Category Archives: Featured

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→

Join us and support Reading’s journey to Net Zero. Reading Climate Change Partnership is currently between two Climate Emergency Strategies, so the Lead Communications Volunteer will be tasked with community-building during this interim period. In early to mid 2025, we will develop a more long-term communications strategy which supports the promotion and delivery of the new Climate Emergency Strategy for 2025 – 2030. Continue reading Reading Climate Change Partnership seeks volunteer Communications Lead→

Draughtbusters is a voluntary group that surveys homes for draughts and takes remedial action. The website www.draughtbusters.net gives all the advice needed to survey your own home and make changes, but the main thrust of the project is to provide the materials and trained labour to undertake the work, free of charge, for those in fuel poverty. Households are referred to Draughtbusters through Citizens Advice Bureau and Winterwatch, or might contact us through the website or through word of mouth. Continue reading Become a Draughtbuster this winter!→

Beat The Street turns whole communities into a giant activity competition. The popular interactive game encourages communities to move more and to make small lifestyle changes, such as walking or cycling to school or work every day. Players can join school, community, or workplace teams to win prizes for the furthest travel. There’s also an individual leader board, spot prizes, and the chance to help local charities win cash rewards. Continue reading Popular interactive game Beat The Street returns to Reading→

Are you a new charity looking to establish a brand identity but lacking the resources to do so? Or are you a not-for-profit in need of a brand refresh or re-positioning and would welcome some input from students at the University of Reading? The University will be holding a structured six-week ‘design-thinking brand jam’ with Part 3 Typography and design students in February to March 2025, working exclusively with not-for-profits and social enterprises. Continue reading The Branding Project from the University of Reading – open for applications→