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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Do you have voter ID for our Local Elections?
There are just a few days left to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate, if you need one, to be able to vote in the upcoming Local Elections.
Due to a national legal change, you will need to show photo ID on election day Thursday 4 May 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 next Tuesday 25 April for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate via the Electoral Commission website.
You will be able to use expired ID if you are still recognisable from the photo and your name is the same as when you registered to vote.
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 in using our Neighbourhood Map.
In addition, four parish councils will have contested elections of the 14 in the borough.
There will also be a local referendum in the Datchet parish on the proposed Datchet Neighbourhood Plan.
The deadline for receiving new applications to vote by proxy (not postal proxy or emergency proxies) is 5pm next Tuesday 25 April.
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Have you responded to your child’s reception or junior school offer?
If your child is starting reception or junior school in September 2023, please respond by Wednesday 3 May 2023 to let us know if you wish to accept or decline the offer of the school place made to your child.
If you applied online using the portal,
you will be able to log into your account to view the outcome and
accept or decline your offer. You will also receive an email confirming
the outcome of your application.
You can also email your offer acceptance or rejection to rbwm.admissions@achievingforchildren.org.uk. Please remember to include your child's full name and date of birth.
If
you applied using a paper application form or our Google online form,
you will not be able to access the admissions portal and your outcome
letter will be dispatched via email or first-class post providing
information about the outcome and how to respond.
Further information is available on our school admissions page.
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Reach out and make a royal difference
If you’re
holding a street party or get together with your neighbours to celebrate
His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation, this is the perfect
opportunity to reach out to members in your community who may feel
lonely or socially isolated.
According to our recent Residents' Survey, 12 percent of respondents said they are lonely always, often or some of the time.
With the King’s
legacy focused on volunteering and community spirit, the Coronation
celebrations are a wonderful way to welcome and bring everyone together
in your neighbourhood, as well as foster new connections.
While
the deadline has long passed for street parties and other events
requiring road closures, there are still other ways to celebrate with
neighbours if you’re only now starting your Coronation planning, such as
an informal ‘Street Meet’ held on private driveways and front gardens,
or a get-together in someone’s home or back garden.
Volunteering as part of the Big Help Out is another way to celebrate the Coronation. The national The Big Help Out portal lists organisations with volunteering opportunities in the Royal Borough.
We also partner with local volunteer organisations such as Good Gym,
whose volunteers can walk, run, or cycle to where they do their good
work. This includes helping community organisations with painting or
gardening or visiting isolated residents.
You can also find other volunteering opportunities in the borough via our free volunteering matching service where organisations can post vacancies.
Another option is to join our dedicated groups of volunteers supporting our library services and the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum, based at the Windsor Guildhall.
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Coronation Lion moves to Windsor to showcase achievements of our supported adults
Mfalme the lion has been completed and is now on display at Windsor Yards shopping centre for you to go and admire.
Our residents with learning disabilities and
additional needs made the majestic life-sized lion statue from natural
materials to celebrate His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation.
The
seated male lion and objects of state, have been made as part of an
inclusive art project by residents who are supported by adult social
care services through partners Optalis.
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Our
Mayor, Councillor Christine Bateson, was joined by Optalis Chief
Executive Officer David Birch, (pictured right) to unveil the stunning
statue at Windsor Yards shopping centre.
They were joined by the people who made him who
also sang the national anthem and signed it using Makaton, a
communication system for people with learning disabilities or additional
needs.
He will be stored safely each night and returned to his spot each morning to be enjoyed by visitors to Windsor.
For more about Mfalme and how he has been made click here.
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Celebrate the Coronation with our Library Service
Our libraries have lots of celebratory craft
activities to join in with as His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation
approaches on Saturday 6 May.
There will be the chance to make bookmarks,
decorate and colour in a King, a Queen or a crown, and make a windmill
which can be used in Bank Holiday weekend celebrations or at a street
party.
There are also the royal themed storytelling times.
At Windsor library, in Bachelors Acre, there will
be the chance to build a Lego castle and create a unique piece of
bunting which will be placed all around the library in celebration.
