MAY FAYRE CANCELLED

Emmbrook students walk Route 66 in active challenge

CHILDREN at Emmbrook Junior School have walked more than 6,000km as part of The Conqueror Challenge project.

For the last four months, students have been aiming to walk a mile each day — outside of their usual activities.

And they’ve raised £1,600 in the process.

The school’s sports lead, Jack Fisher, said: “Due to the pandemic, the PTA have had to cancel various events, which meant we lost out on a potential return of more than £4,000.”

He said when restrictions eased in September, children were spending less time with their families, compared to the spring lockdown.

“With the children and parents working towards the challenges together, many children sent back their forms citing family walks and bike rides — this was great to see.”

The target is 13,096.7km — the combined length of 18 famous hikes, including Lands End to John O'Groats, Mount Everest, the Inca Trail and Route 66.

Mr Fisher is keeping the team up to date with their distance, and each route completed wins a certificate and medal — to be displayed in the school hall.

The funds raised so far have helped improve the library, and future donations will go to the creation of a reading summer house, and installing gym equipment for break and lunch play time.

“Both of these are quite expensive so the funds will really help contribute to this being done,” Mr Fisher said.

The school has a donation page. � For more information, visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ emmbrook-junior-school GET MOVING: Jack Fisher, sports lead at Emmbrook Junior School has been leading The Conqueror Challenge for his students

Lions cancel May Fayre for second year

EXCLUSIVE

By PHIL CREIGHTON news@wokingham.today

ONE of Wokingham borough’s biggest fundraising events has been cancelled for the second year in a row, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Wokingham Lions’ Club has pulled the plug on its annual May Fayre, which had been due to take place on Monday, May 3.

The event sees local groups and charities run stalls to help boost their coffers, as well as a wealth of entertainment including Circus Scene, morris dancing and magic shows.

Local groups are given a chance to entertain audiences on the main stage, while other attractiomns often include a petting zoo..

However, with new strains of the

FAMILY FUN: Children enjoy a circus performance at the May Fayre in 2018 coronavirus more easily passed on, and the vaccination programme still in place, organisers have decided to follow the lead of the Glastonbury music festival and cancel now rather than wait until nearer the time.

The Lions said that the decision was made after consultation with local authorities.

Ian Grange, organiser of the May Fayre, said it was a difficult choice to make.

“Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we must protect the health and safety of the public,” he said.

“For the second consecutive year, we greatly regret that this means having to cancel our biggest fundraising event that not only supports local charities and community groups, but also provides a showcase for local talent on our stages and for local businesses.”

Acknowledging that the event helped groups receive funding, he pledged that the group would find alternative ways to help, just as the Winter Carnival organisers did last year.

“We are currently exploring the possibility of creating some smaller events later this year,” he said.

Last year’s event would have been a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of VE Day, and have taken place on Friday, May 8.

However, it was cancelled as the country was still in lockdown as a result of the first wave of the pandemic.

It would have been one of the first events to have taken place in the new Elms Field, and would have included a funfair, a petting zoo and a variety of rides in addition to the stalls.

The event was launched in 1995, and is one of the largest street fairs in southern England.

The Lions aim to make it a lowcost family day out that celebrates the town’s culture.

President of Wokingham Lions Club, Nigel Page, said: “I’d like to thank the Wokingham Town Council and the community for their support of this event.

“Our efforts will continue for future events, and all the other things we do to support local people, both now and in the future.

“We look forward to next year’s May Fayre on May 2, 2022.”

Tales of growing old disgracefully

A SHORT story competition has been launched exclusively for those over 90.

The Grow Old Disgracefully writing competition focuses on childhood memories.

Running until Sunday, January 31, residents interested must submit 500 words as a short story.

The winner will receive £200 and a tree of their choice to be planted near their home. The story will also be featured on the Grow Old Disgracefully website.

Judging the writing competition is BAFTA-winning Virginia McKenna OBE – famous for A Town Called Alice; Lauren St John, author of The White Giraffe and Dead Man’s Cove, BBC broadcaster and author, Nicholas Owen, crime writer, Peter James, and the Scottish Literary agent Judy Moir.

Ms McKenna said: “It is a real delight to have been asked to judge this truly unique writing competition. I’m looking forward to reading a range of entries which share strength and impart wisdom on this time we’re living in – as well as a good dose of irreverence. “ � To find out more and enter, visit: www.growolddisgracefully.co.uk/ competition

NEWS | 3 University commits to eco-eating scheme

THE UNIVERSITY of Reading has become the first university in Europe to join an eco-friendly catering group.

It has joined the Menus of Change Universities Research Collaborative (MCURC) to innovate and encourage people to choose healthier, more sustainable options.

The news comes as the University was also named winner of the Innovation in Catering category of the CUBO Awards 2020 last month, which rewards and showcases the very best in higher education commercial services.

Matt Tebbit, head of residential catering and bars at the University of Reading, said the move strengthened their commitment to sustainable eating.

“Focusing on quality not quantity, creating delicious, planet-forward meals, and harnessing renewable energy are all ways we can drive down the University’s carbon footprint as well as make our students and staff healthier,” he said.

“This all builds on the award-winning sustainability work we have already been doing on campus, which uses the expert knowledge of our own researchers to improve our menus, and has turned our dining rooms into live laboratories where we can study eating behaviours, teach sustainable practices, and come up with brand-new ideas.”

The Menus of Change movement is led by The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

It is a collaboration of scholars, food service leaders, executive chefs, and administrators for colleges and universities.

Reading has been following the movement for around two years and is now one of 59 universities and colleges in the world to be members of the collaborative, with Google and the US Olympic Training Center also among its collaborating organisations.

