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Month: September 2021

West Midlands Safari Park To Light Up For Lantern Festival

The West Midlands Safari Park will be transformed as the dark nights draw in with hundreds of lanterns.

lantern festival

This Lantern Festival will allow visitors to see the park in a totally new light with an illuminating experience after dark.

Running on select dates from 22 October until 5 December from 5.30pm, the lantern trail will take you on a journey around the park with lit-up landscapes, interactive lighting displays and special features, including a huge interactive keyboard and a rainbow tunnel.

The safari drive through and rides are closed during the event, with the Lantern Festival finishing at 9.30pm each evening.

The cost for adults is £18 per person with children (3-15 year-olds) priced at £15.  Senior citizens and students can get a concession of £16 per ticket.

For more details, dates and booking information, visit the West Midlands Safari Park website.

Patients With Skin Conditions To Benefit From Walsall Manor’s New UVA Machine

The latest UVA machine to help patients with a range of skin conditions has been installed at Walsall Manor Hospital’s Phototherapy department.

medisun 2800

NHS staff are delighted at the arrival of the latest technology for dermatology patients

Using UV light to slow skin cell production and reduce inflammation, the Medisun 2800 machine aims to treat patients who have skin conditions that haven’t improved with topical treatment.

This includes: Eczema, Vitiligo, Psoriasis, Nodular Prurigo and Lichen Planus.

Phototherapist Lisa Garrett said: “This will be a huge benefit to patients as it is a treatment which will improve their skin condition. If they can better control their skin without the need for regular topical creams, this will give patients a better quality of life. Some patients have reported improvement of their mental health and an increase in their self-confidence following successful clearance of their skin condition.”

The new equipment will also benefit the phototherapy staff too.

Lisa added: “The new phototherapy machine is the latest model in the market and intuitive to use. It incorporates the latest technology and needs less maintenance. This will enable us to provide safer and effective care.”

The team has received positive feedback from patients who have changed to the new machine:

“The new machine makes it quicker to achieve treatment dose so the duration for each treatment is shorter. This means I get to spend less time in the hospital so am able to carry on with my daily life and pay less parking charges too!”

Clinical Nurse Specialist Phototherapy Lead, Joy Hamilton said:

“Our old machine was 25 years old so it was overdue for an update and this new machine is fantastic!

“A lot of money has been invested in this which has really made us feel valued as a service.

“We work hard as a department to deliver safe and effective care and by purchasing this new equipment that is exactly what we are doing. It makes us proud to work here for the trust”.

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Walsall Council Supporting Local Business With Focus On Finance Event

Need Support for your Walsall Business?

As part of the Black Country Business Festival, Walsall Council is hosting a virtual event on Tuesday, October 12 that will give local businesses information on support packages available, as well as giving them the opportunity to ask questions to the experience panel.

walsall council

With speakers from Walsall Council’s Procurement team, the Walsave Credit Union and the Black Country Growth Hub, the event will focus on local funding initatives, supply chain opportunities and how to access Council contracts.

The Focus on Finance event will be hosted on Microsoft Teams from 1-2pm. Interested parties need to register to confirm attendance.

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Walsall Festival of Sport & Culture – Timetable of Events

To coincide with the Women’s Tour, which takes place around Walsall on October 5, Walsall Council has announced a packed calendar of events for families in and around town.

Stage 2 of the cycling competition begins at Walsall Arboretum where big screens will showcase the action as the riders prepare to complete a 10-lap circuit that takes them towards Barr Beacon and then back into town.

bandstand walsallImage from Lakeside Live in August

The timetable is as follows:

Walsall Arboretum

Junior pump track coaching sessions by British Cycling, Youth Connect provide interactive games on VR sets, bring your bike for a quick service by Walsall Bike Project CIC and No Limits to Health CIC, free fitness sessions by Walsall College in the early afternoon, family fun and kids activities throughout the day. PLUS Children’s movie screening of Scoob! And Cruella

  • 9.30am Fanzone opens
  • 10.00am Poetry in Motion present local voices on a pedal-powered platform + meet the Walsall Hippo brought to life.
  • 10.15am Live music from George Austin Geoege a talented artiste with a massive repertoire which he has performed aboard cruise ships in Europe and USA, at 5-star hotels and on television.
  • 10.30am Women’s Tour Presentations.
  • 11.15am Community cycling group parade sets off from the start podium.
  • 11.30am Women’s Tour Stage 2 sets off from the start podium.
  • 11.30am Cycling DJ Stuart Ojelay on his trike.
  • 12.00pm – 1.35pm Scoob! on the big screen.
  • 3.25pm – 5.30pm Cruella on the big screen.

