To receive any apologies for absence.

The Chair, Councillor G. Singh, welcomed everyone to the meeting. Forum members then introduced themselves.

Apologies were received from Councillor Taylor, Vice-Chair.

To receive any declarations of interest.

No interests were declared.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 12^th September 2023.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the minutes of the meeting held on 12^th September 2023 were approved as a true and accurate record.

The Chair and Vice-Chair to highlight any updates of interest to residents.

The Chair informed that a new lift and staircase had been installed at Maidenhead Railway Station as part of improvement works. He added that there was additional staff on the station platform helping residents, having met railway operators in the previous week when the works began. He informed that Platforms 2 and 3 would not have lifts installed, but there would be step access available on Platform 1. He also informed that the Network Operator was doing an extensive campaign to let residents know how to get off at the Station, such as, if coming back from London, geting off at Twyford or Reading and then take another train back to the other platform. The works were scheduled to go on for 10 months and would be a major improvement once completed.

The Chair highlighted that Cookham Bridge was closed due to a 20-week operation, and there would be a campaign to highlight this to residents. Despite the closure, Cookham village was still open for business and there were diversion routes. He added that Robyn Bunyan, Maidenhead Town Manager, would provide further elaboration later on in the meeting.

On the Broadway car park, the Chair informed that a contractor, Collard, had been arranged to do the demolition, with the work beginning on Friday 17^th November 2023 and expected to last 10 weeks. There would also be an extensive campaign to raise awareness of this to residents. The works would be halted at around Christmas and would recommence in January 2024 to minimise disruption.

To receive a presentation on Holyport Football Club from Richard Tyrell and Neil McGuinness.

Neil McGuinness, Head of Football and Development at Holyport F.C., and Richard Tyrell, Secretary and Treasurer at Holyport F.C., gave a PowerPoint presentation introducing Holyport Football Club.

The football club was established in 1897 (recently celebrating its 125^th anniversary in the previous season) and had been located at Spencer’s Farm since 2005. Since joining in 2005, Richard Tyrell informed that the team initially played at Step 5 of the FA Pyramid. During last weekend, they played in the FA Vase and were through to the last 164 teams in the entirely of the country at the level, but narrowly lost to Jersey Bulls F.C.

Richard Tyrell informed that Holyport F.C. was ‘FA Accredited’, meaning that a review of all coaches, qualifications, safeguarding, and DBS checks had taken place. He believed that the club became Maidenhead’s second team.

Neil McGuinness stated that, while Maidenhead United were doing well as a team, there was nevertheless a void in the community. While there were a few football clubs in Maidenhead, Holyport F.C. had grown in the last few years from having only two teams: the First Team and the Vets Team for older players. A reserve team was created to establish a pathway for people from aged 16 onwards into men’s football. Other teams who had previously been part of other groups (e.g., Maidenhead Boys and Girls, Maidenhead United Juniors) had approached Holyport F.C. Neil McGuinness believed that this was down to the club’s values and beliefs of “do[ing] things the right way”, namely the methodology, enjoyment and comradery, and getting people to become part of the club. From this, Holyport F.C. experienced some success with over 200 players.

Neil McGuinness informed that he came across a statistic from a few years ago which stated that 80% of children stopped playing football at 16 years of age, surprising him. Based on this, Neil McGuinness sought to ensure that the young players, whether within Holyport or other places, would go through development. As a result, there was some success with a few players as they had gone onto semi-professional football, such as two players (Kai Walters and Daniel Bailey) playing for Ascot United at Wembley Stadium in the last season.

Neil McGuinness added that Holyport F.C. had ties to other establishments, notably BCA (Berkshire College of Agriculture), whereby some players came through BCA, then through to either Maidenhead United or Holyport F.C., and then onto other places.Richard Tyrell elaborated that the connection to BCA had started five years ago when it became clear that there was a large gap to get into Maidenhead United’s level. He explained that Holyport F.C. gave 16-, 17- and 18-year-old boys an opportunity to go into men’s football, becoming a pathway for players to develop.

Richard Tyrell then informed that, as Maidenhead’s second largest football team, Holyport F.C. had a loyal following from the local community, seeing crowds grow from around 50-to-60 people when he first joined to an average of 120 residents. The club  ...  view the full minutes text for item 238.

To receive separate presentations from the RBWM Community Wardens and the Maidenhead Street Angels on public safety and protection in Maidenhead.

Peter Murkin, RBWM Community Warden, was unable to attend the meeting due to illness and was also unable to arrange someone to substitute. As a result, a presentation on the RBWM Community Wardens was unable to take place.

