OCTOBER marks a celebration of Black History Month in Europe.
Reading highlighted its own diversity with a programme of events to recognise the vital contribution the black community makes to the town, and the country.
Reading saw music, art, theatre, and debate events, as well as numerous educational resources.
The council hosted a number of debates in its civic offices, with The Big Debate and ACRE’s Black Lives Matter discussion.
There was also a celebration of community volunteers, hosted by ACRE and Utulivu Women’s Group, also in the council chambers.
Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward, Reading Borough Council’s lead for Leisure and Culture, said: “Reading is a town that rightfully prides itself on its diversity.
“Reading Borough Council is committed to supporting the Black community, furthering the rights of the members of that community and tackling head-on the disadvantages and struggles that the community has faced.”
The diversity and acceptance across the borough continued to show as team members from Support U were among those commended with awards at this year’s Reading Pride.
Oliwia Budzinska and Jamie Dewson were given the Alice Driver Award after their work supporting people affected by domestic and sexual violence within LGBTQ+ communities.
They work with Support U, which offers a range of services to LGBTQ+ people and allies throughout Reading and the Thames Valley.
Mr Dewson, who collected the award on stage at Reading Pride, said: “It was an absolute honour.
“The Alice driver award is a huge compliment to anybody that’s been awarded it in today’s climate and in the past as well, so we were absolutely overwhelmed.”
Ms Budzinska was unwell on the day of the event.
“I wasn’t able to make it, so I had been in bed all day, then I got a random video from one of our co-workers,” she said.
“It was filming on the stage which I thought was interesting, and then you know, they they started saying about the award, so I thought Jamie had won it.
“But then I see it says ‘Jamie and Olive’ so I was very shocked.”
The award is for champions who work tirelessly in the community, named and given in honour of Alice Driver, who died in June 2019 following years of dedicated activism for LGBTQ+, refugee, and asylum rights.
There was a fond farewell for one of Reading’s most-loved attractions as Carters Steam Fair had its final hurrah.
After 45 years of touring its collection of authentic steam rides and side stalls, Carters concluded its last tour with a visit to Prospect Park.
Joby Carter maintained and toured the collection after taking over from his parents, John and Anna Carter, who began it when they bought the Jubilee Steam Gallopers.
Mr Carter said it was all he had ever known.
“We started when I was born, right when I was a year old – every summer we went all in working at the Fair, and then it got bigger and bigger and bigger.
The Fair had been operated, maintained, and travelled with rides and sidestalls dating as far back as the 1890s.
Mr Carter said there’s a reason their Fair keeps to itself.
“If you take our dainty vintage equipment, and stick it next to a modern ride, it can’t compete – it’s a bit like taking a beautiful 1930s Formula One car to a race.
“To look at it, you’d die it was so beautiful, but it couldn’t actually go as fast as today’s Formula 1 cars. But it’s authentic; there’s no strip lights or plastic cap lights, so beautiful, and basically looks like a film set, which is why we’ve been in so many films.
“It’s a beautiful place to be.”
More than 100,000 people visited the collection in six months of its return tour in 2021, and people had lined the streets during its farewell tour this year.
Mr Carter said there is no intention of splitting the collection up.
“I have been inundated with people that want to buy things individually– attractions, side stalls, even the wagons.
“There’s stuff around the periphery that I would have sold off anyway, but the collection comes as a package.”
He said he’s looking for somewhere that the collection can be kept safe and hopefully still bring joy to the public too.
“I’d really want trust or a private individual to recognise that it’s of national importance, if they can actually give it a better home than me.
“I hope someone can stand up and say that it needs looking after.”
A news story from 2021 continued this year as the arsonist responsible for the Rowe Court fire was sentenced.
Following a hearing at Reading Crown Court which concluded on Friday, October 7, Hakeem Kigundu, aged 32, formerly of Rowe Court, Reading, was sentenced to life imprisonment
He was given a whole life sentence with no minimum term.
On Wednesday, December 15, 2021, Kigundu started a fire at the block of flats, where he had been a resident, which then spread, causing major damage and trapping residents inside.
Two of the residents, Richard Burgess, aged 46, and Neil Morris, aged 45, were killed as a result of the fire, and two further residents were seriously injured.
It was declared a major incident and required a large emergency service presence in response.
CCTV footage and details of a 999 call made by Kigundu himself were seen in court during the hearing, showing him confessing to arson to the call handler shortly before being arrested.
