Here you can keep up with the latest from Reading’s 1000+ voluntary organisations and other voluntary sector news from around the area.
Volunteering Stories – Mark, A Community First Responder
13 July 2023
Steve Hendry (RVA Volunteering Development Manager) spoke recently with Mark a Community First Responder with South Central Ambulance Charity. Mark shared his experience of volunteering and his advice for anyone thinking of getting involved. Tell us about the role you are volunteering in A Community First Responder (CFR) is a volunteer role with South Central Ambulance ...
300 Plastic Chairs avaiable to collect for free
11 July 2023
Rivermead has 300 plastic chairs which are available to any VCS group to collect for free. For further information or to make arrangments for collection please contact Steve McBride the Rivermead General Manager steve.mcbride@gll.org
Free desk and chairs available for collection
6 July 2023
The Refugee Support Group have a desk and office chairs available for collection from their office: 35-39 London Street, Reading, RG1 4PS. For enquiries, contact Refugee Support Group at info@rrsg.org.uk or call 01189 505 356. Dimensions are as follows: Desk measurements are 120cm width x 80cm depth x 72cm height / 47.2inch width x 31.5inch depth x 28.5inch ...
Volunteering Stories – Stuart’s volunteering journey with Guide Dogs for the Blind
6 July 2023
In May 2023 our Volunteering Development Manager Steve Hendry caught up with Stuart, Fundraiser, Campaigner, registered Speaker and My Sighted Guide volunteer with Guide Dogs for a quick Q&A. What inspired you to take on that role? The first role… as I started to lose my sight I really wanted to help people who were starting ...
Male volunteers aged 70+ wanted for food study at the University
4 July 2023
At the University of Reading, we are running a project called Fortiphy where we have been working with older adults to create food solutions to improve nutritional status. We are currently testing variations of porridge in a nutrition intervention study and we are looking for lots of volunteers aged 70+ years to participate. As we are ...
Easyfundraising: how your group can raise money from online shopping
28 June 2023
Easyfundraising is a fundraising platform for organisations and enables you to raise unrestricted funds through online shopping. RVA has recently partnered with Easyfundraising to help local groups to find out about this fundraising platform. Below is an explanation from Easyfundraising and how your group can sign up. How it works Here’s how it works: when your supporters ...
Join our local autistic community at AutAngel
21 June 2023
We’re AutAngel, a local community interest company run by and for autistic adults. New members would be welcome in several of our groups for autistic adults. We have both in-person and online groups; they are free to attend but we do appreciate donations. In person groups available to new members are: monthly mixed peer support, monthly ...
Are you a small group and do you need help with funding?
14 June 2023
Are you a small group offering services or activities to your community in Reading? Do you need help with getting funding to run your group? Come along to our Small Groups Learn and Share Network on 4 July 11am – 12.30am at the library. What we’ll cover: Hear from BCF a local funder on their upcoming funding round Hear ...
RBC Small Grants Fund 2023/2024 Round 1
14 June 2023
Round 1 of the RBC Small Grants Fund 2023/2024 is now open for applications for voluntary and community groups offering services in Reading to apply. There is a total of £100K allocated for this round and groups can apply for £5k (or £10k as a partnership). What are the funder priorities? The funding is available to support ...
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 ...