It was with great sadness that we heard in the summer of 2014 that Sue Cromwell had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She spent the last few months of her life with great fortitude, buoyed up by her Christian faith and supported by her family and friends. She dies on New Year's Day at home, with her family around her.

People will remember her vivacity and her smile at the Christmas Toy Project, where she reigned supreme at the soft toy tables, sorting, discarding and finding age appropriate cuddly toys for the packers, with her bubbly presence encouraging everyone around her.

Visitors to our stand at the Early Green Fair will have partaken of her pickles and chutneys, which she made in spare time, when she wasn't at work or busy with her duties at St Luke's Church.

​We miss her, and it was clear at her funeral service that she played a part in many people's lives and we are the richer for knowing her.

Each year we arrange for a group of families to visit Camp Mohawk - an amazing multi-functional day centre for children with special needs.

This year we kept a watchful eye on the weather forecast in the days leading up to our annual trip, but the threatened rain didn’t fall, much to the delight of the Camp Mohawk staff, RFA committee and the families who were coming to enjoy a day in the country.

In all, ninety one people, mums, dads and children arrived, signed up for swimming in the heated pool, ran around in the woods and played in the Sensory Garden and the playground, which even has a swing which will take a wheelchair.

The favourites in the Petting Farm were the baby goats and the ducklings, though learning to groom the pony came a close second, with the chicks, rabbits, sheep and cow providing an opportunity to get close up to all the animals.

Cathy and Mike demonstrated the art of plate spinning, the Hula Hoop was popular as were the giant bubbles and a variety of things to bounce on and fall off.

Many people went home carefully balancing the pots that they had made with Susan on her Potter’s Wheel, ready to dry at home and paint.

Camp Mohawk gives everyone the freedom to relax, run and play in the safety of the site where they can’t get lost, well only a little bit, and even that doesn’t matter because the site is secure and the ‘lost’ are soon found.

As always the staff are fantastic, so a big thank you to everyone who made it such a happy day!

Our annual trip to Camp Mohawk wouldn't be possible without the amazing support of the people of Reading. Special thanks go to McKay Securities who have very generously supported us for several years, Rotary Club of Loddon Vale whose significant donation also went towards the hire of Camp Mohawk this year, and Woodley and Earley Lions whose generous donation paid for the petting zoo this year.

If you would like to make a donation towards next year's trip to Camp Mohawk or one of our other Summer outings this year - more information to follow soon - then please visit our Localgiving page.