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Cost of living funding to help residents in severe financial hardship
We
are using a targeted fund to help residents in severe financial
hardship and at risk of problems escalating due to the rising cost of
living.
We have been given £587,905 in the latest round of the government’s Household Support Fund to help vulnerable households most in need this winter. This will be allocated in two ways.
Around
£300,000 will help vulnerable residents having to make very difficult
choices around household expenditure, such as between heating and
eating. This complements the wider cost of living support we are
promoting with partners through our ‘Here to Help’ campaign.
To
target the limited national funding, nine frontline distribution
partners will identify those residents in greatest need to receive a
one-off cash payment of £145. Those residents will also be supported to
explore further cost of living help that might be available to them.
The
remaining Household Support Fund enables us to continue to provide £20
food vouchers per child, for each week of the school holidays, and for
families in receipt of free school meals. This funding is supporting
3,000 families with food vouchers over four weeks in the October half
term, Christmas, and February half term.
Last month, we also started promoting a growing network of safe, warm spaces where
people in need can go this winter. Several partner organisations now
offer safe, warm spaces, along with advice and support. All local
libraries are also safe places for the community.
Learn more in our press release.
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Look after yourself and others in the cold weather
With the first cold snap of winter, a Level 3 Cold Weather Alert has been issued for England until 9am on Friday 16 December.
In
line with national NHS guidance, we’re encouraging everyone to check
vulnerable loved ones have warm food and drinks and can heat their homes
to at least 18°C during this cold period, especially those who are not
mobile, have a long-term illness or are 65 or over.
For more advice, please visit the NHS website, call NHS 111 or speak with your local pharmacist.
If you, or someone you know, are struggling to heat your home, we’re promoting several
community organisations that are opening safe, warm spaces and running
coffee mornings and other activities where people in need can go this
winter. A map of locations is available on our website.
If you are
struggling financially and facing difficult decisions around food, rent
or heating, you are also encouraged to seek help before reaching a
crisis point. Check our dedicated 'Here to Help' webpage as soon as possible, contact us, your landlord and energy supplier to see what help might be available.
We’ve also triggered our Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP), meaning we are providing emergency shelter to anyone found sleeping rough in the borough, irrespective of local connection and current circumstances.
Our
Rough Sleeper Team and Community Wardens have been out and about to
engage with anyone sleeping rough. See more about SWEP and how to advise
us about rough sleepers on our website.
Our gritters are also out treating roads across
the borough and will continue to do so when freezing road temperatures
are forecast. Check out our Winter Services video to learn more.
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Check out our Christmas bin collection timetable
As we look forward to Christmas and New Year, make sure you know your bin collection dates over the festive period by checking our website.
You can also find out when your next collection day is. Please ensure your bins are out before 7am.
If you need to recycle or dispose of larger items
or additional waste over the festive period, please visit Stafferton Way
Household Waste and Recycling Centre in Maidenhead. The site is open
every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. For more
information, please visit our Stafferton Way webpage.
You can also find festive period opening hours for our libraries and customer contact centre on our dedicated webpage.
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What to do if you are concerned about Strep A
There are currently reports of Strep A and Scarlet Fever in the UK.
The
illness is usually mild but is highly infectious. While it is more
common in children than adults, it is important that children with
Scarlet Fever are seen by their GP so they can be started on
antibiotics.
Frimley Healthier Together are encouraging parents and carers to visit their website before calling their GP or visiting A&E if their child has a:
- Sore throat,
- Fever,
- Headache,
- Or rash
Their
website has information on the symptoms of Scarlet Fever and guidance
to identify the next steps to take including when to seek medical help.
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Make sure you cook safely this Christmas
Preparing
and cooking food safely is key to avoiding a Christmas dinner disaster.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published useful advice on how to
safely cook your turkey including:
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Defrost safely–
A typical turkey weighs between six and seven kilograms, which could
take up to four days to fully defrost in your fridge. If your turkey
isn’t properly defrosted, it may cook unevenly leading to you and your
family being at risk of food poising from harmful bacteria
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Cook thoroughly –
Give your turkey plenty of time to cook, always check the advice on the
packaging and follow the instructions provided. However, be aware that
the guidance is based on a bird that isn’t stuffed, so consider cooking
your stuffing in a separate roasting tin
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Reuse and freeze leftovers
– Cool and cover your leftovers and put them in the fridge or freezer
within one to two hours. Frozen turkey, and other cooked meat, must be
eaten within 24 hours once defrosted. Love Food Hate Waste has lots of recipes for making your Christmas leftovers go further.
Visit the FSA website to learn more.
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Could your property be a filming location?
Our film office works with productions of all sizes who are looking for filming locations or facilities in the Royal Borough.
The
film office is inviting residents, businesses, and property owners who
are interested in accommodating a film production to sign up to our
location database.
The database includes properties ranging from historical buildings to leisure attractions and car parks.
