Swindon Borough Council - Coronavirus Update

Latest Government Updates

From Saturday (13 June) you will be able to:

Adults living alone, or single parents with children under 18 – can form a support bubble with one other household. All those in the bubble will be able to act as if they live in the same household. This does not apply to those shielding
Visit places of worship for individual prayer
Visit zoos and safari parks

From Monday (15 June):

Face coverings must be worn on all public transport
Non-essential shops can reopen provided it is safe to do so
Year 10 and 12 pupils in secondary schools and further education colleges will begin to receive some face to face support

Get more answers to your COVID-19 frequently asked questions

Making Your Town Centre Safe

We are working closely with partners and local businesses to make sure that more retailers can safely re-open from Monday (15 June). Safety measures include, clear signage and floor markings to remind people to socially distance from people not in their household and regular cleaning of shared spaces, such as benches. More information, including advice about re-opening car parks can be found here.

Let us recycle your garden waste for you. Subscribe to our garden waste collections and your waste will be collected, composted and recycled into environmentally-friendly soil improver. No contact. No hassle. No need to book a slot at the Household Waste Recycling Centre. Sign up to the garden waste service here.

On 14 June 2000, Swindon’s STEAM Museum opened its doors for the first time. To mark its twentieth anniversary, staff at STEAM will be looking back at the beginnings of the museum and sharing some of the museum’s many highlights on social media.

We are now able to start registering the 900+ babies that have been born in Swindon since our Register Office closed in March. Book your appointment here

We’re now open for applications for the small business discretionary grant funding. This pot of money aims to help small businesses who weren’t eligible for previous government grants, but have ongoing fixed property costs and have been significantly impacted by COVID-19. We’ve been asked to prioritise the funding for small businesses in shared offices or flexible workspaces, regular market traders, B&Bs and charities, but applications from other businesses who believe they might be eligible will also be considered.

If you’ve been affected by Coronavirus and need to claim Universal Credit then the easiest way to apply is online.

Every Kilometre Counts

Since 10 May our staff have collectively ran, cycled and walked more than 11,000km, raising more than £500 for the Wiltshire Community Foundation’s Wiltshire and Swindon Coronavirus Response Appeal. Now we’d like you to get involved. Set your own goals and enjoy the benefits exercise can have on your health and wellbeing.

This week is Bike Week, inspiring people of all abilities to give two wheels a try.

There are lots of ways you and your family can get involved, from rethinking your everyday journey to work, through to finding fun and new ways to explore your local area. It’s also the perfect opportunity to teach children to ride or get them excited about cycling.

Make cycling part of your daily exercise by joining the 7 days of cycling challenge
Take part in virtual events, including live cycling yoga and free virtual meditation
Teach the kids how to ride a bike
Visit Swindon Travel Choices for local cycling resources including a Swindon cycle map, maps of the Swindon Rounds and details of the Swindon Flyer routes.

When outside, make sure you’re following government advice and following social distancing measures.

Memory Box

Start capturing your memories of the coronavirus pandemic by creating a Memory Box time capsule.

Creating your own Memory Box at home is something the whole family can get involved in, providing a permanent reminder in the years to come of the lockdown period. You could store photographs, letters, objects and diaries.

Once your Memory Box is complete, take a picture and share it on the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery Facebook page.