Just One Thing, kickstart a positive 2025 in Reading

Reading Council today launched its New Year Just One Thing, campaign encouraging residents to embrace new experiences, uncover and remember the town’s hidden gems, enhance wellbeing and make a positive contribution. Shifting the focus from traditional New Year's resolutions to forming lasting habits that positively impact residents and the community.

Just One Thing 25 tips for 2025, encourages residents to try simple and achievable ideas, spanning health and wellbeing to exploring the town's culture and green spaces.

Tips include;

• hop on a bus and go to a part of Reading you haven't been to before maybe Arthur Newbery Park Tilehurst, Reading Old Cemetery or Fobney Island Nature Reserve South Reading
• visit Reading Museum to see the Picasso
• take a seat on the Ricky Gervais After Life Netflix bench at Henley Road Cemetery
• stroll and reminisce past where the Huntley and Palmers factory used to be and where Bugsy Malone was filmed in 1975, take in the town’s Banksy at the same time
• donate plasma, Reading has one of only three plasma donation centres in the UK
• learn how to say hello in the three most popular languages spoken after English; Polish, Nepalese and Romanian
• make a commitment to spend time with a child in foster care just once a month
• wander along the Oxford Road, the market stalls by the Broad Street Mall and West Street and browse the beautiful fruit and vegetable displays– why not buy a fruit or vegetable you haven’t tried before and try something new?

Just One Thing also promotes the town’s new and improved leisure facilities, encouraging physical activity, and provides information on food waste, and tips for checking what can be recycled.

It’s not about giving up this New Year it’s about trying Just One Thing.

Just One Thing #1 Have you taken a peru’se at the Paddington statue in town on the bench outside of Broad Street Waterstones – he’s one of just 23 Paddington’s installed around the UK and Ireland.

Why not do a bit of a Paddington tour he’s an im-paw-tent part of our history:

Paddington's creator, Michael Bond, grew up and went to school in Reading – Presentation College now the site of the Wren School.

Bond also worked in town for the BBC as an engineer’s assistant in an attic in town hall square when the building was blown up in a German bombing raid in February 1943.

Michael Bond moved with his parents to Reading, living on Winser Drive from 1939 to 1958 which inspired where the Brown family who adopted Paddington live - Windsor Gardens.

Did you know Paddington was inspired by Bond’s memories of seeing children arriving at Reading Station with their suitcases and name tags as they were evacuated during World War Two.

Just One Thing #2 Have a wander along the Oxford Road, the market stalls by the Broad Street Mall and West Street and browse the beautiful fruit and vegetable displays– why not buy a fruit or vegetable you haven’t tried before and try something new?

Just One Thing #3 Jump on a bus and go to a part of Reading you’ve never visited or don’t know very well. There are wonderful hidden gems from:

Fobney Island Nature Reserve South Reading https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_DH1ZFYdcc

Arthur Newbery Park Tilehurst  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbvHw53e4yI&t

Reading Old Cemetery East Reading https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCQIiOZFXpc&t

Just One Thing #4 Why not pop along to your local leisure centre to see if there’s an activity for you, there’s the new Rivermead pool have you tried it yet? And Palmer Park, Meadway and South Reading, you can pop along for a tour any time they’re open. https://www.reading.gov.uk/leisure/active-reading/sport/swimming-sport-leisure-centres/

Just One Thing #5 Do you know someone with young children or who is pregnant and could benefit from Healthy Start Vouchers? Vitamins, healthy food and milk vouchers are available for eligible people on benefits. Do your neighbours and friends and family know about them? Why not tell one person who you think could be eligible about healthy start vouchers https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/how-to-apply/

Just One Thing #6 Have you watched Reading born Ricky Gervais’ After Life? Did you know there’s a bench in the Henley Road Cemetery donated by Netflix, the bench is by the Gardens of Remembrance and is there for anyone to sit and have a conversation about grief. Next time you’re at the cemetery why not seek the bench out, take a seat and reflect on the wonderful memories of someone you miss and who is sadly no longer with us.

Just One Thing #7 How well do you know your neighbours? Reading is a wonderfully multi-cultural town; you often hear many different languages out and about. How about learning Hello in the top 3 languages spoken across the borough after English. The 2021 census information tells us Polish is the most popular language after English and hello is Witam, Nepalese is the second and hello is Namaskāra and Romanian is the third most popular language and hello is Buna ziua. Hear some of our residents say hello here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOiF2LRdT-g

Just One Thing #8 Put aside just 10 minutes to check what can and can’t be recycled, do your bit for climate change. Did you know 6 teabags popped in your food waste bin generates enough electricity to boil the kettle for another cuppa! https://re3.fccenvironment.co.uk/

Just One Thing #9 Have you noticed the post boxes around where you live? Our town is steeped in history and by the 900-year-old Abbey Ruins there’s a post box from Edward VII reign - remind yourself with how historical Reading is and visit Forbury Gardens and the Ruins and keep an eye out for post boxes!

