STP 0252-8

Voluntary and Community Groups to Share Council Grants Totalling £115,000

  • Grants totalling £115,554 will be shared between 21 voluntary organisations in Reading as part of the second round of the Council's Small Grants Fund
  • Money will be used by local groups to benefit residents who live in communities where need is greatest and who may not have the same life chances as others

A TOTAL of 21 voluntary and community groups across Reading will share grants totalling £115,554 after successful bids to the Council’s ever-popular Small Grants Fund initiative.

The money will be used by groups to deliver a range of activities locally which help open up new opportunities for residents, particularly for those who live in communities where the need is greatest.

The Council’s Small Grants Fund initiative runs parallel with its wider vision, which is ‘to help Reading realise its potential and to ensure that everyone who lives and works here can share the benefits of its success.’

Last Autumn, the Council invited bids from voluntary and community groups as part of the second round of this year’s Small Grants Fund scheme. Grants of up to £5,000 were available, or £10,000 for partnership bids. A total of 81 bids were received and, following a detailed evaluation process, 21 bids were successful.(see notes to editor for full list).

Just a few of the examples of local schemes to be financially supported by the grants, and the residents they benefit, are:

  • Berkshire Women's Aid ‘Choices’ scheme, designed to support survivors of domestic abuse who can benefit from sessions and peer support provided, and to help reduce the likelihood of re-entering an abusive relationship in the future
  • AutAngel CIC - to continue providing a venue for the organisation's autistic community to meet
  • The Count Me In Collective - to set up a nano brewery at The Castle Tap pub which will train and eventually employ local people with learning disabilities and/or autism/ADHD, and other similar groups, who currently face barriers to work
  • RABBLE Theatre - focussing on bringing drama and theatre provision to schools in the Whitley area
  • Sport in Mind (in partnership with Get Berkshire Active) supporting pregnant mothers and new mothers in more deprived areas of Reading to keep active for their mental health

The overall £115,554 funding pot is made up of £100,000 of Council Small Grants Fund money, supplemented by £15,544 identified from the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, which was suitable to support three bids recommended for funding. A first round of the Council’s 2023/24 Small Grants Fund saw another £100,000 in grants shared between 20 voluntary organisations who delivered a range of local activities.

Councillor Jason Brock, Reading Council Leader, said:

“Our Small Grants Fund initiative was established to help tackle the barriers to progress which we know exist in some of our communities, and which have only been widened in recent years by the on-going cost-of-living crisis.

“We are extremely fortunate in Reading to boast a community and voluntary sector whose range of skills and knowledge are unrivalled, as is its ability to reach residents who require support. The sector has once again stepped up to deliver an incredible package of activities for local people, opening doors to residents which would not otherwise exist.”

Councillor Liz Terry, Lead for Corporate Services and Resources, said:

“A quick glance through the list of activities which will be delivered by the 21 successful bidders shows just how many residents and communities will benefit from them. It is why, despite the Council’s own financial challenges, it has once again ring-fenced funding for Reading’s amazing voluntary and community sector.  

“I very much look forward to watching all of these initiatives come to fruition over the coming months, and the difference they will make to people’s lives.”

 

Notes to editors

The full list of 21 organisations who successfully bid for funding as part of Round 2 of this year’s Small Grants Fund, and their activities, are:

  • Reading Community Learning Centre: Part-funding crèche worker salaries for the summer 2024 term for approximately 18 children aged from 4 months to 5 years old. This enables migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women to attend regular classes
  • Food4families (Partnership with WCDA): Implementation of an action plan to extending the Incredible Edible Reading (IER) concept across Reading’s community, business and learning sectors, supporting local action to improve access to planet-friendly food, reduce food poverty and encourage healthy lifestyles
  • Refugee Support Group:  Providing staff and volunteer resource for once-a-week drop-in sessions once a week where refugees and asylum seekers will be supported by trained and supervised volunteers to learn and practice English
  • Readipop (Partnership with Jelly): Supporting two of Reading's established arts organisations to collaborate to boost community engagement linked to summer festivals that promote and celebrate Reading's creativity and diversity
  • Caversham Muslim Association: Supporting Community Workshops and the expansion of existing services, 12 youth sessions and 3 community gatherings for ladies
  • The Rising Sun Arts Centre (Partnership with Reading Refugee Support Group and Reading City of Sanctuary): Enabling a successful dressmaking project for refugees to continue to meet
  • Starting Point (part of The Mustard Tree Foundation): Providing an additional Starting Point Hub supporting young people into adulthood, including opportunities and pathways towards further education, training, employment, and community integration
  • Berkshire Women's Aid: Funding ‘Choices’ - designed to support survivors of domestic abuse who can benefit from sessions and peer support, helping reduce the likelihood of re-entering an abusive relationship in future
  • Home-Start Reading: Delivering a 4-month targeted home-visiting programme pilot, aimed at helping vulnerable and disadvantaged families prepare their children for nursery / pre-school
  • AutAngel CIC: Continuing to provide a venue for its autistic community to meet
  • Parents And Children Together: Supporting its ‘Bounce Back 4 Kids’ project which aims to extend support for domestically abused children and adults in Reading
  • RABBLE Theatre:  Focussing on bringing drama and theatre provision to schools in the Whitley area of Reading, with the aim to engage with up 600 young people and a wider community of staff and parents through free-to attend theatre based after school clubs
  • Gabriels Wellbeing and Education CIC:  Providing a range of opportunities for children and their families to improve quality of life through education and play
  • Sport in Mind (in partnership with Get Berkshire Active): Supporting pregnant mothers and new mothers in the more deprived areas to remain active for their mental health
  • Weller Centre: Expanding learning opportunities for under 5s through play within four weekly sessions at Weller Centre
  • Remap Berkshire: Helping disabled people with special needs in Reading with access to a group of trained engineers who are able to analyse needs and design technology to aid them
  • The Count Me In Collective: Setting up a nano brewery at The Castle Tap which will train and eventually employ local people with learning disabilities and/or autism/ADHD and other similar groups who currently face barriers to work
  • THE ENGINE SHED: Creating a rich and unique permanent Reading-based resource that is available for the community to use, and which meets many of the social and support needs of the autistic community
  • Real Time: For its Exploring Stories project, implementing a series of workshops in the most deprived areas, alongside mentoring support sessions
  • Nature Nurture CIC: Responding to the needs of the residents of Dee Park through the delivery of more community activities, particularly at Dee Space, to bring together residents of all ages
  • City Life: For Family Summer Activities in Victoria Park, funding a family play worker to facilitate regular family ‘stay and play’ activities for families living in central Victoria Park area of Abbey Ward during the 2024 summer school holidays