We need more councillors like Sarah Kerr

We need more councillors like Sarah Kerr in Wokingham. How dare Andrew Waters criticise her (The Wokingham Paper, March 19).

Sarah is a councillor dedicated to her residents. She has set up a group of people to distribute food boxes to vulnerable people during the COVID 19 crisis. What is Andrew Waters doing at this time?

I take issue with other points in the letter. Sarah is correct in politicising over the former Council leader – it was appalling the way she was treated. The ‘old boys network’ has been operating in Wokingham as a dictatorship for far too long and it is time it was changed to a council where the residents come first. Let’s hope that the electorate sees sense at the next elections.

Sarah Kerr’s comments on climate change are correct – letter Wokingham Paper January 9. When she wrote to MP Sir John Redwood to ask him to try and get the law changed over permitted development without planning permission. The only sensible proposal was made by Tony Johnson – Wokingham Paper March 12, which was to get the 240+ Councillors to debate and redefine what the borough should be doing.

Cedric Lander, Woodley

Editor’s note: Sarah is one of many people involved with the launch of the Wokingham Borough Community Hub

Plague carrier

Since Coronavirus hit the shores of this country we have been urged repeatedly to self-isolated, to curtail any external contact wherever possible, and this seems to have been followed by the majority of the population, or so I thought!

Several days ago the latest leaflet from the Lib Dems was forced through my, and many more letterboxes, extolling the great works done by the party within Earley, although completely based upon the works done by the previous council.

I find it extremely stupid, irresponsible and frankly dangerous that ANY political party would be delivering leaflets while the country was experiencing “lockdown”, in an attempt to control the spread of the virus.  Obviously, it was far more important for the Lib Dems to spread their lies and half-truths rather than be concerned about the welfare and safety of the residents of Earley, especially as it has not been shown that the virus can survive on a contaminated surface for 28 days and still be active!

Well done Lib Dems for being part of the spreaders of contagion!

Brian Wedge, Wokingham

Well I never!

How amazing that we are at last witnessing the brilliance of our Doctors, Scientists, Engineers, Entrepreneurs and the like; ‘spirits’ unlocked from government and its hoard of civil servants. Brilliant is hardly strong enough with which to praise their hard work.

I refer to the efforts to design and produce urgent medical items missing from the NHS because of incompetent bureaucrats.

The very way such bodies address every problem is that it will ‘take time’. How marvellous that all are taking no notice of rules and regulations, applying ‘do it immediately’. Just wait and see how that philosophy may soon ease the effects of the virus.

As an oldie, I have for over 50 years preached that ‘we really are the best and most capable country’. Sadly our Margaret was the last person to test that proposition – now with some dynamic leaders, we are doing that again.

I have not mentioned our Nurses, Doctors and NHS helpers, who are suffering at the work-face – I fail to find a word in the dictionary that adequately praises or recognises their dedication, the accepted risks to their lives or health, for being true servants to our society. Everyone should pray daily for them.

A last but important issue I feel I must mention concerns ‘the virus’. Many believed that young people (under 40 perhaps) were not so likely to catch or have any serious effects from catching the virus.

The very sad loss of 21-year-old Chloe Middleton and others,  in my view proves that everyone is at risk. That brings me to a large number of youngsters not yet protected at all – namely the workers in supermarkets. Shields for some till staff, but nothing for the shelf stackers, the collectors of customer orders and the like. An issue that needs addressing urgently.

Reg Clifton, Wokingham

Keep out

Notices have gone up in Elms Field advertising luxury hosung and “luxury town life”. Likewise it was recently agreed by WBC’s planning committee that there will be no affordable housing in the Carnival Pool development. The message is clear – poor people and those on lower incomes are not welcome.

This is an interesting interpretation of the concept of social distancing.

Peter Humphreys, Wokingham

Clapping for carers

I was so pleased when I opened my front door at 8pm last Thursday evening and everyone started clapping. (Not for me) I had hoped many more people would have joined in.

There can’t be a person in Barkham Road who has not had help from the NHS. Anyway, the clapping and lights on, plus our voices, small they may have been, must have shown our appreciation.

I wish the government would hurry with up-to-date equipment.

I appreciate the no visiting for people over 70 but my husband must find it very boring to be in a ward of several patients who sleep all day. That would be enough to drive me mad.

