Pupils and parents in Wolverhampton are being encouraged to put their best foot forward and step out for Walk to School Week which begins on Monday (21 May).

Around a million children and families nationwide will be celebrating Living Streets’ Walk to School Week and swapping the school run for a school walk – either by leaving the car at home or parking further away from the school and walking the rest of the way.

Experts recommend that children are physically active for at least 60 minutes a day to stay fit and maintain a healthy weight, and walking to school is an easy way to achieve some of these active minutes.

Children who travel actively to school will arrive feeling refreshed and ready to learn, and evidence suggests they will do better in class and be happier, healthier and more independent as a result.

Councillor Lynne Moran, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "A generation ago, more than two thirds of children walked to school, but now it's dropped to half.

“There are so many benefits from choosing to walk to school rather than driving, from improving the health and wellbeing of children and their parents, to helping to reduce congestion and pollution, and so I would encourage all our schools to take part in this very important campaign."

Councillor Hazel Malcolm, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, added: "We have a well-documented problem with high levels of obesity among both adults and children and young people in Wolverhampton, and incorporating even a short, brisk walk into people's daily routines can bring about fantastic mental and physical health benefits."

National Walk to School Week is organised by the walking charity Living Streets, which is currently working with a number of Wolverhampton schools to encourage more people to walk to school, including Loxdale, West Park, East Park, Palmer’s Cross, SS Peter and Paul, Lanesfield, Eastfield, Wilkinson, Stow Heath, D’Eyncourt, Oak Meadow and Elston Hall primary and Woodfield Infant and Junior schools.

Woodfield Junior School Headteacher Philip Salisbury said: "We began to encourage more children to walk to school for two main reasons. The first was the terrible traffic situation we have outside the school twice a day; it is distressing for residents, children and parents alike, as well as being very dangerous.

"The second was for health and wellbeing reasons. It is good for children of all ages to walk, however short the distance, and we are a school that promotes healthy activity for all our children and staff."

Tom Richards, from Living Streets, said: "Nationally, 79% of boys and 84% of girls fail to get 60 minutes of physical activity every day, while around a quarter of cars on the road during the morning rush hour are taking children to school, causing congestion, air pollution and carbon emissions.

"Through Walk to School Week, we want more children and their families to make walking the natural choice and making walking part of every child's daily routine."

To find out more about National Walk to School Week, and to download a free Family Walk to School Kit, please visit www.livingstreets.org.uk/walk-to-school. People who make a pledge to join in could win a £40 shopping voucher.

As Meghan Markle arrived at the Cliveden House Hotel last night she said that she was feeling 'wonderful' ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry today.

She looked happy and peaceful as her mother accompanied her into the hotel, mere minutes after Prince Harry and The Duke of Cambridge, his best man Prince William greeted wellwishers outside Windsor Castle.

Both will spend the night in seperate hotels before being reunited at St George's Chapel at lunchtime on Saturday.

Following her Father being unable to attend the wedding, it has been said that Meghan will walk the first half of the aisle by herself, before the Prince of Wales will accompany her down the second half of the aisle.

It certainly looks to be a very impressive and progressive occasion!

An event highlighting LGBT+ hate crime and the impact it has on the community will be held in Haringey this month.

The Stop LGBT+ Hate Crime event – organised by Haringey Council, BAME LGBT+ arts charity Wise Thoughts and Haringey Police – will look at the scale of hate crime, both in the borough, and nationwide, and explore how local groups and the police are working to tackle it.

There will be speakers from Haringey Police, the council and a local victim of a homophobic attack.

The event on May 24 is free, and will be held in the Wood Green Library Business Lounge between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. Booking is not required.

Haringey has a proud LGBT+ history and the council recently renewed its commitment to the community, pledging to do even more to make the area welcoming for LGBT+ residents and visitors. It means that LGBT+ residents will have a greater role in shaping priorities and services to ensure they meet their needs.

Haringey Council Chief Executive Zina Etheridge said:

It is essential to us that LGBT+ people living in and visiting Haringey feel safe and welcome. Haringey’s diversity is something we are incredibly proud of, and we have some brilliant groups and individuals making a real difference to LGBT+ equality in the borough. We encourage residents to come along to this event and to work together to show that hate crime of any kind won’t be tolerated here in Haringey.

More details have been announced about how the City of Wolverhampton will be marking Dementia Action Week 2018.

They include over a dozen free events and activities for people living with dementia and their carers – from information and advice sessions to poetry readings and exercise classes.

The highlight of the wide-ranging programme organised by Wolverhampton Dementia Action Alliance is an information and advice morning at the Bob Jones Community Hub on Tuesday 22 May from 10am-12.30pm, at which people can find out more about the services available to people living with dementia in the City of Wolverhampton.

