Wokingham

Wokingham District Council’s decision-making executive are set to consider the council’s performance plan at its meeting on Thursday (June 29).

The Wokingham district council’s performance plan outlines improvements that have been made to many local services including education, recycling, processing new benefit claims, council tax collection and dealing with planning applications, as well as providing a forecast for performance over the next three years.

The performance plan shows how Wokingham services have performed against a range of government-set ‘vital statistics’ called best value performance indicators (BVPIs) – in 2005/2006. There are 89 statutory best value performance indicators, plus 38 local performance indicators, known as (WDPIs).

Performance overall has improved by more than 10% in 2005/06 for over a quarter (36%) of all indicators. More than three quarters (79%) of the indicators met their targets and a total of 57% of the performance indicators for the Wokingham district council’s services are in the top half of councils nationally (2004/05 – latest comparative data available).

The Wokingham district continues to perform highly in education. In key stage three tests taken by 14-year-olds, the district is ranked fifth of all education authorities in the aggregated percentage of pupils achieving the expected level (five and above) in English (85%), maths (83%) and science (78%). And the district’s pupils also excelled at key stage two level five, which is higher than the expected level – the district came equal second in English (39%).

Residents of Wokingham district continue to recycle and compost household waste with indicators going up from 26.87% to 30.3% - this indicator puts the district council in the top quarter of all local authorities in the UK. Other services which did particularly well and made improvements in 2005/06 included the reduction in the number of missed refuse collections of household waste - down from 13.55 to 9.58 collections missed per 100,000.

The percentage of council tax collected increased from 98.55% to 99.12%, again placing the district council in the top 25 percent in the country. And processing benefit claims has also been dramatically improved over the past two year. In 2003/04, it took 110 days to process new claims, while in 2004/05 it took 46 days. This year (2005/06) new benefits were processed in 26 days.

The number of major planning applications decided within 13 weeks went up from to 39.7% to 63.29%. Some 99.6% of required inspections of food premises were carried out, compared to 92% last year. Also trading standards’ inspections have also improved significantly over the past year. In 2004/05, trading standards undertook 72% of inspections which should have been carried out whilst this year, they conducted 97%. Violent crime and vehicle crime have also been reduced over the past year.

Steps were taken last year to improve the number of urgent repairs on Wokingham tenants’ houses and a new contract was put in place to deal with these. And as a result, the number of urgent repairs completed within government time limits rose from 85.25% to 95.52%.

There are a number of areas where Wokingham council has not performed as well as it would have liked. Steps have already been taken to improve some of these indicators. One of the indicator looks at GCSE performance and this is being addressed by further development of the curriculum for 14 to 19- year-olds in each school to ensure that all needs are met. Work is also being undertaken to address specific core subjects which maybe have seen a dip in performance. Partnership working between the council and the secondary schools’ federation is expected to raising standards. Performance for 2005/06 was still well within the top quartile of all England authorities

Two indicators also look at the percentage of half days in secondary and primary schools missed due to absence and this is being tackled through the introduction of penalty notices. Penalty notices expand the range of options available, which also include regular truancy sweeps, to tackle unauthorised absences at school. Additional support is also given to schools if they have a particular issue with truancy.

Another indicator looks at the number of contacts Wokingham council has with young people through the youth service by increasing awareness of activities on offer. Awareness will continue to be raised over the coming year as the youth strategy is promoted in neighbourhoods throughout the district.

The council’s performance for acceptable waiting time for community care services went down in 2005/06 from 91.9% to 82.8% this year. The waiting time for services starts when the initial assessment is completed. The council, along with its partners, is working to improve waiting times for assessment which will have a knock on effect on overall waiting time for care packages.

Another indicator looks at the conditions of Wokingham footways. As only half of the network of well-used footways are surveyed for these indicators, the district council expects fluctuation in condition. The district council will be carrying out a improvements this year. However, the performance indicator still puts the district council in the top 25% of all authorities in England.

The council’s ten-strong decision making executive will also be asked to consider targets for the next three-year period.

Wokingham Cllr Frank Browne, leader of the council, said: “This plan gives our residents and statutory partners an overview of our services during 2005/2006 and shows how we have performed against key indicators and what improvements we have made over the past year. Performance indicators are a key tool in measuring our performance and help us to access efficiency gains. They also allow us to see where we maybe not performing as well as we would like to, and it provides us with the opportunity to address these issues.

“Many of the indicators place us in the top quarter of local authorities across the country which is great news for all our local residents. I would like to pay to tribute to all the council’s staff who work tirelessly to make improvements to services and continue to provide high quality services to our residents.”

The council’s performance plan 2006 is available on the council’s website at: www.wokingham.gov.uk/pp2006 or by calling (0118) 974 6513.

Wokingham District Council

Police are appealing for witnesses to a robbery at an off licence in Wokingham.

Two men entered the Threshers store in Rances Lane, Wokingham at 9.15pm on Monday (26/6) and asked for matches.

When the shop assistant opened the till the men jumped over the counter and took an undisclosed amount of money and cigarettes.

The lone shop assistant, a 20-year-old man, was told to look at the ground throughout the incident and was locked in a store room as the men fled.

DC Andy Beeney, from Loddon Valley CID, said: “This offence has left the shop assistant very scared – no-one should be subjected to situations of this nature while trying to earn a living.

“It is possible that these offenders may have escaped in a vehicle parked in the vicinity or may have had accomplices waiting nearby and I would urge anyone with any information to contact me immediately.

“I am particularly interested to hear from people who may have seen people entering and leaving the shop around this time, who saw a suspect vehicle nearby or who have been offered cheap cigarettes in Wokingham since the robbery.

“This information could be vital in helping us catch these criminals before they strike again.”

One of the Wokingham offenders is of mixed race, 6ft 1ins, with a thin build and long gaunt face. He is 18-20-years-old and was wearing a dark hooded top and dark tracksuit bottoms.

The second man is white, 5ft 10ins with a slim build, dark eyebrows and black stubble on his chin. He is 18-20-years-old and was wearing similar clothing to the other offender. He had a distinctly thinner face than the other man.

