Wokingham

Wokingham Youngsters walking the walk in Arborfield will be able to take a safer route to class after a host of road improvements outside a primary school in the area were agreed last week.

Yellow lines and parking restrictions, to coincide with the Wokingham school day, will come into force next term to stop parents and carers from parking their car in potentially hazardous spots, while waiting for pupils attending The Coombes CE Primary School.

Wokingham Borough Council agreed to put in a number of parking restrictions outside the newly formed primary school after concerns were raised by community leaders, residents and parents about the parking situation in School Road.

In order to stop parents and carers from parking their vehicles in areas commonly used by children to cross the road, which could reduce their visibility to other motorists or make it difficult for them to see if the road was safe to cross, additional lay-bys will be created in nearby roads.

Cllr Keith Baker, executive member for Wokingham highways and transport, agreed last week to the borough council implementing a number of parking changes outside the school including:

· Putting up wooden bollards around the edge of Anderson Crescent
· Putting double yellow lines on the corner of Emblen Crescent and Link Way, on the pinch-point by the roundabout in Emblen Crescent, on the corners of Anderson Crescent and Link Way and across the garage forecourt in Link Way
· Single yellow lines will be painted on School Road (from its junction with Link Way to its junction with Eversley Road), in Anderson Crescent, in Emblen Crescent and from School Road to Anderson Crescent
· Drop-down bollards will be installed in Link Way near the garage area
· Parking for 12 cars will be created in a layby in Emblen Crescent

Parking restrictions on the yellow lines will be from 8.15am to 9.15am and from 2.30pm to 4pm on single yellow lines, but are subject to a statutory 21 day consultation. If there are no objections to the restrictions then they will be fully signed and implemented as soon as possible.

Wokingham Cllr Baker said: “ Protecting our most vulnerable road users is absolutely essential, which is why we will be making a series of road safety improvements in Arborfield over the next few months, to protect young children walking to and from school.

“We were aware that at times people dropping off and collecting children from school were not parking considerately, and were inadvertently putting children’s welfare at risk. These new restrictions will make it much more difficult for motorists to park too close to the school and so it will ensure children walking to school will not have their safety compromised as they approach the school gates.”

Following on from the statutory consultation, if there are no objections, work on the safety scheme will take place in September and is due to be fully operational by October half term.

Wokingham Borough Council

The countdown to London 2012 started in the Wokingham Borough on Sunday (August 24), when the borough council raised an Olympic handover flag celebrating the moment London officially become the Olympic Games’ host city.

A first in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic games, the London Olympic handover flag was raised in the Wokingham Borough simultaneously with regions around the UK. Deputy Mayor Cllr Barrie Patman raised the flag at the civic offices at Shute End in Wokingham and was joined by GB trampoline squad members Katie, Liam and Ross Abrahams from Wokingham and GB squad gymnasts Shaun Gregory and Louisa Bellis, both from Wokingham.

The Olympic handover flag in the Wokingham Borough was one of over 500 flags delivered to locations including HM Armed Forces, embassies around the world, city halls, council offices and Foreign and Commonwealth offices.

Amongst the locations in the UK, Olympic handover flags were raised at landmark areas such as the Unst in the Shetland Isles, the most northerly point in the UK and Land’s End in Cornwall, the most southerly point. Flags were also raised at Lowestoft, the most easterly town in England and the Isles of Scilly, the most westerly point.

Beverley Thompson, Wokingham sports development manager, said: “In the Wokingham Borough we have a number of Olympic hopefuls and many of our athletes in the national squads in their chosen fields. Many of them would love to star in the games in four years’ time and I would be delighted to see some of them picking up Olympic medals in front of a home crowd! The games are happening close to the Wokingham Borough and I know there is much support for them locally.”

Deputy Wokingham Mayor Cllr Barrie Patman said: “The council’s sport and leisure strategy outlines our aim to expand programmes for all sports and to encourage our residents to become more physically active – our long-term vision for the borough is clear and one of our priorities is for greater access to leisure. With London hosting the Olympic Games in four years’ time I hope it will encourage more people to get active! I was delighted to join some of Wokingham Borough’s national squad athletes in raising this celebratory flag.”

Wokingham Borough Council

There was fantastic news at the end of term for five schools in the Wokingham Borough that had won national awards for inspiring and encouraging pupils’ talents in the full range of arts.

An Artsmark is awarded to schools that show a commitment to the full range of arts - music, dance, drama and art and design. It is a national award scheme and is managed by Arts Council England. Any school in the country can apply for one of three levels – Artsmark, Artsmark silver or Artsmark gold.

At the end of term, it was announced the following Wokingham Borough schools achieved Artsmark status in 2007/8: Robert Piggott Infant School (gold), The Bulmershe School (silver), Emmbrook Infant School (gold), Addington Special School (silver) and Maiden Erlegh School (gold).

Jane Clark, Wokingham arts development officer, said: “We are so pleased for these schools and congratulate them on their achievement in Artsmark. This national award recognises schools with a high level of provision in the arts. To achieve this award, pupils must have the chance to experience a wide range of art, dance, drama and music and this encourages schools to adopt a broad and balanced curriculum. Gaining an Artsmark at any level shows that a school is committed to the wider development of young people.”

Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “I am delighted that the Arts Council has recognised the hard work and commitment of our schools. We continue to be one of the highest performing local authorities in the country and it is great to see the how much we have also achieved in fine and performing arts. I would like to congratulate everyone involved.”

Visitors can see some of the schools’ artwork at the Arena for the Arts Exhibition at the council offices which runs until Friday August 29.

Wokingham Borough Council

The hard work really paid off yesterday August 21 as Wokingham Borough pupils found out they have achieved the best set of GCSE results the borough has ever seen!

Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “The borough’s pupils have once again excelled in their GCSE results and this year we have seen our results improve by almost five per cent which is great. I am sure there were a few who were nervously waiting for their results and what a fantastic set they are. I would like to congratulate every one of our pupils on their achievements. Many will continue with their education and some will enter the world of work. Whatever their chosen path, I wish them the best of luck for the future.”

This year’s provisional results have improved by almost five per cent for higher grade passes in the Wokingham Borough – in 2008, 71.3 per cent achieved five + A* to C compared with 66.4 per cent in 2007. This is almost six per cent higher than the national average of 65.7 per cent. Also improving by over four per cent (61.9 per cent) is the number of pupils achieving five + A* to C including English and Maths compared with 57.6 per cent in 2007.

Nearly all of the Wokingham borough’s pupils got one or more GCSE passes (99.6 per cent) compared with 98.5 per cent last year.

Wokingham Cllr Norman Jorgensen added: “Year-on-year our results put the borough as one of the top local education authorities in the country. It can be hard to improve the very high standards in GCSE results but this year we have improved again and we have seen the best ever set of results. However, this doesn’t mean that education isn’t still going to be a priority for this council. We have to maintain our impressive results, and for those students who may not achieve so highly, we want to ensure they have the right skills to get them into further education and employment. This maybe through A levels or vocational qualifications such as the new diploma which will be available in the borough from September 2009.

“Our vision is for excellent children’s services and skills for all and we have made a long-term commitment to provide a high standard of education.”

Wokingham Borough Council

‘A World Tour of Opera’
  
Let us take you on a tour around the world with the help of opera music!

We intend to complete the trip faster than the Jules Verne hero, and to visit several places he may have missed.  You can expect to hear opera favourites by Bellini, Wagner, Mozart and Donizetti, from France, Spain, India, Ceylon and other exotic locations.

Take a break after the rigours of Christmas and the New Year and relax for the evening listening to your favourite music.  You deserve it!.....

