Coley Park Community Centre

Come along and celebrate Easter at the centre, all are very much welcome! 🐣🥚⛪️🐰

Come along and join the celebration tomorrow!

Happy Mothers Day!

Unfortunately the Community Litter Pick will not be taking place today, apologies.

Our next Community Litter Pick will be.....
Saturday 1st April 2023
10am meet at the centre, see you there! 😊
🚮♻️🌎🗑

Come along and join a wellbeing walk in Coley!

You will now have to show photographic ID to be able to vote at polling stations in the local elections on 4 May 🗳

Changes introduced this year mean residents voting at a polling station will need to show photo ID, or apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate

People who plan to vote in person at a polling station are being asked to check now that they have an accepted form of ID. These include:

- Passport
- Driving licence/provisional licence
- Blue badge
- Certain concessionary travel cards, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card
- Identity card with Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) mark
- Biometric Immigration document
- Defence identity card
- Certain national identity cards

Residents who do not have an accepted form of ID can apply online for a free Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) at http://rdguk.info/apply_W08n9, alternatively, they can complete a paper application form and send this to Reading’s Electoral Services team

More information on the 2023 local election in Reading – including on how to get a postal or proxy vote - can be found online at http://rdguk.info/local_elex_kTK6i

Another fabulous bike session with Avanti Freewheelers CCC Reading, we all had a great time! Reading Council

Coming to the centre tomorrow, please email to book....

🌳💗🐸What shall we do with the kids this half term? 🦋🍁🌿 What's fun, free and local? Come on down to Holy Brook Nook! The sun will be shining ☀️ Nature Nurture CIC and Food4Families will be providing loads of nature-inspired activities....FREE but limited places - BOOK HERE: https://lovenature.eventbrite.co.uk
Drop in for as little or as long as you like.
Ooooh and there's another FREE event coming up 4th March too.
These sessions are free to attend thanks to Reading Council Community Infrastructure Levy and Sir Robert McAlpine ActionFunder for a Strong Foundations Grant

What's your thoughts on the new plans to the park?

Help us choose from six exciting new play area designs for Coley Recreation Ground.

The consultation runs from 13 February to 20 March and you are encouraged to vote on your favourite design.

View the designs and have your say here: http://rdguk.info/SKksV

We have earmarked Coley Recreation Ground for a £200,000 refresh of its existing playground as part of our ongoing major investment across Reading’s parks.

Coley Recreation Ground is a very popular park with a range of facilities including an outdoor gym, tennis courts, an artificial cricket wicket and a children’s play area, which is nearing the end of its life and needs updating.

We invited leading specialist companies to compete to redesign the playground and have shortlisted six entries that offer an exciting mix of equipment, including equipment accessible to all ages and mobility levels. The refurbished play area will also have a new surface to enable access for children and carers using mobility aids such as wheelchairs and walking frames.

Once the consultation is completed the results from the public consultation will form a significant part of the final selection of the winning design, which will also include consultation with the Reading Access and Disabilities Working Group and assessments on value for money and technical competency.

The winning design will be announced in May and work will start during the summer 2023.

Pop-up & Play at Holy Brook Nook

Pop-up & Play at Holy Brook Nook Family fun with Nature Nurture and friends on the first Saturday of the month!

Photos from West Reading Together's post

Happy New Year! We hope that everyone had an amazing Christmas.

The centre has some news.....

Coley Park Community Association will no longer be running the day to day running of the centre as from 1st January 2023, Reading Borough Council will now take responsibility of all future bookings. If you are interested in booking the centre please email:

[email protected]

The CPCA will still work closely with the council,(as we always have done), with the hope to spend more time organising events and regular activities where possible, but this can only be done with the support of volunteers. It would be great to get more people on board so that roles and responsibilities are shared more and so that more can occur.

If you are interested in helping out please feel free to email the charity. We look forward to hearing from you. 😊

[email protected]

Your bin collection days will change over the Christmas and New Year period 🎄 Screenshot or save this calendar to check back 📸

Check the collection dates for your household here ➡ http://rdguk.info/W4wB3

ℹ An extra bag of rubbish can be left next to your grey bin on the first collection after Christmas, and any extra recycling can be left in a cardboard box next to your red bin or box. Please try to keep any extra recycling put out dry to help us recycle it more easily

For more information on Christmas service changes ➡ http://rdguk.info/christmas_closures_QMNwl

Thank you to a local family who has donated a large amount of children's books to our community library.
Reading Council John Sykes Foundation Connect Reading

Looking forward to this....

Look after the Nook - join us for the first session of 2023, on Tuesday 10th January between 10am and 3pm, when we will be creating a play and learning space for local families. (please note that due to the bank holiday this will be taking place on the second Tuesday of the month rather than its regular slot)
Location: meet near the wooden bridge by Brook Street West -
https://goo.gl/maps/JgTKraB5T5SqpgTp6
Thanks to Reading Council Community Infrastructure Levy for funding this project.

A joyful celebration of togetherness!, food will always bring people together. 🥰

Thank you to all those that came along and contributed to the meal.

Make sure you check out these FREE Under 5's sessions at the centre Wednesday's and Thursday's.

Keep an eye out for some new sessions beginning in the New Year!

Brighter Futures for Children Reading Council

A great new session starting in the new year!

Please feel free to come along to this Sundays community meal at the centre. Bring something along to share and join with others to eat.

Sharing on behalf of Coley Baptist Church, today is their Nativity Service.

Make sure you pop along to this today!

Make sure you get your FREE tickets to Panto!

