Community reports

Funding awarded to shape Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Berkshire

Planning will soon get underway to prioritise areas where nature can be expanded and protected in Berkshire after the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead received a share of £14million of government money.

The Royal Borough has been designated as Berkshire’s responsible authority for the Local Nature Recovery Strategy – one of 48 such authorities across the country.

Over the next two years, the Royal Borough will lead work with the county’s five other unitary authorities, or supporting authorities, and their communities.

The work will inform where resources are needed to improve, protect, or enlarge habitats, create corridors between them, or create new ones on land or around watercourses.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, DEFRA, has awarded the Royal Borough £238,000 which will be used to create a strategy to protect and improve natural habitats across Berkshire.

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A specially commissioned statue of Frankie Dettori has today been unveiled at Ascot Racecourse by Her Majesty The Queen.

The bronze depicts the world-famous Italian jockey mounted on a horse and is located by the Grandstand Lawn. It was designed by artist and sculptor Tristram Lewis and will act as a permanent reminder of Frankie’s unparalleled contribution to racing at Ascot.

The bronze was cast by Fonderia Artista Art'ù di Gaetano Salmista of Florence and Pemburys Fine Arts Ltd., with the Italian art foundry chosen as a natural partner to create the bronze of one of Italy’s greatest ever sporting heroes.

Dettori’s career has been synonymous with the racecourse, having his first ride at Royal Ascot in 1987. Since then his career has included 81 victories at the Royal Meeting and 229 winners at Ascot overall, including the ‘Magnificent Seven’ in 1996 when he rode all seven winners on the Saturday of the Festival Of British Racing, a precursor to QIPCO British Champions Day.

WEBSITE

A specially commissioned statue of Frankie Dettori has today been unveiled at Ascot Racecourse by Her Majesty The Queen.

The bronze depicts the world-famous Italian jockey mounted on a horse and is located by the Grandstand Lawn. It was designed by artist and sculptor Tristram Lewis and will act as a permanent reminder of Frankie’s unparalleled contribution to racing at Ascot.

The bronze was cast by Fonderia Artista Art'ù di Gaetano Salmista of Florence and Pemburys Fine Arts Ltd., with the Italian art foundry chosen as a natural partner to create the bronze of one of Italy’s greatest ever sporting heroes.

Dettori’s career has been synonymous with the racecourse, having his first ride at Royal Ascot in 1987. Since then his career has included 81 victories at the Royal Meeting and 229 winners at Ascot overall, including the ‘Magnificent Seven’ in 1996 when he rode all seven winners on the Saturday of the Festival Of British Racing, a precursor to QIPCO British Champions Day.

There's still time to nominate your Garden in Bloom for 2023.

The Mayoral competition is seeking nominations for the best roses, borders and flowering baskets which can be seen when walking past a garden in the borough. And your garden could be recognised as being the best in your ward.

You can nominate your own garden or a neighbour’s. Or if you see another beautiful garden which brings you joy, you could take a note of the address and nominate it. The competition is open to every garden visible to passers-by from a pavement or road.

Nominations can be made here and must be made before Friday 14th July.

Winners and runners-up in each ward will be presented with a rosette and a Braywick Heath Nursery voucher. All nominees will receive a certificate.

Nominations can also be made by emailing gib@rbwm.gov.uk or by post to “Garden in Bloom”, c/o Mayor’s Parlour, Town Hall, St Ives Road, Maidenhead SL6 1RF.

Local sports author, Harry Harris has published 'The Greatest Goal Scorers' which was launched at the new Suningdale bistro and cocktail bar this week.

There was a great turn out for the development of the new Kiki Bistro in Sunningdale (replacing Pazzia) this week, with Glenn Hoddle (England, Spurs, Chelsea), Tony Woodcock (Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Cologne) and Jimmy Carter (Arsenal, Liverpool, Millwall) attending, to help local Sunningdale author Harry Harris launch his latest book “the Greatest Goalscorers”. Laithwaites provided the champagne reception, so thanks to Paul at Virginia Water, along with numerous raffle items, (Sunningdale Dental, -Dr Dharmesh Barot attended the popular event) with the monies raised for the charity, Chain of Hope, who attending with the football legends drawing their hearts to be auctioned for the charity at the Gala Ball in November. Thanks to Mark his wonderful hospitality as Kiki continues to evolve into a destination of choice for Berkshire residents.