Wokingham

A review of car parking charges was discussed by Wokingham Borough Council’s executive last night (Thursday June 26) who decided to increase fees by 10p for an hour’s parking.

The council’s decision-making group decided to adopt a policy to standardise charges at all Wokingham borough’s council-run car parks, in a bid to make prices fair and user-friendly.

By the time changes will be implemented it will be two years since any rise, as the last review was in 2006 when a selection of car parks had charges increased. Prior to that, there had not been a review in more than four years.

The Wokingham executive last night confirmed that while charges will be formally reviewed on an annual basis, the aim is to hold prices for the next two years.

Once the changes come into effect from October 1, anyone wanting to park their vehicle in a council-run car park will be charged the following rates. *

One hour will be 70p, two hours will be £1.20, four hours will be £2, six hours will be £3 and 10 hours will be £4.

There will also be a 30 minute quick-stop ticket for 50p available at Denmark Street car park in Wokingham and Headley Road car park in Woodley, so that visitors to both town centres can run errands, such as drop of library books and go to the bank, without having to pay for the full hour.

As charges at Rose Street car park are already in line with the new fees there will be potentially no increase in charges at the car park for the next two years – meaning shoppers will be able to park in the heart of Wokingham town centre up until mid-2010 for the same price that they paid in 2006.

Additionally, the charges at Twyford and Wargrave car parks will be monitored closely and, subject to satisfactory results, will rise steadily year-on-year until they match that of all the other car parks.

Since the charging gap for car parks in these areas is considerable and in the interest of keeping increases as reasonable as possible for residents, it is expected that parity will not be reached for several years. This situation has arisen from car parks in the two villages generally not having had any increases in fees for approximately eight years, and therefore are considerably cheaper than other car parks in the borough.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council is committed to seeing improvements made to Wokingham town centre to improve its vitality and viability and will do everything within its power to see these happen to ensure Wokingham residents use and enjoy the town.

Developer Rock Investment Group plc - as they are now known - has been trying to bring about the development for the best part of a decade. Wokingham council agreed back in 2002 to sell them Rose Street car park to assist this development. Despite having six years to complete the sale of the car park, Rock has failed to do so. And last night - June 26 -, council officers were given the go-ahead to take back control of Rose Street car park by the council’s decision-making executive.

The council is looking at the redevelopment options in relation to the whole of Wokingham town, including the possibility of talking to other developers. And, today - June 27 - the council is setting the wheels in motion by announcing its intention to publish a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union - OJEU - to invite expressions of interest to work jointly with the council to regenerate Wokingham town centre, not just Peach Place. This notice would allow the council to have a direct interest in the development.

Susan Law, Wokingham chief executive, said: “For a number of reasons related to Peach Place, including financial viability and prolonged delay by the developer, it is our view that the proposed scheme is unlikely to proceed in the near future. As a council, we strongly believe we have taken matters as far as we are able with developer Rock Investment Group plc.

“The council is therefore acting as any prudent landowner would and is taking back control of Rose Street car park, which the developer never actually purchased, despite first having the opportunity some six years ago. By doing so, it will allow us to free up the land and will give us greater choice of future development options. We - and the people of Wokingham - are totally frustrated with the whole thing.

Cllr Matthew Deegan, executive member for Wokingham community regeneration, said: “We now need to look at the options available to us. The council will also look at entering into competitive dialogue with other developers. This course of action was also agreed by the council’s decision-making executive last night. Ideas will be explored at the town centre workshop on Saturday to look at the redevelopment of the town centre as a whole, not just Peach Place. We want to facilitate the whole process to ensure we have the right developer in place to regenerate Wokingham town centre for the benefit of everyone and this must be done in a coordinated way.”

The workshop, which is being held on Saturday June 28 at the Cornerstone, Norreys Avenue, Wokingham, aims to build on the major principles and themes that were agreed at the Elms Field workshop in January, namely:
• Wokingham people wanted to consider Elms Field in the context of the whole of the town centre
• Wokingham people wanted to give input into how Elms Field and the town centre could be enhanced including establishing good quality public space.
• Wokingham people wanted the council to take an active role in regeneration of the town centre.

Wokingham Borough Council

Marvellous mechanics from Wokingham BC Ryeish Green School have raced to success in the National Formula Schools competition. Formula Schools is an engineering scheme which enables students and teachers to discover education and career pathways with an exciting project - students work as a team to design, build and race radio-controlled cars in different categories.

For this year’s race day on June 12, Ryeish Green Racers built their cars from scratch and took them along to Silverstone, where all races were time trials rewarding the teams who completed the most laps. In the petrol car category, the Ryeish Green car was winner of its heat and qualified for the finals, where the young racers were placed third overall. After taking marks for engineering, sponsors and racing final overall position was ninth nationally.

The Ryeish Green Team included pupils Jordan Wicks, Chris Withers, Charlie Angel, Ben Hitchins, Sam Frost and Ben Honeywill ably assisted by teachers Mr Brown, Mr Bishop and Ms Cocking.

Rob Brown, the teacher in charge of Ryeish Green Racers said: “We’ve been taking part in this competition every year for five years now and been in the top ten for the last four years. The students work hard to prepare and they learn really valuable skills – not just about engineering but about team work and problem solving. I’m delighted with their success. I’d like to thank our sponsors the AWE (Atomic Weapons Establishment) in Aldermaston and Hebridean Woolhouse.”

Executive member for Wokingham children’s services Cllr Norman Jorgensen said: “It’s great to see such ingenuity and resourcefulness from young people. A lot of work has gone into this achievement and I am delighted to be able to congratulate the team on their success.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council is holding three advice and information drop-in sessions to help parents of children due to start school. The sessions will help parents to understand the admission system ahead of selecting their preferences for infant and primary schools.

In November, parents of children born between September 1, 2004 and August 31, 2005 will be applying for primary school places. Wokingham Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for children’s services, said: “Applying for a school place can be quite daunting for parents. A good understanding of the school admission application and allocation process helps parents make realistic preferences for their children’s primary school. I hope many parents will take up this opportunity and come along to one of the information sessions to find out more.”

The three Wokingham drop-in sessions are designed to provide the necessary understanding of the process and allow parents to ask any questions they have and discuss what sorts of things they are looking for in a school. They are being held at:

- The Brambles Children’s Centre, Budges Gardens, Wokingham, on Monday, July 7 from 10am to 12 noon.
- The Ambleside Centre, Ambleside Close, Woodley, on Tuesday July 8 from 1pm to 2.30pm.
- The Riverdale Children’s Centre, Silverdale Road, Earley, on Friday July 11 from 10.15am to 12.15pm.

Places are limited so parents will need to book a place from Tammy Howard, Wokingham Borough Council’s school preference advisor, on 0118 935 2255 or email: tammy.howard@wokingham.gov.uk.

Wokingham Borough Council

Pupils at four primary schools in the Wokingham Borough will have their routes to class made safer thanks to the very first variable 20mph speed limits in England being introduced to coincide with the school day.

Wokingham Borough Council’s highways team are the first in England to secure variable speed limits that come into force at times when children start school and leave for the day.

