Wokingham

Application forms for concessionary fares in the Wokingham borough have been sent out and eligible people, and their carers, are being reminded to apply.

The Wokingham borough council offers concessionary travel fares to people over 60 years old and those registered as disabled, but individuals must apply to be sure to get the concessions.

Wokingham Borough Council offers eligible people free bus passes for journeys after 9am on routes within the borough as well as to and from Reading, Maidenhead, Henley, Bracknell, Heatherwood Hospital, Camberley station and on the Loddon Bridge park and ride. It may also be used on Readibus and Keep Mobile services.

The council offers the alternative of free travel token to eligible people to be used on buses, taxis, trains, Readibus and Keep Mobile services and the Loddon Bridge park and ride. They can be used on any journey starting within the Wokingham borough and from train journeys from Reading, Bracknell, Maindenhead or Martins Heron stations.

Residents can only apply for either travel tokens or a bus pass but not both.

Anybody wanting to apply for either a bus pass or travel tokens can call the council on (0118) 974 6807.

Wokingham Borough Council

Libraries in the Wokingham Borough will help families stay entertained this Easter with a three-for-two offer on DVDs, CDs, videos and cassettes.

From Saturday March 31 to Saturday April 14 any Wokingham library member borrowing three of these audio-visual items will be able to get the cheapest one free. The charges for hiring CDs are £1.50 or £2.50; cassettes are 80p, £1 and £1.50; children’s cassettes and CDs are 50p; DVDs are £2.70 and videos are £1.70.

Details of the Wokingham borough’s libraries are available on the council’s website at www.wokingham.gov.uk.

Wokingham Borough Council

Bearwood College, Wokingham is proud to boast that their Judo Team have retained their title of 'National Champions'. The National Independent Schools Judo Championships tournament was held last weekend at the High Wycombe Judo Centre.

Stephen Aiano, Headmaster at Bearwood College, said: 'We are so proud of what the team has achieved especially competing at this high level and beating such prestigious opposition for two consecutive years.'

Gregory Mitchell, team member said: 'This year's squad was smaller than our team that won last year so we were hard pressed to match Bearwood's previous success. It meant that every medal would count so we were so surprised and elated to hold the winning shield up high again!'

There was also individual success on the day for the team members.
Joshua Trafford, a Year 8 pupil, fought admirably against taller, stronger opponents in the under 46 Kilograms, two groups up from his intended category and won a Gold medal.

Bearwood College, Wokingham

Wokingham Borough Council has recognised the valuable role carers provide and at its meeting on Thursday March 29 the council's decision-making executive is set to reverse its decision made last October to increase respite care charges in residential and nursing homes.

The Wokingham borough council offers a range of support services for carers, who are usually family members looking after a frail or disabled person. One of the services on offer is the chance for the looked after person to have temporary respite care in a registered care home (residential and nursing homes) to give their carers a well-earned break. As a way of helping service users and their carers, Wokingham Borough Council's policy has been to cap charges for respite care in its registered care homes for the first four weeks in any year, before implementing the full mean-tested nationally recommended charge. This has meant the borough council has subsidised the service for four weeks a year.

In October last year Wokingham council's executive proposed removing this four-week cap, with effect from April 1 2007. But during the recent consultation regarding changes to social care eligibility, service users raised significant concerns over this particular change, with many stressing the importance of respite care for carers as something that helps them continue in their caring role. Wokingham Borough Council has listened to these comments and, in recognition of the vital role respite care plays in the lives of vulnerable people, is set to reject the proposed changes and so spare the service users the increased cost.

Wokingham Borough Council's corporate head of community care services Pat Brecknock said: 'I am glad the executive is looking again at this decision as this is an important service that provides vital support for carers and those they look after.'

Wokingham Borough Council

School holidays can be a testing time for Wokingham families – with bored offspring demanding entertainment that can be hard, and expensive, to provide.

But fear not, Wokingham Borough Council’s family information service (FIS) is on hand with a handy newsletter outlining what’s on this Easter. It is packed with information on courses, workshops and fun activities that are running in the Wokingham borough and beyond during the Easter holiday. It has information about the libraries, country parks, sports and drama clubs and courses at art centres and museums in the area and is available from the FIS.

The FIS offers free, confidential and impartial advice to families and children and young people aged up to 19. It is located at the Ambleside Centre, Ambleside Close, Woodley, and people can drop-in on Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, telephone on (0118) 935 2255 or email to fis@wokingham.gov.uk.

For those parents who have to work during the Easter holidays, the FIS has details of all registered childcare in the Wokingham borough, including holiday schemes and childminders who are willing to provide holiday care.

Wokingham Borough Council’s corporate head of children’s services Wendy Woodcock said: “Holidays should be a fun time for families but sometimes they can become stressful if children get bored. This newsletter and the other services offered by the FIS can be a wonderful help for families at these times as well, of course, as all others.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Voters in 18 of Wokingham Borough Council’s 54 wards will be going to the polls in the local elections on Thursday May 3.

Poll cards will be sent to all eligible electors this year, regardless of whether they are postal voters or those who vote at polling stations, in line with new government regulations. These will be mailed out in the week commencing Monday April 2. The last date on which people can register to vote in this election, or to apply for a postal vote or cancel one, is 5pm on Wednesday April 18. To register to vote, or become a postal voter or cancel a postal vote, call electoral services on (0118) 974 6522 or (0118) 974 6523.

The borough elections this year are in the following wards only: Barkham, Bulmershe and Whitegates, Coronation, Emmbrook, Evendons, Hawkedon, Hillside, Loddon, Maiden Erlegh, Norreys, Shinfield North, Shinfield South, Sonning, South Lake, Twyford, Wescott, Winnersh and Wokingham Without.

Residents can check which Wokingham ward they live in via the Property Search facility on the homepage of the borough council’s website at www.wokingham.gov.uk. The website’s election pages also have details of where polling stations can be found.

There are also some town and parish council elections on Thursday May 3.

Wokingham Borough Council

Children will have a fun introduction to science at two Wokingham borough libraries this Easter holiday.

The Science of Slime sessions at Wokingham Library and Lower Earley Library will be run by Dr Averil Macdonald, from the physics department of the University of Reading, who will be showing children some of the wonders of scientific slime.

During the session the children will take part in experiments to turn various chemical concoctions into some serious slime.

Dr Macdonald said: “How do you make the slimiest slime, the foamiest foam and the bounciest balls? Science has the answers and this activity session will give you the chance to try it for yourself - and you can take your slime home to impress your friends. Fun science like this is the ideal way to inspire children with science. They are learning without realising and having a good time on the way. This has to be one of the best ways to spend half a day of a school holiday.”

The sessions will be on Thursday April 12, with the first at Lower Earley Library, in Chalfont Close, from 10.30am to 11.45am and the second at Wokingham Library, in Denmark Street, from 2pm to 3.15pm.

The sessions, which are free, are aimed at children aged eight to 11 and places must be booked in advance from Lower Earley Library on (0118) 931 2150 and Wokingham Library on (0118) 978 1368.

Wokingham Borough Council

Improved efficiency, better security and easier communication are the main aims of Wokingham Borough Council’s latest Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) strategy.

The Wokingham three-year plan is the third ICT strategy produced since the Wokingham Borough Council became a unitary authority in 1998 and it updates the 2004/2007 strategy. The strategy aims to ensure the borough council’s IT systems contribute to all round efficiency improvements; improve access to information (both for council staff and for residents); and improve business continuity and security.

The strategy will help Wokingham borough council modernise its working practice by allowing staff to work in more flexible ways – such as by the use of laptops, notebook computers and other wireless connections. The strategy is also designed to further improve the borough council’s IT security, to ensure all information held by the borough council is safeguarded. And it will lead to easier and better communication (internally and externally), with a more robust email system, which is better able to cope with heavy usage, and further improvements to the council’s website.

