NWN Over 80s Parcel appeal is in full swing

EVERY year the Newbury Weekly News spreads a little Christmas cheer to nearly 2,000 elderly residents in West Berkshire.

Anyone over the age of 80 in Newbury, Hungerford and Thatcham, whose name we have been given, receives a Christmas food parcel in December.

The parcel is to send a message to its elderly recipient saying how the people of West Berkshire are grateful for their life-long work and it is a seasonal ‘thank you’ from the whole of the community.

Our three distribution centres are now organised, transport has been confirmed and we are in the process of liaising with the local schools and all the volunteers who help make this happen each year.

The next fundraising event is a coffee morning in Newbury Town Hall with the mayor Gary Norman, who would like you to join him and councillors for a tea or coffee and a piece of cake on the morning of Saturday, November 5.

So please put the date in your diary and come along.

Following that, on Thursday, November 17, it is the much-loved Sports Quiz night.

The event is being held at the Bowlers Arms pub, as it has been now for more than 20 years. Teams from all over West Berkshire battle it out in a fun evening,at the same time as raising even more vital money for the Parcel Fund.

There are raffle prizes to be won thanks to some generous companies in Newbury and the winning team wins alcohol to soothe those tired brains.

Many of us are so busy rushing round that we don’t realise that there are many elderly people without families around them, who spend most of the Christmas break alone.

The parcels are not means tested and for so many it is the knock on the door and the feeling they are still remembered that really makes a difference.

If you would like to add the name of someone over the age of 80, who lives in Newbury, Hungerford or Thatcham to our list, or to remove a name of someone who no longer requires a parcel, please email jo.fulker@newburynews.co.uk with the name, address and date of birth. You can also email the coordinator, Jo Fulker, for anything else relating to the parcel fund.

If you would like to make a donation and can donate through The Good Exchange and Greenham Trust will match the amount you donate, so in fact double the money raised. To do this please visit https://app.thegoodexchange. com/project/19727/newbury-weekly-news/newburyweekly-news-over-80s-parcelfund-2022 Alternatively, send a cheque made payable to ‘Greenham Trust Ltd’ to Jo Fulker, Newbury News, Faraday Road, Newbury, RG14 2AD.