These are some more of the stalls I visited at the Clubs and Societies Day – organised by Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council..

The Nasio Trust is a UK based charity that works with AIDS orphans and destitute children in Western Kenya. They also have projects to empower and help young people in our own country. A group of teenagers from Abingdon have been doing their own fundraising events culminating in a trip to an orphanage in Kenya.  They are just back and as well as volunteering to do tasks at the orphanage, they also got to know some of the children they were helping, played football with local teams, and had an amazing life changing experience.

Across from them were Amnesty International who were asking people to sign cards such as this one showing our support for people overseas.

Near the entrance, The Vale Disability Access Group were there. They campaign for better access to facilities in Abingdon.

A more general view of the hall shows Amnesty International, The Nasio Trust , and the Abingdon Marathon organisers in front. Behind them are The Morris Men, Abingdon Film Society, and the Abingdon Hydro Project.

Lastly for today ( a few more tomorrow), Abingdon Drama Club‘s next production will be Wife After Death. They have just finished a run of Eugène Ionesco’s play ‘Rhinoceros’ at the Unicorn Theatre. Anybody who went may recognise that the actor manning the stall was The Logician.

There were lots of stalls and lots of enthusiastic people manning stalls at the Clubs and Societies Day at the Guildhall. It happens every two years. There is enough material to keep me going on this blog for three days …

The Good Neighbours scheme, launched last year, offers a service in the community for those in need of help and support. They have volunteers who do lots of things to help neighbours: visiting and befriending, help in the garden, writing letters, changing light bulbs, changing library books etc etc. To get involved email gns.nea at gmail.com or ring 07956 019611.

I occasionally get invitations to cover events on the blog, and recently got one from somebody at The Abingdon Horticultural Society – to visit their Spring Show. It was such a busy day I did not get there, but realise that there is still a chance to redeem myself.  The next show is September 1st and it is in the diary.

The Smash Badminton Club are looking for players for the season starting in September (aged 7-11). The club was started in 1994 and one of the founding members visited the stall today and was delighted that the club was still going. For information ring Viv at 525838 or email membersec at smash.org.uk.

Abingdon Astronomical Society have lots of sessions, including some aimed at beginners. I asked whether there is any star or heavenly body that has an Abingdon association – discovered by a local physicist or astronomer? Anybody know? The chap form the Society will ask his members and I said I’d ask visitors to the blog.