Bracknell

Seventeen teaching assistants from Bracknell Forest Borough Council’s schools have been presented with certificates for successfully completing qualifications.

Eleven candidates achieved Teaching Assistant NVQ Level 3 and the other six, CACHE Level 3.

The teaching assistants all studied for their qualification at Bracknell and Wokingham College.

Tony Eccleston, Director of Education, Children’s Services & Libraries for Bracknell Forest congratulated the successful students and presented them with their certificates at Easthampstead Park Education Centre.

The successful teaching assistants are:

NVQ

* Heather McClumpha, Cranbourne Primary School
* Gill Jordan, Crowthorne CE Primary School
* Lorraine Ward, The Pines Primary School
* Denise Charman, College Town Junior School
* Julie Dixon, Whitegrove Primary School
* Wendy Rogers, Uplands Primary School
* Sue Brown, Easthampstead Park Secondary School
* Yvonne Elliott, Easthampstead Park Secondary School
* Gillian Kelly, Easthampstead Park Secondary School
* Virginia Wilding, Edgbarrow Secondary School
* Norma Cockroft, Sandhurst Secondary School

CACHE

* Sara Bell, Owlsmoor Primary School
* Helen Toal, Owlsmoor Primary School
* Dawn Wills, Owlsmoor Primary School
* Amanda Brackstone, Harmans Water Primary School
* Joe-Anne Collins, Easthampstead Park Secondary School
* Rose Egan, Easthampstead Park Secondary School

Tony Eccleston said: "Teaching assistants perform a key role in our schools and we are committed to supporting them in their training so they have the necessary skills and knowledge to support our teachers.

"These students worked hard to get their qualifications and I congratulate them all on their success.

To find out more about the training on offer to Bracknell teaching assistants and support staff contact Susan Alcock, tel: 01344 354087 or email: susan.alcock@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

Bracknell Forest Borough Council

Bracknell Town boss Alan Taylor is looking for four points out of six this weekend as his side play their first games in a fortnight.

They welcome Hemel Hempstead to Larges Lane, Bracknell on Saturday before travelling to Beaconsfield SYCOB two days later.

Taylor is looking for his Bracknell players to bounce back after two defeats on the bounce and is hoping their two week break, caused by the postponement of last week's game with Ashford Town, has left them raring to go.

He said: "We're all looking forward to having a game again, it's been a couple of weeks now so the boys are ready.

"You never know how a break will affect players, sometimes it works in your favour and sometimes it doesn't.

"But if we can get four points we can start moving up into the top 10."

Saturday's opponents Hemel will still have a defeat against the Bracknell Robins fresh in their minds as they were beaten by Taylor's men at the beginning of the month.

He said: "They were really lively up front so we know it will be a tough game but we will be up for it.

"SYCOB on Monday is very important for us as they are below us and a win would move us further away from them."

Taylor has a fully fit squad to choose from but is without defender Dave Fenton who is suspended.

ic Berkshire ~ Bracknell

One of Bracknell's leading councillors died suddenly on Tuesday morning

Cllr Terry Mills, 57, set out to buy a newspaper at a local shop, but died before he could start his car.

He was found in the drive of his London Road home at Binfield by his wife Valerie.

Cllr Mills was the Bracknell borough council's lead member for public and environmental services and parish liaison. He was first elected in 1983, before Bracknell became a borough. He was also a member of Binfield Parish Council, Berkshire Fire Authority and was chairman of the borough's health forum.

Bracknell MP Andrew McKay said: "Terry was a very good friend of mine throughout all the years I have been a Member of Parliament.

"He was an outstanding councillor and great public servant who had much more still to offer. Our hearts go out to Valerie and the girls at this dreadful time."

Cllr Mills had two grown-up daughters.

A post mortem is to determine the cause of death.

ic Berkshire ~ Bracknell

Air safety experts have ordered an urgent investigation to find out why an airliner almost clipped trees and buildings as it flew over Bracknell.

Householders watched in horror as the aircraft - thought to be a Boeing 777 - swooped low over the town. Many feared Bracknell was just seconds from being turned into a fireball.

Professional dog walker Leanne Dawson of Priestwood said she feared the passenger jet was about to plunge into Bracknell after it passed over her.

She was in Lily Hill Park, walking dogs Sam and Meg when the Egypt Airlines jet screamed overhead at lunchtime on Wednesday last week.

Leanne had just been talking to ranger Matt Lunn when they heard a loud noise and saw the jet come over.

She said: "We were just dumb-founded. It was quite scary and we were just waiting for a collision. It then suddenly banked to the left. Matthew and I regularly talk but were silenced when this happened."

Ironically, Matt Lunn said he and Leanne were talking about terrorism moments before the jet flew over.

He said: "The plane approached very low and seemed to be going very fast.

"The wheels weren't out and it was wobbling in the sky, but wasn't making that whirring sound as if it was coming in to land.

"It was so close that you could clearly see the name of the airline on the side."

Richard Price, of Nuthurst, Crown Wood, Bracknell was repairing his car when he saw the jet.

He said: "I just didn't know what was going on. We just watched it cruise away from us."

A spokeswoman for National Air Traffic Services (NATS), which is responsible for air movements over the UK, said: "NATS is aware there was an aircraft flying lowish over Bracknell on Wednesday 14.

"Obviously, there was no danger at any stage to the aircraft or residents. The incident is now the subject of a full investigation."

She said she could not give more details of the incident and it may several months before the investigation is completed.

The findings will be be passed on to the Civil Aviation Authority.

ic Berkshire Bracknell

Easthampstead Park, Bracknell Cemetery and Crematorium has been ranked at the top of a national league table of organisations providing burial and cremation services.

The Bracknell Council owned facilities were rated first in the country for providing cremation services and fourth for burial services. The overall rating was third.