 

Gallery Square

Join Canal & River trust for a FREE canoe or fishing session, See if you can ride the track with Walsall Leisure services, visit the WHG Kindness shop and leave a wish on the wishing wall with Steps to Work.

  • 10.00am Activity Zone opens.
  • 11.00am – 1.15pm Cruella on the big screen.
  • 1.15pm Live Music – George Austin.
  • 2.00pm – 3.30pm Scoob! on the big screen.
  • 3.30pm Theatre Games fun participation for all the family.
  • 3.35pm Dance performance by students of Wolverhampton University A contemporary dance based on a sporting theme, followed by musical theatre students will be performing from the musical, & Juliet: a feminist take on the classic Shakespeare story.
  • 3.45pm Musical Theatre performance by students of the Performing Arts School at Wolverhampton University Musical Theatre students will entertain you in Gallery Square with their vocals, featuring numbers from contemporary musicals.
  • 3.55pm Live Music – George Austin 4.00pm at the New Art Gallery – Exhibition and talk celebrating women artists.

 

Market Square

A journey through Walsall. Taste and experience all our wonderful cultures. Stalls include a variety of engaging entertainment such as music, dance, cultural dress, food and Walsall’s The Makerfair curated by Urban Hax where local creatives take stands to show off their talents.

  • 10.30am Activity Zone opens
  • 12.30pm Cycling DJ Stuart Ojelay on his trike
  • 2.00pm Live music – Lazlo Dan Lazlo is International Artist with Romanian and Hungarian influences and will bring a 1 hour set to Walsall. Lazlo also works in close collaboration with Nash Dom CIC, who support the local Eastern European and Russian-speaking community.
  • 3.30pm Live music – Kris Janis Berg, Hip Hop Artist Kris is an International local young hip hop artist originally from Latvia. Kris is very excited to participate in the event. He also offers collaboration with local artists and champions young artists in the community through music.

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International Street Market In Walsall This Week

The pop-up continental street market which proved to be a huge success last month is back in Walsall town centre this week between 29 September and October 2, 2021.

walsall market

Organised by RR Events, the market has proved to be a success in towns across the UK and Europe with its eclectic mix of traders from around the world offering food, sweets and crafts.

“From sumptuous hot food you can eat whilst there, to treats and snacks to take away, the Continental Street Market will have it all. We also have a wide range of quirky and native craft items that you will not find on the high street, which help to make the market a real favourite amongst locals and tourists alike,” reads the official explanation on the RR Events website.

Opening times will be 10am until 6pm, with the Friday and Saturday markets running alongside the usual Walsall market.

Enjoy Live Music Every Wednesday At The Walsall Gallery Square Bandstand

Did you know that in Walsall town centre every Wednesday there is free live music between 12-3pm?

The new bandstand, situated in Gallery Square by The New Art Gallery, plays host every Wednesday lunch-time to a range of bands that fill the streets with live music.

bandstand gallery square
Picture credit: We Are Walsall

This Wednesday sees the Backyard Boys, a four-piece acoustic jazz band perform with further perfomances from other bands every Wednesday throughout October.

If you’re a local act that fancies performing in town, you can also apply to take part and book your slot at the new bandstand.

The live music initiative is part of the We Are Walsall campaign which was launched in August 2021 by Walsall Council. The initiative aims to encourage residents back to the high street and support local traders.

