 Say hello to your new Mayor
Cllr Adrian Mather was elected as Wokingham Borough Mayor at last week’s Annual Council. He will take on the role for the coming year (2024-25), succeeding Cllr Beth Rowland after a year as her deputy.
The Mayor is officially the ‘first citizen’ of the borough with a civic role, representing the council and the people of the borough as well as presiding over borough council meetings. Unless Her Majesty the Queen or her representative is in attendance, the Mayor takes precedence over any other dignitaries at events.
The deputy Mayor for the next civic year will be Cllr Carol Jewell.
Cllr Mather’s chosen charity for his year as Borough Mayor will be First Days Children’s Charity.
Based in Wokingham, the charity supports children and families living in poverty within Berkshire. First Days provide everyday essential items to families who need them by distributing school uniforms, new baby essentials, toiletries, toys and more.
 Waste changes – knowing your new collections
Delivery of more than 60,000 black wheeled rubbish bins to households continues this week as part of the upcoming changes to our waste collections, which will start on Monday, 12 August.
We’ll be posting a leaflet to every household with a collection calendar showing your weekly schedule for your property before the new collections start. You'll be able to look this up online in due course.
The leaflet will explain how to put your rubbish and recycling out for collection. We’ll kindly ask you to follow the simple advice given, or your waste might not be collected.
Your wheeled rubbish bin will hold 180 litres, about the same as two full blue bags, and very few things belong in it so make sure you’re recycling everything you can.
Most things can be recycled except bagged pet litter and animal waste, general dust and dirt, black plastic food waste trays, polystyrene, disposable nappies and sanitary waste.
Plastic film and bags or bubble wrap can be thrown away, but can also be recycled at some supermarkets, and you can recycle things like glass at collection banks.
Wait for your bin to be delivered
Crews from our distributor Jett will be assembling the bins in your street in batches of about 15, by attaching the wheels and then leaving them outside your property.
If you see a stack of unassembled bins in your street, don’t help yourself. Crews will be back within minutes to bring a bin straight to you.
 Community events to mark 80th anniversary of D-Day
Wokingham
Market Place in Wokingham is hosting a special event to commemorate D-Day on Thursday 6 June.
The event, which runs from 9am to 4.30pm, is being organised by the Royal British Legion, in conjunction with Wokingham Town Council and The Barkham Hookers.
There will be military vehicles on display, a stand from the Wokingham Poppy Appeal and Elusive Brewing will be selling cans of their limited edition of 'D-Day 80' beer, with proceeds going to the Poppy Appeal.
Woodley
Head to Woodford Park Memorial Ground in Woodley to celebrate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
The event runs from 6pm to 10pm on Thursday 6 June and will feature a live band, entertainment and refreshment stalls.
The Woodley Town Mayor will light a beacon at 9.15pm, along with the rest of the nation. Bring a picnic, your friends and family and enjoy the celebrations.
Arborfield
The Royal British Legion in Arborfield is inviting the community to come and celebrate from 12 noon on Saturday 8 June.
There will be family-friendly activities, live music, delicious food, face painting, a bouncy castle, barbecue and more.
Online ticket sales will close one week before the event and tickets can also be purchased on the day, but it will be cheaper in advance. Family tickets for two adults and two children are £20 in advance (£22 on the day), adult tickets are £7.50 (£8.50 on the day) and child/concession tickets are £5 (£6 on the day).
Finchampstead
A commemoration evening is being held at St James's Church on Thursday 6 June.
Bring a chair and a picnic and join in the celebration from 7pm. There will be live music and a beacon lighting from the church tower, as well as cake and refreshments.
If you have any memories of D-Day that have been passed down through the generations, send an email to Christine Driver.
 Half-term fun at inflatable family fun day
Little ones can have fun on five inflatables at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre in Earley on Friday (31 May).
The inflatable family fun day is taking place in the main sports hall and will feature a range of soft play equipment. It costs £8 per child for a session of 90 minutes and these are running from:
- 9am to 10.30am
- 10.45am to 12.15pm
- 12.30pm to 2.00pm
- 2.15pm to 3.45pm
Staff will be supervising all inflatables, but parents and guardians are required to attend with their child. Book on the Places Leisure website.
 Free weekly running sessions to start soon
Two new free weekly running groups open to residents of all abilities is set to start in Wokingham next month.
Running Places is a new initiative from Places Leisure, which has run the borough’s six leisure centres since 2018. It provides a safe space for residents aged 16 and over to build their confidence and fitness.
Sessions, open to all abilities, start in the first week of June:
- Every Tuesday (first session 4 June), women-only session, 9.30am to 10.30am at Wokingham Leisure Centre at Carnival Hub
- Every Wednesday (first session 5 June), mixed-gender session, 7.30am to 8.30am at Wokingham Leisure Centre at Carnival Hub
It’s possible thanks to funding from My Journey Wokingham and Places Leisure.
Book your spot on the Places Leisure website, free to sign up. You can also look through frequently asked questions on the scheme.
 Accessible toilet installed at Dinton Activity Centre
A new fully accessible toilet has been installed at Dinton Activity Centre in Hurst as part of an effort to help people with limited mobility to feel more confident.
The Changing Places toilet is now open on the ground floor of the centre, using and enhancing an existing disabled toilet.
The locations of other Changing Places toilets can be found online, along with more information about why these facilities are important.
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