LP Joins Initiative to Reduce Food Poverty

The Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh is launching an initiative in collaboration with Thomas Franks Foundation’s Feeding Communities and Leighton Park School to help reduce food poverty by providing free packaged meals for those in need. The ingredients for the food are sourced from surpluses in catering establishments which has another benefit of reducing food waste.

Feeding Communities has supplied over 1 million packaged meals mainly in the Home Counties and London. The new partnership will enable the group to offer a wider service in the Reading and Wokingham areas.

Thomas Franks already provide all of the catering in School and are linking up with The Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh  to form a hub for Feeding Communities in the area. Leighton Park School will provide and prepare the food and Rotary will raise the funds to support this and distribute the packages through their existing contacts. The Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh has provided over £25,000 of financial assistance to local foodbanks and charitable organisations since the pandemic started

The first fund raising project is The Reading Charity Art and Craft Fair which is being held in the School’s restaurant Oakview on the weekend of 29^th-30^th October. Entry to the Art & Craft Fair is free. Visitors can enjoy a hot or cold drink and cake in the Art Café run by the Inner Wheel Club of RME and then view a wide range of paintings and craft exhibits with the opportunity to purchase attractive items produced by local artists and artisans. There will also be artwork on display by Leighton Park students. 25% of the purchase price for all items will help the Feeding Communities initiative and other local community support organisations. There is a preview night on Friday 28^th October for which tickets can be purchased for £10 including canapés and a glass of wine, It is expected that this event will raise enough money to provide over 2,500 meals to kickstart the initiative locally. To book or for more information, please see www.readingcharityartfair.org

Tim Cooper of Feeding Communities commented, “We were looking to expand our activities in the Thames Valley and are delighted to be working with two organisations who have deep roots in the community and can make the initiative a success.”

Matthew Judd, Head of Leighton Park School, enthused, “We are very happy to be a partner in this local initiative and are pleased that we are able to help in hosting the Fair and using our premises to prepare food etc. Our students will benefit by being involved in such a worthwhile local project.”

Paul Cunningham, President of the Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh said, “This initiative fulfils two of our Rotary Aims; – Helping local people in need and reducing food waste. We are delighted to be working with such partners to provide practical, assistance to pressed local families in these difficult times.”