 Have your say on wards, sports pitches and more
We’ve got a number of consultations running at the moment where you can shape the future of your services, including:
These are all hosted on our Engage Wokingham Borough platform. Sign up for an account.
This is where you’ll need to register to have your say on potential changes to waste and recycling collections. This consultation opens on 10 October.
 Smoother school run on traffic-free path
The latest of our greenways, a network of mostly traffic-free routes linking major destinations in the borough, has been officially opened to the public.
It crosses Woosehill Meadows, between Reading Road and Heron Road in Wokingham town, as part of a new link between Cantley Park and Arborfield Cross. This is one of several planned connections between the borough’s major new housing developments, with funding largely provided by the developers, and existing settlements.
It’s proving popular with residents, including pupils of the nearby Windmill, Hawthorns and St Paul’s primary schools, who use it to get to school. Both are designated “air quality schools” which work with our My Journey Wokingham team to monitor air pollution and reduce it by changing how they travel.
One resident told us: “I wanted to say how brilliant it is to have a proper path in the fields… it will make such a huge difference in the winter not having to struggle through thick mud.” The next stage will be a section along Coombes Lane and Coles Lane near Barkham, with work set to start in early to mid-October.
 Powering up the drive for green travel
Dozens of electric vehicle charging points are a step closer to being installed across Wokingham borough now that funding has become available.
We’re about to receive a Government grant towards 38 chargers in 19 locations, which will cover 60 per cent of the cost.
This comes from the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, run by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) with support from the Energy Saving Trust. The remaining money will follow from the supplier once a contract is agreed, with no net cost to taxpayers.
Twelve sites are residential streets in Wokingham, Twyford, Winnersh, Earley, Woodley, Arborfield, Finchampstead and Wargrave, which were chosen following consultation with residents. Exact locations will be confirmed once we’ve drawn up traffic orders for the work.
The others will go in our car parks in Wokingham and Woodley. We were keen to pursue the grant, which is mostly for streets that don’t have off-street parking, as part of our strategy to tackle climate change and improve air quality by reducing emissions.
 Deputy Mayor’s charity head shave
On Saturday (24 September) Deputy Mayor Beth Rowland had her head shaved outside the Marc Antoni salon in Woodley to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Even before the haircut, she had already met her £500 target, with the fundraising now standing at more than £950.
Cllr Rowland decided to help the cancer charity after three people in her life were diagnosed. Although many people told her she was brave to do it, she insisted she wasn’t and remained determined to see out her pledge in front of local support in Woodley.
If you would like to donate, visit her online fundraising page to find out more.
Career support for young people
Do you have a teenager that is looking for their next steps after leaving school? We can help.
Our Elevate Team offers support with career planning, education, jobs, apprenticeships, training opportunities, work experience and volunteering.
Lots of information is available on the Elevate webpage, and they also offer tailored support which can be done over the phone, online or in person.
Elevate is available to those aged 16 to 18 years old (up to 24 if they have a special educational need or disability) who are not in education, employment or training. For more information, including how to book an appointment, visit the Elevate website.
What you might have missed
- If you have a child or young person aged 0-25 with special educational needs or disability (SEND), join SEND Voices Wokingham in partnership with us and CAN Network on 8 October, 11am to 3pm at St Crispin’s Leisure Centre. There will be information stands where parents and carers can find out more about support, services and activities. Book tickets in advance
- You can sign up for free mental health training next month through our partners Mind in Berkshire if you’re a mental health first aider. Register to attend on Eventbrite, with the event taking place from 10am to 11.30am on 20 October
- Wokingham Children’s Book Festival is just around the corner, with events taking place over the weekend 15/16 October. Book to attend on the Book Festival website
- View our latest vacancies on our jobs board. We’re recruiting for roles in our admin, housing and social care teams, as well as senior roles in digital and economic development
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