The ratings were published last month as part of the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) Best Value Charter. The Charter recognises the Bracknell borough's cemetery and crematorium offers the highest standards of care and sensitivity and a wide variety of options.

To score so highly the facilities have to satisfy 35 basic rights connected with funerals including different aspects of burial and cremation procedure; how to deal with grave choice; memorials; cremated remains; and considering different ceremonies and beliefs.

The ratings also take into account how the staff deal with the bereaved through communication, social and community activities, environmental issues and what they can expect from the cemetery and crematorium staff.

Gary Fewkes, Cemetery and Crematorium Manager for Bracknell Forest Borough Council, explained: "We have a small but dedicated team who offer an excellent level of sensitivity to the needs of the customer. Over the years we have listened to our users and made year on year improvements, always looking to offer choice and a personal service to the bereaved."

Bracknell Cllr Terry Mills, Executive Member for Public and Environmental Services, said: "Our team at Easthampstead Park are always seeking ways to improve how we care for the feelings of the bereaved families and friends. Scoring so well shows we are sensitive and responsive to people in their time of need."

The Charter for the Bereaved was created by the Institute of Burial and Cremation Administration (IBCA), now the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) in 1996, with the intention of generating interest as well as educating people about bereavement. It is also intended to improve and update cemetery and crematoria services and related aspects of bereavement.

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~ 22 December 2005

A Christmas double-header with Bracknell Bees should give Guildford Flames every incentive to get back to their best.

That’s the hope of head coach Stan Marple after his side were held to their first tie of the season on Saturday by Slough Jets and then were made to work hard for a 6-4 victory over Sheffield Scimitars at Spectrum.

Flames make the short trip to Berkshire on Boxing Day and then play host on Bank Holiday Tuesday against a Bracknell Bees side who are second in the English Premier League to them, albeit a massive 14 points behind.

A three-goal lead in the final period was squandered at Slough. The visitors had gone ahead through Rick Plant before Michael Bowman quickly levelled.

But Flames looked in firm control when they grabbed a 5-1 lead in the second session courtesy of Milos Melicherik, Jozef Kohut, Paul Dixon and Stuart Potts.

Bowman narrowed the gap before the next break and although Gary Wishart struck twice, Guildford were still ahead with three minutes left. But Zoran Kozic netted to ensure the sides took a point apiece.

And the Flames looked set for more trouble 24 hours later when the Scimitars went 3-1 up as Ben Bliss, Neil Hardy and Darren McKague efforts were interrupted only by Plant.

Vaclav Zavoral closed the gap before the first interval and Kohut set up Andrew Hemmings to level in front of a sell out 2,100 crowd.

Plant put the hosts in front for the first time at the midway point of the game, beating Pasi Raitanen.

Although Zavoral made it 5-3 early in the last, Sheffield would not give up and pulled back to 5-4 through Brent Pope.
But their desperation for an equaliser saw Raitanan pulled off for an extra outfield player with Nick Cross taking advantage to fire into the empty net and seal a 6-4 win.

Marple admitted: “It was one of those weekends where we did everything the hard way. In truth we were lucky to get a point on Saturday – we didn’t respond well to their pressure but we’ll take the point.

“On Sunday it was the opposite. We played much better for the bulk of the game and were able to put a lot of pressure on Sheffield although we were playing catch-up until midway.

“We’re pleased we were rewarded with the win and look forward to getting back at it against Bracknell.”

Surrey Advertiser ~ 23/12/2005

Make your own Bracknell jewellery

For those of us who have resolved to be more creative in the new year, the perfect Bracknell course is now available.

The Jewellery Project is organised by Bracknell Forest Borough Council and starts in January with eight fortnightly sessions.

During the sessions, participants will be working with an experienced teacher, Sarah Graveson, to develop jewellery making skills including stamping, using text and images and dyed metal.

The course is back on popular demand, following successful Bracknell taster sessions run in the summer, when more than 50 people attended.

Around 85% of the people who came to the taster sessions said they found that they were able to easily get involved in the sessions, got good support from the artists and would like to attend similar courses in the future.

Lynne Dick, Bracknell Community Arts Development Officer, said: “We are aiming to get more people involved in community arts and this course will to be a great opportunity for residents of all ages to have fun and experiment in new ways of being creative.

“The jewellery making will be centred on the theme of memories – personal and shared. People don’t have to have any experience in art or jewellery making to come along, they just need to bring their imaginations and a willingness to make a mess and have fun!”

The course starts on Saturday, January 14 2006 and continues fortnightly until April 22, 2006 at Binfield Memorial Hall, Bracknell and is suitable for anyone ages from 8 to 108.

Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult who is willing to take part too.

Fees are £24 (working out at £3 per session) and participants need to book for the whole project, but can pay in two instalments where there are more members attending from the same family group.

For more information, contact Lynne Dick on 01344 351753.

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~ 22 December 2005

Bracknell Forest residents really got into the festive mood at the Mayor's Christmas Carol Concert held last Sunday (December 18) at the Kerith Centre in Bracknell.

It was the first time the Bracknell Mayor has held a Carol Concert and it was a full house, with almost 1,000 people attending. The Concert was also aimed at raising money for the Mayor's charity, Sebastian's Action Trust.

There were lots of carols sung, which had been chosen by the Mayor, as well as solo perfomances from the Kerith Centre Music Group. Children from Meadow Vale Primary School and Sandy Lane Primary School, Bracknell sang two carols each during the concert and joined together at the end making 83 childrens' voices singing 'Peace Child.' Many people in the audience felt tears coming to their eyes, including the Mayor.

The theme of the carol concert was 'don’t let the stress of Christmas take away the real message.'

