Wokingham Borough Connect
 Last chance to have your say
In light of recent unrest across the country, it's more important than ever we know how safe you feel in our communities.
There is just over a week left to take part in our annual Community Safety survey, seeking your views and experiences to help us focus our work for the next year.
It is your chance to tell us the type of issues that concern you and whereabouts they are taking place, as well as some focused questions to help shape our new domestic abuse strategy.
The survey is running until 20 August and by taking part you will automatically be entered into a draw to win £100.
 Taking action against rogue traders
On Wednesday 17 July officers from our shared Trading Standards Service carried out a day of action and carried out spot checks on two traders working in Lower Earley. Both were able to provide the correct paperwork and had a waste licence.
As a result of the day of action, officers were alerted to a live incident taking place on the morning of the 19 July in the Barkham Road area of Wokingham.
They attended and intervened when the trader increased their asking price for roofing works carried out from the £1,000 quoted to £4,000.
In two other locations in the same neighbourhood, officers were alerted to the same trader trying to pick up some additional work. They spoke with the homeowners who took the decision to stop the works from happening.
This is part of a series of activity across the area designed to protect residents and prevent them from becoming the victims of rogue traders who trick them into spending vast sums of money for unnecessary and overpriced work.
We encourage residents if they have any concerns about this type of activity to contact the PPP. If there is a crime in progress contact the police immediately on 999.
If you or someone you know has fallen victim to unfair trading or fraud like this you should report it to the Citizens Advice consumer service helpline by calling 0808 223 1133.
 Successful event held for Hong Kongers
In 2021 the government created an immigration route that enabled Hongkongers to move to and settle in the UK. Following this a large number of Hongkongers have moved to the borough.
Recently an event was held to inform them of the services available to them in our area, including what support is available and how to report incidents or concerns. Twenty four Hongkong residents attended the event where seven agencies were present, representing eleven different services and sources of support.
As part of our support for the community a number of videos have been produced on healthcare in the UK, domestic abuse as well as a round up of the day.
 Supporting those at highest risk of harm
Mark Tomkinson, Resident Access and Support Manager has recently qualified as an Indepdendent Domestic Violence Advocate (Indepdendent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA), meaning he is now qualified to support those who are at the highest risk of harm due to domestic abuse.
Mark will now be bringing what he learnt into his current role for the benefit of Wokingham borough residents who need support as they go through the process of either leaving a situation or being supported to stay safely if they do not wish to leave.
Mark learnt how important it is to listen to the victim/survivor to find out what would be helpful to them and how to negotiate with other agencies to ensure the victim/survivors’ needs are met.
He now has a fuller understanding of the risk assessment process used by agencies and the specialist support available to different groups such as the elderly or people from ethnic minorities.
Mark attended four three-day workshops with around 30 hours of follow up work, completed e-learning, attended court and shadowed multi-agency meetings over an eight month period, all alongside his day job.
 Sunday Funday in Lower Earley
On Sunday 25 August residents will have the chance to meet local community safety services at a Sunday Funday in Lower Earley.
Come along to meet find out more and meet the teams from:
- Thames Valley Police, including the Dog Unit, Drone Unit and Roads Policing
- Royal Berkshire Fire And Rescue Service
- Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue
- Our anti-social behaviour team.
The event will be open from 11am to 6pm at Maiden Place Fields off of Kilnsea Drive, Lower Earley.
 Become a Fire Cadet
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is looking for 13 to 17 year olds to join the next group of Fire Cadets.
Run by firefighters, staff and volunteers with support from the service’s Safety Education Team, Fire Cadets participate in practical and theoretical fire and rescue service activities, including hose drills, breathing apparatus procedures and fire safety awareness sessions.
The scheme teaches essential life skills such as team work self-discipline, confidence and leadership.
The Fire Cadets course takes place over the academic year, in term time only on a weekday evening. There are four Fire Cadet Units in Berkshire: Crowthorne, Whitley Wood (south Reading) Newbury and Maidenhead.
If you are between 13 and 17 years old and are interested in this opportunity, or if you know someone who would be interested in taking part, please complete the online application form before 5pm on Monday, 2 September.
For more information email firecadets@rbfrs.co.uk.
 New plan to tackle crime across the Thames Valley.
A new blueprint for policing, community safety and criminal justice has been unveiled by Matthew Barber (Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley).
The newly published Police and Crime Plan sets out the priorities for Thames Valley Police over the coming years with a focus on three key pillars:
Protecting Communities: Recruiting more police officers, supporting neighbourhood policing and focusing on driving down the crimes that matter most to the public.
Protecting People: In order to protect people from the most serious offences, we will seek to prevent crime in the first place; relentlessly pursuing criminals who pose a threat to others and supporting victims to guide them through the Criminal
Justice System and rebuild their lives.
Protecting Property: Although crimes, such as burglary, are at historically low levels and have fallen since before the pandemic, the impact is significant and public confidence is undermined if the police are not seen to tackle these issues.
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