The Mayor of Reigate & Banstead wants residents, community groups and voluntary organisations to nominate their volunteers to receive a Volunteer Award in recognition of the valuable work they do. The annual award scheme, now in its nineteenth year, is organised by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council in partnership with Voluntary Action Reigate & Banstead.

Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s Entrepreneur Academy is the perfect opportunity to guide you through the early stages of establishing your own business – and could even see you win up to £5,000 to make your idea a reality. Starting in October, the Entrepreneur Academy is a free, six-month course run in partnership with hosts East Surrey College. 

On 18 June, Team Reigate & Banstead took part in the Specsavers Surrey Youth Games 2022. The Games are aimed at beginners, aged 6 to 16, who might not otherwise be able to attend clubs or are inactive and put off by the thought of competing against others. Seventy of the borough’s young people rose to the challenge and have been learning a brand-new sport since April this year. Half of the group went on the represent the borough across six sports at the games. 

Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival that celebrates the contributions, creativity and resilience of people seeking sanctuary. In Reigate & Banstead, the Council’s resettlement team works with partners, community organisations and volunteers to welcome refugees arriving as part of Government-backed schemes. In return, refugees are contributing to the borough and sharing their culture and skills in many ways - such as the Syrian Feast pop-up restaurants and recipe book, volunteering as a tech angel or teaching dance classes.

We have now made payments to over 26,000 households eligible for the Government’s £150 energy rebate. We have paid 96 percent of direct debit customers and written to all non-direct debit customers about how to make a claim. If you are a non-direct debit customer and you’ve yet to make a claim, or we have contacted you asking for more information to verify your details, please respond as soon as possible so we can make the payment to you. For non-direct debit payers, we aim to make payments within 15 days of an application - due to the volumes being processed and required checks to prevent fraud.

The Older People’s Forum on 21 June brought together more than 60 people representing 44 organisations to collaborate on the provision of services to older people in the borough. Keynote speakers Rebecca Hussey from Surrey County Council Adult Social Care and James Miller from Surrey Heartlands (East Surrey Place) set out their strategies, while voluntary sector organisations showcased their front line delivery. The forum was hosted by Cllr Rod Ashford and Head of Community Partnerships, Justine Chatfield, at the Council’s Woodhatch Community Centre.

The borough's beautiful parks and green spaces, including three Sites of Special Scientific and Nature Conservation Interest, are perfect places to make the most of the sunny weather this summer. Whether you’re visiting a play area, nature trail or setting up a picnic, remember to leave the area as you found it. Put your litter in the bin or take it home with you, be a responsible dog owner, and remember BBQs are not allowed in any of our green spaces.

It’s tempting to recycle everything in sight, so it’s no surprise that at least one unrecyclable item a week per household accidentally goes into the recycling bin – known as ‘wish-cycling’. Wish-cycling is a big deal because a whole truckload of recycling could be rejected at the recycling facility if it contains items that can’t be recycled. It’s very expensive for local councils to sort out and is damaging for the environment. The good news is that you can easily ‘own your impact’ and the Surrey Environment Partnership has five quick wins to help you boss your bins.

If you're looking for your next career move, keep up to date with our current vacancies. We're currently recruiting for a Data Analyst and Co-ordinator (closing date 4 July) and a Waste and Systems Administrator to work in our Recycling, Refuse and Cleansing team (closing date 1 July). 

The Harlequin's exciting programme of outdoor events includes Peter Pan, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Murder. You can experience the delights of open-air theatre in the beautiful surroundings of Reigate’s Castle Grounds while enjoying drinks from the onsite bar and delicious street food from Bhunnys BBQ. 

This is my Theatre will also be back at the Castle Grounds with performances of Pride and Prejudice (9 August) and The Railway Children (24 September). You're recommended to book early to avoid disappointment.  

The results of our survey on proposals for improvements to Horley High Street and subway are now live on our website. The survey findings have helped inform the development of the proposals and the next stage of design. We plan to share more proposals over the summer.

Transport for the South East (TfSE) has launched a 12-week public consultation on a £45 billion plan which sets out actions to decarbonise the transport system across the region, level-up left-behind communities and facilitate sustainable economic growth in the South East. TfSE would like to hear from anyone who lives, works, travels through or visits the South East region. You can view the draft Strategic Investment Plan, register for consultation events and respond to the consultation on TfSE's website.

It is estimated that Surrey will need 10,000 electric vehicle chargepoints by 2030, when the Government’s ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles comes into effect. Surrey County Council is looking for more suggestions on where residential public chargepoints could be installed. You can pin your suggested locations to their interactive map.

Gatwick Airport will soon be asking for comments on amended highway designs following feedback to their consultation last year on development plans for their northern runway.  There will also be an update on other aspects of its plans for office buildings, hotels, car parking, flood alleviation and airport layout, as well as carbon and noise. The consultation runs from 14 June until 27 July.

Plastic Free July is a movement to reduce our reliance on single-use plastic, decrease pollution across the globe and to highlight the impact we have on the environment. Less plastic means cleaner streets, oceans, and overall, a healthier planet. As individuals, small changes we make, such as carrying a reusable water bottle, can have a big impact. Throughout the month, the Surrey Environment Partnership (of which we're a member) will be sharing hints and tips across their social media channels to help you reduce your plastic waste. 

Have your financial circumstances changed? Are you struggling? There is financial support and advice available in Surrey. The Community Helpline Team is here to help you find the right health and welfare support for you. If you can't find the help and support you need on the Health and Welfare hub then you can ring the Community Helpline team on 0300 200 1008.