Active Black Country is the Active Partnership for the Black Country region providing the strategic leadership for sport and physical activity across the areas of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
Active Black Country believes that being active has the power to improve people’s lives, that it is everyone’s right to be active and play sport and that everyone in the Black Country has equal access to the benefits of a more active, healthy life. For more general information about Active Black Country contact via their website here.
One Walsall is proud to host an Active Lifestyle Community Connector who covers 3 areas of Walsall – Birchills/Leamore, St Matthews and Willenhall South. For more information or if you are an organisation wanting to develop some activity for people in your community please contact us here.
One Walsall has supported Big Local Trust programmes for a number of years.
Local Trust is a place-based National Lottery fund initiative, supporting communities to achieve their ambitions. The Big Local was established with a number of core key features that make it different from other programmes. It is:
- Long term – providing certainty and continuity, over 10-15 years.
- Resident-led – working directly with individuals living, working, studying and playing in areas rather than through organisations; building confidence and capacity amongst those wanting to make a difference to their community and their local area.
- Non-prescriptive – enabling residents to spend on their own terms and in their own time, on the projects they judge to be most important to them.
- Patient and non-judgemental – giving communities the time and opportunity to learn, make mistakes, resolve disagreements and overcome challenges for themselves, on their way to achieving their ambitions.
- Accompanied by flexible and responsive support – to help communities to build the confidence and capability to make the most of the opportunities available to them, whilst not constraining their own ambition and initiative.
One Walsall has worked with 2 Big Local programmes in Walsall.
Creative Black Country have collaborated with One Walsall as part of their Walsall Makes programme. Through this collaboration we have made Small Community Cultural Grants of £1k to £5k to support brand new community cultural and creative activity in Walsall Borough.
This project is managed by Creative Black Country.
Here are the successful projects:
Kuzivana by Afrikan Fusion
The activities will take place over 6 weeks through weekly interactive performances and hands-on workshops which will involve sharing and raising awareness of lived experiences. The activities which will be in the form of hands-on workshops culminating in live performances. These will showcase authentic traditional instruments and songs in different languages. The purpose of music and the arts is to allow an atmosphere that is conducive to these free-flowing conversations, interactions and connections. Through the ubiquity of music, common aspects are covered and explored.
From Concept to Creation by Black Diamond Creations
A 10-week Prosthetics and SFX Workshop for the Drama and media students from Walsall College will culminate in a Community Production that showcases the skills participants have learned
Walsall Wonderland by Bostin Creatives
Day of free festivities and activities for the whole family at the Walsall Hub including Drop in Crafts, Christmas card Corner, Live music, Festive storytelling and games and Christmas performance
The Hidden hands of Walsall by Tereza Buskova
The project will engage with a group of women from diverse and often migrant backgrounds living in Walsall who regularly meet at Simple Steps CIC and Aaina Community Hub but do not regularly engage in arts and culture currently. During a series of workshops and using a variety of creative techniques they will design headdress that reflect their experiences / culture. These will be worn in a procession through Walsall.
Butts Lantern Festival by Walsall Creative Factory
This project will develop and deliver a lantern trail representing local history and local diversity in our local area. 6 drop in Sunday workshops to create individual and giant feature lanterns for a Lantern Festival trail around The Butts on Sunday 8th December.
Winter Warmer Climate café, Creativity for Wellbeing by Wild Earth Movement Lisa Loves Crafts
This will promote skill sharing and creativity with a sustainable ethos led by Hannah (using sewing machines). A collaborative workshop led by Lisa and Hannah that mixes both of our skills and ethos. A Further 3 creativity for wellbeing sessions led by Lisa with a focus on connecting with others, storytelling, sharing skills and heritage around re-using/re-purposing fabric.
For further updates and dates on the project head over to the Walsall Cultural Compact website.