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Month: October 2021

Walsall Schools Urged To Re-Introduce COVID-Secure Measures

Walsall Council is calling on all Walsall schools to reintroduce COVID-secure measures from Monday 18 October.

wash hands

The plea comes from Walsall Council’s Director of Public Health Stephen Gunther after 1,100 cases of positive tests were reported in the last seven days, with half of them from children between 0-19.

The measures include:

  • Class bubbles
  • Staggered lunch breaks and start and finish times
  • All non-essential events online
  • Masks in communal areas (secondary only)
  • Year-group bubbles (secondary only)
  • Teaching staff social distancing (secondary only)
  • COVID management for PE (secondary only)

Stephen Gunther, Director of Public Health for Walsall said:

“With cases of COVID-19 high again in Walsall – including those in the under-19 age groups – we think now is the time for schools to bring back COVID-secure measures.

“Although younger children with no underlying health conditions are less likely to become very ill from the virus, there is a chance that other family members may be more severely affected, particularly those who are clinically vulnerable.

“While they are not compulsory, we hope that they will help schools in the prevention and management of COVID-19 outbreaks and enable children to continue to attend lessons as normal.

“We continue to keep outbreaks in schools under close review and the Public Health team remains available to advise every school on the appropriate measures.”

The news comes as the COVID -19 vaccination scheme rolls out in Walsall schools with children between 12-15 eligible for a Pfizer vaccine. Parents will be notified of their school’s arrangements and receive consent forms shortly.

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Deadline For Secondary School Applications Looms

Walsall Council is urging parents to submit their applications for secondary school before the national deadline to increase chances of getting their preferred school for their child.

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Children in Year 6, born between 1 September 2010 and 31 August 2011 will be heading to secondary school in September 2022 and there’s just a couple of weeks left to submit your application. The deadline is a national deadline so applies to all secondary school applications across the country.

The application form can be filled in online, allowing parents to choose up to five secondary schools.

Councillor Chris Towe, Portfolio Holder for Education and Skills said, “I strongly urge parents and carers to make sure that you maximise your chances of obtaining a year 7 place at one of your preferred schools by submitting your application prior to the national application deadline of 31 October 2021.”

“Last year 94% of on-time applicants were allocated one of their preferred schools. It’s really important that you utilise all of the preferences to ensure that your child is allocated a school that you would be happy for them to attend. Applications received after this deadline will be processed as late applications and this will impact on your chance of receiving an offer at one of your preferred schools.”

Late applications are still accepted up until 31 December 2021, but reduce the chances of getting into the first school that is chosen on the list. To find out more and to fill in the application, visit the Walsall Schools Admission website.

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Blakenall Raids Undercover 600 Cannabis Plants

600 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £600,000 were seized in Blakenall, Walsall over the weekend.

cannabis

The haul was discovered by West Midlands Police following a tip-off from a concerned member of the public, which resulted in the raid of two addresses in Blakenall.

This follows a raid in September where a cannabis factory was discovered in Delves with 300 plants valued at £300,000.

One of the biggest hauls of cannabis in the Black Country was also found in Walsall in the summer, where a 40-room property on Slaney Road in Bescot housed over 6,000 plants worth a street value of £6 million.

Source: Express & Star

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Local Youngsters Awarded For Outstanding Community Work

Twelve local youngsters have been awarded with a Young Citizens Award due to their outstanding work within the community.

Arun Bansal, Jayden-Jarrett Whiston, Maison Whiston, John Crabtree OBE (Lord-Lieutenant), Helen Higson OBE (Vice Lord-Lieutenant), Ashley Copson, Harvey Kataria and Jayme Nelson

This includes Ashley Copson who went to school at Pool Hayes Academy in Willenhall, and has spent his spare time volunteering for Walsall Outreach and delivering food to the homeless, elderly and vulnerable every week.

The recipients of the West Midlands Lieutenancy Young Citizen Awards met up with Lord-Lieutenant John Crabtree OBE at a ceremony held at Acme Whistles in Birmingham to receive their awards.

The awards were launched last Autumn in order to highlight the incredible work young volunteers do within the local community.

Councillor Garry Perry, Deputy Leader for Resilient Communities said, “It is so good to see young people volunteering and helping their local communities. As well as dedicating hours of volunteering, Ashley has shown initiative and dedication by delivering meals for those in need in his local area. Every little idea and action really does help support those in need in the borough”

Councillor Chris Towe, Portfolio Holder for Schools said, “We are proud of Ashley and hope that his story will encourage other young people in the borough to volunteer in creative ways, and inspire them to make a valued contribution to their local community.”

The Lord-Lieutenant, John Crabtree OBE said, “We knew young people were doing some fantastic activities to help others but the new award has provided an opportunity to find out how much is going on and how young people are contributing. It is hugely heart-warming to hear their stories and I am impressed with their ingenuity and the lengths they have gone to make such a positive contribution to help others. It was an absolute pleasure to meet many of them and I am grateful for all the schools that helped highlight their endeavours to us.”

For more information, including how to nominate, check out the official West Midlands Lieutenancy website.

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Halloween Trail And Pumpkin Carving Back At Walsall Arboretum In 2021

After missing out on the fun last year due to COVID restrictions, the Woodland Garden Halloween trail is back at the Walsall Arboretum this October.

halloween trail walsall

Taking place on 30 October between 1pm-3.30pm, the spooky trail, which has been put together by the Friends of Walsall Arboretum, will see youngsters searching the garden for an array of spooky creatures.

It’s totally free, so just turn up on the day, head for the Woodland Garden and look out for volunteers who will be dressed in their Haloween best.

