Curry night fundraiser cooks up cash for Camp Mohawk

Ken Ramsden, 75, from Finchampstead, who presented the money on Monday, organised the dinner to support Camp Mohawk, bringing together friends from Berkshire Freemasons, Sand Martins Golf Club, and Bracknell Rugby Club.

Set in five acres of countryside just outside Wargrave, Camp Mohawk supports those with mental or physical disabilities. It offers a safe space for those under 25, creating an inclusive and calm environment.

Mr Ramsden, who attended a camp event last year after organising an earlier donation, said: “It just blew me away - when I saw these children, who, normally, would have difficulty communicating with others, responded to the entertainer, and the smiles on their faces, I was in tears.”

He added: “I belong to the Berkshire Freemasons and one of the things we are very keen on is to make a difference in the community – and that covers financial donations and volunteering.”

Mr Ramsden is also a member of the Sand Martins Golf Club and Bracknell Rugby Club. He transformed the former’s annual social event into the curry-night fundraiser.

Tickets cost £25, with £10 going directly to Camp Mohawk.  The event was held at Xenuk, a Tandoori restaurant near Finchampstead, where 65 guests attended.  

The community had a huge role to play, with businesses donating to a raffle held at the dinner  - raising almost half of the total amount - and the team at Xenuk refusing tips, asking rather, that they be directed back into the donation pot.

Davina Turnball, corporate and community fundraiser for the camp, said: “We do not get government funding, so we are mainly funded by events like Ken’s. Fundraising is critical to us; it is the only way we can exist.

“We ask families to donate £60 per year but this is not mandatory as we do not want families to not visit the site due to financial reasons, and these donations only make up 10% of our costs.”

Over 900 family members currently visit the site, a number which has been growing by 30% each year. Visitors are mainly local – from Wokingham and Reading but parents also travel from parts of Oxfordshire, Surrey and the outskirts of London.

The camp costs around £400,000 to run each year, with facilities including accessible swings, a trampoline, soft playrooms, sensory rooms, a music room, an art room, a pool table, a football table, and a heated outdoor pool which is accessible from either end, all set within woodland.

Camp Mohawk offers three main services: family days where disabled visitors can attend with their loved ones, an afterschool club, and visits for SEN schools (and schools with an SEN provision) during term time.