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.

The last ten months have been tough and you may feel that your willpower to follow the rules/guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is weakening, but COVID-19 ‘fatigue’ is as dangerous as the virus itself.

Cases across the Royal Borough continue to rise rapidly due to the new variant, and local NHS services are under immense pressure – more than they were in April last year.

It’s tempting to think that with the roll-out of the vaccines, the pandemic is nearly over. It’s not. The behaviour of each and every one of us will make the difference during the coming months. Stay home. It’s as simple as that. If you’re still unsure about the lockdown restrictions, you can read them here.
Local case data

You can check the Royal Borough’s COVID-19 case data on the Berkshire Public Health website. To see the data broken down into wards, click on ‘information centre’ on the top right of the screen and look at the weekly reports for Berkshire.

To see which council services will remain open/in operation during lockdown, click here.
COVID-19 vaccine scam

Beware of a fake NHS text telling you that you’re eligible to apply for the COVID-19 vaccine.

A link in the text directs you to a very convincing but fake NHS website that asks for your personal/bank details in order to ‘check your identity’.

To learn more about this scam, click here.
Think 111 First for your health worries

If you require urgent, but not life-threatening, care, and you’re not sure where to go for help, you can contact NHS 111 First.

If you can’t get through to your GP surgery and you don’t know where to go before visiting your local Emergency Department, you can access the NHS 111 service either by visiting the 111 website or by calling 111 direct.

For more information, visit the Frimley Health and Care website.
Mental health support from Every Mind Matters

COVID-19 is more than a physical disease. It can also damage our mental wellbeing as we worry about ourselves and our loved ones. Those who already live with mental health problems can also face extra challenges because of the virus.

Mental health support and resources are available through NHS Every Mind Matters, click here to learn more.

We regularly hold consultations to get your views on proposals within the Royal Borough.

Responding to our consultations and giving your feedback is the best way to ensure your views are heard.

Our current consultations are:

Maidenhead station improvement works

Improvement works on the forecourt of Maidenhead train station, which are part of a programme of improvements in the town, will start on Friday 15 January and continue into April 2021.

To find out more about the works and how they might impact station users, please read the press release on our website here.
Town forum meetings

If you’d like to have your say in future town forum meetings, where issues affecting Maidenhead and Windsor town centres are discussed, we want to hear from you.

You can suggest discussion topics for the Maidenhead Town Forum or Windsor Town Forum as well as attend the virtual meeting and contribute to discussions. Agendas are published a week in advance so you can see what councillors will be discussing and get involved if there is something you are interested in.

Suggestions for discussion will be added to a future agenda if appropriate.

The next meeting of the Maidenhead Town Forum is on Monday 1 February and Windsor Town Forum is on Wednesday 27 January.

To find out more about how to get involved, email mark.beeley@rbwm.gov.uk (for Maidenhead Town Forum) or fatima.rehman@rbwm.gov.uk (for Windsor Town Forum). You can watch the meetings live on our YouTube channel.
Waste and recycling collection day temporary changes

This is a reminder that our waste and recycling collection days have temporarily changed over the festive period. Normal collection days resume from Monday 18 January.

To see the full list of revised dates, please click here.

If you need to dispose of your real Christmas tree, you can do so at collection points across the Royal Borough until Sunday 17 January.

A list of collection points can be found here. We ask that you please dispose of your real Christmas tree in this way rather than taking it to Stafferton Way Waste and Recycling Centre in Maidenhead.

If you have a garden waste subscription, you can put your real Christmas tree in your green bin for collection on your normal collection day. Please be aware that trees left next to the bin will not be collected.

The M4 will be closed in both directions between junctions 10 (Winnersh) and 12 (Theale) from 8pm on Friday 8 January to 6am on Monday 11 January 2021.

See the Highways England web page here.
News snippets

  • Primary and junior school applications - apply for a school place if your child is starting school or transferring to junior school in September 2021. Closing date is Friday 15 January 2021. For more information and to apply, please click here.
Keep in touch

Keep up to date with news and information from the council by following us on Twitter and Facebook.

Other accounts you may be interested in: