Here you can keep up with the latest from Reading’s 900+ voluntary organisations and other voluntary sector news from around the area.
Older People’s Day 2016 – call for inspirational speaker
15 July 2016Reading’s celebration of Older People’s Day 2016 will take place on Friday 14 October. Plans are already underway for a packed programme of activities including music, dance, singing and walking football. As in previous years, there will be plenty of opportunities to find about the local support, clubs, activities and services that are available to ...
Community Safety Fund – consultation on funding arrangements
15 July 2016
The Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is reviewing the arrangements for administering the Community Safety Fund (CSF). The decision to review the community safety funding model, financial commitment and future administration arrangements of the fund has arisen, in part, due to the PCCs awareness of significantly different arrangements adopted by other PCCs across ...
Safeguarding children and adults with disabilities
13 July 2016West of Berkshire Joint Adults’ and Children’s Safeguarding Conference is being held on Friday 23rd September. The focus of this year’s conference is Safeguarding Children and Adults with Disabilities. The conference will provide an opportunity for practitioners working across a range of services to come together to develop their skills and knowledge. There will be two keynote ...
Re-shaping Reading’s Mental Health Services – Have your say
13 July 2016We are reshaping mental health services in Reading and we want to hear from you to help us build the new model. We are thinking about including a Recovery College in the new model, to help people gain new skills in order to live more fulfilling lives. The Recovery College will provide a variety of courses ...
Launch of Troubled Families Innovation Fund – 18th July 2016
12 July 2016The Reading Troubled Families Board will be launching the Innovation Fund at 10am on the Third Floor at Central Library. The fund will open for applications for up to £15,000 from Reading voluntary and community organisations. A key principle that Reading must demonstrate as part of Phase Two of the Troubled Families (TF) Programme is how the ...
Summer at St Michael’s Church, Tilehurst
12 July 2016St Michael’s Church in Tilehurst are welcoming visitors to their summer services. They hold services on most Sundays at 8am, 9.30am and 6.30pm, and on Wednesdays at 10am. Details can be found on the church website. The St Michael’s Summer Thanksgiving service for all ages takes place on Sunday 17th July at 9.30am. This service is ...
Certificate in Counselling Skills Course
7 July 2016The Philippi Trust is offering training for people who want to take the first step towards training as a counsellor. The Certificate in Counselling Skills Level 2 (CSK-L2) is a 92-hour course which will be held over 12 Saturdays between October 2016 and May 2017 (subject to a minimum number of students enrolling). The training is suitable ...
Voluntary Sector Showcase
6 July 2016Come to this showcase event and find out about the new voluntary sector services commissioned by Reading Borough Council through the Narrowing the Gap framework. Chat to providers and learn how their services and activities can benefit our local communities. The newly commissioned services come under seven themes: Tackling poverty Meeting basic needs Maximising income Employability Healthy and thriving communities Supporting participation ...
Strategies and research – new RVA resource page
5 July 2016In response to requests over recent months, Reading Voluntary Action has developed a resource which provides easy links to resources that you might find helpful when planning your services and applying for funding. It is becoming increasingly important for voluntary and community groups to demonstrate how their services seek to address needs within local communities. It ...
West of Berkshire Safeguarding Adults Board – update
4 July 2016“Safeguarding means looking out for and trying to protect others in our community who are vulnerable, or may be at risk of harm. If you think that someone is at risk, you need to raise an alarm. Everyone can make a difference” I recently attended the West of Berkshire Safeguarding Adults Board. This board brings together ...
How do you manage your data?
4 July 2016A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system can help charities to: manage projects and report to funders track support given to individuals and groups provide a safe way of managing personal contact details manage and improve performance Many smaller charities use CharityLog, a cloud-based CRM system which monitors service delivery and measures project outcomes. What system do you use to manage ...
RBC’s External Funding Service – the support you can get
4 July 2016If you are a not-for-profit organisation working in Reading, for the benefit of the local community, we can offer you help with your search to find external funding. Funding Digest – We outline a selection current funding opportunities in our free monthly e-document Funding Digest. The Funding Digest includes information on a cross-section of new and ...
Funding opportunity – 2017 GSK IMPACT Awards
1 July 2016The GSK IMPACT Awards are an annual scheme, funded by GlaxoSmithKline as part of the company’s commitment to promote community health and well-being. The awards have been running since 1997, and are organised and managed in partnership with The King’s Fund, a leading independent health charity working to improve health and social care. The GSK IMPACT ...
Volunteer Coordinators’ Network – Sign up now for the July meeting
29 June 2016Our next Volunteer Coordinators’ Network (VCN) meeting takes place on 19 July 10am-12pm. The VCN, facilitated by RVA, is an opportunity for peers to come together to discuss the challenges involved in coordinating volunteers and to share experience. We will also be sharing RVA plans for the coming months, including: Developments in the way we communicate with potential ...
Police and Crime Plan Consultation
24 June 2016Your Views – Policing and Crime The Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is consulting on the views of the public on policing and crime in their local area. The results of the survey will be used to help inform the next 5 year Police and Crime Plan Take part in the survey
Social Prescribing – Moira’s story
23 June 2016
Social Prescribing is about connecting patients to non-medical sources of support to help improve their wellbeing. We can spend time with a patient to understand the activities or services that they might benefit from, and link them up with voluntary organisations and community groups that offer the support they are looking for. Reading Voluntary Action is ...
Ready Friends Afternoon Tea serves up information on befriending
21 June 2016Advice and information was offered alongside tea and cake at an event held to promote volunteer befriending earlier this month. The drop-in event, which took place on Tuesday 7 June at Reading Central Library, was organised by the Ready Friends project. For members of the public who may be interested in becoming a befriender, it was ...
Befriending Forum
18 June 2016Reading Voluntary Action and Age UK Reading warmly invite you to an information-sharing and networking event about befriending. This event is aimed at organisations from Reading and the surrounding areas that run befriending schemes, work to reduce social isolation, or are just interested in finding out more about befriending. 10.00: Arrival and coffee 10.10: The future of ...
BBC Children in Need grants for organisations helping disadvantaged children and young people.
16 June 2016BBC Children in Need have announced September deadlines for their grant programmes for groups supporting disadvantaged children and young people: Small Grants Programme Not for profit organisations such as such schools; registered charities; voluntary organisations; churches; and community interest groups; etc. can apply for grants of up to £10,000 through the BBC Children in Need Small Grants ...
Could you be an RVA Advice Worker?
15 June 2016We are looking for an individual with strong and demonstrable belief in the value of the voluntary sector with the knowledge and skills to take lead responsibility in RVA for providing charities and voluntary groups with advice, information and training on legal and technical aspects of running an organisation. The successful applicant is likely to have ...