We’ve sent a letter to parents this week detailing what’s being done for local schools to start re-opening from 1 June onwards.
It says that schools will only re-open when they are confident their pupils and their staff will be safe, so parents are being advised to only send their children back once they’ve been contacted by their schools which are now preparing and putting measures in place.
We’re supporting our own schools and also advising those not under our control such as Academies. We share their desire for children to be safely back in school with their friends and teachers.
It could be that pupils at a school initially return part-time. Another school may be able to offer more. Each one will be making decisions appropriate for their own school and community.
Schools have already been providing learning at home as well as support in school for key workers’ children, some SEND children and children who have a social worker. This will continue until everybody is back in school.
You can read the parents' letter in full on our news site.
Beginning a month earlier than usual on our annual road maintenance, and starting on a new cycleway have both been possible thanks to quieter roads these past few weeks.
Borough road usage dropped by 50 per cent under lockdown, and utility company roadworks by 33 per cent, giving us the opportunity to work at locations that would normally cause a lot of disruption.
For example, we’ve made improvements to Showcase Roundabout in Winnersh, A4 Bath Road in Sonning, Finchampstead Road and Molly Millars Lane in Wokingham, and Thames Street in Sonning.
Work at these sites followed government and construction industry social distancing guidance, and will continue to do so.
In the next few days we're due to start building a new cycleway in and out of Wokingham town centre; on London Road, linking the centre of town with the Coppid Beech roundabout / A329M interchange.
This new section follows previous extensive work on the A329 through the borough giving you more sustainable choices for getting around.
re3 now has a new online booking system up and running for the household recycling centres in Reading and Bracknell, following technical problems with the former one.
Thirty-minute slots can again be reserved but as demand for these are still high please make only one booking per week. Bookings are available seven days in advance and more are added every half hour. If the box is faded it means the slots are taken and when the screen says, ‘bookings not available’ this means the slot hasn’t yet been released.
Don’t forget to check you’ve correctly entered your email when booking, and if your email confirmation doesn’t arrive take a look in your spam folder.
Under this new system, you don’t need to create an account - simply choose your slot and type your details.
Read more about re3’s Click&Tip services or follow them on Facebook for more updates.
The pandemic has seen a rise in children and young people needing foster homes, so a huge thank you to those of you who’ve already come forward. You’re brilliant!
But as we start preparing for the aftermath of Covid-19, we still need more new or experienced foster carers for local children desperately needing caring families living in or close to Wokingham Borough.
“Fostering throws up challenges the same as anything in life and at times can be emotionally tiring,” says foster carer Matt Lee (pictured above with his family), “but how the whole extended family has dealt with those challenges and overcome them gives the most positive feeling imaginable. We’re so glad we took that step to make a difference to someone’s life.”
You can also watch a short video with foster carer Steve Allum, talking about his experiences. To find out more about fostering call (0118) 974 6204, email: fostering@wokingham.gov.uk or visit our special fostering website.
If you’re interested in the borough’s statistics for Covid-19, our Public Health team publishes a weekly report on our website.
Scroll down the page and you’ll find it a third of the way down.
Called the Covid-19 Situation Report, it covers detected cases, detection rates, comparisons with our neighbouring local authorities and local care home data.
We’re so proud of the way our community – you – has come together to face the Covid-19 crisis.
Individuals, local groups, and town and parish councils joined forces with us to form the Wokingham Borough Community Response to give a helping hand to local people needing that extra support.
Take a look in this short video about how we all did it and what we’ve done as a team.
Thank you! It’s amazing what can be achieved when we all work together.
How Covid-19 is affecting our services
Advice and help for local businesses during Covid-19
Wokingham Borough Community Response
Public Health England and Department of Health and Social Care guidance
NHS England advice
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