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About Guildford News from Guildford Borough Council

Autumn 2019

Real Change

Heritage Open Days Green Flags Success New Homes What’s On

Inside

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Green Flag Success

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Crematorium Update

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Community spirit at Park Barn Centre

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New homes at The Orchard

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About Guildford Autumn 2019 edition Keeping residents of Guildford informed about Council news and developments. Published four times a year.

Production: Angela Lovell & the Communications and PR Team Image credits: Grant Pritchard, Giles Spencer & Dan Hannington.

Design: NWN Media Ltd (www.nwnmedia.co.uk) Print: Printed on 100% wood free 70gsm paper at NWN Media.

Distribution: Delivered to every residential address in the borough.

Cost: 60,000 copies are printed at a cost (design, print and distribution) of 14p per eight-page copy.

Councillor Caroline Reeves, Leader of the Council Welcome to the autumn edition of About Guildford and my second column as Leader.

I have pledged to work hard to protect our environment, both now and for future generations. I am glad to say that at the Council we are working to make changes for a real difference. But I haven’t just agreed to talk about what we should be doing - across the Council we are aiming for actions that all staff, residents and visitors can see and do themselves. We must lead by example.

At our Council meeting in July we declared a Climate Emergency, along with urgent actions, including to reach a target goal of net zero emissions by 2030, working with partners towards a carbon-free borough and establishing a local Climate Change Partnership.

And we committed to work towards a plastic free borough by reducing all single-use plastics to minimal medical or other essential uses.

We have to ensure that we make changes that will have an impact.

We have a new Climate Change and Innovation Board to focus on the

various ways that we can work with local experts including academics from the University of Surrey who excel in this field. Our first very small steps have included: • Air Quality Strategy and Action Plan • Electric Vehicles - increase charging points and increase our own fleet where feasible • Joining easit - a sustainable travel scheme encouraging use of public transport and move away from cars • Replacing our lighting with more efficient LEDs • Ensure our new builds are low carbon • Improved recycling in our office buildings • Providing local drinking water fountains • Support the Surrey Environment Partnership’s Single-use Plastics Strategy • Aim to be single use plastic free as a borough We are committed to making a difference and know it will take time to realise our ambitions. We cannot delay, we need to do all we can to ensure a better outcome for everyone.

James Whiteman, Managing Director I hope you have all enjoyed the summer and made the most of some of the wonderful events that have taken place across our borough, such as Inspired by Alice in the Castle Grounds, or a walk in our award-winning parks and gardens.

We are very proud of our achievements this year, having secured a record 10 Green Flags and having Stoke Park be nominated for the Fields in Trust UKs Best Park award - we will know more about how we have done in September.

I would like to focus on the important and valuable work volunteers provide within our community, from those that help at our parks, gardens and countryside sites, to those that give their expertise and time for free to help those that need it most.

As I have seen for myself there are several local organisations such as the Lions, Street Angels the Rotary Club and the Women’s Institute that have keen and dedicated members. We will be focussing on the work of some of these organisations and how you can get involved in our next edition of About Guildford.

New Guildford Crematorium on track to open later this year Our new Crematorium build is progressing well and we recently hit an important milestone - the ‘topping out’ ceremony as we finished the roof on the new building.

We are investing £10 million in the project to rebuild our crematorium at the existing site in Peasmarsh, on the edge of the borough. The rebuild will provide improved facilities to cater for the changing needs of our population and offer a supportive, inclusive and caring environment for the bereaved.

To allow us to complete the works the site will be closed for two weeks in November. We will be holding a special dedication ceremony in November please keep an eye on our website for more details nearer the time.

We also offer a range of competitively priced advertising packages.

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You can also view About Guildford online at: www.guildford.gov.uk/aboutguildford

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Guildford awarded 10 Green Flags the most in the South East

This year we received the most Green Flags in Surrey and the South East for our beautifully maintained gardens, parks and outside spaces. Our Green Flags show that our green spaces meet high standards and recognises the hard work and dedication of Council staff and volunteers.

Guildford is known for being one of the best places to live and visit in the South East boasting everything from town centre havens to traditional parks, heritage sites and even nature reserves.

The international award, like Blue Flags for beaches, is managed by Keep Britain Tidy and is now in its third decade.

This year we celebrated some of our lesser known Green Flag areas such as the 33-hectare Riverside Nature Reserve - our first Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) to receive a flag which has over 650 different species of butterflies and moths. Our Parks Team use cows to keep the grass trim and to promote the natural ecosystems while maintaining wildlife. Lakeside Nature Reserve in Ash another SANG also holds the award.

