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Lockdown: The sequel
WE’RE one week into Lockdown: The Sequel. How are you all?
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Remember, we've been here before and we CAN do this again. But tell me, did you manage to get that last-minute hair cut and have you stocked up on loo rolls yet?
That’ll be a double negative from me.
I’ve not had my hair cut since February and I’m not, repeat, not panic buying.
I have six or seven supermarkets within a few miles of me so really, where’s the need?
And seriously, didn’t we learn anything from Lockdown 1:0?
That said, these are testing times for us all, especially for those on furlough, those shielding, those with no work, those with poorly friends and family. Now is the time to come together, while being apart.
We need to find ways to stay positive and strong.
The big positive this time around is that the schools are staying open, for the time being at least, and surely that’s something to celebrate.
With two boys in the final year of GCSEs and A-levels, I hope they can keep up with their schoolwork.
They need it for their brains. I need it for my sanity.
But then we’ve got the nation’s favourite, Joe Wicks, on hand again to keep our mental health in check.
Have you done Wake Up With Joe this week?
His “energy and mood boosting workouts” promise to help us find some positivity and energy.
I’ve done them this week. It broke me! Sploshing
During Lockdown 1:0 I actually became a runner, a statement I never thought I’d make. I’ve even bought waterproof trainers so that I can run through the mud and rain.
Sploshing about like a kid jumping in puddles is actually such a mood-enhancer and a lockdown activity you should most definitely try.
So jumping in puddles aside, what will you be doing during the next three weeks?
I recommend binge watching a decent box set while you still have the brain capacity.
Do it now before lockdown exhaustion sets in.
And baking is a given.
I may even push the boat out and upgrade my banana bread by chucking in a few walnuts or chocolate chips.
Seriously though, I’m also delighted that this time around we can meet up with a friend for a walk.
If there’s one thing that the last lockdown taught me, it’s that connection and people are everything.
Spending time with people impacts who we are and how we feel in a very real sense.
Hands up, I know I can get obsessed with work (as a freelance in this climate I need to be!) but if there’s on thing Lockdown 1:0 taught me, it’s that I need to make time for people and feel grateful that I have amazing people in my life.
I will appreciate them always.
I won’t flake on plans and I won’t allow myself to get too bogged down in the mundane.
In the meantime, my brother, who has been in Tier 3 for months now, has suggested a family Zoom quiz.
Like I said, these are testing times.
Rachel is founder Gossip Girl Gang, a networking group for women in business in and around the borough
Staying inside is now love and this may seem unfair but distance is kindness and kindness is care.
This month will soon pass we just need to sit tight sometimes living quietly is the best way to fight.
Each day that we do this means one day we’ll be free when your world is less busy you accept and just be.
And when you know how to be well, then you really are free.
Tina Cathleen MacNaughton November 2020 (second lockdown) Tina MacNaughton divides her time between Crowthorne where she works as an acupuncturist, and her home city, Portsmouth. She is also a writer and poet and has a professional writing services company, WriteRhymes, which produces bespoke celebration poetry on commission. Tina has enjoyed writing uplifting poems for shielding patients, family and friends during the pandemic. write.rhymes@outlook.com We love receiving reader’s poetry. Email your submissions to letters@ wokinghampaper.co.uk You are what you eat
THE OLD saying you are what you eat is about to be tested to the very limits: and it could be a Wokingham borough couple that puts it through its paces.
A gardening webstore is offering couples £1,500 if they accept the challenge to be aphrodisiac testers.
WhatShed.co.uk says that the probe is timely: a recent survey of British bedroom habits revealed that two-thirds of respondents felt things in the bedroom were in a bit of a rut, thanks to, what else? Lockdown.
So, the gardening and shed review site is looking to find three couples to try some plants over two months, and see how beautiful the music they make actually is.
All plants, tools and instructions will be provided – a mixture of plants, produce and fungi. All the couples have to do is try them and see what blooms.
The roles come after Whatshed.co.uk’s survey, which looked into the lifestyle and relationships changes of 2,000 couples aged 18-60 over the last six months.
Nearly two thirds (61%) have seen a negative change in their libidos as a result of lockdown.
And 28% of people in relationships admitting they now have sex less than they did before lockdown.
When asked why they thought their sex life was dwindling, 29% admitted that they were bored with their sex in general, 16% said their mood was affecting their arousal negatively and 13% even said they were less attracted to their partner now than they were at the start of lockdown.
Plants and food have long been considered natural aphrodisiacs, so WhatShed.co.uk has created the roles to definitively reveal which plants have the desired effect in the bedroom.
Kate Fromings, from the company, said: “Couples are always looking for new and interesting ways to improve their love life.
“Coronavirus is forcing us to spend more time with those in our households, whether we like it or not and it is not unusual that this would get boring, the pandemic really is affecting every aspect of life and, as our survey shows, that does not stop at the bedroom door.
“A lot of people hear about aphrodisiacs and their mind jumps straight to oysters, champagne, and strawberries, but there are so many herbal and plant-based aphrodisiacs that you can grow in your own back garden, you probably eat lots of them on a regular basis without even realising it.”
She added: Gardening is already proven to help with your physical and mental health and if we at Whatshed can help any couple improve their sexual health as well, then we will be more than happy to do so.”
At the end of the two months, each couple will be asked to send their reviews from both perspectives, including a description of how they used each product and intimate details.
Applicants must be aged between 25-65, with good spoken and written English.
Couples keen to apply, or those just looking for some ideas on what to grow, can log on to: whatshed.co.uk/aphrodisiac-tester/
By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today
FORGET running 100km in a month – one Wokingham resident ran that distance in just one week.
Last month, Vicky Hammond embarked on the mammoth task of running 100km over seven days to raise money for Helen & Douglas House, a hospice which provides end of life care to terminally ill children in Berkshire and beyond.
And Vicky managed to raise more than £3,000 for the charity.
After completing the Virtual London Marathon on Sunday, October 4, the keen runner set off on the 50km Run to the Sea Ultra Marathon the following weekend, all the while raising money and awareness for the hospice.
“I initially signed up for the London Marathon in April and it was postponed to October,” Vicky explains.
“And when the October race looked like it was going to be cancelled, I decided that I didn’t want to waste my training so signed up for my first ever ultra marathon – Run to the Sea.”
Over the course of the week, from Sunday, October 4 until Sunday, October 11, Vicky raised £3,289.
She did so through holding her very own coffee morning, which raised £560 for the hospice, as well as an online auction which raised £950.
And alongside sponsorships for the run, she smashed her original target of raising £2,500.
“Helen & Douglas House is a local charity that has been the lifeline for many Wokingham families, providing a home-from-home care for terminally ill children and their families,” says Vicky.
