A BOROUGH fundraising society hosted a very successful art and craft fair, making thousands of pounds to help alleviate poverty.
The Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh’s Reading Charity Art and Craft Fair at Oakview, Leighton Park School featured more than 50 artists and 10 craft stalls showcasing locally created art and crafts.
The event attracted more than 400 visitors, with all items at the show available for sale, and the artists generously donating 25% of their proceeds to charity.
Scott Trathen, Joint President of the Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh, said: “We are delighted with the continued success of the Art and Craft Fair, which has become a significant cultural event for the area.
“We would like to thank our sponsors, the Reading Guild of Artists, and the public for their support.”
Funds raised will primarily benefit the Feeding Communities initiative, a collaboration between The Thomas Frank Foundation and Leighton Park School.
This project addresses food poverty by providing free, nutritious meals to those in need.
With Rotary’s support, over 1,000 meals will be distributed locally in January.
Additional donations include £500 to Camp Mohawk to support a Christmas lunch for autistic children and £1,000 to Yeldall Manor, a drug and alcohol recovery centre in Hare Hatch, for a scaffold tower to improve accessibility around the facility.
The Inner Wheel Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh also contributed by running the Art Fair Café, which saw significant support from attendees, and raised over £700.
Proceeds from the café will go to The Link Visiting Scheme, a charity that forges life-enhancing social connections between older people and volunteers in Wokingham Borough, and Duchess of Kent Hospice.
The fair’s major sponsors were The Thomas Franks Catering and Leighton Park School.
For more information, call Tony Cornell, on: 0118 941 2472 or visit: readingmaidenerlegh.org
