VIDEO: Meet adoptive parents Phill and John, new residents in Montague Park
The close-knit community atmosphere of our South Wokingham major development is offering Phill and John’s adoptive children the best possible start in life.
The couple, who have lived in Montague Park for more than five years, welcomed the pair just over a year ago and say their confidence has grown hugely since they joined the local primary school.
Their children also love playing in the open spaces near their home, where they often bump into classmates or say hello to their teachers while exploring or building dens.
All of these amenities were funded by developers building new homes in the area so they’re among the many benefits of our strategic approach to allocating land for major new communities.
Phill and John’s children, aged and six four, now enjoy a secure base to thrive and grow into healthy and happy adults.
At the heart of the community
John says: “There’s so much open space around here, so many places to just go and explore, which the kids love.
“You need your children to be able to run and burn off that energy so that they sleep well at night and those green spaces are really beneficial for that.
“We’re really fortunate to have a school close by and it’s been instrumental in helping the children to settle in. They work brilliantly with us, the social workers and psychologists and it’s an integral part of our community.”
Phill was so impressed with the school that he nominated himself for the role of parent governor and was elected.
He says: “I wanted to give something back because the staff really nurture children and the curriculum puts a big emphasis on pastoral care, looking beyond the academic side of things.
“The children learn about things like the United Nations Convention on Human Rights, the importance of recycling and so on - basically, lots of community initiatives.”
A safe and secure environment...
Phill continues: “There’s a real buzz in the neighbourhood when the children leave their homes to walk to school in the mornings, sometimes playing in the park on the way, and the same happens in the evenings.
“Everyone seems to know our kids and they know everybody in turn. It’s amazing how quickly they came to know everybody’s name and felt safe and secure.
“They’ve really grown in confidence and academic ability they’ve also become so much more rounded as people, with constant smiles on their faces.”
John adds: “At the beginning they were like lost lambs – they looked so tiny and vulnerable and you could see the fear in their school photos from their first day.
“Now you can’t keep them quiet and they’re both so well-known and liked in this area – everyone loves them and wants to play with them, which has really helped.”
...and a home for the long term
The couple might move to another house in the area but say they will remain in the community.
John says: “Any change is significant for our children and so we’d never move from where we are now – we fell in love with the area at first sight.
“There wasn’t a community atmosphere where we were before but here, more than anywhere else, we really feel that.
“I haven’t experienced that since my childhood, when everyone knew each other and you could visit a neighbour if you needed some bread, milk or cat food.
“It’s a feeling this generation has often missed out on but it’s massive here and so important to us.”
Phill adds: “There’s much more of a community spirit when you’ve got places where people can get together and the parks and open spaces are really important for that.
“There’s so much going on here that makes it such a great place to live and bring up the family.”
A winning approach to development
South Wokingham is one of our four major new developments, with three others allocated at North Wokingham, Arborfield Green and Shinfield as part of our local plan.
That plan, which serves as a blueprint for housing and other development across Wokingham borough, must now be updated and we’re proposing to continue that successful approach.
We want to hear your views and are consulting until 24 January. Visit the local plan update page for more information or to respond to our survey.