SCIENCE WEEK AT HURST SCHOOL

STEM:

Students at Dolphin Hurst in Hurst took part in a STEM week, including a science fair

Week of STEM sees students at Hurst school grow in confidence with science

A HURST school recently celebrated STEM subjects with a week of special events.

The events at Dolphin School started with an interactive assembly featuring special guest, Boffin John.

The school said that students were left amazed and the hall very messy.

The Boffin then continued the fun by conducting polymerisation workshops - a great excuse to make some slime.

The school said that the energy balls showed just how much our bodies rely on electricity.

The day ended with an impressive rocket launch, the parachute landing in a nearby field.

There were a whole host of activities throughout the week: going online with Geobus from UCL, who showed images of meteors viewed with 3D glasses.

There was an Engineering Day where students were tasked with building structures that would withstand a natural disaster - well .. water guns and fans

Some Escape Rooms were set-up, to encourage students’ problem solving skills and put their maths brains to the test to find the code to escape.

All Dolphin students took part in maths relay races, displaying teamwork, collaboration within their Houses and excellent mathematical skills.

The week concluded with its very first Science Fair. Students from Years 1 – 8 had been asked to produce a display board showing either an investigation or an information project – topics covered a huge range, including “Whose mouth is cleaner, a human or an animal?” and “How can you calculate the number of atoms in your body?”

Parents, staff and pupils were invited to drop in and quiz the exhibitors – it was a fantastic example of the creativity and passion of the school’s teachers, and an opportunity for children to express their own interests and ideas.

Remembering Chris Pape

MANY people in Wokingham will know Chris Pape, who died earlier this month. Most recently, she worked for Just Around The Corner (JAC), helping young people who, for whatever reason, needed some additional support. This included her long-held vision to open a shop in Wokingham town centre to allow the youngsters to get vital work experience. Here, her family pay tribute to her.

MUM (Christine Rose Holland), was born in 1949 in Oxford. She went to teacher training college in Brighton, then moved to Wokingham in the early 70s as a teacher at High Close School, working for Barnardo’s.

Mum became active within the Youth Service, taking on more responsibility and eventually running Wokingham Youth Centre in the 70s.

This is where Mum and Dad (John) met, as Dad was running a Duke of Edinburgh scheme. They married in 1975.

There are three of us children (Jo, Richard and Kirsty), however Mum and Dad fostered for many years, opening their home to hundreds of young people, so I find it difficult to put a number on the amount of children and grandchildren then have.

They would also offer our sofa to those who were homeless, giving them the time and support needed to get themselves back on their feet.

Mum taught English as a foreign language to students from Europe and ran church groups and DofE rallies with Dad.

Over the years mum has been active in a number of churches, in particular St Mary’s & St John’s California, Wokingham Baptist Church andNorreys Church (as well as the Salvation Army).

She’s never been particularly bothered by the different denominations, believing that God is the same one however you choose to worship him.

Mum continued to do youth work, spending evenings engaging with young people on the street, listening to their problems and handing out stickers telling people “God loves you” and such like…

Mum has always been concerned about people & in particular the homeless which led her to co-found Caritas homeless charity, which raised funds for Seaford Court in Wokingham. This was in the early 90s.

The youth work led her to affiliate herself with JAC and that evolved into the work that she did at the JAC Pad and JAC in a Box. Mum saw it as an opportunity to encourage young people to live life to their full potential & overcome anxieties.

What Mum meant to us as a Mum:

We couldn’t be prouder of Mum & the amazing role model that she has always been. The compassion that she has for people is inspiring & has been present throughout her life.

CHRIS PAPE

Mum has always had a simple but clear philosophy & in a letter which she wrote to one of her grandchildren she offered the following advice: n Be kind n Love God and follow his guidance n Be honest n Don’t judge others (you have not walked in their shoes).

Since Chris died, as a family, we have received many tributes.

We’ve been overwhelmed by the love and support from people who knew Mum.

We’ve always known that Mum was special, but we’ve been surprised at the vast amount of people she has had a positive influence on.

We’ve enjoyed reminiscing and the reminders of all mum has done and the people she cared about.

We’ve been amazed by the volume of messages and cards, which show the impact of Mum’s life.

If anyone does want to give on mum’s behalf, we would ask them to donate to JAC in a Box, via jacoutreach.org The Pape family

Pub plans jubilee event

A WOKINGHAM pub is holding a right royal celebration this summer.

The Queen’s Head pub will host a beer festival over the Platinum Jubilee weekend, from Thursday, June 2, to Sunday, June 5.

The team is looking forward to running a festival again, with plans to do so being put on hold for the past two years.

Real ales and ciders will be available to try, and there will be music and a barbecue on the Friday night and Sunday afternoon of the weekend.

For more information, follow The Queen’s Head on The Terrace on Facebook

Volunteers needed for Twyford Beer Festival

ORGANISERS of a popular village event have asked for volunteers to help it to happen this year.

