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Looking for services, organisations or events in West Berkshire?

Our West Berkshire Directory brings together information about groups and activities, and signposts to help and support in the area.

Divided into three sections (information for adults, families, and the SEND Local Offer), you’ll be able to explore care and support available to you and your family, clubs and groups in your communities, volunteering opportunities, childcare provision, and much more!

If you’re an organisation that provides a service or are running an event in West Berkshire, you can list your details on the Directory by registering for a provider account via the Directory home page or email directory@westberks.gov.uk for further information.

 Join us for the next Community Forum!

Our next Community Forum is on Tuesday 25 February at 6:30pm at Upper Bucklebury Memorial Hall.

This forum will focus on highways in West Berkshire. This is a great chance to come together to learn more about the work our Highways team do and our approach to maintenance. Officers from our Highways team will be in attendance along with councillors, who will discuss the work they carry out. With around £12m set to be spent improving local roads next year, it's an important part of the services we provide. 

Send your questions to CommunityForumQuestions@westberks.gov.uk by midday Friday, 21 February.

Register at CommunityForumQuestions@westberks.gov.uk and state if you will attend in person or online. Online participants will receive the joining link closer to the time.

Revamped outside space at Keevill Unit officially open

The newly revamped outside space at the Keevill Unit at Speenhamland School, Newbury was officially opened by former student Andy Stevenson last week.

We provided funding to enable the school to build the outdoor space project which includes a sensory outdoor class, wheelchair-friendly track and 'story throne' area. You can read more about the space here.

The new space was opened by Andy Stevenson, a former Speenhamland student who was part of the Keevill Unit between 1985 and 1992. He has gone on to work as a TV Presenter and Radio Reporter, including covering the Paris Olympics and Paralympics for BBC TV and American broadcaster NBC. 

Sign up to Council Tax e-billing for a chance to win leisure centre passes

Sign up for Council Tax e-billing by the end of February and be in with a chance to win a day pass to a leisure centre of your choice.

We've got 100 day passes up for grabs - each valid for two people - to one of our leisure centres run by our leisure partner Everyone Active.

Anyone who has signed up for Council Tax e-billing between the launch in December 2024 and Friday 28 February 2025 will be entered into the draw. 

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:

• Service Lead - Financial Management, Revenues & Benefits
• Strategic Manager - Case Management
• Project Engineer (Highway Maintenance and Lighting)
• Senior Social Worker – Children and Family Services

A smarter, greener future for our community

A new Waste Management Strategy is set to be published in the spring setting out how we will manage waste and recycling up to 2032. It follows an extensive public consultation in autumn last year.

More than 5,000 responses were received from residents, businesses, and local organisations and this feedback will be instrumental in refining our approach to delivering a cleaner, more sustainable, and resource-efficient future for our district.

The results of the consultation have been published and can be found here.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who took time to participate. The draft strategy will be considered by the Executive in Spring 2025.

Working to improve our roads

Throughout the year we're out and about improving our roads.

From fixing potholes, resurfacing roads, and making sure our drains flow well, the work we do helps keep you on the move. Last month we fixed 164 potholes, cleaned 2,160 gullies and repaired 59 streetlights, as well as undertaking other maintenance.

We want to deliver services to be proud of - and you can help. If you spot a pothole, or see something else which needs fixing, you can tell us online.

Showcasing our apprenticeship opportunities

At West Berkshire Council, we're proud to offer a strong apprenticeship programme that provides valuable, hands-on experience and training.

Our apprenticeships are designed to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their chosen fields while gaining recognised qualifications, at any stage of their career.

By investing in apprenticeships, we support the development of existing and future talent and provide a pathway to meaningful and rewarding careers within the Council and beyond.

Project Groundwater Innovation Fund opens

Funded by Project Groundwater, the Innovation Fund is dedicated to empowering local communities to address groundwater flooding, funding projects that seek to improve flood resilience in West Berkshire.

You can apply for up to £20,000 to support your local community in flood resilience.

New recycling legislation for businesses

The Simpler Recycling legislation requires all workplaces in England - with more than 10 full time equivalent employees - to separate their food and dry recyclable waste from residual waste by 31st March 2025.

WRAP is offering guidance and resources to support this transition, which can be found here. Those affected include businesses (private and public sector), healthcare establishments and academic institutions. Companies with fewer than 10 full time equivalent employees are temporarily exempt from this requirement until 31st March 2027.  

This legislative change brings enormous environmental benefits, as well as financial benefits to businesses that can use this as an opportunity to improve their waste collection efficiencies.

Shaw House Wedding Fair

With over 40 wedding suppliers under one roof, the Shaw House wedding fair is the perfect way to plan for your big day and will suit couples marrying at any location in and around the Berkshire area.

The event is organised by Berkshire Wedding Fairs.

