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 The Let's Get Active Fund (LGAF) is back, with £40,000 available to improve access to physical activities in West Berkshire.
Since it started in 2019, the LGAF partnership between West Berkshire Council and Greenham Trust has helped many community groups, organisations, social enterprises, charities, and schools to start or enhance physical activity initiatives.
Previous funded projects include the 'Donnington Castle' play structure for Shaw-cum-Donnington Parish Council, football/rugby hybrid nets and a permanent wheelchair-accessible table tennis table for East Ilsley Parish Council, and a community basketball hub for children based in Theale for Reading Rockets basketball club.
The grants cover a wide range of opportunities from improving existing facilities, buying new sports equipment, providing new instructors and coaches, or starting new initiatives.
If you work with a community group in West Berkshire and are looking to help promote physical activity in the district, visit our website or email elisabeth.gowens1@westberks.gov.uk for more information.
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Changes to postal voting process |
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 If you're planning to hand in postal votes at a polling station at any of the upcoming elections, there's been some changes to this process that you need to be aware of:
- There are now limits on how many people you can hand in postal votes for - you can hand in up to five, plus your own.
- If you're a political party or campaigner, you're now only able to hand in postal votes for your family members or people you provide care for.
You can find out more about the changes here.
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 Are you worried about your own or someone else’s alcohol or drug use? v-i-a offer free, non-judgmental, and confidential support to family members, friends and carers of people who use their service. If you’re worried about someone and would like some help and advice, get in touch with v-i-a's expert team.
For adults aged 18 and over, contact 0300 303 4554 or email: west.berkshire@viaorg.uk. For those aged 18 and under who live or study in West Berkshire, contact The Edge on 01635 582002 or email: theedge@viaorg.uk.
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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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Most of our libraries' e-resources are available to use from any location. For instance, did you know that West Berkshire Libraries members can read many of the most popular magazines for FREE online? These include titles such as the Radio Times, Amateur Photographer and New Scientist.
Lots of magazines provide recipes and ideas to help you eat well, with some focusing on the increasingly popular method of air fryer cooking. These magazines can be expensive to buy when you are not sure whether or not you will enjoy the recipes! Read them for free on your tablet or other mobile device.
In total, our libraries have around 130 titles for you to enjoy, with new editions added as soon as they are available. The easiest way to access these is via the Libby app – sign in to West Berkshire Libraries using the membership number on your library card. If you are not sure how to do this, watch our guide to Libby on YouTube or ask at your library.
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 We invite you to meet artist Robert Fitzmaurice in Gallery 5 at West Berkshire Museum where he will be working on silverpoint drawings.
Drop in to this free event between 1:30pm and 3:30pm on Wednesday 6 March to see Robert in action, learn more about the silverpoint technique and the ideas that inspire his work.
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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 services and schools.
Upcoming public meetings include:
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 Did you know that the popular database Find My Past is now available for FREE using the computers in West Berkshire Libraries to help you with your family history research? Drop in to search from over 10 billion records and find out where your past will take you.
 Immerse yourself in history with a free day out in the 17th century with The Earl Rivers Regiment Muster (Members of The Sealed Knot) at Shaw House on Saturday 9 March, 11am-4pm.
Witness reenactors training to use swords, muskets and pikes, and visit some of the tradesmen and civilians who accompanied the armies. There will also be 'Living History' demonstrations inside Shaw House.
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We are holding a series of five fun sessions at West Berkshire Museum, with a simple craft themed around a Museum object. Following the activity, there will be the opportunity to do a self-led gallery visit to find the object!
These sessions will be taking place on 21 and 28 February, and 6, 13 and 20 March at West Berkshire Museum, 10:15am – 10:45am costing £12 for five sessions. You can book online here.
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And finally...
- Having two doses of the MMR vaccine can give lifelong protection against measles, mumps, and rubella. Ask at your GP surgery if you're not sure if you or your child have had the vaccine. If you think you or your child may have measles, don't go to the emergency room, urgent care, or doctor's office without calling first. Call your doctor immediately and let them know about your symptoms so that they can tell you what to do next. You can find out more about measles here.
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