Wokingham

Wokingham’s first festival will bring food and drink, arts and business to Wokingham town centre for a lively celebration of our greatest local talents!

The Wokingham festival from Friday September 28 to Sunday September 30 includes a host of businesses with stalls selling everything from Irish bread to Greek olives, and from puppets to beauty treatments.

There will be entertainment throughout the festival from popular local groups such as St Sebastian’s Band, the Spotlight dancers and local rock bands including Caution and Boy Did Good, who will play live to the crowd in a magnificent free concert.

The Cantley House Hotel and the Sultan Balti restaurant will be giving cookery demonstrations, and visitors can also watch arts and crafts in action, talk with local Wokingham businesses, and enjoy the Mason’s Fun Fair all day throughout the festival.

The fun starts at 10am each day and runs until 6pm on the Friday, 10pm on the Saturday and 4pm on the Sunday.

Champion for town centres Chris Bowring said: “I am very much looking forward to the very first Wokingham festival. It promises to be a fantastic event with something to interest everyone. I am delighted that so many local businesses have come forward to take part.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Some 80% of child car seats are incorrectly fitted, risking injuries and deaths that could be avoided. But children in the Wokingham Borough will soon be sitting more safely, after parents are invited to attend free car seat safety checks offered by Wokingham Borough Council at the end of this month.

The checks, organised by the council in partnership with highways consultants Mouchel Parkman, will be made by trained Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue staff and will be completely free to all who attend.

Executive member for highways and transport Wokingham Cllr Keith Baker said: “Many people are unaware of the dangers of incorrectly fitted seats. The council is always looking for ways to improve the safety of road users, and I believe these safety checks will offer real practical help to parents and carers who drive. I urge parents to bring their cars along to get unbiased advice on fitting child seats from trained fire and rescue staff.”

The sessions will take place at the following venues and times:
• Wokingham Fire Station, Denton Road, Wokingham: Thursday September 27, 11am to 3pm
• Morrisons Supermarket, Woosehill: Friday September 28, 11am to 3pm
• Asda, Chalfont Way, Lower Earley: Saturday September 29, 11am to 3pm

For more information please contact road safety officer Katie Webb on (0118) 974 7301 or at katie.webb@mouchelparkman.com

Wokingham Borough Council

It’s National Customer Service Week from October 1 to October 7, and Wokingham Borough Council is preparing to go the extra mile! This is an opportunity for customers and staff to show why excellent customer service should be at the top of every organisation’s agenda. It will also be a chance to publicly recognise some of the council’s best performing customer service providers.

With more than 1,000 UK organisations taking part, National Customer Service Week aims to:

•Recognise and reward the work of customer service professionals
•Raise awareness of the crucial role customer service plays in an organisation’s reputation
•Help employees recognise ‘internal’ customers and thank others for their support

The Wokingham council’s customer service officer Zoë Babb said: “To celebrate Customer Service Week we’ll be giving our customers the opportunity to feedback on our services and tell us what we’re doing well and where we need to improve. Those who take part will be in with a chance of winning an eco-kettle! We’ll also be giving customers, staff and town and parish councils the opportunity to nominate individual members of staff, teams and contractors in the council for a number of customer service awards in recognition of their hard work and dedication.”

To take part in the scheme, residents and other customers of Wokingham Borough Council should visit www.wokingham.gov.uk/csweek, pick up a nomination form from the council’s reception desk at the civic offices in Shute End, or contact Zoë Babb on (0118) 974 6350 or email: zoe.babb@wokingham.gov.uk for a nomination form.

Executive member for corporate services Wokingham Cllr Rob Stanton said: “National Customer Service Week will be a great opportunity for the council to find out more about the sort of experience our customers have when they come to us for help. It will also be a great opportunity for those that really go beyond the call of duty for customers to be recognised for what they do.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council is considering a new single-phased approach to delivering the brand new, state-of-the-art Addington Special School rather than in two phases as originally envisaged. It is also set to allocate additional government grant to the Addington project to address further costs which have been identified through the construction tendering process as well as previously unfunded elements of the scheme.

At its meeting on Thursday September 27, Wokingham council’s decision-making executive will consider a report that could deliver the whole school project within a similar timescale as phase one was originally predicted and meet the additional costs that have been identified.

Executive member for children’s services Wokingham Cllr Frank Browne said: “Whilst I am disappointed that the total cost of the scheme is higher than the budget previously approved by the executive, the final £13.5million cost has been guaranteed by our contractor and includes additional benefits such as a new hi-tech sprinkler system and full-fitting out costs.

