Community Yearbook 17012019

NOVEMBER

W:286.501mm H:0.353mm ISSUEDATE_ID 2_21 Newbury Weekly News

Thursday, 17 January, 2019

Best in West Berks IT was double delight for Newbury-based solicitors Gardner Leader after they

LRIE agreement ‘unlawful ’

Corn Exchange fundraising campaign of f t a great star

HIG Capital, at the Newbury Vision Conference. The £2m investment also includes a Crazy Club soft play centre, Ninja Tag active obstacle assault course, bar and lounge section and an amusement arcade. Superbowl UK expects to create more than 35 jobs. Cutting deep SOME of the district’s most vulnerable residents could be among the hardest hit by the latest round of council cuts. Due to a further reduction in money from central govern- ment, West Berkshire Council is anticipating a shortfall of £7.7m this year. Approximately £295,000 will have to be found via cuts to public services. The council proposed to cease the annual funding to the cancer rehabili- tation programme at a cost of £8,290 per year. It also proposed to reduce the funding to the Special Needs Advice and Counselling Support Services (from £10,000 to £8,000 and the funding to the Supported Employment Scheme for People with Disabil - ities, from £60,000 to £45,000. The judgement stated that “the unlawful direct award of contracts is the most serious breach of EU law in the field of public procurement”. The DA with St Modwen has been declared ineffective. The ruling did make it clear that there was “no evidence and no suggestion that the council had acted at any stage in bad faith”. However, it added that by entering into the DA, the council “effectively agreed to act unlawfully in the future”.

A NEW bowling alley is set to open in Newbury’s Kennet Shopping centre this year. Superbowl UK will open a 14- lane ten pin bowling alley in the former TK Maxx store. The announcement was made by the owner of the shopping centre, WEST Berkshire Council entered into an unlawful agreement with a multi- billion pound developer, a court ruled In 2015, the council signed a deal with St Modwen to carry out a regeneration of the London Road Industrial Estate following a non- regulated bidding process. However, the Court of Appeal ruled that the development agree - ment (DA) constituted a public works contract and should have been put out to tender.

JUST three weeks into a new regular- giving fundraising campaign launched by the Corn Exchange in response to the charity losing all its funding from

walked away with two prizes at the Newbury Weekly News Best in Busi- ness Awards. The company picked up the coveted overall Best in Busi- ness award, sponsored by West Berkshire Brewery, and the Customer Service Award, sponsored by Newbury Business Improve- ment District (BID). More than 300 people from a diverse range of companies attended the gala dinner at Newbury Racecourse. Newbury restaurant The Sushi Maki was victorious in the Small Business of the Year category, while The Fox at Peasemore walked away with the Rural Business of the Year Award and The

West Berkshire Council from April 2019, donation pledges have hit their first mile- stone of £15,000. The Save Your Corn Exchange campaign is asking audiences, participants and supporters to commit £2 a month towards the running of the arts venue, with a target of £150,000 a year. Corn Exchange director Grant Brisland said: “We’re thrilled by the initial reaction to the campaign, with many messages of support along with donations. The fact that the average donation is just over double the suggested amount just goes to show the affection that our supporters have for the Corn Exchange. We still have a long way to go if we are to fill the gap that this funding cut leaves. Therefore, when we reach the next milestone of £25,000 I will throw myself down the world’s fastest zip line as a commitment to the campaign.” GB gridiron call-up A FATHER and son from Thatcham repre- sented Great Britain Lions under-19 Ameri- can Football team in the 29-6 defeat at the hands of the Netherlands in Arnhem. Dominic De Monte, formerly a student at Trin- ity School, where he was a sports team captain for two years, is in his first year at Oxford Brookes University. He went through trials and four camps to be selected as a member of the 45-man travelling squad to face the Dutch side. De Monte currently plays for the Oxford Brookes University Panthers, who play in the British University and College Sports League. His previous experience at the youth and junior level has been with the Solent Seahawks Academy, Farnham Knights and Swindon Storm. Dominic has also been a member of Team Kennet Athletics and Triathlon Club. Phil De Monte, a former USAF service member who last served at RAF Greenham Common, is a coach on the GB squad.

Go ahead for bowling alley

Jo Faithfull celebrates The Briars Dental Centre ‘s triumph in the Best Use of Social Media award

Hare & Hounds at Speen won the Independent Retailer of the Year Award. The Best Use of Social Media award went to The Briars Dental Centre and the char- ity and not-for-profit award went to Newbury Soup

Kitchen for its work helping the district’s homeless. Alison Huntley, the founder of Tigers Day Nurseries, picked up the Entrepreneur of the Year Award, with the Innovation in Business Award going to Corvia.

Flash of inspiration RESIDENTS of West Fields, Newbury, got into the

really go to town. For the last two years we have performed a flash mob at Hallowe’en.” The Ghostbusters entertained the crowds with a chore- ographed routine. More than 150 residents raised £182 in collections, matched by local company QA Ltd, to give a total of £364 for Children in Need.

Hallowe’en spirit with a Ghostbusters flashmob to raise money for Children in Need. Organiser Sukey Russell- Hayward said: “The West Fields area has a vibrant community spirit and at Hallowe’en the residents

War heroes remembered THOUSANDS of people crammed into Market Place for the biggest Remembrance Day parade Newbury has seen in recent times. Civil dignitaries, Air Force, Army, Navy and police cadets paraded from Pelican Lane and made their way towards the Market Place to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War. Civil dignitaries, led by Newbury mayor Margo Payne, the chairwoman of the Newbury Town Council World Wars Working Group Jo Day and representatives from a number of local organisations, laid wreaths.