Sunningdale Library, in partnership with
Sunningdale Parish Council, will also be assembling objects to bury in a
Coronation time capsule.
Check your library noticeboard for full details of Coronation related events from Monday 24 April.
For exact times and dates for each library, follow the teams on Twitter @RBWM_libraries or the take a look at the library events webpage.
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Record your volunteer conservation hours
Volunteering
is at the heart of His Majesty King Charles III’s legacy wish for his
Coronation - and the environment and ecology are his passions.
You
can play your part by working with our brilliant volunteer-run wildlife
groups we have here in the Royal Borough. Working in your
neighbourhood, the Wilds groups undertake practical, education and campaign-based work to ensure the protection of wildlife and habitats.
The work fits in with our Biodiversity Action Plan
which is a key strategy seeking to protect and enhance the natural
environment, green our towns and urban areas and increase awareness of
biodiversity.
You can now record the number of volunteer hours you complete, either as an individual or part of group undertake, using the Biodiversity Action Reporting Form (office.com).
There is a target of 3,000 volunteer hours to work towards which is one the aims of the plan.
We
want to record all the work you do to make sure it is recognised and
included in any reporting of how the plan is progressing.
The
purpose of the Biodiversity Action Plan is to create a robust set of
steps which helps us reverse the decline in our natural environment and
through better data, partnerships and direct action increase
biodiversity across the borough.
Many
environmental organisations are doing great work in our borough and all
the work undertaken can be recorded. Take a look are the various
organisations here.
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Play your part for Earth Day 2023
There are lots of little things you can do to
invest in our planet, which is the theme of this year’s Earth Day which
takes place tomorrow Saturday 22 April.
Changes can start in the home by reducing food waste and by finding new recipes to use up leftovers.
Other suggestions include where possible, swapping
a shorter car journey and walking or cycling instead to reduce vehicle
emissions, creating a wildlife friendly garden, or recycling as much as
possible with more information about recycling here.
There are lots of simple things you can do to invest in your little bit of the earth and there are lots more great ideas on the RBWM Together website.
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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 this weekend, Sunday 23 April.
A message will be received on all 4G and 5G mobile phones, along with 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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Royal Borough Community Spotlight
Here are just some of the upcoming community events in the Royal Borough:
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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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An Artist’s Best Friend – The Dog in Art
(Wednesday 26 April at 1.30pm) – Old Windsor Memorial Hall. A Windsor
Arts Society lecture presented by Alexandra Epps. Guests are welcome, £7
entrance fee. To learn more, visit the Arts Society Windsor website
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Maidenhead music concert
(Thursday 27 April at 8pm) – Norden Farm. After three years, the Linos
Piano trio return for another concert for Maidenhead Music at Norden
Farm Centre for the Arts. This
is a reimagining of orchestral masterpieces as if they were newly
written for a piano trio.Tickets are available from Norden Farm for £20
and £15 for members. Under 18s free with a ticketed adult. Visit the Norden Farm website to learn more and book
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Norden Farm Day Choir drop-in sessions
(Friday 28 April from 2pm to 3.30pm) – A relatively new choir with a
warm, welcoming atmosphere, is looking to increase 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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Sign up for walking cricket
(Thursday 11am to 1pm, starting 4 May) – Holyport Cricket Club,
Moneyrow Green (behind the Memorial Hall). Over 60’s are encouraged to
sign up for free summer walking cricket sessions. New and experienced
players are welcome. It’s a great way to stay active and meet new
people. To learn more and sign up, email tristan@329marketing.com or call/text 07774 243850
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Coronation memorabilia exhibition
(Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm until Saturday 13 May) –
Maidenhead Heritage Centre. Items on display include
documents,photographs and souvenirs including two mugs for the1937
Coronation of King Edward VIII which never happened. To bring
everything up to date a 'throne', royal robes and crowns are available
for children to get in the spirit for the Coronation. Admission is
free
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Volunteer at Filling Good
– Maidenhead's not for profit zero waste shop Filling Good needs
volunteers. It is a great opportunity to give some of your time for an
environmental and local project. There are no strings attached and
various roles to fill on the shop floor or in the background. Learn more
on the Filling Good website or get in touch at shopping@fillinggood.co.uk
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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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