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We come from a cross section of business and professional backgrounds and meet socially on a regular basis.
We aim to enjoy ourselves and work together as friends to help others.

Recent activities

AM AM Golf Tournament 7 July 2010
18 teams from local businesses and other organisations took part in the annual charity fund raising tournament which this year raised £2,500, mainly for the Reading Branch of the Alzheimer Society.

St Geroge's Day Dinner 2010
This year's event raised £4,655. The main beneficiary was BLESMA, the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association, who received £3000, the balance going to other Rotary supported charities. Many thanks to the local businesses and other organisations who supported this event.

Youth Speaks
Thames Valley area finals of the Rotary national public speaking contest for teams of schoolchildren aged 11-17 were hosted by Reading Abbey Club. It was Newbury's night with Trinity School and Performing Arts College winning the 11-14 category and The Mary Hare School for the Deaf taking the 15-17 trophy. The event was on 11th February at Reading University.

ShelterBoxes aid Haiti victims
Reading Abbey joined with other Reading clubs to collect over £21,000 over two weekends in The Oracle in January towards sending ShelterBoxes - containing tents and survival aids - to Haiti. Rotary Shelterboxes are providing emergency accommodation for tens of thousands of Haiti earthquake victims. More info.

Funds for Therapeutic Garden
We contributed £1500 towards the cost of creating a therapeutic garden for children with mental health problems and their families at Berkshire Healthcare's Craven Road unit in Reading. It opened on 8 September 2009.

Am/Am Golf 21 July 2009
Teams from all over Reading and the surrounding area took part in this annual event organised by the Club. It raised over £3,000 for charity, mainly The Orpheus Centre which helps disabled children through music and the performing arts.

Music in the Park 13 June 2009
500 people of all ages enjoyed a picnic in the grounds of Englefield House and were entertained to an evening of music and song by Starmakers and the South Berks Concert Band. The event also raised £1400 for Help for Heroes and other charities. Pictures

St George's Day Dinner 2009
Our popular annual event on 23rd April raised over £4000 this year for the Reading Single Homeless Project.

Brains of Reading
A fun quiz evening on 22 January where Reading businesses competed for the 2009 trophy and raised £1800 for charity. Download a report and pictures (Word document 3Mb).

Earlier activities

Club thanks public for support
In letters published in the Reading Chronicle and the Reading Evening Post in December 2008 the Club thanked everyone who had contributed to the £18,000 it had raised for charity during the year. The letters

Aid for Arthritis Matters
£1,500 was given to the local charity to pay for sessions in the hydrotherapy pool at Royal Berks Hospital. The cheque was presented to the charity's patron Martin Salter MP. Press reports

Music in the Park 19 July 2008
Englefield House, Theale. A successful event attended by around 400 it raised nearly £3000 for Alexander Devine Children's Cancer Trust and other local charities. Pictures

Am/Am Golf 2 July 2008
Raised £4000, mainly for the Duchess of Kent hospice but also other local charities supported by Reading Abbey Rotary Club.

St George's Day Dinner 23 Apr 2008
Well supported as usual by local businesses and professions, it raised nearly £4000 for the British Legion Berkshire Welfare Fund. Report and pictures.

More help for Air Ambulance
We have given a further £600 to the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance, bringing the total of our recent donations to £4000. The Air Ambulance is entirely funded by voluntary contributions. More

Youth Speaks Out
We organise the Reading area finals of an annual nationwide public speaking competition for schoolchildren. At the 2009event on 13th February The Bulmershe School and St Anne's School won places in the Southern England finals. More

Visit to our twin club in Macon, France
A delegation from Reading Abbey visited the Rotary Club of Macon St Vincent for the weekend of 3-5 October 2007 to help them celebrate their 25th Anniversary.

2007 Am/Am Golf Tournament
Our annual tournament last year raised over £3,000 for local charities, in particular The Duchess of Kent House hospice. Held on 10th July 2007 at Reading Golf Club it was well supported by teams from local businesses.

Music in the Park 2007
The weather could have been kinder but rain failed to dampen the spirits of the 300 who enjoyed music and a picnic in the park at Englefield House on 21st June in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and other local charities. Report and pictures.

UK Flood Appeal
Reading Abbey contributed to the nation-wide Rotary appeal to help the towns badly hit by last year's floods. Clubs raised £300,000 and a further £500,000 was contributed by Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief fashion show. More.

St George's Day Dinner 2007
The inaugural dinner on 23rd April at the Crowne Plaza received strong support from local businesses and raised £5,500 for SSAFA (the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association). Pictures.