“The council is committed to this flagship project that will improve the educational chances for some of the most vulnerable children in our society and demonstrates our commitment to the national Every Disabled Child Matters objectives. I passionately believe in this project which could now be delivered in its entirety by winter 2008-09 – some five years before the original second phase was envisaged to have been completed.

“And building the school in a single phase will help to alleviate disruption to both Addington and Bulmershe pupils and to the wider community around The Bulmershe School.

Addington headteacher Liz Meek said: “The news of this possibility is absolutely fantastic as it means that all the Addington pupils will have their new school at the same time instead of in two phases. This will mean that all the pupils will have access to appropriate facilities enabling us to enrich the curriculum from the very first day.

“We are delighted that the council is supporting additional funding to allow us to realize our whole vision and raise the quality of provision for everyone with minimum disruption.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Proposals to bring two schools in Wokingham together will be a step closer this month (September) if Wokingham Borough Council gives the green light to the amalgamation of Whitelocke Infant and Nursery and Palmer Junior schools.

Back in June, the council’s decision-making executive agreed to consult on the proposal to close the two schools and create a new voluntary-aided primary school. The proposal and consultation were made jointly with the Oxford Diocese.

And at its meeting on September 27, the Wokingham executive will consider the results of the initial stage of consultation. During this consultation period a public meeting was held in July and meetings were also held with members of staff from both schools.

The majority of the responses made during this period were in support of the proposals. If the executive gives the green light, a further six-week statutory consultation period will now follow to allow Wokingham parents and local people to comment further on the proposals. Statutory proposals on the move would be formally published in the local press in October.

A final decision on the amalgamation would then be taken by the executive in November 2007. If the proposals are agreed, pupils could be benefiting from the amalgamated school by September 2008.

An all-through Wokingham primary school would have a significant number of benefits for pupils, parents and staff. Developing a curriculum across the age range of three to 11 will help pupils to make a smooth transition from key stage 1 (infant) to key stage 2 (junior). It would also be easier for the school to develop a more coherent curriculum in a single school and, by using consistent forms of assessment, to better identify pupils’ needs and measure their progress.

Further opportunities for staff would be created for career and professional development, leading to improved recruitment and retention of staff as well as the opportunity to develop their professional experience and share their expertise across the full primary age range.

Wokingham Borough Council

There was no spare time to get bored this summer in the Wokingham Borough – new open access play schemes that got children activated across the area have proved a great success!

As part of a joint funding initiative, Wokingham Borough Council set up three open access neighbourhood play schemes in Woodley, Finchampstead and Wokingham for children aged 5 to 13 years old. The groups attracted more than 3,000 visits from local children and provided activities including cooking, spray art, circus skills, sports, den building and trashy fashion, an activity where children recycle old clothes to make new ones using craft materials and their own design ideas.

The Wokingham service provided a place for local children to go during the mornings and afternoons, where they could meet their friends and try new activities. The project was part of the ‘Play and Active 8’ summer programme. After this summer’s success the service will be opening up eight other play schemes across the borough throughout next year.

Play strategy advisor Brian Matthews said: “Children have welcomed a place to meet their friends during the holidays, where they can play and try new activities. The programme has provided over 6,000 hours of physical and social activities and we hope we can continue this next Easter and summer holidays.”

Champion for youth and leisure Wokingham Cllr Malcolm Bryant said: “Our team did extremely well organising this and I hope we’ve been able to help parents and carers with the challenge of keeping youngsters occupied! The holiday play schemes and sports activities seem to grow every year and it’s great to see the children of the borough being offered even more opportunities to be inspired by new experiences.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Movie Nights are to be launched at three of the Wokingham borough’s libraries to offer residents a great deal on DVDs.

The Movie Nights promotion will offer library users the chance to hire three DVDs for the price of two at Wokingham Library on Thursday evenings from 5pm to 8pm, at Woodley Library on Friday evenings from 5pm to 7pm and at Lower Earley Library on Tuesday evenings from 5pm to 7pm.

The three libraries stock a good range of DVDs, including the latest blockbusters, vintage classics and selections from world cinema and these are normally available for hire for £2.85 per week. The libraries also have cassettes and CDs for hire and full details are on the borough council’s website at: www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries.

Wokingham Borough Council reader development officer for adults Heather Dyson said: “The libraries’ DVDs are great value even without this extra offer and they stock an interesting selection of titles that cater for a wide range of tastes. The Movie Nights offer will provide people with some great nights in and, hopefully, while they are in the libraries they will take a look at the great choice of books and other media they have available.”

The Movie Nights offer will begin on Monday October 1.

Wokingham Borough Counci

A scheme that gives library users in the Wokingham borough the opportunity to swap reader recommendations is expanding across the Wokingham borough.

