A series of activities is taking place as Wolverhampton marks World Suicide Prevention Day.

Organisations across the city are encouraging people to raise awareness of the importance of good mental health and wellbeing – while also helping to tackle some of the stigma which surrounds the issue.

Nationally, there were 6,188 suicides recorded in 2015, with the highest rate among men aged between 40 and 44. Female suicide rates are currently at their highest level for a decade. In Wolverhampton, 66 people, mainly men, sadly took their own lives between 2013 and 2015.

The events taking place around World Suicide Prevention Day (Sunday 10 September) aim to get people thinking about their own mental health and wellbeing and that of others, and to highlight the help and support

which is available locally.

They include a special walk around West Park on Sunday (10 September) led by Wolverhampton’s Walking for Health scheme starting from the tea room at 10.30am, and a Five Ways to Wellbeing workshop open to the public which is being held at the Refugee and Migrant Centre on Tuesday (12 September) from 1pm-3pm.

Wolverhampton Healthy Minds, the psychological therapies service for people experiencing common mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and stress, is hosting free emotional wellbeing checks at the Phoenix Walk-in Centre in Parkfield Road, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Monday 12, 13 and 18 September and Central Library on Wednesday 14 September. There will be a special workshop for members of the media and other organisations on best practice around reporting and covering cases of suicide. It takes place at Bantock House Museum on Tuesday.

Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and the Wolves Community Trust have shown their support with players sending out a message to people to seek help and support when needed. Laura Cowley, from Wolves Community Trust, said: “Suicide impacts everyone but we know men are more vulnerable to taking their lives by suicide.

“With our Club, the Trust and players sending out strong messages of seeking support we hope our fans and people further afield take notice and seek help when they need it.”

Meanwhile, members of Wolverhampton's pioneering HeadStart programme, designed to improve the health and wellbeing of 10 to 16-year-olds, have recorded a podcast to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.

It brought together a panel made up of Pooky Knightsmith, a national expert in child mental health, and a group of young people who work for HeadStart to discuss a range of issues related to how adults and organisations can support young people who are either experiencing suicidal thoughts or are at risk of doing so. To listen to the podcast, please visit www.headstartonline.co.uk/latestpodcasts/suicidepreventionday2017.

Councillor Paul Sweet, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “The council and its partners are committed to tackling stigma around mental health and discrimination.

“These activities are not only designed to raise awareness of the issues, but also highlight the help and support which is available to people who are going through a troubling period in their lives.

“The message is clear; if you or someone you know is in a dark place, don’t suffer in silence – help and support is out there.”

Samaritans’ Wolverhampton provides confidential emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide. However, many of its calls are not about suicide, but from people who feel upset or confused and want to talk to someone.

James McCready, Branch Director, said: “People can contact us at any time of day or night. There are many ways to get in touch, including email and text, as well as by phone and visiting the branch to speak to a volunteer face to face.”

Solihull’s tastiest fun run, the Chocolate 5k, has raised over £10,000 for Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice – its biggest chocolate run in the area to date.

Over 320 sweet-toothed runners took to Elmdon Park Nature Reserve last week to help raise vital funds for the local charity.

The unique event blended exercise with indulgence, allowing participants to snack on sweet treats as they tackled the 5k challenge.

Runners were handed bars from a number of chocolate stations and received support on the sidelines from Willy Wonka and his Oompa Loompas, to give them that extra boost to reach the finish line.

This is the third time the local hospice has hosted its Chocolate 5k in Solihull and this year was its most successful yet – with more participants raising more money than ever before. The previous two runs took place at Dorridge Village Hall in 2015 and 2016.

All funds raised from the run will go towards Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, which provides vital care to individuals and families living with terminal illness across Birmingham and Sandwell.

Lucy Watkins, events manager at Birmingham St Mary’s, said: “This year’s Chocolate 5k in Solihull was our sweetest yet and it was fantastic to see even more runners join us to help raise crucial funds for our Hospice.

“£10k is an incredible amount of money and will allow us to continue to provide expert care and support to over 1,200 local families. All of our services – whether they are provided at the Hospice, in people’s homes or in the local community – are completely free of charge and so we rely on the generosity of others to keep our Hospice running.

“I would like to thank everyone who joined us on the day – your brilliant support really will make a big difference.”

Poetry by a lecturer at Newman  University, Birmingham, has been published in an annual anthology showcasing the best contemporary poetry published in the British Isles over the last year.

Swims – a long poem documenting a series of wild swims across the UK – by Dr Elizabeth-Jayne Burnett, senior lecturer in Creative Writing at Newman University was selected for inclusion after being highly commended in the Forward Prize for Poetry.

This year’s judging panel was chaired by journalist and television presenter Andrew Marr, and included poets Ian Duhiq, Sandeep Parmer and Mona Arshi, as well as artist Chris Riddell.

Well-known poets whose work has previously been included in the anthology include the likes of Ted Hughes and Carol Ann Duffy.

Dr Burnett, said: “I’m thrilled to have my work recognised in this prestigious prize and highly commended by the judges. It is wonderful to see the exciting and diverse work being rewarded by the Forward Prizes.”

The publication marks the continuation of a successful year for Dr Burnett, who was also announced as one of 12 winners of Penguin Random House’s WriteNow programme, earlier this year. As a result, she is also now working alongside a mentoring editor at Penguin Random House to develop a further manuscript, making it ready for publication.

The Forward Book of Poetry 2018 includes the 15 shortlisted and 50 highly commended poets from this year’s Forward Prizes for Poetry. Selected by the prize’s judging panel, the final recommendations give a strong sense of the variety, vitality and wit of poetry today, making the anthology valuable to both first-time poetry readers and those keen to find more poetry to enjoy. The anthologies are published annually by Bookmark, with the new issue available for pre-order

The Belgrade Theatre has hosted an anniversary party to celebrate 10 years of its B2 auditorium this September. Special guests were invited to join Belgrade staff for a glass of fizz and a slice of cake in celebration of B2’s 10^th birthday, as well as hearing from speakers including Artistic Director Hamish Glen, Associate Director Justine Themen and Coventry’s Lord Mayor, Tony Skipper.

B2 opened in September 2007 following an 18 month closure whilst the £14million refurbishment and expansion capital project was undertaken. This flexible and intimate second space was the vision of Artistic Director Hamish Glen, who insisted on the construction of B2 when he arrived in Coventry in 2003, after spending over 10 years at the helm of the Dundee Rep.

Seating between 200 – 300 audience members, the B2 auditorium has allowed the theatre to stage risk-taking and innovative work, cementing the theatre’s reputation as one of the most dynamic producing houses in the country.

During its 10 year history, B2 has attracted some of the UK’s top theatre makers to the city. Their landmark production of Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes From A Marriage, was directed by Sir Trevor Nunn and starred Game of Thrones actor Iain Glen alongside Imogen Stubbs.

A key part of the artistic policy for B2 has also been to bring the history of Coventry to life on stage with productions such as the hit Coventry Blitz play One Night in November, Too Much Pressure, which was set amid the decline of the city’s motor car industry, FA Cup play, We Love You City and more recently, the 2 Tone musical Three Minute Heroes.

The Belgrade youth company also present regular high-quality work in B2 that bears witness to the stories of the city with shows, such as Walk For Your Life telling the story of a Zimbabwean refugee and Imperfect, exploring some of the of pressures on the city’s young people.

Hamish Glen said “B2 has been the saviour of this theatre. It has allowed us to produce high-quality and ground-breaking work alongside our popular main stage programme, and appeals to a broader and more diverse theatre-going audience. We’re enormously proud of the work we have produced in B2 over the last 10 years, that has helped to establish the Belgrade as a top regional producing theatre and attracted so many internationally renowned artists, performers and creatives to Coventry. I’m excited to see what the next 10 years bring!”

Justine Themen, Associate Director said, “B2 is an essential place to showcase work created by the communities we engage with from a diverse range of backgrounds, helping to develop their confidence, creativity and performance skills. This work also provides fertile ground for growing new talent in the city – with the Belgrade’s Critical Mass programme growing new-writing for the stage and the Springboard Initiative developing emerging companies. Without a space like B2, none of this would be possible.”

Taking to the B2 stage this October, Pink Sari Revolution is the Belgrade Theatre’s latest co-production with Curve Theatre Leicester and tells the story of Sampat Pal, the leader of India’s famous pink sari wearing Gulabi Gang, based on the book by Amana Fontanella-Khan.

B2 will host the Belgrade’s first ever Dementia Friendly Performance of Finding Joy on Sat 18 Nov at 1.30pm. This funny and heart-warming play by the UK’s leading full-mask theatre company Vamos, will be specially adapted to suit audience members living with Dementia and their carers.

New Black Showcase will return to B2 for the fifth year presenting work by graduates of the Belgrade’s Critical Mass playwriting programme, and new work by Midlands based theatre company futuretheatre.

The Theatre has introduced monthly comedy nights in B2 this autumn from acclaimed comedy clubs Screaming Blue Murder and Desi Central. These will feature an eclectic line up of top local comedians and some of the best acts on the British Asian comedy scene.

The RSPCA is appealing for information after a man drove up to an RSPCA animal centre, got out of his car and abandoned a dog at the gates before driving away.

CCTV footage captured the man driving into a disabled parking bay in a black Mercedes, taking the dog out of his boot and walking towards the gates of Birmingham Animal Centre, in Frankley Green, at around 8.05am on Saturday 26 August.

The Staffordshire bull terrier-type dog, who has since been named Roxy by RSPCA staff, wasn’t found for 40 minutes until a member of staff arrived for work.

The footage shows that moments after being dumped, the dog runs behind a parked car to hide. She is now being cared for at the centre.

The RSPCA’s chief inspector for Birmingham, Rebecca Cooper, said: “It is so sad to think that someone thought it was okay to do this. Being abandoned must have been extremely stressful and poor Roxy wasn’t found straightaway.

“A vet has checked over Roxy and found that she seems to have a problem with her legs - this could be arthritis, but we are not sure yet until further tests are carried out. She is a lovely dog though and she is getting a lot of fuss.

“We are urging anyone who recognises the dog, or the person in the footage, to contact us in complete confidence on 0300 123 8018 so we can look into this further.”