Mayor welcomes 29 new citizens to the borough

Twenty-nine new residents have been welcomed to Wokingham Borough following a citizenship ceremony.

New citizens originally from America, Asia, Europe and Africa attended a ceremony, conducted by registrars from Wokingham Borough Council, on Wednesday 20 September.

The event was held at Wokingham Town Hall and was attended by Cllr Beth Rowland, who has welcomed 170 new British citizens since becoming Wokingham Borough Mayor in May.

She said: “Receiving British citizenship is a significant and memorable milestone and I was delighted to meet people from all walks of life and welcome them officially to our borough. Whether you have lived here for years or only arrived recently, the ceremony is the final step of becoming a British citizen and it is a very special occasion.

“Wokingham Borough is made up of thriving diverse communities and many people, including our new British citizens, choose to live here because it is such a great place to live, work and bring up a family. This is due to our fantastic local schools, healthy population and great employment opportunities.”

All applicants aged 18 and over who are accepted by the Home Office for citizenship by naturalisation or registration must take an oath of allegiance and pledge loyalty before they can become a British citizen.

Citizenship ceremonies are held at the town hall at the end of every month and on this occasion certificates were presented by Deputy Lieutenant of Berkshire, Richard Bennett.

The new citizens welcomed to Wokingham Borough are from the following countries:

• Bulgaria
• China
• India
• Italy
• Kenya
• New Zealand
• Russia
• Spain
• South Africa
• United States of America
• Zimbabwe

About our citizenship ceremonies

Group citizenship ceremonies are held each month at Wokingham Town Hall and each citizen can bring a guest. Private ceremonies are held at the Register Office and there is usually some flexibility over date and time (extra charge applicable).