Sunday 23 February 2025 | 11am – 3pm | Free entry

We value your views on the decisions we take. There are several areas we are currently holding consultations on, including:

• Proposed School Term and Holiday Dates for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools 2026/27
• Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025
• Draft Prohibition of Driving Order (2025) on Bastion Street, Shaw-cum-Donnington

Half term fun at our libraries

There are lots of extra activities taking place in West Berkshire libraries this half-term, most of which are free. Activities include:

• Paper Crafts – Saturday 15 to Saturday 22 February at Mortimer Library throughout opening hours
• Space and Astronomy Quiz – Saturday 15 to Saturday 22 February at Newbury Library throughout opening hours
• Dinosaur Week – Tuesday 18 to Saturday 22 February at Hungerford Library, including a dinosaur-themed Rhymetime, craft sessions and a treasure trail (various times – please check with the library)
• Dogs Trust Family Workshop suitable for children aged 7 to 11 years – Tuesday 18 February, 11am-12pm at Pangbourne Library. Advance booking essential.
• BookTrust Storytime for under 5s – Thursday 20 February, 11-11.45am at Newbury Library
• Pottery Painting suitable for children 5 years and above – Thursday 20 February, 2.30-4pm at Theale Library. £3 per person, advance booking essential.
• Storytime with a water safety theme for 2-4 year olds - Friday 21 February, 10.30-11am at Thatcham Library
• Sign Makers Workshop for 7-11 year olds – Friday 21 February, 10.30am-12pm at Newbury Library. Advance booking essential.

Time to test- the only way to know if you have HIV

The aim of National HIV testing week (10 – 16 February) is to encourage people to test for HIV and to raise awareness and knowledge of HIV to reduce stigma. Most new HIV infections come from unprotected vaginal or anal sex with someone who doesn’t know they have HIV, as some people can live with HIV for a long time without any symptoms and unknowingly pass the virus to others.

Regular HIV testing benefits everyone. If you are HIV negative, you can use protection such as PrEP (medication) or condoms to stay negative. If you find out you are HIV positive, you can go on treatment and live a long and healthy life. Also, people on effective HIV treatment can’t pass it on to partners.

HIV testing is free and confidential and is the only way to know if you have HIV. Anyone can get tested at a sexual health clinic, a GP or by using a home test kit. During National HIV Testing Week, you can order a free self-test, which you take yourself to get a result in just 15 minutes or a postal test where you take a sample yourself and send it off to a lab who will then contact you with your result.

Fire and rescue service recruiting for summer internship

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service is now accepting applications from young people in Berkshire to join the service’s Summer Internship Scheme.

The internship aims to encourage 18-year-olds from backgrounds that are underrepresented within the service to explore some of the many roles available to them in the fire and rescue sector.

Each intern will have the opportunity to gain valuable real-world work experience and transferable skills working alongside teams within the Service. During the scheme, the interns will also participate in learning and development workshops, as well as visits to several fire stations across Berkshire.

The service is looking for four interns to join the scheme for five weeks in the summer, from Thursday, 4 July to Friday, 9 August. As part of the internship, each successful applicant will be paid an hourly wage of £10.66.

Community groups invited to apply for crime prevention funding

Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber has opened the first round of this year’s Community Fund, with a particular focus on supporting projects that tackle anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. Community groups are invited to apply for a share of £200,000 of crime prevention funding.

The Community Fund, jointly managed by the Police a Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable at Thames Valley Police, helps to prevent crime and keep communities safe. Money for the scheme is created from the proceeds from the sale of items seized from criminals that cannot be returned to their rightful owners.

The closing date for this round of applications is 12pm (noon) on Monday 24 February.

Help prevent vehicle crime

Vehicle crimes are often opportunistic and most can be prevented. Here’s some advice from Thames Valley Police to help reduce your risk of becoming a become a victim of this crime:

• Make sure that your vehicle is locked and fully secure when you leave it, no matter where you are parking or how quickly you think you will return. Ensure that your vehicle is actually locked, don’t assume that it has successfully locked. This is just as important overnight even though you may feel it is safe outside your house.
• Take all property/valuables out of your vehicle, even a coat or plastic bag can tempt a thief. At the minimum ensure that any property is not in view by placing it in the boot
• Never leave your key in the ignition while it is unattended, even if only briefly, for example, at a petrol station or outside your house
• Use a steering lock and alarm
• Park in well lit areas whenever possible

Romance scams: what are the clues?

In 2023, the National Fraud Investigation Bureau received 8,792 reports of romance fraud in the UK with losses totalling over £94.7million and the average loss per person was £10,774. The top five platforms used by the scammers are Facebook, Plenty of Fish, Instagram, Tinder and Match.com. Scammers typically create a fake online profile designed to lure their victims in by expressing strong emotions for the person quickly and will suggest the relationship is moved away from the website to a more private channel. The scammer will go to great lengths to gain the victim’s interest and trust, showering them with loving words and sometimes gifts. Once the scammer has gained their victim’s trust, they will ask them for money for an operation, ill relative or to visit the victim for example. Be careful what you post online. Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches. Go slowly and ask lots of questions. Speak to friends and family and be aware of anyone trying to isolate you from them. Never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone. To find out more contact Trading Standards on 01635 519930 or email tsadvice@westberks.gov.uk. You can also call Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506.

And finally...

• There's one day left to share your views in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Thematic Review. The inspectors want to hear from as many people who have accessed or worked with services as possible to help them better understand the local experience. The survey closes on 13 February 2025, find them here.

• Some councils - including Oxfordshire County Council - will be holding elections on 1 May. Our last district council election was held in 2023 - the next scheduled polls will be in 2027.