Friday Friends Programme – December & January ’25

While Friday Friends continues to meet weekly over the Winter, we will, of course, be taking a break for Christmas and New Years. Full details are below.

Friday Friends meets from 2.00 – 4.00pm every Friday, price £3.50 (carers free), offering a mix of talks, light exercise, singing together, table top games or craft activities in a safe, warm and friendly environment – with tea and cakes.

Why not arrive early and enjoy a meal in Café Siena.

See below for details of the program for December ’24 & January ’25

November ’2429thCards & Games
December ’246thChristmas Craft with Madeline
14thWI Choir
20thCarols & Readings with Tony
27thClosed for Christmas
January ’253rdClosed for New Year
10thTerry Dixon Talk – Influential Women of Reading
17thSeated Exercises with Juliet
24thCards & Games
31stCurling with Paddy

Shoebox Sunday 2024 – Results

Thank you to everyone who contributed to Operation Christmas Child collection this year. On ‘Shoebox Sunday’, we collected Shoeboxes filled with Christmas Gifts for children around the world who may not get anything else at Christmas.

At the service we learnt more about Operation Christmas Child and what happens to your shoeboxes as they are sent off.

We collected 57 Shoeboxes, two large bags of knitted hats, and we know some of you also donated ‘virtual’ shoeboxes on-line.

Here’s some images of what happened to those Shoeboxes after the service …

Shoeboxes stacked ready for collection
Shoeboxes being loaded into the car
Shoeboxes at the local collection depot
Shoeboxes at the Sunday Service

If you didn’t manage to pack a physical shoebox, you can ‘pack’ a virtual Shoebox online at: https://shoeboxonline.samaritans-purse.org.uk/ . We know that some of you have already done that !

 

Reminder : Shoebox Sunday – 17th November 2024

A reminder that this coming Sunday – 17th November is ‘Shoebox Sunday’.

Each year we take part in Operation Christmas Child, where we encourage people to give small Christmas Gifts in Shoeboxes for children around the world who may not get anything else at Christmas.

Leaflets about what to pack, along with ‘flatpack shoeboxes’ (a donation of 50p please) can be found at Church.  You can read more about the project here :- https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/ 

We collect the shoeboxes on what we call “Shoebox Sunday” which this year falls on Sunday 17th November.

At the service we’ll learn more about Operation Christmas Child and what happens to our shoeboxes as they are sent off.

If you can’t pack a physical shoebox yourself, you can ‘pack’ a Shoebox online at: https://shoeboxonline.samaritans-purse.org.uk/

Here’s an article from our RG31 Parish Magazine 

 

Cornwell Charity Craft Sale – 14th, 15th & 16th November

Cornwell Charity Crafts will be selling their homemade craft items in Café Siena on Thursday 14th and Friday 15th November as well as at the Christmas Fair on Saturday 16th.

They are a group of church members who make handmade gifts to sell for charity.

All profits go to Ripple Effect – a charity working alongside farming families in East Africa, flighting hunger and the climate crisis.

Please drop by and see what’s on sale –many items are suitable as Christmas Presents.

Shoebox Sunday – 17th November 2024

Each year we take part in Operation Christmas Child, where we encourage people to give small Christmas Gifts in Shoeboxes for children around the world who may not get anything else at Christmas.

Leaflets about what to pack, along with ‘flatpack shoeboxes’ (a donation of 50p please) can be found at Church.  You can read more about the project here :- https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/ 

We collect the shoeboxes on what we call “Shoebox Sunday” which this year falls on Sunday 17th November.

At the service we’ll learn more about Operation Christmas Child and what happens to our shoeboxes as they are sent off.

If you can’t pack a physical shoebox yourself, you can ‘pack’ a Shoebox online at: https://shoeboxonline.samaritans-purse.org.uk/

Here’s an article from our RG31 Parish Magazine