The teen book group is for 11 to 18-year-olds and gives young people the chance to get together to discuss books of their choice. Sessions cost £1. The club, at Wokingham Library, meets every three weeks, from 4.30pm until 5.30pm, beginning on Thursday September 15. The first session will see the club looking at popular books that everyone has been reading over the summer and there will be pizza on offer.
Manga is an increasingly popular cartoon art form that originated in Japan and Wokingham Library’s Manga club offers teenagers the chance to discuss their favourite Manga and anime books as well as share Manga drawings and have some free pizza. Sessions are held every three weeks from 4.30pm to 5.30pm and the next session is on Thursday September 15. The sessions cost £1 and places must be booked in advanced by calling Wokingham Library on (0118) 978 1368.
Teen creative writing group is for 11 to 18-year–olds. It’s a new group to help teenagers develop their creative writing skills, fuel their creativity and share encouragement. It will also be encouraging teenagers to enter writing competitions, like the library’s ‘Young People’s Poetry’ competition. Sessions are held once a month, starting on Tuesday September 13 from 4pm to 4.45pm. Sessions cost £1 with pizza included.
The ‘Young People’s Poetry’ competition will be running until Friday September 23 and Wokingham Library is encouraging all young people aged between 5 and 18 years old to write a poem inspired by the theme ‘games’. Entries can be handed into any Wokingham Borough Library. Winners will be announced at the poetry celebration on Saturday October 8, 2011. The competition is sponsored by Chapter One Bookshop, Woodley.
More info on the libraries events page
September 20, 2011 | editor
Pippa Gillham, 59-year-old from Wokingham put on her trainers and walked 26.2 miles in tribute to two friends who lost their parents earlier this year, reports getwokingham.co.uk
“Pippa Gillham, from Barkham Road, took part in the marathon walk on Sunday, September 4, to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society.
The fundraiser was inspired to take on the challenge after two friends lost a parent within two weeks of each other in May this year.”
To donate visit www.justgiving.com/Pippa-Gillham
September 19, 2011 | editor
The Department of Work and Pensions, in conjunction with Wokingham Borough Council has successfully prosecuted Alice Cottee of Barrett Crescent, Wokingham and John Lucy of Hanwood Close, Woodley for benefit fraud.
Cottee, 27, pleaded guilty to three separate charges of failing to declare changes in her circumstances that are receiving income from self-employed earnings. As a result of a joint operation between Wokingham Borough Council and the Department for Work and Pensions, £5,159.21 of fraudulent benefit was identified.
Lucy, 45, pleaded guilty to four separate charges of dishonestly failing to declare his employed earnings. In this case, the Department of Work and Pensions and Wokingham Borough Council identified £11,282.21 of fraudulent benefit.
As well as having to repay the fraudulent benefit overpayment, Cottee was awarded an 18 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs and Lucy was sentenced to a nine month custodial sentence suspended for two years. A six-month supervision order was also awarded against Lucy.
Muir Laurie, Director of Business Assurance and Democratic Services, said: “This authority does not tolerate benefit fraud and those who try to cheat the system will be tracked down and caught. When a benefit claimant fails to declare all their income, savings and assets they will eventually be detected.
If anyone has any concerns relating to benefit fraud, they can report them in confidence to the Investigations hotline on 0800 454 240.
September 18, 2011 | editor
Thieves have been stealing items from cars, homes and community clubs around the northern part of Wokingham borough.
The Wokingham Times reported last week how two classic cars had been stolen from garages in recent weeks. One was recovered from a scrap metal dealer.
Anyone with information relating to any of the incidents can contact Thames Valley Police on 0845 8 505 505 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
September 17, 2011 | editor
Wokingham Borough Council’s is once again inviting applications from newly established social care providers, or people who are planning to set up a social care business, employing less than five people, for a grant of up to £1,500.
The scheme has previously helped 12 new businesses providing a range of personalised care and support services.
The council is now offering more grants and is particularly interested in applications from new providers offering personalised services to help older and disabled people to access leisure, sports, educational, social or cultural activities.
James Burgess, community care commissioning and development manager, said: “We hope that by offering these grants there will be more options for people who have a social care need to access services within the community. This is an important part of helping people improve their quality of life. We hope that small providers will be able to offer new and more personalised services to help people do this.”
In addition to these grants, the borough council is also offering small providers help from local business support service The Real Business Club. The council will also be organising networking and information events in the future.
September 16, 2011 | editor
A new £2m extension at Hillside School in Rushey Way, Lower Earley has been completed, by MIDAS contractors in 32 weeks.
The new building was officially opened by Sir David Bell, who is permanent secretary for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, as the school’s youngsters returned from their holidays.
Headteacher Kelly Gauld said: “It has been quite an adventure for the school.
“The school was reduced in size to one third and functioned using temporary classrooms in the playground – closely resembling shipping containers.
“This was such an exciting opportunity for the children to witness the knocking down of their old classrooms and observe how the roof could be held steady with the use of metal stilts.”
Councillor Dianne King, mayor of Wokingham, who also attended the opening on Tuesday of last week, said: “This is a significant investment by the council and it is providing a great environment for learning, which will help make sure our children enjoy school and achieve well.”
September 15, 2011 | editor
Over 100 students from Bracknell & Wokingham College attended the College’s annual Higher Education Conference.
The conference is designed to give current students who will start university in 2012 an insight into the UCAS system, online applications, personal statements and student finance. It also gives students a chance to hear a current undergraduate’s view on life at University.
Georgia Stevens, a 19 year old A Level student from Wokingham said: “Today has been really educational for me. I wanted to find out more about applying to university and what grades I might need to fulfil my ambition of becoming a primary school teacher.”
Image: Bracknell & Wokingham College
September 14, 2011 | editor
West Berkshire and Wokingham Trading Standards Service have teamed up with the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service to hold free electric blanket testing events in Wokingham and Newbury.
Previous events found over 50% of the electric blankets checked had faults which either needed repair or made them a safety risk and unsuitable for further use.
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service will also be offering free fire safety advice at the events and the opportunity to book a free home fire safety check to residents whose homes qualify.
For event dates and venues visit:
www.wokingham.gov.uk/council/news-and-events/latest-news/free-electric-blanket-testing/
September 14, 2011 | editor
A Reading man has been jailed for 18 weeks for internet trolling, and has also been given an order banning him from using social networking sites for five years.
25-year-old Sean Duffy mocked a dead teenager who had jumped in front a train by posting offensive remarks on a page dedicated to her memory, and creating a YouTube parody of Thomas the Tank with the deceased girl’s face in place of Thomas.
The Guardian newspaper reports that Duffy pleaded guilty to “two counts of sending malicious communications,” and added that he must tell police about any phones he buys that can provide internet access.
Unemployed Duffy, who said he did not know any of his victims, pleaded guilty to two counts of sending malicious communications relating to Natasha.
He asked for three other cases of Facebook trolling – posting offensive messages on the internet – to be taken into consideration when he appeared before magistrates in Reading, Berkshire
September 14, 2011 | editor
Wokingham Borough Libraries are celebrating National Poetry Day by asking all children aged five to 11 years old and teenagers aged 12 to 18 years old to write a poem inspired by the theme ‘Games’, from snail racing to mind games and athletics to dominoes.
Entry forms are available from all Wokingham Borough libraries; closing date is Friday September 23, 2011. Winners will be announced at the poetry celebration event at Wokingham Library on Saturday October 8, 2011 from 11am to 12noon. The competition is being sponsored by Chapter One Bookshop in Woodley.
September 12, 2011 | editor
