Wokingham

A sculpture celebrating ten years of Wokingham Borough Council’s Health Walk was unveiled by executive member for environment – and volunteer health walk leader Cllr Simon Weeks on Friday June 26.

The sculpture, by Oxfordshire artist David Gosling, was commissioned last year as part of the scheme’s tenth anniversary and is now in pride of place in the orchard near the Dragonfly Café at Dinton Pastures Country Park. More than 100 health walkers came to see it unveiled at the schemes annual barbecue and hog roast.

The Wokingham Health Walks are free and are designed to improve fitness. Regular brisk walks can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes, osteoporosis, stress, bowel cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. The walks can also help weight loss.

Cllr Weeks, who is one of the Wokingham Health Walks’ 80 volunteer leaders, said: “It is wonderful that the Health Walks are still going strong in the Wokingham Borough as they provide a lovely way to keep active and to appreciate the borough’s countryside. I certainly enjoy them and I know many others do as well. The sculpture of a walking man is a fitting way to celebrate the walks’ success and I am confident that success will continue.”

The Wokingham scheme now has a mailing list of 850 walkers and organises 17 walks each week around the borough.

As part of the anniversary celebrations last year, it was calculated that Wokingham health walkers had walked 245,960 miles combined – ten times around the world – and had drunk 52,000 cups of tea and burnt off 18,304,000 calories. In addition volunteer walk leaders had given up a total of 4,754 day (the equivalent of 13 years of volunteering).

Wokingham Borough Council

Anybody who feels left behind by mobile phone technology can catch up thanks to workshops being run by volunteer pupils from The Holt School held at Wokingham Library this month.

Mobile phones are being used by an increasing number of Wokingham people but not everybody is familiar or comfortable with the technology and may not be getting the most out of it.

The Wokingham workshops will show people how to use the more advanced options on their phones as well as explaining the basics, such as how to make and answer calls, send texts and create address books to those who need more guidance..

Heather Dyson, reader development officer for adults, said: “Many of us take using a mobile phone for granted but not everybody finds it easy to get to grips with technology – and some of the people who may struggle with mobiles are the same people who could really benefit from them. For example; a mobile phone could be a lifeline for an older person or somebody with care needs but they may not be confident using one. The workshops are for those people as well as those who may just feel they haven’t quite got the hang of their phone yet.

”It is also great that young people from The Holt School are giving up their time to run these workshops that should really help some people.”

Wokingham Workshops will run from 10am to 11.20am and from 11.30am to 1pm on July 9 and 16.

Places are £2 and can be booked from Wokingham Library on (0118) 978 1368.

Wokingham Borough Council

A new Wokingham cardio-vascular workout programme is coming soon to a leisure centre near you thanks to an investment of £8,400 from Wokingham Borough Council.

The Wokingham cardio-vascular workout programme, known as ‘Urban Rebounding’, comes in the form of mini-trampolines and these will be in use at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre in Lower Earley and St Crispin’s Sports Centre in Wokingham from Monday (June 29). Some of the mini-trampolines will also be used by the borough council’s sports development unit in other community venues from August.

‘Urban Rebounding’ is on offer to youngsters as well as adults across the borough to improve general fitness but the programme can also be aimed specifically for sporting fitness in a range of sports including tennis, football, hockey, athletics and ski-ing.

Beverley Thompson, Wokingham sports development and leisure co-ordinator, said: “The council is committed to getting its residents fit and active. ‘Urban Rebounding’ workouts are great fun and help develop cardiovascular endurance, all over body conditioning and general fitness.

“It’s a great way to get fit and active. We recognise it’s important to offer our residents a range of diverse sports and physical activities that are fun, challenging and capture their interest in fitness and encourages everyone in getting more active. ‘Urban Rebounding’ is something different and promises to be an exciting workout that appeals to all age groups.”

Wokingham Borough Council

A whole Wokingham range of sports and physical activities for adults and children with physical and learning disabilities are taking place across the borough thanks to Wokingham Borough Council’s sports development unit.

Multi-sports and physical activity sessions for Wokingham adults with additional needs runs every Friday evening and Saturday morning at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre. Adults with disabilities can come along to the fun sessions to try their hand at a whole range of activities including table tennis, badminton, tennis, football, basketball, boccia, new age kurling, indoor golf, and the interactive gym and sports wall.

Each session costs £1.50 and the first session is free of charge. There is no need to book, simply turn up! The sessions are open to anyone aged over 18 with a disability.