The mixed race man is believed to be the ring leader as he was shouting orders at the other offender.

Anyone with any information should contact DC Beeney via 0845 8 505 505.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to contact the police or leave your name, please call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

A mum who decided to explore the benefits of real nappies is the first to receive a cash bonus from Wokingham District Council as it encourages people to consider the alternative to disposable nappies.

Natalie Burton of New Road, Ruscombe is the first claimant under the council’s real nappy incentive scheme which allows parents living in the district to claim up to £30 from the council after they have spent more than this amount on real nappy products*. And Natalie is getting a double bonus as two-month-old twins Rosie and Tom enabled her to claim £60 back on real nappy products.

Wokingham District Council launched the scheme during Real Nappy Week in April at a special ‘Nappucino’ event when everyone from prospective parents to grandparents is invited to come along for a coffee and a chat to find out more about the benefits of real nappies.

Wokingham Waste and recycling manager Pete Baveystock said: “The council spends thousands of pounds each year disposing of waste in rapidly decreasing landfill space. The government sets very tight controls and, if we exceed these, the council has to pay money in fines.

“Therefore we are always looking at every opportunity to decrease the amount of waste we send to landfill and increase the amount that we recycle and compost. Real nappies are a great alternative to disposables, meaning less waste to landfill and often a saving to a parent’s pocket as well! The cash back incentive aims to help to introduce more families to real, washable nappies and mean less waste in landfill.”

Around four per cent of household waste is made up of disposable nappies. That equates to approximately 8,000 tonnes a year in the Wokingham district going straight into limited landfill space.

Executive member for environment services Cllr Simon Weeks, who presented Natalie with her cheque on Wednesday June 21, said: “I’m delighted to be presenting this cheque to Natalie and her family as our first successful claimants. When you have children, the financial outIay on new necessities can be somewhat daunting, and I hope that this cashback goes someway to helping.

“I would encourage everyone to find out more about cloth nappies as a very real alternative to disposables.”

Natalie said: “Our decision to use real nappies, as opposed to disposable, was an easy one to make as the choice is endless and they are so easy to use. We're able to use the money we've saved to benefit the twins, plus we aren't contributing to the landfill statistics as much as we would have done had we us disposables.”

The cash back scheme covers the first 80 claims or until March 31, 2007, whichever comes first.

For more information about the Wokingham scheme call waste and recycling manager Peter Baveystock on (0118) 974 6338.

*In order to claim the £30 cash back, claimants must provide proof of residency in the Wokingham district, a copy of the birth certificate of the child for whom they are claiming, an application form and receipt of real nappy products to a value greater than £30 for that child. The scheme covers all babies born on or after April 24, 2006.

Wokingham District Council

Restaurants, cafes and take-aways across Wokingham district are being warned to make sure they clean their food preparation surfaces properly, after a recent survey by Wokingham District Council’s food safety officers found a high presence of bacteria.

With National Food Safety Week having drawn to a close (June 12 to 18), the results of samples taken from food premises across the South of England have been published, revealing that a number of premises aren’t following sufficient hygiene. Samples taken by council officers in the Wokingham district formed part of a wider survey across the region, with 22 authorities sending a total of 324 swab samples from chopping boards, food preparation surfaces, door handles, slicers and food containers, as well as dish cloths.

And the results showed that 44% of surfaces and 75% of dishcloths carried a high number of bacteria including:

* Escherichia coli – which indicates contamination with raw meat ingredients or direct faecal contamination
* Staphyloccus aureus – which indicates poor staff hygiene

Dish cloths were found to be a particular concern with some containing such high levels of food poisoning bacteria that they would be considered a significant health hazard.

Senior Wokingham food safety officer Joanne George said: “Cloths are often responsible for spreading bacteria around a kitchen. To stop this happening, they should be cleaned in hot soapy water (more than 60°C) and dried thoroughly every day. They should also be replaced regularly or disposable cloths can be used.”

Food businesses are being reminded to:

* Keep food at the correct temperature
* Ensure cloths are clean and replaced regularly
* Keep raw and cooked foods apart to prevent cross-contamination
* Wash hands thoroughly before and after touching food
* Keep kitchen surfaces clean.

Executive member for Wokingham community safety Cllr Barrie Patman said: “The results of this survey highlight just how important it is to maintain good kitchen hygiene, whether at home or work. People should make sure that all surfaces are cleaned thoroughly before preparing food and between handling raw and cooked food.”

Wokingham District Council

Improving the quality and suitability of development in the Wokingham district are the aims of an extended pre-planning application advice service set to be considered by the district council.

At their meeting on Thursday June 29, members of Wokingham council’s decision-making executive will consider a proposal to extend the pre-planning application advice service offered to those looking to develop property in the Wokingham district to cover both minor and major applications with the aim of improving the planning process for everyone. (Householders planning to extend or make alterations to their home will not be affected by the proposed changes.)

Wokingham council’s development control service has an ongoing programme of modernisation and improvement with a clear focus on achieving quality development in the district. Recent initiatives include increased training for staff and councillors, the development of a residential design guide, service re-organisation and a new management team. The extension of the pre-application advice service is the latest part of this programme of enhancement.

Pre-application advice offers those intending to make planning applications feedback on what is likely to be acceptable in planning terms and the process that applications will have to follow. It also informs people of the supporting information they will need to supply with an application, such as an environmental impact assessment and statement on community involvement.

This advice is an important aspect of the planning process and results in a better quality of development. Currently, however, it is only offered to those making larger applications, meaning that smaller applications may not receive the benefit of informed discussion before they are submitted.

This service is not covered in the current planning fees and charges and has to be funded by the council. Therefore, should the executive give the proposal the green light, the extensions of the service will see an accompanying fee being introduced.

Executive member for local and regional planning Wokingham Cllr Gary Cowan said: “Whilst the council is fighting increased housing development at every level, we have to be realistic and accept that the district is a popular place to live and new homes will need to be built. It follows, therefore, that we should do everything we can to ensure that the development that does occur is of a high quality and suitable to the character of its surroundings.

