Council Funding Helps Open New Doors for Marginalised Residents
- 24 local community groups will share £105,000 worth of funding to deliver activities and support for some of Reading's most marginalised residents
- Council’s Small Grants Fund has been doubled from £100,000 to £200,000 to help it reach and support communities and residents struggling with poverty and inequality
TWO dozen community groups will deliver an array of activities to support some of Reading’s most marginalised residents over the next year, thanks to a share of more than £105,000 worth of Council funding.
The groups are the latest grassroot organisations in the town to benefit from the Reading Borough Council’s Small Grants Fund 2022/23. The grants follow an evaluation of nearly 70 bids as part of a second round of funding.
Children with disabilities and sensory needs in Reading will benefit from specialist activities and support offered by a range of local organisations, as will residents with mental health issues and those with autism. Successful grant applications also include organisations running warm spaces for people suffering from fuel poverty; digital skills courses for young people; a community arts programme in Whitley; exercise sessions for over 60’s; menopause support sessions at the Weller Centre; and financial support for both the Reading Windrush and East Reading Festivals. A full list of beneficiaries and the activities they will provide can be found below (see notes to editor).
The theme of this year’s Small Grants Fund is community-led activities which help break down barriers of prejudice, discrimination, language or culture. Activities can help raise awareness, understanding and empathy among individuals and communities for example, or engender hope through friendship, new skills or physical and mental wellbeing. Groups were asked to submit bids for £5,000, or £10,000 for partnership bids.
Councillor Jason Brock, Reading Council Leader, said:
“Reading’s unique blend of diverse communities is something to celebrate, but we also know those same communities face diverse challenges. Offering financial support for local groups to put on activities is one way the Council can ensure nobody is left behind, and of breaking down barriers.
"The variety of activities and support offered, both in the last year and in the year ahead, is amazing to see. They open up new doors and opportunities in people’s lives which would not otherwise have been possible.”
Councillor Liz Terry, Lead for Corporate Services and Resources, added:
“Once again grassroot community groups have come to the fore to provide an incredible range of activities to support residents who, for a range of reasons, may feel isolated or marginalised. It is hugely gratifying to read through the list of activities which will be delivered and appreciate the real difference this will make to people’s lives in the year ahead.”
Reading Borough Council’s Small Grants Fund was doubled from £100,000 to £200,000 in this year’s budget to help it reach and support communities and residents who are struggling with poverty and inequality. The money forms part of an overall funding pot of £1.375 million for voluntary sector organisations in Reading, which is maintained under proposals for next year’s Council budget.
Local success stories from the Council’s 2021/22 Small Grants Fund include:
- Baker Street Area Neighbourhood Association hosted 11 separate community events, bringing neighbours together after the isolation of Covid. Events included two summer street parties, six community fairs, one Playstreet and an annual clean up
- Chapter 2 trained up 15 more mentors for boys aged between 8 and 16. Children were referred to Chapter 2 by the Council’s children company Brighter Futures for Children and were offered one to one support and a range of activities
- Christian Community Action provided affordable sport for 24 children from disadvantaged communities in central and west Reading
- Fellowship Educational Society operated a community hub supporting migrant families and helped them improve skills to find suitable employment opportunities. A total of 245 people benefitted from the project
- Me2 Club supported an estimated 111 children agreed 5 to 19 years old with wide ranging additional needs and disabilities, developing their confidence with the help of volunteer befrienders
Notes to editors
Local groups and their successful bids for funding as part of Reading Borough Council’s second round of Small Grants Funding 2022/23.
ABC to read (Assisting Berkshire Children): To recruit, train and support 10 new volunteers to give 1-1 mentoring to children who struggle to read, raise confidence and self-esteem whilst giving volunteers an opportunity to gain work experience in a school environment.
All Nations Christian Centre: Enabling its ‘warm welcome’ initiative, running weekly between November 2022 and February 2023, giving the local community free access to a warm comfortable space and a hot meal. Additional staff, food and costs for its 'Half-Term Hangouts' in October and February where children are invited to an activity session with families are invited to lunch afterwards.
Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality: Reading Windrush Festival: A Partnership Project with Reading Caribbeans Association Group; Age Concern UK & supported by Reading Museum to commemorate the 75th Anniversary. To educate residents, including school children, college and university students, and to celebrate the Windrush generation's contribution to the cultural, educational and socio-economic development of Reading.
Annual Daydream Harvest: Contributing to the continuation of 'Flamboyance' - a community arts development program delivered in Whitley since 2016 delivering a program of free workshops and outdoor events for residents. Aspire2 and Whitley community development association will help deliver workshops that produce costume, performance music and mobile sculpture at Whitley’s new carnival.
AutAngel CIC: Increase capacity of peer support group for autistic people as they continue to receive referrals. Weekly peer support sessions enables them to become significantly less isolated.
Berkshire Cancer Rehab: To pay for the hall hire for Cancer Rehabilitation exercise classes.
Berkshire Deaf Children's Society: To support the organisation to provide British Sign Language Interpreters for 10-15 events during the year. The group is run by parent volunteers to enable deaf children to meet with each other. Many of the events are facilitated by hearing people who have no or limited signing skills, which means some deaf children will not be able to understand or follow the instructions.
