Category Archives: Featured

Take part in #EatFor20 from 17 to 23 July 2021. A new joint campaign from Citizens Advice Reading and ReadiFood is asking people to live on £20 for a week this summer, in order to highlight the need for continuing the £20 Covid-related uplift to Universal Credit. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has extended the £20 a week benefit boost until the end of September, in a bid to help UC claimants who may be struggling financially during the pandemic. Continue reading Campaign to highlight food poverty – #EatFor20→

In response to an increase in Covid-19 infections and cases of the Delta variant in Reading, the Council and the NHS are boosting the local vaccination programme with a targeted vaccination clinic at the Reading Borough Council Civic Offices from Thursday 17 June to Sunday 27 June. People who have not received a vaccine are more likely to become ill or be hospitalised as a result of catching the Delta variant. Continue reading All adults in Reading can now walk in and get a Covid vaccine→

Small Grants Fund 2021/22:- RBC’s £100k Small Grants Fund 2021/22 is available for voluntary and community groups to apply for funding for community-led activities that tackle poverty and support mental wellbeing.
Start-up/re-start grants for community groups:- The Council has also allocated £50k of its CEV funding from the Government for Start-up/re-start grants to help community group meetings or activities get going again after lockdown to help people regain community connections where they may have already undergone lengthy periods of self-isolation. Continue reading RBC funding to support community and voluntary groups – closing date 25 July 2021→

A Covid surge testing programme is underway for residents, workers and students over the age of 12 in the following postcode areas: RG1 3, RG1 5, RG1 6, RG1 7. Testing takes place from Monday 7 June until Sunday 20 June. There is currently no change to local restrictions in the light of this testing. You can still travel to work and school in the affected areas. Continue reading Covid surge testing starts in Reading→

Reading Borough Council is delighted to announce the return of its much-loved Reading Water Fest on 19 June this year as the flagship celebration event to mark the 900th anniversary of Reading Abbey. 2021 is an incredibly auspicious year for Reading – marking 900 years since Reading Abbey, originally one of Europe’s largest royal monasteries, was founded by King Henry I of England.  Reading Water Fest will be the focal celebration event for this landmark year. Continue reading Water Fest is back!→

Congratulations to The Weller Centre on winning the Outstanding Contribution to the Community award at the recent Thames Valley Business and Community Awards. The Thames Valley Business and Community Awards judges commented: “We wish that there were more centres like this around the country, centres that support numerous groups, clubs and classes in the heart of the community. This facility will help people of all ages.” Continue reading The Weller Centre wins award for Outstanding Contribution to the Community→

The Department for Education (DfE) is providing funding to local authorities to coordinate a programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities to disadvantaged children during the 2021 Easter, Summer and Christmas Holidays. Brighter Futures for Children is coordinating the programme locally and we are looking to work with a range of providers including community-based organisations, existing holiday care providers, schools, childminders, sports coaching, volunteer organisations, creative and performing arts providers and many others. Continue reading Brighter Futures for Children seeks activity providers→

The NHS Blood and Transplant service needs help from men aged 17 to 66. In April, the service began collecting blood plasma from donations to make vital antibody-based medicines and we urgently need more people to make donations.  These medicines, called immunoglobulins, will help thousands of people with immune diseases. Thousands of patients rely on immunoglobulin medicines for short-term treatment or lifelong diseases. NHS Blood and Transplant is asking for men to consider donating their blood plasma. Continue reading Help save lives by donating blood plasma→