Members of the pulic are urged to come along to their local community forum next month to raise issues or ideas to improve the area in which they live.

The next round of the Dudley Council-run meetings will be held from September 4th to October 2nd. People can meet with local councillors in their area and a representative from the Police to discuss and work together on ideas or issues they have in their local community.

Forums also offer community groups the chance to bid for grants of up to £5,000 for projects or activities which benefit local people. Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said:

“Making decisions that are right for local people and the borough as a whole is key and that’s why we want to put local people at the heart of the decision making process.

“It’s more important than ever before for people to come along and talk to us about any ideas or issues they have, big or small in their local area.  Our doors are open and we’d love to see you there.”

On Monday September 4 the first meetings of this round will be held and include the Brierley Hill, Brockmoor and Pensnett community forum at the Dell Stadium and the Castle & Priory, St James’s and St Thomas’s community forum at St Barnabas’ Church on Middlepark Road, Dudley.

Later that week on Thursday September 7, the Kingswinford North and Wall Heath, Kingswinford South and Wordsley community forum will be held at St Mary’s Church Hall, The Village, Kingswinford and the Norton, Pedmore and Stourbridge East and Wollaston and Stourbridge Town meeting will be taking place at Our Lady and All Saints Church, New Road, Stourbridge.

The Belle Vale, Hayley Green and Cradley South community forum will take place on Monday September 11 at Caslon Primary School, Halesowen.  Also that night the meeting covering the Coseley East and Sedgley area will take place at Christ Church C of E Primary School in Coseley.

On September 18 the Gornal, Upper Gornal and Woodsetton community forum will take place at Bramford Primary School, Coseley along with the Amblecote, Cradley and Wollescote, Lye and Stourbridge North community forum at Providence Methodist Church in Colley Gate.

The final meetings of this round will be held on Monday October 2. They include the Netherton, Woodside and St Andrews and Quarry Bank and Dudley Wood community forum at the Savoy Centre, Netherton and the Halesowen South and North community forum at Olive Hill Primary School in Halesowen.

All the forums run from 6.30pm.