• Support Wokingham Today
  • Get the print edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Wokingham.Today
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • All
    • Arborfield
    • Barkham
    • Beech Hill
    • Binfield
    • Bracknell
    • Charvil
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
    • Emmbrook
    • Finchampstead
    • Grazeley
    • Henley
    • Hurst
    • Lower Earley
    • Norreys
    • Reading
    • Remenham
    • Riseley
    • Shinfield
    • Sindlesham
    • Sonning
    • Spencers Wood
    • Swallowfield
    • Three Mile Cross
    • Twyford
    • Wargrave
    • Winnersh
    • Wokingham
    • Wokingham Without
    • Woodley
    • Woosehill
    • Yateley
    Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay.

    World-class polo plans for borough

    Police

    Woman arrested after two cats shot with air rifle in Wokingham as police investigate

    No parking enforcement tickets will be issued after woman suffers fall.

    RingGo still in use for parking

    Wokingham MP Clive Jones at last Wednesday's PMQs. Pic: BBC Parliament.

    MP reacts to RBH ‘massive shortfall’

    Image by Tung Lam from Pixabay.

    Energy first for Whiteknights primary

    Wokingham Town Football Club?s under-8 Leopards.

    New kit for Leopards

    Innovative fashions made from recycled materials inspired visitors to SustainFest 2024 to think differently about fashion and waste. Picture: Holme Grange School

    Naturally Speaking

    Christen  Forster speaks about the explosion of life in Spring, and at Pentecost. Picture: Christen Forster

    Church Notes: is faith good for you?

    Picture: Thames Valley Police

    Child sexually assaulted and chased by man in Finchampstead, police release CCTV image

  • SPORT
    • All
    • Binfield FC
    • Reading FC
    Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay.

    World-class polo plans for borough

    Reading FC

    Reading FC legend announces international retirement

    Wokingham Town Football Club?s under-8 Leopards.

    New kit for Leopards

    Caversham AFC U18 Rovers

    Friendship and football – a winning combination as Caversham AFC U18 Rovers celebrate success

    Reading FC fans

    Reading FC chairman Couhig to invite fans to watch game in owner’s box

    Wargrave Sprint Triathlon

    Entries still open for Wargrave Sprint Triathlon 2025

    Joel Pereira

    Reading FC goalkeeper Joel Pereira ‘weighing up options’ ahead of summer transfer window

    Reading Football Club, Joe Jacobson

    ‘This club has tremendous potential’: Reading FC CEO speaks on transfer targets ahead of summer window

    Reading FC

    Reading FC to enhance matchday experience for fans

  • READING FC
  • COMMUNITY
    Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay.

    World-class polo plans for borough

    No parking enforcement tickets will be issued after woman suffers fall.

    RingGo still in use for parking

    Wokingham MP Clive Jones at last Wednesday's PMQs. Pic: BBC Parliament.

    MP reacts to RBH ‘massive shortfall’

    Image by Tung Lam from Pixabay.

    Energy first for Whiteknights primary

    Wokingham Town Football Club?s under-8 Leopards.

    New kit for Leopards

    Innovative fashions made from recycled materials inspired visitors to SustainFest 2024 to think differently about fashion and waste. Picture: Holme Grange School

    Naturally Speaking

    Christen  Forster speaks about the explosion of life in Spring, and at Pentecost. Picture: Christen Forster

    Church Notes: is faith good for you?

    Whether people are planning a barbecue, camping trip or countryside hike, there are small steps they can take to prevent a fire from breaking out. Picture: RBFRS

    Help keep Berkshire’s countryside safe from fire this Summer

    Government legislation now requires photographic I.D. for those voting in person at the upcoming local elections. Picture: Reading Borough Council

    All you need to know ahead of Thursday’s elections

  • LIFESTYLE
    • All
    • Food
    • Health
    • Obituaries
    • People
    Wokingham MP Clive Jones at last Wednesday's PMQs. Pic: BBC Parliament.