The team was given the go-ahead to seek approval for variable 20mph speed limits to be put in place outside four of the borough’s rural primary schools by the council’s decision-making executive last year. This was upheld by the Department for Transport (DFT) subject to consultation with local residents and community groups.

As there were no objections to the variable speed limits being put in place, work to implement the reduction in speed was carried out and completed last month. The variable speed limits are now in place at:

· Bearwood Primary School in Bearwood Road, Winnersh
· Farley Hill Primary School in Church Road, Robert Piggott Junior School in School Road, Wargrave
· Grazeley Parochial Primary School in Bloomfield Hatch Lane

Motorists now have to slash their speed from 8am to 9am and 3pm to 4pm on roads running outside the four schools in a bid to safeguard the welfare of children walking and cycling to and from school. The usual speed limits will then resume once children have got to school or left for the day.

Wokingham Borough Council is the first in England to trial the concept of variable speed limits outside of schools. As the council was the first, there were no existing official signs available, so the council’s highways engineers worked closely with the DfT to develop an acceptable set of signage - which will be replicated across the country if the trial is successful.

Farley Hill School was the first to benefit from the variable speed limits as the scheme became fully operational in late May. The other three became operational on Wednesday June 18.

As this scheme is a trail all four sites will be closely monitored over the next six months, so a comprehensive set of speeds and accident data can be provided to the DfT. It will then make an assessment on the effectiveness of the trial, and if positive, the council will look at including more primary schools within this scheme.

Cllr Keith Baker, executive member for Wokingham highways and transport, said: “Creating a safer road network for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists is extremely important and by having variable speed limits outside schools were are safeguarding the welfare of some of our most vulnerable road users.

“At Wokingham Borough Council we were keen to fully utilise the opportunity to have variable speed limits outside our schools, because it gives schoolchildren that extra protection should there be an accident. It seems sensible to have a reduced speed limit at times when children, sometimes as young as four-years-old, are likely to be crossing the road.

“I’m pleased that we are setting a national example and, should the trail prove successful ,for the sake of the safety of children up and down the country I hope other local authorities look at what we are doing and decide to go forward with variable speed limits outside schools.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Starting last Monday (June 23) and continuing until July 4, schoolchildren from year six classes in the Wokingham Borough and Reading Borough will be visiting Bulmershe Youth Centre to take part in Reading and Wokingham Junior Citizen – a multi-agency event being led by the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and Wokingham Borough Council’s youth service, with support from various partner organisations.

Over the course of the fortnight, a number of demonstrations, activities and talks will be available to children to teach them valuable life skills and raise their awareness of personal safety issues in the home and community. Aimed at children aged 10 and 11, the event will see over two and a half thousand school children pass through the centre doors during this time.

Demonstrations, talks and activities on offer include an anti-bullying session led by a member of Wokingham Borough Council’s youth service, a talk on the affects of cigarettes and alcohol, an internet safety workshop led by Thames Valley Police, talks on fire safety and water safety by Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue and first aid ‘save a life’ sessions with South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Kay Nicker, neighbourhood youth worker at Bulmershe Youth Centre said: “We are trying to give appropriate information to year six pupils that will help them to stay safe and make informed choices for their future.“

Cllr Malcolm Bryant, deputy executive member for Wokingham community development, said: “I think this is a wonderful example of how the key agencies are working together to help young people to keep safe and learn about responsible citizenship. I am confident that those youngsters taking part will have a great time in doing so too.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Public events make the Wokingham Borough come alive – and now it’s even easier to plan a safe and happy event for local people to enjoy, thanks to a new initiative from Wokingham Borough Council.

The Wokingham safety advisory group offers event organisers direct contact with professionals from the police, fire service, ambulance service and the council, calling all the services into a partnership to ensure that public events are well run and safe to attend.

Wokingham Public protection manager Steve Richardson said: “The Safety Advisory Group brings together several services that can give people advice when organising an event. It’s easy to notify the Safety Advisory Group of an event, using a short form on the council’s website, or by calling in to the council offices at Shute End.

“Whether an event organiser needs advice or not, it helps the local services do their work if they know the event is happening – so filling in the form helps the services too.”

The form to fill in for help planning the safety aspects of a public event is available at www.wokingham.gov.uk/events. When filled in, the form will automatically go to:

•Thames Valley Police
•Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
•South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust
•Wokingham Borough Council teams including licensing, health and safety, highways, emergency planning, community safety and pollution control.

If any of these services can offer advice they will contact the event organiser. If several are involved they may even meet up to discuss the event and co-ordinate their advice.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s youth service will begin running an arts club at Woodley Airfield Centre from Tuesday June 24. The aim is to encourage young people to find their creative side and get stuck into exploring different types of art media and performance art. The evenings are aimed at 13 to 19 year-olds and are free of charge.

Sessions planned for the summer months include salsa dancing, visual media workshops and drawing, painting and collage sessions. The Wokingham programme will continue in the autumn with a fresh set of activities, including jewellery-making.

Matt Parry (17), a member of Woodley Airfield Youth Centre, said: “This is going to be a really good chance for young people to do different types of art outside of school. I have been organising the dancing sessions and I have already spoken to lots of young people about it.”

Paul Blount, area youth work manager for Woodley and the north, said: “Young people have worked very hard to get this programme of activities together. I hope that others will take up the opportunity to learn new things and to have fun for free! We would also like to hear from young people about what types of art activities they would like to see us running, as we can work on making it happen.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s Woosehill Youth Club is currently accepting new members. There are currently a number of activities on offer to young people who join including playing pool and games on the Playstation 2 as well as making various items with the supply of arts and crafts equipment. Several new workshops have also been introduced for members, based around issues relevant to young people today.

Mike Bennett, Wokingham neighbourhood youth worker, said: “We would like to continue to offer the young people in Woosehill the chance to have a safe environment where they can meet each other as well as offering them exciting new opportunities within their local community.

“The scout hut provides a fantastic venue, as it allows us to run activities in the fields nearby. We are running lots of activities over the next few months such as quad-biking, climbing, fishing, moped training, a week away to Wales, street art and many more activities. Come along to find out about how you can take part.”

As well as being part of Woosehill, Wokingham Youth Club, members will also have the opportunity to take part in other activities such as working towards a Duke of Edinburgh Award, which involve other youth clubs in the borough. The cost of membership is a one-off charge of £2.50, and then 50p for every subsequent session attended.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Food businesses from kebab vans to Michelin star restaurants in the Wokingham Borough have been served up a star rating to reflect their hygiene and management – which the public can view from today (Monday June 23).

Businesses that prepare and serve food, including restaurants, grocers, cafés and take-aways have been rated from a half-baked zero stars to a tasty five stars under the Scores on the Doors scheme, based on their most recent inspection by Wokingham Borough Council’s environmental health team.

From today anyone wanting to dine in the Wokingham Borough can log on to www.wokingham.gov.uk/scores to make an informed choice about where they eat based on the businesses last food hygiene and management inspection results.

All food businesses that need to be regularly inspected by environmental health, apart from newly opened ones that have yet to be inspected, have been given a star from zero to five. The ratings are based on scores for food hygiene and safety, structure and cleaning, management and control and are allocated as follows:

· Five stars – excellent
· Four stars – very good
· Three stars – good
· Two stars – broadly compliant
· One star – poor
· Zero stars – major improvement needed

There are more than 100 food businesses in the Wokingham Borough that are so well managed or considered such a “low-risk” that they do not need to be regularly inspected, unless their standards are questioned by the public or the environmental health team believe their standards have dropped. These businesses will automatically be given a special status as they surpass even the “excellent” benchmark.