And this August, there are dedicated sessions for children and young people with additional needs taking place at East Park Farm Pavilion in Charvil. Youngsters will have the chance to try out a range of sporting activities including tennis, tri-golf, boccia, basketball and new age kurling - to name just a few.

Telephone (0118) 974 6264 or 974 6265 or email: sportsdevelopment@wokingham.gov.uk for more information on both the adult and youngsters’ courses. Courses in mini-soccer, trampolining and tennis will also be starting at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre in Lower Earley from September. These courses are open for youngsters with a disability aged under 16.

Andrea Ford, Wokingham physical activity co-ordinator, said: “We want more adults and young people with physical disabilities and learning disabilities to get active. These sessions have been specially designed for them and it’s a great chance for adults and youngsters to try out a new sport or improve on skills they already have. Disability should not be a barrier to sport and the council is committed to ensuring everyone has access to sporting opportunities. Sport is fun and a great way to make new friends! Why not come along to one of our dedicated sessions? You won’t be disappointed.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council home care worker Joyce Smith has been recognised for her hard work and dedication at a national award ceremony.

Joyce was selected as a finalist in the Ceretas National Home Care Awards for her work as part of the Wokingham Short Term Assessment and Reablement Team (START) which helps vulnerable adults maintain their independence by providing personal care and helping people regain old skills and learn new ones, for example after and illness or fall. The awards were presented by TV personality Ruby Wax at The Marriot Hotel Grosvenor Square on June 6.

Joyce, who has worked for Wokingham the Council for 22 years, was not chosen as the overall winner at the award ceremony, but START team manager Alyson Hobbs said being short-listed was a great achievement.

Mrs Hobbs said: “The team nominated Joyce because of her skill and dedication and particularly because of her enthusiasm to embrace the new challenges set before her and to undertake training to develop her skills to match the ever changing demands of care. She may not have been chosen as the overall winner, but Joyce is a winner to us and to all the people in the borough who she has helped.”

Joyce, who was short-listed in the Home Care Worker of a Specialist Service category, said: “Nothing we do the team is in isolation and so me being nominated was really the whole team being nominated – and my colleagues came on the award night, which was fun. Events such as this are good for morale but the important thing is that Ceretas has recognised that people in the Wokingham borough are getting good care from the team.”

Wokingham Borough Council has recently been awarded three stars from the Care Quality Commission.

Ceretas is a national organisation that represents all people working in the home care sector.

Wokingham Borough Council executive member for social care Cllr Chris Edmunds said: “The START team do a wonderful and important job helping people remain living at home and I am delighted Joyce has been recognised for her efforts. Helping people stay active and independent is a key part of our social care policy of providing local, personalised services and it is the frontline staff such as Joyce and the rest of the team that put that policy into practice.”

Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council’s proposal to introduce on-street parking charges is to be put under the spotlight by the overview and scrutiny management committee, and the people of Wokingham, including residents and retailers, are being asked to contribute their views.

Detailed proposals for the introduction of on-street car parking charges within Wokingham town centre are currently being drawn up following a decision made by the council’s executive at its meeting on May 28 to look at how the town’s parking bays could be freed-up for visitors to make a quick stop to shops, banks and other businesses in a bid to bolster trade.

The Wokingham overview and scrutiny management committee’s scrutiny review is to run in parallel with the development of these proposals, so that its findings can inform the final decisions on the scheme which are to be made in September.

And Wokingham committee chairman Cllr Angus Ross is keen for people to submit their views by the end of July so they can be considered as part of the review. The committee will also be talking to business and retail organisations, police and council officers, Wokingham Town Council, Neighbourhood Action Group and other groups including residents’ associations and those representing disabled people.

Due to report back in September, the overview and scrutiny management committee review will look into:

• How charging for on-street car parking might assist retail activity in the town centre

• How traffic management associated with on-street car parking can be used to improve traffic flows and reduce congestion in the town centre

• How future enforcement of on-street parking charges should be undertaken

• How the level of the proposed tariff might affect the objectives above.

“Having considered all the evidence, including the views of local people, we will provide a recommendation to the executive in September with regard to the introduction of on street car parking charges and possible options for enforcement,” said Cllr Ross.

The reasoning behind the proposed scheme is to free up the 180 bays in the Wokingham town centre area that are designed for shoppers and visitors to park in for a short period by introducing a fee that would encourage motorists to use the spaces responsibly.

Cllr Keith Baker, executive member for highways and transport, said: “For some time now, motorists have been flouting the clear time-restrictions applicable to parking bays dotted around Wokingham town centre and so we are looking at ways of stopping this from happening in the future.

