Coronavirus Update: We need your help, new Wood Street library, and A-Level results

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Leader of the Council Clare Coghill green background

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Today saw the fantastic launch of our new and improved Wood Street library, a custom built shared community space that is part of our massive £3m investment in our libraries across the borough.

Libraries have always been valued and cherished by our communities across Waltham Forest, and I'm so pleased that we get to bring the exciting, modern and fully accessible Wood Street Library to residents. With features such as meeting spaces, high-quality café, and computer access, this shared community space will benefit all of our residents. I encourage you all to take a visit there to check out a new title, try out the digital equipment or try the new café.

Please make sure when you're heading to visit, or using any shared spaces you follow government guidelines by wearing a face covering over your nose and mouth and staying socially distant from other people. I've loved seeing our residents come back together, but please remember the coronavirus is still here and we still need to do our bit to stop the spread.

To help us rebuild our borough following Covid-19, we're looking for residents to join our Citizen Panel, helping us form our recovery plans for the future. Being part of the panel requires you to commit for 12 months, helping us understand our communities through online focus groups, workshops and surveys. This is a real chance to get involved and help shape Waltham Forest's future. Applications close tomorrow, Friday 14 August.

Apply to join.

Let's keep going

Keeping Waltham Forest safe is our priority at the moment, preventing a local outbreak from happening in our borough.

If you experience any of the coronavirus symptoms (high temperature, new, continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste) you and your household need to immediately self-isolate and order a test by calling 119 or visiting the NHS website.

If you know someone who doesn't speak English, and may need further support to understand NHS Test and Trace, head over to our translated web page.

Let's keep going and continue to protect our loved ones.

Have you completed our resident health survey yet?

Part of our coronavirus recovery work, is to understand how our resident's health and wellbeing has been affected.

To do this we're running an online resident's survey until Friday 21 August. We urge all our residents to complete it, as this information will help us to understand how to best support our communities and where to assign resources going forward.

Complete the survey

Walk, cycle or scoot your way to movie heaven!

Time to get out and about as Waltham Forest Council’s Virtual Culture programme moves outdoors.

With Cycle-In Cinema, Go Wild at Home Carnival and Virtual Collaborators open air theatre festival, there is so much entertainment on offer, perfect if you’re staying at home this summer.

Join Dora, Mad Max or Kid’n’Play at Cycle-in Cinema, see plays created during lockdown transformed in the open air at St John’s church in Leyton and join us as Carnival is brought to you over August Bank Holiday. All at safe distances while losing none of the fun!

Find out more

Mark the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day safely this weekend

This Saturday 15 August is the 75^th anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan) marking the end of World War Two.

We would like to encourage residents marking the day to do so safely, and in line with the latest government guidance on face coverings, social distancing and social gatherings.

Read more on how you get involved either outdoors, or online with helpful resources including educational materials, activity packs and toolkits to help you mark the occasion safely.

Get involved

How are you choosing local?

Following the launch of our Choose Local. Support Everyone. campaign, we want to understand how our residents feel about local businesses and shopping locally during Covid-19.

Your view is really important in determining how we take decisions on further supporting businesses in the borough during this difficult time.

The survey should take just a few minutes. By filling it in, you will play an important role in shaping how we can help our businesses recover, rebuild and emerge from the crisis successfully.

Take the survey

Council Services

Our teams are continuing to deliver vital services and are working hard to reopen services as and when it is safe to do so.

Learn more about our services and how to access them.

Choose Local. Support Everyone. Meet the business owner

Leyton-business Square Root Soda was conceived by Ed Taylor and Robyn Simms as a response to the craft beer boom of the 2010s and the lack of available soft drinks of a similar artisanal quality in east London pubs.

Having grown from operating at a market stall to exporting their drinks internationally, Square Root is one of our biggest business success stories, but the Covid-19 crisis has caused setbacks.

With determination and resilience, Robyn and Ed pivoted their business model to continue operating during lockdown and look well positioned to come out of the crisis. But to do so stronger than ever, they need your support! Remember – Choose Local. Support Everyone.

#ChooseLocalWF

Read Robyn’s story

Watch a video with Robyn

Order from Square Root’s website

A-Level results are in

Young people across Waltham Forest today have been finding out the results of their A-levels after exams were cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Although this year’s results are based on teacher estimates moderated by exam boards, today is really important for our students including those receiving BTEC qualifications and our schools and colleges who provide post 16 education provision across the borough. We are so incredibly proud of the achievements of our young people as we know it’s been a difficult few months – congratulations to all on your achievements.

We know there will be some confusion, concerns and even disappointments, but early results have indicated that this year in Waltham Forest we have seen an improvement in the average grade per A-level entry.
We wish our young people all the best for the future.

For further support please see the guide for students receiving qualification results this summer.

How will you be travelling to school in September?

In our recent school travel survey, we received a mammoth 3,445 responses from parents about their thoughts and feelings about choosing sustainable travel for the school journeys.

We were excited to see a huge 68% of parents and carers are planning to travel sustainably to school from September.

Whether on foot, cycle or scooter, there are plenty of options and plenty of benefits for your family when choosing to travel sustainably.

Find resources to get you started on our Enjoy website.

Town Hall gets wrapped!

If you're travelling past the Town Hall campus, you'll now notice that we've installed a new wrap across the scaffolding.

The Town Hall Campus regeneration is a huge project, creating a new neighbourhood at the heart of Waltham Forest and we're excited to be into phase one of the plans.

To learn more about the project, head over to our website.

Domestic Abuse drop in sessions

There has been an update to the session times for our domestic abuse drop in sessions:

Leyton Children & Family Centre Hub, 215 Queens Road, Leyton: Monday – Wednesday, 10am to 4pm

Walthamstow Children & Family Centre Hub, 13 Billet Road, E17: Thursday from 10am to 4pm

Chingford Children & Family Centre Hub, 5 Oaks Grove, Chingford: Friday from 2pm to 5pm

If you need help during this time and are suffering from domestic abuse, the drop in sessions can help with anything from seeking refuge to help applying for benefits, and much more.

Learn more

Information and advice regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) is changing quickly and its important you keep up to date with those changes. The Council will be using email newsletters to keep residents and businesses up to date.

If residents have questions please visit our website, and use live chat to talk to one of our team, it's quicker than phoning.

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