Jan 2021
Kennet Radio ‘Ray of Hope’ spotlights at Newbury Racecourse to raise money for disadvantaged local schoolchildren and launch of new Vaccination Centre.
Kennet Radio ‘Ray of Hope’ spotlights at Newbury Racecourse to raise money to buy laptops for disadvantaged local schoolchildren and highlight the hope generated by the launch of new Vaccination Centre.
Kennet Radio ‘Ray of Hope’ will light up the night sky every Thursday from 6-8pm. (Image credit: George Audas)The ‘Ray of Hope’ spotlights will be visible in the night sky across Newbury and Thatcham every Thursday between 6pm and 8pm. Launching on Thursday 21st January, the goal of the spotlights is to encourage the local community to donate to good causes and to highlight the hope brought to the local community by the new vaccination centre at Newbury Racecourse.
The recent launch of the vaccination centre at Newbury Racecourse brings a much-needed ray of hope to the local community in and around West Berkshire, but we shouldn’t forget the thousands of local children who face having to complete their lessons online at home for weeks to come.
Greenham Trust’s ‘Laptops for Lockdown Learning’ appeal, hosted on its online crowdfunding platform, The Good Exchange, aims to give every disadvantaged child in the local area a laptop to help them learn under lockdown. Greenham Trust will match up to £250,000 of donations made to the appeal. Every £1 donated will be matched by the Trust, raising £500,000 to help schools buy laptops for disadvantaged children to use at home.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a stark light on the gap in provision for families in lockdown, especially those with school-age children who do not have the devices they need to learn at home, and we must make sure this gap doesn’t continue to grow” said Chris Boulton, CEO, Greenham Trust. “We believe that the charitable sector and local communities have a role to play to ensure that disadvantaged children do not fall through the cracks when it comes to receiving education during these difficult times.”
Local radio station Kennet Radio has been the driving force behind ‘Ray of Hope’. “Kennet Radio is very grateful to everyone including, Newbury Racecourse, Greenham Trust and Top Marque Events Ltd that have got behind this campaign and allowed the lights to be installed to raise hope and charitable donations for the local community” said volunteer, Graham Pocock. “Please donate as generously as you can to ‘Laptops for Lockdown Learning’ so that the Ray of Hope campaign can have a lasting positive impact on the lives of our young people.”
Kennet Radio will be broadcasting regular updates about the ‘Ray of Hope’ campaign on air with presenter Paul Walter featuring a weekly update on project progress on the Friday Breakfast Show, including interviews with representatives from local supporters.
Harriet Collins, Marketing Director for Newbury Racecourse added: “This is an inspiring initiative by the Kennet Radio team and a very worthy cause in the Laptops for Lockdown Learning launched by Greenham Trust which the racecourse is fully supportive of. We hope many will see the beams of light on a Thursday night from the racecourse and not only feel compelled to donate but also see this as sign of hope.
Please enjoy the spotlights on Thursday from the comfort of your own home. We kindly ask you not to travel towards the vaccination centre to watch it.
Find out more about ‘Ray of Hope’ and the ‘Laptops for Lockdown learning Appeal’ here.