Jeanette Lock, Chair of the Maidenhead Street Angels, explained that the Street Angels Initiative was set up in 2005 in Halifax as a joint venture between the Churches Together in England and the YMCA England & Wales (Young Men’s Christian Association). It was set up to address the problems of violence on the streets at night, sexual assaults, underage drinking, binge drinking and various other problems at night. Within weeks, according to Jeanette Lock, the Street Angels had made a huge difference.

The Street Angels had been in Maidenhead since 2011, with its first patrol on 11^th February 2011 being launched by Theresa May, MP for Maidenhead. They were composed of volunteers, predominantly Christians from different churches but included people from other religious faiths and people with no faith.

The objective of the Angels was to provide assistance to people which they came across on the streets at night, such as excessive alcoholic drinkers, drug users and victims of drink spiking. The Street Angels looked out for people who had been separated from their friends (e.g., as a result of quarrelling), leaving them vulnerable on their own in the town at night and possibly under the influence of alcohol, and usually helped them get home safely by taking them to a nearby taxi. They also looked out for homeless people in Maidenhead, providing them with sleeping bags, blankets and hot soup. Jeanette Lock informed that the Street Angels had an “amazing relationship” with the fast-food restaurants whereby they would donate (at no cost) hot food and a drink to the Angels who would then give them to the homeless person.

Jeanette Lock explained that the Street Angels came across many people who were sometimes lonely, had mental health problems or emotionally distressed, and that they sometimes wanted someone to talk to and be listened to.

The Street Angels received great support from the pubs and nightclubs; for example, a nightclub bought all the bottled water for the Angels, while a pub provided the Angels the lollipops. A lot of pubs (but one in particularly) provided the Street Angels a free hot drink and allowed them to use their facilities.

Jeanette Lock stated that the Street Angels had a “calming influence” in Maidenhead, with people at the doors of pubs and nightclubs saying that the presence of the Street Angels wandering around made a difference.

Jeanette Lock informed that the Street Angels sought to get a team out every Saturday as well as the last Friday of each month (i.e., payday Friday). They met at 9:45pm at their base at Kingsway House (next door to the Methodist Church), where they stored their supplies, such as water, lollipops and flip-flops. As a predominantly Christian movement, Street Angels would start with prayers. They would start  ...  view the full minutes text for item 239.

To receive an update from Robyn Bunyan, Maidenhead Town Manager.

Robyn Bunyan, Maidenhead Town Manager, gave the town manager update. She started off by informing that the data covered September 2023 and that the footfall data was collected in areas, namely the High Street, St. Ives and Watermark Development (where the Town Hall and Library were located), and Waterside Quarter.

There were 174,000 visits to the High Street in September 2023, an increase of 34.5% year-on-year. A positive result, Robyn Bunyan stated that the statistics were beginning to “creep back”. The best days were Thursdays to Saturdays which coincided with the produce market on the High Street as well as more office workers returning to the office. The usage of the High Street peaked at between 11:00am to 3:00pm timeslot with visitors and residents going out for lunch. This was consistent across all of the areas with some variation with the dwell time.

The dwell time in the Waterside Quarter area was around one hour, while the dwell time for the St. Ives and Watermark Development area was around 79 minutes. Robyn Bunyan conveyed that this illustrated that the Library was a good community hub with a lot of activity.

Overall, footfall and dwell time in September 2023 was good.

Moving onto car park in Maidenhead in September 2023, Robyn Bunyan notified that the data for August 2023 was outstanding at the moment but hoped to receive it by the end of the month. The total car parking usage for September 2023 was 59,361, which was slightly higher compared to September 2022, and was reflective of the increase in footfall.

On Broadway Car Park, Robyn Bunyan reported that demolition contractors would be on site on Friday 17^th November 2023 to start hoarding the site, which would take around two weeks. On top of this, information would be released in the coming days about the process. The work would take place in a 10-week period, from the hoarding being installed to the building being totally demolished. Once the hoarding had been completed, scaffolding would be placed around the building (both under Phase One). Demolition work would begin in January 2024. Robyn Bunyan expected that there would be little-to-no disruption during the Christmas period. There would be around six weeks of demolition, with further information on the process being provided once it began.

Robyn Bunyan then highlighted some new lettings in Maidenhead:

·       German Doner Kebab (GDK), an international brand, was opening a unit in the next couple of weeks on the High Street.

·       The building for Bombay Story in Waterside Quarter had been completed, though an opening date was yet to be announced.