Saturday 10 January 2009 at 7:30 pm
Sunday 11 January 2009 at 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm

Tickets: telephone the box office on 0118 926 2394 or email alan@operaatbearwood.org.uk

A Wokingham Borough Council service that supports parents of children with special educational needs is looking for more volunteers.

Wokingham Parent Partnership, a statutory service offering information, advice and support to parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs, is looking to expand its pool of independent parental supporters, whose main role is to listen to parents and help them express their views.

The Parent Partnership, based within the Wokingham council’s children’s services department, is looking for reliable, objective people who have the time, dedication and enthusiasm to become independent parental supporters.

Phil Cullimore, parent partnership officer, said: “We would love to hear from anyone who is interested in using their experience to help and support other families. It’s a chance for people to develop new skills and we give on-going training to our volunteers. If you think you have the skills needed, why not get in touch and make a difference!”

Independent parental supporters help parents and carers navigate through the procedures involved in dealing with their child's special educational needs. Whilst an independent parental supporter helps parents and carers understand what is happening, they do not make decisions about individual children.

Full training is given to enable Wokingham volunteers to understand what is involved in the assessment process, which will help them to offer guidance and information to parents whose child’s special educational needs are being discussed or assessed.

Ideally interested in or have experience of special educational needs, volunteers should be good listeners, friendly and outgoing, able to view a situation from different points of view, able to instill confidence in parents to express their own views and help them with letter and report writing. They should be able to visit schools and attend meetings with parents and also be willing to learn and able to attend training.

If anyone wants to find out more about the service, or would like to register as a volunteer for the next training course, contact Phil Cullimore, parent partnership officer, on 0118 908 8233 or email: parent.partnership@wokingham.gov.uk

Wokingham Borough Council

Would you like some time to play with your Wokingham little one and fancy a change of scenery? Would you like to get some new ideas about what you can play at home? Then why not come along to one of the ‘Play With Me’ sessions taking place on a weekly basis until Christmas at the Brambles, Riverdale and Winnersh children’s centres?

The Wokingham ‘Play With Me’ sessions are a great chance for parents and carers to bring their babies and toddlers to a dedicated session entirely devoted to shared play, when the grown ups are encouraged to join in and let the children involve them in their play. Each week the toys and activities will be different, adding excitement and new ways to explore, be creative and help develop healthy, happy children with skills for life.

The sessions run during term time only and parents and carers can drop in anytime between 10 and 11.30am. Parents and carers can stay as long or short a time as they like. The sessions are running until December as follows:

• Riverdale Children’s Centre, Silverdale Road, Earley on Tuesday September 9, 16, 23, 30, October 7, 14, 21, November 4, 11, 18, 25 and December 2, 9, 16.

• Brambles Children’s Centre, Budges Gardens, Wokingham on Thursday September 4, 11, 18, 25, October 2, 9, 16, 23, November 6, 13, 20, 27 and December 4, 11, 18.

• Winnersh Children’s Centre, Rainbow Community Centre, Winnersh on Friday September 5, 12, 19, 26, October 3, 10, 17, 24, November 7, 14, 21, 28 and December 5, 12, 19.

Wokingham Play representative, Rachel Strawn said: “'Play with Me' sessions bring together children's ideas for play and the grown-ups can join in and share the fun! It’s time to be creative, laugh with mirrors, build and play with balls. Everyone is welcome.

“It is hoped that the sessions will attract carers and parents that are looking for quality time to play with their children, free from distraction and expensive costs. All children need the opportunity to play in a safe environment and we would encourage families to experience shared play with their children. We recognise the importance of parents and carers sharing and understanding their children’s play development.”

Caroline Norris, Wokingham children’s centre programme manager, said: “Over the summer months we have had many families visit the borough’s children’s centre and we look forward to meeting many more over the coming months. Children's centres are an excellent source of support for families with children under the age of five and offer a wide range of services, advice and information.”

Wokingham Borough Council

With Olympic fever taking over the world, Wokingham Borough Council did its bit in getting people in the sporting spirit by organising the fifth annual Silverdale Youth Cup tournament for five-a-side football on Thursday August 7.

Young people came from across the Wokingham Borough with the aim of lifting the Silverdale Cup, with teams from Earley, Shinfield, Woodley, Charvil and Twyford battling it out for the honour and glory.

Despite the dismal weather forecast, the sun shone, and the tournament had plenty of dramatic moments; in particular the under 14s’ final which saw the Twyford Twits beat the Shinfield Superstars in a 3 -1 penalty shootout. Both teams played well and with determination. The tense penalty shoot-out saw the Twits hold their nerve and emerge victorious!

There were also plenty of goals in the under 17s’ match, with a final score of 4 - 2 to the Mayfair Blues, leaving Woodley FC as this year’s runners-up. In a thrilling match the crowds saw Woodley FC take an early lead with a goal straight from the kick off and they then scored another and it looked like the 2 – 0 lead would see them through. But the Blues were not finished and gave an amazing show of cool determination to take the match and win the trophy with a 4 – 2 victory.

Wokingham Youth worker Elaine Wealleans said: “The sportsmanship displayed throughout the day was very impressive, and all of the players demonstrated a high level of determination and enthusiasm. I would like to thank Alistair Agbaje and Jordan Finlay for their work in refereeing these matches.”

Cllr Malcolm Bryant, deputy executive member for Wokingham community development, said: “This annual competition is organised by the Silverdale Youth Centre and has become a popular fixture with the young people. It was great to see the youngsters getting active and taking part in sport and I would like to extend my congratulations to everyone involved in this successful competition.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough residents are advised that Longshot Lane civic amenity site will be closed between 9am and 10am on Saturday, August 30.

Owing to the redevelopment of the waste and recycling site, which is one of two available to Wokingham Borough residents, Longshot Lane’s opening hours for residents are currently 5pm to 8pm on weekdays and at weekends and bank holidays from 8am to 8pm in the summer and until 6pm in the winter.

Wokingham Borough residents are still able to use the site for their waste and recycling needs during the revised opening times but owing to the redevelopment they are advised to use Smallmead Household Waste and Recycling Centre, Island Road, Reading instead where possible.

The site is being redeveloped by the re3 partnership – which includes Wokingham, Bracknell and Reading Borough Councils and Waste Recycling Group (WRG) - to improve the waste and recycling facilities available.

Cllr Simon Weeks, Wokingham executive member for environment, said: “Unfortunately to provide better recycling and waste facilities for our residents there are times when Longshot Lane needs to further revise its opening hours. This is so that the redevelopment work can be carried out as safely and quickly as possible.

“I’d like to thank all our residents for their continued patience with this project and, as always, I would advise them to use the new waste and recycling facilities at Smallmead where possible, or double check Longshot Lane’s opening times before they set out – just in case of any essential temporary closure.”

The latest opening times, webcams showing how busy the site is and details of short term closures are available at www.re3.org.uk or by calling freephone 0800 9883023.

Wokingham Borough Council

Ten members of Wokingham Youth Club are packing their bags this week as they head off on a trip of a lifetime to South Africa, being organised by Wokingham Borough Council’s youth service.

After months of fundraising the Wokingham young people, aged between 15 and 19 years old, will finally fly on Saturday August 23 to Cape Town to start their ten-day trip. Over the past year the young people have been the driving force behind the fundraising and they held a number of events at Wokingham Youth Centre including two music festivals and a family fun day where they raised in excess of £4,000.

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 young people will take part in workshops with youngsters from the townships, to share experiences about growing up. They will also visit key landmarks such as Table Mountain, Robben Island, and the Council of Equality, which abolished apartheid.

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. They will tour the school and all the youngsters will get to know each other better when they take part in a UK group-run ‘buddy up’ quiz.

The UK youngsters will host a number of workshops for their South African peers including ‘My Life’ personal skills development workshops as well as a video camera project where they will develop a storyboard of the British and South African cultures before making a short film. Another highlight of the trip will be a tour of Langa, a township in Cape Town. Langa, one of the oldest townships in Cape Town and was one of the areas that were designated for black Africans before apartheid was abolished.
During their time in South Africa they will also visit a slave museum and attend workshops to hear stories about slavery in Cape Town.

Richard Ferguson, Wokingham area youth work manager, said: “The young people have raised a significant amount of money to fund their trip to South Africa. I would like to thank everyone who has supported them over the past few months and would like to pay particular thanks to Penny Bradshaw and Pat Rowell from the Winnersh NAAG for helping with the band events. We’ve also been supported by the Youth Opportunities Fund, Finchampstead Parish Council, Gordon Palmer Charitable Trust plus local police and community wardens who have all helped to turn this trip into reality. Over the ten days in South Africa they will see so much and learn about different cultures. It promises to be a trip of a lifetime!”

Cllr Malcolm Bryant, deputy executive member for Wokingham community development, said: “Over the past year there has been so many exciting trips and activities organised by the youth service. And, this summer alone youngsters are heading off to South Africa and the Middle East.

“Travelling abroad is a great way for them to experience different cultures at first hand. Members of Wokingham Youth Centre have spent so much time and effort raising the funds for their trip and they should be proud of what they have achieved. The fun will start on Saturday when they fly off to Cape Town and I hope they will enjoy themselves and learn much from their peers. It is great time to be a young person in the Wokingham Borough as there is so much on offer at our youth clubs.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Parts of a Finchampstead Wokingham estate that had been riddled with litter and overgrown vegetation are now sparkling after a massive clean-up last week.

Wokingham Street cleaners blitzed alleyways in Gorse Ride to clear-up rubbish, remove dumped items, trim over-grown shrubs and trees, pull-out weeds and rake up mounds of dead leaves as part of a massive clear-up operation.

Residents had told Wokingham Borough Council, Finchampstead Parish Council and Finchampstead Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) that some of the alleyways in Gorse Ride had become unkempt and overgrown in recent months and that action needed to be taken.

The clean-up was undertaken by the borough and parish council last week, with the help of OCS Horticulture, Wokingham Borough Council’s street cleansing contractor.

Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for Wokingham environment, said: “The community in Gorse Ride was telling us there was rubbish in alleyways, which had become overgrown and were becoming a real eyesore for residents and their visitors, and so we took action to rectify the situation.

“Alleyways that are untidy are not just unattractive, they also raise the fear of crime unnecessarily and so I’m pleased this latest clear-up has taken place.”

Cllr Roland Cundy, chairman of Finchampstead Parish Council, said: “It is so good these days to see partnerships in action for the common good. We are determined to make this area a place the residents can be proud to live in and feel safe in.”

Cllr Andrew Pearce, Finchampstead Neighbourhood Action Group member who campaigned for the clear-up and who is also a member of Finchampstead Parish Council, added: “My desire to clean up the alleyways was to reflect the feeling of the residents. This was borne out by the BBC Panorama programme earlier this month, where alleyways had previously been local tips and were now an extension of residents’ gardens. I wish to help regenerate social pride in the whole of our borough but specifically in Finchampstead."

Wokingham Borough Council

Public consultation on the blueprint for development in the Wokingham Borough for the next 20 years gets under way this week. And the council is calling residents to have their say by visiting www.wokingham.gov.uk/core-strategy.

Setting out the vision for how the Wokingham borough will develop and how the council aims to protect and enhance the good quality of life enjoyed by residents, the Core Strategy is a vitally important document that will set out the way communities are maintained or will be established in the future.

“The Core Strategy is not only about housing - it covers the future of rural areas, education, economic development, transport, public open space, leisure and community facilities, affordable housing and much more. And it is the only way we have of controlling and influencing the future development of the borough,” said chief executive Susan Law.

Cllr David Lee, leader of Wokingham council, said: “The Core Strategy seeks to provide the means of addressing the deficiencies we have in vital infrastructure such as roads, schools, parks and community facilities. And it will enable the council to manage where housing and other development will take place, helping us to build real communities and not just buildings.”

Cllr Gary Cowan, executive member for local and regional planning, said:
“The council remains committed to protecting Wokingham Borough and, whilst we are still challenging central government on what is the right amount of development for our borough, we have to accept that some is inevitable.

“The Core Strategy will help us to ensure that this development is high quality, is accommodated in the best way possible and that we secure vital infrastructure – roads, schools, health centres and community facilities that are fit for the 21st century.”

Public consultation on this crucial document starts on August 20 and will close at 5pm on October 1. Residents wanting more details should go to: www.wokingham.gov.uk/core-strategy or contact the council’s policy and plans team at: policyandplans@wokingham.gov.uk

The Wokingham council is currently contacting all the people on its database with details of this consultation. Anyone that hasn’t already been contacted and would like to have their say on the Core Strategy should email: corestrategy@wokingham.gov.uk or phone 0118 974 6478.

Wokingham Borough Council

The countdown to London 2012 will start in the Wokingham Borough on Sunday August 24, when the borough council raises an Olympic handover flag to celebrate the moment when London becomes the official Olympic Games’ host city.

A first in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic games, the London Olympic handover flag will be raised in the Wokingham Borough simultaneously with regions around the UK. Deputy Mayor Cllr Barrie Patman will raise the flag at 2.30pm at the civic offices at Shute End in Wokingham and he will be joined by GB trampoline squad members Katie, Liam and Ross Abrahams from Wokingham and GB squad gymnasts Shaun Gregory and Louisa Bellis, both from Wokingham.

The Olympic handover flag in the Wokingham Borough will be one of over 500 flags delivered to locations including HM Armed Forces, embassies around the world, city halls, council offices and Foreign and Commonwealth offices.

Amongst the locations in the UK, Olympic handover flags will be raised at landmark areas such as the Unst in the Shetland Isles, the most northerly point in the UK and Land’s End in Cornwall, the most southerly point. Flags will also be raised at Lowestoft, the most easterly town in England and the Isles of Scilly, the most westerly point.

Beverley Thompson, Wokingham sports development manager, said: “The countdown to London 2012 starts on the bank holiday weekend. In the Wokingham Borough we have a number of Olympic hopefuls and many of our athletes in the national squads in their chosen fields. Many of them would love to star in the games in four years’ time and I would be delighted to see some them picking up Olympic medals in front of a home crowd! The games are happening close to the Wokingham Borough and I know there is much support for them locally.”

Deputy Wokingham Mayor Cllr Barrie Patman said: “The council’s sport and leisure strategy outlines our aim to expand programmes for all sports and to encourage our residents to become more physically active – our long-term vision for the borough is clear and one of our priorities is for greater access to leisure. With London hosting the Olympic Games in four years’ time I hope it will encourage more people to get active! I am delighted to join some of Wokingham Borough’s national squad athletes in raising this celebratory flag.”

Wokingham Borough Council

The statutory consultation on changes to fees in Wokingham Borough Council run car parks started last week (Thursday August 14).

The Wokingham council must ask members of the public for their comments and thoughts on the charging changes by law for at least 21 days via a consultation.

Wokingham Borough Council’s decision-making executive decided to standardise car-parking charges in June. The executive agreed to raise tariffs at all car parks in the borough except in Rose Street, Wokingham, and the country parks of Dinton Pastures and California.

