During October half term (24th and 25th October), we organised an outing to Chessington and Thorpe Park for two groups of young people. Here are some of the thank-you's we received from this trip: "Just wanted to say a huge thank you, Darcy really enjoyed the day, it was a lovely experience for her, I enjoyed it too even though I didn't partake in any rides, she went on loads even on her own! We are definitely tired out and going to have a lay in this morning haha, it's amazing how knackering a day walking about in the crisp air can make you feel." "Thank you Reading Family Aid for giving us this wonderful opportunity. Skylar had a lovely day thank you." "Thank you so much for putting on these trips. I had 2 younger children on the Chessington trip and 3 secondary school children on the Thorpe Park trip. The kids have been wanting to go for years but as a family I could never afford to take them. Also the older children would find Chessington boring and the younger children would be scared at Thorpe Park so being able to allow all the children to do something suitable for their age range was amazing and we are forever grateful for the opportunity. Thank you from all of us." "Our Children have not stopped talking about Thorpe Park and the amount of fun they had, from the journey to the rides to the mazes to the journey home it was such an amazing day and this was definitely the highlight of their October Half Term."
Reading Family Aid’s Toys & Teens appeal is back for another year, sponsored by The Chronicle. This year the appeal is accepting new and nearly new toys at 33 donation points across Reading and the surrounding areas. These toys and gifts will be distributed to disadvantaged children in Reading and the surrounding area, ready to be opened on Christmas day. One recipient tells of the difference the charity made to her Christmas in 2021. On 15th December, a day when Laura, a Grandmother, should have been celebrating her birthday, instead she found herself in hospital fighting for her life. All of Reading woke to the horrific news - a major fire had erupted in the flats in Rowe Court (Tilehurst). Laura who lived on the top floor had to escape the burning building in the middle of the night by jumping out of her living room window. Laura said “I saw smoke around me and everything went dark, it was then I thought what am I going to do? I didn’t have long to get out of the window. There were flames coming out of the communal window, and I knew I couldn’t escape that way. I decided, and jumped out of the sitting room window. I landed hard on grass and mud. I managed with the last breath in my body to call out to ask people to help me”. Laura was rushed to ICU in a critical condition with suspected broken Pelvis, hip, Collar bone, severe back injuries and potential internal damage. Laura has 17 Grandchildren and one great grandchild and even though everybody was happy that Laura was recovering she herself felt extremely down. The fire had destroyed all of her possessions along with all her presents carefully wrapped to give to her family on Christmas day. Reading Family Aid heard of her situation and came to the rescue. “The charity gave me presents to give to my grandchildren at Christmas, I couldn’t believe it. To know there’s some goodness in the world after what happened, I was in a dark place and I was so grateful for their help. To not have to worry meant everything to me. I can’t pay them back but I want to spread the word. It breaks my heart that there are children who won’t receive presents without the charity”. The Toys and Teens Appeal 2023 will be collecting donated new and nearly new toys from donation drop off points, as well as using funds from the Go Fund Me online to buy gifts for disadvantaged children to open on Christmas day. To support the campaign you can donate a gift to the drop off points here. More details on what can be donated can be found here. If you cannot donate a gift the campaign also has an online GoFundMe page to help buy new presents for age groups that receive less donations each yea. Thank you Reading Family Aid’s Toys & Teens appeal is back for another year, sponsored by The Chronicle. This year the appeal is accepting new and nearly new toys at over 30 donation points across Reading and the surrounding areas. These toys and gifts will be distributed to disadvantaged children in Reading and the surrounding area, ready to be opened on Christmas day. We spoke to Clare Deakin-Smith, the Club Experience Manager at The Club at Mapledurham, about why they have chosen to support Reading Family Aid’s Toys and Teens Appeal for 2023. “We’re a very family-oriented club. Children are a very important aspect to the whole club, including the restaurant, the swimming pool, and the outside areas. And there’s nothing nicer than a happy child! I’ve got four, they’ve all grown up and left home, but I know what it’s like to have happy children.” “I have always instilled in all my children that you have to look at people that aren’t as fortunate. And to be able to support that here, and just get everybody to open their eyes and their minds a little bit and go, ‘let’s help’. And it doesn’t take a lot as well. Because nobody’s asking for big boxes of £50 Lego or anything. It’s just things that young people will take a huge amount of pleasure in opening – everyone loves to open presents.” “I think as much help as anybody can help, with just giving little things at Christmas, it makes a huge difference just to put a smile on a child’s face, or a young adult’s face as well. Very important, because it is formative memories that they will carry through.” “It’s just about making people feel good about themselves, and just doing a little something, for a little person. And whether that person is 16 or 5, anything that we can do to help, or anything that other businesses can do to help, by contacting the people that use their business, it’s perfect.” If you’re a member, or live near to The Club at Mapledurham, do stop by and leave your donation on the table at reception. Each Christmas, the Toys and Teens Appeal helps ensure that children who would not otherwise receive a single present, have something to open on Christmas morning. Last