About Guildford News from Guildford Borough Council
Spring 2020
Final Edition
Souvenir Edition
Inside
3
Remembering our biggest stories
2
WE’RE GOING PAPERLESS TO HELP
6
8
Refll your water bottle for free!
Celebrate VE Day anniversary in Guildford
THE ENVIRONMENT
www.guildford.gov.uk
customerservices@guildford.gov.uk
Facebook /GuildfordBC
Twitter @GuildfordBC
Instagram @guildfordbc
YOUR COUNCIL MAIN OFFICE Millmead House, Millmead, Guildford Surrey GU2 4BB
SATNAV If you are travelling to our offces using Sat Nav please use the postcode GU2 4BE. This postcode will bring you to our front entrance.
OPENING HOURS Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
8.30am - 5pm 8.30am - 5pm 8.30am - 5pm 8.30am - 5pm 8.30am - 4.30pm Closed Closed
CONTACT US Contact our Customer Service Centre Tel: 01483 505050 Email: customerservices@guildford.gov.uk www.guildford.gov.uk
SOCIAL MEDIA You can keep up to date with the latest Guildford Borough Council news and events on our social media sites.
Facebook/GuildfordBC @GuildfordBC youtube.com/user/GuildfordBC
About Guildford Spring 2020 edition Keeping residents of Guildford informed about Council news and developments. Production: Communications Team
Image credits: Grant Pritchard, Giles Spencer & Dan Hannington. www.pexels.com Design: Newsquest Media Ltd. www.newsquest.co.uk Print: Printed on 100% wood free 70gsm paper at Newsquest Media Ltd. 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.
Please contact us to request this newspaper in an alternative format or language. You can also view About Guildford online at: www.guildford.gov.uk/aboutguildford
02
A message from...
A message from...
Councillor Caroline Reeves, Leader of the Council
James Whiteman, Managing Director
I must say farewell to About Guildford with this, our last edition after 24 years. We are committed to tackling climate change and as part of this we are reducing our paper use across the Council. We will still keep you up to date on everything about Guildford. Please sign up to our new digital newsletter which launches soon by emailing about@guildford.gov.uk. For the next few months we will be placing printed copies in our libraries, sheltered accommodation and parish offces. Our Climate Change and Innovation Board will lead the way in making our borough and our Council carbon free by working together with our partners from Guildford Environmental Forum, University of Surrey, Surrey Wildlife Trust, RHS Wisley and many more. We are focusing on transport, energy, waste, green spaces, procurement and education. The minutes and plans are available online www.guildford.gov.uk. Souvenir We all need to ‘do our bit’ -- we will be hosting resident forum sessions and I look forward Edition to seeing you there. Local media have some great campaigns to get involved in such as #Do1Thing by The Surrey Advertiser. Enjoy our special souvenir edition and we look forward to keeping you up to date by email on everything about Guildford!
May 1996 was our very frst edition of the About Guildford newspaper. Back then I was a junior offcer working with my team at our Slyfeld Depot. Time has fown by and it’s been a privilege to help then lead the Council to evolve to meet the needs of our residents, visitors and businesses, and we continue to do this. People are central to our success. Our fantastic staff, dedicated councillors and wonderful volunteers all help to make this borough the jewel in Surrey’s crown. Over the years I’ve been so lucky to work alongside many amazing people. Highlights for me include seeing the fantastic GLive replace our old Civic Hall, our recycling rates increase (4,400 tonnes food caddy waste is now recycled saving £3 million a year), and recently, the completion of our new stateof-the-art Crematorium. We will mark the opening later in Spring. Enjoy VE Day in May, we’ve enjoyed looking back at Guildford’s special National Armed Forces Day in 2015 and please do sign up to our digital newsletters. It’s a great way for us to keep you informed of all the fantastic things going on in the borough.
Nominate now for The Mayor’s Award for Access Do you know someone who has made a positive contribution to the lives of disabled people in the borough? The Guildford Access Group is in search of this year’s winners and need your help. Categories this year are: Services to the Community Access Through the Arts Access Through Sports Customer Services Awards Accessible Premises for public use (bronze/silver/gold) The deadline for nominations is Friday 29 May with the Awards being held on Wednesday 14 October.