The Spread the Word scheme was launched at Lower Earley Library as a pilot in March and such has been its success that it will now be available at all the borough’s permanent libraries – Lower Earley, Maiden Erlegh, Spencers Wood, Twyford, Wargrave, Winnersh, Wokingham and Woodley.

Spread the Word offers readers the chance to fill in recommendation cards with details of their favourite books and why they like them – these are then posted up around the library for other readers to take advantage of. Staff at the borough’s libraries are leading the way with their choices and are hoping to inspire users to follow suit.

Recommendations from both adults and children will be welcomed in the scheme, which was launched at all libraries on Monday September 17.

Cllr Dianne King, executive member for Wokingham community development, said: “There is a great range of books available at the borough’s libraries and a bit of help choosing which to take out will always be helpful. People are passionate about the books they love and the desire to spread the word on a good read is hard to resist. The libraries staff are busy selecting their recommendations and I am sure they will offer an interesting and informed selection – as will residents when they take part in this scheme.”

Wokingham Borough Counci

A scheme that gives library users in the Wokingham borough the opportunity to swap reader recommendations is expanding across the Wokingham borough.

The Spread the Word scheme was launched at Lower Earley Library as a pilot in March and such has been its success that it will now be available at all the borough’s permanent libraries – Lower Earley, Maiden Erlegh, Spencers Wood, Twyford, Wargrave, Winnersh, Wokingham and Woodley.

Spread the Word offers readers the chance to fill in recommendation cards with details of their favourite books and why they like them – these are then posted up around the library for other readers to take advantage of. Staff at the borough’s libraries are leading the way with their choices and are hoping to inspire users to follow suit.

Recommendations from both adults and children will be welcomed in the scheme, which was launched at all libraries on Monday September 17.

Cllr Dianne King, executive member for community development, said: “There is a great range of books available at the borough’s libraries and a bit of help choosing which to take out will always be helpful. People are passionate about the books they love and the desire to spread the word on a good read is hard to resist. The libraries staff are busy selecting their recommendations and I am sure they will offer an interesting and informed selection – as will residents when they take part in this scheme.”

Wokingham Borough Council

All artists, musicians, writers, actors and arts teachers who live in the Wokingham borough are invited to the Wokingham Arts Forum next week.

The Wokingham Art Forum will be an open meeting for all those who are involved with, and care about, the arts locally – whether they are connected to a theatre, a gallery, a school, a club or wanting to get more involved in community activities – this evening is a chance to meet other creative people and to talk about local arts opportunities and needs.

The evening’s programme will include Twyford artist Zeljana Schonauer, who will talk about colour therapy in everyday life and Caroline Norris, Wokingham Borough Council’s children’s centre services commissioner who will explain the opportunities for artists to provide drop-in workshops at the new children’s centres when they are developed.

Wokingham Borough Council arts and culture development manager Trish Steinhardt said: “The Arts Forum is a wonderful opportunity to bring together everybody involved in the Wokingham borough’s many artistic endeavours. There are many talented and dedicated people in the borough and the creative energy generated at an event such as this is certain to produce great ideas for more ventures.

The Arts Forum will be at Wokingham Theatre in Cantley Park, Twyford Road at 6pm on Tuesday September 25.

The Arts Forum is supported by the Wokingham Borough Cultural Partnership, which champions arts, sports, heritage and leisure for people of all ages in the borough and is financed by Wokingham Borough Council and the Arts Council England, South East.

Wokingham Borough Council

Courses designed to give everybody an introduction to computers have been launched in the Wokingham borough.

Wokingham Borough Council wants all residents to have information and communications technology skills they need and so has teamed up with Bracknell and Wokingham College to provide the range of introductory courses.

The courses on offer are:

* Computer Taster, a free course that will cover computer jargon and basic mouse and keyboard skills
* Using the Internet and Email, which will cost £20 and will introduce learners to the world wide web
* Using Microsoft Office, which will cost £30 and will provide learners with the skills they need to present information using a variety of packages, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint

The courses will run at Wokingham Library in Denmark Street, Lower Earley Library in Chalfont Close, Woodley Library in Headley Road, Woodley Hill House in Eastcourt Avenue and Twyford Youth and Community Centre in Loddon Hall Road.

There will also be four technology events at Wokingham Library next year. These will be on Using your digital camera, Using your mobile phone, Using eBay and Managing your money and details will be published in the new year.

Learners will be able to move on from these introductory courses to other courses in the Computer Stepping Stones series run by Bracknell and Wokingham College or by LearnDirect. For more information about the college’s courses call 0845 330 3343 and for more on LearnDirect, which is based in Wokingham Library, call 0118 978 8069.

