One year on from Birmingham 2022

🏊‍♀🥇From medal winners to budding swimmers - one year ago tomorrow we hosted the first of the swimming, para-swimming and diving events of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Sandwell Aquatics Centre.

⭐The construction of the centre - which is now open to the public - created jobs for local people, local apprenticeships and work for local businesses in the supply chain.

The new centre has helped kickstart more than 60 major infrastructure projects being delivered in Sandwell over the next five years, worth almost £3billion.

❤️And it’s going to mean a healthier future for us in Sandwell – with better leisure facilities, more physical activity and improved public health.

Summer of Fun continues

There's a huge range of exciting activities lined up across Sandwell for children and young people over the school summer holidays. Check out our Summer of Fun guide.

Sandwell Holiday Activities have something for everyone, from archery to zorbing, they've got you covered.

Our Youth Service is also running a number of activity days in each of our six towns, check out activity days in parks and a Summer of Fun competition.

Go Play Sandwell is running free activities for children aged 5-12 at various locations.

With bostin fun in our libraries, museums and leisure centres, including the new Sandwell Aquatics Centre, there's lots to discover this summer in Sandwell.

You can also check a range of events for all ages on our Visit Sandwell website.

Kids swim for free during school holidays!  If you’re looking for a healthy, free activity for your children during the summer break, they can swim for free during public swimming sessions at our leisure centre – including the brand new Sandwell Aquatics Centre!  We also provide free swimming before 1pm for anyone aged 60 and over, and people with disabilities can swim for free at our leisure centre.  Kids swim free offer applies to Sandwell residents aged 18 and under. Sign up and check eligibility details. If you have not yet registered for free swimming, please register online to avoid delays with registration at the centre.

Market traders wanted!

We’re looking for new traders to join us at our brand new Wednesbury Market. We’re offering six Saturdays of free trading starting from Saturday 5 August.

We’re looking for new traders who sell traditional market goods – and especially anything with a connection to the heritage of Wednesbury and the Black Country.

You’ll need to supply ID and have third party public liability insurance.The market is in Market Place/Union Street.

For more details and to book your pitch, email contact_markets@sandwell.gov.uk

Look out for a letter from us!

Every year we write to you to check who lives in your household. We use this information to update our Register of Electors to make sure everyone who is eligible to vote is able to. This is called the annual household canvass.

Most people will not need to respond to the letter from us as long as the information we hold for their household is correct.

All households in Sandwell will receive a letter in the coming weeks which will show the names of the people who live in their home.

The most important thing is that you read the letter we send you very carefully. The letter will tell you whether you need to respond or not.

Find out more about the annual canvass.

CCTV making streets safer Shoppers, businesses and residents along Bearwood Road in Smethwick are now benefiting from the installation of 12 new high-tech CCTV cameras thanks to the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund. The cameras cover all the main shopping areas with the highest footfall. They are also wirelessly linked to the council's CCTV control room where they are monitored 24/7, 365 days a year, by licensed operatives.

Tell us what you think

We’d like your views on our plans to apply for new powers to help tackle certain traffic offences.

The powers would help us manage safety issues in specific locations and support our work to improve road safety and reduce congestion.

Moving traffic contraventions include drivers entering hatched yellow boxes when there is no exit, making a turn that is not allowed, making U-turns where they are banned or entering restricted areas for vehicles such as pedestrian zones and school streets.

These restrictions can currently only be enforced by the police. We plan to apply to the Department for Transport for these enforcement powers which would allow us to complement, not replace, existing police powers.

Read more about what these powers are and how we would use them on our Consultation Hub website.

Please complete the survey by Sunday 3 September.