Sutherland Memorial Park secured it’s 17th Green Flag while the Castle

Guildford Philanthropy recently celebrated its fifth year.

Set up by the Council, Guildford Philanthropy encourages local giving to tackle local need, and supports projects that deliver training opportunities, work experience, jobs and other benefits to local people who need help.

The aim is to build confidence and self-esteem by enabling access into a working environment and by encouraging the development of new skills, through social enterprise initiatives.

In the five years since it began, Guildford Philanthropy has raised over £500,000 and made 46 grants to local organisations that have, in turn, benefitted over 3,800 members of our community.

The first grant was to help launch the Guildford Bike Project and the most recent was to the Matrix Trust, which supports local vulnerable young people, to raise funds for a social enterprise cafe.

Grounds, a public garden since 1888 received a flag for the 11th year. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar mission there is currently a special ‘moon themed’ flower bed and another celebrating 40 years of Guildford’s

twinning with Freiburg, Germany.

Stoke Park received its 13th flag for its 50 hectares of green space and visitor facilities, that include a boating lake, skate park, paddling pool, tennis courts, mini-golf and more.

To find out more, please visit: www.guildfordphilanthropy.org.uk

Read more on our Green Flags here www.Guildford.gov.uk/greenflag

The Electric Theatre

It was a glorious few days with over 500 visitors on the first day alone. We are already planning the event for next August so we can offer the ultimate staycation.

Looking to the future, we are excited to announce we will be teaming up with Same Sky to bring Guildford’s first FREE lantern procession to town. Look out on our social media and website for details on lantern building workshops and join us for our Lantern Parade and Christmas Fair on November 30.

In 2017 the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) was awarded the lease to run The Electric Theatre in order to remove the subsidy costs to the Council and to enhance its use as a community venue. Here the ACM let us know what the last two years have been like for them.

In a challenging environment for theatre in the UK, we have sought to bring this iconic venue back to life with a balance of professional and community programming, while providing opportunities for our students to get involved in running events - a core part of our ‘learning-by-doing’ approach to education.

In this journey we have broadened the community groups we work with to

Guildford Philanthropy celebrates five years and £500,000 of fundraising

ensure the Electric Theatre is a space that supports the diverse population of Surrey and beyond.

We recently worked with the Big Leaf Foundation to deliver a seven week training partnership for young displaced people living in the local area. Together, we ran The Café Project, helping break through social isolation by providing real work experience and language development. The weeks were Facebook /GuildfordBC

transformative for more than just the participants of the project and we look forward to supporting them in the future.

We also ran Guildford-On-Sea, which saw us team up with Experience Guildford to bring The Beach to town.

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For more information about The Electric Theatre, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Or you can find us online www.electric.theatre

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Specsavers Surrey Youth Games 2019 celebrating sport for all Over 1,600 young people from across the borough enjoyed representing Team Guildford at the 23rd Specsavers Surrey Youth Games, hosted at Surrey Sports Park.

The games delivered accessible, inclusive, and fun opportunities for young people to increase their activity levels, try new experiences, and enjoy participating in sports and physical activity.

In the lead up to the Games weekend, we worked with local sports clubs, leisure centres, and coaches to provide seven weeks of free taster sessions in a variety of sports and activities.

The sessions were for people aged 6 to 16, and this year 290 young people

enjoyed their first taste of community sports coaching and the chance to enjoy being physically active.

Team Guildford also entered 144 young beginners in the festival weekend and came second overall in the borough fair play trophy, demonstrating the excellent sportsmanship of our players and coaches. We had 23 teams in the Games weekend festival and brought home gold in the under 16 mixed contact boxing competition.

Community spirit at the Park Barn Centre Everyone’s welcome at our Park Barn Social Centre and there’s been lots going on over the past few months, thanks to the hard work of our Centre staff and the Community Wellbeing team.

The Park Barn Social Centre is a place where local people can get together. We have been providing day care services here for 20 years for anyone over 55 and we are keen for the local community to use our meeting rooms and café to really make the centre a community hub.

We recently refreshed our café which is open every weekday, with soft play for the little ones to enjoy. It’s a great place to meet friends for coffee and a chat.

Our courtyard garden is looking lovely thanks to a group of Syrian refugees who live in the borough. They have been working with the Park Barn Centre and Guildford House Gallery to redesign the garden spaces at both sites and we are all delighted with the results!