Twyford Beer Festival, which takes place on Stanlake Meadow in June, is looking for people to fill a number of roles.

These include building the site during the week commencing Monday, May 30 and take down once the festival is over on Sunday, June 12.

A marquee will be used for a number of events in the village over the Platinum Jubilee weekend. It will also be fitted out with bar equipment and staging for beer barrels for the beer festival, which will happen on the following weekend.

Other roles available for the event include working behind the bar and litter picking. n For more information, visit: twyfordbeerfest.co.uk

Disabled man’s ‘lack of empathy’ over parking fine

By Daniel Blackham dblackham@rdg.today

A DISABLED man feels he has received “a lack of empathy” from Wokingham Borough Council.

The resident, who asked not be named, has primary progressive multiple sclerosis and was issued a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for parking outside the lines of a bay.

Upon his arrival to the Cockpit Path car park in Sturges Road, all disabled bays were full so he parked across two standard bays.

He said he needed the additional width, usually provided by a disabled bay, to be able to open the doors to his adapted vehicle and then gain access to his wheelchair.

When he returned to his vehicle he noticed a PCN on his car.

He said: “I got a ticket for parking in two spaces which is understandable from the perspective of the parking warden who just has a job to do.

“However when I contacted Wokingham Borough Council to appeal the fine, I was sent a snotty letter basically saying ‘tough mate’.

“A total lack of empathy for my situation from the council.”

The man says, given the circumstances, his PCN should have been cancelled.

He said: “It’s not the be all and end all but it’s the principle, and a real life example of the issues disabled people have everyday.

“This shows there needs to be more accessible and disabled parking in and around the town.”

The council provides 43 disabled parking bays across Wokingham town centre, with an additional 16 spaces available at Shute End on evenings and weekends.

Steve Moore, director of place and growth at the council, said: “We understand the difficulties that blue badge holders have when it comes to parking.

“To try and make life easier for blue badge holders, the council provides disabled parking bays across Wokingham town centre, free of charge. We also waive parking charges for blue badge holders when using non-disabled bays.”

The council insists that all cars must park entirely within the lines of the bay.

“The reason for this is to ensure visitors have access to the full number of car parking spaces in each car park, to help our town centres remain vibrant with as many visitors as possible

“Our policy requires us to apply the rules consistently to everyone,” said Mr Moore.

The policy is available on the council’s website. To view it, visit: wokingham.gov.uk breweries came about through meeting Lana Svitankova, Varvar’s international sales representative, at a number of events.

“Lana came to visit in 2018 with Vasily Mikulin, who founded Varvar, and Igor, one of the brewers,” Mr Anley said.

“Igor didn’t speak any English, so there was lots of pointing and gesticulating at times.

“But we managed to smash together techniques and ingredients from both our breweries to create Mavka.”

Mavka has since been brewed in both Finchampstead and Kyiv.

This batch of the stout is part way through its four-week stay in fermentation tanks. Next, it will be put though a “spin bot” to infuse the coffee and coconut.

It will be canned and ready to go early next month.

Mr Anley said that Ms Svitankova had moved to Switzerland prior to invasion, and that Mr Mikulin is also safe.

He has yet to hear about Igor.

All proceeds from direct sales will go to the #DrinkersforUkraine fundraising appeal for the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Fund.

Proceeds from trade sales will be donated where possible. n For more information, visit: sirencraftbrew.com

EXCLUSIVE

By Natalie Burton nburton@wokingham.today

A FINCHAMPSTEAD brewery has re-brewed a beer to raise money for Ukraine.

Siren is selling a batch of an imperial stout first produced in 2018, which it made alongside a team from Kyiv-based Varvar Brew.

The 11.4% drink is named Mavka, after a type of female spirit in Ukrainian mythology.

Managing director of Siren, Darron Anley, said that the decision to relaunch Mavka was made within days of the invasion.

“What is happening is heartbreaking,” he said

“Our friends at Varvar moved to Kyiv in 2014, when Donetsk was occupied by the Russians.

“They had plans to work towards gaining an appellation of origin for a Ukrainian golden ale this year.

“They have had to leave everything behind for a second time, and the brewery’s future is under threat.”

The brew day for the 2022 batch of Mavka took place on Friday, March 11.

Some 3,000 litres was made, enough for approximately 6,000 cans.

Since it was announced in early March, pre-sales have sold half of the batch and have fetched around £15,000 for the appeal.

The recipe includes the coffee flavour of Siren’s award-winning stout, Shattered Dream, and Varvar’s Caribbean Dream, a porter infused with coconut.

The collaboration between the two HELPING UKRAINE: Siren Craft Brew is preparing a batch of Mavka, an imperial stout which it first brewed in 2018, working alongside a team from Kyiv-based Varvar Brew