The executive’s decision was upheld at the council’s scrutiny committee in July and is now due to go before the executive again in September, before being implemented in October.

However the Wokingham council must take in to account any issues that members of the public raise in relation to the revised fees, which are different to the concerns already addressed at the scrutiny committee hearing, before it can adopt and implement the changes.

The statutory consultation will be advertised in several local newspapers from Thursday (August 14) and so members of the public have until Friday September 5, to lodge any comments. These can be sent to car.parking@wokingham.gov.uk or Place and Neighbourhood Services, PO Box 153 Wokingham Borough Council, Shute End, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 1WL.

Cllr Keith Baker, executive member for Wokingham highways and transport, said: “I want to reassure residents, shoppers and businesses that every effort has been made to keep any increase in car parking charges as low as possible. Unfortunately the cost of running a car park goes up every year and while we don’t want to put the charges up we have little alternative, apart from increasing council tax – which simply isn’t fair on those people who do not use the car parks.

“However if members of the public feel they have a genuine issue about car parking fees that hasn’t already been addressed then they should voice their concerns during this upcoming consultation period.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Next week, some 11 young people from the Wokingham Borough will be jetting off to the Middle East for a 10 day-long youth exchange.

The young Wokingham people fly to Jordan on Friday August 22 before travelling onto Jericho. The exchange will be based in Jericho and Ramallah in the West Bank and during the exchange the youngsters will be meeting government ministers at their headquarters before visiting the tomb of former president Yasser Arafat. They will also meet with Yasser Arafat’s daughter Lina Arafat and hopefully president Mamoud Abbas.

The Wokingham trip will also help them to explore their heritage and so they will take part in a number of workshops to find out about what makes them who they are. They will get involved with traditional hand craft and will be working on a mural to illustrate their visit, which will be used to renovate a children’s play area. Also on the young people’s itinerary is a trip to Jerusalem, the Aqbet Jaber refugee camp and a youth project in Ramallah.

One of the highlights of the trip will be a visit to Bethlehem where they will see the Holy Church of the Nativity and the Shepherd’s Field before visiting a traditional house in the city.

Elaine Wealleans, senior Wokingham youth support worker, said: “The group from the Wokingham Borough will join youngsters from Palestine to explore how their heritage has influenced who they have become. They will also be looking at how their lives are different despite some of them having common heritage. The group from the Wokingham Borough are all British but come from diverse cultural backgrounds.”

Omar-Al-Kattan from Woodley, age 16, said: “We met the group from Palestine last summer in another youth exchange which was interesting and fun. We are looking forward to meeting them again, and seeing many different places. It will be a good experience to live with a Palestinian young person and we will be able to compare our lives including the differences and similarities.

“We’ll be taking part in workshops to find out about what makes us who we are. Some of us from the Wokingham Borough youth group have Arab heritage so it will be really interesting to see how our lives compare with people of our own age living in an Arabic country.”

Cllr Malcolm Bryant, deputy executive member for Wokingham community development, said: “Youth exchanges open youngsters’ eyes to other cultures and they bring huge benefits. It is a fine example of the good work carried out by the council’s youth service and how they offer activities that meet a range of needs to a diverse group of young people. This visit to the Middle East will be very interesting for the young people and for some of them it will be the first time they have travelled abroad. I hope they enjoy themselves.”

The exchange will end with a celebration evening and team games, where traditional games of each country will be played.

Wokingham Borough Council

Some 13 Wokingham youth club members have just returned from a five-day adrenaline-filled adventure to Newgale YMCA Outdoor Activity Centre in Pembrokeshire, Wales, organised by Wokingham Borough Council’s youth service.

The Wokingham young people, aged between 13 and 17, some of whom had never met each other before, used the five-hour bus journey to Wales as an opportunity to get to know one another. They arrived at Newgale to a fantastic location, overlooking the sea with breathtaking views of the coastline.

Activities took place within the local area, allowing the young people to continue enjoying all the fabulous panoramic views. The Wokingham young people played beach games and completed activities such as climbing and abseiling over a cliff-face, sea kayaking, team challenges, power-kiting, a high-ropes course, mountain-biking, weaselling (also known as rock hopping) and coasteering, which is a combination of low level scrambling and climbing up a cliff face followed by a leap into the sea.

This was the first time that some of the youth service’s young people had taken part in such high adrenaline activities. Wokingham Neighbourhood youth worker Louise Morris said: “This was an amazing experience for all involved. It was a new adventure for us, and we are very pleased with the young people’s progress. I can’t wait for the next trip!”

Neighbourhood Wokingham youth worker Mike Bennett said: “Each activity challenged and pushed every individual to work outside of his or her comfort zone. The young people worked and encouraged each other so that everyone felt valued and supported. I am very proud of each individual’s progress and success.”

Ryan Mullay from Wargrave (14), said: “It was a brilliant trip away. I really enjoyed the mountain-biking and helping to teach others to bunny-hop. I’m really pleased with myself and that I did the activities, which pushed me out of my comfort zone.”

The activity trip was partly funded by a Positive Activities for Young People grant, managed by the youth service, which helps young people access activities that they might not otherwise be able to attend.

For more information on what is happening for young people in your local area, or if you would like to apply for PAYP funding please contact your local youth centre by logging on to: www.wokingham.gov.uk/youthservice

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Children have been cycling to success this summer holiday during training sessions that have helped them learn all about how to stay safe on the borough’s roads in preparation for the new school term.

The Wokingham Borough Council run cycling proficiency sessions have been so popular that an additional week of training has been set-up. The week-long training events have been helping youngsters understand the potential dangers on the road and how to use the correct signals and stay safe while out cycling. It also tests their knowledge with a short practical exam at the end of the week.

Jill Bissell, Wokingham cycling proficiency coordinator, said: “We have been absolutely fully booked with children wanting to learn how to stay safe while cycling, which has meant we’ve had to put on additional sessions to cope with the demand.

“Getting to and from school by bike and using the borough’s roads correctly is extremely important and what these sessions provide is a guide on how to stay safe while cycling – which I hope will stand all the children in good stead for when they take to the roads by bike in the future.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council will be in the business of keeping company with big and small firms from across the area now that it is a member of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The Wokingham borough council became a full member of the chamber last month (July) in the interest of forging even better relations with companies from across the area and finding out how the council can help them and meet their needs further.

More than 2,500 organisations are part of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce, with Wokingham having its own local branch of the chamber.

Wokingham Council officers will be able to meet representatives from the various local and regionally-based companies via briefings, meetings and networking events, so they can understand further what businesses require from the council and how working relationships between the public and private sector can progress in the future.

Andy Nicholls, economic development officer, said: “There are huge benefits in joining the Chamber of Commerce. Most notably it will allow us to really tap in to what businesses want from the council, how we can help them and how they can help us.

“It will provide a great link to many of the local, regional and national businesses that we have in the borough. I’m looking forward to meeting representatives from both big and small firms so we can start exploring further what services they want from us and how we can work together to further improve the borough’s economic environment.”

Cllr Dianne King, executive member for Wokingham community development, added: “This is a really positive step forward in reaching out to our businesses in the borough and forging greater relationships with them. In our vision, we made a clear commitment to enhancing business sustainability and, through working with the chamber and its members we can ensure that happens in the future.”

Mark Ashwell, chairman of the Wokingham Chamber of Commerce, added: “ The relationship that has built between Wokingham Borough Council and the Chamber of Commerce has been invaluable to the economic strategy of the Wokingham Borough. Proactive communication, positive feedback and shared problem solving contribute to an alliance that works.”

Wokingham Borough Council

The wet Wokingham weather didn’t dampen the spirits at a traditional street party held in Eustace Crescent on Saturday August 9.

