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Royal Borough agrees refreshed vision, aims and priorities for organisation and place in new Council Plan
We've agreed a new strategy, setting out a refreshed vision, aims and priorities for us as an organisation and for the borough we serve.
The Council Plan 2024-2028 is our most important strategic document – it defines the vision over the next few years for us and our borough, our priorities, what we’ll do to deliver those priorities and how we’ll measure success.
Within the context of a very challenging financial position, it will also help prioritise our investment and spending decisions, how we deliver services and work with partners.
The Plan, formally adopted this week by Full Council, sets out five strategic aims with an overall vision to achieve “A borough of safer, greener and cleaner communities, with opportunity for all.”
Read more in our press release. The full plan is available on our website.
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Cost of living funding reopens to help households in severe financial hardship in the Royal Borough
Applications have reopened to a cost of living hardship fund, which has already helped hundreds of households in greatest need in our borough.
We've been working closely with 18 frontline community partners to offer a range of support to residents who are struggling financially and having to make very difficult choices around household expenditure, such as food, rent, energy or other essentials.
We've now secured a further £587,905.21 from the DWP Household Support Fund and are working with those partners to identify residents in severe financial hardship to receive a cash payment of £145.
Residents should contact one of the community partners to be put forward for support - you cannot apply directly to us. People who received a payment under the previous round of this fund, which closed in March 2024, can now reapply by contacting the community partner which put them forward before.
Contact details for the community partners can be found on our website. This latest round of funding remains open until 30 September 2024, or until the money is fully distributed, with payments made to eligible residents on a first-come-first-served basis. For more information, and on the further support available, read our press release.
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Have you responded to your child’s Primary, First or Junior school offer?
Calling all parents! If your child is starting Primary, First or Junior school in September 2024, please respond by Friday 3 May 2024 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 and you will also receive an email confirming the outcome of your application.
You can also email your acceptance or decline of offer to rbwm.admissions@achievingforchildren.org.uk. Please remember to include your child's full name and date of birth.
If you applied using our Google online form, you will not be able to access the admissions portal and your outcome will be sent via email providing information about the outcome and how to respond. Further information is available on our school admissions page.
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Have your say on proposals to help improve road safety in Maidenhead neighbourhood
We're asking for your views on proposals to help improve road safety on several streets in Maidenhead.
A four-week consultation has launched on proposals for Norfolk Park, a neighbourhood north of Maidenhead town centre and Kidwells Park, and you have until Sunday 12 May to respond.
We want to hear feedback on proposals to introduce traffic calming at four of the entry and exit points to the neighbourhood. The specific measures proposed are continuous pavement crossings for pedestrians across the roads, which will help to prioritise those on foot over traffic and help to reduce the speed vehicles approach the junctions and turn into the streets. All entrances/exits to the neighbourhood will remain open to vehicles under the project.
As part of the consultation, we're also seeking your views on whether you would support the introduction of a 20mph limit in the neighbourhood. For full details and how to take part, see our press release.
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Royal Borough seeks views on proposed update to School Transport Policy
We're consulting until Monday 13 May on a proposed change to the way school transport assistance is handed out for young people aged over 16 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Parents, students, schools/colleges and others are invited to comment on a proposed update to the School Transport Policy from September 2024, which would ensure assistance continues to be available for vulnerable students while giving families greater flexibility and choice to make their own travel arrangements.
Post-16 students with SEND are not legally entitled to transport assistance, however in the Royal Borough support is available under our policy for eligible SEND students from low income families. We will continue to provide transport assistance for this group, and eligibility criteria will stay the same, however the way it is administered is planned to change.
For more information, read our press release.
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Cabinet to consider offering former theatre for sale to community
The community would get the first option to buy Sunninghill’s former Novello theatre, under a proposal to be considered by our Cabinet next week.
In the report, Cabinet is recommended to offer the building to purchase for community use for at least six months, before marketing the site for commercial redevelopment, giving campaigners a window to raise funds.
