South Staffordshire Council’s Chairman Elect, Councillor Meg Barrow and her Consort Mr Adrian Hill attended Buckingham Palace royal garden party on Tuesday May, 9th.  Eight thousand people were welcomed into the grounds for the event, where the Prince and Princess of Wales represented the King, alongside the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.  Other members of the family including the Princess Royal were also present.

Councillor Barrow said “it really was a wonderful day, the weather was glorious and I felt extremely honoured to have represented the Council at such a special event”.

We’d like to remind everyone to ensure they take the necessary precautions to stay safe online.

Please take the time to visit the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) website for top tips on keeping yourself and your loved ones protected.

Scams can be incredibly convincing and can come in the form of a text message, email, social media post and more.

It is also essential you take the time to ensure your social media accounts are fully protected, with secure passwords and two-step verification.

Find out more about two-step verification here: Setting up 2-Step Verification (2SV) - NCSC.GOV.UK).

Guides the NCSC offers include:

• Top tips for staying secure online - NCSC.GOV.UK
• 10 Steps to Cyber Security - NCSC.GOV.UK
• Device Security Guidance - NCSC.GOV.UK

Phishing: Spot and report scam emails, texts, websites and... - NCSC.GOV.UK

South Staffordshire Council’s leisure centres have each undergone bespoke refurbishment works which have included upgrades to the entrance and reception, newly refurbished swimming pools and changing rooms and all-new Pulse Fitness gyms. 

The refurbishments started last year with final works at Cheslyn Hay and Wombourne Leisure Centres completed in April 2023.  The leisure centres are pleased to be fully open and able to provide members and users with access to good quality facilities. To find out what’s available, click here.

Join now and enjoy savings with an offer fit for a King.

The NPLQ course is  a week-long course consisting of a combination of pool work and theory work. 

On successfully passing the course, candidates will be qualified as a pool lifeguard.

• Monday, May 29th to Saturday, June 3^rd, 9am-5.30pm at Wombourne Leisure Centre
• £280 (£70 non refundable deposit)
• Must be 16 years at date of examination (June 3rd)
• Must be able to swim 100m on front and 100m on back
• Must be able to jump into the deepest part of the pool to retrieve a manakin
• Must attend 100% of the course.
• Places are limited. Booking is essential.

To find out more and book your place call Wombourne Leisure Centre on 01902 898202.

School holiday activity camps will be available at Codsall and Wombourne Leisure Centres between Tuesday, May 30^th to Friday, June 2^nd.

• The camps are suitable for young peoples aged 5-14 years old
• No block booking required
• Save with early bird and sibling discounts. Plus emergency workers can also enjoy 10% off

To find out more and book visit https://www.aspire-sports.co.uk/active-camps

The Ditch the Blade campaign, running from May 15th to 29th, seeks to educate young people on the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife.

99% of young people under 29 don’t carry a knife, but some young people still feel pressured into carrying because of a perception that everyone else is. The Ditch the Blade campaign seeks to dispel myths around this and encourage everyone to Ditch the Blade.

To support this, there are knife banks located across Staffordshire where members of the public can anonymously surrender their weapons with no repercussions.

You can find more information on the campaign, and the knife bank locations by visiting the Staffordshire Police website: www.staffordshire.police.uk/ditchtheblade

An outstanding volunteer from Bilbrook, has been recognised by Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort as part of the official Coronation celebrations in conjunction with Royal Voluntary Service.

Annette Lloyd volunteers with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and The Friends of Bilbrook and has been recognised for their contribution and crowned a Coronation Champion. This follows a call out to the nation to nominate their volunteer heroes. Almost 5000 entries were received, with nominations made for individuals aged 14 up to 103.

Annette impressed judges with her spectacular volunteer record of 38 years. For the past 11 years Annette has devoted her time to The Friends of Bilbrook community group, planting and caring for a wood to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The wood is now a fantastic haven for all sorts of wildlife containing 1500 trees and is a much loved part of Bilbrook. 

Staffordshire County Council has launched its ‘No Mow May Staffs’ campaign encouraging residents to lock up their lawnmowers and leave their grass to grow during the month of May.

the Council are giving away free signs for people to put in their garden at selected libraries and urging people to post photos using the hashtag #NoMowMayStaffs.

Mowing your lawn less frequently can provide enough nectar sugar for ten times the number of bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and other pollinators to improve biodiversity.

Why is biodiversity important? Without a wide variety of animals, plants, and microbes, we cannot have a healthy ecosystem on which we depend to provide the air we breathe and the food we eat.

May is traditionally the time when soils are warm enough for grasses to really start shooting up so is the best time to keep your grass unkept. 

So take a rest and let the grass grow!