In addition the strategy has the overall aim of reducing the number of different software packages used by Wokingham borough council and to unify future IT investment in order to limit expenditure while providing a high level of security and accessibility for the public.

The ICT strategy for 2007/10 is due to be discussed by the borough council’s executive on Thursday March 29.

Wokingham borough council’s corporate head of IT Andrew Moulton said: “The borough council’s IT systems were set up for the way the councils used to work in the past, providing office based IT services. Wokingham Borough Council is moving towards a more modern, flexible way of working in which staff can use technology in the field and work directly with residents. But to further develop this new way of working we have to have the correct IT in place and the latest strategy will ensure this. In the field of security, it is very important today to be certain we are safeguarding all information we hold and the ICT strategy will make sure that we keep on top of this and that our IT systems are secure.”

In his foreword to the new strategy, Wokingham chief executive Doug Patterson said: “Modern authorities such as Wokingham Borough Council see technology as a strategic asset and not just a tactical tool. While technology alone will not transform the authority, it is clear that we will be unable to transform to meet citizens’ expectations without it. So this strategy’s vision is about better use of technology to deliver our services and policy outcomes that have an impact on our citizens’ daily lives: through greater choice and personalisation of services and easier access to those services.”

Wokingham Borough Council

An important and groundbreaking new guide on residential design is set to be published by Wokingham Borough Council.

At its meeting on Thursday March 29, Wokingham council’s decision-making executive is being asked to give the go-ahead to a six-week consultation on a residential design guide for the borough.

The initial idea for an authoritative guide arose from discussions between Cllr Gary Cowan, executive member for Wokingham local and regional planning, and Cllr David Lee, chairman of Wokingham council’s planning committee, when they identified a need to ensure that future developments on small, infill and backland sites would be in harmony with the surrounding environment.

They formed a joint member and officer group, then led a bus tour of local Wokingham sites to help confirm their concerns and issues. After agreeing parameters for the guide, the renowned award winning town planning and environmental design group Terence O’ Rourke Ltd were appointed to develop the project. Meetings were held with residents and town and parish councils to establish expectations of what an authoritative guide on residential design might contain.

Richard Summers, technical director with Terence O’Rourke Ltd, said: “Consultees were particularly keen to have greater control over the evolving character of housing in the district and to have guidance that concentrates on raising quality first and densities second.”

The document has taken into account considerable feedback and the executive is now being asked to approve it for consultation

Cllr Cowan, executive member for Wokingham local and regional planning, said: “The guide looks into all considerations that need to be made in creating safe, harmonious, welcoming places to live, especially recognising the importance of local character and context. At the same time, the guide won’t be ‘twee’, nor a cure for all design ills. Its primary purpose is to be a useful tool to ensure good quality design in the wider sense, using the very best of both modern and traditional thinking. I would like to thank all of the planning service in Wokingham Borough Council and Terence O’Rourke Associates for all of the excellent work that has gone into this innovative and important project.”

Cllr David Lee, chairman of Wokingham council’s planning committee, said: “A particular benefit of the guide is the way it provides clear and practical guidelines, with case studies that are easy to identify with. Should the executive give the go-ahead, the guide will be more than an example of Wokingham Borough Council applying good practice. We wanted it to go one step further, by setting bold new standards in residential design guidance that could well be adopted elsewhere.”

If given the green light, the consultation will start on March 30 and run for six weeks. The guide will be available on the website or for inspection in hard copy at the Planning reception desk at the council’s Shute End offices. Comments can be sent to Development Control, Wokingham Borough Council, Shute End, Wokingham RG40 1BN or emailed to development.control@wokingham.gov.uk.

Wokingham Borough Council

Comic Relief came to Wokingham Borough Council in a big way on Friday March 16! Staff baked cakes, challenged themselves to cryptic quizzes and dressed up to collect over £1000. Shuters, the staff restaurant at the civic offices in Shute End, offered discounts to red nose wearers and donations to Comic Relief, and a music quiz and giant red nose sweepstake competition took place across the council, with prizes donated by local businesses.

At lunchtime the Mayor, Wokingham Cllr Angus Ross, led a fundraising Big Red Walk around the town, and brought all the red-nosed walkers back to his office for tea afterwards.

“Red nose day is such a great event,” said the Mayor. “It’s something everyone can join in with and it helps with some really vital work tackling poverty – both here in the UK and further afield in Africa. I’m delighted to see our staff getting stuck in and raising money for such a good cause. Some people have worked really hard to get these events set up today and devoted a lot of their free time to it. Well done to all who have taken part.”

Peter Nice, a former service user at WROC who has been working as administrative assistant at the council for the last 10 months, took a leading role in the events by dressing up as an elf and helping with the cake sale. He said: “I really like Red Nose Day. We are trying to raise as much money as we can and I hope we can sell all these cakes!”

Joining the festivities at Shute End, Wokingham were hard working fundraisers from the Rainbow Community Centre, who came along to contribute over £300 to the council’s total from their quiz and curry evening on Thursday March 15. The quiz, which tested contestants’ general knowledge about films, music and other popular topics, was won by a team of seven people from the Rainbow Park estate who proved they knew their facts about sport, pop music, famous faces and even history.

Jacqueline Riddles from the community centre said: “The quiz and curry night was such a successful event – I’m delighted to see the community of Rainbow Park getting together like this and making a shared effort to support a good cause. It really was a lot of fun for everyone and we are really proud to be bringing more than £300 to add to the Mayor’s fundraising bucket!”

Emmbrook Tandoori provided discounted food and waiters for the banquet and the community centre provided prizes for the quiz and the raffle.

Council offices around Wokingham borough joined in with the fundraising fun – there were cake sales at both the Waterford House and Wellington House offices in Wokingham, and it was a red letter day at Lytham Court in Woodley where many staff dressed up in red clothes to raise money.

Wokingham Borough Council

A group that provides vulnerable housebound people with a vital telephone link to the outside world is celebrating a £2,500 grant from Wokingham Borough Council.

The Community Link Line was set up as a pilot scheme by St Nicolas Church, in Sutcliffe Avenue, Earley, in November last year and is now looking to expand. The scheme, which is open to all members of the community, offers a weekly telephone contact by volunteers to provide a friendly chat to people who are housebound and who may otherwise become isolated. The callers can check on health problems, offer a chance for a chat and be a source of practical information. The callers do not provide advice themselves but will follow up any problems and refer them on to appropriate agencies.

The service is available to any housebound, isolated or otherwise vulnerable person, many of whom are elderly or disabled, in Earley or Lower Earley, although it may be extended to other areas in the future.

The project’s aims are:

 

· To reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.

· To make people more confident about remaining in their own homes.

· To prevent unnecessary hospital admissions by early identification of health problems or practical difficulties with independent living.

· To increase the number of people accessing practical support and advice services.

The service works by organising for the client to be phoned once a week by the same trained volunteer at a pre-arranged time.

Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons, executive member for Wokingham social care services and housing, said: “It is important that the borough council support such volunteer projects that help people to remain healthy and independent within their own homes. In the country as a whole, more than a third of older people don’t speak to a single person all week; that is very sad, and loneliness is one of the worst problems of old age. Thanks to the link line this problem is being tackled here, but more volunteers are needed and it would be great if a similar activity could be taken on by groups in other parts of the borough. I would like to congratulate the church and its volunteers for the achievements of the pilot scheme and wish them great success for the future.”

Research carried out at Wolverhampton University showed that regular calls to lone older people enabled them to cope better with ill health, fend off dementia and remain independent with confidence. Following this study a scheme was launched in Wolverhampton five years ago and it now makes 2,000 calls per week. The service launched in the Wokingham borough has adopted much of the Wolverhampton scheme’s practice and is a franchise of it. The franchise means the Community Link Line can make use of legal advice already received by the Wolverhampton project as well as advice on fundraising and conforming to government legislation.

