Wokingham Borough Summer 2012 Inspire NEWS Includes Your magazine from Wokingham Borough Council Wokingham – Olympic feature pages 15-18 In this issue... Jubilee trees page 9 New neighbourhoods and country parks page 24 Community colour at Rainbow Park page 26 www.wokingham.gov.uk 2 www.wokingham.gov.uk Keeping in touch with us Welcome Phone: (0118) 974 6000 Fax: (0118) 978 9078 Email: [email protected] Text/SMS message: 07786 200 974 Website including webchat: www.wokingham.gov.uk Visit us Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 5pm at the Civic Offices, Shute End, Wokingham RG40 1BN. Social networking sites: www.facebook.com/wokinghamboroughcouncil www.twitter.com/wokinghambc “2012 is an extraordinary Looking Local iPhone and Android app – Report abandoned vehicles, fly-tipping and vandalism, or check out events, job vacancies year for the whole country. and the latest travel information. Go to app store and search for the free Looking Local app. This month sees the Olympic and new service we’re making good Email and text updates – Register at: Paralympic Games coming to London progress in reducing the amount of www.wokingham.gov.uk/online for the first time since 1948. We’re waste we send to landfill (see page 7). also celebrating The Queen’s Information kiosks – Available at Woodley Diamond Jubilee and it’s only the Of course there is much more to read and Lower Earley libraries and the Civic Offices. second time in our history we’ve about in this newsletter. There are celebrated a monarch’s 60 year reign. articles on the vital service provided Looking Local – Access local information to our older people by The Link and services using your digital television There are many events in the Visiting Scheme, protecting your remote control. Borough to mark both historic home from burglars and the official www.wokingham.gov.uk/looking-local occasions and you can read more opening of Waingels College by HRH about them in this magazine. Some The Duke of York. of our residents, including Forest We’d like to hear what you think student Jack Weatherley, will have a Finally, there’s a chance for you to of Wokingham Borough News, once in a lifetime opportunity to be get involved with Parish and and in particular if you would like an Olympic torchbearer. And we’ll be Community Forums for each of our to contribute to future editions. joining forces with the Wokingham Strategic Development Locations in Please also give your views on our District Veteran Tree Association to North and South Wokingham, South social networking sites – send us a plant 60 mature trees around the of the M4 and Arborfield Garrison message on Facebook or an email to: Borough to mark the Diamond Jubilee (see page 24). [email protected] (see page 9). As always, I am happy to hear Editorial: Communications Team at from you about how we can Wokingham Borough Council. April saw us launch our new waste collection service and it would be fair improve things for you. Please Print: Printed by Herald Graphics to say there were a few initial get in touch by emailing me at: on Core Uncoated 80gsm FSC. problems for which I can only [email protected]” Cost: apologise. I am only too aware that 14p per person/ it’s important to get these basic Cllr David Lee 28p per copy. services right. Three months into the Leader 3 Royal seal of approval During a whistle stop tour to officially open the £31million buildings at Waingels College in Woodley, HRH The Duke of York met sixth formers to talk about their plans for continuing their education at university, their inspirations and their career aspirations. HRH The Duke of York is keen to recognise initiatives that support young people in developing the right employability skills for the 21st Century and stated that Waingels College is an excellent example of these initiatives. The redevelopment of the school buildings started in April 2009 and was completed in November last year. PCC Elections In this edition mean an early Your chance to shape canvass health services . 4 Recycling rates increase . 7 On November 15, electors in the Election round up Thames Valley Police region will be Autism for life. 8 voting for a Police and Crime Marking the Jubilee . 9 Commissioner. The Register of Electors Some 32 per cent of our residents took Eat Out Eat Well . 12 this year will be published on October to the polls on May 3 when a third of 16, not December 1 as usual, and this Inspire Wokingham – the Borough Council’s seats were up for means the Annual Canvass will take living the legacy . 15-18 election. The political make up of the place during the summer. Council is now: Information at your finger tips . 19 43 Conservatives Canvass forms will be sent out this 9 Liberal Democrats month (July). Please remember it’s a Furniture recycling scheme . 20 2 Independents legal requirement for all households to Best start in life for children. 22 complete the form. And, by returning it Check out our website for details about early, vital council tax money is saved, New neighbourhoods . 24 your local councillor. If you don’t have as personal canvassers have to be sent Keep your property secure access to the internet, please call to properties that don’t respond. this summer . 28 Democratic Services. Planning matters . 29 t. (0118) 974 6522 / 6523 t. (0118) 974 6053 e. [email protected] What’s on . 31 www.wokingham.gov.uk/cllr-database www.wokingham.gov.uk/elections 4 www.wokingham.gov.uk Your Chance to Shape Health Services The NHS reforms mean that from April 2013, local GPs will be responsible for buying and paying for health services in the Wokingham Borough. This includes most hospital care and community and mental The CCG will be using a variety of ways to listen to patients and health services – but patients will have a big say in how this is the public and is introducing a website. It will also be holding done. To make this possible, local GPs from the Borough’s 14 regular meetings and forums and distributing surveys to gauge practices and other health care professionals have set up the opinions and collect ideas for improving health services. If you Wokingham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). would like to join a patient participation group, please get in touch with your general practice or, for more information about There are now seven CCGs in Berkshire and hundreds more the CCG, please contact Mike Parting. nationally. One of the CCG’s priorities is to give patients and the public a bigger say about health care in the Borough. Each t. (0118) 982 2970 e. [email protected] practice within the CCG is setting up patient groups and these come together as a forum to engage with the CCG. Executive view The next step is to involve the wider community. Dr Richard Cllr Julian McGhee Sumner, Perry, from the Wokingham CCG and who works for the Parkside Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing Family Practice, explains: “We want to ensure local patients are more involved in improving the quality and effectiveness of local “We’ve set up a shadow health and wellbeing board which health services we commission – we want to give them a voice in met for the first time in May. Setting up this board is one of how we make decisions, so I urge them to join a patient group at the key elements of the NHS reforms and the Government's Health and Social Care Bill. We are practices in Wokingham Borough.” working with our partners to improve the health of our residents. By tackling issues He added: “We also want to talk to the wider community, the together, and engaging communities and Local Involvement Network, carers, support groups and patient individuals more effectively in what they groups. It’s important that we respond to their needs when can do to help, we can ensure that the choosing health care providers or making service changes – it’s Wokingham Borough is one of the about ensuring everyone is kept well informed, given choices and healthiest places to live in the country.” involved in decisions.” Summer 2012 5 Paralympic gold medallist officially opens specialist housing facility The completion of Beeches Manor, a new housing scheme for people with dementia and adults with learning disabilities in Wokingham, has been officially opened by Paralympic gold medallist Helene Raynsford. The £3.8 million scheme provides 26 purpose- built rented apartments. The unique design has apartments for independent living clustered around two central courtyards. Communal facilities include a lounge, kitchen and dining area and activity/ hobby rooms. Beeches Manor has 24-hour care and support. Pictured above: A Council initiative, the scheme received a Helene Raynsford (centre) £1.8million investment from the Homes and with Simon Bostock (Housing 21) and Andy Couldrick (WBC) Communities Agency. Fosters Update After four months of consultation, and several meetings with relatives and staff, we’ve taken the difficult decision to close Fosters Residential Care Home in Woodley. Staff play a vital role in Fosters and the care they provide is greatly valued and held in the highest esteem by residents, their families and the local community. However the building is no longer fit for purpose – bedrooms do not meet minimum requirements for room size, there is limited wheelchair access and no en-suite facilities. We know this decision was hard for residents and their families and we gave it much consideration.