If you know any people or places that make a real difference to the lives of disabled people, go online and make your nominations at: www.guildford.gov.uk/article/19592/ The-Mayor-s-Award-for-AccessWednesday-14-October-2020 If you do not have access to a PC or the internet, please contact Gemma Roulston or Diana Lockyer-Nibbs, Co-Chairpersons of the Guildford Access Group via Sophie Butcher on 01483 444056, no later than Friday 29 May.
A greener way to share all the news about Guildford This souvenir edition of About Guildford will be our last printed newspaper. We are going paperless to help the environment – just one way we are working with our local community to help reduce our carbon footprint and tackle climate change at a local level. We hope you enjoy taking a look back through the years at all the amazing events we’ve covered, from the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay and Evening Celebration in Stoke Park to the opening of our fantastic entertainment venue, G Live. We know that not everyone has access to the internet, so we will continue to print a small number of copies of our newsletters for the next few months, which will be available from the Council offces at MIllmead, Guildford Library and parish councils. Printed copies will also be distributed to our sheltered www.guildford.gov.uk
housing residents, doctors’ surgeries, Guildford library and parish council offces.
Did You Know? You can read archive copies of About Guildford at the British Library in London. To fnd out how to view a copy, please visit the British Library website at www.bl.uk/visit/reading-rooms or call 0330 333 1144.
Sign up now for our digital newsletters Get all the news from Guildford Borough Council straight to your inbox with our new e-newsletter – coming soon! Events, sport, culture, economics or regeneration, it’s all here.
customerservices@guildford.gov.uk
Sign up at www.guildford.gov.uk/subscribe
60 seconds with Professor Prashant Kumar, University of Surrey
Souvenir Edition
Your Honour! Traditionally the Council can give special titles that recognise someone’s contribution to our borough. Honorary Freeman once gave important privileges, such as parliamentary votes and licence to set up a business. Now it honours “persons of distinction who have rendered eminent services” to the town. The Council currently also recognise 13 Honorary Aldermen – a name derived from the Old English word ealdorman (‘elder man’), which also gave us the Royal title Earl. Aldermen must have served as a councillor for at least 12 years, and have served as either Mayor, Leader of the Council, Lead Councillor or committee chairman. Recipients can wear an Alderman’s robes on civic occasions. For further information, please visit http://bit.ly/GBCAlderman
Prof Prashant Kumar is the Founding Director of the University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research.
“
Guildford is the only town in Surrey with a stand alone Tourist Information Centre. With friendly, effcient and helpful staff it is used by residents and visitors alike. We are indeed fortunate but there were battles along the way! The frst venue was the Undercroft on the High Street, then Tunsgate, now Guildford House Gallery. Retail is the frst reason for a visit to Guildford with Heritage and Cultural activities a close second. For a small town, Guildford provides an excellent example of clear forward thinking that benefts everyone. Honorary Freeman, Jen Powell – past Mayor and councillor from 1987 to 2015
We work closely with the centre to help improve air quality in Guildford as part of our Air Quality Strategy.
“
Making Memories
WE SPOKE TO A FEW OF OUR HONORARY FREEMAN, ALDERMAN AND PAST CLLRS AND ASKED THEM WHAT THEY REMEMBER MOST FROM THEIR TIME AT THE COUNCIL:
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR GUILDFORD TO BE A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE? I’m proud to bring Guildford onto an international platform. We are an international community but we can draw upon the lessons from other cities to engage local people and make things better here. A LOT OF YOUR RESEARCH IS BASED ON LOCAL FINDINGS – WHAT WORK ARE YOU DOING IN THE BOROUGH?
March 2006
As part of the Guildford Living Lab initiative, we have just fnished a project with a school in Merrow, planting hedges to reduce pollution levels in the playground. You can see a clear pattern in the area, where hedges that were brown are now green again – and it was the frst time that this kind of evidence had been produced. We don’t have big industry in Guildford, but we still have a lot of petrol and diesel vehicles passing through, so we need to be more proactive, in improving our tailpipe emissions, and making the roads more cycle-friendly. BUT THE SOLUTION ISN’T AS SIMPLE AS PLANTING MORE TREES? If you put lots of trees on a street with tall buildings, that can trap the pollution and make the air quality even worse. Usually you would think that anywhere you put a tree is good – but that’s not true.