“At the toughest time of their lives, families are given the time and space SOMEONE to turn to. A shoulder to cry on. That’s me. A repository of worn-out clichés. My adhesive labels. They phone me with their troubles and I comfort them. Seems it’s my role.
‘Oh, Barbara! I can’t stand being alone. It’s grinding me down. I’m sleeping badly and I wake to find I’ve clawed my arms until they bleed. Red spots on the sheets. Then I can’t be bothered to change them. So I go to bed in bloody bedding and that upsets me.’
I listen while my dinner burns then we go through changing the bed and she feels better. I hear the next day she slept well. I didn’t.
‘Oh, Barbara! You’re the only person I’ve spoken to this week. I have this heavy cloud around me. I miss my son. He could phone me but he doesn’t.’
So we talk about her making the call. No, she says. He should do it.
I persuade her while my washing gets soaked in a heavy shower.
‘Oh, Barbara! We had such a lovely chat!’
Vicky Hammond was spurred on by her family during her week-long 100k, which included running the virtual London Marathon
to enjoy the precious moments they have left with each other.
“These donations mean that families don’t have to face the unthinkable alone.”
According to the hospice, it costs
£3.6 million each year to run its I try not to sigh.
And a couple more cries from a couple more friends. I should be glad – I was once – but it’s not enough. There’s a storm inside me. I stand in the shower to wash away the panic. In water and in tears. I can feel the thunder in my head and flashes like lightening make me screw up my eyes. Who helps the helper?
The phone rings. Yet another ‘Oh, Barbara!’ call?
I search for my compassionate voice.
‘Oh, Barbara! Just thought I’d give you a ring to see how you are. I love talking to you. It’s been too long. I’ve got some good news to share…’
She didn’t realise what she had just achieved. � By Linda Fawke (author of A Taste of his own Medicine and A Prescription for Madness available on Amazon). This entry was highly commended in the Wokingham Writers Group summer writing challenge, on the theme of Stormy Weather.
Put your best foot forward for walkies THIS year, many children are not squeeze in a short walk at the start attending school due to Covid-19 of the day. and they may be missing out on Too cold and wet to walk? getting in some valuable exercise. If you are put off walking
Regular physical activity in because the weather is too cold or children and young people is damp, try wrapping up warm and associated with improved learning, making sure you/your kids are better mental health, healthier protected from the rain with weight status and better waterproof clothing, umbrellas and cardiovascular fitness. wellies.
Many children have not Younger children can have fun been getting enough. splashing in puddles along the way.
Here, Dr Helen Flaherty, head of Kids not willing to walk? health Promotion at Heart If your kids are not willing to Research UK, provides some ideas walk, you could start by for getting your kids walking more, encouraging them to walk two or whether they are currently three times a week and increase it attending school or not. gradually until they are walking
Not enough time to walk? every day.
If you tend to drive your child to Try having fun during your school because you are short of walks by singing songs, playing time in the mornings, you could games or spotting birds and insects look at your schedule to see along the way. If your kids are old whether getting up earlier, or enough to walk on their own, you moving things around in your could motivate them by asking diary, could help. them to count their steps using a
If your child is not currently smartwatch or smartphone and set attending school, you could try to them daily or weekly targets.
Dinton’s beauty helps Francesca win big
Vicky Hammond was spurred on by her family during her week-long 100k, which included running the virtual London Marathon
services and 85% of this comes from donations.
“We are so grateful for the money Vicky has raised for us taking on these two running challenges,” says Julia Woodcock from Helen & Douglas House.
“Without amazing supporters like this we simply wouldn’t be here to help local families with terminally ill children.” � To make a donation, visit Vicky’s fundraiser at www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/vickyjhammond Jamming along for music
ON THE night before lockdown, a Wokingham man launched his latest musical venture in collaboration with Everyman Cinema.
Nathan Fullbrook, founder of national music platform, Jamma, hosted his first pre-recorded, music event featuring four artists last Wednesday evening.
Formed as a solution to the ban on live music, the sold-out Everyjam event saw musicians perform, as if they were in a live gig — which was recorded and then screened at the Elms Field cinema.
“Each artist recorded their live set at Generation Studio, in Maidenhead — they’re one of our partner companies at Jamma,” explained Mr Fullbrook.
“Any artists that use Jamma can get a 25% discount when using their studio.
“It’s incredible working with such a strong brand as Everyman.
“It’s the start of a long-term partnership — we both feel this is really important to help boost the local economy and bring people back into Wokingham.”
The first Everyjam event launched in Wokingham, as a nod to Mr Fullbrook’s hometown. But plans are in place to rollout the pre-recorded performance evenings across the UK.
Launched before lockdown, Jamma championed the importance of live performance, linking musicians with venues, and now digital recording specialists as well.
For more information, visit: jammamusic.com A WOKINGHAM woman has recently been awarded for her photography skills, writes Charlotte King.
Francesca Cornish (22) is busy celebrating her big win in a local photography competition, thanks to a serene sunset shot in Hurst.
McCarthy and Stone, a manager and developer of retirement communities in the borough and beyond, recently put out a call to budding local photographers.
The company launched a competition, asking residents to share snaps of their favourite landscapes in the Wokingham area.
The only caveat was that the images had to be taken during national lockdown - and Francesca recently learnt that she was the lucky winner.
“I spotted the competition advertised in a local Facebook group,” Francesca said. “I had been taking a few photos during my walks through lockdown so I just thought I’d submit my favourite on a bit of a win.”
Francesca’s winning photo, entitled Sunset Serenity, was taken at Dinton Pastures Country Park.
“I am very fortunate to live a short walk away from the park, so this was a great way to pass the time during lockdown and de-stress surrounded by beautiful scenery,” she said. “I was really pleased to know that someone else thought the sunset I captured was beautiful too.” Nicki Beswarick, of McCarthy and Stone, added: “The entries we received were brilliant, and I’d like to offer our congratulations to Francesca for winning the competition.
“We have so many stunning views in and around Twyford, and Francesca’s image really captured the lovely scenery.”
The competition marked the relaunch of McCarthy and Stone’s Loddon House, and the photograph will now be put on display in the retirement home’s communal lounge.
22 | NEWS PARISH NOTICEBOARD Parish and borough council meetings Assume meetings are online –contact councils for details Monday, November 16 Wokingham Town Council. Arts and culture committee. 7.30pm. Details: www.wokingham-tc.gov.uk Tuesday, November 17 Arborfield Parish Council. Full council meeting. 7.30pm.
