Thatcham Rotaract

Did you know that on average a family of four spends £129 on a weekly shop?

That's why Thatcham Rotaract are walking 129 miles this week to support the West Berks Food Bank!

The West Berkshire Foodbank is part of The Trussell Trust’s network of 428 foodbanks, working to tackle food poverty and hunger in our local communities, as well as across the UK.

In 2023/24, food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network provided 3,121,404 three-day emergency food supplies and support to UK people in crisis. Of these, 1,144,096 were distributed for children.

Your donations will help the foodbank as they carry on supporting our local communities.

To donate please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/thatcham-rotaract-1722436805520?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fthatcham-rotaract-1722436805520&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share

To find out more about their work please visit: https://westberks.foodbank.org.uk/about/about-the-foodbank-network/

https://thatchamrotaract.wixsite.com/home/post/thatcham-rotaract-relay-12th-18th-august

Thatcham Rotaract Relay 12th-18th August We are Thatcham Rotaract and from the 12th to the 18th of August we will be walking 129 miles collectively to raise money for the West Berks Food Bank!This distance represents the £129 it costs, on average, to feed a family of four for a week (NimbleFins, 2023). With the ongoing cost of living cris...

Thatcham Rotaract Relay 12th-18th August

We are Thatcham Rotaract and from the 12th to the 18th of August we will be walking 129 miles collectively to raise money for the West Berks Food Bank!

This distance represents the £129 it costs, on average, to feed a family of four for a week (NimbleFins, 2023). With the ongoing cost of living crisis, more people than ever are relying on food banks, making our support crucial.

Link to our fundraiser: https://www.justgiving.com/page/thatcham-rotaract-1722436805520?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fthatcham-rotaract-1722436805520&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share

To read more please visit: https://thatchamrotaract.wixsite.com/home/post/thatcham-rotaract-relay-12th-18th-august

Thatcham Rotaract Relay 12th-18th August We are Thatcham Rotaract and from the 12th to the 18th of August we will be walking 129 miles collectively to raise money for the West Berks Food Bank!This distance represents the £129 it costs, on average, to feed a family of four for a week (NimbleFins, 2023). With the ongoing cost of living cris...

Blog Post: The Thatcham Santa Fun Run

'On Sunday 3rd Dec we attended the Santa Fun Run to support the event organised by Thatcham and District Rotary Club, sponsored by UHY-Ross Brooke Chartered Accountants. This family event was to raise money for the community, with Eight Bells for mental health being the main beneficiary.'

To read more please visit:

The Thatcham Santa Fun Run On Sunday 3rd Dec we attended the Santa Fun Run to support the event organised by Thatcham and District Rotary Club, sponsored by UHY-Ross Brooke Chartered Accountants. This family event was to raise money for the community, with Eight Bells for mental health being the main beneficiary. Eight Bells....

Blog post: The Appeal of Horror Movies- Do we enjoy being scared?

‘It’s the middle of October, the nights are getting longer and there’s a chill in the air so where else would you rather be than at home nestled up in a blanket ready to scare yourself with a horror movie!’

To read more please visit:

The Appeal of Horror Movies- Do we enjoy being scared? It’s the middle of October, the nights are getting longer and there’s a chill in the air so where else would you rather be than at home nestled up in a blanket ready to scare yourself with a horror movie! Now I’m not the biggest horror movie fan, but I can appreciate how popular the horror gen...

Blog post: Can I order a takeaway using my mind? -The Neuralink Brain Chip

‘Neuralink was co-founded by Elon Musk in 2016, it is a neurotechnology company that has been focused on developing chips that can be implanted in people’s brains. Elon Musk suggests that this chip can be used for medical reasons like restoring vision, helping those with paralysis gain mobility, helping with mental health and it can even let us control our phones with our minds.’

To read more please visit:

Can I order a takeaway using my mind? -The Neuralink Brain Chip Neuralink was co-founded by Elon Musk in 2016, it is a neurotechnology company that has been focused on developing chips that can be implanted in people’s brains. Elon Musk suggests that this chip can be used for medical reasons like restoring vision, helping those with paralysis gain mobility, he...

Blog post: The West Berks foodbank- helping local people during crisis

‘The members of Thatcham Rotaract and the Rotary Club of Thatcham will be battling against each other in a competition to see who can walk the most from July 31st-6th August. This is in an effort to raise money for the West Berkshire Foodbank, which continues to do amazing work supporting the community. In light of this, a few members of Thatcham Rotaract were kindly given a tour of the West Berkshire Food Bank, and the following blog details the key takeaways from our trip.’

