Wokingham Borough Connect
 Summer fun in store at Bike Bonanza
Come along to our Summer Bike Bonanza between 11am and 3pm on Wednesday 9 August at the track behind the FBC Centre, Finchampstead.
We have lots of FREE activities taking place including:
- Balance and Pedal Bikes
- Dr Bike bike checks (free, advance booking required)
- Pedalicious - our pedal powered smoothie bike
- Bike Limbo
- Family ride (led by cycle instructors)
- Cycling skills
- Thames Valley Headway with advice and demonstrations on cycle helmets
- Cycle Helmets
- Active travel resources (including walking and cycling maps)
Please visit our website for more information or to book a session with Dr Bike.
 Our E-Bike event was electric
Thank you to everyone who came along to our E-Bike event at Shute End on Saturday 1 July which our My Journey Wokingham team jointly hosted with Wokingham Town Council.
A total of 70 people attended the event, had a ride on lots of different E-bikes (kindly provided by AW Cycles) and tried out My Journey’s electric cargo bikes.
We saw a mixture of riders of all ages, from those looking at e-bikes for commuting to regular cyclists wanting to cycle longer distances, people returning to cycling after a break or injury and small businesses who are considering a free e-cargo bike trial to transport goods or equipment sustainably.
If your business is interested in finding out more about our e-cargo bike loan scheme please contact us for more information.
 Swap the car for active alternatives this July
It's time to embrace active travel and make a positive change this July! Visit our website and be part of our Active Swaps campaign. Discover practical tips, live route planners, and local events to incorporate active travel into your routine.
Start by leaving your car at home and walking, wheeling, scooting, or cycling to your destination a few times a week. For the school run, consider walking or scooting in the mornings, or add a bike ride to your weekend routine using the improved cycle paths for longer commutes.
Finally, why not explore the beautiful country parks nearby or take a refreshing walk to your local park – did you know it's just a short 15-20 minute cycle from Wokingham town centre to Dinton Pastures Country Park?
Studies show that spending 20 minutes in nature can significantly reduce stress levels, as does any physical activity, so prioritise outdoor time to feel better.
By choosing active travel instead of cars for short journeys, you'll improve your health and help improve our air quality as well as helping us tackle the climate emergency. Follow us on social media for more updates!
 Prizes to be won during Cycle September
Cycle September is a fun, free, and friendly challenge to help you and your friends, family and colleagues enjoy the benefits of riding bikes. You can ride anywhere, any time in September to participate.
By logging your trips on the Love to Ride website or using the app, you can win great prizes like a £4,000 holiday.
There are even more prizes up for grabs if you encourage other people to get involved as well as the chance to win an early bird prize of an e-bike if you sign up before 1 September.
There are so many benefits to riding a bike: improved mental and physical health, protecting the environment and saving money on travel. Cycle September is all about celebrating each of these benefits and sharing them with the world.
So, push those pedals, spread the bike love, and join the movement to get more people riding bikes this September!
 Posters win prizes in Clean Air Day competition
To mark National Clean Air day on Thursday 15 June and raise awareness of the problems caused by breathing polluted air, we ran a poster competition asking pupils to draw how walking, scooting and cycling to school makes them feel.
We had some fantastic entries from Wheatfield Primary School, Winnersh Floreat Montague Park Primary School and St Cecilia’s C of E Primary School, both in Wokingham, Gorse Ride Junior School and Nine Mile Ride Primary School, both in Finchampstead and Grazeley Parochial Primary School.
The proud winner was Zara, who is in Year 6 at Wheatfield Primary School. The runners up were Annabelle (Year 6, Wheatfield), Zac (Year 5, Floreat Montague Park) Annabel (Year 4, Gorse Ride) and Adrian (Year 5, St Cecilia’s).
Breathing polluted air can cause mental health and brain conditions, and children are particularly vulnerable. Air pollution in Wokingham Borough comes mostly from transport and especially cars, so we’re working with DEFRA to address this.
More prizes to be won in children’s summer trail
We’ll be launching a summer trail for primary school children on 1 August, which offers a fantastic opportunity to get out and explore your local area using your feet or two wheels.
Our greenways, nature parks and country parks are great place to visit by bike or on foot and we’ve marked out some points of interest as part of the trail.
There are some great prizes on offer including family tickets to a Reading Football Club home match at Select Car Leasing Stadium, Reading kindly donated by the club, as well as family tickets for Carnival Hub in Wokingham kindly donated by Places Leisure.
Please keep an eye on our website for more details - and visit our Countryside Service site for more on the borough’s green spaces.
 Fond farewell to children’s bike club leader
It was Jill's last Balance Bike Club session at FBC Centre, Finchampstead last Wednesday 12 July as she is retiring from the Council at the end of August.
At the end of her final session, she was presented with cards and surprise gifts. She said: “I've loved running the club, meeting all your children and hopefully starting them on their cycling journeys - thank you all so much!”
Balance bikes are a great way for young children to start riding and will be on offer at our Bike Bonanza on 9 August – see our earlier article for more, or see below for the next Balance Bike Club dates.
 New cycle training assistant needed
We're looking for someone to help us run our Learn to Ride cycle training at Woodford Park Leisure Centre, Woodley on Thursday afternoons between 4-5pm during term-time only.
This would probably suit students aged 18+ or retired people who would like to be involved in something rewarding to do in the community and enjoys cycling.
The pay is £15.00 per hour - for further information please contact us.
 Regular cycle training and activities
- Bikeability Learn to Ride sessions (£6) at FBC in Finchampstead (Wednesdays) starting up again on 13 September
- Woodford Park Leisure Centre in Woodley (Thursdays) starting up again on 21 September
- FREE Balance Bike Clubs at FBC (Wednesdays) starting up again on 13 September which is sponsored by Complete Childcare
- FREE Balance Bike Club at Woodford Park Leisure Centre (Thursdays) starting up again on 21 September
- FREE Dr Bike at Oakingham Belle, Wokingham between 1-3pm on Thursday, 27 July
- FREE Dr Bike at Woodford Park Leisure Centre, Woodley between 2.30-3.30pm on Thursdays from 21 September
- Woky Wheels 4 All at FBC in Finchampstead (Thursday mornings) starting up again on 21 September
- Adult Cycle Training Beginners/Improvers (£10) at Woodford Park Leisure Centre, Woodley (Saturday mornings) starting up again on 23 September
For more information on our regular cycle training and activities, visit our website.
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