Community News

Her Majesty The Queen celebrates her 90^th birthday later this year and City of Wolverhampton Council has given residents an extra reason to celebrate. The council is believed to be the first in the country to waive costly licence fees if people apply for a road closure to be able hold a street party. The move will save party organisers up to £690 and the council hopes it will encourage as many people as possible to organise a knees-up for the Queen.

Sri Lanka made history once again, with the signing of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation's Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (GCET) by premier hospitality brand Jetwing. The ceremony took place in Paris, France and is the first company in Sri Lanka to sign the Code of Ethics.

Today, TV favourite Gabby Logan launches ‘Britain Has Spirit’, a new campaign searching for Britain’s best individual and group volunteers. Gabby is calling on the British public to nominate their local shining stars, who selflessly give up time volunteering for nothing in return.

The Woodland Trust is leading 47* organisations in a campaign to celebrate the value of our trees and woods and secure their future by creating a new Charter for Trees, Woods and People. The charity is asking people to share their stories about woods, trees and nature to help kick-start the campaign.

Over a third (38%) of Brits cannot name a local charity in their area, and one in 10 (13%) have never donated to any charity, local or otherwise, new research by TSB has revealed. Half of adults (52%) say they feel local charities play an important role in their community, yet only one in 10 (13%) people can name at least two local charities in their area, and only one in 10 (14%) help their local community by fundraising for local causes.

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham and the Mayor of Sandwell will lead Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations on Sunday, January 24. Holocaust Memorial Day commemorates the victims and survivors of the Holocaust and Nazi persecutions, as well as other genocides around the world.

Relatives of a woman who passed away recently are being asked to get in touch with the City of Wolverhampton Council. May Morgan, who lived in the Wolverhampton area, died in November 2015 aged 88. The council's Court of Protection team is trying to trace her relatives so that her funeral can be arranged.

Former Press Club director Tony Bell has successfully undergone a triple bypass heart operation in Wolverhampton New Cross Hospital. The operation took place last week  and Tony expects to be in intensive care for six or seven days. Full of vigour, Tony said today from his hospital bed:  “It must have gone well.  I think I’m running the place now!” The Phoenix Newspaper wishes Tony a quick and successful recovery!

As many struggle to combat the post-Christmas come down and tackle the ‘January Blues’, new research conducted by leading online pet healthcare site MedicAnimal has demonstrated the huge impact of pet ownership on our health. After ‘Blue Monday’, which is believed to be the most depressing day of the year, MedicAnimal’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Andrew Bucher, flags that the health benefits of pet ownership are not only physical, but also extend to mental health.

Sport Relief have announced exciting new details about this year’s campaign, including Idris Elba donning his infamous Luther coat to uncover a serious case of hilarity in an unmissable sketch. The super sleuth will be joined by Lenny Henry, Rio Ferdinand, David Haye, Denise Lewis, Cecilia Noble, Louis Smith, Ruth Wilson and Ian Wright. This special one off sketch will be shown as part of a star studded night of Sport Relief TV on the BBC, hosted by John Bishop, Gary Lineker, David Walliams, Jack Whitehall and Claudia Winkleman amongst others,on Friday 18^th March.

Banish Blue Monday by booking into a Sandwell library and make the most of a week-long list of activities to lift the spirits. Sandwell Libraries are running lots of inspiring events from January 18-25 to encourage positive thinking on what has been identified as one of the most miserable days of the year.

Appreciate your ambulance service. This is the one New Year’s resolution the ambulance service would like you to keep not just for 2016, but for life. You don’t need an ambulance if you’ve lost your keys. A scary hedgehog doesn’t equate to a medical emergency. If you need a lift home after a night out in the pub, call a taxi not 999. As part of a week-long awareness campaign, WMAS will be releasing audio clips from 999 calls to highlight the shocking examples of inappropriate calls.

City of Wolverhampton Council is on the look-out for an army of community-minded volunteers who are willing to help vulnerable neighbours in the event of snow and ice. The council has today launched its Snow Wolves scheme and wants to sign up 1,000 city residents who will clear snow and ice from pavements and the doorsteps of elderly and disabled neighbours.

A charity for homeless dogs has received dozens of coats and doggy treats following a campaign organised by Pets Corner. 224 coats have been donated to the animal charity ‘Give a dog a coat’, which will be distributed to homeless dogs across the UK to help keep them warm during the cold winter months. The family-run ethical pet retailer asked customers and animal lovers to donate pre-loved, new and homemade dog coats throughout November and December by dropping them off at one of the 102 Pets Corner stores across the UK. 

As the weather turns colder, Public Health chiefs are encouraging everyone to lend a helping hand to vulnerable people this winter. The elderly and those with long-term health conditions are particularly susceptible at this time of year to illnesses and are often isolated. The Met Office issued a cold weather alert for the West Midlands and Councillor Sandra Samuels, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “Anyone can help elderly friends or relatives by checking on them regularly.