If Cabinet agrees, the sale price for community use will be £300,000, in line with a recent independent valuation. This price is required to meet our legal requirement to achieve best value from our assets.
Based on the level of feeling in the local community that the venue should remain as a community space, the recommendation – at least in the first instance – is the property is offered for sale to be refurbished as a community venue for the benefit of community groups in the Sunninghill and Ascot areas. Read more in our press release.
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Campaign highlights our partnership work and projects to support a sustainable borough
Our communications campaign, Supporting a Sustainable Borough, continues this week and is running for the whole of April, incorporating Earth Day on Monday (22 April).
This week we've been highlighting our partnership projects and the support we offer residents, including our success in securing national funding for seven new community orchards, schemes to help support low-income families in the borough improve the energy efficiency of their homes, and energy efficiency upgrades in schools.
We also highlighted the work of community groups who work to support conservation in the borough and volunteering opportunities, and below you can find out more about our new Climate Partnership Co-ordinator, Heather Mynott.
Next week, the campaign focuses on some of the opportunities available for you to get involved, and how you can help work towards a more sustainable borough.
As a council, one of our key priorities is to take action to tackle climate change and its consequences and improve our natural environment. Achieving a sustainable future is a collective community effort – we all have a part to play in tackling climate change and its consequences.
Stay tuned to this e-newsletter and our Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) channels for more information, tips and how you can get involved.
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Meet Heather Mynott, our new Climate Partnership Co-ordinator
We declared a climate emergency in June 2019 with the commitment to achieving a target of net zero carbon across the borough by 2050 at the latest.
As part of this commitment, the Climate Partnership was established in 2021 to deliver the borough-wide targets as set out in the Environment and Climate Strategy.
Our new Climate Partnership Co-ordinator is Heather Mynott, who supports the partnership's chair and board to manage governance, project delivery and lead the promotion of the partnership. We caught up with Heather below.
What attracted you to the role of Climate Partnership Co-ordinator?
I live in the borough and this was an opportunity to help make it a more sustainable and enjoyable place to live. I have worked in engaging people with nature for the last year and half, and thoroughly enjoyed it. This role presented itself as an opportunity to do more to engage people on the wider topics encompassed by climate change and to help enable different projects that could help reduce its impact on the borough.
Tell us more about your background and what you bring to the role?
I spent 12 years in teaching, firstly as a history teacher, and progressed to head of department and left teaching as head of sixth form. When I left teaching, I wanted to do something where I could use my skills, but also get involved with engaging people on climate change and applied for jobs in the conservation sector. This landed a role with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in London as the Engagement Manager at their site in Barnes. Here I learned to work with a variety of volunteer work groups, community groups and corporate groups. In this role I oversaw and led a variety of projects that helped engage people in nature and embedded messages and activities they can do to help reduce their carbon footprint and increase biodiversity. It also turned me into a very keen birder.
Why does the Climate Partnership continue to be important for the borough?
The Climate Partnership has and continues to enable projects quickly. We are able to bring together a range of experts and industry stakeholders from across the public and private sector, known as the Steering Group, to get ambitious projects started. They have already funded a range of projects across the borough, including seed funding for Cookhams Footprint as well as funding for Furze Platt Senior School's solar panels.
What work have you been doing since you joined the council?
I have been meeting with community leaders from the borough, people from other partnerships and some business leaders. I have also started planning on what we want to achieve in the coming months and how that will look. This includes looking at our proposal procedure and how we communicate that with local communities and businesses. We want to ensure that all projects that are brought to us are in line with our ambitious Environment and Climate Change Strategy. We also want it to be easier for both climate communities and businesses to connect to help get projects off the ground.
What are the next steps over the coming weeks and months?
