Here you can keep up with the latest from Reading’s 1000+ voluntary organisations and other voluntary sector news from around the area.
Safeguarding resources during the coronavirus pandemic
23 March 2020
Whether you’re wishing to train up new volunteers or adapting your services to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important to continue delivering safe activities. To help you deliver training remotely to your staff and volunteers, we have collected some free and heavily subsidised online resources: Download SAFE CIC’s top tips for safeguarding during the coronavirus ...
Updated guidance from Berkshire West Safeguarding Children Partnership
18 February 2020
All services working with children and families across Berkshire West are part of the Berkshire West Safeguarding Children Partnership and each organisation has an important role to play. The new Simple Guide to the new Local Safeguarding Arrangements has been designed to help you understand your role in the Berkshire West Safeguarding Children Partnership. You ...
DBS guide for working with adults in the charity sector
14 February 2020The DBS service have updated their guidance for working with adults in the voluntary community and charity sector The guidance, which includes example scenarios, can be found here: DBS Guide Working with Adults in the Charity Sector Please note there is a separate guidance for working with children. You may also wish to take a look at this ...
DBS guide for working with children in the charity sector
14 February 2020The DBS service have updated their guidance for those in the voluntary, community and charity sector. The guidance, which can be found here, includes example scenarios: DBS Guide: Working with Children in the Charity Sector Please note there is a separate guidance for working with adults. You may also wish to take a look at RVA’s guide for ...
Legal update: Holiday calculations and zero hours or part year contracts
24 January 2020The government has published updated guidance on holiday entitlements: Holiday entitlement updated guidance, November 2019 Holiday entitlement calculator For organisations who engage zero hours and/or part year workers, the recent case of Harper v Brazil Trust EAT (2018) has determined that there is a risk of underpayments when using the using the ‘12.07% of hours worked’ rule when ...
New safeguarding tool for charities
22 January 2020
Every organisation that delivers charitable activities has a responsibility to safeguard people from harm or abuse, whether they are staff members, volunteers, or other people who come into contact with your charity through its work. The government has designed a new digital tool to help charities handle the reporting of safeguarding concerns or allegations about the behaviour ...
Free workshops on wellbeing – understanding, improving and measuring
10 December 2019
Workshops on understanding, improving and measuring wellbeing, February to May 2020 The What Works Centre for Wellbeing, supported by the National Lottery Community Fund, has announced a programme of free workshops around the country, designed specifically for small to medium-sized charities, starting in February 2020. Introductory workshops These workshops will cover wellbeing concepts and evidence, how to use ...
Tech to Connect finalists
21 November 2019The next Ready Friends Befriending Forum will focus on how technology can help reduce loneliness and social isolation. Following the publication of the government’s Loneliness Strategy in October 2018, a new funding programme was launched to offer development funding and support to online technology that reduces loneliness and social isolation. A summary of the finalists’ projects ...
Free online safeguarding resources from NCVO
17 October 2019
Every charity, voluntary or community group, regardless of type and size, should be a safe place for all its beneficiaries, supporters, volunteers and staff. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has published a comprehensive collection of free resources – briefings, guides, tools, podcasts and videos. They are straightforward, practical and based on real world experience ...
Befriending Week – are you ready?
2 October 2019
Countdown to Befriending Week 2019! Only 1 month to go. Are you ready? This year the theme puts a spotlight on health and wellbeing. To help you prepare for this year’s celebrations, visit the Befriending Week Resources section of our website to download the free resource pack . This includes social media posts, Facebook cover image, Twitter ...
RVA Services Administrator – closing date 7 August 2019
17 July 2019RVA are looking for a Services Administrator who will manage the processes required to support RVA’s services, staff and board, ensuring that systems are being operated consistently throughout the organisation. The purpose of the role is to provide administrative support services to ensure the smooth running of the charity. Working hours: 37 hours a week (flexible ...
Free resources for charity leaders from Clore Social Leadership
15 July 2019
Clore Social Leadership has developed some free resources for those in leadership positions in the voluntary and community sector to help address leadership challenges. These tools are referred to as the ‘Backpack’ and contain the most impactful leadership tools they have gathered in the past 10 years of running leadership programmes, and contain the following ...
Safeguarding update – the Charity Commission reports on Oxfam
19 June 2019
A summary of the Charity Commission inquiry into the Oxfam Haiti scandal, outlining the key findings. Followed by a checklist of ‘lessons learnt’ that your charity can use to ensure good safeguarding practice, regardless of whether you are a small community group or a larger charity.
RVA Summer Intern – closing date 7 June 2019
22 May 2019Intern required at RVA for the coordination of a youth summer activity programme RVA is looking for an intern to work alongside the Youth Project Coordinator to create, promote, attend and report on a calendar of youth summer holiday activities across Reading. Main tasks include Creating a calendar of all youth activities taking place across Reading during the ...
Free fundraising tool for small charities and groups
14 September 2018The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) have developed ‘Fundraising Fundamentals‘, a free fundraising tool to help small charities and groups to develop a fundraising strategy. It includes four sections: Getting started Including where you are now and where you would like to get too, and a very simple SWOT analysis to help you; Know your donors This covers knowing who to ...
Who can act as a Trustee or Senior Manager? New Disqualification Rules
29 January 2018The law relating to who can act as a charity trustee or a senior manager of a charity will change from 1 August 2018. This factsheet gives a brief overview on what to expect and the next steps for charities to take.
Accounting Records and Reporting to the Charities Commission
30 January 2017Unsure whether you need to prepare accounts, what form this should take and whether you have to file them with the Charities Commission? What about Annual Returns and Trustee’s Reports? This simplfied factsheet is an introduction to reporting and provides a checklist for all organisations including community associations, CIOs and charitable companies.
AGM guide
16 January 2017Are you unsure about how to hold an AGM? This short guide takes you through the process step by step.
How to become a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Assocation)
5 December 2016A guide for existing unincorporated associations who want to change to an incorporated structure of a CIO. What are the benefits, what do you need to plan for and how do you go about changing your structure?
“In Kind Direct” provides donated goods to local groups
18 June 2015In Kind Direct is a national charity that helps organisations get the things they need to support communities. They do this by taking donations of goods from manufacturers and retailers and redistributing them to charities and not for profit organisations. From cleaning products to keep your premises sparkling, to packs of essential toiletries for people in crisis. As organisations only have ...