Here you can keep up with the latest from Reading’s 1000+ voluntary organisations and other voluntary sector news from around the area.
Henry Smith Charity – Improving Lives grant programme
4 January 2021
The Improving Lives grant programme provides grants to charitable organisations that help people when other sources of support have failed, are inappropriate, or are simply not available. They support established organisations delivering services directly to beneficiaries. They are looking for services which can demonstrate a track record of success, and evidence the effectiveness of the work. Grants ...
B&Q community re-use scheme
4 January 2021
DIY stores B&Q operate a community re-use scheme through all its branches in the UK. The scheme donates unsellable products and materials for re-use by local schools, other educational institutions and community groups, for the benefit of the community and the environment. The types of material includes: Wood, including off cuts and single use pallets Plastic plant ...
Covid-19 vaccination roll out in Berkshire West
4 January 2021
Health teams from across Berkshire West have started the successful roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination with hundreds of local people receiving their jabs in the last two weeks before Christmas. To date it’s been delivered at six sites across our area, with more starting early in the new year. The first group of people to ...
Office space available
4 January 2021
Attractive and light office space available in business park in Caversham Dimensions: 7.2 metres x 2.89 metres. Suitable for 5+ people working at their own desks comfortably, with space for a meeting table, shelving, storage, etc. Option of empty or partially furnished. Some parking outside and plenty of parking available free for 2 hrs in local streets for ...
How to protect your charity from cyber attacks
9 December 2020As we approach the holiday season, it is completely natural that staff and volunteers may be feeling tired and juggling end of year duties. It may be far from our minds, but it is also worth remembering that charities are still vulnerable to cyber attacks, especially at this time, and to be extra vigilant about ...
Why language matters when talking about race and diversity
17 November 2020
Azra Raja is working on an inclusion framework for the voluntary sector in Reading, to help managers and trustees consider equality, diversity and inclusion in their own organisations. Here is a link to Azra’s introductory article if you missed it the first time round. Please contact Azra by emailing azra.raja@rva.org.uk if you have any questions ...
New Charity Commission 5-minute guides for trustees
3 November 2020
The Charity Commission have launched their new 5-minute guides as part of Trustees’ Week 2020. These are designed as simple, easy to understand guides, designed to help trustees run their charities in line with the law. The new guides cover five key aspects of charity governance – a ‘core syllabus’ covering the basics that the regulator ...
New process maps from ACAS to help you navigate workplace changes
2 September 2020
As the country is slowly easing out of lockdown, many organisations are cautiously and gradually returning to the workplace or planning to do so. If you are a charity or voluntary group that employs individuals, then the trustees are employers in law. For help with mapping out a process and ensuring the board thinks through ...
Research into the impact of Covid-19 on Punjabi communities
26 August 2020
Research has shown that communities racialised as Black and minority ethnic (BAME) have experienced Covid-19 and lock-down distinctly differently from their counterparts racialised as white, with BAME groups more likely to die from Covid-19 once diagnosed and reporting higher levels of mental distress. Taraki – a team of grassroots groups and activists with academic and lived ...
Sight loss: helping you to help others during coronavirus
1 July 2020
Many people who haven’t interacted with anyone with sight loss before often feel worried about saying or doing the wrong thing, so the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) have created a few top tips to help you answer your concerns. If you haven’t been around many people with sight loss before, it’s perfectly normal ...
Free fast-track volunteer befriender training launched
9 April 2020
In response to the changing needs of befriending organisations at this time, Befriending Networks has developed a new Interim Volunteer Training programme to help organisations train their volunteers to provide telephone/distance befriending and/or to provide a fast track training method for new volunteers coming forward during the pandemic. Befriending Networks has developed this training to help ...
Employment Law changes from 6 April 2020
6 April 2020
Further to last year’s Taylor Review and the Good Work Plan, new employment legislation comes into force today, Monday 6 April 2020. The changes include: Parental bereavement leave and pay; Written statement of employment particulars to be issued from day one of employment and must now also include: the days the employee or worker must work and if ...
Telephone befriending – training package
31 March 2020
Keeping in touch with people if you are feeling lonely and isolated has never been more important and this need will increase as the weeks pass. Existing befriending schemes are now switching from face-to-face to telephone-based befriending. Other voluntary, neighbourhood and community groups are looking into how to make the most of their volunteers to offer ...
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 ...