by West Midlands Magazines | Apr 29, 2024 | Bilston, Council, Health, Wednesfield, West Midlands, Wolverhampton
Today marks the start of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week – an annual campaign to encourage people to talk about their mental health before, during and after pregnancy.
Around one in five women experience a mental health problem during pregnancy or within the early postnatal years.
The national campaign, organised by the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, aims to encourage people to access the information and help they require to enable recovery. The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘Rediscovering you’.
Bal Kaur, Consultant in Public Health with the City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “Being pregnant or becoming a new parent is a milestone event in life. It is natural for new parents to feel a lot of different emotions during this time.
“But if you’re feeling low and it’s starting to affect your life, there are a range of things you can do that may help, so please don’t suffer in silence.”
Across the city, there are a lot of resources available to help support the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents and help you to rediscover yourself during this life-changing time.
The city’s Family Hubs and libraries deliver a range of activities that support parental and infant wellbeing, including Stay and Play groups and Baby Booktime sessions to boost the bond with your baby.
The council’s Parental and Infant Wellbeing Team deliver activities that focus on parent and infant relationships, including Bop Around Bantock, a babywearing walk in Bantock Park every Tuesday, and StepAhead, a community wellbeing drop-in group in the Children’s Library at Central Library every Wednesday.
People are encouraged to speak to their midwife, health visitor or visit their local Family Hub if they are feeling low. They can provide advice and information about local groups and specialist services that can support people’s health and wellbeing.
For more information on good mental health during pregnancy, visit the NHS website at www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/mental-health/.
by West Midlands Magazines | Apr 5, 2024 | Bilston, Council, Health, News, Wednesfield, West Midlands, Wolverhampton
The Fostering for Wolverhampton team is on the hunt for new foster parents this Easter.
The City of Wolverhampton Council’s fostering service is inviting people to find out more about this rewarding career, including the support and financial benefits on offer to people who foster.
The council’s Director of Children’s Services Alison Hinds said: “Fostering can truly be a life-changing experience, both for foster parents and the children and young people they care for.
“With currently over 200 fantastic fostering households, we are very lucky to have so many dedicated foster parents here in our city – but we have more children who need a foster home.
“We’ve love to hear from people who have both a spare room and, most importantly, love in their heart to offer the most vulnerable children and young people in our city a family home.
“I’d encourage anyone who is interested in becoming a foster parent to visit www.fosteringforwolverhampton.com, follow Fostering for Wolverhampton on Facebook at fosteringforwolves or call the team on 01902 551133 to find out more about this life-changing opportunity.”
Meanwhile, children and their foster families came together for the annual Easter Egg-stravaganza last week.
Organised by the Fostering for Wolverhampton team, it took place at WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams and featured an Easter trail and an appearance by the Easter Bunny, the Wolves play café, face painting, a disco and a variety of sports and art activities.
More than 100 people attended the event, just one of the many social activities organised throughout the year for foster families who are part of Fostering for Wolverhampton.
Alison added: “It was a real pleasure that so many foster families were able to come together to celebrate Easter with the children and young people they care for. “This was one example of the many events we hold for our foster parents, who do such an excellent job of looking after children in care.”
by West Midlands Magazines | Mar 14, 2024 | Bilston, Council, Health, News, Wednesfield, West Midlands, Wolverhampton
Health monitors have been installed in a number of libraries, community facilities and leisure centres across Wolverhampton.
They give residents the chance to accurately measure their height, weight, BMI (body mass index), heart rate and blood pressure. No appointment is necessary and the checks are free, self-service and confidential, with results printed on a slip of paper for users to take away with them.
The health monitors are available at Central, Bilston, Warstones and Wednesfield libraries, the Bob Jones Community Hub, WV Active Aldersley, WV Active Central and WV Active Bilston Bert-Williams, and offer a valuable alternative to attending medical settings for low level and non-clinical interventions.
Staff at the various locations will not be able to provide clinical advice, but will be able to signpost residents to relevant information and advice.
Where appropriate, blood pressure monitors are also available to loan to enable people to monitor their blood pressure for free at home.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: “We want to make it as easy as possible for our residents to take control of their own health and wellbeing, and this is one of the ways that we are giving them access to the tools they need to do just that.
“It is hoped these devices will encourage residents to prioritise getting their blood pressure checked, even if they have no apparent symptoms, as high blood pressure can lead to serious health issues like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and vascular dementia if left unchecked.”
Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, Cabinet Member for Visitor City, added: “Our libraries, leisure centres and community facilities offer a wide range of services and facilities to residents, and we are delighted to have been able to expand it further with the introduction of these health monitors.
“They are free to use, and we hope they will prove popular with, and also useful to, customers.”
Showing off some of the health monitoring equipment available at Central Library are Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Visitor City, Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, and Robert Johnson, Head of Community Information.
by West Midlands Magazines | Mar 13, 2024 | Bilston, Council, Environment, News, Travel, Wednesfield, West Midlands, Wolverhampton
Nearly £10million is set to be invested in extensive works to improve, maintain and repair Wolverhampton’s highways during the coming year.
Included in this cash boost is a dedicated fund of £500,000 which has been set aside to tackle potholes affecting the city’s roads.
This additional dedicated funding will support the city’s existing pothole budget and ensure repairs are carried out within the council’s set timeframes.
Potholes are a priority for the council to manage, and over the past year more than 6,800 have been repaired on routes across the city.
In total, during the past decade, more than 53,000 pothole repairs have been made in Wolverhampton, with 94% of potholes in the city dealt with within the set deadlines.
Other proposed highway improvements planned for 2024/25 include major maintenance and resurfacing schemes across the city, road safety and traffic management work, upgrading the council’s car park management system, street lighting improvements and the delivery of further Safer Routes to Schools programmes.
There will be improvements to ring road and city centre signage as well as structural reviews and works on a number of city bridges. In addition, there will be the completion of the council’s programme to convert older streetlights to LEDs to reduce carbon emissions. More than 24,550 streetlights have already been converted.
The council will carry out the work under the next phase of its Highway Capital Programme, which has a total budget of £9.7million. Funding for the programme has come through external grants and council resources.
Councillor Craig Collingswood, cabinet member for environment and climate change at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “This is a major investment in our transport network and shows our commitment to providing a smooth and seamless journey through our city. “We know that the condition and safety of our roads really matters to our residents, and it matters to us too. This is why we’re making the most of all available funding by ensuring this additional £500,000 helps to tackle potholes, a problem which affects roads both here in Wolverhampton and all across the country.
The planned improvements are pending approval and will be discussed at City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 20 March.
![National recognition for primary school in Sandwell]()
by West Midlands Magazines | Feb 19, 2024 | Council, Darlaston and Wednesbury, Education, West Midlands, West Midlands Magazines
A primary school in Friar Park has been celebrating after gaining four accreditations in recognition of teaching standards and values.
During the last year, The Priory Primary on Dorsett Road, Wednesbury has been awarded The Artsmark Gold Award from Arts Council England, a Primary Geography Silver Quality Mark to teacher Jennifer Credland-Ballantyne, Enhanced Quality Mark as a Values-based School and the RE Quality Mark Gold for religious education. The Priory Primary is currently rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted.
Councillor Simon Hackett, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education visited the school in recognition of the awards and to thank staff for their efforts and hard work. He said: “The Priory Primary is working hard to give children the best start in life and these national awards are recognition the staff really care about providing quality education. Well done to all involved.”
Headteacher at Priory Primary School, Phillip Butcher is very proud of the efforts made. He said: “Rather than resting on our laurels, it is practice here at The Priory that we proactively assess and validate the quality and impact of our curriculum through a variety of external quality assurance processes. These rigorous external evaluations serve as a testament to our dedication and validate our belief in the strength of our educational provision.
“Recent accolades and awards received underscore our relentless pursuit of excellence. The awards not only recognise the hard work and collaboration of our team but also confirm our own evaluation of our curriculum’s efficacy.
“External assessors have praised our school for its “innovative and forward-thinking approach” and applauded our efforts to engage students in meaningful learning experiences. Their feedback highlights our commitment to providing enrichment opportunities that extend beyond the traditional classroom.
“These awards serve as significant milestones, reflecting the dedication and passion of our entire educational community; including teachers, students, parents, and governors. However, we recognise that maintaining high standards requires ongoing dedication and effort.
“As we move forward, our commitment to excellence remains steadfast. We are determined to not only meet but exceed these high standards, ensuring that we continue to provide the very best education for our students. At The Priory School, we understand that standing still is not an option – only by pushing the boundaries of innovation and excellence can we truly progress.”
![National recognition for primary school in Sandwell]()
by West Midlands Magazines | Feb 15, 2024 | Darlaston and Wednesbury, Health, Walsall, West Midlands, Willenhall
A series of free community events are set to take place during February and March to help residents across Walsall increase their awareness of cancer, identify signs and symptoms and encourage screening.
The events will take place at Willenhall Chart Centre on Wednesday 21 February, Pelsall Community Centre on Wednesday 6 March and Bloxwich Active Living Centre on Friday 22 March, all from 10am to 2pm.
The events have been organised jointly by Public Health Walsall and the Black Country Integrated Care System (ICS). Each event will raise awareness of cancer screening and support services available, how residents can reduce their risk and create opportunities for anyone affected by cancer to meet others, as well as getting support from clinical specialists, local providers and experts.
Free health and diabetes checks will also be offered at these events.
Councillor Gary Flint, Portfolio Holder for Wellbeing, Leisure and Public Spaces at Walsall Council, said:
“All events are drop-in, and you will have the opportunity to talk to a range of NHS providers, independent organisations and charities about screening, how to spot signs and symptoms and prevent cancer, as well as getting support.
In addition to the community events, a double-decker cancer bus run by the Black Country ICB will make a stop in Walsall Town Centre on Wednesday 28 February from 9:30am to 4pm. Located on Park Street, the bus will offer information on cancer screening and general health and wellbeing advice to people in and around the town centre.
