NEARLY 50 activity packs have been donated to charity following a drive by staff from the University of Reading.
Following the choice of the Rainbow Trust as its inaugural Charity of the Year for the 2024/2025, staff worked to provide 48 arts and crafts packs to help families caring for a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness.
The packs items such as pens, paper and arts and crafts materials, will be distributed to those supported by Rainbow Trust in the Thames Valley area to connect with healthy siblings, who may be feeling left out and alone; provide respite for parents who may be feeling overwhelmed; and provide distraction to seriously ill children.
It follows the Reading Rotary Santa Run which was once again hosted on the Whiteknights campus this year, with Rainbow Trust being one of the beneficiaries of funds raised, and the university’s new volunteering policy, Time to Make a Difference, to take time out of their working day to volunteer at a gift-wrapping stal
Natalie Whitby-Lear, the Thames Valley Family Support Manager at Rainbow Trust, said: “The donated arts and crafts materials, help us provide simple, yet meaningful, distraction to families caring for a seriously ill child.
“We use them at drop-in groups and support groups which provide a safe space for activities for healthy siblings and seriously ill children and a chance for parents to relax, knowing that their child is safely cared for.”
Collection points were set up at five locations across the University’s Whiteknights, London Road and Greenlands campuses and items were donated over a three-week period. The University’s Charity of the Year team then collated the items into activity packs.
Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: “The University is proud to be supporting Rainbow Trust as our Charity of the Year.
“These simple arts and crafts items will provide some much-needed relief for children, and their parents, during difficult times. The thought and generosity shown by my colleagues is truly wonderful to see, especially at this time of year.”
The University of Reading will continue to work with Rainbow Trust until June 2025.
Applications for the next Charity of the Year will open in spring 2025.
More information about the Charity of the Year initiative is available via: reading.ac.uk/about/