“Pre-application advice is a vital part of the planning process and our officers are keen to engage with developers at an early stage to make sure that the Wokingham district gets suitable development.

“This, however, comes at a cost which shouldn’t be borne by the council tax payer. Should the executive agree the proposal, the new system aims to offer quality advice to potential applicants, ensuring that valuable officers’ time is used wisely by developers and ill-thought out unsuitable ideas don’t get to the application stage. Officers and members alike should see more considered proposals coming forward, resulting in quality developments in our towns and villages.”

If given the go-ahead, the new system will see a fee of £1,000 for major applications (10 units or more for residential and 1,000 metres² or more for commercial) and £500 for minor applications (nine units or less for residential and 999 metres² or less for commercial) from early July. Householders planning to extend or make alterations to their existing home - making up some 80% of applicants - will not be subject to the fees and will continue to have free access to advice from a duty planning officer during office hours (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm).

Advice will cover planning policy, the process and timetable for an application, any possible infrastructure requirements and the likely success or otherwise of a proposal.

The Wokingham planning service also commits to allocating a planning officer to the case within five days of an application being submitted, a site visit and response from the council’s internal consultations (highways, tree officers and biodiversity officer, for instance) within 15 days, a face-to-face meeting between developer and planning officer (two meetings for major) and written advice from officers, including information on developer contributions (section 106 payments).

Wokingham District Council

There will be red cards all round for troublemakers in Wokingham this summer.

Thames Valley Police in partnership with Wokingham District Council are set to launch a new community safety initiative through the Pubwatch scheme, allowing landlords to form a winning team in the fight against anti-social behaviour.

Binge-drinking troublemakers who have been banned from any one pub in the Wokingham Pubwatch scheme already find that they are banned from all other pubs in the group.

And now, with new radio links between the pubs and the Wokingham Police Station, local landlords can communicate with each other immediately, improving safety for residents and tackling troublemakers head-on.

Many shops and businesses in Wokingham already benefit from a communal radio link up, which is also linked to the CCTV control room at Wokingham police station and is monitored periodically by police.

This enables information sharing and helps to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in the town centre.

When the scheme is extended on a trial basis to pubs and licensed premises in the town centre, through the Pubwatch scheme, landlords can liaise across the town to identify troublemakers and turn them away.

Wokingham District Council’s executive member for community safety Cllr Barrie Patman said: “Wokingham is a pleasant place for an evening out, especially now the World Cup is in full swing.

"Most people enjoy the summer and drink sensibly, but there are always some people who take their drinking too far.

"The radio link-up is an excellent way for landlords to spread the message that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated in Wokingham’s pubs.”

Neighbourhood officer PC Tom Tomas was on duty this weekend (Saturday June 24) when the radios were being used for the first time.

He said: “When we are alerted by the radios, our response can be so much quicker.

"There were several instances at the weekend where a person banned from one pub, after having too much to drink and behaving anti-socially, was successfully prevented from entering any other pubs because of the speed at which a warning could be spread.

"Two arrests were made that would probably not have been possible without the extra speed the radios have given us.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

This summer for the first time, Churches Together in Wokingham and Wokingham District’s ‘Discover Culture’ programme will tour Arena for the Arts, an inspiring collection of children and young people’s arts. You are invited to visit one of several local Wokingham churches that will host the exhibition. Join us and discover the inspirational, unique collection, Belief: Inspiration, Faith and Trust, that also launches a 12 month celebration of cultural activities with something for everyone.

Discover through the art work of young people from more than 15 local Wokingham schools, the commitment, belief and faith of our young people.

The Tour will include:
Exhibition at St. Paul’s Church, Wokingham 24 July – 18 August 2006

Trail of Belief and the Big Idea
Initial exhibition at Rose St. Methodist 17 August – 19 August 2006
Full featured exhibition in Big Idea week 20 August – 27 August 2006
at the following venues:

* St. Pauls (Reading Road)
* Wokingham Baptist (Milton Road)
* Kings House (Shute End)
* All Saints (London Road)
* Friends Meeting House (Denton Road)
* Corpus Christi (Sturges Road)

Specially featuring:

* The Quaker Tapestry
* New Generation Art Exhibition of Silk Paintings by Anne House
A widely acclaimed exhibition of stunning paintings described by previous visitors as 'Awesome, prophetic, explosive, sad, joyful, amazing, a real reflection of the creator God'

Refreshments will be available at the Kings House and Wokingham Baptist venues.

Wokingham Big Idea

Local Wokingham businesses could be saving 20% on water use and 50% on waste generation, as Wokingham District Council encourages people to attend a special free seminar on Wednesday July 5 designed to make businesses more sustainable.

Local Wokingham businesses can learn to make savings - both environmentally and economically - at a free interactive workshop teaching managers how to use resources more efficiently in their businesses. Organised by the Slough Business Environment Club working with Wokingham District Council, and delivered by Envirowise, the event will take place from 9.30am to 4.30pm on July 5, at GlaxoSmithKline, Stoke Poges Lane, Slough.

Executive member for community safety Cllr Barrie Patman said: “This is an excellent opportunity for local businesses. Sustainability is a key issue for our local economy and the council is keen to encourage improvements and savings wherever they can be made – especially where they will help the smaller local businesses that our district thrives on.”

Wokingham Public protection officer Ian Gough said: “I will be going to the seminar myself and I do hope some local managers will join me. I think this is an excellent opportunity for us all to save money at work, and do our bit for the local environment at the same time.”

The seminar is completely free and will include a morning session on waste minimisation, lunch, and an afternoon session on saving water. Delegates may attend either or both sessions. To book a place, managers should contact Marylene Mansfield Williams of the Corporate Environmental Advisory Centre (CEAC) at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, on (01494) 605 054 or at ceac@bcuc.ac.uk

Wokingham District Council

Wokingham District Council’s ‘It’s Working’ team were celebrating on Saturday (June 10) when they scooped the top prize in the Woodley Carnival for the best float in the community category!

