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Grace Williams presents ELOP with its award in the company of presenter Mark Watson
Celebrating the best of our borough
We held our annual Pride of Waltham Forest Awards on Tuesday, 5 December, and what an amazing occasion it was.
I was honoured to meet so many inspiring residents at the event, held at Big Penny Social in Blackhorse Lane, and hear how they help so many in our communities during difficult times. It was a truly humbling evening.
Congratulations to all our winners, who took away a special Pride of Waltham Forest award, and the gratitude of us all for their amazing work. You can read a full list of winners and what they have achieved on our website.
It was a joy for me to judge the Leader’s Special Recognition Award – to learn about the incredible work so many of you do to help others, and to present ELOP with this year’s award. The group has provided a safe space to residents for nearly 30 years, lobbying against discrimination, offering support, and fighting tirelessly for the rights of our LGBTQIA+ community. One of the biggest cheers of the evening went to Tommy Kartal, who was presented with the Mayor’s Public Service Hero award by the Mayor, Cllr Roy Berg. Tommy has worked as a street cleaner in Chingford for over 20 years and is a much-loved character in his local area and he is known and loved for his positivity, friendliness, and dedication to his job. Well done Tommy!
We had over 600 nominations this year, each with their own special story to tell. You have made me so proud to live in Waltham Forest – we should always take the chance to celebrate the very best of our borough. Thank you everyone who takes the time to help others, and make this such a welcoming, supportive and special place to live.
And as Chanuka begins, I want to send my best wishes to everyone who is celebrating. You can read details about the annual lighting of the Leytonstone menorah below.
Grace
Cllr Grace Williams, Leader of Waltham Forest Council
We celebrated some of the amazing people who make up this borough at the Pride of Waltham Forest Awards on Tuesday 5 December.
Comedian Mark Watson, who lives in Waltham Forest, hosted the event at Big Penny Social with around 250 guests celebrating the great work of our residents, community groups and businesses. There were also performances from Mbilla Arts, the London Jazz Duo, and Emmanuel Community School Choir, who wowed us all in the afternoon session.
Here are your Pride of Waltham Forest 2023 winners:
- Leader’s Special Recognition Award: ELOP
- Mayor’s Public Service Hero: Tommy Kartal
- Environment Champion of the Year: St Mary's Walthamstow Gardeners
- Local Business of the Year: MKB Care Ltd
- Health and Wellbeing Champion of the Year: Zaid Mahmood
- Volunteers of the Year: Waltham Forest Parent Forum
- Community Culture Award: Women Over Fifty Film Festival: Moving Pictures
- Safe Streets Award: Martine Foley
- Young Person of the Year: Ruby-Tuesday O’Brien
- Carer of the Year: Eileen Best
- ‘My Neighbourhood’ Champion of the Year: Tom Moreland Junior
Read more about our winners and the work they do on our website.
Thanks to our sponsors, who made this year's awards ceremony possible:
ServiceStore, Morgan Sindall, Urbaser, Marston Holdings, Soho Theatre Walthamstow, Countryside Partnerships, Big Kid and Cubiquity
Click the postcode nearest you to find events coming up around the borough.
Local people are breathing cleaner, healthier air thanks to a range of improvements pioneered by the council. The borough’s latest figures for the air quality Annual Status Report (ASR), show that harmful pollutant levels such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10) have decreased year-on-year since measurements began. The report highlighted particular improvements at main road monitoring locations on Blackhorse Road, Hoe Street and Leyton High Road.
This week, we’ve launched a new business map and online directory of the Argall Industrial Area in Leyton to showcase the amazing range of businesses that includes filmmakers, food caterers, beauty brands, breweries, pottery and much more.
Take a look at the business map and online directory to discover the huge variety of businesses in the area.
Vestry House Museum is about to embark on a transformation to realise its full potential, which means it will close temporarily while the work proceeds.
As part of the Levelling Up-funded Culture for All programme, the work will make the museum more accessible and inclusive, with a culture offer that reflects the borough’s diversity, and improvements that will increase the environmental sustainability of the building.
