£2.7 million allocated to parks in Reading

Today it was announced that £2.7million has been allocated in the Reading Council budget for parks equipment and other park improvements across the borough, £603k of which followed a public consultation last year on CIL funding. 

I have made it very clear that ensuring our playgrounds are accessible to all children is my priority. Play is vital to the healthy development of our children, physically and mentally, and is a great way to form friendships. I look forward to seeing more accessible play equipment across the borough.

Other improvements will also include full consultation with park users. If you have any ideas ahead of the consultation please get in touch. sarah.hacker@reading.gov.uk

Full press release here: http://news.reading.gov.uk/council-budget-plan-19-20/

Full budget report here: https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=138&MId=1842

 

A Reading summer bucket list

One of the unexpected bonuses of being a councillor and, this year, Deputy Mayor, is you get to discover lots of new things about Reading.

I thought I was pretty clued up.  I won the Oxford Road Timebank's Reading quiz for example but my eyes are constantly being opened.  This has inspired me to create a summer bucket list:

• Have a cake and a drink at the Caversham Court Kiosk 
• Visit an exhibition at OpenHand OpenSpace.  It's just across the road after all!
• Visit Calleva Atrebatum's ampitheatre with my boys.
• Have a picnic in Forbury Garden.
• Take the boys for a paddle at Christchurch Meadows.
• Have a day out at Beale Park (or Child Beale as I remember it when entry was per (very full) car).
• Take a ride the boys on the Reading Society of Model Engineers model railway in Prospect Park.
• Join in with the Playday at Prospect Park on 15 August.
• Start filling in the boys National Trust 50 things to do before you're 11 3/4 scrap books.
• Go for a swim!  Children swim free over the summer holidays (during general swim session) and I have finally got our Your Reading Passports.
• Lego club at Battle library is a must.
• Take in an activity at the Museum of English Rural Life before they close in the autumn for their revamp.
• Head to Reading Museum for one of their craft sessions - hopefully in Forbury Gardens!

The joy about most of these things is they are low cost or free!  Now to wait until they have both finished with chicken pox and we'll be off!