VILLAGERS came together for a morning of fun and laughter with some traditional pancake races to mark Shrove Tuesday last month.
Shinfield Baptist Church and Shinfield Parish Council joined forces to organise the second annual Parish Pancake Race. The event saw a host of teams from schools, businesses and community groups come together for the races on School Green.
Grazeley Primary School were winners of the schools’ races, beating competition from pupils of The Vine Christian School and Shinfield St Mary’s.
The adult races saw a colourful collection of characters including the Thunderbirds (Sopra Steria), superheroes (Honeysuckle Day Nursery), scarecrows (Shinfield Allotment Holders Group), Disney characters (Budgens) and even some cops and robbers (Shinfield Parish Council and Thames Valley Police)!
Teams from the Co-Op, Linden View Homes, Shinfield View residential care home, St Mary’s Church and The Welcome Club also competed.
They were cheered on by local businesses, children and residents.
New residential care home Shinfield View provided refreshments for all in its café lounge while the Co-Op supplied all the pancakes for racing.
Organisers said that the races were “hilarious and hotly contested”.
Linden Homes emerged triumphant with Budgens winning the fancy dress trophy.
More than £300 was raised for the children’s wards in the Royal Berkshire Hospital. Cups and medals were presented by Peter Hughes, chair of Shinfield Parish Council.
Nathan Hunt, Pastor of Shinfield Baptist Church, said: “The heart of God is to bring people together. And here in the heart of the village there were businesses, charities, churches, councilors the care sector, schools and people of all backgrounds and ages coming together to enjoy a fun event.”