contents

local news updates

West Berkshire Council InfO

police update and scams

Building restrictions

library

climate change

school news

playing field news

INKPEN village hall

Other inkpen News

useful links






Local news updates

For your latest local and regional news, as provided by the BBC, click here. Hungerford and area news can be found here.

Police & Crime Commissioner Election – 2nd May 2024
Please remember to take a photo ID when you go to vote – if you do not have one you cam apply for Voter Authority Certificate online: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID. If you are not registered to vote at your current address, go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote . There will be a UK Parliamentary General Election before January 2025.

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Mental Health Support for those of 11-18 years
West Berkshire Council has set up a dedicated telephone helpline for young people experiencing issues and concerns relating to the pandemic - 01635 503587.

The helpline, which is linked to its Emotional Health Academy (EHA), will offer the district’s young people self-help support, advice and guidance from trained EHA workers. It came into operation on 6 April, and will be open between 09:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday, providing an opportunity for children and young people (aged 11 to 18) to express their concerns and talk about issues directly affecting them during the current Coronavirus crisis. EHA workers will use active listening skills to support young people in dealing with difficult feelings around Covid-19 and provide signposting and self-help support for their general wellbeing.

This local helpline is a short-term service and will be available only during the pandemic, to provide ‘in the moment’ support to children and young people. It will provide access to trained EHA workers who can offer advice and self-help tools and provide support to manage ‘low level’ problems. It is not a crisis line and does not replace other services such as the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

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The latest West Berkshire Council weeknote is available here.

RiM, Recovery in Mind is a community organisation, where adults living in West Berkshire get the opportunity to learn life long skills and tools to improve and manage their mental health and wellbeing. Details can be found here.

West Berkshire Council are asking residents across the district/borough to think of others and not light bonfires. Anyone having a domestic bonfire that causes a nuisance  may be prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. To report an incident of a bonfire please use our on-line reporting form here.

Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of any waste or rubbish on public land or sites which are unauthorised to accept waste. If the rubbish is dumped on private land, the landowner is responsible for removing it. If you find or receive notification of fly tipped material on private land you will need to inform the landowner. Landowners unfortunately will have to pay for the cost of disposal of fly-tipped materials. To report an incident of fly tipping please see links on PPP website here.

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Police report

A message from the Police and Crime Commissioner is available here.

Online Fraud. New scams are coming to light all the time. Police guidance is given here.

Local Police News.
As we approach the end of Harvest, we find this is the time of year when we see an increase in rural crime offences. Particularly hare-coursing and poaching. We are already receiving reports of this nature in other areas not far from here. Please be mindful of this when driving through open countryside and report suspicious behaviour to Police. Ideally a vehicle make, model and index.

Recently in the local area there have been reports of cooking oil being stolen from rural businesses as well as small amounts of metal, mainly lead. Please keep an eye out for vehicles / persons acting suspiciously and report to the Police.

Have you heard about THAMES VALLEY TEXT ALERT? Sign up today www.thamesvalleyalert.co.uk/ to receive free texts or emails about crime in your local area and relevant safety advice.

You can now follow us on twitter @TVP_westberks.
If you would like any further information or advice please contact me on 07814852137 or email Joanna.king@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

SCAMS

Be aware of scams. Download "The Little Book of Big Scams".  For home security, download "Secure your home".

Message shared on behalf of Thames Valley Police -  We have been informed by Thames Water that a number of “Contractor” Identification Cards have been lost in transit. The cards have been deactivated so they cannot be used to gain access to any Thames Water sites but there are concerns that they could be used for criminal activity known as “Distraction Burglaries.” Please be very cautious and verify with Thames Water any Thames Water person’s details before letting anyone into their property?

The real NHS will not ask you to:    1) provide bank details or payments, 2) give details of any other accounts, such as social media, 3) set up a password or PIN number over the phone, or 4) call a premium rate number, such as those starting 09 or 087

People who shop at Tesco have been warned not to fall for a scam email claiming to give them free shopping and vouchers. In emails addressed to customers of the supermarket, scammers have attempted to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis by offering them the chance to shop for free online or in store and to click on a link to register their details.