The Reverend David Webster, a member of the team running the scheme said: “It is very important to understand that this scheme is for everybody – it is not just a Christian project. So far the feedback we have had from the people being phoned has been very positive and we are looking to expand it. We have had requests for people to be called in Winnersh and Sindlesham and are looking for other areas to expand into.”

Anybody who knows somebody who may benefit from the Community Link Line service should contact either Community Link Line organisers on (0118) 978 8804 or the church’s assistant priest, the Reverend Webster on (0118) 979 4568.

Wokingham Borough Council

There’s now less waste and more washing for mums in the Wokingham borough, with Real Nappy Week taking place on March 11 to 18. And since Wokingham Borough Council launched its cash-back scheme last year encouraging parents to use real nappies, nearly 80 mums have claimed their £30 cash for using the environmentally friendly option.

Last year in April, the Council began offering all parents £30 cash back on the cost of buying and using real nappies that can be washed and re-used.

On Thursday March 15 parents, grandparents and others in the Wokingham borough who look after young children were invited to celebrate Real Nappy Week once again, with a coffee morning at the Oakwood Centre in Woodley. At the coffee morning displays offered information about the practicalities of using washable nappies, the environmental benefits and the costs, as well as details of the styles available and where to find out more.

Miranda Stamp from Twinkle Twinkle and Louise Keetley from Nappy Adventures, both local real nappy suppliers, were on hand to talk to parents about the different kinds of nappies available, and answer any queries they might have about how to use them.

“All real nappies have been thoroughly tested on my daughter and by many of my local customers,” said Miranda. “All babies are different, as are all parents’ needs, but there is a wide range available and I have extensive experience in over seven years of supplying them so should be able to advise anyone who needs help.”

Wokingham council is keen to highlight the benefits of washable nappies to people as 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 borough going straight into limited landfill space.

Waste and recycling manager Peter Baveystock, who attended the coffee morning, said: “I’m delighted so many parents have taken advantage of the council’s cash-back scheme. If nearly 80 people have taken part, then that’s over 40 tonnes per annum of disposable nappies that have not been generated and left in our increasingly scarce and costly landfill sites. Those who do convert could save money too – a parent using washable nappies could save between £500 and £600 per child.

“The coffee morning has been a great opportunity for mums to learn about the alternatives to disposable nappies and at the same time meet like-minded people.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Petitioners calling for double yellow lines in a narrow Woodley cul-de-sac could be a step nearer their goal if Wokingham Borough Council’s decision making executive backs the move this month.

All but one of the 14 households in Ravensbourne Drive have backed a call for the parking restrictions along the length of the road and the Wokingham Borough Council highways consultative board has recommended the executive launch a formal consultation on the issue. If no objections are received it is recommended that the parking restriction order be granted.

The petition calls for the restrictions because the narrowness of the cul-de-sac means that any cars parking in it make it difficult to reach some homes; causing cars to mount the kerb and making access for emergency vehicles dangerously difficult.

Executive member for Wokingham highways and transport Cllr Anthony Pollock, said: “I am pleased the executive is to look at this issue as it is obviously something the residents feel strongly about and, if cars parking in that road could delay access for emergency services and cause an unnecessary nuisance to residents, the council will try to deal with the problem.”

The Wokingham Borough Council’s executive committee will discuss the request for parking restriction at its meeting on Thursday March 29.

Wokingham Borough Council

‘Motorvation’, Wokingham District Council’s successful free pre-driver training event, which will be taking place at Woodley Airfield Youth and Community Centre, Hurricane Way, Woodley, on Wednesday April 4th between 9:15am and 4pm.

The day-long course for Wokingham 16 and 17-year-olds aims to raise road safety awareness before the participants even get behind a steering wheel. The courses will cover all aspects of driving theory, using mock tests and video footage, and will culminate in a driving lesson for all participants.

With four one-hour, hands-on, intensive workshops, the day will teach Wokingham participants about:

· Road safety - This session will explore what factors cause road traffic accidents and ask why so many young drivers, and in particular young men, make up increasing statistics regarding serious injury and death on roads. Discussions will cover drink-driving, speed, driving whilst tired, using mobile phones, seat belts, driving without insurance and obtaining and keeping a driving licence.

· ‘Honest Arry’s’ - Buying a second hand car. This workshop is divided into halves, the first looking at what types of car to purchase and the second inspecting a vehicle offered for sale. It covers finding the vehicle identification number, spotting cut ‘n’ shuts, recognising when a vehicle has been involved in an accident and identifying heavy use.

· First at the scene of a crash - This session is delivered in partnership with the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and aims to raise awareness of how an accident can affect the lives of not just those involved, but those of friends, family and the wider community. The Wokingham workshop looks at dealing with accidents from the perspective of the emergency services, from the experience of dragging bodies from wrecked cars to how they cope with informing relatives. The session also offers basic first aid skills and essential knowledge on raising the alarm to get help to victims as soon as possible.

· Driving under the influence - A workshop delivered by the Thames Valley Police schools’ liaison officer that looks at the effects and consequences of driving whilst intoxicated by either alcohol or drugs. This is a serious topic delivered with humour and open discussion. Using visual impairment goggles, the session will involve role-play to simulate the impaired ability to concentrate and make vital decisions.

The final part of the Wokingham day - and, at previous events, the most popular - is a driving practical in which every participant will have the chance to drive a dual-control vehicle in a supervised environment.

Motorvation is just one part of Wokingham District Council’s ongoing programme of road safety education, through highway consultants Mouchel Parkman. Nationally, one in five newly qualified drivers has a crash in the first 12 months, whilst in Wokingham district last year, 35% of all collisions causing injury involved drivers aged 17-25.

Wokingham Road safety officer Maureen Lockwood said: “These sessions have proved to be highly successful, and we’d like to encourage as many young people as possible to take advantage of a free course which will give them a head start behind the wheel.”

The courses run from 9am to 4pm and places are free, but need to be booked in advance and are limited in numbers. For more information or to book a place, contact Mouchel Parkman’s Wokingham road safety officer Maureen Lockwood on (0118) 936 7307 or email maureen.lockwood@mouchelparkman.com

Wokingham Borough Council

The histories of houses in the Wokingham district can now be found online – thanks to planning and mapping staff at Wokingham Borough Council.

Previously visitors to Wokingham council’s website at www.wokingham.gov.uk could view the in three different council teams have combined databases of their information and scanned old planning documents held on paper at the council, so that now visitors to the website can view data on planning consents that extends right back to the year 1977.

Contractors Terraquest undertook the scanning and matching of the documents, and staff in the Wokingham council’s legal and planning services have performed extensive and meticulous checks on all the data. Finally, the council’s Geographic Information System (GIS) team have incorporated the information into interactive maps on the website.

“Having this data available online will be really useful to homeowners in the area who need to know the planning history of their properties,” said GIS team leader Tracey Parker. “It will also improve efficiency in the council’s planning service, as they will no longer need to use the card-based historical records they have been keeping in the past. All the historical planning consents for every property can be searched electronically.

“Also any residents who prefer to search the records themselves will be able to do so online, which saves them a visit or phone call to the council’s offices.”

Executive member for local and regional planning Wokingham Cllr Gary Cowan said: “Planning applications are a complicated procedure and we are always looking for ways to streamline and speed up the process. The history of all consents given at a property is a key piece of information in many applications and having this data available instantly, in a searchable format, will be a massive step forward in terms of efficiency and customer service. I am delighted to see it made available. I am also extremely impressed with all the hard work put in by the legal and planning teams who have had the mammoth task of checking all the data before it goes live.”

