The inaugural Sainsbury’s Living Well Index, based on a nationally representative study into how Britons feel about their quality of life, reveals the factors associated with living well – and uncovers significant gaps. Sleep quality has the strongest association with Britons’ quality of life – for the typical Brit, improving their sleep to the level of those who are living best would be equivalent to them having more than four times as much disposable income. In the West Midlands, one-in-three (34 per cent) say they feel well-rested just some of the time. Only one-in-four (25 per cent) in the West Midlands say they regularly feel well-rested.

The Index, created by Sainsbury’s in partnership with leading researchers Oxford Economics and the National Centre for Social research, aims to define, measure and track what it really means to live well in the UK today. It has been commissioned to help the retailer understand and engage on the aspects of everyday life that are holding people back.

In the first study of its kind, researchers asked a nationally representative panel of 8,250 people questions covering 60 different aspects of their behaviour, how they live and how they feel. The Index covers everything from their support networks and relationships with friends, families and communities, to how people feel about their jobs, their quality of sleep and the strength of their finances. The same panel will be questioned every six months, enabling Sainsbury’s and researchers to track the effects of how we live on how we feel, individually and as a nation, as well as providing unique insights into the lives of Britons today.

The average Briton has a Living Well score of 62.2 out of a maximum of 100. Those in the West Midlands had a score of 62.1 the study found – below the typical national score.

Those living best are defined as the 20 per cent of the population with the highest scores – falling between 72 and 92. By comparing the lifestyles and behaviours of those living best in Britain with the typical Briton, the Sainsbury’s Living Well Index has revealed the critical factors behind living well.

Income has surprisingly little impact on how we feel. For the typical Brit, a 50 per cent rise in disposable income contributes to just a 0.5 point increase in their Living Well score.

In contrast, controlling for age, income, or personal health, a good night’s sleep has the strongest association with how well we feel we are living. Over time, the research aims to understand the big gaps dividing the nation, and whether associations are causal.

Ian Mulheirn, Director of Consulting at Oxford Economics, said: “Wellbeing is rising up the agenda at a time of rapid change in how we live our lives, and we’ve created a critical new tool that can help us to unpick what’s driving our sense of living well, drawing on a unique, rolling survey of unprecedented breadth and granularity. The analysis within the Sainsbury’s Living Well Index reveals that, in a world that’s never been more connected, the richness of our relationships and support networks remains among the biggest determinants of how well we live – and represents an area of our lives in which we can act.”

Brits spend 48 days a year on the sofa, with nine out of ten¹ people enjoying relaxing on the sofa with their family - and it’s also having a positive impact on our relationships, new research reveals.

ScS, one of the UK’s leading furniture and flooring specialists, surveyed more than 1,000 people to find out about their sofa-time habits. The research found the majority of Brits spend at least an hour a day relaxing on the sofa, with more than half (55%) using that time to catch up with family and friends.

Brits are most likely to spend time on the sofa with their partners too, with over two thirds saying they are more likely to couple up on the couch as part of their sofa-time. Relationship expert, Caroline Brealey explains the positive impact sofa-time is having on couples and their relationships.

Caroline says: “In a relationship it's the little things that count. Big romantic gestures are lovely, but the day to day moments you share are what keep you connected and the relationship healthy.  Cuddling provides comfort and security and after a long day at work spending some quality time cuddled up on the sofa together being close and having physical contact can be hugely intimate and romantic.”

She continues: “Sofa time is also important for people with children as it brings together the family. Time spent with your children on the sofa, whether reading, watching a movie or chatting, is essential for maintaining family ties and creating common interests.”

The poll also revealed the nation’s sofa-time habits. Interestingly, when it comes to where we sit, more than half of respondents admitted that they have a favourite spot on the sofa and get annoyed if another family member ‘steals’ it. This is most common in those aged 45 – 54, with 60% admitting the trait, compared to just 36% of those aged 18-24.

Despite common belief, it’s actually older people who spend the least amount of time on the sofa each day, with 17% of those aged 65 and over spending less than an hour a day on the sofa compared to just 6% of 25 to 34 year olds.

Simon Nicholson, Furniture Buying Director at ScS, said: “With our lives seeming to get busier and busier, fitting in time with the family and our partners can be a struggle, so it’s great to see so many are putting their sofas to really great use as part of this precious family time.

