Rotary Club

PANGBOURNE Rotary Club and Reading Rotary Club have both been successful in obtaining grants from the Rotary Foundation’s disaster response grant.

Their applications to support Reading Refugee Support Group and for the purchase of vouchers for winter clothes for Ukrainian refugees were granted in full. The combined donation is for £4,371 and representatives from both clubs presented vouchers to Nick Harborne, chief executive of the Reading Refugee Support Group. Pangbourne president Saerah Hopley said her club had had been among the first to respond to the Ukrainian crisis by transferring £2,280 in zlotys to a Rotary club in Warsaw for use at the Ukraine-Poland border. It was very satisfying to be able to further donate to Ukrainian refugees in the UK.

A further matched donation by the club means it contributed £5,080 to the Ukrainian cause in 2022.

Reading president Roger Butler reported that members of his club had attended a meeting with Ukrainian refugees at the Greyfriars Church Atrium Café (acting as a drop-in centre).

There they were introduced to 10 refugee mothers and the resettlement officer from the Reading Refugee Support Group and were able to discuss and accurately identify their needs.

Mr Harborne gratefully acknowledged the donations.

Meanwhile, Pangbourne Rotary Club donated £500 to the Thursday Hub last year.

The Hub used the money along with funds raised by raffles from the Business Forum Pangbourne to provide a Christmas lunch of turkey and all the trimmings for 31 members at the George Hotel in Pangbourne (well done, Devarshi and team).

A great time was had by all with excellent carol singing led by Derry Pope, from Pangbourne.

Brian Davies