Newsletter Autumn 2021
You are invited to a
SOCIAL EVENING – October 11th Earley Home Guard Social Club All Residents Welcome
Doors Open 7.45pm. Start time 8pm.
Meet your Neighbours ** Meet the Committee. ** Meet your Councillors ** Express your Concerns ** Get Your Questions Answered.
Relax in an informal setting with complementary tea, coffee and snacks… Bar open.
During the evening there will be a short formal session to elect a new Committee at the delayed AGM – Details and Agenda overleaf.
Speeding and Speedwatch
Following a number of recent local road accidents, ACER has been pursuing the need for official speeding evidence in order that a case for traffic calming measures can be made to Wokingham Council. Voluntary SPEEDWATCH teams are able to collect the evidence needed using Police issued Speedwatch equipment, however, due to Covid, training for Volunteers has been on hold.
ACER has contacted the Thames Valley Police Commissioner’s office, and have been informed that a new Speedwatch system is being introduced from October 1st. The new scheme will include a new on-line training course which we were told will take about one hour to complete. One team member will need to be security vetted in order to access the Police Computer system.
ACER is looking for new Speedwatch volunteers to set up and man the roadside equipment. Please contact chair @acerwhitegates.org.uk or a committee member if you are interested.
Litter from torn Blue Bags
Local Foxes have been active again, tearing open the blue bags put out for refuse collection. Wokingham Council have informed us that tied blue bags can be left in open top dustbins or the old black recycling boxes in order to help protect the bags from animals and birds.
Bus Consultation
Wokingham Borough Council are reviewing the bus routes in conjunction with Reading and other local Councils. ACER is concerned that a direct link for Whitegates residents to Royal Berkshire Hospital is retained, as to go via Reading takes too long. When the direct service was previously withdrawn, this resulted in patients unable to attend their morning appointments. If anyone is interested in representing ACER on the bus consultation panel let us know.
New Electronic Messaging Service
An AcerWhitegates Google group is being set up to enable news updates and urgent messages to be distributed to members without the need to wait for the next Newsletter or have special leaflets printed and distributed. If you have given ACER your e-mail in the past, you will be contacted and asked if you wish to join in. If you wish to join but have not given your e- mail, contact chair @acerwhitegates.org.uk. Membership of ACER is only £2 per household per year. Data protection rules will apply. Members without e- mail address will be contacted in writing as before.
WANE (Woodley and North Earley Community Forum – organizer Cllr Marion Shaw)
WANE is a forum whose remit is to work with the police to identify and address issues in the area. Issues such as anti-social behaviour, drug dealing and home security advice can be discussed with Police representatives. The next meeting is on Tuesday September 28th at the Oakwood Centre.
ACER: The Whitegates Residents’ Association
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AGENDA
Monday, 11th October, 2021, 7.45 for 8pm at Earley Home Guard Social Club, Pitts Lane RG6 1BT
| Welcome / Apologies for absence Acting Chair’s Report Treasurer’s Report Election of Officers (Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer) Election of Other Committee Members Appointment of Scrutineer | Agreement of membership fees (retrospective) 2021/22 Future Direction of ACER. Open discussion Any Other Business Including Topics from the Floor and Questions to Councillors |
Please come along
All Whitegates residents welcome to attend – Refreshments will be served before the meeting
.Note: The post of Chair is currently vacant and two of the Committee are unable stand for re-election.
After over 20 years of service each, some committee members are stepping back from front line roles in ACER
This is an opportunity for you. If we are unable to recruit new members to the executive committee ACER will have to severely cut back their activities and will not be able to continue to work as effectively for the residents of Whitegates or carry out much needed improved services to members.
Do you feel that you could help in some way? If so, please contact ACERon chair@acerwhitegates.org.uk
WHAT DOES ACER WANT TO DO NEXT?
Over the last 5 years the current ACER committee have been working towards making Whitegates a more pleasant place to live – liaising with WBC regarding grass cutting, street cleaning and rubbish collections, monitoring road safety, buses, planning concerns, and ensuring that through the newsletter we communicate important local information to residents.
We would now like to:
- Encourage more Whitegates residents to join ACER so we are aware of issues which concern everyone living here and can communicate information regarding local provision and public safety more widely.
- Have a representative in every street so that we have someone who can tell us exactly what concerns their neighbours and someone who can deliver newsletters and other information.
- Recruit new members, with fresh ideas, to the executive committee to enable us to manage the organisation effectively and communicate more widely.
- Set up a Speedwatch Team to provide the hard evidence needed for traffic calming measures.
- Environmental Section to work with Earley Environmental Group on issues from Solar Power to Stag Beetles
Annual subscriptions: There are a number of ways you can pay – cash via your street rep, contacting ACER and asking for someone to visit to collect, putting the money in an envelope with your NAME AND ADDRESS and dropping it at 21 Milton Road, or by PayPal – https://paypal.me/ACERWhitegates. Please ensure your ADDRESS is in the PayPal additional info box!
ACER CONTACTS – email: chair@acerwhitegates.org.uk Committee: Tim Marsh (vice-chair / acting chair), Siôn Williams (Treasurer), Eric Ayers, Mary Bather, Graham May, Jenny Lissaman, Chris Wigmore.
Local Wokingham Borough Councillors: Shirley Boyt Shirley.boyt@wokingham.gov.uk Carl Doran carl.doran@wokingham.gov.uk; Shahid Younis shahid.younis@wokingham.gov.uk;
Local Earley Town Councillors: Gurdeep Bhangra gurdeep.bhangra@earley-tc.gov.uk; Sheena Matthews sheena.matthews@earley-tc.gov.uk 07766 424098, Marion Shaw marion.shaw@earley-tc.gov.uk;
If you have a local street representative they are: _______________________________________ at _________________________________
