Here you can keep up with the latest from Reading’s 900+ voluntary organisations and other voluntary sector news from around the area.
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 ...
NCVO publish model policies for members
9 May 2016The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) have added a number of model HR policies to their ‘Knowhow Nonprofit’ website aimed at small voluntary groups. It’s a really useful resource if you don’t already have a full set of policies in place and a good range of templates is provided. You need to be a NCVO ...
Trustee matching and volunteering
9 May 201612.15-14.15 Trustees play an essential role in our society, making our charity sector work. It’s a hugely rewarding role but it’s important to know what’s involved before committing. Trustees are the volunteers responsible for the oversight and direction of charities. A good board of trustees will bring a wide range of skills to a charity and help ...
The difference we make – good news stories from CCGs
3 May 2016Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Groups fund a wide range of voluntary organisations both through the Partnership Development Fund and by directly commissioning services. The CCGs have begun to promote the great projects they fund through case studies published on their websites. The Age UK Berkshire Living Well project aims to help those over the age of ...
Improving eye and end of life services for patients
3 May 2016NHS commissioners want to hear what people think about two services: the ophthalmology service that treats minor eye conditions the end of life and palliative care service Two projects are underway to look at these services, as part of the CCGs’ transformation programme, which builds on the feedback we had last autumn, when people gave their views about ...
“The best Wellbeing Forum ever!”
3 May 2016Thank you to everyone who attended the Wellbeing Forum on 28th April. More than 40 people came to discuss how to measure the difference that their services and activities make to the people they support. Speakers from the Big Lottery, Reading Borough Council and Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Groups gave examples of the range of evidence ...
Join us for Eat Reading during Volunteers’ Week to celebrate your work and recruit volunteers
27 April 2016On Friday 3 June in Reading town centre Eat Reading and Volunteers’ Week 2016 will coincide. We are looking for organisations to join us who would like to raise funds and/or recruit volunteers. Do you want to sell food during the day to raise funds for your organisation? Do you want to raise the profile of your ...
Still time to help make Reading Town Meal!
27 April 2016Reading’s Town Meal is run entirely by volunteers and community groups and now tasty meal-maker rewards are now on offer to community donors who help make it happen in 2016. Over 1,000 people are served up a mouth-watering meal made from fresh fruit & veg donated by home-growers, cooked and served up by Reading College ...
Promote your organisation at Sunday Assembly Reading
26 April 2016Local charities and community organisations are welcome at Sunday Assembly Reading to give a brief announcement about their work or volunteering opportunities. We are particularly keen to give a voice to small charities. We are a non-religious community group that meets once a month to sing pop songs together, listen to great talks and enjoy tea ...
Reading Water Fest: book your stall now
25 April 2016Reading Water Fest will be taking place on Saturday 11 June 2016 between 11am and 5pm. The event will run from the Forbury Gardens along the Kennet between Chestnut Walk and the Riverside Museum. Reading Borough Council and The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust are working together once again and hope you can join them ...
The future of Mothertongue Multi-Ethnic Counselling Service
25 April 2016We wish to advise all our referrers, beneficiaries, friends and supporters that Mothertongue multi-ethnic counselling service has decided to complete its work in 2018. We are communicating this now so that people have 2 years to digest the information and to make any preparations necessary. With two years’ notice we hope that you will appreciate that ...
RVA launches community buildings package
21 April 2016Running a community building can be daunting and it can be hard to know where to get all the right information from. That’s why RVA has put together its Community Buildings Package, containing the relevant information to get your committee on track. You can chose all or any of the products we offer and, if there ...