Normally on the first Sunday of December, around 2,500 bikers wear festive fancy dress to take part in a ride from Shinfield to High Close School. This is called The Reading Toy Run.
Each biker brings a toy to donate to Barnardo’s and these are then distributed to children across the country.
The Reading Toy Run 2020 became another casualty of the pandemic. The usual event had to be cancelled because of Covid-19 so this year’s Toy Run was replaced with a toy drop instead.
On Sunday 6th December 2020, several COVID-19 safe toy collection points were set up across the region to allow people who wanted to donate a present to do so. One of the toy collection points was setup at Sindlesham Court Masonic Centre.
The organisers of the toy run asked for volunteers to assist with marshalling at the toy drop.
The photo shows two of our Berkshire Mark Master Masons, John MacGregor (right) of Hungerford Lodge of MMM No. 1342 and Graham Parker (left) of Linden Acre Lodge of MMM No. 1568, who volunteered and gave their assistance to the toy drop.
The organisers of the Toy Run have since said that without the assistance of the volunteers, this toy drop simply wouldn’t happen.
