Here you can keep up with the latest from Reading’s 1000+ voluntary organisations and other voluntary sector news from around the area.
Berkshire Community Foundation supports local reading catch-up
1 July 2021
Berkshire Community Foundation (BCF) has awarded local reading charity ABC to Read a grant of £5,000 to address the education gap caused by Covid-19. This is in addition to numerous previous grants awarded by the Foundation in ongoing support of the charity. Addressing literacy in primary school aged children is essential to improving their future opportunities. ...
‘A great story of Reading team work’ – Watlington House hub will close on 3 July having delivered over 31,000 vaccinations
30 June 2021
A unique collaboration between Reading Central and Whitley PCNs, Reading Voluntary Action and Watlington House The Garden Hall vaccine hub at Watlington House will close this Saturday, having delivered over 31,000 vaccinations and been supported by over 100 volunteers. Steve Hendry, RVA’s Volunteering Development Manager, who has been coordinating volunteer support for the hub, said: ‘We’ve ...
It’s all ‘zoom’ to us – how Talkback has adapted its CAMEO service
25 June 2021
Over the last year, many of us struggled to find our way through lockdowns, social distancing and wearing masks. We all found it hard. Autistic people and those with learning disabilities have also found it challenging. Some of the reasons behind these difficulties are not as they appear. Changes to routines, sudden alterations, paused services, relying ...
Thames Valley Cancer Alliance launches new website
23 June 2021
Thames Valley Cancer Alliance brings together cancer leaders, commissioners, service providers, people affected by cancer and third sector organisations to take a whole population approach to improving cancer services across our geography. They have launched a new website: www.thamesvalleycanceralliance.nhs.uk. Ruth Wilcockson, Managing Director of the Thames Valley Cancer Alliance, said the aim of the website is ...
Public consultation opens for the Berkshire West Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2021–2030
23 June 2021
Residents of Reading are being invited to review the draft Berkshire West Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2021–2030 The draft strategy aims to drive positive change to tackle the underlying causes of poor health and wellbeing across Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham (the three local authorities within the Berkshire West Integrated Care Partnership). The draft strategy incorporates ...
Emergency broadcast alert test in Reading on 29 June 2021
23 June 2021
The UK government is introducing an emergency alert system system using mobile phones. In the event of a flood or nuclear accident etc, the government and emergency services would have the ability to send a push message to mobile phones in a geographic area using cell broadcasting towers (i.e. not through phone networks) to warn the public about ...
Citizens Advice Reading and ReadiFood campaign to highlight food poverty – #EatFor20
22 June 2021
Take part in #EatFor20 from 17 to 23 July 2021 A new joint campaign from Citizens Advice Reading and ReadiFood is asking people to live on £20 for a week this summer, in order to highlight the need for continuing the £20 Covid-related uplift to Universal Credit (UC). Chancellor Rishi Sunak has extended the £20 a week ...
Local group trips with Readibus help build confidence post-lockdown
22 June 2021
As the weather improves, your community group may be thinking about how to encourage members and clients to re-engage in your activities. At the moment, there are lots of outdoor options, but many of the people you usually work with may be worried about venturing out. Have you thought about putting on short (hour-long) visits to ...
Garfield Weston Foundation Grants
21 June 2021The Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded, charitable grant-making foundation, which supports a wide range of causes across the UK. The Foundation aims to be responsive to where need is greatest and therefore supports a wide range of charitable activity in the following categories: Arts, Education, Youth, Health, Museums and Heritage, Community, Environment, Faith, Welfare. The ...
Asda Foundation: Bringing Communities Back Together Fund – phase 2 applications open until 1 November 2021*Closed
21 June 2021
The Asda Foundation supports small, grass roots organisations in several ways throughout the year. Working with Asda’s Community Champions in store, they are able to work with a range of organisations and groups on a variety of local community projects. As social distancing measures begin to ease within the UK, this new grant focuses on reuniting ...
Blog: celebrate your successes and use these as building blocks for further development
18 June 2021
In my last blog, I shared some experiences of being on Step 6 of the journey to better Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at Reading Voluntary Action. Step 6 is about identifying your priorities so that actions can be put in place to create real, effective, everlasting change. It also mentioned how important it is ...
Targeted vaccine programme for unvaccinated adults in Reading surge test postcodes
16 June 2021
In response to an increase in Covid-19 infections and cases of the Delta variant in Reading, the Council and the NHS are boosting the local vaccination programme with a targeted vaccination clinic at the Reading Borough Council Civic Offices from Thursday 17 June to Sunday 27 June. People who have not received a vaccine are more likely ...
Government pauses at Step 3 of the Spring 2021 Roadmap – what your charity or community groups needs to know
16 June 2021
This week the government announced that they would be pausing at Step 3 of the Spring 2021 Roadmap to the lifting of the coronavirus restrictions due to the increase of the Delta variant. This means that Step 3 coronavirus restrictions remain in place. You can read more here: Covid-19 Coronavirus Restrictions, what you can and ...
Social Prescribing to improve access to healthcare for migrants
16 June 2021
Doctors of the World UK, a medical charity, has launched a new resource for Social Prescribing Link Workers and other frontline workers to support their migrant patients’ access to healthcare. The resource, commissioned and supported by the Mayor of London, outlines 9 practical steps and information to recognise and address healthcare barriers for migrants. Helen Murphy from ...
Food in vulnerable communities – the role of community groups during the Covid crisis
16 June 2021
The Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership (VCSEP) is a grouping of national and local organisations working together to help coordinate the response of the voluntary and community sector to the Covid crisis. (RVA is the Thames Valley liaison lead for the VCSEP – read more here). The VCSEP has commissioned research into the role of ...
Free ACAS webinar on small scale redundancies and RVA employment support for charities
14 June 2021
ACAS is hosting two free webinars for employers on good practice in relation to handling small scale redundancies, which may be a helpful tool for any charities that are currently considering a restructure. This webinar for employers covers the major elements of a redundancy process, the related laws and good practice. It includes: redundancy costs risks and potential ...
Small Charity Week – free webinars, training and learning
14 June 2021
It’s annual Small Charity Week (SCW) and an opportunity for small charities everywhere to celebrate their impact. SCW is an initiative that the Foundation for Social Improvement (the FSI) started over 12 years ago to put a spotlight on the amazing work of small charities. There are a number of free webinars and learning opportunities ...
Covid surge testing in Reading – translated letters to residents
14 June 2021
With Covid surge testing underway in RG1 3, RG1 5, RG1 6, RG1 7 until Sunday 20 June, RBC have provided translated letters to residents in: Arabic Bengali Gujarati Hindi Mandarin Nepali Polish Punjabi Romanian Turkish Urdu You can download the letters from the RBC website here (scroll to the bottom of the page).
Call Out for Odds On – a new online performance by Dante or Die
10 June 2021
Do you have experience of gambling harms or know someone who does? Get involved in the creation of a new online performance designed to spread awareness on gambling harm. Theatre Company Dante or Die is looking for community groups and individuals with experience of gambling harms in Salford, Reading and Medway to contribute to the creation of ...
Celebrating Windrush Day 2021 in Reading
9 June 2021
The Reading Windrush Steering Group is pleased to announce that it has been successful for a third year running in receiving a grant from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to deliver events and activities to celebrate Windrush Day on 22 June 2021. The Windrush Steering Group consists of representatives from the Alliance ...