A message from Ken Rhatigan, Leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

Cllr Rhatigan expresses his thanks to the borough for observing the social distancing regulations, enabling our parks and open spaces to remain open.

Thank you from our bin crews

We’ve received some wonderful messages of support for our bin crews collecting in Tadley this week. If you’d like to show them your support you can send messages and pictures to our @BasingstokeGov Facebook account or email below. We’ll share some throughout the week. Don’t forget to wash your hands before and after sticking them on the bin and give the bin handle a wipe before and after putting it out for collection.

Help for the self-employed

The government has recently announced details of how its Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will support self-employed individuals (including members of partnerships) whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19.

The scheme will provide a grant to self-employed individuals or partnerships, worth 80% of their profits up to £2,500 per month. You can read more and find out if you are eligible here.

The Camrose Centre

The Camrose Centre took the decision to close on 26 March due to declining visitor numbers, concerns around the health and welfare of staff and following close consideration of the latest government advice. During the closure Julian House has increased its capacity to provide specialist homeless outreach services and Basingstoke Foodbank is continuing to support rough sleepers who have been re-homed with food supplies. Read more by following the link below.

Basingstoke Festival, B LOVE and Pictures in the Park update

The council has taken the decision to cancel this year's Basingstoke Festival including B LOVE and Pictures in the Park events. Despite working hard to make it work, the safety of the audience, artists, venues, communities, partners and volunteers is paramount. To find out more, including information on ticket refunds, click the link below. 

Stay home - stay active

With garden waste collections currently suspended to enable our crews to focus on general waste and recycling, there's no better time to explore composting. Sow the seeds of success by creating your own garden compost using this handy guide.

Check the latest advice and information on COVID-19 from trusted websites