Firefighters across Wiltshire are appealing for members of the public to join them this week with the launch of their on-call recruitment campaign. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service needs new on-call recruits to provide fire cover at locations across Wiltshire. Contracted hours can vary, but on-call personnel usually make themselves available for between… read more
A new pop-up art exhibition has officially opened at the STEAM Museum today (19 Sept). Swindon Borough Council’s Art on Tour project, which aims to bring Swindon’s impressive art collection to a wider audience, has kicked off – and STEAM is its first stop. Back in March, the Council’s Cabinet decided to go ahead with… read more
‘Get Ready For Brexit’ campaign launches in Belgium The UK government has launched a major information campaign urging UK nationals living in and travelling to the EU to take steps to get ready for Brexit on 31 October 2019.
You may have heard that last year SBC Planning team submitted a bid to Historic England for Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) status for the Railway Village. The bid was successful and only the second HAZ in the South West. Historic England will work with us over the next five years to revitalise this treasured area… read more
Swindon Borough Council will be among the first few local authorities in the country to launch its own online community lottery to support local good causes. The Council wants to make sure that community groups and local charities can continue to receive financial support well into the future, and setting up a lottery, known as… read more
Residents living with Dementia will come together at the County Ground on 18 September for a special day of sporting memories. Organised by Swindon Borough Council and the Swindon Town Football in the Community Trust, 50 residents will get the chance to go on a tour of the County Ground stadium and pitch, take part… read more
Three new schools in Swindon will this week officially open their doors to pupils for the first time. The Deanery Church of England Academy secondary in Wichelstowe, William Morris Primary School in Tadpole Garden Village and Badbury Park Primary School at Badbury Park are set to welcome their first intake of pupils. It is the… read more
There’s still time to take part in the Lost Words Trail Kids can help the guardian of the lost words to capture the missing words hidden at eight Penhill locations. Each spot hosts a nature-themed word displayed on an outside window or floor, which they should note down ultimately revealing the hidden word. For more… read more
Roast dinners are back! We are excited to announce that roast dinners will be back on the menu from Sunday 1st September following a break over the summer. Choose from 28 day aged sirloin beef or roast leg of free range pork, served with all the trimmings. They are being served from 12pm to 2pm… read more
Families in Swindon have just a couple of weeks left to complete a survey to help the Council understand their childcare needs. Swindon Borough Council is working with national early year and childcare consultancy Hempsall’s to find out about parents and carers’ childcare needs across the borough. Parents with children aged up to 14, or… read more
GCSE students are today (22 Aug) celebrating improvements in Maths and English following the publication of provisional GCSE results. More than 2,000 pupils in schools across Swindon received their results today, and there are some notable successes. Under the new grading system, which has been gradually phased in since 2017, GCSEs are ranked on a… read more
Proposals to build 149 affordable homes on land at Queens Drive could be given the go ahead next week. Swindon Borough Council’s Planning Committee will meet on Tuesday, 13 August to discuss the construction of 100 new flats and 49 new houses at the former George Gay Gardens site. The regeneration at Queens Drive is… read more
Ofsted has praised “the swift and decisive action to improve services for children and young people in Swindon” after a recent inspection. Ofsted was so impressed by the rapid rate of improvement within Swindon Borough Council’s Children’s Services department, it judged Children’s Services to be providing the children and families of Swindon with a ‘good’… read more
A section of the Wilts & Berks Canal has been restored thanks to an investment from Swindon Borough Council. The Council contributed around £2.5m to improving the 500m stretch of canal, which includes the building of a new towpath, the creation of new ecological habitats and the installation of new lighting along the bankside. The… read more
The A-Level pass rate for students in Swindon has increased, according to provisional results published today (15 August). A total of 778 students received their results today and, of the 1,739 exam entries, 96.8 per cent were awarded a pass (A*-E), slightly up on last year’s figures (96.3 per cent). Although the proportion of A-Level… read more
Take a look at the Governments guidance on what you will need for driving in the EU after Brexit: international driving permits.
Swindon Borough Council is seeking the views of members of the public to help inform the allocation of sites for housing and employment within the borough. The consultation, which starts today (29 July), will help the Council refresh its Local Plan, which sets out how much housing Swindon needs over a 20-year period and identifies… read more
Old Town could be the latest area of Swindon to benefit from significant government funding after Swindon Borough Council submitted a bid to The High Streets Heritage Action Zones (HSHAZ) programme. The £40m funding programme forms part of the Government’s Future High Street Fund and has been allocated to Historic England for work to support… read more
An ambitious strategy to reduce the numbers of rough sleepers in Swindon has been approved by members of the Health and Wellbeing Board. The Board is made up of representatives from Swindon Borough Council and key partners such as the Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS England and others. The Reducing Rough Sleepers Strategy, which sets… read more
Wiltshire NHW is having its 2019 AGM on Saturday 13th July at Wiltshire Police Headquarters in Devizes between 10.30 am and 12.30 pm. That will allow everyone time to get home for Wimbledon and other afternoon activities! The Chair, Mike Davidson, will be reporting on our progress over the last year on our mission to… read more