‘It’s Working’ is a Wokingham supported employment scheme, based at Wokingham Resource and Opportunity Centre (WROC). The scheme enables job seekers with a disability, who need extra assistance, to succeed in work. All service users are matched with a Wokingham district council job coach, who provides them with support during the search for a job. Once paid employment is secured, the job coach will work with the individual in their job until they are able to work independently. There is no time limit for this and it is very much a service that is based on a person’s individual needs.

Last year job coach Eve Spear took part in the carnival with one of the service users. They both had such a fantastic time that, this year, Eve encouarged colleagues to join them!

Eve said: “Last year was fantastic and we really enjoyed being on the town council’s float. However, we felt, as a really good way to promote our service, we should organise our own one this year. And, what a result! Our service users either dressed up in their own work uniform or came dressed representing their ideal job. A lot of hard work went into organising our float and we were delighted to win!”

The theme for the float was ‘It’s working for us’ and the float was decorated with work-related scenes including a café and laundry. It was also decorated with banners and promotional material from employers of service users, including John Nike Leisure Centre, Berkshire Costume Service, Berkshire Rooms and Moor Cottage Veterinary Hospital.

Getting into the spirit, Eve dressed-up as a Dalmatian as part of a double act with a service user. He is looking for a job working with animals and came dressed as a dog walker!

Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons, executive member for Wokingham social care services and housing, said: “Everyone from service users to officers at the council put in a lot of effort to ensure their ‘It’s working for us’ float was a winner! I would like to extend my congratulations to everyone involved and I wish all the service users well for the future as they seek employment.”

Wokingham District Council

2nd July 2006, 10.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. or 1.00 p.m. – 3.00 p.m.
Explore Art in Camouflage!

Create a nature print using magic paper; invent your own camouflage animal; make your own camouflage box and have fun with optical illusions!

The ‘Art in Camouflage’ Workshop is the third MINTI Club Sunday Workshop this year. Every child attending a MINTI Club workshop gets a MINTI Club Reward Card. We’ll stamp your Reward Card at each workshop: collect 3 stamps for a MINTI Club certificate, collect 6 stamps and you’ve won a reward!

Places are limited and booking is essential. Admission to Workshop: child £6, adults free (all children must be accompanied by an adult, younger children will need parental assistance with the activities). Activities suitable for 5 – 12 year olds. The REME Museum of Technology is running ‘Art in Camouflage’ as part of the National Children’s Art Day initiative from the Clore Duffield Foundation to promote art for and by children.

For more details about workshops and family events or to book places please call the Education Officer on 0118 976 3375. To find out about other forthcoming MINTI Club workshops and family events check out our web site at www.rememuseum.org.uk

REME Museum, Isaac Newton Road, Arborfield, Berkshire
RG2 9NJ

Six Weeks of summer fun for 5 to 11 year-olds right on your Wokingham doorstep!

From football to face painting, music to magic and volleyball to video film making we have a packed Wokingham programme to keep you smiling right through the summer.

Waverley Wokingham Holiday Club runs from July 17 until August 25 and you can join us for just one day or the whole six weeks!

Half day 8am-1pm or 1pm-6pm * Full day 8am-6pm * Fees: £20 per day or £11 per half day

Theme weeks ... Day trips to Legoland and other attractions (extra charge) ..Aquaslide..Arts and Crafts..
Badminton..Bouncy Castle..Clay modelling..Dance..Drama..Face painting..Football..Giant bubbles..Karaoke..
Kwik-cricket..Magic Tricks..Mini Olympics..Tag-rugby..Music making..Nature trail..Netball..Plaster cast modelling..
Rounders..Short tennis..Softball..Storytime..Treasure hunts..Video film making and Volleyball.

How to Book:

Visit our website at www.waverleyschool.co.uk/Holidayclub
or call 0118 973 1121 for more information or to reserve a place. We will send you a booking form and your Holiday Club
place will be confirmed once we receive your booking form and deposit.

Waverley School, Waverley Way, Finchampstead, Wokingham, RG40 4YD

St Crispin’s School PTA Ladies Pamper Evening

7.30pm Thursday June 29th

Adult Entrance £3.50, includes a Glass of Wine
Under 18’s Entrance £2.00, includes soft drink

Fashion show : cookery demonstration

Beauty treatments & products

Chocolate fountain : Licensed bar

Over 20 Ladies side stalls

Huge raffle – fantastic pamper prizes

Tickets available from school office, school website www.st-crispins.wokingham.sch.uk
or on the night at door**
Registered charity no: 800021

St Crispin’s School, London Road, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 1SS

Wescott Infant School, Wokingham are celebrating their Centenary this year, with a barbecue for all staff and students who have attended the school over its hundred-year history. The PTA and governors along with headteacher Jacqui Bruce, will be holding the reunion barbecue on Saturday July 8 from 6pm to 10pm in the school grounds, as an opportunity for all those who have spent time at the school to swap reminiscences.

Cecil Culver, who at the age of 96 is one of the oldest living ex-pupils, is still resident in Wokingham and will be attending as guest of honour. Council chairman Cllr Angus Ross will also be attending.

“We have publicised the event on the school web-site, with posters around the town and also by contacting the several hundred ex-pupils who have registered with the web-site Friends Reunited,” said school governor Ian Hughes, “but we are keen to find as many as possible of our ex-pupils and teachers. We would like to make it a really memorable event and I do hope more old friends will get in contact with us.”

Ex-pupils and staff can buy tickets, for a minimum donation of £5, by visiting www.wescott-school.co.uk or by calling the school.

Wokingham District Council

The sand martin population is declining across the world – but at Wokingham District Council run Dinton Pastures Country Park in Hurst, steps are being taken to protect these summer visitors from extinction, with more than 40 breeding pairs now making the park their home.

