We Need To Talk - Your Invitation

The council 'We Need To Talk' conversation is continuing, this time with a series of events throughout the town attended by the council and your local councillors.  There will be small group activities designed to identify the things that matter most to you and your community.

I will be attending the sessions at Battle Library:

29 September 7-9 pm &
30 September 1-3 pm

To book your place please call 0118 937 3787 or visit www.reading.gov.uk/letstalkevents


Here is the press release with further information on events all over Reading as you don't have to go to the event in your ward if it's not convenient:

'A series of consultation workshops spread across the borough begins later this month and marks the next stage in Reading Borough Council's on-going 'We Need To Talk' campaign.

Residents are being invited to attend one of the events which involve informal, small group activities, designed to tease-out the things that matter most to people in their own communities, the council services that are most valued, and how local people can work with each other and the council to improve the places in which they live.

With public spending being reduced there are difficult budget decisions to be taken over the next few years. It is therefore more important than ever to listen to people's views on how the Council should spend their money.

Feedback from the events will be added to the views that hundreds of residents have already provided via the on-going Council leaflet and website campaign. These will be analysed to identify common themes and the results will be used to help shape council spending decisions that will need to be made over the coming months.

The consultation events have been arranged to ensure everyone in the borough can have easy access to them, with a choice of day-time or evening events in each of the borough's 16 wards. All residents need to do is to register their interest in the event which suits them best, either by telephoning 0118 937 3783 or on-line at www.reading.gov.uk/letstalkevents, and then turn up on the day to make their views count.

Jon Hartley, Reading's Lead Councillor for Service Delivery and Improvement, said: 'These events will play an important part in helping us to gather as many views as possible. We always said we didn't just want this to be a box ticking exercise - this is a new way of engaging with residents and I'd ask as many people as possible to try and find the time to attend.'

Bet Tickner, Lead Councillor at Reading for Public Engagement and Health, said: 'We hope that by attending an event we will be able to help residents focus on which services are important in the local communities and how they can be better delivered.'

The full timetable of events is:

Central
• 27 September from 12.00-2.00pm at Katesgrove Children's Centre, Waterloo Meadows, Elgar Road, RG2 0BN
• 27 September from 7.00-9.00pm at Christchurch Centre, Milman Road, RG2 0AY
• 29 September from 7.00-9.00pm at Battle Library, 420 Oxford Road, RG30 1EE
• 29 September from 1.00-3.00pm at Coley Park Baptist Church, Wensley Road, RG1 6DU
• 30 September from 1.00-3.00pm at Battle Library, 420 Oxford Road, RG30 1EE
• 3 October from 7.00-9.00pm at All Saints Hall, Downshire Square, RG1 6NN
• 4 October from 1.00-3.00pm in the Kennet Room, Civic Offices, RG1 7AE
• 4 October from 7.00-9.00pm at Wesley Church Hall, Queens Road, RG1 7BW

North • 4 October from 12.00-2.00pm at Mapledurham Pavilion, 129 Upper Woodcote Road, RG4 7EZ • 5 October from 1.00-3.00pm & 7.00-9.00pm Milestone Centre, Northbrook Road, Caversham Park Village, RG4 6QH • 6 October from 7.00-9.00pm Caversham Primary School, Hemdean Road, Caversham, RG4 7RA • 6 October from 1.00-3.00pm at Caversham Hall, St Johns Road, Caversham, RG4 8BD • 6 October from 7.00-9.00pm at Caversham Methodist Church Hall, Gosbrook Road, Caversham, RG4 8BS South • 30 September from 1.00-3.00pm at New Directions, 330 Northumberland Avenue, Whitley, RG2 8DH • 3 October from 1.00-3.00pm & 7.00-9.00pm at the Scout & Guide HQ, 163 Northcourt Avenue, RG2 7HG • 6 October from 7.00-9.00pm at Whitley Wood Community Centre, Swallowfield Drive, RG2 8UT East • 29 September from 12.30-2.30pm & 7.00-9.00pm at Hamilton Road Children's' Centre, 135 Bulmershe Road, RG1 5SG • 29 September from 1.00-3.00pm & 7.00–9.00pm at Cintra Park Pavilion, Cintra Avenue, RG2 7AU West • 28 September from 1.00-3.00pm at St Mary Magdalen Church Hall, LyndhurstRoad, Tilehurst, RG30 6UB • 28 September from 7.00-9.00pm at Norcot Community Centre, Lyndhurst Road, Tilehurst, RG30 6UB • 30 September from 1.00-3.00pm & 7.00-9.00pm at St Matthew Church Hall, Southcote Lane, RG30 6AX • 4 October from 7.00-9.00pm at St Michael's Parish Centre, Routh Lane Tilehurst, RG30 4JX • 5 October from 1.00-3.00pm at St Michael's Parish Centre, Routh Lane, Tilehurst, RG30 4JX • 5 October from 1.00-3.00pm at Dee Park Advice Shop, Lyon Square, RG30 4DD • 5 October from 7.00-9.00pm at Wilson Primary School, Wilson Road, RG30 2RW In July this year Reading Borough Council launched a new way of working with local people. This is the beginning of a new relationship between the council and residents, which will give people a real and on-going say in how their local communities are run and how the Council delivers services to them. 'We Need To Talk' is the start of that process. Consultation leaflets distributed across libraries, leisure centres and other community spaces across the town and already hundreds of residents have come forward with their views. Go to www.reading.gov.uk/weneedtotalk for more and to register your details.'