Amazing public generosity

Christmas is an expensive time of year for us all. Presents and cards, food and drink, travel and maybe accommodation too. The demands on our money ... and time ... seem to pile on the pressure in the run-up to Christmas. So we have again been amazed by the kindness of local shoppers in Wokingham and Bracknell this year who engaged with us and gave so generously.

The total added up to a staggering £3,120. Every penny collected is given to our charities.

It's interesting to note that in our increasingly cashless society, almost 10% of the total was given using our card reader. A big thank you to those who gave us those precious moments to process their donations.

And our special thanks to the choir of St Michael and St Magdalene's Church, Easthampstead for  adding a very seasonal touch to our collection on Saturday 22 December with their carol singing.

Easthampstead Rotary volunteers also helped at local charity Me2 Club's collection on Friday 6 December at the Asda Superstore in Lower Earley. This generated a further £740 to assist children and young people with additional needs and disabilities from around Wokingham Borough.

Me2 Club, a regular beneficiary from the Rotary Club, will also be benefitting from their sale of raffle tickets for the second Christmas Community Draw run by Easthampstead Rotary Club.

We would like to thank the management and staff of Tesco Warfield and Wokingham, and Waitrose Wokingham for their cooperation with our collections, without which our charities would not benefit.

Also our volunteers, and of course the shoppers for their generosity! 

In recent years, Easthampstead Rotarians have donated some £40,000 each year (plus hundreds of volunteer hours to our causes), at least 75% going direct to local charities, helping the elderly, the sick, the homeless, and our young people, with the balance supporting international Rotary projects fighting global diseases, providing clean water, and promoting peace around the World.

As Easthampstead Rotarians, we work with our communities for our communities.

Visitors and new members are always welcome. We meet most Mondays at The Coppid Beech Hotel.