A misunderstanding
I read with interest the letter headed Offences Ignored in last week’s paper.
I’m afraid the author misunderstands the purpose of traffic controls.
The ‘No Right Turn’ rules at various junctions with the Reading Road have nothing to do with road safety.
Indeed, if they did then they would apply to all junctions along the road.
No, they are to prevent traffic congestion that would be caused during busy periods by cars holding up following traffic while waiting to turn right.
This is why they only apply to busier roads that are around Woosehill roundabout, giving a convenient means of performing a U-turn.
For example, Holt Lane can be equally busy but a ban on turning right would mean traffic heading for Reading would have to turn left with no convenient means of turning back.
Although this is very laudable during busy periods it is not necessary at other times.
In fact, the ban on right turns from Oxford Road into Reading Road adds about half-a-mile to the journey to the town centre or anywhere east.
This is an unnecessary inconvenience to local residents and must add to traffic pollution.
Rather than enforcing the rules a more practical solution would be to place time limits on the signs, permitting right turns at all times outside busy periods.
Alan Rouse,
Wokingham
Where are the houses?
I would like to ask the councillors representing all the wards besides Hurst and Ruscombe, why they accept the fact that very, very few houses are built in these northern parishes.
My mother lives in Shinfield and I listened in last Monday to the Hurst AGM, where the councillor for Hurst was practically bragging that he’d dumped 3,500 into another ward while discussing preventing building in Hurst.
I understand Hurst residents don’t want any more houses, but neither did Shinfield or other wards.
I find it concerning how, the man responsible for planning at Wokingham Borough Council can protect his ward Hurst, so well while he can dump huge amounts of houses in other areas and get away with it.
Fiona Talbot, London
Screen test
Re: Prostate Cancer that men suffer with.
Men need a screening programme.
PSA blood tests fails many men at times.
Breast, cervical and bowel have screening – alll except Prostate.
Men over 50 are dying . One in four black men who get prostate cancer dies.
The Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock should put money into hospitals for a screening programme.
Victor Rones, campaigner for men’s justice, Bracknell
Marking Carers Week
This week is Carers Week 2021, a week dedicated to raising awareness of the extraordinary efforts and many challenges facing carers every day around the United Kingdom.
I would like to share with your readers the fantastic work carers do looking after the nation’s most vulnerable people.
There were 9.1m family carers in the UK at the start of lockdown, and it is estimated that a further 4.5 million have taken on caring responsibilities since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many are solely responsible for the wellbeing of a loved one who may rely on them completely, sometimes 24/7, without any form of break.
While caring can be a hugely rewarding experience, many carers neglect looking after themselves.
Hilary cares for her son, Shaun, who is brain damaged after an accident in Ibiza when he was 19: “There’s no let up, no way forward, no support. It’s just…everything. I really need a break, for my mental health.
“It just feels like hotels and restaurants are opening up, but disabled people are left to the last, at the bottom of the pile.
“I’m never, ever, going to give up on my son. Life is too short you know; you need to keep fighting.”
The nation’s carers perform such a vital role in keeping the country running, saving the NHS millions every year and going far beyond the call of duty to provide for some of the country’s most vulnerable people.
We owe them a debt of gratitude.
I would like the carers of this country to know that the charity I work for, Revitalise, based in Chigwell, Essex, are here to give you a warm welcome at our centre, should
you need a break or change of scenery, with 24-hour on-call nurse-led care and discounted rates until Monday, June 28.
So, anyone who feels they could benefit from our support, need only ask.
Devon Prosser, Revitalise
Resources available
This week is Carers week, an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring and to recognise the contribution of carers across the UK.
At Lymphoma Action, we have a host of resources available to support people who may be caring for someone with a diagnosis of lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.
Living with lymphoma can be demanding: physically, practically and emotionally – not only for the person who’s been diagnosed, but for family members and friends too.
Readers may be interested in our upcoming webinar, Supporting you – a webinar for families, friends and carers. Taking place at 6pm on Thursday, June 24.
This free session aims to recognise the physical, practical and emotional impact on supporting a loved one living with lymphoma, share experiences of some of these issues and learn about some self-care strategies that might be useful.
We have a dedicated section for people caring for someone with lymphoma on our website, and our freephone helpline offers information and support to anyone affected by lymphoma.
We have also recently extended our online support groups to provide a dedicated meeting for family, friends and carers to provide an opportunity for people to gain mutual support and connect with others in a similar situation.
Our book When Someone Close to You Has Lymphoma is written to help people take care of themselves as well as the person they may be supporting.
It contains practical tips and ideas to help with emotional support, as well as quotes from others who have experience of caring for someone who has lymphoma.
Readers may also be interested in listening to our Lymphoma Voices podcast episode where sisters Emma and Sarah talk about the emotional challenges of supporting a loved one at a distance following Sarah’s diagnosis of lymphoma in 2020.
We are here for everyone affected by lymphoma, the fifth most common cancer in the UK.
For further details readers can visit www.lymphoma-action.org.uk
Amanda Harris
PR & Communications Officer
Lymphoma Action
