We are pleased to have already started welcoming refugees from Ukraine into the borough as they flee the terrible situation in their country. We are working with members of our existing local Ukrainian Community to provide support and know this will be a crucial element of helping to make those arriving feel comfortable.

The R&Be Active Play Rangers programme is on during the Easter school holiday, providing free community play sessions for 5-12 year olds. Along with a variety of sports and play equipment to spark children’s imagination and creativity, the Play Rangers also organise games and activities such as relay races, rounders and parachute games.

On Thursday 5 May residents will get to have their say on who represents them on Reigate & Banstead Borough Council. With the deadline to register to vote fast approaching, people who are not registered at their current address are being urged to make sure they are registered in time.

The Government has announced a £150 rebate on Council Tax bills for households in bands A-D to help with rising energy bills. If you don’t already pay by direct debit, sign up now to receive the money more quickly when we start to make payments.

Our Reception at Reigate Town Hall is now open from 9am – 2pm, Monday to Friday. Please only visit us in person if you feel well. To make your visit safe for everyone - particularly vulnerable people - please follow signage and wear a face covering inside the building if you can.

Our recycling and refuse service will carry on as usual over the Easter holidays, so there will be NO CHANGE to your bin collections. Around 80 million chocolate eggs are sold in the UK over the Easter period – which is a lot of work for the Easter bunny and a lot of waste too! Hopefully not too much chocolate will end up in your food recycling but remember to recycle as much of your Easter waste as possible.

The borough will benefit from £120,000 in Goverment funding to help in the preparation of a design code that sets  standards for the development of a green corridor connecting Redhill and Horley. This will help guide design features such as street character, building type, use of public space, and the sustainability of new development.

Thanks to some amazing local volunteers, we've planted 300 young trees in hedges in Horley and Woodhatch this month. These trees will help our environment by taking in carbon and producing the oxygen we need to breathe. Native trees and hedges are important habitats too. The trees were provided by Surrey County Council as part of their Treescapes Fund.

If you’re looking for ways to meet new people, or ideas for feeling happier and healthier, take a look at our new magazine. You can hear from the fantastic local organisations, volunteers and residents getting involved in communities across the borough. There’s information about volunteering, mental health, support for carers and older people, and much more!

From April 2022, the government is providing £5,000 to encourage households to replace gas boilers with low carbon heating systems, such as air source heat pumps (ASHPs). The grant would cover most of the cost and installation of an ASHP, which helps to reduce your greenhouse emissions because electricity (which heat pumps use) can be produced by renewable energy.

The Mayor of Reigate & Banstead, Cllr Jill Bray, is hosting a special coffee morning on Wednesday, 6 April, at Reigate Town Hall, to raise funds to aid the people of Ukraine. A selection of delicious cakes, teas, and coffees will be available, with all proceeds going directly to the Surrey Stands With Ukraine charity. Pop in any time between 9.30am and noon.

Street Party and road closure applications are now open ahead of The Big Jubilee Lunch during the special June bank holiday weekend for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. With many applications having been received for parties taking place on Sunday 5 June, don't miss out on having your own! To have a road closed you will need to fill out our form.

The Luna Cinema returns to Priory Park this summer with a fantastic line up of films to start your summer in style. Tickets are available for 23 to 25 June to watch Rocketman, West Side Story and Pretty Woman on the big screen under the stars.

If you live or work in borough you can put your questions about local issues directly to Cllr Mark Brunt at a Virtual Leader's Surgery. Appointments can be via video conference or phone and the next surgery is Tuesday19 April. Email leadersurgery@reigate-banstead.gov.uk to arrange an appointment.

The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) has launched a secondary public consultation on its initially proposed map of constituencies, which runs until Monday 4 April. The review will rebalance the number of electors in each constituency, and the number of constituencies in England.

Getting fully vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, your family and your community from COVID-19. Spring boosters are now being offered to  people aged 75 and over, who live in a care home for older people, or people aged 12 and over who have a weakened immune system. If you're eligible you'll be contacted by the NHS to book your jab when it's due.

As part of the government's plan for living with COVID-19, free tests will end for most people in England on 31 March 2022. You may still be able to get free rapid lateral flow tests if you work for the NHS or in social care, are going into hospital, or you’re at high risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19.