In Africa, where the birds live in winter, they face severe droughts that have decimated their numbers. When the surviving birds arrive in the UK in spring, the sand martins like to burrow into banks, quarries and cliffs, usually near water. In the Loddon Valley, sand martins have been nesting in gravel workings for many years. However, the Summerleaze-owned Lea Farm gravel pit in Hurst was filled in and the land on top restored last year. With the gravel extraction finished, ground water at the site has returned to natural levels, making it no longer attractive to the birds. There is now a shortage of suitable nesting sites, and sand martins are on the RSPB’s amber “Birds at Risk” list.

To avoid a sand martin accommodation crisis in the Loddon Valley, two artificial walls were built in time for the nesting season. The special walls, containing around 90 nest tunnels, have a “green turf” roof and coloured rendering to ensure they blend in to the surroundings. One of the walls is at the council-owned Lavell’s Lake Nature Reserve - part of Dinton Pastures Country Park. The second wall is at the new nature reserve at Lea Farm. ‘Friends of Lavell’s Lake’ are monitoring the breeding success of both walls and will clean out the tunnels in the winter.

Since the walls were built in February this year, the project has proved successful and there are now 40 breeding pairs of sand martins living in each wall.

The project is being funded by English Nature (through Defra's Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund), Summerleaze, The Environment Agency and Wokingham District Council.

Mike Lowe of Summerleaze Ltd said: “The quarry faces were homes for hundreds of sand martins during the nesting season. Now that the quarry has been exhausted and the site restored, we are delighted to help perpetuate this habitation and keep the birds local to Dinton Pastures.”

Wokingham District Council’s executive member for the environment Cllr Simon Weeks said: “I was very pleased to see this innovative scheme to support the sand martins in the Loddon Valley. It demonstrates real commitment on the part of Wokingham to protect wild life. I am glad it is proving successful.”

Hurst ward councillor Annette Drake said: “I am delighted that this project is proving such a success. We are indeed fortunate to have such biodiversity in the area.”

Wokingham council’s biodiversity officer Andy Glencross is co-ordinating the project. “This area has ample feeding opportunities and good habitat, but until now it had very few suitable nesting sites for sand martins,” he said. “This project has secured their future in the Loddon Valley

Wokingham District Council

A special award ceremony took place on May 26, as part of National Adult Learners’ Week, to celebrate the achievements and successes of a number of adult learners from the Wokingham district who have overcome great personal challenges.

Held for the second year running, the Learner Challenge Awards were organised jointly by Wokingham District Council’s cultural services and the Wokingham Learning Partnership.
District council chairman Cllr Angus Ross joined the learners from across the district to celebrate their success and gave the opening speech welcoming the learners, their mentors and visitors to the council.

Four community projects were awarded prizes of £250, while 16 individual learners* from across the district were also presented with certificates and prizes by Peter Tubb, chairman of the Wokingham Learning Partnership, at a special ceremony held at the civic offices in Wokingham.

Chief executive of the Campaign for Learning Linda Siegle gave a speech to the winners and Jenny Williams from National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) talked about the challenges of adult and community learning.

Wokingham-based Yasmin Miller, a European Social Fund award winner, gave a presentation on her learning experiences. She received her national award for her remarkable effort, commitment and dedication to learning by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) and she talked to fellow learners about her own personal experiences. As an already well-educated young woman with diverse interests and a high-flying career as a chartered accountant and tax adviser, Yasmin’s life changed dramatically when she encountered severe depression. For nearly two years, she was unable to work. She said: “I became withdrawn from society and unable to function at even a basic level. I knew I would eventually have to return to work, but couldn’t imagine how that could be possible.”

A lifeline was offered by the Broadening Horizons course, which is run by Bracknell and Wokingham College and supported by Wokingham District Council. She said: “That course was a first step towards returning my mind to ‘normal life’, and just having to interact with others laid the foundations for rebuilding my shattered confidence.” Yasmin now uses her talents to help people with a variety of needs to access learning.

And, for the first time this year, the district council also presented four overall learner achievement awards. ‘E-Learner of 2006’ was awarded to Bob Thornton from Wokingham. Learndirect kindly donated a voucher for Bob to attend additional courses. Albie Smith from Bracknell was presented with the overall ‘Outstanding Personal Achievement of 2006’ and he was presented with book tokens, kindly donated by Reading University. ‘Perseverance in Learning award in 2006’ was awarded to Sue Chapman from Woodley and she was presented with a voucher for further learning, kindly donated by Bracknell and Wokingham College.

Wokingham District Council’s ‘Overall Learner of 2006’ was awarded to Beverley Ballard from Earley. Beverley, a mother of two daughters, has overcome many barriers to learning. She spent time at the CResCent Centre on the integration project and it allowed her to develop self-confidence and improve her self-esteem. Beverley said: “I thoroughly enjoyed going along to the CResCent Centre to learn new skills and meet new people. I was determined to complete the course and it has improved my self-confidence. I was delighted to win this award.” Beverley was presented with a certificate and also won dinner, bed and breakfast kindly donated by Cantley House Hotel.

Wokingham District Council’s chairman Cllr Angus Ross said: “Listening to the many stories highlighted in the Learner Challenge Awards, it illustrates that many of our learners in the Wokingham district have overcome great challenges and barriers to learning. Adult learning has a huge impact on our community and the Wokingham Learning Partnership is achieving well in bringing together those planning, funding and delivering learning to meet the needs of adult learners.

“I am pleased that the district council is recognising the hard work of these individuals. It is a wonderful achievement of which they should all be very proud and I hope it will give them to encouragement to continue their studies in the future.”

Wokingham District Council

Wokingham District Council’s chairman Cllr Angus Ross will be attending two open gardens this month in aid of his chosen charity, the Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance.

The first Wokingham open garden is being held on Sunday June 18 at 6 Melody Close in Winnersh. This delightful 2/3 acre garden includes a herbaceous bed, roses, shrubs, trees, a wild woodland area and vegetables. The following Sunday (June 25), three properties – 23, 25 and 27 Glebelands Road in Wokingham – will open their doors to their impressive gardens. Number 23 has wheelchair access. Number 25 is full of heathers, alpines, hostas and acers. There is a variety of colour, shape and form at number 27.

Both events are open to the public and cost £3 for adults, while children are admitted for free. All proceeds will go direct to the charity.