    MP reacts to RBH ‘massive shortfall’

    Whether people are planning a barbecue, camping trip or countryside hike, there are small steps they can take to prevent a fire from breaking out. Picture: RBFRS

    Help keep Berkshire’s countryside safe from fire this Summer

    Share Wokingham operates at locations across the borough, through the week, providing fresh groceries. Picture: courtesy of Share Wokingham.

    Struggling families can get help with groceries

    Wokingham MP Clive Jones Picture: Andrew Batt

    MP calls for action on ‘dangerous’ delays

    Mike's company, Kill A Watt, aims to help households cut down their energy bills and reduce their impact on the environment. PIcture: Dock8 via PIxabay

    Naturally Speaking

    Christen  Forster speaks about the explosion of life in Spring, and at Pentecost. Picture: Christen Forster

    Church Notes: Impossible things to believe?

    Entries are open for this year's event.

    Enter now for Wokingham Bikeathon

    A government push for more radiotherapy machines has been welcomed by ministers as the Royal Berkshire Hospital is among the services to benefit from them.

    Royal Berks one of 28 Trusts to see new radiotherapy machine investment

    A banking hub in Yorkshire. Pic: Murray Scott/Link.

    Banking hub plans for village

  • WHAT’S ON
    • All
    • Arts
    • Entertainment
    Double Standards

    New play ‘Double Standards’ at South Streets Art Centre to explore hypocrisy in dating

    Wokingham Pride

    Could you help Wokingham Pride 2025?

    REVIEW: “Three Hens In A Boat” at The Watermill Theatre

    Siren RG1

    Siren RG1 to mark first anniversary with weekender celebration

    Wellington Farm Shop

    Wellington Farm Shop celebrates its 20th anniversary

    Two concerts in one day from Reading's APO. Picture: Pexels via Pixabay

    An orchestral event in Wokingham promises evening of drama and contrast

    Eva Wong Nava will be at Trinity Hall Church on Monday from 4pm until 5pm. Picture: Eva Wong Nava

    Young writers can meet children’s author Eva Wong Nava

    Crafters can join a project  to decorate Twyford village centre with bunting Picture: Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash

    Get out the bunting for VE Day at Wokingham’s May Fayre

    Crowthorne Symphony Orchestra's performance of American music promises to be a fun and high energy evening. Picture: CSO

    Discounted tickets available for summer concert in Wokingham

  • JOBS
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT
No Result
View All Result
Wokingham.Today
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle

TIME FOR KINDNESS: Taking kindness back to school

by Guest contributor
September 4, 2023
in Lifestyle, People
Back to school is a time to reflect and take stock about how to be kind Picture: Pixabay

Back to school is a time to reflect and take stock about how to be kind Picture: Pixabay

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Sarah Browning

As the school holidays come to an end and children return to school, I’ve been thinking about kindness and young people. There are so many times when they are kind and it’s good to celebrate that.

Kindness tools and attitude

Factors such as the pandemic and the cost of living crisis put increasing pressure on young people’s mental health. In response, schools are building on their measures to support their students. Many are now explicitly talking about being kind as a value for their school community. Programmes such as the School of Kindness, from the charity 52 Lives, teach younger children the tools to enhance and develop their natural kindness.

When I ran a stall at a community festival earlier in the year, I discovered that children are prepared to describe themselves in ways that adults aren’t. We had several kids whose story of kindness was about things they had done themselves. It was really refreshing to be having conversations with people who weren’t embarrassed about recognising themselves as kind.

I would love it if we can one day get to a place where adults are proud to describe themselves as kind and not feel that it is somehow showing off or, worse, revealing weakness.

Related posts

Man wanted in connection with three burglaries in Wokingham and Winnersh

Police provide update on minibus crash where six-year-old boy was killed

Teenagers and kindness

If you watch the mainstream news on a regular basis, you could be forgiven for thinking the worst about teenagers. And while there are some who, for many reasons, follow a less positive path, there are many, many more who do not. I regularly hear stories of kindness about young people who are doing things such as looking after siblings and helping a new classmate find their way around school.

