Small Grants to Create Big Opportunities

VOLUNTARY and community groups across Reading are once again being invited to bid for pots of money to deliver activities or participation opportunities which help local people build the skills and practical knowledge they need to access employment opportunities.

In recognition that not all residents enjoy the same life chances, the Council’s vision remains for Reading to reach its potential and to ensure that everyone living and working here can share the benefits of its success. Despite ongoing funding pressures faced by all local authorities, Reading Council has maintained a £150,000 budget for this year’s Small Grants Fund.

From today (Sep 22), groups can apply for grants of up to £5,000 to deliver activities in communities which focus on driving attainment in skills, education and training for future employment, or which create volunteering or participation opportunities, particularly in parts of the town where need is greatest and where residents are more likely to experience disadvantages.

The grants are available for grassroots voluntary sector organisations who have received less than £20,000 in support from the Council during 2024/25, and those with an annual income of less than £100,000  A proportion of the overall funding pot will also be ringfenced to support bids of under £2,500, with the aim of providing direct support to some of the smaller scale local activities within our communities.

Funding will only be given to a project or activity which addresses an unmet need of Reading residents and is not funded, or able to be funded, through other sources. Activities could include one-off local events, the co-ordination of local events, minor start-up costs, purchasing equipment or sessional costs and programme costs.

Applications should be made using the Reading Small Grants Fund 2025/26 application form at www.reading.gov.uk/SmallGrantsFund. Organisations looking to bid should check the guidance on the website, which includes details of eligibility criteria, the scoring framework, local needs data, and model examples for each section. VCS organisations can also find other helpful information including access to the Reading4Community funding portal .

The deadline for applications is 31 October 2025. Groups will be notified whether they have been successful just before Christmas. (w/c Dec 15)

 Reading Council Leader, Councillor Liz Terry, said:

 “The funding of these activities, through the Council’s small grants initiative, can open doors for people which would not otherwise be possible which is why, despite the funding pressures affecting all local authorities, we continue to set aside this money.

 “It’s important to emphasise that as well as activities which offer up skills, education and training, we also welcome bids from groups offering participation or volunteering, as we know that can very often be the first small step towards building self-sufficiency and can often lead to other opportunities.

 “We are also once again welcoming bids from groups who operate smaller scale activities in our communities and who sometimes do not have the knowledge or experience of bidding for funding, in the same way that some of Reading’s more established voluntary sector organisations do.”

 Councillor Ellie Emberson, Lead for Corporate Services and Resources, added: 

 “Year after year Reading’s voluntary and community sector step up and help to deliver an amazing range of activities in our communities as part of the Small Grants Fund initiative. They are able to reach individuals which the Council would otherwise find it difficult to, particularly in parts of the town where need is greatest.

 “Last year a total of 38 bids were successful in receiving funding, which included six bids from smaller community organisations of below £2,500, with hundreds of residents estimated to have benefitted from the huge array of activities and opportunities on offer. I’m certain that will be replicated once again this year.”

Reading Council’s on-going commitment to the Small Grants Fund initiative reflects the vision set out in both the Council Plan and the Council’s Tackling Inequality Strategy 2023-26, which demonstrates how the Council will go beyond its existing activities and strategies to achieve a more consistent quality of life for its residents.