The sights, sounds and flavours of Diwali lit up the Quadrangle at Middlesex University at the council’s official celebration event yesterday evening (8 November).
The event was organised by Barnet Council in partnership with Middlesex University and Barnet Asian Women’s Association (BAWA).
Newly published Key Stage 4 (KS4) data from the Department for Education (DfE), shows that Barnet is second in the country for Progress 8, which measures the progress that students have made between the end of primary school and the end of Key Stage 4 (16 year olds).
The Barnet Progress 8 score for the 28 schools in the Borough was only beaten by the Isles of Scilly Local Authority, which has only one school in it.
Barnet residents will have the chance to pay their respects to those who have died in conflicts around the world at Remembrance Day services on Sunday 12 November, with several services and parades in the borough.
The Worshipful Mayor of Barnet, Cllr Nagus Narenthira, will be attending Hendon War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday and will lay a wreath on behalf of the Mayoralty, Councillors and burgesses.
Barnet Council has been recognised for its commitment and continued support to the Armed Forces and has received a Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award.
Barnet Council and Live Unlimited, a charity set up by the Council to support care leavers, are celebrating Care Leavers Week with activities and events across the borough.
This year, the nationwide initiative will run from Wednesday 25 October to 1 November and will shine a spotlight on the remarkable journeys of care leavers, amplifying their voices, raising awareness of their challenges, and encouraging policy and practice change.
Barnet Council and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) have completed a £1.2million transformation of 39 tennis courts across 14 of borough’s parks as part of a joint initiative to ensure high quality tennis facilities for residents, get more people active and open up the game to more people.
Barnet Council contributed almost half (£545,101) of the total funds, with £688,451 coming from the UK Government and LTA as part of a nationwide programme to transform thousands of park tennis courts.
Leader of Barnet Council, Cllr Barry Rawlings said:
“I have just been apprised of this case as the current Leader of the Council. I’m horrified to think any such person could be living in our midst.
“The public will rightly expect me to look at the process the Council followed at the time, which I have done following the Sunday Times enquiry.
Barnet Council has approved plans for reducing poverty in the borough, with councillors voting for a raft of new measures at last night’s (18 October) Cabinet meeting.
Cabinet members were presented with a comprehensive plan to tackle the main causes of inequality between different communities, especially for those who experience lower than average job and education opportunities, as well as poorer health and wellbeing.
Councillors last night (18 October) approved plans at Barnet’s monthly Cabinet meeting to allow ‘Play Streets’ in the borough, following a successful six-month pilot scheme in East and North Finchley which ran until August this year.
Play Streets are a resident-led initiative that involves short road closures to create a safe space where children can play freely together right on their doorsteps. Once applications are approved, they will initially run for up to two hours a month per street.
