Cultural Action Plan
As the Mayor’s first-ever London Borough of Culture in 2019, we’re proud that you can find culture on every corner here in Waltham Forest.
Building on that legacy, last week we unveiled our new Cultural Action Plan, detailing how we will use culture over the next five years as a tool to build stronger, more resilient communities where everyone can express their creativity and make their voice heard.
Not everyone who lives in Waltham Forest has an equal chance in life. Residents have told us that culture should be a priority for the council to address inequalities, foster a sense of community, and celebrate our diversity. The plan is structured around six action areas, outlining the positive changes we want to make and how we will achieve them. Read the full Cultural Action Plan on our website to learn more about our vision and the important role that culture has to play in your future.
Waltham Forest continues to punch above its weight when it comes to culture and creativity. Just last week our beloved William Morris Gallery was named the seventh-best museum in the UK by The Independent from a list of 1,800 - highlighting its family friendly facilities and upcoming special exhibitions for its 75th Anniversary year.
The free Morris Mania exhibition opens on Saturday 5 April and tells the story of William Morris' iconic designs, their lasting influence, and their widespread presence in popular culture. You can get involved by donating or lending Morris-patterned objects to the show or submit photos to the Living with Morris photo archive.
As many of you will also be aware, the Grade II* listed former Granada Cinema building is on track to reopen as Soho Theatre Walthamstow in May. The revitalised venue will foster strong connections through community outreach, offering local job opportunities, dedicated spaces and special benefits for our residents and businesses.
You can get involved by checking out the Take Part programme in the article below.
Grace
Cllr Grace Williams, Leader of Waltham Forest Council
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.
 From trying your hand at stand-up comedy or writing your first play, to singalongs with kids, learning how to DJ or social afternoons for the over 50s, there's a range of activity at Soho Theatre Walthamstow now open for booking for those who live, study or work in Waltham Forest.
Soho Theatre’s Take Part programme includes tasters for some of their most popular artist development programmes across comedy, cabaret & drag, character comedy and playwrighting, and collaborations with local community organisations for all ages.
The programme is exclusively for those who live, study or work in the borough and available at a reduced rate (up to 70% off what Soho Theatre normally charges). Look out for the availability line on each event page to check whether it’s part of the Waltham Forest programme.
Plus further £15 tickets for residents are available for Natalie Palamides’s WEER.
How to access your £15 resident tickets
- Log in to your account with your Waltham Forest postcode and select your preferred performance
- Look for the ⭐ icon on the seating plan (no stars = sold out offer).
- Check the FAQs for more info. Email us at ticket@sohotheatre.com or call 020 7478 0100.
 Do you have an idea for a project to help tackle inequality in your local area? Our new round of Community Ward Funding is open. The idea or project could be something that brings people together or offers support to those who need it most, and must be led by individuals or community groups. Wards with two councillors are allocated £6,600 and wards with three councillors are allocated £10,000. The deadline to apply is Friday 2 May 2025 at 5pm.
 From Tuesday 1 April, Thames Water have said that they will be increasing their prices. We know that this comes at an extremely difficult time for our residents. Some help is available on their website. Please check to see if you are eligible for financial support.
 Black bin collections are moving from weekly to every two weeks. This means that some residents had their black bins collected this week and others will have them collected next week. For some households, the collection day has changed from what you are used to, so find out when to expect the crews at the link below.
 Despite the financial pressures on all councils across the country, we promise to maintain our street cleaning services no matter what. Our teams are out across the borough 7 days a week, day and night. They make sure our streets stay clean by clearing rubbish, picking up fly-tipping and bulky waste, power washing roads and pavements, and cleaning graffiti.
If there's something on your street that needs sorting, you can report it on our website.
 Photo courtesy of Kirsty Noble
We are committed to working to prevent domestic abuse and reducing the harm it causes to individuals, families, and communities. Our partnership with Peabody and the charity Furnishing Futures sees us working together to create professionally designed, fully furnished homes ready for domestic abuse survivors to move into and rebuild their lives.
The Furnishing Futures team has a background in both support work and interior design, and works with residents while being mindful of their past traumas. They use furniture donated by contacts in the interior design industry and supporters of the charity. In doing so, they saved 62,000kg of unwanted furniture from landfill.
 Local community gardening groups, friends of parks associations and volunteer organisations are encouraged to get in contact with the Council if they are planning any Big Spring Clean events during the first weekend of April. You play a vital role in keeping our local green spaces looking their best so don’t forget to let the parks team know and register your event via email: Greenspace.volunteers@walthamforest.gov.uk
 Alongside our development partner Countryside Partnerships - part of Vistry Group - we have celebrated the completion of the new 47 shared ownership homes delivered for the council in the final phase of the Marlowe Road estate regeneration scheme in Walthamstow.
The shared ownership block includes a mixture of 47 new one, two, and three-bedroom affordable homes. Sales launched last month and so far, they are progressing well, with over 30 per cent of homes already under offer. The apartments are prioritised for residents with a local connection, including people living and working in the borough.
 In our latest Stories of Sanctuary, we spoke with T about starting ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes, his dream to work in IT one day, and his love of fish and chips.
If you or someone in your network would like to register for an ESOL class, you can visit the weekly Migrant Community Drop-in every Thursday, 2pm to 4pm at Lea Bridge Library, Lea Bridge Road, E10 7HU.
 It costs less than £20 to rent a pressure washer – the Thing of the Month from the Leytonstone Library of Things - compared to an RRP of more than ten times that. You also don’t have to worry about storing it, which is useful as owners don’t even use it more than twice on average! Find out more about the Library of Things, and why borrowing instead of buying is a fantastic way to take positive climate action.
 Come join Mile Rainbow's free East Asian Dance Club on Saturdays, from 29 March to 13 December 2025 at Leyton Sports Ground.
Experience gentle martial arts, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese dance, as well as Hip Hop, Bollywood, urban, conteporary dance & more! Open to all ages 3 and above and adults, no booking required—just show up!
 This Easter, we have lots of opportunities for free cycle training.
For younger ones, our popular holiday cycling school is returning. There are sessions available for children from reception age and up, helping children learn to ride and build confidence in a safe and supportive environment.
If you’d like to learn one on one or as a family, we also have free cycle training for adults and families who’d like to ride together. There are over 200 slots available in April at Lloyd Park and Leyton Jubilee Park. Sessions are two hours each and run between 9am and 5pm.
 The Friends of Lloyd Park need more volunteers to help continue their work in 2025. There are a range of roles available for all levels of experience and time commitment.
Join their annual general meeting (AGM) on Monday 31 March, 7.30pm, at Walthamstow Trades Hall.
Wood Street planting day
Troubridge Square in Wood Street has new planting beds, adding a nice splash of greenery in time for spring.
To celebrate this, we invited members of the community to join in the planting which took place on Tuesday 18 March. Luckily, the weather was perfect and people of all ages were keen to join to in.
The planters, installed in response to the community ask for a greener Troubridge Square, mitigate flood risk as they are designed to drain and soak up the rain (sustainable urban drainage systems).
Meet your local police team
Did you know that your local police Safer Neighbourhoods Team host ward panels throughout the year? If you're not familiar, ward panels are an opportunity for you to speak directly to the officers working in your area, raise concerns and ask about local issues.
In April, the following ward panels are taking place:
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High Street Police Ward Panel Meeting: 10 April, 7pm to 9pm – Walthamstow Library
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Cathall Police Ward Panel Meeting: 11 April, 6pm to 7pm – Holy Trinity Church
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Valley Police Ward Panel Meeting: 17 April, 7pm to 8.30pm – Paradox Centre
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Larkswood Police Ward Panel Meeting: 23 April, 7.30pm to 9pm - South Chingford Methodist Church Hall, 3 New Rd E4 9EU
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William Morris Police Ward Panel Meeting: 23 April, 6.30pm to 7.30pm – Fire Station Community Room
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Hatch Lane Police Ward Panel Meeting: 25 April, 6pm to 7pm - TMO office, Chingdale Road , E4 6HZ
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Higham Hill Police Ward Panel Meeting: 26 April, 5.30pm to 6.30pm – Higham Hill Library
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Hale End Police Ward Panel Meeting: 30 April, 6.30pm to 7.30pm – Methodist Church Winchester Road, E4 9JP
Free film career training
Applications are now open for Waltham Forest residents aged 18 and above to apply for Set Ready Training, which gives you the opportunity to learn crucial skills for working on film and TV shoots. The two-day training is completely free and no previous experience is necessary, an amazing opportunity to get experience in the film industry which can set you up for future roles.
The course takes place on Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 May, with applications closing on Tuesday 29 April.
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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