Local people planned the party with the help of Wokingham Borough Council’s community wardens, community development worker Candice Wright and volunteers from the Big Idea scheme run by churches in the area and about 100 people enjoyed an afternoon of old fashioned fun and games.

Among the attractions were music and dancing, karaoke, face painting and a sponge toss as well as a tombola and free ice cream for children.

Wokingham Community warden Emma LeRoy said: “The road was closed and we got tables and chairs out for the food and there was bunting up along the street – it was a real old-fashioned party and everybody had a great time. There was a fancy dress competition for children and there was also a prize given for the best decorated balcony. The rain held off during lunch, which was lovely as the residents had a chance to mingle and get to know one another better.”

The Big Idea donated £100 for the party and the Surrey Community Development Trust - a charity that works with vulnerable people - donated £25 and residents raised money for it with a table-top sale and car wash.

Deputy Wokingham mayor Cllr Barrie Patman, who went to the party and judged fancy dress and best balcony competitions, said: “It was great to be invited to this real community celebration. All generations enjoyed the event and the organisers did a wonderful job. It just goes to show what a bit of community spirit can do to give people a lift – even on a rainy afternoon.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Starting Tuesday August 12, youngsters in Shinfield can take part in free football sessions at Frensham Green in Shinfield thanks to Wokingham Borough Council.

The sessions are running until Friday (August 15) between 10am and 2pm. Qualified coaches from Wokingham council’s sports development unit, will be on hand to give youngsters tips on how to improve their footballing skills and matches will also take place.

Kerry Flynn, Wokingham area housing officer, said: “The council has been working with local residents associations’ in Shinfield to provide activities for young people to take part in this summer. Football is a firm favourite with the youngsters so we have arranged for qualified coaches to visit the estate to get them out playing football in a safe environment. And on day one, we have had huge interest from local young people and I hope it will continue all week.”

Beverley Thompson, Wokingham sports development manager, said: “The sessions allow the youngster to try out football and improve the skills they already have. They will benefit from the expertise of qualified coaches and it’s a great way for them to make new friends this summer. We continue to encourage our youngsters to get active and take part in sport and we hope they will enjoy these sessions.”

Next week, Wokingham council’s community wardens and local police officers will be taking youngsters from Shinfield to play football at Millworth Lane in Shinfield. These sessions take place every day next week (August 18 to 22) between 10am and 3pm. Anyone wishing to join these sessions should call (0118) 974 6264 to book a place on the walking bus.

Wokingham Borough Council

Following the success of its United in Diversity youth exchange held last year, Wokingham Borough Council has been nominated by the British Council for a European Youth Award being organised by The European Commission.

European Youth Week is an annual event held in November across Europe and this year the theme is International Dialogue. The European Commission is holding an event in Brussels to celebrate the week and during this time they will be making a number of youth awards of which the borough council has been nominated for one – in fact the only UK project to be nominated in this category!

The exchange, which took place in July 2007, was organised by Wokingham Borough Council’s youth service and funded by the European Commission. It saw over 60 young people from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Turkey, France, the Basque area of Spain and the Wokingham Borough explore the meaning of international citizenship. This event brought together young people from diverse backgrounds from around the world to actively explore international citizenship, co-operation, equality and diversity, rights and responsibilities, human rights and democracy through workshops, discussion groups and outdoor activities.

Wokingham Cllr Malcolm Bryant, deputy executive member for community development, said: “The council was recently contacted by the British Council in London who informed us they had nominated our United in Diversity exchange for a European Youth Award. This is wonderful news and speaks great volumes for the quality of the youth work that takes place week in, week out in the borough but in particular during this hugely successful youth exchange last summer. We are the only UK youth exchange project to be nominated and I am delighted that the youth service’s work has been acknowledged in this way. The youth service has done a tremendous amount to promote the benefits of international youth exchanges.

“Some of these young people left virtual war zones to come to the Wokingham Borough to learn about each other’s lives and cultures. They had the chance to explore their differences and similarities and address the myths of stereotyping of people's ethnicity and beliefs. I would like to wish the youth service the best of luck for the ceremony in November.”

Head of Wokingham youth service Nigel Shaw said: “This youth exchange was a culmination of six years’ work since we last hosted a similar event in the Wokingham Borough. The fact this exchange was so successful, and that we have been nominated by the British Council for this prestigious award, is something of which we are extremely proud.”

Elaine Wealleans, senior Wokingham youth support worker, said: “Since last summer many young people have kept in touch and we continue to have country-to-country youth exchanges. This summer alone we have 15 youngsters visiting Palestine to take part in a ‘heritage to here’ exchange where they will compare their lives and learn about each other’s cultures. Exchanges such as these are invaluable to young people.”

Wokingham Borough Council

With the Wokingham school term starting after the summer break, the full range of children’s activities will be back up and running in the Wokingham Borough’s libraries in September.

Wokingham Library staff across the borough are gearing up to welcome back young people and families to art, story and rhyme sessions. Get Arty family arts and crafts sessions will be back at Lower Earley, Woodley, Wokingham and Lower Earley libraries; rhymetimes for babies aged up to 18 months will be back at Wokingham, Woodley and Lower Earley libraries and there will be dad and baby rhyme times at Wokingham and Lower Earley libraries.

For children under five, there will be storytime sessions offering stories and crafts at Wargrave, Wokingham, Lower Earley, Woodley, Spencers Wood, Twyford and Maiden Erlegh libraries.

Also, parents and guardians of children aged 18 to 30 months can pick up a free Bookstart plus pack full of books from any of the borough’s libraries or children’s centres. All they need to do is take their child’s red record book to claim their pack.

Wokingham Borough Council Bookstart officer Ellen Phillips said: “With all these reasons to go to your library, there is no excuse for parents not to pick up a Bookstart Plus pack while they attend one of these events. The packs have books and other freebies that are educational and fun for children and all 18 to 30 month olds should get one.”

For teenagers, the manga club at Wokingham Library and the Winnersh Gaming Club - for fans of role-playing simulation games such as Warhammer - at Winnersh Library will continue.

As well as children’s activities, there will be a lot going on for adults in the Wokingham Borough’s libraries in September.

Reading Cafes will be running at Twyford, Wokingham, Woodley and Spencers Wood libraries to offer a chance for library members to drop-in to book discussions. There will also be a family history drop-in session at which visitors will be able to use the new free access to the family history online database ancestry.com.

Aspiring poets will still be able to enter the Wokingham borough libraries’ poetry competition and composting advice workshops being run by the Waste and Resources Action Programme at the borough’s libraries will also continue. The recently launched non-fiction book group at Wokingham Library will also meet in September.

On Thursday September 25, Woodley Library will be taking part in the national Macmillan Coffee Morning to raise money for cancer support. Coffee and homemade cakes will be on offer to anybody dropping into the library from 10am to 12.30pm.

Executive member for community development Cllr Dianne King said: “There is a full and varied range of activities for young and old library members to enjoy this September – not to mention the books, CDs, and DVDs that can be borrowed and the research facilities and computers that can be used.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Fun Wokingham family sessions to teach families all about composting are to be held in libraries across the Wokingham Borough.

Wokingham Borough Council has teamed up with the Waste and Resources Action Programme - WRAP - to run the workshops, which will begin at Wokingham Library on Tuesday August 19. The free workshops will offer advice on what can and cannot be composted and how to compost at home and will include a family game to highlight why composting is important. The workshop will run from 10.30am to 11.30am and is suitable for children aged five and over with parents or guardians.

