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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">‘Raise the roof’ at Reading Central Salvation Army</span></strong></p>
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<h2><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Church needs to raise £200,000 for a new roof and better facilities so building can be used for more community groups</span></h2>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">The Salvation Army’s Reading Central Corps is asking for help to ‘raise the roof’ as part of a new fundraising mission to provide a better facility for the whole community.</span></strong></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">So far members of the Reading Central Salvation Army have raised more than £140,000 towards the total which will allow the leaking roof to be replaced and for the building to meet current Health & Safety regulations.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">The appeal fund has been boosted by fundraising and members contributions to date of £140,000 but another £60,000 is still required.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">The building, which has been in use for more than 40 years as a centre of worship and service to the community, is safe to use but the works need to be carried out to ensure it is fit for purpose and meets standards in the longer term.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">Currently the hall is used by hundreds of local people each week attending Mother & Toddlers, Rainbows and Brownies, and a Lunch Club for the elderly, as well as Sunday Worship. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">The hall is also used used to store and make up food parcels which are given to needy people in Reading. Volunteers use the building as a base to provide emotional and physical support to attendees of events such as the Reading Festival. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">Major Iain Hudson, leader of The Salvation Army at Reading Central Corps, said: </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">‘The building has served us well over the years but we need to raise a lot of money to enable us to replace the roof and make the necessary repairs and improvements that will allow us to open up to more community groups in future. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">‘With the public’s help we can raise the funds to provide a church and community centre that will be of benefit to everyone.’</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">Donations are gratefully received at ‘The Salvation Army, Reading Central Corps, Anstey Road, Reading, RG1 7JR’. Please make your cheque payable to ‘The Salvation Army’ and mark ‘Building Fund’ on the reverse. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">Alternatively, you can text RCSA99 followed by the amount you wish to donate (£1, £2, £3, £4, £5, £10) to 70070.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">For more information contact Major Iain Hudson on 0118 958 3019 or visit</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;"> <a href="http://www.readingcentral.org.uk/"><span style="font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">www.readingcentral.org.uk</span></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><a title="www.facebook.com/readingcentral" href="http://www.facebook.com/readingcentral"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;"><span style="font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">www.facebook.com/readingcentral</span></span></a></p>