Category Archives: News

The Chief Executive of the Royal Berkshire Hospital today put out a message to patients to reassure them it’s safe to attend for appointments and vital to keep the dates set for any planned surgery. The move comes after clinicians at the hospital reported low numbers of people turning up for allotted clinic slots or operations that were put on hold during Covid-19. Continue reading Service update from the Royal Berkshire Hospital→

Reading Voluntary Action is pleased to announce this new funding for small community groups in Reading, who are embedded in and providing grass roots support to their communities. We have received £10,000 from Berkshire Community Foundation to distribute in this way and qualifying groups can apply for up to £2,000 each. Continue reading Reading Community Grants scheme launched→

Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced the government’s plan to continue to ease the restrictions around social distancing. If you are planning on re-opening your services then please ensure you complete a full risk assessment and consider the implications on all involved with the organisations, and in particular those who are clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable. Continue reading Government guidance: Easing of restrictions from 4 July→

Berkshire is home to just over 911,000 people. Access to safe, healthy environments in which we live, learn, work and play can powerfully affect lifelong wellbeing. But we know that in Berkshire not everyone can participate equally and Vital Signs has reported growing concern about child poverty, pressure on carers, mental health and homelessness. In 2020 we have the additional challenge of Covid-19. Continue reading Berkshire Vital Signs survey 2020→

Over the past 10 years, Food4Families has created over 25 school and community food-growing gardens in Reading, involving thousands of people in growing fresh, healthy produce. As a result of the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Food4Families has identified a need to increase local food growing to provide fresh food to vulnerable people in the community. Food4Families is looking for volunteers to make a difference by growing and distributing fresh produce. Continue reading Food4Families is looking for volunteers to grow and distribute fresh produce→

The Rising Sun Arts Centre is creating a digital quilt documenting the story of Reading during the Covid-19 pandemic. Join us and other people across Reading to chronicle this unique moment in history. Share your experience of lockdown by adding a patch to the quilt. Your ‘patch’ could be an image that means something to you, a drawing, a photograph, a collage, a piece of fabric a video, a memory. Continue reading Reading Digital Quilt Project→

Transport matters to all of us. It connects us with our workplaces, schools, friends and families. It affects our health, the air we breathe and the streets where we live. It helps our economy to grow and our town to thrive, and it can make the environment around us clean and friendly or dirty and dangerous. Continue reading Reading Transport Strategy 2036 – Statutory Consultation→

Reading Voluntary Action and the University of Reading want to understand how coronavirus and living in lockdown has been affecting young people in Reading. We want to know how we can improve local services to meet the needs that are emerging as a result of Covid-19. Young people aged 11 to 19 are invited to take part in a survey to let us know about their views and experiences. Continue reading Young people and coronavirus – share our survey about lockdown life in Reading→

Since March, the WEA have moved quickly to move their courses on line. Over 700 tutors have now participated in a comprehensive training programme, and there are now over 500 courses up and running, including ESOL, Community Interpreting and a wide range of community learning courses which WEA are delivering free of charge this summer. In addition to formal courses the WEA has also extended their offer to include informal drop-in and taster sessions. Continue reading Lockdown learning with the WEA→

The Get Online Reading project has now been going for over five years. In that time we have seen over 5000 visitors at 1200+ drop-in sessions where we help people to get online using a computer, smartphone or tablet. With the current Covid-19 situation it has been necessary to discontinue drop-in sessions. Since this is likely to continue for some months, we need to look at innovative ways to help Reading’s digitally excluded people. Continue reading RVA launches digital inclusion survey→