Community Yearbook 2020

Newbury Weekly News

Thursday, 16 January, 2020

Companies’ gender pay gap TWO of West

AWE Aldermaston has also reported a gender pay gap of 15 per cent. A company’s median pay gap is the difference in pay between the middle- ranking woman and the middle-ranking man. Since 2010, UK compa- nies with more than 250 employees have been required to reveal their percentage of female employees and the dif er- ence in pay between women and men. Vodafone’s median pay

gap figure is a slight decrease from 2017, when the company reported a 24.3 per cent dif erence between the two genders. Both companies employ a smaller proportion of female employees which, when relative to the workforce as a whole, is one of the main reasons behind the greater gender pay gap at both organisations. Of the 17,000 employees at Vodafone in the UK, 35 per cent are women.

Berkshire’ s biggest employers have a pay gap in favour of men. Vodafone UK– whose headquarters are in Newbury – revealed its hourly median pay for a male employee is more than a fifth (21.8 per cent) greater than that for a female. This was higher than the national median average of 17.1 per cent, as published by the Office for National Statistics.

Killing it... PAUL Hart’s Watermill Ensemble made a welcome return to the Bagnor playhouse with a thrilling, innovative production of Macbeth . Hart’s assured imaginative direction was bold and brave. The cast was gender-blind. Gone are the three witches, replaced with the voices of ethereal spirits and fallen soldiers and there is a dark humour entwined throughout this gritty story of ambition, greed and murder. Robin Strapp wrote: “ Katie Lias’ foreboding set evokes a war-torn and burnt-out hotel, where there are three doors, each numbered 6 – a true hell on earth and the flickering outdoor sign confirms this. Louise Rhoades Brown’s video projections create tree branches and dramatic rivulets of blood flowing down the set and Tom White’s atmospheric lighting vividly evokes the mood. “The Watermill’s trademark highly-talented actor/musicians add a nuanced commentary to the action, with a song list of classic hits including the Rolling Stones’ Paint it Black and Roy Orbison’s In Dreams, all beautifully arranged by musical director Maimuna Memon. “Billy Postlethwaite is most impressive as Macbeth, a confident professional soldier who becomes entrapped as the witches’ prophesies start to come true. His scheming, assertive wife Lady Macbeth, a striking sultry performance by Emma McDonald, drives the action forward, her ambition challenging her husband’s doubts about killing King Duncan. This is a powerful, spirited production that will refresh and challenge your preconcep- tions of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy.” The production returned to The Wat rmill in the autumn after a successful UK tour as a Midsummer Night’s Dream Picture: Pamela Raith

Travellers wreak havoc in park DOZENS of travellers broke into Victoria Park and left a trail of

Racing’s £22.8m boost to economy

to create circular skid-mark patterns. The pitch, which was only laid in September in time for the start of the new football season, sustained significant damage. Residents took to social media to vent their anger, with some describing the damage as “disgusting”. Newbury MP Richard Benyon said he was “appalled” by the “ illegal

devastation in their wake. More than 20 caravans gained unauthorised access to the park by cutting through the gate locking bar at St Mary’s Road. Residents in nearby properties overlooking the park watched in despair as some members of the group recklessly performed ‘donut’ manoeu- vres around the park’s football pitch THE suspect substance found on the bed of the River Lambourn at East Garston was confirmed as potentially deadly asbestos. The revelation came following tests carried out by the Environment Agency, which worked to repair damage caused by illegal dredging. Conservationists were horrified to discover the damage following the illicit operation that could devastate wildlife in the highly-protected chalk stream in East Garston. Environment Agency spokesman Peter O’Connor said:“Tests have confirmed the substance is white asbestos, which is quite a common form of asbestos in farm buildings. “We’ve also done some tests on the surrounding soil, but these have thankfully proved negative.

incursion” into Victoria Park, which he described as the heart of Newbury. Asbestos discovered in river

A REPORT revealed that the Lambourn horseracing industry contributes more than £22.6m a year to the local economy and is responsible for one in three jobs in the area. Some of the country’s Henderson and Grand National winner Oliver Sherwood, have yards in Lambourn. The report, conducted by SQW and commissioned by Jockey Club Estates and West Berkshire Council, acknowledged Lambourn as the second biggest horseracing training centre in the country. It reveals that the number of horses using Lambourn’s public gallops has risen dramat - leading trainers, including Nicky

ically over the past 13 years, from 367 in 2006 to around 800 in 2019. As a result, the report, entitled ‘Horse Racing in Lambourn Valley, the industry’s social and economic impacts’, also identified roads, traffic and safety of horses as ongoing challenges. The report said there had been a growth in housing

and the number of horses using the gallops, but highlighted the fact that road capacity had not increased in that time. It acknowledged that “although interventions such as horse crossings and horse walks have sought to compensate”, “traffic and safety remain topics of great concern to trainers”.

“The asbestos will be removed safely now we know exactly what it is.” Action for the River Kennet (ARK) spokeswoman Charlotte Hitchmough said: “We just can’t understand why anyone would do such a thing.”

We are seeking drivers for our Newbury Volunteer Car scheme as well as the Newbury and Thatcham Handybus. Both of these services are a valuable resource for our community but we cant do it without you! We need your help!!! Do you have spare time? Would you like to help local people? Are you a conscientious driver? Every year volunteer drivers assist with around 2000 local appointments. We are seeking a few more drivers. Training and reassurance provided. Call Garry for an informal chat 01635 49004 or email garry@vcwb.org.uk www.volunteerwestberks.org.uk