Wokingham Borough Connect
As part of our ongoing commitment to promoting active, sustainable travel across the borough, we’re supporting the Wokingham Bikeathon which takes place this Sunday (26 June) at Cantley Park in Wokingham town.
There will be a choice of three routes to suit all abilities and ages: 15 miles, 25 miles or 35 miles, all with drink stops and toilets. Why not bring your family or ride with your friends?
Stallholders will include our My Journey Wokingham team, Wokingham Town Council, free electric bike demos from AW Cycles and Velospeed Electric Bikes, Sprockets Cycle Club, Wokingham Cycle Club, WATCH Wokingham, Bluebell Box serving drinks and cakes, Beyond First Aid, Nuffield Health, Vanguard Cycles, who run the Dr Bike service, Wokingham Photography Club and Love to Ride.
Although pre-registration has now closed you can register on the day. Further information can be found at Wokingham Bikeathon's website.
My Journey Wokingham have sponsored the greenest medals in town which will be given free of charge to children who enter. Adults pay £3 to make sure they only go to people who want them. They’re made from biodegradable materials and filled with wildflower seeds so they can be broken up and planted once you have finished with them.
To add to the fun, we’re also giving away loads of prizes on the day including Decathlon and Wiggle vouchers, cycle caps, bike multi-tools and more. To qualify, just download the free Innovation Valley Rewards app from the App Store or Play Store and cycle one of the routes.
It will be a great day out! But the rewards won’t stop there – you’ll continue to earn ValleyCoins and ValleyTickets, which can be exchanged for gift vouchers or charity donations, for your active and sustainable travel journeys every day with the Innovation Valley Rewards app and My Journey Wokingham Challenge.
 Schools
Our work in the borough’s schools
Schools recognised for promoting greener, healthier travel
Four more schools in Wokingham borough have been recognised for their great work encouraging active and sustainable travel.
Shinfield St Mary's Junior School and The Hawthorns Primary School in Wokingham town have earned bronze accreditations under the Modeshift STARS school travel plan scheme, which helps school communities to reduce private vehicle use, while Hawkedon Primary School in Lower Earley and Westende Junior School in Wokingham town earned their green accreditations.
Congratulations to these schools on this fantastic achievement. They’re all now working hard towards the next levels of accreditation.
Please contact us if your school would like to learn more about Modeshift STARS.
Pupil’s winning artwork printed on medals
Our school travel officer attended an assembly at Hawkedon Primary School in Lower Earley after one of their pupils, Alexandria, won our design an active travel medal competition. Alexandria's winning design has been printed onto biodegradable medals and all her classmates were presented with one. The medals are embedded with wildflower seeds and can be planted in your garden or flower pots.
Royal themed active travel quiz
The school travel officer has also created a royal-themed active travel quiz which is open to all primary school age children attending a Wokingham Borough school. All entries that answer all questions correctly will be entered into a prize draw to win one of three Platinum Jubilee commemorative coins. The closing date for the competition is 30 June.
Want to become a cycling instructor?
If you love cycling and would like to train the next generation how to cycle then this could be of interest to you. Avanti Cycling are holding their next Bikeability instructor training courses in August in Reading and in Oxford. There are bursaries available too. For further information please contact: greg@avanticycling.co.uk
Improving the borough's air quality
Youngsters get hands-on lesson in cutting air pollution
Pupils from Year 5 at Hawthorns Primary School and Evendons Primary School, both in Wokingham town, marked Clean Air Day on Thursday 16 June.
Our air quality officer gave a talk to the children about the dangers of breathing in pollutants like nitrogen dioxide. This gas, which irritates the lungs and affects the heart, is produced by burning fossil fuels so exhaust fumes are a major contributor, particularly private cars. Read the full article here.
Educating the next generation about the problem
Our air quality officer has produced the first in a series of videos explaining air pollution to pupils in years 3 to 6. Lesson 1 introduces the topic and explains what is causing the problem in Wokingham borough in a fun way, using animation to make the subject come alive. There are also questions to answer along the way, plus a teachers’ pack to accompany the video
Equipping teachers to tackle the climate emergency
We’re inviting head teachers and a passionate staff member from every school in the borough to attend a Teachers’ Climate Summit on the afternoon of Friday 8 July at Holme Grange Independent School, Wokingham.
This event, which will be attended by My Journey Wokingham’s air quality officer, is a great opportunity to come together and explore the options that are available in addressing climate change and adopting more sustainable practices.
 Bike Month Challenge smashes records
Well done to all participants in Love to Ride's Bike Month Challenge – we’re celebrating our best results yet! You rode a staggering 8,500 more miles than during last year’s Cycle September, bringing home a whopping 50,635 miles in total. Three of our Wokingham borough riders were in the top 20 nationally and we had several riders completing over 100 miles in a day!
