Christmas Toys & Teens Appeal

Liz Nicholls

Posted on

community

Liz Nicholls

, ,

Reading Family Aid’s Toys and Teens Appeal is back to put smiles on people’s faces in time for Christmas 2024!

Reading Family Aid is a local charity supporting disadvantaged children and their families. Each Christmas, the Toys and Teens Appeal helps guarantee that children who would otherwise not receive a single present have something to open on Christmas morning.

The Reading area seems so prosperous that many people might find it hard to imagine there are desperately deprived families here, but the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit families hard in so many ways and your support makes a real difference to every family.

Last year, more than 2,500 children received a gift at Christmas, thanks to the generosity of wonderful donors and supporters, but the charity needs your help again this year and there are two ways you can do this:

1. Donate toys at one of the donation points (or they will collect)
2. Donate money to the appeal, to go towards additional toys

If you are buying a new gift please try to limit the cost to a maximum of around £30 per item. Secondhand items must really be ‘as good as new’ so they must be clean, complete, working – good enough that the receiving family can’t really tell they are not new. Sorry, no soft toys, audio cassettes, computer games, DVDs or CDs, baby equipment or clothes.

Nothing electrical or rechargeable unless it is brand new still in its sealed packaging – if it has a plug on the end and is not new, the team are not insured to donate it.

Please make sure that all the pieces of a set are bagged up together and all the pieces of a jigsaw are together in the original box.

For details of how to donate toys, please visit Donate Toys – Reading Family Aid

To donate money, visit Reading Family Aid | Localgiving

Latest posts

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

Support Royal Surrey charity 15k walk

Karen Neville

Posted on

community

Karen Neville

, ,

Help raise funds for the Rotary Cut Out Cancer campaign

Can you sponsor Colin Simmons as he pulls on the walking boots again to tackle a 15k challenge organised by the Royal Surrey Charity through the Surrey countryside on Sunday 6th October.

The route can be seen here – https://explore.osmaps.com/route/22776188/

This is part of the Rotary Cut Out Cancer campaign to raise funds to help the Royal Surrey County Hospital purchase high-tech equipment for their six new surgical and cancer wards they are building.

Colin says: “The Royal Surrey Charity have kindly allowed us to have a specific JustGiving page as part of their overall fundraising so that the sponsorship we raise will be ring-fenced for our Cut Out Cancer campaign.”

More details of the campaign can be found at Colin Simmons is fundraising for Royal Surrey Charity (justgiving.com)

Latest posts

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

Chiltern Toy Bank: could you help?

Liz Nicholls

Posted on

community

Liz Nicholls

, ,

Could you donate new & (giftable quality) pre-loved toys – between 28th September & 6th October – to bring Christmas cheer to local families in need?

Thanks to the hard work of between 30 & 50 dedicated local volunteers (“Elves”), Chiltern Toy Bank has been providing free toys and gifts at Christmas to children, aged 0-18, living in parts of the Chilterns who would otherwise not receive anything due to financial hardship or other disadvantages of their parents or guardians.

They have operated in and around Chesham, Amersham and Prestwood for over a decade formally became a registered charity in 2018-2019.

Their aim is to make sure that no child will go without a gift over the festive period.

What can I donate?

Any new or pre-loved toys and gifts that are clean, complete and in good condition are welcome. If you wouldn’t gift it to a child in your family for Christmas then they can’t take it. Chiltern Toy Bank particularly needs: arts, crafts and creative kits for ages 8+, science kits for ages 8+, gifts for teenagers aged 13+ (like make-up, toiletries, hats, scarves etc).

They cannot accept soft toys without their CE label attached, any games with missing pieces, books that are scribbled in or have missing pages, colouring and activity books or make-up and arts supplied that are used.

Where can I drop gifts?

Chesham:
• White Hill Centre, White Hill
• Post Office, High Street
• Chesham Town Hall, Parsonage Lane

Prestwood:
• Hildreths Garden Centre
• Wye Country Estate Agent, High Street
• The Pantry at 51
• (All subject to individual opening times)

Amersham:
• Chiltern Lifestyle Centre
• Amersham Common Village Hall, Saturday 28th Sept & Saturday 5th Oct 2-5pm
• King’s Church, Raans Road, Mon 30th Sept – Fri 4th Oct, 9.30am-12pm

To find out more about the charity, or offer to help, or request help, visit Chiltern Toy Bank – Christmas 2023

Latest posts

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

Chris’s moving Rennie Grove Peace appeal

Liz Nicholls

Posted on

community

Liz Nicholls

, ,

Chris Everitt shares his thoughts about how Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care looked after his mum at the end of her life last year, ahead of the Chilterns 3 Peaks Challenge on 8th September

Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care is calling on people and local businesses to step up for the 15th anniversary Chilterns 3 Peaks Challenge.