To read more please visit:

The West Berks foodbank – Helping local people during crisis The members of Thatcham Rotaract and the Rotary Club of Thatcham will be battling against each other in a competition to see who can walk the most from July 31st-6th August. This is in an effort to raise money for the West Berkshire Foodbank, which continues to do amazing work supporting the communi...

Between the 31st of July and 6th of August, the members of Thatcham Rotaract and Thatcham Rotary Club will be battling against each other in a competition to see who can walk the most. We are raising money to champion the amazing work of the West Berkshire Food Bank. https://www.justgiving.com/page/thatcham-rotaract-relay-2023?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=one_page&utm_content=page/thatcham-rotaract-relay-2023&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_term=46f4d8b7c3d54073ad48b84b285de99b

West Berkshire Foodbank is part of The Trussell Trust’s network of 428 foodbanks, working to tackle food poverty and hunger in our local communities, as well as across the UK. Over the past 12 months, 3 million emergency food parcels were given by this network to people facing hardship. This is the highest ever level of need, more than during peak of the pandemic. In light of this, we decided this would be the best local charity to support. To find out more about their work, visit the West Berkshire Foodbank website here: https://westberks.foodbank.org.uk

Let us know who you’re supporting using the hashtags or !

https://thatchamrotaract.wixsite.com/home

In Loving Memory of Bethany Privett

It is with an extremely heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dear friend and member Bethany Privett. Bethany passed away on the 2nd March 2023 after a long battle with depression and her mental health. Bethany was a beloved member of our club and it isn't the same without her. Our thoughts are with her family at this incredibly difficult time.

Bethany's family have started a fundraiser for Mind, a charity which supports those battling with their mental health. If anyone would like to pay their respects we would politely ask you to donate. And to anyone who is struggling with their mental health we have provided some links and crisis numbers where you can seek help in our blog post linked below. You are not alone.

To read some memories from our members about Bethany and for links to her Much Loved page and to donate please visit our blog post: https://thatchamrotaract.wixsite.com/home/post/in-loving-memory-of-bethany-privett

Blog Post: ‘A white Christmas in Iceland

Over the holidays my family and I travelled to Iceland, it was an amazing experience, so I
thought I’d share some memories of our trip and explain why Iceland is such a great place to
visit.’

To read more please visit: https://thatchamrotaract.wixsite.com/home/post/a-white-christmas-in-iceland

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day. We remember the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered by the N***s and their collaborators, all victims of N**i persecution and the victims of subsequent genocides.

Blog Post: Burns Night

‘Burns Night, or Burns Supper is a Scottish celebration which was established in 1801 to memorialise the life and legacy of Robert Burns. Every year on 25th January, Robert Burns’ birthday is celebrated – this year it would mark his 264th birthday.’

To read more please visit: https://thatchamrotaract.wixsite.com/home/post/burns-night

Blog Post: ‘The History of Christmas Markets

I would happily spend every day of December walking around the Christmas market wrapped up in a coat and scarf with a cup of mulled wine. It is one of my favourite things to do to get in the Christmas spirit and of course I’ll insist that we have to go to every single stall no matter how cold we are.

In Manchester the Christmas market is huge and it’s always filled with people no matter what time of day it is. I love smell of the food that’s cooking, looking at all the Christmas lights and seeing all the handmade gifts.

This got me thinking, where did the tradition of Christmas markets come from?’

To read more please visit: https://thatchamrotaract.wixsite.com/home/post/the-history-of-christmas-markets

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Thatcham Rotaract.

We hope you all have a lovely festive season 🌟
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Blog Post: ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas and their meaning.

As we lead up to Christmas and starting to get into the festive spirit we start singing carols and traditional Christmas songs. One of which, the classic, Twelve Days of Christmas.

Starting with a partridge in a pair tree and ending with 12 drummers drumming we all take delight in belting out 5 gold rings. But how many of us know the real meaning of the twelve days of Christmas?’

To read more please visit: https://thatchamrotaract.wixsite.com/home/post/the-twelve-days-of-christmas-and-their-meaning

Blog Post & Sustainability Spotlight: ‘We wish you a sustainable Christmas

Everyone knows that Christmas is a wonderful and extravagant time of year. We are out shopping for presents, food and decorations to make our houses look festive for the whole of the Christmas period.

