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Royal Borough set to improve park tennis courts thanks to potential investment from LTA and Government
We
are set to modernise tennis courts at four parks in Windsor &
Maidenhead as part of improving health and fitness facilities and
opportunities for residents, thanks to potential significant investment
from the
Government and the LTA, the national governing body for tennis in Britain.
The
investment, which is subject to site surveys and final contract, will
be used to upgrade ten hard surface courts where there is identified
demand and potential for improvement. These are the three dedicated
tennis courts at Maidenhead’s Kidwells Park, two at Desborough Park, two
at Oaken Grove, and three at Goswells Park/Alexandra Gardens in
Windsor.
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Free summer swimming sessions for teenagers to support water safety
This
summer, in collaboration with the Royal Borough, Baylis Trust and the
emergency services, Leisure Focus will be offering free access to
swimming sessions for 13- to 17-year-olds to support water safety.
The initiative aims to reduce the risk of young people choosing to swim in open water and sadly getting into trouble.
The sessions will be available Monday to Friday, and will take place from Monday 25 July until Friday 2 September.
There is no need to book in advance, the sessions will take place at:
- Braywick Leisure Centre: Monday to Friday, 11am to 12pm
- Windsor Leisure Centre (fitness pool): Monday to Friday, 12.15pm to 1.15pm
- Windsor Leisure Centre (leisure pool): Every Tuesday 7pm to 8pm
We
want everyone to stay safe around water. We work with our partners to
raise awareness and highlight the risks, including visits to schools to
talk about cold water shock, submerged hazards and the lifesaving ‘float
to live’ advice.
We
also have additional safety and warning signs at key locations along
the Thames, and our Community Wardens are doing routine patrols along
the river to check buoyancy aids and speak with anyone in the water
about water safety.
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Community Wardens join national campaign tackling anti-social behaviour
Our Community Wardens have joined a national campaign to help tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and keep people safe.
Running from 18 to 22 July, ASB Awareness Week 2022 aims to encourage communities to take a stand against ASB and highlight the actions that can be taken by those experiencing it.
To
support the campaign, our Community Wardens have been conducting a
concerted week of community engagement stands, scam and cyber awareness
talks, enforcement operations and extra patrols in parks and open
spaces.
Our
wardens have also conducted targeted dog-fouling patrols and joint
activities with police, in addition to their usual patrols. To contact
the wardens, email wardens@rbwm.gov.uk or call 01628 685636.
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Caring for the carers in our communities
As
part of our Caring Communities communications campaign, we’re
highlighting some of the support available to those many residents in
our community who kindly provide unpaid care for family, friends and
neighbours.
The
Support for Carers Service, provided through Optalis in partnership
with the Royal Borough and NHS Frimley, supports carers to continue with
their important caring role. Carers Social Care Practitioner, Dulsey
Tapera (pictured) is based within the Optalis First Contact Team and
explains more about the service.
What is your role?
As
a Carers Social Care Practitioner, my role is to identify, facilitate
services, and provide support to carers through offering and carrying
out assessments and reviews as well as making referrals to relevant
services and support groups. I work collaboratively with other partners
to meet the needs of carers. All unpaid carers are entitled to an
assessment.
One
of the aims of this role is to ensure that there is regular contact
with carers. I have created a carers register and the plan is to engage
both registered and unregistered carers and to get feedback from them on
the support they need and on how much contact they would want from
social services. Their feedback will be used to determine how we can
improve service delivery.
What challenges do carers face and how can you help them?
Some
carers do not identify themselves as carers and may not be aware that
they can be supported through Optalis to continue with their caring
role. Carers often struggle to get a break as they spend a lot of time
on care-giving duties, leading to isolation, emotional and physical
stress, sleep deprivation, financial strain, and other challenges. We
can assess and support them directly, or signpost them to other
services.
What support is available for carers?
Support
given can be in the form of a Timeout Card, Carers Direct Payment,
referral to a service within the local authority or signposting to a
community support group, depending on the outcome of the assessment. For
example, young carers are assessed and supported through Family Action,
dementia carers are referred to the Dementia Care Advisors
and Alzheimer’s Dementia Support. We also have Community Support
Workers based in the Mental Health Team who provide support to mental
health carers.
The direct payment given to carers can be spent on things that make their caring role easier. They may also be eligible for a Timeout Card which gives
access to a leisure centre in order for them to have a break from
caring and to care for their own wellbeing. Respite makes a huge
difference to the carer and to the person cared for. Other services
available for carers through the council include parking permits and companion bus passes – see the council’s website for more details.
I’m a carer in the Royal Borough – how can I access support?
You can contact our duty team for advice and guidance on 01628 683744 or visit the Optalis website for our Carers Self-Assessment Form.
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Could you work in care?
Optalis,
our adult social care partner, is seeking more support workers to join
our mission to help people in our community stay healthier, more
independent, and live the lives they want for longer.
Optalis
is a local, not-for-profit provider, owned jointly by the Royal Borough
and Wokingham Borough Council, and is seeking to recruit caring people
to a wide variety of rewarding roles that will make a positive
difference to people’s lives.
There
are many different types of jobs available and no two days are the
same. Having the right qualities is all you need to start, there’s
on-the-job training for everything else. Working in adult social care
can fit around your life with flexible hours.
