Having trouble viewing this email? View in browser

West Berkshire Cost of Living Hub is now open

The Cost of Living support hub provides advice and practical support for local people in financial hardship, making it easier for residents to get the help they need.

Anyone who needs advice and support around cost of living issues will be able to contact staff who can provide advice and match their needs with the support available both nationally and locally, including from local charities and voluntary organisations.

The initiative has been set up by West Berkshire Council in partnership with Greenham Trust and the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire, and will work closely with the local community and voluntary sector.

The hub will be open from Monday-Thursday 8.30-5.00pm and Friday 8.30am-4.30pm.

More information about the hub and an online contact form can be found on our website.

Name The Food Waste Vehicle Winners

Congratulations to the winners of our Name our Waste vehicle competition. We had some fantastic entries (over 100) and it was incredibly hard to decide. Our Waste Team and our Partners Veolia surprised some of the winning students by visiting them with the named vehicles over the last few days.

Well done Parsons Down Partnership of Schools, Springfield Primary School, St John the Evangelist School and The Willows.

Protect Yourself This Winter

Boost your immunity this winter with the COVID-19 booster and flu vaccines. Protection provided by COVID-19 vaccines decreases over time and flu viruses can change every year. Find out if you’re eligible online and book now.

Flu can be serious for your child and they can also spread it to vulnerable family or friends. Look out for your child’s consent form in their book bags, sign it and return it straight away.

Calling all eco-conscious local businesses

Don’t forget, there is still time to register your business to be included in our Shop Local, Shop Green magazine.

We are looking to create a sustainable Christmas shopping guide for residents featuring local independent stores, charity shops, farm shops, craft stores, environmental events such as repair cafes and swap shops, and much more.

With the cost of living crisis affecting us all, we want to ensure that we promote local businesses to residents this Christmas. In addition, as shoppers also face increasing costs, we will be encouraging them to ‘shop less but shop better’ or ‘upcycle’.

The deadline for applications is 11.59pm 30 October 2022, to ensure the magazine is published by mid-November.

You can find the application on our website.

Environment Strategy Annual Report

The Environment Delivery team has been hard at work pulling together our Environment Strategy Annual Report for July 2021 – July 2022. It includes

• A summary of actions and achievements from July 2021 - July 2022
• 'You said, we did' which shows how we've acted on feedback from residents
• An update on West Berkshire Council and District carbon emissions

It is due to be reported to the Executive on 3 November 2022. You can read the Annual Report here.

With over 1,500 members of staff corporately, plus additional members of staff working across our local schools and education settings, we're one of the largest employers in the area. There are lots of reasons to consider a career with us - from the wide range of services we provide to the training and benefits we offer.

Current vacancies include:

• Administrative Officer

• Social Worker

Communities shape West Berkshire’s future

Our third round of grants for local infrastructure projects is now open and we’re inviting Community Groups to bid for the cash.

Since 2021, we’ve put aside £1.5 million of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money, a charge we receive from new developments, to go towards community projects. 

It’s fantastic to see the wide range of projects that this fund supports and as in previous rounds, it will help local community groups to play an active role in shaping the future of our district and enable projects that our communities want and need.

To date, we’ve approved a total of almost £1 million in community grants ranging from £10k to £100k. Successful bids included the renovation of village halls, scout huts and improvements to sports and playground facilities.

Find out more on our website.

West Berkshire Learner Achievement Awards 2022

The West Berkshire Learner Achievement Awards (LAA) are open for nominations.

These annual awards celebrate the success of adult learning in West Berkshire covering a wide range of learning including apprenticeships, professional, academic and vocational courses.

LAA is always incredibly inspiring as it highlights stories of people changing the direction of their lives and achieving their goals in difficult circumstances, sometimes against all the odds. 

You know who these people are and the amazing things they’ve achieved. Please tell us who they are so we can recognise and celebrate their successes

All winners will receive a cash award of between £100 and £500 and be invited to a ceremony to receive their award at Shaw House on Friday, 11 November.

Find out more about the award categories and make a nomination on our website. The deadline for nominations is 5pm on Thursday, 3 November.

We value your views on the decisions we take. There are several areas we are currently holding consultations on, including:

• Station Road, Newbury - Prohibition of Motor Vehicles

• Understanding Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in West Berkshire

Meet Mustafa

It’s National Care Leavers Week and we’d like to introduce you to Mustafa, an unaccompanied asylum-seeking young person from Sudan and one of our care leavers. We helped him build on his interest in rap to create his own music through which he speaks about the situation in his home country and motivates others to never lose hope or give up. Dominic Boeck, West Berkshire’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education says, “I’m glad that we have helped Mustafa find peace and safety in West Berkshire. “When young people arrive here without adults to care for them, we meet them with kindness. Now, Mustafa is paying back with his mentoring work, and we can thank him for that.” See Mustafa's recent BBC interview and listen to his music.

Congratulations to the winners of our Name our Waste vehicle competition. We had some fantastic entries (over 100) and it was incredibly hard to decide. Our Waste Team and our Partners Veolia surprised some of the winning students by visiting them with the named vehicles over the last few days. Well done Parsons Down Partnership of Schools, Springfield Primary School, St John the Evangelist School and The Willows.

Curridge children mark Diwali

Children at Curridge School recently spent time hearing first- hand experiences of the Diwali festival. They watched in awe as a beautiful rangoli pattern was created on the playground. Eager to participate, they worked in groups to create their own stunning patterns using carefully measured areas coloured with chalk.

And finally...

• Tickets are now available online for you to join us in a Service of Thanksgiving for the late Queen Elizabeth II. The service will take place at St Nicolas Church at 7.00 pm on Friday 4 November. Tickets and more information can be found online.