Latest news with #Halesowen
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Campaign to tackle loneliness backed by popular comedian to return to borough
A NUMBER of benches will be given a new purpose next month, as a campaign aimed to tackle loneliness backed by a popular comedian makes it return to the borough. The 'Say Hello' benches were inspired by the work of comedian John Bishop, who launched the Say Hello campaign in 2021 as part of the Month of Community initiative. The campaign aims to combat loneliness, strengthen communities, and encourage people to just say hello to each other. People are welcome to simply drop by for a chat, get advice, or take part in activities such as chess, gardening and walking tennis. Bishop, comedian and founder of the Say Hello initiative, said: 'It's brilliant to see that Dudley Council is once again encouraging people to say hello to each other with their friendly bench initiative. 'Making that first connection with someone can lead to amazing things, from new friendships and shared ideas to people helping out neighbours who might need it. 'Thanks to Dudley's friendly benches, saying hello is easier than ever - I'm sure this fantastic project will inspire the whole community to have a seat, enjoy a natter and get to know someone new!' The 13 benches across the borough part of the initiative will be located at: Abbey Street Park, Gornal Market Place, Dudley Dudley Street, Sedgley Foster Street, Stourbridge Gornal Library, Gornal Grange Park, Dudley Hagley Street, Halesowen High Street, Brierley Hill Long Lane Library, Halesowen Silver Jubilee Park, Coseley Stevens Park, Quarry Bank The Dell Stadium, Brierley Hill Vicar Street Gardens, Sedgley From Monday 9 June to Sunday 15 June, these benches will be adopted and decorated by local community groups to raise awareness of loneliness. Councillor Andrea Goddard, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health at Dudley Council, said: 'We've been part of the Say Hello campaign for the past four years, helping to connect people across the borough and raising awareness of the mental and physical health impacts of loneliness. 'People of all ages can feel lonely, and these benches are here to help them connect. "We're extremely grateful to the community groups for getting involved, adopting the benches, and giving people the opportunity to see a friendly face.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Five quirky stories you missed this week as twin boys thrive despite one big difference
A set of twins with one noticeable difference is one of our five local news stories you may have missed this week. Birmingham Live reported how nine-year-old twin boys Sebastian and Emmett from Halesowen in the West Midlands were born at dramatically different sizes because of a rare condition. Elsewhere, the largest jellyfish in the UK have been spotted off the coast of Cornwall and a school bus has been banned from using a bus station. You can read the full version of each of our selected articles through the links under each story – or read more top headlines from around the UK's regions on the Yahoo UK local news page. A mum has shared how a rare condition meant that her identical twin boys were born at drastically different sizes. Sebastian and Emmett, now nine, are still very different in height, meaning that many people do not realise they are twins. Their mum, Lauren Murphy, was 23 weeks pregnant when she was warned her unborn babies had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Read the full story from Birmingham Live A disabled cat has been given a new chance at life after being fitted with a set of wheels. Angel, just nine months old, was rescued as a kitten from a wood yard. Angel is blind in her right eye and paralysed in both back legs. Read the full story from Bristol Live Huge jellyfish have been spotted on the west Cumbrian coastline causing some beachgoers to worry about their potential danger. But the impressive sea creatures seen on St Bees beach have been identified as barrel jellyfish by Cumbria Wildlife Trust, who say they are not usually harmful to humans. St Bees RNLI also said it was not uncommon to find jellyfish on the beach at this time of year but people are advised to keep clear of them. Read the full story from News & Star Parents have spoken of their safety fears after a bizarre row which has seen a high school bus service banned from collecting and dropping off pupils... at a bus station. Since 2021, a bus service for Old Buckenham High School has used Thetford bus station, in the town centre. However, after a new paid public bus service was introduced at the site and complaints were made about congestion, council bosses have told the school it cannot continue to use it. Read the full story from Eastern Daily Press A pair of swans forced part of the M25 to be blocked off on Thursday, creating over six miles of tailbacks during rush hour. Two lanes of the busy motorway had to be closed off between Leatherhead and Wisley and were shut for around an hour after the birds were seen swanning around in the road at roughly 9.20am on Thursday morning. The disruption created 6.5 miles of congestion on the clockwise side of the motorway and added 45 minutes to journey times, National Highways reported. Read the full story from The Standard