Similar scams too purporting to be from Morrison offering free vouchers and other scams such as free Dettol or Gillette samples or competitions. They are all trying to get you to like or share which gives them details on your contacts etc. Never click on any links from uninvited emails. If in doubt on any scams, please contact your Bank or other organisations to check whether they have been sent by them.

Other recent scams are a text from O2 saying that a payment had failed and to avoid fees, visit the website using the link in the text and to then sign on using another screen asking for all the security details that the person used followed by credit card and bank account details. The fake website looked exactly like the O2 official site so some people could easily fall for this scam.

Royal Mail scams via email advising that your parcel has arrived but the Courier was unable to deliver the parcel to you. The email then asks you to pay £3.95 for this to be re-delivered and to click on a link to give your bank and other details.

Also Emails saying that the recent payment for your vehicle tax failed because there is not enough money on your debit card and that your vehicle is no longer taxed. They suggest you use a credit card instead to avoid any other consequences and again this is a way of trying to obtain your Bank details.

There are various ways of reporting scams.

A new initiative called Cyberawaregov has launched SERS – the suspicious email reporting service. They say that if you have received an email which you are not sure about, to forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk There is further information on the website: www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/report-suspicious-emails

Scams can also be notified to Action Fraud on 03001232040 or via their website or to the National Trading Standards Scams Team on 03454 040506.

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Out of hours Building works

The law - and frequently planning permission as well - regulates the hours during which construction can be carried out, typically between 8am and 6pm weekdays, 8am and 3pm on Saturdays, and not at all on Sundays. Outside those hours you have the right to complain to the council, who will come and investigate and may take action against persistent offenders. Contact WBC at ehadvice@westberks.gov.uk (Tel. 01635 519192) or planningenforcement@westberks.gov.uk (Tel. 01635 519111).

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Library - Pass It on

Mobile Library Dates are 9th and 30th of April 2024. The mobile van stops at: Craven Rd. Inkpen 2.20-2.50pm and at Inkpen School at 3.05 – 4pm. Please visit the library as we are lucky the service has continued to be supported by West Berkshire Council in view of the budget considerations for 2024.  .

If you need large print books, please contact library services on  01635 519900

The Libraries Service are also offering a new online service to residents so that they can continue to enjoy new books and to share their love of reading without leaving the house. They have set up a new Facebook group called West Berks Reads, which is a useful, alternative way for people to share their thoughts and pick up ideas for what to read next.

Meanwhile, the digital resources and e-library services are continuing 24/7 and understandably being very well used at this time. Why not go to the Libraries page on our website and discover a new book or magazine?

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Climate change

Did you know?
It will cost around £160 to capture 1 metric tonne of carbon from the atmosphere. Forty mature oak trees (or Beech, Ash, Willow etc.) do that if you just leave them alone. Each tree is doing a payback of £4 a year. They pay for their keep.

Silent forests devoid of life are a possibility within a generation in our already deforested nation, according to a panel of British experts.

"Ecosystem collapse", where trees suddenly fade and die, could happen within 50 years, they warn. But the 42 experts said if we act now we can avert the catastrophe. The large-scale loss of forests hit by "wind, fire, pests and disease" has already happened in continental Europe and North America. "A collapsed forest would be heart-breaking, devoid of its essential life and all the joy and benefits it gives to humanity," said Dr Eleanor Tew of Forestry England and Cambridge University.

But she said we have time to make a difference and we know what to do to make our forests more resilient "so they can continue to thrive for future generations".

39 Ways to Save the Planet
Radio 4 BBC Radio Four, in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society, presents 39 ideas to relieve the stress that climate change is exerting on the planet. To tune in, click here.

Official reports suggest that our climate decline is rapidly accelerating. Although we are a small community and many feel that we are too insignificant in the grand scheme, there are things that we can do to make a positive impact.

Obviously we can plant more trees and hedging and the IMPFT  is this month planting more than 300 hedging plants along Post Office Road. But individually we can make a difference by leaving some of our gardens to become wild spaces. We can be more careful in our use of pesticides and herbicides and hopefully use insect friendly alternatives. Remember, Your Climate Needs You.

