Starting prices for the Wolves in Wolves charity auction have been revealed. Members of City of Wolverhampton’s wolf pack from the city’s biggest ever public art event will officially go under the hammer in the Hayward Suite, at Molineux Stadium, next week (Thursday, November 2).

The wolves to be auctioned off are Wild, Colour, Love, The Sitting, Sunset, Compton, Kiyiya, Rainbow, Meditation, Endless Opportunities, Dynasty, Garden, Sacred Grandfathers, Zeus and Beowulf.

Fielding Auctioneers Ltd are running the auction and will start the bidding at £1,500 for each wolf.

The proceeds will be shared between Outside Centre and the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Cllr Elias Mattu’s chosen charities.

Will Farmer, Director of Fielding Auctioneers Ltd, who is well known for his appearances on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, will lead the auction proceedings and entertainment will be provided by Dicky Dodd of Signal 107.

The remaining wolves will either be retained by their sponsors for use in projects, such as Hope at Headstart and Aurora at Talentmatch, both being used for activities with young people.

A handful of the wolves are set to remain on display in the city centre, such as Hunter outside the University School of Art, Old Gold in the Wolves Museum, Thomas at Marston’s House, Support Life at the University of Wolverhampton, Mander at Mander House, Beanstalk at the Grand Theatre, and roaming wolf Claude.

Almost 40 mini-wolves from the Wolverhampton Art Gallery exhibition will also be auctioned off on the night, with bidding for each one starting at £100.

Will said: “I am thrilled to be the auction partner for this fantastic and very successful project.

“It will be wonderful to find some new homes for the wolves and to raise a huge amount of money for charity.”

The majority of the wolves are currently resting in a warehouse ahead of the auction.

Councillor John Reynolds, City of Wolverhampton Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “The wolves have really captured people’s imaginations and the whole project has been a howling success.

“The auction now gives people the chance to bid for their favourite wolf and raise money for charity at the same time.

“Wolves in Wolves has showcased the city to visitors and the wolves have helped put the city on the map as a cultural centre.

“It has also been a great way for people of all ages to get active and discover the city and what it has to offer.”

On the day of the auction, doors will open at 4pm for viewing, with the auction starting at 7pm.

Families in Tipton are now settling into their new homes as the keys to the latest council houses are handed over.

Sandwell Council has been working in partnership with developer Kier Living to create affordable homes for families on the former Princes End primary school site in Tibbington Terrace.

The seven homes, made up of six three-bedroom and one-two-bedroom properties will provide families with contemporary living spaces, private gardens and driveways.

The development  is part of the council’s millions of pounds worth of investment into new housing and was completed on schedule.

Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, Sandwell’s cabinet member for housing said: “This is great news. The completion of this scheme sees another seven new council  homes giving people the opportunity to set down roots and become part of a community.

“This is another example of the council working in partnership with a developer such as Kier Living to increase the quality and choice of housing in the borough.

“By the end of March next year we will have created nearly 200 new council homes since 2016 with hundreds more in the pipeline.

“This is part of our on-going strategic housing plan to increase the number of council-owned affordable homes.”

Chris King, managing director for Kier Living, said: "We are pleased to be able to support Sandwell Council in their drive to build more affordable homes in the borough.

"Kier has focused on providing high quality design and materials to create homes that offer a liveable and flexible space for tenants from day one."

The development also includes a further 22 properties for private sale built by Kier Living.

Severn Trent’s own ‘Poo-wer Rangers’ have been recognised for their work to support WaterAid by designing a solution to waste issues in Nicaragua.

The company’s team of Water Innovators were given the best presentation award for their plan that tackled the sanitation issue of removing sludge from septic tanks.

The group of seven Severn Trent employees, who named themselves after the ‘90s TV show, have also carried out various challenges, including triathlons, half marathons and the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge to raise more than £5000 for WaterAid.

The team received the award at a special ceremony at EY’s UK headquarters in London.

