Husband and wife team, Anne and Fraser Harding recently heard about the Reading Festival cleanup operation and decided to help by offering their time. Soon afterwards, they realised that charities and organisations could sign up too to collect the abandoned tents and sleeping bags for their own projects. Anne says:
I’ve followed the work of the Soup Kitchen with great interest and admiration. It seemed a great fit to collect the tents and a wonderful opportunity to help Newbury’s homeless.
Can You Help?
To support the Newbury Soup Kitchen, Anne and Fraser therefore need additional volunteers to take part in the massive cleanup operation after Reading Festival by collecting sleeping bags and tents for local homeless people.
The Festival Waste Reclamation & Distribution (FWRD) registered charity is dedicated to helping the most vulnerable in society through the collection and redistribution of items abandoned at festivals. Working with charities such as the Newbury Soup Kitchen, FWRD helps to redirect the salvaged items away from landfill or incineration to where they’re needed most. Recipients of items previously salvaged have included refugees, homeless people and Scout groups.
Reading Festival is one of the biggest and messiest in the UK. Last year, thousands of tents and other items were left behind by departing festival goers.
Volunteer
Volunteers to help Newbury Soup Kitchen will be welcome between 3.00pm and 8.00pm on Monday 27th August at Richfield Avenue, Reading, RG1 8EQ. You will need appropriate footwear, waterproofs, suncream, a water bottle and your own food. Salvaging continues whatever the weather, so be prepared for all British Summer festival conditions. FWRD will provide a briefing, hi-vis waistcoats and gloves. That said, bring a high-vis and gloves if you have them.
Volunteers need to register in advance and Anne will coordinate this for you. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Anne Harding on 01635 35994 or via her anne@thehardings.me.uk email address.
Do You Have A Van?
If you have a van or a trailer, all the better. That will help with transport from Reading to Newbury.
In Closing
This may be short notice, but here’s a wonderful way to help our rough sleeping community. Meryl Praill from the Newbury Soup Kitchen says:
We are always humbled by the support towards the work we do from people outside our wonderful volunteers. It is very kind of Anne and Frazer to offer to support us with tents as they are in constant demand because the homeless situation increases weekly.