Wokingham Borough Council reader development officer for adults Heather Dyson said: “Libraries are places where people come to get all sorts of information and so it is great that we are giving residents the chance to find out more about composting at our libraries.”

WRAP is a not for profit company that promotes recycling and the reduction of waste and it will be running further sessions at:

o Woodley Library from 10am to midday on Monday September 15
o Lower Earley Library from 10am to midday on Saturday October 11
o Twyford Library from 10am to midday on Saturday November 8
o Spencers Wood Library from 10am to midday on January 10, 2009
o Maiden Erlegh Library from 10am to midday on Saturday February 7, 2009
o Wargrave Library from 10am to midday on March 18, 2009
o Winnersh Library from 10am to midday on April 22, 2009
o Finchampstead Library from 10am to midday on Wednesday May 20, 2009
o Wokingham Library from 10am to midday on Saturday June 13, 2009.

Executive member for environment Cllr Simon Weeks said: “Wokingham Borough residents have a great record on recycling and events such as these workshop can only help to enhance that record. It is also good that it is for families as children often push parents towards greener lifestyles.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council has announced the appointment of building contractors Willmott Dixon to carry out the £29.3million reconstruction of Waingels College in Woodley.

And the transformation will be a step closer when a planning application is submitted to rebuild and refurbish the school in Woodley later this month (August). The project will provide the college with a learning environment that will really make a difference to students and staff. By designing and rebuilding the college it will allow for innovative teaching and learning. The college will also be available for use by the wider community.

Over the past year Wokingham council and Waingels College have been busy working on these proposals in consultation with students, staff, governors, key stakeholders and local residents.

Cllr David Lee, leader of the Wokingham council, said: “This is the start of a new era for schools in the Wokingham Borough. Our long-term vision is for excellent children’s services and skills for all and we are committed to providing high standards of education that will enable our children, young people and adults to acquire the right skills they need to succeed in life. This project at Waingels College goes a long way to support this vision and sees a greater investment in our schools.

“This project brings huge benefits to the whole Waingels College community from students to staff but also to the wider community and the aim is for it to become a outstanding centre for learning. Bracknell and Wokingham College will remain on site and will continue to provide adult education opportunities. The Scout Association will also remain on site.

“The bid we have received from Willmott Dixon was of a high quality and I am delighted with their appointment. These are exciting times ahead of us as we prepare to submit a planning application which will bring us a step closer to turning our aspiration to provide our students at Waingels College with excellent learning facilities into reality.”

Richard Green, executive principal of Waingels College, said: “Staff, students and governors at Waingels have been very pleased by the willingness of architects to engage with us to come up with designs that should really enable us to deliver our vision for 21st century learning. It will allow Waingels’ students to become highly skilled and resourceful learners who will be able to make a success of their lives.”

Willmott Dixon’s pre-construction manager Nigel Armstrong, said: “Our team is delighted to have been confirmed as preferred bidder for the project at Waingels and we are really looking forward to the next stage of the project and stakeholder consultations. I believe that developing design will be truly transformational for the delivery of education at the school.”

The contractors are busy drawing up detailed designs and are taking into account the college site, educational objectives, minimising disruption during building work for students and local residents, and value for money. Once the final designs are complete, a planning application will be submitted, and these will be subject to the normal planning process and, at that stage, interested parties will have a further opportunity to make their views known as part of the statutory consultation process.

Wokingham Borough Council

The Wokingham Respect project, an initiative to instil the virtues of respect into young people, is expanding across the Wokingham Borough.

The project is run by Wokingham Council’s community wardens and was launched last month at Westende Junior School, when community wardens held a free raffle in the playground to give away Respect project goodies, such as folders, computer hand rests and hoodies, and to hand out Respect leaflets.

The project has expanded and the community wardens are going into schools’ assemblies to give a presentation on respect – based on the ideas in the leaflet - on the same day they are giving away the freebies and handing out the leaflets.

The message in the Wokingham leaflet is simple and focuses on things that everybody should respect by spelling out:

Respect
Each other
Self
Property
Environment
Community
Teachers

The project has now been taken into Whitelock Infant and Junior School, Palmer Church of England Junior School, Hawthorns Junior School and Bearwood Junior School and the Community Wardens are keen to hear from any other school that would like the assembly presentation.

Wokingham Community warden Lesley McCambridge, who came up with the Respect project in Wokingham Borough, said: “The idea behind the project is very simple – people, both young and older, will be happier, safer and better members of the community if they respect themselves and others. To help get young people thinking about these things, we came up with specific people and things they should respect and ways they can do so, such as listening to teachers and not dropping litter. The project has been very popular and we believe we’ve got young people thinking about respect and how they can show it to others.”

Wokingham Borough Council executive member for community development Cllr Dianne King said: “Many people, young an old, try to demand respect from others while not actually respecting people or things themselves and this campaign makes it clear that is not possible. Respect has to be earned and one of the best ways to earn it is to show it to other people. I am sure many young people have got that message from this campaign and I hope many more have the chance to be part of it.”

Anybody interested in the Respect campaign can contact Lesley McCambridge on 0118 974 3799.

Wokingham Borough Council

Young Wokingham people aged between 15 and 17 can learn about how to become responsible drivers and pick up other useful car tips on a free programme being run in Earley this summer.

Wokingham Borough Council’s youth service has booked a Motorwise Road User Education Programme for Earley Centrepoint Youth Centre during August and early September. The programme, which is organised and facilitated by the Berkshire Association of Clubs for Young People (BACYP) will teach safe driving as well as offering tips on buying a second-hand car, basic first aid training, advice on types of insurance and how to be a responsible road-user. The programme consists of four separate sessions, each tackling different road-related topics and will highlight what can go wrong if people don’t drive responsibly.

The Wokingham Motorwise project is led by young people and aims to reduce the number of road traffic-related incidents involving young people, whilst also raising awareness of the consequences of vehicle-related crime. The Council’s youth service has been able to provide this training to young people after they received funding from Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP).

The Wokingham workshops will use video footage and mock theory tests to educate the young people about road safety and after the initial theory has been digested, all young people taking part will get to drive dual-controlled vehicles on a site away from public roads.

Rachael Holmes, youth worker for Earley Centrepoint, said: “We had quite a few young people at Earley Centrepoint who were coming up to the age of being able to have driving lessons. There were also quite a lot of careless attitudes about driving going around, so we talked to the young people about Motorwise and they thought it was a good compromise as they get a driving lesson in exchange for some road education. It’s a great course as it teaches young people how to be a safe and considerate driver, as well as teaching them vital skills like what to do if you’re first on the scene of a crash. With so many young people dying on our roads each year courses like this are invaluable. The young people are rewarded at the end of the course with a driving lesson, so it’s lots of fun too.”
Roger Seward, Berkshire Motorwise Project Manager, said: “We have recently carried out a survey which has shown that previous participants are less likely to have a road traffic incident compared with the national average. I am returning to Earley Centrepoint this month to train young people following a very successful run last year.”

Places are limited for the four Wokingham workshops, so young people need to book their place as soon as possible and before August 8. To book, collect an application form from Earley Centrepoint Youth Centre, or telephone youth worker Rachael Holmes on (0118) 931 2951 for more information. The workshops are free, but a refundable £10 deposit is payable on enrolment which will be returned at the end of the course.

Wokingham Borough Council

Young people from across the Wokingham borough enjoyed messing about on the river at the Big Splash family fun day on Saturday August 3.

Organised by the Borough Council’s community wardens, the event gave young people the chance to enjoy boat races and other activities while learning important lessons about being safe on the water at the Wokingham Waterside Centre in Thames Valley Park Drive.

