Pictures from Events taken throughout 2017

On 15th December, seventeen teams of young technologists pitted their wits in a technology tournament at the Bulmershe School in Woodley. They had to design and produce a launcher to project a golf air-ball to a height of three metres and then land it as close to the launcher as possible. The teams were equipped with a collection of materials, including elastic bands, thin wood strips, string, cardboard, a plastic cup, cup hooks and wood screws.

In the presence of D1090 District Governor, David Pope and Assistant Governor Tony Eldridge, the Rotaract Club of Reading was formally inaugurated on 12th December 2017. We wish this enthusiastic group of young people, who have already achieved a lot in their first four months, every success in the future.

Santa has landed again at Ladds Garden Village in Harehatch, having arrived last weekend in an old white limo. He will be in his grotto at Ladds every weekend up to Christmas. He will also be there on 23rd and 24th December in the exciting lead-up to Christmas day. The Garden Village is at Bath Road, (A4) in Harehatch, RG10 9SB. Tel: 0118 940 4794. For breakfast with Santa, call 07534223110.

The festive season is upon us. Santa arrived in style with his elf at the Ladds Garden Centre in Hare Hatch on Saturday 25th November. He travelled there in a white limousine not on his sleigh. His reindeer are resting up for the great delivery trek on Christmas eve. Our Club and the Inner Wheel members will be supporting him at Ladds every weekend from now on. Santa has a busy schedule because you can also meet him for either breakfast or tea at the Wyevale Garden Centre in Winnersh from 2nd December.

Rotary, along with the Gates Foundation, has reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent worldwide since the first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. Our Club makes regular donations to the campaign and this year has purchased 10,000 purple crocus bulbs for planting by local school children. Further information on the End Polio project at: www.endpolio.org.

The picture shows pupils at Willow Bank School in Woodley planting their purple crocus bulbs. Purple is the colour dye put on the fingers of children in polio-affected countries to show that they have been immunised against the disease and is used as the worldwide campaign colour.

We helped members of our new Rotaract Club to put up a fence at the Waterside Centre in Reading. Rotaract is a unique international service organisation for people aged 18-30, offering a wide range of activities that will enable them try something new and help others, whilst having a great time and meeting new friends.

The Reading Charity Art Fair, which we ran between 27th and 29th October, raised over £9000 for the Royal Berkshire Hospital breast cancer screening scanner appeal. Throughout December, shoppers can contribute to the appeal by using the Waitrose Community Matters green discs when visiting the Woodley Town Centre store. The photo shows chief judge Terry Edmund talking about the winning entries at the Art Fair Preview Evening.

On 5th September we were fascinated by a talk by Paul Whittle TD, on Heritage Railways in the UK. As well as showing lots of photos of steam and diesel trains, Paul gave us some interesting facts about the history of the railways.

On Saturday 19th August, Club members helped with marshalling vehicle entry and exit and parking at the Royal Berks Hospital Charity Soapbox Challenge in the grounds of Englefield Estate in West Berkshire.

On Friday 18th August the club ran a "meet the public" event in the Woodley Town Centre. Children had lots of fun trying to splat a maltezer and members of the public were informed about our activities, particularly the world-wide campaign to eliminate polio.

Maura, one of our club members, was awarded with her 2nd prize, a Marks and Spencer hamper, which she won in the Me2 charity’s raffle. Her ticket was one of a number sold to club members that raised £50 for Me2.

On 5th August, the club ran a stall at the annual Earley Green Fair, a local environmentally-friendly fete, held in the Maiden Erlegh Nature Reserve. We had a very popular splat the Malteser game which gave enormous pleasure to children and adults.

The club members enjoyed a fun evening participating in a version of Just a Minute - talking about a randomly-chosen topic for 60 seconds without hesitation, repetition or deviation.

On Tuesday 18th July David Pope,Rotary District Governor for 59 Rotary clubs in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, South Buckinghamshire and West Middlesex, attended our meeting. Illustrated by a multi-media presentation he talked about the future of Rotary and complimented the club on its many achievements.

On Saturday 15th July, Club members, wives and friends had a great afternoon helping with the fun at the Addington Special School FestforAll event. We helped children and even some adults, enjoy safe archery, splat the Malteser, a treasure hunt and a craft stall. President Geoffrey Scott-Baker presented Head Teacher, Sara Attra, with a cheque for £600 towards the cost of the event.

On 13th July we held a golf tournament in which 88 golfers in 22 teams played the 18-hole course at Sonning. 70% of the proceeds from the event are scheduled to be donated to the Alexander Devine Children's Hospice. In the photo are President Geoffrey Scott-Baker, and Scott Trathen, the immediate past year's President.

Incoming President 2017-2018, Geoffrey Scott-Baker, paid tribute to the achievements of the outgoing President Scott Trathen at the Club meeting on 27th June 2017.

At the end of his Presidential year, Scott Trathen presented Paul Harris Fellowship awards to Rotarians Tim Pascall and David Tindall for their exceptional commitment and service. The award is named after the founder of Rotary.

At a lunch to celebrate Scott Trathen's year as President, it was recognised that our club and the Inner Wheel Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh had helped 34 organisations and individuals since July 2016 either financially or with practical assistance. The photo shows participants holding balloons bearing names of the charities and beneficiaries of the support.

