As of 7 January 2021, Action Fraud had received 57 reports from members of the public who have been sent text messages claiming to be from the NHS, offering them the opportunity to sign up for coronavirus vaccinations. The texts ask the recipient to click on a link which takes them to an online form where they are prompted to input personal and financial details. In some cases the online form has looked very similar to the real NHS website.

Pauline Smith, Head of Action Fraud, said: 
“Remember, the vaccine is only available on the NHS and is free of charge. The NHS will never ask you for details about your bank account or to pay for the vaccine. If you receive an email, text message or phone call purporting to be from the NHS and you are asked to provide financial details, this is a scam.”

How to protect yourself:

In the UK, coronavirus vaccinations will only be available via the National Health Services of England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. You can be contacted by the NHS, your employer, a local GP surgery or pharmacy, to receive your vaccination. Remember, the vaccinations are free of charge and you will not be asked for a payment.

The NHS will never:

• ask for your bank account or card details
• ask for your PIN or banking passwords
• arrive unannounced at your home to administer the vaccine
• ask for documentation to prove your identity, such as a passport or utility bills

If you receive a call you believe to be fraudulent, hang up. If you are suspicious about an email you have received, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk. Suspicious text messages should be forwarded to the number 7726, which is free of charge.

If you believe you are the victim of a fraud, please report this to Action Fraud as soon as possible by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, Anthony Stansfeld, is seeking your views on a proposed increase to the policing element of council tax for 2021/22.

In response to the exceptional operational demands placed on the police, particularly in response to the global pandemic, the Government is increasing funding available to PCCs by up to £703 million. This is provided all PCCs increase their council tax for a Band D household by £1.25 a month*, or £15 a year in 2021/22 which, collectively, will raise £287 million, or 40% of the £703 million increase in funding.

Anthony Stansfeld, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, said: “Despite the increase in funding from government, there continue to be cost pressures on the Force and the public rightly expect to see improving performance in order to keep us all safe and bring criminals to justice. Alongside the funding from the Home Office, the Government has also allowed Police and Crime Commissioners to increase council tax by up to £15 (for a Band D property) in order to make additional investments in policing. In Thames Valley that means that for less than 29p a week for the average household (Band D property) more than £13m could be invested in frontline policing.

“In previous years the support of local tax payers through their council tax has meant that we have managed to reduce the time it takes for the police to answer non-urgent 101 calls and to significantly increase detection rates, meaning that more victims of crime receive justice and more criminals are held to account.

“It is important that any increase in council tax now, at a time when many families are struggling, is focussed on frontline policing to tackle the concerns of the public. I am proud of the work done by Thames Valley Police Officers, PCSOs, staff and volunteers every single day, but there is always more that can be done.

The survey can be completed at https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90305410/Council-Tax-Survey-2021-22 and is open until 5pm on Wednesday 20th January 2020.

*Proposed increases for other council tax bands can be found below:

Band	Current Police share of council tax in 2020/21	Proposed council tax 2021/22	Proposed monthly increase
A	£144.19	£154.19	£0.83
B	£168.22	£179.88	£0.97
C	£192.25	£205.58	£1.11
D	£216.28	£231.28	£1.25

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS SEPARATE TO WOODLEY TOWN COUNCIL’S COUNCIL TAX ELEMENT OF WOKINGHAM BOROUGH’S COUNCIL TAX.

M4 closures

Highways England has advised that the M4 will be closed in both directions this  weekend, 8-11 January, between junctions 10 (Winnersh) and 12 (Theale). The closure will start after 8pm Friday and the motorway will reopen by 6am on Monday.

Further closures are also planned in both directions over next weekend, 15–18 January, between junctions 8/9 (Maidenhead) and 10 (Winnersh). The closure will start after 8pm Friday and  reopen by 6am on Monday.

For further details visit the Highways England website.

Woodley

Multi-way lights – Bath Road

These lights will be in place at the junction of Sonning Lane and South Lane on 11-18 January, 930am-330pm, to allow Gigaclear to carry out telecom installation works. 