To search the historical planning consents at a property within the Wokingham borough, visit www.wokingham.gov.uk/planningapplications and follow the onscreen instructions to see the ‘planning applications’ theme maps.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s eagerly-awaited Acorn Community Centre for adults with learning disabilities is really beginning to take root and will open its doors for the first time in May.

And to mark the occasion, executive member for Wokingham social care services and housing Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons joined local adults with learning disabilities, who attend Wokingham Resource and Opportunity Centre (WROC), to plant an oak tree, which was kindly donated by Oliver Ward from Heartwood Tree Specialists.

Planning permission was granted in April 2006 for the new centre in Woosehill and building work started in September 2006 on Wokingham council-owned land ear-marked for community development near to Morrisons.

Local adults with learning disabilities who attend WROC have been involved every step of the way in designing and equipping their brand new centre.

Consultation with service users and their families and carers on how the proposed new Wokingham community resource centre and facilities could be developed and fitted out to best meet their needs has been carried out as part of an overall six year consultation programme on service modernisation.

And clients have had their say in naming the building and also the centre’s coffee bar - the Rainbow Café. They also marked the start of the building work by helping to dig the first turf. It is hoped a new greenhouse for Growing Places Berkshire, the horticultural therapy charity who will manage the garden area at the new Acorn Community Centre, will be built on site soon. People with learning disabilities who use the new centre will be able to take part in plant sales and other horticultural activities once the green house is built.

Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons, executive member for Wokingham social care services and housing, said: “The people who will use the centre have been involved in the project from the start. They are very excited the building is nearing completion and they are looking forward to moving in very soon.

“I would very much like to thank Heartwood Tree Specialists who have very kindly donated the oak tree which is very apt bearing in mind the name of the centre which was chosen by the adults who will use it.”

Oliver Ward of Heartwood Tree Specialists said: “We have undertaken tree work for the borough council for many years. So when we heard of the project at the Acorn Centre, we were very pleased to be able to donate and plant a suitable tree to commemorate the opening of it. We chose an English Oak to plant as it complements the name of the centre and over time both will grow and be appreciated and enjoyed by the community.”

Services are being developed in line with the national policy ‘Valuing People’, which sets out new opportunities for people with learning disabilities and their families to live full and independent lives as part of their local communities. The new Woosehill building will also provide specialist dedicated facilities for those people who have the most profound disabilities.

Wokingham Borough Council

Disabled children and their families in the Wokingham borough are in desperate need of more short break carers.

Short break volunteer carers help Wokingham families who have a child with a disability by looking after the child for a set period of time, usually in the carer’s home. This can be for anything from a few hours a week to a weekend a month and gives the family a vital break from providing 24-hour care and the child an opportunity for new experiences.

Any adult can become a carer (subject to checks including an enhanced police criminal record bureau check) to be a short break carer and no previous experience is necessary as full training is provided. The carers receive a tax-free allowance to cover their expenses.

Next week (March 19 to 25) is Share the Care week, a national campaign to attract more short break carers, and the Wokingham borough is in particular need of more carers. The borough currently has 13 short break carers who offer care to 15 children. But it has 23 children waiting for a carer.

Social worker Helen Tracey, who runs the scheme in the Wokingham borough, said: “We are desperate for more carers to help with this really valuable service. Both the carers and the families get so much out of this scheme, it is truly rewarding and worthwhile. Once people volunteer to be carers they realise how wonderful an experience it is and they almost always stay with us for a long time.”

Carers are matched to a family by a social worker, who will try to find appropriate pairings and then arrange an introductory visit by the child with their family. If this is successful, a short visit will be arranged to check how the child settles in and then visits can be gradually extended.

Wokingham Borough Council

Those with an eye for design and able to paint a vision for the future are being asked to create a logo for Wokingham Borough’s Strategic Partnership after the launch of an exciting competition last week (Friday March 9).

Launched at the highly successful Community Conference entitled Delivering the Vision Together, the Wokingham competition is looking for entrants who can design a logo to reflect the Strategic Partnership’s aims, purpose and work. Anyone who lives, works or studies within the Wokingham borough is invited to put their imaginations to work and come up with a logo that positively represents the Partnership and its members. It needs to appeal to all members of the community, reflecting the wide-reaching partnership.

With a first-prize of £300 sponsored by TradeMark Windows and Conservatories (whose proprietor Mark Ashwell represents the Chamber of Commerce on the Strategic Partnership), a runner-up prize of £100 and prizes for short-listed entries, the partnership is hoping to encourage as many people as possible to enter.

Wokingham Designs should be clear enough to be used at a small size, for instance on a leaflet, or at a larger size, for instance poster size. It should also be suitable for use in multi and single colour and black and white.

The competition has two categories:
• Under 16 years
• 16 years and over

The Strategic Partnership includes all the key stakeholders in the Wokingham borough, such as police, fire and ambulance services, borough, town and parish councils, health services, voluntary and community groups and local businesses, and works to improve residents’ quality of life.
Cllr Dianne King, who chairs the Wokingham Partnership, said: “I really hope that local people take up this challenge to design a logo that reflects the wide-ranging work of the Partnership. We’re working on some really important projects that will shape the future of the borough and we’re looking for a dynamic logo to represent that.

“And, of course, anyone who enters stands the chance of winning a prize!”

An entry form and competition guidelines, rules and regulations are available by emailing policy manager Sue Roberts on sue.Roberts@wokingham.gov.uk. Entries should be submitted in hard copy, or on disk, to Sue Roberts, Policy Manager, Wokingham Borough Council, Shute End, Wokingham, RG40 1BN by May 4, 2007.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s villages youth project will be starting this term’s course of the ‘My Life’ project at the beginning of April. This is a fantastic opportunity for young people living in the Wokingham borough, aged 13 to 19 years to explore their lives, surroundings and future, through the use of media. During the six-month project, participants will have the opportunity to meet and be coached by professionals in photography, video and television and will plan, film and produce a video project, as well as develop new artistic skills in collage and art work.

Amongst many other activities, last term’s Wokingham group learned how to take photographs and were photographed themselves by a professional photographer. The young people planned and produced a video project and enjoyed a residential trip to the National Museum of Film, Photography and Television in Bradford, where they spent a day recording a television news programme.

Stacey Tagg, aged 18, from Finchampstead, participated in the project and said: “It was a great opportunity and a great project. We developed new skills and I have been able to apply to lots of different situations in life. I would definitely recommend it to other young people.”

The Wokingham project also involves a public presentation evening which will take place at the end of the four six-month projects that the villages youth project is running. The young people that have taken part can receive a youth achievement award, a sectional Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze (skills) certificate and a ‘My Life’ certificate of completion.

The project runs out of Wokingham Teeners Youth Club, which is located on the Pinewood Leisure Complex and there is a £20 booking fee to participate in the project. Places are limited and the next project begins in April, so, if you are aged 13 to 19 years and are interested in taking part, contact Louise Morris, neighbourhood youth worker at the villages youth project office on (0118) 979 7915.

Wokingham Borough Council

Council is pleased to host a question time event organised by the African Caribbean Society (Wokingham).

Question Time, on Friday March 23 at 7pm, will be both educational and informative, highlighting the cruel enslavement of African people, their liberation and the contribution Black people have made to science, the arts, medicine, world economy and community cohesion.

A panel of four prominent members of the Black community will take questions for the audience. They include Jim Braithwaite, a successful businessman and Chair of the South East England Development Agency, and Simon Woolley of Operation Black Vote.

This is a free event open to all and light refreshments will be served.

Pol Exeter, Chair of the ACS-Wokingham, said: “We are proud to be doing something useful and educational to commemorate this important anniversary. We encourage the entire community to attend this event to put their questions to the very knowledgeable panellists or just to listen to the discussion.”