Bracknell Cllr Mrs Ryder, said: "It was a wonderful evening and I would like to give my sincere thanks to the Kerith Centre for allowing and organising my carol concert. I would also like to thank everyone who attended, it was truly amazing to have so many people there. The £5,000 raised during the concert will go towards my charity and I thank everyone, including the Bracknell Family Church [at the Kerith Centre] for their contribution."

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~ 22 December 2005

In 1985, when Shakin Stevens had the Christmas number one and Transformers were the toy of the year, 38 employees joined Bracknell Forest Borough Council and this week (Monday 12th) celebrated their 20 years service.

Cllr Mrs Jacqui Ryder, Mayor of the Borough of Bracknell Forest, presented the staff with certificates and gifts of their choice at a special ceremony to celebrate their long service. Between them, they have totted up 760 years at the Bracknell Council.

The Mayor was joined at the ceremony, which took place in the Council Chamber in Easthampstead House, by Timothy Wheadon, Chief Executive of Bracknell Forest Borough Council, school headteachers and governors, council directors and union representatives. They all passed on congratulations to the staff and offered words of thanks for their hard work.

Tony Madden, Bracknell Human Resources Manager, said: "The hard work and dedication put into the various jobs by each of these members of staff over the past 20 years has been enormous and this special ceremony is the Council's way of saying thank you for that effort."

Bracknell Cllr Mrs Jacqui Ryder, said: "To have achieved 20 years working at the Council shows dedication and commitment. I am extremely proud to have been able to congratulate these members of staff and award them certificates for all their continued hard work."

The staff receiving their long service awards were:

From Bracknell Chief Executive's Office is: Victor Nicholls.

From Bracknell Education, Children's Services and Libraries are: Doreen Hathaway, Valerie Coomber, Mary Page, Grace Whiteside, Christine Tsakmakis, Dilys Brunsden, Helen Kingman, Doreen Bonito, Christine Kinnell, Julia Evans, Julia Hart, Catherine Pursglove, Gloria Rollings, Sheila Yates, Cynthia Parnell, Rosalind Bradley, Davina Bishop, Marjorie Cunningham, Janet Menhinick, Lesley Lawrence, Mary Phillips, Elizabeth Hodgson, Pamela Goldstone, Jeremy Saunders and Rosemary Woodman.

From Bracknell Corporate Services and Resources is: Pat Baker.

From SBracknell ocial Services and Housing are: Maureen Sweetman, Carol Dumbarton, Ruth Halliday, Mira Haynes and Maureen Hoyle.

From Bracknell Environment and Leisure are: Jacky Henderson, Kevin Tidy, Trevor McClumpha, Karl Wiblin, Maurice Lawden and Stephen Thomas.

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~ 19 December 2005

The Mayor of the Borough of Bracknell Forest met users at Bracknell Forest Day Services for elevensees last Wednesday morning (December 7th).

The coffee morning, at the centre for people with learning difficulties, had a Christmas theme with mince pies and other seasonal treats on offer.

Bracknell Forest Day Services (formally Bracknell Resource and Opportunity Centre) is a centre for adults with mental health and learning needs where they develop everyday living skills and meet other people.

Cllr Mrs Ryder was invited as a special guest to the event and said: "I always enjoy visting the centre, this was a very festive treat and it is lovely to see what the users at Bracknell Forest Day Services have been up to during the year.

"I received a very friendly welcome to the centre, as always, and it was a joy to chat to everyone there."

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~ 19 December 2005

Bracknell Forest school nurses are being trained to pick up the early signs of mental illness in teenagers.

A course run by staff from the borough council's social services department is expected to begin in January and will also involve around 10 staff from the Connexions youth service, based in Bracknell High Street. They offer support and advice to young people aged 13-19.

School nurses are employed by the Bracknell Forest Primary Care Trust (PCT) and visit schools on a rota basis.

Social services assistant director Glyn Jones said the Bracknell course was being run following a successful trial with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. He said: "They will receive training to help them identify tell-tale signs such as unexplained changes in behaviour and eating and sleeping patterns. "They will also keep an eye out for drug and alcohol related issues."

Social services and housing director Daphne Obang told members of the Bracknell council's adult social care and housing overview and scrutiny panel on December 1: "There has been some early intervention work. We have been assisting school nurses on their awareness of the mental health needs of children and young people. "It's important that at this stage we should assist nurses to raise awareness."

Bracknell Forest PCT spokeswoman Cathryn Bullimore said although nurses had not been aware of an increase in mental health needs among young people, more training would help. She said: "I'm sure they would welcome that and any assistance from the social services team." She said there was some work already been done, including an anti-bullying work-shop at Meadow Vale Primary School earlier this year.

icBerkshire ~ Bracknell ~ Dec 15 2005

Restoration work to a popular Bracknell pond has won two prestigious national awards for the team working on it.

Fish had been dying in the dirty, shallow waters of Mill Pond, off Wildridings Road, Bracknell until a £175,000 scheme was started to re-landscape the pond, encourage more wildlife and improve angling facilities.

Now the team behind the project - Bracknell Town Council, Bracknell Herons angling club, Thames Water and the Environment Agency - has won two gongs at national awards ceremonies.

The Bracknell team won national runnerup in the utilities section of the Green Apple Environment Awards as well as the Good Fisheries Management Award 2005 from the Institute of Fisheries Management.

Work included dredging silt to create ledges on the sides of the pond so native wetland plants could thrive.

There were also new reed beds planted to improve water quality and provide cover, food and spawning areas to help increase future fishing stocks.

There are now also 25 fishing platforms and a wheelchairfriendly path that circles the pond as a result of the project, which was also partially funded by Bracknell Forest Borough Council, Waitrose, Syngenta, 3M and McDonald's.

Bracknell Town council clerk Barbara Rumbold said: "The pond was in danger of becoming an unpleasant, muddy mess, so our local residents really appreciate the work that has taken place to regenerate this central feature of Mill Park."

