Council and district news

South Staffordshire Council leader named medal recipient on 2024 New Year’s Honours List

South Staffordshire Council’s leader has been named among the 2024 New Year’s Honours List for his services to the local community.

Councillor Roger Lees has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for his contribution to the district.

Leader of South Staffordshire Council since 2021, Cllr Lees has been in local government for 32 years, having begun on Swindon Parish Council in 1991, before being elected a district councillor in 2007, and becoming a cabinet member in 2009.

He has been involved in a range of community initiatives and sat as a magistrate on the South Staffordshire Bench for 22 years; click here to read more.

Forget me not Christmas Lunch

On December 18th, 2023, Chairman Councillor Megan Barrow and Councillor Val Chapman, in partnership with Mrs B’s, hosted a community charity lunch for 44 residents and volunteers of the local Forget-Me-Not club at the community hub in Codsall.

Funds were secured from the “community is the best medicine programme” to offer a hot Christmas meal, introduce a warm safe space, and to share details of local welfare services and support. Everyone enjoyed themselves and had a wonderful time.

Our new ‘Customer Promise’

At South Staffordshire Council, we are committed to providing the highest standard of customer care regardless of how you choose to contact us. Following engagement with residents we have created our ‘Customer promise’ Our new ‘Customer Promise’ aims to fulfil our ambition to make everyone’s experience of contacting the Council a positive one, whether you are a resident, business, partner, or supplier. Your customer experience should always be simple and convenient no matter who you are contacting and how you are contacting us. To find out more about our Customer Promise and what to expect when contacting us, please click here.

Vacancies

• Senior Elections Officer, closing January 12th
• Swimming Instructors (x2), Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre, closing January 12th
• Customer Support Assistant Team Manager, closing January 21st
• Communications Co-ordinator, closing January 22nd
• Communications Officer, closing January 22nd
• Waste Contracts Manager, closing January 31st

All vacancies can be viewed in full and applied for on our recruitment site: https://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/vacancies

Leisure latest

South Staffordshire Council's leisure centre offer a wide variety of facilities including gyms, exercise classes, toning suites, swimming and more.

To find out more click here.

To view membership packages, click here.  

To join, simply pop into your nearest leisure centre or join online here.

Click on the links below to view the leisure centres timetables:

Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre exercise classes, gym and swimming timetables

Codsall Leisure Centre exercise classes, gym and swimming timetables

Penkridge Leisure Centre exercise classes, gym, swimming and toning suite

Wombourne Leisure Centre exercise classes, gym, swimming and toning suite

Partnership updates

Weight management and health checks

Commissioned by Staffordshire County Council, Everyone Health offers free programmes proven to have long term benefits.

Services include:

• NHS Health Checks
• Stop Smoking
• Stop Smoking in Pregnancy
• Adult Weight Management

Depending on the programme you’re on, services are usually available across a number of community venues and Everyone Health offers both face to face and telephone appointments.

For more information about this FREE healthy lifestyle service, contact them on 0333 005 0095 or email eh.staffs@nhs.net.

For further information and to book an appointment online click here: About Everyone Health - Everyone Health Staffordshire

Concern continues over rising measles cases

There has been a reported increase in measles across the country, and health services are reminding people of the importance to check that they and their children have had two doses of the MMR vaccine. The MMR vaccination is offered for children at one year of age, and a pre-school booster is offered at three years, four months of age. If children and young adults have missed these vaccinations in the past, it’s important to take up the vaccine now from GPs, particularly in light of the recent cases. The free MMR vaccine is a safe and effective way of protecting against measles, as well as mumps and rubella.   Listen to the podcast about measles and MMR vaccination; click here. Measles spread very quickly so anyone with symptoms that could be measles is advised to stay at home and phone their GP or NHS 111 for advice, rather than visiting the surgery or A&E. People who have symptoms should also especially try to stay away from areas where you could come into contact with vulnerable people such as schools, nurseries or care homes. Read more about the symptoms by clicking here: Measles - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Be Warm. Be Safe.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Services is raising awareness of fire risks this winter. With Household costs such as rent, food and energy bills rising you may be looking at ways to save money and cheaper ways to heat your home this winter. Check out top tips to make sure you are staying warm safely this winter and not putting your safety, or that of others at risk. Get chimneys swept and use a fireguard Keep heaters a safe distance away from other items and materials Store fuel, such as logs, away from the heat source Use appropriate fuel on open fires/in log burners. Look for the Woodsure “Ready to Burn” logo. Camping stoves, BBQs and outdoor heaters should only be used outdoors Keep a safe distance from heaters and open fires Ensure you have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors Candles are a big fire risk, LED candles are much safer, or use a torch Electric heaters should be plugged into a wall socket – do not use extension leads as they can easily be overloaded and cause a fire Run dishwashers, washers and tumble dryers when you are awake, they can cause fires and at night you’ll have less time to react and escape For information on how to save energy safely, visit the Energy Saving Trust.

The Warmer Homes work shows many households are affected by fuel poverty, meaning the costs to heat their homes can be high.

These residents can be left with a residual income below the official poverty line or are unable to afford to pay to heat their homes, and this can lead to health related illnesses due to insufficient heating. The Staffordshire Warmer Homes is a scheme run by Staffordshire County Council, in partnership with district and borough councils and can help by providing funding for energy efficiency measures.

We are currently working in partnership with Community Home Solutions to help eligible residents access a funding and to manage the customer journey throughout the process.

To find out more information on how to access funding to heat your home, please visit: Staffordshire Warmer Homes - Warm Homes Scheme