Declan Barlow, who took part in the challenge, said: “It’s fantastic to be recognised for the hard work we’ve put into the competition for such an amazing cause.

“In Nicaragua 800,000 people don’t have access to clean, safe water, and two million live without access to a decent toilet.

“We’ve developed a business plan that outlines how we would improve sanitation in Bilwi. It provides employment for local people, reduces the environmental impact of sludge disposal and improves the health and safety of the population.

“We hope our work will help to promote the amazing work that WaterAid is doing to implement and drive improvements for people living in the Central American country.”

Since April this year Severn Trent has raised more than a quarter of a million pounds for WaterAid with more fundraising events to come.

Staff and volunteers at John Taylor Hospice in Birmingham are inviting families and friends to join them at Light up a Life.

The annual remembrance event is a special time to remember loved ones who have died and to make a dedication in their memory.

Light up a Life will be held on Sunday 10 December at 6pm at Hollyfields Centre in Erdington. The short service will feature music, readings and a quiet moment for reflection – all dedicated to people who are very special to us.

A tree full of lights is illuminated during the service and there is the opportunity to make a dedication in the hospice’s Book of Remembrance.

This year, the hospice has introduced dedication stars as a new way to write a personal message to someone special. Each dedication pack contains two stars with space to write a message – one star is to keep and one can be returned to John Taylor to decorate Christmas trees inside the hospice during December.

Joining this year’s Light up a Life in memory of their mother Betty Morris are sisters Joanne and Helen Morris. When Betty was diagnosed with womb and lung cancer in May 2016, her wish was to be cared for at John Taylor Hospice. Joanne and Helen say they will be ‘forever grateful’ for the care and support their mother received from the hospice – both in her own home and at the hospice in Erdington, Birmingham.

“Mommy was very caring and was always thinking of others,” said Helen, 54. “The three of us lived very happily together in our home in Great Barr. When the ambulance arrived to take Mommy to the hospice she waved goodbye to her home of 58 years.

“This was our first experience of a hospice and from the moment she arrived she was welcomed by all staff. All of the care Mommy received at John Taylor was exceptional and this made such a terrible situation quite bearable. We know she was looked after so well and there was never any doubt in our minds which was very reassuring for us all.”

Joanne, 58, added: “We found all the staff to be quite remarkable and it is because of these wonderful people we have lots of happy memories. We always speak so highly of John Taylor and mention hospices to people to make them aware of what fantastic places they are. We will never forget all that was done for Mommy and feel we will be forever grateful.”

Hospices around the UK host Light up a Life events during the festive period and they are open to anyone – not just people whose loved ones were cared for by a hospice. As well as being a special time to remember loved ones, Light up a Life donations help to support the work of hospices by raising vital funds.

“Hundreds of families joined us for last year’s Light up a Life and it is always a very special and moving service,” said John Taylor’s Community Fundraising Manager Darren Dudley. “We feel privileged to stand side-by-side with families, friends, hospice staff and volunteers to honour the lives of people we love and miss and will always hold dear.”

There is no need to register for the event but dedications for the Book of Remembrance will need to be with the hospice by 1 December.

It’s that time of year again when Japanese knotweed’s growing season draws to a close and the plant dies away, but specialists Environet are urging homeowners not to delay tackling the weed as it remains very much alive, waiting to emerge bigger and stronger with new shoots next March. 

Although still standing, the bamboo-like canes will now be turning brown and brittle, which can fool homeowners into believing the plant has died or that their own efforts at treating it through cutting the plant back, or burning it, have been successful. However, like many plants, the rhizome system beneath the ground is healthy and lying dormant throughout the colder winter months.

Herbicide treatments cannot be used during winter as they require the plant to be in leaf, but that doesn’t mean treatment needs to be postponed until spring. In fact, Japanese knotweed can be dug out at any time of year using the environmentally friendly Resi-Dig-Out method, which involves digging out the rhizome roots and sifting out every viable piece before returning the clean soil to the ground. An insurance-backed guarantee can then be secured for the treatment which will ensure the property can be bought or sold without difficulty. 

