13 minute read
BARBECUE FOR REFUGEES
ON THE GRILL: Tyrone Patrick looking after the barbecue with the help of Furn Patrick, Laurie Holmes and others. Picture: Steve Smyth
A family who recently left Ukraine with organisers Rachel Walker (upper centre) and Sarah O’Neill (upper right)
Advertisement
Shinfield shows its support for refugees at barbecue fun day
A VILLAGE demonstrated its togetherness, raising more than £2,000 for refugees at a community event.
On Saturday afternoon, Shinfield Baptist Church’s barbecue saw hundreds flock to School Green to show their support for refugees around the world and at home.
Organiser Rachel Walker said: “We are all so passionate about loving our neighbours, and this includes our neighbours from far and wide.
“Refugees are some of the most vulnerable people in the world and we are so passionate about their protection and safety – especially as we have so many Ukrainian refugee friends in our community now too.
“It was so wonderful to see so many people from our community in Shinfield support this event and show love for people who really need it.”
With a selection of activities to enjoy, the children got involved with face painting, hair braiding, football and a bouncy castle.
Live music, refreshments and a raffle proved a treat for the adults, with the barbecue making sure visitors left well-fed.
Funds raised from the event will go to Choose Love, a charity which provides refugees with anything from search and rescue boats to food and legal advice.
The event was supported by Shinfield Parish Council.
Church launches Alpha course
A FINCHAMPSTEADchurch will provide a meal with discussion every Tuesday evening for eight weeks.
The Alpha Course is held in churches in more than 100 countries around the world, and it is coming to Finchampstead Baptist Church next week.
In a series of eight sessions exploring the Christian faith, it asks a different question each week and then allows people to discuss it.
The church will provide an evening meal, engaging content and friendly discussion.
The course will run in the library at FBC, on Gorse Ride in Finchampstead.
It takes place on Tuesdays from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.
Week one starts on Tuesday, October 4. n For more details, log onto: fbc. churchsuite.com/events
A THEATRE is becoming a music hall for the evening.
Next month, The Oakwood Centre will welcome back The Martin Hart Triofor a concert called 100 Years Of Jazz Trumpet.
The group features Stuart Henderson on trumpet and flugel horn, with a programme that includes music from Buddy Bolden, Miles David and more.
The event is organised by Woodley Theatre, and takes place at the centre in Headley Road, Woodley, on Saturday, October 15. Doors open at 7.45pm, and tickets cost £12. n Tickets: www.woodleytheatre. org, or call: 07488 337 838.
Jazzing it up
Police target massage parlours as they tackle modern slavery By JOHN WAKEFIELD news@wokingham.today A CAMPAIGN to tackle modern slavery has been hailed a success by officers at Thames Valley Police.
The force teamed up with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Europol, visiting massage parlours under Project Aidant, an NCA-led law-enforcement response.
The activity took place over a three-week period between August 22, and September 9, as part of a Europe-wide operation, involving partners from Immigration Enforcement and local councils.
The project aims to enhance and develop knowledge of modern slavery linked to massage parlours, focusing specifically on adults or under 18s who have been trafficked to the UK, or exploited while in the country.
Officers visited 57 premises across the Thames Valley and encountered more than 50 people who were spoken to about Modern Slavery and given advice.
Of those, five were identified as potential victims and safeguarded.