For further information call the African Caribbean Society on 07710 567340 or Wokingham council’s social inclusion officer Ashwani Gupta on (0118) 974 6790.

Wokingham Borough Council

A charter for disabled children, ‘Every Disabled Child Matters’, has been adopted by Wokingham Borough Council and its partners to show their commitment to disabled children in the borough.

The national campaign is led by four leading organisations working with disabled children and their families—Contact a Family, Council for Disabled Children, Mencap and the Special Educational Needs Consortium.

Wokingham Borough Council is working with local groups who represent disabled children and young people in the borough, including Wokingham Autism Spectrum Partnership (WASP) parents group and Peapods, the support group for families with a child with a physical disability, to support the charter. Partners under children’s trust arrangements in the Wokingham borough fully support this charter.

By 2008, Wokingham borough council has pledged to identify disabled children in the local area and to plan services for them, have a lead professional service in place to provide support to families, provide parents and carers with information on services, make all services, including extended schools and children’s centres, available to disabled children and involve disabled children and their families in the planning, commissioning and monitoring of services.

All staff will receive disability equality training and the Wokingham council will ensure that staff will have the appropriate skills to work with disabled children. Disabled children will be involved in drawing up the council’s disability equality scheme and monitoring its effectiveness.

Jane Holmes of Peapods said: “We at Peapods gladly welcome Wokingham's commitment to this highly important charter and look forward to continuing to work closely with the authority to ensure its successful implementation.”

Cathy from WASPs said: "'Wokingham Autism Support for Parents' are pleased that Wokingham Borough Council supports the 'Every Disabled Child Matters' Campaign, and hope that this will assist parents in accessing services, from education to social care, in accordance with their children's needs."

Cllr Frank Browne, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “The borough council and its partners, under children’s trust arrangements, have shown their commitment to disabled children by signing up to this national charter. We are all committed to making disabled children a key priority and ensure they have access to the right services and support.

“It is vitally important that we meet the needs of disabled children in the borough. Every child does matter in the Wokingham area and the council and its partners will do all it can to ensure that disabled children have the same opportunities to succeed.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Children searched high and low through the Wokingham borough’s libraries when they took part in a Charlotte’s Web competition.

Five animal characters from the film of E.B. White’s classic book were hidden in each of the Wokingham libraries and, to be in with a chance to win a family ticket for the film at Showcase Cinema in Winnersh, Wokingham children visiting the libraries had to find all five characters. The competition, which took place between February 19 and March 2, proved extremely popular with 190 children entering in total, which meant more entry forms had to be printed to cope with demand. Each of the Wokingham borough’s nine libraries drew one winner from those children who had found the five characters.

Charlotte’s Web was first published 1952 and is one of the best-selling children’s books of all time. The new film version features the voices of Julia Roberts and John Cleese.

The winners were: Kelly Brick, from Wokingham Library, Joe Perry, from Woodley Library, Madeleine Bishop from Lower Earley Library, Rhys Ash, from Maiden Erlegh Library, Danny Morrell, from Winnersh Library, Cameron McCreadie from Spencers Wood Library, Elizabeth Howling, from Twyford Library, Izzy McGovern, from Wargrave Library, Alisha Guest, from the container library that visits Finchampstead and Arborfield.

Elizabeth McDonald, Wokingham children’s librarian, said: “Charlotte’s Web activities were ran in all libraries. We had wonderful displays, colouring in and quizzes for the children to do. The competition was another way of getting children to explore the libraries. We also encouraged children to take out stories such as Charlotte’s Web and others and hopefully got the message across that libraries are fun and exciting places to be.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Members of the public are invited to attend a Showcase evening on Wednesday March 21, 2007 featuring some of the best young performers in Wokingham borough. The event, organised by Wokingham Borough Council’s Youth service’s Step Up Academy, which is based at Wokingham Youth Centre, promises to include a diverse range of the arts including street dance, drama, singing and theatrical renditions from the hit shows Grease and Annie, to name but a few.

Becki Wild aged 14 and Jane Hibbs aged 13, both from Wokingham, have been helping to organise the event and said: “It should be a really great evening, we have all worked really hard and had a huge amount of fun developing the acts. We have already had a lot of interest from people wanting to attend, so it’s worth booking your tickets in advance!”

Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start, and refreshments are available during the interval. Tickets are £2 for under 16s and £4 for adults and can be purchased on the door. However to avoid disappointment, it is advisable to purchase tickets in advance from Wokingham Youth Centre, 35 Reading Road, RG41 1EG.

Wokingham Borough Council

Young people from Norrey’s Estate in Wokingham will be encouraging adults and community members to join them on Tuesday March 20, 2007, to do their bit for the environment in the form of a litter pick. The event forms part of International Earth day - the first day of spring and is being organised by Wokingham Borough Council’s youth forum. The young people hope to challenge the negative stereotypes of teenagers, raise awareness of the youth forum and encourage community involvement. If anyone would like to indulge in a little community spirit and join in, they simply need to look out for a leaflet coming through their doors.

Wokingham Youth worker Eileen McKenna said: “The young people thought it would be a great chance to get involved with their community and challenge negative images associated with young people. It will definitely be the most lively litter pick in Wokingham!”

The youth forum has been developed by young people living in Wokingham borough, the council’s youth service and tenant services, to look at services for young people in the borough. It offers young people aged 11 to 19 years the opportunity to really get involved and have a chance to do something about issues that affect them. The forum meets at 81 Eustace Cresent, just off Norreys Avenue, on a fortnightly basis and is open for new members to join.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham District Council is now officially a borough council after its new status was launched at the Mayor’s Spring Civic Reception on Friday March 9.

The charter granting borough status to the Wokingham council was collected from the House of Lords on March 7 by Wokingham Mayor Cllr Angus Ross and chief executive Doug Patterson. And Mayor Cllr Angus Ross took the opportunity of officially launching borough status at the annual Spring Civic Reception.

This year, the Spring Civic Reception was kindly hosted by the Oracle Corporation.

The Wokingham council voted in September 2006 to petition Her Majesty the Queen to grant a charter conferring the status of a borough upon the Wokingham district. Borough Mayor Cllr Angus Ross said: “I am delighted that we are now a borough as I believe borough status will bring many benefits to the area. It will help us to enhance our corporate image and create a stronger unity across the borough whilst also generating greater civic pride and a real identity for the authority. We are officially recognised as a good council – this further enhances our standing as a council.

“I hope that that past confusion over the role of the ‘chairman’ of the council will be at an end now that we have a borough Mayor.

“Wokingham Borough Council is the largest unitary council in Berkshire in terms of population and the borough is nationally recognised as one of the best areas of the country in which to live. The added status of being a borough will help the council to forge better links with business, further strengthening the local economy. The recognition of a borough will also help us to gain an enhanced reputation for excellence in all the council does and could also help us in the many discussions we have with central government, particularly in relation to finance.”

To help mark the occasion, the Mayor also planted an oak tree to commemorate borough status on Monday March 12. Donated by solicitors Clifton Ingram, the tree was planted by the pond in the civic offices’ garden at Shute End, Wokingham.

“I am very grateful to both Oracle and Clifton Ingram for their kind support,” said Wokingham Cllr Ross.

“The costs to the council of becoming a borough and the subsequent name change have not been significant. The council has secured commercial support for new civic regalia and we will not be seeking funding for a Mayoral car and chauffeur. The civic crest remains unchanged and signage and stationery will be upgraded over a period of years, with old stocks being used up before any new supplies are printed. Signage will only be replaced when it is worn out or damaged.”

The cost to the council of becoming a borough is less than £1,500.

Wokingham Borough Council

Trading standards officers at Wokingham District Council have welcomed steps taken by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to stop the travel industry from misleading its customers by not disclosing full details of ticket prices at the point of advertising.

