READING FC and sponsor Select Car Leasing will ensure children from disadvantaged backgrounds enjoy healthy meals and activities during the upcoming May half term.
Two new holiday camps, organised by the club’s Community Trust, have been added to its current Easter, summer and winter holiday offerings.
Their aim is to provide a safe environment to ‘care, develop and educate disadvantaged or at-risk young people’, according to the trust.
Dave Evans, general manager of the community trust, said: “Reading FC Community Trust is extremely grateful for the support it continues to receive from Select Car Leasing, and we’re delighted to be able to launch our new Food and Activity camps this May half term.
“This is about making a real difference to the lives of children and their families at a time when parents and carers need all the help they can get.
“We know that the school holidays can be a real pressure point for low-income families, who might struggle to afford healthy food and activities for their children, so the camps have been created to try and alleviate some of that strain.”
Select Car Leasing has supported the camps since 2021, pledging thousands of pounds into the initiative which encourages young people to eat nutritious food while taking part in mental health-boosting activities with new friends.
It will continue to support the two new camps, which take place at the end of May and start of June.
The first ‘Select Car Leasing Food and Activity Camp’ will be held at the Ranikhet Academy, on Tuesday, May 30, with around 60 children aged from five-14 set to take part. The June camp will be held at Reading School on June 1 and 2.
Both camps will provide hot meals, fun games and access to a food bank. They are open to any child on free school meals who attends a school in the surrounding area and will be put forward by their own educational establishment or council.
A total of 27 youngsters enjoyed the Easter Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) camp at Ranikhet Academy, with more than 90 healthy meals provided. These were provided by community cafe Dee Caf, which also runs a food bank.
Participants were surprised with a surprise visit from then-Royals star Cesare Casadei, who was on loan from Chelsea.
Chris Berry, Reading FC funded programmes officer and HAF coordinator, said: “Our HAF Camp programme is crucial to so many vulnerable families, so it is great to be able to work so closely with partners to impact a community in such a positive way.
“I cannot thank Ranikhet Academy enough for working with us to promote the camp as well as letting us use their excellent facilities. Tina at Dee Caf has been superb; not only providing nutritious hot food, freshly baked treats, drinks, snacks and fruit but also helping promote the camp through word of mouth.”
Louisa Sanghera, headteacher at Ranikhet Academy, added: “Strong community links are so important for making children and adults feel safe and giving them a sense of belonging. We want everyone to feel proud of the community that they are part of and to work together to make it stronger.
“We talk to our children about caring for the local community, serving others, and having ‘trusted adults’ in the community who help them to feel safe. The holiday camp has played a huge part in this and helped us to strengthen relationships within our community.”
Each day at a camp involves at least three hours of physical activity. This includes sports such as football, frisbee, Kimball, dodgeball, soft archery, handball and Gaelic football.
The funding from Select comes from a scheme whereby £50 goes to the Community Trust whenever a customer states they are a Reading FC fan when leasing a car.
Select Car Leasing director Mark Tongue, a passionate and lifelong Reading fan, said: “We’re proud to support the Reading FC Community Trust and its school holiday initiatives, and we’re thrilled to now offer the additional Select Car Leasing Food and Activity Camps.
“As a local company, we’re passionate about reaching out to surrounding areas and supporting worthwhile ventures. There are many families in Reading facing real financial challenges right now, and anything we can do to help benefits us all.”
