Here you can keep up with the latest from Reading’s 900+ voluntary organisations and other voluntary sector news from around the area.
Local Clinical Commissioning Groups rated as Outstanding
25 July 2017
The local GPs, nurses and managers that run the four NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in Berkshire West were celebrating this week. All four CCGs in Berkshire West have been rated ‘outstanding’ in NHS England’s annual ratings of CCGs. Only 21 CCGs were awarded an ‘outstanding’ rating for 2016-17, out of a total of 209, ...
Free food for charities!
25 July 2017
FareShare is a charity aimed at relieving food poverty and reducing food waste in the UK. It does this by rescuing good-quality surplus food that would otherwise have gone to waste and sending it to over 2000 charity and community groups across the United Kingdom. We work with all sectors of the supply chain – producers, ...
Update from the West of Berkshire Safeguarding Adults Board
20 July 2017The West of Berkshire Safeguarding Adults Board meets four times a year to plan and scrutinise how agencies work together to keep adults at risk of abuse or neglect safe in Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham. Among the topics discussed at the June Board meeting were: the role of the voluntary sector in safeguarding adults, the ...
Big Lottery Fund updates guidance for Awards for All
19 July 2017The Big Lottery Fund has simplified the guidance notes for its small grants programme Awards for All, including fewer restrictions and new priorities. Awards for All offers grants of between £300 and £10,000 to voluntary and community organisations, schools and statutory bodies in order to help improve local communities and the lives of people most in ...
News from the Wellbeing Forum
19 July 2017Reading Voluntary Action hosted a Wellbeing Forum for the voluntary and community sector on Friday. We heard from Kam Purewall and Sarah Bow from Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Groups’ Long Term Conditions Programme Board and explored how voluntary organisations can (and are already) contributing to some of the priorities of the Board. There were lively discussions ...
Community Buildings Forum
18 July 2017
Is your group looking for a more ‘permanent’ home or have you thought about raising extra income through renting out space in your building to another local voluntary group? RVA are hosting another Community Buildings Forum for Reading-based groups
Narrowing the Gap II – save the dates
17 July 2017Reading Borough Council is inviting voluntary and community groups to two sessions to help shape a new commissioning framework for local services. This framework will set out funding opportunities from June 2018 when the current ‘Narrowing the Gap’ funding arrangements come to an end. The final set of themes will be determined after the consultation, but ...
Joint Adults’ and Children’s Annual Safeguarding Conference – open for bookings
13 July 2017The West of Berkshire Joint Adults’ and Children’s Annual Safeguarding Conference will be held at Easthampstead Park on Friday 22 September 2017. The conference will focus on Mental Health and Safeguarding and include two keynote speakers. Mental Health versus Mental Illness – Dr Kumaran Gohula-Thevan, Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust Impact of mental illness – Thomas Jordan, SANE, the ...
Funding and Training events 19 July
11 July 2017
Are you looking for funding for your group? You may have seen that we have had a series of funding events running in June and July. Don’t worry if you’ve missed the sessions so far, we have one more day on Wednesday 19 July with lots on offer…
Fun cycling sessions every Thursday at Rivermead
11 July 2017
Sport in Mind and BikeSmart Reading are running fun drop-in cycling sessions for people experiencing mental health problems. The sessions are at Rivermead Leisure Centre , Richfield Avenue, Reading RG1 8EQ on Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 2:30 pm Come and have a go at cycling, or refresh your skills for free. Bikes will be available ...
RCVYS needs your urgent support this week!
10 July 2017At RCVYS we have just been made aware that Reading Borough Council INTENDS TO STOP OUR CONTRACT AT THE END OF JULY. Unfortunately no-one from RBC has informed us of this directly, and we only found out about this from council committee papers. We have less than a week to make as much noise as ...
Reading’s Health and Wellbeing Board – 14 July
7 July 2017The next meeting of Reading’s Health and Wellbeing Board is on Friday 14 July at 2pm in the Council Chamber. The agenda includes: An update on the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) for Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West. The STP approach includes A shift the focus of care from treatment to prevention Access to the highest quality primary, community ...
Reading City of Sanctuary – Exciting news!
6 July 2017
Exciting news! Reading is now officially a City of Sanctuary and we are proud to extend the welcome of our town to people who come here seeking safety. We want those fleeing violence and persecution in their own countries to feel safe and secure here. We are committed to taking practical steps to welcome and integrate all ...
Reading Domestic Abuse Forum: child to parent/carer abuse
6 July 2017The Reading Domestic Abuse Forum is co-ordinated by Reading Borough Council and is open to everyone whose service works with the general public. If you are working in a public facing role across Reading Borough Council, partner organisations or the voluntary sector at some point you will almost certainly interact with either a victim or ...
Kings Fund GSK Impact Awards
6 July 20172018 GSK IMPACT Awards are now open for applications The Awards provide funding and training and development for charities doing excellent work to improve people’s health. They are funded by GSK and managed in partnership with The King’s Fund. The awards are open to registered charities that are at least three years old, working in a ...
Office space to rent at the library
5 July 2017
Is your charity or other non-profit organisation looking for office space? We might have just what you’ve been looking for, in a convenient location right in the heart of Reading. Reading UK CIC is offering space to lease on the top floor of Reading Central Library, as follows: Office for up to 6-8 people: £7,200 pa Office for ...
Could your organisation benefit from the Pilotlight effect?
4 July 2017Pilotlight is a national charity that supports small to medium charities and social enterprises to become bigger, better or more sustainable. Two years on, after working with us, our charity partners are on average reaching 53% more people and generating 28% more income. Could this be your organisation? Through facilitated coaching from volunteer senior business mentors, ...
The new Reading ‘Children’s Single Point of Access’
4 July 2017The contact arrangements for accessing Early Help and Safeguarding support for children have just changed. The new ‘Children’s Single Point of Access’ (CSPA) will be the place to refer for all Child Protection, Early Help, and Disabled Children’s Services. Access will be via: Secure web form: www.reading.gov.uk/childrensreferralform Telephone: 0118 937 3641 (Monday to Friday 9 am – 5 ...
New programme for girls and women
4 July 2017Join us if you want to learn self defence, mindfulness or just want to become more resilient. This programme is for ALL levels of physical abilities, and great way of having fun and finding your own Girl Power. Venue: Squash Court, Meadway Sports Centre, Conwy Close, Tilehurst, Reading RG30 4BZ. Every Tuesday and Thursday 6:30 – 8:00 ...
Last chance to book your place for Wellbeing Forum on 14 July!
4 July 2017
We would love to see you if: you could support people who live in residential care homes your services and activities help people to maintain a healthy lifestyle (exercise, healthy eating, relaxation)? you want to find out more about Reading Borough Council’s Welfare Reform and Debt Advice teams Come along to the next Wellbeing Forum on Friday 14 July ...