Bearwood Primary School, Wokingham has been tackling rugby union head on – with help from London Irish Rugby Club.

Through the EDF National Schools Rugby Programme, years five and six at Bearwood Primary School have been coached in tag rugby this year, by London Irish community development manager Philippos Kyriacou and community coach Ben Thurlow, as part of a scheme aiming to introduce children to rugby union through the tag rugby version of the sport.

And on Sunday April 15, the Wokingham school was invited to the national festival of rugby which was held on the hallowed turf at Twickenham prior to the EDF Energy Cup Final. Headteacher Jane Newman said: “We took 10 children and their families to Twickenham. The day was magical and an experience that those who attended will never forget. As a small school we enter all sporting events with full enthusiasm, determination and perseverance. Linda Burton, our subject leader for PE, has brought sport alive in our school and drives the children forward to participate in activities both in school and outside.”

At half time during the cup final, Bearwood children took part in a tag rugby demonstration, along with children from 16 other schools. The demonstration was organised by the EDF Energy National Schools Rugby Programme, which is managed by Premier Rugby and involves every premier club together with National league one sides Exeter Chiefs and Cornish Pirates. The programme is introducing close to 100,000 children to rugby union.

Wokingham Borough Council’s head of universal services for children Chris Jones said: “It is great to hear that Bearwood Primary School was invited to attend the rugby festival and that the children have gained so much from the experience. Physical health is so important for all our children and we

Wokingham Borough Council

Ten youngsters from Winnersh got their creative hats on during the Easter holidays and spent time learning about street art at Wokingham Youth Centre.

The group, aged between 11 and 15 years, learnt about the difference between graffiti and street art, the legalities of using spray cans, safety concerns and how to design and produce their own pieces of art. Wokingham youth centre’s tennis courts are regularly used for such workshops.

The course was run Wokingham Borough Council’s youth worker Mike Bennett and 17-year-old Callum Kirkland, a local street-artist from Kreative Design, a company of young people working to set up DJ and music workshops for other teens. The project aimed to provide an opportunity for young people to express their creativity and learn new skills.

Wokingham-based Callum said: “It’s important that young people are made aware of the differences between graffiti and street art. Graffiti is illegal and is vandalism. It makes the area look trashy. It gives street art and people who use spray cans as an artistic medium a bad name and we aim to show young people at the workshop the difference between the two.”

Mike Bennett, youth worker said: “It was an excellent week and the workshop was a great success. The group have worked really, really hard and the tennis courts look great.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Spring Gardens in Finchampstead is getting set to welcome six new residents as Wokingham Borough Council prepares to plant new lime trees.

The trees will be taking up residence to replace five grey poplar trees that had to be removed last summer owing to their significant decay and the potential risk to public safety. Local residents and the parish council were asked to suggest replacement for the trees and, following their feedback, the new lime trees will be planted on Friday April 27 (with a photo call at noon) by Wokingham borough council contractors Heartwood Tree Services.

Senior Wokingham arboriculturalist Jonathan Matthews said: “These six new lime trees will make fine replacements for the poplars that we had to fell last August. Once they mature they will provide a new landmark for the area, and local residents can take pride in the part they played in identifying the new trees.

“Many local residents have expressed their support for the project and, even though the replacement trees are already included in our maintenance programme including irrigation and weeding, one resident has even offered to help water the trees.”

Wokingham Borough Council

‘Aren’t Birds Brilliant’

Sat 5 May

Join the Wokingham and Bracknell branch of the RSPB for a morning stroll around Dinton Pastures Country Park.

Meet in the main car park at Dinton Pastures

Time: 9am

Cost: Adults £1, accompanied children free (proceeds to RSPB)

 

Nature and Wildlife Photography at Dinton

Sat 5 May

Learn more about how your camera works and get some tips and ideas on improving your composition and technique. A mainly practical session suitable for all types of camera (including digital).Organised by Adult and Community Education, Bracknell and Wokingham College

9.30am to 3.30pm £26 (concessions £13)

For further information or to book a place please call Bracknell and Wokingham College on 0845 3303343. Code: DP1009

 

California May Festival

Sat 5 – Mon 7 May

Including teddy bear olympics, teddy catapult, and Maypole dancing

Contact: For more information call the California Dreaming café on 0118 973 5519

 

Dawn Chorus

Sun 6 May

Celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day by joining the Wokingham and Bracknell RSPB for an early morning stroll. Bring binoculars, sturdy shoes, and warm/waterproof clothing. Book a full English breakfast at the Tea Cosy Café on 0118 932 1071.

