Wokingham Borough Connect
 High-tech monitor helps pupils track pollution
Pupils at Wheatfield Primary School in Winnersh won a state-of-the-art air virtual pollution monitor in a competition we organised.
Air quality expert EarthSense donated the prize of a Virtual Zephyr, a virtual monitoring point that measures and records pollutants every hour.
This allows pupils to investigate sources of air pollution in and around their school using EarthSense's online MyAir platform.
We held a workshop in partnership with EarthSense to help the children learn where air pollution comes from, the dangers it poses to health and how to reduce it.
Pupils looked at air quality data collected in the area around the school, particularly around peak times, and identified some causes including vehicle idling.
 Children's art urges drivers to clean up their act
Pupils at six Wokingham Borough schools have again put up colourful artworks encouraging motorists not to idle their engines when stationary.
We organised this popular annual display to reduce air pollution at these sites as part of our Air Quality Schools scheme in partnership with Defra.
Pupils were invited to draw up their best designs and a winner from each school was chosen to put their work on show.
Five primaries and one secondary took part, all in areas where we've identified a need to improve air quality. This year's winners were:
- Charlotte - Year 5, Evendons Primary School, Wokingham
- Arham and Henry - Years 3 and 6, Westende Junior School, Wokingham
- Scarlett - Year 5, The Hawthorns Primary School, Wokingham
- Holly (pictured) - Year 6, Hawkedon Primary School, Lower Earley
- Summer - Year 9, St Crispin’s secondary school, Wokingham
- A winner will be chosen from Emmbrook Junior School, Wokingham
Trio score sporty prizes for active travel art
We've also announced the winners of our primary schools drawing competition, in which pupils submitted their favourite sights while walking or cycling to school.
We received some amazing entries and Harry from Loddon Primary School, Earley, was the winner with his image of the changing seasons. He won a family ticket to Reading Football Club which was donated by the club.
Runners-up Lam, from Loddon Primary School, and Riley, from Highwood Primary School in Woodley, each won a family swim donated by Places Leisure.
Westcott walkers and cyclists near top of the class nationally
Pupils from Wescott Infant School have reached 11th place on the UK leaderboard in this year's Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel campaign.
More than 90 per cent of the youngsters have walked, cycled or scooted to school during the campaign, which runs until tomorrow (Friday, 22 March).
The free annual competition is open to all primary and secondary schools, with daily prizes to be won. So far, 14 local schools have submitted travel data.
On each day of the challenge, schools compete to see who can get the most pupils travelling actively to school. Their best five days during the fortnight-long event will determine their final position.
 All aboard the ArborFinch Bike Bus!
An organised group cycle from Arborfield to Finchampstead via the California Greenway will take place at 8am tomorrow (Friday, 22 March).
It will be the first trial run of the ArborFinch Bike Bus, which has timetabled stops along the way and is mostly aimed at families with children at Gorse Ride and Nine Mile Ride primary schools in Finchampstead.
However, all families are welcome to take part. By moving as one large group, the "bus" provides a safe and easy environment for people to cycle - and keeps everyone clearly visible to other road users.
This is particularly important at busy commuting times, when people may feel less confident cycling. It's also a great chance to get some fresh air and travel alongside friends while travelling actively to and from school.
We recently finished consulting on our new Local Transport Plan, which sets out our vision for all ways of getting around the borough for years to come, as well as our proposals for a new active travel route along the A329 Reading Road between Winnersh and Wokingham. We'll announce more about the next steps as soon as we can.
 Prizes still going for walking and cycling more
Our My Journey Wokingham challenge on the BetterPoints smartphone app will end next Sunday (31 March) - but there are loads of reasons to keep going.
From next month, you can still record all your journeys on the app for a chance to win £25 worth of prizes in the national challenge every week.
BetterPoints automatically logs your trips and can tell whether you've been walking, cycling, running or taking public transport.
Active and sustainable journeys will rack up points, which can be exchanged for high street vouchers or charity donations.
You can track how far you've walked, earning badges along the way, and even see how many carbon emissions you're likely to have saved.
Some staggering stats at the local level
Since launching the My Journey Wokingham challenge, we've made over 660,000 sustainable journeys and travelled over a million miles on foot, bike, bus or train.
That's the equivalent of walking to the Moon and back twice, saving about 350 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and burning over 75 million calories - the same amount as 150,000 chocolate chip cookies!
Along the way, we donated more than £130 to five local charities and treated ourselves to lots of coffee and supermarket vouchers.
Any points you earned during the My Journey Wokingham challenge won't expire if you continue using the app, so keep going!
 Grant powers our electric vehicle dreams
We’ve been awarded £264,000 by the Government to install more electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints in Wokingham Borough.
This comes from a Department for Transport (DfT) fund set up to help councils improve provision in areas with little or no off-street parking.
We’re preparing an initial list of locations before going out to tender for a supplier, which we hope to appoint later this year.
The DfT has already given us £282,000 to plan the rollout of new chargepoints. This latest grant will fund installation, with match funding from the supplier.
It’ll help us work towards our climate emergency goals without impacting our own finances, and we can’t spend the money on anything else.
If your area doesn’t have much off-street parking, and you’d like a charger nearby, please email us to be considered.
Don’t create a trip hazard!
If you’ve got an EV, you can’t charge it on the street by trailing a cable across the pavement. Even if you cover it, it’s still obstructing the highway and could hurt someone if they trip – and you could be fined or be held legally liable.
 Regular activities and events
- FREE Balance Bike Club at FBC (starting up again on Wednesday, 17 April after Easter)
- FREE Balance Bike Club at Woodford Park Leisure Centre (starting up again from Thursday, 18 April after Easter)
- Learn to Ride sessions (£10) at FBC in Finchampstead (starting up again from Wednesday, 17 April after Easter)
- Learn to Ride sessions (£10) at Woodford Park Leisure Centre in Woodley (starting up again from Thursday, 18 April after Easter)
- FREE bike checks with Dr Bike at Oakingham Belle, Wokingham (between 9.30am to 11.30am - booking essential)
- FREE bike checks with Dr Bike at St Eligius Church, Arborfield (between 12pm to 2pm - booking essential)
- FREE bike checks with Dr Bike at Dinton Pastures, Hurst (between 9.30am to 11.30am - booking essential)
- FREE bike checks with Dr Bike at Ryeish Green Sports Hub, (between 12pm to 2pm - booking essential)
- We'll be running Basic Bike Maintenance courses in April - please email us to join our waiting list and find out the latest dates
- Bikeability Easter Holiday Courses at Woodford Park Leisure Centre organised by Avanti Cycling
For more information on our regular cycle training and activities, visit our website.
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