RACERS TAKE ON SOAP BOX DERBY

Drivers have wheely good day at Farley Hill Soap Box Derby

RACE DAY: The Farley Hill Soapbox Race. All pictures: Steve Smyth

EXCLUSIVE

By LAURA SCARDARELLA lscardarella@wokingham.today

FARLEY Hill’s sold-out Soap Box Derby was a “great day”, said organiser Ben Teale.

On Sunday, adult and junior racers were cheered on by spectators as they crossed the finished line.

The Pheasant Plucker cart came first in the adult race, with Wood on Wheels coming in second and Electrofish third.

Bright Lights in the City brought home the title in the juniors race, Terminal 6 came in second and third place was won by Tie Fighter.

Food, drink and music were also enjoyed throughout the afternoon by all.

Mr Teale thanked everyone for their support.

“What can I say? It was such an amazing day that was only made possible by the commitment and hard work of so many people,” he said.

“To everyone who really stepped up and entered a cart, there was no event without you.”

He wrote a post on Facebook to extend his thanks to everyone who took part and helped make the event a success.

This included a nod to Dad Power, a group of men who built the course, to SFL Group for its music entertainment, to Siren Craft Brew for providing a bar, and to Victory Hall Trustees, among others. TEAM SPIRIT: The Brutus Maximus team

INSPIRED: An Only Fools and Horses entry READY: Racers prepare to hit the track

SHARK: One of the stars of the day from Devon

SPEED: One of the young racers speeds along in his entry

Wokingham residents urged to take part in walk

A CHARITY is encouraging Wokingham residents to get involved in its fundraising event this October.

Sue Ryder has announced that Walk To Remember will go ahead in the hope of raising vital funds for its support work.

This comes as the charity reveals its latest research showing that 54% of the British public (54%) think that remembrance events help them grieve.

And two-thirds of people have a special place they visit to remember someone who has died.

People can walk 5km (3.1 miles), 10km (6.2 miles) or any distance, and create a route that includes a visit to their special place.

Head of bereavement at Sue Ryder, Bianca Neumann, said everyone deals with grief in different ways.

“Some of us may want to remember someone who has died on our own at a special place, while others may take comfort in being with other people.”

Ms Neumann added: “Walk to Remember is a great fundraising event that allows supporters to walk in memory of someone who has died, and do what works for them and their own personal journey through grief, whilst raising vital funds for Sue Ryder.”

Vital funds raised from the event will go towards Sue Ryder’s palliative, neurological and bereavement support.

Caroline Graham, director of fundraising at Sue Ryder, said many people have been grieving alone this year due to the pandemic.

“Walk to Remember is an incredibly special fundraising event that allows supporters to raise vital funds, whilst also helping us grieve by coming together and talking about our loved ones who are no longer with us,” she said.

“The money raised by taking part in Walk to Remember will enable us to continue to provide compassionate and expert support.” n For more details, visit sueryder.org/ walkwithus

Pioneering new treatment

Make a move to hospitality

A THAMES Valley medical firm has raised nearly £2 million to support a pioneering diabetes treatment.

Occuity, which raised the money through an online crowdfunder in just under 24 hours, will use it to launch a series of new medical devices.

Dr Dan Daly, CEO and co-founder of Occuity, said: “We’re delighted with the level of interest we have received.

“To date we have now raised over £2 million, which will allow us to accelerate the development of our new optical screening and monitoring devices that aim to detect the early signs of chronic health conditions by scanning the human eye.”

The money will go towards a revolutionary ophthalmic meter, a range of personal management devices for diabetes, and will also help deliver non-invasive diabetes detection treatment over the next four years.

Occuity launched in 2019, and wants to use the eye as “a window into the health of the body” to improve non-invasive, non-contact technology. It hopes to improve early detection of diabetes and Alzheimer’s, too.

“Diabetes is a very personal issue and of course, once you have it, it’s likely with you for the rest of your life,” Dr Daly added.

The MedTech firm will also use the money to continue expanding its team and hopes to grow from 35 staff to 100 by 2023. n Find out more about Occuity’s crowdfunder at: www.seedrs.com/ occuity

NEW CAREER: The hospitality sector is looking for apprentices to come forward

RECRUITERS want to change the perception of hospitality with a new employability hub next month.

As part of Hospitality Apprenticeships Week, a new careers centre is launching to help people find roles in the industry.

The hub, hosted by CareerScope, will be the first service in the UK to support job seekers looking for hospitality apprenticeships.

From Monday, October 18, to Friday, October 22, it will hold a series of events covering a range of themes, including: n Busting myths about hospitality n Front of house roles n Supervising and management n Chef responsibilities,

It all forms part of national campaign More Than A Job, Lend a hand with volunteer fair

which has been developed by the Hospitality Apprenticeships Steering Group.

Chris Gamm, chief executive of hospitality charity Springboard, one of the organisations behind the campaign, said: “It’s well-known that hospitality needs to attract more home-grown talent to address the current staffing shortages and ensure there is a sustainable talent pipeline for many years to come.

“Hospitality Apprenticeships Week is a brilliant way to showcase the industry and your business to your customers and followers, show what a fun and dynamic industry it is to work in, and the brilliant opportunities it offers to develop and build a career.” n For more information, visit: www. careerscope.uk.net/apprenticeships

It will offer residents a chance to meet with different charities who are looking for a helping hand.