Arborfield.org.uk Winnersh Parish Council. Planning committee. 7.30pm. www.winnersh.gov.uk Woodley Town Council. Leisure services 8pm. www.woodley.gov.uk Wokingham Borough Council. Executive questions deadline. 10am. Personnel Board. 7pm. Details: www.wokingham.gov.uk Wednesday, November 18 Finchampstead Parish Council. Council meeting. 7.30pm. FBC
Centre, Gorse Ride North RG40 4ES. Sonning Parish Council. Planning committee. 7pm. Sports
Pavilion, King George V Playing Field, Pound Lane RG4 6XE. Wokingham Borough Council. Health overview and Scruntiny
Committee. 7pm. Details: www.wokingham.gov.uk Thursday, November 19 Wokingham Borough Council. Full council meeting. 7pm.
Details: www.wokingham.gov.uk Monday, November 23 Wokingham Borough Council. Community and Corporate
Overview and Scrutiny Committee. 7pm. Audit Committee. 7pm. Details: www.wokingham.gov.uk Tuesday, November 24 Woodley Town Council. Strategy and Resources. 8pm. www.woodley.gov.uk Wednesday, November 25 Finchampstead Parish Council. Finance committee. 7.30pm.
FBC Centre, Gorse Ride North RG40 4ES. Wokingham Borough Council. Overview and Scrutiny
Management Committee. 7pm. Details: www.wokingham.gov.uk Thursday, November 26 Wokingham Borough Council. Executive meeting. 7pm.
Details: www.wokingham.gov.uk FROMTHECOURTS � AN EARLEY man has been found guilty of failing to provide a specimen for road traffic police.
Issac Matete, 39 and from Chiltern Crescent, appeared at Reading Magistrates Court on October 14, where he admitted the offence, which took place in Reading on March 22 this year.
Matete has been disqualified from holding a driving licence prior to sentencing taking place on � A BRACKNELL man has been December 16. This is to allow a pre- found guilty of drink driving in sentence report to be prepared. Wokingham.
Matate has been remanded on Jose Emilo Navarrette Guerra, unconditional bail. 59 and from Jardine Place, was stopped on London Road on July 12. � A SANDHURST woman has been A test found that he had 67 ordered to undertake 120 hours of microgrammes of alcohol in community service after being 100 millilitres of breath. found guilty of stealing a wallet and He admitted the charge when fraud. he appeared at Reading Magistrates
Jade Francis Roberts, 29 and Court on October 19. from St John’s Road, appeared Guerra was banned from driving at Slough Magistrates Court on for 18 months, which will be October 16, where she admitted reduced by 18 weeks on completion to taking the wallet, along with of a safe driving course. He must a debit card and cash worth £51.95, also pay a fine of £120, £34 to on May 31, 2019. victim services and £85 costs.
She also stole a second wallet on the same day containing cash � A MAN from Yateley has pleaded worth £83. guilty to drug possession.
She then fraudulently tried Samuel Scott Graham, 32 and to used the card in a contactless from Bramling Avenue, appeared at transaction, attempting to buy Reading Magistrates Court on cigarettes and water worth £9.37 October 19, where he admitted to from a shop in Wokingham. having a quantity of cocaine on his
For the thefts, she was ordered person when he had been stopped to pay compensation of £51.95 by police in Sandhurst on October and £83 to her victims. 19, 2019.
Roberts was also ordered to pay He was given a 12-month £85 costs and £85 to victim conditional discharge, ordered to services. She can repay at a rate of pay £85 costs and £21 to victim £50 per month. services, at a rate of £50 per month.
For each of the three offences, she was ordered to undertake � A WOKINGHAM man who 40 hours of community service. failed to carry out his community
Cases heard in Reading and Slough Magistrates Court in recent weeks service was fined £200. benefit, child tax credit and
Reading Magistrates Court heard working tax credit that Kenny John Evans, 33 and from � Between May 11, 2017 and Hollow Lane, had failed to turn up February 22, 2019, failed to tell for unpaid work as instructed on Wokingham Borough Council that August 11 and September 1 this he was employed by NHS year. Professionals Ltd, which he knew
In addition to the fine, he must would affect his entitlement to pay £60 costs. housing benefit. � Between March 30, 2016 and � A SPENCERS WOOD man who July 1, 2016, failed to inform failed to attend appointments Wokingham Borough Council of as ordered by the court was given employment with Spring Raise a new community service order. Limited, which he knew would
Bradley Alexander Ponsford, 20 affect his entitlement to housing and from Clements Close, admitted benefit. failing to attend planned office � On December 4, 2015, informed visits on January 30 and September Wokingham Borough Council that 2 this year, and also failing to he had been employed by comply with a planned telephone Wokingham Borough Council since contact on August 28. He failed to May 2015 and that his monthly provide evidence of a reasonable wages were less than the actual excuse. He was ordered to comply wage received. with a new order and attend For each offence, he was given appointments as ordered. Ponsford a 24-week concurrent jail sentence, was also ordered to pay costs of suspended for 18 months. £60 at a rate of £10 per week. He must pay £85 costs and £115 to victim services. � A LOWER EARLEY man has been given a suspended sentence for � A FINCHAMPSTEAD woman has benefit fraud. been banned from driving for 18
Nomusa Thabisa Dube, 34 and months after pleading guilty to from Gregory Close, admitted the drink driving. following charges when he Paige White, 21 and from Gorse appeared at Reading Magistrates Ride North, was stopped on Court on October 20: Waterloo Road on July 26. A test � Between January 13, 2014 and revealed that she had 64 March 29, 2015, failed to notify microgrammes of alcohol in 100 Wokingham Borough Council of millilitres of breath. She pleaded paid employment at the Royal guilty when she appeared at Berkshire Hospital, which he knew Reading Magistrates Court on would affect his entitlement to October 20. housing benefit The driving ban will be reduced � On April 28, 2015, claimed to by 18 weeks on completion of a safe Wokingham Borouigh Council that driving test. White must also pay a he had no income other than that fine of £200, £85 costs and £34 to from Voyage Care as well as child victim services.
Ex-teacher jailed for assaults
By JOHN WAKEFIELD news@wokingham.today
A FORMER school teacher who sexually assaulted teenagers has been jailed for 12 years.
Graham Tattersall, who worked at Garth Hill School in Bracknell between 1979 and 1991, was found guilty of historic abuse against a number of female victims aged between 12 and 16.
Reading Crown Court heard that the offences took place in school classrooms, at his former home, and in his car when he was meant to be taking victims to their homes.
The 68-year-old, of Church Street, Windsor, was convicted by unanimous jury verdict on Friday, October 30, of one count of attempted rape, seven counts of indecent assault and four counts of indecency with a child.
He was found not guilty of one count of rape.
At a hearing on Thursday, November 5, Tattersall was sentenced to a total of 12 years’ imprisonment.
