Here you can keep up with the latest from Reading’s 1000+ voluntary organisations and other voluntary sector news from around the area.
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 ...
Public Rights of Way consultation – open until 24 July 2021
9 June 2021Reading Borough Council (RBC) are encouraging residents to have their say on how they currently use Reading’s Public Rights of Way Network, in a bid to provide a better experience for its users and encourage active travel. What is a Public Right of Way? Public Rights of Way are rights across land accessible by the public, which ...
A warm Reading welcome given to the riders of the Tour de Thanks
9 June 2021
A group of fantastic volunteers were on hand to welcome the riders of the Tour de Thanks as it rolled into Reading on Sunday 6 June, coinciding with this year’s Volunteers’ Week celebrations. The volunteers, part of the Reading Voluntary Action and Greater Reading Nepalese Community Association team supporting the Central and Whitely vaccination hub, received ...
The 7Stars Foundation, project grant funding for working with young people – returning 1st March 2022
7 June 2021
The 7stars Foundation supports the most challenged young people in the United Kingdom They assist forgotten young people aged 16 years and under, lacking opportunity, to achieve their potential. The funding looks to support those challenged by abuse, addiction, those who are young carers, and those without a safe place to call home. Project grants of ...
Covid surge testing starts in Reading
4 June 2021
A Covid surge testing programme is underway for residents, workers and students over the age of 12 in the following postcode areas: RG1 3 RG1 5 RG1 6 RG1 7 Testing takes place from Monday 7 June until Sunday 20 June. There is currently no change to local restrictions in the light of this testing. You can still travel to work and school in the affected areas. Please continue to follow public health advice and national guidelines to minimise the spread ...
Smart Works Reading receives The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
2 June 2021
Smart Works Reading, a women’s employment support organisation, has been honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. Smart Works Reading tackles a root cause of poverty by helping disadvantaged women in the Thames Valley into work. Since the charity opened in 2015, it has ...
No5 Young People receives The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
2 June 2021
Congratulations to No5 Young People! No5’s dedicated volunteer counsellors, Young Ambassadors and Trustees have been honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. No5 provides free, confidential mental health support, counselling and preventative outreach for young people aged 11-25 who live, work or study in the ...
Looking for adults aged 65 and over to test our online food and drink questionnaire
2 June 2021Nutritionists from the University of Reading are looking for adults aged 65 and over to use our online food and drink questionnaire, eNutri. Volunteers will be asked to record their diet using two different online food and drink questionnaires on multiple occasions within a 2-week period. You will not need to change your diet during ...
Help us provide a warm Reading welcome to the Tour de Thanks!
27 May 2021
As part of National Volunteers Week (1-7 June) Paul Reddish, our CEO at Volunteering Matters, is undertaking a 1,000km cycle thank you tour, from Edinburgh to London and many places in between, thanking lots of incredible Covid volunteers of all kinds with some special edition #PinYourThanks pins. We’ve called it the Tour de Thanks. Paul will be cycling ...
BBC Radio Berkshire ‘The Group Chat’ looking for panellists under 30
27 May 2021
An opportunity to take part in a BBC Radio Berkshire panel discussion on Friday evenings Alex West (@agwestie on Twitter) is hosting a new show on BBC Radio Berkshire, from 7–10pm on Friday evenings, aimed at young people aged 20–35. He is looking for Reading residents, aged under 30, to be part of a regularly rotating ...
Free suicide prevention training for faith-based organisations in Berkshire
27 May 2021
Learn to have a conversation that could save a life Buckinghamshire Mind, on behalf of Health Education England, is offering free virtual Suicide First Aid training to faith sector employees or volunteers in Berkshire. ‘Faith groups make an important contribution to improving health and wellbeing through their commitment to service, both with their own members and with ...
Seeking volunteers to support School Streets initiative at Wilson Road
27 May 2021
A School Street closes the road outside the school from traffic for up to 45 minutes, twice a day, during school term time only School Streets give children the chance to walk, cycle or scoot to school safely in the street of the school without danger from traffic. School Streets give children a chance to get ...
Journey Art workshops at Open Hand Open Space
27 May 2021
Open Hand Open Space (OHOS) are running a series of free Journey Art workshops in May and June, with the aim of bringing together the local community, local artists and Reading Refugee Support Group. The workshops will be led by OHOS artist Güler Ates, and will be a chance to explore the journey theme through printmaking, ...
Spotlight on The Woodland Improvement Team
26 May 2021
As part of a new collaboration between Reading Voluntary Action and the Caversham Bridge Newspaper, we recently shared this introduction to the Woodland Improvement Team with its readers. We will be sharing further items shining a light on different volunteer lead projects in the coming months. The Woodland Improvement Team are a volunteer group led by The ...
Become a ‘Welcome to Reading’ Volunteer Ambassador
26 May 2021
Are you proud of Reading and interested in helping welcome visitors back to our town? Reading UK is recruiting a team of volunteer Welcome Ambassadors to support the re-opening of Reading’s economy. With leisure rail travel in the UK due to start up again in late June, Ambassadors will operate a mobile visitor information service ...
It’s Volunteers’ Week next week. Time to say #ThxRdgukVols
26 May 2021
Next week (1-7 June 2021) is national Volunteers’ Week A chance to recognise the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities and say thank you Over the past year, volunteers have been at the forefront of the response to the Covid-19 crisis. Volunteers, both informally in their neighbourhoods and through formal organisations, have taken on countless tasks ...
Versus Arthritis BAME tackling inequalities fund – physical activity
24 May 2021
The funding will be targeted to help support people with long-term health conditions, Black, Asian minority ethnic groups and lower socio-economic groups. As well as supporting specific activities to increase availability of exercise opportunities in local communities, this fund will also support organisations and groups facing financial hardship due to the Covid crisis, with a ...
The Naturesave Trust grants – next funding window 1 September to 31 December 2021
24 May 2021
Grants are awarded for UK based environmental projects from between £500 and £5,000, covering nature conservation, renewable energy and help to create more sustainable communities. They endeavour to support small projects that make a big difference. Whilst they occasionally work with leading charities they prefer to assist community organisations and small charities. Who can apply? Charities, social enterprises and ...
Tesco Community Grants
24 May 2021
Tesco Community Grants helps to fund thousands of local projects across the country. Since 2016 the scheme has supported over 36,000 community groups with more than £85million in grants. The scheme aims to make a positive difference – because where communities thrive, business and colleagues thrive too. Tesco Community Grants is a rolling programme and open ...
Prince’s Trust Team Programme for 16-25 year olds
21 May 2021
The Prince’s Trust are running a course for 16-25 year olds who are not in full-time education or employment This is a 12-week personal development programme to help unemployed young people build confidence, meet new people, acquire new skills and gain a qualification. Students who complete the course can achieve a BTEC level 1 in Employment, ...