News

Wokingham Town Council is to host a Community Surgery at the Town Hall on Saturday 17th December from 10am to 12noon. With an opportunity to meet Town and Borough Councillors and the local Police team, and discuss any issues that you feel need to be addressed within the local community.

Wokingham Town Council comprises twenty-five councillors who represent the four wards of the town: Emmbrook, Evendons, Norreys and Wescott.

The Full Council meets at least six times a year and the Committees meet throughout the year. These meetings are open to the public and members of the public who are interested in particular matters may be invited to join as co-opted members on working parties.

There is an annual Town Meeting held every March/April where members of the public are invited to come and ask questions of the Mayor and Chairmen of the main committees. Details of all the Town Council’s meetings are published on the notice boards outside the Town Hall and on the councils website.

For further information please telephone the Town Council on 0118 978 3185. – www.wokingham-tc.gov.uk

An exhibition of watercolours by Hurst artist Liz Chaderton is now on display in the Garden Room of the Dragonfly Café at Dinton Pastures Country Park.

Chaderton has been painting in watercolour for nine years and has exhibited at venues in Henley and Reading, as well as showing her work as part of the Wokingham Arts Trail.

Based in Hurst, Liz is a regular visitor to Dinton Pastures. She said: “I’m excited to be displaying my paintings in a place in which I have found inspiration from the flowers and wildlife that I see all around me.”

The Dragonfly Cafe is open all year round except for Christmas Day. Open from 8.30am daily. Closing times vary depending on time of year. Telephone 0118 932 1071.

Dinton Pastures Country Park
Davis Street
Hurst
Berkshire
RG10 0TH

On December 14, Wokingham Borough Council’s Christmas anti-drink drive event, supporting the Department for Transport’s national campaign, will be at Tesco on Finchampstead Road, Wokingham from 10am to 2pm, raising awareness of the penalties and dangers of drink driving.

The campaign, in its second year, highlights the risk of driving under the influence of alcohol this Christmas, particularly for young men between 17 and 29 years old. The campaign focuses on the ‘moment of doubt’, around the second pint, when drivers are considering whether they are safe to drive.

There will also be a drink drive display in reception at the Shute End civic offices during the week commencing December 12 with information and freebies to pick up.

Wokingham Borough Council has announced the appointment of Andy Couldrick as Interim Chief Executive.

Mr Couldrick, at present strategic director for people services and director of children’s services, was appointed the interim chief executive on Monday. He will take over the role temporarily and continue his duties for children’s services, following the resignation of former chief executive Susan Law, who stepped down at the end of last month after four years in the post.

Wokingham Borough Council announce that KCA has been awarded the contract for the provision of all substance misuse services for adults and young people in the Wokingham Borough. The new service, KCA Horizon Wokingham, replaces the provision operated by a number of different agencies and provides one contact point to enable rapid access to a local treatment service.

KCA is a leading provider of community-based drug and alcohol services in the South East. It has been providing services in the community for the last 35 years and over this time has built up considerable competence and expertise.

The Wokingham Borough has one of the lowest drug and alcohol abuse problems in the South East but it is important that services are in place for those residents who have problems with drugs or alcohol.

The new service will offer Wokingham Borough residents the best possible chance to choose recovery and become drug free. The KCA Horizon programme offers support to people wanting to make changes in their lives in a safe, non-judgemental and confidential environment. KCA Horizon staff can also offer advice, support and signposting for residents who are worried about someone close to them. The service is available for adults and young people.

The adult services provide people with the skills and tools needed to get back into the community, back into work and continue to stay free from drugs and alcohol. KCA Horizon identifies clients’ expectations, helps them to set realistic goals and supports them to reach and maintain these goals through a full timetable of psycho social groups, 1:1 support and collaboration with counselling services.

The young people’s service is for those aged between ten and 17 years who wish to access advice, information and support regarding their drug or alcohol use. The service focuses on early intervention, offering a targeted approach through a focus on reducing risk-taking behaviour and responding to local needs, whilst working with the whole support structure for children and young people.

The KCA Horizon programme focuses on building and strengthening life, work and coping skills as well as offering advice and access to training and education. Service users will be actively encouraged to become involved in developing activities which reflect their skills, interests and motivations.

Stuart Rowbotham, strategic director of commissioning, said: “This is a very welcome service for Wokingham Borough residents. The KCA Horizon Wokingham programme is ambitious for its clients to enable them to transform their lives and successfully reintegrate into and contribute towards the community.”

KCA Horizon Wokingham service is based at 38 Station Road, Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 2AE. Anyone concerned about their use of drugs or alcohol, or someone else’s use, or would like more information about the services provided by KCA, should call (0118) 977 2022.

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses to a Wokingham robbery at a Co-op store in Finchampstead.

At 9.54pm on Wednesday (23/11), a man wearing a balaclava and carrying a bag walked into the Co-op store in Finchampstead Road, Wokingham and threatened staff.

