Here you can keep up with the latest from Reading’s 1000+ voluntary organisations and other voluntary sector news from around the area.
Street parties are back in September
16 July 2021
Great news for anyone planning to hold a street party this year – Reading Borough Council has confirmed that it will waive its road closure fees for any weekend in September 2021. So if you are planning to hold a small street party and can arrange it for September you can close your road and ...
Veg4Reading aims to double donated harvest this year!
14 July 2021
Veg4Reading was set up as an emergency response to the Coronavirus crisis last year and provided over 1 tonne of fresh fruit and veg that had been grown, collected and shared with hundreds of families and others badly affected by the crisis. But with many people still struggling on reduced incomes, basic food parcels continue ...
Updated Government Roadmap – Summer 2021
14 July 2021
This week the Government announced their updated Roadmap for Summer 2021 indicating that we may be moving to Step 4 from the 19 July 2021. Further announcements are still awaited. These will be shared when available but do continue to check the gov.uk website regularly. Many of the restrictions will be lifted (as detailed in the ...
Business Interruption Insurance – is your charity eligible to make a claim?
14 July 2021
Earlier in the year the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) successfully brought a test case in the Supreme Court in relation to business interruption insurance, meaning that there is a lot more clarity around when an organisation may be eligible to make a claim. If your voluntary or community group had to close for a period ...
Advance notice: formal bidding process of Caversham Court long leasehold disposal/short-term lease – opens 21 July until 17 September 2021
13 July 2021
This is advance notice to the voluntary and community sector that the formal bidding process through the open market and also through the third sector process for the Caversham Court long leasehold or short-term lease will open on 21 July. Local voluntary organisations are invited to submit their proposals by 12 noon on 17 September 2021. The ...
Health on the Move van
7 July 2021
Look out for the ‘Health on the Move’ van next week The van will be at the Oxford Road Community Centre on 15 and 16 July, from 12 – 6pm. There will be local healthcare professionals on board, ready to answer any questions about health. Everyone is welcome! You don’t need an appointment, and you don’t have to ...
Be part of Age UK Reading’s Happy Feet team
7 July 2021
Age UK Reading are looking for new people to join the team delivering their Happy Feet service Age UK Reading is a local charity working to help local people. They help older people live well for longer. As part of this they provide a Happy Feet toenail cutting service to people over the age of 50. Being ...
Vaccination programme open to all unvaccinated adults in Reading – extended until 9 July
6 July 2021
RBC’s extra vaccination programme is now open to all unvaccinated adults in Reading until 9 July Anyone in Reading who is 18 or over and has not had any doses of the vaccine can get their first dose at Reading Borough Council Civic Offices, Bridge Street RG1 2LU, until Friday, 9 July. The centre is open to all ...
Reading Threshold of Need – online briefing for staff and volunteers working with children, young people and families
1 July 2021
The Reading Threshold of Need briefing is aimed at anyone who works with children, young people and families in Reading. This includes paid staff and volunteers. It is suitable for those who might be new to their role and/or new to the Reading area and more experienced staff or volunteers who want to refresh their ...
Free PPE for voluntary sector organisations
1 July 2021
The Department of Health and Social Care is offering free PPE (personal protective equipment) for use by voluntary sector organisations. You can express your interest in this free PPE by completing this short form with a few details and then a representative of DHSC will contact you to arrange delivery. Please note that the details you ...
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 ...