The fair is running from 11am until 2pm at Wokingham Town Hall. n For more information, visit www. wokinghamvolunteercentre.org.uk, email volunteer@wok-vol.org.uk or call 0118 977 0749. Got a business story? Email news@wokingham.today or write to: Wokingham.Today, Crown House, 231 Kings Road, Reading RG1 4LS

Award-winning butchers to open in garden centre By Charlotte King cking@wokingham.today A SURREY-BASED butchers is moving to Wokingham for its first expansion in more than 100 years.

JL Butchers is opening a new branch in Squire’s Garden Centre on Heathlands Road next month.

The award-winning firm has been based in West Byfleet, Woking, for a century and was voted Butchers Shop of the Year by Surrey Life Food & Drink awards in 2019.

James Lowe, the owner of JL Butchers, said he is looking forward to the new business venture.

“I was lucky enough to be asked by Squire’s if I’d consider opening in the Wokingham branch,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for me and the business, and we can’t wait to get open and start serving Wokingham residents.” JL Butchers offers a range of meats, including beef, pork, and lamb. It also sells a variety of “American-style” barbecue items, such as briskets and ribs. The firm will also team up with Poppies Farm, in Hurst, to can sell local produce in its Wokingham store. “We are going to close the West Byfleet branch, as the village is currently undergoing a redevelopment,” Mr Lowe added. Mr Lowe, who took over JL Butchers in 2013, said his journey to acquire the company was a winding road. “I was a chef but decided I wanted to get into pig farming,” he said. After getting the chance to raise his own pigs, he struggled to find a butcher that would buy them. “I decided that instead of buying pigs, I would buy a butcher’s shop,” he explained. “I continued to work part-time while managing the shop before eventually making it a full-time job.” Sarah Squire, chairman of Squire’s Garden Centres, said she is looking forward to welcoming Mr Lowe to the site when he opens next month. “I am very excited that we shall shortly be launching our new look Café Bar and enhanced Food Hall featuring JL Butchers,” she said. “Supporting local suppliers has been at the heart of our philosophy for more than 85 years, so I am very pleased to welcome [the] award-winning butchers to Squire’s. “They will be a fantastic addition to our Food Hall, championing top quality British meat and great customer service.” JL Butchers plans to open its doors in Wokingham in mid-October. n To find out more, visit: www.jl-butchers.co.uk Sustainability pledge from Triangle

THE OWNERS of Winnersh Triangle are going green, after revealing their roadmap to reducing carbon emissions.

Frasers Property UK has launched its plan to achieve net zero carbon in Winnersh Triangle, Chineham Park and Farnborough Business Park.

The announcement forms part of its response to the climate emergency.

As part of the plan, the company has highlighted specific eco-friendly commitments to be made in Winnersh to improve health and wellbeing, energy usage and biodiversity.

Ilaria del Beato, CEO of Frasers Property UK, said: “Delivering a positive sustainable impact has never been more important in the current climate.

“Committing to net zero carbon is our largest commitment to date, and one that I am most proud to endorse.

“The improved facilities not only contribute towards our commitments but also bring more benefits for our staff and occupiers, making the parks fantastic places to work.”

To improve health and well-being, the company plans to launch a series of healthy eating initiatives, regular fitness classes and air quality testing.

It also plans to power the park with green energy produced by wind, solar or hydro sources.

Frasers Property UK will install rooftop solar panels across some of its buildings this year, and work with on-site landscape

GREENER FUTURE:

Frasers Property UK, which runs Winnersh Triangle, wants to reach net carbon zero and deliver improvements to help people who work on the business park Picture: Frasers Property UK

teams to develop biodiversity with bird boxes, beehives and wildlife feeders.

And it has already made a series of sustainable commitments at Winnersh Triangle, including increasing electric car charging points, replacing LED lights and installing cycling facilities.

Ms del Beato added: “While a lot of work has been done already at each of the parks, I’m looking forward to continuing to see the outcomes of this year’s commitments to take us one step closer to our carbon neutral goal.”

Frasers Property UK hopes to be carbon free across all of its sites by 2050, while achieving net carbon zero across “operational areas of control” by 2030.

Small firms now more likely to take risks

SMALL business owners are more open to taking risks than ever before, according to a new report.

PR platform Newspage said that eight in 10 entrepreneurs (83%) are prepared to make riskier decisions as a result of the pandemic.

Just 11% of the poll’s 1,200 respondents said they are less prepared to take risks, while 6% were unsure.

The survey also revealed nearly all (93%) of small business owners felt the pandemic left them better equipped to deal with uncertainty.

According to Newspage, this “who dares wins” attitude has been inspired by the virus, the end of furlough, and the threat of raised interest rates.

Dominic Hiatt, founder of Newspage, said: “Based on this evidence, the past 18 months have fundamentally changed the psychology of small business owners.

“They’re a lot more resilient and able to cope with uncertainty, more prepared to take on risks to grow, and more bullish generally, given that they have managed to survive.

“This confidence bodes well for the future and the economic uncertainty that lies ahead.”