Just One Thing #10 Have you ever been to a Reading FC game? Most weekends there’s a game why not go along and support your local football club https://www.readingfc.co.uk/tickets

Just One Thing #11 Did you know Reading has one of only 3 plasma donation centres in the UK, it’s on the Kings Road. If you pick this as your Just One Thing you could literally save lives! https://www.blood.co.uk/

Just One Thing #12 You could do your own walking tour of some of the famous sites in Reading including Banksy’s Great Escape artwork from 2021, the Royal Berkshire Hospital where HRH The Princess of Wales was born in 1982 and Huntley and Palmers where the bar scenes of Bugsy Malone were filmed in 1975.

Just One Thing #13 Do you need to do some DIY projects but don’t have the tools? You can borrow probably any tool you need from Reading’s Library of Things, and they can help show you how to use it too. Membership is £25 per year, discounted memberships for those that need it. You can also donate any ‘thing’ you no longer need. Find out more in our video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Di9N3B-Oo

Borrow don’t buy https://lotreading.myturn.com/library/

Just One Thing #14 Say hello to your street cleaning team especially if it’s a weekend and they’re emptying the litter bins in your neighbourhood, we’re pretty sure they’ll appreciate it, and we hope it makes you feel good too. Meet Erik here you loves going into an area and making it look better https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLP7sOTnA4w

Just One Thing #15 Did you know about the hidden gem that is Chocolate Island on the River Kennet in town, that once flowed through the Huntley & Palmers factory in Reading? The island was used for unloading the chocolate for biscuits. Have a wander past, this January and check out the fisherman statue (who lived on Water Road!), hear more about it from local resident Rhodri. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5dutcixXJM&t

Just One Thing #16 Could you be a friend to a young person in foster care in Reading? Take them out just once a month for a few hours. Expenses are paid and you’ll make a huge different to a local young person’s life. Find out more https://rdguk.info/FosterCare_s6mdb

Just One Thing #17 Fancy a 5K walk, run, or jog with other likeminded people? The weekly Park Run at Prospect Park is a supportive place to start your weekend off with a bit of fresh air, why not pop along one Saturday and watch and see if you’d like to join in?  https://www.parkrun.org.uk/prospect/

And every Sunday there's the Junior Park Run at Prospect Park at 9am, 2k for juniors age 4-14 http://rdguk.info/JnrParkRun_Jdftx

Just One Thing #18 Could you set up an Alexa or Google Assistant for someone who finds technology difficult but could really benefit? Maybe think about someone in your life who would love to listen to an audio book, set a recurring reminder to take medication, or show them how to play their fav radio station or tell them the news headlines.

Just One Thing #19 Find a charity close to you, and find out what they do, you or someone you know might be able to benefit. No pressure to get involved but simply find out about the great work that is going on near you https://rva.org.uk/

Reading Men’s Shed charity in West Reading - at their workshop, they make and mend things together, work on their own projects and use their skills for the benefit of the community. https://thesilversworkshop.org.uk/

Just One Thing #20 When you’re next in town why not visit Reading Museum there’s a Picasso… have you seen it? https://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/

Just One Thing #21 Would you like to learn how to make the perfect coffee? Train to be a barista at New Direction you can also do dress making courses, learn new digital skills, business management, cookery and so much more. Look at New Directions and see if there’s a course for you to do in 2025 www.newdirectionsreading.ac.uk/

Just One Thing #22 When was the last time you popped into your local library? There are the latest bestsellers in hard copy and audio – you could listen to a book on your phone you’ve wanted to read and go for a walk at the same time. https://www.reading.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/

Just One Thing #23 Our town has many much-loved links with lions old and new. From the Children’s Lion Ward at Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading FC mascots, lions in our play areas South Whitley Park and Prospect Park’s landmarks golf, the yellow Lion buses and of course the most famous of all the Forbury Lion Maiwand who commemorates the brave soldiers of the Berkshire Regiment who fell at the battle of Maiwand. Read more about the important history from  

Did you know Maiwand IS anatomically correct? The sculptor studied and drew the anatomy and movement of the lions at London Zoo The sculptor is buried in Reading Old Cemetery and lived into his 80’s… it isn’t true he killed himself.

When was the last time you took a wander through Forbury Gardens and explore? Why not pop there next time you’re in town. Watch some beautiful drone footage here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iuVnLInaYs

Just One Thing #24 There are lots of great places to eat out around Reading which have been visited by the council and received the highest (5) food hygiene rating.

From Shed in the town centre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvMLPbC0kCE

Whitley Community Café

Dee Caf Tilehurst https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp2a1Q-pkHY&t

Monty’s in East Reading https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWl1Npn9X0g&t

Check out the food hygiene rating of where you’re eating here https://ratings.food.gov.uk/authority-search-landing/884 and maybe try somewhere new with the highest food hygiene rating this January.

Just One Thing #25 Have you seen the activities at Prospect Park Ranger Station, there’s archery for adults and children, coconut trees to climb, Reading landmarks mini golf.

Look and see if there’s an activity for you and your family to enjoy this weekend https://www.reading.gov.uk/leisure/active-reading/ranger-station-at-prospect-park/