contents

local news updates

West Berkshire Council InfO

police update and scams

Building restrictions

library

climate change

school news

playing field news

INKPEN village hall

Other inkpen News

useful links






Local news updates

For your latest local and regional news, as provided by the BBC, click here. Hungerford and area news can be found here.

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Mental Health Support for those of 11-18 years
West Berkshire Council has set up a dedicated telephone helpline for young people experiencing issues and concerns relating to the pandemic - 01635 503587.

The helpline, which is linked to its Emotional Health Academy (EHA), will offer the district’s young people self-help support, advice and guidance from trained EHA workers. It came into operation on 6 April, and will be open between 09:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday, providing an opportunity for children and young people (aged 11 to 18) to express their concerns and talk about issues directly affecting them during the current Coronavirus crisis. EHA workers will use active listening skills to support young people in dealing with difficult feelings around Covid-19 and provide signposting and self-help support for their general wellbeing.

This local helpline is a short-term service and will be available only during the pandemic, to provide ‘in the moment’ support to children and young people. It will provide access to trained EHA workers who can offer advice and self-help tools and provide support to manage ‘low level’ problems. It is not a crisis line and does not replace other services such as the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

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RiM, Recovery in Mind is a community organisation, where adults living in West Berkshire get the opportunity to learn life long skills and tools to improve and manage their mental health and wellbeing. Details can be found here.

West Berkshire Council are asking residents across the district/borough to think of others and not light bonfires. Anyone having a domestic bonfire that causes a nuisance  may be prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. To report an incident of a bonfire please use our on-line reporting form here.

Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of any waste or rubbish on public land or sites which are unauthorised to accept waste. If the rubbish is dumped on private land, the landowner is responsible for removing it. If you find or receive notification of fly tipped material on private land you will need to inform the landowner. Landowners unfortunately will have to pay for the cost of disposal of fly-tipped materials. To report an incident of fly tipping please see links on PPP website here.

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Police report

A message from the Police and Crime Commissioner is available here.

Online Fraud. New scams are coming to light all the time. Police guidance is given here.

Local Police News.
Have you heard about THAMES VALLEY TEXT ALERT? Sign up today www.thamesvalleyalert.co.uk/ to receive free texts or emails about crime in your local area and relevant safety advice.

You can now follow us on twitter @TVP_westberks.
If you would like any further information or advice please contact me on 07814852137 or email Joanna.king@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

SCAMS

Be aware of scams. Download "The Little Book of Big Scams".  For home security, download "Secure your home".

Message shared on behalf of Thames Valley Police -  We have been informed by Thames Water that a number of “Contractor” Identification Cards have been lost in transit. The cards have been deactivated so they cannot be used to gain access to any Thames Water sites but there are concerns that they could be used for criminal activity known as “Distraction Burglaries.” Please be very cautious and verify with Thames Water any Thames Water person’s details before letting anyone into their property?

The real NHS will not ask you to:    1) provide bank details or payments, 2) give details of any other accounts, such as social media, 3) set up a password or PIN number over the phone, or 4) call a premium rate number, such as those starting 09 or 087

People who shop at Tesco have been warned not to fall for a scam email claiming to give them free shopping and vouchers. In emails addressed to customers of the supermarket, scammers have attempted to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis by offering them the chance to shop for free online or in store and to click on a link to register their details.

Similar scams too purporting to be from Morrison offering free vouchers and other scams such as free Dettol or Gillette samples or competitions. They are all trying to get you to like or share which gives them details on your contacts etc. Never click on any links from uninvited emails. If in doubt on any scams, please contact your Bank or other organisations to check whether they have been sent by them.

Other recent scams are a text from O2 saying that a payment had failed and to avoid fees, visit the website using the link in the text and to then sign on using another screen asking for all the security details that the person used followed by credit card and bank account details. The fake website looked exactly like the O2 official site so some people could easily fall for this scam.

Royal Mail scams via email advising that your parcel has arrived but the Courier was unable to deliver the parcel to you. The email then asks you to pay £3.95 for this to be re-delivered and to click on a link to give your bank and other details.

Also Emails saying that the recent payment for your vehicle tax failed because there is not enough money on your debit card and that your vehicle is no longer taxed. They suggest you use a credit card instead to avoid any other consequences and again this is a way of trying to obtain your Bank details.

There are various ways of reporting scams.

A new initiative called Cyberawaregov has launched SERS – the suspicious email reporting service. They say that if you have received an email which you are not sure about, to forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk There is further information on the website: www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/report-suspicious-emails

Scams can also be notified to Action Fraud on 03001232040 or via their website or to the National Trading Standards Scams Team on 03454 040506.

