Duck race makes a splash
ON SATURDAY, Reading’s Oracle riverside was awash with vibrant yellow as Reading Abbey Rotary Club (RARC) held its inaugural Duck Race.
The event saw toy ducks take to the water to raise money for charities supported by RARC, as well as stalls and games for attendees.
Each duck was numbered, and then released into the river. Those who had chosen the winning ducks garnered themselves cash prizes, with first place taking home £300.
The club’s fundraising chair, Jim Gillett, said the response to the event: “Was absolutely brilliant, and much of that is thanks to Andy [Briggs] at The Oracle. He’s a real star when it comes to making space available and supporting us.
“We also had help from Thatcham Canoe Club, who did a super job of keeping the ducks in check – they tend to go off in a dozen different directions.”
It was part of the RARC’s fundraising efforts, split between a number of charities.
“We have a committee within the club who decides which charities to support through the year,” Jim said. “It’ll be pretty similar to last year, which is largely local charities.”
These included ABC to Read, Children in Need, Sue Ryder, foodbanks, and the Air Ambulance.
“It’s not yet final, but we’ve raised around £2,500, and we’re happy with it as the first event of its kind.
“Andy [Briggs] at The Oracle has been very kind and invited us back, so we’d certainly call it a success.”
■ More information about Reading Abbey Rotary and their upcoming events: www.rotary-ribi.org
Many streets in Reading have on-road parking as the terraced homes were built before cars were a common household purchase.
The town has been divided into 19 zones, with permits for residents, as well as temporary permits for daytime or overnight parking.
These are currently physical items, but Reading Borough Council last night discussed plans to make it a digital-only initiative.
It undertook a trial in Lower Caversham, covering the O2R zone of Kings Road, Queens Road and parts of Coldicutt Street.
During this consultation, 17 people made comments about the switch to digital, raising concerns about visitor parking and booking. As a result, the council is suggesting that visitor permits will continue to use physical cards.
A paper system for resident permits will continue for those without digital access.
Cllr John Ennis (Labour, Southcote), lead councillor for transport, said: “We are looking to modernise the way we provide our parking permits, transferring it online and reducing the wait for permits to be processed and dispatched, creating an easier, quicker and simpler system for residents.
“We have taken onboard the feedback from the trial in Lower Caversham which, on the whole, went smoothly.
“Importantly, those who do not have access to the internet, will still be able to use the previous system and will still have to display a permit in their vehicle.
“Physical visitor permits will remain in operation pending the results of a separate trial.”
Information from the council website states that digital parking permits will be rolled out on Sunday, November 1.
The police was voted on at a meeting of the council’s traffic management sub-committee on Wednesday, September 13 – after we had gone to press.
If the changes are agreed, the council will inform current parking permit holders about how to apply for the digital permits a month before their existing one expires.
The council is conducting a separate trial into digital visitor parking permits which, if successful, could be implemented in November 2024.