The OFT has warned holiday and travel suppliers that their advertising must disclose the full price consumers have to pay. Some travellers have discovered that the price they have had to pay for an airline ticket is more than double the advertised cost because of undisclosed supplements and extras. The OFT has promised to take enforcement action if the practice continues.

The warning complements a move by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) to remind its members that their Code of Conduct requires all fixed non-optional costs to be disclosed in holiday and ticket prices. It follows a concerted campaign mounted by Trading Standards in conjunction with consumer groups - the Consumers Association, Air Transport Users Association - and trade associations (Association of Independent Tour Operators), to outlaw the practice of misleading consumers as to the price of travel.

Executive member for Wokingham community safety Cllr Barrie Patman said: “It’s excellent news that this misleading and illegal cocktail of confusion is being stamped out. In future, travellers will know exactly what they have to pay and not be mislead by holidays and flights advertised at unrealistic prices.

“Can you imagine the outcry if a shop advertised an item at a specific price and then told the customer there was an additional charge for the packaging?”

In addition to welcoming the OFT’s crack down, the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) intends to play its part in ensuring it is enforced. Ron Gainsford, TSI chief executive, added: “Under the Enterprise Act 2002, the OFT can take action against any practices which are to the considerable detriment of consumers. Trading standards has been providing evidence and working with the OFT culminating with this promise of enforceable action.”

Although there are no recorded instances of this problem so far in Wokingham district, the council advises residents to be alert when booking a holiday wherever they may be buying it from.

Anyone who is concerned about this issue can seek advice from Consumer Direct on (0845) 4 04 05 06. Consumer Direct is a government-backed telephone and online consumer advice service which works in partnership with local authority trading standards. It provides advice and information to help consumers resolve problems and disagreements with suppliers of goods and services. Consumer Direct is available from 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 1pm on Saturday, excluding public holidays.

Wokingham Borough Council

There’s now less waste and more washing for mums in the Wokingham district, with Real Nappy Week taking place on March 11 to 18. And since Wokingham District Council launched its cashback scheme last year encouraging parents to use real nappies, nearly 80 mums have claimed their £30 cash for using the environmentally friendly option.

Last year in March, Wokingham Council began offering all parents £30 cashback on the cost of buying and using real nappies that can be washed and re-used.

Now parents, grandparents and others in the Wokingham district who look after young children are being invited to celebrate Real Nappy Week once again, with a Coffee Morning at the Oakwood Centre, Headley Road, Woodley, between 10am and 12 noon on Thursday March 15. At the coffee morning displays will offer information about the practicalities of using washable nappies, the environmental benefits and the costs, as well as details of the styles available and where to find out more.

The council is keen to highlight the benefits of washable nappies to people as 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 environmental services Wokingham Cllr Simon Weeks, who will be attending the coffee morning, said: “I’m delighted so many parents have taken advantage of the council’s cashback scheme. If nearly 80 mums have taken part, then that’s over 40 tonnes per annum of disposable nappies that have not been generated and left in our increasingly scarce and costly landfill sites.

“The coffee morning will be an enjoyable way for anyone involved in caring for young children to learn about the alternatives to disposable nappies and at the same time meet like-minded people.

“Those who do convert could save money too – a parent using washable nappies could save between £500 and £600 per child. So I hope that as many people as possible will take this opportunity to come and find out more about washable nappies.”

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

Wokingham Borough Council

Following Wokingham District Council’s decision-making executive’s decision to support proposals to improve football facilities at Cantley Park in Wokingham, the next steps will see the council set up a special forum to consider a number of important issues on the project.

Cllr Frank Browne, leader of the Wokingham council, said: “It is important to stress that although the executive has supported this proposal in principle, there are detailed planning, legal and licensing processes to follow where a number of specific and important issues will need to be addressed. And to ensure these are fully explored prior to consideration by the relevant committees, the first meeting of the special forum comprising Glebe Park Residents’ Group, Cantley House Hotel, Wokingham Theatre, Cantley sporting groups, Wokingham District Sports Council, local councillors, and other interested parties will take place on Wednesday March 14.”

The decision to support the proposals is just the start of the project to improve Wokingham football facilities at Cantley Park. There are a number of detailed steps the council will have to take before the plans become a reality including planning, legal and licensing processes.

The forum will meet before any planning and licensing applications are submitted. Full public consultation would then take place as part of the normal planning process and the licensing committee would then have to consider the licensing application.

At its first meeting, the special Wokingham forum will be asked to consider a number of recommendations and a way forward for the forum to work in the future. This will include discussions on whether the forum wants to consider drawing up terms of references, have agendas and minutes of all meetings made publicly available, and that their views and recommendations are presented to the members of the executive as well as the planning and licensing committees when the Cantley Park proposal is being discussed.

The Cantley Park Forum will also be asked to look specifically at the issues concerning the public address system, licensing, car-parking provision, floodlighting, and the tenure of other users of the park.

Wokingham Cllr Browne added: “The district council is committed to ensuring Cantley Park is enjoyed by local residents and all sporting clubs who use the facilities, making it a great sporting venue for all our residents. We are very much committed to supporting and improving the sporting facilities at Cantley Park. Not only do we believe this represents a great opportunity for the sporting community, but also widens the sporting facilities for young people in the district.

“We recognise there are significant concerns about the proposals but believe these can be addressed in a constructive manner through the Cantley Park Forum. Residents will also have the opportunity to give their views as the project goes through the planning and licensing processes.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Students and teachers at Waingels College in Woodley were delighted to hear officially that they are set to benefit from one of the biggest ever capital grants for education in the Wokingham district.

And Wokingham Cllr Frank Browne joined pupils and teachers at Waingels College to celebrate after being told that the bid for £29million to rebuild the college to provide a modern learning environment bringing real benefits to students and staff has been successful.

This project will provide the college with a learning environment that will really make a difference to the students and teachers. By designing and rebuilding the college it would allow innovative teaching and learning and would also ensure the student’s use of the site outside of college hours and the extended use of the site by the wider community over weekends, evenings and school holidays.

Funding has been assured by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and they have agreed the Wokingham council can proceed to rebuild Waingels College. An outline business case is now being prepared to submit to the DfES to enable design and build contractors to be appointed.

Over the coming months, consultation will be taking place with stakeholders including pupils, teachers, governors and the wider community on what the new college will look like and what facilities it will have. Once the business case has been approved, the council and college can move to the next stage, which will see detailed designs drawn up with involvement from the college. These designs would be subject to the normal planning process, and it is intended that a planning application will be submitted by September 2007.

Cllr Frank Browne, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “This is very welcome news. This will see significant investment of some £29million to rebuild Waingels College and this is great news for students and teachers that will really benefit from this investment. We all share a common vision that we want to raise standards further, improve access and choice in education and have buildings that are fit for the 21st century and this is what our Education Vision aims to do. I’m delighted to see it start to come to fruition.”

“This is the start of a long journey to transform education in the district and it very much reflects the council’s commitment to improve our secondary schools. I am delighted we have been given the green light and it is an exciting time for the whole college community at Waingels.”

Executive principal Richard Green said: “We are so pleased that at last the government has given the go-ahead to this exciting project that will see Waingels re-built on its existing site as a world class centre for 21st century learning.

“We are now about to start the first and most important phase of the project – consulting our key stakeholders, especially our current and future students and their parents, about what they want from the new school. We intend to put on a series of visits to inspirational architectural sites throughout the UK and provide opportunities for groups to work alongside teams of architects to brainstorm ideas. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that we aim to get right first time.”

Wokingham Borough Council

All ‘wannabe pop idols’ from the Wokingham district will have the opportunity to show off their talents this weekend, when the second round of auditions for this year’s Wokingham ‘Pop Idol’ Competition take place at Wokingham Youth Centre, 35, Reading Road, Wokingham.