As well as giving consumers more information about where they eat, Scores on the Doors will also aim to encourage food businesses with poorer hygiene and management practices to improve. Those businesses with zero, one and two stars will be re-inspected more frequently and given more help to improve from the council, so that they have every opportunity to gain more stars.

In the Wokingham Borough the majority of food businesses have three, four and five stars – with only five per cent of businesses having zero stars and seven per cent having one star.

The star ratings will change according to the results of the next inspection by the environmental health team so businesses can gain stars, lose stars or retain the same number of stars.

To mark the start of Scores on the Doors in the Wokingham Borough a launch celebration was held earlier today, attended by representatives of five-star businesses, the environmental health team and special guest, Cllr Barrie Patman, deputy mayor of the Wokingham Borough.

Cllr Barrie Patman, deputy mayor of the Wokingham Borough, said: “Scores on the Doors is a way of giving everyone who dines in the Wokingham Borough the chance to find out how well restaurants and cafés are managed and how hygienic they are, so they can take that into account when choosing somewhere to eat.

“It will also encourage those businesses not performing well in the hygiene and management stakes to clean-up their act.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Three volunteers, who helped the Mayor of the Wokingham Borough set up a charitable trust 10-years ago to support the carers of people with Alzheimer’s, will be presented with an award for their hard work in promoting the disease locally on Friday June 27.

Wokingham Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons will recognise the dedication of volunteers who have helped her bring about an awareness of Alzheimer’s in the Wokingham Borough at a tea party later this month.

In 1998 Cllr Helliar-Symons set up a project to give respite to people caring for a friend or relative with Alzhiemer’s when she became chairman of the then Wokingham District Council.

It became affiliated with the national Crossroads organisation, which has a branch at Wokingham Hospital, and a conference was organised to raise awareness of the disease – featuring a guest speech from John Bayley, whose famous novelist wife Iris Murdoch, died of the disease.

After Cllr Helliar-Symons’ term of office ended in May 1999 all funds left over from the project were used to set up the Alzheimer’s Carers’ Trust (ACT). The trust included local retired GP Dr Verna Houghton, Susanne Snell from Age Concern, Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons, chairman’s secretary Julia Tredwell, Ruth Foster, John Turner from the Wokingham Carers Support Group and the then councillor Ray Eke.

Since its inception the trust has received more than £15,000 in donations from Wokingham Borough Council, local businesses and organisations like the Wokingham Lions Club, so that it can continue to support carers while raise awareness at the same time.

Its main objections were to:
· Raise awareness of the disease
· Keep local carers, residents and organisations up-to-date on the latest technology/ information on the disease
· Support and educate carers
· Work with other voluntary and public sector organisations to ensure the best support for carers.

ACT produced a booklet on Alzheimer’s disease and support that was available locally, which has been updated five times since and distributed to carers over the past 10 years to provide an easy to understand guide for help.

It was one of these booklets that caught the eye of local resident Geoff Hilton, who pledged £4,000 sponsorship money to ACT from a rally he completed from London to Morocco. The money allowed a second conference to be organised. Mr Hilton also joined the ACT committee.

ACT has also supported Crossroads over the past decade, mainly at Christmas time, by pledging more than £10,500 in total over the years so that carers can go Christmas shopping. It has also made donations to Woodley Age Concern, has supported training and conference costs to raise continued awareness.

Now in its 10th year, the trust felt it had achieved all its objectives and this month will hand over the responsibility of the booklet production and education programme to the recently formed Wokingham branch of the Alzheimer’s Society.

Wokingham Borough Council

The musical talents of schoolchildren in the Wokingham Borough will be showcased this coming Sunday - June 22 - when over 400 young voices will raise the roof at a special concert at the Hexagon Theatre.

A massed choir of pupils from 16 of the Wokingham Borough’s primary and junior schools will be taking to the stage to perform “Meet Our Folks”, a concert of songs, dance and drama focusing on parents from their children’s point of view.

The sell-out concert on Sunday is part of Wokingham Borough Council’s “Music for All” project, which aims to develop a planned programme of concerts and events for primary-aged children. The concert is also being supported by local Rotary Clubs.

The Wokingham Borough primary and junior schools are celebrating 61 years of collaborative musical events. This year two large scale concerts enable the borough’s children to share the experience of being part of a choir of around 400 voices. A week ago 150 children enjoyed the opportunity to perform with the Reading Male Voice Choir in the Great Hall of Reading University. All these events give Wokingham Borough’s primary and junior children exciting and memorable experiences that complement those that take place in school.

The schools taking part this year are: Addington Special School, Bearwood Primary School, Crazies Hill Primary School, Earley St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Grazeley Parochial Church of England Primary School, Hawkedon Primary School, Hillside Primary School, Loddon Primary School, Radstock Primary School, Rivermead Primary School, St Sebastian’s Primary School, Sonning Primary School, South Lake Primary School, St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School, Willow Bank Primary School and Woodley Church of England Primary School.

Wokingham Borough Council

Having a kick-about, playing games or enjoying a picnic could soon be much easier for Wokingham families and youngsters, as more green recreational spaces are set to be opened up in the Wokingham Borough over the next two years.

Enhanced Wokingham play areas could also provide better-equipped play parks for youngsters, if Wokingham Borough Council’s review of play areas is given the go-ahead by the decision-making executive on June 26.

More than 7,900 people living close to 16 specific play areas were given the chance to have their say on how well a play area near them was used and what they would like to see there and if they had noticed any problems with it, during a consultation in autumn 2006.

The 16 Wokingham play areas consulted upon were selected due to their perceived under-use by residents, members of the community and the council’s parks officers. Reasons for their limited use include:

· Too many play parks in one area (for example, there are five included in the review in Lower Earley alone). This is due to developers building new play areas to go with housing developments, but not taking into account the proximity of other play parks in the area and their maintenance.
· Play areas having limited or old play equipment, and not having any play equipment or space for older children/ teenagers.
· Some play areas are uninviting as they are regularly vandalised, littered or used as a place for older children to hang about in big groups.
· Some play areas being closed due to vandalism, which has caused health and safety risks.

Feedback from residents during the consultation found that eight of the play areas were well used and provided a good and valued community facility. Feedback for the other eight included not having enough open space for children to play football, dog fouling, attracting anti-social behaviour and people with substance misuse problems, being strewn with litter and not having enough teenage facilities.
The Wokingham executive is set to agree to remove play equipment from the eight sites, which residents said were not needed or misused, at its meeting on June 26. Equipment will then be shared out among the borough’s other play areas and the remaining space will be grassed over to provide a green recreational land. This can then be used for football, cricket, rounders, games, picnics, running and other activities that older children and families can take part in.