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Out of hours Building works

The law - and frequently planning permission as well - regulates the hours during which construction can be carried out, typically between 8am and 6pm weekdays, 8am and 3pm on Saturdays, and not at all on Sundays. Outside those hours you have the right to complain to the council, who will come and investigate and may take action against persistent offenders. Contact WBC at ehadvice@westberks.gov.uk (Tel. 01635 519192) or planningenforcement@westberks.gov.uk (Tel. 01635 519111).

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Mobile Library - The last one - Pass It on

The mobile library van will call at Inkpen on 11th March.  Due to cut-backs, this is the LAST mobile library. The van stops at: Craven Rd. Inkpen 2.20-2.50pm and at Inkpen School at 3.05 – 4pm. Please visit the library as we are lucky the service has continued to be supported by West Berkshire Council. However, due to budget cuts, this service will cease as of April 2025.

If you need large print books, please contact library services on  01635 519900

The Libraries Service are also offering a new online service to residents so that they can continue to enjoy new books and to share their love of reading without leaving the house. They have set up a new Facebook group called West Berks Reads, which is a useful, alternative way for people to share their thoughts and pick up ideas for what to read next.

Meanwhile, the digital resources and e-library services are continuing 24/7 and understandably being very well used at this time. Why not go to the Libraries page on our website and discover a new book or magazine?

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Climate change

Did you know?
It will cost around £160 to capture 1 metric tonne of carbon from the atmosphere. Forty mature oak trees (or Beech, Ash, Willow etc.) do that if you just leave them alone. Each tree is doing a payback of £4 a year. They pay for their keep.

Silent forests devoid of life are a possibility within a generation in our already deforested nation, according to a panel of British experts.

"Ecosystem collapse", where trees suddenly fade and die, could happen within 50 years, they warn. But the 42 experts said if we act now we can avert the catastrophe. The large-scale loss of forests hit by "wind, fire, pests and disease" has already happened in continental Europe and North America. "A collapsed forest would be heart-breaking, devoid of its essential life and all the joy and benefits it gives to humanity," said Dr Eleanor Tew of Forestry England and Cambridge University.

But she said we have time to make a difference and we know what to do to make our forests more resilient "so they can continue to thrive for future generations".

39 Ways to Save the Planet
Radio 4 BBC Radio Four, in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society, presents 39 ideas to relieve the stress that climate change is exerting on the planet. To tune in, click here.

Official reports suggest that our climate decline is rapidly accelerating. Although we are a small community and many feel that we are too insignificant in the grand scheme, there are things that we can do to make a positive impact.

Obviously we can plant more trees and hedging and the IMPFT  is this month planting more than 300 hedging plants along Post Office Road. But individually we can make a difference by leaving some of our gardens to become wild spaces. We can be more careful in our use of pesticides and herbicides and hopefully use insect friendly alternatives. Remember, Your Climate Needs You.

Following on from the work of Bob May and Bernard Harris, to encourage wild flowers on the Lower Green Triangle, we are hoping to transform other areas of public land in Inkpen in the coming years, with an emphasis on natural flora and their insect inhabitants. Why not set aside a small patch in your garden for beautiful, natural, wild flowers. Have a look at  this  to get a bit of encouragement.

These links might also be of some interest. Trees and Insects. Remember, insects are at the bottom of the food chain - if we lose them we lose all that depends on them!

North Wessex Downs National Landscape
If you live in Inkpen, then you are within the NWD NL. This has the same protections as a National Park but is administered by area local government instead of having its own controlling body. So, what do you know about the NWD NL, it’s management plan or its protections? Have a look at https://www.northwessexdowns.org.uk/. In the coming years, as global warming bites, this will become more important to you. Do take a look at their website and see what’s going on locally.

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school news

As the new term kicks off, it’s heartwarming to see the children’s faces light up with joy as they return to school. They are not just happy to be back but bursting with enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. We have been incredibly pleased to see the children making New Year's resolutions, with many pupils setting impressive personal targets for themselves. What’s even more inspiring is the way they have pledged to support one another, fostering a lovely sense of community among them.

Outdoors, our recent Forest School sessions have been a highlight. The children have revelled in the beautiful surroundings, exploring nature in all its glory. They have immersed themselves in bird watching, crafted bird feeders, and built cosy hedgehog homes, nurturing their curiosity about the world around them. In PE, our KS2 pupils have taken on the role of young leaders, diving into a project where they design a range of physical activities aimed at keeping their younger peers active. It’s fantastic to see them stepping up, demonstrating leadership skills, and promoting teamwork. We can't wait to see the activities they devise.

