
Disused Walsall community polytunnel given makeover
"The polytunnel will now serve as another brilliant communal space in our borough."Following the work, the polytunnel will be recovered, which will be paid for through the towns fund.
The work included help from construction company The BCS Group and builders merchants Travis Perkins."A special thank you to each member of the team for their hard work and efforts in making this community project a reality," said Luana Bills from The BCS Group."Everyone's willingness to come together has transformed a once unusable space into an accessible area for local growers."The project followed dredging work, which was carried out in December 2024, to alleviate flooding issues.
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Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
How you can claim up to £20K a year to help with kids during summer holidays
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From September, eligible parents will be able to get 30 hours' free childcare a week from nine months until school age — but you need to apply by August 31. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have alternative schemes, so it's worth checking what applies for you. HOLIDAY ACTIVITY FUND - £720 THE Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme gives children from lower income families access to holiday activities, including a free meal. It is mainly for primary school children who receive free school meals. Three key benefits that YOU could be missing out on, and one even gives you a free TV Licence However, some councils keep places for other children considered in need. Anna says: 'Schemes like this, which are administered by the local authority, can go under the radar.' TAX-FREE CHILDCARE - up to £4,000 a year THE Government will pay £2 for every £8 you spend on childcare, capped at £2,000 per year per child (or £4,000 for a child with a disability). But around 825,000 of the 1.3million families who are eligible do not claim it. Anna says: 'People don't always realise that they can get help covering the cost of childcare once their kids are out of nursery, when they may be using after-school or holiday clubs.' CHILD BENEFIT - £1,355 a year THIS is paid to anyone with a child under 16, or under 20 if they are still in education. It is worth £1,354.60 per year for a family with one child and £2,251.60 per year for a family with two. It seems a no-brainer, but around £1.6billion in child benefit goes unclaimed each year. With child benefit, there is no cap so you can claim for as many children as you have. The level at which you are entitled to the full amount changed last year. Now you can get it if no one in your household earns more than £60,000, up from £50,000. If you earn between £60,000 and £80,000, you are entitled to some of it. If you earn more than £80,000, you are not entitled to any. It is still worth filling in the claim form, even if you do not want to get payments, to get National Insurance credits which count towards the state pension. UNIVERSAL CREDIT - £5,772 a year UNIVERSAL credit is the main benefit that can be claimed by families on a lower income, but the 1.4million households that don't claim could be missing out on an average of £5,772. You cannot get universal credit if you or a partner you live with have more than £16,000 in savings. But you may still be able to get it if you work. Mandy Jackson, a rights adviser with the charity Working Families, says: 'Anyone with a child should check if they are eligible.' SURE START MATERNITY GRANT - £500 THIS is a one-off payment of £500 to help with the costs of having a newborn in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. You can apply if you have no other children under 16 and you or your partner get certain benefits. If you live in Scotland, you can apply for a Best Start grant, worth up to £767.50. Designed to support families with young kids, it comes in three payments. FREE BREAKFAST CLUBS - up to £450 a year FREE breakfast clubs are being rolled out in primary schools across England. These give kids an extra 30-minute session before school where they get a free breakfast. If you are eligible for these you may be able to get help from your local authority during the summer holidays. Check to find out. My nursery costs are cut by £1,440 3 Sam Kennedy Christian is a coach who helps parents juggle work and childcare Credit: Suppleid MUM-of-two Sam Kennedy Christian is a coach who helps parents juggle work and childcare. Sam, 39, uses the tax-free childcare scheme and finds it very helpful. She explains: 'I started using it when [my daughter] Rose, who's now seven, started at nursery – and over the years it has saved us a fortune.' Currently, it cuts nursery fees for her son James, two, to £480 a month instead of £600 – saving £1,440 a year. The family has been getting 15 hours' free childcare for James each week, but that will rise to 30 hours in September. That will cut their bill by a further £240 a month. Sam, from Herne Bay, Kent, says: 'It's a lot to get your head around, but it's so worth it.' It can also be a godsend for clubs in the school holidays for Rose, Sam adds. With the average cost around £30 a day where Sam lives, she ends up paying £24 herself, with the rest covered by the govern-ment payment. Sam says: 'Saving £6 a day is very helpful. Over the summer, it will save us £60.' PENSIONS ARE TAX TARGET 3 Pensions will become subject to Inheritance Tax from April 6, 2027 Credit: Getty GRIEVING families will soon find the process of sorting out a loved one's finances much harder following a huge change to Inheritance Tax. The government has confirmed that pensions will become subject to Inheritance Tax from April 6, 2027. Currently, money left in your pension after you pass away can be passed on to a loved one without any need for them to pay Inheritance Tax. The Inheritance Tax rate is 40 per cent, and is charged on the estate – the property, possessions and money, of someone who has died – if it is worth more than £325,000. A loophole means many wealthy pensioners are using pensions as a way to pass down most of their money because they are so tax-efficient. The changes mean that this loophole will close – but experts have warned that it will pile pressure on grieving families. Inheritance Tax needs to be paid within six months, and usually before you can apply for probate. But tracking down pensions takes time, delaying the process of applying for probate. Probate is the legal process of dealing with a person's death, and it can take months to get it granted. Former pensions minister Steve Webb said: 'Life is tough enough when you have just lost a loved one without having extra layers of bureaucracy on top. 