The sites due to be turned into green spaces over the next two years, are:
· Waltham Chase, Twyford (toddler park)
· Gorse Ride North, Finchampstead
· Drewett Close, Shinfield (toddler park)
· Montague Close, Wokingham
· Mollison Close, Woodley
· Kilnsea Walk, Lower Earley
· Moorhen Close, Lower Earley
· Skelmerdale East, Lower Earley

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s decision-making executive will be looking at reviewing the fees at its car parks when it meets on Thursday June 26 – with a view to making them more-user friendly and ensuring that prices are fair.

There has been no increase in Wokingham parking fees for two years - since October 2006, when a selection of car parks had charges increased, and previous to that there had not been a review in more than four years.

A report, that will be considered by the Wokingham executive later this month, looks at two different ways of addressing car parking issues in the Wokingham Borough, including the cost of running the service compared with the income generated, standardising parking fees, residents and visitors’ concerns that parking fees are unfair due to location based charges, and introducing a 30 minute ‘quick stop’ parking levy at town centre car parks.

Option A, reflects the current policy and suggests charging more for ‘premium’ car parks in Wokingham town centre, which are central and close to facilities and therefore higher parking charges. This would encourage long-term parkers to favour cheaper car parks on the outskirts, freeing up central car parks for shoppers and those using community facilities.

Currently the Rose Street car park is considered a ‘premium’ site and so people parking there pay more than in other car parks in Wokingham town centre. Under Option A Denmark Street and Cockpit Path car parks would also be considered ‘premium’ sites.

Option B proposes moving towards a standard charge for all car parks for set time limits, so that motorists are charged the same rate wherever they park in the borough.

This option would also see a new 50p half-hour charge introduced at Denmark Street car park, Wokingham and Headley Road car park, Woodley. Residents have commented that if they want to drop off books at nearby libraries or do a quick errand they should not be forced to pay the full hour charge. If this option is adopted then this issue would be resolved.
If Option B is agreed by the executive then there would be no rise at Rose Street Car Park this year. Also, the charges at Twyford and Wargrave car parks would potentially rise steadily year-on-year until they match that of all the other car parks.

Since the charging gap for car parks in these areas is considerable and in the interest of keeping increases as reasonable as possible for residents, it is expected that parity will not be reached for several years. This situation has arisen from car parks in the two villages generally not having had any increases in fees for approximately eight years and therefore are considerably cheaper than other car parks in the borough.

Both options will pledge to retain the current parking fee at Dinton Pastures Country Park in Hurst and California Country Park in Finchampstead – so no increase will be made.

The report also suggests that the executive should endorse an annual review of parking charges so that fees are regularly looked at to make sure they are in line with the cost of running the service.

Cllr Keith Baker, executive member for Wokingham highways and transport, said: “We don’t want to increase car parking charges, but unfortunately the cost of running the service goes up every year – even though we haven’t made any increases for the last two years. Our aim would be to hold prices for two years, for example until 2010, should this report be agreed. Every effort has been made to keep rises as low as possible, whichever option is adopted by the executive.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Residents in the Wokingham Borough who pay various levies for on-street parking permits could see the system reformed to ensure it’s fair for all.

Wokingham Borough Council’s decision making executive is due to discuss four options at its meeting on Thursday June 26, which will strive to make parking permit charges fair and equal to all the borough’s residents, while keeping permits free for all pensioners and elderly people that qualify.

The review seeks to make this service totally self-funding compared to at present, where it is heavily subsidised.

The first Wokingham permit schemes were introduced into the borough in 1977 with new schemes being added, in an ad hoc fashion, right up to the present day. None of the schemes have ever been reviewed since they were brought in, and so residents who need an on-street permit to park their vehicle are faced with a charge dependent on what year the scheme in their road started.

Currently there are 17 on-street resident parking schemes operating in the borough, providing approximately 550 permits – but while some people pay £5 for an annual permit others pay £10. Schemes do not take into account location or demand for space, as charges are based on when the scheme was introduced.

Additionally, despite rising costs for administering the permit scheme, the costs of a permit have not changed at all to reflect this. This means Wokingham council collects £2,700 per year from permit fees but it costs £13,000 to run the service. Ultimately this means all council taxpayers subsidise the scheme by more than £10,000 each year, which is unfair on those residents who do not have a parking permit but are being charged for a service they do not use.

The executive is being recommended by Wokingham officers to adopt Option B from a report that sets out four possible choices to redress the situation, to make it consistent for all residents who need a permit and remove the burden on the remainder of the borough’s taxpayers.

Option B suggests making a flat charge of £30 per annum for on-street parking permits in all areas.

This will also bring the Wokingham Borough’s charges in line with other local authorities in the area, which can be up to £25 for the first permit issued to £55 for the second permit, or even a flat rate of £65, depending on the council.

The executive will also explore alternative options including:
· Option A - increasing the annual permit fee to £25 per permit
· Option C – increasing the annual permit fee to £50 per permit
· Option D – increasing the annual permit fee to £70 per permit.

All options retain the existing system of providing pensioners and disabled people with free on-street parking permits.

Wokingham Borough Council

Following the success of last year’s inaugural Community Cohesion Conference in the Wokingham Borough, a second conference is to be held next month.

The theme of this year’s conference, which has been organised by Wokingham Borough Council in partnership with Thames Valley Police, will be Safer and Stronger Communities and it will be held at the Shehnai Banqueting and Conferencing Suite in London Street, Reading from 4.30pm to 8.30pm on Tuesday July 8.

The conference will offer a chance for invited delegates to hear about all aspects of community safety and development and to debate specific issues thrown up on the day. Organisations that have been invited to attend include religious groups, community and voluntary organisations, the Racial Equality Council and representatives from minority ethnic groups.

Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for community development Cllr Dianne King said: “It is important to bring people of different backgrounds together for events such as this because they help create strong, safe communities. I am sure there will be a great deal of useful information exchanged and ideas generated at the conference.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Parents of young Wokingham children can now enjoy read and rhyme sessions at children’s centres across the Wokingham borough.

The read and rhyme events for parents and carers with their babies and toddlers are being launched at the Brambles Children’s Centre in Budges Gardens, Wokingham and will be available at the Riverdale Children’s Centre in Silverdale Road, Earley in September and other children’s centres across the borough in the future.

The read and rhyme sessions aim to encourage parents and carers to share rhymes and songs with their babies. They incorporate a mix of songs, rhymes, rhythm and movement in a relaxed and fun way.

The sessions at the Brambles, Wokingham take place on the last Wednesday of every month, starting on Wednesday June 25. They will be from 1.30pm to 2pm for children aged two and under and 2.30pm to 3pm for children aged two to four. The sessions at Riverdale will be on the first Monday of each month starting from September 1 and will be from 2pm to 2.30pm, with a chance to relax and chat afterwards until 3pm.

Wokingham Borough Council’s Bookstart officer Ellen Phillips said: “Lots of children have enjoyed family fun sessions at the borough’s libraries and will now be able to go to the children’s centres for the same sort of entertainment.”

Wokingham Borough Council

To mark National Falls Awareness Day - Tuesday 24 June, Wokingham Falls Group is hosting two public events highlighting how to minimise the risk of slips, trips and falls.

Launched by Help the Aged, National Falls Awareness Day aims to raise understanding about falls and to highlight the good work that is going on around Wokingham falls prevention locally.

