Food accounts for over a quarter of our household waste
In the autumn, we'll be changing our food waste collection service across the whole of Waltham Forest, and we want your help.
Food currently makes up over a quarter of the waste put in household bins in the borough. Following a successful pilot scheme in Leyton and Leytonstone that saw over 300 tonnes of food waste picked up in the last 12 months, weekly separate food waste collections will go borough-wide later this year.
Previously, food and garden waste were picked up together every fortnight. Moving to weekly collections will be particularly important in warmer months and recycling it separately will reduce black bin waste and help increase recycling rates.
And watch out for our new fleet of 10 food waste recycling trucks: they're going to be difficult to miss, as each one will be decorated to look like either fish bones, pizza, carrot, watermelon or a banana!
This is where we need your help. Before the trucks hit the road, we want you to name them – with great prizes up for grabs for the best suggestions. See details and how to enter below.
Our new weekly collections will form part of our Climate Action Plan and our commitment to reach net zero by 2030. The Enjoy Waltham Forest programme is another way we're fighting the climate crisis. Our pioneering programme to make it easier and safer to walk and cycle in our borough is 10 years old, so thank you to every resident, council officer and partner who has made it a success. Watch our new video to find out more.
It's Mental Health Awareness Week and I wanted to let you know about some of the help on offer in the borough. Please don't suffer in silence. If you or someone you know are struggling. Head to our website, where you'll find a wide range of support, or check out 14 ways to get moving for your mental health in Waltham Forest.
Grace
Cllr Grace Williams, Leader of Waltham Forest Council
This year, we're celebrating a decade of Enjoy Waltham Forest, our pioneering programme to make our streets safer for people to walk, move and cycle around the borough. Over the last 10 years, we have:
- established 55km of cycle lanes
- given free cycle training to over 29,000 people
- created 22 School Streets, to make it safer for children to get to school
- installed 11 Cycle Hubs at stations across the borough, and 760 bikehangars for cycle storage
- created 45 pocket parks and parklets
- delivered over 395,000 items with ZED, our zero-emissions delivery service
Please note, if your postcode is IG8, your nearest events will appear under E4. If you live in E7 or E15, check out E11. You can also find online events on our website.
 We are launching a competition to name our fleet of brand-new food waste recycling trucks – with great prizes up for grabs.
The 10 trucks will be gracing your neighbourhood later this year. Each will need a name – and we want your help.
Judges will select 10 names to match the trucks, which will be colourfully decorated to look like fish bones, pizza, a carrot, watermelon or banana. And no, Trucky McTruckFace probably won't be one of them.
The best overall name will win a prize of £300 worth of cycle-shop or gift experience vouchers, with the runner-up getting a £200 voucher. Any child or student that wins will also be offered free secure cycle parking for their school. And of course, the winning name will be emblazoned on one of the trucks for a very long time.
The trucks will support the rollout of the new separate food waste recycling service, coming to flats over the year and kerbside properties this autumn. We'll supply food waste caddies and compostable bags for free and the food waste will be collected weekly, separate to your garden waste.
Food items, such as vegetable and fruit peelings, meat and fish bones, eggshells, teabags, leftovers and out-of-date food, can be added to the separate waste recycling service. Other items, such as food packaging, cooking oil and liquids, should not be placed in the food waste bin. See a full list here.
 Celebrate Foster Care Fortnight until Sunday 26 May at two special events.
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Fostering Information Event: Thursday 23 May 2024, 11am to noon, hosted on Teams. Book your space
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London Community Fostering Walk: Saturday 25 May, 9.30am to 2pm, The Lab E20, East Park Walk, London E20 1JB.
Join us for a fun-filled day to celebrate foster carers and launch our new fostering recruitment service, Local Community Fostering. We're working with five other northeast London boroughs to inspire more people to become foster carers. The event includes lots of fun activities and a group walk through the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
 Artist's impression of the new MUGA and play area at Priory Court
Plans for 83 new affordable homes on the Priory Court Estate, Walthamstow, have moved a step closer with the announcement of The Hill Group as the project's contractor.
The development includes eight fully accessible homes, alongside a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. There are 21 homes allocated for social rent, with 10 reserved as family sized apartments with three bedrooms, while 62 properties will be provided as shared ownership.
Improvements will include a new larger multi-use games area, built to Sports England standards, and a new children’s play space and equipment, as well as CCTV and enhanced street lighting.
 The Leytonstone Arts Trail returns this summer, from Saturday 6 to Sunday 14 July.
The popular community-led festival transforms Leytonstone and surrounding areas into a huge exhibition space, with local businesses, community spaces, schools, studios and people's homes hosting work from local artists.
Want to be part of the Trail? Whether you're a painter, sculptor, illustrator, performance artist, photographer, filmmaker, crafter or anything else, register before Monday 3 June 2024. Entry costs £15.
 At The Rainbow’s End is a brand new, moving, original and hard-hitting play by Clare Summerskill based on interviews with older LGBTQ+ people who have experienced homophobia and transphobia in care settings or in their own home when receiving care. Two script-in-hand performance will be held in Waltham Forest, each followed by a Q&A session.
Presented by Artemis Theatre Company in partnership with elop, an LGBT+ mental health and wellbeing charity, and made possible by Waltham Forest Council’s Make It Happen grants programme. All performances are free but booking is essential. Email claresummerskill@gmail.com to reserve your seat.