Stories about kind teenagers are always popular on my Time for Kindness website. These have included:

• Two teenagers who stopped to help an older woman who had a fall in the street

• A girl who made a donation to the charity Crisis

• A group of teenagers who message each other reminders of the equipment they need for school each day

• A teenager who gave her gloves to a street homeless man on the grounds that “he needs them more than I do”

Notice and celebrate

I believe it’s important to notice and celebrate these examples:

• Our young people have been through a lot over the last few years and we should acknowledge how resilient they are.

• It will become a self-fulfilling narrative – the more young people hear these stories about themselves, the more confident they will feel to keep being kind.

• It’’s a more uplifting and positive view of the world for those of us of more mature years to notice and celebrate kindness.

So next time you’re in the company of the young people in your life – or out and about in your neighbourhood – why not make a conscious effort to look out for children and teenagers who are sharing kindness? I’m sure it will warm your heart and give you hope that our future is in safe hands.

Sarah Browning is a Kindness Cheerleader, Communicator and Strategist. For more inspiring stories of kindness, visit: www.timeforkindness.co.uk

Keep up to date by signing up for our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people who have requested it.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Tags: Time for KindnessWokinghamwokingham berkshireWokingham boroughwokingham borough newswokingham newsWokingham ukwoky
Previous Post

Shinfield parish timeline installed at School Green Centre

Next Post

New monthly group for adopted children to launch in Lower Earley later this month

FOLLOW US

POPULAR THIS WEEK

A grant from The National Lottery Fund will help volunteers at The Eco Skills Learning Centre in Arborfield to create more bird box kits for their children's workshops. PIcture: Spencers Wood Repair Cafe

Grant means more homes – for the birds

May 29, 2025
Wokingham Town Football Club?s under-8 Leopards.

New kit for Leopards

June 4, 2025
Reading FC

Reading FC legend announces international retirement

June 4, 2025
Caversham AFC U18 Rovers

Friendship and football – a winning combination as Caversham AFC U18 Rovers celebrate success

June 3, 2025
Squire's Garden Centres will be celebrating the hydrangea at their month long festival of the blooms. Picture: Squire's Garden Centres

Mop heads and lace caps: star attractions at Squire’s Garden Centres

June 1, 2025
Forest of Imagination

Rooted in Imagination: Meet the Co-founders behind Wokingham’s Forest of Imagination

May 31, 2025

ABOUT US

Wokingham Today is dedicated to providing news online across the whole of the Borough of Wokingham. It is a Social Enterprise, existing to support the various communities in Wokingham Borough.

Wokingham.Today is a Social Enterprise and aims to ensure that everyone within the Borough has free access to independent and up-to-date news. However, providing this service is not without costs. If you are able to, please make a contribution to support our work.

CONTACT US

[email protected]

Keep up to date with our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people that have subscribed

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

  • Support Us
  • Book Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Get the Print Edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter

The Wokingham Paper Ltd publications are regulated by IPSO – the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
If you have a complaint about a  The Wokingham Paper Ltd  publication in print or online, you should, in the first instance, contact the publication concerned, email: [email protected], or telephone: 0118 327 2662. If it is not resolved to your satisfaction, you should contact IPSO by telephone: 0300 123 2220, or visit its website: www.ipso.co.uk. Members of the public are welcome to contact IPSO at any time if they are not sure how to proceed, or need advice on how to frame a complaint.

No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • Arborfield
    • Barkham
    • Beech Hill
    • Binfield
    • Bracknell
    • Charvil
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
    • Emmbrook
    • Finchampstead
    • Grazeley
    • Henley
    • Hurst
    • Lower Earley
    • Norreys
    • Reading
    • Remenham
  • COMMUNITY
  • LIFESTYLE
  • SPORT
  • READING FC
  • OBITUARIES
  • WHAT’S ON
  • JOBS
  • PHOTOS
  • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • CONTACT US
  • WHERE TO GET THE PRINT EDITION
  • SUPPORT US

© 2022 - The Wokingham Paper Ltd - All Right Reserved.