In the run-up to the event, Chris, whose mum Caroline was in the care of Rennie Grove Peace, has shared his experiences in the hope of promoting others to volunteer for the charity.

Caroline went into the care of Rennie Grove Peace in 2023 after her seven-year battle with cancer took a turn, with doctors identifying that cancer had returned in her brain.

Throughout Caroline’s end of life care, Chris said the nurses at Rennie Grove Peace were supportive and worked to find ways that she could remain independent.

Now Chris hopes his story will raise awareness of the work Rennie Grove Peace do and prompt more people volunteer to help out at the Chilterns 3 Peaks Challenge on 8th September.

Chris’s mum, Caroline, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 at the age of just 49. Months of treatment successfully treated her cancer until there was no evidence of disease remaining.

All was well until 2019 when an MRI revealed that the cancer had metastasised and was present in her liver, lung, spine, brain, head and jaw. Further treatment followed, to try and reduce the tumours and keep Caroline well for as long as possible.

Regular tests helped the family understand how Caroline’s tumours were responding to treatment and by 2020 many of the tumours had cleared up, so they remained in just her lung and liver. This was celebrated by the family, Caroline’s friends and anyone that knew her.

However, in 2022 tests revealed that the tumour had returned in Caroline’s brain. At this point, the family was told that her prognosis would be shorter. By 2023, Caroline was starting to deteriorate and that’s when the Rennie Grove Peace team stepped in.

Chris says: “The Rennie Grove Peace nurses were so supportive and really worked to find ways for Mum to stay as independent as possible. The nurses visited regularly, and they could advise us when we were ready for the next step, like suggesting when we might like to think about a stair lift or a hospital bed.”

As Caroline began to deteriorate, she was referred to the Rapid Personalised Care Service, which sees Rennie Grove Peace healthcare assistants visit up to four times per day to support with personal care such as washing and dressing.

Chris continues: “Everybody who visited from Rennie Grove Peace was compassionate and honest with us. At one point the nurses told us that, based on her deterioration, they thought she would probably die within a week.”

Sadly, Caroline died three days later, on 6th October, four days before Chris’s 30th birthday.

During the time Rennie Grove Peace staff were visiting, Chris learned how little of the charity’s funding comes from the government and how reliant the organisation is on fundraising. He decided to start fundraising to ensure other families can access the same care his family benefitted from. Most recently, Chris completed the National Three Peaks Challenge to raise vital funds for Rennie Grove Peace.

Now, Chris wants to encourage people in Buckinghamshire to get behind the Chilterns 3 Peaks Challenge on Sunday, 8th September, to ensure other local people can benefit from the support his family received.

Rennie Grove Peace is also appealing for on-the-day volunteers to help the event run smoothly. Various roles are available, including road crossing marshals and car park marshals, with volunteers asked to commit to four hour shifts on the day.

Anyone wishing to help on the day is asked to email: c3peaks@renniegrovepeace.org. For more information about the event visit renniegrovepeace.org/C3P

For more information on the work of Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care, visit Home – Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care or call 01923 330 330.

Latest posts

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

Don’t miss this magical Beaconsfield festival!

Liz Nicholls

Posted on

community

Liz Nicholls

, ,

Book your tickets for the sober, wholesome Back To The Roots festival in Bucks, 9th to 11th August

Created by the people for the people, Back To The Roots is a collaboration of diverse and cultural backgrounds to offer world sounds, a co-creation of art, music, education and innovative ways to bring us together to unite in love, music, dance, discussion, and commUNITY.

This will be the third year running Back To The Roots, an all-inclusive nature fest no matter your background or age to celebrate how we can live more consciously and harmoniously together in a world with so much diversity. This is a sober, family-friendly and pet-friendly event.

The Back To the Roots stage is the main hub with musicians, workshops, and drum circles. It’s been erected with a prayer from Jote Prakash, each pole placed in the ground with intention and love and there’s a sola PA system from Solar Sound Tribe.

Nestled in the trees, The Tree Of Life stage comes alive with acoustic vibes, spoken word and storytelling. At night the trees are illuminated and the party vibes come alive with Freedom dance sets and soundscapes, powered by battery-operated sound system by CopperBottomSounds.

If you are looking for a place where you can let your imagination run wild, embrace your creativity and learn in a fun and interactive way, The Forest School is the perfect place for you.

Festival-goers can also enjoy the amazing Cacao Temple, Fire Side, herbal organic mocktails, smoothies, and organic living deserts, face painting with Amy ‘SpacePony’, a children’s nature craft area and more!

Latest posts

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

Go on safari in Fleet

Round & About

Posted on

community

Fleet & District Carnival Chairman Leanne Walmsley invites us all to a fun-filled day with fantastic events and all for a wonderful community cause

On Saturday 6th July, we will be celebrating the 67th Fleet and District Carnival! We have an awesome line up of events for you this year and look forward to you helping us raise money for this year’s charity.

Chosen by our Facebook supporters the 2024 charity is Parity for Disability, a local association which enables adults with multiple disabilities to continue to be a part of the wider community, supported by trained and caring staff.

The theme for this year is ‘safari’, and we can’t wait to see all those fantastic procession entries roam through the streets of Fleet.

The procession is just the start of this fantastic day, and once they lead onto Calthorpe Park, we have a whole host of entertainment lined up for you including the main stage featuring six amazing acts; traditional fete games are back after proving so popular in 2023; Searle’s fun fair and we have an awesome petting zoo which will be next to the ever-popular dog show. The Park will be filled with plenty of refreshment options and the other local charity and community stalls.

We also welcome our 2024 headline sponsor – Untold Reality. Located on Fleet high street, Untold Reality is the premier destination for futuristic experiences.

They will be in Calthorpe Park for the carnival, and with top-of-the-line modern VR systems and a wide range of games, they will be the place to be to try out a VR game, escape room, and many other VR experiences.

Come down and join us for what will be an absolutely fun packed day which you don’t want to miss out on!

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

Capture nature for BBOWT photo competition

Round & About

Posted on

community

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) has opened its annual nature photography competition for 2024 with new categories and prizes

Nature lovers of all ages are being invited to submit their best shots of animals, plants, people and scenery at BBOWT nature reserves and in the community.

This year the vote is also being thrown open to the public, with a new ‘People’s Choice Award’. There’s also an extra category for mobile phone photography.

This year’s top prizes include a high-spec birdbox camera, an exclusive wildlife photography masterclass with GG Wildlife Experiences and all winners will have the chance to see their photos featured in the Trust’s 2025 wildlife calendar. There are also bundles of nature books for younger entrants to win for their schools.

Rachel Levis, BBOWT’s Head of Events, said: “We’re thrilled to launch our photography competition again this year. It’s always such a treat to see so many amazing photos of wonderful wildlife taken on our patch. This year we have introduced a People’s Choice Award, which is a great way of getting our supporters involved with the very tricky judging decisions.

“The mobile phone has opened up nature photography to almost everyone, so we’re please to include a new category for that this year. Anyone from a six-year-old with a phone to a professional photographer with all the kit can enter – so why not send us your best shot?”

Categories:
• Children (ages 6-11) – in any of the categories.
• Teens (ages 12-17) – in any of the categories.
• Birds
• Mammals
• Butterflies & other insects
• Our nature reserves
• Urban nature
• Taking action for nature
• Mobile phone photography

Examples of last year’s winners/ runners up:

Photographs for most categories must be taken on BBOWT reserves, and all must be taken in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire or Oxfordshire. The closing dates for entries is Monday, 26th August. Entries received by Sunday, 28th July, will also be considered for the People’s Choice Award.

Steve Gozdz of competition sponsor GG Wildlife Experiences added: “Wildlife photography can require patience but can be very rewarding – spending time in nature and capturing ‘that moment’ with a bird, mammal or insect can turn a glimpse in time into a real memory that can be savoured and shared with others. You never know when those ‘moments’ will occur, take your camera wherever you go and be aware of the beauty in nature around you.”

For full entry details, visit: Photography Competition 2024 | Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (bbowt.org.uk)

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

New life for Newbury’s Old Library

Round & About

Posted on

community

A public fundraising campaign is being launched to repurpose the interior of Newbury’s Old Library to meet the creative wellbeing needs of the local community

Can you help open up the historic much-loved Old Library to connect with the community and boost opportunities for all ages through creative activities?

The Corn Exchange (Newbury) Trust, which comprises of the Corn Exchange, 101 Outdoor Arts and the Learning Centre, and which also manages The Base Greenham, will restore this beloved Newbury building, creating a permanent home for creative participation work to engage locals with the arts.

Corn Exchange’s creative initiatives focus on improving access to high quality cultural experiences, particularly to improve mental health, and to support older communities and young people. These activities seek to address issues of social isolation, health inequality, and deprivation in West Berkshire, and dismantle the financial barriers that historically prevented people from pursuing the arts.

Key projects set to feature at the Old Library include Ageing Creatively, addressing social isolation of older communities with classes with 5,000 engagements annually, and Links to Thrive, a pioneering ‘arts on prescription’ project bringing free creative opportunities to people with mental health conditions.