year, over 3,000 children received a gift at Christmas, through the generous donations of supporters. To support the campaign you can donate a gift to the drop off points here. More details on what can be donated can be found here. If you cannot donate a gift the campaign also has an online GoFundMe page to help buy new presents for age groups that receive less donations each year. Thank you Reading Family Aid’s Toys and Teens appeal is back for another year, sponsored by The Chronicle. This year the appeal is accepting new and nearly new toys at 33 donation points across Reading and the surrounding areas. These toys and gifts will be distributed to disadvantaged children in Reading and the surrounding area, ready to be opened on Christmas day. Christmas is an exciting time for families in Reading, regardless of culture or religion. And the appeal supports thousands of children living in poverty from refugees to families struggling in poverty. Imagine feeling you have to leave your home, family, friends to protect yourself and your children. Maybe you are fleeing violence or persecution. You pay and take terrible risks to get to the UK and find that you've jumped from the frying pan into the fire. You're in a totally different culture, may not speak the language, have little or no money and, have little hope of providing what you hoped would be a better life for you and your children any time soon. Already traumatised from your experiences, you and your children will likely be placed in a one room in a budget hotel with no cooking facilities and be subject to a long wait whilst your fate is decided. Christmas is an exciting time for families in Reading, regardless of culture or religion. And the appeal supports thousands of children living in poverty from refugees to families struggling in poverty. Ruth Perkins, a volunteer at Reading Family Aid said, “This sadly isn’t a scenario we’ve asked readers to imagine. It’s a reality for many, many families living right here, in Reading in 2023. I visited such a family to deliver toys and was welcomed into the tiny flat. The floors were concrete. There were no curtains. There was no furniture. No fridge. No washing machine. The little boy had no toys at all - he was just playing with a cardboard box. The Mum wasn't expecting me. She was overwhelmed when I showed her the sack of toys I had brought and burst into tears. I wished I could have given her more. These people are living in desperate conditions. The last thing they should have to worry about is how they can afford a present for their child this Christmas”. The Toys and Teens Appeal 2023 will be collecting donated new and nearly new toys from donation drop off points, as well as using funds from the Go Fund Me online to buy gifts for children to open on Christmas day. To support the campaign you can donate a gift to the drop off points. More details on what can be donated can be found here. If you cannot donate a gift the campaign also has an online GoFundMe page to help buy new presents for age groups that receive less donations each year. Thank you On the 30th October RFA's Chair, Wendy Howell, was invited to a meeting of the Thames Valley Flower Club where she was presented with a cheque for £600 by their Chair, Leslie. Wendy talked about our work and thanked them very much for their support. They have also been collecting toys for the Toys and Teens Appeal. Huge thanks to Thames Valley Flower Club! Last week during half term, Reading Golf Club juniors organised a competition with some of the Seniors and donated toys to our appeal. Alex Stronach (2nd from the right in the back row), the Junior Captain said “The Juniors heard about Reading Family Aid when it became the Club charity at Reading Golf Club earlier this year and I thought we could help raise awareness of the situation of young people who will not be as lucky as us this Christmas by holding a Junior Competition at The Caversham. Fourteen juniors took part along with senior members and we were all happy to be able to help the Toys Appeal with our donations". Thanks a lot Alex! COULD YOU TELL YOUR CHILD THEY WON’T BE GETTING ANY PRESENTS THIS CHRISTMAS? Reading Family Aid’s Toys & Teens appeal is back for another year, sponsored by The Chronicle. This year the appeal is accepting new and nearly new toys at 33 donation points across Reading and the surrounding areas. These toys and gifts will be distributed to disadvantaged children in Reading and the surrounding area, ready to be opened on Christmas day. Imagine you had to tell your children that they won’t be getting a toy from Santa this year. This will be the incredibly sad situation that many families find themselves in this Christmas without your help. More families than ever are being plunged into poverty with the cost-of-living crisis having far-reaching consequences. As we all know times are tougher than in previous years and none more so for those already struggling to make ends meet. To put things into context, last year Reading Family Aid gave Christmas presents to a record number of 3,001 disadvantaged children. Although this might sound positive it was a sad reminder that the reason this number is higher than in the previous year of 2,558 is that more and more families are living in poverty. Sadly this number is expected to rise again this year. If proof were needed then we only have to find evidence for just how many families are living in poverty. The number of children aged between 0-15 years now living in low-income families in Reading, is 10,568*. That means over 1 in 4 children are living in poverty in Reading. In a typical school class of 30 children, on average 7 of them will be living in poverty. This becomes particularly apparent at Christmas time when all they wish for are presents from Santa. Reading Family Aid volunteer Charlie McLean said "I have two young boys and I can't imagine their faces if I told them Father Christmas hadn't come this year. As a parent it's so incredibly sad to think of children that won't receive even a single present on Christmas day. For them to wonder what they did wrong, and why they don't deserve a visit from Santa. That's why I help with, and donate to, the Toys and Teens Appeal every