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Month: November 2021

Walsall Festive Family Day Set For 11 December

A special Walsall Festive Family Day will take place in the town centre on 11 December, 2021.

ornaments

Coinciding with the arrival of the festive speciality market, which will be in town from 8-12 December offering a wide range of food, craft and gift stalls, the festive family day aims to capture the spirit of the season.

Alongside sing-along carols, live music and dance, you can meet one of numerous Christmas characters dressed up for the occasion, as well as enjoy a giant animatronic hippo show which will take place at certain times throughout the day.

The Walsall Festive Family Day is the latest imitative from ‘We are Walsall’, the Council-backed campaign to encourage shoppers back onto the high street.

Other initiatives in December include the arrival of the Walsall Winter Express Post Train, the hippo trail and the Christmas present donation station, which is situated in the Saddlers Shopping Centre.

Walsall Winter Express Post Train Coming To Town

The Walsall Winter Express Post Train is making its way to the town centre throughout December.

wallpaper santa

Join Santa’s elves who will help children to write their Christmas lists before posting them in the special interactive box outside the Saddlers centre so they can be sent off to the North Pole.

They’ll also be a special visit from the big man himself every Saturday where one child will be surprised with a gift from their wish list.

The Walsall Winter Express Post Train will be on Park Street between 11am-4pm on 3-4 December, 10-12 December, 17-19 December and 20-23 December.

Attendees are encouraged to book their free tickets in advance via Ticketsource, though drop ins are available subject to availability.

Note: Drop ins are only available between 2-4pm.

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Ask Marc Is the New Abuse Support Service For Men

A new confidential service to support men in the Black Country affected by interpersonal violence has launched.

Ask Marc officially launched on International Men’s Day on 22 November to ensure that men do not have to deal with abuse alone. The support group specialises in all sorts of abuse, including: child sexual abuse, forced marriage, stalking, domestic abuse and ‘honour’-based violence.

According to Walsall Council, the Ask Marc service offers “advice and therapeutic support for men, as well as outreach and training for agencies to help men get help when they need it.

If you need help, contact Ask Marc on:

More details can be found on the Ask Marc website.

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Work Begins On New Willenhall Train Station

Work has finally begun on the creation of a new railway station in Willenhall.

willenhall train station

Concept image for Willenhall train station

Located next to the Bilston Street railway bridge, a line that is currently only used for freight services, Willenhall train station will connect residents to Walsall, Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street.

The £54 million project will also see another station constructed at James Bridge, Darlaston. Both stations were closed in 1965 to passengers, though the Walsall to Wolverhampton line was used for passengers between 1998 and 2008.

Willenhall train station will feature two platforms, a footbridge and ticket machines and will feature a car park with 150 spaces and is expected to run hourly services to their destinations.

In a post on his Facebook page, West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, says that work is due to be complete in 2023 and will open up new job and training opportunities.

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Walsall Gets Sport England Funding To Encourage People To Get Active

Walsall will be receiving part of a £1,441,897 investment from Sport England, which has been awarded to the Black Country.

The National Lottery-funded investment is part of a £300 million investment that is made each year to aid local projects and programmes designed to get people active and play sport, and is part of a larger investment into the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The Black Country will share the money with Coventry, Solihull and Birmingham, and will be invested in creating more volunteer opportunities, cycling and walking programmes, encouraging residents to use the canal network and social prescribing.

Amanda Tomlinson, Chair of the Active Black Country Board said:

“This award is fantastic news for the Black Country and will ensure we can make the most of the impact and legacy of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games for all our communities.

“Like all our projects, Active Black Country have worked collaboratively with partners to develop our successful Commonwealth Active Communities plan and reflects the difference we collectively want to make to individuals, communities, places and organisations.”

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Avian Influenza Confirmed In Walsall

Following the discovery of dead birds in Aldridge earlier this month, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has confirmed that there are cases of avian influenza in the bird population of Walsall.

birds

Consequently, residents are urged not to touch and sick or dead wild birds.

Stephen Gunther, Walsall’s Director of Public Health said: “I want to reassure Walsall residents that the risk of them catching avian flu is very low. It is an infectious type of influenza that spreads among birds.

“The virus spreads by close contact with an infected bird (dead or alive). Therefore, it is vital that you do not touch any sick or dead birds you may find. This includes touching infected birds, their droppings, eggs or bedding.

“If you find dead wild waterfowl (such as swans, geese or ducks) or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, you should report them to Walsall Council on 01922 65 00 00. Please do not touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that you find.

“I would like to ask people not to feed any birds until further notice. Feeding encourages them to congregate and that increases the risk of the disease spreading to other birds.”

