'Deep clean plan must be start of year-round effort in Sandwell' - Your Letters and a snow day throwback picture of Bridgnorth kids in 1964

I would like to express my support for Sandwell Council’s recently announced “green hit squad / deep clean” initiative, which is now being rolled out across the borough. This kind of focused, practical activity is long overdue and very welcome, especially for those of us who regularly volunteer, support Friends Groups, or work alongside community projects that see first-hand the challenges our neighbourhoods face.

The use of seasonal workers to increase capacity is a positive step and demonstrates a commitment to improving the quality of our streets, parks and public spaces. If developed further, this new programme could become a valuable annual fixture, sitting naturally alongside the Big Spring Clean, the Hot Spot work, and the regular maintenance that residents expect throughout the year.

However, for the initiative to reach its full potential, it is essential that the council ensures strong community engagement from the outset. Sandwell benefits from an exceptional network of Friends Groups, volunteers and local partners who understand the issues in their areas better than anyone. Their insight would be invaluable in highlighting priority locations and helping to sustain the improvements that the green hit squads deliver.

In addition, long-standing partners such as Litter Watch should be closely involved so that volunteer activity is aligned with the council’s programme, not working in parallel to it.

At the same time, it is important that this new initiative complements — rather than replaces — the work already covered under the council’s contract with Serco. Residents will rightly expect that all contractual duties continue to be fully met and that additional cleansing efforts enhance the baseline service rather than fill gaps that should already be addressed.

This deep clean initiative is a promising development, and I hope it forms part of a more sustained and coordinated year-round approach to looking after our borough. With continued investment, transparent planning and stronger partnership working, Sandwell has every opportunity to improve the appearance and safety of our public spaces for the long term.

Darryl Magher, Midlands

Help needed for terminally ill

The energy price cap is set to rise again in January. For those at the end of life, energy costs can double - forcing people to make heartbreaking choices between heating their homes, powering essential medical equipment, or buying food.

Last year alone, 120,000 people across the UK died in fuel poverty and Marie Curie received over 2,000 energy-related enquiries through our free Support Line.

We are urging the UK Government to implement a social tariff that provides at least a 50 per cent discount on energy bills for households affected by terminal illness.

The last months, weeks and days of someone’s life should be a time to focus on what really matters: making memories with family and friends and living as well as you possibly can. Action must be taken now to help families and to ensure that no one spends this time worrying about how to pay for essentials like heat and electricity.

Jamie Thunder, Marie Curie

Have an opinion? Want to be heard? We want to hear your voice!

Write to Readers' letters at [email protected]

Letters to the editor must include the writer’s name and address and will only be published anonymously in exceptional circumstances. The editor reserves the right to condense or amend letters.

Do you have any pictures from the past you would like to share with us? 

Do need help recognising an old street, old faces? If so, send them to [email protected] including your name, where you are from, and as much information as you can about the photo(s) and we will publish as many as we can online and in print.