0590 Loddon Reach June 20 64pp Interactive) - Flipbook - Page 29
SHINFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH JOINS TOGETHER WITH HELPING HAND
So the way it works is that Sarah may receive
requests from families or individuals struggling
to make ends meet, or referrals from family
liaison at local schools/community centres, and
she then posts those requests on the Helping
Hand – Shinfield and South Reading Facebook
page. Donations for these specific items are
delivered either at the church or on Sarah’s
doorstep (especially if it’s weekends when the
pop-up foodbank is shut). Then we have a team
of local volunteers who deliver these items to the
household in need.
In addition to this, people make general food
donations and drop them off at the church on
their way back from the shops or on their daily
walk and these are taken once a week to either
Wokingham or Reading Foodbanks by one of our
local volunteers.
We have been blown away by the generosity of
the local community in providing food, nappies,
washing powder, toiletries etc. And are also
deeply grateful to the local volunteers for all they
are doing.
Shinfield community and beyond, you are totally
amazing. We have helped over 20 households and
some of those several times at the point of writing
this article. In addition, the local foodbanks are very
very grateful. This is what Wokingham Foodbank
posted a couple of days ago after receiving the
latest delivery “Thankyou so much Shinfield Baptist
Church for dropping off this huge donation! This
food was collected from across the Shinfield
community. We are very grateful for the help.”
SHINFIELD RANGERS
W
e’d been really looking forward to our
special Summer Term fun activities
such as the Wildcats for beginner girls
and BOBiCats disability football. We’d planned a
fantastic festival for our BOBiCats and invited other
local disability football groups to participate, but
everything had to be postponed because of you
know what. Every cloud has a silver lining though
and, as you can see, our boys all look fantastic in
the shirts they would have worn on the day. A big
thank you to the Co-op Local Community Fund for
giving financial support to make BOBiCats happen.
fitness and training sessions,
support for mental health,
interviews, old matches and
even advice on lawns! See
http://www.thefa.com/getinvolved/footballs-staying-home,
#FootballsStayingHome, #WildcatsWednesday,
#FASuperKicks.
It is only too easy to think of football purely as
a physical activity, but those of us who coach
children quickly pick up on the immense social
and psychological benefits it offers, particularly
in building confidence. Even for adults who no
longer play, these other benefits are retained by
watching and talking about the sport. But all of
that is being missed because of the lockdown. To
help get through it, the FA has been putting lots
of activities on its website and Twitter. There are
weekly skills challenges, colouring-in activities,
interest in football, then please still get in touch
as a few of us never stop beavering away in the
background.
Remember that we still need players to register for
next season, which starts in September, as normal.
If you are new to the area, or have developed an
It has been great working in partnership with
Sarah from Helping Hand too. It has meant that
together we have been able to provide specific
needs for local households whilst supporting the
wider effort to help those struggling.
So, big thanks to you all. We expect to keep the
Pop-up Foodbank open for the foreseeable future
(9am-5pm, Monday-Friday) and Helping Hand –
Shinfield and South Reading continues to be there
on Facebook for all local needs.
If indeed you yourself are struggling and have
particular needs, do get in touch with either
Sarah or myself in confidence (details below) or,
alternatively, you can call the Wokingham hub on
0300 330 1189 who are supporting the whole area.
Thanks, once again, for being such a brilliant
community in caring for those less fortunate. My
hope and prayer are that this love and generosity,
so evident in our community in this time, would
continue as we move on from this tough season
we are all in.
Sallyann (Associate Pastor –
Shinfield Baptist Church)
sallyann@shinfieldbapstist.org.uk
Sarah O Neill – Helping
Hand – Shinfield and South
Reading www.facebook.com/
helpinghandsouthreading
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As always, please get in touch if you can help us,
or need more information. Stay safe and remain
active.
Raymond Barclay
shinfieldrangersfc@gmail.com
https://shinfieldrangersfc.com
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