“It’s simply not fair that businesses could be missing out on trade because short-term parking bays are clogged up with the cars of commuters and town centre workers.”

Committee chairman Cllr Angus Ross is urging local people to submit their views by Friday July 31 via email to democratic.services@wokingham.gov.uk. Alternatively, they can write to him at Democratic Services, Wokingham Borough Council, Shute End, Wokingham RG40 1WH.

Wokingham Borough Council

As part of an on-going crackdown on drivers who flout the law on the Wokingham Borough’s roads an enforcement squad was out educating motorists caught speeding on Thursday June 11.

More than 44 people were stopped in four hours on June 11 as part of an education drive by Wokingham Borough Council and Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership (TVSRP) to get motorists to realise that speeding, was not only putting their lives in danger but others around them.

The cWokingham ouncil’s road safety team worked with the police on a series of speed enforcement schemes on June 11 in Lodge Road and Broadwater Lane in Hurst, Keephatch Road in Wokingham and Nine Mile Ride with the junction of Palmer Close in Finchampstead - and drivers were stopped after being caught travelling over the 30mph * speed limit.

The results of the speed enforcement campaign were:

• Lodge Road: 13 motorists stopped; four were issued with a ticket and nine were given roadside education.

• Broadwater Lane: 16 motorists stopped; three were given tickets and 13 were given roadside education.

• Keephatch Road: nine people were stopped; all nine were given roadside education.

• Nine Mile Ride with the junction of Palmer Close: Six people were stopped; one was given a ticket and five were given roadside education.

The Wokingham team handed out penalty notices, consisting of a £60 fine and three penalty points, to eight of the people stopped, including those travelling over 40mph.

Julie Pillai, the Wokingham council’s road safety officer, said: “This year we have carried out regular checks with the help of Thames Valley Police, and even though there is lots of education and campaigning about dangerous driving many motorists are still continuing to break the law – which is why these education and enforcement sessions are so vital.”

Cllr Keith Baker, executive member for Wokingham highways and transport, said: “By working with the police we are able to educate drivers who break the law and take enforcement action if it is appropriate. We want to encourage them to think about their bad habits in future so that Wokingham Borough can continue to be a safe place. We will continue to educate those drivers who threaten to make our roads more dangerous by speeding and not wearing a seatbelt and we will not be afraid to take enforcement action to make our roads safer.”

Wokingham Borough Council

On Monday (June 22) Wokingham Borough Council showed its support and appreciation to the men and women from the Armed Forces, past and present, by raising a flag in their honour.

At a special ceremony Wokingham Borough’s Mayor Cllr Barrie Patman raised a special Armed Forces Day flag at the civic offices, Shute End, Wokingham, as the borough council joined town and parish councils in celebrating the first ever Armed Forces Day.

The Wokingham Mayor was joined in the celebrations by local dignitaries as well as serving armed forces personnel and local veterans. Following the flag raising, Captain Ian Robinson and Colour Sergeant Keith Nieves from the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment spoke about their tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2007.

Both talked openly about their time in Helmand province where the Battalion faced daily pressures from suicide bombers and attacks. During their time in Sangin in Helmand Province, the Battalion helped to reconstruct the town and assist the authorities to govern it by setting up health clinics and encouraging trade in the town’s shops. They also helped to open a school, which girls now attend allowing many of them to have an education for the first time.

Captain Robinson also talked about the bravery of the 600 soldiers from his Battalion who went to Afghanistan in 2007, some of whom were killed. Colour Sergeant Keith Nieves gave a first hand experience about his time in Afghanistan and talked frankly about how he was injured and how this affected his military life as well as his personal life.

Wokingham Cllr Barrie Patman, Mayor, said: “This day is about honouring the UK’s service personnel from current serving members of the armed forces to veterans. We are indebted to our armed forces for the services they provide in tremendously difficult conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We heard personal stories of what it’s like to serve your country in Afghanistan and the immense pressures our armed forces face on a daily basis. All of our Armed Forces personnel deserve the nation’s support and gratitude for the personal sacrifice they and their families have made in the past, or continue to make now in the interest of making our country safe. I hope that we will always celebrate this day and recognise our armed forces in this way."

Captain Ian Robinson said: “The Armed Forces have received fantastic support from the rest of society over the last few years. Days like this mean a great deal to those of us still serving as they give us the opportunity to thank everyone for their continued support not only of us but also our families.”

Colour Sergeant Keith Nieves said: “I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to share my experiences with members of the public and I would like to thank everyone for their continued support.”

Wokingham Borough Council

In celebration of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, Wokingham Borough Council has served an ace to its residents by offering six of its tennis courts at Cantley Park free of charge on Sunday June 28 and Friday July 3.

And if that wasn’t game, set and match by the Wokingham council, tennis coach Mike Hilton will be offering free coaching to adults and youngsters between 2pm and 4pm on Sunday June 28 and between 6pm and 7pm on July 3.

The six Wokingham tennis courts will be open between 8am and 7pm offering beginners and improvers of all ages the chance to practise their backhand, drop-shots and serves. There is no need to book either the courts or the coaching session, simply turn up during the day.

Anyone interested can also purchase a Wokingham borough council tennis season ticket, which costs from £18.90 for a child aged under 18 and £52.50 for an adult – there are also rates for the whole family or a couple. The season ticket allows people to play tennis at Cantley Park and Chestnut Park in Wokingham and East Park Farm in Charvil. Visit: www.wokingham.gov.uk/leisure/sports/leisure-facilities/tennis/ for more information or call (0118) 974 6341.

Beverley Thompson, Wokingham sports development and leisure co-ordinator, said: “The council is committed to getting all its residents fit and active. During the two weeks of Wimbledon, there is always a huge interest in playing tennis across the borough. And what better way to practise than by taking advantage of free courts at Cantley Park. I am delighted we are able to offer expert coaching on each day and hope to see many people coming along to learn more about tennis.”

Julia Woodbridge, Wokingham horticulture and amenities co-ordinator, said: “The parks and open spaces team are delighted to be able to provide a free facility on these dates and give everyone a chance to play tennis and even have some coaching too. We are hoping that this will encourage people of all ages to try out the game and see what we have to offer at Cantley Park. Season tickets will also be available for those that are interested. If you would like to book the facility for any other event, please email pitch.booking@wokingham.gov.uk”

Wokingham Borough Council

Following Wokingham hands-on planning workshops held last weekend (June 19 and 20), Wokingham Borough Council is asking more local people whether they would like to take up the opportunity to have a say in the development of the borough’s future new communities.

Four main new communities are set to be built in the Wokingham Borough over the next two decades – one south of Wokingham (2,500 homes), one north of the town (1,500 homes), one at Arborfield Garrison (3,500 homes) and one south of M4 (2,500 homes). And the council is keen for local people to get involved and help decide how each community will look and what facilities are needed to make them good, safe places in which people will want to live, relax, work and play.

The results of Wokingham workshops held last weekend (June 19 and 20) and coming up on July 25 will help shape the plans being prepared by the council for each site.

Wokingham Council leader Cllr David Lee said: “Wokingham’s residents have already been involved in agreeing the strategy for housing development in our borough for the next 20 years and we would like them to continue to play a major role in influencing this important ongoing work.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to shape places of the future. We are looking to our residents to help us to make these communities an integral and vibrant part of the borough, which is currently one of the best places in the country to live. And we want to keep it that way. Help us to build real communities and not just buildings,” he added.

Next month’s workshops are to be held on Saturday July 25:

• North and South Wokingham: Saturday July 25 from 9.30am to 1pm

• Arborfield and South of the M4: Saturday July 25 from 1.30pm to 5pm

Venue: Civic Offices, Shute End, Wokingham

Cllr Gary Cowan, executive member for Wokingham local and regional planning, said:
“This is a unique opportunity for residents to have a real say in how Wokingham Borough evolves over the next twenty years. I welcome all resident involvement and I will ensure that any comment submitted during this process will be properly considered.

“If we have to accommodate these houses, then we must think now about how we want our borough to be in the future, maintaining and enhancing what we currently appreciate about it as well ensuring we have what we need for the lives of our communities in the future. This will involve all manner of new infrastructure as well as quality design and all the factors required to improve our communities that will also benefit our existing residents.

“Anyone or any organisation interested in having their say that cannot make the July 25 workshop should contact me as I genuinely do want to hear what local people have to say on this important issue. I am happy to visit residents’ associations or other organisations to explain the process and to receive feedback. Please contact me to arrange a meeting via (0118) 974 6005.”

Anyone wanting to register their interest in taking part in the July 25 workshops, should go to: www2.wokingham.gov.uk/planning-news to complete an application form by July 20. Alternatively, they can contact masterplanner Cris Lancaster at: cris.lancaster@wokingham.gov.uk

Wokingham Borough Council