The following awareness events occur in May. Discover more about the communities in our area that are connected to these events, by accessing data and information available from the West Berkshire Observatory.
1-7 May 2024: Deaf Awareness Week – This was created by the UK Council on Deafness to increase the visibility of challenges the deaf community faces and educate others on how they can support them. On the Data Explorer, search using keywords such as “deaf” to find out the percentage of our residents that have hearing loss. Our Needs Assessments and Further Resources page, under “national websites” and “health and wellbeing”, there is a link to the NHS Hearing Loss Data Tool which shows prevalence of hearing loss within local populations.
15 May 2024: International Day of Families – This is a day designated by the United Nations to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families. Look at the Population & Demographics report for information on the composition of households in the local authority as recorded in the 2021 Census.
13-19 May 2024: Mental Health Awareness Week – This is organised and hosted by the- Mental Health Foundation in May every year. West Berkshire’s Mental Health Needs Assessment 2022 looks at the mental health indicators and needs among our local population respectively. Our Strategy into Action outlines the specific actions to tackle social isolation and loneliness in the local authority. Both documents are available on the Needs Assessments and Further Resources page.
20-24 May 2024: Walk To School Week – This is an annual event that encourages children and their parents to walk to school. The Department for Transport publishes statistics about the time and mode of transport used for journeys to key services, including education. Find out about local data using the Data Explorer function.
22 May 2024: International Day for Biological Diversity – This is sponsored by the United Nations for the promotion of biodiversity, covering a broad spectrum of issues including climate change, sustainability, food security, transport and vulnerable groups including indigenous peoples. The Needs Assessments and Further Resources page has a link to our local Biodiversity Annual Monitoring Report.
22 May 2024: National Numeracy Day – This is an annual celebration of the importance of using numbers in everyday life. Studying maths provides people with the life skills they need to thrive, from managing personal finances to boosting their career prospects. Adults with good numeracy skills are more likely to be employed and earn higher wages. The Children & Young People Health and Wellbeing Report provides indicators of children’s educational attainment in mathematics at various stages of their education journey.