10 years of Sytch Lane Cemetery, Wombourne

This article has been extracted from the South Staffordshire Review Magazine issue 74.

December marked the tenth anniversary of the opening of Sytch Lane Cemetery. Located on the outskirts of Wombourne, this seven-acre cemetery opened in 2009 and includes an area for lawn burials, a babies and children’s
section, a natural burial meadow area, a bird bath memorial and a Four Seasons woodland scattering area.

Sytch Lane originated from the area between Ounsdale Road and Blakeley open field called ‘The Sitch’, which is taken from the old English word for ‘boundary’. The site was a disused playing field prior to being developed into a cemetery by the Council.

Iron making was a thriving industry with local smithies and the nail-making industry of the village is depicted with the use of the nail head details on the cemetery gateway created by local artist and blacksmith, Ian Moran. Keeping respectfulness, calmness and peacefulness at the heart of his design, Ian used the universal mark of respect, a bowed head and clasped hands for the figurines and the wavy line on the gates is taken from an ordnance survey map of the waterways in Wombourne.

For more information and for help and advice on all
aspects of burial and memorial options, please contact the
Bereavement Services team.
Tel: 01902 696111
Email: bereavementservices@sstaffs.gov.uk
www.sstaffs.gov.uk/bereavement-services

Did you know?

You can book a registrar’s appointment at the Council Offices in Codsall to register a death, a birth or give notice to marry. The registrar is here on Tuesdays from 9am until 1pm and appointments need to be booked through the County Registrar’s office by calling 0300 111 8001 or using the online appointment booker at  https://staffordshire.zipporah.co.uk/Registrars.Staffordshire/DeathBookingProcess

Bereavement Services video

A new information video providing an introduction to the Council’s two cemeteries at Sytch Lane in Wombourne and Strawberry Lane in Great Wyrley and showing all the different memorial options is now available to view on the
Council’s YouTube channel southstaffordshire.

Bereavement Information Hubs

The death of a loved one can turn your life upside down. Many find that talking can help and in South Staffordshire
there are two Compton Care Bereavement Information Hubs hosted at Perton and Wombourne Libraries.

Wombourne Library
Every first Monday of the month, 1.30pm
to 3.30pm.

Perton Library
Every second Friday of the month, 2pm
to 4pm, and every third Thursday of the
month, 6pm to 8pm.

For more information, please contact Perton or Wombourne Library via the Contact Centre on 0300 111 8000 or
Compton Care on 0300 323 0250.

Charity bike ride

A charity bike ride inspired by the Land’s End to John O’Groats cycling challenge will be taking place on static cycles at South Staffordshire Council Offices and the four Leisure Centres in Codsall, Cheslyn Hay, Penkridge and Wombourne on Wednesday 25 March 2020.

“Land’s End to John O’Groats is a classic end-to-end cycle challenge and Council staff, volunteers and members from the Leisure Centres will be covering the same distance as this iconic 874 mile cycle route,” explains Councillor Kath Williams, Chairman of South Staffordshire Council. “We’ll be raising money for a great cause – the Kaleidoscope Plus
Group, which promotes positive mental health and wellbeing for children and young people.”

If you would like to take part in this cycling challenge or if you’d like to donate, please contact:

Tel: 01902 696254
Email: h.astley@sstaffs.gov.uk
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/helen-astley1

September Leisure Centre Membership Offer

Get #BackToIt with our special Leisure Centre membership offer this September. Join between Monday 9 and Monday 30 September 2019 and you could get up to three months free as part of our #BackToIt promotion (terms and conditions apply).

There’s something for everyone in our Leisure Centres including swimming pools, fully equipped gyms, exercise class programmes and toning suites. The Council runs four Leisure Centres in Cheslyn Hay, Codsall, Penkridge and Wombourne and they offer everything you need to get fit, stay motivated and on track to a fitter and healthier you. For more information about this promotion, please contact your local Leisure Centre.

Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre    Tel: 01922 417790

Codsall Leisure Centre            Tel: 01902 844032

Penkridge Leisure Centre       Tel: 01785 714152

Wombourne Leisure Centre   Tel: 01902 898202

Email: leisure@sstaffs.gov.uk

www.sstaffs.gov.uk/leisure

Don’t miss out – receive £10 off Children’s Summer Holiday Active Camps at Wombourne Leisure Centre thanks to funding from the Parish Council

Wombourne Parish Council have once again pledged funding for residents to receive £10 off Children’s Summer Holiday Active Camps (terms and conditions apply, visit http://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/leisure/school=holiday-camps-3.cfm
for more information).