The men and women of our Rotary Club cover a broad 30s to 80s age range. Tonight we celebrated Brian Hunt’s 70th birthday and our regular meeting venue - Holiday Inn, Winnersh - were kind enough to surprise Brian with a specially decorated cake.

President Scott took great pleasure in presenting Rotarian Chris Houston with a wedding present set of glasses - just one box shown here - before he and his family move to the USA in August.

On Saturday 10th June Rotarians and friends helped at the Woodley Carnival, taking entry payments and attaching wrist bands at the main gate. It was hectic but very enjoyable meeting and interacting with happy visitors to the event.

On Monday 5th June, President Elect, Geoffrey Scott-Baker attended an inauguration ceremony for the new Hitachi ultrasound scanner at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. The Club donated £3400 from the 2015 Art Fair and is recognised on a plaque in the radiology department.

President Elect Geoff Scott-Baker presented a £250 cheque to Launchpad in Reading (www.launchpadreading.org.uk). The charity helps some of Reading’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged people to turn their lives around and fulfil their potential. Here, Amanda from Launchpad is pointing to the poster on The Big Sleepout on September 1st. (www.launchpadreading.org.uk/get-involved/our-events/big-sleep-out).

Our Rotarians go to extraordinary lengths to fund raise for charity. Pictured is Rotarian Sarah who endured 'Tough Mudder' to raise over £600 for the mental health charity MIND.

On 10th May £3400 was presented by President Scott Trathen and Inner Wheel President Margaret Adams to Julia Philipson of the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice at its new premises near Maidenhead. The funds were raised at the Santa’s grotto at the Sheeplands Garden Centre and by the Interact Club of Maiden Erlegh School.

Every month a group of enthusiastic Rotarians go on an organised walk. This one went from Southcote Lock on the Kennet and Avon canal to the centre of Reading. The walk was followed by a short bus ride to Calcot and lunch in a member’s house.

Pat Holloway, our Youth Services Chair spent a week helping on board the river barge Hannah on the Kennet and Avon Canal. The Hannah has been designed to take wheelchairs as well as able-bodied visitors. During the voyage he encountered another boat, The Phoenix, doing similar trips and operated by the Rotary Club of Swindon.

Our club celebrated its 28-year anniversary, dressed “Cornish style”. We dined on mackerel pate, pasties and saffron cake. Cornish Rebellion and Doombar beers and cider quenched thirsts and everyone was entertained by poems and songs from club members and friends. Our president Scott is a proud Cornish-man.

A donation of £1000 was made to Dingley’s promise in Reading on 24th May. The charity delivers life-changing support to under-fives with additional needs and disabilities and their families (see www.dingley.org.uk). Scott handing over the cheque to Jadyn with centre manager Hannah Spence.

At a joint meeting with the Inner Wheel Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh, President Scott welcomed Ian Adams, MBE, as our latest member. During his professional life Ian was prominently involved with environmental protection.

On 12th April a white bunny from our Rotary Club dropped in on a Me2 party in Woodley and distributed Easter eggs to a group of excited children. The eggs were part of more than 10,600 donated by the Thames Vale Vultures Motorcycle Owners Group. The Me2 Club enables young people with additional needs and disabilities to attend a wide range of mainstream activities.

We - Reading Maiden Erlegh - and the nearby Rotary Club of Loddon Vale supported Katie Weller (vocalist) and Joshua Franklin (saxophonist). Due to the extremely high standards they didn't win but nevertheless put up very commendable performances. We look forward to seeing them again in many future competitions.

Rotarians are people who support and care about their community, so we are often involved in other voluntary activities. For example, a number of our Members help Talking Newspapers to create and copy their material. See http://www.tnf.org.uk and http://www.tnauk.org.uk for more information about related services and publications.

We work closely with Inner Wheel, and here we have our President Scott presenting a cheque for £1,800 to Inner Wheel President Margaret Adams for Inner Wheel's work as Elves at Harehatch Sheeplands Garden Centre during the Christmas fundraising campaign.

On 14th February Rtn Tim Simpson and Reading College presented two camellia shrubs to the Royal Berkshire Hospital for the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) courtyard. This was in thanks for a series of Rotary talks Tim has given to groups of Moroccan students at Reading College.

We are very lucky to have regular support from the Press for our community and fund raising activities. Here is a selection of Press reports that our PR Chairman has gathered recently.

There were superb performances by eight young instrumentalists and six vocalists in the Rotary Young Musician competition held on Sunday 5th February at St. Joseph’s College in Reading. Supported by the Rotary Clubs of Loddon Vale and Reading Maiden Erlegh, this annual event was the first stage in the Young Musician competition which progresses through district and regional stages, culminating in a national final.

Visiting Rotarian Nadine Rothermel Frank from the Rotary Club of Westlake Village Sunrise in California was welcomed by President Scott Trathen at our meeting on Tuesday 17th January. Nadine was on a business trip in the local area. This is an example of the hospitality that Rotary Clubs worldwide show to all visiting Rotarians.

Phyl Prior is the latest Member of our Rotary Club. She was formally welcomed by Club President Scott Trathen and her Rotary badge was presented by Membership Chairman Tim Thorpe.