Q & A with Maxine, Reading Force Serving Families: On the Move Coordinator in Aldershot.
Maxine joined the Reading Force team as part of our Serving Families: On the Move programme which is generously funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.
Here she shares what being a Serving Families: On the Move Coordinator involves and a favourite book!
We’re thrilled to have you on the team – tell us a little about why you chose to join the Reading Force team…
When I discovered what Reading Force was all about, I thought it was an absolutely amazing charity. To bring people together through the discussion of a book is a simple but yet such a powerful thing to do. Reading gives people so much pleasure so to link that with connecting families and new people together is just wonderful. Providing people with the opportunity to enjoy the love of a book is enriching in so many ways, and I am proud to be a part of that.
Can you tell us a little more about your Coordinator role?
My role is to reach out to military spouses/partners who are new to the area. The aim is to connect them to the area by offering local knowledge and connect them to one another in the hope that friendships are made. Each month we read a book and then gather to talk about it in a two-hour session. We talk about the book for about one hour and then anything else that is up for discussion that evening!
What would you say to a spouse/partner who is new* to the area and is unsure about attending their first session?
Just come along and see if we are for you. Please don’t be shy. Give it a go. We are all super friendly and we welcome new people and get very excited when someone else joins! If, after popping in you feel that it’s not the right fit for you then you don’t have to commit to returning (and a little secret – the book is just the excuse to get together. So, if you are not a big reader then we are more than just a book club. We chat about anything and everything and it is truly a wonderful space to be).
What do you love most about being our Serving Families: On the Move Coordinator in Aldershot Garrison?
In the last year I have got to know the people attending very well. They are absolutely wonderful and amazing individuals and often they do not know anyone in the area. They are busy juggling families and work (often remotely) and life in general so have not had the opportunity to make friends for themselves. They clearly want connection and just shine when it’s book club time. I love to hear them chatting away and getting to know one another. It’s wonderful. I am privileged to be sharing time with a group of amazing people.
One last question, can you tell us a little about one of the books you’ve read with your book club members, and why you would recommend it to the Reading Force community?
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens was a firm favourite with us all. We all loved it. We almost needed more than the two hours to fit in chatting about it. The physical book itself was beautiful, so it was nice to hand them out at the book club, the plot was engaging, and we all enjoyed being taken to part of the world that was entirely different. The writing was impressive and we were all very excited to chat about it.
Thank you for answering these questions!
*Within the last 24 months of attending the first session.
Our Book Club & Chat sessions are located in Catterick, Tidworth (including Bulford, Larkhill, Ludgershall, Netheravon and Perham Down) and Aldershot (including Farnborough, Farnham and Fleet). The Serving Families: On the Move programme is generously funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to improve the quality of life for Service families who are impacted by relocation as a direct result of Service life.
For more info visit our website www.readingforce.org.uk/good-way-to-make-friends, email rf.bookclubinfo@gmail.com or call Nicola on 07519 665410.