All Wokingham secondary school-aged young people from the district are invited to take part in the audition, with the aim of making it through to the finals on June 23, 2007. The final winner of the competition will be the envy of all when they have their very own recording session. There will also be trophies awarded for first, second and third place contestants.

Applications forms for the auditions are available from Mr C Sansum, by telephoning (0118) 978 3610.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham youngsters have two more exciting Kaos night events to look forward to.

Winnersh Neighbourhood Policing officer PC Emma Johnson has arranged two dates for the popular event at the Chameleon nightclub in Wokingham.

They will be held on March 30 and April 12 from 7pm – 10.30pm.

Wokingham PC Johnson said: “These Kaos nights are still proving very popular with the youngsters and the whole idea has been a fantastic success so far.

“We have only received positive feedback from youngsters and their parents alike so far and it seems to be going from success to success.”

Kaos is a strictly no alcohol night which is aimed at 13-17 year olds and is backed by the local schools, Wokingham District Council and the area’s youth workers.

The first night was held in September last year and was organised by the Winnersh Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) and PC Johnson as a way of giving youngsters a cool place to hang out in the evenings.

Tickets for the latest events will be priced at £4 in advance and £6 on the day and are available from the club itself and schools throughout the area. Tickets are selling fast so it is advisable to buy them in advance of the event.

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

The Wokingham Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) team are starting to benefit from the use of a new car provided by a local car dealership.

Volkswagen dealership Ridgeway Reading, who are based in Rose Kiln Lane, Reading, have provided the Wokingham officers with a Volkswagen Fox through a new partnership arrangement.

The yellow car has the Force logo on the front, the Thames Valley Police website address on the sides and the words ‘in partnership with Ridgeway Reading’ on the back.

Insp Jim Weems, the deputy commander of Wokingham LPA, is delighted that his PCSOs now have access to a car.

He said: “Obviously a key part of the PCSO role is about being highly visible and the best way of doing that is on foot.

“However, the Wokingham LPA is a large geographical area and it is beneficial for officers to be able to drive in to their neighbourhoods in some areas.

“We are delighted that Volkswagen Ridgeway has chosen to enter this partnership with Wokingham LPA to provide a community based vehicle for our PCSOs.”

Sean Sinclair, Brand Manager of Ridgeway Reading, said: “We are delighted to be able to assist such a worthwhile cause and supply a much needed vehicle to the Police Community Support Team. We hope that our vehicle will add value and enable the PCSOs to cover a wider area more efficiently, whilst carrying out their invaluable work in our community.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

Criminal damage, peer influence and drug and alcohol misuse are difficult issues for Wokingham young people – but community wardens from Wokingham District Council are determined to make sure that young residents are well-informed about the dangers and temptations they face.

On Wednesday February 28, Wokingham council’s community wardens brought together a number of partner agencies, including the police, the council’s drug action team (DAT) and local police community support officers to give an informative workshop for year seven pupils at Ryeish Green School in Spencers Wood. At the workshop, students learned about the effects upon the community of graffiti and vandalism, the misuse of mini motorbikes and irresponsible playing of ball games, how to handle peer pressure and the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

“There are a lot of pressures on young people, but we feel that we can help them to make good choices. We want to keep them informed of the work that police, community wardens and other agencies are doing to tackle anti-social behaviour and support young people through difficult times,” said community safety operations manager Jenny Bennett.

Kirsty Gray, head of year 7 at Ryeish Green School said: “The students really enjoyed the day and learnt a lot from the workshops. Each of the four sessions was well thought out and information presented in a different way so the pupils were always engaged.”

Executive member for Wokingham community safety Barrie Patman said: “Partnership working between teams from the council and other agencies such as the police is really effective in schemes such as this. Having representatives from different partner agencies gathered together will make it a real opportunity for young people to get answers to a wide range of questions.”

Wokingham District Council

Wokingham District Council Library users can pick up and provide reader recommendations when they visit Lower Earley Library as part of a pilot scheme.

Launched on World Book Day (Thursday March 1), the scheme offers Wokingham readers the chance to fill in recommendation cards with details of their favourite books and why they like them. Staff at the library are leading the way with their choices and are hoping to inspire users to follow suit.

Senior library assistant at Lower Earley Lesley Durrant said: “We often get asked for recommendations by people who come in and they often come back to us and say how great a book was and this scheme takes that on. We are starting with the staff and have a display with our recommendations and will then add users’ choices.”

The staff’s eclectic recommendations so far include The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey, Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett, Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L Sayers and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.

Cllr Dianne King, executive member for Wokingham community development, said: “People enjoy recommending books and many people like recommendations when thinking about what to read next. Word of mouth is an excellent way to find out what books you might enjoy and this is a great way to take advantage of that. It will also create a good way for readers to interact with each other and library staff.”

Visitors will be able to pick up the recommendations forms at the Wokingham library and these will then be put on display for other readers.

World Book Day. Thursday March 1, celebrated its 10th birthday this year, with the theme Spread the Word. As part of the event a series of Quick Reads books has been produced with short stories designed to appeal to people who have not read a book in a long time or do not have much free time for reading. The Quick Read books are available at all public libraries in the Wokingham district. Also, as part of the event, people have been asked to vote for their list of ten books they could not live without. For more information on the day visit www.worldbookday.com.

Wokingham District Council

It was a double day of celebration at the Wokingham Karten CTEC (Computer-aided Training, Education and Communication) Centre on Thursday February 22 when students received their course certificates and a new computer learning facility was opened.

The centre provides computer-aided training and education for people with disabilities of all kinds and is based at Ravenswood Village in Crowthorne. A steering group, including representatives from the charity Norwood, Wokingham District Council and the Learning and Skills Council Berkshire and other groups, runs the centre.

At a ceremony hosted by Rod Clay, director of Ravenswood Village, Cllr Angus Ross, Wokingham District Council chairman, presented certificates to students who had completed courses such as Skills for Working Life and an Introduction to Information Technology as well as numeracy and literacy courses. These were designed to provide both fun computer projects and as a preparation for working life. Ian Karten MBE, who founded the centre as well as other similar facilities around the country, was also at the ceremony.

Cllr Ross “It is sometimes difficult to take the first step back into learning and it was inspirational to be able to present these well-earned certificates. I hope those who have received them will build on their wonderful success in the future. I would like to congratulate all the staff and students on these achievements.”

After the award ceremony, staff, students and guests witnessed the official opening of the centre’s new computer learning facility, which includes an interactive whiteboard, large screens for visually-impaired people and flat screen monitors and allows all users to have internet access. The new centre was paid for with a £25,000 grant from the Berkshire Neighbourhood Learning Centre Partnership.

Cllr Ross cut the ribbon together with Mr Karten MBE, centre students and staff as well as representatives from Norwood.
Derek Attewell, 62, from Bracknell, who has been going to the centre for two years, said: “The new equipment has made a big difference to the work we can do here. I am mainly interested in business programmes such as word processing, Excel and PowerPoint, although the internet is also interesting. The new computers are also great for people with sight impairment as they have the big screens now.”

Another student, Lawrence Black, 53, from Ravenswood Village, said: “I have been coming here for five years and this is a great improvement. It is great fun to be able to get on the computers and I have learnt to do a lot of things on them.”

Ravenswood Village is a residential community owned by Norwood, the largest Jewish UK charity for children and families. Residents of the village and adults with disabilities from the local community attend courses at the centre. To find out more about the village call Karen Thackray (01344) 755 586.

In April 2005, Wokingham District Council and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Berkshire stepped in to ensure the future of computer courses at the Karten Centre with £40,000-worth of funding (£30,000 from the district council and £10,000 from LSC Berkshire) when other sources of funding were unavailable.

