4 Volume 1, Issue 2 Upcoming events Summer 2015

It is an exciting time for Katesgrove Community Association with a lot of events coming up.

Most important of these from our point of view is the Christmas Katesgrove NEWSletter Fair which will be held on the 28th November from 12—4 at Waterloo Meadows Childrens’ Centre. This event helps to fund Dates rent, insurance and our groups for the year and also allows us to for the Diary support new groups and activities OCTOBER NOVEMBER Graffiti Clean Up and other local causes. If you have 14 11 any ideas for things we could start Thames Valley Police: up or would like some help to start Have your say meeting. 12pm - 1pm October 14th and November and Training something yourself please get in 11th at Milman Road Surgery Foyer. touch and we will do our best to help! NOVEMBER DECEMBER 11 9 We also are once again taking KCA General Meeting Nov 11th and Dec 9th part in Reading Rescue after a Waterloo Meadows Childrens Centre, Elgar Road. very successful March meeting.

NOVEMBER This will take place on October 28 the 9th from 10am - meet at Christmas Fair 12pm - 4pm Nov 28th at The bottom end of heroes of Reading would welcome your Boults Walk. Waterloo Meadows Childrens Elgar Road has some Councils Neighbourhood future interest! Centre, Elgar Road. large bare walls, and Officers a practical bunch unfortunately this has of hard working souls So when unwarranted OCTOBER proved to be a little tackled the disfiguration daubings are aspied; light 9 too tempting for some with paint and banished it the beacons and SPRAY Reading RESCUE rambunctious scallywags forthwith. SQUAD will stumble to 9th October 10am Boults Walk who have taken it upon the rescue. themselves to scrawl Going forward the Advertising OCTOBER some disgraceful drawl Association has been If you would like to help 14 using spray cans. Well armed with training and on projects like this never fear gentle folk of tools to tackle some of the please let us know at KCA AGM October 14th 7pm Katesgrove for we have smaller artistic issues katesgrovecommunity@ WOW ISN’T THIS A formed a Graffiti Cleanup that may bedevil the area. gmail.com NOVEMBER Katesgrove Community Association is the new name for Katesgrove Residents crew. Initially with help The venerable ranks of NICE SPACE! 10 from those ever dynamic wall cleansing warriors Association. While we would like to acknowledge the history of our organisation Katesgrove Pub history talk This Newsletter is having been around since 1971, we also believe that we are much more than 10th November 7pm delivered to over Residents and are becoming more focused on being a community group. We will still 4,000 homes in the cover issues such as planning and crime and to this end are incorporating a NAG Inside this issue: Annual General Meeting Katesgrove area meeting to the start of our monthly meetings. We are also expanding our focus and hope more of the community are willing to join and support us in our new endeavors. Where is it?? 2 regularly. We raise money for good causes and to use in our community and drive ideas, groups -14th October Play Streets 2 and projects which enrich, improve, or grow the community and local area. Wouldn’t you like your On the 14th October, 2015, the Katesgrove Community Association will come together Opportunities 2 message to be in this at 7pm at the East Reading Children’s Centre on Elgar Road to review the year gone by and plan for the year to come. Newly re-elected Councillor Matt Rodda will act as chair space? KATESGROVE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Friends of Waterloo Meadows 3 and there will be a special presentation from the Citizens Advice Bureau on how to keep a 57 Sherman Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 2PP warmer home this winter. For a donation towards May Fair 3 the costs of producing Phone: 07877 602805 As is usual, this event also marks the election of a new committee. Committee E-mail: [email protected] Useful Numbers 3 membership is open to all residents of Katesgrove and some co-opted members. If you are the newsletter it could interested in knowing more about what is going on in the area, working on local issues be! We are on the web... www.katesgrove.org and find us on Facebook! Upcoming events 4 and steering the direction of the Association then come down and join in. All are welcome! 2 3 Where in Friends of Waterloo Katesgrove Meadows

The Friends of Waterloo Meadows are looking for volunteers to help them look after a is it? piece of the countryside, on our doorstep, off Elgar Road in Katesgrove. We are a voluntary nature conservation group who have been looking after the Can you identify where in Katesgrove this photo meadows for some 23 years, with a view to improving them for both wildlife and local was taken? people.

Submit your best guess to [email protected] Over the years we have improved paths, installed benches, planted trees, and added and one answer will be randomly selected as a winner of a to the variety of wildflowers growing in the meadows. Also, we have put up bird and small prize ! If you can’t work it out the answer will be in the bat boxes and recently planted a community orchard, which local people will be able to next newsletter! If you have a photo you would like to be the make the most of in years to come. Where is it? photo please get in touch with us and we will So, young or old, if you have some time to give to a good local cause, it would be great consider it for a future issue! to see you, and we would be very glad of your help.

The winner of the last where is it? was J Burnett correctly guessing Essex street / Whitley Street! Mrs Burnett won a If you are interested, or want to find out more, please contact Mike Cox on voucher for WHSmith. Please let us know if you can guess 0118 986 1544 and you could be our next winner! Opportunities Contributed by Abby Knowles Katesgrove Community Association is looking for some help!

Create your own Do you like news? Useful Numbers: Have aspirations to be a journalist? Housing Enquiries: Play Street! Are you interested in gaining some May Fair 0118 937 3757 practical experience in writing for a Highways / Street Play Streets are a good way for you and your children to get to know and newsletter? The Katesgrove Community Association Refreshments were available by visiting the Cleaning: have fun with your neighbours. For over a year streets in Reading have Do you have something that you want to held their annual May Fair at the East long standing Mary’s Pantry. 0118 937 3787 been closing their roads to public traffic to let children get outside and tell people about? Reading Children’s Centre on Elgar Road Council Enquiries: play safely with neighbours on their street. on the 4th, May 2015. A fancy dress competition was held with 3 0118 937 3787 age groups and winners receiving a prize. An organised play street closes a residential road from traffic for a We’re looking for anyone Out of hours Emergencies: A warm spring day only added to the fun and 0118 937 3737 maximum of 3 hours as frequently as once a fortnight and you can set it interested in contributing articles adventures that could be had for those that All entries were given lollies. We had some up for any day of the week. to this newsletter. headed down to Waterloo Meadows. Aside wonderful costumes. Police Non Emergency Number: from the playground and bike park; the Fair Are you interested in cleaner streets? 101 For more information on how to apply to set up your own Play Street was a welcome addition for that one day; Contributed by Fair(y) Godfather Looking for volunteering credits? We please visit Reading Borough Councils Website http://beta.reading.gov. offering games, stalls and refreshments. Reading Buses: uk/playstreets or call 0118 937 3948 run numerous clean ups and we attend 0118 959 4000 Reading Rescue. All hands are welcome! As usual there was a bountiful raffle with Readibus: Contributed by Janet Ives Do you want to make changes to the 12 bottles of wine offered from Tesco, a 0118 931 0000 place you live? Want a say in what teddy, bottle of wine, 10 voucher and box of NHS Choices: the Association is doing? Want a place chocs from Sainsbury’s; finished off with a 111 to communicate to Police and the spectacular top prize of a massive cake from Gas Emergency: Patisserie Valerie. Council easily? Come and join us at any 0800 111 999 committee meeting! Outside the good old fair favourites of Electricity Emergency: If this is you, please contact “Splat-a-Rat” and “Hook-a-duck” were 0800 072 7282 Abby Knowles via available to all; while those who entered Water LeakLine: [email protected] or on the hall could browse for toys, books, 0800 714 614 07877 602805 for more details! cakes, homemade items and other assorted If you have ideas for other delights. useful numbers please let us know!