COLUMN BY Stroud District Council leader Catherine Braun. 

DURING the period of national mourning, most aspects of council work continued as usual. 

Although meetings of the Housing Committee and Community Services & Licensing Committee were restricted to essential business only, in line with other local councils, as a mark of respect to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The meeting agendas will be back to normal for the Audit and Standard Committee and Strategy and Resources Committee meetings next week, with all papers available on the council’s website.

For committee meetings this autumn, the cost of living crisis for residents and businesses will be at the forefront of all our minds.

There are lots of ways that people can find support locally, for example as set out in this leaflet: worryingaboutmoney.co.uk/ stroud-and-cotswold with further information to follow soon.

Last week I attended the launch of an initiative called Feeding Gloucestershire, which is a new network, bringing together all the different councils, voluntary organisations and other groups to identify the issues causing food poverty and to develop solutions for a better, fairer food system.

I was really pleased to hear that all these organisations will be working together to help people this winter: feedinggloucestershire.org.uk

Another priority for our council is to reduce the amount of resources that are discarded as waste, and so we’re delighted to be supporting the Wear Not Waste campaign to celebrate #SecondhandSeptember.

There are dozens of brilliant charity shops across the district where you can donate or buy clothes, household goods, children’s items and even furniture, including Stroud District Furniture Bank and Stroud District Kids’ Stuff.

On the subject of waste, a reminder that due to the Bank Holiday on 19th September, residents who pre-booked bulky waste collection on that day will be given an alternative date, and garden waste collections will take place the following Saturday, September 25.