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When we looked for a new way to mark National Poetry Day in the lead up to World Mental Health Day and asked residents to write or choose poems and send them to us, we weren’t sure what kind of response we’d get. The theme for this year’s National Poetry Day was refuge, and we were delighted to receive over 100 poems from people across the district.
Many were submitted by residents with lived experience of poor mental health, some of whom are supported by our partners, Eight Bells for Mental Health and Recovery in Mind, for who we funded poetry workshops to allow people to explore feelings around mental health and wellbeing in a creative way and produce poems as part of a healing and restorative process.
A selection of the poems from our Poetry in Mind campaign will be on display at all West Berkshire Libraries, Shaw House and Northcroft Leisure Centre until the end of October for everyone to read and enjoy. Find out more here.
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 This Black History Month, our libraries have been showcasing some of their wonderful books celebrating Black history, storytelling and culture. These include children’s books, biographies, young-adult fiction, fiction and non-fiction.
The theme for this year’s Black History Month is ‘Saluting our Sisters’, and one stand out book is ‘Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History’ by Vashti Harrison. The book profiles some of the inspirational Black women who have helped shape history and is perfect for young children to read and learn from.
Books like these can be found in our libraries, and online via BorrowBox and Libby, all year round so please do check them out.
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We’re excited that work is set to start on a refurbishment project at Thatcham Library at the end of this month. The £45,000 project will see the installation of an accessible toilet, and the canopy above the current doorway removed to create a more modern and visible entrance.
These building improvements will make the library, and the many events run there, easier for all to access and enjoy.
The library will be closed for one week from 30 October - 4 November while the majority of the work is completed and will reopen to the public on Monday 6 November. The return dates on any books due back that week will be automatically extended. Read more here.
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Keep up to date on road closures in your area by using the map of roadworks, including those of utility companies, on our website to plan your journeys. Click the link below for more information.
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 The brand new Badgers Hill Integration facility in Calcot was officially opened on Monday by Heather Codling, West Berkshire’s Executive Member for Children, Education and Young People's Services. Learners at the facility started this term in their purpose built building and are already enjoying their new learning environment.
Councillor Codling said: “Learning environments are always important. Working in an inspiring space such as this will yield benefits for both learners and teachers alike. This space makes a statement and shows that West Berkshire is fully invested in giving these students the best possible opportunity to develop and progress."
You can watch our video of the new building here and read more about the project here.
 This week is Recycle Week, and we are joining the ‘BIG Recycling Hunt’. Now in its twentieth year, Recycle Week is the nation’s biggest annual celebration of recycling. ‘The Big Recycling Hunt’, is the central theme of this year's campaign, and promises to shine a bright spotlight on ‘missed capture’.
This nationwide hunt aims to engage children and families in the quest to find 'lost recyclables' that too often find their way into the rubbish bin. By focusing on commonly missed items such as empty aerosols, plastic cleaning product bottles, plastic toiletry bottles, plastic pots and tubs, and food tins, Recycle Now wants to foster a deeper understanding of recycling in the younger generation.
You’ll also notice Shaw House is lit up green for Recycle Week. Go and check it out and remember to share your pictures on social media using #RecycleWeek and #BigRecyclingHunt.
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 We are thrilled to announce that West Berkshire Council's Waste Team reached new heights last week!
At the prestigious LARAC (Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee) conference celebration awards, we proudly stood as one of the four finalists in the Circular Economy Achievement category, competing with councils from across England.
This award invited entries from local authorities demonstrating circular economy success, or by making changes in their organisation to an enhanced circular economy approach throughout a project, organisational procedures or focused campaigns within the recycling and waste management sector.
Our entry into this award highlighted the remarkable work we've been doing in collaboration with Veolia. Together, we organised several exceptional soil conditioner give-away events that not only distributed a staggering 72 tonnes of this eco-friendly resource, but also nurtured local engagement and endorsed sustainable gardening practices.
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Although we didn’t win, this recognition is testament to our commitment to encouraging a greener, more sustainable future right here in West Berkshire.
Thank you and a huge well done to the Waste team's dedication and the positive impact they've made on our community to innovate and inspire for a cleaner, more sustainable tomorrow.
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 We were at the Destination Expo Careers Event last week at Newbury College talking to students about the careers on offer at West Berkshire Council. Students spoke to Officers about the different roles within the Council and the duties they carry out. Thank you to everyone involved in such a brilliant day.
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Anyone can watch our Council and Committee meetings in person at our Market Street offices in Newbury and live on our YouTube channel to view the important decisions made by Councillors on issues such as planning, waste and schools.
Upcoming public meetings include:
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Decades of dedication in one career, but Leroy's not done yet. With Multiply's free courses, Leroy's embracing change, pursuing new horizons with confidence, and reinvigorating his career and life. Join us as we journey with Leroy towards a brighter, empowered future, proving that age is just a number.
If you are aged 19 and over and don’t have maths GCSE at grade C (or equivalent), you can access free numeracy courses through Multiply to build your confidence with numbers and gain a qualification. Explore our website today to find out more.
 To further support households with the rising cost of living, we have been allocated £1.4million from the Government to extend the Household Support Fund for a year.
The Household Support Fund (HSF) is there to support those most in need. Priority will be given to households who are ineligible for other government support and vulnerable groups regarding the cost of living crisis. The scheme runs until 31 March 2024 and is there to help households most in need with the rising cost of living, including families, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people.
To find out more and apply for the Household Support Fund, please visit our dedicated HSF page on our website. If you know someone who could benefit from this fund, especially those of pensionable age, please share this information with them.
There is plenty to do at Shaw House and West Berkshire Museum this half term, with Jack and the Beans Talk puppet theatre, Movie in the Hall, Family Activity Day, Messy Museum Morning and a Dragon Hunt! For more information about our upcoming events please click here.
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Come and join us at Shaw House on 29 October for a spectacular wedding fair. With a bridal fashion show at 1pm and over 40 specialists under one roof, the Shaw House wedding fair is the ideal place to plan your big day. The event will run from 11am-3pm and admission is free. Wedding couples are encouraged to pre-register which will cover them both and any guests they wish to bring with them. You can register to attend here.
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Newbury Business Improvement District (BID), the organisation behind Visit Newbury, have announced two exciting Halloween events happening in Newbury next week. The first is the Ghost Town Shop Trail; a thrilling free experience for families this October half term. From 25 to 28 October, some of Newbury’s most beloved shops around Bartholomew Street will transform into hauntingly delightful destinations for children to trick or treat as they hunt for Halloween posters in shop windows.
For the adults, there will also be a Psycho Path Pub Trail on Friday 27 October. This immersive event will transform five central Newbury pubs into realms of fright and delight. Participating venues will be marked, so you can plot your spooky route with ease. Find out more here.
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And finally...
- Last week we told you about potential disruption to waste services due to pay discussions between GMB union and Veolia, our waste and recycling partner. An agreement on pay has now been reached - which removes the potential for disruption to our waste services and so these will continue as usual.
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