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Following the announcement from Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the evening of Monday 4th January, England is now in a National Lockdown in an attempt to curb the spread of Covid 19. 

What you can and cannot do during the national lockdown

You must stay at home. The single most important action we can all take is to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.

You should follow this guidance immediately. The law will be updated to reflect these new rules.

Leaving home

You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary. You may leave the home to:

• shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person
• go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home
• exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
• meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one
• seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
• attend education or childcare – for those eligible.

Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term. Early Years settings remain open.

Higher Education provision will remain online until mid-February for all except future critical worker courses.

If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local in the village, town, or part of the city where you live. You may leave your local area for a legally permitted reason, such as for work.

If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. You should not attend work

Meeting others

You cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone you do not live with or are not in a support bubble with (if you are legally permitted to form one).

You may exercise on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble.

You should not meet other people you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason.

Stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household.

Hands – Face – Space

Approximately 1 in 3 people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and could be spreading it without realising it.

Remember – ‘Hands. Face. Space.’

• hands – wash your hands regularly and for at least 20 seconds
• face – wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet
• space – stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing face coverings).

In all circumstances, you should follow the guidance on meeting others safely.

When you can leave home

You must not leave or be outside of your home except where you have a ‘reasonable excuse’. This will be put in law. The police can take action against you if you leave home without a ‘reasonable excuse’, and issue you with a fine (Fixed Penalty Notice).

You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400.

A ‘reasonable excuse’ includes:

• Work – you can only leave home for work purposes where it is unreasonable for you to do your job from home, including but not limited to people who work within critical national infrastructure, construction or manufacturing that require in-person attendance
• Volunteering – you can also leave home to provide voluntary or charitable services.
• Essential activities – you can leave home to buy things at shops or obtain services. You may also leave your home to do these things on behalf of a disabled or vulnerable person or someone self-isolating.
• Education and childcare – You can only leave home for education, registered childcare, and supervised activities for children where they are eligible to attend. Access to education and children’s activities for school-aged pupils is restricted. See further information on education and childcare. People can continue existing arrangements for contact between parents and children where they live apart. This includes childcare bubbles.
• Meeting others and care – You can leave home to visit people in your support bubble ( if you are legally permitted to form one), to provide informal childcare for children under 14 as part of a childcare bubble (for example, to enable parents to work, and not to enable social contact between adults), to provide care for disabled or vulnerable people, to provide emergency assistance, to attend a support group (of up to 15 people), or for respite care where that care is being provided to a vulnerable person or a person with a disability, or is a short break in respect of a looked-after child.
• Exercise – You can continue to exercise alone, with one other person or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.You should maintain social distancing. See exercising and meeting other people.
• Medical reasons – You can leave home for a medical reason, including to get a COVID-19 test, for medical appointments and emergencies.
• Harm and compassionate visits – you can leave home to be with someone who is giving birth, to avoid injury or illness or to escape risk of harm (such as domestic abuse). You can also leave home to visit someone who is dying or someone in a care home (if permitted under care home guidance), hospice, or hospital, or to accompany them to a medical appointment.
• Animal welfare reasons – you can leave home for animal welfare reasons, such as to attend veterinary services for advice or treatment.
• Communal worship and life events – You can leave home to attend or visit a place of worship for communal worship, a funeral or event related to a death, a burial ground or a remembrance garden, or to attend a wedding ceremony. You should follow the guidance on the safe use of places of worship and must not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support bubble when attending a place of worship.Weddings, funerals and religious, belief-based or commemorative events linked to someone’s death are all subject to limits on the numbers that can attend, and weddings and civil ceremonies may only take place in exceptional circumstances.

There are further reasonable excuses. For example, you may leave home to fulfil legal obligations or to carry out activities related to buying, selling, letting or renting a residential property, or where it is reasonably necessary for voting in an election or referendum.

Exercising and meeting other people

You should minimise time spent outside your home.