His crimes came to light when a victim reported an offence to Thames Valley Police in 2017 and an
investigation was subsequently launched. This led to a number of other victims to come forward, and Tattersall was arrested in July 2018, and charged with the offences on 17 January this year.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Alethea Cox, of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit based at Windsor police station, said: “Tattersall offended against children at various points
Graham Tattersall worked at Garth Hill School in Bracknell between 1979 and 1991. He has been given a 12-year jail sentence
between 1979 and 1991, and this was while he was in a position of trust as a teacher at the school.
“We have conducted a thorough three-year investigation into the offences that came to light, and I am pleased that we have been able to bring the right verdict for all of the victims.
“This has been an emotive case for all the women, who had buried the things that happened to them and attempted to move on with their lives.
“I would like to thank them all personally for coming forward and putting their trust in the police to bring Tattersall to justice.”
She also urged other people who had similar experiences to come forward: “These convictions show that despite the passage of time, we will believe victims of sex offences and will investigate offences and support victims throughout the process,” she said.
“I would like to urge anybody who has felt unable to report similar such incidents from the past to please come forward.
“Even if it has been many months, years, or even decades since offences took place, it is never too late for an investigation, and we will continue to work hard for all victims to bring offenders to justice.”
DC Cox added: “Tattersall will now have to serve a term of imprisonment to reflect upon his actions, and I hope that the conviction and subsequent sentence will serve as some form of closure for all of his victims.”
To advertise call 0118 327 2662
Parties welcome funding for holiday school dinners
By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today
POLITICIANS from across the council have welcomed additional funding to help feed families this winter.
Wokingham Borough Council’s Conservative Group says it welcomes the Covid Winter Grant Scheme, which will deliver £208,703 to help borough residents hit hardest by the pandemic.
The ring-fenced funding is part of a package of £170million being handed to councils across England to provide further support to families who need help with food and bills over the coming months.
Alongside the Covid Winter Grant Scheme, the Government is delivering a further £220million in extending the Holiday and Food Programme until Christmas 2021.
Children eligible for Free School Meals will be given the option of joining a holiday-time programme providing healthy food and activities throughout next year.
John Halsall, leader of Wokingham Borough Council and the Conservative Group, said:
“Through no fault of their own, Covid-19 has left many in difficulty across the Borough as they struggle to make ends meet.
“As Conservatives, we believe that, during these extraordinary times, it’s the job of Central and Local Government to step up and stand behind people in need.
“No child should go hungry, and we lobbied our colleagues in Government to do everything possible to prevent this happening.”
He added: “I’m pleased that Conservatives in Government have heard our concerns, and are providing this additional funding to help families buy food, as well as extending the Holiday Activities and Food Programme.
“While Conservatives are in charge of this Council, we will continue to strive to end hardship wherever we find it in this Borough.”
And Wokingham’s Liberal Democrats has welcomed the funding.
Cllr Lindsay Ferris, the group’s leader, said that the announcement was “very good news indeed”.
He added: “We do need to see what the proposals actually mean and also what Wokingham Borough Council will be providing as a result.”
The Wokingham Liberal Democrat Group previously submitted a motion urging the borough council to develop its own free school meals arrangement throughout Christmas and into the new year.
And Cllr Ferris believes the government’s announcement now “provides the council with the necessary finance to provide such a service.”
He says the Liberal Democrat group on Wokingham Borough Council will be pressing the council on what the free school meal arrangements will be.
And it wants to know how the council will work with schools and local charities to ensure children get the food they need.
Cllr Prue Bray, Liberal Democrat councillor for Winnersh and leader of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, also welcomed the funding but said she feared it is not enough.
“The decision came too late for October half-term,” she said.
“Many businesses, charities, individuals and local authorities around the country stepped in to fill the gap then – although shamefully, not Wokingham Borough Council.”
Cllr Bray is also concerned about what will happen during February halfterm and the holidays throughout next year.
And she said she will be proposing a motion at next week’s borough council meeting.
“I [will be asking] the council to make sure children in our area from low income families have access to food during the holidays,” she said.
Wokingham Borough Council’s November Full Council Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 19.
New First Days collection points
A CHARITY collecting Christmas stockings to give to children on December 25 has opened a new collection point.
As we revealed last week, First Days Children’s Charity, Wokingham Foodbank and Share Wokingham have launched a festive appeal for presents and stocking fillers for both youngsters and their parents.
Emma Cantrell, CEO of First Days, said: “We are so glad to be working together to help as many people as possible to have an enjoyable and happy Christmas.
“We are lucky to live in a generous and giving community, however, there are also many, many people who are really struggling to make ends meet. As well as working together, all three organisations will continue to support people as normal in the run up to Christmas, which is set to be an incredibly busy time.
“We’d love your donations of brand new toys and gifts for children aged 0-17 and gifts for children to choose to give to their parents as well as Christmas food and treats.”
Now Woodford Park Leisure Centre in Woodley, which is currently closed as a gym, has announced that it will open to accept donations.
Christmas stocking bags will also be available for collection for people who would like to fill a complete stocking for a child.
It will be open on Saturday (November 14) from 11am-2pm, Monday between 1pm-4pm, Tuesday 11am-2pm, Thursday, November 19 from 1pm-4pm, and Saturday, November 21, from 11am-2pm.
Other venues include First Days’ Hurst base, which can accept donations MondayThursday 10am to 2pm and Friday and Saturdays 10am to noon. In Sandhurst, visit Pistachios in the Park between 9.30am and 3pm daily.
HaHoos in Twyford will be available to donate from 10am to 5pm Wednesdays to Friday, and on Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
And in Wokingham, Norreys Church will accept stockings on Monday, Wednesdays and Friday between noon and 3pm, and The Blue Orchid Bakery: Peach Street 7.30am-3pm.
First Days says it has received more than 500 requests for stockings so far.
Suggested items are: body wash, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrush, a book, two small toys, crayons and a colouring book or a craft item, and one or two additional items.
For more details, log on to www.firstdays.net
Waterloo Road closures planned
MOTORISTS in Wokingham are being warned of overnight road closures later this month.
As part of the Eastern Gateway section of the South Wokingham Distributor Road (SWDR) project, Balfour Beatty are installing underground cabling on Waterloo Road between the rail crossing and Locks Farm.
And the road will need to be closed and a diversion route put in place to ensure it can be done safely.
The Eastern Gateway project, which is scheduled to open in 2022, aims to provide improved access to planned housing and reduce congestion within the surrounding area.
The work will be carried out across two overnight periods.
It will commence between Monday, November 16 and Saturday, November 21, and between Monday, November 30 and Thursday, December 3.
The road will be closed between 8pm and 6am, but access to Britton’s Farm and Lock Farms will be maintained at all times.
Mystery over film company
A FILM company descended on Dinton Pastures country park with more activity in a nearby lane in the evening dusk.
Around eight large lorries were parked on Dinton’s overflow car park last Thursday where staff said the BBC was making a film.
