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Royal Borough starts conversations with community to help refresh our priorities
We're
holding early conversations to help shape a new strategy that’ll set
out refreshed priorities for us and the place we serve – and we want to
hear from the community to inform this vision.
The
new Corporate Plan will focus planning, decision-making and delivery
across the council around areas where change needs to be driven most.
Within the context of a very challenging financial position, the plan
will help to prioritise our budget, how we deliver services and work
with partners.
Achieving
financial stability is our top, urgent priority. Intensive work
continues to reduce spending and increase income, with us committed to
taking further immediate and significant action to address the budget
gap.
How can you get involved?
To get things started, we're holding engagement sessions with representatives from the business community (19 October), voluntary and community sector (13 October), children and young people (12 October), and older people and disabled adults (9 October) for you to share your thoughts. If you would like to join one of these events, please email Equality@rbwm.gov.uk or call 01628 796359.
We've
also launched an information pack to enable anyone to run their own
engagement workshops with their community or group. Simply download the
pack and share feedback from your sessions until Sunday 5 November. Visit our website here
or use the public-access computers available at all local libraries. If
you require paper copies, these are also available from libraries upon
request. Read more in our press release.
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Celebrating communities across the Royal Borough
More than 200 members of the community came
together at Maidenhead Library to honour and celebrate the borough’s
residents, community groups and the voluntary service organisations.
The evening, held on Friday, was full of energy
and buzz with a live DJ, food and refreshments. There were also free
activities, like bhangra dancing, and community organisations were
speaking to residents about the work they do and the support they offer.
Organised by us in partnership with NHS Frimley,
it was an opportunity to reflect on the last year and all the
collaborative work that has taken place across the borough under the
initiative of Empowering our Communities. It showcased successful
community projects, promoted the borough’s Community Champions, shared
what we have learnt through the World Cafes with our residents, and
celebrated how communities have taken up the opportunities offered through the RBWM Innovation Fund.
It also provided an opportunity to connect people
together and ask how we continue to empower, strengthen and harness the
power of our communities and the difference we can all make for our
residents. Read more in the press release.
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Your Winter Wellbeing Toolkit
October marks the start of darker evenings and
colder weather, and research shows winter has a marked effect on our
mental and physical wellbeing.
That’s why our campaign this month suggests simple
and easy tweaks to your lifestyle to stay healthier at this time of
year. Little changes can make a huge difference.
This week has been offering tips on healthier
eating that won’t break your bank balance. Week two will focus on ways
to better manage unhealthy habits such as drinking, smoking, and
overeating. Week three looks at winter vaccinations, while the final
week offers advice on how to banish those winter blues.
The assets are fun while the wording is more
serious linking to local and national support, backed up by interesting
local health statistics. Check it out on our Facebook and Twitter platforms.
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Reminder: Essential maintenance work to historic Cookham Bridge to get underway
If
you usually use Cookham Bridge, please remember to plan your journeys
as the bridge is due to be closed for essential maintenance work from Monday 16 October for approximately 20 weeks.
This
important refurbishment project will help extend the life of the Grade
II listed structure, ensuring the bridge continues to serve the
community for many years to come and will avoid more disruptive work in
future years.
The diversion route will follow the A4094 south
from Cookham, west along the A4 Bath Road, north on the A404, and then
along the A4155 Marlow Road, with this route in reverse for traffic on
the northern side of the bridge.
The
project includes bearing replacement, re-waterproofing, resurfacing and
joint replacement. The bridge will close to motor vehicles, but
pedestrian access will remain. Cyclists will need to dismount before
crossing the bridge.
If left
unattended, extensive and longer-term strengthening works would be
required in future. By making this investment now, we can ensure the
bridge is fit for purpose for everyone to use for decades to come and
avoid more disruptive work in future years.
Read more in our press release.
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Park Smart Maidenhead – make the most of your parking choices
When
driving into Maidenhead town centre, we all want to find that perfect
parking spot that meets our needs: whether you’re a savvy shopper, busy
commuter, or enjoying an evening out in Maidenhead.