Wokingham Cllr Angus Ross said: “It is wonderful that these garden owners open up their gardens for all to enjoy whilst raising money for the charity at the same time. I am delighted to have been invited to attend and hope that many local people will join me in raising vital funds for the air ambulance.”

It is traditional that the Wokingham chairman supports a charity during his term in office. The Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust is a charity funded by the businesses and people of the Thames Valley. The air ambulance started operating in June 1999 and is based at White Waltham near Maidenhead. The yellow Bolkow 105 helicopter carries life saving equipment and is crewed by a pilot and two paramedics. It can transport one patient to one of several hospitals in the area with landing facilities, or to a specialist hospital if required. The paramedics are provided by the NHS but all other costs are funded by the Trust.

Celia Storry, organiser of the open garden scheme and volunteer at the Trust, said: “The Trust is very grateful to all the garden owners who not only open their gardens to the public but provide delicious home-made teas and plants for sale too. It all provides a very enjoyable afternoon out whilst raising much-needed funds for this essential service. Brochures with full details of the whole summer's programme of open gardens are available at all libraries and at many garden centres."

Wokingham District Council

Motorists coming into Wokingham from the south of the district can now enjoy a smoother run into the town after the A321 Finchampstead Road reopened to traffic yesterday (June 8).

“This is really good news for everyone. We know there have been difficulties over recent months whilst the road has been closed but I’m pleased that the newly resurfaced road is now once again open to traffic,” said Wokingham District Council’s executive member for highways and transport Cllr Anthony Pollock.

“The council has worked closely with South East Water to complete the work as quickly as possible and this has resulted in the work being completed 10 days ahead of schedule.”

South East Water has been carrying out much-needed remedial work to a water main under the Finchampstead Road, resulting the road being closed since February 27. It was vital that the work was carried out in order to prevent burst pipes and water leaks causing major disruption to road users and inconvenience to Wokingham residents. Much of the work was carried out over the school break at Easter, when traffic flow was lower. The water company also agreed to Wokingham council’s request to carry out evening and Saturday work where appropriate.

Wokingham council worked in parallel with South East Water to resurface the road and improve highway drainage so that a separate period of disruption was avoided.

“I would like to thank everyone for bearing with us whilst the road was closed,” said Cllr Pollock.

Spokesperson for South East Water Jane Gould said: “South East Water would like to thank Wokingham District Council and Clancy Docwra, the contractors, for their co-operation in enabling this project to be completed ahead of schedule.”

The free Thursday and Friday car parking in Wokingham town centre introduced in April for the duration of the road closure will now cease. Normal charges will be in force from next week (Monday June 12, 2006)

Wokingham District Council

Pupils from Wokingham Addington Special School netted a new minibus and a celebrity royal visit on Tuesday (June 6) which sets the wheels in motion for educational trips for the years to come.

Newly promoted Reading Football Club’s manager Steve Coppell joined pupils and staff at Wokingham Addington Special School, and got behind the steering wheel before handing over the keys to the joint chairs of Addington’s Association Barbie Takyar and Heather Young.

The Wokingham school – based on Loddon Bridge Road in Woodley – have had a Variety Club minibus for many years but the time had come for an upgrade. The Variety Club and Vodafone offered to help and support the school on their quest and Addington’s Association set to work to raise their half of the funds needed for a new bus. The Wokingham school raised over £15,000 over two years and they now have a brand new 17-seater bus which all the pupils will benefit from.

Joint chairs of Addington’s Association, Barbie and Heather, took on the mammoth task of fundraising by organising craft fairs, coffee mornings, summer and Christmas fairs to name just a few.

Liz Meek, Wokingham headteacher, said: “I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who kindly donated money for our new minibus. Everyone has helped make our dream of a new bus a reality and we are extremely grateful to everyone for their fundraising efforts. I would like to extend my thanks to Barbie and Heather, who spent the past two years organising events to help fund our new bus.

“The school is very grateful for the donations received by the Variety Club and Vodafone –without their generous support we would not have this minibus which the whole school community will now benefit from.

“The bus is superb. It is much bigger and better that the old one and it allows us to transport the pupils in wheelchairs as well as other pupils in seats. We study the environment in our lessons and by having our own transport it means that we can do this in a safe and comfortable way.”

Wokingham District Council

A new mobile unit, fitted with CCTV cameras, will patrol Wokingham streets to improve safety in the Wokingham district from this week.

The Wokingham vehicle, along with four portable CCTV cameras, will be unveiled on Wednesday (June 7) as part of the official launch of the campaign ‘Operation Four Wheel’. This is a joint initiative between Wokingham District Council and Thames Valley Police and will be used for surveillance in public areas across the district.

Operated by Wokingham District Council’s community wardens as well as police officers, the CCTV van will help combat crime and anti-social behaviour. Funded through government money, the CCTV van will keep a watchful eye over crime hotspots in the district.

The Wokingham van and the four re-deployable cameras form part of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership’s ongoing project to cut vehicle-related crimes in the district. They will be utilised in special operations to tackle not only vehicle related offences, but also other important crime and disorder issues such as anti-social behaviour and burglary.

Wokingham Car parks will be targeted, keeping residents’ and visitors’ cars safe from would-be thieves. Not only will car parks benefit from the cameras but, as they are mobile, they can be moved to other locations in response to changing crime patterns, for maximum effect on crime reduction throughout the district.

Cllr Barrie Patman, executive member for Wokingham community safety, said: “Overall crime in the Wokingham district is low but we are not complacent. The district council along with fellow members of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership will do everything we can to ensure the district remains a safe place to live and work. We are determined to continue to bring crime levels down even further and the new mobile CCTV unit will be an essential tool that gives us the flexibility to deter and tackle crime and anti-social behaviour on the streets of the district.”

At the official Wokingham launch on Wednesday, an array of games and goodies will be available for people who want to learn more about keeping their car safe. There will be an example of a vehicle with valuables on display inviting interest from thieves - members of the public will be challenged to spot the unsafe items.