There was speculation locally that the BBC were making a new comedy called Princess.
Film, television and stage star Nigel Havers, whose 69th birthday was the next day, was said to be appearing in it.
Near Dinton, in Lines Road, Hurst, a house was lit up with flood lights. In a nearby field there were lorries and a large marquee which disappeared later.
Dinton Pastures, lying on the Winnersh/Hurst border, is owned by Wokingham Borough Council.
They referred inquiries to Berkshire Film Office whose website says it “acts as a film office hub” for councils including Wokingham Borough. The office helps companies look for filming locations.
A Berkshire Film Office representative said on Monday: “I am currently unable to say anything about the filming unless I have permission from the production.”
WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, November 12, 2020 Mayor impressed with new Gorse Ride development
The cycleway on London Road is now in use Picture: Stewart Turkington
New cycleway complete
A NEW cycleway for people travelling to and from Wokingham is officially complete.
The final touches to the London Road cycleway, which has been under construction since May, were finished earlier this week.
The new off-road path will now allow cyclists to travel from the Coppid Beech roundabout into Wokingham town centre.
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport at Wokingham Borough Council said: “This project has not only provided a fantastic new cycleway through our borough to a main town centre, but also allowed us to carry out resurfacing on this key transport route.
“Providing the right cycling infrastructure for the borough means we’re providing residents with the facilities they need to keep fit and healthy, as well as accessing the amenities they need nearby without getting in their cars.”
Footways along London Road have been widened to allow enough space for the cycleway and pedestrians, and plastic kerbstones have been installed along some sections of the road.
By completing the London Road cycleway, Wokingham Borough Council has finished its section of the National Cycle Route 422 which links Newbury, Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell and Ascot on one route.
“A cycleway like this, intersecting our borough and linking it to other areas, means cyclists can use it to link areas beyond Wokingham borough as well as within it,” Cllr Jorgensen added. By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today
THE GORSE RIDE regeneration project has taken another step forward.
Last month, Cllr Malcolm Richards, mayor of Wokingham borough, visited the site on Arnett Avenue to top out the final section of roof.
He was shown round the site by Harry Smith from council contractors R.J. Leighfield and Sons Ltd and was accompanied by Cllr Simon Weeks, borough ward councillor for Finchampstead South and chair of the local Parish Council.
They were also joined by Steve Bowers who, in addition to being chair of the community steering group, is also a Gorse Ride resident and is one of the local households likely to move into the new development when it completes next spring.
And the mayor was impressed with what he saw.
“It was wonderful to be able to mark this major milestone event by helping place the last tile on the Arnett Avenue roofs and
Topping out the last roof tile - Mayor of Wokingham Borough, Cllr Malcolm Richards and Harry Smith, Contract Surveyor at R.J
Leighfield and Sons Ltd Picture: Stewart Turkington
officially topping it out,” said Cllr Richards.
“Living-architects, who designed the scheme, have done an amazing job on the designs and the new homes look fantastic both inside and out.
“The original Gorse Ride development was never meant to last for so many years so being able to replace the old properties with these amazing quality new homes is a fantastic opportunity that I’m proud the council can deliver.”
This site, which is being built as phase one of the multi-million pound regeneration project, will see 46 new homes built in the Finchampstead area. It comprises of 10 three bedroom houses and 36 one and two bedroom apartments. “Talking with Steve Bowers about his involvement in the steering group and the local community, as well as his excitement about moving into a new home, really helped me understand how important this is for Gorse
Ride and what a difference this regeneration will make for local residents,” the mayor said. The development will also see extensive new landscaping to complement the large number of mature trees which were retained, as well as allocated parking and improved pedestrian access to Barkham Ride. The new homes have also been designed to high energy efficiency standards to help residents keep energy bills low and reduce emissions contributing towards the council’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030. Work on the site, which started in August 2019, is expected to be completed by spring of next year. Earlier this summer, a planning application for phase two of the regeneration project was also submitted. If approved, this will see 249 new houses and apartments built in the Finchampstead area too. � To find out more about phase two, visit: www.wokingham.gov.uk/majordevelopments/gorse-rideestate-regeneration Alcohol and mental health focus
A LOCAL drug and alcohol support group is asking residents to think about alcohol and mental health.
SMART Wokingham is joining the national campaign to raise awareness of the link between drinking and mental wellbeing for Alcohol Awareness Week.
It comes after statistics released by Alcohol Change UK show that one in five people relied on drinking to destress during lockdown.
“Alcohol Awareness Week is a great way to get everyone thinking about their drinking,” said Vikki Lake, service manager at SMART Wokingham.
“Our aim is to reach as many Wokingham residents as we can, so that locals can take a step back and reflect on their alcohol consumption.”
According to Alcohol Change UK, 28% of people reported drinking more during the first national lockdown, and 66% expected to continue consuming more alcohol as lockdown was lifted.
And the Royal of College Psychiatrists fears a worrying trend is emerging, and estimated that 8.4 million people in England were drinking at higher risk levels in June, up from 4.8 million in February.
SMART Wokingham plans to join 3,000 other community groups across the UK for Alcohol Awareness Week to speak out about the link between alcohol and mental health.
And it plans to address a number of topics, including sharing current research and findings, promoting ‘mocktail’ recipes to help people cut back on their drinking, and offering residents a quiz so that they can monitor their own alcohol consumption.
Alcohol Awareness Week runs from Monday, November 16 until Friday November 20.
To take part in this year’s Alcohol Awareness Week, visit: alcoholchange.org.uk/get-involved/ campaigns/alcohol-awareness-week-1/about-
Co-op launches food bank fund
FOOD BANKS in the region are set to benefit from a new grant fund.
Southern Co-op recently launched its Feed a Family Fund, which offers £200 micro grants to food banks across the South East and beyond.
The initiative intends to help local groups buy essential items and cover running costs.
The company will be asking customers and members to donate to the fund, and has made an initial donation of £5,000 itself.
“Our customers, colleagues and members have been incredibly generous throughout the pandemic,” said Holly Bramble, Southern Co-op’s community and campaign coordinator.
“They have been donating goods at all of our stores that have collection points and have helped thousands of people being supported by 44 different foodbanks.
“We know this won’t solve the crisis but we really hope this fund will help reduce the strain faced by so many families.”
There are currently 75 stores with collection points, including stores in Berkshire.
To find out if a local store has a foodbank collection, visit: stores.thesoutherncooperative.co.uk/search.html
Pudsey’s help for Me2
By PHIL CREIGHTON news@wokingham.today
AS THE nation prepares to enjoy an evening of fun television thanks to Friday’s Children in Need appeal, a Woodley-based charity is celebrating the support it has received.
