Wokingham Borough Connect
 Help us to help you walk and cycle more
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), which suggests improvements to help people walk, wheel, scoot or cycle and will be used to apply for funding.
The plan, which will always be open to updates, will outline the most beneficial active travel routes and propose specific measures in places where the community wants them, subject to funding and further consultation.
We’re also inviting comments on revised plans for a new £4 million cycling and walking link from Woodley to Palmer Park, at the Reading borough boundary, to be funded from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund.
This was amended in response to your concerns about a design earlier this year and no longer includes a proposed one-way system on a section of Woodlands Avenue, between Lytham Road and Howth Drive.
Increasing cycling and walking can help us tackle some of the most challenging issues we face as a society – improving air quality, combatting climate change, improving health and wellbeing, addressing inequalities and tackling congestion on our roads.
With the increasing cost of fuel, walking and cycling are likely to become more attractive options for local journeys. We want to enable this by providing facilities that are safe, comfortable and inclusive for all.
Find out more and respond to our surveys.
 Pedal power wins prizes at 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 town 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.
They also gave away prizes including gift vouchers, cycle caps, bike repair tools and other goodies for entrants who logged their ride on the free Innovation Valley Rewards active travel tracker app, which is offering prizes in partnership with My Journey Wokingham until October 31.
Our work in the borough’s schools
Shinfield school wins sustainable travel award
Our school travel officer visited Shinfield St Mary’s Junior School in Shinfield to present them with their bronze award for their Modeshift STARS travel plan. The school completed ten travel initiatives and five supporting initiatives, undertook a school travel survey and set themselves targets for increasing sustainable travel.
During the assembly, items such as the benefits of walking, cycling and scooting were discussed. Having received their award, the school is keen to proceed to earn its silver award.
Congratulations to Shinfield St Marys!
Please contact us if your school would like to learn more about Modeshift STARS.
Royal themed active travel quiz
The winners of our recent Platinum Jubilee active travel quiz were Akshara and Khaled from Radstock Primary School in Lower Earley and Nyra from The Hawthorns Primary School, Wokingham. The children had to answer questions based on royalty and travel. The three winners received special Platinum Jubilee commemorative coins from the Royal Mint. Congratulations to our winners!
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
The air quality officer from My Journey attended the first ever zero waste event at the Acorn Community Centre in Woosehill on 12 July, which was all about what actions you can take to reduce waste.
Attendees had the opportunity to try food made using leftovers, and vote for what items they'd like to be able to recycle at the centre through Ali's recycling, a local community recycling scheme.
The fantastic Green Team from the Hawthorns Primary School in Wokingham walked all the way to the event from their school. When they arrived the pupils all made a delicious smoothie on Pedalicious, our new smoothie bike!
Teachers unite for climate
Teachers from schools across Wokingham borough came together on 8 July for the council’s first Climate Teachers Summit,
Delegates shared the work they are doing in their own schools, worked together to look at how climate can be brought into the wider curriculum and got information from a range of local services. The learning is set to continue after the event, with a newly created Climate Teachers Forum, facilitated by the council and open to all schools in the borough.
The event was designed to bring teachers, council departments and partner agencies together to discuss challenges and solutions to the climate emergency within schools, as well as spark ideas and share best practice.
Air Quality Schools
Our air quality project, which works with the borough’s schools to promote the benefits of active travel and reducing air pollution, has been extended until October 2023 thanks to funding from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Any primary school can apply to be an air quality school although priority will be given to primary schools in Wokingham town centre, Twyford or Finchampstead. If your school is interested in learning more please contact us.
My Journey's regular cycle activities have stopped for the summer apart from adult cycle training. We are currently setting up our new regular cycle training sessions for the new school year - please visit our website regularly where the new dates will be advertised as well as on our social media pages.
 Summer Activities
Our My Journey and community engagement teams have arranged some activities for you and your family to enjoy in the summer holidays. Please note that some sessions require booking through our website.
- Dr Bike (FREE bike checks) at Forest School, Winnersh on Tuesday, 26 July (morning)
- Dr Bike (FREE bike checks) at Long Acre, Cutbush Lane South, Shinfield on Tuesday, 26 July (afternoon) plus My Journey promotion
- Famous people in history (word search) competition until 20 August
- Summer Cycle Trail - FBC, Finchampstead to Observer Way Bridge, Arborfield Green, 26 July to 4 September
- Identify the Tree Competition - 25 July to 4 September
- Nature Led Walks and Dr Bike (FREE bike checks) at Buckhurst Meadows, Montague Park, Wokingham - 6 August
- Twyford Fete at Stanlake Meadows on 20 August - My Journey and pedalicious (our smoothie bike)
While you’re out and about this summer, why not take a snap of your favourite tree for our new tree stories project?
Trees are hugely important, giving us oxygen, storing carbon, habitats for wildlife and providing us with tools and shelter.
We want to hear why particular trees in the borough are important to you. Maybe it's your favourite place to sit with a book? Or played as a child? Or it's a particularly old or rare species?
We'd love for you to take a picture, upload it to Tree Stories on our Engage Wokingham Borough platform and share why you have chosen that tree. You may even see your photo and/or story featured on our social media pages and in our tree strategy!
Cycle September is a month-long competition from Love to Ride, which aims to get more people riding bikes. At a time when environmental issues, wellness, and money saving are an important factor for many, there has never been a better time to ride a bike.
There are so many benefits to be enjoyed from riding a bike, and Cycle September is all about embracing each and every one of them, such as:
⚡️ Supercharged physical health – even a 10-minute bike ride will boost your immune system, improve cardiovascular health, and help you live longer!
🧠 Improved mental health – riding a bike is a mindful activity that promotes the release of endorphins and can reduce the causes of depression
🧡 Reduced stress and anxiety - biking can calm the mind, improve self-confidence, and elevate your mood
🌍 Protecting the planet – reduce your carbon footprint by leaving the car at home
💰 Saving money – cut down on transport costs and car maintenance
So far, only 31 per cent of those registered for Cycle September are women and My Journey would like to help change that. Let's bridge the gender cap for cycling and show our support.
Register here to take part in Cycle September. Register now and you'll automatically be in with a chance to win an early bird prize - a brand new bike.
Whether you walk, wheel, cycle or catch the train or bus, you’ll earn ValleyCoins and ValleyTickets for all your journeys when you use the free Innovation Valley Rewards smartphone app, which we’re hosting a challenge on until 31 October.
ValleyCoins can be redeemed for high street rewards or given to your favourite charity from within the app. You will earn one per minute up to 30 minutes per day for walking, cycling or wheeling.
In addition, you will earn ValleyTickets into our regular prize draws for all of your active travel bus and train journeys.
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