And in a bid to raise public awareness of car crime and how to prevent it, Wokingham district council’s community wardens will also be giving out advice packs, which include stationery and air fresheners printed with reminders of the message. Volunteers from Thames Valley Police will be on hand ‘property-marking’ mobile phones, bikes and other valuables that people bring along. Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service will be giving home safety and fire advice, along with the council’s crime reduction officer.

Wokingham District Council

To celebrate its first year, Wokingham Disability and Sensory Needs Partnership Board is taking to the streets to spread the word on its work at a series of roadshows, being held in partnership with the Mobile Information Centre (MICE).

Taking place in four locations – Woodley, Lower Earley, Twyford and Winnersh – the events will give local people the opportunity to meet members of the Partnership Board and find out more about its work and how to get involved.

An innovative partnership of local Wokingham care organisations, the Partnership Board aims to raise the profile of services for people with physical and sensory disabilities and develop and improve these services in line with the needs of local people.

Launched 12 months ago to improve the quality of lives of physically disabled people and people with a sensory need living in the Wokingham district by driving forward service modernisation and improvement, the Partnership Board includes service users, carers, representatives from voluntary organisations, Wokingham District Council (elected member and officers) and Wokingham NHS Primary Care Trust.
The roadshows are taking place on:

June 7 ASDA, Lower Earley 10am - 4pm

June 26 Outside the Oakwood Centre, Headley Road 1pm - 4pm

July 4 Twyford, Waitrose car park 1.15pm - 4pm

July 18 Winnersh - Sainsbury's car park 9.30am - 12.30pm

Wokingham Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons, executive member for community care, said: “The Wokingham Disability and Sensory Needs Partnership Board gives local service users and carers a much greater say in decision making about the kinds of services available to local people and the way in which they will be delivered.

“People should have real choice in the services they use and have a real say in what they do and what happens to them. Services should be tailored to meet individual needs as much as possible and be flexible, accessible, coordinated and modernised so that everyone has the opportunity to live as independently as possible.

“And I am pleased to say that over the past 12 months, a great many good things have been happening, as disabled people have become more involved in helping us lead this service. Not only are we helping them to live more independently at home, we are helping them get into work and training and to access community facilities more easily.”

For further information about the roadshows, please contact either Marlena O’Donnell, Wokingham communications team manager, on (0118) 974 6777 or Zoe Tomes, Partnership Board development officer, mobile: 0778 619 7626. More information about the Partnership Board can be found on the council’s website: www.wokingham.gov.uk/disabilitypartnership

Wokingham District Council

Dog mess is set to be scooped when Wokingham District Council distributes 10,000 dog mess bags throughout the district.

A recent survey revealed that residents were concerned about dogs fouling the public spaces. Wokingham Community wardens Lesley McCambridge and Emma LeRoy decided something needed to be done.

“We do try to act on all concerns raised by our surveys,” said Lesley McCambridge. “We decided we’d like to remind people to use bags and pick up their dog’s mess, so we’ve decided to hand out bags to help people get into the habit.”

The new bags will be given out by Wokingham community wardens in local parks and popular dog walking areas all over the district over the next few months. There will also be wardens giving them out at the dog show at the Memorial Ground, Headley Road, Woodley on Sunday June 4.

“While many residents in our district take a real pride in keeping their communities clean and safe, dog mess can be a problem and we are always looking for ways to help dog owners get into good habits,” said executive member for community safety Barrie Patman. “This initiative from the community wardens should give a real incentive to those who find it difficult to remember to clean up after their dogs.”

Wokingham District Council

As chairman of the local Wokingham branch of Cancer Research, Liz Dearling of Croft Close, Wokingham has seen the group raise in excess of £186,000 in nine years. And at her 80th birthday party on Wednesday May 24, her achievements were officially recognised by Wokingham District Council’s new chairman, Cllr Angus Ross.

Liz has handed on the chairmanship of Cancer Research in Wokingham, but she is still involved in a supporting role and can always be found selling tickets for the next event. In addition Liz volunteers at Wokingham Volunteer Centre as a much valued transport co-ordinator.

The Wokingham council chairman usually presents a small gift and a plaque each month to an individual or group that has given good service to the community. When a birthday garden party was held for Liz Dearling by her daughter Helen Marengo, at her home in Lower Wokingham Road, Crowthorne, new chairman Cllr Angus Ross made a surprise presentation of flowers and a shield to record the event and to thank her for her significant contribution to the community.

“Liz has worked very hard for many years and I am delighted that we now have a chance to celebrate her successes and thank her for her efforts,” Cllr Ross said.

“I am most grateful to Wokingham District Council for this award,” said Liz. “I enjoy my work for Cancer Research UK, having been involved for 21 years, and will miss it a lot.”

Wokingham District Council

Research announced recently by the Trust for the Study of Adolescence highlighted that many young people wish they had waited longer before having sex. And, here in the Wokingham district, some 20 professionals have recently received training in the delayed programme of work to encourage young people to delay sexual activity.

During the Wokingham one-day training session held in May, professionals, including healthy schools co-ordinators, connexions’ workers, health workers, school nurses and social workers from the Wokingham district, learnt new skills that will help them work with young people on a range of issues. These professionals will be using their news skill to offer advice to young people, in school and at places such as youth clubs, on contraception and sexual health as well as sex and relationship education.

The Wokingham health and social care professionals will cascade information out to young people and will talk and offer advice on:

* Knowing when they are ready to have sex
* Talking and negotiating with partners before having sex
* Skills to resist peer pressure and say no
* Looking to other things to achieve the sense of belonging they may feel they get from having sex, such as friendships, achieving goals and working in the community.

Georgina Clarke, Wokingham teenage pregnancy co-ordinator, said: “Evaluation of the course has outlined that professionals now feel more confident discussing with young people about delaying their sexual activity until they feel they are ready. Professionals participating in this course also felt that issuing contraception to young people should be delivered alongside the delay programme. This will ultimately help young people to make informed choices, which will in turn reduce the number of young people who regret sex.”

