Charity has begun at home this year for Reading Buses, which has selected New Beginnings Reading – a homeless charity which has its home in the Queens Arms pub next door to the operator’s depot in Great Knollys Street – as its Charity of the Year.
New Beginnings provides services such as an all-night café, a night shelter and a community fridge for the distribution of free food to those in need.
The partner was unveiled in a launch ceremony on 11 February that featured a branded bus which will act as a rolling advertisement to raise awareness of the charity and support fundraising efforts which will take place over the next 12 months.
Those fundraising efforts will include the Reading Buses Open Day on 26 June, back after a two-year hiatus.
“Our employees are thrilled to be supporting a great, local cause with its base at the repurposed Queens Arms pub which is next door to the depot,” says Reading Buses Chief Executive Officer Robert Williams. “After a tough couple of years due to the pandemic, it feels great to support a charity that specialises in helping people cope with modern life and get back on their feet.
“We are hoping that over the next year, with the support of our employees and the generosity of customers, friends and families we can raise a large sum of money for New Beginnings.”
Adds Simon Schnieders, Trustee from New Beginnings Reading: “The volunteers here work tirelessly to support the homeless and local community. The additional visibility that this gives us we simply could not otherwise afford. Further, the fundraising ambitions of Reading Buses are an inspiration to all. We are hugely grateful.”
