We are delighted to have hired a living, pot grown Christmas tree from the Festive Tree Hire for the Oakwood Centre as part of our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint.

The specially selected tree will return to the Festive Tree ‘family’ in January, to continue to grow and be nurtured, ready for us to hire next Christmas.

We’ve decorated the Christmas tree with the same baubles we have used for several years and it is lit using LED lights for that carbon-conscious Christmas sparkle. 

We are aware that the tree is leaning slightly to one side but we think it adds to its charm and beauty of being a real, sustainably sourced living tree. 

We hope the Christmas tree brings you some sparkle and joy during the festive season! 

Merry Christmas to all of our residents. 

Tree recycling tip! 

If you have a real Christmas tree this year that cannot be replanted or grown, this should be recycled. 

If you are registered with the garden waste scheme or have purchased garden waste bags, please chop your tree up and pop it in there for collection. Alternatively, take it along to one of our recycling centres.

If you’d like to take the hassle out of recycling your tree, while supporting a good cause, you could use Just Helping’s Christmas Treecycling scheme, who will collect and recycle your tree in return for a minimum £10.50 donation to a local hospice.

Charity and community hub launches in Wokingham

The Wokingham Charity and Community Hub, the first of its kind in the Wokingham Borough, has launched this week (1 December).

Initially the hub, which is located at Waterford House in Wokingham town centre, will open for appointments only. Appointments can be booked by calling (0118) 228 0480 or emailing reception@vcshub.co.uk from 8 December.

And it will fully open its doors in the new year for members of the public to drop-in and seek help, advice and support. It is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Earlier this year, Wokingham Borough Council agreed grants and contracts worth more than £2million with voluntary, and community sector (VCS) organisations to provide prevention services to adults.

The charities who will use the hub are Involve, Cranstoun Wokingham, Home Start Wokingham District, Health Watch Wokingham Borough, The Link Visiting Scheme, Mind in Berkshire, Citizen’s Advice Wokingham, CLASP, Promise Inclusion (Pinc), Wokingham Foodbank and Wokingham Volunteer Centre.