The Me2 Club received funding from Pudsey Bear’s friends which enabled it to send out special Hallowe’en themed activity packs to the families that it supports.
More than 50 of them were distributed.
They contained craft ideas, activities, experiments and toys and sweets, which had been donated by Asda in Lower Earley.
It’s just one of the number of activities that Me2 Club has run over recent months for the children it works with in Wokingham and Reading boroughs.
In normal times, the charity aims to give children with additional needs the opportunity to attend mainstream clubs and events. Since lockdown, it has held online events.
One such activity was a virtual Hallowe’en disco, held on Wednesday, October 28. DJ Darren played requests and spooky songs including Ghostbusters and Michael Jackson’s Thriller. A NEW scheme is being launched aimed at helping the borough’s young adults into work.
Run by Activate Learning, the Kickstart scheme is looking to work with employers across Berkshire.
Funded by the Government, the scheme provides employers with access to funds to create new roles for people aged between 16 and 24, who are currently on Universal Credit or at risk of long-term unemployment.
It is part a £2 billion national Covid-19 recovery plan and will see the Government funding 100% of the cost of taking on the new person for a six-month period, at the end of which time it is hoped a new role will be found for them.
Andy Marshall, director for Employability at Activate Learning, which operates Bracknell and Wokingham College, said: “Youth unemployment is a real concern, and the coronavirus pandemic is something that has exacerbated what was already a worrying issue.
Children were encouraged to dress up and were sent glow sticks to use.
Shaun Polley is Me2 Club’s new chief executive. He joined earlier this year.
“It’s hard to believe that I’m just at the start of month five –it’s gone really quickly,” he said. “There’s been some challenges, but I’ve really enjoyed it.”
The charity launched its work in Reading at the end of last year, and it has been working with these families over lockdown, something that Shaun is pleased with.
“We’ve been able to go forward with this expansion, just at a bit of a slower rate than we’d hoped for,” he said.
Helping them with that expansion has been the support from Children In Need.
“We currently receive two bits of funding from Children In Need. We have a larger grant that pays for a full-time activities volunteer coordinator. To have that income over a
“Worrying new data released just last week has shown that as many as one in four young people could be out of work, in what is the highest rate of unemployment for young people in four decades.
“The Kickstart scheme is aimed all types of businesses and all types of roles and is designed to give employers an opportunity to take on young people and give them a chance within roles without any cost to them.”
He said that companies working with Activate Learning would find the process simplified:
“We will take all the hassle away from them and manage the process for them”.
Employers looking to take on new staff under the Kickstart scheme will be expected to provide training and support, and Activate Learning can help.
“As a further education college group, we have a long history of working with the Department for Work and Pensions to provide people with employability training and have a team of specialist coaches in number of years means that it becomes easier for us to make a commitment to children and families.
“The other bit of funding is one of their booster grants: they have us just over £2,500, to be spent purely on the Covid crisis.
“That’s been really helpful for our online activities: We have been able to provide a range of activities for our children, such as online coaches doing health and fitness sessions. That’s been really important because during lockdown periods, activity levels have dropped, so we’ve been making sure children have been fit and healthy.
“We also know that lockdown online can sometimes be difficult for some children, either they don’t have access to the equipment they need or they find the online environment quite intense because they’re just sitting there looking at other people on a screen.
“It’s funded physical activity packs with all kinds of arts and crafts, toys and games. We’ve had support from supermarkets and local organisations as well.
“We’ve done three of these packs now – it’s a really good way of being able to ensure the children have got things throughout the week.” � For more details, log on to
New service will connect apprentices with workplaces
me2club.org.uk place to support people through this as they come back into work,” Mr Marshall said.
“We will offer a complete wrap-around service for businesses looking to recruit as we see it as our purpose as colleges, within local communities, to support those young people who are out of work back into employment.
“At Activate Learning we see it as our mission to transform lives through learning, and as we go into what will inevitably be a period of economic uncertainty, we want to ensure we are doing all we can for those young people who desperately want to get back into work and the local businesses that want to give them a chance.”
The Kickstart scheme will fund a role with National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions, and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions. � For more visit activate apprenticeships.co.uk or call 01865 551015.
Donation kits out wraparound care
ByNIKKI GLADWIN-STRIDE Hawkedon Primary School
NOT only is school wraparound care vital for our working parents, but income from wrap-around provision can provide funds used for school resourcing too.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic clubs locally have been hit financially with the outlay of staffing costs with no income during the lockdown period.
Hawkedon School Club has been able to re-open in September following Deartment for Education guidelines and the demand of the club still being there, and since have been providing provision for more than 150 working families associated with the school.
The club is running differently due to operating in bubbles with only wipe-clean games and equipment being used so there was need for new games and cleaning equipment to help keep our children engaged, happy and ultimately safe.
Thankfully, there have been some fantastic grants available to schools and clubs alike for provisions that have been affected by the pandemic and having to operate differently and we were lucky to be granted £1,000 from the Asda foundation fund.
The response from the children so far has been fantastic and from all of us at Hawkedon Primary
School, we give a big ‘Thumbs Up’ to ASDA at Lower Earley for supporting us.
Nikki Gladwin-Stride, extended services manager at Hawkedon, said: “We are so grateful to have received the full £1,000 grant from Asda and the money really has been put to good use with idea’s from the club pupils and staff being taking into consideration for the spend.
“It has also allowed us to buy some cleaning resources such as steam cleaners to ensure that popular toys like Lego can be shared between bubbles.
“Our fantastic club is now well equipped to keep our pupils busy and safe during their time in our care – a huge thank you to Asda.”
ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT As Sarah says, it’s good to talk
ACHANCE to talk without judgment and an opportunity to fall in love with being alive.
That’s the mission of a Wokingham woman who has launched a new service as a transformative coach, aimed at helping people boost their own mental health and to see the world around them with fresh eyes.
At a time where lockdown has raised questions about mental health issues, Sarah Sylvester has launched the new service, offering one-to-one confidential chats.
She is no stranger to the borough: pre-Covid, she ran the peer-led mental health support group It’s About Time, and has also launched a podcast called Thoughts Versus Facts that explores spiralling thoughts with a dash of humour, all aimed at helping people recognise and boost their wellbeing.
“I see innate mental health in all of its finery and I really want to explore every perspective on that,” she says. “As somebody who has gone through desperately challenging times, with life looking completely despairing for a very long time, I wanted to approach this in a way that says we have a role in this together. Just because we feel a certain way, it doesn’t make us any less human than the next person.”
Sarah’s journey started when her life changed completely: a corporate highflyer, she found herself living a double life: by day holding down a very senior job, but secretly living with anxiety and a “deep, dark depression” with fluctuating moods for a number of years.