It is against the law to meet socially with family or friends unless they are part of your household or support bubble. You can only leave your home to exercise, and not for the purpose of recreation or leisure (e.g. a picnic or a social meeting). This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.

You can exercise in a public outdoor place:

• by yourself
• with the people you live with
• with your support bubble (if you are legally permitted to form one)
• in a childcare bubble where providing childcare
• or, when on your own, with 1 person from another household

Public outdoor places include:

• parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests
• public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them)
• the grounds of a heritage site
• playgrounds

Outdoor sports venues, including tennis courts, golf courses and swimming pools, must close.

When around other people, stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household – meaning the people you live with – or your support bubble. Where this is not possible, stay 1 metre apart with extra precautions (e.g. wearing a face covering).

You must wear a face covering in many indoor settings, such as shops or places of worship where these remain open, and on public transport, unless you are exempt. This is the law. Read guidance on face coverings.

Support and childcare bubbles

You have to meet certain eligibility rules to form a support or childcare bubble. This means not everyone will be able to form a bubble.

A support bubble is a support network which links two households. You can form a support bubble with another household of any size only if you meet the eligibility rules.

It is against the law to form a support bubble if you do not follow these rules.

You are permitted to leave your home to visit your support bubble (and to stay overnight with them). However, if you form a support bubble, it is best if this is with a household who live locally. This will help prevent the virus spreading from an area where more people are infected.

If you live in a household with anyone aged under 14, you can form a childcare bubble. This allows friends or family from one other household to provide informal childcare.

You must not meet socially with your childcare bubble, and must avoid seeing members of your childcare and support bubbles at the same time.

There is separate guidance for support bubbles and childcare bubbles.

Where and when you can meet in larger groups

There are still circumstances in which you are allowed to meet others from outside your household, childcare or support bubble in larger groups, but this should not be for socialising and only for permitted purposes. A full list of these circumstances will be included in the regulations, and includes:

• for work, or providing voluntary or charitable services, where it is unreasonable to do so from home. This can include work in other people’s homes where necessary – for example, for nannies, cleaners, social care workers providing support to children and families, or tradespeople. See guidance on working safely in other people’s homes). Where a work meeting does not need to take place in a private home or garden, it should not – for example, although you can meet a personal trainer, you should do so in a public outdoor place.
• in a childcare bubble (for the purposes of childcare only)
• Where eligible to use these services, for education, registered childcare, and supervised activities for children. Access to education and childcare facilities is restricted. See further information on education and childcare.
• for arrangements where children do not live in the same household as both their parents or guardians
• to allow contact between birth parents and children in care, as well as between siblings in care
• for prospective adopting parents to meet a child or children who may be placed with them
• to place or facilitate the placing of a child or children in the care of another by social services
• for birth partners
• to provide emergency assistance, and to avoid injury or illness, or to escape a risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
• to see someone who is dying
• to fulfil a legal obligation, such as attending court or jury service
• for gatherings within criminal justice accommodation or immigration detention centres
• to provide care or assistance to someone vulnerable, or to provide respite for a carer
• for a wedding or equivalent ceremony in exceptional circumstances and only for up to 6 people
• for funerals – up to a maximum of 30 people. Wakes and other linked ceremonial events can continue in a group of up to 6 people.
• to visit someone at home who is dying, or to visit someone receiving treatment in a hospital, hospice or care home, or to accompany a family member or friend to a medical appointment
• for elite sportspeople (and their coaches if necessary, or parents/guardians if they are under 18) – or those on an official elite sports pathway – to compete and train
• to facilitate a house move

Support groups that have to be delivered in person can continue with up to 15 participants where formally organised to provide mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support – but they must take place at a premises other than a private home.

Where a group includes someone covered by an exception (for example, someone who is working or volunteering), they are not generally counted as part of the gatherings limit. This means, for example, a tradesperson can go into a household without breaching the limit, if they are there for work, and the officiant at a wedding would not count towards the limit.

If you break the rules

The police can take action against you if you meet in larger groups. This includes breaking up illegal gatherings and issuing fines (fixed penalty notices).

