Contents
Author’s Note
Welcome to the first edition of The Hagley Mile™ Spotlight: a practical round-up of what’s happening in and around the village. With the summer holidays in full swing, this issue brings together family activities, free bus travel, community news, local offers, and dates worth putting in the diary.
You’ll also find roadworks and safety updates that may affect the week ahead. Every item links to its original source, so you can confirm the latest details before making plans. I hope it helps you spend less time searching and more time enjoying what Hagley and the surrounding area have to offer.
James.
Latest News
The Summer Reading Challenge is under way at Hagley Library. More than 1,500 children had signed up countywide by 31 July. The free Read to the Beat challenge runs until 12 September for children aged 4 to 11, with medals and certificates for those who complete six books. Worcestershire County Council: Summer Reading Challenge
A new broadband checker is available. Residents and businesses can check whether gigabit-capable broadband is available at their address and whether future Project Gigabit work is planned. The council says nearly 89% of Worcestershire premises had access by July 2026. Worcestershire County Council: broadband availability
A countywide Community Services Directory has launched. It brings together local health and wellbeing support, activities, volunteering opportunities, groups, and practical services. Worcestershire County Council: Community Services Directory
Small community organisations can use a free Funding Finder. The database is open to Worcestershire voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations with annual turnover below £1 million, and includes grants, guidance, and application support. Worcestershire County Council: Funding Finder
Worcestershire’s council structure will change in 2028. The Government has confirmed that the existing seven councils will be replaced on 1 April 2028 by two unitary authorities, one for North Worcestershire, including Hagley, and one for South Worcestershire. Bromsgrove District Council: local government reorganisation
An active-travel plan has been published for nearby Wyre Forest. The plan covers Kidderminster, Bewdley, and Stourport-on-Severn, while the same council update says public engagement on the emerging Bromsgrove walking and cycling network is due later in 2026. Worcestershire County Council: Wyre Forest LCWIP
What’s On?
This week
Hagley Library Walkers Group. Wednesday 5 August, 10:30am to 11:30am. Meet at Hagley Library for a free walk of roughly one hour around the village. Event details
Bounce and Rhyme at Hagley Library. Wednesday 5 August, 2:15pm to 2:45pm. A free singing and rhyme session for pre-school children and their carers. Advance booking is essential. Event details
National Travelling History Museum and Wilson Fun Fair. Wednesday 5 August, 10am to 3pm, Sanders Park, Bromsgrove. Both outdoor activities are free. Summer Fun programme
Lifecentral Hagley stay-and-play. Thursday 6 August, 10am to 11:30am, Hagley Community Centre. For children aged 1 to 4. £5 for up to two children, then £1 for each additional child. No booking is needed. Lifecentral Hagley
Bromsgrove Library and Little Potters Allotment Workshop. Friday 7 August, 10am to 2pm, Sanders Park, Bromsgrove. Free outdoor holiday activity. Summer Fun programme
Hagley Free Church Friday activities. Friday 7 August at Hagley Free Church, 95 Worcester Road. Shoppers’ Coffee runs from 10am to 11:45am, with cake and coffee for £3. The weekly Prayer and Bible Study Group meets at 2:30pm. Weekly activities
Read to the Beat: The Bear and the Piano. Friday 7 August, 2:15pm to 3:15pm, Hagley Library. A music-themed paper craft for children aged 4 to 11. Places cost £1 and should be booked and paid for at the library. Event details
Board games and LEGO at Hagley Library. Saturday 8 August. Free family board games and puzzles run from 9:30am to 12:30pm, followed by the free all-ages LEGO Club from 2:30pm to 3:30pm. Children attending the board-games session must be accompanied by a parent or carer. Board games details and LEGO Club details
Stourbridge FC v Stamford AFC. Saturday 8 August, 3pm, War Memorial Athletic Ground, Amblecote. This is Stourbridge’s opening Southern League Premier Central fixture of the 2026/27 season. Official fixtures
Worcester Show. Sunday 9 August, 10am to 5pm, Pitchcroft, Worcester. The programme includes food and market stalls, music, competition marquees, a kids’ zone, sports, a fun dog show, and Worcester Mela. Adult admission is £2.60 in advance or £4 at the gate, and under-16s enter free. Worcester Show
Coming soon
Hagley Art Club: Hannah Broadhead portrait demonstration. Monday 10 August, 7:30pm to 9:30pm, Hagley Community Centre. The visiting artist and former Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year contestant will give a live demonstration. Event details
Hagley and Stourbridge Beekeepers: Annual Joint Honey Show. Saturday 5 September, Hagley Free Church Hall. Entries must be delivered between 8:30am and 10am, after which judging will begin. Entries are free. Event details
Worcestershire Open Studios Art Week. Saturday 22 to Monday 31 August, at participating venues across Worcestershire. More than 180 artists and makers at 104 venues will offer exhibitions, demonstrations, workshops, and work for sale. Entry is free, but individual opening days and times vary. Event and planning details
Bank Holiday displays at The Falconry Centre, Hagley. Monday 31 August. Flying displays are scheduled for 1pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm, weather permitting. The centre lists admission at £8 for adults, £4 for children aged 5 and over, free for under-fours, £7 concessions, and £21 for a family of four. 2026 special events
The Earls of Dudley, with Philip Bowen. Tuesday 1 September, 8pm, St Saviour’s Church Hall, West Hagley. Hagley Historical and Field Society welcomes visitors for £2, including refreshments. Society programme
Special Offers