Following on from the work of Bob May and Bernard Harris, to encourage wild flowers on the Lower Green Triangle, we are hoping to transform other areas of public land in Inkpen in the coming years, with an emphasis on natural flora and their insect inhabitants. Why not set aside a small patch in your garden for beautiful, natural, wild flowers. Have a look at  this  to get a bit of encouragement.

These links might also be of some interest. Trees and Insects. Remember, insects are at the bottom of the food chain - if we lose them we lose all that depends on them!

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school news

I always find myself wanting to start these messages with “What a busy term it has been ...” and this month is no exception. It has been an incredibly busy month and everyone is looking forward to a lovely half term next week.

Last week, the Year 6 children went away for their residential at Grittleton house and took part in a range of exciting activities such as crate stacking, buggy building and escape the room. We were really impressed with their enthusiasm and resilience throughout the week, especially as for many children, this was their first big trip away from home.

We were also really impressed with the Year 3 and 4 children who represented our school brilliantly at a Tag Rugby tournament at Hungerford Rugby Club. The theme for this tournament was “World Cup” and each school was asked to represent a country; we were proud to represent Portugal. The children worked incredibly hard as a team and demonstrated an excellent understanding of the rules. For many of these children, this was their first ever tournament and they certainly did us proud. We were particularly delighted to be awarded one of four trophies as a result of our enthusiasm and determination.

I wish everyone a happy half term and am looking forward to one of the busiest periods in the school calendar: Christmas! Miss Buck

INKSPOTS

At Inkspots we have been so busy thinking about our Mathematic skills - Using gravel, which makes a great sound. The children have been thinking about What can they find? What can they pour? What noise does it make? What does it feel like? How high can you fill the jug? Is it heavy or light? Learning new language, volume, capacity. The children have become experts at this. The children have all been working so hard thinking about our new topic, spring and making such wonderful craft.

Come and see some of the children’s amazing sun catchers at our Preschool ‘spring themed’ window.

What amazing little artists. So much fun & lots of learning.

Volunteers
We are currently looking for volunteers happy to join our friendly Inkspots committee. We are responsible for supporting the growth and development of our precious pre-school as a collaborative little team. It is a lovely opportunity to offer input specific to your natural skill set, and rest assured nothing will be asked of you that you don’t enjoy or feel happy to offer or commit to. Should you like to know more, please do connect with us, it would be lovely to have a chat. Please email inkspots@inkpen.w-berks.sch.uk

Daisy Chains
Contact Jenny on 07775883318 or Anna on 07785 184808.

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playing field trust (impft) news

‘POP-IN’ CAFÉ - 4th and 18th April,  2nd and 16th May
Sorry for any confusion caused by our entry in last month’s bulletin. The dates given were wrong (my fault). The café is always the first and third Thursdays of the month, so in April, that is the 4th and 18th and in May it’ll be the 2nd and 16th. Opening time is 10am till 12:30 and it’s at the Inkpen playing field pavilion. All are welcome. We have customers from 1 year old to 90+. Do bring a friend if you can. Choose from coffee, tea or hot chocolate (there’s even fruit squash or milk for our younger customers), and there’s biscuits and cake too.

As the name suggests, you can pop in at any time during opening hours and stay as long as you want. It’s all free, no obligations at all, although donations do help us cover out costs. Come and give us a try.

Calling all Potential Inkpen Stargazers
If you are interested in being part of an Inkpen Stargazers Club, please email us so that we can see if this is viable. Let us know if there are particular evenings that you can’t do as this is obviously a nighttime activity. Email: inkpen-climate@outlook.com. All those under 16 would need to be accompanied by a parent.

In the first instance this would be a sort of astronomical starters club, with a lot of the activity requiring binoculars although at least one telescope will be available for more detailed observations. The first session would set out all the things that you will need, including phone/tablet apps. Subs will probably be around £3 per person. Thanks for your interest.