This year’s was the third annual Wokingham Big Splash and each time the free event gets bigger. As well as races for young people in unsinkable katakanu boats, there was a barbecue, inflatable slides, a bouncy castle, surf simulator, ball pool, face painting and a giant Connect 4 game.

Leisure Connections provided fun with a penalty shoot-out competition for which there was a prize of a £50 family pass to Leisure Connection facilities such as swimming pools and leisure centres. Circus Scene, which runs circus workshops, was on hand to teach some circus tricks and representatives from the fire service and Just Around the Corner - a group that provides mobile youth activities in Woodley - also joined in the fun.

And, as well as the fun and games, staff from the Waterside Centre gave water safety advice and instruction to the young people taking part and representatives from the Drug Action Team were on hand with advice and information.

Deputy Wokingham mayor, Cllr Barrie Patman, who handed out the prizes at the event, said: “The Big Splash is always great fun and, despite the rain, this year’s was an excellent opportunity for young people and their families to enjoy a safe day of waterside activities.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Singing has been recognised as a positive therapeutic experience which gives pleasure & enjoyment to all. Singing for the Brain is a stimulating, fun, social activity for dementia sufferers & their carers to share together in a friendly atmosphere.

Groups supported by volunteers & organised by the Alzheimer’s Society, Wokingham Branch, will meet at:

The Cornerstone, Wokingham, 10.30a.m.-12.00p.m on Tuesdays, September 16th, 23rd, 30th, October 7th, November 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th

Charvil Village Hall, Charvil, 10.30a.m.-12.00p.m. on Thursdays, September 18th, 25th, October 2nd, 9th, November 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th, December 4th

Refreshments are available at the beginning of the session, giving everyone the opportunity to chat & get to know others. The singing includes a variety of old & new songs to give pleasure to all.

If you are caring for a family member or friend with dementia & you would like to join us, contact:

Anne Day - tel: 0118 966 6968 email: annecday@hotmail.com or Gwen Turner - tel: 0118 978 4815 email: gnturner@supanet.com

Wokingham Alzheimer’s Society

Wokingham Borough primary schoolchildren have once again achieved excellent key stage 2 results with the borough being ranked fourth in the country for the second year running for its average point score for tests taken by 11-year-olds in English, maths and science.

The provisional results for key stage 2 were published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, on Tuesday August 5.

At key stage 2, level four is the expected level for 11-year-olds taking the tests. Attainment in English at level four has improved by one percentage point to 88 compared with the national percentage of 81, with the borough’s pupils being ranked third in the country for their results. The Wokingham borough’s girls have improved by two percentage points to 92 at English level four, compared with the national percentage of 85, and their results rank them as second in the country.

In maths, the borough was fifth in the country improving by one percentage point to 84 per cent achieving the expected level compared with the national average of 78 per cent. Some 92 per cent of Wokingham pupils achieved the expected level in science, which is four per cent higher than the national average - 88 per cent - placing the borough fifth in the country for this.

And many of the borough’s pupils also achieved at level five, which is higher than the expected level – the borough came third in English - 39 per cent against a national average of 29 per cent -, fifth in maths - 40 per cent against a national average of 31 per cent. In science, pupils came fourth with 55 per cent compared with the national average of 44 per cent.

Cllr John Kersley, deputy executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “I would like to congratulate pupils and schools on the excellent results today, their hard work has paid off. It has been a difficult few weeks for many pupils who have had to wait for their results owing to the national problems with marking examination papers. We are indeed still waiting for a complete set of results which we do not expect for some weeks.

“We have good results year on year, and today we have seen a further improvement at almost every subject at level four, which is a real credit to everyone involved. The provisional results published today demonstrate that Wokingham Borough primary school pupils are gaining excellent skills to provide strong foundations for their future education success.

“We are not complacent. Our vision is for excellent children’s services and skills for all. We have made a long-term commitment to provide a high standard of education and realise the vital importance of ensuring children and young people have the right skills to get them into further education or employment.”

Some 16 schools in the Wokingham Borough are affected by missing results.

Wokingham Borough Council

Fans of non-fiction books – from histories to memoirs and travel literature to biographies - will be welcome at a new book group being set up at Wokingham Library.

Wokingham libraries’ book groups have become increasingly popular but, as with most such groups, they have mainly concentrated on fiction - leaving non-fiction readers out - and it is to rectify this gap that the new book group has been set up.

Among the sort of books that will be discussed will be ‘A History of Modern Britain’ by Andrew Marr and ‘A Long Way Round’ by Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman.

Wokingham Borough Council executive member for community development Cllr Dianne King said: “Book groups are a lovely way to find out about new books and to offer a chance to talk about them with like-minded people. I am sure many residents are keen readers of non-fiction and this new group will be perfect for them.”

The non-fiction book group will meet from 6.30pm to 7.45pm on the third Thursday of each month starting on September 18. The group will be free to attend but places must be booked in advance from Wokingham Library on 0118 978 1368 or email: bookgroups@wokingham.gov.uk.

Wokingham Borough Council

Work may not always inspire poetic thoughts but for anybody creative enough to produce a couplet about their computer or an ode to an office will be in with a chance to win a poetry competition being run by Wokingham Borough Council.

Even if your idea of work is more wasteland than host of golden daffodils, there is room for your efforts in the competition and entries can be handed in at any Wokingham Borough library before the closing date of Friday October 3.

The winner will be announced a Poetry Celebration event at Wokingham Library on Thursday October 16, when the winning poem will be put on display.

Wokingham Borough Council executive member for community development Cllr Dianne King said: “Poems on the theme of work should produce some interesting thoughts and I am looking forward to seeing them.”

The Poetry Celebration will be at Wokingham Library from 6.30pm to 8pm and will feature readings from local poets, Victoria Pugh, Susan Utting and Ian House - all of whom have had collections published by Two Rivers Press - and Martin Haslam, who won last year’s poetry competition.

Places at the poetry celebration must be booked in advance and to confirm a place call the library on 0118 978 1368.

Wokingham Borough Council

Local people going to Learndirect at Wokingham Library can be confident they will be getting good quality information advice and guidance after it gained a national Matrix accreditation.

Matrix accreditation is a quality benchmark for any organisation that delivers information or guidance about learning or work and, following a two day assessment, Learndirect in Wokingham has now achieved the standard.

The assessors particularly praised the joint working arrangements with the borough’s libraries and Job Centre Plus, the way Learndirect shares information resources, the flexibility of the support it offers and the high level of support offered to learners. The report also praises the friendliness of staff and the personal interest they show in individual learners, which the report states: “makes a significant difference to the clients’ overall level of motivation and satisfaction.”

Wokingham Learndirect manager Alan Bennett said: “This accreditation is testament to the hard work and dedication of all the Learndirect staff who are always determined to provide flexible and reliable support and advice to learners. We know that accurate information is vital to the service we offer – which gives adults a chance to learn skills that are life enhancing and can even be life changing for some people.”

Learndirect is funded by the Government’s University for Industry programme and is provided in Wokingham by the borough council. In Wokingham, Learndirect currently has more than 400 learners registered on courses, including IT, business management and basic literature and numeracy. It is based at Wokingham Library but has outreach locations elsewhere in the borough and in Bracknell Forest.

Wokingham Borough Council executive member for community development Cllr Dianne King said: “Some of the adults learners going to Learndirect may be nervous as they may have been out of education for a long time or have had a bad experience with education in the past, so it is vital that they get a friendly, professional welcome and good support and advice through their course - and it seems that is exactly what they get in Wokingham.

