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We’ve issued an Emergency Alert update this week due to the extremely hot weather expected.
These updates are only sent during extreme weather and emergency incidents in the borough, giving you key updates and safety information.
If there’s major disruption due to snow or another emergency this will be where to get updates from us. If you’re not signed up, register to receive these using the button below.
 Independents businesses win Muddy Stiletto awards
Three businesses in Wokingham town centre have won top prizes at the recent Muddy Stiletto 2022 Awards for Berkshire.
The Leafy Elephant received the prize for the best bar in Berkshire. One of the first businesses to open in Peach Place back in 2019, the bar is known for its fantastic range of specialist gin and cocktails, along with great staff and regular events such as specialist gin and rum tastings.
Winner of the best restaurant category Hamlet, which opened last year in Peach Place, offers top quality bistro dining with an emphasis on the very best local and speciality producers to create delicious food which is proving a real hit.
Their special Chef’s table experience lets local food lovers get a glimpse behind the scenes with a special bespoke menu and an opportunity to meet the chefs.
The last of the town centres winners is also one of its most recent openings, with the Fiona Parry Boutique winning the best women’s fashion award. Opening earlier this year the boutique offers a range of fabulous clothing and accessories, with a focus on classic, stylish and feminine fashion with a curated collection that can be worn in different ways.
 Pedal power wins prizes as riders flock to Bikeathon
More than 500 cyclists took part in this year’s Wokingham Bikeathon, a fun annual challenge organised by a committee of volunteers with support from our My Journey Wokingham active travel team.
A total of 561 people rode a course of either 15, 25 or 35 miles depending on their experience and ability, all starting and finishing on the event field at Cantley Park in Wokingham on 26 June.
Every child who took part was presented with a free medal, which was made from biodegradable materials and filled with seeds so it could be broken up and the contents planted. These were also awarded to adults for a small fee to avoid unnecessary wastage.
My Journey Wokingham showed off their “smoothie bike” – a fun contraption that allows riders to make a delicious fruity drink using pedal power. This was recently named Pedalicious following a competition among residents.
We support events like this because we’re keen to get people walking and cycling as much as possible as part of our commitment to improve air pollution, to which vehicle use is a major contributor, tackle the climate emergency, address inequality and help people live more healthily.
 Keep safe in hot weather this week
We're highlighting the risks of developing skin cancer through tanning and sunburn as warm weather and extended sunny spells become more familiar.
Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, and the majority of these are preventable, but this cancer affects more men than women, with men more than twice as likely to die.
Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. The risk of melanoma increases with age, but it is also one of the most common cancers in people aged 15 to 34.
Read our emergency alert update with hot weather safety tips.
 Help us make walking and cycling easier
We’d like everyone who lives or works in Wokingham borough, or visits regularly, to share their thoughts on two proposals to make walking and cycling around it safer and more accessible.
From 11 July to 19 August, we’re firstly seeking people’s views on our draft Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP). This is a strategic document which suggests improvements around the borough to help people walk, wheel, scoot or cycle and will be used to apply for funding for them.
The finished version will be completed in the autumn but will always be open to updates and new ideas. It will outline the most beneficial active travel routes and propose specific measures in places where the community wants them, subject to funding and further public consultation.
Between these dates, we’re also inviting comments on our revised plans for a new £4 million cycling and walking link from Woodley to Palmer Park, at the Reading borough boundary, to be mostly funded by significant contributions from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund.
 You said, we listened!
We recently launched a new customer excellence programme and part of the programme focuses on how we communicate with our customers.
We want to thank all our residents who took part in our ‘help us communicate better with you’ survey. More than 300 residents gave us feedback on two sample letters - one was written in our current communication style, and one in a new style. 77% of residents preferred our new style of writing.
Residents liked our new style of letters and thought they were clear, written by a real person, easy to read and gave you confidence in us.
Residents who disliked our current style of letters thought our communications lacked empathy, were unapologetic, long and repetitive, and included passive and overly formal jargon.
Your comments were valuable and have helped us to make improvements. We don’t always get things right and we are now working hard to make sure that the letters and emails we write to you are clear, show that we care and give you confidence in us as a Council.
What you might have missed
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