You may have seen from our forthcoming events calendar http://www.wombourneparishcouncil.org.uk/civic-centre/forthcoming-events/ that Wombourne Civic Centre has recently been home to Pilates classes on Monday evenings from 6.30pm – 7.30pm.

For anyone interested, the classes will be continuing throughout March. Come to the rear of the Civic Centre – the classes take place in the Bourne Room.

For more information, call Natalia on 07835 011438 or email natgymuk@gmail.com

Your local, bookable bus service
Zone 3 – Wombourne

The South Staffordshire Connect bus returns to the
Wombourne, Seisdon, Trysull, Lower Penn, Himley,
Swindon and Gospel End area.

This service will make cross-border links at
Sedgley Market (Lloyds Pharmacy side)
and Wolverhampton, Langley Road bus stop.

Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10am to 3pm.

If you want to visit friends or family, pop to the shops, or travel to an appointment, the Connect
local, bookable bus service is here to help you live the Good Life in South Staffordshire.
The Connect bus service is for any resident of any age living in the zone who:
• Doesn’t live near a regular bus route.
• Finds it difficult to use standard buses.
• Wants to make a journey which is not possible by a regular bus route.
• Can’t use a regular bus because of disability or mobility difficulties.

Available for short, local journeys within the zone.

We pick up from your home and drop you off at your destination.

Need a little extra help to get on board?
No problem. Our drivers are trained to take excellent care of you.

Our buses also take wheelchairs so everyone can travel.

Fares
Passengers pay a flat rate fare of £3.00 for a single journey or £5.00 return.

How to book
Call 01902 910263 between 8am and 5pm to register and book your journey.
You can book your journey up to seven days in advance or up to two hours before travel. Once your
call is booked, we aim to be at your pick-up point within 10 minutes of the agreed time.

Terms and conditions
For full terms and conditions, please visit:http://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/connect

Please contact Natalia on 07835011438 for more information.

SPACE scheme is back

The SPACE scheme is back again this October half term thanks to funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner.

SPACE provides young people aged 10-19 years access to hugely discounted leisure activities.

Throughout the school holiday, young people aged 10-19 have the opportunity to purchase a weekly swim pass for just £1 and young people aged 16-19 years can purchase a membership pass giving them access to the gym, classes and swimming for just £2.

To purchase SPACE passes pop into Wombourne Leisure Centre.

In the mean time, here’s the October Half Term Swimming Programme.pdf/at Wombourne Leisure Centre

Vote for the Wom Brook Walk in the UK’s People’s Choice Awards 2018

This award asks the nation to have its say and decide which parks and green spaces are the UK’s favourites. Only parks that have won the prestigious Green Flag award qualify for the People’s Choice nomination.

To vote, go to www.greenflagaward.org and find your park on the winners map, then click the voting button.

Click here to vote for the Wom Brook Walk.

Voting closes on Sunday 30 September 2018. Please note that you can only vote once and multiple votes will not be counted.

Here’s some information on the Wom Brook Walk, taken from http://www.greenflagaward.org.uk

Wom Brook Walk

Wom Brook, which gives its name to Wombourne rises on the Penn Common and joins Smestow Brook at Smestow. It is made up of four compartments, each having a different landscape character. The Wom Brook corridor consists of the water body itself and assorted vegetation banks. Staffordshire Wildlife Trust surveyed the site in May 2004 and it was found that an active colony of water voles is present on at least one section of the brook. Water voles are in serious decline nationwide, these much loved endangered mammals are recognised in the local Biodiversity Action Plan, which identifies a number of other species and outlines recovery measures. The brook corridor also has a diversity of aquatic margin species as well as woodland species. The site was declared as a Local Nature Reserve in 2008 and was awarded Green Flag in 2009.

PARK FACILITIES

Children’s Play Area

Events

Free parking

Nature Reserve

Nature Walks

Picnic Area

Public Transport Links

River

Walking Routes

Wildlife

Wildflower Area