As we consume much more than usual, it is no surprise that Christmas is one of the most wasteful times of year and given the current environmental crisis it is even more important to celebrate without the negative impact to the earth.’

To read more please visit: https://thatchamrotaract.wixsite.com/home/post/we-wish-you-a-sustainable-christmas

Thatcham Rotaracters: Bethany, Lily and Shoshana helped out at the Thatcham Rotary Santa Fun Run, helping register and marshalling the checkpoints. They had a lot of fun!

Please support a local charity raising money for those who have had their lives impacted by domestic abuse.

Check out "THE GREAT GATSBY GALA" on Eventbrite!

Date: Sat, 17 Dec, 19:00

Location: RG14 7RW

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-great-gatsby-gala-tickets-475193304967

We are having a fundraising ball. Please click on the link to purchase your tickets. We hope to see you there 💜💜💜

Blog Post: The Instagram of Dorian Gray

‘Oscar Wilde wrote ‘beauty is a form of genius- is higher, indeed than genius, as it needs no
explanation’ in The Picture of Dorian Gray which highlights one of the key themes of beauty and youth in the novel. It explores the aesthetic life many people aim to have and draws attention to the consequences of placing so much emphasis on external and superficial things. This is a topic that never really gets old as there is a prominent focus on aesthetics in society whether this is on social media, fashion, and art in general.’

To read more please visit: https://thatchamrotaract.wixsite.com/home/post/the-instagram-of-dorian-gray

Blog Post: Remembrance Service

‘The National Service of Remembrance
The National Service of Remembrance is held annually at The Cenotaph in Whitehall. The memorial was originally made from wood and plaster as a temporary structure by Edwin Lutyens and was part of the Peace Day events in July 1919. When it was unveiled to the public, the memorial instantly became popular. Within a week of it’s opening, nearly one million people visited the memorial to pay their respects. This led to the memorial becoming a permanent structure and used as a focal point for Remembrance services for over 100 years.’

To read more please visit: https://thatchamrotaract.wixsite.com/home/post/remembrance-service

Congratulations to Thatcham Rotary Club on their 40th Anniversary!
Thatcham Rotaract President and Vice-President Kristen and Lily had a lovely time at the 40th Charter Evening, talking to so many amazing people with lots of interesting stories.
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Enjoy these photos of Lily having an amazing time meeting some very friendly faces
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Lest we Forget
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Remembrance Day • 11.11
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Thatcham Rotaract takes today to join with the UK in remembering those who lost their lives fighting for the country.
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Blog Post: ‘Diwali is the festival of light that is celebrated by the many religions in India and many other countries in Asia. This year Diwali falls on the 24th of October, the date changes each year depending on the position of the moon, but it is usually around October and November. Many have heard of Diwali but are less familiar with why we celebrate it, so grab a cup of chai and let’s go back several thousand years…’

To read more please visit: https://thatchamrotaract.wixsite.com/home/post/the-story-of-diwali

Blog Post: Honouring Queen Elizabeth II

‘Thursday 8th September 2022 was a day that will not be forgotten. Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully surrounded by her family. She served her country for over seven decades, making her the longest reigning monarch in history.’

You can read more of this article at:
https://thatchamrotaract.wixsite.com/home/post/honouring-queen-elizabeth-ii

Thatcham Rotaract was saddened to receive the news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II yesterday. She did so much for the country through her long years of service.
Today we mourn and remember.
Rest in peace Queen Elizabeth II 🕊

We are so proud of our Rotaract Member Lily Rouault who has released a book called ‘Life Is What You Make It’.

‘Amy has Cerebral Palsy and is epileptic she is just about to start her final year of the secondary school and has the ambition to achieve the almost impossible.

Amy wants to be Head Girl. By becoming Head Girl she can promote more inclusion and diversity within the school.

Amy’s dream has always been to go to RADA, one of the best drama schools in the country and go on to perform on the West End. Amy’s goal in life is to get rid of the stigma attached to disabilities and make the sector more inclusive in order to give the next generation a level playing field.

Is she prepared for a year in which she has stand up for herself and deal with personal circumstances beyond her control whilst making major decisions about her future?

Amy must know that life is what you make it.’

We are so incredibly proud of Lily and we hope you all go read it!

You can buy the book now through this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-what-make-Lily-Rouault/dp/1399924699/ref=sr_1_1?crid=128N7BLTOAEB7&keywords=life+is+what+you+make+it&qid=1657657357&s=books&sprefix=%2Cstripbooks%2C57&sr=1-1