The cancellation of our Inner Wheel Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh Reading Male Voice Choir Charity Concert at the beginning of April, seems a lifetime ago. Thank you to those who donated the ticket price to our charities instead of taking a refund. We hope to re-organise this concert.
Following other fundraising activities in the autumn of 2019 we have made substantial donations to: Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS), Macmillan Cancer Support in Berkshire and Berkshire Women’s Aid (BWA) following their recent appeal for bedding. Our associated Rotary club matched our donation to BWA.
Like other organisations ‘normality’ has been suspended and we are keeping in contact by telephone and email as well as updating our IT skills.
We have signed up to our new WhatsApp group and enjoy ‘Zoom’ get-togethers and Quiz Nights. More Zoom meetings are planned.
Our members are making cakes for the amazing NHS staff at Wexham Park Hospital and the RBH to show our appreciation for their hard work and dedication.
Sewing machines dusted down, we are stitching hospital scrubs and scrub bags.
We have members who love knitting and crochet and encourage the rest of us to take up these hobbies.
They are working on fabulous blankets and shawls to include with Chemogiftbags for patients at the RBH and also for Wokingham in Need ladies who are struggling with isolation at this time. Sewing machines to the fore, we are sewing hospital scrubs and scrub bags.

We usually support Hare Hatch Sheeplands Farm Shop at Christmastime but now we are assisting people who are self-isolating to order their food parcels and help to deliver them.
We are making regular telephone calls to members of Reading Association for the Blind and the LINK Visiting Scheme befriending the elderly while they are unable to receive visitors.
Our club is a very active local branch of a worldwide organisation. We have received good wishes from an Inner Wheel member in Italy, who visited us while escorting Italian students on a stay at Reading University last year.
We’ve had contact from the International Correspondent of the Inner Wheel club in Cairns, after a member visited the International Inner Wheel Convention in Melbourne in 2018.

Our next convention is in India in 2021 where members from all over the world have an opportunity to meet. This will be an extra special event following the Coronavirus pandemic this year.
This pandemic has opened our eyes to more opportunities for us to give practical help where needed and we would welcome new members to join us in our mission. Please visit our website www.innerwheelrme.org. We have a Facebook page and an email address: iwcrme@gmail.com. It is so easy to find out more about us.
Jackie Bignell, President/Toni Trathen, Club Correspondent
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