News items - The Rotary Club of Reading

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Latest News > 2020 Updates
    November 2020
      • News items and events are moving to the new Reading Rotary Blog here>

      • RIBI supporting Children in Need. Paul Fisher, Rotary coordinator for BBC Children in Need 2014-21 who spoke at our meeting on Tuesday has provided this link  to the raffle supporting this year's Children in Need appeal. www.rotarysupportingchildreninneed.com
      • Rotary Unplugged. Volunteer with Rotary and help make good things happen! More details> and info>
      • Aquabox have launched a new campaign, read more>
      • Chas Cairns, District 1090 Youth Services Leader delivered an inspiring presentation on Youth Services at National and District level. More information on the competitions available can be found here> and members can watch a recording of the full meeting here>
      • Dogs for Good sent us a wonderful thank you letter which you can read here>
    October 2020
      • To help celebrate the eradication of Polio a group of energetic club members planted nearly 3,000 crocus bulbs on Christchurch Meadows in the shape of the Rotary International symbol. Read more about this and Rotary's End Polio Now campaign here>
      • We were privilieged to a wonderful talk on Healthy Minds by Saskia Castelijn, who has kindly provided her presentation here> and this link to the self help booklets discussed https://web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/. Members may access a recording of the meeting here>
      • To celebrate Rotary's achievement of the elimination of polio in Africa we are planting crocuses along the Thames in the form of the Rotary symbol
      • The Rotary Shoebox Scheme is alive and well and last month even in the current difficult circumstances 4000 Shoebox gifts were sent to Romania by truck. Can you help? Read how>
      • The Big Sleep Out. This year at least one of our members, Matt Andrews will be taking part in this fundraising event for Launchpad. This is his little contribution for the charity that is finding it difficult in these times to raise funds for their valuable work. If you'd like to sponsor Matt you can do so on Just Giving here>
      • Rotarians at the club are generously donating their “ lunch money” to Orum. Maize is bought and distributed to pupils and local people. Funds are being transferred at the rate of £150 per month. Read more onthe Orum project here>
    September 2020
      • Lydia Martin & Jacqui Gawn from Dogs for Good, delivered an interesting and moving talk on the work of the charity which trains dogs to support adults & children with a wide variety of disabilities. You can read more about the charity here> and/or download a brief leaflet here>.  Members and interested individuals who missed the meeting can watch the presentation here>
      • Some charities that the club has recently helped have sent us their appreciation: Clic Sargent, Readi Food & New Thames Hospice
      • Caversham Lock Hydroelectric Scheme:
        Last year Club member Tony Cowling deservedly received his Paul Harris award, principally for his untiring work on our Berkshire Women’s Aid project. This involved the building of a house in the gardens of the charity’s Reading headquarters, Orchard House, conceived, designed and implemented by fellow- members of our Club. He was then concerned with fitting out the new building and renovating the earlier premises.
    But Tony is also one of our town’s leading environmentalists, his current major project being the establishment of a hydroelectric scheme at Caversham Lock. The main building works will start shortly, necessitating the closure of the public path across the weir for about three months.  When in operation the scheme, which is based upon a turbine and an Archimedes screw, will generate enough power to serve about 90 homes.
    There is already a salmon leap in the weir but other fish, notably eels, may find difficulty in swimming upstream. So the project incorporates a fish pass through View Island (Tony is seen here supervising its construction), which will enable eels to get upstream from the weir.
    Although this is not a Rotary project, Tony is grateful for the support given by several other RRC members. If you would like to learn more about the scheme, please visit hydro.readinguk.org/ The accompanying photo shows club member Tony Cowling at work designing and digging out the new fish pass that will go alongside the new hydroelectric project at Caversham Weir
      • Update from Remap: Making free bespoke aids for people with disabilities since 1964. The charity is always looking for volunteers, read more>
      • Elderly or disabled and having IT issues? There is a charity providing local assistance to the disabled and the elderly to use computers. It is called Ability Net, read more here>
    August 2020
      • Professor Sir Brian Hoskins delivered a thought-provoking talk on climate change. Bill Montague has kindly prepared some notes from the talk here>
      • Laura from Sport in Mind presented a brief update in which she explained that due to the pandemic all but two of the staff had been furloughed but that activities had just re-started. A walk round Prospect Park was well attended and a new activity, Tai Chi, was due to begin this week. The charity are also expanding into other nearby counties.
    July 2020
      • Rotary Club of Reading Santa Run Race Director Graham Broadhurst presents Laura Brooks Development Director of Sport In Mind with a cheque for £4,400.
        Ironically the Santa Run cheque was presented on the hottest day of the year! Sport In Mind are one of several charities to benefit from the 2019 Santa Run.
        Reading Rotary Club member Simon Creffield accepting The Terry Simpson Memorial Golf Trophy from fellow club member and last year's winner Peter Webb at Mapledurham Golf Club on Wednesday 22nd July. The tournament was organised by Reading Abbey Golf Society (RAGS) in memory of Terry who was a Past President of their Club. This is the fourth year the trophy has been won by a member of the Reading club, previous winners were Jack Holt and Graham Broadhurst.
      • Centenary celebration projects - 5 suggestions have been made so far, 2 in Africa and 3 in Reading. Members can read more details here>
      • Golf day cancelled. Sadly our Golf Day will have to be postponed because the Golf Club are not reopening their catering provision.
      • Reading Mayor, Councilor David Stephens, provided a personal view of the role and fielded some tough questions from our members
    June 2020:
      • T
        he Village of Hope in India have received our
        food bank donations which were gratefully acknowledged. There are some photos here>
      • Stephanie Parker, CLIC Sargent Fundraising Engagement Manager, together with Carole and Janet, CLIC Sargent volunteers, delivered a very powerful and moving presentation about the work of this very worthwhile charity supporting
        Young lives Vs cancer. You can read more about the charity here>
    May 2020:
      • The Fostering Team from Brighter Futures for Children delivered an inspiring talk and presentation at our online meeting on 26th May. If you would like to find out more, then please visit their website here>
      • Food donations: During these unprecedented times members of Reading Rotary Club are donating to Reading Food Bank, Orum, Amani and now the Village of Hope in India.
      • Reading Rotary goes online: The club held its first meeting via Zoom on Tuesday 12th May at which Arlene Kersley, CE of Reading YMCA explained the work of organisation and how they offer education and support to youngsters ranging in age from pre-schoolers to their mid-twenties. More details can be seen in the slides here. The club were proud to present YMCA a virtual cheque for £4,800 to provide technical equipment for their IT training room.
      • Amani's Dream - Details and presentation by Leslie Green.  FOAT leaflet (Word document), Powerpoint slide show and more details about the charity here>
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