Wokingham Borough Council’s Falls Advisory Service along with the Sports Development Unit and staff from Berkshire West PCT will be hosting public information events with T’ai Chi taster sessions at Rose Street Methodist Church Hall in Wokingham on Monday 23 June from 2pm to 4pm and at the Oakwood Centre, Headley Road, Woodley on Tuesday 24 June from 10am to 12noon.

Wokingham District nurses, therapists and falls advisory officers will be on hand to highlight key messages on making falls less likely to happen and to give tips about keeping mobile, healthy and independent. Also on offer are blood pressure checks, replacement accessories for walking aids and advice on assistive technology such as pendant alarms and fall detectors, to help people live independently at home and minimise day-to-day risks.

“It is thought that falls represent the most frequent and serious type of accident in the over 65 age group. They pose a real risk to older people but the good news is that many accidents are preventable and people are encouraged to come to these events to find out more,” said Cllr Chris Edmunds, executive member of social care.

“Home visits are also offered to older Wokingham borough residents who own or rent their home, to discuss and advise on improving practical home safety. This can include help to install simple safety measures such as grab rails, ensuring older people can go about their daily lives safely at home.”

To find out more about the falls advisory service, or to request a home visit, telephone 0118 974 6800.

Wokingham Borough Council

Aspiring Wokingham thespians, dancers and singers can hit the high notes with some tips from professional coaches at Wokingham Youth Centre this summer by taking class that cost just 50p a session.

Young people from the Wokingham Borough can take a leaf out of the kids from Fame’s book by attending coaching sessions to improve their singing skills as well as learning new dance moves and working on their dramatic performances.

The performing arts club, which runs every Monday evening at the Reading Road centre, offers young people aged between 12 and 18 years-old the chance to try new things as well as improve on their skills – through professional coaches.

From 6.30pm to 8pm the movers and shakers get to strut their stuff as dance coaching takes place, from 8pm to 9.30pm it is the turn of wannabe actors to tread the boards, and from 7pm to 9pm aspiring singers can hit the top notes with the help of professional voice coaches.

The Wokingham performing arts club is open for all young people in the borough to enjoy, regardless of experience, and only costs 50p per night.

In addition to the weekly sessions, anyone wanting intensive coaching to improve their skills over the summer break can attend a drama workshop at The Emmbrook School. The five-day programme will start on Monday August 4 and run until Friday August 8 – costing £50 for the whole week or £15 per day. There will then be a dance, drama and singing workshop running from Monday August 11 to Friday August 15 at The Emmbrook School for £50 for the whole week or £15 per day.

Cyril Sansum, performing arts coordinator, said: “Unlike most performing arts schools and courses we are able to offer advice and coaching from a variety of professionals for just 50p a session – which means it is accessible to all the Wokingham Borough’s young people.

“Whether you’re experienced or a complete novice there’s always the opportunity to pick up some tips at the performing arts club. Anyone can join in, whether you’re just looking to have some fun or get some professional help on becoming the next Shia LeBeouf or Hayden Panettiere, it’s all available at the performing arts club.”

There’s no need to book for the weekly sessions, just turn up. Anyone wanting to attend the week-long programmes in the summer holidays should reserve a place by calling (0118) 978 3610, where more information is also available.

Wokingham Borough Council

The garden is growing at the Wokingham Acorn Community Centre – and gardeners with learning disabilities who have been working hard on their horticultural skills are about to get a blooming big boost with the opening of new greenhouses.

Horticultural therapy charity Growing Places, which manages the gardens at the Acorn Community Centre in Woosehill, Wokingham, has been fundraising hard for new greenhouses so that they can expand their activities for learning disabled gardeners. And on June 25 their efforts will finally bear fruit when two greenhouses will be officially opened by Mark Foss, head of engineering at Boehringer Ingelheim, a local pharmaceutical company which sponsored the installation of the greenhouses. Wokingham Borough Council Mayor Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons will also be attending.

Growing Places teaches horticultural skills such as seed sowing, potting on and creative floral crafts, as well as offering participating gardeners opportunities to enter competitions and participate in plant sales, which offers valuable social and money-handling skills.

Wokingham Borough Council

Local youth bands will be harmonious in supporting the Project Africa ’08, when a musical feast is held at Wokingham Youth Centre on Friday July 11.

After a year of fundraising to support the LEAP School in South Africa, young people from the Wokingham Borough, aged between 15 and 19-years, will be giving the project a final push before they journey out to the school in August and experience first-hand what growing up on the outskirts of Cape Town is like.

This is the second Wokingham musical fundraiser for the project, following in the footsteps of the Battle of the Bands event. All money raised from the Africa ’08 Concert – which will feature a host of local bands – will be used to fund the project.

The project is in its second year and gives the borough’s young people, the chance to learn about both British and South African cultures and history.

During the trip, the Wokingham teenagers will visit the LEAP School – which they have been supporting. Pupils at the school live in substandard accommodation and have limited learning resources, yet manage to attain 90 per cent academic pass rates at A level and an attendance level of more than 98 per cent.
The young people from Wokingham Borough youth projects have needed to raise substantial sums to participate and support the school’s efforts and this concert is their final funding boost.

As well as visiting the school the young people will take part in workshops with youngsters from remote towns near to Cape Town, to share experiences about growing up.

Richard Ferguson, Wokingham area youth work manager, said: “It’s great to see such enthusiasm from both the group of young people wanting to participate in such a worthy cause, and the bands wanting to give up their free time and support our project. If you do enjoy music you are promised a very entertaining night so why not pop along to the last fundraiser and lend your support to the Africa ‘08 Project.”

Entrance will be by ticket only, which cost £5 each. The concert will start at 6.30pm and finish around 10.30pm. A limited number of tickets is available from Wokingham Youth Centre by calling contact (0118) 978 3610.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Lunchtimes will be full of sunshine at Radstock Primary School thanks to the school’s new alfresco café, which opened on Tuesday after months of planning.

Youngsters will now be tucking into delicious meals while appreciating the great outdoors after The Sunshine Café officially dished up its first feast on Tuesday (June 10).

To celebrate the courtyard style café being opened special guests were invited to lunch on Tuesday, including Wokingham Borough Mayor, Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons, who officially opened the café, parents, governors, representatives from school meals catering contractor Edwards and Ward and Wokingham Borough Council, plus children from nearby nurseries.

After successfully bidding for funds from Wokingham Borough Council, to enhance the dining environment for youngsters, The Sunshine Café was developed by children from Radstock Primary School, in Lower Earley, as part of its silver jubilee celebrations.

The school council discussed ideas for the courtyard and selected a design. To engage the whole school in the project all pupils were invited to vote for a name for the café – they selected The Sunshine Café.

The school’s gardening club has brightened up the new dining area with beautiful blooms in hanging baskets and tubs – cultivated from their own green fingers plus a generous donation of a dragonfly flagstone from nearby garden centre Country Gardens, is also sitting proudly in the café to match the school’s dragonfly emblem.

When the café is not in use throughout the winter months it will be used as an outdoor classroom for pupils.

Headteacher of Radstock Primary School, Drusilla Derrick, said: “We only have a very small eating area in school and so being able to eat and enjoy their school dinners outside in such a pleasant environment is really good for the children. They are so positive about the whole dining experience and it was all their own idea!”

Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, added: “I’m pleased that the children at Radstock Primary School got involved in the design and creative process of the new café.

“It’s a great idea to have an outside eating area as it provides children with a bright and colourful environment to enjoy their lunch and a breath of fresh – which research suggests helps children learn much more effectively.”

Mayor of the Wokingham Borough, Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons, who opened the café and joined the children for lunch, added: "The original idea for using the space in this clever way came from a pupil. The school council has done an excellent job of designing and naming the café, and the hanging baskets the gardening club had planted looked superb. It is a colourful and attractive area and children for years to come will enjoy what these youngsters have created. There has also been a great deal of support from governors and parents."

Wokingham Borough Council

More than 340,000 older people living in their own homes reported being abused or mistreated in the UK last year – and Wokingham Borough Council is using World Elder Abuse Awareness Day - Sunday June 15 - to highlight their plight locally.

The Wokingham borough council has produced posters and information to highlight the problem of elder abuse in the run-up to the day and has arranged for Sunny Arts Theatre to perform its dramatic play and interactive training session Someone To Watch Over Me at Wokingham Theatre on Wednesday June 18.

The production uses a powerful play about an older dementia sufferer, Phyllis, who becomes a victim of abuse after moving in with her son-in-law. After the play there will be an interactive training session to explore the issue of elder abuse. Someone To Watch Over Me is aimed specifically at individuals and organisations who work with vulnerable older people, but the themes it explores will be of concern to all borough residents.

The posters produced by Wokingham Borough Council to highlight elder abuse reveal some stark statistics, such as that 130 incidents of elder abuse were reported in the Wokingham Borough in the past year, a number that is increasing every year. And to tackle the problem, the borough council is forming a partnership - the Wokingham Safeguarding Adults Forum - with older people, carers and service providers to prevent abuse and to support those who have been abused.

The new forum will provide a valuable opportunity for Wokingham Borough Council residents and organisations to meet, share concerns and discuss ways of helping keep people safe. It will link with the existing multi-agency Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board, which covers the west of Berkshire.

The main forms elder abuse takes are:

Neglect – such as repeated failure of a designated carer to provide help

Financial abuse – such as theft, fraud or misuse of power of attorney

Psychological abuse – such as persistent insults or threats

Physical abuse – such as violence, physical restraint or misuse of medication

Sexual abuse – such as verbal harassment, inappropriate touching or even rape

Executive member for Wokingham social care Cllr Chris Edmunds said: “It is disgraceful that any older person is abused – and the fact that so many are victims is shocking. I am glad a safeguarding partnership is being established but would also urge anybody who suspects elder abuse may be happening to contact the council or the police as soon as possible.”

For more information, or to report any suspected elder abuse, call Wokingham Borough Council on 0118 974 6800.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s CAN - children with additional needs - Network, with help from local charities, is holding a free fun and information day for all local families on Saturday June 28 from 11am to 4pm at the Ambleside Centre, Ambleside Close, Woodley.

As well as Wokingham information stalls, attractions on the day will include a crèche and play club, a children’s entertainer and magician, animals, a model railway, arts and crafts activities and the chance for the young people to pick up some football skills. There will also be a guest speaker Jan Sunman from Mencap who will talk about anti-bullying approaches and supporting children. There is no need to book and all the attractions will be free.

The CAN Network is a database of children with any disability or additional need aged up to 18 who live in the Wokingham Borough. It is free to join and provides parents and carers with advice and support.

Members receive an annually updated guide to services, including information on social care, health, education, local and national support groups and leisure activities. They also receive a CAN card, which can be used to gain concessions at local and national leisure attractions and facilities. The children joining are given a CAN passport, an 'All About Me' book created individually for each child, including lots of information about them, their families and friends. They can fill in their likes and dislikes and list ways in which they might communicate.

Parents and carers who want information on the network can call Lucy Skye, family information officer, on 0118 377 6426 for an application form to join the CAN network. Application forms are also available on the council’s website at: www.wokingham.gov.uk/fis.

Wokingham Borough Council

Shoppers at this week’s continental market in the Market Place, Wokingham, will be able to pick up tasty treats and other goods from across Europe.

The continental market will be in town on Thursday June 12 and Friday June 13 and, as well as the usual array of tempting French cheeses and breads, German sausages and Italian and Spanish delicacies, there will be a fully licensed Polish beer bar and stalls offering Polish food and fashions as well as fashion jewellery from Paris.

The market will be on from 9am and will go on until 4.30pm or 6pm weather permitting.

Wokingham Town Centre Manager Brian Newman, who organised the market, said: “The continental market always brings high quality produce to Wokingham town centre and is a great attraction for visitors. The French, Spanish and German food is always popular at the markets but I am delighted we have managed to expand what is on offer, particularly with the Polish element, which should be a fun addition to the market.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Whether it’s a row of bright Wokingham blooms in the garden or a fab growing gift for a friend, the new plant sales at the Acorn Community Centre are now offering a blaze of summer colour - and an opportunity to help learning-disabled gardeners at the same time.

The Acorn Community Centre in Fernlea Drive, Woosehill, Wokingham is now holding plant sales every weekday from 10am to 2.30pm. Bedding plants, perennials, shrubs, herbs and vegetables are all available at very reasonable prices, lovingly grown and sold by the gardeners of Growing Places.

Growing Places teaches horticultural skills such as seed sowing, potting on and creative floral crafts, as well as offering learning-disabled gardeners opportunities to enter competitions and participate in plant sales, which offers valuable social and money-handling skills.

Executive member for Wokingham social care Cllr Chris Edmunds said: “The plant sales are really good value and it is great to see our learning-disabled gardeners proving their resourcefulness and skills for all the public to see. I urge people to come along and see the plant sale area in action – there are lots of bargains to be had!”

For those who really love gardening, it is now also possible to become a member of Growing Places and get a discount card. Members of the charity’s sponsorship scheme are entitled to substantial discounts at the plant sales, receive regular newsletters, and help Growing Places to provide invaluable confidence building skills to people with learning disabilities. To become a member contact the centre on (0118) 989 9750, email horticultural therapist margaret.larby@wokingham.gov.uk or visit www.wokingham.gov.uk/growingplaces.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council has sent a clear message that benefit fraud is not acceptable with the prosecution of Bryan Lawrence of Sonning.

Mr Lawrence made false applications for Wokingham housing benefit and council tax benefit in February and March 2004 by failing to declare his savings accounts, and then failed to report that he had started work for a supermarket in May 2004. Mr Lawrence kept this secret until November 2006, when he eventually declared the correct information. He was overpaid a total of £7,066.50 over the duration of his fraudulent activity.

At Reading Magistrates Court on June 5, Mr Lawrence was given an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £250 costs.

Revenues and benefits investigations manager Alistair Nunn-Price said: “This prosecution sends a strong message to anyone who may be attempting to cheat the benefit system. Our benefit fraud investigations team are extremely vigilant, and those who make fraudulent claims will be found out and made to pay.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council is holding three advice and information sessions to help parents of current Year 5 pupils understand the schools’ admission system ahead of selecting their preferences in Year 6.