Bracknell Herons also got a boost from the fisheries management award because it picked up the £1,000 prize that came with it.

John Sutton, fisheries and biodiversity team leader for the Environment Agency, said: "The partners involved in the project have decided that the prize money will help pay for further improvements such as stocking the pond with fish, and for a trophy to be awarded annually to Bracknell's best junior angler."

Mike Codd, from the Bracknell Herons, said: "We are delighted the prize money from the fishing award will go towards boosting the levels of roach and bream in the water and, with many promising young anglers in our club, the competition for our new trophy couldn't be tighter."

The pond is part of the surface water drainage system for Great Hollands, Birch Hill and Hanworth, Bracknell.

ic Berkshire ~ Bracknell

The world has been crying out for a new heavyweight sensation and David Haye last night showed Bracknell that he could be the man to fill the gaping void that is afflicting the top division.

Haye won the European cruiserweight title in remarkable style, when he knocked out Alexander Gurov in Bracknell with the first punch he threw in anger. Haye has long had a reputation as a sensational puncher but he took matters to a new level as he finished off Gurov in only 45 seconds, including the ten-second count.

Gurov, from Ukraine, was rated No 2 in the world by the WBC and had lost only once in nearly eight years, but he had no answer to Haye’s power. For the first 30 seconds at Bracknell, Gurov stalked Haye, 25, but the Londoner then pawed out a left jab and followed it up with a vicious straight right which left Gurov flat on his back.

The only British boxer to reach the final of the World Amateur Championships, Haye should already be a bigger name than he is. The only doubts about him surrounded his dedication to training and his stamina.

But afterwards, Haye declared his intention to move up to heavyweight within the next two years. “My only problem tonight was making the weight,” he said. “I walk around about 20lb over the cruiserweight limit so can only keep getting down for so long. I have about four or five fights to clean up the cruiserweights before I go up to heavyweight.”

And what a sensation he could be there. Good looking, a good talker with a big punch, he could become a star on both sides of the Atlantic. “One punch does not prove I have got stamina, but all my problems in the past have been mental,” he said. “Everything is coming together now.”

The Times December 17, 2005

Bracknell partygoers may have to turn in early on Christmas Eve, because South West Trains wants an early night.

Hundreds of Bracknell revellers head to the nightspots of Reading to celebrate the festive season, but one commuter was shocked to discover the last train back from the neighbouring town will be 9.12pm, arriving at 9.20pm.

The only other option would be to get a taxi back, which costs between £40 and £50 - something Ivan De-La-Plain is refusing to do.

The Bracknell, Holland Pines resident is one of many who will be travelling to Reading for Christmas Eve, and says he has had to reschedule his evening to fit in with the early end to running trains.

He fumed: "It is ridiculous. I have had to reschedule my whole evening because I am not going to pay £50 for a cab.

"It is one of the busiest nights of the year. We are asked to be responsible, not drink and drive and to use public transport.

"How can we use public transport if it isn't there? It is ridiculous. I have to see everyone I wanted to two hours earlier than intended because it seems they want us tucked up in bed with a cocoa by 10pm."

South West Trains spokeswoman Simone Spinks said: "We close down services by 11pm. If you think about it, if the service is going to get to Bracknell at 9.20pm, then the train would then go to the depot for the shutdown at 11pm."

She added that announcing the Christmas timetable early gives Bracknell people the opportunity to make plans in advance rather than at the last minute.

She added that services provided by all rail companies finish earlier on Christmas Eve, adding that the last South West Trains service arrived at the depot even earlier last year at 10pm.

ic Berkshire ~ Bracknell Dec 15 2005

Bracknell Forest residents are being urged to give their views on what is important to them, as the Council faces its biggest budget challenge yet.

The Bracknell Council is focusing all its efforts on minimising the impact on frontline services to the public as it prepares to try and close a £6 million shortfall in its budget.

The reasons for the Bracknell funding gap are:

* Increases in demand for the services provided to vulnerable adults and children. These can be life saving services that the Bracknell Council is required to provide.
* A large reduction in the amount of grant the Council is to receive from central Government this year. The Government has changed the way it funds councils and Bracknell Forest received the minimum amount - just a 2% increase which is below the rate of inflation and therefore a reduction in real terms.
* National increases in the cost of energy
* Increased costs of the supply of services such as street cleaning and refuse collection
* Bracknell Forest has the lowest council tax of any unitary authority (£876 band D) which means any percentage increase in council tax is a much smaller amount of income to spend on services.

The Council is also investing money in areas that local people have said are important, such as the regeneration of Bracknell town centre.

Bracknell Cllr Paul Bettison, leader of the Council, Cllr Mrs Anne Shillcock, leader of the Labour Group, and Chief Executive Timothy Wheadon, are now planning a meeting with Local Government Minister Jim Fitzpatrick, on December 20.

Cllr Bettison said: "We will be lobbying the Government to get as good a deal as we can for Bracknell Forest. In the meantime we urge all residents to take part in the public consultation and tell us what is important to them, so we can make decisions based on what they want to see happen."

The savings being proposed to balance the Bracknell budget include:

* Reconfiguring services and efficiencies - nearly £1.5 million savings
* Additional income - commerical rents, fees and charges - nearly £1 million
* Staffing - nearly £1 million savings
* Better procurement - £220K in savings from tendering corporate contracts for agency staff and IT equipment
* Service reductions of £0.5 million including

- Bracknell Flowers - will continue but on a smaller scale

- Voluntary sector grants - a number of savings will have to be made from the grants we give to voluntary organisations. We have no choice but to reduce these in line with the reductions to our own budget.

Full details of the budget proposals will be published from December 21 to Feburary 1, 2006 on the Council's website www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk for comments as part of the consultation.

