Wokingham Borough Connect
 Join in the fun at Wokingham Children's Book Festival
Back for the fifth year, the Wokingham Children's Book Festival promises fun and laughter for all the family, with lots of great authors coming to town this weekend.
There are brilliant talks taking place in the new Wokingham Library at the Carnival Hub and at Wokingham Town Hall. In addition to in-person events, there is also the chance to join in virtually.
The schedule is jam-packed with fun and engaging events with authors, illustrators and inspirational storytellers lined up to get everyone excited about reading. Each workshop is also followed by a book signing
Tickets for live events remain at £3 per seat, while access to streamed sessions is £3 per household. These can be purchased online from the Wokingham Children’s Book Festival Website.
Please note, the following events are no longer taking place:
- Rikin Parekh
- Manjeet Mann and Amanda Quartey
- Dapo Adeola
- Michael Catchpool
 Sign up your children for our half-term activity camps
There is plenty of fun to be had this October half-term by signing up for Power-Up Kids Activity Camps at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre.
The camps are for all children in Wokingham Borough aged five to 12 and will run from Monday 24 October to Friday 28 October.
Children can take part in a wide range of sports from £30 per day, including football, swimming, dance, badminton and soft play. There is also basketball, children’s yoga, rounders, dodgeball and much more.
Camps run from 9am to 5pm, with morning drop-off from 9am to 9.30am and evening pick-up from 4.30pm to 5pm.
To book your child’s place, register or login to the council’s booking website. There is a 10 per cent discount for siblings when bookings are made for two or more children. All bookings must be made online two days before the start of the camp date.
For more information, please contact the sport and leisure team by emailing sport@wokingham.gov.uk or call (0118) 974 3728.
 Charity concerts to open Carnival Hub cultural space
Our flagship new community space, the Carnival Hub in Wokingham, is set to show its cultural credentials as it hosts two fantastic concerts in aid of the new Wade Dementia Day Care fund on Saturday 19 November.
Music fans will be spoilt for choice with an afternoon of big band music from The Official Glenn Miller Orchestra UK and celebrated director Ray McVay.
This will be followed by an outstanding evening of entertainment from ‘Ultimate Elton and the Rocket Band’ and ‘The Police Academy’.
Profits from the events will go to new Dementia Day Care fund at Wade Day Care Centre, Wokingham, which helps offer daytime dementia respite care facilities to support the local community.
 Stride out and help charity at The Wokingham Walk
The ninth edition of The Wokingham Walk is taking place on Sunday (16 October). This is a charity walk with distances of five, ten or 15 miles and there is also an accessible five-mile route.
All routes start and finish at Elms Field in Wokingham and all proceeds will be used to support local charitable causes. Organised by Wokingham Lions and We Love Wokingham, the event will have a rolling start time from 9am to 10.30am.
The event is free to children under 12, but they must have parental consent. It costs £15 for adults and £5 for people aged 12 to 17.
Pre-registered walkers will receive a requested start time by e mail to minimise congestion on the Elms Field. Information about registration, parking and the event rules is available online.
 Free virtual event for mental health first aiders
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.
If you have completed mental health first aid training and want to make a difference to residents, sign up to the next session which takes place on Thursday 20 October, 10am to 11.30am.
The online forum provides you with a space to network with other mental health first aiders to share experiences and challenges and discuss how your invaluable skills, individually and collectively, can be used as a force for good in the future.
There will be opportunities for mental health first aiders to check in with each other around their own wellbeing, discuss and reflect on recent experiences of using mental health first aid skills and to also participate in a ‘skills refresher’ session.
 Domestic abuse prevention convention
Kaleidoscopic UK, a local charity for survivors of domestic abuse, is running its annual Domestic Abuse Prevention Convention event tomorrow (13 October).
The event takes place during Domestic Violence Awareness Month at the FBC Centre in Finchampstead.
The convention features a full day of topics and talks delivered by inspirational domestic abuse survivors and professionals who work on the topic.
The aim of the convention is to inspire, educate and empower all delegates by advancing knowledge and providing useful tools for all to use with resources available. Tickets cost £76.05 and are available to purchase on the EventBrite booking website.
The convention topics include:
- Stalking
- Coercive control
- Economic abuse
- LGBTQIA+
- Childhood sexual abuse and childhood sexual exploitation
- Children
- Family law
- Domestic Abuse Act
- Valerie’s Law
- Best practice responses
- How being trauma informed is essential
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