A good understanding of the Wokingham application and allocation process helps parents make realistic preferences for their children’s secondary school. And the three sessions, which will include a 30-minute presentation and a time questions and answers, are designed to provide the necessary understanding.

They are being held at:

The Brambles Children’s Centre, Budges Gardens, Wokingham, on Monday, June 16 from 10am to 11am.

The Riverdale Children’s Centre, Silverdale Road, Earley, on Monday June 16 from 1.30pm to 2.30pm.

The Ambleside Centre, Ambleside Close, Woodley, on Wednesday June 18 from 7pm to 8pm.

Places are limited so parents will need to book a place from Tammy Howard, Wokingham Borough Council school preference advisor, on 0118 935 2255 or email: tammy.howard@wokingham.gov.uk.

Wokingham Borough Council

Recycling hints and tips will no longer be under wraps as a bonanza of environment and, not to mention, money saving ideas come to the Wokingham Borough as part of national Recycling Week 2008.

Wokingham Children, shoppers, businesses and even the Women’s Institute will be getting involved in the week-long promotion, to see how they can do small things to make a big difference to the environment.

Recycling Week is run every year through WRAP (Waste and Resource Action Programme) and this year it will be focusing on what small extra things can be done to recycle more and increase the impact of recycling.

On Monday (June 2) children from The Hawthorns Infant and Junior Schools in Woosehill were invited to get thinking about how to go green when Wokingham Borough Council’s waste and recycling manager Peter Baveystock made a special visit to the school. During Peter’s presentation the children were able to ask questions and come up with ways that they could all do something to help the environment, however small.

Serving up bubble and squeak for dinner and going shopping on a full stomach were just some of the ideas shoppers were able to take advantage of at a roadshow, that aimed not only to help recycling rates sore but could also help people save some cash too!

Representatives from the re3 waste minimisation partnership - a 25-year joint project between Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham Borough Councils and Waste Recycling Group (WRG) – offered tips at Asda in Lower Earley on how small changes can make a huge amount of difference to recycling.

Members of the Riseley and Swallowfield Women’s Institute were given ideas by Peter Baveystock on how they too could be more environmentally friendly by recycling and composting on Tuesday when he was a guest speaker at their monthly meeting.

And on Thursday it will be time for big business to do their bit as staff from Oracle have invited the council’s waste and recycling team to help them understand what other little things they could do help out as they mark World Environment Day.

The Wokingham Borough already has a recycle rate of more than 37 per cent of their household waste, with more than 5,000 tonnes of green waste collected for recycling through kerbside collections.

Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for environment, said: “The aim of Recycle Week is to get people thinking more about what they can do to help out – we all have our part to play in recycling and reducing waste.

“There have been many helpful tips available to residents, shoppers, business and even children throughout the week, from simply putting used paper into the recycling bin instead of the rubbish to making bubble and squeak out of leftover food!”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s Villages Youth Project, which hosts Barkham youth club in the local village hall, is back this summer to provide outdoor activities! The Wokingham youth workers will be visiting Elizabeth Park at Junipers Field every Wednesday evening between 7pm and 9pm over the next few months.

This is a great opportunity for young Wokingham people aged 11 to 19 years to take part in a variety of free, fun activities, including football, rounders, cricket, hockey, as well as arts and crafts and much more. Most importantly, you will also be able to have your say about what facilities you would like to see in the Barkham area as Barkham Parish Council is informally asking for general suggestions, ideas and comments about what the area needs.

Louise Morris, Wokingham neighbourhood youth worker, said: “Young people will have the chance to take part in fun activities within their local area. It is a great opportunity for them to find out which projects are being offered and get a taster of what’s on offer at their local youth club. One of the main aims of the mobile provision is to encourage young people to become involved in their local community and have their voices heard about the facilities that they would like to see in Barkham.

“Come along for a chat and tell us what you would like to have access to in Barkham!”

Wokingham Borough Council

Starting on Monday (June 2), Wokingham Borough Council will be reviewing the age at which children join school and will be consulting with parents, carers, children, schools, as well as private, voluntary and independent early years settings to ascertain their views.

Currently, Wokingham council has a policy that allows for school places to be offered to children at three points of entry, which means children, known as rising fives, can go to school from the start of the autumn, spring and summer terms before their fifth birthday. This allows children to go to school on a part-time basis until they are five, which is the statutory school age.

Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “The council’s policy for three points of entry was introduced in 2000. We feel it is time to review how this is working as some of the borough’s schools have asked us to look at it and our neighbouring authorities are also in the process of reviewing their own policies.

“We are conducting this survey to ascertain the views of many people across the borough on the points of entry into school. These views along with other information collected through the consultation will be considered before any decisions are made.”

The five-week consultation will seek views from Wokingham parents to childcare providers to find out at what age they think children should start school. The borough council has commissioned Hempsall Consultancies, independent consultants, to carry out the review and will be speaking to children and young people as well as wider school communities such as teachers and governors. The consultants will also be seeking the views of early years providers including nurseries.

Parents will be contacted by directly with postcards initially and will be asked if they like to take part in the consultation. The telephone survey with parents will start at the beginning of June and the council would like to reassure parents that this is a genuine survey.

Chris Jones, head of universal services for children, said: “Parents will be given the opportunity to take part in the consultation. At the beginning of June we will start distributing postcards asking parents to complete and this will be followed by a telephone survey for those who wish to take part. We are especially interested to hear from those parents who have recently been offered a place in a Wokingham Borough school or whose children started school last year.”

During the consultation period, face-to-face interviews will also be conducted with headteachers, governors and early years providers across the borough as well as telephone interviews.

Once the review is complete, a report will be considered by the council’s decision-making executive in the autumn.

Anyone who would like more information on the survey or would like to take part should contact Chris Jones, head of universal services for children, on (0118) 974 6148.

Wokingham Borough Council

This summer is going to be sizzling with activities for youngsters thanks to Wokingham Borough Council’s youth service.

Scores of young people aged between 11 and 19 years old from Wokingham and the surrounding villages are set to join the summer activities. Quad biking, street art, moped training, archery, water sports, fishing, and climbing are planned to ensure the summer is a busy and fun-packed one for the borough’s young people. A five-day trip residential trip to Wales is also planned along with a day of activities at Arborfield.

Activities start on July 23 and run throughout the summer. For a full list of activities, please visit www.activeyouth.co.uk where you can download a flyer and booking form. Alternatively please call (0118) 979 7915 for a copy. Cost of activities range from £2 for a two-hour archery session up to £100 for a five-day residential trip.

Mike Bennett, Wokingham neighbourhood youth worker, said: “Last year’s activities were a great success and we wanted to build on it this year. There are a variety of activities happening, promising something for everyone. Summer is one of the best times of the year to get outside and active, it should be lots of fun. Check out our flyer and sign up for a great summer!”

Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “The youth service is offering a whole range of exciting activities for young people this summer. There is so much going on and covering a wide range of interests, the borough’s youngsters are unlikely to suffer from boredom this summer holiday.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Three broad ideas on how California Country Park could be improved for the whole community have been unveiled by Wokingham Borough Council.

Wokingham Residents, park lovers and community representatives are now being asked for their views on which option they would like the council’s countryside service to try to secure funding for via a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) scheme bid this autumn.