INKPEN PLAYING FIELD & PAVILION -  Members of ‘Sport England’
URGENT: Calling All SPORTSMEN and SPORTSWOMEN - can you lead on Football, Netball, Tennis, Running, Basketball? We are starting to bring about change at Inkpen Playing Field as access to sport and physical activity is still not a level playing field. A person’s gender, whether they have a disability or not and most importantly of all, where you live, all play a significant impact on how you are likely to be active. Furthermore, less than half of all children and young people are meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines of being active at least 60 minutes a day.

In Inkpen we have never been in a stronger position, as we have the tools available to us - a new sports pavilion and a great recreation field so you should be able to take advantage and play sport and be active. Please get in touch and let us know what you sport you have experience of and could lead a session at Inkpen Playing Field.

The pavilion is available to book on 7 days of the week:
Meeting Room at the pavilion: for up to 60 people with access to a TV screen.
Party bookings: have been popular this summer – football parties, tennis parties and playground parties- there is still time to book a place if you are having a family event. A fully stocked kitchen with double oven, dishwasher, fridge/freezer and microwave. All the benefits of a home kitchen.
For more details: and booking information please contact the Parish Clerk: parishclerk@inkpenvillage.co.uk

In readiness for the summer sporting activity there are some improvements happening at the Inkpen pavilion.
• Improved energy management with the installation of Rooftop Solar Panels - as the pavilion is dependent on electricity. This will allow for cost savings to be obtained from a more structured approach to shutting down heating, lighting and electric showers.
• Door Access Control and a light timer for the overhead lights at the hard court for tennis, football and netball.
• Improved sporting activity from a grant to enable a range of sports to be undertaken for our young (and older) residents with professional coaching on hand.
• A questionnaire for residents to determine future activities and interests to be provided in the village.
• Volunteers are needed - if you can spare a little time to help out, please speak to Brian Cox, Chair of the Memorial Playing Field, and help to make the village one of sporting excellence and recreational activity.

THE INKPEN HISTORY GROUP
Our next meeting will be on Friday 19th April, 7pm at the Inkpen playing field pavilion. We have an exciting line up with presentations on the history of the Crown and Garter and on the history of Combe. Hopefully we will be able to present the new LiDAR results for Inkpen Hill (not Walbury Hill) and provide updates on several of the group’s projects. As always there will be refreshments at half time, and time for people to chat and ask questions.

A new sub-group covering events during WW2 has been formed and we would appreciate any anecdotes, and sight of any pictures or items from the period. Also, the transcription of medieval Latin document is taking place. What these tell us about Inkpen in the 14th century is amazing.

We are asking all attendees that can afford it to donate £1 per person to help us cover the hire of the pavilion and the cost of refreshments. However, your presence at the meeting is the most important thing so all donations are purely voluntary but gratefully received.

If anyone has any advice on how to stop the rain so that we can get on with outdoor activities, you will be awarded a free cuppa.

YOGA IN INKPEN
Inkpen Village Hall - Tuesday mornings 9:30-10:30am
Inkpen Pavilion - Thursday evenings 7.00-8.00pm

Yoga which is suitable for beginners and experienced. Classes are £10 pay as you go. Contact oliviaboydall@gmail.com 07554446502 for additional info and requests to book on to a class.

Yoga classes not only bring strength, and a sense of freedom and mobility to our physical bodies, they also leave us feeling calm, aligned, with a settled mind. Through movement, postures, breathwork and meditation you will leave the mat with a new sense of energy and a permeating feeling of deep rest physically and mentally.


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evENTS AT INKPEN village hall

INKPEN STITCH AND KNIT
Our April meeting will be on Wednesday 3rd April when we will have a relaxed evening of working on our own projects, drinking tea and eating biscuits. As always, we meet at 7.30pm in Inkpen Village Hall.

Our May meeting is on Wednesday 1st May when we will have a demonstration on how to make Dorset Buttons - a fascinating technique with a very interesting history. There will also be the opportunity to make your own and materials will be supplied.

Do consider coming along first visit is free. jan@honeydesign.co.uk 01488668222 for further information.

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Other inkpen news

INKPEN COMMON
It’s been a busy summer on the Common with lots of projects to improve access as well as the wildlife habitats. The Cattle pen and ‘crush’ were moved to the Rooksnest Lane side to make it easier to catch and load the cows and to reduce the winter mud at the previous location across the public footpath.