Wokingham Borough Council reader development officer for adults Heather Dyson said: “The world of information technology and computing is full of wonderful opportunities and we want to open that world to as many people as possible. If you have never touched a keyboard or think a mouse is only a rodent that eats cheese, these courses are for you. They will be clear, easy to follow and will genuinely begin at the very beginning.”

For full details of where and when courses are running and to enrol, call 0845 330 3343.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s mayor Cllr Annette Drake is giving everyone in the borough a chance to chatter over a cup of coffee and raise funds for charity on Thursday September 27.

Cllr Drake will be hosting her very own Wokingham coffee morning between 10.30am and 12.30pm at the Mall, Civic Offices, Shute End, Wokingham to support the Macmillan Cancer Relief’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. Tea, coffee and cakes will all be served in return for donations.

Every year 270,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in the UK. World's Biggest Coffee Morning is one of the biggest fundraising events in the UK, with an estimated 2 million people raising their mugs for Macmillan last year.

The charity provides practical, medical, emotional and financial support and campaigns for better cancer care.

Cllr Drake said: “All funds raised from World’s Biggest Coffee Morning will ensure that Macmillan can be there for even more people affected by cancer who desperately need their help. Every cup will help improve the lives of people affected by cancer.

“I hope that many local people and staff at the borough council will come along to join friends or colleagues over a cup of coffee whilst raising money for a good cause.”

Any residents who would like to donate cakes for the coffee morning, should contact Ruth Collins on (0118) 974 6007.
More text:

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham residents who’ve been bitten by the bird-watching bug can take to the lake without causing a stir - now that Dinton Pastures, one of the best sites in the country for viewing rare Bitterns, has a state-of-the-art new bird hide overlooking Lavell’s Lake.

Wokingham Borough Council’s countryside service has benefited from a grant scheme set up by DeFRA called the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, which is helping to improve the conservation value, recreational activities and access at Dinton Pastures over a 10-year period.

Over the last few years the scheme has seen the construction of 400 metres of reed beds to encourage the nationally rare Bitterns. This has been so successful that the site is now one of the best sites in the country to see the birds.

Because of the huge increase in visiting bird watchers, the existing 20-year-old bird hide was no longer enough to accommodate everyone and was beginning to experience long queues. But this year the Wokingham council secured a further £10,500 to construct a new bird hide.

“The new bird hide can now cater for up to 30 bird watchers and gives a panoramic view of the reed beds, the open water and the bird feeders,” says countryside ranger Simon Bartlam. “So there is always something for bird watchers to see.”

Access for disabled people has also been catered for with three wheelchair bays inside the hide, a ramped access point, 350 metres of tarmac footpath, a new bridge and disabled car parking bays nearby.

The volunteer group Friends of Lavell’s Lake are contributing significantly to the practical management of the site, and have also contributed over £5,000 to special projects such as the tarmac footpath and bird hide.

Simon said: “The countryside service would like to thank the Friends of Lavell’s Lake for their support and we look forward to working with them further. Everyone is very excited about the new hide.”

Chairman of the Friends of Lavell’s Lake Fraser Cottington said:

“FOLL is thrilled with the new hide, as are all the visitors who have seen it so far. Our old hide served us well for years, but the site’s importance and the regularity of Bitterns wintering here now has led to a big increase in visitors - and all too often big queues outside the old hide. Queues will be a thing of the past now, as we can accommodate so many more people, meaning that when the Bitterns arrive, no-one should miss it.

“We even have seated views over the feeding area - and we welcome donations to keep the feeding going throughout the winter.”

Executive member for the Wokingham Environment Simon Weeks said: “We are very lucky in the Wokingham borough that we have such diversity of wildlife. I am glad to see that with help from DeFRA and the Friends of Lavell’s Lake, we are able to enhance one of our most prized wildlife sites for its many visitors. This will help to encourage even more people to make the most of our natural heritage and help to preserve it.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council has just launched its annual grant funding scheme (2008/09) for local community and voluntary organisations working hard for the residents of the Wokingham Borough.

Community and voluntary organisations across Wokingham borough have until October 31 to submit their bids for grant funding. Bids will be welcomed from community and voluntary organisations providing services such as sport, culture, education, or looking after people’s welfare and offering support to those in need. Applications may be made to continue existing funding, or to request support for new activities.

Applying is easier after the successful introduction of a new application form last year, and electronic bids are also accepted. For bids for £500 or less, there is also a shorter application form to complete.

Each year Wokingham Borough Council allocates over £300,000 in annual grants to support voluntary work in the borough. Decisions will be reported to the voluntary groups early next year and successful applicants will receive their grants at the beginning of the next financial year.