📣 Free trip to the panto through the Reading scheme! The Hexagon is kindly offering free tickets for eligible children to see Jack & the Beanstalk
For more details, visit:
🎭 http://ow.ly/BPPs50H2NUP
Reading Council What's On Reading

Such good news to hear! John Sykes Foundation has helped so many people in the past-Well done!

The Foundation are delighted to announce Grassrootz Youth Club as the latest recipient of a COVID-19 Relief Fund Grant.

The local youth club was founded in 2020 and run five youth club sessions each week for the Reading community.

John Sykes, Founder and Chair of Trustees, visited the youth club at Hexham Road Community Centre in Whitley to present a cheque of £1,000 to purchase a computer and DJ equipment to Kelvin Husbands, Founder of Grassrootz. Also in attendance was Amanda and Stuart Stephens, parents of Olly Stephens and advocates of local youth clubs, as well as local Ward Councillor Kathryn McCann.

Grassrootz was initially founded in Coley and now runs within three venues each week; with two sessions in Whitley, two in Coley, and one in Caversham Park, seeing youths from 8 years up to 16 years, with more clubs based in other areas of Reading on the horizon.

Kelvin commented, “The money we have received from the John Sykes Foundation is going towards new equipment for the club including a computer and DJ equipment, so the young people can produce music, do their homework, browse the internet, make art projects, and will help to take the club to a new level.”

Grassrootz’s clubs also have a team of volunteers who assist in creating a safe space for young people to learn new skills, such as DJ’ing and cooking, to playing board games and having a safe place to complete homework.

Kelvin added, “The older youths that attend are also given the opportunity to become ‘Young Mentors’ which gives them the chance to take on some responsibility, engage with the younger members from the younger groups, and to help out with their siblings or younger children who may be a little wary of attending. The clubs are thriving, every week we see the same children return, along with new friends. We’ve received such positive feedback from parents and schools. It’s so great to see!”

Amanda Stephens mentioned, “Grassrootz offer safe places for our children to have fun, in an innocent and fun way, as we did when we were kids.”

“At the Youth Club the children and young adults can enjoy games, music, fun, and outside activities in the warmer evenings.”

“Our children need to be children, without online social media pressures, and Grassrootz offer them that opportunity and routine of a great night each and every week. With mentors available at every session, our children have the protection and freedom of speech that they need with fantastic role models to help them.

“Thank goodness for GRYC as they offer the love and care that our children need”.

John Sykes commented, “So many children need places where they not only feel safe but are noticed, not judged, and are allowed to flourish, where they feel loved and where their achievements are celebrated. Grassrootz have brought this to fruition.”

“It was great to see the children engaging with a manner of different opportunities that Kelvin has made possible, such as mixing music (which my 14 year old son loved), playing board games, and for a number of youths a safe place for the evening. Young people have identified these services as important to their wellbeing and growth, and we need to do what we can to encourage this further.”

If you or someone you know would like to attend Grassrootz Youth Club please visit their Instagram page for more information - https://instagram.com/grassrootz.ltd?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

If you work or belong to a local Charity or Organisation and would like to know more or apply for a COVID-19 Relief Fund Grant, our deadline has now been extended to 31st December 2022, please visit www.johnsykesfoundation.org 💚💜🧡💙❤️

Such an amazing turn out for the lantern workshop over the past couple of weeks. Looking forward to this Saturday, when the 'Parade of the Fireflies' takes place through town! Connect Reading Reading Council

Do you sell Christmas gifts? Would you like to share your products with the local community?

Please feel free to add your link to the comments below ⬇️

Make sure you check this out - such a great skill!

Something to join in with during your lunch break...👣🗣🚶🏿‍♀️🚶‍♂️👨🏾‍🦯👨‍🦽👩‍🦼👩🏻‍🦼👩🏽‍🦼

Wednesday Town Centre lunch time walks - every Wednesday 12.30 from Market Place. All walks approx 40-45 mins /3.5km max - time to step away from your desk, meet and chat with interesting people, and enjoy being outside, even if it is raining!

This week we are excited to be heading to the Holy Brook Nook. 🏞 This community space for people and nature in the heart of Coley is an oasis of green space, and minutes from the town centre! What a treat to be able to share with you these gems in our town, come along!

Click this link to sign up: http://bit.ly/3ShEciJ

These walks are FREE to you to join as they are part of Reading's Economy and Destination Agency (REDA) Wellness programme of events for business is the Reading Centralband Abbey Quarter Business Improvement Districts.

Goodevening, a phone has been found just outside the community centre, it's a Samsung Galaxy fold 4. If it belongs to you please send in a description of what it looks like and we will let you know if it is yours, it has a 3 SIM card in. 😊

Sharing on behalf of St Mary's and All Saints Primary School, come along and get in the festive spirit! 🌲🎅🏽🎁✨️🎄

A reminder that this will be on tomorrow afternoon at the centre! 😊

Sharing on behalf of Coley Baptist Church, always a great event to take part in!

Please book at the following link ⬇️
shorturl.at/dtxy2

Looking forward to being a part of this amazing event, a great opportunity!

Come along and make a lantern and join the parade!

So pleased that the weather held out for our last community bike ride this year! It's been a real pleasure to be able to tag along with the group as and when I could.

Avanti Freewheelers CCC Reading have done an amazing job in the community, not only with bike rides in Coley, but all over Reading. Thank you to Andy, Summreen, Pierre and James for their dedicated time, in making this happen.

On another note Autumn's bakes each week were always something to look forward too! 😋

Don't forget this event tomorrow.....Wellbeing Day at the centre! Take some timeout to look after yourself 🥰
Reading Council Connect Reading Ethical Reading Reading Caribbean Express News NHS Professionals