POLICE ACTION ON THE ROADS

Police aim to help drivers & cyclists stay safe on the road

By PHIL CREIGHTON news@wokingham.today

THANKS to covid, we’re all used to keeping our distance – but some motorists are getting too close to cyclists for comfort.

Last Thursday, Thames Valley Police held an education exercise, called Operation Safe Pass, on Wokingham’s Finchampstead Road.

A cyclist rode along a stretch of road near the Two Poplars pub. If motorists tried to overtake without leaving at least 1.5m space between them, a police patrol vehicle pulled them over. Under the new Highway Code, this gap should be at least 2m if the motorist is driving at 30mph or more – about a car’s width.

After a friendly chat with an officer, educating them on the risks of dangerous overtaking, the motorists were sent on their way again.

Sergeant Dave Hazlett, of Thames Valley Police and Hampshire Constabulary’s joint operations roads policing unit, oversaw the operation.

“Today is all about raising awareness about safe passing, making sure that everyone has their part to play. This isn’t just a particular focus on car and van drivers, it’s also about making sure that cyclists are doing the right things as well, ensuring they’re complying with junctions, traffic lights and all that kind of stuff.

“It’s a two-way process to make sure that everyone can share the road safely.”

Also in the car park where members of MyJourney Wokinghan, on hand to offer advice to pedestrians and cyclists.

And Adrian Betteridge, from cycling advocacy group WATCH Wokingham observed the operation.

“We want to see more people cycling, but the fear of roads puts a lot of people off,” he said. “Fundamentally, we’re not going to see a lot of people walking or cycling until there are proper segregated spaces.

“It’s good to know that police are taking an interest in people being close-passed by cars, and other dangerous behaviour, but ultimately it’s about that segregated space.”

Mr Betteridge said that cyclists were 22 times more likely to be injured than as an occupant of a car.

“There’s a real issue to be resolved,” he said. “We’re not going to resolve the issue fully just with better driver behaviour, we do need to create space for walkers, pedestrians and cyclists to be away from traffic so they’re fully protected.”

And Mr Betteridge had firsthand experience of drivers getting too close for comfort, saying that at least once a month he contacts the police with videos of dangerous driving recorded from his bike.

“At the moment, that does result in them receiving a referral for driver education or, as in one occasion this year, someone being prosecuted for careless driving.”

Sgt Hazlett said that the drivers they’d spoken to had been aware of why they had been stopped.

“We want to try and address complacency that can exist among road users. If you do have a collision with a pedal cyclist, it can quite devastating. We’re making sure drivers are fully aware of that.”

The exercise in Wokingham follows on from a similar initiative in Finchampstead last autumn.

“We’re responding to complaints that have been raised within the local area,” Sgt Hazelett said. “We want to make sure cyclists do feel supported by police and partners, that they can get around the roads as safely as they can.

“By raising that awareness, that’s what we’re aiming to achieve.”

RIDE ON: Police carried out an operation aimed at making it safe for cyclists in Wokingham Pictures: Phil Creighton STAGED: The Corpus Christi Parish pantomime gave audiences a fun night out, and it helped raise cash for the foodbank

Parish pantomime raises £1,600 for Wokingham Foodbank

Police speak to a motorist they stopped

THE Corpus Christi Parish Pantomime raised £1,600 for the Wokingham Foodbank with their own self-penned spin on the classic pantomime, the Pied Piper.

Taking place at the Caudwell Hall Theatre in Holme Grange School in Wokingham, the funds were raised during their March production.

Director of the pantomime, Carmel Smith, said: “I am so proud of the cast for the quality of the show they produced.

“It’s amazing what you can achieve with a little silliness, powder, paint and song”.

The Wokingham Foodbank is part of the Trussell Trust network of Foodbanks and works to provide hardship support for households in crisis or an emergency situation. It provides food parcels and household essentials, such as toiletries and cleaning products to people living in Wokingham borough.

It also distributes emergency fuel vouchers for residents who have a pre-payment meter and are struggling to afford to pay for gas and electricity. This year it has been almost 150% busier than the same period pre-pandemic, and the charity says it is grateful for any donations they receive.

Annette Medhurst, who manages the foodbank said: “We are incredibly grateful for the support from the Corpus Christi Pantomime team.

“We are currently experiencing a very high number of referrals for local families struggling to afford the cost of food and fuel. The funds raised will be spent on plugging stock gaps and purchasing emergency energy support vouchers.”