If anyone wants to book in for adult cycle lessons for beginners or improvers in preparation for Cycle September please visit our website to book.
 Helping everyone travel more actively
Getting people walking, cycling and using other forms of active travel is a big priority for us, because reducing the number of vehicle journeys in the borough will help to improve air quality by cutting emissions.
This will also help to tackle the climate emergency, which we declared in 2019 alongside a pledge to play as full a role as possible in making Wokingham borough a net-zero carbon producer by 2030.
On top of all that, getting more active is good for your mind and body – so the benefits really do stack up! Here are just some of the things we’ve been up to since our last active travel newsletter.
Women returning to cycling
To celebrate Bike Week earlier this month, we ran a “returning to cycling” event on 10 June for women who had not cycled for many years or lacked confidence and wanted to improve their cycling skills. The event was held on the track at the FBC centre, Finchampstead on a lovely sunny day.
The six ladies who attended enjoyed an hour’s coaching session with Claire, British Cycling Coach, covering skills such as checking their bikes, braking, signalling and use of gears. Even though a couple of the ladies had not cycled for over 20 years, they were all riding their bikes well around the track by the end of the session.
After a well-deserved coffee break, two of the ladies cycled to the lake at California Country Park, while the other four managed a good five-mile ride along the greenway and cycle paths to Arborfield Green. Congratulations to all the ladies on their achievements!
Watch out for some short, beginner Breeze rides for ladies coming soon, on British Cycling Let’s Ride website.
Cycling Events and Sportives
June has been a great month for local cycling events and sportives, several of which are enjoying the chance to run again after a two-year gap due to Covid-19.
The Three Counties Cycle Ride was held in Bracknell on 12 June, with a choice of a 15 mile, 33 mile or 54 mile route. Several of our local Breeze riders successfully completed the 54 mile route this year, with others opting for the 33 mile route.
The Wargrave Bike Fest took place on 18 June – this popular event offered three distances for road cycling: 20km, 50km or a 75km route.
And…we are looking forward to our very own Wokingham Bikeathon on Sunday 26 June. This event raises a lot of money for local charities, as well as offering a fun day out for families and a choice of three routes over 15 miles, 25 miles or 35 miles.
If you are running any cycle rides or sportives in the local area, please contact us.
Our smoothie bike now has a name
We are delighted to announce that the winner of our 'name the smoothie bike' competition was Sarah who suggested 'Pedalicious'! Sarah won a £25 Decathlon voucher. Dean won the runners-up prize of a My Journey Wokingham baseball cap with his entry of 'Berrylicious'.
Hopefully you will be able to come and try out 'Pedalicious' and make yourself a smoothie using pedal power at one of our events.
Congratulations to Sarah and Dean. Thank you to everyone who sent a nomination in - we had some great names to choose from!
Lower Earley Family Fun Day
Both Dr Bike and Pedalicious made an appearance at the family fun day in Lower Earley on Saturday 18 June which was busy with families enjoying the stalls and activities despite the change in the weather from boiling hot to damp and chilly!
My Journey Wokingham and our community engagement team offered bike checks and healthy fruit smoothies made with pedal power, which were both much appreciated along with some hi-vis freebies. Happy residents enjoyed drinking the fruits of their labour and enjoying their now roadworthy bikes to cycle on to their next destination.
Royal-Themed Word Search
To celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, our community engagement team and My Journey Wokingham created a royal-themed word search. The winners were Archie, Tilly and Bertie who attend Gorse Ride Infant and Junior Schools. They won a goody bag very kindly donated by Tesco as well as some My Journey Wokingham merchandise.
 Regular cycle training and activities
- Bikeability Learn to Ride sessions (£6) at FBC in Finchampstead (Wednesdays) and Woodford Park Leisure Centre in Woodley (Thursdays)
- FREE Balance Bike Clubs both at FBC (Wednesdays) and Woodford Park Leisure Centre (Thursdays)
- Woky Wheels 4 All at FBC in Finchampstead on Thursdays
- Adult Cycle Training for Beginners/Improvers (£6) at Woodford Park Leisure Centre on Saturday mornings
- Drive Start - is for 15 to 19 year olds who are applying for a provisional driving licence and will take place on 28 July. The full day will include a number of skills-based workshops to help develop and guide the students into becoming better drivers as well as two short driving sessions. Cost - £20.
Further information and how to book can all be found on our website here.
We have recently updated our cycle maps.
Our website also has an interactive digital map with pop-ups showing bike parking, bike shops and mechanics as well as our four bike hubs in Wokingham borough.
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