Kigundu also made a series of audio notes before the incident, saying in one of them, dated December 9, that the actions he was about to take were “warranted.”
Detective Inspector Sally Spencer, who was the senior investigating officer, said: “Since this happened on the 15th of December, there’s been an awful lot of people affected by this.
“The family and friends of Neil and Richard, along with people that were injured as a result of being captured within the fire.
“But also everybody that lived within the flats at Rowe Court, all 24 flats, have lost their homes and their possessions and the wider community surrounding it.”
The nature of the incident meant that Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service had to undertake works to secure the site of the incident before rescue and recovery works could continue.
Recovery efforts took nearly three months, and concluded in March 2022.
DI Spencer said the lengthy police efforts in response to the incident: “had a massive impact on people’s lives.”
“There has been a lot of support from people in the community that weren’t directly affected or live at Rowe Court.
“Engagement with the community and any information that they can discuss with us or wish to provide us really helps.”
Nearly 4,000 people came together to celebrate the Hindu festivals Diwali and Dussehra in Sonning.
The first Reading Dussehra Diwali Festival took place at Reading Cricket Club on Saturday, October 15, to mark Diwali, the festival of light, and Dussehra, the festival of good over evil.
Attendees, including borough mayor, Cllr Rachel Eden, were entertained by more than 40 artists throughout the afternoon including singers, dancers, Dhol drummers and a performance of a traditional Ramayan drama.
The focal point of the celebration was the effigy burning of demon king Raavan, an age-old tradition during Dussehra.
Ritesh Nigam, part of the organising team alongside Aradhana Singh, said: “It was a stunning afternoon and the burning of the effigy was spectacular.
“There were plenty of families bringing their children to see it and some that had travelled from far away.
“We would like it to happen again next year.”
With 2022 taking place without strict covid restrictions, many events were returning for the first time in more than two years.
One of those making a comeback was homelessness charity Launchpad’s Big Sleep Out.
Participants brought sleeping bags and settled down for a kip in the Reading Abbey Ruins.
It was a cold night, with temperatures dropping to 4°C, giving the 30 participants a chance to experience some of the conditions that rough sleepers face.
This was the event’s 17th year, and the first in person event for three years.
And it raised an impressive £18,000, despite just a quarter of the usual numbers taking part.
Vicki Lewis, fundraising manager at Launchpad, said although there were fewer people than usual, the charity was “thrilled” to raise the amount it did.
She added: “Because of them, many people in Reading who will face housing crisis because they can’t make ends meet, can receive the urgent help they need from Launchpad.”
Another event that was delayed was the official opening of the new tri-service community fire station in Theale.
Last year, firefighters from Dee Road in Tilehurst, and neighbouring Pangbourne station moved into the new facility, the third such shared space in the county.
The state-of-the-art facility is right by the A4 Bath Road, and close to the M4, making it ideal for tackling emergencies quickly.
The large station offers improved training and welfare facilities for staff, helping to support the workforce of modern public services.
The building has been carefully designed to promote an inclusive working environment for a range of staff from across the fire and rescue service and partner agencies, while providing the flexibility of function that is required in the modern era.
On Thursday, October 20, the new station was officially opened by James Puxley, the Lord-Lieutenant for the Royal County of Berkshire.
The ribbon cutting was watched by mayors, special guests and Evan Rose, who created artwork on display in the station’s lobby.
Among those making speeches were Cllr Paul Gittings, the chair of the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority; Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley Matthew Barber; Kirsten Willis-Drewett, Head of Operations South Central Ambulance Service; and Wayne Bowcock, Chief Fire Officer Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The ‘Ding is home to many award-winning organisations and establishments and another was added to the list in October, as the town’s Pubwatch scheme scooped the top accolade at this year’s National Pubwatch Awards.
Judged by members of the National Pubwatch committee, the awards recognise the work of local schemes to provide safe environments for staff and customers of venues.
Bill Donne, honorary secretary of the scheme, said: “The win is a real show of recognition of the hard work that Pubwatch has put in, especially considering we are all volunteers who give their time.”
It is the second time the committee has taken the award, having been given the title in 2007.
“We won the award fifteen years ago and I think it shows that we are still at the vanguard when it comes to supporting the nighttime economy.
“Fifteen years later it shows that we are still committed to tackling crime and disorder within the industry.”
