Message sent by
Claire Williams (Police, Co-ordinator, West Berkshire, Newbury)
Vehicle crime makes up more than a quarter of all recorded crime in the UK.
Vehicle criminals are opportunists, and most vehicle-related crimes can be prevented by taking simple security measures.
Car securityAlways lock your car, wind up the windows and close the sunroof, even if you’re only leaving it for a few minutes. You should also double check it’s locked before leaving. It only takes a few seconds for your valuables to be stolen from an unlocked car.
For extra security:

• fit a car alarm
• use a steering wheel lock
• get an immobiliser, this stops the engine from starting if the car is being stolen
• always park your car in well-lit areas in full public view
• look for police approved car parks with the Park Mark logo
• when in stationary in traffic, keep your doors locked and windows up
• take your sat nav with you and wipe away any marks left by the suction pads
• don't leave items in the glove compartment
• if you have a garage, use it

Never leave valuable possessions such as handbags, laptops, phones or sat navs on show inside a vehicle. This makes it much more likely to be targeted by thieves. Even items of little value, such as shopping bags and clothing, may tempt a potential thief to break into the vehicle to see whether they contain anything worth stealing. Keep your possessions out of view, or take them with you.
Motorcycle securityWhen leaving your motorcycle:

• always lock it to something secure and set the alarm
• try to use a designated motorcycle parking place with a stand and security loop
• don't leave items such as helmets or other possessions with your bike
• use an immobiliser

Scooters and mopeds are nearly four times more likely to be stolen than motorbikes. They are light and easy to steal if they're not parked securely, so it's worth taking extra precautions. Always keep your scooter or moped parked in a safe place, where there are lots of passers-by to prevent anyone tampering with it.
Bicycle securityTo make your bicycle less of a target for thieves:

• fit a good bike lock, such as one with a Sold Secure rating, and attach your bike to something secure
• always lock your bicycle, even if you are only leaving it for a couple of minutes
• have your bike's frame security-marked or etched
• keep your bike in a secure garage or shed when at home
• if you have quick-release wheels, lock them up as well or take them with you
• remove lights from the bike and take them with you

David Hunt - Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator

Welford Parish Council has installed a Public Access Defibrillator on the village hall at Wickham, devices like these are saving lives in rural areas, where an ambulance may not reach the patient within the crucial time. 
The defibrillator is secured in a specially designed locked cabinet. On phoning 999 the ambulance service, if it is appropriate for the patient will inform the caller where the defibrillator is and how to access it. The defibrillator comes in a carry case complete with all you need to use it, it will talk the user through how to deliver the shock if required. There is an adult and child setting on the defib and with the clear and concise instructions the idea is that anyone can use it in an emergency. If you would like to know more about the equipment and familiarise yourself with it details can be found here ​www.ipad-aed.com/training/ .
The Parish Council hopes to run a free training session in the near future to give people the confidence in an emergency. 

Welford Parish Council has a pot of money which is referred to as Section 106 money, this is a payment made by a developer when new houses are built in the Parish. This money came from the development at Teekay Farm in Weston, and there is around £10,000. 

We would be keen to hear Parishioners views on how the money could be spent. It is specifically designated as money for improvement to recreational areas within the Parish as a whole. Money can be spent on improvements to public space, new public space, conservation, tree planting and play equipment for example. 

If you have an idea on how the money can be spent either on a small or large project that could be of benefit to the Parish please contact the Parish Clerk at - [email protected].

Thank you 

Bob and Jo Chandler attended the ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele), held at Tyne Cot Cemetery in Belgium. They laid a wreath at the Stone of Remembrance in memory of the three men from Welford Parish known to have died in the battle – Joseph Walter Butler, Alfred William Willis, and James Duffy – and planted wooden crosses where their names appear on the Memorial to the Missing (none of them has a known grave). They also took the opportunity whilst in the area to place a cross in memory of Frank Harry Wells who died in the 1st Battle of Ypres in 1914, and likewise has no known grave. 

Bob has kindly put together a few brief details of each of the men:
Private Joseph Walter Butler, 2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment, was born at Welford in 1895, the son of Thomas and Eliza Jane.  His father was gamekeeper on the Welford Estate for many years. The family home was at number 49, Easton. Killed in action on 16 August 1917 and commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing.
Private Alfred William Willis, 6th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment, was born in 1895, the eldest son of Alfred and Florence.  The Willis family were well-known local farmers, and Alfred senior farmed at Elton Farm. After enlisting, Alfred was released for a time to work on his father’s farm, then called up and sent to the Front in June 1917.  Killed in action on 31 July 1917 (the first day of the battle) and commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres.  Described by his Platoon Leader in a letter to Alfred’s parents as ‘one of the most willing and likeable men in my platoon’.
Private James Duffy, 10th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters was a resident of Easton, where his parents ran the ‘Olive Branch’ public house.  He was killed in action on 11 October 1917 and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing.  James is not named on the Welford War Memorial as it appears the family connection with the parish may have been lost by that time.  
Lance Corporal Frank Harry Wells, 1st Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment, was the first Welford man on active service to die in the war.  Born in 1881, the son of William Wells, a railway and farm labourer and his wife Emily, Frank was a pre-war regular soldier who had enlisted in about 1903.  He had completed his active service and was working as a roadman for the Newbury Rural District Council when war broke out; he lived at Old Inn Cottage, Wickham with his wife Elizabeth Annie. Killed in action on 14 November 1914 and commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing at Ypres. 

Thank you to Bob Chandler for kindly putting together this information and allowing the Parish Council to share it with the Parish.