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 Today, Thursday 22 June, marks the 75th Anniversary of Windrush Day. Rhenea Blake has shared her nan’s story of leaving Jamacia on the HMT Empire Windrush and setting up a life in Birmingham. Read Rhenea’s staff blog to discover the experiences her nan faced.
To celebrate Windrush Day, our Staff Racial Equality Network (REN) and Vison are hosting various events for staff which start today. Find all our upcoming events by visiting the intranet.
Windrush Day marks the arrival of the Motor Vessel (MV) Empire Windrush, when the first generation of people from the Caribbean came to the UK, by invitation, to help rebuild Britain after the Second World War.
It’s Cervical Screening Awareness Week, and today, Thursday 22 June, guest speaker Jenny Greenfield, a specialist practitioner in women’s health and trustee at UK Cervical Cancer, will be holding an online Lunch and Learn presentation.
The presentation, hosted on Teams from 1pm to 2pm, will cover the importance of getting checked, cervical cancer symptoms, facts about Human papillomavirus (HPV), and a Q&A at the end. We hope to see you there!
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Every year, the Redbridge Mayor, leads an Armed Forces Day event to show the borough’s support for those currently serving in the armed forces.
The Mayor, Cllr Jyotsna Islam, will be hosting a flag raising and speech ceremony to praise the efforts of our armed forces. Please join us at Redbridge Town Hall tomorrow, Friday 23 June at 11.30am – please arrive by 11.15am.
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78% of respondents said they had the freedom they needed to get on with their job. Want to find out what else staff said? We have two different events where you can find out more and get involved with our future focus.
Our staff survey results briefing sessions started yesterday and will continue until Thursday 20 July. Come along to hear a summary of the results and our next steps. Book your place now.
Picker, the external organisation we commissioned to run the survey, will be holding two face-to-face workshops which will provide an opportunity for you to share your views on two or three areas the council can focus on improving.
Get involved by booking your place:
Wednesday 12 July, 11am - 2pm (managers only)
Thursday 13 July, 11am – 2pm, (non-managers)
Find out more on the intranet.
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Thank you to everyone who attended the May/June Shaping our Future roadshow. We had a great turn out at all the face to face events! It’s been great to speak with so many of you and to hear your thoughts on how we can become more innovative, collaborative, commercial, and sustainable.
We’ve received over 1,500 ideas and comments so far which is brilliant. The e-form with the three questions is still open for those who attended the roadshow. Please take the opportunity to share your ideas and comments if you haven’t done so already, or if you’d like to submit further ideas/comments.
If you were unable to attend the May/June roadshow, don’t worry, you can attend the virtual roadshow on Wednesday 12 July from 11am - 12.30pm. All staff received an email invitation this morning from our Chief Executive, Claire Symonds. Please accept the meeting invite if you would like to attend.
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On Wednesday 14 June, managers attended the Quarterly Management Conference (QMC) held at Redbridge Town Hall to discuss the importance of communication.
In this quarter, managers focussed on the feedback we have received so far from our Shaping our Future roadshow as well as the annual staff survey results.
Find out more in our news story.
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Redbridge Council are making waves again. Three of our teams have been shortlisted for a prestigious MJ award.
The MJ awards are held in high regard so to have multiple shortlisted entries from Redbridge is a great achievement for us and reflects the outstanding work of our teams.
Our Community Hubs Programme has been shortlisted for the Community Engagement category, our Future Leaders Programme for the Transforming Lives category, and our Innovation in Children’s and Adults services for their tri-borough use of virtual reality to help support young people identified at risk of extra-familial harm.
Check out the finalists on the MJ website.
Winners will be announced this Friday. Best of luck to our amazing teams!
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Do you live in the borough? Did you receive your copy of Redbridge Life, our quarterly magazine that is delivered door to door to all residents in the borough?
The summer edition of Redbridge Life should be with you by latest Saturday 24 June. If your household hasn’t received a copy, please email us so we can look into possible gaps in distribution.
If you live in Redbridge and have only had one Covid-19 vaccination, or none at all, you can get the vaccine until Friday 30 June. This includes children aged five and over.
Walk in for a free jab (or booster if you’re over 75) next week at one of the below locations.