Careers in the Arts (run jointly with the Watermill Theatre) will also operate from the new venue; working with local schools and young people to raise aspiration and awareness of the career opportunities within the creative industries and to develop transferable skills through creative engagement, advice, mentoring and fully-funded placements. This area of the company’s work is flourishing, with 27,000 attendees across these programmes in 2022/23.

Jessica Jhundoo-Evans, Director of Corn Exchange Newbury & 101 Outdoor Arts, said: “We are asking you to help us raise the money to transform the Old Library into a new community space and a permanent home for our creative participation activity. This area of our work provides a wide range of inclusive opportunities with specific projects for young people, schools, under-5s and new parents, over-55s, and a thriving youth theatre. It provides a lifeline to many local people and is more vital now than ever before: reducing social isolation and loneliness within our community; improving mental health locally; and supporting young people in building confidence and self-esteem.

“The Old Library is the perfect new space and we are asking for your support to help open up this historic, much-loved Newbury building for our community. With dedicated engagement spaces, a small café/bar and a place to gather and connect with others, the possibilities for our communities are really exciting.”

For further information and to donate, please visit Old Library fundraising campaign (cornexchangenew.com)

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

One Planet Living Festival: 15th June

Round & About

Posted on

community

One Planet Abingdon (OPA) is hosting an event in June to celebrate Abingdon’s culture and community by bringing everyone together.

The environment group is collaborating with other community organisations and charities to stage the One Planet Living Festival on Saturday, June 15th, from 10am to 5pm in the Market Place. The festival will feature a range of eco traders, information on sustainable living, and activities and performances for all ages.

OPA co-founder Michelle Charlesworth expressed her excitement: “It has been my vision since the conception of One Planet that we would come together as a community. This collaboration is the realization of that vision, showcasing our rich culture and community. We can enjoy one another’s tradition, music, and stories, truly connecting as we continue our journey to a one planet living town.”

OPA is partnering with Evoking Belonging, the Abingdon Events Partnership, and Abingdon Town Council to bring this festival to the town. Local businesses such as Taiwil Fashions, Planted Plates, and Tribe Zero will host stalls promoting the ten principles aimed at creating a better world. Abingdon’s Morris Dancers and local artists will perform, representing the diverse cultures of Abingdon.

Dianne Regisford of Evoking Belonging highlighted the importance of social cohesion: “As more African-Caribbean and other ethnic origin families come to live in Abingdon, the social, cultural, and racial dynamics of the town change. To ensure a vibrant, socially cohesive, and economically buoyant town, it’s imperative to create strategies and opportunities for all to thrive. This is a social justice vision of belonging for all.”

OPA, launched in 2021 in response to Abingdon Town Council’s climate and ecological emergency declaration, runs the Climate Emergency Centre (CEC) under the County Hall Museum. The CEC provides refreshments for visitors while exploring the implications of transitioning to zero carbon living, a target set by the national government. The volunteer-led organisation welcomes anyone concerned about the environment to get involved.

The One Planet Living principles are: Health and happiness, Equity and local economy, Culture and community, Land and nature, Sustainable water, Local and sustainable food, Travel and transport, Materials and products, Zero waste, and Zero carbon energy.

For more information or to help with OPA activities, including the festival, visit http://www.oneplanetabingdon.org/ or visit the CEC, open from 10am to 4pm, Thursday to Sunday.

Evoking Belonging addresses the increasingly diverse population of Abingdon. Its founder, Dianne Regisford, was recently elected to Oxford Town Council representing the Green Party.

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

Visit hillside heaven in Missenden

Round & About

Posted on

community

Overstroud Cottage will open its gates again this month as part of the National Garden Scheme (NGS) local fundraisers

Overstroud Cottage, HP16 9Q, sits halfway up Frith Hill above Great Missenden. In the 17th century this cottage was used as Missenden Abbey’s fever house.

Thanks to The National Open Gardens Scheme, you can visit the gardens of this local treasure, owned by Mr & Mrs Jonathan Brooke on Sunday, 9th June, 2-5pm. Entry is £4 for adults (children free) and cream teas will be served at the nearby parish church.

The chalky soil has been tended on two levels to showcase a collection of 17th & 18th century plants including auriculas, hellebores, bulbs, pulmonarias, peonies, germaniums, dahlias, herbs and succulents. With its blue and white ribbon border, this garden, reminiscent of the late Margery Fish’s garden at East Lambrook Manor, is carved out of an old chalk quarry so the soil is alkaline.

The potager, edged with ‘step-over’ apples is featured is Joy Larkcom’s book, Creative Vegetable Gardening. Traffic noise has been lessened by a layered hedge, row of hornbeams and an ivy ‘fedge’ which forms the backdrop to a mini wildflower meadow. Visit National Garden Scheme (ngs.org.uk) for more info & open gardens.

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter: