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Hello everyone,
We have an exciting opportunity coming up for us to get some guidance from our peers on how to make sure we are in a robust position to deliver on our ambitions with Mission Waltham Forest.
We will be taking part in a Corporate Peer Challenge for four days, during the week commencing 24 June.
This will involve a peer-to-peer visit run by the Local Government Association where a team of senior leaders across local government will hold a number of workshops and meetings across the organisation.
They will then feedback about how we are doing around finance and medium-term financial strategy (MTFS), transformation and capacity for improvement, equality, diversity and inclusion and strategic partnerships.
This in-depth look at our service will provide a critical friend's view of our strengths and opportunities for improvement as we work towards delivering Mission Waltham Forest and shaping the way forward together.
 In essence, we can’t do this without you! The peer team, made up from colleagues from Southwark, Brent and Cornwall will want to meet with staff from a diverse range of perspectives. I want you to feel empowered to get involved if you want to and share the successes and challenges you face in your area. There will be invitations going out over the next couple of weeks with some options to get involved. Please do speak to your manager if you are interested.
After the visit is complete, the peer team will share some recommendations with us and then together we will produce an action plan to progress these.
We want to continue delivering the best services for our residents and create a more equitable borough, and I look forward to welcoming them and receiving feedback on how we can continue to deliver on our ambitions. We will keep you updated along the way.
 One of the things I love about our Council is celebrating our rich diversity and culture of our staff. Last Monday so many of our people across the Council from every faith, culture and background came together for the Staff Eid Picnic.
The event included a Ramadan Reflections session, where we heard from Shazia Hussain our Deputy Chief Executive and Aasiyah Mohammed, Executive Assistant, who talked about how they celebrated their Eids. Shazia shared some fantastic pictures of her whole family coming together to break their fast, exchange gifts and celebrate, and Aasiyah shared pictures from her pilgrimage with her family members to Saudi Arabia which looked absolutely fantastic.
They both reminded us of the importance of unity and gratitude and coming together to enjoy time with our loved ones, family and friends.
A massive thank you to Aasiyah for organising the event and to everyone who joined and brought some fantastic dishes to celebrate our rich diversity and culture.
 I was really excited that we launched “Yammer” (Viva Engage) last week. This will be another way to get us all talking and sharing more. You can easily follow your colleagues (and me) and engage with the different communities created. But that's not all — remember to post your own updates, whether it's something you want to share on our Missions, an event you're attending, or if you simply want to express your thoughts and ideas.
If you need some support getting up and running on Viva Engage, there's a training session taking place tomorrow (Tuesday 30 April) 2pm to 2.30pm.
Don’t be shy to share with others or to show who you are on Viva Engage. Let’s get talking!
Not only do we have brilliant staff here at the Council, but we are also fortunate to have an incredible group of volunteers who play a key role in helping us reach residents who we wouldn't normally be able to.
On Wednesday (24 April), we hosted an event in the Town Hall to honour and celebrate our wonderful Early Help volunteers. Every week they support residents to fill out forms they may need help with, provide information around benefits and housing, signpost them to key services and provide a warm welcome and listening ear so they don’t have to face issues alone. Their selfless contributions make a significant impact on our community, and I'm really grateful for their commitment.
Remember that all Council staff are entitled to up to four volunteering days in the borough. It’s a fantastic opportunity to give back and engage directly with the community. So, if you haven’t already, consider using those volunteering days to make a difference!
 Leader Cllr Grace Williams (left), Cllr Vicky Ashworth, Chief Executive Linzi Robert-Egan (right) with some of our wonderful Early Help volunteers and staff
GLA Elections 2024
It is a big day for us this Thursday 2 May (no not my birthday). Elections for the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority will take place across London.
Do remember, if you’re voting, please bring your photo ID with you – this can include a driving licence, passport, Freedom Pass, 60+ Oyster card and more.
Our fantastic, dedicated election team have been working hard with our polling staff, volunteers and everyone involved to ensure we have an excellent electoral process in place throughout.
Thank you to everyone working over the weekend at the elections or keeping our vital services running over the May Bank Holiday.
Have a good week.
Linzi
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