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How your voice shaped We Are Walsall 2040

We listened to over 10,000 voices to create a vision that puts your needs at the heart of We Are Walsall 2040

A strategy built with you in mind

The We Are Walsall 2040 strategy reflects what matters most to Walsall – building a borough where communities are thriving and proud, and opportunities are shared by all. 

It was built with the inputs of over 10,000 residents, businesses, and community groups through one of the most inclusive engagement programmes ever undertaken in the borough. Between June 2022 and March 2023, we invited everyone who lives, works, studies, or invests in Walsall to share their ideas, concerns, and aspirations for the future.

What we learned from you

From the engagement process, clear themes emerged, reflecting what matters most to Walsall’s people:

  • Safer, thriving communities where people feel secure and connected
  • Health and wellbeing with better access to services and opportunities for active lifestyles
  • A growing, inclusive economy that works for everyone
  • Protecting the environment and creating a climate-resilient future

These themes formed the backbone of the We Are Walsall 2040 strategy. 

Listening and engagement

The We Are Walsall 2040 borough plan is a future focussed plan that sets out everyone’s hopes and dreams for what the borough should be like by 2040. We worked on one of the biggest listening and engagement exercises ever conducted in the borough, which involved: 

  • A boroughwide household survey and online survey
  • Over 20 micro-grants were awarded to community and voluntary organisations to run their own engagement events and activities
  • Partner led promotion, communication and engagement
  • Discussions at whg coffee mornings
  • Discussions and focus groups at mosques
  • Attendance at local events including Walsall Pride, Walsall Jobs Expo, Walsall College Fresher Fair
  • Ongoing engagement with primary and secondary school pupils

More than 10,000 residents, businesses, and organisations shared their views, helping us create a strategy that truly represents Walsall’s future.

Feedback focussed on the need to continue to create a thriving borough where people feel safe, with clean green streets and spaces, good jobs and leisure opportunities for all. 

Engagement further highlighted the need for us to continue with our key areas of focus; our plans to regenerate, strengthen partnership working and communicate our ambition to collectively foster a sense of pride. 

The reports below outline the findings from key activities within the summer of engagement.  

14 December 2022 Cabinet Report: We Are Walsall 2040 Engagement Feedback

Findings from the We Are Walsall 2040 Residents' Survey 2022

Findings from the We Are Walsall 2040 Focus Groups 2022