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 We'd like to wish you all a very happy new year.
With the festivities now over we're working hard to make sure 2023 is a great year for West Berkshire Residents. We have lots planned and are looking forward to providing the best possible service.
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Have Your Say on the Strategies for Thatcham and Hungerford Town Centres |
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It’s the final week to fill out our Thatcham and Hungerford Town Centre survey.
Whether you are a local resident, business or visitor, your views are important to us. The survey gives you the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed plans for both town centres. Your responses will help us to link community and business needs with town centre improvements, while celebrating local features and potential of these location, helping to amplify their unique character.
Deadline is Monday 9 January so if you have a spare 10 minutes, please do fill out the survey to help us improve these local towns. You can take part online.
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 A lane closure along part of Hungerford High Street will remain in place for up to nine months.
The lane closure follows a collision which caused damage to buildings last month. Traffic lights are in place between Park Street and Atherton Crescent and will remain there until it is safe to open both carriageways. It will take some time for the building's owners to complete the repairs to make it safe, so the traffic lights are expected to be in place for between six and nine months.
We understand the inconvenience this is causing to people in the town. Unfortunately this is a situation which is out of our control, but we are grateful for their patience whilst this situation is resolved.
 Health and care partners across the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Partnership "BOB ICP" are asking for the public's views on a set of proposed priorities to support improved health and wellbeing.
The BOB ICP vision for nearly two million people living within the area is: to have the best possible start in life; to live happier, healthier lives for longer; and to get the right support when needed. To achieve this, the ICP has developed a draft strategy which proposes a common set of priorities that partners will work on together.
The next step is to work with local people and communities to refine the proposals and agree a common set of priorities for the health and care system, through a public survey.
For more information and to answer the survey by 29 January, read more about it on our website.
The new ‘Be Well This Winter’ service, managed by Solutions4Health, is continuing to get out on the roads around West Berkshire this month. The team will provide health advice and information to local residents and providing Cost of Living support information.
The team will be at Theale Library from 3.00-6.00pm this Thursday 5 January and at Educafe, Newbury Library next Wednesday 11 January 11.00-4.00pm. The team will also be able to provide COVID-19 vaccinations at this session. Please do drop in if you are in the area.
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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:
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If you are a subscriber to the garden waste collection service you can get your real Christmas tree collected. Please put it out with your garden waste bin for collection between Monday 9 January until Friday 3 February 2023. Trees over 4 ft must be cut in half. Please remove all lights, decorations and pots.
If you do not subscribe you can take your Christmas tree to one of our household waste recycling centres. Please make sure to book an appointment online before you visit.
For more information and some alternative options for tree recycling please visit our website.
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We value your views on the decisions we take. There are several areas we are currently holding consultations on, including:
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 We want to make sure that you are getting the support you need throughout the Cost of Living crisis. Our Cost of Living Support Hub is available to help anyone facing hardship this winter. It can support you on a variety of issues, whether that’s helping to heat your home, helping with food costs, or helping you find support for mental health issues during this challenging time.
The Hub is open Monday-Thursday 8:30-5:00pm and Friday 8:30-4:30pm. Find more information on our website, you can call the team on 01635 503333 or email the team.
The hub provides advice and practical support for anyone in financial hardship, making it easier for you to get the help you need.
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Do You Have a Green New Years Resolution? |
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We asked our staff eco-champions to tell us their sustainable New Years resolutions for 2023 - take a look below for inspiration!
- Use the car less and choose walking/cycling/public transport more instead
- Fix up my bike (or buy second-hand) and make more journeys by bike
- Make more effort to dissemble boxes/packets into respective recyclable parts
- Always reuse bags when shopping
- Have at least 2 meat-free meals each week
- Line dry my washing whenever I can
- Buy seasonal fruit and vegetables only
- Choose plastic-free food packaging where possible
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And finally...
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We are holding a virtual careers event for anyone who is interested in learning more about our current vacancies and careers with us.
A range of our managers who are actively looking to recruit into positions will be joining in to chat to you about working for West Berkshire. Areas will include Adult and Children’s Social Care sectors, Environment, Transport and Countryside, as well as Customer Services.
You will need to register online in advance for the webinar. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join. The webinar will take place at 12.00pm on 30 January.
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