November 2006
Facebook /GuildfordBC
Twitter @GuildfordBC
Instagram @guildfordbc
03
November 2011
“
When it was announced in Memories 1989 that the Angel Hotel in Guildford’s High Street was to be sold to developers shock waves reverberated throughout the town. The developers wanted the whole site for retail. I, together with another former Mayor, John Ades were determined to prevent this. Chief Executive David Watts negotiated a planning deal which ensured the continuation of the Angel as a hotel. May our successors continue to guard our heritage with the same determination.
“
04
“
Nikki Nelson Smith – past Mayor and councillor
September 1999
“
In a very eventful year as Mayor, it was an honour to welcome the Queen to the Guildhall on Maundy Thursday. Thousands of people crammed into the High Street, fags waved, and the Queen and Prince Philip walked the last 100 yards to The Guildhall talking to the people who had waited to see them. I also appreciated the meals I shared with charities that supported the mentally ill and the homeless, the foreign students who invited me to the university and a trip down the Wey on a barge to visit Artington village. Honorary Freeman, Tamsy Baker, MBE – past Mayor of Guildford
www.guildford.gov.uk
customerservices@guildford.gov.uk
Memories
“
Being a councillor was Memories really eye opening. I learnt not just about the many activities the council is involved with but met many of the volunteers and businesses that are so vital to our borough. The innovation that goes on in Guildford is breathtaking, particularly from our local small companies, from satellites to gaming, connected and autonomous vehicles and climate change. Creativity is all around us. My year as Mayor allowed me to publicly thank the many unsung volunteers that support the vulnerable and keep their charities going through events and fundraising. It also allowed me to preside over the biggest event I believe Guildford has ever hosted -National Armed Forces Day in 2015 - when thousands of servicemen were recognised and thousands of visitors came to enjoy the spectacle. What an honour!
“
Honorary Freeman, Andrew Hodges - past Mayor, former leader of the Council, and councillor from 1976 to 2011
From everyone at
December 2012
About Guildford
Souvenir Edition
thank you for reading
Summer 2015
Spring 2017
Winter 2018 Autumn 2019
Facebook /GuildfordBC
Twitter @GuildfordBC
Instagram @guildfordbc
05
Healthy Guildford Day is back on 20 April! Want to put a spring in your step with some healthy free activities? Healthy Guildford Day is back for our second year on 20 April, with a whole range of events and special discounts from retailers. Why not start your day with a sunrise yoga session in the park or treat yourself to a free mini-manicure at Champneys for a bit of lunchtime self-care? We are working together with Experience Guildford, our Business Improvement District to make this year’s event the best ever, so why not join us?
You can fnd all the details online at www.experienceguildford.com
Refll your water bottle for free on North St! With our commitment to tackling climate change on a local level, working closely with our local community, we all need to take small steps to help the environment. One way we can all help is by using a refllable water bottle, helping reduce the tonnes of plastic which sadly make the way into seas around the world affecting marine wildlife. So we were delighted to unveil our frst water refll station on North St in January. Located opposite Guildford Library, on the junction of Ward Street and North Street, the new station will help us to reduce the amount of carbon emitted in the production process. We remain committed to continuing our drive to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. The new station was jointly funded with the Surrey Environment Partnership (SEP), who manage Surrey’s waste in an effcient, effective, economical and sustainable manner. The new water bottle reflling station is also now part of the Refll App network, a smart phone app linked to over 20,000 refll stations across the UK providing free fresh drinking water. Every time one
of its flling stations is used, Refll receives 13p from its supporters and partners to help fund further environmental projects. Find over 20,000 refll points nationwide at www.refll.org.uk
What’s On... MONDAY 23 TO SATURDAY 28 MARCH FRIENDSICAL Friendsical is an original and unique new parody musical inspired by the gang in Friends, the iconic TV show. TUESDAY 12 TO SATURDAY 16 MAY A MONSTER CALLS Patrick Ness’s piercing novel A Monster Calls is brought vividly to life in the Olivier award-winning production by visionary director Sally Cookson. THURSDAY 21 TO SATURDAY 30 MAY SHEILA’S ISLAND Sheila’s Island is a sparkling, sharpwitted new comedy from writer Tim Firth (Calendar Girls, Kinky Boots, The Band); starring Olivier Award winner Sara Crowe (Private Lives, Calendar Girls, Four Weddings and a Funeral).
