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Stay safe in the hot weather: Level 3 Heat Health Alert for the South East

A Level 3 Heat Health Alert is in place for the South East until 11pm on Sunday 14 August.

You can expect 31 degree daytime temperatures and 16 degrees at night.

Hot weather can be dangerous, especially for the very young, very old, or those with chronic conditions.

Close curtains on rooms that face the sun to keep indoor spaces cooler. Drink plenty of fluids and avoid excess alcohol, dress appropriately for the weather and slow down when it is hot.

For advice on how to reduce the risk to yourself, or somebody you know, visit UKHSA’s online guide on beating the heat, contact your doctor or chemist, or call NHS 111.

Please stay safe around water and remember the risks

Together with Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, we are reminding everyone not to take unnecessary risks while trying to cool off and to always make sure family and friends stay safe.

While it can be tempting to jump into the Thames or other open water on hot days, there are serious risks including cold water shock and sharp objects (pictured) hidden below the surface.

The shock of jumping into unexpectedly cold water can sadly be fatal, and strong currents or deep water can catch even capable swimmers off guard.

Rivers are great places to have fun, get close to nature and spend time with friends and family, but vigilance can save lives and water-related accidents can be avoided by knowing how to stay safe.

To learn more, read the water safety advice on the fire service website.

We also encourage young people looking to take a swim this summer to go to the free summer swim sessions for teenagers at our leisure centres and avoid the risks of open water. Please see the Leisure Focus Facebook page for more information.
Be wildfire-safe in the heatwave

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is reminding everyone to be aware of the increased risk of wildfires due to the hot and dry weather. You can take steps to reduce the risk of a wildfire by:

  • Keeping your barbeque away from flammable materials such as foliage, tents and dry grass
  • Not disposing of cigarettes on the ground, and always ensuring that they have been extinguished before throwing them away
  • Avoiding lighting open fires in the countryside.

If you encounter a wildfire, call 999 and note the location of the fire. Do not attempt to tackle the blaze yourself. Visit the RBFRS website for more information.

Please also remember, if you visit a local park for a picnic, that having barbeques or lighting fires is not allowed in any of our parks and open spaces. Please dispose of any litter responsibly in a bin.
Thames Water preparing to impose water restrictions

Earlier today, a drought status was declared for large parts of England, including the Thames region.

Due to prolonged hot temperatures and a long-term forecast of more dry weather, Thames Water is preparing to bring in a hosepipe ban — officially called a temporary use ban — shortly. Details about when are to be confirmed.

For more information, please read the Environment Agency press release and see the Thames Water website and social media channels for the latest updates.
Heatwave update: Household Waste and Recycling Centre

Our Household Waste and Recycling Centre in Stafferton Way, Maidenhead will also close earlier at 1pm tomorrow and Sunday (14 August) due to the high temperatures.

This helps protect the health of our staff and visitors. Thank you for your understanding.
Do you have an idea to improve health and wellbeing in your community?

Nine local groups in the Royal Borough have been awarded between them more than £35,000 in one-off grants for community-led initiatives to launch projects supporting health and wellbeing.

Applications are now open in the second round of innovation funding projects. Using feedback from our World Cafes held so far, we’re particularly interested in ideas that address one or more of the following: cost of living (e.g. food services, sustainable transport), ageing population, and social isolation.

The closing date for applications is Friday 30 September.

The Innovation Funding Project, World Cafes, and our Community Information Champions are part of Empowering Our Communities, a collaboration between ourselves and NHS Frimley. This is a new approach to community engagement to ensure our residents’ voices are heard and strengthened. It’s all about, ‘you said, we did,’ to help address inequalities.

The first three World Cafes focused on the rising cost of living. Residents there told us they’d be interested in courses on money management and cooking on a budget, which are now being planned for this autumn. Residents’ feedback from these events has also informed content on our cost of living Here to Help webpage.
Last chance to take part in our South West Maidenhead consultation

You have until next week (Wednesday 17 August) to take part in our South West Maidenhead consultation, which opened at the start of July for six weeks.

We want to hear your views on a key planning document for South West Maidenhead, a major development area bringing forward much-needed new homes, community facilities, employment space and improved public access to green space.

Thank you to everyone who had shared their thoughts so far and attended our recent online event. If you couldn’t make it, you can watch the recording on our YouTube channel.

You can also visit our website to view the SPD document and supporting documents, complete the feedback form and discover more about South West Maidenhead.

Learn more in our press release.
Unique collection gifted to Windsor Library shines a light on town’s rich history

A fascinating collection of historic books and documents about Windsor and the surrounding area has been officially handed over to the town’s library as a valuable part of the Royal Borough’s local studies archive.

The Luff Collection comprises early newspapers, historic books, press cuttings and other documents covering the period 1714 to 1990. It was the personal library of Thomas Edmund Luff, a well-known Windsor printer, stationer and publisher who was a councillor for 15 years and Mayor in 1912/13.

It forms part of the wider local studies collection at Windsor Library, a fantastic resource for researchers of local and family history.

Read our press release to learn more.
Local Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment published

The Royal Borough’s Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) covering 2022 to 2025 is now published.

PNAs show the pharmaceutical services needed for an area and must be updated every three years. They help the NHS decide on applications for new pharmacies, and for the NHS and local authorities to consider service changes at existing ones.

Thank you to those of you who took part in the two consultations. The first one, at the beginning of the year, asked how you used your pharmacies in the borough. Your feedback informed the draft PNA which we then consulted on earlier this summer to help shape the final version.

