We were overwhelmed by the generosity of pupils, parents and staff following a request for donations for our Harvest Collection in aid of the Churches in Reading Drop-In Centre for the Homeless (CIRDIC).
Whether it was a tin of soup or a whole bag of food or toiletries, our pupils from across the College came together to support CIRDIC. The Centre works to support homeless people within our community who are disadvantaged, giving them a warm welcome and a lovely hot meal to help them get through the day.
It's not only hot meals that the drop-in provides - visitors also have access to a hot shower, clean clothes and toiletries, use of a phone, and specialist support for a wide variety of things. If you would like to find out more about this amazing charity, visit their website.
Before the half-term break, each House was asked to bring certain items:
- Burr: Tinned chicken or vegetable soup
- College: Sugar or washing-up liquid
- Everett: Tinned carrots or tinned fruit
- Gilson: Instant coffee or spray deodorant
- Lower School: Long life milk or rice
- Orchard: Socks or gravy mix
- Skipwith: Tinned custard or socks
- Welsh: Tomato ketchup or mayonnaise
Thank you to everyone donated so generously this term; we are delighted to be able to continue our long-standing relationship with the Drop-In Centre. Thank you also to the Chapel Wardens for their help in delivering the much-needed items and lastly thank you to our Rev Becky Medlicott for coordinating the collection. Speaking after the collection, she says:
'Thank you very to everyone who brought in something for our Harvest offering to CIRDIC. The response from everyone was incredible and it is humbling to see how much we have managed to collect. I know that CIRDIC are incredibly grateful for all the support we give them as a school and are eagerly waiting for our collection to be delivered. The items we collected will go a long way to helping to providing food and comfort for many who are homeless or disadvantaged living in the Reading area.'