When the project is complete, Vestry House Museum will provide flexible spaces for creatives and private hire, with options for community curation and programming. It will also offer an enhanced education and skills training programme for young people.
As part of the work, the Archives and Local Studies Library Search Room will move to a larger space in Walthamstow Library, which will reopen for appointments in February 2024.
Vestry House Museum will close to the public on Saturday 23 December 2023 and is expected to reopen in early 2026. The gardens will remain open until 18 February 2024.
If you’re concerned about your finances this winter, you can get help with your council tax. It’s best to contact us as soon as possible if you need help so we can help prevent additional costs building up. We can help you in several ways:
- if you are on Universal Credit or are a low income household you can apply for Council Tax Support
- we can offer payment arrangements to spread out the cost of payments
- you can check to see if there are any discounts or exemptions that you might be entitled to, or apply for a Council Tax Discretionary Hardship payment
More information and apply for support.
Help with money this winter.
Chanukah celebrations in Leytonstone from 2021
Leytonstone and Wanstead Synagogue invites the whole community to celebrate the lighting of the Leytonstone Menorah on Sunday 10 December from 4pm in Grove Green Road, opposite the Tube station.
The event will feature food and entertainment to mark the fourth night of the Jewish festival, with performances from Stew Curtis' Klezmer Without Borders and a high octane LED martial arts performance from Infinity Circus' Manic. There will also be a message of hope from Rabbi Yitzchok Austin. Chanukah wouldn't be Chanukah without food, so make room for traditional doughnuts, latkes and hot chocolate, which will be available on the night.
We have support and advice for all residents to help them cut their energy bills this winter. You might even be entitled to free materials to help make your home more energy efficient. It takes just two minutes to find out with our Lower Bills Calculator, so make sure you take the time to get the support you need today.
Children who receive benefit-related free school meals can sign up for the Waltham Forest Holiday Activity Programme, which runs from Tuesday 2 to Friday 5 January 2024. The Holiday Activities and Food programme enables children and young people to take part in fun activities with friends across the borough, learn and develop new skills and enjoy a daily meal. Booking is essential on all activities, so sign up now to avoid disappointment. Please note, the local programme is only available for children who are eligible for benefit-related free school meals.
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North Chingford Christmas market: Saturday 9 December, 9am to 4pm, Station Road E4 6AA
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Highams Park Christmas Fayre: Sunday 10 December, 11am to 5pm. The market has two parts, the food market in Highams Park Station Car Park, E4 9LA, and craft market and Santa's grotto in Signal Walk (in front of Tesco), E4 9BW.
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E4 Pop Up Christmas Market: local makers and businesses, refreshments and Grotto on the Green on Saturday 9 December, 1pm to 6pm, Mornington Hall, The Green Walk, E4 7EN
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Dancing Chain Bikes in Leytonstone is hosting a Christmas store takeover with local artists and ceramicists selling their work on Friday 15 December, 4pm to 8pm, Saturday 16 December, 10am to 4pm, and Sunday 17 December, 10am to 3pm. It takes place at 297 High Road, Leytonstone, E11.
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William Morris Big Local Community Christmas Market, with Santa's grotto from 2pm to 5pm, Saturday 9 December, Priory Court Community Centre, 11 Priory Court, E17 5NB
Spotted someone sleeping rough?
If you suspect someone is sleeping rough, you can contact StreetLink London online or call 0300 500 0914. They will ask you a number of questions about where the person is and why you are worried about them, and check on their welfare. StreetLink will then connect people sleeping rough with the local services that can support them. Please phone 999 if you think the person is in immediate danger or needs urgent care.
Help with the upfront costs for home improvements
Our new Energy Upgrade Loan is now available to apply for. If your home is Energy Efficiency Rating D or below and you want to do something to cut both your bills and your carbon footprint, then this could be for you.
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.
You can find the latest Waltham Forest Council jobs online on our website, and check out our LinkedIn.
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