Chief Superintendent Jim Weems, Head of Force Intelligence and Specialist Operations, said: “Working in partnership with Immigration and local council teams, Project Aidant created significant intelligence and identified vulnerable individuals, for whom safeguarding has been put in place to ensure that they are no longer at risk of modern slavery and human trafficking. “Modern slavery and human trafficking is absolutely abhorrent, and we remain committed to ensuring that any such offences are investigated thoroughly and offenders brought to justice. “We remain committed to ensuring the safety of vulnerable people, and would always urge the public to contact us if they have any information that could help us to safeguard anybody at risk of such offences.” Concerns around modern slavery can be reported to the Modern Slavery Helpline. Anyone who thinks they are or have been a victim of modern slavery can receive help from the Victims First Specialist Service which incorporates specialist skills and knowledge on exploitation and modern slavery. They can provide practical and emotional support, tailored to meet your individual needs, to help you cope with the effects of the crime. n For details, call: 0300 1234 148 or log on to: www.victims-first.org.uk/ get-support-now n Reports can also be made by calling 101, or for 100% anonymity, via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Helping the over-65s stay independent
Do you wish to remain as independent as possible, for as long as possible and still have a say in your well-being? Let me show you how you might be able to get regular financial assistance to help you remain independent in your own home and make your life easier. Attendance Allowance is a government benefit for those in receipt of the State Pension who have health issues or needs that cause difficulties or challenges in your day-to-day living. It is a benefit for those who need help with personal care. There are two levels weekly rates of Attendance Allowance. A lower rate of £61.85 per week is paid if you need help during the day to maintain your independence. Should you have health issues that disturb your night, then the weekly benefit may increase to over £92.40 per week. The level you receive is determined by your circumstances. You can claim this benefit even if you haven ’t paid National Insurance and it is not means-tested, it doesn ’t matter where you live or if you have savings. Attendance allowance is tax-free. Are you or is someone you know eligible? We offer an initial free 30-minute confidential consultation to allow us to assess whether we can help and for you to decide if you ’d like help. If we both agree that claiming Attendance Allowance is right for you, then we will look after you every step of the way. We complete all the necessary forms and explain the process of claiming in straightforward, plain English so that you understand everything and are in complete control. You may decide, after your initial consultation, that you ’d Nigel Pearce AIPWlike to continue as you are for now; that’ s fine too. We ’ re only a phone call Grey Matters Consultancy away if you change your mind, or would like to talk things through again. Wokingahm
Blue bag shake-up to help council save up to £1m
n Continued from front page
Postcards will be sent to every home inviting residents to take part in the consultation, which will run from Monday, October 10, through to Saturday, December 10.
The executive member for environment, sport and leisure, Cllr Ian Shenton, said: “As our residents are hearing, the council is facing immense financial pressures – the cost of living crisis isn’t just hitting our residents, it is hitting the council as well.
“Inflation and rising energy costs affect our contracts, our buildings, our supplies – really almost all of our services.
“We are having to look at all of them to see where we can make efficiencies.
“We were in the middle of working on a new waste and recycling collections strategy as the financial crisis began, so we are well placed in waste to understand how we can make savings.”
He said Wokingham was one of a “small number” of local authorities who continue to collect rubbish weekly.
Neighbouring Reading collects fortnightly, while Bracknell has switched to once every three weeks.
“Weekly is expensive and has a negative impact on the environment,” Cllr Shenton said.
“With the financial pressure we are under, we just don’t have the choice to continue with collections exactly as they are.
“In any future collections, we would continue to have weekly food waste collections as that is absolutely necessary, but we will look at the possibilities of having our rubbish and recycling – what we put in the blue and green bags – less frequently, in line with the majority of other councils.”
He continued: “We will be launching a consultation in coming weeks, but it isn’t a vote on whether we will keep weekly rubbish and recycling collections or not. It will explain to residents the costs of what we do now and the ways in which we could make significant savings and improve our recycling rate at the same time.
“It will ask residents of their views and ask them if there is anything they think we haven’t thought of.
“It’s important that we hear from as many residents as possible – both those in favour of the changes and those against.
“It doesn’t mean we won’t have to make changes – but we need to understand the impact of any potential changes to help us make the best decisions for us as a borough.”
The Conservatives leader, Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, was against the removal of caddy bags.
At a meeting of Wokingham Borough Council last Thursday evening, she said: “The Conservative Group believe that the removal of free Caddy liners is likely to damage the level of food recycling in the Borough, this is when food recycling has a target to increase.”
But Cllr Shenton said: “These changes make perfect sense because they are in line with the previously set budget and in line with our commitment to protect the environment.
“The financial pressures on us are immense and we must find ways to re-work our services to ensure we continue to protect our most vulnerable residents.
“Most people and most families should be able to make do with one blue bag of rubbish per week – use the food waste recycling collections, use the green waste collections, and recycle all your plastics, paper and card and tins. This is an easy saving for us to make.
