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Winter 2018
Kissing gates welcome walkers in Hurst
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Tackling litter is EASI
Kissing gates have replaced four stiles on walking routes around Hurst village near to Lines Road and Dunt Lane. Kissing gates are hinged but designed in such a way that only people, not livestock, can pass through. Compared to stiles, they are also far more accessible for people of all ages and abilities making local open spaces easier to reach. The new gates were funded by us, the Ramblers’ Association and Hurst Parish Council. And landowner John Belcher, who owns Hatch Gate Farm, kindly agreed to the gates going on the public footpaths across his land. “We’re planning to replace three more stiles with gates in Barkham parish next year,” said Steve Vale from the Ramblers’ Association, “and we’ve already replaced stiles in Finchampstead and Wargrave parishes. We want to make the network easier for walkers to use.” Our Rights of Way Improvement Plan sets out our desire, if landowners agree and with support from the Rambler’s Association, to eventually replace every stile across the Wokingham Borough with more accessible gates.
Earley Adopt-a-Street Initiative (EASI) is the largest communityrun litter picking group in the Wokingham Borough, with now more than 300 volunteers covering nearly all of Earley’s roads and footpaths. EASI was the first of its kind in the Borough when it launched in 2010, and since then more groups have formed locally, as well as individual volunteers without a group in their area. If you join our Adopt a Street scheme we can provide a litter picker and rubbish bags. You can monitor your neighbourhood and report any problems to us. We will collect the rubbish bags along with your normal household waste. EASI regularly liaises with us about placing litter bins where they are needed the most. And it recently installed more than 25 micro bins for smokers at bus shelters and other locations across Earley, keeping hundreds of dog-ends per week from the ground and polluting the environment. “In most places, though not everywhere, we find that keeping a street reasonably clear of litter results in less being dropped,” said Peter Soul, one of EASI’s founders. EASI members meet up at the Huge Earley Litter Pick (March), the EASI Summer Party, the Thames-side Litter Pick (September), the autumn coffee morning plus small occasional working parties. More information: www.wokingham.gov.uk (search ‘adopt a street’) Peter Soul (EASI) (0118) 926 4997
