Register to have your say at this year’s local elections
You must be on the electoral register to vote in next month’s local elections.
The registration deadline is fast approaching so we’re urging those of you who wish to vote and are not registered at your current address to make sure you do so before it’s too late.
The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 17 April. It takes just five minutes to apply online.
Those intending to vote at polling stations in May will need to show photographic ID. A list of accepted forms of ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website. Those that do not have eligible ID can apply for free voter ID, the deadline to apply is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.
Many residents will already have acceptable forms of ID, but if it is not presented on the day then they will not be issued with a ballot paper and will not be able to vote. Bringing a poll card by itself will not entitle you to vote. More details can be found on Wokingham Borough Engage website.
You can choose to vote in person, by post or by appointing someone you trust to vote in your place, known as a proxy vote. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on 18 April, and for a proxy vote the deadline is 5pm on 25 April.
Which areas have elections and who is contesting them?
The following local elections are taking place on Thursday 4 May 2023:
- Wokingham Borough wards - Barkham, Bulmershe and Whitegates, Coronation, Emmbrook, Evendons, Hawkedon, Hillside, Loddon, Maiden Erlegh, Norreys, Shinfield North, Shinfield South, Sonning, South Lake, Twyford, Wescott, Winnersh and Wokingham Without
- Town Council elections - Earley, Wokingham, and Woodley
- Parish Council elections – Winnersh
You can view the statements of persons nominated for each contested election on Wokingham Borough Engage website. For more information on this year’s borough council elections, as well as previous results, check our election fact pack.
Last chance to register for a free road closure for a King's Coronation street party (closes Monday)
Beware of bogus callers after local incident
We’re passing on a warning from Thames Valley Police to watch out for attempted thefts and scams after an elderly resident in Wokingham town was targeted.
Two men wearing hi-vis jackets, claiming to be from the “water board”, called at her home in the Emmbrook area and claimed she had a big leak coming from her property. She let them look around and gave her contact details.
Afterwards she contacted her water provider, who confirmed the visit wasn’t genuine. Household utilities are provided by private companies so the old terms “water board” and “gas board” are obsolete and only used by bogus callers.
Although many thieves and scammers now use the internet or telephone, some still visit in person so please bear the following in mind:
- If you aren’t sure who’s at the door, don’t open it
- Check the caller’s identity, ask for their ID card, and call the company they claim to be from - getting the number from a directory or online, not the caller
- Don’t let anyone in until you’re satisfied and if in doubt, keep them out
Report any information about incidents like this online or call 101.
Festive fly tippers put on naughty list
Whoever fly tipped Christmas wrapping and other household waste at Finchampstead had "better not pout, and better not cry" when we fine them!
If you know anything about this incident, which took place on Park Lane on Friday, 24 March, please email our anti-social behaviour enforcement team.
We also want to know more about two other fly tips which happened earlier this month or late last week on:
- Lower Sandhurst Road, near Finchampstead
- Yew Tree Lane in Spencers Wood
Fly-tipping is a crime and we investigate all incidents to search for evidence of who was responsible - and if we can link them to someone, we won't hesitate to issue a fine.
For more on this, and your own duty to carry out checks to avoid being fined for hiring a fly tipper, visit our fly-tipping webpages.
Volunteer fair in Shinfield to help your community
Wokingham Volunteer Centre will be running a volunteer recruitment event at Shinfield Library (RG2 9EH) on Monday 24 April, from 10am to 12 noon.
There will be a chance to meet local charities and organisations looking for local volunteers. Attendees will include ABC to Read, Healthwatch Wokingham Borough, Shinfield Transport Scheme, the Cowshed, Berkshire Scouts and more.
More events to recruit volunteers will take place later this year, including:
It follows successful events earlier this year in Wokingham, Arborfield and Lower Earley with dozens of volunteers recruited for
Helping young people into education or employment
Exam season is upon us and while many will be concentrating on revision, they may also be thinking about their next steps and what their options are if their first choice doesn’t work out.
Elevate Me is an information, advice, and guidance service for 16- to 18-year-olds in Wokingham Borough, offering support for those who are not in education, employment or training (and young people aged up to 24 with SEND), also known as NEET.
Our careers advisers are available to meet you either at one of our weekly drop-in sessions, on the phone or online.
We also have a whole range of information on our Elevate Me website, useful for any young person thinking about their next steps, including:
- Job vacancies
- Tips for applying for work
- Courses and training
- Guide to higher education
- Access to workshops on employability and job hunting
- Information on finance and wellbeing
We also run specialist sessions after exam results in August, helping you decide your next steps once the results are in.
Visit the Elevate Me website, or get in touch at elevate@wokingham.gov.uk, to see how we can help you.
Award nominations for partnerships and more
We’ve been shortlisted for four local government awards at the national MJ Achievement Awards - the highest number of nominations from any single council this year.
This is great news for us and many partner organisations, as the hard work of officers and colleagues across the borough has been recognised. The awards celebrate best practice and excellence in supporting local communities.
We’ve been shortlisted as a finalist in the following categories:
- Best Social Housing Initiative for the Adult Social Care Specialist Accommodation (ASCSA) Programme – new specially adapted accommodation to support a range of vulnerable residents, helping improve their independence and quality of life within the community
- Digital Transformation for Project Joy – a new social prescription app to help connect residents in need with the best health and wellbeing service to offer support, reducing pressure on GPs and providing an improved approach to referrals
- Innovation in Delivering Sustainability and Social Value for the Wokingham town centre regeneration – leading and enabling the town centre to adapt to the changing face of the high street, create new public spaces and community facilities such as the Carnival Hub with its leisure centre, library and cultural use
- Innovation in Partnerships for Keeping In Touch (KIT) – working with voluntary sector partners to help support older residents stay healthy and independent through a 1:1 coaching approach. With coaches able to listen, assess, devise plans and remain in touch to help deal with any emerging or changing issues
What you might have missed
Here’s every email newsletter we’ve sent in the last week:
Sign up for any of these newsletters, and many more, on our website.
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