Flash NEWS

Bulletin
To download your copy of the latest Bulletin click here.

LETTER IN SUPPORT OF AFGHANISTAN - From David Thomas

During the early and dark months of the Covid pandemic, residents across Inkpen came out to help their neighbours. New friendships were formed, as was a village wide sense of community.

A month or so ago, a neighbouring parish asked for our support with a planning problem. They also asked for help from other nearby parishes. All agreed. Most of the Inkpen councillors consented and our help was freely given.

You will, I’m sure, have heard on TV or radio something of what’s been happening in Afghanistan. You may have felt powerlessness to help, even embarrassed at how we have let them down. I did. The prospect of women and girls about to lose their few freedoms and even lose the right to control of their own lives.

The only thing I could think to do was to write a letter to our local MP asking that appropriate support be made available. On Monday 16th August, prior to the recall of parliament, I spoke to the chairman (or their deputy) of neighbouring parishes to ask if they would be a co-signatory to the letter. All agreed without hesitation. The letter was sent to both houses of parliament and to our MP’s constituency office (see Newbury Today). By that afternoon I received a reply on behalf of our MP and on the 17th, details of her approach were published on Newbury Today. There was not time to consult all councillors and that is why the letter is on behalf of the chairman alone.

Subsequently, not all Inkpen Parish Councillors agreed with the intervention and you may feel the same way. But I hope that you will feel that it was a compassionate thing to do and that our letter reflected your values. Remember, you hire us, and you can fire us. Copies of the letter are available here.

History Group
The Inkpen History Group has a new home at history.inkpenvillage.co.uk. The site contains photos, maps and a wide variety of documents. If you have items, whatever the condition, that you think will be relevant to the group, please contact them at historygroup@inkpenvillage.co.uk

Email and Phone Scams
There are always people out to exploit the vulnerable, especially at times where peoples attention is diverted to other matters of harm. A number of Covid19 related phishing emails have been reported to Action Fraud. These emails and texts attempt to trick you into opening malicious attachments which could lead to fraudsters stealing your personal information, logins, passwords, or banking details. If you get emails that you aren't sure about, or unknown people phone you or knock on your door, ignore it and please seek advice - go to ActionFraud. If you are using electronic devices that don't have up-to-date virus protection, please get it fixed - if in doubt, talk to one of the helper listed on the News page. A range of current scams, including track and trace scams, is listed on the News page.

You might receive a call, text or email offering the COVID-19 vaccine. If you’re asked to provide payment or bank details, please don’t respond – it’s a scam. The NHS will never ask you for payment, bank account details, passwords or passcodes.

Going for a walk
If you want a breath of fresh air and some exercise, check out the Inkpen walks, but keep your distance from others, that's at least 6 feet apart in old money. If you feel that you should wear a face mask when outdoors, then checkout the design given on the News page.

Also on the news page this month there are a number of updates including from the Inkpen Primary School and pre-school, from the Playing field trust and Village Hall, and there's this months Police Report .

Climate change issues.
Climate issues haven't gone away. Climate change IS a pandemic just as much as COVID 19 is. The parish council is engaged in re-wilding and tree planting, but that isn't enough. All residents need to play their part. We urge you to get involved with this now. Stop unnecessary car journeys, plant more trees if you can and reduce your waste.

A copy of the West Berkshire Environmental Strategy can be found here. A Link to Berkshire’s climate emergency: What it means and what is being done to tackle it is here.

The State of the Global Climate 2020 finds the year was one of the three warmest on record, despite a cooling La Niña event. The global average temperature was about 1.2° Celsius above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) level. The six years since 2015 have been the warmest on record, with 2011-2020 the warmest decade on record. The report documents indicators of the climate system, including greenhouse gas concentrations, increasing land and ocean temperatures, sea level rise, melting ice and glacier retreat and extreme weather. It also highlights impacts on socioeconomic development, migration and displacement, food security and land and marine ecosystems.

United Nations reports over the last decade have warned that the world must turn towards healthy plant based diets if climate change is to be stopped. Tree planting is crucial part of a solution to tackle climate change and protect biodiversity, but the wrong tree in the wrong place can do more harm than good, say experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The rules include protecting existing woodland first and involving locals.

The Repair Café