You can also book a slot. Visit the North East London Health & Care Partnership website for more information.
| Date |
Day |
Location |
Times |
| 27/06/2023 |
Tuesday |
Singh Saba Gurdwara, 722-730 High Rd, Ilford IG3 8SX
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10am - 2pm |
| 28/06/2023 |
Wednesday |
Valentines park, Melbourne field, Cranbrook Rd, Ilford IG2 6EA |
1pm - 5pm |
Last summer, residents from our neighbouring boroughs had to evacuate their homes due to the wildfires which caused devastation. Some residents unfortunately lost their homes, while others needed support from the Council and other agencies for several days until they could return home.
Would you like to help support our residents in their time of need? Would you like to learn new skills, gain knowledge, and have the opportunity to work with staff from across our Council? We are looking for volunteers who are interested in supporting residents by staffing Emergency Rest Centres if one needs to be set in response to an emergency.
If you are interested, please contact Edward Baker to book a place on one of the upcoming training sessions taking place on Thursday 6 July. The sessions will be held in the Conference Room at the Redbridge Control Centre, Ley Street Depot.
Emergency Rest Centre Training – Thursday 6 July, 9.30am – 12.30pm
Emergency Rest Centre Training – Thursday 6 July, 1.30pm – 4.30pm
Drop Edward a line if you’d like more information about the volunteer role, practical skills training, and other development opportunities. If you are interested but unable to the attend the above training, feel free to register your interest as there will further sessions running in the autumn and spring.
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Grab your friends and family and come along to Redbridge Institute of Adult Education’s summer arts fayre on Saturday 8 July from 11am to 3pm at Redbridge Institute in Gants Hill.
There will be demonstrations and taster sessions throughout the day from stained glass and pottery, to jewellery making and enamelling – and much more!
Book your free place to get a goodie bag and make the most of our early bird discount off our creative arts courses. Register through Eventbrite.
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Redbridge’s Holiday, Activities and Food (HAF) programme will be running for four weeks this summer and provides free places for eligible children to enjoy enriching activities and healthy food. There will be a range of activities to get involved in, including football and basketball to arts and crafts and drama. There is also an opportunity to learn about food and nutrition and make new friends. One hot meal will be provided for each child daily.
The programme will be available Monday to Thursday with part and full day sessions available from Monday 24 July to Thursday 17 August, at several schools and youth centres across the borough.
HAF is available for local children who are in Reception up to Year 11, and in receipt of benefits-related Free School Meals (FSM). We offer a limited number of additional places to children and young people who do not meet the above criteria but are vulnerable. Referrals are considered from education, health, and social care professionals. Please email the HAF team.
Booking is essential. To find out more information and to book, please visit the Find website.
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This summer Redbridge Council is offering affordable activities for local children through the school holidays.
Between Monday 24 July and Friday 25 August, local children aged between five and sixteen years old can enjoy a whole host of different fun, interactive and informative activities run by Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure.
Starting from just £1, children can watch a film at Kenneth More Theatre or swim and splash around at Fullwell Cross Leisure Centre, Loxford Leisure Centre, or Mayfield Leisure Centre. For both activities, children under the age of eight must be accompanied by an adult.
We’ve got something for every child, from sports coaching sessions, theatre workshops, dance, arts and crafts, to instrumental workshops. Kids can learn a new digital skill from interactive books, Lego, 3D modelling, or coding and electronics. All sessions will be inclusive.
Bookings will open to Redbridge residents this month, and advanced booking is required so hurry! For more information, please visit the Vision website.
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This mindful breathing exercise from Every Mind Matters blends mindfulness with relaxation to help you feel calm and grounded in the present. You can use this relaxation skill when feeling stressed or anxious. You don't need any equipment or preparation, and people won't know you're using it - ideal for that supermarket queue or tough conversation.
Every Mind Matters is a campaign which aims to improve people’s mental health.
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Our employee assistance programme is available 24hrs a day and seven days a week.
If you're struggling at the moment due to things like your workload or uncertainty about the future, our employee assistance programme can offer you support, counselling, and guidance through this emotionally difficult time.
Don’t wait for a crisis to happen before you access this support. Staff who have used the programme have given positive feedback with comments such as, “It really helped me”, “I wish I called them earlier” and “I feel so much better now”.
This service is open to staff and their families by self-referring. Call 0800 328 1437 or go to the employee assistance website (password Redbridge).
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