I had the privilege of being invited to Freshbrook Church recently, where I met local residents at the Open House lunch club. This happens on the first Tuesday of every month and provides retired people with a chance to eat a freshly cooked meal together for just £2.50, and it was great to hear how much it means to people. Following this, I had a tour of the church's fantastic facilities and finished off by helping to pack boxes for…
The latest round of Community Grants and New Shoots Grants is now open. Local Community Groups can apply to grants of up to £1000 and can be used to support events/projects in Swindon, of which £250 can be used to support things like helping with running expenses or printing newsletters. For Swindon residents or informal groups who have an idea for a project which will benefit their local community, there is a New Shoots grant which has its own application…
I was really pleased to be able to attend the recent Pride of Swindon awards, which was held at the STEAM Museum. It's always a great pleasure to attend the event, as I always learn about the amazing things that are happening in the town and the huge commitment of Swindon locals to helping others and making real difference in their communities. I'm proud that the event was set up by one of my former Mannington & Western ward…
Believe it or not, 5th May will be an important date for some of those people who cause us so much grief, the ones who don’t know where their polling station is and just do not care who’s in charge in Euclid Street. They will be heading for the Arts Centre and the Central Library for the events of Day 4 of the Swindon Festival of Literature, which as it happens include conversations with two star comedians, Isy Suttie and…
Swindon residents have been invited to an important Hindu festival on the evening of Sunday 14th February. The Swindon Puja Committee has organized the third annual Hindu festival this Sunday to celebrate Saraswati Puja, an event devoted to the goddess Saraswati, at the Punjabi Community Centre, off of Cricklade Road. Last year’s event had more than 400 people attend and was deemed an overwhelming success. The religious element of the festival starts at 10am and will be formally opened by…
A new mural based on Doctor Who and Swindon has been completed at the Cambria Bridge Park. It celebrates the 175th anniversary of the Swindon Rail Works and local artist Ken White features. Well done to all involved, it shows what can be achieved when the council works with local community activists. Thanks to those at the Central Community Centre and the Mechanics Institute Trust activists.