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Our White Ribbon campaign urges everyone to unite to tackle male violence against women
We are teaming up with The Dash Charity and Maidenhead United FC for White Ribbon Day and the World Cup, calling on all men to unite to tackle male abuse, harassment and violence towards women and girls.
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Our campaign launches today (White Ribbon Day) with a social media video starring male and female players from the football club,
asking all men to play their part by challenging abusive attitudes and
behaviours towards women and girls, such as cat-calling, sexist comments
and invading personal space.
Delivering a simple but powerful message – “Let’s
call it out to kick it out” – the video urges all men to take a
collective stand as one team, lead by example and tackle foul play,
asking men to consider the serious consequences of allowing abusive
attitudes and behaviours to go unchallenged within society.
Locally, the campaign will also raise awareness of
the valuable partnership work in the Royal Borough to help keep
everyone safe and the ways people can report and get help if they are
scared, threatened, or abused: whether at home or on a night out.
Learn more in our press release.
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Check out Maidenhead Christmas lights switch-on tomorrow
Come and experience festive magic at Maidenhead’s Christmas lights switch-on outside Maidenhead Town Hall tomorrow (Saturday 26 November) at 5.45pm, with a fireworks display to follow at 6pm.
There will be live music and entertainment on
stage outside the Town Hall from 4pm, a festive market will be open from
11am to 7pm, plus Santa will be outside The Maiden's Head pub in his
sleigh. There will also be funfair rides and games from Traylens Fun
Fair on St Ives Road and the High Street.
Did you know,
on Saturday (and every weekend in December), our Residents Parking
Discount Scheme is extended to two hours’ free parking? There is also
free travel on supported bus services on selected Saturdays leading up
to Christmas, including the day of the Maidenhead switch-on? Read more on our website.
For more information, please visit the Make Maidenhead Facebook page.
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Join the mission to end rough sleeping
Thank
you to everyone who has supported Tap 4 Lasting Change, our alternative
giving scheme which allows you to make donations to help rough sleepers
turn their lives around in our borough.
Simply visit our secure website portal and donate £3, £5 or £10 to help end rough sleeping, making either a one-off donation or a regular donation.
Your
generous donations bolster the individually-tailored support programmes
helping former rough sleepers on their journeys to stable accommodation
via our successful three-step Rough Sleeper Pathway. The pathway maps
the journey from first contact with a rough sleeper, through an initial
assessment of needs, to identifying and accessing tailored support and
eventually gaining secure accommodation.
Tap
4 Lasting Change provides an opportunity for residents to donate to
increased outreach work and the longer-term wellbeing of people sleeping
rough, which is the most effective way of tackling the underlying
causes of rough sleeping and helping people into sustainable housing.
If you think a person might be rough sleeping, let us know by completing a referral on the Street Link website, emailing rough.sleeping@rbwm.gov.uk or calling the council and speaking to the Rough Sleeper Team.
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Thank you for helping to control bird flu
Bird
flu is sadly spreading in the UK. While currently there are no
confirmed cases in our borough, we’re asking everyone to take extra
precautions around the riverbanks at Windsor and Eton to help manage the
risk of spread and protect our swans, other waterfowl and commercial
poultry flocks:
- Please
keep to the footpaths, keep away from bird droppings or feathers and
keep dogs on leads along the riverbanks for the time being. This reduces
the risk of you or your pets getting involved with potentially-infected
bird mess on the riverbanks and spreading the infection on feet.
-
Please
do not feed or interact with swans for the time being, to reduce public
footfall at the riverside and discourage swans and other waterfowl from
congregating closely together to get food. But don’t worry, the swans
definitely won’t go hungry as the charity Swan Support has kindly agreed to monitor the swan population and feed in a measured way.
- If,
unfortunately, you find dead wild waterfowl such as swans, geese or
ducks, or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, please
let Defra know on 03459 33 55 77. Do not touch dead or sick wild birds.
- If
you keep poultry or other birds, please remember to wash your hands,
and clean and disinfect your footwear before tending to your birds.
Keepers of poultry, both domestic and commercial, should already be
keeping their birds indoors to comply with existing avian influenza
regulations.
