RBWM Community Information for December 2023

Published: 15 December 2023

RBWM - December 2023 Community Champions Magazine

Ascot World Café focuses on health and social care

On Thursday 16 November over 100 residents came together at Ascot Durning Library for the Ascot World Café. The World Café was organised by the RBWM place team and the four GP practices in Ascot. The focus of the World Café was to raise awareness of healthcare and social care services including Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) and to hear from local residents about their experiences with their GP practice on 3 key areas: access, experience and healthcare needs.

There were also 30 organisations in attendance providing information about the wider support available to residents, including health and social care providers and community and voluntary sector organisations.

Through lively facilitated conversations the team were able to engage residents to hear about their local healthcare services at their GP practice whilst listening to their thoughts, ideas, feedback and solutions. Next step for the team is to work with the Practices to identify key themes and recommendations for how they can work in partnership with their patients to provide innovative solutions employing the ‘You Said’, ‘We Did’ principle.

This is the 22^nd World Café that has taken place to date. For more information on the World Café approach and work to date visit: World Cafes | RBWM Together

Feedback of the event was very positive:

“Judging from the turn out, the purpose of the café had the desired effect.”

“Great mix of support networks.”

“It was such an amazing event, gained a lot of info and contacts and spread the word about the Happiness Hub.”

“Thank you – it was a great event and was super busy which is wonderful!”

“Massive congratulations on staging such an amazing event.”

Sign up to the Frimley Health and Care Online Panel

The organisations responsible for planning local health and care services want to hear what you think and that’s why they’ve launched their online community panel.

Those who chose to join, will receive regular newsletters, quick polls and surveys, and when they arise, the chance to join the conversation in other ways such as through focus groups. The Panel is entirely online and you will only ever be contacted by email.

It is essential that local people have an opportunity to shape plans and that those working on transformation programmes have an understanding of what people feel is important. The online Frimley Health and Care Online Community Panel is one way of ensuring that local people and communities are at the heart of our decision making.

Results of these surveys will be shared publicly and with local health and care teams but will always be anonymised. There is no commitment, and you can unsubscribe or opt out at any time.

To become a panel member you must be 16 years old or over and live in the area covered by Frimley Health and Care. Learn more and sign up by visiting https://secure.membra.co.uk/Join/FrimleyPanel

What we have heard to date

During October and November we ran a survey about the flu vaccination. This survey was designed to help us better understand:

how aware people are of the flu vaccination
eligibility criteria for free vaccinations via the NHS
likelihood of receiving a vaccination this year
views and feedback on why people feel the vaccine is important and any reservations that people have about receiving it

We sent the survey to 240 people and 183 responded. Below is a summary of the results. You can also view the results here.

High Blood Pressure – What do you know?

High blood pressure is known as ‘the silent killer’ because it often has no symptoms and it is responsible for thousands of deaths and disabilities every year, through strokes, heart attacks and more.

Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care System wants to understand how much you know about your blood pressure and if you’re doing anything to manage it.

Whether you know nothing at all, or you’re checking your blood pressure yourself every day, your feedback is important.

If you can spend a minute or two completing a short survey it will help to build up a better picture of the heart health of our population and what needs to be done to better support local people.

Click here to take part: https://survey.ntropydata.co.uk/surveys/Hypertension1

You’ll find information on blood pressure, how to check yours and what to do to manage or lower it, on our website: www.frimleyhealthandcare.org.uk/bloodpressure

Please share this information with your family members, friends and colleagues – you don’t know whose life you might be helping to save!

Consultation starts on proposed changes to parking fees and charges

We've launched a public consultation on changes to parking fees and charges in the Royal Borough. These changes would come into effect from February 2024, once feedback from the consultation has been considered.

The proposals include freezing parking charges in the two main town centre multi-storey car parks that we operate (Hines Meadow in Maidenhead and Victoria Street in Windsor) for the first three hours.

This supplements the existing one hour free residents’ parking offer at these car parks and selected car parks across the borough which we operate. The one hour free for residents will remain in place to encourage enjoyment of leisure activities and shopping within your local town centre and support a thriving local economy.

