Vital fundraiser at risk
Published 3 Nov 2011 09:30
A MAJOR fundraiser that has been entertaining people for more than three decades is facing an uncertain year after promotion signs mysteriously disappeared.
Members of the Woodley and Earley Lions Club are "disappointed" that two signs promoting their annual fireworks extravaganza went missing just days after they spent hours putting 20 boards up around Woodley and Earley.
Lions member Alan Jutson said: "In the 30 years that we have been holding this event, we have never had any boards go missing.
"We have had some problems with vandalism and some signs have been broken or sprayed with graffitti, but there has never been a huge amount of trouble."
The boards, which are 6 x 3 inches big and cost £150 each, disappeared from the Just Tiles roundabout at Vauxhall Drive in Woodley and from a fence opposite the north end of Bader Way on Tuesday.
Mr Jutson added: "We have searched the area very thoroughly and looked around to see if the signs have been lobbed over fences or into fields, but we have had no luck
"The club is run on a voluntary membership basis and it costs the members money to be involved and do the work, so it is a bit galling when you give up your time for free and someone makes life more difficult in an area where you help a number of causes.
"Obviously the boards are expensive, but more importantly, the publicity for the event has been hampered and this is one of the major fundraisers of the year, so it is a worry that numbers will be down this year."
The club's spokeswoman, Alison keen, added: "I am very disappointed that people could think to remove these and they not be missed.
"Our aim is always to raise money to help others but this is not how we expect people to repay our efforts."
Anyone with information on the boards should contact the Lions Club on 0845 833 9863.
This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 04 Nov 11
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