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We now hold monthly community events at the centre which are open to anyone - recent events include a Sunday Roast, a fantastic magic show for young and old and a family bingo and pizza www.guildford.gov.uk

night. We have lots more planned for the rest of the year - keep an eye on our GBC Community Wellbeing page on Facebook for more details.

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To find out more about the services on offer visit www.guildford.gov.uk/socialcentres

Guildford Heritage Open Days: 13 - 15 September 2019 Discover Guildford’s history, heritage, architecture and culture for free during Heritage Open Days on 13 - 15 September.

With over 80 things to see and do including historical buildings, tower tours, guided walks, children’s activities, re-enactments, behind the scenes theatre tours and lots more - there’s something for everyone.

Celebrating its 25th year, Heritage Open Days provides an exciting opportunity to explore some of Guildford’s architectural and cultural gems. The event is locally organised by Guildford Borough Council, Guildford Town Guides and the Guildford Society and sponsored by Sanlam.

A colour brochure is available at the Tourist Information Centre, High Street, Guildford or download a copy www.guildford.gov.uk/ heritageopendays or view an online event directory www.heritageopendays.org.uk

Due to space restrictions, some venues will require tickets, please check our brochure or the national events directory for further details.

The usual favourites will be opening their doors including the Great Barn of Wanborough, The Royal Grammar School’s Chained library, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and Mill Studio Theatre.

There will be an opportunity to view and discover more about St Catherine’s Chapel, built in the late 13th century located on top of a hill overlooking the River Wey. Both Rydes Hill Preparatory School, an early Georgian building, with Victorian extensions and Prior’s Field School, an Art’s and Crafts original house designed by architect Charles Francis Annesley Voysey will also be welcoming visitors.

New homes at The Orchard in Park Barn The first tenants are settling into their new homes at The Orchard in Park Barn, where we recently completed building 18 flats, nine of which are wheelchairaccessible. The homes are on the site of the former Apple Tree pub and have been welcomed by the local community.

Since 2014, when central government gave local councils new powers to build more council homes, we have built more than 100 new properties around the borough. We also have several other sites in development, the largest is at

Guildford Park road near the station where 160 new homes will be built.

There is a lack of affordable housing in our borough and house prices and rents are among the highest in the country.

This particularly affects key workers such as nurses who provide essential services for our community. We need to provide affordable housing so more people can live near their jobs, which will also help reduce congestion on our roads and improve staff retention for local employers.

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Real Change - Targeting your donations to help Rough Sleepers Real Change Guildford is a community initiative that provides practical solutions to help those who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

The scheme uses donations generated by local businesses and the public to help those most in need, empowering them to make positive changes to their lives. From funding a training course to a deposit for a home or providing a haircut or a new suit for that life-changing interview, this innovative approach means Real Change helps people to move away from the

streets or avoid homelessness.

Many organisations are involved in Real Change Guildford, including Experience Guildford, the Council, Riverside Guildford and Sainsbury who have actively embraced the scheme. As part of the food chain’s 150-year anniversary their staff have committed 150 hours of community service to support this project with the

aim of helping someone off the street and into work.

The scheme began in Manchester where it has been very successful in helping people. You can donate money or time to the campaign, and it is hoped it will help transform rough sleeping in the town centre and throughout the borough.

For more information on Real Change Guildford, and how you can get involved to make a difference, visit www.realchangeguildford.co.uk

Guildford’s first Games Festival - a great success Did you know Guildford is home to over 70 video game businesses, employing over 1500 people (10% of the UK’s game industry workforce)?

The Rt Hon Anne Milton MP and Leader of the Council Cllr Caroline Reeves opened the first Guildford Games festival at GLive in June. Supported by the Council and others including The University of Surrey and Ukie, the first day offered over 40 industry led panels and career workshops with key figures from the industry including Peter Molyneux (22 Cans), Sean Murray (Hello Games), and Siobhan Reddy (Media Molecule).

The following day the public were invited to play 50 locally made games from 1987 to present day in the consumer expo, alongside the Belong eSport arena and Club Minecraft.

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What’s On...

FRIDAY 13 SEPTEMBER OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR Submerge yourself in the captivating cinematography of the world’s most visually stunning ocean films. Viewed via big screen at G Live, this show is perfect for any Blue Planet fans or anyone who wants to escape into the wonder of nature.

TUESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER SUPREME QUEEN Prepare to be transported to the halcyon days of one of the world’s greatest ever rock bands, as Scott Maley’s incredibly precise rendition of Freddie Mercury and one of the world’s most recognisable tribute bands make you fall in love with Queen all over again.

SATURDAY 21 SEPTEMBER TROPICANA NIGHTS Get your leggings on, neon headbands in place and dance the night away at G Live’s ultimate 80’s party night for over 25’s. The perfect party night for hen parties, birthdays and girls who just wanna have fun!

FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER THE LIFE AND RHYMES OF BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH Benjamin Zephaniah tells the compelling and inspirational story of how he fought injustice and discrimination in his remarkable life through a series of stories and poems.

This incredible live performance from one of the country’s most respected artists is one not to miss!

What’s On...

THURSDAY 5 - SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER

WEDNESDAY 2 - THURSDAY 3 OCTOBER

MONDAY 23 - SATURDAY 28 SEPTEMBER

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN LIVE

WHAT’S IN A NAME

THE NIGHT WATCH

Watch your children’s face light up at this utterly magical live theatre show where Igglepiggle and all their favourite In The Night Garden characters are brought to life with costumes, puppets and enchanting music. There’s nothing quite like it!

An outrageously funny comedy that questions whether a person’s name truly reflects who they are.

The Inbetweeners’ own Joe Thomas and Miranda star Bo Poraj feature in this smash hit comedy which will have you hooked as unexpected revelations turn this family dinner party into a comedic riot.

London in the 1940s. A time when hearts beat faster and life burned more brightly. The Night Watch is a tender, tragic and beautifully poignant portrait of four ordinary people caught up in the aftermath of an extraordinary time.

Olivier-nominated playwright Hattie Naylor creates a gripping and theatrically inventive adaptation of this great modern novel from the award-winning, number one best-selling author, Sarah Waters (Tipping the Velvet, The Paying Guest and The Little Stranger).

SATURDAY 5 OCTOBER LOST VOICE GUY: I’M ONLY IN IT FOR THE PARKING Having won Britain’s Got Talent and a BBC New Comedy Award Lee Ridley (AKA Lost Voice Guy) is the first comedian to use a communication aid. But while he can’t talk, he definitely has something to say in a hilarious new stand-up show that’ll leave everyone speechless!

FRIDAY 18 OCTOBER

THURSDAY 19 - FRIDAY 20 SEPTEMBER SHOWSTOPPERS MONDAY 7 - SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER GASLIGHT

Spontaneous musical comedy at its absolute finest - direct from the West End. A brand new musical comedy is created from scratch at each performance of this award-winning show as audiences suggestions are transformed on the spot into all-singing, all-dancing productions with hilarious results.

DARREN HARRIOTT: GOOD HEART YUTE Now a regular face on Mock The Week and with an outstanding Live At The Apollo performance under his belt, you won’t want to miss Darren’s new stand-up show about being 30, having never been in love and whether it’s someone else’s fault?!

SATURDAY 21 SEPTEMBER MUSIC AND SHAKESPEARE

STEWART FRANCIS: INTO THE PUNSET Don’t miss the legendary Canadian oneliner merchant on his last ever tour!

The Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo and Crackerjack star will have you crying with laughter before he heads off into the punset.

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TUESDAY 15 - SATURDAY 19 OCTOBER TWO TRAINS RUNNING

FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER

All tickets can be purchased online: www.GLive.co.uk or call 01483 369350

A lost watch, a missing brooch, a displaced picture frame… Tricks of the mind perhaps, but for Bella Manningham everything seems horribly real.

As the fog-bound evening draws in and the gaslight dims again, Bella realizes she is alone with no one to protect her from the footsteps creaking in the attic. Only the unexpected arrival of former police detective Rough can help untangle fact from fiction and save a woman on the brink of insanity.

Southern Pro Musica and the GSA singers brings you an evening of orchestral masterpieces inspired by the works of Shakespeare, together with some of the Bard’s most dramatic speeches performed by one of the UK’s best-loved actors, Brian Blessed.

It is Pittsburgh, 1969, and racial tensions are on the rise.

The regulars of Memphis Lee’s restaurant are struggling to cope with the turbulence of a rapidly changing world. The diner is in threat of being torn down, a casualty of the city’s renovation project that is sweeping away the buildings of a community, but not its spirit.

The iconic American playwright August Wilson paints a vivid portrait of everyday lives in this defining moment of American history.

For more information, events and to book tickets please call the Box Office on 01483 440000 or visit www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

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