The Trust for the Study of Adolescence released its research on May 21, and it highlighted that two in five 15 to18-year-olds wish they had waited longer before having sex and three in 10 lost their virginity for negative reasons such as being drunk. This was a London school based survey with 3,007 pupils.

Wokingham District Council

Wokingham Curves Fitness Centre is usually just for women – but for two hours last Saturday afternoon, (May 20) men got to find out what the fit ladies in Wokingham get up to. Curves invited men to visit the fitness centre, based at the Ritz Plaza in Denton Road, Wokingham, where, they worked around the circuit twice for a £5 donation to Sebastian’s Action Trust.

Many gentlemen sported bras so that they would blend in better at the ladies-only centre. Even former Wokingham District Council chairman Cllr Iain Brown wore a bra at the event, which was his last charity appearance following his year in office. Sebastian’s Action Trust was his nominated civic charity during his chairmanship.

Sebastian’s Action Trust is a registered charity committed to realising the last wish of Sebastian Gates who died aged nine after a two and a half year battle with cancer. Sebastian’s wish was to raise funds to provide a holiday home for families of cancer sufferers, so that they could spend precious time together away from the hospital and the punishing regimes that govern the lives of cancer patients.

“The circuit event has been a fun afternoon for everybody,” said Wokingham Cllr Brown. “During my year as chairman, people came up with all kinds of extraordinary fundraising ideas for Sebastian’s Action Trust. But this is certainly among the most unusual! I would like to thank all those who have volunteered their time and energy to make it such a success.”

Everyone who attended the event also had the opportunity to make a further donation to the charity, for a massage from Harriette Disdale who gave her time free of charge for the event. Some £165 was raised for the charity bringing the total to £14,000 for Cllr Brown’s civic year.

Wokingham District Council

Farley Hill Primary School proved they are a class act when they invited Wokingham District Council’s executive member for children’s services Cllr Frank Browne to celebrate their outstanding Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) report.

Pupils invited Wokingham Cllr Browne to attend a special celebratory lunch at their very own ‘Eat Smart Café’ and he was also joined by headteacher Lynn Marshall and chair of governors Annette Keith. The ‘Eat Smart Café’, which they built and now run themselves, was praised by Ofsted inspectors, who said there was an ‘enterprising spirit in the school’.

The Wokingham community primary school, on Church Road in Farley Hill, has 195 pupils on its roll aged between four and 11 years old. The school were praised by Ofsted as an outstanding school where pupils achieve well and mature into courteous and confident young people who share caring attitudes to each other and those around them.

In their report following a two-day inspection on February 28 and March 1, 2006, inspectors applauded the Wokingham school for providing the ‘pupils with an excellent range of interesting activities which ensures that their enjoyment of learning is highly evident.’ And as a result academic standards are above average and have been maintained at high levels since the previous inspection in 2000. ‘The excellent curriculum enables them to flourish whilst teaching and learning in the school is enhanced by the use of interactive whiteboards by both pupils and teachers’.

Teachers were also praised for their excellent care of their pupils’ well-being and personal development – a major strength of the Wokingham school. The report states ‘Pupils’ politeness, their ability to engage in conversation confidently, their positive approach to learning and their excellent behaviour and attendance are a tribute to all that the school stands for’. Pupils also have an excellent relationship with their teachers and other members of staff.

Inspectors also deemed the quality of leadership and management at the school ‘excellent’ and highlighted the school’s awareness of its own strengths and what needs to be improved further. The school’s view of itself matched with the inspectors’ views in most respects.

The Wokingham school was also commended for being ‘innovative and energetic in seeking to improve facilities, working in excellent partnership with parents’. Governors were also deemed ‘highly effective and a real asset to the school’.

Lynn Marshall, headteacher, said: “We were delighted that Cllr Frank Browne could join us for lunch and help us celebrate our Ofsted report. Everyone from pupils and parents to teachers and governors are really pleased that Ofsted has recognised Farley Hill Primary School as outstanding.

“The school provides the children with an excellent range of activities, which allows learning to be fun as well as challenging. The inspectors were full of praise for the children who they said were full of enthusiasm for their school and talked happily about their friends, the exciting playground and the experience of eating in the “Eat Smart Café. Farley Hill is a happy school and the relationships between pupils and teachers are excellent and we are very proud of this.”

Wokingham District Council’s executive member for children’s services Cllr Frank Browne, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed joining the pupils and teaching staff for lunch and help them celebrate their outstanding Ofsted report. It was good to see at first hand some of the excellent activities which take place at the school. Many of these activities ensure that pupils have fun whilst they learn, which is evident in their academic achievements. It was quite apparent to me that their enjoyment of learning is high and it was pleasing to see such good attendance and behaviour at the school.

“I would like to extend my congratulations to all the pupils, staff, governors and parents at Farley Hill Primary School.”

Wokingham District Council

Talented artists from Wokingham Walter Infant School and Nursery have created an impression of a Masai child in the African bush in acrylics on canvas – as a very special gift.

On Tuesday May 16 Wokingham District Council’s deputy corporate head of children’s services Wendy Woodcock was presented with the artwork, to hang in her office at Wokingham council, produced by two extremely talented young pupils.

Wendy Woodcock was keen to have a piece of children’s artwork as the focal point of her Wokingham office. Knowing that she loves Africa and foreign travel, Jane Clark, the Wokingham council’s arts development adviser, suggested that the talented artists of Walter Infant School and Nursery, who are studying Africa this year, might create something for her. Two girls from the foundation class, Phoebe Costard and Georgia Yates, both aged six, went to work on an acrylic masterpiece that taught them new painting techniques, as well as African themes.

The painting was unveiled at a special tea party in Wendy’s bright and vibrant office, and both the artists attended to receive thank you presents of chocolate. Wendy said: “I couldn't be more delighted with the paintings that Phoebe and Georgia have produced for me. I asked that a child should feature in the piece of art being commissioned, because the words that guide our work in Children's Services are 'the child at the heart of all we do'. The Masai boy now gracing my wall brings that phrase to life each time I look at him.”

Wokingham District Council