The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead is taking part in the Local Government Association’s second #CouncilsCan Day – an online celebration to highlight the critical work of local government during the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Royal Borough has worked tirelessly to adapt to the changes and keep services running to support residents and businesses. 

 This includes: 

• 50 staff volunteers made 800 phone calls in April to help our most vulnerable residentscope with new lockdown measures
• Setting up a volunteering helpline and bringing together community groups to offer support for those self-isolating including collecting prescriptions, shopping and dog walking
• Introducing a click and collect and click and deliver service for residents to borrow books from our libraries
• Providing residents with unlimited digital access to magazines, newspapers and books with their library card
• Highlighting local businesses with the creation of My Royal Borough website and social media and the continued support of Make Maidenhead and Visit Windsor

• Distributed £26 million pounds in grants to local businesses
• Launching the community information champion scheme to ensure that our messaging reaches everyone in our community

Councillors and officers from the Royal Borough will be taking part in the national social media campaign on Tuesday 10 November to promote ongoing council efforts to lead communities through this crisis and beyond. 

Councillor Andrew Johnson, leader of the council, said: “This year has been a challenging year for us all, officers have performed remarkably feats and have worked tirelessly to continue to deliver and provide services throughout the pandemic. We appreciate some may not have gone as smoothly as others, but I can only thank the great team of officers for their work. This day celebrates and acknowledges their work.”

Cllr Peter Fleming, Chairman of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board, said: “In this time of national crisis, it is council staff who have kept our communities running and provided crucial local leadership.

“While showcasing this vital and fantastic work, the LGA will be using the #CouncilsCan Day to highlight that councils can have an even greater impact on the health and wealth of our country with proper and sustainable funding.”

For more information, visit www.local.gov.uk/councilscan-day and follow the hashtag #CouncilsCan on the day.