“It all culminated around the summer of last year,” she says. “I had a very painful mental breakdown in the workplace. It was a classic burnout. I cracked because I was operating at a high, intense speed and my mind was going at a million miles an hour.
“I couldn’t even tell you what I was doing, I was on a hamster wheel of activity and I crashed and burned.”
Her road to recovery was painful too. She admits to not leaving the house for two months: “I was ashamed, I was embarrassed, very, very confused about what I was feeling and felt very alone”.
This led to a journey where she questioned her own sense of self, and realising: “I couldn’t be the only person to feel this way, I can’t, it’s impossible,” she says.
The drop-in centre provided a chance to prove that: and people came. “It’s a place where people could be calm and be in their raw form and be exactly how they are at that moment in time, without any fear of judgment or discrimination, or any expectation.”
The podcast soon followed: “I got curious about the thoughts that we all have spiralling around in our heads. Sometimes there’s peace, sometimes there’s panic.
“Sometimes we get caught up in believing the things that we think and then our thoughts look very real and we begin to identify with them.
“We may think we are anxious, depressed, alone, isolated, confused, lonely – all those things – but is that actually who we are?”
Thinking these through helped Sarah: “I got in touch with a very wonderful place within me, I was radiant, magical, beautiful. I’d never ever thought about myself in those words… I had had suicidal thoughts quite regularly, I was angry and desperately clinging on for life with all that I could manage. But all of a sudden, I fell back in love with that thought of being alive.
“Quite naturally, that’s where A Place of Space came from: that quiet space brought with it a real transformation. I’m only on the cusp of helping others see that magical experience that we all have within us to love life.”
Sarah wants A Place of Space to give people a chance to relax, and discover that they may not be who they think they are.
“You don’t have to accept the life you think you deserve, there is so much more on offer to you,” Sarah says. “There may be things that you are stuck with – there seems to be a consensus that people look to outside external factors to unstick themselves, thinking they’ll feel better if, say, they get a promotion, book an expensive holiday or buy an expensive car.
“They will never give you any lasting level of realisation and transformation, because until you get in touch with that place within you that’s always been there and is waiting for you. A Place of Space points you in a direction and offers you reassurance that you are not what you’re thinking.”
It all starts with a conversation and a cup of tea. “That’s where the magic happens. You’ll come up with something that you never thought you would ever come up with,” Sarah says.
“One client said that they’d experienced a beauty in the world that they’d not seen before. It’s magical and it’s great to be part of that.
“I’m giving people a chance to speak without any level of judgment: Just open your mouth and words come out. There’s no ‘you have to pretend’ because we all put on masks, all have our own level of fake persona.
“Just have a conversation, be exactly as you are, who you are right now in this moment, and when you can rest in that and then realise you’re not maybe who you think you are, you are someone much more special.
“All the conversations I have with people are confidential. I offer a free 30-minute consultation to start with, just to get to know people.
“Following on, there’s a mutual agreement in terms of having follow-on sessions.”
Sarah is looking to the new year.
“I’ll be launching a January Transformation, in the hope that when the new year comes there will be a time of reflection, there may be some ways in which you want to start a new habit, break an old habit – such wanting to lose weight, stop drinking, and start focusing on your own wellness and wellbeing.
“It will be packaged up in three sessions.”
Sarah invites you to chat with her: she has set up a Facebook page where people can message her and she also welcomes emails from APlaceOfSpace@icloud.com – and if you’re not ready to talk just yet, Sarah says that’s fine, but you’ll find some helpful videos sharing her own experiences.
“I’m not here to judge, I’m just here to listen,” she promises.
Sing Healthy Choirs
ORGANISERS of an online concert this Saturday are hoping that it will spread hope and joy.
This is the first time that Sing Healthy Choirs, whose members are based in Wokingham and Bracknell, has held a virtual performance like this, and it will raise funds for Create Hope.
The charity provides therapeutic support children and families to help them overcome negative life events such as domestic abuse, family separation, bereavement, chaotic family life and addiction.
Like many choirs, it has faced a difficult year as singing indoors in WADE
ON FRIDAY, November 6, WADE held the third draw in its 150 Club lottery.
The draw aims to help replace lost finances as a result of coronavirus cancelling many of its fundraising activities.
The centre, on Reading Road, provides daycare facilities for the borough’s older residents, including hot lunches,
West Oak Care Home
RESIDENTS at a Wokingham care home have kept their spirits up during the pandemic thanks to a range of special activities, including mechanical cats and pasta tasting days.
And late last month, staff at West Oak care home in Murray Road, dressed up to mark Hallowe’en. Activities included a pumpkin carving contest.
The pasta testing event saw residents try different varieties,
groups has been banned as a result of the pandemic. Since September, they have held rehearsals outdoors – come rain or shine.
This has enabled them to record a new set of songs, and allow them to feature in a documentary prepared by Jamie Hearing. A preview will form part of the programme on Saturday.
Before the pandemic, Create Hope’s team of three were supporting more than 70 families, reducing the pressure on NHS mental health services. However, they say that the effects of lockdown, including financial pressures, has seen demand for their service is rising. entertainment and resources.
Held monthly, there are three prizes for the draw. The more people who join the 150 Club, the greater their value.
First prize was £128, and went to member number 120. Second prize was £64 was given to member 131. And the third prize was £32 and awarded to 41.
A spokesperson for WADE said: “Congratulations to the three lucky winners.
shapes and colours and sharing their verdicts, while electronic cats put smiles on their faces.
The centre says that its activities coordinator, Dawn Davies, has been tailoring activities to suit the interests and hobbies of residents.
Geoffrey Honour, general manager at West Oak, said: “Ensuring residents feel engaged and connected within our homes is more important than ever.
Catherine Hockley, CEO of Create Hope, said: “When Sing Healthy offered to host this concert to raise funds for our bursary fund we were so thankful.
“Our passion is to help families therapeutically, we are now able to offer more face-to-face sessions again and have adapted some of our services to work online too.
“We have seen an increase in referrals to our bursary fund, where families need emotional support but don’t have the funds available to pay for this.”
The concert starts at 7.30pm on Saturday. For more details, log on to: singhealthy.co.uk/live
“Thanks again to everyone who has joined and supported WADE so far. Please spread the word.”
There are still some places available for the lottery draw, but once it reaches 150 members, it will be closed for the rest of the draw year.
For more details, call Jess on 0118 978 7025, email wade150club@wadecentre.org.uk, and log on to the group’s website, wadecentre.org.uk.
“Our varied activities programme allows us to provide stimulation of the mind, body and soul for residents in group activities, as well as one-to-one.
“We have also adapted ways to keep residents active, while ensuring that the group activities are smaller, adhering to current government social distancing advice.”
The centre, run by Barchester Healthcare, says it is able to welcome new residents.