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Reminder: Find out more about options to improve the A308
Our consultation inviting the community to share their views on options to improve key sections of the A308 continues until Sunday 31 July.
We
are initially considering how 21 sections of this key transport link,
from the Bisham roundabout junction in the west, to the M25 in the east,
could be improved over the coming years, and want to hear your views to
help decide on the best options to create safer, more user-friendly
routes for all.
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Take part in our South West Maidenhead consultation
We
are holding a consultation 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.
The last of our drop-in sessions will take place at Braywick Leisure Centre on Tuesday 26 July from 2pm to 7pm.
An online consultation event will also be held via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday 27 July, from 7pm to 9pm. The link for joining will be added to our website during w/c Monday 25 July.
You can visit our website to view the SPD document and supporting documents, complete the feedback form and discover more about South West Maidenhead.
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Cost of living support for qualifying low-income households
People
on means-tested benefits are in the process of reviving the first
of two Cost of Living Payments totalling £650, as part of a government
package to help families with cost of living pressures.
The
first £326 instalment for qualifying low-income households in England,
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be paid by their usual payment
method from 14 July 2022, continuing to the end of the month. For those
eligible, the rest will follow in a second instalment in
the autumn.
People
receiving tax credits and no other eligible benefits will receive
their first payment from HMRC in autumn and the second in winter.
In total, millions of vulnerable households will receive at least £1,200 from the
Government
this year to help cover rising costs. There are specific payments
for those on means tested benefits, for pensioners, those on
disability benefits and to help people with energy bills.
If you, or someone you know, are struggling with the cost of living, our Here to Help webpage has information on help available for paying energy bills or council tax, getting food and daily essentials.
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Suggest discussion topics for our scrutiny panels
Did you know you can suggest discussion topics to our scrutiny panels?
A
good topic suggestion can be an issue of concern in your local
community which could be reviewed to improve the services we provide.
By
suggesting topics, you can help ensure our local public services are
delivered effectively, efficiently, and meet the needs of our
communities.
To learn more about what makes a good scrutiny topic, and how to suggest one, visit our website.
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Visit Windsor partners with Accessible to develop new Accessibility Guides
Visit
Windsor, in partnership with AccessAble, the UK’s leading provider of
detailed disabled access information, is producing destination Access
Guides for Windsor and Eton.
Featuring
over 50 local businesses and tourist attractions, the Access Guides
will help local residents and visitors with access requirements to plan
their journeys to and around both towns. The guides help make it easier
for disabled people and carers to access services and facilities and
have a good experience while they are visiting a business or
destination.
AccessAble
will also provide Disability Essentials online training, which is
designed to equip 250 people to engage with disabled people confidently
and use appropriate skills. They are looking to work with local
businesses that do not currently provide their in-house training.
Interested businesses are invited to contact Julia White, visitor services manager.
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Mini Queen’s Baton Relay celebrates Commonwealth Games
Pupils
from 21 primary schools across the Royal Borough took part in a mini
Queen’s Baton Relay to celebrate the upcoming Birmingham 2022
Commonwealth Games.
The
relay, which was organised by the Ascot and Maidenhead School Sport
Partnership working with Leisure Focus, started at Waltham St Lawrence
Primary School and saw the baton travel 27 miles from school to school
across the borough.
Each school nominated two baton bearers and provided an inspirational message to be read out at each baton handover.
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Have your children signed up for the Summer Reading Challenge?
The
Gadgeteers will help children discover the amazing science and
innovation behind the world around them. Gadgeteers will also feature
amazing books, awesome rewards, and plenty of ideas for cool experiments
and activities.
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Public inspection of accounts notice for 2021/22
A notice advising interested parties to inspect the accounts if they wish to can be found on our 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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Would you like to learn how to save a life?
– (Saturday 23 July, 10.30am and 1pm). Clewer Parish Hall. The Windsor
Community Defibrillator Partnership are running free defibrillator and
CPR familiarization sessions. The sessions, which will last for 90
minutes, are provided by a formed South Central Ambulance Service
paramedic. Spaces are limited to 40 attendees per session, please
contact mikepsells@gmail.com to book a place
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Maidenhead Festival
(Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 July, 10am to 10.30pm). Kidwells Park,
Maidenhead. Maidenhead Festival is BACK! After a two-year break,
they can't wait to welcome everyone back. Music, stalls, street food,
the beach, a secret garden, the fun fair, inflatable fun zone and of
course the massive fireworks display on Saturday night. And all
completely free. For more information visit the Maidenhead Festival website
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Sunday Summer Teas (Sunday
24 July to Sunday 28 August, 3pm to 5pm) St Michael’s Church, Bray. Tea
and homemade cakes will be served every Sunday in aid of various
charities over the 6-week holiday period. More information is available
on the Bray St Michael website
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Fifield Fun Day Sunday (Sunday 7 August, 1pm to 5pm) Deep Meadows, Fifield. Come and join Oakley
Green, Fifield & District Community Association for a great day out
including a full-size steam train, dog show, gun dog display, craft
stalls and BBQ. Parking is free, and all proceeds will go to the
Holyport Children’s Playground and Berkshire Air Ambulance
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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
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.
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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:
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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
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Keep in touch
Other accounts you may be interested in:
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