Wokingham Borough Connect
 Even more opportunities to keep fit and make friends
We are delighted to announce that we have added four new SHINE classes at Wokingham Leisure Centre @ Carnival Hub starting this week (22 August). The new daily classes include morning, lunchtime and early evening sessions for those aged 55 and over.
The timetable includes:
- Mondays at 1pm – Pilates
- Tuesdays at 6pm – Exercise to music
- Wednesdays at 6pm – Pilates
- Thursdays at 7.30am – Pilates
If you cannot make it to Carnival Hub, then you will be pleased to know that we run a variety of SHINE activity classes throughout the borough. This includes Bulmershe Leisure Centre in Woodley, Cantley Park in Wokingham, Loddon Valley Leisure Centre in Lower Earley, St Crispin’s Leisure Centre in Wokingham, Finchampstead Baptist Church and more.
Other SHINE activity classes include yoga, Zumba, tennis, aquafit, Nordic walking, ballroom dancing, Pilates, outdoor cycling, Tai Chi, badminton and more. There are classes for everyone, offering a great opportunity to get fit, have fun and meet new friends.
If you are aged 55 and over and interested in taking part in SHINE, you can download the activities timetable and book a class by visiting our SHINE webpage.
Membership options include 'pay as you go' at £5.20 per class, or you can buy a pack of 10 classes for £43 (saving of £9).
For more information, email shine@wokingham.gov.uk or call (0118) 974 3728.
 Two weeks left at summer activity camps - sign up
There are just two weeks left to enrol your child into this summer's Power-Up Activity Camps at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre in Lower Earley. The camps offer a range of fun and sporting activities to keep borough children active and entertained.
The camps are open to children aged five to 12 years old and run until 2 September, excluding the bank holiday on 29 August.
Activities for the next two weeks include:
- Pool fun – takes place everyday
- Hockey
- Dodgeball
- Martial arts
- Football
- Rounders
- Yoga
- Dance
- Athletics
- Soft play
- Free play
To book your child’s place, visit our website. Residents can also book online for the October half-term activity camps and receive 15 per cent off by using the discount code OCTOBER15 at the checkout. Discount is valid until 2 September. We look forward to welcoming you to our camps.
*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
 Dementia friendly tea dances with a slice of cake
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 while enjoying tea, coffee and a slice of cake.
The tea dances take place from 12.30pm to 2pm and the next dates are:
- Monday 5 September
- Monday 3 October
For more information and to book a place, email preventionteam@wokingham.gov.uk or call (0118) 974 3728.
 Make the most of free mental health sessions
Mind in Berkshire, run by Oxfordshire Mind wellbeing workers, is running a series of free, virtual mental health sessions throughout the year aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing for Wokingham Borough residents.
The next session, mental health and wellbeing community alliance, takes place on Thursday 15 September, from 10am to 11.30am.
If you are a voluntary or community sector (VCS) organisation, or a group with a particular focus on improving the mental health and wellbeing of people living in Wokingham Borough, this event is for you.
The aim of the alliance is to improve the experience of people accessing mental health and wellbeing support, through responding collaboratively to identified needs in the community.
Free tickets are available. Please note that one person per VCS group should attend. To sign up, visit the Eventbrite booking website.
 Don't ignore a persistent cough - get it checked out
GP referrals for lung cancer have been the slowest of all cancer types to recover since the start of the pandemic.
Through the next stage of the ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign, NHS England will focus specifically on lung cancer symptoms and raising awareness of the key symptom, which is a cough that lasts three weeks or more.
Anyone who has this should contact their GP as soon as possible, as the cancer is more likely to be treatable if it is caught early. Don’t wait to see if the cough resolves itself, as a cough on its own can be enough of a warning sign.
Other symptoms of lung cancer include:
- Chest infections that keep coming back
- Coughing up blood
- Aches or pain when breathing or coughing
- Persistent breathlessness, tiredness or lack of energy
- Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss
Residents aged 60 and over are particularly vulnerable to lung cancer and should not be reluctant to see their GP. If you know a friend or family member that has a persistent cough, encourage them to get it checked out. It may be nothing serious, but it could help save a life.
 College helping people on the road to recovery
The Wokingham Recovery College gives people with mental health problems the chance to access education, workshops and training programmes designed to help them on their road to recovery. The college helps people become experts in their own self-care and enable family, friends and staff to better understand mental health.
Upcoming classes for September:
- Managing low mood* – 2 and 9 September, 10am to 11.30am
- Getting a good night’s sleep* – 6 September, 2pm to 3pm
- Friends and family support group – 7 September, 1.30pm to 3pm
- Hearing voices group – 8 and 22* September, 11am to 12 noon
- Recovering together – 12 and 26* September, 11am to 12.30pm
- Grief and loss – 13, 20 and 27 September, 10am to 12 noon
- Glass painting – 21 September, 1pm to 3pm
- Welcome drop-in – 30 September, 10am to 11.30am
The Wokingham Recovery College accepts registrations from anyone aged 18 and over living in Wokingham Borough.
To enrol in the Recovery College, complete an online registration form available on our website and email it to recoverycollege@wokingham.gov.uk. If you need help filling out the form, call (0118) 989 0707 and the Recovery College team will support you.
*Online classes.
 Link up with lonely residents to transform lives
The Link Visiting Scheme is actively recruiting volunteers to help people living in Wokingham Borough who are struggling with loneliness.
The charity runs a befriending service with the aim of improving wellbeing and transforming lives.
If you can spare an hour or two each week, you could help people in the community who have become isolated.
Volunteers are matched to residents based on availability, location and interests and you would be provided with training and support.
Visit The Link Visiting Scheme website if you can help and request a volunteer pack. Once you return your application form, you will be contacted to arrange a date and time to talk through your role in more detail.
 Join us and find the next step in your career
Have you been dreaming of a new job or working on your resume? We have a range of exciting vacancies available to get you moving up the career ladder.
Explore our sport, leisure and health job vacancies below or visit our jobs site for more opportunities:
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