Alert on your phone at 3pm on Sunday
The Government's new Emergency Alerts service, which allows you to be contacted using your mobile phone if your life is in danger, is now live and will be tested at 3pm on Sunday (23 April).
The alerts, which were trialled in Reading in 2021, go to all compatible 4G and 5G devices in a given area and can only be sent by the Government or emergency services.
They'll be used to send a direct message only where there is a genuine risk to life, either locally or nationally, like a major health hazard, severe flooding, fires or industrial incidents.
If you get one, you'll hear a loud siren-like sound and see an on-screen message giving more information and advice on your next steps. You can check it's genuine online.
If you don't want to receive these alerts and would like to disable them, you can find out how to do this using the link above. In an emergency, vital information will be shared through other channels as usual.
Last chance to have your say - community centre
We’ve got two consultations which close for responses in the next few days. It’s your last chance to have your say on:
Getting ready for Voter ID at local elections
Members of our electoral services team recently held an interactive talk with CLASP Wokingham to help members feel more confident about the voting process.
The session was held at the Bradbury Centre in Wokingham and gave members the chance to ask questions about the new voter ID requirement.
You will need to show photo ID when you vote in next month’s local elections and you can read more about this on our Engage Wokingham Borough website.
CLASP is a self-advocacy group for people with learning disabilities in Wokingham Borough and it holds various sessions and activities every month.
After an explanation was given about what forms of ID are accepted and how to apply for free ID, members checked they were registered to vote and then took part in a mock ballot.
A few days left to get a free Voter Authority Certificate
If you do not have an accepted form of ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate online. You’ll need to complete your application by 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.
Our Engage Wokingham Borough website has a list of forms of photo ID which will be accepted on the day.
Spring into the saddle to win prizes
Cyclists can celebrate the start of sunnier weather by taking part in this year's Love to Ride Bike Month Challenge.
The event, which we support, runs throughout May and encourages both individuals and workplaces to saddle up, have fun and hopefully win prizes.
Registration is free and all rides, which can easily be logged online or recorded automatically through an app, only need to be 10 minutes or longer to count.
The more you ride, the more entries you’ll get into a draw with prizes including £2,000 and smaller cash amounts, gift cards and cycling gear as well as “early bird” rewards.
Love to Ride runs all year round and our borough's 2,533 riders have logged 2,110,816 miles across 17,506 individual trips - with more than 500,000 miles in the past 12 months.
After taking part in last year's Love to Ride Cycle September challenge, a Wokingham borough resident won the top prize of a £2,500 Raleigh electric bike.
Bird nesting season has begun
We're now well into the annual bird nesting season, which runs from March to August for most species.
During this time, you may find birds nesting in your trees, shrubs, hedges, ivy, boxes, under your eaves or on the roof. It's important that you don't cut back any vegetation during this time in case you disturb nests, which can be well hidden.
You should trim your hedges once a year, during the winter, if needed as this gives wildlife the chance to eat any berries. All wild birds, including their nests and eggs, are protected by law.
Shows dedicated in memory of Queen Elizabeth II
School children took part in two Wokingham Area Schools Music Association (WASMA) show stopping ‘Happy and Glorious’ performances in memory of Queen Elizabeth II.
The event took place at the Hexagon Theatre in Reading where 750 children performed in front of 2,400 people.
Since 1947, WASMA has hosted annual musical events providing musical opportunities for primary school children in Wokingham Borough.
The shows featured children singing in a choir and performing drama, poetry, instrumental music and dancing, symbolising each decade of Queen Elizabeth II’s life from 1920 to present day.
A British Sign Language Interpreter attended and translated one of the performances, which is a first for WASMA.
Well done to all the local borough schools who took part – Addington, Aldryngton Primary, Bearwood Primary, Colleton Primary, Earley St Peter’s Primary, Emmbrook Junior, Evendons Primary, Farley Hill Primary, Finchampstead Primary, Floreat Montague Park, Gorse Ride Junior, Grazeley Primary, Hawkedon Primary, Hawthorns Primary, Highwood Primary, Keep Hatch Primary, Lambs Lane Primary, Loddon Primary, Nine Mile Ride Primary, Oaklands Junior, Polehampton Junior, Radstock Primary, Robert Piggott Junior, St Cecilia’s Primary, St Dominic Savio Primary, St Nicholas Hurst Primary, Wheatfield Primary and Willow Bank Junior
And don't forget if you're looking for your next volunteering opportunity locally, there's a volunteer recruitment fair in Shinfield on Monday (24 April).
What you might have missed
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