Guildford’s frst ever Changing Places Facility
For more information, events and to book tickets please call the Box Offce on 01483 440000 or visit www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk
06
We are always looking to make Guildford more accessible so that everyone can enjoy our amazing town. Recently, The Friary installed a new Changing Places Facility with our support through funding, during a big refurbishment. These facilities will provide better provision for those living with complex disabilities and will be fully equipped with an adult sized, height adjustable
changing bench and hoist and will be safe and comfortable for those who need to access them. The Changing Places Facilities have been designed to be a welcoming environment ft for people living with all forms of disability and their carers. Supporting more vulnerable people in our community by improving access in and around Guildford remains a key focus
www.guildford.gov.uk
customerservices@guildford.gov.uk
for us. By installing facilities like these, we can help improve people’s lives. Another way we are supporting our community is the new Community Fridge which recently opened at the Park Barn Centre in Guildford - visit www.guildford.gov.uk for more details.
Volunteering - get involved
WHATEVER TIME YOU HAVE - EVEN IF IT’S ONLY A FEW HOURS - YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY VOLUNTEERING.
As a volunteer you can make a difference to someone else’s life as well as yours. Volunteering can help you make new friends, share your skills and learn new ones. There are hundreds of different local organisations that need volunteer help. Many wouldn’t be able to do what they
do without their volunteers and there are many ways you can get involved. But - where to start? You may have heard of the big-name charities and know of certain volunteer roles, but you probably aren’t aware of all the small local groups who need volunteers or where help is needed.
Here are a few things to think about when considering the sort of volunteering you want to do: PREPARE Most voluntary organisations are run on a shoe-string with minimal staff. Just as with a paid job it will most likely take several weeks from applying to volunteer and starting so if you are looking to do something, start contacting organisations a few months in advance DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR SKILL? Can you design a website, play a musical instrument, speak another language? If you have a skill you can share, then call into Community Point and they can contact organisations on your behalf to fnd out where you can help. DO YOU WANT TO LEARN A SKILL? Most volunteer roles come with training - volunteering is a good way to gain experience and can be a route into work. INTERESTED IN A SPECIFIC CAUSE? How much does it matter what type of organisation you are helping? There are charities working with older people, teenagers, people with disabilities,
victims of crime, rough sleepers, education, the arts, animals, the environment and much more INDOORS OR OUTDOORS? There are plenty of outdoor active volunteering roles, or you can help in an offce-based role - there are even some roles you can do from your own home. ARE YOU A PEOPLE PERSON? Befriending, mentoring, helping in a day centre, chatting to people on the phone, volunteering with children are just some of the ways you can get involved. COULD YOU BE A BUDDY? If you are looking for occasional and fexible volunteering, then being a buddy with Community Point might interest you. They often get requests to do short term or one-off tasks for people who need a bit of help - such as helping with some shopping, changing a lightbulb, a bit of gardening, accompanying to an appointment.
