16 May 2025
Here is a link to Savills Presentation given at CADRA's 2025 AGM and Open Meeting.
13 March 2025
The 2025 CADRA AGM and Open Meeting is taking place on Tuesday 13th May at 7.30 at the New Testament Church of God, Church St, Caversham. After a brief AGM we have speakers from Savills Planning Division. CADRA has previously hosted speakers from Council Planning Officers. This time we are pleased to welcome two speakers from the private sector who advise clients across residential, education and commercial development on planning applications, appeals and the Local Plan process.
Jon Sebbage, Associate Director is based in Reading. He will be supported by Planner, Róisín Moyne, who joined Savills in October 2024 and Amy Allen, Graduate Planner. There will be good opportunities for individual questions after the presentation.
The Planning System affects us all, whether we are hoping to get the best local decisions, keep up with what is changing around us, or maybe looking to make alterations to our homes. So, what is it and what is changing? More types of development are classed as ‘permitted’, shortening the process and details are emerging about the new planning bill.
29 November 2024
Thank you to all who joined us for the very successful and fascinating November ta
lk on The Challenges for Front Line Ambulance Services, given by Paul Jefferies (Assistant Director of Operations, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust) and Richard Company (Critical Care Paramedic, Thames Valley Air Ambulance).
Your very generous donations raised an amazing £500 for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance, and we have received this kind letter of thanks and a certificate for the donation.
30 October 2024
The Friends of Clayfield Copse are celebrating National Tree Week with a walk around the copse and park, led by the Tree Wardens, on Sunday 24 November at 11am
8 October 2024
Here is the Autumn Newsletter bringing more details of the open meeting on Wednesday 13 November and a summary of key local news from the last six months.
The front page has details of our two speakers from frontline ambulance services who will bring a defibrillator to the meeting and demonstrate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). There are also details of Christmas events.
The middle pages summarise news on Planning, Transport and issues impacting the local environment.
The back page gives details about CADRA as well as a list of useful contacts.
11 September 2024
Our open meeting looks at The Challenges for Front Line Ambulance Services with speakers: Paul Jefferies (Assistant Director of Operations, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust) and Richard Company (Critical Care Paramedic, Thames Valley Air Ambulance).
Everyone is welcome - Wednesday 13 November 2024, at 7.30pm in Caversham Baptist Church Street
15 May 2024
The CADRA AGM and Open Meeting will be on Monday 20 May in the Caversham Baptist Church, starting at 7.30. After the brief formal business and a roundup of the year, we welcome two speakers from the Reading Climate Action Network.
Tracey Rawling Church is co-chair of the Reading Climate Change Partnership which is steering Reading’s response to the climate emergency in pursuit of its goal of net zero by 2030. She is also the low-carbon lead on the Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership and a trustee of the Reading Business Community Partnership which connects the business and community sectors for mutual benefit. In 2014 she received the award of Sustainability Executive of the Year.
Tricia Marcouse is Theme Lead for the nature and green spaces component of the Reading Climate Action Plan. After a career as an Environmental Engineer in various countries around the world, she is now Chair of Econet and President of the Reading and District Natural History Society. She is known to many, both for local practical environmental projects and as a regular contributor to Caversham Bridge.
After presentations on the work of Climate Action Network and the many practical opportunities, Tracey and Tricia will take questions. It promises to be a fascinating evening on a critically important issue for us all.
19 March 2024
These are local organisations that provide a list of some forthcoming events. It is by no means comprehensive, but they are local and have a genuine interest in the local cummunity.
The new What's On in Reading website replaces the existing Reading Arts and Venues. The big difference is that groups other than RBC related are able to add their events to the programme (after some training).
Reading Borough Council - Things to do 
Choose Caversham - Events 
South Oxfordshire District Council - Events 
There are also other organsisations which we think mught be of interest to our members:
Concerts in Caversham regularly put on "high quality concerts brought to you by some of the most talented musicians in the country".
13 September 2023
The CADRA Autumn Open Meeting takes place on: 
Monday 6 November 2023 at 7.30pm in the Caversham Baptist Church, Prospect Street. As the Council prepares to launch its consultation on their Draft Transport Strategy 2040, we are delighted to welcome Chris Maddocks, Strategic Transport Manager for Reading Borough Council and Robert Williams, CEO of Reading Buses to talk on the subject: Reading Transport Strategy 2040 – Issues for North Reading
It's also a good chance to find out more about CADRA and take up membership. Everyone is welcome.
21 May 2023
The CADRA AGM takes place on: 
Tuesday 23 May 2023 at 7.30pm in the New Testament Church of God, Church Street, Caversham.