Anyway, many many thanks for the few people who opened their doors  Many many thanks for all the lovely carers and NHS nurses for whom we clapped loudly in Barkham Road.

Francine Twitchett, Wokingham

Spot on Brian

I read, with great interest, Brian Hicks’s feature, ‘Marking World Bipolar Day’ – [The Wokingham Paper – 26th March].

Our, considerable, experience of Bi-Polar Affective Disorder, at the crisis house, confirms, exactly, what Brian Hicks says. Its sufferers are, frequently, Oxbridge science graduates, talented graduates of the Royal College of Music, or, gifted, artists.

The condition, known as, ‘hypomania’, enhances normal abilities, and frequently, enables bipolar sufferers, to perform, better than the average. The medication, lithium, prevents them from surging, into full-blown mania.

Brian Hicks mentions the researcher, Mogens Schou. I recall bringing Professor Mogens Schou, over from Denmark, to address what was to be, my last, major, international mental health conference – held, in Oxford, in November 1992. It was shortly after this, that running the crisis house, became a full-time, commitment, so, reluctantly, I had to discontinue, my mental health education work.

But, doesn’t Brian Hicks’s feature confirm, precisely what I wrote, in my letter – ‘Strictly Carrying On’ – March 5?  I, personally, may no longer be able, to organise international conferences, on Bi-Polar Disorder, but other, and, no doubt, younger, people, are continuing to do so!

Referring now, to my letter of March 26 – ‘Yes, Carrying On’, these are troubled times – in which it is important, to use one’s head, as well as one’s heart! Self isolation isn’t so bad – if one is in normal, mental health, and has a large house, and, a garden, in which to get space, and fresh air.

But if one, is severely depressed, severely anxious, or suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, being incarcerated, practically all the time, in a tiny bedsitter, and with, no access to a garden, then one’s mental illness, is exacerbated.

This is why it is so important, for the crisis house drop-in centre, to remain open, during the coronavirus pandemic.

Even if people are self-isolating, and so don’t come in, regularly, at least they know that we are still here, and that they can come to us, if their isolation becomes unbearable.

Actual suicides, are very sad, but attempted suicides, are not only sad; they are, extremely burdensome, on our over-stretched National Health Service.

Pam Jenkinson, The Wokingham Crisis House

Talking PANTS

As many of your readers are adapting to become home-school teachers, they’re going to be doing  everything from reading, colouring, singing, and dancing to help their children learn. So, while we’re using this time to teach school lessons, why not teach life lessons, too. 

The NSPCC’s PANTS campaign uses cartoons, songs, and drawings featuring Pantosaurus the Dinosaur to get children and parents talking PANTS and, as a result, help children to recognise the signs of sexual abuse in a child-friendly way.

But what are the PANTS Rules?  Pantosaurus helps to teach kids that: Privates are private, Always remember your body belongs to you, No means no, Talk about secrets that upset you, and Speak up, someone can help.

Last year, Childline carried out an average of 12 counselling sessions every day with children who have been sexually exploited. That’s why it is so important to talk about child sexual abuse, so our children know that it is never their fault.

For more visit crowdfunder.co.uk/nspcc-pantosaurus-book

Helen Westerman, Head of Safeguarding in Communities, NSPCC

Kindness and support

Leaving aside the fact that a number of the challenges that may have to be faced as a result of the spread of coronavirus will be exacerbated as the result of a decade of underfunding and staff reductions throughout the NHS by successive governments, forcing the incumbents to fly by the seat of their pants in an effort to bring a rapidly increasing threat under control, Covid-19 is most certainly revealing the  very best and worst in society.

From numerous acts of kindness and help for the most vulnerable to that amounting to what can only be described as displays of hysterical selfishness as supermarket shelves have been stripped of food and other products in spite of pleas for restraint in the face of the unwarranted and unacceptable behaviour of a relative few to the detriment of others.

Of course, it is perfectly understandable and acceptable for people to hold a reasonable reserve of essentials for use in emergencies but not on a scale witnessed throughout recent weeks.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “There is enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed”. A wisdom we should all carry with us.

Finally, let us pause to express our thanks and gratitude to all those who, in the weeks and months ahead, will be fighting to protect and provide for us in the face of the insidious threat from a silent and invisible enemy.

JW Blaney,
Wokingham

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