Please share with friends, family and neighbours in the borough so they can keep up to date. Sign up here if you've received a forwarded copy.
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Have you registered to vote for our Local Elections?
We
are reminding everyone of key deadlines for voting at our upcoming
Local Elections – and to ensure you have accepted photo ID if you wish
to vote at a polling station.
On Thursday 4 May,
all-out elections will take place for the borough council, with 126
candidates putting themselves forward across all 41 seats and 19 wards.
Candidate details and election information is available on our website.
You can find a list of local polling stations via our dedicated webpage and check which borough ward you live within using our Neighbourhood Map.
In
addition, all 14 parish councils will have all-out elections, though
there will only be contested parish elections within four parishes.
There will also be a local referendum in the Datchet parish about the
proposed Datchet Neighbourhood Plan.
Polling
cards were dispatched last month to those on the electoral register.
However, it is not too late to register – the last date is next week (Monday 17 April) at 11.59pm. Registering to vote is easiest on the Government website.
The deadline
for receiving new postal vote and postal proxy applications, or
amending any existing postal or proxy vote arrangements, is 5pm Tuesday 18 April. The deadline for receiving new applications to vote by proxy (not postal proxy or emergency proxies) is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.
Check you have accepted voter ID
Due
to a national legal change, for the first time you will need to show
photo ID on election day in order to vote at a polling station.
A
wide range of photo ID will be accepted including a UK, European
Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK or EEA driver’s
licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s
bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. The Resident Advantage Card is not an
accepted form of ID for voting.
If you don’t already have an accepted form of photo ID, you can apply by 5pm on Tuesday 25 April for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate via the Electoral Commission website. You will also be able to use expired ID if you are still recognisable from the photo.
Learn more in our elections press release.
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Coronation Lion statue symbolises achievements of supported adults
Our
residents with learning disabilities and additional needs are making a
majestic life-sized lion statue from natural materials to celebrate His
Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation.
The
seated male lion is complete with crown, shield, orb, sword, and
sceptre and is part of an inclusive art project made by our residents
who are supported by adult social care services through partners
Optalis.
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When
complete, he will be proudly displayed at Windsor Yards shopping centre
for visitors to the town to admire in the run-up to, and during, the
Coronation weekend celebrations.
He is made of materials from nature which sits at the heart of His Majesty’s ecological ethos.
The statue is being created from moss, pinecones, grasses, bark and branches, and will eventually become a bug hotel at Boyn Grove Community Resource Centre, Maidenhead.
He has been named Mfalme, which means king in
Swahili, linking the lion to its native African habitat and the
Commonwealth country of Kenya, as well as echoing the regal symbols on
the Royal Standard flag.
Our residents who Optalis support have also
learned to sing and sign the national anthem in Makaton, a communication
system for people with disabilities.
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Celebrate His Majesty's Coronation with homemade crafts
You are invited to
join people from all over Commonwealth by getting crafty to celebrate
His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation.
Get creative and then
share pictures or videos of your models, paintings, bakes, and homemade
bunting which could then feature in a national online gallery.
Struggling for ideas?
Take a look here
for activity and colouring-in sheets, bunting templates, and recipe
cards for dishes designed for the Coronation, including a trifle. There
is even a celebration playlist.
If you are organising a street or garden party,
the website also has invitation templates you can use to invite people
to your event.
Share your creations on social media using the #CoronationCreativeChallenge and tag @DCMS and @RBWM on Twitter and @dcmsgovuk on Facebook and Instagram.
You can also email your entries to coronation@dcms.gov.uk with
the subject line ‘Coronation Creative Challenge’ along with your first
name, age and town plus a photo or video of your entry.
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Upcoming Emergency Alerts system test
The government’s Emergency Alerts system is now live and will be tested across the UK at 3pm on Sunday 23 April.
If you have a 4G or 5G mobile phone, you will receive a message accompanied by sound and vibration for up to ten seconds.
The
Emergency Alert system, which brings the UK in line with other
countries such as the US and Canada, enables urgent messages to be
broadcast to a defined area when there is an imminent risk to life, such
as severe flooding.
You can learn more about the upcoming test on the Government website.
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Enrol in our community learning programme
Our
community learning service will be welcoming people aged 18 to 27 to
enrolment sessions next week, ready for the summer term.
If
you’d like to learn a new skill, improve on an old one, or work towards
a qualification, there could be something for you in the new programme
which includes courses in ESOL, Functional Skills English and Maths,
Digital Skills, Employability, Community and Wellbeing courses.
You can register your course query on the online WebEnrol platform or attend an enrolment session from 10am to 3pm on Tuesday 18 and Thursday 27 April.
If you would like more information and an assessment date, you can call the Community Learning team on 01753 476611 or email lifelonglearning@slough.gov.uk.
