Category Archives: Featured

Age UK Berkshire are delighted to announce the launch of a new Friendly Gardeners Group, which will start on the 26 April 2019 at the Friends Meeting House on Church Street. The group will meet every Friday morning for two hours until October 2019 and will be run by Christina (a qualified Horticultural therapist) who will support the group with gardening as a means to improve health and wellbeing, as well as making friends. Continue reading Age UK Berkshire launches new Friendly Gardeners Group→

The National Lottery Community Fund funding officer for Reading will be offering one-to-one sessions to Reading voluntary and community groups on Thursday 27 June 2019 at the RVA offices, on the Third Floor of the Central Library. At your one-to-one, you will have the have the opportunity to canvas your idea for funding, whether it is for an existing service or an idea about a new service or activity. Continue reading National Lottery Community Fund funding surgery→

Reading Soup still have two slots for community organisations to pitch for funding at their next Reading Soup event, on May 1. Reading Soup is a grassroots, community fundraising organisation supporting community projects in the Reading area. They’re inspired by the original Detroit SOUP, and are run by a committee of five volunteers. They hold fundraising dinners in Reading every other month. Community groups who pitch could benefit from around £200-300 of funding from their crowdfunding pot. Continue reading Looking for funding? Pitch to Reading Soup→

Local charity ABC to Read is celebrating 15 years of providing trained volunteers to support Berkshire children who are struggling to read. To celebrate its 15th birthday, the charity hopes to help a record number of children develop a love of reading to enhance their lives. Plans include supporting a school and orphanage in Malawi by setting up a library, as well as launching a Reading Buddy workshop in secondary schools, training sixth form pupils to support younger ones. Continue reading Local charity celebrates 15 years of reading with youngsters→

The University of Reading is internationally recognised for its excellence in research on the relationship between diet and chronic disease. They are currently looking for volunteers to participate in two studies. The ENVAL study testing a diet app developed by researchers from the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences and the Whey2glo Study investigating how dairy and plant proteins control blood sugar levels and vascular health. Continue reading Participate in nutrition studies at the University of Reading→

RBC has published a discussion paper on the Statement of Community Involvement for consultation. The SCI is a planning document that details how consultation and community involvement on plans and major developments will be carried out. RBC’s most recent SCI was adopted in March 2014. The council is now considering whether there is a need to revise the SCI. The council is now seeking your views on the proposals set out in the discussion paper. Continue reading Take part in RBC’s consultation on their Statement of Community Involvement→

This year’s Reading Water Fest – on Saturday 15 June 2019 – will celebrate the event’s 30th anniversary. The event takes place in Forbury Gardens, the Abbey Ruins and along The Kennet between Chestnut Walk and the Riverside Museum. RBC and The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust are working together once again and hope you can join them for a very enjoyable day! Continue reading Apply for free community and charity stalls at Reading Water Fest→

The NHS in Reading is changing, and it needs your help. The Government is investing an extra £20bn a year in the NHS until 2023. You can help decide how that money should be spent in our local NHS. Please take part in a short survey at www.healthwatch.co.uk/what-would-you-do today. Healthwatch Reading will also be holding in-depth focus groups over the next eight weeks to gather your thoughts, views and stories about what matters most. Continue reading What would you do to make the NHS better in Reading?→

Preparations for the 2019 Reading Thames Festivals are in full flow, and we’re very keen to understand the kinds of events and activities that local people enjoy, if they’d like to participate, and how best to let them know about what’s happening. With our colleagues at the University of Reading, we have created a short survey, which is open until Sunday 24 March 2019. Continue reading Reading on Thames Festival – input wanted on events and activities→

Reading’s Loneliness and Social Isolation steering group is keen to hear from any older people’s services, local care homes, and voluntary and community groups that may already be delivering such a scheme – or are interested in doing so. Members of the steering group would like to gain more insight into what’s worked well, and perhaps not so well, and whether there are opportunities for older and younger Reading residents to benefit from new initiatives. Continue reading Intergenerational schemes to reduce loneliness and social isolation→