year. In the hope that I can bring even a small amount of happiness to their lives this Christmas". One of the teachers of school pupils supported by last year's appeal said "I just wanted to say a massive massive thank you for the children's gifts. Two of the boys told me that they were both really happy at home because mum got gifts for them. (your gifts) ‘Child 1’ said "I got a book, and a marble game"; Child 2 said "I got a magic book, a brain puzzle game and a football". They were both delighted and said it was "one of the best days ever". As a result of the conversation we realised the children actually have no toys at all at home. Thank you for your help". The Toys and Teens Appeal 2023 will be collecting donated new and nearly new toys from donation drop off points, as well as using funds from the Go Fund Me online to buy gifts for children to open on Christmas day. To support the campaign you can donate a gift to the drop off points - more details on what can be donated here. If you cannot donate a gift the campaign also has an online GoFundMe page to help buy new presents for age groups that receive less donations each year. Thank you * . (www.gov.uk/government/collections/children-in-low-income-families-local-area-statistics) The Mayor of Reading, Cllr. Tony Page, has leant his support to the Christmas Toys Appeal. Reading Family Aid’s Toys & Teens appeal is back for another year, sponsored by The Chronicle. This year the appeal is accepting new and nearly new toys at 28 donation points across Reading and the surrounding areas. These toys and gifts will be distributed to disadvantaged children in Reading and the surrounding area, ready to be opened on Christmas day. Today the Mayor of Reading launched the appeal and said: “We have many families and children in the borough facing very tough times. Families are living in over crowded, damp conditions. The need for support at Christmas is acute and that’s why the Toys and Teens Appeal is so important. I would urge people to consider the scenario where you are forced to say to your child that they are not going to get any presents this year. There’s a real danger within the borough that thousands of children will go without any presents at Christmas without your support”. A mum of three, who receives donations from the charity, explains why this appeal means so much to her; “I was married with three little girls but now my husband is in prison for attacking us. So for several years I have been a single mum with three girls, now all over 10. Even though this year I have a part time job things are still hard. The more I work, the less benefits I get and so the more my bills go up. For example my council tax - I lose benefits because I am working so I have to pay more of it. I have to pay travel expenses to get to work. And food is so expensive I can barely afford to feed and clothe us all never mind pay for any extras like my daughters wanting to go to the cinema and out with friends. I dread Christmas with all the pressure of what children want and what other children get. Reading Family Aid has helped me for a several years with presents for my girls. Without their help I would really struggle at Christmas. Any extra help I can get really makes a massive difference. Please donate to the Toys and Teens Appeal so that families like mine can have a nice Christmas and remove some of the stress of it all. Thank you”. Each Christmas, the Toys and Teens Appeal helps ensure that children who would not otherwise receive a single present, have something to open on Christmas morning. Last year, over 3,000 children received a gift at Christmas, through the generous donations of supporters. To support the campaign you can donate a gift to any of the drop off points, and more details on what can be donated can be found here. Or you could organise a gift collection at work or school. Please find all the information here. If you cannot donate a physical gift, the appeal also has an online GoFundMe page to help buy new presents for age groups that receive less donations each year. Anything you give will make a child so happy this Christmas. Thank you. Over the summer we established that we really needed to increase the number of people working on our committee, particularly in the Publicity and Outings area as we had lost a few people over the last year. We embarked on a recruitment campaign through Reading Voluntary Action, Social Media posts, our Supporters and personal contacts and amazingly managed to recruit 7 new people through all of these channels and another couple that we might call on in the future. Here they are: And also Amber on Publicity
On August 15th amazingly the sun shone all day long!! Another fabulous day at Caversham Lakes who made everyone welcome and were fully inclusive of all. One little boy said "Wow mum this is the best fun all holidays!" A mum said "Thank you for this, it's so nice to relax and watch the children have fun. The whole day has made memories." Another mum said "Today has been so lovely, it's given my son a chance to be somewhere different during the holidays. Fun, water play all mixed up with nature. Perfect!" Children enjoyed the family beach, splashed in the safe water and jumped from the floating pontoons. Parents paddled with them or enjoyed relaxing in the sun. Th organiser from Fifi's Vision said "Thank you for yesterday, we have had all families commenting and sharing on Facebook what a lovely day it was. Having an exclusive use of the beach with our group peer support meant the day was accessible and parents felt they had that vital respite knowing the children were safe. Thank you again for the opportunity that gave so much fun and laughter making happy memories." The organiser from the Reading Refugee Centre said "Thank you to Sallie and Vivienne for another wonderful day in the sunshine at Caversham lakes. It was especially poignant to see the Afghan ladies enjoy the lake with their young children on the same day the Taliban have announced women in Afghanistan cannot visit parks." |
Our blogThis is where we share our news and inspiring stories of how people have supported us. Read previous newsletters here.
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