The Corpus Christi Parish Pantomime Group is a social group from the Corpus Christi Roman Catholoc Church Wokingham, involving people as young as 11, and some in their 60s.

The all-amateur group gets involved in every aspect of the performance from writing the script to sorting the sound, lighting, costume, and make-up.

They are always looking for new members. Anyone wanting to get involved, either on stage or backstage, can email: parishpantocc@gmail.com

Drivers were encouraged to think about the safe distance to overtake a cyclist, in light of changes to the Highway Code

Phoenix Choir to sing for Ukraine

READING PHOENIX CHOIR will perform a selection of choral pieces at a fundraising event on Saturday, May 14.

The group will be at St Paul’s Church in Reading Road, Wokingham, for the concert. It starts at 7.30pm.

Called When I Need A Friend, proceeds will go to the DEC’s Ukraine appeal. Tickets cost £15, or £5 for under 16s. n They can be bought on the door or in advance from rpchoir.com/ukraine

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-today 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 like to continue as you are for now; that’s fine too. We’re only a phone call away if you change your mind, or would like to talk things through again.

Nigel Pearce AIPW Grey Matters Consultancy Wokingham

Chaplaincy talk in town centre bar to discuss modern evangelism

THE University of Reading (UoR) Chaplaincy is hosting a talk challenging Christians’ approach to evangelism.

Theology lecturer James Butler will look to explore the topic in a session entitled, Why Christians Need to Stop Evangelising (Badly) and Have a Conversation.

As part of the UoR Chaplaincy’s Café Théologique series, Butler will use his research to evidence how current teachings could “disable rather than enable people to share their faith”.

The St Augustine’s College of Theology tutor believes that Christians should place more emphasis on understanding individuals than the rhetoric they use when attempting to share the Christian message with others.

Attendees will be afforded the opportunity to participate in an open discussion after the presentation.

The UoR Chaplaincy’s Café Théologique series is a platform where contemporary issues are explored and challenged.

The event takes place at 7.30pm on Monday, May 9, at Zerodegrees Bar, Bridge Street and can also be streamed via Zoom. n For more information and Zoom meeting details, visit: www.reading.ac.uk/ chaplaincy/cafe-theologique or email: chaplaincy@ reading.ac.uk

All aboard The Arc to make new public art a reality

n Continued from front page

The text will include braille as Ms Anthony is keen to ensure the work is inclusive.

Ms Anthony has already begun to run sessions in which she seeks to unearth how people feel about living in the area.

She’s keen to source emotions and observations about what Wokingham means to people, both now and in the future.

Her findings will form key parts of the text that will hallmark her work.

In February, when her commission was announced, she said: “I’m thrilled to be working on this, I think it’s going to be a very meaningful project,” she said.

“My role is to give voice to people, to make sure their voices are coming through accurately and are represented. It’s a big role of the arts actually. If I can do that through sculpture, it helps it become more relatable to people who might not be involved in the arts or visit a museum.

“Public sculpture has to be for everyone.”

To make The Arc possible, Arts4Wokingham is seeking sponsorship, grants and donations and has launched a campaign to raise £200,000.

As well as contributing to Wokingham’s most substantial and eye-catching public artwork to date, there’s an opportunity to engage personally with this project.

Anyone donating £200 or more will have their name displayed in the public arena for all to see.

The project team is currently looking at a variety of options which will allow the names of these donors to be recorded and highlighted as significant supporters and contributors to this campaign.

And smaller donations are being welcomed, too.

So far, The Wokingham Society, local company Flight Logistics and Wokingham Town Council have pledged significant sums to kick start the fundraising.

A spokesperson for Arts4Wokingham said: “If you’d like to align yourself, your family, your company, your group or your society with the creation and provision of what is already being talked about as Wokingham’s most distinctive and notable major new landmark work of art to date, do get in touch.

“You can donate now by visiting the Arts4Wokingham website at www.arts4wokingham.com or for more information you can email info@arts4wokingham.com”

Anyone wanting to join in the creation of the texts for the sculpture can send thoughts, stories and ideas via the group’s website, and clicking on ‘tell us your story’ under Community consultations. n For more details, log on to: www. arts4wokingham.com/communityconsultations

VISION OF THE FUTURE:

The Arc will sit outside the new Carnival Hub Picture: (c) Nicola Anthony