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I know that the cost of living crisis is the biggest issue currently facing Waltham Forest. Since September 2021, the Council has made almost 100,000 awards to vulnerable households through the Household Support Fund, giving out £4.6m of financial support to help residents cover food, fuel, wider essentials, and emergency housing costs. However, this will still not be enough and we will shortly be announcing details of additional support over the winter. I want you to be confident that the Council is on your side.
I would like to invite you to join me on Wednesday 5 October for a special online Q&A to discuss the cost-of-living crisis. I will be joined by Nazmul Khalique (Citizens Advice) and Simon Hodson (The HEET Project) to talk about practical, simple steps we can all take to reduce bills and save money. It’s a chance for you to get clear, unbiased information from local experts as we head into what could be a very difficult winter for many. If there’s a question you would like to ask please let us know here and we will try our best to answer as many as we can during the session. If you need advice straight away please visit our website.
It was with great sadness that we watched the state funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Monday 19 September. I found the service touching and at times enormously moving - all in all a fitting tribute to an incredible 70 years of service. The Council will host an Extraordinary Council meeting this Thursday 22 September from 6.30 to 7.30pm at Fellowship Square where I will join the Mayor of Waltham Forest, Cllr Karen Bellamy, and other councillors to pay our final respects. The Council alongside partners Wood Street Walls and Waltham Forest College have arranged to distribute 96 small trees to the community, one for each year of Her Majesty’s long life, as part of the William Morris Design Line which runs until Sunday 25 September. The trees will be available to collect at the Extraordinary Council meeting. The London Forest Choir will provide a suitable musical accompaniment – all residents are invited to join us on Thursday evening as we say a last goodbye to HM Queen Elizabeth II.
Grace
Cllr Grace Williams, Leader of Waltham Forest Council
 Joining me at the first Let's Talk Waltham Forest Q&A session will be Cllr Vicky Ashworth alongside local experts from Citizens Advice Waltham Forest and The HEET project, who will help explain how you can cut your bills and stay warm this winter.
It's the first event in a new series of Let's Talk Waltham Forest online events covering the biggest challenges we are facing as a borough, including the climate emergency, health, and community safety.
Please send us your questions about the cost-of-living crisis and we’ll try to answer as many of them as possible on the day. Don’t worry if you can’t join us on the day - we’ll record the event so you can watch any time afterwards.
 96 trees on the steps of Waltham Forest College
Residents are invited to an Extraordinary Council meeting to commemorate the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Fellowship Square on Thursday 22 September from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.
Members of the public will join Waltham Forest councillors and community representatives at this Extraordinary Council session to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II. The Leader and Mayor of Waltham Forest will join other councillors to speak alongside local faith and humanist leaders, with music from the London Forest Choir. A stall where residents can collect or reserve one of 96 small trees that the Council and its partners Wood Street Walls and Waltham Forest College are distributing to mark Queen Elizabeth’s passing will be on site during the meeting, and the Town Hall will be illuminated in purple.
 To mark World Car Free Day on Thursday 22 September we are delighted to launch our community parklet programme. These are recreational spaces for everyone to enjoy in neighbourhoods across the borough. Watch Walthamstow resident Toby explain how his parklet has brought his neighbours together in Gloucester Road.
Waltham Forest Council is due to open three new parklets in Leytonstone, Walthamstow and Wood Street this autumn for the local community, alongside a number of micro-parklets in the area around Leytonstone High Road.
Today, Wednesday 21 September, we mark World Alzheimer’s Day. The Town Hall will illuminated blue this evening to help emphasise this year’s key message, which is Know dementia, know Alzheimer’s.
It is estimated that nearly 2,000 people are living with dementia in Waltham Forest, with 1,247 currently diagnosed. There are many services available in the borough for those living with dementia and their families including the Dementia Hub.
Black History Month 2022 will see a jam packed, partner-led programme of events and activities take place across the borough throughout October to celebrate the immense contribution of the Black community. Placing local organisations, museums, libraries and schools at the very heart of the celebrations, Black History Month events in Waltham Forest will focus on the themes of cultural integration and learning.
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Current council vacancies and other local jobs
We regularly update the vacancies and local jobs listing on our Adult Learning website. Explore available job opportunities and apply for roles that suit you.
And you can find the latest Waltham Forest Council jobs online on our website or LinkedIn.
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