Read more about bird flu on the Government website.
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Reminder: Changes to supported bus services
Interim changes to subsidised bus services in the borough, designed to support operators on a smoother post-Covid journey, came into effect on Sunday 30 October so please check carefully prior to travelling.
The
changes to certain sections of some routes, to the timetables of some
buses and to the frequency of some routes, affect services provided by
Thames Valley Buses, White Bus and Bear Buses.
This
is a temporary approach while we work with operators and communities to
establish a longer-term solution for the bus network from April next
year that reflects changing traveller habits, with the aim of keeping
residents connected in a cost-effective manner.
Following
further work with the operator, there will be a further minor change to
the 234/235 Thames Valley Buses service to accommodate children from
Altwood C of E School in Maidenhead.
From Monday November 28,
the afternoon 234 service will take a different route from Maidenhead
to White Waltham. Leaving Frascati Way at 3.25pm, it will travel down
the A4 Bath Road serving the Cricket Club for Altwood School at around
3.35pm and Newlands Drive at 3.37pm in order to support school
transport.
It
will re-join the standard 234 service in White Waltham at the Beehive
stop at 3.43pm. Passengers can join the service through the request
stops along the route between Maidenhead and White Waltham (Beehive).
For further details and links to timetables, please visit our website.
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Council adopts Joint Minerals and Waste Plan
We
have now adopted a key planning document which will guide decisions and
activities around mineral extraction and waste management across
central and eastern Berkshire authorities.
We've
been working with Bracknell Forest Council, Reading Borough Council and
Wokingham Borough Council to produce a joint Minerals and Waste Plan
for these areas, which has been shaped through a series of
consultations.
Prior
to adoption, the joint plan was examined by two independent Planning
Inspectors, who concluded the plan is sound, legally compliant and
capable of adoption, subject to some recommended modifications.
The
adopted plan is now part of the Council’s Development Plan and will be
used to help decide relevant planning applications. The three other
authorities are also expected to adopt the plan in due course. Read more
on our dedicated webpage.
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Reminder: Take part in our consultation
You have until next week (Friday 2 December) to take part in our Council Tax Reduction Scheme consultation.
Council
Tax Reduction is a means-tested benefit that helps people on low
incomes by reducing the amount of Council Tax they pay. Councils must
decide each year on whether to make any changes to the scheme.
In
the Royal Borough, we’re proposing that the scheme essentially remains
the same, including maintaining the maximum level of discount for
working-age recipients at 80 per cent of their Council Tax bills.
We
are however consulting on making five proposed changes, focussed around
simplifying the administration of the scheme and aligning with national
changes to Housing Benefit.
Three
changes affect working-age applicants in receipt of both Council Tax
Reduction and Universal Credit. The remaining two affect all working-age
applicants. We welcome your thoughts to help inform the final decision by Full Council next year.
Learn more on the consultation webpage.
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Reminder: Your chance to comment on neighbourhood planning proposals for Maidenhead
You have until Tuesday 6 December
to comment on a community group’s proposals which, if approved, would
allow the group to start preparing a draft Neighbourhood Plan covering
the whole of Maidenhead’s unparished areas.
Neighbourhood plans allow communities to put in place planning policies for a specific neighbourhood area to help guide future development. Adding detail to planning policies already set in the Borough Local Plan, neighbourhood plans are used to help decide planning applications.
The
Maidenhead Neighbourhood Forum group has applied to us to designate all
of Maidenhead’s unparished areas as one neighbourhood area. These are
the wards of Belmont, St Mary’s, Riverside, Furze Platt, Pinkneys Green,
Boyn Hill, and Oldfield.
For full details and to take part, please visit our website.
Learn more in our press release.
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Calling all jobseekers! Attend our upcoming jobs fair
A jobs fair will take place at Maidenhead Library on Thursday 8 December from 10.30am to 1pm.
Jobseekers
will have the opportunity to connect with the Heathrow Academy and find
out about their current vacancies. Employers who wish to attend the
event should contact maidenhead.library@rbwm.gov.uk.
For more information, please visit our employment support webpage.
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World Café coming to Cookham
Our award-winning World Café is coming to Cookham next Tuesday, 29 November, where we’d love to see you and hear your views.