“However, that won’t be enough. We just aren’t going to be able to continue with our waste and recycling collections as they are now – we are one of the few areas in the country that still collect everything every week.
“If we alternate rubbish one week and recycling the next, for example, while keeping food waste collections weekly, we will save around £1 million per year.
“This money would then be available to spend on our elderly, our children, our most in need. I think it’s the right thing for us to do, but we want to hear from residents about how it would impact them.
RUBBISH SHAKE-UP: Wokingham Borough Council’s blue waste bags Picture: Phil Creighton
Construction to start on new sports area
SPENCERS WOOD residents will not have to wait much longer for a new sports facility.
On Tuesday, Shinfield Parish Council confirmed works for the proposed multiuse games area (MUGA) at Spencers Wood Recreation Ground would start on Monday.
Primarily for older children, it will feature a tarmac-surfaced pitch suitable for football, basketball and mini-tennis.
A trackway will first be laid to allow workmen to access the rear of the playing field.
The parish council warned residents the car park will be closed for around four weeks. Parking is available on Clare’s Green Road.
In 2018, residents voiced a desire for sport and recreation facilities at public meetings while putting forward ideas for improvements to facilities in the area.
Earlier this year, outdoor gym equipment was moved to free up space for a proposed multi-use game area (MUGA).
The plans were given the green light at the end of July in an attempt to alleviate pressure on local sports facilities due to the village’s new home developments and population growth. MUSICAL DUO: Dave and Mandy will be in concert on Saturday. Picture: courtesy of Lower Earley Baptist Church Free concert with ELO David
A FREE event offers fans a chance to see David Scott-Morgan in concert.
The band member played guitar with ELO between 1981 and 1986.
He and his wife, Mandy present an evening of Music, Story and Faith that features original music, rock ‘n’ roll classics and ELO hits.
It also shares anecdotes of Scott-Morgan’s life and how he became a Christian.
Scott-Morgan is a songwriter and video-maker, as well as lead singer and guitarist with his band Morganisation.
On top of this, he runs record label, Grimm Doo Records.
A man of many interests, he is also an inventor, a software writer, a commercial pilot, and has pastored a church for more than 10 years.
The event is organised by Lower Earley Baptist Church.
Steve Scrivener, church administrator, says: “We’re very pleased to be running this event.
“Dave is quite well known, and really easy to listen to.
“We’re looking forward to some rock ‘n’ roll classics from him.
“We do try to put on a couple of events a year as a church, but this one is bigger - and a bit of a first for us.”
He added: “It’s definitely not for church members only – this concert is for our local community.”
The event takes place at Maiden Place Community Centre on Saturday from 7.30pm. Tickets are free. n For tickets and information log on to: www.eventbrite.co.uk
beaconagency.co.uk BEACON: WE BUILD BRANDS
Beacon is a Wokingham-based marketing agency that brings innovation and integrity in equal measure to all the clients we work with. Got a brand you want to build? Get in touch today.
1
3
Sainsbury Singers set to dazzle in Dagenham
MUSICAL-LOVERS are set to have their heartstrings pulled at a Reading theatre group’s upcoming production.
The Sainsbury Singers will be performing the musical comedy Made in Dagenham at Leighton Park Theatre, Shinfield Road.
Based on the 2010 movie, the show follows Rita O’Grady and her friends as they fight for equal pay at the factory they work at.
Friendship and love are tested throughout, as the women take on the might of Ford and the corruption of the union which was supposed to protect them.
The NODA-winning group has previously put on productions of Sweeney Todd, Chess, Guys and Dolls, and Little Shop of Horrors.
Performing in venues including The Hexagon Reading, The Oakwood Centre, Woodley and Leighton Park Theatre, the group has performed to thousands of people, gaining a stellar reputation in Reading and beyond. Visitors are warned that Made in Dagenham features strong language and adult themes. The performances take place at 7.30pm each day from Tuesday, October 25, through to Saturday, October 29.
Tickets cost £22 for adults and £19 for children.
The group is offering a four-forthree deal on the opening Tuesday and a 10 percent discount when more than 10 or more tickets are booked. n For more information or to book tickets, visit: www.sainsburysingers. org.uk
