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.
Three new playgrounds open in Reading
14 September 2023
Reading Council’s ongoing major investment in children’s play areas continues to deliver for communities across Reading: -Lulworth Road Playground -South Whitley Recreation Ground -Coley Recreation Ground Play Area. Playgrounds are an important part of our communities and Reading Borough Council is committed to a widespread programme of improvements. Outdoor play is vital for children’s health and wellbeing and high-quality equipment accessible as possible for all children and their carers is a key priority.
Help make Reading greener – sponsor a new tree
23 August 2023
Residents can now help to make Reading greener by sponsoring the planting of a tree in the street of their choice. Reading Borough Council has teamed up with charitable enterprise Trees for Streets to work with residents either individually or in a group, so anyone can apply to have a tree planted on their behalf as close as possible to their chosen location. The initiative comes in response to frequent requests from people wanting trees planted near where they live.
Caversham Court Gardens wins Green Flag award
23 August 2023
Caversham Court Gardens has been confirmed amongst the best parks and open spaces in the country by being awarded a prestigious Green Flag award and Green Heritage Accreditation for 2023. The Green Flag award recognises high-quality maintenance and excellent wildlife and climate-friendly practices, with winners having to demonstrate that standards are being maintained and continuous improvements are being achieved.
Revealed! The names of Reading’s new waste trucks
22 August 2023
News from: Reading Borough Council – Five electric bin lorries will be cleaning up Reading emblazoned with new names given to them by residents after a borough-wide competition. The competition, launched in June, celebrated yet another milestone in the Council’s ongoing commitment to tackling the Climate Emergency by letting residents name the Council’s first five electric bin lorries, otherwise known as electric refuse collection vehicles.
New secondary school to open in 2024
21 August 2023
A new secondary school, River Academy, is under construction in Richfield Avenue, near the Rivermead leisure complex. The school is due to open for Year 7 students in autumn 2024. When full, River Academy will cater for 1500 students between the ages of 11 and 18, of all abilities and backgrounds. The school will be an academy run by the Maiden Erlegh Trust, which already runs schools to the east of Reading.
Have your say: alcohol licensing
18 August 2023
The council is required to review its licensing policy every five years, and this is the latest draft: Draft Statement of Licensing Policy. A consultation is now running for this new draft of the licensing policy and will expire on 12 September 2023. In addition, where an authority is concerned about the number of licensed premises in an area and its effect, it needs to publish a Cumulative Impact Assessment.
NCVO Time Well Spent 2023 report released
14 August 2023
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.
Hexagon Theatre revitalisation reaches first major milestone
18 July 2023
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.
The Branding Project from the University of Reading
16 July 2023
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.
Male volunteers aged 70+ wanted for University of Reading food study
12 July 2023
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.