Category Archives: Featured

To complement Reading’s Voluntary and Community Sector Survey 2024, Reading Voluntary Action has put together a survey to gather public awareness and perceptions of local charities. The short survey explores residents’ awareness of the hundreds of charities and community groups working across our town. It also gathers views on their experiences of benefiting from local services and on feelings of trust towards local charities and community groups. Continue reading Public awareness of local voluntary organisations survey→

Local residents are being invited to help choose the design for the popular play area at Emmer Green Recreation Ground, as part of the Council’s ongoing major investment in playgrounds across the town. £350,000 is being invested in Emmer Green Recreation Ground with the play equipment being upgraded to create a new, exciting and accessible play area for children aged between 3 years and 12 years. Residents can have their say on a shortlist of two possible designs at www.emmergreenplayground.commonplace.is. Continue reading New Emmer Green play area – have your say→

The council has announced a significant upgrade to its online services, to make interactions easier and more efficient. Previously, logging in to use various public-facing portals often required separate credentials. To improve your experience, there is a new Sign-On solution. This new system will allow you to access multiple services, such as: -Love Clean Reading (reporting and tracking environmental issues) -My Account (general council services) -Housing Online (housing-related matters) Continue reading Council’s online services upgraded→

At RABBLE Up, anyone in Whitley can join our weekly sessions where we learn new skills and create theatre and film projects all about Whitley! You don’t need any experience, you just need… you: -Learn new skills
-Create theatre and film projects about you and your community -Stay active and healthy -Have the opportunity to get involved on and off stage in RABBLE’s professional productions. RABBLE’s new class takes place every week at WCDA’s Whitley Community Centre Cafe, Tuesdays, 18:30. Continue reading RABBLE Up! Screen and Stage skills for the Whitley Community→

Thrive, the gardening for health charity, runs Life Changers, a free, four-month gardening programme for those living with a life-changing illness or injury to enable them to improve their health and wellbeing. Whether recovering from a stroke, cancer or surgery, or living with a long-term condition like diabetes or multiple sclerosis, people experiencing a life-changing health condition can experience the joy of gardening, build new friendships and build confidence to regain or maintain an active, healthy and independent life. Continue reading Life Changers Therapeutic Gardening→

Reading Borough Council has allocated £150k for small grants to the voluntary and community sector for the year 2024/25. Grants of up to £5,000 are available for smaller local VCS organisations. The small grants fund is focussed on supporting the broader objectives of the RBC Tackling Inequality Strategy: to create further opportunity for local voluntary and community organisations to play an active role in making Reading a more equal place to live for its residents. Continue reading RBC Small Grants Fund – Deadline 13 December 2024→

RVA’s Inclusion Manager, Azra Raja, recently received a Community Education Award at the Grassroots Communities’ Awards – congratulations Azra! The Community Education Award recognises Individuals dedicated to advancing educational opportunities within the community. Honourees demonstrate exceptional commitment to improving access to learning, fostering education equity, and empowering individuals through knowledge and skill-building. Continue reading Grassroots community action honoured at Community Awards→

Over the next six weeks, Reading Family Aid will be collecting donations to provide Christmas presents to disadvantaged young people in Reading. But we can only do this with your generous help! Thanks to the support of many local organisations and businesses, there are around 25 places across Reading where you can drop off your gift donations. Check out the Toys and Teens webpage (www.readingfamilyaid.org/toys-teens-appeal.html) for more information or email info@readingfamilyaid.org. Continue reading Reading Family Aid Toys and Teens Appeal 2024→

The Council is sincerely apologising and appealing to motorists who may have paid penalty charge notices which were incorrectly issued for parking contraventions in certain parts of Reading. The Council has discovered that the Traffic Regulation Order on sections of the East Reading Red Route and some parking restrictions in other locations are unenforceable. Drivers who have paid penalties for parking on them will therefore be reimbursed. Continue reading Council apologises to drivers→

Do you need to run a meeting in Tilehurst in November or December 2024? Tilehurst Library has a new building system fitted which facilitates self service access outside library opening. We would like to test this with some real life hires before publicising more widely. If this meets a need you have, please contact simon.smith@reading.gov.uk to see if we can make something fit – low/no fee. Continue reading Meeting Space for hire at Tilehurst Library→