Summer in our parks

This is a fantastic sight. Kensington Park is so busy with cricket, football, basketball, runners and cyclists as well as families having picnics or just playing on the equipment. Part of the Section 106 developer contribution from the Battle Hospital site was used to upgrade this park and it's been a huge success.

Reading and District Labour Party councillors fought hard to ensure the money was spent locally. The Battle Library extension is also being funded from this £1.6 million fund and will open in mid-September.

West Reading Great Get Together - a big thank you

Our  West Reading Great Get Together is over and it was a wonderful event.  People from all over Reading came along and had fun in the sun.  A big thank you to 103rd Oxford Road Scouts for their BBQ, Eddie Winship for his music and PA, Jasmine for helping me with the paperwork and organising the leaflet gazebo and Clare for getting our posters up along the Oxford Road.

Matt Rodda, the new Labour MP for Reading East also popped in as well as our local PCSO's and friends from the Art & Heritage Forum who couldn't stay for the whole event.

Here are a few pictures from the day:

West Reading Great Get Together - Picnic In The Park!

"We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us" - Jo Cox MP

In my year as Mayor I met hundreds of people in Reading and got to know about their lives, hobbies, passions and challenges.  I loved Reading before I was mayor but the great people I met during that year made me love Reading more.

Reading has always had a strong community identity with thousands of different people getting along together all year long.  We decided to hold a Great Get Together event in West Reading to celebrate and strengthen our community.  So please join us:

Sunday 18 June

12pm-2pm

Kensington Road Park

Refreshments and BBQ for sale from 103rd Oxford Road Scouts

Join our Great Get Togther in Kensington Park, Reading. Pack a picnic and come along to meet your neighbours in Reading.

Any good at cricket, rounders or football? If you are bring a team game and get your new friends running around in the park.

We'll have story telling for children from Eddie Winship.

You'll be able to buy refreshments and BBQ from 103rd Reading Scouts who are supporting the event (£2 for a jumbo hot dog or 4oz burger. Vegetarian options available).

Reading has a wonderful community and has proved year on year we have more in common!

Print a poster to share here: Picnic In The Park Poster

RSVP to our Eventbrite event here: Picnic In The Park Event

Or join our Facebook event on my page here: Picnic In The Park Facebook Event 

Press release:  West Reading Great Get Together Press Release

We'd love to see you at our event however if you can't make it please share with as many people as you can.

There is parking at the park as well as two hours parking in nearby streets.  If coming by bus you can catch the 15, 16 and 17 and get off at the West Village - Tesco stop (inbound or outbound).

Subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances and bad weather - fingers crossed.

Deputy Mayor Diaries: Whitley Research Project - Presentation of Results and Recommendations

As I've said before being Deputy Mayor means a varied diary.  Yesterday I attended the presentation of the results of the Whitley Research Project by Fusion Youth and Community UK at St Agnes church in Whitley.

The team involved with the project, and who did the presentation, were Dr Claire Bankole, Revd Anika Parker, Skye Leon and Kim Anderson. 

They have spoken to people and groups throughout Whitley to identify the challenges faced by this community.  They have used this information to produce a report and recommendations on how to strengthen the community of Whitley and help them overcome the difficulties they face.

It was a very interesting and positive event.  Whitley has many strengths but, like the Oxford Road and West Reading, they are often tarred with an unfair reputation. The report identified the changes that need to be made for people living in Whitley to fulfil their potential.

I have a copy of the report and look forward to reading it.  You can download a copy here:

Click here to see the report.

Deputy Mayor Diaries: Reading Lions Fun Day

My final appointment this weekend was a visit to the Reading Lions Fun Day at Prospect Park.  This was the end of a fun packed day for them.

In the morning they held a fundraising Dads and Lads Fun Run to raise money for their prostate cancer testing programme.  In February this year they paid for around 350 men to have blood tests to check for prostate cancer.  If you were OK you got a green letter, if you need a bit of further investigation you got an amber letter and if you needed a urgent check, a red letter.  Several red letters were sent after this session and lives saved!  What a great thing to do.

I was also told about their message in a bottle scheme.  Basically they provide a bottle, some documents and stickers.  You fill in the document with anything a healthcare provider would need.  You pop it in the bottle in the fridge with a sticker on the fridge and your front door alerting people that you have a 'message in a bottle'.  If a paramedic attended they would see these stickers and be provided with potentially life saving informaiton they can use straight away.  Simple but so very effective!

Alongside the usual fair stalls selling food, bouncy castles and popcorn vendors ManiChem were providing free diabetes tests.  Being a curious sort I got tested. Another great service.

It was so interesting to hear about the things the Lions Club of Reading do in the community.  Everyone was clearly having a great time at the fun day and the sun was (mostly) shining.  I look forward to meeting up with the Lions during my year as Deputy Mayor.

The Army Cadets provided music!

With my excellent host, David Hitchins

Deputy Mayor Diaries: Reading Arts & Music Week

Wow - what a brilliant evening.

I was privileged to open Reading Music & Arts Week today.  Reading has a large and vibrant Arts community.  It's not just paintings but sculpture, fashion and music.

The exhibition at Novotel Reading this weekend is full of beautiful and thought provoking works of art from Reading artists.  Not only were there contributions from residents but also from groups like Launchpad and children in care.

