Category Archives: Featured

The Mayor of Reading’s annual choir competition is expanding to also welcome applications from local soloists, duets, and singing groups as it returns for 2024. The contest is divided into three age categories and a panel of judges, including Reading Mayor, Cllr Tony Page, will select up to 6 entrants from each category. Successful finalists will be part of the grand Let’s Sing final, performing live on The Hexagon stage on Tuesday 26 March. Continue reading Let’s Sing Reading now open to all vocalists as it returns for 2024!→

If your organisation has any volunteers over the age of 65, we would love to invite you to take part in the Senior Changemakers: Volunteering Champions project. Following the launch of the Unifying Generations initiative last year, which aimed to change the perceptions of the older population and emphasize their positive contribution to society, Edwards Lifesciences are proud to present the Senior Changemakers project, which aims to highlight and reward those at the heart of volunteering. Continue reading Senior Changemakers – nominate for the chance of a £2,000 donation→

Together UK Reading are thrilled to share that they have been shortlisted for not just one, but two prestigious awards in the Thames Valley Business & Community Awards 2024 – Outstanding Contribution to The Community and The Charity of The Year. With over 1100 overall nominations for the awards, being shortlisted is a huge achievement for this small but mighty charity. Continue reading Together UK Reading nominated for two awards→

Reading Community Energy Society has just opened a new share offer to raise additional capital to extend its portfolio of solar PV systems and increase the positive impact it is having in the Reading area. Building on the success of the previous two share offers, this new share offer seeks to raise £97,000 to refinance the installation of a new solar PV system at the newly-redeveloped School of Art building at University of Reading. Continue reading New Reading Community Energy Society share offer open→

Residents are urged to stay safe as the countdown to Christmas begins and avoid buying fake or dangerous goods or falling prey to illegal lenders. The council is again supporting the annual national anti-loan shark campaign, #ShopSmartNotShark. Loan sharks are targeting vulnerable people seeking credit and trapping them into a cycle of debt with exorbitant interest rates and threats of violence especially over the festive period and afterwards. Continue reading Residents urged to be scam-smart this Christmas→

Season’s Greetings from the RVA team – At the end of another year, as our thoughts turn to the holidays and the New Year, we give thanks as ever to the amazing voluntary and community sector in Reading. RVA will be closed from 4 pm Thursday 21 December 2023 until Tuesday 2 January 2024. The Social Prescribing service will also be closed from Thursday 21 December 2023 until Tuesday 2 January 2024. Continue reading Season’s Greetings from RVA→

Across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West we have been given money to develop better ways of working with local communities. The idea of the network is to help make sure that the views of all communities are included in health and care research and healthcare planning. We want to make sure research and planning becomes more equitable. We know that great work is already happening but that it may not always be shared with everyone that could use it. Continue reading Have your say: Help make health research and planning more equitable→

Taking part in creative activity, especially with other people, boosts your wellbeing and makes you feel more connected to the place you live. Creative Lives is a national charity working with RBC to support local opportunities for creativity, and they are offering grants to help you make this happen. Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Creative Lives are inviting applications for grant awards of either £500 or £1,000 to fund opportunities for everyone to get involved in creative activities. Continue reading Seed funds for creative activities in Reading Borough→

Reading Borough Council has opened applications for round 2 of its Small Grants Fund 2023/24. £100k is available to encourage grassroots and innovative community action and the criteria are non-prescriptive to enable communities to apply for funding to support activities that are right for their community. Individual organisations can apply for up to a £5k grant. Continue reading Small Grants Fund round 2 now open→

Reading Borough Council is now consulting on the Local Plan Partial Update until 31 January 2024. Once adopted, the Local Plan will be the main document that informs how planning applications are determined and covers a wide variety of strategic matters, policies and specific sites for development. The Local Plan Partial Update Scope and Content document is on the Council’s website at: www.reading.gov.uk/localplanupdate and copies can also be viewed at the Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU. Continue reading Local Plan consultation open→