The next steps are to get a larger Steering Group. We would like to have a bigger and more diverse group for the Climate Partnership as this will lead to a more technical, as well as a wider, discussion about how projects can help make an impact on any of one or more of the Environment and Climate Change strategy themes: biodiversity, energy, transport and the circular economy. To also have in place a clear procedure and support for those who would like to put in a proposal to the group. I will also be looking to make some connections with more climate communities throughout the borough, as well as businesses.
How can people get involved in the Climate Partnership?
We are looking for businesses who want to make a green impact on their local community. We are looking for communities who have ideas about what could be done to make the borough a greener and more sustainable area to live, and just need some funding to get a head start. We are also looking for experts in their fields, be it industry, the environment, community or faith, to help expand our Steering Group. All are welcome to get in touch with the Climate Partnership at info@theclimatepartnership.co.uk.
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Final reminder: Have your say on proposals to open more local facilities for children with special educational needs
There's still time for parents, young people, community groups and others to comment on plans to open further facilities for pupils with special educational needs, which will allow even more children with special educational needs to attend a local school.
We're consulting on four proposed projects to enhance provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), using £1.4m from the Department for Education.
Many local children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are currently educated outside the borough. Expanding the local supported education offer will allow more of them to benefit from attending a school or college closer to home, if they choose.
The public consultation runs until midday on Friday 26 April. Read more about the proposed projects in our press release. For further details and to take part, please visit our website.
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Maidenhead Town Team volunteers plant new floral displays
New floral displays giving a much-needed burst of colour to Maidenhead town centre have been planted by volunteers from our Maidenhead Town Team.
The team replanted almost 50 empty planters in Broadway, Frascati Way, West Street and Providence Place with spring flowering plants, such as daffodils and primroses, trailing plants, like ivy, as well as shrubs, geraniums and pansies.
The replanting was their first project and was organised by us in partnership with Braywick Heath Nurseries in Maidenhead, which supplied the plants and expertise for the project. Read more in our press release.
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Enhanced support to help you stop smoking
A comprehensive choice of support is available to say goodbye to nicotine, via our commissioned service, Smokefreelife Berkshire.
The service launched this month with two levels of support - self-help digital including an app, and specialist aids which include nicotine replacement therapies such as patches, gum, and non-disposable e-cigarettes.
The service is free for Royal Borough residents aged 12 and over. You can refer yourself or via a healthcare professional. Across the borough, 8.6 per cent of adults are smokers according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics.
Visit the Smokefree Berkshire website to find out more about the service.
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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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Bazaar and coffee morning (Saturday 20 April, 10am to 11.30am) - St Mark's Crescent Methodist Church, Allenby Road, Maidenhead, SL6 5BQ. Stalls with many items including delicious home baked cakes, books, CDs, DVDs, bric-a-brac and Chris's Crafts with lovely handmade items for the home or gifts. Raffle with various prizes and coffee served throughout the morning. All welcome - free entry. All proceeds go to St Mark's Church funds. For more information, email info@stmarksmaidenhead.org.uk.
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Dedworth Green Baptist Church open morning (Saturday 20 April, 10am to 1pm - Smiths Lane Windsor. Refreshments will be provided and there will be an opportunity to find out more about the church and the activities it provides. Children’s activities and a quiz will be available.
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St George’s Day fair (Sunday 21 April, midday to 4pm) - Clewer Memorial Recreation Ground, Dedworth Road, Windsor, SL4 5AY. There will be a classic car show, dog show, children’s farm, bouncy castle, funfair rides, a tug o’ war, Morris dancing display, table top sale and lots of craft stalls. It’s free so just come along. All proceeds go back into the community.
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Free Earth Day celebration (Monday 22 April, 6pm to 8pm) - Nature’s Haven garden at Maidenhead Community Centre. Settle in with a hot chocolate by the fire and enjoy a short talk on giving your spirits a lift by connecting with nature from gardener, designer and teacher Deborah Lewis. Followed by marshmallow toasting and a natter in the magical garden setting. For information and to secure your place email madeleine@maidenheadunitedfc-community.org. Instagram - @mufcwellbeing, Facebook – Maidenhead and Windsor Wellbeing Support Service.