A meeting for businesses representatives is also being held on January 23, 2006, at 5.30pm. Contact Derek Morgan derek.morgan@bracknell-forest.gov.uk or call 01344 352044.

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~ 15 December 2005

Changes to the Jet's roster had an instant impact at the Hangar on Saturday night's fixture against Bracknell.

The result: the best win of the season for Slough and the most exciting game seen by the fans in quite a long time.

New back-up netminder, Stephen Wall, was on hand on the bench should he have been needed, but it was Warren Rost and Stuart Simmons both scoring on their debut which really made this game special.

It was also the first game in a very long time in which Slough turned around a big deficit, trailing 1-4 at the halfway stage.

Gary Wishart scored the first goal, rather against the run of play, after Zoran Kozic had got the better of Nicky Chinn in the corner.

He fed Wishart who finished well with a high shot past Bees netminder, Steve Briere.

Another shot, by Kozic, was deflected with his glove onto the upper metal-work.

Then a couple of penalties against Slough allowed Bracknell to level, and then take the lead.

Danny Myers netted Jan Melichar's rebound off the back boards as Scott McKenzie served the first penalty before Mike Ellis beat Carl Ambler with Kozic in the sin-bin.

Chinn scored a third for the visitors just sixty-two seconds later and it began to look as though the Bees might run away with the game.

In the middle session, with Euan Forsyth serving a third minor against the Jets, Bracknell made it three powerplay goals from three chances as Adam Bicknell squeezed a shot past Anmbler.

At this point, the Jets upped their workrate, actually defended successfully a penalty to Watt and when Warren Rost lashed a McKenzie pass beyond the reach of Briere, the whole complexion of the game changed.

Early in the third period, Slough had a two man advantage as first Ellis, and then Joe Baird, went to the sin-bin.

Jets third goal came seconds after Ellis had returned, Briere failing to hold Andy Hannah's pass through the crease.

Slough had Bracknell in all sorts of trouble after that, pressuring Adam Greener and Danny Myers into errors.

Joe Ciccarello went close a couple of times before Kozic netted a superb solo effort to tie the match.

With over ten minutes still to go, the outcome was in doubt but the momentum was with the Jets.

A penalty to Greener allowed Slough to call a 'time-out' and Simmons, who had impressed on his debut, scored from the blue line after some fancy stick-handling kept the puck in the zone and prevented a Bees breakaway.

In the final minutes, Briere was pulled in favour of an extra skater, Bracknell called their own time-out and frantic play saw Slough defending and with a shot wide of the empty net at the final hooter.

ic Berkshire ~ Bracknell ~ Dec 9 2005

Environment problems are key concerns for Bracknell Bullbrook residents along with anti-social behaviour and speeding, it was revealed on Monday.

The neighbourhood forum meeting - a new style of meeting where the police, Bracknell council and health staff can discuss problems with residents - was attended by more than 40 people.

Residents were asked to write their biggest concerns on Post-it notes which are now being used by police and Bracknell Forest Borough Council to draw up a battle plan.

By the end of the meeting, 28 people had put up a note complaining about problems ranging from litter to dumped shopping trolleys.

Speeding was raised by 23 people while Bracknell anti-social behaviour was mentioned by 21.

Parking was the last major worry, with 18 people telling the police where cars were left illegally.

Other concerns included Bracknell over-development, health and the possible closure of the post office.

Inspector John Lloyd said: "It is pretty clear straight away that the issues highlighted by yourselves are coming out around the borough.

"There are some issues we can deal with straight away, others we will look at over the next six months."

ic Berkshire ~ Bracknell ~ Dec 8 2005

Bracknell Forest ratepayers have been warned they face council tax hikes and service cuts to plug a £4.8 million council funding gap.

And the Bracknell council's leader has also admitted they will be slashing council jobs.

Bracknell Council bosses are refusing to say just where the axe will fall - even though they already know.

The warning about funding came from Bracknell borough treasurer Chris Herbert during a presentation to the council's overview and scrutiny committee.

He said: "This will be tough. I believe we can get there but there will be an impact on the services the council will be able to deliver next year."

In July the Bracknell council predicted there would be £2 million of reductions based on current spending. This consists of:

* A £600,000 increase in pensions;

* A £700,000 subsidy to government for council housing;

* A £500,000 planned decrease in reserve balance or savings.

The following problems have arisen since then:

* A £500,000 increase in the council's energy bill;

* A £1.4 million increase in the adult services bill;

* A £1.4 million increase in the children in care/special needs bill.

After the meeting Bracknell council leader Paul Bettison said he knew the services facing cuts but could not reveal which ones.

He said the children in care and special needs bill was something the council had little control over because it was impossible to predict how many children needed help each year.

Bracknell Cllr Bettison said the annual bill to care for one child could be as much as £250,000.

He said: "Some of these things are genuinely out of our control. I have been saying for some time that this is going to be a very hard budget."

He said the Bracknell council was having to make some very difficult decisions, which would not be popular with everyone.

He added: "I can understand that some people will feel a little less magnanimous than others, and it is very hard, but we have a statutory duty to these people and could-n't walk away even if we wanted to.

"I'm sorry the answer is that it has to be paid for by society somehow. If you can't persuade central government to do it, then you have to do it locally."

Opposition Labour group deputy leader Bracknell Cllr Mike Beadsley said it was difficult to comment on the budget until papers were published by the Bracknell council on Tuesday (December 13).

ic Berkshire ~ Bracknell ~ Dec 8 2005

Bracknell Ice Hockey Round-Up With Charles Watts

Bracknell Bees ................4 Telford Tigers ..................3

THE Bracknell Bees were nearly made to pay for missing a hatful of chances at The Hive on Sunday.

Despite hitting almost double the amount of shots as their opponents the home side were made to endure a nervy final period as the Tigers looked to snatch an unlikely point.

