Issue - meetings

Remembrance Sunday

The Mayor reflected on how Remembrance Sunday events had taken place in a very different way this year. The Mayor thanked Councillor Mrs Hayes MBE and her team of volunteers for installing poppies across the Borough.

Bracknell Forest Council had collaborated with Sandhurst Town Council and supported by the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst produced a pre-recorded short Remembrance Sunday Service and wreath laying.

Bracknell Town Council had also produced a pre-recorded video and the Mayor thanked Councillor Mrs Birch and the Bracknell Town Council’s community events working group as well as the video producer/editor for their hard work.

The Mayor had participated in a Zoom call with 2nd Great Hollands Brownies who had painted stones to lay across the Borough in remembrance.

Christmas Card Competition

The Mayor was reaching out to the borough’s residential care homes to take part in her Christmas Card competition. The Mayor thanked Councillor Ms Gaw, Older Peoples’ Champion for her support in this.

Charity Quiz

Councillor Bhandari was supporting the Mayor to run some themed online quizzes and more information would follow.

Care Leavers fundraising

Councillor Ms Hayes was delighted to announce that £722 had been raised to support the borough’s young people in care as part of Bracknell Forest Council’s Corporate Parenting Responsibility. She thanked everyone who had made a donation.

Spirit of Fire 2020 Awards

The Mayor congratulated Councillor Mrs McKenzie-Boyle for her nomination for the Spirit of Fire 2020 Awards. This was in recognition of her commitment and hard work raising funds for the Fire Fighters Charity during her mayoral year.

Return to Lexicon

The Mayor encouraged everyone present that once the national lockdown eased to think local, support local and shop local.

Winter Support Financial Package

Councillor Dr Barnard, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Learning reported that £221,000 had been allocated to Bracknell Forest for the Winter Support Financial Package by central government. Funding is for families in hardship and the Council was reaching out to schools and professionals to see how best to support the borough’s families. He thanked members of the working group who had considered how best to use the fund and the scheme could be developed.

Grant funding

Councillor Heydon, Executive Member for Transformation and Finance advised that the Council had received additional grants to support small and medium size businesses who had not previously received covid-related support. The guidelines for this discretionary scheme had been released during he week and it was hoped that the scheme would be launched within days. He thanked the officers involved in getting the scheme running so quickly.

Delivery of food waste trucks

Councillor Mrs Hayes, Executive Member for the Environment announced that the new food waste trucks would be arriving in preparation for the launch of food waste collection in March 2021. She added that a competition to name the trucks was planned.