Alongside local art are some wonderful pieces from Reading Gallery's collection including Van Gogh, Gainsborough and Henry Moore.

None of this could happen without the volunteers and sponsors of Reading Arts & Music Week and they must be thanked.

The exhibition if free to view so this weekend get along!  Maybe you'll be inspired to enter a piece of work next year.

My husband checking out a pice by local artist Hubert Bowers

Hubert's entry

The bird is my contribution to Arts Week

A pice from Reading Gallery's collection

A piece from Launchpad

With a Van Gogh!

Arts Forum Agenda - 8 January

There is a Arts Forum meeting tomorrow and anyone who is part of the Reading Arts community is welcome.

Here's the agenda.  If you would like to be included on the mailing list, please email me at sarah.hacker@reading.gov.uk.  

Arts Forum

Wednesday 8^th January 2013, 6-7pm

Committee Room 1

AGENDA

1.   Reading, a Town of Culture

2.   Timetable for new Cultural Strategy

3.   “Arts Hub” Working Group

4.   Arts Heritage project for the Abbey Ruins

5.   AOB

Community Christmas Dinner: Do you know someone who'd benefit?

Approx £8,500 available to community groups working in Battle Ward

Once again I am privileged to be on the panel for Battle Community First.  We have just short of £8,500  available to community groups working in Battle Ward and would love to see applications that address our priorities:

• Improving anti-social behaviour
• Improving the local environment
• Improving community cohesion

We like the projects we award funding to to benefit as wide a range of people as possible. for more information please take a look at our blog.  You can also download an application form.  We look forward to receiving a wide range of interestng applications.  You have until the end of the year to apply.

http://communityfirstbattle.blogspot.co.uk/

Battle 106 consultation: the results are in!

Earlier this year Battle councillors made sure residents were consulted on how £1.5 million from the Battle Hospital redevelopment should be spent.

The results from this consultation are now being presented to the Policy Committee next Monday.  You can view the report and results here:

Battle 106 Policy Committee Report

Battle 106 Consultation Results

It is clear health and wellbeing are still high priorities which makes it more the shame the PCT decided not to go ahead with the Medical Centre on the site.  The council will be sharing these results with the Care Commisioning Group (CCG) for the area and working in partnership to find solutions to local residents' concerns.

Education is also a high priority and we are pleased to say that since the consultation approval has been given for a new primary school in the Oxford Road area which should go some way to relieving school places pressure.  Labour led Reading Borough Council have reacted proactivily to the school places challenge.

Transport was also popular.  You will see in the report that many of the concerns raised will be dealt with as part of the Oxford Road Corridor Study.  This will swing into action later in the year and will look at transforming the Oxford Road ahead of the new Cow Lane Bridges opening.  This will be funded in addition to this £1.5 million which is great for Battle ward. Keep your eyes peeled for more information.

I am pleased to be part of the steering group that will be looking, with officers, at ways to spend this money to best benefit local residents.

Christmas in Battle Ward

Last night Lieutenant Kenneth Guest led a wonderful carol service at Battle Library joined by the Salvation Army band and the Reading Community Gospel Choir.  

If you missed last night there is a Sing Noel sing-a-long with entertainment at the Emmanuel Methodist Church on Friday 21 December at 7pm.  Argyle Community Church also have a Christmas service at 10.30 on Sunday and a candlelight service on Sunday at 6 followed by mulled juice and mince pies.

Battle Ward has some hard working community groups within it and we are keen to as work with as many as possible.  We have already met some new groups and people through the Keep It Real project and through Battle Community First.

 If you are a resident or group within Battle who would like to help show what a truly great community we have, please get in touch.

'The Salvation Army working in West Reading

Posted on December 18, 2012 by readingcouncillor

Sarah and Kenneth are nearly dwarfed by a mountain of toys

Councillor Hacker and I popped in to the Oxford Road Salvation Army to see what they are doing for families in need this Christmas.

Lieutenant Kenneth Guest invited us to pay him a visit to see at first hand the work he and is colleagues and volunteers are doing to bring a little happiness to disadvantaged children this Christmas.
When we arrived black bags were being filled with toys ready for distribution. There were several tables groaning under the weight of toys donated by members of the public. It was a fantastic sight.
Kenneth told us that even in these difficult times donations were flooding in. He said people’s generosity was quite overwhelming.

It is not too late to donate a toy. Even if your donation is not used this year it will be kept and distributed next year. Every child deserves presents at Christmas time.'

Good news for Readings voluntary sector

Reading Borough Council Press Release

Voluntary and community groups across Reading are set to benefit from an increase in funding from Reading Borough Council over the coming year..

Despite the difficult economic climate, in Reading the Council plans to continue to increase money going towards the voluntary and community sector from a budgeted £12,596,403 million in the current year, to £12,637,584 in financial year 2012/13.

Carols for the Community

I am in the middle of watching Countryfile (love Countryfile) and they are examining Christmas and community.  They are suggesting the current period of austerity is making people want to come together as a community again for support, encouragement and some festive cheer.  The recent Let's Talk events highlighted Reading residents drive for community activities, especially the Town Hall event where residents had some wonderful ideas for local groups and activities.