'It is hard to see how these changes will be good news for bereaved families.' ADELE COOKE STARLING ACCOUNT UPSET 3 Starling bank will no longer let its users open a second current account Credit: Reuters ONLINE bank Starling has shaken up its current accounts, causing a big stir among customers who are desperate for the change to be reversed. The bank, which has more than 4.6million UK customers, will no longer let its users open a second current account. Starling previously let customers open an extra everyday bank account, free of charge. Savers raved about the perk because it was a great way for them to manage their money. But the digital bank has told The Sun it has temporarily stopped allowing customers to open additional accounts while it 'improves our account offering'. It quietly suspended additional accounts last year, and clients have been calling on the bank to bring back the feature. One customer posted to X this week: '@StarlingBank when will additional accounts be back? I had one and would like to enable it again.' Another posted in January asking: 'Can I create a second personal account in @StarlingBank?' One customer said on Reddit: 'I'm sure it used to be a thing when I first started with Starling, but now I get 'you've reached your personal account limit' with one account, and 'you're not currently able to apply for this account' when I go to open a Personal Additional.' Starling said: 'Customers are still able to apply for a joint account, provided both are Starling customers. 'Joint accounts are limited to one per customer.' BLATHNAID CORLESS


The Sun
16-07-2025
- The Sun
Parents could get free school meals for kids during summer holidays but they must apply NOW
PARENTS could get a helping hand with free school meals throughout the summer holidays. The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme will offer support worth £100s after it was given the green light to run for another financial year. 1 It is funded by the Department for Education but is administered by local authorities, so each area varies in its offerings. Martin Lewis, the Money Saving Expert, has issued a warning to parents to apply for the scheme ahead of the deadline. He warned that HAF isn't automatic and even if you've had help during previous school holidays, you will have to apply each time. Parents will need to apply for free school meals every year before the school year starts in September. Most local authorities offer to help families with children in receipt of benefits-related free school meals. But local councils are also allowed to offer help to children outside of this group. The HAF programme was rolled out in England in 2021, following successful pilots between 2018 and 2020. The government says research has found the school holidays can be "pressure points" for families, leading to a "holiday experience gap". Children from low-income households are less likely to get access to organised out-of-school activities, more likely to experience social isolation and see their nutrition and physical health suffer. The HAF programme looks to address this, by providing free food and activities to children. The initiative is mostly for Reception-aged children up to Year 11. The application process and what help you can get varies based on where you live. For example, Waltham Forest Council, in North East London, is offering holiday clubs and a daily meal over the Easter school holidays to children on benefits-related free school meals. The provision is open to children from Reception up to Year 11. Children in the borough are entitled to four sessions across the holidays. If you are not eligible for the HAF programme in your local area, you might be able to get help via the Household Support Fund. The latest round of funding closes on March 31, but a new round is running from April 2025 until March 2026. The current round of funding is worth £421million and has been split between councils in England who then decide how to allocate their share. Free money is usually transferred to your bank account or you are awarded vouchers to spend on energy bills or at supermarkets. You usually qualify for help if you are on a low income, benefits or classed as vulnerable. Speak to your local council to see what help is on offer. You can find what council area you fall under by visiting


BBC News
21-06-2025
- BBC News
'Major improvements' made at Fibbersley nature reserve
A nature reserve has been transformed thanks to a grant of £75, Local Nature Reserve on the Walsall-Wolverhampton border near Willenhall, is a wetland site containing many ponds and green spaces, as well as 200 different plant species and dozens of species of improvement project was delivered by Walsall Council, with support from the Friends of Fibbersley Local Nature Reserve changes included nearly half a mile (750m) of accessible pathways and new gates. Also added was a new site map. Undergrowth was cut back in some woodland areas, as well as dredging of one of the site's key to Walsall Council, it is one of the only places in the borough that is home to the great crested newt - a protected species."We have a wide array of green spaces in Walsall, and any improvements to make them more accessible should be celebrated," said councillor Gary Flint, portfolio holder for culture, health and reserve is managed by the authority, and is supported by a group of volunteers, who carry out litter picking, habitat management and building benches. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.