Christmas activities connect campus with community

The spirit of Christmas has been evident across the University this festive season, with a number of community activities over the past month.

Santa Run

The annual Reading Rotary Santa Run was hosted on the University’s Whiteknights campus on Sunday 10 December.

500 runners dashed around campus in Santa outfits to raise money for three local good causes: Starting Point, Reading Community Learning Centre and the Rotary Benevolent Fund.

The event took place on campus for the second year running and featured the main 5km route and a 2km route for children and those unable to run.

Additional funding from the University’s Community Fund initiative meant that Santa suits could be provided for entrants, while keeping ticket prices to a minimum.

Giving Tree

Once again, the University is participating in The Giving Tree project. Run by Connect Reading, the campaign helps organisations and businesses work with local charities to become secret Santas for local people in need.

The University was connected with the Royal Berkshire Hospital for the second year, with gifts going to children and young people staying in hospital over Christmas. A target of 150 presents, up to a value of £15 each, was set.

The final amount of gifts donated was 164, with both staff and students participating in the campaign.

 

 

Christmas with the Community

Following feedback from the University’s Community Forum to provide more opportunities for residents and students to connect, the University and Reading Students’ Union held a community dinner on Tuesday 12 December.

70 students and residents attended the dinner, held in Reading Students’ Union. In addition to food being served there was a chance for attendees to decorate gingerbread and watch the film Home Alone.

The University also jointly hosted a Christmas afternoon tea for approximately 40 Woodley and Shinfield residents on Friday 1 December, and provided a two course Christmas lunch and quiz for 50 Whitley residents, in collaboration with the Whitley Community Development Association and others, on Thursday 14 December.

Knitted Nativity

The University’s Mindful Makes Mondays group, which meets at the Chaplaincy to knit and crochet for good causes, has contributed two shepherds to Reading Minster’s Woolly Nativity.

But they’ve hit a snag – the sheep have gone AWOL, and so the shepherds have been sent around the town centre to look for them.

There’s still time to seek out the shepherds in town before the service at Reading Minster on Saturday 23 December, and you can download a trail map from the Reading Minster website.

Reverse advent calendar

Tasha Easton, Senior Governance Officer, organised a reverse advent calendar during the month of December, with the idea to give rather than receive to help those in need this Christmas.

For each day of the month, staff signed up to bring in the food or toiletry item listed for that day. All donations will go to ReadiFood before Christmas.

Charity wreath making workshops

Claire Newbold, Student Experience and Employability Lead for Mathematics and Statistics, has once again been sharing her floristry expertise with colleagues for a good cause. Each Christmas, Claire hosts wreath making workshops, with profits donated to a local charity.

This year, the workshops have generated £800 for Claire’s chosen charity, Smart Works Reading, which helps marginalised women be confident for job interviews with new outfits and other support.

You can read more about Claire's fundraising in Connected, the University's Alumni magazine.

Coffee and cake morning

The Vice-Chancellor’s Office hosted a coffee and cake morning on 24 November, raising over £400 for Marie Curie. More than 50 people attended, with a selection of cakes, biscuits and samosas.

It offered an opportunity to meet other people at work as well and have a much needed coffee break.