Overall, this new term is brimming with enthusiasm, teamwork, and adventure. Here’s to a fantastic year of learning and growth, filled with new experiences and cherished memories. Let’s keep this momentum going and tackle the year ahead together.

INKPEN SCHOOL EARLY YEARS OUTSIDE PLAY AREA RENOVATION
Thank you SO much for all your support we are so close to raising the funds we need.

Thanks to your support, the hard work by the school PSA and grants we are so close to raising the £28,000 we need to renovate Inkpen School’s Early Years’ Play Area this summer. Only £3,706 left to raise.

Any support you can give to raise the remaining funds would be hugely appreciated for this very important part of the school in desperate need of renovation so it can be used by the children. If you can support our fund-raising campaign on The Good Exchange with any donation, please do visit our funding page. The link to our page is: https://app.thegoodexchange.com/project/20445/inkpen-county-primary-school-psa-association/early-years-outside-play-area or simply Google the Good Exchange, click on the heading Charitable Projects and Search for 20445

If you have any events planned like a cake sale, coffee morning or bridge event or a challenge do please consider raising funds for our school which is so important to Inkpen. If you don’t want to donate via the Good Exchange get in touch with claire@clairejjones.com or kworley94@hotmail.com for other ways to donate Thank you so much in advance for your support.

INKSPOTS

We give a warm welcome to all our new children and families that have joined Inkspots over the past few weeks. As we head into half term, the children have been so busy learning all about Autumn.

One of our main focus's is Habitats. The children are super busy in class, making their autumn habitats. We’re thinking about where hedgehogs live, and what might their habitats look like. The children are busy learning the importance of shelter, water, food and space within a habitat. Also learning about how, within an animal's home, they'll have everything they need to be able to find food and successfully raise their babies. Focusing on autumn, the children are exploring colour, and texture. What can we see, and where might we see these arrays of colours.

Daisy Chains - INKPEN PAVILION TOYS TOYS TOYS for the Daisy Chains Playgroup

We have plenty of toys for the younger pre-school play group at Inkpen pavilion. We have a delightful venue to restart the former Daisy Chains playgroup with lots of small tables and chairs for the little ones and baby changing facilities available if required.

Mums, Dads and Grandparents are welcome to come and let the little ones play safely. There is plenty of play space as well for siblings outside the pavilion in the children’s play and woodland area. If you are interested, we have a few names already, please let us know your contact details by email: gloriakeene@hotmail.com.

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playing field trust (impft) news - Traditional Boxing Day Football

It has now become a tradition that the footballers use the Inkpen Playing Field on Boxing Day - they don't seem to mind the weather or the mud and play- everyone had a great time last year. In fact, two games were held at the playing field on the same day, one game in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

It would be great to have a regular Inkpen football team, as there are great facilities there. There is Hungerford junior football league matches on most Sunday mornings at the playing field. See the attached pictures and see who you can recognise …


Friends of the Playing Field
The trustees devote a substantial amount of time trying to improve the facilities both in terms of its fabric and the activities available however, we do need your help please.

First, a call to adults / parents to organise / run a club. Those willing to do so, with a little expertise (in say recreational football, netball, or other team sports), would be welcomed with open arms to encourage youngsters that are already keen on physical recreation in the village. Secondly, we need help clearing the ditch along Post Office Road, clearing the leaves from the hard surface and clearing the weeds on the parking areas.

If you think you could help, offer a spare hour or two / be part of a team please contact us c/o clerk@inkpenparishcouncil.org.uk

Should you wish to book the pavilion, playing field or hard court, please see the IMPFT section on inkpenvillage.co.uk, IMPFT.co.uk or email clerk@inkpenparishcouncil.org.uk

The Scouts Night Hike at Inkpen Pavilion


More than 100 youngsters participated in the Kennet District Scouts Annual Alamo Competition. The night hike was based at Inkpen Pavilion this year to test the Scouts navigation teamwork and problem-solving skills. The annual event has been running since 1960 and is a challenge for Scouts to demonstrate what they have learned through scouting activities. The course was set around the Inkpen countryside with the scouts spending the night in Inkpen Pavilion. At each base the Scouts face team work and problem-solving challenges and through the event earn points for navigation accuracy, task completion, behaviour and time management. Bacon sandwiches were enjoyed at the much-anticipated medal ceremony.