Nic Seal, MD and Founder of Environet comments: “Each winter we see enquiry levels fall, but we know Japanese knotweed hasn’t magically disappeared, it’s simply a case of out of sight, out of mind. Savvy homeowners will take action through the autumn and winter to tackle knotweed on their land, ensuring they don’t face an even bigger problem next spring. Digging knotweed out of the soil is an instant solution, giving homeowners complete peace of mind and the freedom to sell their property if they so wish.”

Homebuyers should be particularly vigilant when viewing properties during the winter months, when property owners may have taken advantage of the plant’s apparent demise in order to deliberately conceal it. Often the canes have been removed but the crown is still visible in the ground, or in extreme cases membranes are laid horizontally in the ground to conceal the knotweed, with a path or lawn laid over it. 

A surveyor should be able to identify knotweed if it is visible, but deliberate concealment is illegal and sellers are required to answer truthfully to the direct question about Japanese knotweed on the TA6 Property Information form, completed during every property transaction. If a seller is dishonest or claims not to have known about the presence of knotweed, the buyer may have a claim for misrepresentation and are likely to be awarded the cost of professional treatment and legal fees, as well as any decrease in the property’s value.

From eating out every week to going on holiday twice a year or starting a new business, new research conducted by pension advice specialist, Portafina reveals how Brits are planning to spend their retirement.

Despite recent reports about the future of the state pension, Brits aren’t letting their anticipation for their ‘golden years’ be dampened as they plan big for their retirement years.

The study, which involved a poll of 2,000, looked into attitudes to retirement, levels of financial preparation, and plans for the future.

With over half of working Brits stating that they are eagerly anticipating their retirement, Portafina  reveals the top ten ways the nation plans to spend its retirement years:

1.     Spending more time with family (35%)

2.     Taking up a new hobby (34%)

3.     Being more active (33%)

4.     Travelling the world (27%)

5.     Spending more time with friends (24%)

6.     Fulfilling a lifelong dream (24%)

7.     Starting their own business (18%)

8.     Eating out once a week (17%)

9.     Going on holiday twice a year (17%)

10.  Getting work experience in a dream career (14%)

Over a quarter (26%) of those in current fulltime employment did express concern about the cost of retiring, but the research showed this isn’t deterring our ambitions; with 29% planning on using retirement years to travel the world, 33% hoping to master a new language, and 27% even planning to learn to play a musical instrument.

A third (32%) hoped to be able to quit work completely – with the average aspired age sitting at 57 - but 40% said that semi-retirement was definitely an option, and not just for financial reasons.

Whilst 15% of those deliberating semi-retirement said their decision would ultimately come down to a need for extra income, more than half (53%) felt it allowed you to ease into the change, and 31% even believed that semi-retirement could be the perfect time to fulfil lifelong job ambitions, or start a business.

Of those currently enjoying semi-retirement, 30% said the time had offered them the chance to start a new career.

Suzi Grant, 67, (current location: Ibiza) said, “I became a blogger three years ago at the age of 64 and it’s now ridiculously successful.  I never expected that what started as a hobby would become nearly a full-time job!

“I worked in TV and radio most of my working life, trained as a nutritionist then wrote three books before happily retiring at 60. Because photography, writing and health are my passions, I have taken to my new career like a duck to water.”

Jamie Smith-Thompson, managing director of Portafina commented “There is always so much negative press about retirement, which must seem so depressing for younger generations that feel they are facing decades of work in order to secure the future lifestyle they want – and deserve.

“With semi-retirement revealed to be a viable option for so many, and numerous retirees already using this as a way to fulfil lifestyle and career ambitions, the nation’s dream retirement age of 57 may be achievable to some degree – that’s something I think we can all get behind. It’s important to remember that this can only come about through people taking retirement planning into account as early as possible”