Wokingham Borough Connect
 Get Marvellous at Dinton this weekend
The family-friendly tribute festival Marvellous is returning to Dinton Pastures Country Park in Hurst this weekend (23 and 24 July) and there's still time to get your tickets to attend.
This year’s event features 14 world-class tributes, including Queen, Adele, Take That, Foo Fighters, Katy Perry, ABBA, Santana and more, together with headline performances from The Chicago Blues Brothers on the 23 July (Saturday) and How Sweet It Is, a show of classic Motown songs, on 24 July (Sunday) evening.
To add in family fun, Happy's Circus will be coming back with two cabaret-themed performances featuring music, dance and comedy.
The Big Kids’ Village, with its various fairground rides and free activities, will give children of all ages plenty to do.
The music extravaganza isn’t complete without some fine fare. Food stalls and fully licensed bars will be set up on-site to provide festival-goers with a good selection of tasty refreshments while they are enjoying the event. Tickets available via the button below.
 Power-Up Kids Activity Camps are back
Power-Up Kids Activity Camps are back, offering a range of sporting activities to keep borough children active and entertained this summer. The camps run Monday to Friday, from 25 July until 2 September 2022, excluding the bank holiday on Monday 29 August.
There are spaces available during the summer holidays at Wokingham Leisure Centre (Carnival Hub) and Loddon Valley Leisure Centre. The camps are open to borough children aged five to 12 years old. Activities* include pool fun, basketball, inflatable fun, hockey, martial arts, football, tennis, cricket and more.
Book your child's place on our website. You can also book online for the October half-term activity camps and receive 15 per cent off by using discount code OCTOBER15 at the checkout. Discount valid until 2 September.
*Classes subject to availability. Power-Up Kids Activity Camps is a separate scheme (paid by parents) to the government-funded Holiday, Activities and Food Programme.
 Help make your mark at the Carnival Hub
With the new Wokingham Leisure Centre @ Carnival Hub set to open on Monday (25 July) there's still time to get involved with the project and help shape a piece of public art to be installed on the site.
Arts4Wokingham, a local charity aimed at advancing arts and culture in the borough, have commissioned international artist Nicola Anthony to make a monumental public sculpture for the Borough of Wokingham.
It’s called The Arc and will incorporate your words in its metal surface - a physical poem about the people who live in the borough. The artist is seeking local resident’s thoughts, inspirations and life stories through an anonymous online portal.
In addition to running a series of public workshops, Arts4Wokingham are also encouraging people to submit their stories via the website helping to capture the voices of local residents in this sculpture for years to come.
You can also watch a video about this exciting project on Facebook or YouTube.
Submit your story using the button below and make your mark on Wokingham in this permanent local landmark sited at the new Carnival Hub.
 Dementia friendly tea dances
Do you live with or know someone living with dementia?
Every first Monday of the month, our Sport and Leisure Team run a dementia friendly tea dance in the Ashridge Room at Cantley Park Café in Wokingham.
The dances are available to all borough residents living with dementia and it’s a great opportunity to make new friends, sing along, dance and have fun, all whilst enjoying tea, coffee and a slice of cake.
The tea dances take place from 12.30pm to 2pm and the next dates are:
- Monday 1 August
- Monday 5 September
- Monday 3 October
For more information and to book a place, email preventionteam@wokingham.gov.uk or call (0118) 974 3728.
 Pair reading with science thanks to activity boxes
Head to Lower Earley Library from Monday 25 July and borrow one of our activity boxes to explore the experiments we've put together for you.
Reading Sparks involves lots of fun activities to get children excited about science. Each activity box contains a book and an experiment for families to try. You can choose from four different themes:
- Space
- Machines
- Invisible nature
- Animals boxes
Once you have completed the experiments from each box, just return them to the library with the completed evaluations and you will get a CREST Award.
We have a range of exciting events happening in our libraries this summer
Join the Nutty Scientist for his workshop and enjoy making magnetic putty while learning all about magnets and their metal properties. This event is being held at Lower Earley Library on Tuesday 9 August from 10.30am to 11.30am and is suitable for children aged four to nine. You can also attend this workshop at Woodley Library on the same day from 1pm to 2pm. It costs £3 to take part and places must be booked in advance.
Take part in our Summer Reading Challenge and come in to chat about your books or join in with some craft and other fun activities with our Summer Reading Challenge volunteers. Find out more about these drop in sessions on our libraries events page.
Visit Lower Earley Library on Tuesday 30 August for a zany and action-packed hour of music, science and space poems from James Carter. He will be giving a lively reading of his new book Once Upon A Big Idea and there will be a chance to take away your very own robot poem. The session runs from 11am to 12 noon and is suitable for children aged four to ten. You can also attend this event at Woodley Library on the same day from 1.30pm to 2.30pm. It costs £3 to take part and places must be booked in advance.
Other highlights for children and young people
Visit your local library and create your own sand art picture to take home. There are events happening at the following locations:
- Wokingham Library, Thursday 28 July, 2pm to 4pm
- Finchampstead Library, Wednesday 3 August, 10am to 12 noon
- Lower Earley Library, Friday 5 August, 2pm to 4pm
- Woodley Library, Tuesday 9 August, 10am to 12 noon
These workshops, which are suitable for children aged three to ten, cost £4 and money must be paid directly to Kids Bee Happy with Maddi on the day.
Enjoy fun songs and rhymes at libraries across the borough with our rhymetime sessions, which are aimed at babies aged 0 to 18 months. We also offer storytime sessions at different libraries, which are for children aged five and under. It is free to take part but registration is required. You must book a space for each adult and child attending. You can find a session near you on our events page.
Explore Learning is hosting two workshops at Wokingham Library on Tuesday 26 July. The first, which runs from 11am to 11.45am, is all about Superhero Shapes and is aimed at children aged four to six.
The next session is about telling the time and runs from 12 noon to 12.45pm. This workshop is for children aged five to seven. These are free to attend but places must be booked in advance.
|