You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400. If you hold, or are involved in holding, an illegal gathering of over 30 people, the police can issue fines of £10,000.

Further information can be found on the government website HERE.

Residents will now experience up to a three-day delay on their collection prior to normal service resuming on 11 January. 

Changed collection dates

Please be aware rounds will be starting earlier during the festive period so put bins out the night before. The changes, which allow our crews to spend time with their families at this time of year, are as follows:

Normal Collection Day	Actual Collection Day
25 December 2020	28 December 2020
28 December 2020	29 December 2020
29 December 2020	30 December 2020
30 December 2020	31 December 2020
31 December 2020	2 January 2021
1 January 2021	4 January 2021
4 January 2021	5 January 2021
5 January 2021	6 January 2021
6 January 2021	7 January 2021
7 January 2021	8 January 2021
8 January 2021	9 January 2021

Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure, said: “These small changes to our schedules mean our waste teams can spend some time at Christmas having some well-earned rest with their families. 

“The festive season is a time when residents really can make the most of our range of recycling services, making sure all food peelings and offcuts go into their caddies to be turned into energy or breaking down cardboard boxes and keeping them dry so they can be recycled. We’ve put together some easy tips for residents to help them do their bit.”

Recycling centre opening times

Longshot Lane, Bracknell, and Smallmead, Reading, recycling centres will be open for most of the Christmas period, with the only changes being closure on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, as well as shutting early at 4pm, rather than 8pm, on Christmas Eve. Residents are required to book if they are visiting, using the click and tip service.

Recycling tips for Christmas

• Make the most of the food recycling service by putting your turkey bones, potato peelings and any leftovers into your caddy
• Use paper-based wrapping paper, rather than plastic or metallic-based wrapping paper, as this can go into the black recycling boxes (scrunch it, and if it stays scrunched, it can be recycled)
• Buy loose fruit and vegetables
• Write your shopping list and stick to it
• Use your leftovers from Christmas lunch for meals in the following days or make a plate for a friend, family member or neighbour who is on their own this year
• Recycle your plastic bottles, paper/card, aerosols and food/drink tins
• If still in doubt please check our re3cyclopedia app to see what can and what cannot be recycled
• Don’t miss out on our recycling incentives. Register for GreenRedeem to enjoy our fun and informative activities on waste and recycling
• Break down cardboard boxes to save space and ensure they fit into the recycling box (and keep it dry to make sure it can be recycled)
• Old, unwanted electrical items can be recycled at re3 recycling centres
• Chop up your real Christmas tree, put it into your garden waste bin or take it to our household recycling centres.

1 in 5 households respond to the Woodley Town Council Tax Survey for 2021/22

Key points:

• Objective: to establish range of increase residents would find acceptable
• 1 in 5 households responded (2,384 responses out of 10,755 households)
• Zero increase added into responses
• 2 in 3 responses (65.1%) found 40% (extra 87p per week) acceptable
• 42.5% found 50% (extra £1.09 per week) acceptable (1,009 responses)
• 22.6% found 40% (extra 87p per week) acceptable (536 responses)

Woodley Town Council is facing the likelihood of a financially challenging year in 2021/22 as a result of the pandemic which has led to the temporary reduction in, or closure of services, and facilities run by the Town Council, causing a significant decrease in income. Costs have been reduced where possible, with the Council only spending on essential or contractual costs. In addition, furlough claims for staff were made, where appropriate. 

In these difficult times where everyone is suffering financially it is essential that the Town Council recognises this impact when considering what Town Council Tax to charge in the next financial year. In an unprecedented step, not repeated by any other Town Council in the Borough, the Town Council decided to ask every householder in Woodley what increase they could accept. 

The survey was designed to provide a range of what was acceptable to our residents and not simply whatever the majority decided would be implemented. The results would be fed into the budget setting process where the thrust would be to keep any rise to be as small as possible. This range would provide the flexibility needed when discussing the financial options in the budget.