Anybody interested in finding out more about Learndirect in the Wokingham Borough can contact Alan Bennett on 0118 978 8069 or email him at alan.bennett@wokingham.gov.uk. Learndirect’s reception at Wokingham Library is open from 9.30am to 7pm on Mondays and Thursdays, 9.30am to 5pm on Tuesday and Fridays and 9.30am to 1pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough residents have been caught in a recycling frenzy over the past few months as the latest figures reveal the amount of green waste collected in the green bags is already up by more than a third, compared to the same period last year.

More than 2,000 tonnes of green waste including grass, weeds and clippings were recycled in the Wokingham borough from April to June, while 2,300 tonnes of cans, plastic bottles, paper and card have also been recycled by residents.

Peter Baveystock, Wokingham waste and recycling manager, said: “This is an absolutely fantastic effort and I’m very pleased that so many residents in the Wokingham Borough are recycling more and more. To have increased green waste recycling by 38 per cent over the late spring and early summer alone is excellent, but the push is now on to recycle even more over the autumn and winter.”

In 2007/08 residents recycled more than 37 per cent of their household waste by using the council’s fortnightly black box and fortnightly green waste kerbside recycling collection schemes. In 2008/09 the Wokingham Borough has a recycling target of 38 per cent – which it is currently on track to meet.

As well as the kerbside recycling collections there are also 42 local recycling points where items such as glass, newspapers and magazines can be recycled, details on the locations can be found at www.wokingham.gov.uk/recycling. Additionally there are five juice carton recycling bins available across the borough, where juice, wine and milk cartons made from tetra paks can be recycled. *

Recycling points are also available at Smallmead Household Waste and Recycling Centre, Island Road, Reading and Longshot Lane Household Waste and Recycling Centre, Bracknell, where items such as metal, soil, rubble and wood can also be recycled. A full list of items and opening times for both centres is available at www.re3.org.uk

Composters can also be a great way to reduce waste being sent to landfill as they can turn fruit, vegetables, tea-bags, eggshells and cardboard into garden fertilizer. Composters are available to Wokingham Borough residents by contacting re3 at www.re3.org.uk

Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for Wokingham environment, said: “One of the council’s main priorities in achieving its vision is to make sure the borough is a clean and green place to live, work and visit. Obviously recycling is a big part of that and so I’m pleased to see residents are working with us to ensure the Wokingham Borough continues to have a clean and green environment.

“Recycling 38 per cent more green waste in April, May and June compared to same period in 2007 is an amazing achievement – so I’d like to thank all our residents for their efforts. However to achieve our environmental targets, and ensure that the borough isn’t paying out for expensive landfill waste charges, we need to make sure that everyone continues to do their bit throughout the autumn and winter months.”

More information on recycling, including 20 ways to reduce your waste, local recycling points, details on the green waste and black box kerbside recycling collections is available at www.wokingham.gov.uk/recycling, by calling (0118) 974 6302/6303 or by emailing waste.services@wokingham.gov.uk

Wokingham Borough Council

Business waste is about to get greener across the Wokingham, Reading and Bracknell Forest boroughs – thanks to a project led by Wokingham Borough Council for the area’s joint waste partnership, Re3, and funded by the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Centre for Local Authorities.

With help from colleagues in all the Re3 partner organisations - in particular Business Link Berkshire - Wokingham Borough Council’s income generation officer, Alison Munro, has secured grant funding from the BREW Centre of £40,000 to assist in the reduction, reuse and recycling of business waste.

Reducing the amount of waste that Wokingham businesses produce - and finding innovative ways of recycling the unavoidable waste - can be a challenge, as businesses have widely varying individual waste needs and many businesses need tailored guidance on best practice. Assessing the wide-ranging issues facing the area’s businesses is a key first step.

The new grant funding of £40,000 will enable a detailed research project into the waste and support needs of nearly 10,400 businesses across the Re3 area. The information gathered will be used to bring about a reduction in business waste to landfill, with a particular focus on SME (small to medium size enterprise) needs.

Re3 waste board chair Cllr Rob Stanton said: “This was a timely opportunity to carry out research into business waste, as it has become an important area of concern for local authorities in line with the Waste Strategy for England 2007. This project will also dovetail with the re3 Draft Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy which has specific actions related to business waste.

“The funding from the BREW Centre will enable us to establish a comprehensive picture of business waste and advice support needs across the re3 boroughs and develop feasible and innovative solutions which enable greater levels of business waste avoidance and recycling across the area. Potentially this could have benefits beyond the boundaries of the three local authorities involved.”

As a result of the project the Re3 partnership is confident that businesses will have a greater awareness of waste legislation and best practice, and will be able to make better use of the support and opportunities available to them. Cllr Stanton added: “We also look forward to enhanced relationships between our partnership and the local businesses we serve on waste issues - and also closer relations between re3 partner councils and support services such as Business Link, Envirowise and other related organisations, and networks such as Social Enterprise Berkshire and Connect Reading.”

Paul Gittings, Lead Councillor for Environment and Sustainability at Reading Borough Council said: “This is another example of how the joint working between the local authorities will benefit local people. Finding better ways to tackle business waste is absolutely vital if we are to meet our ambitious recycling targets in the future.”

Bracknell Forest Borough Council’s executive member for the environment Cllr Mrs Dorothy Hayes said: “Councillors and staff from the three partner councils work closely together to make the re3 project good value for money for local residents. This funding demonstrates how successful we are being.”

Wokingham Borough Council

A group of young people aged between 12 and 15 years old from Wokingham Borough Council’s youth club at Barkham raided the dressing up box on Monday (July 28) when they visited the Berkshire Costume Service in Finchampstead to choose some costumes for a media project taking place on tomorrow (Thursday July 31).

The young people will create their own videos whilst wearing vintage items of clothing and accessories from Berkshire Costume Service. They are taking part in the ongoing Clothes Talk project and will be filming their work at Easthampstead Park in Wokingham. The young people have written pieces in many different genres, including a short zombie horror-film, a secret agent story and also a drama piece involving a masked ball.

Funded by a £25,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant, Clothes Talk gives local young people the chance to create their own media projects based on the vintage clothes that form part of the Berkshire Costume Service’s collection.

The Wokingham young people taking part develop their projects and skills with support from Real Time Video, an educational charity based in Reading that specialise in participatory arts projects.

Louise Morris, Wokingham neighbourhood youth worker, said: “The young people have been working with Berkshire Costume Service and the Clothes Talk project for several months and during this time they have tried on a range of different historical costumes.
“This project has enabled the young people to demonstrate both their acting talent and they have also learnt the skills required to operate video and sound equipment through the help of Real Time. Most importantly, the young people have been developing these new skills in a fun and interactive way.”

Wokingham Borough Council

It’s back to the good old days for Eustace Crescent this summer, when Wokingham residents hit the streets on Saturday August 9 for a proper old-fashioned street party! Residents have been planning the event with help from Wokingham Borough Council’s community wardens and from the Big Idea scheme run by local churches.

Traditional family games including egg-and-spoon, tug-of-war, sack races, obstacle courses and all kinds of other fun challenges will be on offer, along with background music, a tombola with free tickets for residents and free ice-creams for the children from the ice-cream man!

The road is to be closed to allow for tables and chairs, and each family will bring their own food. The team of organisers have been busily making bunting to decorate the area and there will be a competition for the best decorated balcony or ground floor window and also a fancy dress competition for the children.

The Big Idea has donated £100 to the party, and the funds for the table decorations, drinks, free ice-creams and tombola prizes have been raised by the residents themselves with a table-top sale and car wash. Deputy Wokingham Mayor Cllr Barrie Patman will judge the best balcony and the fancy dress at 12.15pm and photographers and reporters will be welcome to attend.

Wokingham Borough Council