Latest news with #WyreForest
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Worcestershire health boss calls for support not shame on obesity
More than a third of adults are living with obesity in parts of Worcestershire and a county health chief has said they need more support instead of "fat-shaming".After figures from Sport England Active Lives were released, Dr Lisa McNally, the director of public health for the county, said: "The highest rates of obesity in Worcestershire are in Wyre Forest and Redditch at about a third."At the other end of the scale are Malvern Hills and Worcester at about a quarter."She said the county was going "in the right direction of less nagging and more provision of opportunities and choices". Worcestershire as a whole was similar to the national average. "I think fat-shaming in the country is a real issue and for young people it causes real problems with mental wellbeing," she said."We know through research that kids who are fat-shamed when they are young are more likely to develop problems with their weight, whether that be an eating disorder or obesity, as an adult." 'Stop wagging fingers' Practical support being offered by Worcestershire County Council includes free weight-loss programmes, funding for walking groups and Healthy Worcestershire sessions, she said."We've just invested in another 2,000 vouchers that enabled people to access Slimming World for free," she said."The way to do that is through GPs or other health professionals. We're getting about 70 referrals a month." Dr McNally said empowering and informing people was at the heart of Worcestershire's public health agenda."We have to stop wagging our fingers and moralising at people because they smoke or because they're overweight," she added, "and instead, work with the communities in which they live to give them more opportunities to improve their health."The Wyre Forest area covers Kidderminster, Stourport-on-Severn and Bewdley. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Town centre regeneration project delayed
A scheme to develop part of a town centre in Worcestershire has been delayed. The project connecting Worcester Street to Bromsgrove Street in Kidderminster, creating a new green community area, is now expected to be finished by the end of the year. The delay has been caused by the need for additional drainage, said Wyre Forest District Council. The finished space will improve access to the Bromsgrove Street car park, and is part of the council's vision for the town, Kidderminster 2040, it said. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Park revamp set to begin after badger delays Plans revealed for former Woolworths building Town council aims to reopen paddling pool in 2026 Wyre Forest District Council
BBC News
30-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Kidderminster park revamp set to begin after badger delays
A £3m revamp of a park is to start after it was hit by a series of delays including the discovery of several badger Forest District Council said work on Kidderminster's Brinton Park in Worcestershire would start this budget includes £2.4m in lottery cash but the authority's cabinet will be asked to release an extra £460,000 on 10 June to make sure the scheme remains on will start with the construction of a new artificial badger sett to protect local wildlife. The council said a key part of the improvements included replacing the aging Sons of Rest pavilion at the park, which was found to be in a worse condition than engineers told the council it needs to be demolished and rebuilt, a spokesperson for the authority added, with an application to be considered at the next available planning committee new pavilion would reflect the historic character of the original and include a new café and terrace overlooking an ornamental pond, they Tracey Onslow said the park was one of the area's most popular green said the improvements would "not only protect and improve the park's natural beauty and heritage, it will also create welcoming new spaces for everyone to enjoy".Work will start with the construction of the new sett and demolition of the pavilion would follow shortly afterwards, if the application was approved, the spokesperson said. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