Where
possible, of course, we encourage people to walk and cycle for many
shorter journeys into town, or use public transport. But we know that’s
not always possible for all people all the time – so when you have to go
by car, we want to ensure you know your full options and can make the
most of your choices.
Our
campaign – Park Smart Maidenhead – is highlighting the range of parking
options in Maidenhead for different user groups, to help you make
informed decisions around where best to park for your own needs,
priorities and destinations. Visit our campaign webpages or click on the specific users below for more information. #ParkSmartMaidenhead
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Join the conversation about Frimley Health and Care
The Frimley Health and Care Online Community Panel
is recruiting new members to ensure local people and communities are at
the heart of its decision making for NHS services across the area.
The online panel helps Frimley Health and Care
gather crucial insight, test its assumptions and theories, and keeps
communities updated about local healthcare.
If you join, you’ll receive regular newsletters,
be invited to take part in quick polls and surveys, plus have the chance
to be part of the conversation in other ways such as via focus groups.
Click here to sign up to the panel and for more details, including data and privacy.
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Royal Borough Community Spotlight
Here are just some of the upcoming community events and volunteering opportunities in the Royal Borough:
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Dyslexia Awareness Week
(until 8 October) – Events at Maidenhead and Windsor libraries. A
series of events are being run by our library service with support from
specialist charities and local company Bright Young Things. They include
information on the support available, confidence in the classroom
workshops and a talk. For full details and to book, visit our website.
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Help Wild Cookham maintain the pond at Marsh Meadow (Saturday 7 October, 10am to 1pm). Help GoodGym Windsor and Maidenhead on its outing with Wild Cookham. Please click here if you can help.
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Harvest Festival
(Saturday 7 October, 11am) – Braywick Nature Centre, Hibbert Road,
Maidenhead SL6 1UU. The festival will feature an Autumnal guided walk
and a plant-based banquet. Bring your own soup bowl (prize for most
creative vessel). Don’t forget to dress for the outdoors. Book here.
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Talent Show (Saturday 7 October,
2.30pm) - St Marks Crescent Methodist Church, Allenby Road, Maidenhead,
SL6 6DA. Come and enjoy a great show with an array of talents. All
welcome. Refreshments served. Donation at the door for Action for
Children and church funds. If you would like to perform yourself, or for
more information, please email info@stmarksmaidenhead.org.uk
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Young Soloists Concert (Saturday
7 October, 7pm) - St Mary the Virgin Church, Hurley. The concert, which
will last for about one hour, will be followed by a reception at which
you will be able to find out more about the Music and Arts Hurley Festival. Tickets, priced £15, may be obtained via the website.
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Fancy going back in time with two wonderful young musicians?
(Sunday 8 October, 3pm) - Old Windsor Parish. Sofia Kirwan-Baez
(soprano) and Alex Norton will take guests on a colourful musical trip.
As well as the chance to sing along they'll be iconic songs from the
last century. Plenty of parking. Donations welcome.
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WEA Maidenhead Branch with Oxford University Study Day
(Monday 9 October) – Norden Farm, Maidenhead. History and Myth in
Painting, Sculpture and Photography (face-to-face and live streaming).
See the website, contact Steph Diggon at weamhead@gmail.com or call 01628 563676 for more information.
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GoodGym Windsor and Maidenhead at Windsor Lawn Tennis Club (Wednesday 11 October, 6.45pm to 8.30pm). Join the group in clearing weeds and cutting back vegetation. More information here.
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Fiona Barker - The wonderful world of picture books
(Wednesday 11 October, 2.30pm) - United Reformed Church, Maidenhead.
The Maidenhead Women’s Group for European Friendship invites you to this
informative lecture. Entry £5, including refreshments. Further details here.