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Monday Friends (Monday 22 April, 10.30am to midday) - St Mark's Crescent Methodist Church, Allenby Road, Maidenhead, SL6 5BQ. Each month the group brings a different theme and for April it's organising a sing along. If you would like to bring with you a favourite song, you're welcome to do so. The meeting includes refreshments, is very informal, with a short time for a prayer. This is a morning for all in the community, especially those who are alone and would like to make friends and get to know others in the area. The meeting takes place in the Hub. For further information, email info@stmarksmaidenhead.org.uk or call 07714 892599. Free entry - all welcome.
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Song, Dance and Theatre (Tuesday 23 April, 7.45pm) - Norden Farm, Altwood Road, Maidenhead SL6 4PF. Maidenhead Music Society presents a fantastic opportunity to see international super-star viola player, Lawrence Power, with renowned pianist, Simon Crawford-Phillips, featuring music by Berlioz, Shostakovich, de Falla and Prokofiev. For more information and tickets, visit the website. Under 18s are free with a ticketed adult.
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Scams and online fraud event (Tuesday 23 April, 2pm to 3pm) - Mountbatten Grange care home, Helston Lane, Windsor SL4 5GG. Meet internet specialist Mark Feetham, from Less Annoying IT, who will share his expert knowledge of online fraud and explain how you can protect yourself from scammers. To book your place, visit the website.
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The Arts Society Windsor lecture on Fakes and Forgeries (Wednesday 24 April, 1.30pm) - Old Windsor Memorial Hall, SL4 2RN. Presented by Nicky Houston of Dawsons Auctioneers. New members welcome. For further information, visit the website.
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The Dash Charity quiz night (Thursday 25 April, 7pm to 10.30pm) - The Mill Ride Golf Club, Winkfield Row, Ascot. Join for a fun-filled evening of trivia and laughter as the charity co-hosts a quiz supper with the Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead branch of the Soroptimists. All ticket proceeds and money raised on the night will go to The Dash Charity. The event costs £25 per person (includes supper). You can book your tickets here.
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Datchet Seed and Seedling Swap (Saturday 27 April, 11am to 2pm) - Datchet W.I. Hall, Village Centre, SL3 9EH. Bring seeds and seedlings, swap seeds and seedlings or just take some free to begin your own growing journey. Talk to gardening and compost experts and share ideas about gardens and growing. There will also be information about Datchet village grounds-care and planting projects which local residents can become involved with from the earliest stages. The event is entirely free – even the tea, coffee and biscuits. For more information email Allen.
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Windsor and Eton Bowling Club Open Day (Sunday 28 April, 10am to 4pm) - Goswell Meadow, Barry Avenue, Windsor SL4 1QX. This is an opportunity for all ages, abilities and backgrounds to come and try bowls at the club, nestling in the shadow of Windsor Castle. You will be made very welcome and will be provided with all you need to have a go. Just wear flat shoes. Refreshments and free parking on site is available. For more information, visit the website.
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What is Success? - a special service (Sunday 28 April, 4pm) - The URC, William Street, Windsor, SL4 1BA. Visit Grace Church Windsor to consider what Jesus had to say about this important question. All welcome, just turn up. For more information, visit the website or email.
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An evening with Nelson Mandela’s bodyguard (Friday 3 May, 7.45pm) - St Mary’s Church, Maidenhead, SL6 1YY. Join us for an interview with Rory Steyn to hear about his life, his Christian faith and his close-quarter observations of Nelson Mandela. For more information and to book, visit the website.
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Music and Arts Festival at Hurley (Friday 3 May to Sunday 5 May). The festival in Hurley includes a concert each evening at 7pm and an art show during the day on Saturday. Music at the concerts includes performances from Papa Truck (performing homegrown bluegrass) to Tamesis (a chamber choir) and some very talented young musicians. For more information and tickets, visit the website. Entry to the art show is free and there will be refreshments available.