- Thursday 23 May at 2pm at the Calaloo Club, Chingford, E4 8YD
- Sunday 9 June at 3.30pm and 7pm at Walthamstow Trades Hall, E17 4RQ
 The Togetherness Café is a space where people from diverse backgrounds unite to celebrate differences, share experiences and positively impact lives. It is run by community group Blossom at Leyton Sports Ground and has become a place of solace and belonging for those who attend.
People like Aisha, who speaks little English and often felt ignored and isolated in her community. The café provided her with a safe haven where she could express herself freely. Now, Aisha not only participates in the games and cultural celebrations but also feels a real sense of belonging.
Or there's John, who has battled health issues and loneliness. The caring community at the café has become a lifeline for John, offering him a sense of belonging and proving that genuine connections are key to combating both physical and emotional challenges.
 The Hive is excited to offer a wide variety of activities at our beautiful Epping Forest centre this May:
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rejuvenating outdoor yoga: stretch, breathe and connect with the earth beneath your feet
- family half-term fun: join an unforgettable pond dipping adventure. Explore the wonders beneath the surface and discover the fascinating aquatic life thriving in our ponds
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bring the Very Hungry Caterpillar to life: delight in storytime and crafts, and let your imagination soar in the heart of nature
 This week is Mental Health Awareness week and this year's theme is movement.
Did you know that even a short burst of 10 minutes’ activity can increase our mental alertness and energy?
Movement is very important for both our mental and physical wellbeing, but we know sometimes it's hard to find the time to move enough in our busy routines.
We’ve rounded up some easy suggestions and ideas of what’s available in Waltham Forest, to help you include a little bit more movement in your daily life.
 Get ready for next month's Langthorne Park Festival!
Head to Leytonstone on Saturday 8 June, between noon and 4pm for a community festival of fun, games, live music, performances, street food and much more.
Bring your skates – or hire ours – for the roller disco, shoot some hoops, check out the Worth Unlimited Youth Bus or get a free bike check.
Let’s welcome summer and celebrate our wonderful community together!
 Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, Cllr Ahsan Khan, and local councillors, Cllr Jemma Hempsted and Cllr Elizabeth Baptiste, joined artists and residents for the ribbon-cutting ceremony
You may have noticed a colourful new mural in Chingford Mount.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held to mark its official opening on Tuesday 14 May featuring artists Good Wives and Warriors, residents and councillors.
Part of the Levelling Up programme in Chingford Mount, the idea for the mural came about in spring 2023 following the success of a similar creation in Highams Park. The mural has proved popular since it was installed in April. Watch our Instagram Reel here.
 We’ve now installed around 1,000 water butts in neighbourhoods at risk from extreme rainfall as part of our successful Lower Floods campaign.
Working in partnership with dedicated residents and community groups, our campaign went door-to-door in areas of the borough identified as the highest risk of flooding, offering free, water saving equipment for homes and gardens.
 It's London Craft Week so what better time to visit William Morris Gallery for a busy day of free activities this Saturday, 18 May, celebrating the Japanese crafts that feature in the Art Without Heroes: Mingei exhibition.
Activities kick off at 10am with a talk and demonstration on the art of Tsumugi weaving with Tomo Yoshizawa. From 1pm join Mika Sembongi for Sashiko craft workshops running until 4pm. See the Gallery’s What’s On for more details.
Reminder!
If you or a member of the family are thinking about applying for the Gallery’s Young People’s Curatorial Interpretation Course, make sure you get your application in by Friday 31 May.
 Join us on Saturday 18 May from 10.30am to 1pm for a session of taster sports activities and to find out about the improvements taking place in Rolls Park this year.
Everyone On Boards will be hosting skateboarding and cycling taster sessions and Chingford School of Tennis will host some introductory sessions. There will also be parent and child sessions for the Cricket Club’s Women’s Softball Group and Youth Section.
You can speak to council officers and find out more about the improvements in the park as part of the Levelling Up programme in Chingford Mount and Highams Park.
Council officers will also be there on the day to talk about the revitalisation of the Cricket Pavilion in Rolls Park.
Address: Rolls Park Sports Ground, 14 Hickman Avenue, E4 9JG
Price: free. No need to book, just roll up!
 East of Eden is back throughout the summer with its popular full moon series of community yoga and sound baths – bathed in the light of the full moon and guided by its very best practitioners. The series kicks off on Thursday 23 May at 7.30pm. Bring warm clothes and / or a blanket, along with a mat to practice on.
Tickets are £5 and can be booked through the East of Eden website.
Housing Options Open Day: register now
Our Housing Options Open Day is for people who are currently on the housing register list and would like to find out more about their alternative housing options. For example you could be:
- living in Council accommodation and have requested a move to a different home or
- are a homeless applicant and/or have been placed into temporary accommodation by the Council or
- are a general housing register applicant.
The event takes place on Thursday 30 May at Frederick Bremer School, Siddeley Road, E17. There will be three hourly sessions which will be repeated throughout the day, at 10am to 11am, 11.45am to 12.45pm and 2.30pm to 3.30pm. Find out more.
Please note space is limited in the venue and you will be only be able to attend if you have registered for one of the sessions. If you have any questions or need any support to participate, contact the Housing Engagement team on engagement@walthamforest.gov.uk
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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