With more than 20 eateries on campus, the University is reaffirming its pledge to reduce waste. It hopes to soon display carbon footprint information on menus and source beef and lamb from the University’s own farms.

WOKINGHAM.TODAY Thursday, January 28, 2021 ‘Park and ride buses will stop outside children’s bedrooms’

EXCLUSIVE

By CHARLOTTE KING cking@wokingham.today

“THE PARK and ride is going to take away our parking bay”.

This is the concern from a Wokingham resident who is angry about a new transport hub to be built at Coppid Beech roundabout.

But Wokingham Borough Council said this is not the case, and is down to an error on the planning documents.

Emma Kirkum, a Keephatch Gardens resident, is upset that the park and ride is being built “on her front doorstep” and fears it could impact the local community.

In May last year, Wokingham Borough Council applied for planning permission to build the transport hub next to the housing estate. The land has been earmarked for the park and ride ever since Keephatch Gardens was proposed in 2015.

Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport, said it is “a strong project which will provide long-term benefit for the council”.

But Ms Kirkum fears her building’s parking bay will become a bus stop under the new plans.

“That parking bay has always been a visitor bay for Bur House,” Ms Kirkum said. “Even on the original plan for Keephatch Gardens, it says that it’s a visitor bay, but on the new plan for the park and ride, it now says it’s going to be a bus stop.”

A spokesperson for Wokingham Borough Council said the visitor bay will remain just that, and this was incorrectly marked on the planning documents.

Ms Kirkum has raised further concerns about the transport hub, and fears it will put her children at risk.

“We’re going to have multiple buses driving past every hour, all day long, but we’ve got nowhere safe to cross,” she said.

“The road is narrow and it’s going to have to deal with pub traffic [from the Oakingham Belle] as well as buses.”

She said there’s nothing on the planning documents regarding a crossing.

Cllr Jorgensen said the access road has been “safely audited” and deemed “acceptable”.

Ms Kirkum said she is also worried about the privacy implications of

building the park and ride in a residential area. “Some of the buses are double deckers, so passengers will be able to look into at least the second floor of these houses,” she said. Cllr Rachel Burgess, Labour ward councillor for Norreys, is also concerned. “One resident said buses will be stopping right outside their child’s bedroom windows, which if so is really unpleasant,” she said. “There’s no other park and ride in the borough that is adjacent to housing in the way that this one is, and I think some residents are now only just realising how bad it’s going to be. “The rationale for the park and ride is still not clear to me I just can’t see why it’s needed in this location.” According to Cllr Jorgensen, the principle of the park and ride’s location is “long standing”. “The park and ride, which is included in the developer’s publicity materials, will help to reduce congestion on the A329 between Bracknell and Wokingham, and encourage sustainable transport,” she said. The £3 million project is due to be completed early next year. Hurst villagers clear 18 tyres in weekend litter pick

A COMMUNITY has collected more than 100 sacks of rubbish that were tossed into ditches and hedges around their area, writes Sue Corcoran.

Wokingham borough councillor for Hurst, Cllr Wayne Smith delivered packs of litter picking sticks, high-viz jackets and sacks to around 35 families who cleared up many roads in the village.

Then last weekend a residents’ taskforce assembled, distanced, to tackle a mile of the A321 from Forest Road to Pound Lane.

Among their haul were 18 old tyres, large parts of cars which had been in crashes and many empty bottles and cans.

The caring community’s good deed had taken a week up to Sunday, but it continues into this week.

Cllr Smith said: “It’s quite disgusting that people feel they can just chuck rubbish into any area.

“We’re very fortunate we have the great community that we have who turn out to help.

“Usually, we would have a big litter pick centred on one day.

“But we need to keep distanced now because of Covid-19. We also gave residents the chance to choose when they wanted to litter pick, in their own time.”

Last year, Hurst had more than 100 piles of fly tipping reported to Wokingham borough.

But Hurst wasn’t the worst.

In the ranking of 17 borough areas Hurst was number nine, with 17 the highest.

Cllr Smith said: “In Hurst we have a brilliant community which is supported by Hurst Residents Facebook page which has grown from 50 members before the first lockdown to 744 now.”

The village’s band of 60 volunteers has provided vital help with shopping, medicines and friendship to vulnerable and isolated people.

“Hurst people are still helping in the present lockdown, that’s part of life here. It’s brilliant,” he added.

WEEKEND CLEAN: Volunteers show their community spirit FAMILY: Jo, Jess and Felix de Mountenay helped with the clear-up

Rural life museum launches 70th anniversary celebration project

A NEW history project is being launched at the Museum of English Rural Life, to mark its 70th anniversary.

The 51 Voices project will connect people with the collections, from textiles and texts to straw crafts and souvenirs.

Artists, community groups, specialists, makers, museum volunteers and the public can get involved and connect with items from 1951.

Dr Ollie Douglas, curator of Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) collections, said: “Each object, book, artwork or archival item that has been chosen has a strong link to 1951 but also resonates powerfully with 2021.

“By looking more closely at these amazing and diverse things we want to share and develop our understanding of the links between the countryside seven decades ago and life today with the public.

“These collections, including iconic material from the Festival of Britain, already mark a previous moment of renewal.

“Now 70 years on, and in these unprecedented times, this is the perfect moment to look at them again to explore reconstruction and regeneration. They are a springboard to thinking about our future as much as our past.”

The objects and voices will be revealed online regularly during the year, including through blogs and an online exhibition.

Events are planned to tie in with the Festival of Britain anniversary. � For more information, visit: merl.reading.ac.uk