The Executive looks back through the archives of About Guildford before we say goodbye. Facebook /GuildfordBC
Guildford Lions Club Guildford Lions Club is a community service organisation focused on making a difference to peoples’ lives in Guildford. They work with local agencies and charities, both large and small, to identify as many people as possible in our community in need. THEY SUPPORT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY THROUGH: • Making donations to local people in need and to local charities • Providing food parcels at Christmas for the homeless, individuals and families in need • Supporting our local food banks • Providing transport for senior citizens to attend the Fairlands Pantomime each year • Christmas entertainment for the more senior members of our community • Organising an annual trip for young carers • Supporting youth initiatives
THE LIONS RUN FIVE MAJOR FUNDRAISING EVENTS: n n n n n
An Easter Fayre at Shalford Park The Raft Race on the River Wey Music in the Park Concert at Hatchlands Park Charity Runs at Hatchlands Park Torch Light Procession and Fireworks Fiesta
Guildford Lions welcome newcomers. If you would like to get involved call 0345 833 2884 or visit www.guildfordlions.com
Guildford Street Angels Street Angel teams are well-known in Guildford town centre on Friday and Saturday nights, for their calming presence, giving practical care and support to people, often to get home safely. They wear distinctive coats with a bright yellow angel, so that people can easily recognise them, when needed. A newer project, Community Angels, are volunteers who befriend vulnerable adults who may face loneliness and isolation. Support is personalised and may range from chatting over a cup of tea to going for walks, trying a new
activity, or accessing other types of help And Volunteer Chaplains offer a listening ear for people, provide spiritual and emotional support in the workplace and public spaces such as shopping centres, the police station and the hospital. They are always on the look-out for people who might be able to help, even if they only have a few hours to spare each week - visit www.gtcc.org.uk to fnd out more.
Rotary Club of Guildford The Rotary Club of Guildford was formed in October 1921 by a diverse group of professional individuals and businessmen who shared a common interest, as part of the international Rotary organisation, to serve communities and those in need both at home and around the world. Since the start, the Club has played an important role in Guildford and
continues to support a wide range of projects contributing to the community’s wellbeing and residents’ quality of life, locally the Club works tirelessly to support charities and organisations in the Guildford area. To fnd our more, and get involved, visit: www.rotaryclubguildford.co.uk
Work with our Countryside Team Our Countryside team works closely with volunteer groups who support the management of our 52 countryside sites. This year 350 volunteers contributed over 2,200 volunteer hours working at countryside sites around our borough. Volunteer groups at Pewley Downs, Snaky Lane Nature Reserve and Fox Corner Nature Reserve continue to grow in number - but we are always looking for new volunteers.
Volunteer tasks vary throughout the seasons, from grassland and woodland management to orchid counts and butterfy surveys and our Countryside Wardens also run regular Corporate Volunteer days for groups of any size to join them at work for a day. To fnd out more, and to get involved, visit: www.guildford.gov.uk/countryside
To fnd out more about local volunteering opportunities or about becoming a buddy contact Community Point, 39 Castle Street, Guildford GU1 3UQ, open Mon - Fri 10am - 3pm. Phone 01483 565456 n Email communitypoint@vasws.org.uk Web www.voluntaryaction.org.uk Twitter @GuildfordBC
Instagram @guildfordbc
07
Celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day Did you know that Friday 8 May marks 75 years since the end of the Second World War (VE Day)? The early May Bank Holiday has been moved to the Friday to recognise this important day. To remember the sacrifce so many gave on the battlefelds, Guildford Cathedral will host a weekend of events. On Friday 8 May there will be a whole day of activities, from a street party-style lunch to a display of military vehicles. There will also be a special concert by Southern Pro Musica on Saturday 9 May. Join us for an inspiring concert including Walton’s vivid ‘Spitfre Prelude’ and a tribute to Dame Vera Lynn including ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’ and ‘We’ll meet again’. We know some of you are planning to celebrate with street parties (sorry, the deadline to apply for closing your road has now passed) and we’d love you to share your photos with us on social media using #VE75Guildford. We’re lucky to have some beautiful awardwinning parks and countryside around our borough, so why not take a picnic and discover one that’s new to you or an old favourite? Take the kids to Westnye Gardens or enjoy an afternoon in the Castle Grounds.
Visit www.guildford.gov.uk/parks to fnd your nearest park
Find out more at www.veday75.org
Want to keep up to date about Guildford?
SIGN UP NOW
ALL THE LATEST COUNCIL NEWS AND EVENTS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX!
Sign Up Now
for our digital newsletters email: about@guildford.gov.uk
We are going paperless to help the environment - just one way we are working with the community to help reduce our carbon footprint and tackle climate change. We recognise that not everyone has access to the internet, so printed copies will be available from the Council offces, Guildford Library and Parish Councils.