Main car park, Dinton Pastures Country Park 5am (Pre-booked breakfast served from 7.30am)  £1 (All proceeds to RSPB) Accompanied children free

 

Wokingham May Fayre

Mon 07 May

Fun for all ages in partnership with The Wokingham Lions. Discover the new “Hands-on-the- Arts” Pavilion on Elms Field filled with arts and crafts workshops and family-friendly demos. Wokingham Town Centre 10am - 5pm. Free

 

Walk the Blackwater Path Weekend

Sat 12 & Sun 13 May  

The Blackwater Valley Path runs along the borders of Hampshire, Surrey, and Berkshire. Join us for a special weekend walk along the Path’s 23 miles, from Rowhill Nature Reserve in Aldershot to Swallowfield. There will be leaders, refreshments, and check points en route and on both days return transport is provided to the starting point. If 23 miles is too much why not sign up for one day only – 13 miles are covered the first day, 10 miles the second.

Both days start at 10am. £5 for one day, £8 for both days.
Pre-booking essential. For more details and to book, call Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership on 01252 331353

 

Friends of Lavell’s Lake Bird Walks

Sun 13 May

Lavell’s Lake is rich in bird life, which is attracted to the reedbed, shallow scrapes and quiet surroundings. Two hides are available for viewing across the reserve.  Join the Friends of Lavell’s Lake for a walk around the Park.

Meet at Sandford Lane car park opposite the Black Swan Sailing Club.

9am – 12 noon (approx) Free to Friends of Lavell’s Lake members, suggested donation of £1 for non-members

 

Training Courses for Youth Group Leaders  Pond Dipping-Wed 16 May. Hunting for Minibeasts-Mon 21 May

Organised by the Countryside Service’s Education Rangers, these sessions aim to give leaders basic wildlife identification skills, knowledge of how to use study equipment, health and safety information, and lots of ideas of fun games and follow-up activities.

For both sessions:

Emmbrook Room, Dinton Pastures Country Park

6pm -7.30pm Free

Contact: Please book places in advance, email countryside@ wokingham. gov.uk or call 0118 934 2016

 

Junior Rangers Wildlife Watch

Sat 19 May Pond dipping

This is a monthly club for children aged 8-12 years who are interested in the environment. Activities are fun and enable children to discover more about their local wildlife and countryside. The group is run by a combination of parent leaders and rangers, and is affiliated to the Wildlife WATCH (the junior branch of the Wildlife Trust).

10am-12noon  Dinton Pastures Country Park £1.

For further information or to book a place please contact 0118 934 2016.

 

Circus Skills

Sun 27 May

Have you ever wanted to be in the circus? Come along to the Oojamaflip circus workshop and try your hand at all manner of circus skills. There will be plate spinning, diabolos, devil sticks, balancing, juggling and lots, lots more. Suitable for all ages, so come along and have a go; you might discover a secret talent!

Location will be sign-posted from main car park, Dinton Pastures. Sessions throughout the day. Free

 

Friends of Lavell’s Lake LNR Work Parties

Sun 27 May

Lavell’s Lake is rich in bird life and monthly practical tasks help to encourage even more birds and other wildlife to visit the site. Friends of Lavell’s Lake is a registered charity, (no rangers on these tasks).

Meet at Sandford Lane car park opposite Black Swan Sailing Club. 10am till lunchtime (refreshments provided at tea break!) Free

 

Pirates and Princess Crafts

Mon 28 May 07 – Fri 1 June

Shiver me timbers! Crafty sessions organised by the California Dreaming café. Come along any time during half term and make your own pirate hat or princess crown.

Drop in anytime. £2.50

For more information call the California Dreaming Café on 0118 973 5519

 

ClayMates Ceramics

Mon 28 May 07 – Fri 1 June

Get creative for Father’s Day and paint some wonderful gifts on a variety of pottery pieces just for dad.

Ceramic painting is also available throughout the holidays as usual, no need to book.

Time: Drop in anytime

Session fee £3 for an hour, plus the cost of your pottery

No need to book, just turn up, for more information contact Jo on 07966 929 517

 

Puppet Workshops

Wed 30 May

Come along to a creative workshop and make your very own movable puppet, with local artist and performer Jo Bryant. With just a little magic, you'll be amazed at how life-like your creations become when you use them in a puppet show at the end of the session.

Meet: Loddon Room at Dinton Pastures Country Park

Time:  10am-12noon and 1.30pm-3.30pm

Children under 8 must be accompanied. Children 8 and over can be unaccompanied, but adults are welcome to stay.

£5 per child. Please book in advance by emailing countryside@wokingham.gov.uk or calling 0118 934 2016

 

Discover Birds and Nests

Thurs 31 May

Join Countryside Service rangers for a session about birds and nests. Come along to find out some fantastic facts about our feathered friends and take part in a crafty bird activity. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Appropriate for children aged 5-11 years old. Free. 11am-12noon – Woodley Library, Headley Road. 2pm- 3pm Wokingham Library, Denmark Street. Please book in advance by calling Wokingham Library 0118 978 1368 or Woodley Library 0118 969 0304.