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The Arts Society Englemere (Ascot’s evening Arts Society) May Lecture with Ralph Hoyle (Tuesday 14 May, 7.30pm for 7.45 pm) - St George’s School, Wells Lane, Ascot, SL5 7DZ. Mid-18th Century English Rococo Silver - its social context and the adventures of its owners and makers. There will an opportunity to put questions to the lecturer. For further details of the event, visit the website. To register your interest, please click here.
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Holyport Village Fair (Saturday 1 June, midday to 8pm) - Holyport Green, Holyport. This will be the 79th year celebrating this wonderful traditional event. This will be a family fun-packed day for all with a funfair, live music and entertainment, food and drink, traditional games, dog show, stalls and more. Visit the HolyportVillageFair Facebook page for all updates leading up to the event. Free entry and parking, all welcome. This is a charity event for Holyport Community Trust.
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Comedy evening (Saturday 8 June, 7.30pm) - St. John the Evangelist, Littlewick Green. Come and see Andy Kind (stand-up comedian and preacher) perform his comedy gems. The evening will include refreshments during the interval. For more information and tickets, visit the website.
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Let’s talk about dementia event (Saturday 15 June, 10.30am to 12.30pm and Tuesday 18 June, 6.30pm to 8.30pm) - Mountbatten Grange care home, Helston Lane, Windsor SL4 5GG. Despite the leaps and bounds made in raising awareness of dementia, plenty of misconceptions remain and there are still a lot of things people don’t know or aren’t comfortable talking about. This is where this latest initiative, The Big Dementia Conversation, comes in. Its aim is to get the nation talking about dementia and some of the most difficult topics associated with the condition. To book your place, visit the website.
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Singing for the brain (Second Tuesday of each month, 10.30am to midday) - Mountbatten Grange care home, Helston Lane, Windsor SL4 5GG. Meet other members of the community living with dementia and sing a variety of songs you know and love in a fun and friendly environment. Take part in vocal exercises that help improve brain activity and wellbeing. For more information, visit the website.
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Royal Reminiscence, dementia-friendly mornings (Last Wednesday of each month from 10.30am) - Pug Yard Learning Centre (please use the entrance on St Alban's Street). If you know someone in the borough living with dementia, or awaiting a dementia diagnosis, join on the last Wednesday of the month at Windsor Castle to talk all things royal. Sessions are fee, informal and include refreshments. Come along on to hear and share stories about the castle. For more information, visit the website, or call Amy on 07860 612393.
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Swan Lifeline volunteer office administrator and fundraising manager needed. The first is a crucial role in supporting the operational functions of a unique wildlife rescue and rehabilitation charity. Requires a detail-oriented person with excellent organisational and communication skills, as well as a passion for wildlife. For more information email. As fundraising manager, you will play a crucial role in securing funding to enable the charity to carry out its mission. You will gain valuable experience in the non-profit sector and contribute to the growth of a unique and valuable charity. If you’re interested in this role, please click here.
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Filling Good is looking for voluntary directors and shop floor volunteers. Want to be involved in managing one of the main eco initiatives locally? Filling Good is Maidenhead’s community zero waste store. Not-for-profit and primarily run by volunteers, its purpose is to help people reduce their plastic consumption and waste by refilling their containers instead of throwing away lots of packaging. It's also the first and only carbon negative shop in Maidenhead (and beyond). It's currently looking for volunteers to work both in the shop and in the background, and especially helping with ordering, communications and marketing. If you are willing to give them a hand, please email.
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Volunteers needed – Commonwealth War Graves Foundation. The organisation is currently looking to recruit volunteers. It's based in Maidenhead, and it is a great opportunity for people interested in the local area to get involved. For more information visit the website.
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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Our consultations - 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:
Partner consultation:
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Local Travel Updates
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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Keep in touch
Keep up to date with news and information from the council by signing up to Nextdoor and following us on X and Facebook.
Other accounts you may be interested in:
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