Managed by Everyone Active in partnership with Woking Borough Council, the event brought together local residents of all ages to enjoy a wide range of activities, while showcasing the centre's recently completed £1.2 million refurbishment.

Team GB Olympian and Everyone Active YOU+ ambassador, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, greeted visitors, alongside Everyone Active Sporting Champions, Kim Valente and her daughter Sofia, both talented local athletes.

Known as a Saturation Zone, or Cumulative Impact Assessment, the zone supports the council, as Licensing Authority, in managing applications for licensed premises in areas where there is evidence that venues contribute to issues such as crime, disorder or public nuisance.

Licensed premises include businesses that sell alcohol, provide late-night refreshment between 11pm and 5am, or host entertainment such as music, sport or performances.

The funding, awarded through the latest round of the government’s Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF), will support the purchase of high-quality homes for families facing homelessness, as well as households arriving under the Afghan Resettlement Programme.

The council has been provisionally awarded a capital grant of £849,000 and a revenue grant of £5,698 (a total allocation of £854,698), subject to completion of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which was approved by the Executive last night (11 June).

Members of the Executive considered three reports relating to Thameswey Housing Ltd, Thameswey Energy Ltd and Victoria Square Woking Ltd.

The reports built on earlier decisions taken by the Executive in March and represent a further step in delivering the council’s Company Divestment Strategy and wider Improvement and Recovery Plan, which aim to simplify company structures, reduce risk and address historic borrowing.

Members of the Executive will consider three detailed proposals relating to Thameswey Housing Ltd (THL), Thameswey Energy Ltd (TEL) and Victoria Square Woking Ltd (VSWL). 

The reports are a key aspect of the council’s Company Divestment Strategy, and its wider Improvement and Recovery Plan, which aim to simplify company structures, dispose of commercial and residential assets and reduce the council’s historic borrowing.

The event brings together many local charities and community organisations, offering visitors the chance to learn more about the vital services they provide and how volunteering can help make a big difference. 

The caterpillars are active between late spring and early summer and are most commonly found on oak trees. They are identifiable by their distinctive nose-to-tail ‘procession’ movement and the silky white nests found on trunks and branches.

Whilst small, these caterpillars can cause irritation. Their tiny hairs contain toxins that may lead to itchy skin rashes, sore throats, breathing difficulties and eye irritation if touched or inhaled.

Residents are advised to:

Following elections earlier this month to the new West Surrey council, councillors came together at its inaugural meeting to begin preparations for the new authority.

The Shadow Authority replaces the previous Joint Committees and will lead the transition to a single unitary council for West Surrey. In the meantime, existing councils will continue to run services smoothly while plans for the future strategy and operating model for the council are developed.

At its first meeting Cllr Paul Follows was agreed as Leader of West Surrey Shadow Council. He said:

Born and raised in Devon, Cllr Leach has lived in Woking since the 1980s and is a long-standing member of the local community. 

He brings extensive professional and voluntary experience to his new role and is looking forward to a year of civic engagements, meeting local people and celebrating the borough’s rich voluntary sector.

Before becoming a councillor for the first time in 2004, Cllr Leach enjoyed a varied civil service career and delivered freelance training within the public and private sector.

As a lifelong resident, Jim has dedicated decades of support to the village and has been at the heart of Byfleet Heritage Society since its inception in 1996, serving as Chairman for over 20 years.

He is a talented author and local historian, having published two editions of Byfleet and the Great War. His deep-rooted passion for local history and the railway network has also been valuable to the Society.

Since January, the Joint Committees have met monthly, putting foundations in place for a well-managed transition and providing stability during a period of change. After the shadow councils hold their inaugural meetings on 20 and 21 May, the Joint Committees will dissolve and their transition responsibilities will sit with the shadow councils moving forwards.  

The final Joint Committee meetings included discussions on items for the new shadow authorities to consider at their first meetings:  

The facility officially opened on Monday 11 May and features 16 specialist Reformer beds. 

Local council representatives, Cllr Ellen Nicholson, Woking Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder; Tim Fleming, Head of Leisure and Communities at Woking Borough Council, and Rob Leach, Deputy Mayor of Woking, and invited members attended the launch, taking part in a special VIP session to be among the first to experience the new Reformer studio.