Next week’s topic will again focus on ideas to ease the cost of living, along with improving mental wellbeing across the ward.
Pinder Hall, 2
Lower Road, SL6 9HF is the venue, and the session will run from midday
to 2pm. Free refreshments will be available, and entrance is also free.
There’s no need to book – just come along.
World Cafés are
informal networking events where residents have open conversations
about what matters most to them, as well as access relevant support and
meet other community groups.
The main issues raised at each World Café help the
council, residents, and community groups work together to look at
solutions to these.
Please see the ‘You Said We Did’ section on RBWM Together for more details.
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Reminder: Take part in the Royal Borough More Active survey
Make
sure to share your views on the Royal Borough’s current leisure
services to see if what we’re giving you is what you want and need by
taking part in the Royal Borough More Active Survey by Wednesday 14 December.
The
survey will help us better understand your exercise habits and if you
can easily access local sports and wellbeing facilities. The survey is
designed so that your responses are anonymous and will take only ten
minutes to complete.
We’ll
use the survey’s findings, along with feedback from focus groups as
well as stakeholders, to inform our future leisure provision which is
due to be discussed in the spring.
Learn more in our press release.
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Reminder: Last chance to help reshape constituencies
You have until Monday 5 December to share your views on proposals for constituencies across the country.
The
Boundary Commission for England (BCE) has taken into consideration more
than 45,000 comments sent in by the public during the previous two
stages of public consultation and has changed nearly half of its initial
proposals based on this feedback.
You are invited to view and comment on the new map on the BCE website.
After
this final consultation has closed, the Commission will analyse the
responses and form its final recommendations. These will be submitted to
Parliament by July 2023.
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Your final chance to get tickets for the Mayor's Charity Christmas Meal
You have until Monday 27 November to book your tickets for the Mayor, Councillor Christine Bateson’s, Charity Christmas Meal.
The event, in aid of Thames Hospice, will take place next week on Saturday 3 December at 7.15pm in The Windsor Guildhall.
Tickets cost £49 and the evening includes a drinks reception, three-course meal and seasonal entertainment.
Dress code: Lounge suit/cocktail dress. Visit our website to purchase tickets.
For more information, contact the Mayor's Secretary on 07866 127222 or email alison.singleton@rbwm.gov.uk.
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Royal Borough Community Spotlight
Here are just some of the upcoming community events in the Royal Borough:
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Grand opening of I Am Alive photo exhibition
(Opens Friday 25 November at 6pm) – Windsor Baptist Church. Curated by a
local Ukrainian photographer, Alona Melnyk-Popova. This is dedicated to
Ukrainians who managed to escape the Russian invasion and flee to
England. The exhibition highlights the stories of those that are now
living in the area. Entry is free
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Ukrainian Charity Christmas Fair
(Saturday 26 November, 11am to 4pm) - Windsor Baptist Church. Local
Ukrainian guests will be selling their beautiful handmade crafts.
Highlights include scented candles, crochet children's toys and
homewares, bead embroidered pictures and jewellery, hand drawn cards,
knitted and embroidered decorations. There will also be a photo shoot,
bottle tombola, festive refreshments, and music, together with
masterclasses in making Lalki-Motanki dolls, jewellery and origami
decorations. Entry is free
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Christmas Bazaar (Saturday
26 November, 12pm to 3pm) – Cox Green Community Centre. A fantastic
Christmas Bazaar featuring delicious homemade cakes, mulled wine, light
lunches, and mince pies. Entrance is 50p, accompanied children up to 12
years old go free
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Christmas Fair Age Concern Windsor (Saturday
26 November, from 10am to 3pm) - The Spencer Denney Centre Park Corner,
Windsor, SL4 4EB. Features refreshments, tombola, raffles,
Christmas gifts and lots more. All proceeds go towards the Charity
established to help older people in Windsor and the surrounding area.
