Chapel Row Fayre hailed a success as £7,000 handed to local charities

The committee behind the fayre, now in its 19th year, decided to do things a little differently this year. The giant marquee which had previously been used as the craft tent was lost, and old fashioned fairground rides replaced the funfair of previous years.
The biggest change, however, was that this year six charities benefitted from the hard work of the committee, which this year consisted of Lynette Maja, Alex Buckley, Sue Glover and ‘father of the fayre’ Graham Plank, and the generosity of the communities of Chapel Row and the surrounding areas.
West Berkshire Mencap, the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA), Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Care all received donations of £1,500, with £750 given to Riding for the Disabled and £250 to the Anthony Nolan Trust.
This year’s event also had the highest attendance rate, with more than 3,000 people thought to have visited on the day.
Chairman Mark Wallace said: “It was a fantastic event. The Chapel Row Fayre very nearly didn’t happen this year, but this fantastic group of people came together at the last minute.”
Special thanks were sent to Graham and Mary Plank, David Tipton, who led a team of carpark marshals, Jane and Binky Wells for their continued support, Dr David Moss who stepped in at last minute to be on hand for any first aid needs and several others whom without which the fayre couldn’t go ahead.
On receiving a cheque, West Berkshire community fundraiser for the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice, Julia Philipson, said: “For a small local charity it means a huge amount to us and all the children we support across West Berkshire.”
Chief executive of West Berkshire Mencap, Leila Ferguson, added: “It actually feels like it’s our family. Of all the fundraising we do, it’s the thing I enjoy more than anything else over the whole year.
“We absolutely love it, thank you so much.”
The Chapel Row Fayre Committee is now calling on new volunteers to come forward to aid the smooth running of next year’s show, in particular a treasurer and more committee members.
Anyone interested in helping can contact the committee by emailing alexbuckley83@hotmail.co.uk