Free bus travel for children throughout August. Children aged 15 and under can travel free on participating services from 1 to 31 August, including Worcestershire on Demand. Check the operator’s conditions and the specific route before setting out, as participation in the national scheme is voluntary. Worcestershire County Council announcement
Free Worcestershire bus travel for veterans and serving personnel. The scheme covers the county’s commercial bus network and Worcestershire on Demand for veterans and serving personnel who do not already hold a concessionary bus pass, showing a Veteran Card or military ID. Scheme details
Badgers Sett, Hagley. The Beefeater daytime menu offers mains under £8 from Tuesday to Friday, noon to 5pm. Its £11.99 unlimited breakfast also allows two children to eat free with each paying adult. Offers are subject to the published conditions and availability. Badgers Sett offers
Shenapur, West Hagley. The restaurant advertises a Sunday evening three-course meal at £19.95 for adults and £16.95 for children under eight, plus 10% off takeaway collection orders. Shenapur offers
Stourbridge FC family savings. Junior flexi-ticket and season-ticket prices have been reduced for 2026/27. The club also says admission to its Women’s First Team home league matches will be free for all spectators this season. Membership and ticket announcement
Traffic Alerts
Regents Park Road, Bromsgrove: off-peak three-way lights at Abbey Close are proposed through Friday 7 August. Overnight closures between Oakalls Roundabout and Royal Worcester Crescent are scheduled from 8pm to 6am on the nights of Friday 7, Saturday 8, and Sunday 9 August. Resident, pedestrian, and emergency access arrangements are set out by the council. A38 improvement works update
Further Bromsgrove works are provisional: the published programme lists an overnight A38 Stoke Road closure on 14 August, off-peak three-way lights on Buntsford Drive from 17 to 19 August, and weeknight closures on Stoke Road from 25 to 31 August. These entries are marked proposed or to be confirmed, so check again before travelling. Latest works programme
M6 southbound, junctions 6 to 5: National Highways lists full weeknight closures from 3 to 14 August, generally from 9pm to 6am, as part of resurfacing between junctions 6 and 4. This may affect evening journeys between Hagley and Birmingham. National Highways maintenance schedule
For short-notice local changes, use the council’s roadworks and live updates page before setting out.
Security Alerts
Current Hagley and Rubery police priorities: West Mercia Police lists anti-social behaviour, including illegal use of electric bikes, drug use, and youth-related crime, alongside shoplifting, business-related crime, speeding, and illegal road use. The priorities were issued on 1 July, with actions dated 1 October 2026. The team says it will use engagement, visible patrols, education, and enforcement. Local policing priorities
Burglary warning for Hagley and Belbroughton: police linked eight reported burglaries from March and April, including entry through open first-floor windows and lock snapping. Residents are advised to close windows when out, secure rear and patio doors, consider anti-snap locks and motion-sensor CCTV, and photograph or mark valuables. West Mercia Police advice
Motorbike theft warning: West Mercia Police reported a summer rise in thefts of smaller motorbikes in parts of Worcestershire. Suggested precautions include layered locks, securing the frame to an immovable object, a cover, a tracker or immobiliser, CCTV, and a ground anchor in a garage. Motorbike security advice
Lickey collision witness appeal: police are still seeking the driver of a white Ford Fiesta after a serious collision at Old Birmingham Road, Twatling Road, and Monument Lane on 17 July. Anyone with dashcam, CCTV, or doorbell footage from the area around 4:20pm is asked to contact the investigation team. Police appeal
Bibliography
Worcestershire County Council. Over 1,500 children sign up for Worcestershire’s Summer Reading Challenge.
Worcestershire County Council. Worcestershire residents encouraged to check gigabit broadband availability.
Worcestershire County Council. Discover support available in your local community.
Worcestershire County Council. Free Funding Finder for community organisations.
Bromsgrove District Council. Future of Worcestershire’s councils decided.
Worcestershire County Council. Wyre Forest Towns Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.
Worcestershire County Council. Hagley Library Walkers Group.
Worcestershire County Council. Bounce and Rhyme at Hagley Library.
Bromsgrove District Council. Summer Fun at Sanders Park 2026.
Lifecentral Church. Lifecentral Hagley groups and activities.
Hagley Free Church. Regular activities.
Worcestershire County Council. Read to the Beat: The Bear and the Piano.
Worcestershire County Council. Saturday board games and puzzles at Hagley Library.
Worcestershire County Council. LEGO Club at Hagley Library.
Stourbridge Football Club. First-team fixtures and results.
Worcester Show. Official event website.
Hagley Art Club. Hannah Broadhead visiting-artist demonstration.
Worcestershire Beekeepers’ Association. Hagley and Stourbridge branch events.
Visit Worcestershire. Worcestershire Open Studios Art Week 2026.
The Falconry Centre. Special events and bank-holiday displays.
Hagley Historical and Field Society. Society programme.
Worcestershire County Council. Children travel free by bus in August.
Worcestershire County Council. Free bus travel for veterans and serving personnel.
Beefeater. Badgers Sett, Hagley.
Shenapur. Restaurant menus and offers.
Stourbridge Football Club. 2026/27 memberships and season tickets.
Worcestershire County Council. A38 Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme: latest works.
National Highways. West Midlands maintenance schemes.
Worcestershire County Council. Roadworks and live updates.
West Mercia Police. Hagley and Rubery local policing priorities.
West Mercia Police. Advice following burglaries in Hagley and Belbroughton.
West Mercia Police. Motorbike safety and security warning.
West Mercia Police. Witness appeal following serious collision in Lickey.
West Mercia Police. Online reporting service.