The consultation shares alternative options for permit charges for on-street parking in residential areas where there is controlled parking. This is to gauge your views on the different options, before taking a final decision.

The consultation runs until Monday 1 January 2024. You can find out more and take part in the consultation via our website and read more in our press release.

Have your say on proposed extra support for disabled people to have home adaptions

We're consulting on a draft policy which, if approved, would mean extra financial support for disabled people to have household adaptions, helping them to live safe and independent lives at home.

Let us know your views on our draft Disabled Facilities Grant and Housing Assistance Policy, which would be used to decide applications for funding assistance for eligible works, including ramps, stair lifts, level access showers and door-widening.

Several additional packages of discretionary assistance are proposed, above and beyond the statutory support already offered to disabled people. This includes a new means-tested top-up on the mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants for those in financial hardship, doubling the maximum available for eligible works to £60,000.

The consultation runs until Friday 2 February 2024. Take part on our website and read more in our press release.

Reminder: Temporary bin collection dates over Christmas and New Year

Make sure you know your different bin collection dates over the festive period.

Check our website for the timetable and ensure your bins are out before 7am on your collection day and no earlier than the night before, or check when your next collection is due via our website.

Thank you for all your recycling efforts this year. Please keep making a difference for the environment and recycling what you can over the festive period. Visit our website for a full list of what can be recycled.

Please ensure all items are placed inside your bins. If you have extra rubbish or recycling this can be taken to Stafferton Way Household Waste and Recycling Centre.

Normal collections resume on Monday 15 January.

Royal Borough Community Spotlight

Here are just some of the upcoming community events and volunteering opportunities in the Royal Borough:

· Windsor and Eton Living Advent Calendar (Tuesday 12 December, 6.15pm to 7pm) - Windsor Library. Now in its 11th year, this family favourite has become a must for locals in the town centre. At 6.15pm promptly every evening there is a 15-minute Christmas-themed performance at various locations around the town centre. Come to Windsor Library on Tuesday to see what entertainment lies behind the advent calendar door. There will also be Christmas nibble to enjoy.

· Christmas raffle (Tuesday 12 December, 3.45pm) - Eton Wick C of E First School. £1 per entry and residents can enter the raffle here. There are more than 50 prizes to be won, including a Royal Collection Trust hamper, tickets to the races, New Years’ Eve party tickets, multiple meal vouchers, beauty vouchers, photography vouchers, cocktail experiences and more. For more information, visit the website.

· The Snow Queen by Mary Portalska (Wednesday 13 December to Friday 15 December and Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 December, midday to 4pm) – Holyport Memorial Hall, Tickets available here or call 07375 111174.

· Carol singing (Wednesday 13 December, 5.30pm) - St Marks Crescent Methodist Church, 68 Allenby Road, Maidenhead, SL6 5BQ. All welcome. Hot coffee and mince pies will be available after the carols. For more information email info@stmarksmaidenhead.org.uk or call 01628 623263

· Christmas street food (Thursday 14 December, 3pm to 5pm) - Datchet Library. Come and discover the delights of street food with a Christmas twist.

· Windsor Voci Chamber choir Christmas concert (Thursday 14 December, 8pm) - St Stephen's Church, Windsor. A wonderful evening of festive delights, music and readings for Christmas. For more information, visit the website.

· Voices Anon Christmas concert (Friday 15 December, 7.30pm) - Maidenhead Methodist Church, High Street, SL6 1EF. Admission free. A collection will be taken in aid of the Baby Bank.

· A Jazz Christmas - Aid for Ukraine (Friday 15 December, 8pm) - Maidenhead United Reformed Church, West Street. Come and listen to Christmas jazz, and sing along as well. Tickets £10 on the door, with all profits going to Aid for Ukraine. All welcome. Free refreshments.

· Signature A Cappella Singers (Saturday 16 December, 1.30pm to 3pm) - Windsor Royal Station. The group will also be fundraising for the Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service.

· Christmas stories and crafts (Monday 18 and Thursday 21 December, 10.30am) – all borough libraries. Visit our website for more information.

To see further volunteering opportunities in the borough, or for another way for community organisations to promote volunteering opportunities, please visit RBWM Togethe r.