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Although yesterday was World Mental Health Day, having good mental health is something we can work towards every day. This year’s theme is “Mental health is a universal human right”, which means overcoming barriers to good mental health and making sure it is a priority.
The small things can make a big difference, be this connecting with friends more regularly, being active in a way that you enjoy or committing to learning new skills. You can also make a difference by encouraging your friends, family, and colleagues to talk about how they are feeling, especially if they have been recently been bereaved, had a relationship breakdown or are generally going through a stressful time.
We know that stigma often prevents people seeking help for a mental health issue and they may only get help when a crisis has developed. With this in mind, we are keen to raise awareness of local sources of support for wellbeing, which you can find here.
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Free heating appliance safety testing |
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We are aware that pay discussions are ongoing between the GMB union and Veolia, our waste and recycling contractor. This is not currently affecting the services we provide, and our waste collections and other services continue as usual.
If talks are unsuccessful, it’s possible that industrial action will take place and will cause some disruption to household waste collections.
Veolia and West Berkshire Council officers have been working together on contingency plans to minimise disruptions to residents if a strike goes ahead. If the situation changes we will let you know – including through this newsletter, on social media and on our Waste Collection Updates page.
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Thank you to motorists using the A4 for your patience whilst SGN complete emergency work on a gas main in Calcot. We know this is making journey times a bit longer but unfortunately this is out of our control.
Some motorists are choosing to use Royal Avenue to avoid the roadworks – please remember that we have a School Streets scheme in place and access is restricted to residents only during school drop-off and pick-up times. This is in place for the safety of pupils and parents near to the school, as well as providing environmental benefits.
Unfortunately we’ve had reports that some drivers are ignoring the restrictions and left pedestrians feeing unsafe due both to an increase in traffic and verbal and physical abuse they have received.
Please allow extra time for your journey, and continue to drive respectfully and responsibly through Calcot whilst the roadworks, and our work to install ANPR cameras on Royal Avenue, are completed.
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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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What’s it like to work in Children and Family services in West Berkshire? Jo is a clinical psychologist in our Family Safeguarding Team and she works with our partners to ensure families are at the heart of decision making and that the changes made are ones that our families want and need.
Social Work in West Berkshire, what’s stopping you? Find out more here.
We are running an informal drop in event, both in person and online, on 19 October 4-8pm which will allow you to meet lawyers currently working in local government across Berkshire.
You'll be able to ask them about the work they do and how you might be able to transfer your legal skills into a local government setting. There are opportunities at different levels and in different disciplines ready for you to discover.
This event is geared to qualified lawyers, but we will be running an event for potential trainees later in the year. If you're unable to make either event please get in touch and we can make an alternative arrangement.
Register for the in person (Reading Town Hall) event here or register for the online event here.
Over the last month, we’ve been working to help people fulfil their potential, progress their careers and get back into work. Councillor Jeff Brooks recently attended an event hosted at Newbury Library, run by the Department of Work and Pensions, which focused on men over the age of 50 looking to return to work after being made redundant. Councillor Brooks said of the event: “It was great to speak to residents from across the district. Being made redundant can often be hard on people and it is essential that we support people in their efforts to get back in to work."
Alongside creating and supporting career fairs, we've also been promoting our apprenticeship scheme. As a large employer, we use some of the apprentice levy to support apprenticeships across the district to train people to be pharmacists, teachers, and nurses. If you are an employer with an apprentice on your books, you could nominate them for the our Learner Achievement Awards. These annual awards celebrate the success of adult learning in West Berkshire covering apprenticeships, professional, academic, and vocational courses, and learning programmes that support families, communities, and health & wellbeing. Find out more and make your nomination here.
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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 will be providing an opportunity for local authors to showcase their work at Newbury Library on Saturday 25 November, 11am-3pm.
The event will be a ‘marketplace’ where authors will be allocated space in the library, allowing them to promote their books and sell copies if they wish.
If you have had a book published that you would like to promote, please contact us for further details. Early expressions of interest are advised as space may be limited.
Please send email enquiries to library@westberks.gov.uk for more information.
We're taking part in a nationwide campaign to ask communities to come forward with everyday stories and objects of the Second World War so that they can be digitally preserved for future generations.
Their Finest Hour is a new initiative working to create a comprehensive digital archive of this incredible wealth of history and knowledge that lots of us hold either in our heads or our lofts. Many of us have war-related stories and objects that have been passed down from our parents, grandparents and other family members.
Our Culture and Libraries team are looking for people to bring stories about their family’s wartime experience – and associated objects such as diaries, letters, medals, journals and ration books to their Digital Collection Days to be recorded, digitised, and then uploaded to the Their Finest Hour online archive, which will be free-to-use and launch in June 2024. Find out more here.
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Head down to Shaw House on Monday 23 October to catch Jack and the Beans Talk, a cautionary tale from Garlic Theatre about what might happen if you throw things out of the window!
Jack lives on a small farm with his mum and very little to eat. He likes to talk to the birds, his cow and anyone who will listen. Imagine his surprise when he swaps his cow for some magic beans and starts to hear a whispering in the breeze and a giant rumble in the sky. Charming and inventive with plenty of interaction, an enormous beanstalk, bags of gold and a smelly old giant.
Tickets are £10 adults, £7 children with under 2s going free and you can book online for both the morning and afternoon showings here.
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Drop-in to West Berkshire Museum on Saturday 14 October, 10am-3pm and meet the historical re-enactors from Butser IX Legion in period costume for free! They will tell you about life in Roman Britain, as well as demonstrate skills that you can have a go at. There will be an opportunity to take part in Roman-inspired crafts and activities, as well as to complete a themed trail.
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With only 200 chalk streams on the entire planet, we are lucky to have several of these rare habitats in West Berkshire. Chalk Streams and their unique aquatic life are very sensitive to plastic pollution. The Marine Conservation Society estimates 80% of litter found in the ocean starts its journey in villages, towns, and cities miles from the coast - travelling via our ditches, rivers and streams and out to sea.
In West Berkshire, any litter dropped onto our roads or left in our parks or on footpaths, can very easily travel into a nearby waterway, river, or ditch. Ditches are often connected to our streams and rivers, (especially during heavy rain and flooding) which leads to litter easily flowing downstream, reaching the Thames at Pangbourne or near Reading, and eventually flowing out into the North Sea.
No matter where we live, we can all help our rivers and our seas by putting our litter in the bin or taking it home to dispose of responsibly - but don't ditch it outside!
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And finally...
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Two doses of the MMR vaccine can give lifelong protection against measles, mumps, and rubella and is available for free on the NHS at any age. The NHS recommends that anyone who has not had two doses of the vaccine should ask their GP surgery for a vaccination appointment. You can ask at your GP surgery if you're not sure you or your child have had the vaccine.
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