“While it’s tempting to get engrossed in your favourite TV shows and other distractions, it seems that families around the country are using time together on the sofa at the end of a long day to catch up and invest in their relationships, which we think is a real testament to the benefits and comfort offered by the [modest/humble] family sofa.”

More than 220 businesses will come together at Molineux Stadium on Friday, September 29 as part of Wolverhampton Business Week’s ‘Meet the Buyer Breakfast’ event - and there is still time to sign up if you wish to attend.

It will take place between 8am and 11am in the WV1 Suite and is open to anyone interested in hearing about supplying goods or services in the city and where to find opportunities.

City partners are committed to working together to increase support for local businesses and create opportunities for local people.

A key part of this is helping businesses work together to create a supply chain that can bid for public and private sector contracts.

Representatives from the University of Wolverhampton, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Hospital Trust, City of Wolverhampton Council, and Wolverhampton Homes will be available to answer questions.

Exhibitors include Just Patties Logistics, Find It, YPO, Pestokill, BT, Lion FPG, Zeus Packaging, Banner, Galliford Try, Midland Metro Alliance, BSI, Speller Metcalfe, Black Country Growth Hub, City of Wolverhampton College, Something Different, Accord Careers, Enterprise and The Workplace (University of Wolverhampton), The Apprenticeship Hub, Amazon Business, Obillex and Yoo Recruit/Adecco.

Fiona Ward, Head of Procurement at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “This is our third annual event and a great opportunity for local businesses to engage with, not only, public sector organisations but the private sector ones who are also exhibiting. We look forward to another successful event and future collaboration in the sector and region.”

Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “Partners in the city are working together to give local companies local procurement opportunities across all sectors.

“Together, partners are committed that every pound spent should have a maximum impact on our city, our residents and our businesses.

“I am sure suppliers of all shapes and sizes will benefit from meeting some of the biggest buyers in Wolverhampton.

“It is a great way to find out about future contracts and get support on how to tender for upcoming opportunities.”

Last month marked the 100th anniversary of the death of Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse VC & Bar, MC;  one of only three people to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice, and namesake to one of the four Help for Heroes (H4H) Recovery Centres.

This week two granddaughters of Christopher Chavasse, twin brother of Noel, visited the recovery centre named Chavasse VC House after the British Medical Doctor. Noel was engaged to his cousin, Frances Gladys Ryland Chavasse, but the captain was killed in action before they could be married. His great-nieces, Camilla Kinton and Julia Hatfield, are some of the closest living descendants. They were invited to the recovery centre to mark the anniversary of their great uncle’s passing and see how the centre has developed since they attended its opening over five years ago.

Camilla said: “This is the best possible memorial to Noel Chavasse as he cared about the whole person; not just the physical but the emotional side too. The Help for Heroes Recovery Centre does just that here; it cares for the whole person. It’s nice to be able to keep the name of Noel Chavasse alive and I feel that he very much would have approved of the recovery centre. Our great-uncle cared for “his boys” and it’s possible that if had lived then he might have opened up his own house to let his comrades recover after the war. It was quite unusual for his a man of his time to be concerned for the wellbeing of his soldiers”.

She continued: ”Noel came from a family of those with a great faith and sense of duty; they always wanted to help others. Even when Noel carried out those acts which saw him awarded the Victoria Cross he didn’t feel like he was being brave. It was just the way he was; he just wanted to help his men”.

Camilla and Julia spent time with beneficiaries of Chavasse VC House hearing how Help for Heroes has assisted them on their road to recovery; both physically and mentally. They also heard how Noel was integral to improving the wellbeing of his comrades in the trenches by setting up recreational areas which he stocked with a gramophone and books.

The Olympic athlete and British Army Officer died on August 4, 1917, during the Passchendaele offensive. He was just age 32. Captain Chavasse received serious head injuries during the battle, but refused to be evacuated and continued to venture into no man’s land and tend to the wounded.

Despite being injured Captain Chavasse saved the lives of an estimated 20 seriously wounded men while under heavy gunfire. A few days later, while resting, his trench was hit by a shell. Mortally wounded, the Captain crawled half a mile to seek help for others. He was eventually evacuated but died of his wounds two days later.

