Business grant scheme reopened | CLICK HERE
At the beginning of May, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced a Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund for local authorities to support businesses impacted by COVID-19 in their area. The fund was aimed at small businesses who weren’t eligible for the Small Business Grant Fund or the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Fund.
In June this year we invited applications from qualifying businesses in the borough for the grant. We received almost 200 applications from local businesses but fewer than half the applications met the eligibility criteria and so we have approximately £800k of the fund remaining.
RBWM are therefore re-opening applications for the Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund on Monday 10th August 2020. Applications will be assessed for eligibility and allocated on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis until all the funding has been awarded. The scheme has to close by 28 August 2020 but will close before if the funds are utilised.
Full details of the eligibility criteria will be made available online and only businesses that met the eligibility criteria should apply. You can apply online via the council website from Monday 10th August 2020. Previous applicants need not apply, businesses wishing to be considered should fully complete the online application as soon as possible and ensure the required supporting evidence is provided.
Building work on a new primary care health facility at Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Upon completion, Ascot Medical Centre and Green Meadows surgery will move into the new premises. This is expected to take place in early 2021, although no date has yet been fixed.
Ascot Medical Centre is currently based in the acute hospital site at Heatherwood which is being completely redeveloped by Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust (FHFT), and Green Meadows surgery is situated in Winkfield Road, Ascot. Both are not sustainable to meet future needs of integrated primary care.
Pictured Above: The computer generated image supplied by ADP Architecture,- a proposed visual of the new -build extension.
Read more: New Ascot GPs Health Centre Ready by New Year!
South Hill Park is a much loved local arts venue, offering theatre cinema, bars, comedy, live music, restaurants and much more. Now, like so many arts venues, it could be under threat from the Corona crisis. Click on this link to hear the plea by one, concerned actor and comedian and compere, James Redmond.
RBWM are making changes to garden waste collections to make them more efficient and environmentally friendly.
From 17th August, garden waste will be collected in the same vehicle as recycling waste. The vehicle is split-backed so the waste goes into separate compartments. This means that for some garden waste subscribers, your collection week will change. If this is the case, you will receive a letter with details of the changes before 17th August.
For information on the green waste service or to apply, please click here
August 2020 | Local Opera Company, Opera Piccolina is generously sending opera to our homes, from their homes - specifically the Marriage of Figaro. Produced by Opera Piccolina , Soloists reprise their roles from a recent production in their own homes and come together to perform the Finale to Act IV of Mozart's "Le nozze di Figaro"
CLICK HERE to go directly to their You Tube production
Some of the singers from Opera Piccolina, (many of whom the regular audience will know and recognise!) have come together from their own homes to present this mini performance! They want to let their loyal audience know that they haven't forgotten us and very much hope that we can all get together again soon.
Keep in touch; they have further ideas in the pipeline for later in the year, if this situation doesn't go away!
With all our best wishes Jayne, Nick, Jordan, Helen, Sandra, Michel and Jeremy General WEBSITE
Weekly bin collections resuming from 17th August | Weekly household waste and recycling collections will resume from Monday 17th August in Ascot and the Sunnings. RBWM is taking the opportunity to review collection routes to make them more efficient and environmentally friendly.
These changes mean that for some residents, your bin collection day will change. Residents who are affected will be contacted with further information and confirmation of your new collection day prior to Monday 17th August.
The current routes were planned in 2005 and since then the council have seen an increase of 9000 homes across the borough, meaning that not all routes are as efficient as possible. The new routes will ensure that vehicles are travelling shorter distances incorporating the increased number of homes and spreading the workload more equally across crews.
Councillor Donna Stimson, lead member for environmental services, climate change, sustainability, parks and countryside, said: “We are happy to be able to return to weekly waste collections following a period of alternate weekly collections due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more: RBWM | Weekly Bin Collections Resume from August 17thCLICK HERE to make a donation to add to the Scouts' efforts
1st South Ascot Scout Group | Beavers & Cubs raise over £4000 in variety of sponsored tasks during lockdown..
During lockdown, Beavers and Cubs from the 1st South Ascot Scout Group have been meeting virtually each week. However, this hasn’t stopped several of the Beavers and Cubs undertaking a variety of tasks to raise money to refurbish their 90 year old scout hut. The hut has no heating or insultation; it has holes in the walls and roof and needs re-painting. 1st South Ascot Scouts is a thriving group and would like to have heating, insulation, new external cladding as well as redecorating the interior. We also hope to open the scout hut to more users within the community so more people can enjoy the space.
William Jones was silent for 24 hours, which is no mean feat for a 9 year old, raising £1000. Brothers Oliver (9) and Leo (7) Jones also managed to stay silent for a full 24 hours raising £227. Sam Brown (10) cycled 50 miles raising £2400. Isaac Richardson (8) cycled 100km and raised £418. These 5 boys raised over 10% of the fundraising target with their incredible efforts as well as being given the District Commissioner’s Award in recognition of their endeavour.
Fiona Jones, Group Scout Leader, said “It’s fantastic that the boys have decided for themselves to fundraise to refurbish the scout hut. I’m very proud of them for taking an interest in improving the hut not only for them to use but for many future generations of Beavers, Cubs & Scouts.”
Read more: Local Beavers & Cubs Raise over £4000 During Lockdown