A range of service providers will be present, the City of Wolverhampton Council will be showcasing its Telecare assistive technology equipment and there will also be guidance on benefit entitlements. FBC Manby Bowdler Solicitors will be providing information about Power of Attorneys, and advice will also be available from Wolverhampton’s Carer Support and Memory Matters teams.

People can become Dementia Friends – and better understand issues facing people living with dementia – by attending a free Dementia Friends training session open to all professionals and members of the public at the Grand Theatre on Tuesday 22 May from 2.15pm-3.30pm; alternatively they can visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk.

The Alzheimer's Society will be raising awareness among commuters at Wolverhampton railway station on the same day from 4pm to 5.30pm.

Special Walking for Health walks and exercise classes in the Easyline gym will be taking place at Wednesfield Community Hub, Well Lane, on Thursday 24 May from 10am-3pm, while Memory Matters will be meeting shoppers at Sainsbury's St Marks on the same day from 10am-2pm to raise awareness of memory concerns and share tips about living better with a diagnosis of dementia.

Wolverhampton Police and the City of Wolverhampton Council's Trading Standards team will be raising awareness of scams – and how people can prevent themselves from falling victim to them – at HSBC in Queen Square on Monday 21 May from 11am-2pm and Waitrose, Penn Road, on Friday 25 May from 10.30am-3pm. The Trading Standards Team will also be on hand at Age UK, Darlington Street, on Tuesday 22 May from 1pm-3pm.

Central Library is inviting people to enjoy a Coffee and Chat from 10.30am-2pm on Wednesday (23 May), enabling residents to find out more about the services available to support their mental health and wellbeing while also enjoying light refreshments. Taking part will be a range of providers including Starfish Wolverhampton Social Hub, the council’s Community Support and Carer Support Teams, HeadStart Wolverhampton, Healthy Minds, Healthwatch Wolverhampton and Memory Matters.

Asda Wolverhampton will be raising awareness in store on Monday and Wednesday 21 and 23 May from 10am-noon, while the Black Country Partnership Foundation Trust is holding an information session and activities at Brooklands Health Centre, Brooklands Parade, on Thursday 24 May from 10am-3pm.

St Aiden's Church on Mount Road in Penn is holding two Dementia Action Week events – a Beetle Drive on Friday 25 May from 2pm-4pm and a Posh Afternoon Tea on Saturday 26 May from 2pm-5pm – while the Church of the Epiphany in Oxley is holding a dementia friendly service on Sunday 27 May starting at 10.45am.

Meanwhile, Light House Cinema on Fryer Street is offering carers and the person they care for discounted tickets to see the films Edie and That Good Night between 25 May and 31 May, with tickets priced at just £2.50.

FBC Mandy Bowdler will be hosting a craft morning with Fiddle Finger to create quilts at its offices on George Street, Snow Hill, from 10am-2pm on Thursday 24 May.

BBC WM’s Sunny and Shay will be broadcasting live from the Grand Theatre on Tuesday 22 May from 2pm-4pm, while the Alzheimer’s Society will be joining Gulshan Radio to raise awareness on Friday 25 May from 1.30pm.

A little further ahead, popular poet Mandy Ross will lead a morning of poetry and song, entertaining people living with dementia with gentle humour and activities, at East Park Library on Monday 11 June from 10am-noon. This event is organised by Poetry on Loan, Wolverhampton's library service and the Carer Support Team, and people will also be able to find out more about the Memory Matters service.

Councillor Sandra Samuels OBE, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Services, said: "Dementia is a debilitating condition which affects nearly a million people in the UK, including 3,600 in the City of Wolverhampton. It can be a very difficult subject to talk about, but the sooner people know what they are dealing with, the sooner they can feel in control again and get on with their lives.

"Dementia Action Week is an important opportunity for people to find out more about the condition and the help and support which is available to them locally.

This year's Dementia Action Week, which is organised by the Alzheimer's Society and takes place from 21-27 May, will encourage everyone to take actions big and small to improve the lives of people affected by dementia. The Alzheimer's Society estimates that one person in the UK develops dementia every three minutes.

People who are worried about dementia can contact the Alzheimer's Society for information and support either via the National Dementia Helpline on 0300 222 1122 or by visiting www.alzheimers.org.uk.

The City of Wolverhampton was officially granted Dementia Friendly Community status by the Alzheimer's Society in December in recognition of the efforts being made to improve services for people living with dementia, and their families and carers.

One of Britain’s greatest ever tennis players joined a host of other female tennis stars from her home city to look ahead to this year’s Nature Valley ClassicBirmingham, which takes place in a month’s time.