Following the brief formal business, we are delighted that David Cliffe - Chair of The History of Reading Society and Berkshire Local History Association will talk about Reading's Fords, Ferries and Bridges. This year marks the 100 year anniversary of Reading Bridge.
David has been central to local history for many years and has an extensive collection of old photos. He is the author of many books, including “Picture Palace to Penny Plunge: Reading’s Cinemas” (2017).
It's also a good chance to find out more about CADRA and take up membership. Everyone is welcome.
6 September 2022
7.30pm on Wednesday 9 November at Highdown School Hall, RG4 8LR
A Talk by Steve Hambridge, RBC Trading Standards
We are pleased to announce the arrangements for our Autumn Open Meeting, and delighted that Steve Hambridge, Senior Consumer Protection Officer in Reading Borough Council Trading Standards, has agreed to come and speak.
Steve has a wealth of experience in this area and last spoke to CADRA in 2013. His focus will be the scams which plague us all, not only the familiar ones but also new threats emerging.
As our usual venues in Caversham are not available, the meeting will take place in the large airy hall at Highdown School. The school has plenty of parking.
We will also welcome Margaret Ormonde, author of Emmer Green Past and Present. Copies of this newly reprinted book with a new appendix will be available for sale, as well as our Caversham greeting cards which you may find useful at Christmas.
CADRA'S Autumn Newsletter will be published in October.
16 May 2022
The CADRA AGM takes place on: 
Monday 16 May 2022 at 7.30pm in the New Testament Church of God, Church Street, Caversham.
Following the brief formal business, we are delighted that Inspector Sarah Sanderson will be talking about local policing, the team she heads up, along with PC Vince Moore, the Neighbourhood Supervisor - Presentation Sildes.
It's also a good chance to find out more about CADRA and take up membership. Everyone is welcome.
14 November 2021
The Climate for Electric Cars Video
If you missed our highly successful 2021 Autumn talk or just want to see it again, you can watch it now on YouTube by clicking on the title above.
We hope the talk will help decide whether, when and how to change to an electric car? What are the benefits and challenges for you and for the energy industry? Is an electric vehicle really greener? And how does this fit in to all the national issues on energy supply?
Phil Coker, from the University of Reading Energy and Environmental Engineering Research Group, is examining the variability of renewable energy supplies and the challenges in moving towards a low carbon energy system. This includes demand response, energy storage, vehicle-to-grid and hydrogen applications. Anthony Simpson works in Renewable Energy and Sustainability including the grid integration of electric vehicles.
2 July 2021
We are pleased to confirm that our online talk, Reading Abbey and Reading Gaol by John Painter, will be repeated at 7.30pm on Tuesday 20 July. John Painter (Friends of Reading Abbey) explores the overlapping histories of the Abbey and the Gaol. CADRA is pleased to present this on-line talk, which in normal times would follow on from our AGM. It comes just after the 900th anniversary of the founding of Reading Abbey. John Painter's talk features images of the Gaol by Matt Emmett (Forgotten Heritage)
11 September 2019
The 
CADRA Autumn meeting will be a talk entitled "The Changing Face of Reading".
We are pleased to welcome: Richard Bennett, Chair of Reading Civic Society, and Mark Worringham, Head of Planning Policy, Reading Borough Council.
The meeting is on Tuesday 12 November at 7.45pm in Thameside School Hall, Harley Rd, Caversham.
5 June 2019
The CADRA AGM takes place on Tuesday 11 June 2019 at 7.30pm in Thameside School Hall, Harley Rd, Caversham. The agenda, including links to the formal documents, is as follows:
1. Minutes of 2018 AGM
2. Chairman’s Annual Report
3. Treasurer’s Report
4. Election of Committee
5. Any Other Business (items advised in advance only)
Following the AGM, we are delighted that Tom Asbridge from Queen Mary University of London has agreed to speak. Tom is the author of the well respected book, “The Greatest Knight” and has presented a number of TV programmes about William Marshal.
The William Marshal Panel was erected on Caversham Bridge thanks to the support of the Reading Civic Society and all the generous donors who contributed to the project costs, exceeding £5000.
6 November 2018
The presentation ‘The Changing Thames’ given by Terry Marsh,
honorary Fellow of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford at CADRA's Autumn 2108.
17 May 2018
The CADRA AGM took place on Tuesday 17 April 2018 at 7.30pm in Thameside School Hall. 
Following the brief formal business, the speaker was Sue Holden, Chief Officer of the Chilterns Conservation Board for the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The Chilterns lie on Caversham’s doorstep: their woodland, hills, views, chalk streams and history provide a huge recreational 
asset for all of us, as well as a rich and diverse habitat. But such a lovely area so close to London is under huge development pressure, not only from housing but from big infrastructure projects like HS2.
The Chairman's Report 2017-2018
.