Nominate the standout stars from your community
I’m thrilled to announce we’re holding our Pride of Waltham Forest Community Awards again this year. Last time around, I was blown away by the huge number of nominations we received – over 1,000 in total! The awards night was a really special occasion, celebrating the amazing people in our borough who had been recognised by their friends, family and neighbours.
This year, we're asking you again to nominate the standout stars from your community to win one of our special glass awards. Maybe it’s a young person who helps out in their community after school, a hairdresser who never fails to cheer up their customers, or a neighbour who looks out for everyone on the street. In fact, anyone who helps to make Waltham Forest a great place to live. You can see all of the different categories and fill out a nomination form on our website – and we’ll be celebrating the winners with a special awards night later in the year. I can't wait to hear your stories about the amazing people and community groups that make Waltham Forest such a special place to live.
We had a special guest on Tuesday, 5 September, when the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, chose Waltham Forest to launch his free school meals programme for all state primary pupils. Sadiq joined me, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Kizzy Gardiner, staff and pupils at Newport Primary School in Leyton.
Our award-winning catering service makes sure meals are tasty, sustainable and nutritious, as well as offering allergen-free options. I'd like to thank all our schools for doing such a great job getting this initiative up and running. It's so important that children's health and education is supported during the cost-of-living crisis, and knowing their child is receiving a healthy meal at school will be one less thing for cash-strapped families to worry about. If you're struggling, you can find information and support to help on our website.
Grace
Cllr Grace Williams, Leader of Waltham Forest Council
Grace Williams speaks at last year's Pride of Waltham Forest Awards at Chingford Assembly Hall
Click the postcode nearest you to find events coming up around the borough.
The Mayor and council leader Grace Williams meet pupils at Newport Primary
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan visited Newport Primary School in Leyton on Tuesday 5 September to launch his free school meals programme.
Thanks to £135 million worth of new funding, primary school children across Waltham Forest and the whole of London will benefit from free school meals from this week.
The Mayor met up with staff and pupils to see first hand what a difference free school meals are making. Leader of the council, Grace Williams, and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Cllr Kizzy Gardiner, also attended.
The Mayor’s free school meals programme will help complement our own Breakfast for Learning initiative, where £600,000 is being spent from the Household Support Fund to support primary aged children who have been identified as needing breakfasts before school. Read more and watch our video on Facebook.
There's still time to tell us how to improve your local area in our Let's Talk Neighbourhood improvement programme. With nearly 2,100 suggestions shared by Waltham Forest residents, and the numbers continuing to rise, there has been a huge response to the survey. We've had ideas on improvements around parks and playgrounds, issues on streets, and more.
Share your own ideas and let us know what needs improving in your local area before the deadline, 5pm, Monday 11 September.
Don't forget, you can pop into your nearest library to share your ideas on a postcard if you don't want to do it online.
Replay will be appearing at the Mount Festival
Join us from 11am to 4pm at Albert Crescent, E4 on Saturday 16 September to celebrate Chingford Mount, with fun activities, independent makers and entertainment for all ages.
You can shop from local craft and artisan traders, go on a local Black history tour, listen to live music from the band Replay and local young performers, grab some street food, entertain the little ones with activities, sort out your bike with Dr Bike and chat to local groups. Find out more about The Mount Festival.
Plus free poster making masterclass
Aged 16 to 30? Love design and music? Don’t miss this incredible opportunity at 228 Chingford Mount during The Mount Festival. Join Raissa Pardini (pictured) for a free poster making masterclass and exhibition. Raissa is a multi-disciplinary designer, type artist and creative director who has worked with Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Maneskin, Paul Weller, and more.
The workshop will take place from 1pm to 4pm and the exhibition, with DJs, will be from 6pm to 10pm. Workshop spaces are limited so register your place now.
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The team at CREST in Walthamstow, who provide digital skills support for those with a lived experience of mental health
Need help using your device or getting online? You can find free, face-to-face support in different community settings across the borough. Support organisations include Age UK in Chingford and Lighthouse in Leyton. Find all the details by downloading and printing our Face to face digital skills support flyer. We are also looking for volunteers in Chingford and Wood Street for new digital drop-in sessions. If you’re passionate about supporting your community, become a digital champion today.
The Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge, with the 19th century Butlers Retreat in the foreground
Our borough is hosting lots of free events during this year's Open House Festival. It's a great opportunity to learn more about our amazing local spaces.
We're delighted to have been selected as some of the highlights of the whole festival by the Open House curators. While some events are already fully booked, there are drop-in events at various sites including Lea Bridge Library, Blackhorse Workshop, Good Shepherd Studios in Leytonstone and the Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge in North Chingford. Plus some of our residents are letting you peek behind the scenes of their homes.
Check out the festival website for more information. Please note you have to register to book tours.
If you’ve not had a chance to see Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender, then make some time this week to see this celebrated retrospective of fashion designer Ashish Gupta’s work at William Morris Gallery. It finished this Sunday, 10 September.
The Gallery’s opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm. Free admission. For families with children, pick up the Family Trail at the front desk to help guide you around the exhibition.
With less than two weeks to go, have you got your free ticket to our Construction Jobsfest yet? Meet employers and discover some of the most exciting jobs in construction and the built environment.
- When: Tuesday 19 September, from 11am to 2pm
- Where: the London Academy of Sustainable Construction, Hollydown Way, E11 4DD
Don't miss this chance to learn new skills, gain a new career and earn more.
Join us for our Community in Fellowship Square event, Saturday 16 September, from 11am to 5pm. Entry and all activities are free. including:
- a variety of games with the Afro Caribbean Elders Society
- Tamil cultural workshop and dance performances by Waltham Forest Tamil Sangam
- inclusive Dance Party by Speaker Box Party
- Qi Gong by Dao Lu CIC
- calligraphy workshops and photography hosted by the Waltham Forest Hong Kong Community
Gas safety is important all year round, and from Monday 11 to Sunday 17 September, the housing industry raises awareness through Gas Safety Week.
Waltham Forest Council and private landlords must stick to strict safety guidelines for gas when renting out properties, so this is a good time to get your appliances checked and report anything you're worried about to your landlord before winter kicks in. This will ensure they work efficiently, save you money and, most importantly, are safe for you or your family.
Since 2012, we’ve worked with our contractor, Aston Group, to maintain a 100 per cent gas inspection and compliance safety record across more than 8,000 of our residential homes. If you are a council tenant, learn more about your annual gas safety checks.
Whether you rent or own your home, find important safety tips here.
Come together to share stories and make a celebratory quilt banner, every Thursday evening from 16 September at Stone Mini Market’s community room in Leytonstone.
Part of the Make It Happen Grants Programme 2023, the project will bring together the LGBTQI+ community of Leytonstone and beyond to socialise, learn new skills and create something special. No previous experience with sewing is required and all abilities are welcome.
With temperatures set to continue to soar into the weekend, you can find information on staying safe in the heat on our website. This includes taking fresh water with you when you go out, and wearing a hat, sunglasses and sunblock with a high SPF.
Check out a map of cool spaces and drinking water fountains in Waltham Forest and the rest of London here.
Current council vacancies and other local jobs
We regularly update the vacancies and local jobs listing on our Waltham Forest Jobs 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. And check out our LinkedIn.
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