Official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that happiness levels in Sandwell, which includes the town of Oldbury, are slightly above the national average, scoring 7.5 out of 10. This places Sandwell above Birmingham, which ranks bottom of the West Midlands region with a score of 7.2. However, a visit to Oldbury town centre reveals a starkly different story, with a homeless man describing life on the streets as 'rough' and lacking any help.
Life on the Streets in Oldbury
Outside the wall of Sainsbury's in Oldbury town centre, a 38-year-old homeless man sits reading a Bible, with a small pot of coins at his feet. He smiles and nods at shoppers, thanking those who leave change. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he was 'born and bred' in Oldbury but has been sleeping rough for the past three-and-a-half months. He points to the large Sainsbury's car park and explains: 'Obviously, if there was help, I wouldn't have been sleeping on the car park for the past two weeks. It's rough. I do get trouble, it's mainly from the kids chucking things and shouting abuse.'
His current stint on the streets began after serving a jail sentence following a domestic dispute involving his former partner. 'When I came out, I thought everything would be alright, but it wasn't,' he says. He has few possessions: only the clothes on his back, a coat on the floor, and the Bible he reads every day. He is on Sandwell Council's housing waiting list but has not yet been offered accommodation. He checks in with council staff three times a week at their offices near Sainsbury's, and outreach workers also visit him on the street. This is not his first experience of homelessness; 18 months ago, he claims he was 'stabbed in the head' after intervening to help an elderly woman being attacked on Soho Road in Handsworth.
Mixed Views from Local Residents
Just a few yards away, other locals painted a very different picture of life in Oldbury. A pensioner waiting for a bus praised her local estate, saying: 'It's a lovely place to be. I live in a bungalow and there's fields nearby. There are loads of cats that come to see us. My friend, who lives next door, should be coming out of hospital. All of the community looks after each other.' She also praised the town centre: 'We've got the supermarket and a pub up the road, I've just been in there for toast and coffee.' However, she noted: 'Fly-tipping is a problem. There are cans on the wall and debris down there. It makes it look untidy.'
Other residents offered mixed responses to the happiness ranking. One man said: 'At times, it is happy but not in general.' A health care worker said: 'Yes, definitely, it is a happy place,' referencing a nearby care home: 'This is independent living here. All of the shop owners come out and help, say, if someone has had a fall.' Another woman added: 'We live on the border near the Hagley Road, that's a nice part to live.'
ONS Happiness Rankings
The ONS figures show the average happiness score in the United Kingdom is 7.4 out of 10. Sandwell's score of 7.5 is the same as its neighbours Dudley and Wolverhampton. Walsall was ranked lower at 7.3, while Birmingham came bottom of the region with 7.2. These statistics highlight a contrast between official measures of wellbeing and the lived experiences of some residents, particularly those facing homelessness.