Learn more and get in touch by visiting our filming locations webpage.
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Last chance to take part in our Royal Borough More Active survey
Thank you to everyone who has taken part in our More Active Survey which closes next week (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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Win Christmas gifts in the Advantage Card prize draw
In celebration of the season, Advantage Card is giving away ten great Christmas presents including:
- Membership at Ascot Racecourse (worth £99) and a soft toy horse
- A free escape room game for six players at Escape in 60 Windsor
- A chocolate gift hamper selection from Dr Choc Windsor Chocolate Factory
- Dinner for two at Bluegrass BBQ
- £150 gift voucher for The Real Greek Windsor.
To learn more and enter the prize draw, visit the Advantage Card website before next Monday (12 December)!
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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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Christmas Tree Festival
(Saturday 10 December, 10am to 7pm, and Sunday 11 December noon to 6pm)
– St Luke’s Church, Maidenhead. Come and visit this beautiful church
full of decorated trees. Refreshments, stalls, and a raffle will also be
present in support of Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice. Visit the St Luke’s Christmas Tree Trail website for more information
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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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Ascot Brass annual Christmas concert
(Saturday 10 December, 7pm) – St Mary’s Church, Maidenhead. Ascot
Brass, with the support of the Rotary Club of Maidenhead Thames, will be
performing a selection of festive favourites, an entertaining balance of modern, popular music, interspersed with some of the best brass band classics. with Taplow Youth Choir The concert will raise much-needed funds for Alexander Devine and Thames Hospice charities. Tickets can be purchased on the Ascot Brass website
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Bray Community Choir carol concert (Sunday
11 December, 3pm) – St Michael’s Church, Bray. Join St Michael’s Choir,
Community Choir, and friends for a celebration of Christmas with
audience carols and festive songs, admission is free with collection in
aid of Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service. Further information
on the St Michael’s website
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Celebrate Christmas at St Mary’s
(Sunday 11 to Sunday 25 December) – St Mary’s Church, Maidenhead.
Celebrate Christmas this year by visiting St Mary’s Church and attending
carol and Christingle services. Please visit the St Mary’s website for more information
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Windsor Christmas services (Sunday 11 and 18 December, 9.30am) – Theatre Royal, Windsor. King’s Church International, will host two
special Christmas services The event is free to attend on a first
come first served basis. There will also be a Christmas Eve Carol
Services on Saturday 24 December at 4pm at King’s House, Frances Road,
Windsor. To learn more, visit the Kings Church International website
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Christmas services at All Saints Boyne Hill Church
– Join All Saints Boyle Hill Church for a lovely candlelit Christingle
service at 10am on Sunday 11 December and a traditional carol service at
6pm on Sunday 18 December which is followed by a glass of mulled wine
and mince pies for all to enjoy. Details can be found on the All Saints website
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Celebrate Christmas at Windsor Fellowship Church
– Take part in traditional carols on Sunday 11 December at 4pm, and
their family-friendly nativity (kids can come dressed-up) on Sunday 18
December at 3pm. Festive refreshments will be available, entry is free,
and no booking is required. Visit the Windsor Fellowship website to learn more
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Christmas with Giles, Grandma and the Family (Monday
12 December, 11.30am) – Baylis Theatre, Braywick Leisure Centre. Join
The Arts Society Maidenhead for a talk on Carl Giles looking at his life
and seasonal works including some of his funniest cartoons. £10 for
non-members. Email membershipmaidenhead@theartssociety.org to book your place and for more information, or just come along. More information is available on the Arts Society website
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Thames Valley Voices Carol Service
(Tuesday 13 December, 7.30pm) – St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Slough.
All are welcome to attend a carol service by Thames Valley Voices, which
will include a retiring collection for international development and
relief organisation ‘All We Can’
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Renaissance Voices concert
(Wednesday 14 December, 7.30pm) – St James the Less, Stubbings, Sl6
6QW. Local early music choir Renaissance Voices will be performing choir
and audience carols, plus three choir early music pieces. Entry is
free, with donations on the door
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Christmas services at St Mark's Crescent Church, Maidenhead
– Everyone is welcome to come and begin Christmas festivities with
Carols Outside the Church on Wednesday 14 December at 5.30pm. Everyone
is also invited to attend a festive service led by Rev. Pete Philips on
Sunday 18 December at 10.30am, with coffee available after the service
in the new Hub. For more information, please email info@stmarksmaidenhead.org.uk
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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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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
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
This weekend (Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December)
planned engineering works will take place on the South Western Railway
network. These will cause disruption to local services; full information
can be found on the South Western Railway website.
There are also planned rail strikes by the RMT union from:
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Tuesday 13 to Wednesday 14 December
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Friday 16 to Saturday 17 December
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Saturday 24 to Tuesday 27 December
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Tuesday 3 to Wednesday 4 January
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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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