We are delighted to announce the winners of our Jubilee Stones competition!

Thank you to all of the children who entered the competition to paint a Jubilee themed stone for our Platinum Jubilee commemorative memorial.

Woodley Town Mayor, Cllr Janet Sartorel, had the very difficult task of choosing three winners from over 1000 stones.

“Congratulations to all of the children who entered the competition and worked so hard on their designs. There were so many amazing stones to choose from and it was very hard to choose just three winners,” said Janet.

Winners

Under 5 years old

The winner of the Under 5s category is four year old Edward Von Der Recke.

6 – 8 years old

The winner of the 6-8 Years category is eight year old Abhyuday Varma.

9 – 12 years old

The winner of the 9-12 Years category is 12 year old Abbey Jenkins.

Big Jubilee Lunch

The three winners and their families will join Woodley Town Mayor, Cllr Janet Sartorel, and Woodley Town Deputy Mayor, Cllr Kay Gilder, at the Top Table on Sunday 5th June in Woodley Town Centre for our Big Jubilee Lunch, in association with the Woodley Town Centre Partnership.

The FREE event will include: 

🇬🇧 FREE entertainment: Professor Crump! 

🇬🇧 FREE live music: bands singing songs from the 1940s to the present day! 

🇬🇧 FREE Pets Corner: chicks, ducklings, lambs, goats, rabbits, tortoise, sheep, ponies!

🇬🇧 FREE craft activities: make/decorate your own Crown!

🇬🇧 FREE chalk pavement drawing activity! 

🇬🇧 FREE ice cream for children from Maya’s Treats!

Join us!

Please join the FREE event – bring your family, friends, chairs, table and a picnic to Woodley Town Centre, near Centre Stage on Sunday 5th June 2022, 12.00 – 16.00!

“I am honoured to be joined at the Top Table by the winners and their families. Please join us on Sunday for a joyous and fun day of celebration,” said Janet.

Commemorative display

All of the stones from the competition will surround our Queen’s Green Canopy Jubilee Tree in Woodford Park as a permanent commemorative display to mark and celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

“I am looking forward to seeing all of the stones set in place, creating an outstanding commemorative display for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Thank you to all of the Council staff who have worked so hard to create this,” said Janet.

We are currently busy getting the display ready and will announce soon when we will be unveiling it.

Find out which roads are closed near you

Wokingham Borough Council has published a list of road closures on its Platinum Jubilee hub, where you can see an interactive map of closures across the borough as well as a list showing closures by area.

Although roads will be closed, the Council says access will be maintained at all times for residents and businesses.

Please contact Wokingham Borough Council directly for any issues.

20th May 2022

We have received an increase in the number of retrospective planning applications for properties in the area. 

Please note that, for certain types of developments, residents need to seek planning permission. 

If you are thinking of any building work, in the first instance, please contact Wokingham Borough Council or visit the Planning Portal for further guidance and information.

https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/planning/

18th May 2022

Progress on the new play area at Woodford Park is going well and we should be able to announce an ‘open’ date soon.

In the meantime, here are some photos of the progress so far.

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We are delighted to announce that Cllr Janet Sartorel has been elected to Woodley Town Mayor and Cllr Kay Gilder to Woodley Town Deputy Mayor for the year 2022-23.

This is Cllr Sartorel’s second Mayorship and will be Cllr Gilder’s sixth time as Deputy Mayor. The Mayor’s charity for this year is Keep Mobile.

If you would like to book the Town Mayor or Deputy Mayor, please email Matt Filmore: Matthew.filmore@woodley.gov.uk.

Wokingham Borough Council has launched its first Crowdfunding campaign to try to raise funds to support young Ukrainian refugees arriving in the borough. 

Summary

• The idea of the scheme is to help children and young Ukrainian refugees (aged up to 23) to live as full a life as possible while in the borough
• The money raised will pay for the sort of things children and young people will need to live here as well as possible but that go beyond basic provision –  for example tech for school, college or university, a pair of football boots or dance shoes.
• Monetary donations are the preference in order to build up a fund that can be used to flexibly to meet individual need. The needs will be identified with refugees themselves and our Ukraine case workers.
• If there is a need identified that we think a charity can help with, we will seek that help directly – so we won’t be buying things that are already available via VCS support
• Donations in kind will be accepted but because we are seeking to meet individual need, we are asking for people to contact us if they want to donate goods so we can assess if they meet a specific need

Donations

To donate money please visit: Crowdfunding Page

To donate goods please email: yoursupport@wokingham.gov.uk

Annual Town Meeting 26th May, 19.00-20.00, Oakwood Centre 

Climate Change in Woodley – be part of the solution 

Join us to tackle climate change and collect your FREE plantable wild seed earth card 🌍

The Annual Town Meeting this year will cover:

😃 Welcome from Woodley Town Mayor

🌍 Wokingham Borough Council Climate Change update

🐝 Woodley Allotments Bee Project update

🌍 Woodley Town Council Climate Change update

🤔 Q&A from Woodley Residents to Woodley Town Council 

Have your say on the future of Woodley 

During the Annual Town Meeting, there will also be the opportunity for Woodley residents to put questions to the Council about any issues you have that fall under our responsibility. 

