Youth Team update, February 2026
DICTIONARIES
After a big hiccup last year when the future of this project seemed in doubt all is back on track and Amir is kindly continuing as leader.
Separately Amir will be making a bid to Council/Club for the estimated cost in 2026.
Note for newer members. In 2025 some 900+ dictionaries were delivered to 16 Reading Primary schools as leaving presets for Year pupils.
SHOEBOXES
The Shoebox project is very active and a lorry with 16,000 boxes on board was due to leave for Chisinau, the capital of Moldova this month . Chisinau is just 50k from Ukraine border so some of the benefiting families will be Ukrainian refugees and some may go over the border. We of course packed and sent 100 Shoeboxes to the HQ warehouse in Oldham last Autumn as usual and aim to do again this year. If any member or friends would like to send a personal box please let Jack know.
In December we were approached via our website by a group of local Amazon staff who wished to help and we supplied 40 boxes to them for which they paid. They filled the boxes and returned them to Tim. In February received an SOS call from Shoebox HQ to see if we could help with the return of 58 boxes filled by Circle Hospital staff. Jack collected the boxes and took to Tim who has packed them on a pallet with the 40 so that’s nearly 100 awaiting collection by HQ.
Maybe a volunteer member might rollout this plan to a couple more local companies?
103rd Reading Scouts – new hut.
Hut is hardly the word to describe the new building in Kensington Road but is still progressing and getting closer to its final stage. Bob Spokes reckons less than £100,000 to go and that ignores the potential £10,000 we have in reserve. For newer members it is worth saying we have helped with professional advice and drawings from Matt, very special timber deals thanks to Simon and paint deals from Jack. Tim and Peter have also given valuable input.
As the final stage is in sight we are now helping them with introductions to charitable trusts and selected Rotary Clubs. Bob has been asked for a summary of what jobs/costs are outstanding to help with selling the project to potential donors and he has this in hand.
YMCA. Still on Youth Team agenda but nothing to report. The ball is in their court until we ask for an update late in year.
Life Education. Volunteer wanted for this. Carol and Jack have recently spoken to the Club about this project and we are waiting until March/April when the newly recruited Educator should be ready for action hopefully in the Reading area.
RYLA 
Vicky remains lead on this project and reported that Council agreed to support two girl Guides to attend WINGS Jamboree 2026. RYLA has therefore been put on the back burner this year.