Berkshire Vision: To fund members to participate in their Children, Young People & Families Activities Programme. The programme offers a variety of inclusive activities to Reading-based children and young people who are blind or partially sighted. Over a 12-month period they offer activities such as Camp Mohawk, rock climbing, ice skating, visits to adventure playgrounds, theatre visits with sensory tours, arts and crafts, baking and more. Hosting 3 activities each week, the programme runs 39 activities over 12 months.
Chance to Dance Stars CIC: Partnership application with Fit and Wild and Ali's Yoga Stars to expand the organisation’s creative arts programmes for SEN to a much wider scope of people within the community, comprising of older teens and adults who are not in education. Additional funding will enable expansion of the programme to all ages running three separate fully inclusive half-day sessions a week, for 39 weeks between April 2023 to March 2024, reaching a maximum of 60 adults with SEN.
Dingley's Promise: To provide 4 holiday playschemes for children under 5 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. 40 children across 4 playschemes can be catered for, giving the opportunity for developmental progress, increased social skills whilst connecting with new children.
East Reading Festival: To support the 25th June 2023 festival, an annual multicultural event and encourages all communities in East Reading to join together, talk and enjoy a shared experience. The festival comprises of 50-60 stalls with 4-6 food stalls. The stalls will be a mix of local arts & crafts, charitable (including special interest groups) and ethnic foods. There will be two stages, one for music, dancing and general performances and the other for poetry.
Food4families: A partnership project between Food4families, Aisha Masjid & Islamic Centre and Growing Solidarity – Hempen to deliver a range of initiatives which include a science & natureweek workshops for 100 young Muslims at two local mosques and providing 60 vulnerable people referred by social prescribers and other agencies, e.g. Launchpad, Reading Refugee Support Group with a package of green wellbeing activities – nature walk, arts, gardening
Green Health Thames Valley: To increase horticultural therapy capacity to meet the numbers of clients with more challenging mental health conditions that they can support, following a sharp increase in referrals via the social prescriber network. They will introduce workshops and activities that reflect the current issues that matter to many - rising costs, food and staying warm and will provide hot, nutritious meals during workshops so clients are able to spend some time in a warm environment, eat healthily and make and sustain new friendships.
Harbour Sports Club CIC: To provide a comprehensive half marathon training programme called “Reading 21”, principally aimed at new immigrants to Reading to enhance their physical and mental being. The programme will accommodate up to 50 participants who reside in Reading.
Home-Start Reading: To extend a post-natal (including mothers with babies up to two years) six-week course based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) techniques. Home-Start will provide the safe space to encourage the mothers to work towards self-driven actions to continue positively and independently.
Lifespring Church: To provide an After School Warm Hub for Families, based at the Pavilion, 143-145 Oxford Road and open 5 days a week from after school to 6pm, during term time. This will provide a warm place for up to 30 local families suffering from fuel poverty, where children will have space to play, do homework, and have something warm to eat, parents can have a cup of coffee and chat.
Older People's Activities in Caversham (OPAC): To run weekly seated exercise sessions at their over 60s Club. The seated exercise to music is a gentle but full body workout designed primarily to improve mobility, strength and flexibility, but also includes exercises to challenge and stimulate the brain. By attending they can also enjoy the additional benefits the Club offers - a cooked meal, friendship, the celebration of important milestones and events with others, and signposting to other services.
Oxfordshire Mind/Mind in Berkshire: Support a community-based piece of work at Maiden Erlegh Reading School to co-produce, embed and facilitate an internal school mental health forum. The school has a student population mainly made up of young people with black and minority ethnic backgrounds. The forum will be for students to share their experience, opinions, and ideas to achieve better mental health and wellbeing within their school environment.
Reading Islamic Cultural Centre: To create a safe place for women to exercise using gym facilities and participate in exercise classes, without compromising their religious beliefs or modest dress code. Nutrition classes will also be run as part of the programme. A crèche will be provided alongside the classes, to help remove barriers to access fitness programmes.
Reading Samaritans: Training of 20 new listening volunteers over the course of 2023, ongoing training in outreach skills for existing volunteers and outreach materials to enable an extended outreach and partner engagement programme to reach local groups such as food banks, support groups and other vulnerable people and marginalised groups within Reading, building on the outreach visits undertaken to schools, businesses and community groups.
St John's Church Caversham: To extend its bereavement course from two to four times/year to meet increased need, and to begin a monthly bereavement group. To offer bereavement awareness training to members to develop some simple skills that will help them be supportive of those in the community who are grieving. To run a newly formed weekly Baby and Toddler Group where new parents/carers, can find friendship and support at what can be a challenging and isolating time of their lives.
The Curious Lounge CIC: A 6-week digital skills confidence building courses for a minimum of 24 people with career gaps, anxiety, depression or generally experiencing exclusion. These will be run from The Curious Lounge skills hub in Reading town centre and follow on 1-2-1 support into employment. The aim is to help them secure a job within the next 12 months.
Victoria Park Community Group: To provide resources for community events and activities and improved communication with a new community noticeboard and a printed newsletter to all residents in the area. To support King’s coronation event and family event in Victoria Park and a Big Clean Up event in 2023.
Weller Centre: To provide Menopause support groups - mixture of workshops with guest speakers as well as more informal sessions offering lunches, refreshments, wellbeing activities. Activities will be aimed at women (aged 45-65) and their partners/families providing them with a safe place to discuss issues surrounding menopause and to receive guidance.