� FATHER Christmas will be stopping off at Hare Hatch Sheeplands in the run-up to his festive delivery run.
The plant nursery and farm shop will be working with members of the Rotary and Inner Wheel Clubs of Reading Maiden Erlegh to offer visits to the jolly bearded man. A Covid-safe grotto is planned, with a one-way route in place.
Places will need to be booked to manage demand.
Santa will be in residence on Saturdays and Sundays between 10am and 3pm from December 5. He will also be available from Monday, December 21 through to Christmas Eve at the same times.
Money raise from the event will be shared among local organisations to support them as they offer help for the community as a result of the pandemic.
For more details, or to book, log on to www.harehatchsheeplands.co.uk
Sunrise of Sonning
GHOSTLY goings on in Sonning were responsible for reuniting families last week. Staff at the Sunrise of Sonning care home organised a Hallowe’en walk-through visit, allowing residents to catch up with loved ones. The event, held during half-term, was aimed at reuniting grandchildren with their grannies and granddads, many of whom have been unable to visit since March this year. Families booked 15 minute slots, with fancy dress and plenty of sweet treats the order of the day. And organisers said that there were many happy tears at the Covid-safe reunions, with one resident Teresa Vincent. able to greet her eight-week-old granddaughter for the first time. Lindsay Thomas, who is the daughter of a resident, was hugely grateful for last Wednesday’s event. “A big thank you to Sunrise of Sonning for a very well organised, and socially distanced, Hallowe’en walkthrough,” she said. “My three girls have really missed their Nanny this year and have been unable to visit
the care home due to Covid-19 restrictions. “Lockdown and reduced family contact has affected my Mum who lives with dementia, and also my children who worry about their Nanny. “My youngest daughter doesn’t understand why she can’t see her Nanny or cuddle her anymore.” She added: “It was such a special event, to see grandchildren finally reunited with grandparents and we really look forward to some more creative events like this, to keep families in touch during these tough times.” And the Sunrise team were delighted too. Event coordinator, Gai McNeile, said: “This was so special and emotional for all of us. “The family who had brought along their young baby to meet their Grandmother for the first time had me in tears – thinking about it now makes me emotional. “Our residents were so thankful for the opportunity to see the youngest members of their family, I am so glad we were able to orchestrate this safely.” She added: “We are always looking for innovative solutions to ensure our residents maintain plenty of contact with their families throughout this challenging time.” Easthampstead Rotary A LOCAL charity, Promise Inclusion, or PINC for short, has been chosen by Easthampstead Rotary President Les Howard as his President's Charity this year. Wokingham resident Les, a formerfirefighter and now a Health & Safety consultant, said: “I chose PINC because it's a local charity which supports adults and children with learning disabilities, as well as their parents or carers and their families." Formerly known as Wokingham, Bracknell and Districts Mencap, Promise Inclusion is a local, independent registered charity, which works in partnership with other local voluntary organisations to support persons with a learning disability and autism. PINC works with Wokingham and Bracknell Forest Borough councils, and plays a prominent role in local Learning Disability Partnership Boards and their associated sub-groups. Following the Government advice around social distancing and self-isolation for vulnerable groups, PINC Family Liaison Workers currently offer support via the phone and email. They can be contacted by phone on the following temporary number 07827 340 405. And check out their website: promiseinclusion.org The Rotary President's Charity receives the money donated by members during their get-togethers including this year's Zoom meetings during the Covid-19 lockdown. The 'fines' are levied for minor misdemeanours which might include dress 'eccentricities', eating two desserts, and talking too much (or indeed too little). In recent years, this has generated up to £2,000 for the chosen charity. Les added: “Having worked with a community and mental health trust, I got to know their clients, so developed an understanding of the issues involved. I feel that, in these difficult times, PINC is a local charity for whom we can make a real difference.” Easthampstead Rotarians -– Making a Difference in the Community: new members always welcome. We currently hold Zoom meetings with interesting speakers on a range of subjects. Post Covid, we will again meet most Monday evenings at The Coppid Beech. For more information, call Brian on 07720 321 526. Check out our website: www.easthampsteadrotary.org Or follow us at: www.facebook.com/ easthampsteadrotaryclub/
rozcroy Good advice Buying something online?
MAKE sure you know what your rights are, and what you can do if something goes wrong.
LOCKED down but the Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh and its Inner Wheel are still very active and working together to help the community.
After a full health and safety and Covid briefing from the Camp Mohawk manager Matt, a team of volunteers spent a whole day clearing the grounds at Camp Mohawk.
The Wargrave-based centre is a multi-functional day centre for children with special needs and their families, set in five acres of beautiful countryside.
Throughout the year the centre provides a range of activities, facilities and natural space to encourage children with a variety of special needs to play, socialise and learn in a secure and caring environment.
Equipped with leaf blowers, rakes and loads of enthusiasm we tackled the mass of leaves covering the playgrounds and open spaces.
We also planted 1,000 crocus bulbs to mark the achievements of Rotary’s worldwide progress to eradicate polio.
Matt was delighted with our efforts and said “Thank you all so much once again for all of your hard work to help to keep Camp Mohawk safe, smart and welcoming – a really incredibly productive day.
You are all always very welcome at Camp, and I hope to see you all again in the future.”
Both clubs are delighted to welcome new members of all ages who enjoy friendship, fundraising and helping the local community.
Contact us on:
Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh www.readingmaidenerlegh.org
Inner Wheel Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh www.innerwheelrme.org For more information and advice visit: citizensadvice.org.uk/NCW20
You can also contact the Citizens Advice consumer service at: 0808 223 1133.
Shopping online can be a great way to buy the things you need, but it’s important to make sure you’re doing so safely.
There are a few easy steps you can take to help protect yourself. � Before you buy anything, spend a few minutes checking the company or website you’re using.
You can read reviews from different websites, search for the company’s details on gov.uk, and take a look at their terms and conditions. � Pay by debit or credit card or by PayPal. This gives you extra protection if things go wrong. � Be wary of unofficial sites offering big discounts, and make sure you’re buying from the retailer’s official website.
If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. � Scammers may appear like a trusted business, using links in ads or emails to direct you to a fake website. Don’t click on any links you don’t trust. � Make your online shopping accounts secure. Use a strong password for your email accounts that you don’t use anywhere else.
Find out more about your rights when shopping online and what you can do if something goes wrong at
Ros Croy is Volunteer Research and Campaigns Coordinator for Wokingham Citizens Advice
� You can get help and advice by calling 0300 330 1189, visiting citizensadvicewokingham.org.uk, or email: admin@citizensadvicewokingham.org.uk
Rotary and Inner Wheel Clubs of Reading Maiden Erlegh Volunteering at Camp Mohawk
citizensadvice.org.uk/NCW
