Council funding explored in report, fun day dazzles, and Cookie gets a new home
NO local government in England receives more funding to carry out its services, relative to its needs, than Wokingham Borough Council, a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies revealed.
The study – disputed by the council – showed that the Council received £261 more from central government per person than it needed to fulfil its duties in 2022/23 – the highest differential of any local authority in the country.
These findings come after months of borough-wide cuts to public services, which the Council has insisted are necessary to combat underfunding from central government and inflation.
Entitled ‘How much public spending does each area receive? Local authority level estimates of health, police, school and local government spending’, the report investigated the allocation of funding to England’s local authorities and found there to be ‘significant’ discrepancies between relative levels of funding and estimated needs.
Across all services, excluding schools, Wokingham received £169 more per person than its estimated need, in stark contrast to neighbouring Reading Borough Council, who received £130 less per person than deemed required.
To ascertain the most accurate representation of local need, the report’s writers combined the government’s estimates of relative spendings needs of different places, and updated them with the most up-to-date data.
The report highlighted that the borough received 21.7% less than its relative need for public health services, which equated to funding of £32 per capita – around half the national average of £60, and well below Westminster’s £161 allocation, which was the highest in the country.
A charity that raises funds to find treatments and a cure for childhood brain cancer held its annual summer fair at the weekend.
Visitors to the Ollie Young Foundation Fun Day enjoyed inflatables, stalls, games, and plenty of sunshine.
Charity founder, and mum of Ollie Young, Sarah Simpson said: “It really was an amazing day, with perfect weather.
”A huge thank you to all our volunteers and committee.
They all did an epic job, and both Simon and I are super proud to have such an amazing team.”
Ollie died in 2012, aged five, having been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
The foundation was set up by his parents in his memory.
Wokingham and Emmbrook Football Club hosted a very special visitor at its Emirates FA Cup match this month.
What makes John Stancombe different from other supporters is that he’s totally blind. He travels the country from his home in Lowestoft, Suffolk, to visit non-league football grounds.
The Sumas’ match against Cinderford Town at Lowther Road last Sunday was match number 1,794 for John, who made the ten-hour round trip via Ipswich, London and Twyford using the rail network.
John was welcomed into the changing rooms before the match by manager Matt Cronan to meet the Sumas, as well as being introduced to officials from the opponents, and the match referee and his assistants.
Mark Ashwell, president of the club, said: “John is a true inspiration for us all, and we salute the effort he made to be with us.”
A deaf former stray cat who has impressed her carers with the creative ways she communicates was looking for her forever home.
Cookie had been in the care of Cats Protection’s Bracknell & Wokingham since December, and in that time has delighted her fosterer with the variety of ways she demonstrates what she needs.
Volunteer Lynne Pothecary said: “When Cookie arrived, she had been straying for over three years and although we noticed that her meows were often very loud, we put that down to her years of living rough and needing to make herself seem larger than life to keep herself safe but when we took her to the vet, we discovered she’s entirely deaf.”
The petite 16-year-old is known for her friendly nature and love of affection as well as her ability to engage with those around her.
Cookie was with the branch for five times longer than the 42-day average that it currently takes cats to be homed across the Cats Protection’s network of adoption centres and branches.
Speaking exclusively to
Wokingham Today, Cookie said: “Meeooowwwww”.