Noel Chavasse was the most highly decorated British Officer of the First World War and had previously displayed courageous acts of bravery during the Battle of the Somme. When the time came to build the Help for Heroes Recovery Centre in Colchester, it was widely agreed that it should bear his name, not only to acknowledge his sacrifice but to those who fell during the Great War.

Colchester Recovery Centre inspires, enables and supports those who are wounded, injured or sick while serving our country, encouraging them to lead active, independent and fulfilling lives, while also supporting their loved ones. With an adaptive gym, an award winning reflective garden (Hope on the Horizon), a Support Hub made up of multiple charities and other organisations, psychological well-being suite, en-suite bedrooms, family rooms and a creative studio, the Centre has been specially designed to offer the very best recovery environment. It supports those from East Anglia, East Midlands and West Midlands.

Steve Schollar, Help for Heroes’ Head of Recovery Services East, said: “No matter when someone served, H4H gives them the support they need to put them back on the road to recovery In recent years we have supported individuals aged from 18 to 90 years, focussing on the five key areas of Medical, Mind, Body, Spirit and Family. The specialist teams here create the conditions for our heroes and their families to recover and move forward with their lives. I’m proud to say that Help for Heroes and Chavasse VC House continue to play a major part in the Nation’s commitment to our veterans”.

Birmingham’s historic architecture and changing landscape will be put in the picture at a new exhibition showcasing how the city’s skyline has been transformed over the last 20 years.

Birmingham City University’s Parkside Gallery will host the ‘Brummagem Lost City Found’ exhibition from today (September 18), which brings together a collection of large-scale prints, paper constructions and rare archive materials centred around some of the city’s most iconic sites.

The artworks, which feature artistic takes on Spaghetti Junction, the Inner Ring Road and New Street Signal Box, have been produced by two local artists, Birmingham City University Professor, Andrew Kulman and Sara Kulman.

Both Andrew and Sara are residents of Birmingham and use city’s transformation as the inspiration for the work on show in ‘Brummagem Lost City Found’.

The exhibition has been compiled in a bid to recognise and honour the Brutalist architecture which characterised the  city’s architecture during the 1950s-70s.

Professor Andrew Kulman said: “Over the last 20 years Birmingham has lost much of the Brutalist architecture that characterised the city. Most recently the iconic Central Library was controversially demolished and is being replaced by brand new buildings.

“While it would be hard to deny the benefits to the city, there is an overwhelming feeling of loss as the old buildings fall and the city is reshaped. As the city is regenerated there is a sense of nostalgia among those who called the ‘concrete jungle’ home.”

‘Brummagem Lost City Found’ is free for the public to attend at Birmingham City University’s Parkside Gallery at its City Centre Campus in Eastside.

Sara Kulman added: “Birmingham is a fantastic place for artists to work and exhibit, the changing city is a great inspiration. This exhibition has given me the opportunity to reflect on the city as it is today, to bring new life and a fresh perspective to the remaining structures that defined my youth, a city that I still call home.”

The exhibition will run from September 18 to October 27.

Goaty McGoatface the rare Bagot goat is the newest addition at Sandwell Counci’s Forge Mill Farm in West Bromwich.

The six week old kid, who will be known as Goaty, was named by members of the public who suggested their favourite names on Facebook. Goaty was born in August to the farm’s oldest Bagot goat, Ivy, who is 15.

The council is supporting a scheme run by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust to breed the rare goats as there are fewer than 200 registered breeding females left.

Goaty will become part of the farm’s breeding stock, increasing the number of these rare animals for years to come.

Councillor Richard Marshall, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for leisure, said: "Goaty is very cute – and a very important little goat.

“We wanted the public to be involved in naming him. Someone suggested Goaty McGoatface, people thought it was funny and then a few more suggested it. We thought it suited him so we went with it.”

The Bagot is believed to be Britain’s oldest breed of goat with records of them being around in 1389 at Blithfield, the Staffordshire home of Sir John Bagot.

The exact origin of the Bagot goat is unknown - one theory  is they were brought to Britain during the Crusades in the Middle Ages, while others believe they originated from native goats in medieval times.