Dr Naveed Syed, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control with the UKHSA in the West Midlands. said: “The risk to the public from this strain of avian flu is very low, however it is important that people do not touch any sick or dead birds. As a precaution, anyone who was not wearing appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment) while in contact with the droppings or birds in an area where the infection has been confirmed, will require close monitoring and a course of antiviral medication for 10 days from last contact with infected birds.”

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Queen Mary’s Celebrates Different Cultures With Taste Of The World Event

Queen Mary’s Grammar School in Walsall are hosting a ‘Taste of the World’ event, giving guests a flavour of different cultures around the world.

Taking place between 6-9pm on 4 December, the event will feature live performances, cultural games and an open mic talent competition. They’ll also be food stalls featuring food from the Phillipines, Nigeria, India and Mexico, as well as a licensed bar and a desserts stall.

One of the performances will be from the local dance school, Ultimate Bhangra.

Tickets are priced at £5 for under 18s or Queen Mary’s students and £15 for adults. A family ticket for two adults and two children can be purchased for £35. The price also includes a taster from each of the four food stalls.

queen-marys-taste-of-the-world-poster

All funds raised will go towards the Queen Mary’s Association Fund.

Tickets can be purchased via TicketSource.co.uk.

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Shoebox Appeal Aims To Help Those In Need At Christmas

The Midland Langar Seva Society have kicked off their Christmas shoe appeal with the aim of collecting gifts for the homeless or those who are suffering hardship this winter.

The charitable organization, who are based on Bloxwich Road in Walsall, are appealing to local residents to gather a range of items, including toothpaste, socks and thermals, and soup and drinks.

A full list of items needed can be found on the poster below.

shoebox appeal

The donations can be dropped off at various points. Please contact the people on the poster to find out where to send your donations.

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Walsall Bus Lane Leads To 25,000 Drivers Fined

Walsall Council has fined almost 25,000 drivers since fines for using a town centre bus lane were introduced in July.

wolverhampton street walsall

The Wolverhampton Street bus zone, which runs past the Premier Inn in Walsall, has accumulated a massive £410,000 worth of fines in just five months, an investigation by Black Country Live revealed.

The bus zone was introduced in November 2020, though fines were only handed out from July 2021, with a £30 fine if paid within 14 days or a £60 fine if there’s a late payment.

Other bus lanes where fines are enforced in Walsall include Hatherton Road, Pleck Road and Stafford Street.

Drivers are urged to pay attention to the road signs and markings that show when vehicles are allowed to use the lanes. The Wolverhampton Street bus zone cannot be used at any time.

Closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras are in operation at the following locations:

  • A34 Birmingham Road, Walsall
  • Bus Only Street, Streetly
  • Hatherton Road, Walsall
  • High Street, Bloxwich
  • Lichfield Street, Walsall
  • Pleck Road, Walsall
  • Somerford Place, Willenhall
  • St Paul’s Street, Walsall
  • Stafford Street, Walsall
  • Wolverhampton Road West, Bentley
  • Wolverhampton Road, Walsall
  • Wolverhampton Street, Walsall

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Brownhills Getting a Bigger Aldi At Derelict Shopping Centre

The abandoned Ravenscourt shopping precinct in Brownhills has been bought by Aldi, with a new store planned to open on the site in 2022.

aldi

The supermarket giant still needs to wait for planning permission approval from Walsall Council, but if granted will see the current Aldi on the High Street closed to make way for a much bigger one on the Ravenscourt site with space on a car park for 100 cars.

The retail giant says that the new store will have a wider variety of products and wider aisles than the current Brownhills store with an estimate that it will be 50% bigger.

Robin Williams, Aldi’s Regional Property Director said:

“We are thrilled to be bringing forward our plans for relocating the Brownhills store. We have been working tirelessly alongside Walsall Council Deputy Leader Councillor Adrian Andrew and Council Officers who have been truly supportive in getting us to where we are today.

Our proposals to relocate the store will ensure we can continue providing jobs and investment into the local economy, whilst offering our range of award-winning products to our customers.

By relocating so close, we can continue to serve our dedicated customer base, but ensure the long-term future of the store and preserve our commitment to Brownhills”.

Cllr Adrian Andrew said: “Our administration has pledged to sort out the problem of the derelict Ravenscourt on behalf of the people of Brownhills and by working with the previous owners for many years and more recently Aldi we have had a fantastic outcome. I have to thank the ward Councillors, Wendy Morton MP and Mayor Andy Street for keeping the pressure on and supporting us making progress.

There will of course be a planning application and process that will follow, with the decision made by the planning committee but the purchase of Ravenscourt by Aldi is a game changer for Brownhills, and we thank Aldi for working with us and investing in Brownhills.”

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