Thanks to the generosity of the Maidenhead Synagogue WAMGI was able to hold a face-to-face Forum on 23 November at Grenfell Lodge. We are grateful to Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain MBE and Barbara Grossman for their kindness. Only 13 of the 24 registered attendees were present which may have been partly due to the difficulty of locating the venue. Slough CVS will investigate the possibility of having “A-frame” signs available to place at the roadside at future venues.

Tom Conlin from Charity Mentors Berkshire chaired the Forum which began with a tour of the synagogue, conducted by Barbara Grossman, who explained the background to the Synagogue’s establishment and its current links with both the Jewish and wider communities in the area. She talked us through the symbols and messages displayed around the Prayer Hall and explained the key artefacts on display, including the 7 & 8 branched Menorahs (candelabras) and the Luchot (the depiction of two tablets containing the ten commandments handed to Moses on Mt Sinai which stand over the Ark). She opened the Ark to display the Torah Scrolls which contain the sacred scripts of the 5 books of the Old Testament. A fascinating presentation which would merit repetition for a larger audience at a future Forum.

Donna Stimson gave a brief overview of her involvement in RBWM’s “Building Bridges” project which aims to help people get into (or back into) the workplace by supporting them in identifying and overcoming the barriers that have prevented them from finding employment. Rani Griffiths then talked about the work of NHS Talking Therapies which operates across Berkshire, providing support for people suffering from all forms of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, stress etc. The service is free but requires referral from a GP or self-referral/referral by a concerned friend or family member. Helen Price spoke about the Windsor Foodshare project which is focussed on the procurement and distribution of essential food supplies and toiletries via a network of collection and drop-off points across the Royal Borough. The final presentation was from Tom Conlin who outlined the service available from Charity Mentors Berkshire which provides free mentoring support for Chief Executives/Managers and Trustee Board Chairs of charities across Berkshire. He encouraged all present to contact them if they felt the need of any help in this way and to recommend the service to other voluntary sector organisations in the county.

The next Forum will be held on Wednesday 18 January 2023 via Zoom.  If you would like to speak at the Forum, please do get in touch via asma@sloughcvs.org.uk. We look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!