian buildings while at the same time contributing to the growing success of the university.  The investment in the historic fabric made possible by the contribution of additional new accommodation will put the building in good shape for many years to come.  It will be rewarding to see the building continue to help shape the lives of the young people who pass through its doors, as it has done for more than 150 years already.”

Tracy Hubbard from Malcolm Scott Consultants added:

'This is an exciting opportunity for the City of Worcester, which continues to flourish as a University City.  The project will ensure a long-term viable use for this important historic building, whilst providing much needed purpose built student accommodation in a highly sustainable location’.

The sale of the building has been facilitated by Andrew Grant Estate Agents. Commenting on the process, Andrew Grant said:

“Purple Frog have provided a great opportunity for the YMCA site to be put to very good use providing dedicated student rental accommodation for the University of Worcester. I am so pleased that the Grade II YMCA building is being given an extended life to support Worcestershire and the county. Purple Frog were a very professional firm to be involved with and to hopefully bring things to a satisfactory conclusion”.

The Worcester site is still awaiting planning permission, and a drop-in public consultation has already been scheduled to take place at the YMCA, on Thursday 21 December 2017 between 3pm and 6pm. Local residents and businesses will be welcome to pop in to discuss the scheme. If the project receives the green light in 2018, the next stage will be to finalise the YMCA’s relocation plans to ensure no service is lost to those benefiting from the YMCA’s great work.

“Here at YMCA Worcestershire we believe that all young people should have a safe place to live, and we are delighted that the sale of Henwick Road will enable us to diversify and work with a wider range of young people,”  concluded, Duncan Berry, CEO of YMCA Worcestershire.

To have your say on the project, please feel free to attend the public consultation and present your views.

Young people from Wolverhampton shared their experiences of mental health and wellbeing issues with Royalty at the first national HeadStart Learning conference last week.

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge made a visit to the conference in London to learn about HeadStart, a five-year National Lottery funded programme set up by the Big Lottery Fund to give young people, aged 10 to 16, the tools they need to overcome life’s challenges and prevent the development of serious mental health issues.

The conference – ‘Improving Young People’s Mental Resilience and Wellbeing: Learning from HeadStart’ – was organised by the Big Lottery Fund and the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families, of which Her Royal Highness is a patron.

Her attendance reflects her interest in early intervention in children's mental health to help young people get the support they need.

The conference brought together representatives from all six HeadStart areas, Wolverhampton, Blackpool, Cornwall, Hull, Newham and Kent.

Her Royal Highness met HeadStart Wolverhampton Ambassadors Cristina Wilde and Hannah Rooney, Assistant Young Person Engagement Coordinator Francesca Turner, and HeadStart Marketing and Communications Apprentice Emerson Morris, who discussed with her their involvement with HeadStart and the work they are doing to support the mental health of their peers.

Emerson said: “It was wonderful to meet Her Royal Highness and I found her passion for supporting mental health really inspiring. She’s a role model for young people across the country, encouraging people to talk openly about mental health.”

Head of Service Kevin Pace and Senior Young Person Engagement Coordinator Sunita Pallan-Jhalli also presented Her Royal Highness with a framed copy of the poem ‘Bright’, written by HeadStart Wolverhampton Ambassador Megan Williams, and discussed the good work HeadStart Wolverhampton is doing to support the emotional wellbeing and mental health of young people in the City.

The conference featured presentations from academics working in child mental health, psychology and education, and keynote speeches from leaders from Wolverhampton and the other five HeadStart areas.

Young people from HeadStart Wolverhampton took to the stage to share their experiences and insights with delegates. Francesca Turner co-compèred the conference, and Cristina and Hannah participated in a young person panel discussion, ‘Young people in the lead: What does it really mean?’.

Head of Service Kevin Pace said: “It was wonderful to see so many staff and young people from all six HeadStart areas come together for this conference. Our Wolverhampton team were heavily involved throughout the day, participating in panels, leading discussions and sharing our local work.”

