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.
New Reading Community Energy Society share offer open
12 January 2024
Reading Community Energy Society has just opened a new share offer to raise additional capital to extend its portfolio of solar PV systems and increase the positive impact it is having in the Reading area. Building on the success of the previous two share offers, this new share offer seeks to raise £97,000 to refinance the installation of a new solar PV system at the newly-redeveloped School of Art building at University of Reading.
Residents urged to be scam-smart this Christmas
19 December 2023
Residents are urged to stay safe as the countdown to Christmas begins and avoid buying fake or dangerous goods or falling prey to illegal lenders. The council is again supporting the annual national anti-loan shark campaign, #ShopSmartNotShark. Loan sharks are targeting vulnerable people seeking credit and trapping them into a cycle of debt with exorbitant interest rates and threats of violence especially over the festive period and afterwards.
Season’s Greetings from RVA
17 December 2023
Season’s Greetings from the RVA team – At the end of another year, as our thoughts turn to the holidays and the New Year, we give thanks as ever to the amazing voluntary and community sector in Reading. RVA will be closed from 4 pm Thursday 21 December 2023 until Tuesday 2 January 2024. The Social Prescribing service will also be closed from Thursday 21 December 2023 until Tuesday 2 January 2024.
Have your say: Help make health research and planning more equitable
13 December 2023
Across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West we have been given money to develop better ways of working with local communities. The idea of the network is to help make sure that the views of all communities are included in health and care research and healthcare planning. We want to make sure research and planning becomes more equitable. We know that great work is already happening but that it may not always be shared with everyone that could use it.
Seed funds for creative activities in Reading Borough
13 December 2023
Taking part in creative activity, especially with other people, boosts your wellbeing and makes you feel more connected to the place you live. Creative Lives is a national charity working with RBC to support local opportunities for creativity, and they are offering grants to help you make this happen. Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Creative Lives are inviting applications for grant awards of either £500 or £1,000 to fund opportunities for everyone to get involved in creative activities.
Small Grants Fund round 2 now open
27 November 2023
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.
Local Plan consultation open
27 November 2023
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.
Funding to help keep vulnerable adults safe in their homes
26 November 2023
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.
Town centre measures to improve safety
26 November 2023
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.
Joy Marketplace – free online visibility for local voluntary organisations
25 November 2023
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.