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Walsall Parents Informed That COVID Vaccines For Children Start After Half Term

Local schools have begun the rollout of letters to parents informing them of the plans for children aged 12-15 to be offered one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.

covid vaccine

The letter, which is written by the Director of Public Health of Walsall Council, Stephen Gunther, and the Managing Director of the Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group, Geraint Griffiths-Dale, reads (in part):

“One dose of the vaccine will provide good protection against severe illness and hospitalisation. Very few healthy children and young people with COVID-19 infection go on to have severe illness, but vaccinating secondary school children (12-15 years old) should help to reduce the need for them to have time off school, disrupting face to face learning and reduces the risk of the spread of COVID-19 within school settings.

The vaccination programme will be delivered within Walsall secondary schools (including secondary, special, PRU’s, independent and private) by our skilled and experienced School Aged Immunisation Service. This is provided by Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, who will be legally responsible for the programme; with oversight from Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group, and the Public Health and education teams at Walsall Council.”

A timetable for school visits to administer the vaccine is in the planning with parents due to receive further information between now and October half-term regarding their child’s eligibility, with plans to commence vaccinations of children after the October half-term.

By mid-November, they hope to have vaccinated as many children as possible.

Parents are informed that they do not need to do anything else at this point, but will hear more from the School Aged Immunisation Service soon.

Further information can be found on the government website.

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Walsall Road Closures – Plan Your Journey During Women’s Tour

Stage 2 of the Women’s Tour takes place in Walsall on Tuesday 5 October and numerous roads will be closed as 100 elite female riders compete across the town.

2021 women's tour competitors

Starting at Walsall Arboretum, the 10km circuit will see the riders head towards Barr Beacon for a  10-lap circuit that will end in Lichfield Street.

The race is due to start at 11am and end at 3pm.

Only vehicles that are accompanying riders and emergency vehicles will be allowed to access certain roads across the town.

The full list of road closures can be found below:

walsall road closures

To celebrate the event, there are multiple family-friendly activities happening around town.

An Arboretum fan zone will host a big screen, deck chairs and activities, including face-painting and arts and crafts.

The Walsall market will be open from 10.30am-5pm and around town they’ll be roaming performers, including stilt walkers, roller skaters and costumed characters.

Meanwhile, Gallery Square will host live music, theatre games for children and spin bikes.

The Soho Tavern Bar and Restaurant Is Coming To Walsall

A multi-award-winning family bar and restaurant serving premium Indian cuisine is opening in Walsall soon.

soho tavern menu

The Soho Tavern, which opened on Park Street, Hockley in Birmingham in 2014, is launching a brand-new branch at a former pub on West Bromwich Road. The owners also have a history of running local pubs.

The New Fullbrook is currently undergoing a makeover in preparation for the opening of the desi bar and grill, which has almost perfect reviews on Trip Advisor. A firm launch date has yet to be revealed.

The Soho Tavern menu includes a range of mouth-watering dishes, including mixed grills, special curries and classic curries.

To keep up-to-date with what’s happening, check out The Soho Tavern Walsall on Facebook.

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Teen Jailed For His Part In Bloxwich Armed Robbery

An unnamed 17-year-old has been jailed this week following his part in a horrific armed robbery in Bloxwich last year.

police car

The attack happened at Harden Road where three males armed with a knife, a sledgehammer and a machete entered the home of a couple in their 60s.

After enduring a 90-minute ordeal, in which the convicted teen struck the homeowner multiple times with a machete and his accomplice held a knife near to a woman’s throat, they left the premises with cash and jewellery.

The homeowner suffered a shattered arm, a head injury and cuts, but managed to pull off the robber’s woolly hat during the scuffle, which proved to be vital evidence.

DNA from the hat was eventually linked to the robber

Appearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court this week, the teen – who was 16 at the time of the robbery – was sentenced to four years and six months at a young offender’s institute.

The robbers two accomplishes have yet to be caught.

DC Steve Trotman, from force CID, said: “This was a terrifying ordeal for the victims in their own home and will sadly have an impact on them forever.

“This boy was particularly violent but we knew we had a real forensic opportunity once the right person was identified. The information we received from the public then helped us track him down.

“He was then picked out in an identification parade as the weight of evidence built up and led to the guilty pleas. He has now lost his freedom and has a criminal record at such a young age.

“This isn’t the end of the matter as we still need to trace his accomplices and I would urge anyone with information to contact us.”

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