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Get Berkshire Active Sport for Development Forum
(Thursday 12 October, 9.30am to 1pm) - Rams Rugby Club, Old Bath Road,
Sonning, RG4 6TQ. If you're a Berkshire sporting organisation or club
wanting to work, or already working to support individuals and society
to tackle a wide range of social and health issues, come along to this
free forum. To book, visit the Get Berkshire Active website.
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Maurice and Shelagh Bond Memorial Lecture - King Henry VIII’s Reformation in Windsor: the Symonds family and the Windsor Martyrs of 1543 (Wednesday 18 October 7pm) - St George’s Chapel. For more details visit the website. More information also available here.
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Wild About Datchet is proud to
present its first environment event (Thursday 19 October, 6pm to
9pm) - Churchmead School Hall, Slough Road, Datchet, SL3 9JQ. Five
guests will be talking about what is happening in the area to protect
the environment, and suggesting ways we can all contribute. (Please be
seated by 7pm). There will be around 30 stalls, which include
environmentally-friendly local groups, businesses and organisations.
Available stall space has nearly been filled, but there is still room if
you would like to join. Email for more information or join the Facebook group.
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The Maidenhead Town Show
(Saturday 21 October) - High Street and at the Nicholsons Centre,
Maidenhead. This free, family-focussed event has more than 30 artisan
stalls and food vendors, competitions, musical performances,
entertainment and activities for children, a raffle and the popular fun
dog show. The event raises funds for children’s charities. For more
information visit the website. For more information on the classes and entry fees, see the website.
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Maidenhead Festival of Music & Dance
(Dance section starting on Monday 23 October at Furze Platt School).
Please note that the closing date for all music sections has been
extended to Saturday 14 October in
readiness for this section of the festival taking place in November.
Venue changed for instrumental only, from Dawkes Stage, Reform Road to Furze Platt Senior School, Furze Platt Road, Maidenhead SL6 7NQ. For more information, visit the website.
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Autism in Girls Talk (Tuesday 21 November, 7pm) - Furze Platt Senior School Theatre. Cathy
Wassell, who runs the charity, Autism in Girls Network, will talk about
how girls are often diagnosed much later than boys due to
misconceptions about how autism presents itself. Cathy can
talk both personally and professionally about the challenges of getting a
diagnosis and gives practical tips and techniques for those who care
for children and teenagers. Tickets cost £5. Book here.
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Signature A Cappella Singers - The group is looking
for women with low voices to join the Windsor-based choir. It rehearses
every Thursday at St Edwards Parish Centre, Windsor, SL4 3BA. For more
details, or to join one of its rehearsals, email singwithsignature@gmail.com
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Family drop-in sessions – Want
time to chill and meet friends, with a space to play and enjoy craft
activities with other families? Re:Charge family drop-in sessions run
from 10am to 2pm every Tuesday at Larchfield Community Centre,
Maidenhead and every Thursdays at Wesley Hall, High Street Methodist
Church, Maidenhead. Admission is £1.50 per family, and hot drinks and
snacks are available. Learn more on the Re:Charge Maidenhead Facebook page.
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Volunteers wanted. Maidenhead
Community Watch Association provides vulnerable and elderly residents
in Maidenhead with various free home security items. It requires a
handyman/lady to help with the fitting of these items as required, and
also someone to join the small team carrying out the initial home
security assessment. Training is provided at one brief session. Anyone
interested in participating can contact the association chairman, John
Diack, on 01628 622876 or at jrdmcw@gmail.com
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Volunteer drivers needed for Maidenhead Care.
The group is looking for volunteer drivers to transport mainly elderly
Maidenhead residents to appointments, both in the local area and further
afield. Fuel expenses covered. For more information, visit the website or call 07538 418448.
If you have
an upcoming not-for-profit community event or appeal for volunteers
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.
To see further volunteering opportunities in the
borough, or for another way for community organisations to promote
volunteering opportunities, please visit RBWM Together.
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Local Travel Updates
Rail - industrial action
An ASLEF overtime ban continues today (Friday 6 October). For more information on how this affects services, visit the SWR website and GWR website.
Council highways works
For details of further 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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