Executive member for community development Cllr Dianne King said: “The borough council recognises the importance many of our local voluntary and community sector groups play in our community. They provide a valuable service often complementing services provided by the council and share the same community ambitions as we do.

“The council does have a limited budget, but it is important that any organisation that may be eligible under the grants scheme gets their bid in on time. We can then take the very difficult decisions on how the budget can best be allocated and we will fund projects or activities that are run for the benefit of residents in the Borough.”

Guidance explaining the application process and the criteria that groups must meet to qualify for a grant as well as application forms are available on the council’s website (www.wokingham.gov.uk - under community and living) or from Sue Roberts in the council’s strategy and partnerships unit on (0118) 974 6016 or by email: sue.roberts@wokingham.gov.uk.Further information is also available from Community Voluntary Action (CVA) Wokingham-Borough on (0118) 984 6884.

A workshop, giving Wokingham local groups the chance to find out more about the process and have the opportunity to ask questions, as well as learn about other possible funding opportunities, is being held on Wednesday October 3 between 6.30pm and 9pm in the council chamber at the council’s civic offices, at Shute End in Wokingham. Community and voluntary organisations across the borough are welcome to attend this workshop.

Wokingham Borough Council

Former cabinet minister, broadcaster and journalist David Mellor will be guest speaker at an elegant night of fundraising to officially launch this year’s Mayor’s charity in the Wokingham borough.

Wokingham Mayor Cllr Annette Drake is dedicating her year in office to raising money for a new charity, Building for the Future for Wokingham Borough’s Disabled Children and their Families, which aims to raise enough money to purchase a community-based building for children with disabilities and their families in the borough. The Mayor’s Banquet will launch this new charity at Bearwood College in Sindlesham on Friday September 21.

Building for the Future is an umbrella group of five charities that already work with disabled children and their families locally: Peapods, Friends of Ryeish Green Bungalow, Mencap, Wokingham Autism Spectrum Partnership and Friends of Bridges. The charity’s vision is to provide a state-of-the-art building to cater for children’s individual needs as well as for community groups.

Although the official launch is this month, fundraising is already in full swing, with almost £3,000 already collected from generous donations.

Wokingham Cllr Drake said: “People have been so generous already, which is no surprise, as this is obviously a very worthy cause. Many parents with disabled children have told me that there is a need for a dedicated centre in the Wokingham borough – and the parents are those who know best. I am optimistic that we will change this dream into reality. I am looking forward to the banquet evening and, in particular to thanking so many of the people who are helping Building for the Future – not least Bearwood College for providing the venue, Lancaster Land Rover for auction and raffle prizes and Cherubs for the flowers and many others that have donated gifts and pledges. I am also looking forward to hearing David Mellor who is well-known to be an excellent speaker.”

The charities involved are:

· Peapods: a support and action group for children with physical disabilities in the Wokingham borough
· Friends of Ryeish Green Bungalow: a group that supports the work of the Ryeish Green Bungalow, which offers highly specialised respite care for children with learning disabilities and additional ill health and/or profound physical disabilities
· Wokingham District Mencap: the local branch of Mencap, a national charity that campaigns for better rights for disabled people and offers support and advice
· Wokingham Autism Spectrum Partnership: a group of professionals from health, education and care that coordinates services for people with autism in the borough
· Friends of Bridges: a support group for the Bridges Resource Centre in Woodley, which offers short-breaks for children with disabilities and other facilities

Anybody who wants to support Building for the Future can contact the Mayor’s secretary AnnMarie Bonwick on 0118 974 6004.

Wokingham Borough Council

Tracing your family history is an increasingly popular pastime, but from beginners to the most experienced researchers, everybody gets stuck once in a while – and that’s where the Berkshire Family History Society’s regular monthly drop-in sessions at Wokingham Library could help.

Anybody needing help looking into their Wokingham family history – whether how to get started, how to tackle a specific problem or just seeking general advice – can go to the sessions, where they will receive friendly informal guidance on their research.

Chairman of the Bracknell and Wokingham Branch of the Berkshire Family History Society Derek Trinder said: “These informal sessions are for anybody interested in tracing their family history and aim to improve their prospects of discovering those elusive ancestors. Those involved have research interests and expertise that extend far beyond Berkshire, so we can usually help most people, wherever their ancestors come from.”

The drop-in sessions are held between 2pm and 5pm on the last Tuesday of every month - except December - in the Learning Zone of Wokingham Library. The next session will be on Tuesday, September 25. There is no need to book.

Wokingham Borough Council reader development officer for adults Heather Dyson said: “These drop-ins sessions are an excellent opportunity for people to explore the past and to use the libraries facilities and resources as well as to benefit from the expertise of the Berkshire Family History Society’s members.

