Wokingham Borough Council is to launch a five-week consultation that will inform the production of the “Voluntary Sector Strategy”, which will be supported by Involve, one of its key partners.

The consultation will look at:

We are lucky in the Wokingham Borough to have a truly vibrant and effective voluntary and community sector (VCS) who have supported our residents with distinction for many years. However we all must recognise that this is a time of great change in the delivery of health and care, both locally and nationally. We have listened to key stakeholders, including sector leaders, and it has become clear that there is an appetite for setting a strategic direction for our work with the sector for the medium term.

After careful consideration we have already taken the decision to extend all existing contracts to March 2021. This gives us the time to have a genuinely co-produced and co-delivered strategy which will give opportunities for transformation within the sector. It also gives us time to work with you on how we commission in the sector for the next 5 years.

We wish to be very clear in stating that we are not seeking to cut funding to the sector.  We wish to move towards a model where we contract individual services over a longer period of time. This will give you more certainty over your funding going forwards

We are seeking to deliver a strategy:

• that has vulnerable residents at its heart
• to bring the voluntary and community sector together and maximise its potential
• that will connect people, places and services in the community to enable people to live healthy, active and independent lives for as long as possible
• that will manage demand within existing resources
• that will enable greater value through more effective use of resources and whole community assets
• to enable the building and sharing of knowledge, expertise and resource across the sector
• to enable access to harder to reach groups and communities with a focus on socially isolated users and carers
• that aligns to, and is able to benefit from, other council strategies.

Take part

There are several ways to take part in the consultation. The Council has produced a survey which it is keen for anybody with an interest in the sector to fill out.

The survey can be accessed here:

https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/news-and-consultation/consultation-and-having-your-say/current-consultations/?entryid206=502077

There will also be a series of meetings for stakeholders over the course of the next five weeks at the council offices in Shute End. Regular feedback and updates will be provided through the involve Newsletter  (to sign up for the newsletter please click http://involve.community/newsletters/  ) and council social media pages.

Woodley Town Council will be hosting a Remembrance Day ceremony on Monday 11th November 2019, with local schools, councillors and guests. Members of the public are very welcome to join us at 10.45am. If you would like to lay a wreath during the organised wreath laying, please contact Linda Matthews on either 0118 9690356 or Linda.matthews@woodley.gov.uk. You are also very welcome to lay a wreath separate to the Council’s ceremony.

Wokingham Borough Council is cracking down on illegal waste dumping and fly-tipping by conducting spot checks on businesses. Companies found not to be complying with the law will be given a chance to improve, but if they continue to ignore the law, the council will look into prosecution.

Following an increase in fly-tipping in recent months, the council’s localities officers have begun visiting sites across the area to ensure commercial waste is being disposed of correctly. Localities officers are authorised to inspect a business’s waste contract and arrangements to ensure the business has proper storage and sufficient space for the amount of waste produced, as well as the correct number of collections.

More importantly, the officers will check current waste removal practices to ensure that businesses are legally dealing with their commercial waste. Most businesses dispose of their waste correctly but some business choose not to, instead fly-tipping their waste. This has a detrimental effect on areas across Wokingham borough and can attract vermin.

It is a legal responsibility under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and other related legislation to safely contain and legally dispose of any waste produced. The law also applies to anyone with a home-based business, such as garden clearances, packing, delivering, crèche or child minding, small businesses, offices, hairdressers, sun bed shops, second hand shops and many others.

Examples of waste can include anything which is no longer required such as old mail, cleaning products, food waste, cardboard, plastics, sweepings, or damaged goods that cannot be returned.

Responsible staff at businesses across the borough are encouraged to make sure an up to date copy of their waste contract, or any associated receipts for the disposal of waste, to hand when the localities officer visits.

“Those people who chose not to dispose of their litter properly can make life a misery for the majority of people across the borough who don’t want to see litter and rubbish dumped in grass verges or in country lanes,” said Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure.

“I’m pleased that the council is continuing to explore all opportunities to reduce the prevalence of fly-tipping within the borough and to find ways of holding to account those that feel the need to do it.”

