Welcome to the Ridgeway National Trail summer newsletter -
 

• we've ideas for dog walking and for bird watching along The Ridgeway
• we learn how the Castles bike ride has raised lots of money for Macmillan Cancer Support through sheer pedal power
• we take a look at how local villages are providing a warm welcome for Ridgeway users
• and we ask for volunteers to come out and help to keep the Trail a lovely path to walk along.

 
We hope that you enjoy the read – and if you’d like to contribute to the next newsletter, please contact us at ridgeway@oxfordshire.gov.uk
 
 Kind regards,
 
National Trails Team

Waste Collections to start an hour earlier at 6am
 
Recycling and Rubbish collections will start at 6am from Wednesday 25 July until the end of the week.
 
This is due to the very hot weather and so the collection crews can avoid being out in the heat during the hottest part of the day.
 
Please put your bins out before 6am and let your neighbours, friends and family know that we’ll be collecting earlier. Thank you - West Berkshire Council

The summer newsletter from the West Berkshire Countryside Society is available to download here:
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Hungerford Library building to be run by Town Council
West Berkshire Council is to hand over the running of the Hungerford Library Building to Hungerford Town Council.
The arrangement, which was agreed at a meeting of the Full Council will be officially signed on 15 June. 
Hungerford Library will continue to be run by West Berkshire Council within the building with Hungerford Town Council leasing the building from the council building on a 99 year lease at a peppercorn rent.

Dominic Boeck, west Berkshire's Executive Member for Culture and Libraries said: "Handing over the running of this well located building will provide Hungerford with a great community hub and will also help to future-proof the much loved library service. 

"We are responding to requests from parishes to run buildings which saves the council money at a time when funding is low and, in this case, will embrace and encourage active community partnerships while helping to protect and preserve our valuable library service."
Cllr Helen Simpson, Mayor of Hungerford said: "We have come a long way from the threat of library closure to agreeing a lease of the Library building and securing the future of the library. 

"The use of the building is set to flourish under the stewardship of Friends of Hungerford Library and a trust which was established to manage the building for our community. 

"Huge thanks must go to 'The Friends' whose input from the beginning has been a determined force of drive and commitment, also to the trustees who will now manage this valuable community asset into the future. 

"This has been an impressive 'working together’ story, reaching the best outcome for the residents of Hungerford. Thank you West Berkshire Council for allowing the creative ideas of our team to become a welcomed reality.”
 
Press Release Issued by: 
Peta Stoddart-Crompton 
01635 519670 
07917267761 
www.westberks.gov.uk ​

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Welford Parish Council Vacancy
 
Welford Parish Council has a vacancy for a councillor. The parish includes the villages of Wickham, Welford, Easton, Weston, Hoe Benham and Halfway with a total population of just over 400. The council are looking for a dedicated parishioner who will contribute to the decision making of the council and to ways of improving life within the parish.
 
Applications should be made to the Parish Clerk, Karen Griffiths who can be contacted on 07977 226450 or by email: welfordparish@yahoo.com. For more information please call the Chairman - David Hunt on 01488 608300.

West Berkshire Highways have notified us that various unnamed roads in Welford will be closed as necessary on Sunday 20th May 2018 while annual running races take place. The races will take place between 7am and 2pm. There is no alternative route.
 
A plan of the closure can be found at www.roadworks.org

WELFORD PARISH COUNCIL INVITES
All Parishioners to the
Annual Parish Meeting followed by Wine & Nibbles
 
Wednesday 16th May 7.30pm in Wickham Village Hall
 
Mrs Katie Dickens, Welford & Wickham C.E. Primary School Executive Head Teacher
will be sharing news from the school.
 
Reverend Miriam Keen, the new West Downlands Benefice Rector
will be introducing herself.
 
Please join us to also share your views and ideas about life in the Parish
 

Press Release Date: 20 March 2018

West Berkshire to hold largest ever volunteering event
More than 80 organisations will be coming together next week (Thursday 29th March) to raise awareness of volunteering in the largest-ever event of its kind in West Berkshire.
The event aims both to promote the value of volunteering and highlight the help and support available to residents from community and voluntary sector organisations across the district. It’s a great opportunity for:

• Anyone supporting a relative or friend that needs help
• Residents who have moved to the area and want to get to know what is going on in the area
• Businesses looking to help in the community; and
• Potential volunteers or members of voluntary groups wanting to work with other groups

Among the 86 groups at the event will be groups providing children's services, older people's services, disability services, learning disability services, listening charities, Young Family support, some arts organisations, cancer charities, health services, mental health support, dementia support services, stop smoking help, befriending services, local transport services, local funders and much more.
The event has been organised by the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire in partnership with West Berkshire Council, the Health and Wellbeing Board and Awards for All. It takes place on Thursday 29th March, 2018 between 9.30am and 4.30pm at Newbury Racecourse.
The event will be formally opened by the Chairman of West Berkshire Council, Councillor Quentin Webb, at 11am.
Free return travel is available from Newbury town centre to the event, on local buses 9 and 123.  Hail either these services from Cheap Street (outside the Kennet Centre) and travel to the Rondetto Avenue stop at Newbury Racecourse.  
Speaking ahead of the event Gary Poulson, Director at the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire said: “In West Berkshire we have a thriving voluntary and community sector making a real difference in communities across the district. Through this event we want to raise awareness of the help and support all these groups are providing so that they can work more closely together and become an even more effective network of support for local people.
“This will be one of the largest volunteering events in the south of England in recent years with plenty of help and support on offer. I look forward to seeing everyone at the event next week.”
West Berkshire Council is among the organisations supporting the event. Chief Executive Nick Carter, from West Berkshire Council, added: “At the council we benefit directly from the energy, enthusiasm and hard work of volunteers in our libraries, supporting our countryside team and in many other different ways. We also recognise the value of the support of voluntary groups in supporting our residents so they don’t need to rely on council services. The work they do is very worthwhile and so we have been very happy to support this event and the voluntary sector in the district.”
To find out more about the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire visit www.volunteerwestberks.org.uk