For more information on the society call 01344 457751 or visit www.berksfhs.org.uk.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s Acorn Community Centre for adults with learning disabilities will open its doors next week.

The Acorn Community Centre will replace the existing Wokingham Resource and Opportunity Centre in Woosehill Lane, Wokingham which is in a poor state of repair and is no longer fit for purpose.

WROC members have been involved in decisions on the new centre’s design and how it will be equipped. WROC member Derek Mackenzie, who will cut the ribbon at the opening on Monday September 17, originally put the name of the centre forward. People who attend the CResCent Centre in Earley chose the café name, the Rainbow Café.

WROC provides support, care and daytime activities for Wokingham adults with learning disabilities and the new centre will allow it to expand and improve the services it offers. The Acorn Community Centre has been developed as part of Wokingham Borough Council’s aim to modernise services for people with learning disabilities and to ensure they are part of the community. The building has a sensory room, which is calming and stimulating, an art room with a kiln, an IT room and other rooms for meetings and activities.

The Acorn Community Centre will be used exclusively by WROC members for the first 12 weeks after it opens to allow them to settle in, and after that it will be open to the public who will be able to hire rooms, use the computer suite or just pop in for a coffee.

Executive member for Wokingham social care Cllr David Lee said: “The Acorn Community Centre is a superb new facility and shows what can be achieved by professionals and WROC members working together. I am sure all clients and visitors will enjoy this new and exciting facility.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Working with councillors, communities and partners to make Wokingham Borough Council a flagship authority for its residents, driving up excellence in service delivery and ensuring value-for-money in everything the council does are top of the agenda for the council’s new chief executive Ms Susan Law who was appointed today Monday September 10.*

As head of paid service, Susan, who is currently a consultant for the renowned professional support services group Mouchel Parkman, will lead the development of the borough council in its quest to be among the top in the UK.

Appointed after a rigorous selection process, involving a number of interviews, assignments and presentations, Susan hopes to take up her position at Wokingham early in November.

Her key responsibility will be to lead the council in delivering high quality core services that are clearly focused on our residents as well as ensuring tax payers’ money is spent effectively and efficiently.

With an international profile, Susan is a highly successful and experienced chief executive whose 15 years’ experience at this level spans the housing, health and local government sectors in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the UK.

In New Zealand she spearheaded the legislative change in the landlord/tenant relationship and was one of four executives who implemented the 1992 corporatisation of social housing in the country.

As the chief executive of significant-sized substantial local authorities in three countries, Susan has considerable experience in leading and managing the delivery of the complex range of community services from utilities to social services and had led the implementation of major reforms.
Other key achievements include:
· Supported the introduction of democracy and municipal governance in the City of Cape Town, South Africa
· Implemented major reforms in health provision in New Zealand
· Led the Adelaide City Council in its major economic growth initiative
· Developed and implemented the neighbourhood service delivery model at Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council.

Susan, who is 50, is married with a 24-year-old daughter. She originally qualified as a solicitor in New Zealand and has since then worked in public service management for many years. She lives in Doncaster and is now looking to relocate to the Wokingham Borough.

Speaking on her appointment, Susan said: “I am really looking forward to living and working in the Wokingham Borough. It is a hugely attractive and dynamic place but with that comes significant challenges in maintaining and enhancing that quality of life for everyone.

“I’m also looking forward to joining the management board at the council and working with the councillors there to take the council from strength to strength in its quest to be among the best in the UK.”

Cllr Frank Browne, leader of Wokingham council, said: “We had an excellent response to this vacancy and all the candidates on the shortlist were experienced and of an exceptional quality. I am delighted with the successful appointment of Susan Law who has a phenomenal track record in local government. She is a highly regarded chief executive with proven integrity and considerable abilities and I have no doubt will be a real asset to the borough as we approach some challenging times ahead. Her international profile and strong track record in change management and engaging with communities will be of great benefit to the borough’s residents. I am sure the council will flourish under her strong and innovative leadership.”

* The appointment is subject normal pre-employment checks and approval by full council on Thursday September 27.
More text:

Wokingham Borough Council

The future of Dinton Pastures Wokingham Country Park is in your hands – don’t miss the chance to help shape it.

That is the message from Wokingham Borough Council as it announces there will be an extra public drop-in session this month to allow as many people as possible to say what they would like to see at the popular country park.

Dinton Pastures has now been open for more than 25 years and, as the borough council looks to the future, it is considering how it should develop over the next 25 years.

Wokingham council is looking for ideas that will enable it to offer high-quality and diverse facilities that meet the changing needs of current park users, as well as users of the future.

