Category Archives: News

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→

The significant grant of £1.08 million – spanning a two year period – will enable the council to expand its Independent Living Care Technology Solutions, building on the success of the pilot program which took place over the last nine months. The project is part of the Council’s wider digital transformation programme, which aims to use digital technologies to make a real difference to the lives of residents. Continue reading Funding to help keep vulnerable adults safe in their homes→

Improving the safety of women and girls in Reading town centre is at the heart of a raft of new security measures revealed by Reading Borough Council. The boost to the number of CCTV cameras and streetlights, and the launch of a Thames Valley Police initiative to identify potential predatory offenders, are among the measures introduced which make women and girls feel safer and support the town centre’s night-time economy. Continue reading Town centre measures to improve safety→

Joy is an online platform that connects people to life-changing local services. It instantly refers clients to high-quality support on the marketplace of services, which automatically stays up to date. It’s free for VCOs to join and gives your organisation visibility to the public and to health and wellbeing professionals. You can easily customise your organisation’s public-facing page. For more information or to sign up to the Joy Marketplace please see the website at www.thejoyapp.com/products/marketplace. Continue reading Joy Marketplace – free online visibility for local voluntary organisations→

The Toys and Teens Appeal has been running for over 60 years in various forms. Today we are asking people who live in Reading and district to donate toys and gifts for children living in the Reading area who otherwise would have no Christmas presents. Our appeal closes on 3 December. Please visit our website for full information: www.readingfamilyaid.org/toys–teens-appeal.html Continue reading Reading Family Aid – Toys & Teens Appeal 2023, closing 3 December 2023→

A total of 239 Reading households are set to benefit from cheaper electricity, having taken up an opportunity to have solar panels installed in the most cost-effective and hassle-free way possible. In June residents were offered the chance, through the Solar Together initiative, to take advantage of competitive rates on solar panels and battery storage thanks to a group-buying scheme in operation across a number of Berkshire councils. Registration was free with no obligation to go ahead with an installation. Continue reading Residents to save money through council solar initiative→

News from: Reading Borough Council – Historic celebrations took place as iconic local landmark Reading Bridge celebrated its centenary. Exactly 100 years to the day since chairman of the Borough Extension Committee, John Wessley Martin, originally opened the bridge, a plaque to mark the occasion was unveiled by Mayor of Reading, Cllr Tony Page, other dignitaries and members of CADRA, the Caversham and District Residents’ Association. Continue reading Reading Bridge celebrates centenary→

News from: Reading Voluntary Action – Coaching Reading are a group of Reading based coaching professionals and enthusiasts who have come together to share knowledge and ideas, support the community, and to develop and learn. Thanks to the generosity of its members, they are able to provide gift-in-kind coaching support to local individuals and organisations who might not otherwise be able to access it. Continue reading Free coaching for Reading’s charities→

RVA has been asked to manage a small grants process to deliver wellbeing projects with a focus on inclusion for communities within Berkshire West at risk of experiencing health inequalities. Expressions of interest are welcome and voluntary and community organisations can apply for a maximum of £5,000 per organisation. Charities or organisations can bid together for whole community approaches to tackle a particular issue, support community involvement, upskilling communities, creating hubs and safe spaces. Continue reading Berkshire West mental health grants for disadvantaged communities 2023-24 – Deadline on Wednesday 22 November→