The survey, which was distributed to all 10,755 households in Woodley, was carried out between 9 October and 16November to gauge residents’ acceptability of four possible levels of increase. inviting response by either post using a freepost return card or online via the Woodley Town Council website.  

Householders could respond either by post or on-line. A magnificent 22.2% response was achieved, meaning one in five householders gave us their views. Responses were received from all areas of Woodley, with no significant difference in response depending on location. 

The full results can be found as Note 1. You will see that a number of residents added a fifth option which was a zero option which has been included in the data. Two out of three responses (65.1%) found a 40% increase acceptable with the 50% increase the most popular at 42.5% of all responses. 

While comments were not specifically invited especially the on-line survey, many of the postal responses provided one. We also received many comments of thanks and support for the Council’s efforts during this Covid 19 pandemic which was much appreciated.

The most common comments received were:

• Difficult personal circumstances due to Covid 19
• Concerns about increasing Council Tax during the difficulties of Covid 19
• The Council should first make cuts or changes to facilities, services, staffing and councillor costs
• Wokingham Borough Council should be helping Woodley Town Council
• Central government should be helping Woodley Town Council
• Council Tax is too high anyway
• The increase should only be for 2021-22 and then reduce back to where it was.

There was also some confusion from several residents about what the Borough Council provides and what the Town Council provides with comments aimed at services which are provided by the Borough Council.

Over the next few months extensive work will be undertaken to construct a suitable budget to be presented at the Full Council in February 2021. This will take into consideration many different factors, including the survey results and the ever-changing economic climate created by the Covid pandemic.

“We are very grateful to the unprecedented response from residents who took the time to respond to the survey. Running a survey like this is a first in the Borough so we did not know what to expect. It is clear, through the huge return, that residents clearly appreciated being asked. Resident feedback is important when making decisions about the community as a whole. We appreciate that the Covid 19 pandemic has and continues to leave many residents in difficult situations. All of this will be considered when setting the Town Council Tax level for next year. We are proud to have got the current Town Council Tax level to be lower than the 2013/14 level. Our natural inclination is to continue to keep it as low as possible which is what we intend to continue to do for next year’s tax levels.” says Keith Baker, Council Leader. 

NOTE 1

Option	Number of responses	% response Options A-D plus ‘no increase’
None	107	4.51
A (increase of 43p per week)	479	20.19
B (increase of 65p per week)	241	10.16
C (increase of 87p per week)	536	22.60
D (increase of £1.09 per week)	1009	42.54
Total	2384	100.00

After reviewing the new regulations under Tier 4, WOkingham Borough Council has decided to move to a digital only library service across the Borough until 4 January.

The service will then move to a click and collect service at Wokingham, Woodley and Lower Earley libraries.

Wokingham Borough has been moved into the new Tier 4, which effectively places us back into a lockdown

New Tier 4 rules

Anywhere in South East, East and London (including Wokingham Borough) that was in Tier 3 will move into Tier 4, which will essentially mean lockdown rules apply from one minute past midnight tonight (00:01am Sunday December 20)

• Residents in these areas must stay at home, apart from limited exemptions set out in law.
• Non-essential retail, indoor gyms and leisure facilities, and personal care services must close.
• People must work from home if they can, but may travel to work if this is not possible.
• People should not enter or leave Tier 4 areas, and Tier 4 residents must not stay overnight away from home.
• Individuals can only meet one person from another household in an outdoor public space.
• Communal worship can continue.
• It will not be permitted to travel abroad apart from limited exceptions, such as for work purposes.

New Christmas rules

Those living in tier 4 areas should not mix with anyone outside their own household at Christmas, though support bubbles will remain in place for those at particular risk of loneliness or isolation.

Across the rest of the country, the Christmas rules allowing up to three households to meet will now be limited to Christmas Day only, rather than the five days as previously set out.

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Helpful contacts…

How Covid-19 is affecting our services

Advice and help for local businesses during Covid-19

Public Health England and Department of Health and Social Care guidance

NHS England advice

Wokingham Borough moves to Tier 3 (Very High)

In its latest review, UK Government has placed Wokingham Borough in Tier 3 (Very High). This will come into effect from 12:01am on 19 December and there are tighter restrictions to what you can and cannot do. For the full list of guidance, please visit the Gov.uk website.