Lynn Yardley
Countryside Ranger (Education and Interpretation)
Wokingham Borough Council Countryside Service, Dinton Pastures Country Park, Davis Street, Hurst, Berkshire RG10 0TH
Tel: 0118 9342016, Fax 0118 9341987
Taking Care of Your Countryside

Wokingham Men who have been violent, abusive or threatening to their partners or ex partners and want to change are invited to take part in a programme set up to help them. The Changing Ways programme is open to any man aged over 18 living in Bracknell Forest, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Slough or Wokingham.

The programme is NOT an anger management or counselling group; it focuses on changing attitudes and behaviours. Changing Ways comprises 30 structured group sessions designed to help men understand their violent and abusive behaviour and learn new ways of behaving. Sessions last two hours and take place on Monday evenings. Men are given a 45 minute assessment interview before they are accepted onto the programme. They may attend as part of an agreement with any agency with which they are already involved, for example social services, or refer themselves directly to the programme.

Lakeside Consultants, which provides the programme, will contact the female partners of any participants and give them information about their involvement.

The Changing Ways programme was designed and provided by Lakeside Consultants for Wokingham Borough Council, Thames Valley Police, Bracknell Forest Borough Council, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and Slough Borough Council.

Wokingham Borough Council’s domestic violence reduction co-ordinator Jo McIntyre says: “People who have been violent to someone close to them need to stop dismissing their violence as a “one off” or “just a slap”. If they feel their partner deserves to be hit or is provoking them, or that they can’t help doing it, then they need to act to stop themselves. If they’ve got angry when their partner disagreed with them, or blamed their partner when they felt frustrated, then the situation may get worse if they don’t address their behaviour. Their partner will continue to be in danger until they take steps to change their attitude.”

“It can be tough to face up to difficult problems. We want to help abusive partners to make changes so that their behaviour is safe for their partners and for any children in the relationship,” says Jo. “We would encourage people to face up honestly to any abusive things they have done.”

There are still Wokingham places available for Changing Ways. Professionals who would like to refer a client to Changing Ways and men who would like to refer themselves should call John Roberts on 07818 054563. Partners or ex-partners suffering abuse who would like to speak to someone in confidence should call Berkshire Women’s Aid on (0118) 950 4003 or East Berkshire Women’s Aid on (01753) 549865.

Wokingham Borough Council

Older people and school children are now safer walking alone at California Crossroads, after the installation of a puffin crossing. In a bid to improve road safety for children at the Gorse Ride Infant and Junior Schools, as well as for shoppers at the California Crossroads shopping parade, Wokingham Borough Council has installed the puffin crossing outside the California Ratepayers’ Hall on Finchampstead Road.

Puffin crossings display red and green men on display units at the eye height of pedestrians. They also use kerbside and on-crossing detectors to monitor the pedestrians waiting to cross the road.

Should the pedestrian cross before the green man is shown, the kerbside detector will cancel the pedestrian’s demand before the traffic is interrupted. The on-crossing detectors watch the area of the road pedestrians will be crossing on, and for slow moving pedestrians it will extend the time the crossing is kept clear. This makes puffin crossings particularly useful to more vulnerable pedestrians such as older people.

On Wednesday April 18, Wokingham Mayor Cllr Angus Ross tried out the new crossing with children and teachers from Gorse Ride Infant School. Also joining the Mayor were the council’s road safety officer Maureen Lockwood, and Carol Bates, member of the Older People’s Forum in Finchampstead (FINE). FINE ensures that older members of the community have a voice in the planning and delivery of local services, and arranges speakers on issues such as safety and security and advice for the disabled.

Carol said: “This crossing will make life a lot safer for older and less able-bodied residents, especially wheelchair users. It will help promote independence for older people because they will be able to cross this busy road with much more confidence.”

Wokingham Cllr Ross said: “I’m delighted we are able to make children and older people safer on this busy road. It is excellent that many children walk to school at Gorse Ride, and the council is always keen to promote initiatives that will help more vulnerable people to lead independent lives.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Estate agents should be making a date to get free training and advice courtesy of Wokingham, Bracknell Forest and Reading Borough Councils.

Wokingham council receives a disproportionate number of complaints every year about estate agents, many of which are issues that can be easily resolved. The special seminar, organised by trading standards officers, will offer an insight into the most common complaints and how they can be avoided, looking from the point of view of trading standards, highways and planning legislation.

And, the interactive day hosts three big name speakers. Roger Young of the Office of Fair Trading Estate Agents Enforcement Team, Lucia Smeraldi of the Trading Standards’ Institute and the Ombudsman for Estate Agents Christopher Hamer will all be speaking on the day to offer help and advice.

There will also be an update on the forthcoming Home Information Packs (HIPs).

All estate agents and employees operating in any of the three boroughs are welcome to attend the seminar at the civic offices, Shute End, Wokingham, between 9.15am and 12noon on June 5. Anyone wanting to book a place on the seminar should contact support officer Kim Bridger on (0118) 974 6311.

Wokingham Trading standards enforcement officer Alonso Ercilla said: “We’re aiming for this to be a really valuable event, offering the chance for estate agents to meet up with trading standards officers and begin a useful working relationship. The training and advice offered should help void many of the issues that prompt the most complaints – for instance a for sale sign being placed in the wrong position.

“I would ask every estate agent in the three boroughs to consider attending the session - there’s lots to gain and nothing to lose!”

Wokingham Borough Council

Sunday could be a fun day with a visit to the craft market in Wokingham on April 22! Many of the regular farmers’ market traders, as well as some new and interesting local craft stalls, will be offering their wares between 9.30am and 2pm.

And from April 26 to 29, traders from across Europe will be lining the Wokingham Market Place for the biggest international market the town has ever seen. Shoppers can taste fresh haggis from Scotland along with wines brewed in the Isle of Skye – and for a taste of the continental, traders from Germany, Italy and France will be offering their best, including a traditional French baker who will be baking fresh bread on site.

The market will take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9am to 5pm, and on Sunday from 10am to 3pm.

Town centre manager Brian Newman said: “I’m really glad so many traders want to come to Wokingham. It will really add something different for local shoppers and give us all some new things to try.”

Wokingham Borough Council

An estimated seven million people are affected by someone else’s substance misuse – usually family members, friends or colleagues. Their needs are often overlooked when addressing substance misuse, but they have an important part to play in the process of recovery.

Wokingham Borough Council’s drug action team (DAT) is inviting anyone who is affected by another person’s substance misuse to ‘Families First’ – a free drop-in event at Wokingham Methodist Centre, Rose Street, Wokingham, on Monday May 21 from 10am to 4pm. The day will include workshops on addiction awareness, overdose training and a family’s cycle of change, as well as opportunities to meet professionals, find out about local services and support groups and talk to others who have been affected by substance misuse.

Anyone who would like to attend Wokingham ‘Families First’ should contact DAT officer Laura Fairbairn on (0118) 974 3795 or 07799 348283. Those who attend will be dealt with in confidence and will not be asked to disclose personal information.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Police have secured a three year Anti-Social Behaviour Order against a man involved in a range of criminal activity.

The order was imposed at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (17/4) after Brendon Wooff, 23, was jailed for five months for stealing a car, two incidents of assault, and criminal damage.

Wooff, whose last address was Moor Close in Sandhurst, is now prevented from sitting in the driver’s seat of any vehicle, entering any building or land unless he has the owner’s permission, and from behaving in way that will distress other people.

Insp Jim Weems, the Deputy Commander of Wokingham LPA, said: “Wooff’s actions have brought misery to parts of Wokingham and he has certainly been responsible for undermining the quality of life of people living in this area.

“People have a right to feel safe and secure in their own community and this order gives us the tools to restrict his appalling behaviour when he leaves prison.

“Wooff has a significant history of criminal activity and this shows that neither the police, our partners, or the courts will tolerate this type of behaviour.

“The ASBO has been brought about by some excellent work by the Wokingham Community Safety Partnership and we will not hesitate to take similar action in the future against any individuals who seek to undermine the community.”

The order in full:

Brendon Wooff is restricted from -

*Entering or remaining in any private premises, commercial or residential, or any private area of any public premises, without the express permission of the owner, occupier or person in lawful control of that premise.

*Entering on any land which forms part of a dwelling house, or commercial premises without the express permission of the owner, occupier or person in lawful control of that land.

*Sitting in the driver’s seat of any motor vehicle on any highway or other public place or place to which the public have access.

*Behaving in a manner which causes alarm, harassment or distress to any person in the District of Wokingham.

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

Green-fingered gardeners with learning disabilities from Wokingham Resource and Opportunity Centre (WROC) have been working hard on their horticultural skills at the Growing Places project. And at 10.45am on Wednesday April 25, Wokingham Borough Council Mayor Angus Ross will be presenting some of the gardeners with certificates to recognise their skills at The Council Chamber, Civic Offices, Shute End, Wokingham.

The Wokingham gardeners of Growing Places have learned to sow seeds, pot on seedlings and care for plants in the ground and in the greenhouse, as well as developing their creative skills making flower arrangements and hanging baskets for selling. They will be gathering in the Council Chamber to be congratulated on their achievements by the Mayor and will receive certificates that they can use to prove their experience if applying for a job in the future.

Wokingham Borough Council

With just under three weeks to go until the closing date, Wokingham Borough Strategic Partnership is urging the area’s creative residents to paint a vision for the future and design the partnership a logo.

The winning Wokingham entry could bag a top prize of £300 courtesy of TradeMark Windows and Conservatories (whose proprietor Mark Ashwell represents the Chamber of Commerce on the Strategic Partnership) and a runner-up could win £100, if they 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.

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

There will be one £300 prize for the overall winner chosen from the short-listed entries.

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.

