Our news is collected from our network of members, and is updated regularly. We also present information and articles from other sources that might be relevant to your kind of group.
Pop-up Covid-19 vaccination clinics in Reading
26 May 2022
For 1st, 2nd and booster doses of Covid-19 vaccination, you don’t need an appointment, and you don’t have to be registered with a GP or have ID to visit. Available for everyone aged 16 and over and ages 12–15, with a parent or carer. Anyone who hasn’t had a vaccination or would like to talk through any concerns with a nurse is welcome. Spoken translation will be available.
Applications invited to the Reading Community Energy Society Grants Fund
25 May 2022
Community groups and charities are again invited to apply for the next round of Reading Community Energy Society Grants funding. Grants are open to organisations which are not-for-profit, charities or small businesses and based within an approximate 10 mile radius of Reading Town Hall. Projects can include installations of energy-saving lights through to environmental awareness projects. The application deadline is the 1 July for this round.
Reading hosts four-day Jubilee extravaganza in June
25 May 2022
Reading is set to host a four-day extravaganza of events, parties and activities this June, in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, including a record-breaking 57 community street parties. As well as the plethora of street parties organised by residents themselves after the Council waived its usual road closure fee, events on offer include a Beacon Lighting Ceremony and Jubilee beacon trail, a tribute concert in the Abbey Ruins, Water Fest festival and Children’s Concert in the Forbury gardens.
RBC Small Grants Fund 2022/23
11 May 2022
Reading Borough Council has opened Round 1 of its Small Grants Fund 2022/23. £100k is available for community-led activities that support inclusion and connectivity for the most marginalised groups and most vulnerable adults and children in our communities. Individual organisations can apply for up to a £5k grant and 2 or more organisations applying in partnership can apply for up to £10k. Applications should be made using the form available online at www.reading.gov.uk/SmallGrantsFund.
Celebrate 75 years of Reading and Düsseldorf friendship
21 April 2022
RBC are inviting local budding photographers to take part in a competition to imaginatively capture Reading’s 4Bs, to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of friendship between Düsseldorf and Reading, with a chance to win a weekend away in Düsseldorf. This competition is open to amateurs and professionals alike, under the theme of the 4Bs – “Beer, Biscuits, Bulbs & Bricks” for which Reading is historically famous.
Local elections 2022
21 April 2022
Thursday 5 May is Reading’s first ‘all-out’ local election in 18 years. There are a number of ways for you to cast your vote in the 2022 Local Elections. You can vote in a polling station, by post, or by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf, known as a proxy vote. Polling cards are being posted out to households across the borough.
Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 – resources for young people
19 April 2022This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week will run from 9–15 May and the theme is the impact of loneliness and how we can tackle it. Recent research by the Mental Health Foundation has found many people have increasingly been suffering from feelings of isolation and loneliness and this can affect people of all ages. Resources can be found on the Public Health England website where there is also a link to the School Zone.
Farmers’ Market seeks group to cook breakfasts
14 April 2022
Thames Valley Farmers’ Market Co-operative is keen to find a community group that would be willing to cook hot breakfasts at Reading Farmers’ Market as a regular fundraiser. The stall would be free of charge, they would waive the annual fee and they would also be willing to pay for a Level 2 food hygiene certificate. Tables for the stall and bistro chairs and tables for customers would all be provided.
Making Every Contact Count: free training in Berkshire West
14 April 2022
Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is an approach to behaviour change that uses the millions of day-to-day interactions that we have with people to support them in making positive changes to their physical and mental health and wellbeing. It supports the delivery of consistent and concise healthy lifestyle information, enabling individuals to engage in conversations about their health. A MECC conversation takes a matter of minutes and is not intended to add to busy workloads.
Summer Internship Scheme is open for applications
13 April 2022
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service is seeking motivated young people from ethnic backgrounds that are currently under-represented within the workforce, to take part in the Chairman’s Internship Scheme. As RBFRS continues to work towards an inclusive culture of equality and diversity, the Service wants to encourage people who may not have considered a career in the Fire and Rescue Sector to explore some of the many roles available to them.