Category Archives: News

News from: Reading Voluntary Action – The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) have released the latest report in the Time Well Spent series. Exploring what volunteer participation and experience looks like in 2023, against a backdrop of five years of significant external change, there is a lot to interest anyone seeking to involve volunteers in their work. Continue reading NCVO Time Well Spent 2023 report released→

Reading Borough Council’s £13.7 million project to revitalise the town’s much-loved and popular Hexagon Theatre reached its first major milestone this month. The ambitious Hexagon Theatre project will see the creation of an attractive, flexible and exciting new space for performances and community use. On Monday 10 July the council announced the official appointment of the internationally renowned professional team who will support this major project moving forward. Continue reading Hexagon Theatre revitalisation reaches first major milestone→

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 repositioning and would welcome some input from students at The University of Reading? Reading University will be holding a structured eight-week ‘design-thinking brand jam’ with Part 3 Typography and design students in September – December 2023, working exclusively with not-for-profits and social enterprises. Continue reading The Branding Project from the University of Reading→

The University of Reading, is running a project called Fortiphy and have been working with older adults to create food solutions to improve nutritional status. They are currently testing variations of porridge in a nutrition intervention study and are looking for lots of volunteers aged 70+ years to participate. As they are coming up to the end of the study, they now only need male volunteers. Continue reading Male volunteers aged 70+ wanted for University of Reading food study→

On Thursday (July 6) Cllr Tony Page, the Mayor of Reading, cut the ribbon on the new North Street development, made up of 36 one and two bed flats and one three bed flat, after handover from the developers Beard. The development is just a short walk from the town centre and will give those who take a tenancy a valuable opportunity to live in affordable comfort within the town, with easy access to job opportunities, amenities and public transport. Continue reading North Street affordable homes development set to open→

Solar Together is an innovative new scheme offering high-quality solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and battery storage. This is a group-buying scheme that brings Berkshire households together to get high quality solar panels at a competitive price, helping you through the process and keeping you informed at every stage. The process works as follows: 1. Registration: you can register for free and without obligation on the Solar Together Reading web page. Continue reading New Solar Together scheme for neighbours→

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation. It is the MBE for volunteer groups and is awarded for life. KAVS awards are only awarded to the very best of hundreds of nominations each year. This is a badge of excellence and a real achievement for a group. Continue reading The King’s Award for Voluntary Service→

Are you a small group offering services or activities to your community in Reading? Do you need help with getting funding to run your group? Come along to our Small Groups Learn and Share Network on Tuesday 4 July at the library. What we’ll cover: -Hear from Berkshire Community Foundation on their upcoming funding round -Hear about the council’s small grants fund -Get some top tips on funding applications and other support from RVA -Network with other small groups Continue reading Are you a small group looking for funding?→

On Monday 5 June volunteers from across Reading gathered at the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) for a Volunteer Thank You evening. Blessed with fine weather, volunteers were able to come together to enjoy food, drink and company whilst exploring the fascinating exhibitions the MERL has to offer, including their wonderful gardens. All this was set off by the background soundtrack provided by our very own volunteer trustee Steve Leitch. Continue reading RVA Volunteer Thank You Evening→

In January 2023 the council received the news that it had been successful in its bid for the government’s ‘Levelling Up’ funding of £19.1 million. This includes an £8.6 million investment to rebuild the Central Library at the Council’s Civic Offices in Bridge Street. The existing library building is outdated and over several floors, and the plan is to build a new more accessible extension to the existing civic offices to house the library. Continue reading Have your say: Civic Offices and a new library→