Wokingham Borough Council chief executive Doug Patterson said: “We’re hoping that anyone with a creative flair enters the competition to design a logo that reflects the all-encompassing nature of the partnership. The partnership represents the diverse range of people, organisations and communities that make up our borough and we are looking for an eye-catching identity – and we want our communities to have an input.

“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

Voluntary and organisations that support Wokingham Borough Council in times of emergency are once again being encouraged to apply for the Adrian Harris Bursary Fund.

The Wokingham bursary recognises the important work that support organisations offer to the council and other responding agencies in times of crises. Organisations can bid for money to support their members on training courses. Previous recipients of the bursary have included representatives from the WRVS, St John’s Ambulance, British Red Cross and SEBEV Search and Rescue. Courses attended have included those at the Cabinet Office’s Emergency Planning College in Easingwold, Yorkshire.

The Adrian Harris Bursary Fund was set up in memory of Wokingham Borough Council’s former principal emergency planning officer Adrian Harris. Adrian sadly died in 2005 after a five-year battle with cancer. The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 sets up a working partnership between local authorities and the various voluntary agencies involved in a major incident or emergency and, recognising this, the community resilience team at the council decided to form the bursary fund in Adrian’s name.

Four Wokingham bursaries are available to cover the cost of a training event or seminar for members of a voluntary organisation who support the work of the council during a major incident or emergency. Application is by way of a form, along with a short supporting statement (no more than 100 words) detailing why they should be supported by the bursary. The bursary will only cover the cost of the training event, not travelling expenses or accommodation.

Principal Wokingham community resilience officer Peter Stuart said: “This bursary offers us a way to remember a former colleague, as well as helping support the invaluable work of the voluntary sector. Previous recipients have all valued the training they have attended through the bursary fund and I look forward to the fresh round of applicants this year.”

Application forms are available from Deborah Brown, assistant community resilience officer, on (0118) 974 6473 or email: community.resilience@wokingham.gov.uk. The closing date for applications is June 1, 2007.

Wokingham Borough Council

In a bid to improve road safety for children at the Wokingham Gorse Ride Infant and Junior Schools, as well as for shoppers at the California Crossroads shopping parade, Wokingham Borough Council has installed a puffin crossing outside the California Ratepayers’ Hall.

Puffin crossings display red and green men on near-sided display units at the eye height of pedestrians. They also use kerbside and on-crossing detectors to monitor the pedestrians waiting to cross the road.

Should the pedestrian cross before the green man is shown, the kerbside detector will cancel the pedestrian’s demand before the traffic is interrupted. The on-crossing detectors watch the area of the road pedestrians will be crossing on, and for slow moving pedestrians it will extend the time the crossing is kept clear. This makes puffin crossings particularly useful to more vulnerable pedestrians.

On Wednesday April 18 at 10.30am, Wokingham Mayor Cllr Angus Ross will be trying out the new crossing with some children and parents from Gorse Ride Infant School. Also joining the Mayor will be Carol Bates, instigator of the Older Peoples Forum in Finchampstead (FINE).

Wokingham Borough Council

Now that the sun is shining it’s time to spring clean… not just at home but all around Wokingham town!

Wokingham residents are invited to join in a spring clean of the town centre, lasting two hours, on Saturday April 14. Anyone can join in to clear up litter and improve the look of the area, as well as getting some exercise and an opportunity to meet new people. Volunteers should come to the Information Centre at Wokingham Town Hall on Saturday April 14 at 9.30am, for a 10am start.

The volunteers will be dividing into teams and taking on different areas of the town centre, all within walking distance, to pick up as much litter as possible in two hours and meet at the Town Hall at midday, where light refreshments will be served by the Wokingham Fair Trade Campaign. Volunteers are advised to come prepared for the event with wet weather clothing if necessary. Protective gloves will be provided and a limited amount of litter picking sticks.

Wokingham Borough Council

A year after it was launched Wokingham Borough Council’s My Family Matters course has been hailed a success by the people who count – those it has helped.

My Family Matters was a ‘life-changing’ pilot project designed to help families to help themselves in the Wokingham borough. It was organised by Wokingham Borough Council’s cultural services lifelong learning team. Maureen Murzell, the family learning coordinator, and Anne Taplin, children’s services’ home school liaison officer, developed the course to help families who were identified by some of the Wokingham borough’s primary schools as needing some additional support. These families were invited to join a series of evening and morning sessions (ten per school term) that were devoted to developing parents’ skills to help them support their families.

Topics covered included general Wokingham issues such as healthy eating or more specific problems such as helping a child who is being bullied, during which those taking part saw a video in which famous people talked about their experiences at the hands of bullies. In addition the group also discussed strategies already in use and new ones to try. During the healthy eating session those taking part were not simply lectured at, but were taught to make healthy snacks.

