Around 11,000 Swindon residents use the food bank every year, and the Swindon Food Collective’s stores are running low. They desperately need tins and jars of the following items donated at collection points in Swindon:

• meat and meat meals (chilli con carne, ravioli, curry)
• fruit
• puddings (custard, rice pudding)
• vegetables (mixed vegetables, tomatoes)
• soup (tinned and powder)
• pasta sauce

As well as some other everyday items such as:

• packets of sugar
• toiletries (shampoo and conditioner, sanitary products, deodorant)
• laundry pods and washing up liquid

If you can’t donate food but would like to help, the Swindon Food Collective are accepting financial donations.

As part of our renewed cost of living action plan, we provide grant funding from the Government’s Household Support Fund to help the Swindon Food Collective continue its work.

Click the ‘play’ button on the video above to hear from Cher Smith MBE, Manager of Swindon Food Collective.

Around 10,000 school-aged children in Swindon have been invited to take part in free activities during the school holidays as part of a Government-funded programme.

Some activities include going to holiday clubs such as Dream Wild Outdoor Learning, where children will get to experience the great outdoors and learn new things.

The programme is open to young carers, children who receive benefits-related free school meals, children in need who have a social worker working with them and those in child protection.

Talking about last year’s programme, one Swindon parent said: “My daughters were able to participate in a course that we could not afford and new interests have been sparked.

“They were exhausted each day - which showed they had a good amount of exercise - something they wouldn’t have had at home.”

It’s not too late to sign up – if your child is eligible, you’ll have received an email inviting you to book them on.

If you get Tax Credits, you should have received an annual renewal pack, which are usually sent out between April and June. Some just need checking, but others require signing and sending back before Monday (31 July).

If you haven’t received your renewal pack, it's recommended you call the tax credits helpline on 0345 300 3900 or speak with HM Revenue & Customs via its webchat service (you should be able to renew directly when getting in touch).

Are you looking to reduce your energy bills and improve your home's energy efficiency?

Until 13 August, City Energy is accepting applications from households that could benefit from free energy and cost-saving measures, including insulation, low-carbon heating or solar panels.

If you’re a non-gas heated homeowner with an EPC rating of D to G, you can apply if:

• You’re on an eligible means-tested benefit
• You have a gross household income of less than £31,000 a year

Find out more and apply now or contact City Energy on 02921 680951 or email cityenergy@swfapplications.co.uk

Over 1,500 Swindon residents have already registered their interest in the Solar Together scheme - why not join them?

Installing solar panels and storage is a fantastic way to generate renewable energy, help the environment and save money on powering your home.

If you live in Swindon or wider Wiltshire, and either own your home or have permission from the landlord to install solar panels, leave your details on the Solar Together website - it's free to register your interest and there's no obligation to continue further. The deadline to register is Friday, 11 August.

Community organisations are being invited to bid for funding for a defibrillator for their area, from a £1 million Government fund. An estimated 1,000 new defibrillators will be provided by the fund, with the potential for this to double as successful applicants will be asked to partially or fully match the funding they receive partially or fully.

As part of the grant award, applicants will be asked to demonstrate that defibrillators will be placed in areas where they are most needed, such as places with high footfall, vulnerable people, rural areas or due to the nature of activity at the site.

Expressions of interest are invited via this online form so you can then be notified once grant applications open.

Work has begun this week on making the Civic Offices suitable for the new Swindon Museum and Art Gallery.

Preliminary work has begun on a new lift before the main work on the new exhibition rooms gets underway next month. 

When complete, the Civic Offices will provide around 40 per cent more display space compared to its previous home at Apsley House in Old Town.

Read more about the project.

If you’ve been down to the Railway Village recently, you may have noticed a new community garden outside the community centre.

This garden has been started and maintained by members of the Global Gardeners, a club for refugees and asylum seekers living in Swindon.

The project, which is supported by our Live Well Team, the Mechanics' Institution Trust and The Harbour Project, offers the chance to grow fruit and vegetables while also enjoying the outdoors together.

One of the members of the group, Aman, has a PhD in Plant Protection from the University of Kabul in Afghanistan and has been sharing his expertise with the group to help guide what plants should be planted.

Another member, Manuel, has a talent for construction and has been helping to build and fix parts of the garden with great skill.

As progress continues on the Fleming Way improvement scheme, a key milestone is about to be reached.

The pedestrian subway underneath Fleming Way will be closed on 14 August so it can be demolished by the scheme’s main contractor, Colas.

The removal of the subway will allow the creation of a new pedestrian-friendly area with a new traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing when the scheme is completed.

A diversion route (as shown above) for pedestrians going to and from The Parade shopping area will be in place and will be clearly sign-posted from the train and bus stations.

Find out more about the Fleming Way project on our website, from our newsletter, or download the 'Hello Worx' app from your app store to get the latest directly from Colas.

A special post box aimed at encouraging people in Swindon to write letters to loved ones who have died, has recently been installed at Kingsdown Cemetery. 

It provides those grieving with a way to write and post a letter to someone they've lost. 

'Letters to Heaven' was an idea by nine-year-old Matilda, from Nottingham, who wanted to write letters to her late grandparents. Postboxes are now being installed across the country.

Until 3 September, 30 larger-than-life balloon dog sculptures – the Swindogs – have been unleashed across the Borough for the biggest and most colourful event in Swindon in 2023.

There are trails between the sculptures for you to explore on foot or by bike.

Find out more about the Trail or other upcoming events on the Swindon Travel Choices website.

Children can come and play games, complete puzzles and have hands-on maths fun, while adults can see what their child is learning in school and help build their confidence. There are two upcoming sessions where people can improve their maths skills at North Swindon Library:

• Monday, 31 July from 2pm to 5pm
• Wednesday, 2 August from 10am to 1pm

The course is free and any children must be accompanied by an adult.

The Swindon Museums Team will be at Central Library at three sessions in August, to show what Swindon was like thousands of years ago. The sessions last 45 minutes and are at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm on the following dates:

• Thursday, 3 August - Surviving the Stone Age
• Thursday, 17 August – Meet the Anglo Saxons
• Thursday, 31 August - Explore Archaeology

Book now.