But in the end the Bracknell Bees held on for a deserved win which stretches their home winning streak to an impressive 10 games.

Coach Mike Ellis said: "We outplayed them for the whole game and worked really well as a team.

"We put a lot of pressure on them in all three periods but just couldn't get the goals that our play deserved.

"It was a bit too close in the end because it wouldn't have been unfair if we'd won by four or five goals."

Despite a strong opening by the home side they couldn't find a way past Telford netminder Barry Hollyhead who enjoyed a fine match.

The deadlock was finally broken just after the half hour when Shaun Thompson hit his first Bees' goal to calm the nerves of the Bracknell fans.

The new boy then followed up his goal with an assist for Ellis who fired home to make it two just a few minutes later.

Telford hit back straight away, however, when a Karol Jets strike was touched in by Ryan Stanton on 37.16.

The Bracknell Bees came out in the final period looking determined to seal the points and they hit their third of the evening when Nicky Chinn finished off some good work from Lukas Smital.

But in keeping with the theme of the match it was the away side who found the net next through Paul Graham with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Thompson then looked to have finished the game when he grabbed his second of the match from a Jan Melichar assist.

The Bracknell Bees were now firing shots at Hollyhead's goal from all angles but the netminder stood firm and it was Telford who scored the final goal of the night on 59.42 through Daniel Croft.

Slough Jets ......................5 Bracknell Bees ................4

Former Bracknell Bees' star Stuart Simmons came back to haunt his former team on Saturday when he completed a remark-able turnaround for the Slough Jets.

Simmons was playing his first game for his new employers just a month after leaving The Hive to make way for netminder Stephen Briere.

And the Canadian fired the winner with just under four minutes remaining to seal the victory for Slough who had trailed 4-1 during the second period.

A distraught Mike Ellis said: "The third period was probably the worst we have played this season.

"To be 4-1 up and then lose 5-4 is not acceptable and I told the players that at the end of the game.

"We didn't keep up our level of intensity and we didn't keep the pressure on them like we had early on.

"All credit to Slough though, they worked really hard for each other but losing like that should never happen."

The home side went in front early on through Gary Wishart but goals from Danny Meyers, Ellis and Nicky Chinn gave Bracknell a 3-1 at the end of the first period.

A strike from Adam Bicknell made it 4-1 on 27.03 but then things started to go badly wrong for the Bees.

A Warren Rost goal gave Slough a glimmer of hope on 27.03 and a further strike from Scott McKenzie just after the final break made it a one goal game.

The home side were level on 48.51 thanks to Zoran Kozic and the stage was then set for Simmons to have his moment of revenge with just under four minutes remaining.

* Bracknell Queen Bees extended their winning streak to five games and climbed to third in the table after beating Solihull 6-0.

The Bracknell Queen Bees dominated throughout the game but only managed to score twice in the first two periods despite outshooting the visitors.

Sam Bonathan in the Bracknell goal kept the Vixens out with several good breakaway saves resulting from some sloppy defending.

The third period saw Bracknell step up the pace and make the game safe with a third goal in the opening minutes.

This spurred them on and they added three more goals before the final whistle.

The scorers for Bracknell were Sam Bidmead (2), Laura Stark (2), Chrissy Newman and player of the match Dani Summers.

ic Berkshire, Bracknell ~ Dec 8 2005

Princess Square, Bracknell was taken over by Green Christmas this week, with Bracken and Bramble, Rudolph the green-nosed reindeer and the Green Christmas prize draw to name but a few!

Organised by Bracknell Forest Borough Council, the Green Christmas displays and activities drew in the crowds to Princess Square's first floor.

Bracknell Cllr Terry Mills, Executive Member for Public & Environmental Services and Parish Liaison, said: "Christmas is a very busy time for all of us but nevertheless, there are excellent opportunities to think green.

"Do take the opportunity to take part in the prize draw for all the green prizes by visitng the stand and filling in the free voucher."

On Monday, the theme was buying green, where residents could find out about environmentally friendly shopping, and where to buy environmentally friendly items in Bracknell Forest. Lucky visitors were even given a free canvas shopping bag to put their shopping in!

Tuesday's theme was on recycling, with information about waste minimisation and recycling and the times for the Christmas recycling and Christmas tree collections were available. Bracknell Residents could also order recycling boxes and buy composting bags, and were given recycled pencils and rulers to take home.

Visitors on Wednesday were able to find out about Sustainable Energy, including energy conservation, renewable energy and home energy conservation grants and were given their own energy saving light bulbs.

Thursday is dedicated to water conservation and visitors are able to find out how to save water at home, and take away a free cistern hippo!

On Friday the theme is green transport, where visitors can find out about green travel, and plan Bracknell journey routes by public transport with special journey planning software.

Friday is also the day for the prize draw which takes place between 12pm and 1pm with Bracknell Cllr Terry Mills. He will also be judging the schools' paper chain competition.

Prizes include a hamper filled with environmentally friendly products, a pair of wine flutes made out of recycled glass and bottles of organic wine.

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~ 6 December 2005

Mike Ellis has called on his Bracknell Bees side to start taking their impressive home form on the road.

Bracknell Bees crashed to their sixth defeat in seven away games on Saturday when they crashed 5-4 at English Premier League rivals Slough Jets – after surrendering a 4-1 lead.

But they bounced back with a 4-3 win over Telford Tigers at Fortress Bracknell on Sunday to extend their unbeaten home run to a remarkable 13 games.

Bracknell Bees moved six points clear in second place as third-placed Milton Keynes Lightning lost their only game – 4-3 at home to Slough on Sunday.

But player-boss Ellis said: “It is a bad trend we have created, playing well at home and badly away.

“The other teams around us may have slipped up, but that is no excuse for not taking all four points at the weekend.”

Slough’s winning goal on Saturday was scored by Stuart Simmons, who was making his debut for his new club after being released by Bracknell Bees a month ago.

And the irony was not lost on Ellis, who was forced to release Simmons, following the arrival of Canadian netminder Steve Briere, because the EPL permits no more than four non-British trained players per team.

“I guess it was meant to be that Stu would score the winner against us,” said Bees’ boss. “All power to him. I am sure he felt like he gained a bit of revenge, but I let him go for the long-term benefit of the team.

“I congratulated him after the game and gave him a hug. But having Steve as our netminder will help us achieve our long-term goals.”

Ellis, though, was unhappy with the way Bracknell Bees defended on Saturday.

“We played terribly,” he said. “We worked hard in the first period when we outshot them two-to-one, but that was our only good 20 minutes. At 4-1 up the complacency kicked in and we just went through the motions.

“The problem was with the way we played defensively – not just the defence – but the way the forwards defended too.

“But I give total credit to Slough. Although they were not strong in the first period, they were better in the second and worked very well in the third.”

And Bracknell Bees’ boss was concerned by the way the confidence ebbed out of his side.

“When we get scored on we seem to get down on ourselves. The heads go down and that is a little bit of a worry. The more it happens, the worse it gets.”

Ellis added: “There is no need, though, because our record is still good. We have won 15 and lost 10 so far this season.

“Against Telford we worked hard and created lots of goalscoring opportunities but their goalie (Barry Hollyhead) played very well.

“If we had buried our chances early on we could have run out easy winners,” added Ellis whose side outshot Telford 33-17. “Their goals were very weak. The second was a lucky bounce and our goalie (Briere) was unsighted for the third. It would not have flattered us if we had won by four or five goals.”

Bracknell Bees’ final goal on Sunday night by Shaun Thompson was their 100th in the EPL this season. And Ellis is delighted with Thompson’s contribution since his arrival from Basingstoke Bison a fortnight ago.

“Adam Bicknell, Shaun and myself have started to click as a line and that is a good sign,” said Bracknell Bees’ boss. “Shaun is is a hard-working, smart hockey player who does not mind taking the body, goes to the net really well and plays with a great edge. Playing in the Elite League has really helped bring his game on.”

get Reading ~ Bracknell ~ 6/12/2005

Children who receive a bicycle from Santa this year can gain extra skills to make sure they are safe this Christmas holiday with two courses organised by Bracknell Forest Borough Council.

The first course is an off-road introduction to cycling for children aged 5 to 9 yrs of age and takes place on either Monday, December 28 or Friday, December 30 at Bracknell Sport Centre from 10.30am to 12 noon. Children will be taught the basics of cycling:

•Developing balance and control skills

•Controlled braking, starting and stopping and the general care of bicycles

•Raising understanding and awareness of cycling safety

In addition a four day cycling safety course has been organised for Bracknell children whose parents and carers wish they were safer cyclists.

Children aged 10 years or over, are invited to attend the four day course to enhance their cycling skills. Expert trainers will teach the youngsters for two hours each day, on how to get the best from their bike and the road.

The practical course helps children better control their bicycle, teaches them road safety knowledge, and makes them more aware of traffic around them.

The dates for the course will be: December 28, 29, 30 and January 3 inclusive from 10am to 12 noon.

Mary Ballin, Bracknell Executive member for Planning and Transportation, said: "We can all remember the thrills, spills and sometimes tears when Christmas brought our first bicycle.

"The 'getting started' course will be valuable and fun, and will lay the foundations for safe cycling in the future.

"The road-cycling course has trained hundreds of our older children over the past few years, and parents and road safety trainers are to be congratulated on their dedication to this very important issue."

Any parent wishing to enrol their child should contact Chris Pickett, Bracknell Road Safety Officer on: 01344 351212

Bracknell Forest Borough Counci ~ 6 December 2005

Bracknell Forest primary school children did not have a silent night when they performed at this year's Christmas carol concert in front of friends and family at Bracknell Leisure Centre last Sunday (December 4).

More than 350 children from 21 primary schools sung traditional Christmas carols and other seasonal songs accompanied by members of the Corelli Orchestra from the south area of Berkshire Young Musicians Trust (BYMT).

Cllr Mrs Jacqui Ryder, Mayor of the Borough of Bracknell Forest welcomed everybody to the concert and Cllr Alan Ward, Executive Member for Education and Libraries, gave a vote of thanks.

Bracknell Cllr Mrs Ryder said: "The primary schools' carol concert is always one of the biggest events in our seasonal calender. The children involved put an awful lot of time and effort in to preparing for the concert and it is always very well attended.

"This was a wonderful evening of children's voices and a nice way to start the festive season."

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~ 5 December 2005

Bracknell Forest residents can make the most of the new year with exciting new courses at Bracknell Leisure Centre.

The leisure centre, which is owned and managed by the Bracknell borough council, kicks off the new year with a jam packed spring term schedule starting on January 9, 2006.

New classes include Yoga Bugs, a yoga class designed specifically for children aged two and half years to seven years old. There is also the new Teen Balance for 12 to 16 year olds for improving strength and stretching which helps reduce stress.

Also brand new to the Bracknell sports courses is swimming for the triathlete, which is swimming training for triathlons.

There's also the old favourites including football, badminton, gym and RPM sessions to kick start 2006 with some energy. For those who don't mind getting wet there are swimming courses for all ages and abilities.

Bracknell Cllr Iain McCracken, Executive Member for Leisure and Corporate Services, said: "I guess for a lot of us it's that time of year when thoughts turn to new year resolutions. Keeping fit is often a priority and there is plenty to do at Bracknell Leisure Centre to achieve our goals. Now is the time to enrol and be ready for the new year."

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~ 2 December 2005

Christmas is certainly the time for cheer at Downside Resource Centre, one of Bracknell Forest Borough Council's day centres.

The Bracknell Council owned day centre for older people and those with a physical disability is getting in the spirit of Christmas by hosting a Dick Whittington pantomime next week (Tuesday December 6).

The Rah Rah Theatre Group will perform the play for over 55 people who attend Downside, Bracknell.

The Rah Rah theatre company is a popular entertainment choice among the clients following performances at the VE Day celebrations earlier in the year.

The staff team and Client Committee of Downside, Bracknell who organise events and work closely with the management, helped set up the performance. The Staff Team has also arranged a special Christmas lunch for after the show, including turkey and all the trimmings.

That's not all for the Christmas season at Downside, Bracknell. There will also be:

* An in-house play by clients followed by a French bistro lunch. (Tuesday December 13);
* Downside's special Christmas lunch out where all clients are invited to lunch at the Blue Mountain complex. There will also be raffle prizes. (Thursday December 15);
* In-house bingo for clients. (Friday December 16 and Wednesday December 14);
* A bowling day out with prizes to be won by clients. (Thursday December 22)

Bracknell Cllr Dale Birch, Executive Member for Adult Services, Health Commissioning and Housing, said: "It's great that service users at our centres have a lot on over the Christmas period and they are having a lot of fun taking part in plays, day trips and making arrangements to do the activities they want. The staff team and Client Committee choose events that appeal to different tastes and run events throughout the year.

"Staff put in a lot of effort to make the most of the seasonal cheer so these events should be rewarding and lots of fun for them too and I thank them for their contribution."

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~ 1 December 2005

Bracknell Forest Borough Council's adult and children's services has been awarded a two star score following a recent Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI).

The Bracknell Council has improved its rating from last year's one star after the Commission found the adult social care services to be "serving some people well" and the children's services to be "serving most people well". Both services are judged to have "promising capacity for improvement" which means there are good systems in place to continue to improve services.

The rating was published today (Thursday December 1) by CSCI, as it announced the results for councils across the country, ranging from zero star for poorer performers to three stars for the top performers.

The CSCI inspectors complimented Bracknell Council's good partnership work especially with the Primary Care Trust. The inspectors also said there is good access to services with the Council's 24 hour emergency call centre Forestcare.

Both adult and children's services were inspected to make up the overall two star rating for two areas. The first is how well it serves people now and the second is the capacity for improvement to services. Both Bracknell adult and children's services were scored across a number of areas including:

Bracknell Adult services:-

* National priorities and strategic objectives;
* Cost and efficiency;
* Effectiveness of service delivery and outcomes;
* Quality of services for users and carers;
* Fair Access.

Bracknell Children's services:-

* Being healthy;
* Staying safe;
* Enjoying and achieving;
* Making a positive contribution;
* Achieving economic well being.

Bracknell Cllr Dale Birch, Executive Member for Adult Services, Health Commissioning and Housing at Bracknell Forest Borough Council, said: "Our staff work tirelessly to ensure we have good performing services and management of these services is consistently strong.

"Despite poor funding from the Government, in the past year we have introduced a home dementia service to enable people with dementia symptoms to continue to live at home. The work of the Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) led to the opening of the groundbreaking New Hope centre, which offers support and advice for those with substance misuse issues. We have also established good infrastructure to deliver services widely. The star rating also reflects the excellent intermediate care at the Bridgewell Centre, Bracknell and high quality short breaks and residential care at Heathlands.

"However, we are not complacent and are striving to deliver the best service to our residents which is what they expect and deserve. The Commission has highlighted that we need to ensure services are accessible to all users and that we continue to promote independence to enable people to continue to live at home."

Bracknell Education, Children's Services and Libraries continues to be rated two star and CSCI commented on good performance in children's services including education for looked after children and participation and successes in education.

Levels of first time offenders is low and the rates of re-offending have reduced whilst the number of young people participating in education is high.

Monitoring of services for Bracknell children and young people in residential and foster care is good.

Cllr Dr Gareth Barnard, Executive Member for Children's Services at Bracknell Forest Borough Council, said: "Children's services are very important to Bracknell Forest Borough Council so that we can have a positive impact on young people's developing lives.

"We are focused on promoting healthy living and keeping everyone in the community safe. A high percentage of our schools are involved in the National Healthy Schools Standard which promotes healthy eating and sports activity.

"We are also enjoying the success of local young people - there are rising trends in exam results and we are fourth in the country in the annual schools survey. We want to build on this and are supporting young people and have seen an increase in the use of the youth services."

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~1 December 2005

Bracknell Forest Borough Council has won recognition in the United Kingdom's premier housing awards scheme.

The Bracknell Council entered the National Home Improvement Council Awards scheme, which recognises improvement and renovation in private and public sector housing, for the first time earlier this year and picked up a second place prize last Thursday (November 24) at a lunch ceremony in London.

Bracknell Council's Energy Watch scheme was recognised for its work to promote energy efficiency. The scheme raises awareness among all residents via presentations, roadshows and Council publications on how to insulate their homes efficiently and save money on energy. This includes installing cavity walls and loft insulation.

Collecting the certificate of merit from Rt Hon Nick Raynsford on behalf of the Council were Hazel Hill, the Council's Sustainable Energy Officer, and Mayor of the Borough of Bracknell Forest, Cllr Mrs Jacqui Ryder.

Bracknell Cllr Mrs Ryder said: "This award scheme recognises and raises the profile of organisations who work hard to improve energy efficiency and create sustainable communities. I am delighted that Bracknell Forest has been recognised and hope we continue the hard work of protecting the environment."

Cllr Terry Mills, Executive Member for Public and Environmental Services and Parish Liaison, said: "Sustainable energy is the future and the Council will work hard to encourage and promote energy efficiency.

"We must all look to save energy which will be of benefit to us as individuals and to the future benefit of our community."

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~ 30 November 2005