Susie Holdsworth, contract and support services manager at the Karten Centre, said: “We are really proud of all our students and the achievement they have made. With the support we have from Wokingham District Council and others I believe the centre will move from strength to strength allowing many more local people to benefit from our services.”

Wokingham District Council

Pupils in the Wokingham district continue to be top of the class – that’s official! Today they are celebrating after being ranked fourth in the country for the aggregate percentage of pupils achieving level five or above in English, maths and science at key stage 3.

Results of tests taken at the end of key stage 3 (11 to 14-year-olds) have been released today (March 1) by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) showing the percentage of pupils in each local education authority area reaching the expected levels of achievement. Data has also been released for the percentage of pupils reaching above the expected levels in these tests.

Results continue to put the council among the top performing education authorities in the country. In the tests taken by 14-year-olds, the results for the expected level (five and above) in English, maths and science in the Wokingham district against the national results are as follows:

SUBJECT WOKINGHAM LEA (% LEVEL 5+) NATIONAL (% LEVEL 5+) WOKINGHAM’S RANKING NATIONALLY(LEVEL 5+)
ENGLISH 85 (85 - 2005 figure) 73 (74 - 2005 figure) 4th (equal 2nd in 2005)
MATHS 86 (83 - 2005 figure) 77 (74 – 2005 figure) 3rd (equal 2nd in 2005)
SCIENCE 82 (78 – 2005 figure) 72 (70 – 2005 figure) 4th (equal 6th in 2005)

At level six and above:

SUBJECT WOKINGHAM LEA (% LEVEL 6+) NATIONAL (% LEVEL 6+) WOKINGHAM’S RANKING NATIONALLY (LEVEL 6+)
ENGLISH 50 (49 - 2005 figure) 35 (35 - 2005 figure) 4th (equal 5th in 2005)
MATHS 70 (63 - 2005 figure) 57 (53 – 2005 figure) 3rd (equal 6th in 2005)
SCIENCE 53 (48 – 2005 figure) 41 (37 – 2005 figure) 7th (equal 6th in 2005)

Cllr Frank Browne, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “I welcome the news today that the excellent quality of teaching and learning in the district’s schools continues with the publication of the key stage 3 results. Year on year our results rank us as one of the top education authorities in the country and I am pleased that once again our results are above the national average. The result for maths at level five and above is particularly pleasing with the district being ranked third in the country. I am delighted this year that we have seen an improvement in subjects at all levels of key stage 3.

“I do hope that this improvement between key stages of their education will stand pupils in good stead for the future. Maintaining this improvement will hopefully ensure that more pupils will be successful at GCSE level and we should see further improved results in the near future. I would like to extend my congratulations to the whole school community for their achievements today. These results are a real tribute to the hard work and dedication of pupils and not to mention the commitment of teachers and all those who support the district’s schools.”

Pupils are also measured by the progress they have made from one stage of their education to another – this is known as value added progress. Wokingham district’s schools were ranked fourth overall for value added progress (key stage 2 to key stage 3) for 2006*.

Cllr Browne added: “In the Wokingham district we have seen an improvement from key stage 2 to key stage 3, which means that our pupils are making good progress in their education from primary school to secondary school, when this can be a particularly difficult time for pupils.”

Wokingham District Council

An event bringing together members of Woodley Age Concern and members of the Indian Community Centre will take place next week (March 7).

The day of food sharing, cultural activities, music and dance aims to repeat the success of a well-received event last year in which people from the Indian Community Centre off Norris Road, Reading visited Woodley Day Centre and met members of Woodley Age Concern to build relationships and share experiences.

The day has been organised jointly by Woodley Age Concern and Wokingham District Council.

This time members of Woodley Age Concern will be visiting the Indian Community Centre (ICC) to share food and entertainment again.

Mr Ghosh, an ICC Trustee said: “I’m looking forward to welcoming WAC members to the ICC and hope for another enjoyable day of cross-cultural integration, which can only happen when we get to know each other better.”

Wokingham District Council’s champion for older people and co-chair of the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Forum, Cllr Bob Wyatt, said: “We are delighted to promote this event which is an excellent example of different communities coming together to share and celebrate their individuality, customs and culture. The council will continue to assist in the process of building relations and understanding between the diverse range of communities within the district.”

Wokingham District Council

Sat 10 & Sun 11 Basket Making Course Dinton Pastures

Relaxing, friendly weekend learning a traditional skill and creating your own basket. £50/ weekend, includes all materials.

 

Sun 11 Friends of Lavell’s Lake Bird Walk

Come for a walk around this Local Nature Reserve, rich in bird life. Meet car park in Sandford Lane, opposite Sailing Club at 9am. Suggested donation £1

 

Sat 17 Wildlife WATCH Group – wildlife detectives

Monthly club for 8-12 year olds interested in the environment. This month we’ll be investigating a nature whodunit!

 

Sun 18 Three rivers walk from Swallowfield

A chance to explore rural paths and country lanes in the Blackwater Valley. This walk passes through Swallowfield Park and later Thatcher’s Ford near the confluence of the Blackwater and Whitewater Rivers before they finally join the River Loddon further upstream. 6 miles. Meet: Swallowfield Parish car park, Church Road at 10am. For more information contact Graham Smith, Ramblers Association 0118 973 0540

 

Fri 23& Sat 24 Stars in Your Skies Dinton Pastures

Join Reading Astronomical Society for a closer look at the night sky. Meet main park 7.30pm till late. Weather dependent.

 

Sun 25 Star Gazing Workshops

Members of the Reading Astronomical Society will be running two workshops to offer practical help to amateur astronomers about equipment and methods. Loddon Room, Dinton Pastures Country Park from 2pm onwards. For further information contact Gerry Bond on 0118 987 6291

 

Sun 25 Friends of Lavell’s Lake Work Party

Join the Friends of Lavell’s to do some practical conservation work. Meet car park Sandford Lane, at 10am

 

For full details and bookings, call the Countryside Service on 0118 934 2016 or email: countryside@wokingham.gov.uk

Lynn Yardley
Countryside Ranger (Education and Interpretation)
lynn.yardley@wokingham.gov.uk
Wokingham District Council Countryside Service, Dinton Pastures Country Park, Davis Street, Hurst, Berkshire RG10 0TH
Tel: 0118 9342016

At their meeting of Thursday February 22 Wokingham District Council’s executive members decided to extend the consultation on the proposal to close Ryeish Green School.

Cllr Frank Browne, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “There has been significant public reaction to this proposal and we do not want to rush into making such an important decision without ensuring that everyone has all the facts in front of them and the opportunity to consider and respond to them.

“The report presented to the executive provided additional information which consultees have not had an opportunity to consider or respond to.

“As this is such a significant decision we do not feel we should make it at the present time. We would like officers to carry out a second written consultation on the additional information within this report. We will ask for this work to be prepared as quickly as possible as we recognise the concern this uncertainty brings. We will ask for a further six-week consultation in order that an updated report can be presented to the executive in the summer and a decision be taken then about whether or not to publish a statutory proposal.”

Wokingham District Council

Two Wokingham District Council employees in the early years of their working lives were this week declared winners of the Young Local Authority of the Year competition.

The Wokingham council was represented by performance analyst Keith Withers, aged 28, and management trainee Lynsey Harris, 22, who took on other young council officers at the competition at Durley Hall Hotel in Bournemouth on February 19 and 20.

The Wokingham pair won the national title after taking part along with 43 other teams representative of councils the length and breadth of the country.

In the competition each authority was represented by teams of two in the early stages of their professional careers with a minimum age of 18.

Teams had to research and prepare a joint presentation on an issue of current controversy, for which Keith and Lynsey chose ‘Changing the culture of local government: are you up for the challenge?’, highlighting that while local government employees make up one eighth of the total workforce in England, only 8% of them are aged under 25.

They also took part in impromptu session