Here you can keep up with the latest from Reading’s 1000+ voluntary organisations and other voluntary sector news from around the area.
National Lottery Community Fund launches its new strategy
12 June 2023
The new strategy will cover the next seven years (2023 to 2030) with plans to invest more money in grassroots projects across the UK starting this year. In what is being characterised as ’the biggest change in National Lottery funding for a generation’, the UK’s largest community funder has announced that it will double the amount ...
Reading Volunteer Thank You Evening 2023
12 June 2023
Last Monday (5 June) volunteers from across our town gathered at the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) for a Volunteer Thank You evening. Blessed with fine weather, volunteers were able to come together to enjoy food, drink and company whilst exploring the fascinating exhibitions the MERL has to offer, including their wonderful gardens. All this ...
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2024 – nominations open
7 June 2023
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK It was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation. It is the MBE for volunteer groups and is awarded for life. A list of past winners in Berkshire can be found here. The ...
Magic Little Grants – Open now until 31 October 2023
7 June 2023
Localgiving is the UK’s leading independent non-profit online fundraising platform for charities and community groups. They are incredibly excited to announce that Magic Little Grants 2023 is going to be even bigger and better than ever before. This fund gives local charities and community groups the chance to apply for grants to deliver projects across Great Britain ...
DCMS Youth Investment Fund – Refurbishment Grants Round 2 – Deadline on 09 June 2023
5 June 2023
The Youth Investment Fund is funded by the UK Government and being delivered by Social Investment Business, in partnership with the National Youth Agency (NYA), Key Fund, and Resonance. The Youth Investment Fund team wants to ensure every eligible youth service can apply for funding to renovate their service and recognises that some services only require ...
Reading emPOWERed: a Lottery funded heritage project
1 June 2023
The Mills Archive Trust, a Reading-based charity, has just received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £198,751 for an innovative heritage project, Reading emPOWERed. Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project focuses on preserving and sharing the history of two renewable energy sources—wind and water—by drawing on the Trust’s existing ...
Vision for Volunteering in Reading
30 May 2023
Vision for Volunteering in Reading Reading is a place where the difference made by volunteering and social action is recognised, valued and celebrated. We want everybody to have the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the goal of making Reading a thriving community, improving and enriching the lives of all. Objectives Organisations that involve volunteers in their ...
Nominate a Health and Wellbeing Charity to receive £5K – short deadline 19 May
17 May 2023
Nominate a Health and Wellbeing charity for a £5,000 special draw courtesy of Ecclesiastical Insurance, who will be making 10 awards. This is a short deadline and nominations close on 19 May. All you need to do is nominate a charity whose core charitable purpose is the advancement of health including disability support, the prevention or relief ...
Co-op Local Community Fund – Deadline on 11 June 2023
17 May 2023
Co-op now opens applications for Local Community Fund Co-op Group’s Local Community Fund has supported over 30,000 local community projects across the UK since its launch in 2016, and charities and organisations, that play a vital role in the well-being of communities, can now apply to be considered for the next round of funding. The Group says ...
The Community Business Trade Up Programme- Deadline on 26 June 2023
17 May 2023
The Community Business Trade Up Programme 2023 will run in partnership with the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) and funded by Power to Change and The Dulverton Trust. Together, they have already supported 440 community businesses and other projects improving their local area. Participants in the learning programme will be supported to strengthen their business and ensure their ...
The UCB Community Health Fund- Deadline on 30 June 2023
17 May 2023
The Fund was established in 2020 and is committed to creating positive changes in communities and will offer grants to non-profit and non-governmental organizations worldwide dedicated to improving the physical, social, and psychological well-being of young people aged 15 to 24 with mental disorders. This new call for projects aims at providing support to young people facing ...
**Last Chance** Reading Volunteer Thank You Event – register by 17/5
12 May 2023**The last few spaces for this year’s Thank You event need to be claimed by Wednesday 17 May. If you would like to secure a place for your team please complete the ticket request form HERE, a maximum of 10 tickets per organisation. ** Reading Voluntary Action is delighted to announce the return of the annual ...
Ridgeline Trust 20th Anniversary Open Afternoon
11 May 2023Join Ridgeline Trust at our Open Afternoon to celebrate our 20th Anniversary and Mental Health Awareness Week. Ridgeline Trust provides horticultural therapy to improve the wellbeing of people living with mental health conditions, physical disabilities, learning difficulties and other health problems This is an opportunity to look round our beautiful garden, find out more about our ...
Help No5 Young People win up to £70,000 this May!
11 May 2023Help No5 Young People win up to £70,000 this May! No5 Young People need your support by voting for them in The National Lottery’s ‘The People’s Projects’ next week. Your vote will help the charity secure £70,000 of National Lottery funding and support an additional 300 local young people over the next 12 months. Voting opens at ...
Community Buildings Forum
11 May 2023
Are you a charity or community group looking for space to run your activities or services, or do you have space within your building that you would like to hire out, lease or offer to others? Then come along to our next Community Buildings Forum on 11 July, 10.30-12noon. This is an opportunity to hear about available ...
National Express Foundation- Deadline on 6 June 2023
11 May 2023
The National Express Foundation is a key element of the National Express Group’s support for the wider community in which they operate in the UK. The Foundation was created following the public order disturbances in July 2011, which highlighted the issues facing young people living in inner-city areas. The disturbances involved a disproportionate number of people ...
GWR Customer & Community Improvement Fund- Deadline on 25 May 2023
11 May 2023
GWR is delighted to announce they are inviting funding bids for customer and community projects. In 2022-23, they supported 131 projects across the GWR network, supporting customers, charities, community groups, and voluntary organisations to deliver benefits in the communities they serve. They are pleased to open the bidding for the next financial year 2023-24 and have shared ...
Lloyds Bank Foundation: National Influencing Programme- Deadline on 19 May 2023
5 May 2023
The Lloyds Bank Foundation has launched a £1.8 million funding programme for charities and CICs seeking to influence and achieve change in national policy to improve support for people facing complex issues within accommodation, social security, and refugees and asylum seeker support in England and Wales. What are the funder’s priorities? Under this programme, Lloyds Bank Foundation ...
Smallwood Trust – Women’s Urgent Support Fund: Round 1- Deadline on 19 May 2023
4 May 2023
The Women’s Urgent Support Fund is supported by over £3.2 million of National Lottery funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, to respond to the cost-of-living crisis. Smallwood is pleased to announce that Round 1 of the Women’s Urgent Support Fund is now OPEN for applications. Round 1 ...
Woodward Charitable Trust Grant- Deadline on 28 July 2023
1 May 2023
Introduction: The Woodward Charitable Trust makes grants to support the core costs of small charities. The Trustees particularly look to fund projects that help families and young people and that are aiming to improve the life chances of the beneficiaries. Who is eligible to apply? They are looking for organisations that aim to achieve a positive impact in ...