These are some of the areas we look after:

• Centre Stage 

• The Oakwood Centre

• The Garden of Remembrance

• The allotments at Reading Road

• Community activities and events 

• Halls for hire (Coronation and Chapel Halls)

• Providing detached youth work in the town 

• Woodford Park Leisure Centre and The Gym on the Park

• Contributions to the Town Centre Management Partnership

• Local parks (Woodford Park, Malone, Wheble Parks & Bulmershe Open Space)

• Maintaining designated bus shelters, the public toilet, street lighting, noticeboards, and public seating

(All else falls under the responsibility of Wokingham Borough Council) 

Please join us on the evening of Thursday 26th May at 19.00 at the Oakwood Centre or watch the live feed on our YouTube Channel. 

LOCAL CHOIR REQUIRED FOR A PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATION IN WOODLEY ON THE EVENING OF 2ND JUNE

Woodley Town Council is taking part in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacon event, when we will be lighting a Beacon in Woodford Park on the evening of Thursday 2nd June (9:45pm). This is an international event, with Beacons being lit simultaneously across the UK and the Commonwealth.

A ‘Song for the Commonwealth’ has been written as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Community groups and choirs are being encouraged to sing this song at 9:45pm on the evening of the 2nd June to coincide with the lighting of Beacons Commonwealth.

Choir needed!

We are looking for a local choir to sing this in the park as the Beacon is lit on the evening of 2nd June. 

Please email: Matthew.Filmore@woodley.gov.uk if you are interested and are available on the night. 

Details of the song can be found HERE.

The skate park in Woodford Park will be closed from 7am to 10am on Saturday 30th April. This is to enable the weekly Park Run to take place while the new play area installation works are being carried out. The skate park will be open as usual from 10am. Thank you for your understanding!

We are recruiting for a full time senior grounds person!

We’re looking for a full time senior grounds person to join our team. 

Have you got experience in grounds maintenance? 

Have you got a driving licence? 

Can you work 37 hours per week? 

Salary: £24,982 – £27,041

Apply HERE.

Update about Woodley Carnival

Since publishing The Herald, Woodley Carnival have made the decision to not run the procession this year. However, all plans for the afternoon and evening remain the same.

For more information please visit: www.woodleycarnival.org.uk

We are delighted to once again be sponsoring Woodley Carnival and look forward to welcoming you to our stall.

We have launched a competition to win a place at the Top Table with the Mayor and other dignitaries at our Big Jubilee Lunch on Sunday 5th June (12.00-16.00) in the town centre and be part of a permanent display to commemorate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Competition details

The competition is open to all children 12 years of age and under, with three categories of winners: 5 years and under, 6 – 8 years old, 9 – 12 years old.

We are asking for stones to be decorated in a Jubilee theme – crowns, flags, castles, queens, and coins – making them as bright and beautiful as possible! Each stone will be permanently set in the Council’s commemorative memorial around our Jubilee Tree in Woodford Park to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The tree has been planted as part of the Queen’s Canopy. See article HERE.

Some of the local schools have been supplied with stones and forms, however, the competition is open to any child 12 years and under who lives in Woodley or attends a Woodley school.

Form and stones

Forms and stones can be collected from the Council offices, although children are welcome to use their own stones (we have a limited stock of stones). You can also download the form HERE.

The decorated stone (name/age on the back) needs to be returned with the completed form in a clear bag* by Friday 20th May 2022.

Good luck!

*ALL bags will be recycled

The competition is only open to children living in or attending a school in Woodley, age of 12 years old or under. Each qualifying stone must be decorated in a Jubilee theme and we can only accept one entry per child. Please note that the stones will not be returned and will be permanently set in Woodford Park around the Council’s Jubilee Tree, which has been planted as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy to commemorate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. Please return the completed form with the decorated stone in a clear plastic bag (the bag will be recycled). Please write your child’s name and age on the back of the stone. All stones must be accompanied with a completed form.