Now, a year on, the pilot scheme has secured permanent funding and has been hailed as a success by those who took part. One of its main success stories has been Linda Williams, 43, from Shinfield, who has been with My Family Matters since it was launched at Easter 2006.

Ms Williams, who lives with her son Ross, eight, was not working before starting the scheme, having lost self-confidence despite having once had a busy office job. She is now working part-time as a support assistant looking after two children with disabilities at Shinfield Infant and Nursery School and is hoping to start full time work.

Ms Williams said: “When I first went to My Family Matters I was really nervous but that changed as soon as I got in the room and met Maureen. The sessions are fun, relaxed and enjoyable and the most important thing is how much it has boosted my confidence. I could not have worked before and now I am working with two children with disabilities and it is wonderful. I was isolated before starting the scheme and it has been great to meet different people, both those on the scheme and those running the session. I would say I am not the same person as before I started My Family Matters, the change has been that dramatic.”

Ms Williams’ success on the Wokingham scheme led her to lead one of the sessions herself – demonstrating and teaching her artistic hobby of Christmas card making to the other parents and she was awarded with the Wokingham Borough Council’s Learner Challenge Award in May 2006. She has also been nominated for a National Institute of Adult Continuing Education achievement award.

One of the key successes for My Wokingham Family Matters has been to keep parents coming back week after week, which has been achieved by keeping the sessions informal and fun and by the personal commitment of the organisers. Mrs Taplin calls all families involved the evening before the sessions to make sure they are coming and she picks up those who have not got their own transport. People taking part are given a certificate for each session they attend and receive a supermarket voucher for regular attendance.

Mrs Murzell said: “Part of the process has been to nurture relationships with the people involved. Friendships have formed within the group and they are starting to support each other. It has been a tremendous success and the feedback from people taking part has been very positive. We have had some great successes and the scheme is getting some important messages across to families who might otherwise be difficult to reach.”
More text:

Wokingham Borough Council devised the My Family Matters course to meet identified needs and funding was secured for it from the Learning and Skills Council, which also approved the course. The borough council carefully monitors the outcomes to ensure that objectives are met.

Wokingham Borough Council

Libraries across the Wokingham borough have a host of activities for families with young children on offer in the coming months.

There will be free baby bounce and rhyme sessions at Wokingham Library from 10.15am to 10.45am on Tuesday April 3, May 1 and June 5; at Woodley Library from 10.30am to 11am on Monday April 16, May 14 and June 11 and Lower Earley Library from 10.30am to 11am on Tuesday April 17, May 15 and June 19. They are aimed at babies and toddlers up to 18 months old and places must be booked in advance.

There will also be free storytime sessions, which are followed by a craft activity, and are aimed at the under fives. There is no need to book a place in advance. During April, May and June there will be weekly sessions from 2.15pm to 3pm on Tuesdays at Wokingham Library; on Thursdays from 2.15pm to 3pm at Woodley Library; also on Thursdays from 2.30pm to 3.15pm at Lower Earley Library and on Mondays from 4pm to 4.45pm at Spencers Wood Library.

In addition, the Wokingham borough’s other libraries will have one session a month in April, May and June. Maiden Erlegh Library’s sessions will be from 2.15pm to 3pm on Tuesday April 17, May 19 and June 19; Winnersh Library’s sessions will be from 10.15am to 11am on Saturday April 21, May 19 and June 16; Twyford Library’s sessions will be from 2.15pm to 3pm Tuesday April 17, May 15 and June 19 and Wargrave Library’s sessions will be from 1.45pm to 2.30pm on Monday April 16, May 21 and June 18.

All the monthly sessions, and one of the weekly sessions per month at Wokingham, Woodley, Lower Earley and Spencers Wood, will have a special theme, which will be garden and flower stories in April, The Very Hungry Caterpillar in May and pirate stories in June.

The Get Arty! craft club will run at Wokingham Library on Saturday April 14, May 19 and June 16; Woodley Library on Saturday April 21, May 12 and June 23 and Lower Earley Library on Saturday April 21, May 12 and June 23. All these sessions will run from 11am to midday and the themes for April will be Sheep Collages, May will be Brilliant Bugs and June will be Creepy Monsters. These are all free and there is no need to book. They are aimed at children five to 11 years old.

Wokingham Borough Council’s children’s librarian Elizabeth McDonald said: “Baby bounce and rhyme is a lively session which parents and babies love. It is noisy with silly rhymes, fun songs and musical instruments and is a great way for babies to start learning about rhythm and language. Storytime sessions are full of funny stories and rhymes with funky crafts and colouring in. The Get Arty! sessions are full of fun crafty activities – with the chance to make things like sheep collages and brilliant scary bugs. All libraries have sessions to encourage children to come and have a fun enjoyable time in the library. Being bounced around, having stories read to you or making some cool crafts to take home only adds to the fun library experience and taking books home can only be a bonus.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Speed dating has taken off as a great way to find the perfect person and now Wokingham Volunteer Centre is offering its own equivalent – speed matching – to give people the chance to find their perfect volunteering project.