Our PNA has also been produced by looking at the health needs of the local population, the current pharmacy network and its services, research material as well as feedback from stakeholders.
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience at the Windsor Guildhall  

Join a unique interactive comedy experience with Faulty Towers The Dining Experience at the Windsor Guildhall on Monday 26 September. 

Become part of the action as Basil, Sybil and Manuel serve up mayhem on a plate alongside a three-course meal and two hours of non-stop laughter.

Expect nothing short of guaranteed fun and a brilliant night out as you climb inside the BBC's iconic TV show and experience it from the inside out in the Council Chamber at the Guildhall.  

With over 70% of the show improvised, this is a completely immersive and highly interactive comedy spectacular where anything can happen… and usually does!  

Tickets are £85 per person and include:

  • A fully immersive West End Show, with guaranteed laughs and brilliant fun
  • Sparkling wine on arrival
  • A delicious three-course set menu, served by Basil, Sybil and Manuel in the Council Chamber at the Guildhall (What could go wrong?)
  • Half a bottle of wine per person.
 
For more information and to buy tickets, head to the Visit Windsor website.
Check out our upcoming libraries Summer Reading Challenge events

Our Library Service has loads of great upcoming library events as part of the 2022 Summer Reading Challenge including:

  • Coding Wednesdays  at Maidenhead Library - every Wednesday in August from 11am to midday




To learn more, visit our library events webpage.
Get involved in local town forum meetings

If you want to get involved and suggest topics for future town forum meetings which discuss issues affecting Maidenhead and Windsor towns, please email your ideas to the council.

You can suggest topics for future meetings of the Maidenhead Town Forum and Windsor Town Forum as well as attend the virtual meeting and contribute to the discussions. Agendas are published a week in advance so you can see what councillors will be discussing and get involved if there is something you are interested in.

Your suggestions for discussion will be considered by members of the two meetings and then added to a future agenda if appropriate.

The next meeting of Maidenhead Town Forum is on Monday 5 September and the Windsor Town Forum takes place on Wednesday 14 September.

To find out more about how to get involved, including how to attend and speak at a meeting, email mark.beeley@rbwm.gov.uk (for Maidenhead Town Forum) or oran.norris-browne@rbwm.gov.uk (for Windsor Town Forum).

Anyone can watch the meetings live on our YouTube channel.
Royal Borough community spotlight

Here are just some of the upcoming community events in the Royal Borough:

  • Annual Old Windsor Handicraft, Produce and Horticulture Show (Saturday 3 September) – A local show of art, craft, flower arranging, produce, cookery and baking, and photography. Entries are welcome by all age groups and in all categories. For more information, visit the Facebook Event page. Stallholders are also welcome, please contact rebeccaomara@hotmail.co.uk

  • Want to try community choral singing? (Wednesday 7 September, 7.30pm to 9.30pm) – Trevelyan School, Windsor. The Royal Free Singers invite you to join them at their open evening for vocal warm-ups, part songs and an introduction to Brahms Requiem. Suitable for everybody, no experience necessary. No charge, no pressure! To register, please email membership@royalfreesingers.org.uk, or visit their website

  • Cox Green Horticultural and Craft Show (Saturday 10 September) – Cox Green Community Centre. Calling all children! You are invited to take part in this year’s horticultural and craft show. All children’s entries are free across categories including baking, sewing and photography. More information is available on the Cox Green website

  • Crafty Workshops. Craft Coop Windsor is offering a range of crafty workshops over the summer in their Windsor Yards workshop space. The sessions include Introduction to screen printing, fused glass for children, recycled glass painting, Celtic knitting, and crochet. There is also a summer camp program for seven- to 12-year-olds and teens. Visit their Eventbrite page for more information

  • Spitfire Simulator Experience (Summer holidays) – Maidenhead Heritage Centre. Throughout the school holidays, you can make a Same Day Booking for the Spitfire Simulator Experience and get a third off the normal price. Just call 01628 780555 after 10am (Tuesday to Saturday) and book any available slot. Then turn up and take to the skies. It has been called "the best fun in town". More information is available on the Maidenhead Heritage Centre website

  • Queen Alexandra: Loyalty and Love (Thursday 29 September, 8pm) - St John the Evangelist Church. An evening talk by author Frances Dimond on her new book which looks at Queen Alexandra, a trailblazer in her era who could be considered an environmentalist before her time. The event is in aid of the new church hall project in Eton Wick. Tickets are available from the Ticket Source website

If you have an upcoming not-for-profit community event or activity you’d like to promote in this newsletter, simply send basic information about your event to communications@rbwm.gov.uk and it could be shared with over 20,000 local residents.

You just need to include a brief description, when and where it takes place, and a link to a website/social media page/contact where people can find out more.
Have your say

We regularly hold consultations to get your views on proposals within the Royal Borough.

Responding to our consultations and giving your feedback is the best way to ensure your views are heard.

Our current consultations are:
Local travel updates

Planned rail strikes are expected to lead to various levels of disruption tomorrow (Saturday 13), Thursday 18, Friday 19, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 August.

Please visit the Great Western Railway website and the South Western Railway website for the latest local rail travel updates.

There will be carriageway closure in both directions on the M4 between Junctions 6 (Slough-Windsor) and 5 (Langley) from 8pm tomorrow (Saturday 13 August) until 6am on Sunday 14 August.

There will also be an eastbound carriageway closure on the M4 between Junctions 5 (Langley) to 4b (M25 interchange) from 10.30pm on Sunday 14 August until 5.30am on Monday 15 August.

For more details, visit the National Highways website.

For details of council works on highways, visit our website. For full local
roadwork details, including work by utility firms, please visit the One Network
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