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Calling all jobseekers! Attend our jobs fair next week
A jobs fair will take place at Windsor Library next week (Thursday 20 April) from 10.30am to 1pm.
Jobseekers will have the opportunity to meet local employers and find out about their current vacancies. There’s no need to book, just turn up on the day.
Employers who wish to attend the event should contact windsor.library@rbwm.gov.uk.
For more information, please visit our employment support webpage.
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Reminder: Take part in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry
You
are invited to share your personal experience of the pandemic - how it
affected you and your loved ones - as part of the official UK Covid-19
Inquiry.
This
independent inquiry is examining the UK’s response to the pandemic to
see if any lessons can be learnt for the future. It will also be hearing
evidence from a wide selection of organisations and public bodies.
Public
feedback, however, is key to getting a clear picture of how Covid
affected people differently across the country. You can anonymously
submit your evidence via the inquiry’s website. You must be aged 18+ to take part.
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Put it out, right out
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is
reminding smokers to ensure they always ‘Put it Out, Right Out’
whenever they finish a cigarette.
While
some may have heard many reasons to quit smoking, what is often
overlooked is the fire risk associated with smoking and how people can
reduce it. Fires caused by smoking products kill more people than fires
caused by any other source.
Quitting is the best way to remove the fire risk. If you are considering giving up smoking, the NHS has many stop smoking services available, which are free to use.
If you are a smoker, there are a few extra steps you can take to reduce the chances of your smoking materials leading to a fire:
- Put it out, right out! Make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished
- Never
smoke in bed. Take care when you’re tired – it’s very easy to fall
asleep while your cigarette is still burning and set furniture alight
- Smoking
when under the influence of drugs or alcohol carries extra risk. If
your lit cigarette starts a fire you could be less able to escape
- Fit a smoke alarm and test it at least monthly. A working smoke
alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999.
For more information, please visit the RBFRS website.
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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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Volunteer at Nature’s Haven
(Saturday 15 April from 10am to 12pm) - The Community Centre, 4 Marlow
Road, Maidenhead. Nature’s Haven is inviting volunteers to get hands-on,
practical gardening experience creating a community healing garden as
they nurture and promote a feeling of connectedness and
wellbeing. If you’d like to be part of their project, please visit
the Nature’s Haven website
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Facts Figures and Forms: Exploring Sculptures in the UK's Public Art Collection
(Monday 17 April, 11am) - Baylis Theatre, Braywick Leisure Centre. This
month’s lecture from The Arts Society Maidenhead. £10 for
non-members. Learn more on the Arts Society website
-
Join Windsor Soundswell Choir
(Starts Tuesday 18 April from 7.30pm to 9.30pm) – Oakfield First
School, Windsor. If you would like to become one of the many people who
benefit physically, mentally, and socially from choral singing, why not
come along and join Windsor Soundswell Choir? They meet every Tuesday
evening during term time. There are no auditions, and no experience is
necessary. For more information, go to the ‘joining’ section of the Windsor Soundswell website or phone Ros on 07814470814 or leave a message for Sue on 01753 868468
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Volunteer for Maidenhead Outfall Safari (Thursday 20 April from 1.30pm to 3.30pm) - Braywick Nature Centre. Pollution can find its way into urban rivers via surface water outfalls (drains) as a result of misconnected plumbing. Volunteers
are wanted to help survey the banks of stretches of the river to map
and record the impact of outfalls. Learn more and sign up on the Eventbrite website
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Norden Farm Day Choir drop-in sessions
(Friday 21 and 28 April from 2pm to 3.30pm) – A relatively new choir
with a warm, welcoming atmosphere, looking to increase its numbers. All
abilities welcome, no auditions/performing/competitions, just a lot of
fun and plenty of feel-good factor! £12 per session with discounts
available for block booking. The new term starts on Friday 5 May.
Further details are available on the Norden Farm website
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Desborough Bowling Club open day
(Saturday 22 April, from 10am to 4pm) – Desborough Bowling Club,
Maidenhead. The club are inviting residents, young and old, to come
along to their next open day to see their facilities and experience
bowls at their best. Tea and coffee will also be available
-
Earth Day Celebration (Saturday
22 April from 10am to 2pm) - St Nicolas Church, Taplow. Displays,
children’s activities, stalls including local crafts and plants, talks
about trees and beekeeping, eco quiz and refreshments! Free
admission. For further details, visit the St Nicolas Church website
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Enter the Wildlife Gardens Awards
– Anyone can enter for free, whether you have a balcony, courtyard,
private garden, or allotment. Groups can also create space for wildlife
in communal spaces at work, school, or home. To learn more and enter,
visit the Wildlife Garden Awards 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.
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is asking for
views on options for a redeveloped or relocated Royal Berkshire
Hospital. Take part in their online survey or visit the Building Berkshire Together website to learn more.
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Local Travel Updates
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.
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