During the conference, keynote speaker Dr Jessica Deighton, an associate professor from University College London, shared important findings from the first national HeadStart survey of 30,000 Year 7 and Year 9 pupils from the six Big-Lottery funded HeadStart areas, including Wolverhampton.

It revealed that one in five young people have experienced mental health problems, much higher than the typically reported statistic of one in 10. Girls were more than twice as likely than boys to report experiencing emotional problems, with boys 50% more likely to experience behavioural problems.

Dr Deighton concluded that high rates of mental health problems among young people “highlight the importance of finding the best means to promote positive wellbeing, and to prevent and address mental health problems”.

Councillor Val Gibson, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “This survey shows just how vital the help and support given through our ground-breaking HeadStart Wolverhampton programme is in helping our children and young people deal with the mental health and wellbeing issues they face.

“It was great that the team from HeadStart Wolverhampton were able to share their learning on a national stage at this conference and had the wonderful opportunity to meet and share their experiences with the Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.”

HeadStart Wolverhampton runs a number of specific programmes in its four target areas where need is known to be greatest, including Low Hill, The Scotlands and Bushbury South; Springfield, Heath Town, Park Village and Eastfield; All Saints, Blakenhall, Parkfields and Ettingshall; and Bilston East.

It also offers city-wide support through a Support and Guidance Directory at support.headstartonline.co.uk which provides a range of selected well-being and mental health resources from different organisations, with information targeted at young people, parents and carers, and professionals.

This half term at World of Wedgwood, Stoke-on-Trent, there's plenty going on from themed creative activities where children can make a unique gift ready for Mother's Day to Factory Tours where you can learn about the processes behind production, and our children's Museum trail with a prize for every child! Plus, free Museum entry for everyone and free Factory Tours for under 12's!

Explore the Factory Tour and Museum Trail

The award-winning Factory Tour is available Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm with last entry at 3pm and is free for under 12's! Take a guided or self-guided tour to discover how Wedgwood is made.

The Wedgwood Museum; free entry, every day 10am to 5pm. Discover the history of over 250 years of ground-breaking design and production. Younger visitors can take the Pottery Spotters trail which will guide them through the UNESCO recognised V&A collection, with a prize for every completed activity sheet.

Create: Pot Throwing, Pottery Painting and Ceramic Design

Three creative activities for Children (and adults!) to choose from, available every day from 10am. Come and make a unique Mother's Day gift that will be treasured forever.

Throw a pot on the potter's wheel in our Master Craft studio, with help from our skilled team choose from 7 different styles to produce your own pottery masterpiece!

Get creative and draw your own design to be transferred onto a piece of Wedgwood, choose from plates, mugs, cups and saucers. Using pencils, crayons and felt tips you can let your imagination go wild, using inspiration from Wedgwood designs, to create a piece of art to be treasured forever.

Younger visitors especially will love our Pottery Painting activities, choose from clay cut out shapes including hearts, flowers and stars; and plant pots, vases and tealight holders to paint and give to your mum on Mother's Day.

A newly-merged alcohol and drug service for Sandwell will launch on 1 February.

The service, which is funded by Sandwell Council’s public health department, will be run by Cranstoun Sandwell.

The service will offer treatment and recovery services.

A key focus of the new service will be to prevent alcohol and drug misuse through promoting a self-help approach.

Cranstoun has merged with Swanswell to run the service – both Cranstoun and Swanswell have been supporting people in Sandwell for some time.

Peter Glass, director of operations for Cranstoun, said: “Cranstoun are very excited to continue to deliver the substance misuse services in Sandwell. We will keep developing our partnership approach and build on the already excellent relationships we have in Sandwell.”

Councillor Elaine Costigan, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for public health and protection, said: “This will make sure we continue giving excellent levels of support to help people recover from alcohol and drug dependence.

“It will also help prevent people developing habits that can affect their health and wellbeing.”