Pumpkin Carving in Walsall

If you’re also looking for some pumpkin carving activities in the Borough over the half-term period, Healthy Spaces will be at four locations later this month.

  • Monday 26th October: King George Vth Playing Fields, Bloxwich (by the play area) – 2pm till 4pm
  • Tuesday 27th October: Willenhall Memorial Park (in the bandstand) – 10am till 12pm
  • Thursday 29th October: Holland Park, Brownhills (by the play area) – 10am till 12pm.
  • Friday 30th October: Walsall Arboretum – 10am till 12pm

You’ll need to book the pumpkin carving in advance by emailing Healthyspaces@walsall.gov.uk or phoning: 01922 650 465.

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Walsall Manor Hospital Seeks Response Volunteers

The Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is hiring ‘Response Volunteers’ to help support staff and out-patients at Walsall Manor Hospital.

walsall manor

The creation of Patient Involvement Partners will see volunteers play a key role in working alongside the Trust to meet and greet patients, assist with the video calling service to patients contacting loved ones and help to deliver documents and medicines throughout the hospital.

Garry Perry, Associate Director – Patient Relations & Experience, said the longer term aim was to set up a Patient Involvement Council which the partners will be instrumental in driving forward.

“This is an exciting and interesting opportunity that will allow the public to really get involved in their local services and help us better collaborate to represent all patients from all backgrounds and all communities,” he said.

“We’re looking for dependable, responsible people who are confident to express their views and are able to listen to and understand a variety of viewpoints. They will need to be able to read and process papers from relevant meetings and have clear written and verbal communication skills. We need people who are committed to the improvement of healthcare services and motivated to be part of any changes.

“We want partners to be able to contribute in face to face and virtual meetings – we will obviously follow COVID-19 guidance to minimise infection risk during the ongoing pandemic.

To find out more and apply for the role, please visit Walsall Healthcare Trust.

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Masovia Craft Bakery Opens In Walsall

A Polish bakery, which operates out of Bloxwich, Walsall and serves fresh bread to over 300 stores nationwide, is opening a new shop in Walsall this weekend, Friday 15 October.

The Bakery Mazowsze, known as the Masovia Craft Bakery, all started when two Polish men with a passion for traditional food arrived in England almost two decades ago. Pawel Podalak pursued his passion with his brother-in-law and in 2006 they opened a small bakery.

Their business went from strength-to-strength and now has 70 employees who work hard to make and deliver their fresh Polish bread.

The Masovia Craft Bakery opens on 113 Lichfield Street in Walsall with a chance to meet their host on a special opening day on Friday.

The store opens at 9am and will be stocked full of fresh breads and rolls, cakes and dessert cookies and sandwiches. There’s also a pizzeria, casseroles and the opportunity to order special cakes for all occasions.

An example of the what’s on offer can be seen below, though they frequently switch out items and add new ones. Looks delicious!

masovia bakery menu

Follow the Masovia Bakery on Facebook for more information.

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Free Dance Classes For Over 50s In Walsall

Dance to Health, the nationwide programme that aims to get over-50s more active, is now offering free dance classes in Walsall.

free dance classes

The classes are tailored towards any fitness level and take place online starting on Monday 25 October at 2pm.

Each class lasts 60-90 minutes with 30 minutes of time afterwards to socialise. In order to take part, you need a Wi-Fi connected device such as a tablet or a laptop and each week you’ll get a link sent you via email, allowing you to click and join.

To find out more you can email hello@dancetohealth.org or ring 01993 870 161.

Further information can also be found on the Dance to Health website.

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Consultation For The Planning Of 600 Homes On Walsall Green Belt Land Ends Today

A consultation proposing the building of 600 homes on green belt land in Walsall ends today, Monday 11 October.

walsall green belt

Land at the back of the Arboretum

A petition against the development, which includes land that backs onto Walsall Arboretum, has raised over 1,700 signatures, with some local residents heading to the town’s park over the weekend to give out leaflets to raise awareness of the plans.

The full list of locations for the housing proposals are as follows:

  • Next to the Pacific Nursery, Streetly
  • Between Pheasey and Streetly on the A4041
  • Between the Aldridge Road and the Arboretum, Fernleigh Road and the Calderfields Golf Club
  • Between the Longhorn Pub and Longwood Lane on Sutton Road
  • Between Lazy Hill Road and Stonnall Road, Aldridge
  • North of the Lichfield Road, Pelsall
  • North of Little Bloxwich on the Stafford Road
  • North of Mob Lane, Shelfield
  • Sandhills, next to the Chester Road and A461

Full details of the proposal can be found on the Black Country plan website, with today being the final day to submit comments.

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West Midlands Predicted To Create Up to 52,000 Jobs in Tech Industry By 2025

A new government report published by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), predicts massive growth in the technology sector in the West Midlands over the next few years.

Named the fastest growing tech sector, the West Midlands is expected to create up to 52,000 new tech roles by 2025 that will help grow the regional economy by £2.7 billion.

The news arrives as figures reveal that vacancies in the tech industry have almost doubled year-on-year, while money raised through venture capital investment has increased by £96 million on the previous year.

The report lands just ahead of the launch of Birmingham Tech Week, a festival of digital technology and innovation that runs from October 11-15.

Digital Minister Chris Philp said:

“As Birmingham Tech Week kicks off it’s great to see the digital sector in the West Midlands entering a golden era.

There are high-quality and well-paid job opportunities for those who want to pursue a career in tech and the region is fast-becoming a powerhouse of digital talent.

We are determined to level up the country and we are working around the clock to back digital businesses with pro-innovation policies to boost digital skills and create jobs so everyone can benefit from this dynamic sector.”