Maidenhead & Windsor

The Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough has expressed its bitter disappointment and frustration at the NHS Berkshire decision, announced today, to move all mental health beds from St Mark’s Hospital, Maidenhead, and Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot, to Prospect Park Hospital in Tilehurst, Reading.

Cllr Simon Dudley, cabinet member for Windsor and Maidenhead adult and community services, said: “This is a very sad day for mental health patients and their families in Maidenhead, Windsor and Ascot. At present they have access to these services locally but now, while we recognise that high quality care will continue to be provided, they will have to trek up to 25 miles for that care.”

The move to Reading was proposed by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in 2010 as one of three options to enable it to save more than £20m over three years.

The council supported another option – of moving all services to Prospect Park except for those in Charles Ward, St Mark’s Hospital – as it was the only one to offer a locally-based service to borough residents.

Windsor and Maidenhead Cllr Dudley added: “We have fought long and hard to save local services for local people but the NHS has made the decision to go ahead with the move despite opposition from the council, medical and care professionals, the public, the media and particularly the patients and their families.”

The Royal Borough has contacted the NHS asking for further information on its proposed additional investment in local mental heath services and the annual travel budget following the move.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

Thames Valley Police officers charged a boy on Friday (27/1), with an incident in Maidenhead in November.

The 16-year-old, who is from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, and can not be named for legal reasons, has been charged with four counts of section 18 GBH with intent and one count of intimidating a witness.

The charges are in relation to an incident in Somersby Crescent, Cox Green, Maidenhead on 13 November, where two boys and two girls were injured in a fight.

The boy appeared at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Saturday (28/1), and was released on conditional bail to attend Maidenhead Magistrates’ Court on 2 February.

Six other boys, all aged 16, also arrested in connection with the incident, have been re-bailed until 7 March.

Thames Valley Police ~ Maidenhead

The Windsor & Royal Borough Museum is celebrating its latest success just a month after the Queen visited the Windsor Guildhall to officially open the museum.

A confirmed grant of just over £249,000 has been awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) following a successful bid by the Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough’s libraries, arts and heritage team.

The money means the recently opened Windsor and Maidenhead museum will now be able to develop a series of exciting education and learning activities to engage the people of Windsor and the millions who visit the town in its fascinating history and that of the surrounding areas.

The project – to be called Beyond the Castle Walls – the Story of Windsor and the Guildhall – will feature a series of learning ‘journeys’ which will be created for adults and children supported by a programme of activities and events. These will be designed to encourage community participation in the creation of content, such as oral and video histories and capturing stories and personal memories about important local events.

Cllr Simon Dudley, cabinet member for Windsor and Maidenhead adult and community services, said: “I am delighted to hear that our bid has been successful and would like to thank everyone who contributed to securing the funds, including MP for Windsor Adam Afriyie. The project will offer new opportunities for residents and visitors to discover, enjoy and connect with the area’s history.”

Stuart McLeod, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund said: “This project will see the newly opened museum come alive by offering a rich variety of learning activities and events, providing opportunities for people of all ages to get involved in their history.”

Specific features of Beyond the Castle Walls include:

• an audio tour, written and presented by museum volunteers, describing key features of the building

• a virtual 360o film presentation which enables visitors – including those who cannot access the upper floor – to explore how the Guildhall’s role has changed down the centuries

• a volunteer-led project which develops and captures oral and video histories relating to the Guildhall, Windsor and surrounding areas

• an exhibition development programme involving and supporting local heritage groups and schools

• a heritage partnership to be established with Friends of the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum, local heritage groups and educational institutions and community groups, as well as a formal education advisory panel

• a range of educational materials and learning activities, including online resources, outreach activities, themed events and a travelling exhibition.

The Beyond the Castle Walls project will be launched this spring, be fully operational by the end of the year and run until the end of 2014.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

Windsor Thames Valley Police has released CCTV images of men it would like to speak to in connection with shoplifting at the O2 shop in Windsor on Saturday (21/1).

At about 4.40pm offenders entered the store in Peascod Street, Windsor grabbed eight mobile phones on display and left the scene by splitting up and running in different directions.

All four Windsor men are white and in their late teens or early twenties.

CCTV image of group of men One was clean shaven with short dark spiky hair and was wearing a large black padded jacket with a hood.

A second was also clean shaven and was wearing a dark jacket with hood and a green flat cap.

A third had a thinly groomed beard and was wearing a white and green hooded top and a black cap.

A fourth was clean shaven with short dark shaven hair, underneath a white top.

They stole eight smart phones worth a total of approximately £1,500.

The Windsor phones were a Samsung Galaxy S2, HTC Rhyme, HTC Explorer, HTC Sensation, HTC Desire, BlackBerry Curve 9300, BlackBerry Curve 9380 and a BlackBerry Bold l9900.

PC Jon Edwards from Windsor police station said: “I would like to hear from anyone who recognises the men in the images, or anyone who has recently been offered any of these mobile phones.”

Anyone with information about the incident should contact PC Edwards via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 101.

If you don’t want to speak to police or give your name, please call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Windsor