The borough council has no preconceived ideas for Dinton Pastures and simply wants to know what people think of it at the moment, what could be improved and what they might like to see there in the future. The Wokingham council has already consulted stakeholders, such as walkers, golfers, anglers and those who take part in water sports, but also wants to hear from as many people as possible and so held two public drop-in sessions last month.

The extra session will be at the park on Sunday September 30 from 12 midday to 4pm. Anybody who has not been able to make a session can comment on the council’s website at www.wokingham.gov.uk/currentconsultations until the consultations ends on Friday September 28.

Executive member for environment Wokingham Cllr Simon Weeks said: “We really want people to stretch their imaginations and think about what they would like to see at Dinton Pastures over the next 25 years – we want people to think about what they want, but also what their children and grandchildren may want to see at the country park. This is a golden opportunity to have your say on the park’s future.”

Wokingham Borough Council

It is never too early to start enjoying libraries, as young children will be able to find out at a series of fun sessions lined up in the Wokingham borough.

There will be baby bounce and rhyme sessions every month at three of the Wokingham borough’s libraries. These will be from 10.30am to 11am on the first Tuesday of every month at Wokingham Library in Denmark Street, the second Tuesday of every month at Woodley Library in Headley Road and the third Tuesday of every month at Lower Earley Library in Chalfont Way. The bounce and rhyme sessions feature nursery rhymes, songs and stories for babies aged 0 to 18 months. The sessions are free but places must be booked. Contact the individual libraries: Wokingham on 0118 978 1368, Woodley on 0118 969 0304 and Lower Earley on 0118 931 2150 to book a place.

For under five year olds, the Wokingham borough’s libraries have free storytime sessions with a colouring activity at each weekly session at Wokingham, Woodley, Lower Earley and Spencers Wood libraries. Wargrave, Twyford and Maiden Erlegh have monthly sessions with a special theme, Cats for September, Jungles for October, Monsters for November and Christmas for December. There is no need to book.

Wokingham Borough Council reader development officer for young people and families Elizabeth McDonald said: “As the summer ends, parents may be looking for different, fun activities for their children and the Wokingham borough’s libraries have plenty of options. These sessions for young children are always entertaining – there is a lot of singing and giggling and that is just the parents! The children love them as well.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Benefit fraud is a serious problem, and Wokingham Borough Council’s revenues and benefits investigations team are hot on the case. Benefit fraud takes money away from centrally and locally provided services, and estimates suggest it costs every household in the UK up to £80 a year. This could be used to employ key workers or could represent possible council tax savings.

The Wokingham team looks into allegations of benefit fraud from a variety of sources - members of the public, council staff and other organisations who compare their data with ours.

When benefit fraud is discovered, the Wokingham team applies sanctions in line with the council's policy, which include formal cautions, fines and sometimes prosecutions. The team also advises other council services who need help investigating criminal activity, such as legal requirements when interviewing and/or cautioning suspects or sources from which information can be legally obtained.

Over the last three financial years, the Wokingham team has investigated 784 allegations of benefit fraud, discovering nearly £600,000 of fraudulently obtained benefits and delivering 88 sanctions, including prosecutions, formal cautions and fines. So far this financial year, the team has found nearly £130,000 of overpaid benefit and taken action against 16 fraudsters, including four prosecutions – the team are justly proud of their success at keeping the fraudsters at bay.

“For the last three years, WBC has had an ‘Excellent’ rating in the Benefits Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) ‘security’ section, largely due to the work of this team, and we have been a top quartile performing authority in this field for the past two or three years,” says Cllr Simon Weeks, deputy leader. “We aim for this to continue, always seeking to improve on our previous year’s performance.”

But the battle against fraud can bring new challenges all the time. Kevin Mercer, manager of Wokingham revenues and benefits, said: “The team need to keep up to date with the latest techniques if we want to stay one step ahead of the fraudster.

“They have to work closely with lots of external agencies such as the Department for Work and Pensions, Police and HM Revenue and Customs, as well as other services within the council. Working with these partners, we try to make sure that wherever there is money for people in need, it reaches those people and not the fraudsters.”

And it’s not always easy to keep track of all the fraudsters. Kevin said: “To find these criminals and stop them, we need everyone to be aware of what benefit fraud costs them. It is a crime and needs to be treated as such - fiddling the system is not acceptable. We would like anyone with suspicions to refer them to us. The more information we can get, the more chance we have of stopping the fraud and catching the offenders.”

Suspicions of benefit fraud can be reported via the council’s website at www.wokingham.gov.uk/fraudform or by calling our 24 hour Freephone line on 0800 454 240.

Wokingham Borough Council

Increased Wokingham housing numbers put forward by the team of independent inspectors appointed to scrutinise the South East Plan threaten the very success that central government is trying to promote, according to the leader of Wokingham Borough Council.

Berkshire, seen as a crucial component of the success of the Thames Valley economic engine room, sees the greatest proposed increase for any county area with a 30 per cent additional number of houses recommended. This equates to an extra 780 houses being built every year on top of the 2,624 put forward by the Regional Assembly in its South East Plan, making a total of 3,404 homes to be built in the county every year for the next 20 years.

For Wokingham Borough, the proposal is for 623 homes to be built each and every year, a 19 per cent increase on the original 523 South East Plan proposal and more than double the borough’s preferred number of 310, meaning that the borough would have to accommodate some 12,460 homes over the 20-year period.

This increase is directly against the views expressed by our local residents,” said Cllr Frank Browne, leader of the council.

More than half of all resident objections received by the panel during the 2006 public consultation came from the Wokingham Borough, adding to the weight of the council’s arguments that the level of development proposed was unacceptable to the Wokingham Borough; the borough’s infrastructure - including roads, schools and health services - is inadequate for its current needs and could not withstand the increased development proposed and that the plan had not fully thought out the environmental, economic and social impacts.

Wokingham Borough Council was the only council to vote against the South East Plan owing to these fundamental concerns over the impact the plan would have on the sustainability of the region and on central government’s failure to invest properly into growth areas over the last 15 to 20 years.

Wokingham Cllr Frank Browne said: “We believe the additional proposals are not sustainable and will not come with the required infrastructure investment. We recognise Prime Minister Gordon Brown wants more housing and that the inspectors would have been aware of that desire but their proposals simply defy logic. If you take Wokingham Borough as an example, we have been one of the fastest growing boroughs in the country for the last 30 years, we believe second only to Milton Keynes.

“But, unlike Milton Keynes we have not had the necessary investment into our infrastructure that is needed. Our roads are seriously congested, public transport is poor, our schools need significant capital investment and we don’t have enough doctors’ surgeries or leisure facilities throughout the borough.

Wokingham Borough Council

Sun 9 Friends of Lavell’s Lake Bird Walk

Morning stroll around Lavell’s Reserve, meet Sandford Lane car park, 9am, £1

 

Sun 9 Highwood Work Party

Practical conservation morning, meet Kingfisher Drive, Woodley. 10am-1pm

 

Teddy Bears’ Picnic Tues 11 Dinton Pastures Wed 12 California Country Park

A short walk through the woods with stories, songs and activities along the way. You may even be lucky enough to see a real live mouse, but hopefully we won’t meet a real life Gruffalo! Bring a picnic and your teddy. 11.30am £2/child. BOOKING ESSENTIAL

 

Sat 15 Junior Rangers Wildlife Watch Group - Birds of Prey

Wildlife Club for 8-12 year olds. Dinton Pastures, 10am-12noon. £1

 

Sat 15Hawk and Falcon Display Dinton Pastures,

Flying displays and chances to see fantastic birds of prey up close. 12-4pm.  Free

         

Fri 21 Bat Walk and Talk

Last chance this year to see slide show, rescued bats and go out onto the park to listen for wild bats with Dave Endicott from the Oxfordshire Bat Group. BOOKING ESSENTIAL. 7pm

         

Sat 22 Keephatch Work Party

Practical conservation, meet pond Willowherb Close, Keephatch, 10am-1pm

 

Sun 23 Friends of Lavell’s Lake Work Party

Practical conservation, meet Sandford Lane car park at 10am

 

For more details contact the Countryside Service on 0118 934 2016 or email: countryside@wokingham.gov.uk

Lynn Yardley    lynn.yardley@wokingham.gov.uk  
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

For many smaller businesses or individuals sourcing staff on either a temporary or permanent basis can be a headache involving employment agencies, interviews and speaking to referees, all of which takes time out from running the business. Then once someone has been appointed there's the matter of providing office space and equipment for them to work, sorting out the payroll and training them.

One alternative to this is to employ a Virtual Assistant or VA. A VA is an individual or company that provides a range of services that would normally be undertaken by office staff such as secretaries or PAs but working from their own office. The nature of the work can be one-off projects or tasks or there can be an on-going working relationship; in either case the business pays the VA purely for the hours worked.

Local AUKVA member Maggie Berney of MBOS provides a range of office services to businesses in both the Wokingham area and nationally. The services offered include word processing, transcription, proofreading and copy-editing.

Maggie Berney

MBOS
3 Carey Road,
Wokingham,
Berkshire,
RG40 2NP

0118 978 9684