Reading Maiden Erlegh

READING Maiden Erlegh completed a bumper year with more than £30,000 donated to charities.

It provided support to victims of the earthquakes in Morocco and Turkey and continued to support the Rotary programme for the eradication of polio.

Locally, it continued with its community food aid programme supporting various local food banks and the Churches in Reading Drop-in Centre as well as providing 2,500 frozen meals through its partnership with Feeding the Community.

The cost of the meals was paid for by Rotary and their distribution was carried out by Rotarians through local Foodshare organisations with the meals cooked by Feeding the Community’s representatives at Leighton Park School.

All these initiatives will continue throughout 2024.

Support was also provided to local charities such as Just Around the Corner, Camp Mohawk, Yeldall Manor and Link Visiting.

All the funds were raised locally mainly through its three major events — a charity golf day at Sonning Golf Club, the Reading Charity Art and Craft Fair at Leighton Park School and its Christmas appeal at various locations.

The Christmas appeal raised about £6,500, one of the best years ever.

Collections by Rotarians were held at Henry Street and Winnersh Garden Centres and members were Santas at Hare Hatch Sheeplands throughout December.

Club president Richard Nicholson said: “The public and our partners have continued to be very generous in their support and the very amount donated has enabled us to help a large number of local initiatives and overseas aid
programmes.

“We are very grateful to everyone who has provided support. Every penny collected goes to charity.”

For more infomation about Reading Maiden Erlegh Rotary Club, visit www.readingmaidenerlegh.org

Tony Cornell