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.
How ABC to Read is supporting children with their reading during the Covid-19 pandemic
18 February 2021With school closures, a lot of ABC to Read’s volunteers paused their usual face-to-face support in primary schools. Our mission to help children access good literacy skills continues and there has never been a more important time for our work so we have adapted our support to offering virtual reading sessions so that we can still be here for children both in schools and at home. These sessions are held via Zoom and all safeguarding measures are strictly adhered to.
Reading Lions Club – Lion’s Den community grants scheme
17 February 2021Reading Lions Club is once again reaching out to small local community groups and small local charities to offer financial support. Many local community groups do not have access to grant funding or the resources to invest in significant fundraising and yet they continue to provide a valued service to our community even during these challenging times. Through our own fundraising events, we have set aside £10,000 to give away in small community grants. Entry opens on 19 February 2021.
Freehold disposal of 2–4 Darwin Close – bidding open until 2 April 2021
15 February 2021
The council property 2–4 Darwin Close, Reading, RG2 0RB is now on the market. The formal bidding process through the open market and the third sector process has now commenced and local voluntary organisations are invited to submit their proposals by 12:00 on Friday 2 April 2021. The property, which comprises office and warehouse space, is being advertised by Haslams. For information and advice on the third sector bidding process contact RVA’s Advice Service Manager, Herjeet Randhawa by emailing herjeet.randhawa@rva.org.uk.
Warning about Covid-19 text message scams
27 January 2021
News from: Reading Voluntary Action – There have been reports of a new scam where a person receives a text saying they need to book a vaccination appointment and it takes them to a fake NHS form which then asks for their bank details to prove their identity. The NHS will never ask for banking information. There is a texting scam leaflet from the Government Counter Fraud Function which lists the top four Covid-19 text message scams as:-
Berkshire Youth Hubs – virtual and telephone-based support platform
27 January 2021
After a successful pilot across West Berkshire and responding to best meet the needs of the local community, Berkshire Youth are delighted to announce the next evolution of the West Berkshire Youth Hub. Their award-winning hub has now been extended across the whole of Berkshire. They hope that the renamed ‘Berkshire Youth Hubs’ will prove just as popular and beneficial for those in the rest of the county.
Winter mental health support for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and Refugee communities
26 January 2021
Seven voluntary and community organisations are to share a £20,000 NHS England grant aimed at supporting the mental health of people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and Refugee communities over the winter. Berkshire West CCG secured the funding and has worked closely with key partners to devise the best ways of allocating the money. Reading Voluntary Action, Involve (Wokingham) and Volunteer Centre West Berkshire have administered and will host the grant.
Berkshire Community Foundation – Vital for Berkshire Coronavirus Fund – deadline 8 February 2021
25 January 2021The Vital for Berkshire – Coronavirus Fund is open for grant applications until Monday 8 February 2021 at 10:00. They will be allocating funds to local charities, community and voluntary groups impacted by and working to help people affected by the ongoing Covid-19 crisis in Berkshire. Grants up to a maximum of £10,000 will be considered, subject to funding availability. For further information please see the BCF website at www.berkshirecf.org.
Snow day at the vaccine hub
24 January 2021The snow on Sunday 23 January presented challenging conditions for the Reading Central and Whitley Vaccination Hub. Volunteers from the charity Re:Act were on standby to help, through the VCS Emergencies Partnership, but weren’t needed in the end. With grit, brooms and spades, RVA volunteers were able to keep the area clear and run the session pretty much as normal through the day. Over 4000 people have been vaccinated over 9 days at the site run by Reading Primary Care Alliance.
Charity Commission updates: holding trustee meetings and AGMs
23 January 2021The Charity Commission has updated its guidance for charities as a result of lockdown 3 as follows: -Trustees should hold their trustee meetings online or via telephone, where possible during lockdown. -AGMs can continue to be held online (the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 has been extended until 30 March 2020). Further support -If you would like specific advice for your charity, contact herjeet.randhawa@rva.org.uk.
Food waste collections start in February 2021
20 January 2021
Reading Borough Council is introducing a weekly food waste collection for residents in February 2021, as well as reducing the size of the general waste bins. The recycling team are keen to engage with as many community associations as possible. If you are able to help with distribution of information to residents of Reading they would like to hear from you.