The revolutionary Wokingham way to match would-be volunteers with projects to suit them will work just like a speed dating event – 20 voluntary organisations will have just three minutes to impress each visitor to the event with their volunteering opportunities. After that the visitor will move on to the next table to hear the next organisation’s pitch and by the end of the session all the visitors will have spoken to all the organisations. As the prospective volunteers move around the different organisations they will fill in score cards to show how interested they were in each volunteering opportunity and the Volunteer Centre Wokingham will use these cards to arrange ‘second dates’ for volunteers after the event.

The event is designed to be a fun way for people thinking about volunteering in the community to find out about some options available – nobody will have to sign up on the day, but there will be plenty of help and advice for those interested.

Among the Wokingham organisations hoping to attract more volunteers on the day will be Home-Start, which helps to support young families who are having difficulties; the Me2 Club, which provides special needs children with one-to-one help from trained volunteers so they can join mainstream sports and other activities and Community Responders, who are volunteers trained in first aid to provide immediate help at accidents and emergencies. There will also be opportunities to learn about conservation projects and children’s groups such as Scouts.

Volunteer Centre Wokingham volunteer coordinator Claire Tuckett said: “In just three minutes people will be able to find out how to start making a real difference to the lives of people who really need support. Not only that, they will also learn how fun and satisfying it is to become a volunteer. Volunteering only works if the volunteers enjoy what they are doing and so we are always careful to make sure people are well-matched to projects or organisations and the speed matching event will be an entertaining way to do that.”

The Volunteer Centre Wokingham, based in the Old Social Club, Elms Road, Wokingham (behind Wellington House), promotes and coordinates volunteering and acts as a recruiter for all voluntary, charitable and community organisations in the Wokingham borough. Anybody who is interested in volunteering, but who cannot get to the speed matching event, can contact the centre on 0118 977 0749 or visit www.doit.org.uk to find out what is on offer.

The speed matching event will be at the Bradbury Community Centre in Rose Street, Wokingham on Monday May 14. There will be two sessions, the first at 1.30pm and the second at 5.30pm. Places are limited and early booking is recommended. To book a place, or for more information, call volunteer coordinator Claire Tuckett or development manager Christine Knox on 0118 977 0749.

Wokingham Borough Council

One of Wokingham’s top police officers is personally urging motorists not to leave sat navs on display in their vehicles.

Insp Jim Weems, the deputy Wokingham LPA Commander, believes that leaving these expensive items on display in vehicles is like leaving cash on the seats.

He said: “I want people to realise that leaving a sat nav in a car is the equivalent of leaving cash laid out on the dash-board.

“If people can start to think like this, then they are more likely to remember to remove devices from their cars.”

He added: “Most thieves are opportunists and if they see something valuable on view in a vehicle they will break in to get it. You only have to leave your car for a short time for an opportunist thief to act. It is all over very quickly.”

There have been six incidents in the past fortnight around Wokingham town centre where thieves have smashed vehicle windows to grab sat nav systems.

These have taken place in Carey Road, Goodchild Road, Wellington Road, Luckley Path, Rectory Road and Wokingham Market Place.

Members of the crime reduction team are trying to raise awareness of the need to remove all valuables from cars by distributing leaflets to houses in the area and leaving them on vehicles around the town centre.

Crime Reduction advisor Chris Oblein said: “It’s a common sense thing to do, even if you’re only leaving your car for a minute, that’s all a thief needs. Since the beginning of the year in the Wokingham Borough Council area there have been 44 thefts from cars where a sat nav has been taken. Last year there were a total of 170 sat nav thefts from cars.

“These offences could have easily been prevented had the car owners taken 60 seconds to remove their sat nav and cradle.

‘Thieves are not only looking for the devices themselves. They will break into a car if the cradle has been left on show, on the chance that the car owner has merely placed the device in the glove box. Even the ring mark left by the sucker on the windscreen will temp a criminal to break in.

“Remember, take it with you, before its taken from you. It takes 60 seconds to remove your sat nav and wipe away the sucker mark and help prevent his type of crime.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Wokingham

The voices of 400 schoolchildren from across the Wokingham borough sung out in celebration of 60 years of schools’ music at a concert earlier this month.

Pupils from 11 of the Wokingham borough’s schools took part in the concert at the Hexagon Theatre in Reading to mark 60 years of the Wokingham Area Schools Music Association (WASMA), an organisation run by schools in the borough to give children the chance to make music together. The concert took the form of a This Is Your Life style event, which tracked the history of WASMA through songs, music, drama and dance. WASMA arranges annual concerts and children’s operas in which thousands of pupils have performed. WASMA receives support from Wokingham Borough Council and local Rotary clubs.

