Wokingham Borough Connect
Join our Easter Bike Bonanza
We are running an Easter Bike Bonanza between 11am and 3pm on Thursday, 13 April. The event will take place on the track behind the FBC, Gorse Ride North, Finchampstead.
Come along and take part in the activities below:
- Try a bike - Balance bikes and pedal bikes for children to try out
- Help and advice from our Bikeability instructors for children who are trying to learn to ride a pedal bike - bring your own child’s pedal bike and helmet
- Make a free smoothie using pedal power on our smoothie bike “Pedalicious”
- Have a go on the bike obstacle course – please bring your own bike and helmet to take part
- Active and sustainable travel information
- My Journey branded freebies
- FREE Dr Bike checks (book here for slots between 11.30am and1pm or you can just drop in after 1.30pm)
Next big step for our walking and cycling vision
We’ve published our long-term plan to make it safer, easier and more accessible for residents to walk and cycle around Wokingham Borough.
The Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), which was agreed on Tuesday 21 March, identifies which local routes would help more people get around actively and suggests ways of improving them.
The plan will always be open to updates and nothing would go ahead without consulting residents again.
By publishing our vision for the years to come, following public consultation, we’ll be best placed to secure funding for any improvements – helping the environment as well as individual residents.
Schemes could include better lighting, wider footways or cycleways, routes fully separated from the roads, better crossings, dropped kerbs, pedestrianised areas, wider junctions, new bridges, reduced speed limits, tactile pavements and more.
What we've been up to in our schools
Wokingham pupils hunt for active travel
Congratulations to Esha, nine, from Crosfields School in Shinfield and Oliver, five, from Emmbrook Infant School in Wokingham have won My Journey’s Active Travel Scavenger Hunt.
Pupils across the borough were challenged to find items on a spotter sheet while out walking, cycling or scooting.
The winners won a £25 Decathlon voucher or a family swim voucher for Carnival Leisure Hub in Wokingham.
Pupils from Nine Mile Ride, Finchampstead and Beechwood Primary School in Woodley were chosen as runners-up and they each won My Journey goody bags.
Pupils walk and wheel to school
Pupils from 27 schools have the opportunity to take part in The Big Walk and Wheel between20 and 31 March.
Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel is a two week national event promoting active travel to school. Pupils record how they travel to school each day, and each day they can also see how their school is doing compared with other schools across the country. There are also daily prize draws to be won.
As of 24 March, Wescott Infant School scored the highest in the borough, and were at number 18 on the leaderboard, with nearly 90% of their pupils registering an active journey.
Anti-idling banners are a breath of fresh air
Our team have been working with six schools to run a competition to design artwork for anti-idling banners. These have been installed outside entrances to the schools to encourage all drivers to switch off their engines, when stationary, especially when dropping off or picking up.
This year’s winners are:
- Felicity from St Teresa's Catholic Academy, Wokingham with a colourful image of a car emitting a big cloud of fumes as it drives through a big city
- Emily from Wheatfield Primary School, Winnersh with a picture of a woodland scene and a “no idling” logo, plus the slogan “If you stop, pollution will drop”
- Lucas from Emmbrook Junior School, Wokingham with a picture of a car emitting fumes and the warning “Idling kills our environment – turn off your engines!”
- Sebastian from Nine Mile Ride Primary School, Finchampstead submitted a design showing the fumes emitted from an idling car in a built-up area
- Izzy from The Colleton Primary School, Twyford with a “Stop Idling – Say No to Pollution” design including flowers, planet Earth and an idling car
- Aeyva from Charvil Piggott Primary School with a design showing how the air looks clearer and clouds look happier when car engines are turned off
Air pollution causes several health problems and is recognised as a contributing factor in the onset of heart disease and cancer. It particularly affects the most vulnerable in society: children, the elderly, and those with existing heart and lung conditions. It is linked to about 40,000 deaths a year in the UK with engine idling contributing to this.
Anti-idling poster competition
Four air quality schools have also been competing to design an anti-idling poster. The winners are Stacey (Year 6) who attends Gorse Ride Junior School, Finchampstead and Riyans (Year 4) who attends Windmill Primary, Wokingham. They each won a £50 Waterstones voucher for their school.
Regular cycle training and activities
- Bikeability Learn to Ride sessions (£6) at FBC in Finchampstead (Wednesdays) and Woodford Park Leisure Centre in Woodley (Thursdays)
- FREE Balance Bike Clubs both at FBC (Wednesdays) and Woodford Park Leisure Centre (Thursdays)
- FREE Dr Bike at Woodley Library on Saturday, 1 April
- FREE Dr Bike at Culver Grove, Mulberry Grove on Sunday, 2 April
- Bikeability Level 1/2 and Level 3 Easter holidays cycle training with Avanti Cycling at Woodford Park, Woodley
- FREE Dr Bike at Wokingham train station along with Thames Valley Police carrying out FREE bike security marking - Thursday, 6 April
- Woky Wheels 4 All at FBC in Finchampstead on Thursdays starting again on Thursday, 20 April
- Adult Cycle Training for Beginners/Improvers (£10) at Woodford Park Leisure Centre, Woodley on Saturday mornings starting again on 22 April
- Community Engagement/My Journey Teams along with Dr Bike at Ryeish Green Sports Hub on Wednesday, 12 April
- My Journey Bike Bonanza at FBC, Finchampstead on Thursday, 13 April
- FREE Dr Bike at Wargrave Parish Council on Saturday, 15 April
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The Wokingham Walk - Sunday, 23 April - A charity walk of 5, 10 or 15 miles or an accessible 5 mile walk
- FREE Dr Bike at Lower Earley Library on Friday, 5 May
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Three Counties Cycle Ride (Bracknell) - Sunday, 4 June - 15, 33 and 54 mile routes. Online registration is open now, with early bird discounts for people enrolling in March
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Wokingham Bikeathon (from Cantley Park) on Sunday, 11 June - Registration opens 1 April 2023 – This year there will be a choice of 15 mile, 25 mile or 35 mile routes and a new 50 mile route being developed by Wokingham Cycle Club
For more information on our regular cycle training and activities, visit our website.
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