Visit the Age Concern website to learn more
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Royal Free Singers’ Brahms Requiem
(Saturday 26 November, 7.30pm) – Windsor Parish Church. Come along and
enjoy the Royal Free Singers' performance of the wonderful Brahms
Requiem with soloists Emma Louise Jones and Edward Birchinall,
accompanied by organist Adrian Bawtree. Tickets are available at the
door or on the Royal Free Singers' website
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Wreath Making at Braywick Nature Centre
(Saturday 26 November, 10am to 11am and 11.30am to 12.30pm) – Braywick
Nature Centre hall. Come and create a beautiful Christmas wreath, made
of fresh foliage and decorations from around the reserve. All
instructions will be given. Your fantastic wreath will be yours to walk
home with! You will be supplied with equipment - you just need to bring
a wire coat hanger as the basis of your wreath. Visit the Eventbrite page to book
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Clewer and Dedworth Christmas Fair
(Sunday 27 November, from 1pm to 5pm) – The Pirate Park, Dedworth Road,
Windsor. Join the Clewer and Dedworth community for their Christmas
fair and lights switch-on. More information is available on the Rock The Rec website
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Visit Santa’s Grotto
(Every Saturday until 17 December, from 11am to 3pm) – Nicholsons
Centre, Maidenhead. After two years’ absence due to Covid, the annual
Rotary Santa Grotto is coming back to town! Santa and his Elves
will be greeting and listening to visiting children’s wish lists and
handing special presents to them. This is a free of charge event, though
small donations will be welcomed with the proceeds presented to local
charities
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Soundswell Christmas concert
(Saturday 3 December, 7.30pm) – The Old Court, Windsor. Come and
celebrate Christmas at a concert of seasonal music and join in singing
carols with Windsor Soundswell Choir. Tickets are available from the Old Court website 01753 911333, or at the door
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Christmas Concert
(Sunday 4 December, 3pm) – Holy Trinity Garrison Church, Windsor. The
Claremont Singers will be singing a variety of Christmas songs and
carols ranging from Angels Carol by John Rutter to The Christmas Waltz
by Sammy Cahn. Admission is £5 (cash only) with free entry to
children and accompanying carers. Wheelchair access is via the side door
opposite E Berks College car park. All proceeds go to Thames Valley
Hospice and Trinity Church
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Voices Anon Christmas Concert
(Friday 9 December, 7.30pm) – Maidenhead Methodist Church. A free
Christmas concert with a collection taken in aid of Maidenhead Foodbank,
doors open at 7.15pm. Learn more on the Voices Anon website
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Cantorum Christmas Concert
(Saturday 10 December, 7.30pm) – Holy Trinity Church, Cookham. The
Cantorum Choir will be performing advent pieces from around the world
including traditional Christmas carols for the audience to join in with.
Ticket price includes refreshments during the interval, book on the Cantorum Choir website or 07939157530
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Christmas carol singing (Saturday
17 and Friday 23 December, 10am to noon, and Sunday 18 December, 11am
to 1pm) – Maidenhead Sainsbury’s. The Rotary Club members will be
singing Christmas carols, with the support of White Waltham Brass Band.
Members of the public, including children, are welcome to join in.
Please come along to have some fun
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Berkshire Maestros Ascot Signing Cafes (Mondays 10am to 11am) – All Souls Church, South Ascot. Run
by local group Berkshire Maestros, these events are a great way for
people and carers/family to meet others in the community, each session
involves singing and refreshments. Learn more on the Berkshire Maestros 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 more than 21,000 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.
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Have your say
We regularly hold consultations and surveys to get your views on proposals within the Royal Borough.
Participating, sharing ideas and giving your feedback is the best way to ensure your views are heard.
Our current consultations are:
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Local travel updates
The M4 is due to be closed in both directions between junctions 4b (M25) and 5 (Langley) from 10pm today (Friday 25 November) until 6am on Sunday 27 November. Traffic will be diverted via the A4, A3044 & A3113. For more information, please 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
website.
There is planned industrial action tomorrow (Saturday 26 November) which may cause disruption to local rail services.
Strikes by the RMT union are also planned from:
-
Tuesday 13 to Wednesday 14 December
-
Friday 16 to Saturday 17 December
-
Tuesday 3 to Wednesday 4 January
-
Friday 6 to Saturday 7 January
For the latest information, please visit the Great Western Railway and South Western Railway websites.
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