Ryan Browne

Hi, I am Ryan Browne, an Earley Town Councillor running for the Hillside ward in this May's Borough elections. I am a café manager in Hurst and training to be a Physician Associate at the University of Reading. I came to Reading to study medicine after a career in the Army, having discovered a passion for helping people from my volunteer work with St John Ambulance.

Drawing on experience being a Scouting Group Leader, I spent last year professionally tutoring children and young adults with Special Educational needs, seeing firsthand how vital extra support is for both the students and the parents.

Since then I have become a Councillor for Earley Town Council, where I hold roles within Planning and Amenities & Leisure. It is my goal to get younger people interested and engaged in local politics and encourage community activism. I would like to see a friendlier environment for people to enter local politics, with more positive discourse and constructive conversations.

If my hard work pays off and I am elected this May, I want to help improve local health services and fight for investment for Earley.

Al Neal

I’ve lived in Earley for 22 years and enjoy the peace and quiet of the area, but also the ease and convenience of being close to Reading and the transport links to London. I work in the IT industry and have been an Earley Town Councillor for St Nicolas ward since 2019. I’m proud of the role I played in the Town Council’s decision to establish a 50 year memorial for the Loddon Viaduct disaster victims. I’ve been a Wokingham Borough Councillor since 2022 and sit on the Planning Committee, an important role as it has a direct effect on communities.

I’m a keen cyclist and a member of a number of local cycling clubs. I'm passionate about preserving our green spaces, improving the local walking and cycling infrastructure and helping Earley to play its part in fighting the climate emergency.

Team working is important for me and the Lib Dems in Wokingham Borough know that we can achieve more as a team than as individuals. We work together to make a difference for all residents and to make the borough a great place to live. 

Caroline Smith

Many reasons for moving into Earley over 40 years ago still keep me here today; the residents, the green spaces, the schools, and good road and rail links. We moved here with our young son shortly before the birth of our twin girls and have been embedded in the local community ever since. I was a school governor for many years at my children’s local primary school.

Whilst my children were at a local secondary school I did an access course at Reading Technology College. Having left with my degree I went to work at a national charity in Wokingham. My children are now grown up and my seven grandchildren are a reminder of how wonderful our youth is today.

I am now retired and use my time to give back to the wonderful community in which we raised our family.

I enjoyed being the Mayor of Wokingham in 2022-23 and learning how many residents of Wokingham volunteer to help those in need and how so many organisations rely on these volunteers.

If reelected I would continue to work with, and for, residents to improve local communities and work to improve transport links especially between Earley and Wokingham.