Here you can keep up with the latest from Reading’s 900+ voluntary organisations and other voluntary sector news from around the area.
Could you be an RVA Advice Worker?
15 June 2016We are looking for an individual with strong and demonstrable belief in the value of the voluntary sector with the knowledge and skills to take lead responsibility in RVA for providing charities and voluntary groups with advice, information and training on legal and technical aspects of running an organisation. The successful applicant is likely to have ...
Free webinar on pensions auto-enrolment
14 June 2016Staging dates are fast approaching where every employer will have to automatically enrol certain employees in a pension and make contributions towards it. It’s a big deal for a lot of small employers and not everyone has all the information so it’s important to get up to speed. NCVO are hosting a webiner aimed at small ...
National Diversity Awards – Reading Refocus needs your vote!
14 June 2016
James Pyle and Reading Refocus have been nominated for the 2016 National Diversity Awards. Vote now to help get national recognition for a local charity! The ceremony celebrates some of the excellent and inspiring achievements of positive role models and community organisations from across the UK. The awards aim to recognise nominees in their respective fields of ...
New fundraising guidance for trustees published by the Charity Commission
13 June 2016The Charity Commission has published new guidance for charity trustees about fundraising from the public. The guidance sets out 6 key principles to help trustees comply with their legal duties when overseeing their charity’s fundraising, and also includes a checklist for trustees to evaluate their charity’s performance against the legal requirements and good practice recommendations ...
Reading Your Way on the move!
13 June 2016
Reading Your Way is moving from their Oxford Road premises and will be closed from Monday 13th to Friday 17th June during the relocation. They re-open on Monday 20th June at: 1A Rupert Square, Reading, RG1 3HE New telephone number: 01189 660240 They will be offering a new programme of activities for members. Watch this space for more information. Your ...
Volunteers’ Week 2016 – Round Up
12 June 2016As Volunteers’ Week 2016 draws to a close we have put together a short round-up of what we got up to over the period in case you missed anything. We would like to thank all those organisations who supported our activities and everyone who stopped by to find out more about volunteering. Events Eat Reading – ...
Being a trustee brings “huge satisfaction”
8 June 2016Sarah Del Tufo is currently Chair of Trustees at the Reading Community Learning Centre and has extensive experience of trusteeship. Sarah has held a variety of roles as a trustee for a number of charities since the 1970s, both in Reading and elsewhere. When asked why she joined the trustee board of the Reading Community Learning ...
Community Assets Matter training
8 June 2016Building on many years of experience, this training package has been developed to address the need for guidance, support and advice on the management of community buildings. The 2-day course is supported by a resource handbook, addressing the range of legal and technical aspects of asset management and signposting to further more detailed information and support, ...
RBC community buildings transition fund deadline extended
8 June 2016Reading Borough Council have agreed that a small fund be made available for local groups that have a responsibility for managing a building in Reading to support capacity building and sustainability. The fund has been under subscribed and the deadline for applications has been extended to 20 June. Funding available The sum of £20,000 in 2016/17 and ...
Cultural Event
6 June 2016
As part of Refugee Week, Reading City of Sanctuary is sponsoring this free event. Come and experience different foods, games, drinks, music and arts Come and learn about different cultures Come and have a wonderful time For further information email kate@rrsg.org.uk
Let’s Talk Health and Social Care in Reading
6 June 2016Join the Reading Clinical Commissioning Groups and Reading Borough Council to learn about, and discuss, plans for services this year. Hear about proposed changes to GP practices and give us your views. Hear how we plan to work together to support older people. Tell us about issues that concern you. To register, email ppiteam.berkshirewest@nhs.net or book via Eventbrite
What’s it like to be a trustee?
1 June 2016Nelson Walters, currently Treasurer of Reading Mencap and No5 Youth Counselling and Information Service, speaks about his experience of being a treasurer and a new trustee. After about a year of retirement, Nelson had realised that he missed the challenge of the business environment, when one day he saw an RVA desk in the library. He ...
Kids Company – the lessons for charity trustees in Reading and the help available
1 June 2016Was it a one-off? Could it happen here? How would we tell? These are some of the questions local trustees have been asking since the news of the collapse of Kids Company hit the headlines. Investigations into the failures that led to the closure of Kids Company last year provide a number of lessons. The report ...
How RVA will be spreading the word during Volunteers’ Week (1-12 June)
31 May 2016As part of national Volunteers’ Week 2016 (1-12 June), we will be spreading the word about volunteering to make sure those inspired by the national promotion have ready access to opportunities to get involved here in Reading. We will be out and about throughout the period: 3 June – Eat Reading Festival @ Broad Street (10am-7pm) – ...
Have you ever thought about becoming a volunteer befriender?
23 May 2016Can you spare a couple of hours every week or fortnight to spend with someone who is lonely or socially isolated? Many organisations in Reading are currently looking for volunteer befrienders who could make a real difference to the lives of the people they support. Befriending might mean visiting an older person who lives nearby, for ...
Befriending Forum on 29 June 2016
18 May 2016Reading Voluntary Action is pleased to be hosting the first in a series of Befriending Forums in partnership with Age UK Reading. The information-sharing and networking event will take place on Wednesday 29 June, from 10am until 12pm on the third floor of Reading Central Library. The forum will be an opportunity to discuss befriending in ...
National Banks Supporting Local Projects with Small Grants
16 May 2016The latest issue of Funding Digest includes details about two programmes helping support community led conservation projects. The Dorothy Morley Conservation Awards The Dorothy Morley Conservation Awards are a tribute to the memory of dedicated conservationist Dorothy Morley who had a passionate interest in wildlife, gardening & conservation. She believed in protecting the living environment as a ...
Lloyds Bank Foundation – 27 May deadline for Invest funding applications
16 May 2016The Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales helps small and medium sized charities working in England and Wales which support people experiencing multiple disadvantages through critical transitions in their lives to achieve lasting positive change. The Foundation’s Invest funding programme provides multiyear grants of between £10,000 and £25,000 pa supporting the costs of delivering services ...
Are you looking for trustees?
10 May 2016If you’re looking for new trustees you might be in luck. RVA are running a trustee matching event at Green Park on 09 June from 12.15pm and we’d like to involve local charities to find the right trustees. It’s a great source of professionals keen to give a helping hand to the voluntary sector. There ...
Heading for an under/overspend? Keep your funders informed
10 May 2016When you apply for a grant, you need a detailed plan of the ” when, what and where” etc. for how you will use the funds to meet the needs of the people and communities you support. Unexpected external or internal factors can impact on your ability to deliver that plan. For example, a key ...