·       At the top end of the High Street, a new sushi restaurant, Sushi Point, was fitting out in the former Fun Tech unit.

·       Two further properties had been let in Waterside Quarter, meaning that they only had one property left to let and there was some interest.

On office lettings, Robyn Bunyan highlighted that office lettings had been “absolutely flying” in the last quarter, with 36,307 square  ...  view the full minutes text for item 240.

To receive a presentation from Councillor Jack Douglas on volunteering at Maidenhead Community Centre.

As the Community Champion for Volunteering, Councillor Douglas gave a presentation on the Maidenhead Community Centre in which he was a trustee for.

Beginning with the background, Councillor Douglas informed that back in 2016, a group which he was involved with had hired out a small hall, managed by the Royal Voluntary Service for many years, on York Road, Maidenhead as a judo club. Just after hiring the place, the Royal Voluntary Service announced that they were going to close the hall due to receiving losses from managing it. In response to this, Councillor Douglas’s group offered to manage the hall for three years, in which the Royal Voluntary Service accepted providing they formed a charity.

In January 2017, Councillor Douglas and two other trustees had established a CIO (charitable incorporated organisation) and had been running it as a community centre ever since, along with a lot of volunteers they inherited from the Royal Voluntary Service. There were around 40 volunteers, including the three founding trustees and the caretaker, with many people aged between 70 and 96 who helped out in the café. After around 4 years of running the building, the trustees turned over £100,000, using this to build up the hall.

Eventually, there were plans for the building to be demolished. Wishing to continue with their activities, the trustees lobbied the Borough, submitted two petitions (each with around 2,000 signatures) and launched a campaign to continue with their activities. In the end, the trustees were given an alternative venue at 4 Marlow Road, Maidenhead, which Councillor Douglas described as “fantastic” in spite of originally being neglected and initially challenging to manage.

Based on survey data, Councillor Douglas informed that the Community Centre building was attended by around 1,000 people per week, adding that it was expected to increase in the coming years. The Community Centre hosted a variety of activities, including fitness, sport, dance, education, music, art and more.

Councillor Douglas then shared a selection of photos which showcased the activities at the Community Centre.

Councillor Douglas informed that there were many volunteering opportunities at the Community Centre for those who were interested, with some of the skilled and unskilled. For example, Nature’s Haven, who worked in the Community Centre gardens, had been actively looking for volunteers to do garden work. (On top of this, Councillor Douglas suggested to invite Nature’s Haven to a future Forum meeting). Other volunteer groups who used the Community Centre included:

·       GoodGym, using the Community Centre as their main meeting point on Wednesday evenings,

·       Men’s Matters

·       Buckinghamshire Mind, who supported mental health within the community and who were actively seeking out volunteers.

Councillor Douglas stated that the Community Centre wished to establish a full-time volunteer-run café, hoping there would be enough people to help out with this as well as there being a suitable time to set it up.

Councillor Douglas added that there was a possibility of running a weekly volunteering hub in 2024, though this was still in early stages.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 241.

Residents and Forum attendees are invited to make suggestions on agenda items for future forum Meetings and ask any questions.

Based on Councillor Douglas’s earlier suggestion, the Chair stated that Nature’s Haven volunteers could be invited to do an item at a future Forum meeting.

Councillor Douglas suggested other volunteer groups could be invited, such as Men’s Matters. He also suggested that he could forward a list of volunteer and charity groups from the Community Centre who could be invited.

Councillor Baskerville asked Councillor Douglas whether young people attended the Community Centre, highlighting that 4 Marlow Road used to be a youth club. He also suggested an area of discussion could be youth provision within the Borough, stating that many youth clubs had been closed. Councillor Douglas acknowledged that there was a lot less youth activities at the Community Centre, though there were groups and activities which young people could attend, such as dance and performance, as well as a single general youth club.

Item suggestions for Future Forum meetings:

·       Nature’s Haven

·       Other volunteer/charity groups at the Community Centre, such as Men’s Matters.

·       Youth provision within the Borough.

The Chair informed that item suggestions could be emailed to himself or Laurence Ellis, Democratic Services Officer.

All future meetings to be held on the following dates (at 6:30pm):

·       15^th January 2024

·       13^th March 2024

·       9^th May 2024

The Forum noted that the next meeting would be held on 15^th January 2023 at 6:30pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Maidenhead.

They also noted the other upcoming meetings on the following dates (all at 6:30pm):

·       13th March 2024

·       9th May 2024