POP-IN CAFÉ
We’re now into the new year; days are getting noticeably longer and possibly warmer. Time to get out, meet and make new friends. Well, the Pop-In café is there for you to do just that, to meet and make new friends. If you are on your own and feel the need to take that step into meeting local people and just having a chat, then the Pop-In café is a very soft and gentle way to do just that. Give it a go, you’ve nothing to lose.

At the January Pop-In, it was good to see more new faces. The Pop-In café is for all those in the area to come, have a drink and a piece of cake, to sit and chat.

It’s next open on the 6th and 20th February, and the 6th and 20th March, 10am till 12:30 at the Inkpen playing field pavilion. Make a note in your diary. You are always welcome.

INKPEN STARGAZERS
These are a few of our early 2025 photos:


We are now in that part of the year when we have the naturally darkest skies. You would be surprised what can be seen even with binoculars or a cheap telescope, the amazing colours and structures.

Late in November, but just in time for ‘Black Friday’, we received funds from the North Wessex Downs National Landscape Trust, and were able to buy a computerised camera, a Seestar S50. This enables us to photograph galaxies and nebula, the moon and the sun. To get good results we still need outside lights to be turned off and that means we need your help. If you don’t need a light, please turn it off.

If you want to see what a difference it makes having the outside lights turned off, come and join us, you would be very welcome. Of course, we don’t get our telescopes and cameras out if it’s raining but otherwise, we’re keen to see and show what can be seen in the night sky. We’ll try and keep you up to date about meetings, events and what there is to see in the sky. Go to our website at stargazers.inkpenvillage.co.uk. 

Want to join the Inkpen Stargazers? Then email us at inkpen.climate@outlook.com.

INKPEN HISTORY SOCIETY
We are expecting to hold our next meeting on either the 21st or 28th of February. Please check the website www.inkpenhistory.uk for confirmation of the date.

The meeting is not only there for you to come and chat with others about what we are up to, but also to listen to one and a half short talks about our progress with projects. The main talk, which is expected to last for about half an hour, focuses on what the newspapers have reported about Inkpen during the last nearly three hundred years. Stephen Smallbone has kindly agreed to give the talk. The half talk is just a very short update on how we’ve got on with dowsing, is it a useful tool for archaeology or just nonsense.

We still have several projects on the go and are looking for people to help with them. We are also looking for a small group to do some exploratory excavation work. Please get in touch if you are interested.

JUNIOR FOOTBALL
Having seen a good crowd for the most recent HTJFC match, we are pleased to confirm the fixtures in February and March are as follows:

02/02/25 10:30 Hungerford Town Juniors U14 Black
09/02/25 10:30 Hungerford Town Juniors U15 Knights
23/02/25 10:30 Hungerford Town Juniors U15 Crusaders
02/03/25 10:30 Hungerford Town Juniors U14 Black
23/03/25 10:30 Hungerford Town Juniors U14 Black

Should there be local children wishing to join the HTJFC ranks, please contact HTJFCSecretary@outlook.com for more details.

Inkpen Cricket Club
It might be hard to imagine sunny summer days right now—the crack of the bat, the clatter of stumps, or even the occasional wide ball—but the 2025 Inkpen Cricket Club season will be here before we know it. Our winter nets sessions are about to start, and we’ve got our club awards night coming up in February.

If you’re new to Inkpen and fancy joining a local team for some relaxed, social cricket, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’ve never played before, haven’t picked up a bat in years, or just like the idea of spending a Sunday afternoon with good company and a bit of sunshine, you’re very welcome. Check out inkpencricketclub.org for all the details.

YOGA IN INKPEN
Inkpen Village Hall - Tuesday mornings 9:30-10:30am
Inkpen Pavilion - Thursday evenings 7.00-8.00pm

Yoga which is suitable for beginners and experienced. Classes are £10 pay as you go. Contact oliviaboydall@gmail.com 07554446502 for additional info and requests to book on to a class.

Yoga classes not only bring strength, and a sense of freedom and mobility to our physical bodies, they also leave us feeling calm, aligned, with a settled mind. Through movement, postures, breathwork and meditation you will leave the mat with a new sense of energy and a permeating feeling of deep rest physically and mentally.


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evENTS AT INKPEN village hall

INKPEN STITCH AND KNIT
Our February meeting is on Wednesday, February 5th, at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall. Our January meeting was cancelled due to snow and icy roads, so this will be our first meeting in 2025. It will be an opportunity to plan for the future while working on our projects. Please join us there are changes planned for 2025. £2 for the evening including tea, coffee and biscuits.

Inkpen Darts Club
For the first time since our social darts club began a couple of months ago, the village hall echoed with the iconic call of "One hundred and eighty!" Scoring 100 is rare enough for us, so hitting 180 was an exciting milestone. But don’t worry—we’re just a friendly group playing for fun, so there’s no pressure to be an expert.

Our club has grown to include players aged 13 and up (with no upper limit). In fact, we’ve grown so much that we’re adding a second dartboard. We meet twice a month on Monday evenings at 7pm. If you’d like to join, send us a message at inkpenvh@gmail.com, and we’ll add you to our darts WhatsApp group. Here’s to more 180s in the near future.

To find out more about what's going on at the village hall, go to https://www.inkpenvillagehall.org/

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Other inkpen news

Volunteer urgently needed
Your church, indeed, your village, needs a volunteer to join the ‘Holy Duster’ cleaning rota team, due to a retirement. The duties are not onerous but are vital to maintain our beautiful 13th century church which is admired by so many. If you can spare an hour a month (at most), please contact Gilly Burrough (07836 292976) for further details.

THE CROWN AND GARTER
A reminder to come and join our quiz evenings which remain on the last Wednesday of the month, so for February, that’ll be the 26th. We will also be revealing our Valentine's menu very soon.

CHAIN
Not heard about CHAIN? I’m sure a lot of us haven’t.

Well CHAIN helps those of us that can’t easily get around because of a lack of transport. They provide transport to Doctors, Dentists, Chiropodists, Hospital appointments, and more. Their volunteer drivers collect residents from their home and take them to the appropriate appointment, stay with them and take them back home afterwards. They can also take you to do your weekly shop or whatever.

People often complain that the normal bus is too large especially for country lanes and not sufficiently frequent. They ask ‘why isn’t there a minibus or something’ – well there is and this is it. It is privately funded and relies on volunteers.

The CHAIN Office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 to 11am and the volunteers who ‘man’ the office are there to help you with any bookings or other queries. Call them on 01488 683727.

If you think you can help them, give them a call. As with all such ventures, they rely on support, your support, financial and otherwise. But at the end of the day, they are here to help you.

The Spirit of Giving


NATIONAL SCHOOLREADERS
National children’s literacy charity, Schoolreaders, is looking for volunteers to listen to children read in primary schools in the West Berkshire area. 1 in 4 children are leaving primary school unable to read well so our service is in great demand. No qualifications are required to join Schoolreaders, just a love of reading, a few hours each week in term time and a willingness to go where children need you most. Apply now and you could be ready to start in September. To find out more go to www.Schoolreaders.org

RAMBLERS’ WELLBEING WALKS
The Kintbury group of Wellbeing Walks meets every Tuesday morning at 10am. On the 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesday of a month the walk starts from the Kintbury Coronation Hall and ends with coffee at the Bowling Club. On the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, the walk starts at 10am from the Crown & Garter Pub at Inkpen and ends with coffee at the Honesty Bakery.

If you would like to start walking, explore the local footpaths and meet new people just come along or to find out more contact John Noble on 07895 034552 or Janet Taylor on 01488 658225.

Kennet Valley Wetland Reserve
The Town and Manor of Hungerford charity would like your thoughts on its proposal to create a wetland reserve on a site known as Undy's Meadow, between Charnham Park road and the river Kennet. The proposed wetland will be within walking distance of Hungerford town centre, will be open to the public and will include an Education & Information Centre. As a village close to Hungerford, we would like your thoughts on this proposal.

Your feedback is important to ensure we make this project as relevant and appealing as we can. Your responses to our survey (https://tinyurl.com/hungerfordwetland-Survey) will remain anonymous – only the statistics from the surveys will be used. It will only take 5 minutes or less to complete. Thank you.

If you would like to find out more about out proposal do visit our website page on: https://townandmanor.co.uk/wetland-reserve 

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Useful links

Many thanks to Tim and Ali des Forges, editors of the Inkpen and Combe bulletin, for providing bulletin copy for this website.  You can contact Tim and Ali by phone or email thus - aliedesforges@yahoo.co.uk or ring them on 01488 668496. You can also  download a copy of the Inkpen and Combe bulletin here

To report potholes, go to www.westberks.gov.uk/pothole. For other road or pavement issues including overgrown verges, go to www.westberks.gov.uk.

To join Laine's heating oil delivery club, email Lanie.

To report a water leak, go to www.thameswater.co.uk and for loss of electricity, go to www.ssen.co.uk. Both Thames Water and SSE provide priority services for those needing help to cope should there be a loss of service. This includes the elderly and those with special health needs.  Thames Water priority  service can be accessed on-line, here and for SSEN, the details are provided here.


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