Please note that the following factors are taken into consideration by the Government when deciding which tier each area of the UK should be in:

• Case detection rates in all age groups
• Case detection rates in the over-60s
• The rate at which cases are rising or falling
• Positivity rate (the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken)
• Pressure on the NHS

In order to go back down to Tier 2, there must be a sustained downward trend across a number of these factors. The next review will take place on 30 December.

You can find out which tier other parts of England are in through the Government’s Covid -19 postcode checker.

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Cases rising rapidly

Our Public Health experts have informed us that cases are increasing rapidly, and we are seeing daily rates hit levels that are higher than before the November lockdown.

The weekly case rate (up to 11 December) as reported on the Covid-19 dashboard is 185.8 per 100,000 people.

Each of us has a responsibility to continue to adhere to the guidance to keep ourselves, our families and our neighbours safe.

Remember, you should not be meeting other households indoors, and you should continue to follow basic public health measures around washing your hands, wearing a face covering where required to do so and making space from others.

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Consider your actions before Christmas

One of the most important actions we can take to help slow the spread of the virus is to limit our number of social interactions. This is crucial over the festive period, which we know is usually a busy time for get-togethers with friends, family, and colleagues.

However, with Christmas just over a week away, please remember that if you have any contact with someone who goes on to develop Covid-19 (within the subsequent 48 hours) you will need to self-isolate over the festive period.

Just because you can form a bubble with two other households over the festive period, it doesn’t mean you have to. Please use your judgement to make the right decision and take extra caution now to help keep your loved ones safe and protected.

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On Thursday 6 May, 2021, Wokingham Borough residents will go to the polls in the local elections to have their say on who represents them on Wokingham Borough Council and who will be the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley Police Force Area.  

Keeping you safe

While the elections are not until May, the borough council is already hard at work making plans to help you stay safe while casting your vote.  

There are a number of ways to have your say in the elections in May – you can vote in a polling station, by post, or by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf, which is known as a proxy vote.

Apply for a postal vote now

If you’re thinking about voting by post, you can apply now. This will make sure your application is processed early, and your postal vote can be sent to you more quickly. It’s easy to apply and you can find out how by visiting the council’s election webpages.  

You need to be registered to vote in order to have a say at the elections – the easiest way to register is online by visiting gov.uk website.  

Andrew Moulton, electoral registration officer for Wokingham Borough Council, said: “The elections next year are very important – they’re an opportunity to make your voice heard and have a say on who represents you on issues that directly affect day-to-day life here in Wokingham Borough.

“We’re thinking about these elections now so that, however you choose to cast your vote in May, you can do so safely. We’re putting arrangements in place to help you stay safe at the polling station. But you also have the option to apply to vote by post or by proxy. You don’t need to wait until nearer the time, we are encouraging you to register now.”

More information

If you have any questions about registering to vote, or applying for a postal vote, email the electoral services team at: electoralservices@wokingham.gov.uk.

As part of its commitment to reducing loneliness and isolation in the borough, Wokingham Borough Council has joined forces with local charities, as part of the Wokingham Borough Community response, to provide donated IT equipment to vulnerable residents who don’t have the knowledge or tools they need to go online.

The ‘Digital Donations’ initiative will improve their ability to access the internet, ultimately helping to reduce the impact and risk of loneliness and isolation in the borough. This includes households whose income falls below the poverty line.

One Front Door

The Council has been working with Citizen’s Advice and other key partners across the voluntary sector as part of its One Front Door scheme, to offer support to residents who are classed as critically extremely vulnerable (CEV) during the second national lockdown. 

As part of this work, it has identified key individuals and families within the community who are most at risk from digital exclusion and who would benefit from access to donated IT equipment.