PIC BY STEWART TURKINGTON
www.stphotos.co.uk

Thames Valley Police have issued a statement regarding increased burglaries in Woodley

Several burglaries have occurred during the early hours of Sunday 20th October into Monday 21st October across the Woodley area. Please can you review your CCTV, video doorbell or dash-cam footage between 00:00 and 05:30am and if there are any persons or vehicles acting suspiciously that may assist our investigation, please report this online at www.thamesvalley.police.uk or call the police non-emergency number 101.

Follow these tips to protect your property:-

• double lock your doors
• close and lock all windows
• keep all keys including car keys upstairs if possible, hidden and away from the letterbox or cat flap as a thief could hook keys or valuables through even a small opening
• make sure any valuables are out of sight
• consider storing high value items such as jewellery, watches, passports, credit cards, computer data and identification documents in a safe
• never leave car documents or ID in obvious places such as kitchens or hallways
• set your burglar alarm
• make sure all gates, including side gates, are locked
• lock your shed or garage
• in the evening, shut the curtains and leave lights on
• if you’re out all day, then it’s advisable to use a timer device to automatically turn lights and a radio on at night

If you do not want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org

For crime prevention tips and information, please visit our website www.thamesvalley.police.uk and download our free Home Security Guide.

Please find below the Agenda for the next Woodley and North Earley Community Forum at the Oakwood Centre on Wednesday 23rd October 19.00-21.00

A G E N D A

Welcome, introduction and apologies

Minutes of the previous meeting and matters arising

Update from Neighbourhood Policing Team

Policing priorities  – Burglary, Antisocial behaviour, Speeding, Other

Forum committee – minute taker, website

Any Other Business

Date and venue of next meeting – 20.11.19

Maxwell Road, Oakwood Centre     19.00-21.00

VIP guests joined students from Woodley schools for an evening full of singing and entertainment. The Bulmershe School was filled with children from Addington School, Waingels College and Highwood Primary School for an energetic SingIN concert.

The event, held on Sunday 20 October, brought together nine to 19-year-olds. Accompanied by a fantastic live band and a community choir, 50 voices put together a spectacular show.

The project began with a launch day, where students from all schools came together to partner with their ‘buddy’ and start working on the songs. With many school day and after-school rehearsals, all efforts were focused on delivering an outstanding performance.

The main aim of the concert was to form long-lasting friendships, while enjoying signing together.

“What a wonderful event this was,” said Wokingham Borough Mayor, Cllr Bill Soane. “I champion inclusion and diversity. It’s great to see so many children learning from one another and achieving great things together.

“A truly fantastic evening was had by everyone, which is a testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment from families, teachers and support staff. I am so glad to have been able to attend.”

PIC BY STEWART TURKINGTON
www.stphotos.co.uk 

PIC BY STEWART TURKINGTON
www.stphotos.co.uk

PIC BY STEWART TURKINGTON
www.stphotos.co.uk

It is with great sadness that we announce that Cllr David Stares passed away peacefully last week losing his battle against cancer. David had been active in the community for some time and was a councillor at Woodley Town Council for almost five years. He has served as Chairman on the Leisure Services Committee and was the town’s Deputy Mayor in 2018/19. Leisure was David’s passion and he ran over 30 marathons. This developed into a particular interest and involvement in the ongoing improvements to Woodford Park Leisure Centre and associated facilities. He was an active Bowls member and when not involved in sports was a keen allotment holder, being on the Allotment Tenant’s Committee.

Council Leader, Keith Baker said: “David was a good friend and colleague and bore his illness with a degree of calmness during the several years of fighting it. Even at the end his dignity in dealing with the inevitable was second to none. The inner strength he showed, despite the pain, was what he was all about. Woodley has lost a good friend.”

Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

The Woodley and District (University of the Third Age) U3A revealed, at its recent meeting, a Woodley walking map to take in the historical and significant places of interest in Woodley.

To search for details of the walk, please click HERE.

In partnership with Woodley Town Council, Woodley and Reading Central Libraries, Berkshire Record Office and the Museum of Berkshire Aviation, the team from the Woodley and District U3A plan to research Woodley’s history and there is currently a small display on shopping in Woodley at the Oakwood Centre, which dates back to 1854.

To read more about this please click HERE.