 Contribute to our Covid-19 legacy project
We’re launching a Covid-19 Community Legacy Project to capture life in the borough during the pandemic and provide a platform for residents to share their experiences of living through the uncertainty since March 2020.
The sense of community spirit has been strong and some have been able to make positives out of a very dire period. For this reason, a new and movable community display is set to launch, celebrating the good things that have happened during the pandemic.
People like you who live, work and study in the borough are encouraged to get involved by contributing sentiments, images, and creative content to the display. We want to hear how people stuck together while being apart, any new hobbies and skills learnt, how people got through, and any other anecdotes they wish to share.
Contributed materials including photos and statements can be emailed to CEM@wokingham.go.uk with the subject line ‘Covid Community Legacy Project’.
Alternatively, physical contributions can be dropped off at Wokingham Library, Woodley Library, Lower Earley Library and the Acorn Community Centre in Woosehill. Once all contributions have been received, the project will be showcased across libraries and community centres on a two-week rotation.
 150+ fallen trees, power for care homes and more
We just wanted to take a moment to thank dozens of our staff, and all our partners, who worked late into the night and through the weekend during Storm Eunice and Storm Franklin.
They worked to keep vulnerable residents safe, roads moving and supporting partners to get essential services like power back up and running quickly. The response included:
- Our emergency response team coordinating our response across the weekend to check the safety of powerlines, fallen debris and the road network
- More than 20 housing sites surveyed for damage and repairs for hazards arranged
- Borough-wide estate drive throughs across many miles of road to spot potential problems
- Almost a dozen road closures (and reopened promptly where possible) for safety, with more than 150 fallen trees blocking roads and paths removed
- Supporting local care homes that lost power by sourcing generators and providing blankets and torches to help people see and keep warm
- Our Covid-19 marshals inspecting high-footfall areas across the borough
- Working with local tree surgeons who supported efforts to remove trees
- Our customer service team for fielding all the calls we took on issues and helping to keep the callers calm and assured them that their incident will be dealt with
There’s now a dedicated emergency alerts email newsletter, to provide updates on storms, flooding, extreme weather and other incidents which impact large parts of the borough. Sign up using the button below.
 Opening a new community hub for Woodley
A new hub for our community engagement team in Woodley opened this month at Emmanuel Church on Southlake Crescent.
The team have been working in Woodley for several years, using a small office space and other community facilities to serve the area. By working in partnership with Emmanuel Church, the new hub offers a dedicated and flexible space where people can meet with the team and each other and get support.
Every Monday afternoon, between 3.30pm and 5pm, there is a drop-in session, open to all, in partnership with Emmanuel Church, Share Wokingham, Woodley Lunch Bunch and Woodley Foodbank.
The drop-in sessions allow people to come in for a cup of tea or coffee and a chat. They will be able to select items they need from a wide range of products, including fruit, vegetables, baked goods, cupboard essentials and cleaning equipment. Also available at the sessions are opportunities for primary school children to take part in activities such as arts and crafts and table tennis.
Our community engagement team works to sustain and empower people and communities, creating community cohesion and offering support and signposting to those who need it.
 Have your say on parliamentary constituency changes
The Boundary Commission for England is holding a secondary six-week consultation on its initial proposals to boundary changes.
A review is taking place to ensure each parliamentary constituency has roughly the same number of electors.
Comments must be made by email or in writing before the deadline on 4 April. Public hearings are also being held across the country, with the nearest being in Reading on 21 and 22 March.
You can find out more and have your say on the Boundary Commission for England website.
New Council Tax bills ready to view online
We have completed preparing the new Council Tax bills and you can now view your bills for the upcoming year online. Paper copies will be delivered to you from the middle of March.
You need to register for an account and you can switch to paperless billing to get all future bills electronically – much quicker and environmentally friendly.
We’ve listened to what you told us and made some improvements to our online services, like Council Tax, and would really value your feedback. You can use the faces on our webpages or tell us about your experiences using our services using the online survey.
What you might have missed
We’ve been extra busy sending out additional information in response to the storms late last week. Here’s a full list of every update we’ve issued since last Friday:
Sign up to any of the newsletters listed above, plus others we send, using our newsletter subscription webpage.
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