The three broad ideas are focused mainly on potential changes to the facilities and buildings at the Finchampstead country park, which currently houses a scout hut, café area, toilets and small car park.

The first option includes:

· Keeping the current café building
· Extending the scout hut to improve facilities
· Enhancing the landscape which would open up the area and improve routes into the park

The second option includes:

· Creating a new multi-use building behind the current café building
· Constructing a courtyard which links the café and new building, which will also provide a quiet area
· Retaining the scout hut for storage or if it needs to be demolished for planning reasons it could be turned into an adventure playground for older children.

The third option includes:

· Creating a new café and visitor centre on the lake edge.
· Converting the existing café into a multi-purpose building so community groups, like the scouts, can use it

All three options have a list of advantages and disadvantages that the Wokingham community can use to shape their comments and suggestions on which option they would like to see explored further.

Ideas will be welcomed by anyone who uses the park, lives in the nearby area, is a member of a local community group or is a parish representative. The deadline for all comments is noon on Monday June 30.

Once all the ideas have been submitted and reviewed the countryside service will ask the council’s decision-making executive to endorse the most popular and feasible idea.

A funding bid for money to develop the scheme will then be submitted to the HLF under its Parks for People lottery grant system in the autumn.

Simon Weeks, executive member for Wokingham environment, said: “It’s important we get to hear as many people’s views as possible on how we should improve California Country Park. The country park is a great spot which is perfect for families, dog-walkers, joggers, anglers and the community to enjoy, but sadly the facilities there do not always meet the expectations and need of the people using it.

“We want to make sure that the facilities there are improved, which is why we are pursuing heritage lottery funding for improvements. But we want to make sure those upgrades are in line with what the community wants to see there, which is why it’s vital that everyone who uses and enjoys the park should tell us what they think.”

Residents can pick up a feedback form at the California Dreaming Café at California Country Park, or on the borough council’s website at www.wokingham.gov.uk/california-options

Wokingham Borough Council

An exciting four-day series of active and healthy pursuits for Wokingham borough residents with physical disabilities and sensory needs is on offer this June, with leisure, arts and crafts among the attractions.

Titled ‘Get active, get healthy, get out’, the Wokingham programme begins on Friday June 6 at Dinton Pastures Country Park from 10am to 3pm, with a guided walk around the park, the opportunity to try out basic golf skills and the chance to learn how to make videos using real-time techniques.

A variety packed day at the Westmead Centre in Rances Lane, Wokingham on Wednesday 11, will offer pottery, card making and gardening advice, plus indoor physical activity using a Nintendo Wii. And visitors will be able to tuck into a free barbecue between 12 midday and 2pm.

The action moves outdoors on Friday June 20 when kayaking, croquet and a picnic all take place at Wokingham Waterside Centre between 10am and 3pm.

And on Wednesday June 25 will be the chance to take part in a video making workshop based on vintage items of clothing hosted by the Berkshire Costume Service in Finchampstead from 10am to 2pm, a swimming session at the Carnival Pool in Wokingham from 10am to 12pm and bowling at The Big Apple in Wokingham from 12pm to 2pm.

Organised by Wokingham Borough Council and Wokingham Ability Partnership, the events are all free, although some have limited places and will be offered on a first come, first serve basis.

To book a place on any of the activities call Wokingham Borough Council on (0118) 974 6773 or email: sportsdevelopment@wokingham.gov.uk

Wokingham Borough Council

More than 30 Wokingham adult learners attended an award ceremony at Wokingham Borough Council’s civic offices in Shute End, Wokingham on Friday May 23.

The Wokingham award recipients have all undertaken courses at Bracknell and Wokingham College, the Karten Centre in Crowthorne, the CResCent Centre in Earley or have been on the borough council’s My Family Matters course. They received their awards from the new Mayor, Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons.

Some of those receiving special awards were:

• E-Learner of the Year: Tracy Taplin, Wokingham, who is a student at Bracknell and Wokingham College and attended its Computer Stepping Stones programme. She had never used a computer before the course but made an outstanding contribution while on it and has now progressed to a more advanced programme
• Wokingham Borough Council Overall Learner of the Year: Claire Marshall, Reading, who successfully completed a 30 week IT course at the CResCent Centre and has now got her first job. She attended the course with her grandfather Albert Cross, who is 86, and also successfully completed the course and is also an award winner.
• Award for Outstanding Personal Achievement: Jacque Reed, Wokingham, who successfully completed an IT course at Bracknell and Wokingham College as part of the Focus on Learning project.
• Award for Perseverance in Learning: Stephanie O’Connell, Bracknell, who has been involved in the Increasing the Independence of Disabled Adults project at the Karten Centre.

As well as the individual awards, special project awards were also presented to the Engaging Local Communities project and the My Family Matters project. Engaging Local Communities was run by Bracknell and Wokingham College and successfully involved a group of learners at Eustace Crescent in Wokingham in classes in computing, cooking, shopping on a budget and crafts. The My Family Matters course helps families identified by the Wokingham borough’s primary schools as needing additional support and this year expanded successfully into Gorse Ride in Finchampstead.

Those attending the presentation also heard a speech by Penny Lamb, development officer for family learning from the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education.

Wokingham Borough Council Mayor Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons said: “It was a privilege to meet these learners and to hear about their wonderful achievements – especially as so many of them have overcome difficult hurdles to pursue their studies. It was also great to hear about the range of courses offered by the council and its partners.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Venue: The Oakwood Centre, Headley Road, Woodley, Berkshire, RG5 4JZ
Date: Friday 20th and Saturday 21st June 2008
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £12.00 Adult / £8.00 Under 16s

The famous team from Cloudglider offer you a vibrant night of music influenced by the idea of outdoor music. You are invited to “kiss the skies” whilst you take in an evening of your favourite songs drawn from pop, motown, jazz, rock, reggae, country, calypso, Latin-American and carnival ... all with a cool summer vibe.

To add to the atmosphere of the evening, there will be a pre-show entertainment each night provided by local singer/song writer Tony Brown providing a blend of covers and his own material. During the intermission a second local singer/Song writer Ben Marwood who will entertain you in the bar. So why not make a whole evening of it? Drop into the bar for a glass of something cool for 7.00 p.m. and enjoy Tony’s music, before moving on to the theatre to enjoy the full concert;

Friday: Lauren Bamford, Holly Castle, Alix Covenant, Barry Elford, Rachael Job, Emily Johnson, Victoria Liles, Peter Loring, Frances Mollet, Becky Nicklin, Tim Robinson, Nadia Shalini Sherlock, Katie Smith, Yasemin Ucan, Freja Watson and Lizzie Weller

Saturday: Amy Ball, Lauren Bamford, Jenny Birchmore, Hollie Cobb, Alix Covenant, Barry Elford, Peter Loring, Nathalie Miller, Becky Nicklin, Tim Robinson, Alexandria Stolland, Amy Sturgess, Francesca Watson and Freja Watson.

Any profits made from this concert together with the proceeds of the raffle will be donated to the Thames Valley and Chilterns Air Ambulance.

So come along and join us, sit back, relax, put your feet up, sing a long or even have a boogie if you want to, and let the Cloudglider team take you on a trip around the world on a summer evening whilst raising funds for an excellent cause.