Accepting donations

As a result, the Council is encouraging businesses, charities and members of the public to donate good quality IT equipment that is no more than five years old; including computers and laptops (minimum Windows 7, or OS Version 10.13), tablets (minimum Android 7, or OS supported) and keyboards (USB or wireless, complete with all keys). 

Once donated, the Council has enlisted the help of a local IT business to make the devices as safe and easy-to-use as possible. They will then be passed on to local charities, including the Link Visiting Scheme and First Days, to deliver to residents and provide guidance on how to use them. 

Improving digital engagement

Cllr Charles Margetts, executive member for adult social care and public health, says: “In our Covid-19 Residents Impact Survey, we found that 7% of respondents admitted that they struggled with IT, internet, or use of digital technology during the first wave of the pandemic and this is something we want to change. 

“Our Digital Donations project will be a springboard for creating medium to longer term solutions that will improve digital engagement across the borough, by providing vulnerable individuals and families with access to valuable IT equipment.”

Drop-off points

For GDPR purposes, all devices must be restored to factory settings before being donated, and items should also be fully sanitised. These can be donated in a Covid-secure manner at several sites across the Borough from Monday 14 December, including:

• Wokingham Library – open 9.30am-1.30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 
• Woodley Library – open 9am-1pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
• Lower Earley Library – open 9.30am-1.30pm on Monday and Thursday  
  
  

Ambitious digital strategy

Cllr Charles Margetts continues: “Having to self-isolate or stay at home during the national lockdowns has been particularly hard for some of our most vulnerable residents. At the same time, we understand that there are children within our communities who do not have access to the IT equipment they need to aid their personal development. 

“That is why this is such an important step in our ambitious digital strategy, ultimately improving their ability to access the internet and reduce any feelings of isolation.”

If you, or you know someone who would benefit from this scheme, please contact the following organisations:

• One Front Door
• Link Visiting Scheme
• AgeUK
• First Days

Wokingham Borough Council has announced its office opening hours for the Christmas and New Year period.  

Date	Shute End offices
Thursday 24 December	9am to 3pm
Friday 25 December  (Christmas Day)	Closed
Saturday 26 December   (Boxing Day)	Closed
Sunday 27 December	Closed
Monday 28 December (Boxing Day substitute day)	Closed
Tuesday 29 December	Normal opening hours (9am to 5pm)
Wednesday 30 December	Normal opening hours (9am to 5pm)
Thursday 31 December (New Year’s Eve)	9am to 3pm
Friday 1 January 2020(New Year’s Day)	Closed

The emergency out-of-hours telephone number during the holiday period is (0800) 212 111. Social services emergencies out-of-hours telephone number is (01344) 786 543.

The telephone number for reporting out-of-hours repairs to council properties is (0800) 515 287 for general repairs and (0800) 389 8789 for heating repairs and gas servicing. The calls will be managed by the council’s out-of-hours call centre and passed to the appropriate contractor.

The community mental health crisis team will be providing out-of-hours urgent care service, available on (0300) 365 9999.

Waste and recycling
The Civic Offices at Shute End in Wokingham will be open on the days stated above, with Covid-19 safe restrictions in place to allow residents to access essential waste and recycling items only. Those purchasing blue bags or garden sacks will need to pay in advance on our website and then bring the receipt with them.

The only entry point will be via the main entrance off Biscoe Way, operating on a one in, one out basis. All enquires will be triaged on arrival and visitors will be asked to provide track and trace details.  Social distancing must be followed at all times, with distancing signage in place as a reminder.

Libraries

All Wokingham Borough Libraries will be closed on Friday 25 December, Saturday 26 December, Sunday 27 December, Monday 28 December and Friday 1 January.

Wokingham Library

Wokingham Library will be open on Tuesday 29 December and Wednesday 30 December from 9.30am to 1.30pm.

Woodley Library

Woodley Library will be open on Wednesday 30 December from 9am to 1pm.

Lower Early Library

Lower Earley Library will be open on Thursday 24 December and Thursday 31 December from 9.30am to 1.30pm.

Other libraries in the borough remain closed due to the council’s Covid-19 response. Further details can be found online at www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries.