Woodley Town Council has proudly raised the Armed Forces Day flag in recognition of the service and sacrifice of the UK’s Armed Forces.
The flag-raising took place on Friday [27 June] at the Town Council offices, ahead of Armed Forces Day 2025, which falls on Saturday [28 June]. This year’s event also commemorates the 80th anniversaries of Victory in Europe (VE) Day and Victory over Japan (VJ) Day.
Each June, Armed Forces Day is an opportunity for communities across the UK to show their support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community from currently serving troops to service families, veterans, reservists and cadets.
“Armed Forces Day is an important occasion for us to publicly recognise the courage, dedication and service of the Armed Forces. By raising the flag here in Woodley, we reaffirm our respect and gratitude for those who serve and have served. It’s a small but meaningful gesture of our community’s enduring support,” said Kevin Murray, Woodley Town Council Town Clerk.
Flags are flown nationwide each year in the lead-up to Armed Forces Day to demonstrate unity and appreciation.
Woodley Town Council will host a VJ Day commemoration on 15 August. Further details will be shared soon on our website and social media channels.
Woodley Town Council was pleased to see strong community interest at the recent Woodley Carnival, where many residents visited the joint MyJourney and Woodley Town Council Cycling & Walking Stall. The stall provided an opportunity to share plans to promote ‘active travel’ encouraging more walking and cycling to help reduce car journeys in and around the town.
The stall proved highly popular, with 214 residents taking part in the ‘spin the wheel’ game and many more stopping by to discuss local safer cycling routes and events. A number of enthusiastic cyclists volunteered to ‘test drive’ new draft safer cycling routes being developed as part of Woodley’s local cycling network.
“It was great to see Woodley folk engaging with active travel, and I was pleased (and surprised!) that a number of cyclists have taken our draft local cycle routes to test drive and provide feedback,” said Cllr June Taylor, a member of the Council’s Cycling & Walking Sub-Committee.
Testing the Routes
The Council has asked volunteers to cycle their chosen route and provide feedback on:
Whether the instructions are clear and easy to follow
Any hazards encountered, such as potholes, broken signs, tricky junctions, or flooded off-road paths
The duration of the route from end to end
Any improvements or alternative suggestions for the route.
Important Feedback
In addition, the Council is encouraging wider community input on how to make Woodley more bike-friendly. Residents are invited to share their ideas on:
The availability and location of cycle racks, secure stores, repair stands, and pumps
Signage for both cyclists and walkers
Safety considerations such as lighting, road speed limits, and cycling education
Barriers to owning a bike, and challenges for children cycling
Any other suggestions related to cycling infrastructure or experience.
A spokesperson for MyJourney said: “We had a great day. We loved speaking with people who are genuinely interested in active travel. Many residents also spoke to us about the various local events MyJourney organises for the community.”
Get on Your Bike
We were encouraged by the level of engagement and are keen to involve even more local people as this work continues.
Whether you’re a regular cyclist or just thinking about getting back on your bike, we’d love to hear from you. Help us shape a more cycle-friendly Woodley by testing a route or sending us your ideas.
Please contact Cllr June Taylor for more information: [email protected]
Hosted by Waingels, young gardeners from Woodley’s primary schools came together last week for the annual Year 1 School Tray Garden Competition. This year’s event had a “Kindness” theme, which inspired budding horticulturists from Highwood, Rivermead, and Beechwood Primary School to get creative and work as a team to make a themed garden that represented friendship and working together.
Organised by Jackie Andrews as part of the Woodley Cluster Project and Amrit Virdee from Waingels, and with plants kindly donated by Winnersh Garden Centre, the competition saw pupils from different schools pairing up in teams of four to design and build their tray gardens in an event hosted by Waingels. The focus was on imagination and teamwork, with each group putting their own spin on the “Kindness” element.
The children’s trays featured fantastic storytelling and playful additions like Stickman figures, bridges, treehouses, and swings, adding fun and imagination to their miniature gardens. Ponds, shell areas, and gravel paths brought the soil and connected the spaces, showcasing movement and fun, echoing the joy of outdoor play.
Judges Cassie King, PR Officer from British Garden Centres, who owns the Winnersh store, Woodley Town Mayor Cllr David Bragg, and Brenda Milton from Woodley Flower Club had the tough job of picking the winners, looking for originality, storytelling and how well the children worked together. Parents were invited to join the presentation and applaud the young gardeners at a special awards ceremony led by Louise Quinell, Head of Beechwood Primary School.
Winning Gardens
The results were:
1st Place: “The Happy Garden” (Beechwood and Rivermead)
2nd Place: “The Features Garden” (Beechwood and Highwood)
Teamwork Award: “The Beautiful Adventure Park Garden” (Beechwood and Rivermead)
Every child who took part went home with a certificate packet of seeds to sow at home, courtesy of British Garden Centres, to help them keep growing their love of gardening. The top three teams also took home plants to grow in their own outdoor spaces. All of the tray gardens went on to be displayed at the Woodley Carnival, alongside entries from the experienced members of the Woodley Flower Club.
Judges impressed by creativity
Cllr David Bragg, Woodley Town Mayor,was impressed with the children’s efforts, commenting: “It was a real pleasure to see the incredible creativity and teamwork from our young gardeners. Each tray garden told a unique story of kindness and friendship, which made judging both a joy and a real challenge. The passion and imagination displayed by Highwood, Rivermead, and Beechwood children were truly inspiring.”
Cassie King, PR Officer at British Garden Centres, said, “It is always such a joy to watch the children’s ideas take shape in their tray gardens. Their creativity shone through in every detail, and it’s lovely seeing how much fun they had working together, sharing ideas, and getting their hands dirty. I hope these children will carry that enthusiasm with them, whether it’s in their own gardens at home or in future projects at school.”
Jackie Andrews of the Woodley Cluster Project said, “The children did so well again this year, creating really beautiful gardens. They all enjoyed thinking about what they do in their gardens and how you can use gardens to help you feel happy. Everyone worked with enthusiasm, and the atmosphere for the whole day was one of joy! I would like to thank everyone involved in the day – our judges, Waingels for hosting the day and running the workshops, the Year 1 teachers for making the arrangements so that their pupils could take part and Winnersh Garden Centre for donating all the plants, compost and prizes, without which we simply would not be able to run this project.”
A rising star in the world of kayaking is making waves this year, thanks in part to a grant from Woodley Town Council.
Ruth Shephard, a dedicated young athlete from Woodley, has already had a standout season in 2025, competing in both sprint and marathon disciplines across the UK and Europe. With the support of the Council’s grant, she has been able to upgrade her equipment, attend specialist training camps, and compete internationally, all of which have contributed to her rapid progression in the sport.
“This season started with two new boats, one for sprint and one for marathon, which has been a game changer. The two disciplines have different demands, and having the right equipment has made my training and racing so much more effective,” said Ruth.
In February, she attended an intensive training camp at the Montebello Resort in Portugal. “That experience helped me improve not just my technique on the water, but also my communication and overall approach to the sport.”
A major highlight came at the German Marathon Nationals, where she earned a podium finish, coming third in the Under 16 long course (18km) and sixth in the Under 18 short course (3.5km). “Thank you for awarding me this grant to help get me to this event,” she said. “It was such an important step in my development as an athlete.”
April saw her racing in the season’s first sprint regatta, where she clinched first place in the Girls B 1000m K1 event, winning by a commanding 10 seconds. She continued her momentum in June, coming third in the 500m event in the Girls A-B combined category.
Looking ahead, she has her sights set on the national championships this July. “I’m training hard with the aim of competing in both Under 14 and Under 16 categories, and I’m in talks with my coach about the potential for international selection,” added Ruth.
Grants
For more information about the Council’s grants and how they support local individuals and groups, please visit the Grants page on our website.
Woodley Town Council is pleased to announce the installation of a new delegate microphone and audio loop system to improve accessibility and engagement at council meetings
This new system is a significant step forward in making Council meetings more inclusive and accessible to all members of our community, especially those with hearing impairments. The built-in audio loop technology allows attendees to fully participate in meetings by enhancing sound clarity. Residents can use their own hearing devices with the neck loop receiver or simply plug in standard headphones to benefit from clearer audio during the meetings.
In addition to improving in-room accessibility, the system significantly enhances the sound quality of live-streamed and recorded meetings available on our YouTube channel.
“We’re committed to making our Council meetings open and accessible to everyone in Woodley. This new system ensures that all residents, regardless of hearing ability, can now experience clearer audio of our meetings, whether attending in person or watching from home.” Said Kevin Murray, Woodley Town Council Town Clerk.
Residents can attend all Council committee meetings in person at the Oakwood Centre or watch them online. For more information about upcoming meeting dates, please visit our website.
We are saddened to announce the recent passing of former Councillor Coling Lawley, who passed away over the weekend.
Cllr Lawley was a dedicated councillor and a much-valued member of the Woodley community. He served as Deputy Town Mayor from 2008 to 2010 and went on to serve as Town Mayor from 2010 to 2012.
“I was sad to hear about the passing of Coling, someone who I had many discussions and debates on a variety of matters. Whilst we were in different political parties those discussions were always done with integrity and good humour with no hint of any animosity between us. We also shared participation many committees over the years, especially the Town Centre Management Initiative, and anyone attending them would be left in no doubt of his passion for Woodley. To me he was very much ‘old school’ as far as behaviour was concerned compared to what is happening now and was always polite even if he vehemently disagreed with you. Everything he did was focussed on Woodley. He was a credit to his party,” said Cllr Keith Baker, Woodley Town Council Leader.
Throughout his years of service, he brought dedication and a genuine passion for the town he loved.
“Coling Lawley was a well-known resident of Woodley. For many years he was the manager and pharmacist at Boots in Woodley town centre, where his help was much appreciated by residents. He joined the Liberal Democrats and was encouraged to stand as a Councillor on both Woodley Town Council and Wokingham Borough Council, following which, for a short time, he became Leader of Wokingham Borough Council before retiring from both his working and public life,” said Cllr Beth Rowland.
“Coling in his younger years was a very social person and loved to mix with residents. As he became older, he was not as active, but we were all very grateful for his friendship, wisdom and support. Rest in Peace Coling,” she added.
Most recently, Cllr Lawley joined the Council to celebrate the opening of its new History Wall and Coronation Orchard Garden. He had previously gifted historical maps of Woodley, which are on display at the Oakwood Centre.
“Coling was a kind and committed councillor who gave so much to Woodley during his time on the Council and beyond. His contributions, both as a councillor, Mayor and as a community member, will not be forgotten,” said Kevin Murray, Woodley Town Council’s Town Clerk.
Out of respect for Coling, we will be flying the Town Council flag at half-mast.
Woodley Town Council extends its heartfelt condolences to Coling’s family and friends at this difficult time.
Coling Lawley at the opening of the Council’s Coronation Orchard Garden, greeted by Woodley Town Mayor, Cllr David Bragg
