We’re relaunching our children’s centres with a new name, Best Start family hubs.

This national initiative aims to make it easier for families to find support when they need it, in places that feel welcoming and familiar.

Our first celebration event took place on Saturday 14 March at The Ambleside Centre in Woodley, with a fun-packed morning of play and conversation.

If you missed it, join us on Saturday 21 March from 9.30am to 12.30pm for more activities, friendly advice and a chance to explore what your local hub can provide.

Families have told us it can sometimes be hard to know where to go for help, so our family hubs will bring a wide range of support together in one place, from pregnancy through the early years and up to age 19, or 25 for young people with SEND.

Tell us what services you'd like to see in the family hubs in our short survey.

You may now be able to get free energy saving improvements for your home through the Warm Homes: Local Grant. 

This scheme offers upgrades like loft insulation, wall insulation, solar panels, air source heat pumps and new heating controls to help reduce heat loss, lower energy bills and keep your home comfortable all year round. 

You may qualify if your household income is £36,000 or less, if you receive a means-tested benefit or if your home has an EPC rating of D, E, F or G. Homes with gas boilers are now included.

Homeowners and private renters can apply, while landlords can apply with full funding for their first property and partial funding for additional homes. All work is completed by accredited installers after a simple home survey.

Funding is only available while the grant lasts, so you should check your eligibility online as soon as you can or call 0800 038 5737.

Many people who help look after a loved one never think of themselves as carers - but they are, and support is available.  

You might see it as simply helping out, or being there because someone you care about needs you. But if you regularly help with everyday tasks and appointments, manage medication or give emotional reassurance, you're providing care. 

This can be rewarding but it can also be draining, especially when you're balancing work, home life and the needs of someone who depends on you. 

The Wokingham Carers Partnership offers free advice, practical help and resources for people in your situation. It's easy to forget about your own wellbeing but you deserve recognition, support and tools that make life a bit easier. 

Take the first step by signing up for the free Carers UK online support centre or app and get advice whenever you need it. 

Get support 

• Register now with Carers UK for support and resources  
• Overview of all carer support options
• Want to help others – how to spot when someone is an unpaid carer 
• How to get a carers assessment 
• Contact the Wokingham Carers Partnership or call the support number  
• Attend a local support group meeting  
• Discounted leisure centre memberships

We've started some pre-patching works on roads across the borough as part of our upcoming maintenance programme for the 2026/27 financial year. 

This is in preparation for surface dressing, where we seal lightly damaged roads to stop them deteriorating and avoid the need for more extensive resurfacing. 

Before doing this, we need to patch any small areas that are more heavily damaged to make the road more level. We'll start surface dressing later this spring, and our programme runs throughout the year. 

We also resurface roads that are more heavily damaged, but this is significantly more expensive and we have to spend our limited resources carefully. 

Surface dressings are a proven alternative that safely extend the life of a carriageway for up to 10 years at a fraction of the cost. This allows our resources to go further, to be invested where they're needed most.