Former British No 1 Ann Jones, who won eight Grand Slam titles during an illustrious career, was at the Edgbaston Priory Club – the venue for the Classic - with Birmingham’s current British Under- 18 champion Lillian Mould. They were joined by local female coaches, junior players and ball girls from Bishop Challoner Catholic College in Kings Heath to celebrate women’s tennis in the city ahead of the prestigious women’s tournament.

Jones, also from Kings Heath, has a long association with the tournament, which is now in its 38thyear. She played an important role in getting it onto the international WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) circuit and her contribution was recognised in 2012 following the £5 million refurbishment of the venue when the new centre court was named after her.

The line-up for this year’s tournament, which takes place between June 16th-24th,is one of the strongest yet with reigning Wimbledon champion Garbiñe Muguruza, two-time Wimbledon champion and defending Birmingham champion Petra Kvitova, five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova, British star Johanna Konta and US open finalist Madison Key among those confirmed.

Ann Jones commented:

“Birmingham has always had a strong female tennis scene and it was great to speak to the young players and coaches who are part of that here today at the Edgbaston Priory Club and meet some of female volunteers who help make the tournament such a success.”

“This is a great event for tennis and sport in the Midlands and I’m proud to see how far it has come over the last 37 years. To have some of the world’s best players here next month will hopefully help inspire the next generation of young female tennis players in the city and I’m looking forward to seeing the action.”

Nature Valley Classic Tournament Director, Patrick Hughesman, added

“The tournament has really gone from strength to strength over the years and is a real highlight in the Midlands sporting calendar. Ann, who is such an iconic figure locally and globally for the game, has played really important part in helping put it on the map.”

“With one of our strongest ever line-ups and ticket sales up on this time last year, it promises to be a fantastic nine days of tennis. The city and the region is great at putting on live sport and there is real buzz around that at the moment which we are proud to be part of.”

Lillian Mould, who took the Under 18’s British title last August, said:

“Having the tournament here in Birmingham and on my doorstep is amazing. To get the chance to see some of the world’s best players live is inspiring not just for me but for lots of other local young players. I’d love to be able to play at the tournament one day and maybe even follow in Ann’s footsteps.”

Fans attending this year’s Classic, a traditional curtain raiser for Wimbledon, will also be able to experience the touring ‘Explore Wimbledon’ exhibition showcasing the history of the famous tournament, which celebrates the 125thanniversary its the women’s singles championship this summer. This year also marks the 50thanniversary of the Open Era in tennis, which saw the game transformed into a modern day professional sport. Ann Jones was at the forefront of the historic change to the game and reached the semi-final of the first ever Open Era Wimbledon in 1968.

For more information on this year’s Nature Valley Classic and to buy tickets visit https://www.lta.org.uk/major-events

For Midlands tennis fans who can’t wait that long to get their fix the From 19 – 27 May, a host of British and international stars will battle for the inaugural Loughborough Trophy title at Loughborough University.

The timeless drama and storytelling of Shakespeare’s plays have inspired generations of theatregoers and artists across the globe for hundreds of years. This summer, Birmingham Royal Ballet celebrates the enduring power of arguably the world’s most prolific playwright with one of the most breath-taking adaptations of his tale of star-crossed lovers, Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet.

William Shakespeare’s tragic and passionate narrative comes to life in this epic production, featuring a stunning design by Paul Andrews which recreates the grandeur and heat of Verona with gargantuan pillars and Italian architectural style.

A cast of over fifty dancers execute Macmillan’s esteemed choreography, from the balcony scene’s romantic, ecstatic pas de deux to large-scale sword fight scenes and the lovers’ heart-breaking end. The spectacle is accompanied by Prokofiev’s instantly recognisable score, played live at every performance by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.

This combination of spectacular score and expressive choreography creates a performance that is powerful, poetic and a firm favourite with audiences worldwide.

David Bintley, Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, commented: “Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet is the most important full-length ballet of the 20^th century. It broke the mould of classical ballets because everything within the ballet supports the narrative. The stand-out elements are the pas de deux, particularly the balcony scene. As a narrative piece of dance making, I would say this is probably the greatest one ever made.”

The iconic lead roles of Romeo and Juliet themselves will be performed by twelve of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s world-class dancers. As David Bintley explained, “Juliet has got to be the most coveted role in the repertoire. I don’t think I’ve ever met a female dancer who didn’t want to do it. It’s not too difficult, you spend a great deal of the time being lifted up and carried around beautifully and you get to do some pretty extreme acting to that glorious score.”

Romeo and Juliet is at Birmingham Hippodrome 26-30 June.