Volunteers have started to lay sleepers along the paths that get muddiest and will continue this once the ground is a bit softer. BBOWT has replaced the boardwalk and refenced the ‘Mire’ using natural and recycled materials where possible. This was funded by contributions from several agencies and individuals and huge thanks go to the people of Inkpen that contributed to this project. Most recently our intrepid Friends of Inkpen Common have been installing ‘shuttering’ in 2 parts of the ‘Mire’ (the fenced off boggy area) to hold back some of the water from the seasonal stream and keep the area wetter for longer. Not only will this benefit the rare species that are part of our SSSI status, but this wet area acts as a giant sponge and should reduce downstream flooding in times of heavy rainfall.

Friends of Inkpen Common meet on the first Saturday of each month and new volunteers are extremely welcome. Please drop me a note if you would like to be added to our mailing list (hughes.s@hotmail.com). No previous experience required and all tools are provided.

A Home Wanted - My name is natalia vasylenko. i have recently come from the Ukraine and I am presently living in Inkpen. I am hoping to rent a room in Inkpen or Kintbury or nearby. My phone number is 07475901444 and my email address is natadnepr04@ukr.net. I can provide references. Thank you.

Crown and Garter 
In anticipation of the warmer months, keep your eyes peeled for our Sunday live music evenings. What better excuse to pop to the pub on a Sunday evening? As usual, our popular quiz nights run on the last Wednesday of every month. It is important to note that you must book ahead as they are filling up early in the month. We look forward to welcoming you.

NATIONAL SCHOOLREADERS
National children’s literacy charity, Schoolreaders, is looking for volunteers to listen to children read in primary schools in the West Berkshire area. 1 in 4 children are leaving primary school unable to read well so our service is in great demand. No qualifications are required to join Schoolreaders, just a love of reading, a few hours each week in term time and a willingness to go where children need you most. Apply now and you could be ready to start in September. To find out more go to www.Schoolreaders.org

RAMBLERS’ WELLBEING WALKS
The Kintbury group of Wellbeing Walks meets every Tuesday morning at 10am. On the 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesday of a month the walk starts from the Kintbury Coronation Hall and ends with coffee at the Bowling Club. On the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, the walk starts at 10am from the Crown & Garter Pub at Inkpen and ends with coffee at the Honesty Bakery.

If you would like to start walking, explore the local footpaths and meet new people just come along or to find out more contact John Noble on 07895 034552 or Janet Taylor on 01488 658225.

Kennet Valley Wetland Reserve
The Town and Manor of Hungerford charity would like your thoughts on its proposal to create a wetland reserve on a site known as Undy's Meadow, between Charnham Park road and the river Kennet. The proposed wetland will be within walking distance of Hungerford town centre, will be open to the public and will include an Education & Information Centre. As a village close to Hungerford, we would like your thoughts on this proposal.

Your feedback is important to ensure we make this project as relevant and appealing as we can. Your responses to our survey (https://tinyurl.com/hungerfordwetland-Survey) will remain anonymous – only the statistics from the surveys will be used. It will only take 5 minutes or less to complete. Thank you.

If you would like to find out more about out proposal do visit our website page on: https://townandmanor.co.uk/wetland-reserve 

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Useful links

Many thanks to Tim and Ali des Forges, editors of the Inkpen and Combe bulletin, for providing bulletin copy for this website.  You can contact Tim and Ali by phone or email thus - aliedesforges@yahoo.co.uk or ring them on 01488 668496. You can also  download a copy of the Inkpen and Combe bulletin here

To report potholes, go to www.westberks.gov.uk/pothole. For other road or pavement issues including overgrown verges, go to www.westberks.gov.uk.

To join Laine's heating oil delivery club, email Lanie.

To report a water leak, go to www.thameswater.co.uk and for loss of electricity, go to www.ssen.co.uk. Both Thames Water and SSE provide priority services for those needing help to cope should there be a loss of service. This includes the elderly and those with special health needs.  Thames Water priority  service can be accessed on-line, here and for SSEN, the details are provided here.


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