Get Berkshire Active – chair based exercise sessions

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Chair Based exercise classes are designed to help improve strength and balance from the comfort of your own chair while focusing on aiding muscles used in everyday activity – all performed at a pace that is suitable for the participant. Chair Based Exercise can be done at home and is easy to fit in to your daily routine. Get Berkshire Active have 5 free chair based exercise sessions. Click on the classes below for the Eventbrite booking links.

GBA Current Chair Based Exercise Sessions
Please consider the following safety and top tips before taking part
  • Ensure you use an area where you have enough space to take part. All of the sessions can be completed whilst seated but you will still need to be able to move your arms and legs.
  • Ensure you use a sturdy chair.
  • Keep water and a mobile phone or telephone close by.
  • Consult with your GP or healthcare professional beforehand if you have any health related concerns about taking part.

The Benefits of Community-led Housing

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For many years, we have been championing community-led housing. We are currently working in partnership with colleagues in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire to connect people interested in exploring options for community-led housing with experts that can help. The Collaborative Housing Hub, based in Oxfordshire and covering the Thames Valley, is available to support communities in Berkshire.

Many people across the Thames Valley do not have access to good quality, secure and affordable housing. While lots of housing development is underway, owning a new home will remain largely out of reach for many. This is particularly the case for younger people, single-person households and households earning an average income. Rental prices are also going up and up.

At Collaborative Housing we think communities themselves are best placed to identify their local housing needs. We want to encourage and support communities to find solutions to their housing needs themselves. From co-housing and community land trusts to co-operative and self-help housing, we support all kinds of community-led approaches.

The benefits are many, from genuinely affordable homes to more cohesive communities, improved well-being and tackling the climate emergency. Collaborative Housing provides hands-on advice, from exploring the possibilities through to the practicalities of funding, design and planning.

Thinking about a Housing Needs Survey?

By helping your community or community-led housing group understand the specific housing requirements of residents, an up-to-date Housing Needs Survey can help ensure that your new development best meets local needs. It can be the first step on a journey to new affordable homes.

Housing Needs Surveys are undertaken on behalf of Collaborative Housing by Community First Oxfordshire. CFO has undertaken numerous surveys and their in-house experts can simply and professionally take you through the process and manage the entire survey process. CFO’s rigorous approach and methodology will ensure your Housing Needs Survey can be used as robust evidence by a Local Authority when determining a planning application.

While funds allow, we are able to offer a discount on our Housing Needs Survey service – Find out more https://collaborativehousing.org.uk/uploads/housing-needs-survey-digital.pdf

Are you active in your community?

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Our role as a community development charity is to support people who are interested in bringing about a better quality of life for their friends and neighbours. We help to build people’s skills and confidence, enabling them to play a bigger part in community life. If you are engaging with us, you’re likely to be one of these people.

We want to connect like-minded people who are interested in learning from each-other and willing to share their stories, in the hope that others may be inspired to take positive action themselves. Community Organisers Berkshire will become a source of inspiration and support for anyone interested in improving the social, economic and environmental conditions of the area they live in. 

CCB is working in partnership with Community Organisers Ltd, a national charity which is the membership body and training organisation for community organising in England. Since 2018, CCB and Community Organisers Ltd have delivered training to 73 people in Berkshire, helping them to take action on causes that matter to them.

If you are interested in learning more about Community Organisers Berkshire, please contact Tim at tim.parry@ccberks.org.uk.

Surviving Winter – changing lives, Donate now

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Berkshire Community Foundation is asking those receiving the Government ‘Winter Fuel Payment’, and anyone else who would like to give, to make a donation to the Surviving Winter Fund to help local vulnerable people living in fuel poverty. See https://www.berkshirecf.org/survivingwinter/ for more details.

CCB received some grant funding towards last year’s CCB Family Home Energy Education and Advice Project, which:

  • advised 248 families, of which 188 were vulnerable families in fuel poverty,
  • supported over 20 partner organisations with briefings or training on supporting their low-income and vulnerable families during the pandemic
  • set up a telephone advice service for low-income families to advise on cutting the cost of their bills, and dealing with debt

Families advised said:

“I was really worried about my bills – the advice has been a great help”

“Useful advice that I can put into practice easily”

“Helen made sure I understood how to deal with the issues, and speak to the energy companies”

Comment from a Family Support Worker in Slough –  “This support and advice is excellent, your service is greatly needed for children and families in Slough.”

Census Day is Sunday 21 March

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Households across Berkshire will soon be asked to take part in the nationwide survey of housing and the population. It has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941. Information from the census questionnaires, which you will all be asked to fill in, will help decide how services are planned and funded in your local area. This could mean things like doctors’ surgeries, housing or new bus routes.
What to do
Households will receive a letter with a unique access code in the post, allowing them to complete their questionnaire on-line, and giving information about where to get support if you need it. Paper questionnaires will be available on request.
When should I fill in my census questionnaire?
You can fill yours in as soon as you get your access code in the post. Your answers should be about the people who usually live in your household on Census Day – 21 March – even if you’re filling it in before then. If your household circumstances change on Census Day, you can let us know.
What if I can’t fill in my census questionnaire online?
We know there are some people who will find this challenging. That’s why we’re here to help with a wide range of support services. We will make it easy for you, whatever your needs. Services include:
 guidance and support in many languages and formats
 help over the phone, in a web chat or on social media
 a paper version of the questionnaire, if you prefer
 accessible census guidance, for example, in braille
Do I have to take part?
If you live in England and Wales, you must take part in the census. Census information helps inform how billions of pounds of public funding is spent. By taking around 10 minutes per person to fill in the census questionnaire, you will help make sure your community gets the services needed now and in the future.: