Working Together for Others
We raise up to £20,000 each year for charities and other causes.
Our members also give their time and skills to community service projects.
Below are some of the people and organisations we have recently supported (since July 2006):
Adopt a Minefield Appeal
2007 is the second year Reading Abbey members have supported this imaginative scheme
to provide funds for mine clearance in the world's trouble spots. Packs of
12 Christmas puddings (delicious!) can be ordered at £10 per pudding
£3 of which goes to the 'Adopt-a-Minefield' charity. The scheme is run
by the Rotary Club of Cwmbran Vale and marketed exclusively within Rotary
in Britain and Ireland. Last year £10,000 was raised which was sufficient
to pay the cost of clearing half a minefield near 0'Sampur Village 2 in Cambodia.
Land mines laid here during the civil war of 1979-1997 have cost the lives
of 20 villagers and 22 domestic animals with 35 villagers maimed.
Details:www.cwmbran-vale-rotary.org.uk
Aquabox Appeal
The 'Aquabox' scheme to provide the means of obtaining clean, safe water
and other essentials in a disaster area is run by the Rotary Club
of Wirksworth. The cost of a standard Aquabox to provide 1100 litres of filtered water
is a mere £50 plus the value of the essentials such as clothing to
pack the box. Reading Abbey funded two of these boxes in 2007 and
organised the filling of them, one by a local primary school and the other
by our members. Two more of these boxes are now with us, one being filled
by us and the other by the pupils and parents at Battle Primary School. See
website www.aquabox.org for details of this
scheme.
Battle Primary School, Reading
The Club 'adopted' this school in 2006. It has particular problems arising
from its size (428 pupils on the roll) and its location in an ethnically diverse residential
community - the school has to cope with over 30 languages other than
English amongst the pupils with no extra funding. So far Club members, with
support from spouses and partners, have provided 10 volunteers to go into
the school regularly to help children with reading difficulties. 120 copies
of a colouring book have been donated and we are funding an extra term's swimming
lessons for up to 80 children.
Books for Mongolia
One of our members who had been on a professional assignment in Mongolia
appealed for used text books to send to students in that country. The Club
collected enough to fill a van.
Brookfield Special School
This school for mentally and physically impaired children needs all the support
it can get from the local community. The Club provided a clear view desktop
video magnifier as an aid to pupils with sight impairment.
Cygnet Swimming Club
Jointly with the other six Rotary Clubs in the Reading area we sponsored one
full day of the national swimming championships for mentally handicapped swimmers
at the Central Pool in Reading.
Duchess of Kent House Trust
Main beneficiary of the Club's Am-Am Golf Day in 2007 which raised over £3000.
Macmillan Cancer Support
Main beneficiary of the 2007 'Music in the Park' Concert. Details.
Officers and Soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq
To let serving soldiers know they were not forgotten the Club presented a
cheque in August to the Royal Engineers Association for the purpose of supplying
'goodies' to the soldiers in the above war theatres.
Reading Drop-in Centre
Through the good offices of one of our members in the bathrooms business,
a shower and cubicle funded by the Club was installed during the hot summer
of 2006. This centre provides support, including meals and washing facilities,
for Reading's homeless.
Royal Berks Hospital
The existing library trolley previously paid for some years ago by the
Club was replaced in 2007 through a further donation.
Royal British Legion
In a gesture of appreciation to veterans of our armed forces and their relatives
the Club arranged a coach trip and lunch for a party of Royal British Legion
members to the National Memorial Arboretum to view the tree and plaque which
was planted by the RBL in memory of those armed forces personnel from
Tilehurst and Reading who lost their lives in the last war. The visit was
greatly appreciated and moving for those who attended. The National Memorial
Arboretum was officially opened by The Queen in October 2007. www.nationalmemorialarboretum.org.uk
Shoebiz Appeal
At the beginning of 2007 UNICEF launched an appeal for shoes, which
would be converted into cash to support some 400,000 children in Malawi
orphaned through Aids. The appeal was taken up by BBC's Blue Peter programme
and Clarke's shoe shops which acted as receiving depots. The appeal ended
in October and over the year was well supported by our members.
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmans Family Association
The charity is based at Brock Barracks but has no fundraising capacity itself,
relying on other agencies for funding to help cases of distress which come
to them. It was chosen by the Club as the designated charity for our inaugral
St. George's Day Dinner in 2007. We were able to hand over a cheque for £5250.
F or more details of the charity: www.ssafa.org.uk
Stroke Awareness Day
Provision of manpower and financial support, together with the Rotary Club
of Reading, for blood pressure testing points in Reading for Stroke Awareness
Day which is organised by The Stroke Association in association with Rotary
International. Details
of Stroke Awareness Day.
UK Flood Appeal
We contributed to the nation-wide Rotary appeal to help the areas stricken
by the 2007 floods. Clubs across the UK raised £300,000 and a further
£500,000 was contributed by Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief fashion
show. Details.
Youth Speaks
Each year we organise the Reading area finals of a nationwide Rotary public
seaking contest for schools. The contest aims to help young people develop
the skills and confidence to address an audience effectively and persuasively.
Report on the
2008 Reading area final.
Other Donations to Charities and Associations
Altzheimers Support Network - transport costs for outings.
Berkshire Community Foundation - main beneficiary of 2006 Am-Am Golf Day.
The Thrive Charity - helping people with disabilities and problems achieve
their goals through gardening. www.thrive.org.uk.
The Brainwave Charity - helping children with brain injury or genetic condition.
www.brainwave.org.uk
The Prospects Autistic Support Group.
Riverview Care Home - donation to allow home's welfare committee to fund outings
for residents.
Support for Individuals.
Zofia - Financial assistance to further her career in musical theatre.
Shane - Cost of residential adventure course at Tregoyd House.
Heidi - Shared cost with Maiden Erlegh and Loddon Vale Rotary Clubs for a
second purpose-made support suit for this disabled young lady.