News

The start of a new role

I feel honoured and privileged to be able to support our Mayor, Councillor Suzette Nicholson. 

Council blog | 07 Jun 23

How the Council is making the borough’s homes more convenient for everyone

Our vision for Richmond Upon Thames is a community that provides residents safe, accessible spaces that allows every household room to grow and age.

Council blog | 25 May 23

Strengthening links with our twinned towns

I have just returned from Fontainebleau in France, where I was pleased to have represented Richmond upon Thames, along with members of the Richmond in Europe Association. This was my first event since I became Mayor, at the Council's AGM on Tuesday 16 May.

Council blog | 24 May 23

Mental Health Awareness Week: Coping with feelings of anxiety

This year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week is anxiety. We’ll all likely understand what it feels like to experience anxiety – we may become worried, tense, or afraid, particularly about things that are about to happen, or which we think could happen in the future.

Council blog | 18 May 23

International Women’s Day - Embracing Equity

International Women’s Day this year is special for me personally. My American university is celebrating 50 years since first admitting women to what was previously an all-male bastion of learning. I was in the second class of women to be accepted – one woman for every 12 men.

Council blog | 22 Feb 23

What did we do to address the climate emergency in 2022?

At the Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee on 21 February 2023, councillors were presented with the annual update on our Climate Emergency Action Plan. We made significant progress with these plans in 2022, and our partnership with our communities made it a very productive year of climate action across Richmond upon Thames.

Council blog | 22 Feb 23

Explore all that Richmond's arts and culture scene has to offer

I began writing this in the warm space at Whitton Library. During the recent cold snap our libraries, along with other community centres, have provided warm and comfortable environments along with hot drinks, games, and puzzles. Several residents have told our library staff how pleased they were with these facilities being close to where they live.

Council blog | 31 Jan 23

Holocaust Memorial Day 2023

Friday 27 January is Holocaust Memorial Day, when we remember the Holocaust and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. It is a time to reflect on and learn from the past, in the hope that we can create a better future.

Council blog | 26 Jan 23

Building a forum for better housing

For Richmond Upon Thames to be a borough for everyone, it is essential we have a place for everyone. We want to provide housing that supports residents at different stages of their lives, regardless of their financial status and that means delivering housing that is tailored to your needs.

Council blog | 10 Jan 23

Tips for staying healthy and well during the holiday season

For many of us, the Christmas and New Year holiday season is a time of celebration, reflection and taking the opportunity to disconnect from our normal routines and indulge in unique traditions within our communities and our friends and extended families.

Council blog | 21 Dec 22

Walking together to end violence against women and girls

In Richmond upon Thames, we care about ensuring every resident is safe in our community and that means creating an environment where women and girls can feel secure.

Council blog | 24 Nov 22

Reflections on AfC's 2022 SEND Futures Connect Conference

We were delighted to be able to bring together parents, carers and organisations dedicated to supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities at the 2022 SEND Futures Connect Conference.

Council blog | 14 Nov 22

Giving our residents a say on their safety

In our manifesto, we committed to ensuring that residents have real opportunities to have a say on decisions that impact them and their community. In keeping with this promise, we have launched a new survey asking you what needs to be done to keep our community safe.

Council blog | 26 Oct 22

Return of the Full of Life Fair - bigger and better, fuller and fitter?

If anything demonstrates a return to more normal times after the ravages of the pandemic over the last couple of years, it is the return of the in-person Full of Life Fair at Twickenham Stadium on Friday 23 September 2022.

Council blog | 20 Sept 22

Back to School – time for a reframe?

In my calendar, ‘Back to School’ happens in January and April, not September. September is the start of the new school year, the college year, the point in the year when all young people move on and take an exciting new step in their lives.

Council blog | 30 Aug 22

Meet the new Mayor of Richmond upon Thames

There is one question that I can guarantee will be asked when I am out doing an engagement as Mayor of Richmond. Can you guess what it might be?

Council blog | 02 Aug 22

A year as Tenants' Champion

On Tuesday 19 July 2022, I was able to present my report to the Council reviewing my year as Tenants’ Champion. The Tenants' Champion service has operated for 11 years now and is a well-established method of support for tenants and leaseholders of housing associations in the borough.

Council blog | 26 Jul 22

Play Streets are back!

In Richmond, we held more than 330 street parties to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.  We closed our streets, put out bunting, had fun and remembered how great it was to actually get together with our friends and neighbours. It was also wonderful to see children playing together outside their houses with new friends from down the street. Safe in the knowledge that the street was free of cars, they could explore, kick a ball, laugh and run round.  

Council blog | 19 Jul 22

Clean Air Day 2022

This week across the UK a spotlight is being shone on 'Clean Air'. Causing 36,000 deaths each year and impacting every organ in our body, the argument for acting on air pollution is compelling and it is working - 82% of people now think that air pollution should be a priority in the UK.

Council blog | 15 Jun 22

Visual sense and sensitivity

As someone with high myopia who started wearing spectacles for short-sightedness from the age of 5 (prescribed by an army ophthalmologist from a Nissen hut in Aldershot, as I remember), I have always been conscious that good vision is not something to be taken for granted and impairments of vision can be part of the ageing process (as my current optometrist pessimistically reminds me on my yearly visits).

Council blog | 24 May 22