The Mayor of Reading

02/11/2026

28/10/2026

I had the pleasure of attending the 'Barbershop Uncut Stories' play at Reading Rep on Friday 16 October.

It was nice to meet Abimbola Odubayo from Thames Valley Cancer Alliance that supported the production, Dr Olubukola Ayodele, who chaired the post-show panel discussion, and Lorna Jones, Creator and Production Manager at C & Hair CIC. Thank you to everyone involved for delivering such a thought-provoking performance.

28/10/2026

Every child deserves something special to open on Christmas Day.

You can support the Toys and Teens Christmas Gift Appeal by donating a gift, making a donation, or buying an item from their Amazon wish list. Together, we can help bring festive joy to children and young people across Reading.

Find out more via the link in the comments.

28/10/2026

On Sunday 8 November members of the public are invited to attend the Remembrance Service at Reading Minster at 9.25am followed by a march through the town centre to the Forbury Gardens at 10.15am. The Remembrance Ceremony at the Forbury War Memorial will include the laying of wreaths and a two-minute silence at 11am.

Wednesday 11 November marks Armistice Day this year, with a two-minute silence at Forbury Gardens War Memorial at 11am. Members of the public are again invited to attend.

26/10/2026

21/10/2026

Thank you to everyone who braved the rain and joined us for our fundraising walk in support of ABC to read, Refugee Support Group and Sport in Mind.

A special thank you to Caroline and Liz from Walk Works for leading the way and guiding us on a beautiful route through Reading town centre.

21/10/2026

Thank you to the Reading Ex-British Gurkha Association for inviting me to the wonderful Dashain Festival Celebration on Saturday 17 October. It was a pleasure to meet so many Nepalese residents and to join in the celebration.

Happy Dashain to everyone celebrating!

20/10/2026

I had a lovely time at the REBS Black History Month Cultural Day yesterday. It was a very interesting meeting with talks, musical interludes and an excellent lunch. Thank you to the organisers for inviting me.

19/10/2026

Would you like to get away from your desk, get some exercise, meet new people and get to know our great town of Reading a little better?

Caroline and Liz from Walk Works and I are looking forward to Reading residents joining us for a lunchtime fundraising walk around the town centre this Wednesday, 21 October.

We'll be setting off from the Forbury Bandstand at 12.30pm for a guided walk in and around Reading town centre. The walk is approximately 2-3 miles long and will take around 45 minutes.

All money raised will go to my chosen charities: ABC to read, Refugee Support Group and Sport in Mind.

To book your place, please sign up via the link in the comments. There is a suggested donation of £6 to take part in the walk.

Thank you for your support!

15/10/2026

Judicial Service 2026, Friday 9 October.
A big thank you to Stewart Turkington Photography for the photos.