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Elections 2023 – one week to go

There’s just one week to go until elections re held – your chance to vote people onto West Berkshire Council, as well as town and parish councils.

You can check the location of your polling station and find details of the candidates standing in the district, town and parish council elections on our website.

We know that sometimes problems can arise at the last minute which may affect your plans. You can apply to vote by emergency proxy (asking someone to vote on your behalf) due to a medical emergency or disability or if your job means you cannot vote in person. To qualify, your circumstances need to have changed since proxy vote applications closed yesterday (Tuesday 25 April).

If you’ve lost your postal vote, or it has been spoilt, you can contact our Elections team or collect a replacement from our offices in Market Street, Newbury until 5pm on Thursday 4 May. 

• If you haven’t already done so, please set a reminder on your phone or add a note in your diary to bring photo ID if you are voting at a polling station on Thursday 4 May.

Be water aware this summer

As the weather begins to improve, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is asking people to stay safe when spending time in and around water. Last year, they responded to 36 water rescue incidents involving people getting into difficulty in Berkshire’s waterways. 

To help raise public awareness around water safety, RBFRS will be supporting several initiatives throughout Berkshire this year. These include delivering water safety advice at local community events and fire station open days and providing water safety education to secondary school children.

Neil Whiteman, Safety Education Coordinator, RBFRS, said: “Many people underestimate the risk of jumping into water where unseen hazards and cold water can endanger even the strongest swimmers. Even on a warm day the temperature in open water can remain very cold, causing cold water shock, a physical reaction which can make it difficult to control breathing, cause panic and make it difficult to swim."

For more information on water safety, visit the RBFRS website.

Tips for reducing waste at street parties

We've put together some top tips to help you reduce waste at any street parties over the Kings Coronation weekend:

• Avoid single use items like plates, cutlery and utensils. Everyone could bring their own, or you can hire items.
• Swap cling film for storage containers or bees wax covers.
• Plan who is bringing what food to avoid duplicates and wastage. Make food last longer on the day by covering it and making sure it isn’t in direct sunlight. Share leftovers and freeze what you can.
• Recycle any food waste using your kerbside food waste caddy - this is collected weekly.
• Reuse or borrow decorations or make your own.

We hope you enjoy the weekend but please make sure you pick up all your litter and recycle what you can. The Big Lunch site has some great ideas to help neighbourhoods celebrate an eco-friendly lunch too.

You can find more information on recycling on our website.

Coronation celebrations at West Berkshire Libraries

West Berkshire Libraries are gearing up for the exciting celebrations and all libraries will have craft activities for children to enjoy over the Coronation weekend.

Newbury Library and Educafe are hosting a Coronation Tea Party on Friday 5 May, from 2.15-4.15pm, with food and drink provided.

Advance booking is required for this. See more details and to book here.

Thatcham Library has Coronation celebrations throughout the morning of Saturday 22 April, including music, crafts and games, with a royal treasure hunt and prizes for all. No need to book for this, just drop in between 10am and 12pm to join the fun.

West Berkshire Museum will be launching a special Coronation online exhibition showcasing related objects from the Museum collection. There will also be free children’s craft activities which can be found in the Museum Library, you can make a mini Union flag or design a crown to take home. Available from 29 March until 7 May (or while stocks last), no need to book, just drop in during opening hours. Shaw House will be lit up in royal purple every evening during the Coronation weekend which passers-by can enjoy from the historic gates.

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:

• Digital Communications Officer

• Waste Officer

Coronation Celebration at the Waterside Centre

The Waterside Centre in Newbury is holding a Coronation Celebration on Saturday 6 May, from 10am – 4pm! Activities include arts and crafts, face painting, a community art piece, multi-sports, cookie decorating, Swings & Smiles sensory room and paddle sessions.

Most activities are free but some require pre-booking and carry a small charge. See full details here.

Road Safety for children

With the lighter evenings creeping in, it would be great to see more children practicing their cycling skills after school. Before they get out and about, now would be the perfect time to refresh their knowledge and skills around cycling and road safety. Road Rangers is a free online resource teaching Key Stage 1 children to be safe near roads in an exciting and interactive way.

Safer Steps is an online comic aimed at Key Stage 2 pupils and is an exciting and interactive way to learn about how to be safe when walking near roads. Topics include: the Green Cross Code, hi visibility clothing, safe places to walk and cross the road To gain access to either of these websites, please use these log in details: Username: Westberkshire Password: Saf3rst3ps201920 Parents are encouraged to work through these activities with their children and introduce children to show off their knowledge to younger siblings. If you have any queries or suggestions, please email our Road Safety Team.

Bank Holiday bin collections 

If your recycling or black bin collection date is 1 May, Bank Holiday Monday, we will continue to collect these as normal. Please put your rubbish or recycling containers out by 6am on your scheduled collection date.

To check your bin day please visit our website. 

And finally...

If you haven’t had a first or second dose of the Covid vaccine, now’s the time.

Book now to check your eligibility and to make sure you get both jabs before the offer ends on 30 June as you’ll need to wait several weeks between doses.