He ordered two members of the staff to take him to the safe and they led him into the staff area, where a third employee was.

The third member of staff opened the office and as they went to open the safe the offender pulled out a knife and grabbed one of the employees, pushing her across the room.

He then filled the bag with a quantity of cash before running off.

There were no customers in the Wokingham store at the time.

Det Con Emma Smith, of the Priority Crime Team based at Loddon Valley, said: “This was a frightening ordeal for the employees who were left shaken but thankfully unharmed.

“I want to speak to anyone who witnessed the man going into or leaving the store, or who has information on who was responsible, to come forward.”

If you can help, please call Det Con Smith via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 101. If you don’t want to speak to police or leave your name, call the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester has opened the brand new development of high-quality homes for older people in Woodley.

A Wokingham Borough Council initiative, the Extra Care Housing scheme at Alexandra Place has been developed by Catalyst Housing, constructed on their behalf by The Leadbitter Group, and is managed by Central & Cecil, with the on-site care and support service provided by Housing 21.

Alexandra Place provides 46 one-bedroom apartments and 18 two-bedroom apartments, including ten apartments for people with dementia. The comfortable homes and facilities enable older people to live independently for as long as possible where they can surround themselves with their own belongings. Pets are also welcome.

The care offered can be adapted as the occupier’s needs change, for example, if an older person moves into Extra Care Housing with no care needs but later develops them, it will be possible for additional care to be provided within their home. This will prevent the upheaval of older people having to move from their home into residential nursing or care homes as their needs increase.

After an eighteen-month construction period, residents began moving into this brand new development in August 2011.

The winners from the annual Wokingham Borough Sports Awards held at Bearwood College Theatre on Friday 25 November 2011 are:

Primary School Shield – Beechwood Primary School
Senior School Shield – Maiden Erlegh School
U14 Girls Cup – Connie McCafferty
U14 Boys Cup – Tom Saunders
U18 Girls Cup – Lucie Colebeck
U18 Boys Cup – Shaun Gregory
Senior Woman Cup – Jane Burnham
Senior Man Cup – Alex Farbon
Team Award Cup – Emmbrook U16 Football Team
Coach of the Year Cup – Dave Caswell
Service to Sport (Individual) Shield – Don Werner
Service to Sport (Club) Shield – Pinewood Starr Boxing Club
Fair Play Award Cup – Bodyrocks
Volunteer of the Year Cup – Carolynne Woffington
Service to Disabled Sport Cup – Ted Mallett
Excellence in Sport Cup – Olivia Farrance
Courage Award Cup – Stan Bembenek
Spirit of Sport Award – Phyllis Franks
Chairman’s Award Cup – Denis Jones
Malcolm Bryant Award (Military) Plate – WO2 (CSM) Graeme Matthews

For more information please visit the Wokingham Borough Sports Council website at: http://www.wokinghamboroughsportscouncil.org/

Police have issued a warning after an increase in gold burglaries targeting Asian family homes for gold in Berkshire.

Ch Insp Christian Bunt, area commander of Wokingham, said police were increasing patrols in the area and had delivered 1,000 crime prevention advice leaflets. He advised the community to be “extremely vigilant” and that investigations were ongoing.

Shakeel Khan, 41, from Earley, Reading, has set up a community watch group so far 40 members have signed up.

Mr Khan told the BBC that there was fear within the Asian community.

“I know a number of households where women are absolutely petrified,” he said.

“They’re not leaving their homes in fear of being burgled.

“There’s mothers who don’t want to go and pick up their children. They’re asking the dads to come from work and pick them up.

Beeches Manor in Wokingham reaches a key construction milestone this month. The specialist dementia care and supported living housing development being built by Housing 21 in conjunction with Wokingham Borough Council has reached the ‘topping out’ phase, with the last tile being placed on the roof.

To mark the occasion, guests representing the project partners visited the site last week (November 18) to witness the laying of the final tile and to see how work is progressing on the £3.8 million development. They were also among the first to receive a copy of ‘Creating Better Living Environments for People with Dementia’, Housing 21’s new dementia design guide.

Due for completion in March 2012, Beeches Manor will provide 18 specialist extra care apartments for people with dementia. Along with communal facilities including lounge, kitchens and activity rooms as well as 24-hour care and support, residents will enjoy apartments that are both spacious and comfortable.

A further eight apartments for people with learning disabilities will provide much needed independent living together with staff accommodation. The new housing will be built and managed by Housing 21, who will also provide round the clock care and support for those with dementia.

Wokingham Borough Council leader Cllr David Lee, said: “I’m really excited to see the development taking shape. Beeches Manor is a really innovative scheme for the borough and will be much more than just bricks and mortar; it will provide vulnerable people with modern, high quality homes in a safe environment, close to the facilities on offer in the town centre.”

The Beeches Manor development is a Wokingham Borough Council initiative and has also received a £1.8million investment from the Homes and Communities Agency.