The schools that took part in the anniversary concert on Sunday March 25 were: Bearwood Primary, Emmbrook Junior, Gorse Ride Junior, Hawthorns Primary, Keep Hatch Primary, Palmer CofE Junior, St Nicholas Primary, St Paul’s Junior, St Teresa’s Primary, Westende Junior and Winnersh Primary. They sang favourites such as Summer Holiday and Let it Be.

The concert was produced and directed by Clive Waterman, who leads Wokingham Borough Council’s Music for All project, which seeks to provide as many opportunities for schoolchildren to perform music in public as possible.

Mr Waterman said: “The efforts of all the participating schools – the children and their teachers – came together on the day to produce a very special event. It was a fitting celebration of those past years of shared music making. The children’s enthusiasm and enjoyment really shone through. I am sure they will have fond memories of the occasion.”

Wokingham Borough Council

It has come to the attention of Wokingham Borough Council that a group of young people are knocking on doors in the borough and claiming that they are selling items in aid of Wokingham Youth Offending Service.

The Wokingham Youth Offending Service has never and will never develop or support such a scheme and all incidences should be reported to the police on 0845 8 505 505.

Wokingham Borough Council

A month-long display of artwork by clients of Woodley Age Concern Day Centre in Wokingham Borough Council’s Mall Gallery in Shute End has been celebrated at a private viewing.

The Sharing Visions and Voices artwork was produced by 14 regular users of the centre during an art project that ran in November last year. The 10-week project combined drama workshops with visual art forms, such as painting and collage, as a way of enhancing the participants’ lives through art.

The centre clients and staff who took part in the project were invited to the private view on Wednesday March 21, along with Wokingham borough Mayor Cllr Angus Ross and representatives of ITHACA, who co-ordinated the project. ITHACA is a charity working in Oxfordshire and Berkshire linking the arts to people with disabilities, including those with identified mental health needs, learning difficulties or physical and sensory impairments, as well as older people.

The artwork will be display until Friday April 13, from 8.30am to 5pm every weekday.

Patricia Steinhardt, Wokingham Borough Council’s art development manager, said: “This project is a wonderful example of how the arts really makes a difference. The exhibition demonstrates how creative activities can make people feel good and enhance their lives. One lady, who is in her 80s, said as she looked at her art framed on display, ‘I never realised I was an artist’ and that sums up what it is about: if we can stay active and creative, life continues to offer unexpected discoveries about ourselves and fosters a healthy outlook.”

The project was supported by Wokingham Borough Council’s community care services, Woodley Older People’s Forum and Woodley Age Concern and was sponsored by Wokingham Borough Cultural Partnership.

Cllr Ross said: “The artwork on display is delightful and it was a privilege to meet the talented people behind the exhibition at the private view. The joy those who took part in the project had clearly got from the sessions, and the pleasure their work has given visitors to The Mall, is truly inspiring and I would like to thanks the day centre staff, ITHACA and the day centre clients themselves, for their hard work on the project. I hope they continue to develop these new found talents.”

Wokingham Borough Council

It was an uphill struggle but Wokingham's Aldryngton Primary School became league and relay cross-country running champions on Thursday March 15.

The final event of the Thames Valley Cross Country League, held at the Bulmershe School in Woodley, saw nearly 400 children from 13 primary schools battling into the wind for trophies from Wokingham Borough Council, to prove their cross-country prowess.

The Thames Valley Cross Country League is organised by Gordon Davies, headteacher of Beechwood Primary School in Woodley, and Terri Gregory of Aldryngton Primary School in Earley is the league’s secretary. Most of the schools who take part in the league are Wokingham borough schools – and Aldryngton were this year’s overall winners.

Terri said: “It was a windswept and open field and quite a tough uphill run in places. I’m really impressed with the way all the competitors ran. They are very determined and I’m delighted to see so many taking up the challenge.

“There were four league events during the year leading up to the exciting relay finale, and the children have trained hard all through the year.”

Graham Swatridge, director of community sport at the Bulmershe School and an executive member of Wokingham Borough Sports Council, invited the league to hold the final at the Bulmershe School. He said: “It was great to see so many youngsters involved in the cross-country relays. There were over 300 competing, which was more than last year and there were more spectators too. Gordon, Terri and the individual schools’ staff have done a fantastic job over the year and must take all the credit for their drive and inspiration.”

Teams of four from each school took part in the final event, and each child ran one lap. Year three and year four children (aged seven to nine) ran 800m, and year five and year six children (aged nine to eleven) ran 1200m.

The overall winners were decided based on the results of boys and girls results in both age groups. Therefore only schools that had competitors in all four sections could compete for the title of overall winners of the league.

The results were:
Aldryngton Primary 1ST
Polehampton Junior 2ND
Spinfield School, Marlow 3RD
St Dominic Savio Primary 4TH
Robert Piggott Junior 5TH
Nine Mile Ride Junior 6TH
Arborfield Junior 7TH
Beechwood Primary 8TH

Wokingham Borough Council