Police in Oldbury have a new fleet of bikes to help continue reducing crime and anti-social behaviour after applying for funding from Sandwell Council. The police and council work closely together through the Safer Sandwell Partnership. Recorded crime in Oldbury has fallen by 21 per cent over the past year, representing nearly 1,000 fewer victims of crime.

A key factor in this reduction has been the close working between the police, the council – including the neighbourhood manager for Oldbury from the council’s communities unit – and other partners.
Councillor Mahboob Hussain, …

Mixed-sex wards in hospitals across the West Midlands today moved a step closer to abolition with the announcement of a £3 million Government payment. The aim of the Department of Health cash is to ensure all the region’s hospitals have only single-sex wards by 2011. Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust will receive the biggest contribution in the Black Country and mid Staffordshire, with £1.2 million, while the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust is getting £750,000 for 11 projects.
The money for Walsall will go on refurbishing two wards at the Manor Hospital, …

Education chiefs in Sandwell are celebrating after it looks as though the borough has outstripped national improvement levels at GCSE by up to five fold. Early indications are that there has been a national improvement level of between one and two per cent.
With just a few results to be ratified in Sandwell the overall improvement at GCSE of pupils gaining five or more passes at A*-C grade – the equivalent of the old GCE – has shot up nearly 10 per cent. Last year in Sandwell the average pass rate …

Friends of Langley Park have launched their new logo. The logo was designed by  pupils at Langley Primary School and the Friends Group are to reward the pupils with prizes to be presented by the Mayor of Sandwell, Councillor Robert  Price at a special school Assembly on Thursday  2 April 2009 at the School in Titford Road, Oldbury at 9.00 am.
A £20 book voucher is to be awarded to the designer of the winning entry, Thomas Pople, together with Swimming Vouchers courtesy of Sandwell Leisure Trust.
Cllr Martin Prestidge, vice Chair …

The Mayor of Sandwell, Cllr G S Sidhu on Thursday 11 October, officially opened the new Children’s Play Area in York Road, Oldbury.The Playground was designed with the help of children from Causeway Green Primary School. Langley Councillors Pauline Hinton. Martin Prestidge and Mick Davies were also  present at the opening ceremony.