Bracknell

A new local television service for the Bracknell Forest area launched on Monday, October 20.

Bracknell Forest Community Television shows a range of short silent films covering subjects including composting, neighbourhood policing, how to be more active, volunteering and health information. Many of these were filmed in Bracknell Forest.

The service is shown on ten large plasma screens around the borough. Local people can see community TV in places including Bracknell and Wokingham College, Church Road; Skimped Hill Health Centre, Edgbarrow Sports Centre and Bracknell town centre's Waterstone's café, Santa Fe.

In addition to local news, Bracknell Community TV shows national public service information as well as news, sport and weather. The screens can also be used to broadcast urgent emergency messages, such as missing people.

Community television is an initiative led by the Bracknell Forest Partnership which includes Bracknell Forest Council, Bracknell Regeneration Partnership, Berkshire East Primary Care Trust, Thames Valley Police, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and Bracknell Forest Voluntary Action.

Between them these organisations have managed to secure a total of £80,000 to meet the launch and first year costs of the scheme.

Timothy Wheadon, Chief Executive of Bracknell Forest Council, and Chairman of Bracknell Forest Partnership Board, said: “We are excited about the potential of community TV in Bracknell Forest. Similar schemes work very successfully elsewhere in the country. Other local authorities have seen positive results and we hope to see the same here.

“The sites for the community TV plasma screens have been very carefully chosen in a bid for it to reach as many different people, from different sections of the community, as possible.

“Bracknell Forest TV will not only be used to get important messages across but as a way to enable people to get more information about public services.”

Chief Inspector Simon Bowden, Area Commander for Bracknell Forest and Chairman of Bracknell Forest Partnership, said: "Bracknell TV will be hugely useful as a means of public information, involvement and reassurance; and having the ability to issue direct messages to the communities of Bracknell Forest will be invaluable. I hope that we can make a difference to how people protect themselves from crime and how they feel about the place in which they live.”

Bracknell Forest Council