What we’ve Funded
Here we are pleased to showcase a selection of the projects we funded in 2022. To see a full list of the organisations supported in 2022 click here or see the award numbers here.
Chapter2
£3,000
Chapter2 works across Reading providing mentoring programmes for young people and in particular boys, growing up with an absent father. Mentors are carefully matched with young people to provide consistent one-to-one support and become their ‘Always Available Adult’.
With a waiting list of fatherless boys in need of a male mentor Chapter2 wanted to expand their mentoring programme.
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Our grant of £3,000 helped them establish a central mentoring programme to find, recruit, train and support mentors. This central programme will enable a step change in the number of boys they can support.
EASI (Earley Adopt a Street Initiative)
£1,584.80
This volunteer-led group organises local residents to pick litter in Earley to improve the environment for the local community. This includes at least two community litter picking events each year.
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Turnout at recent events had been high and EASI did not have enough litter pickers to provide every volunteer with their own. They approached us for a grant to buy 80 adult and 20 child litter pickers so all the family can take part.
These events help raise awareness and encourage people to get involved. Being able to equip volunteers with their own litter picker ensures they have a positive experience of litter picking.
Cianna’s Smile
£3,790
Cianna’s Smile supports children in the Thames Valley with Sickle Cell Disease, a lifelong inherited debilitating health condition afflicting BAME communities.
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We awarded £3,790 towards a year-long programme of activities for children and families which included a book club, support and wellness activities, a summer respite break and a theatre trip to the Lion King with a pre-show workshop with members of the cast.
The activities and support provided through the programme help boost mental health by connecting families so they feel less isolated and have opportunities to share their challenges and experiences with others in similar situations.
Macular Society Reading Group
£1,000
People with sight loss often experience feelings of isolation. We were delighted to award the Macular Society Reading Group a grant of £1,000 towards an outing to the Musical Museum near Kew.
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The visit just before Christmas, included a talk and demonstration of some amazing old instruments, a high tea and a concert which included a Wurlitzer emerging from the stage to the delight of everyone.
Comments on the trip included: “That Wurlitzer was a trip down memory lane.” and “I enjoyed it all, what a cheerful afternoon, we were so looked after.”
£1,500
Autism at Kingwood sought funding for the ‘Sun Club’, a Friday night social club in the heart of Reading for autistic adults.
The club provides games, a social hub, tuck-shop and special events, such as a Summer Ball, and Halloween and Christmas parties.
Our grant of £1,500 contributed to the running costs. Many autistic adults feel socially excluded and being part of this social network enables participants to make friendships, helping reduce that sense of social isolation and loneliness.
Reading Samaritans
£3,000
A grant of £3,000 was awarded to Reading Samaritans for two new doors as part of a larger refurbishment project to improve the on-site training facilities at their branch in East Reading.
After a reduction in in-person training during the pandemic the improved facilities enables Reading Samaritans to provide face-to-face training for new and existing volunteers.
The new doors provide improved insulation and energy efficiency, and are more accessible for people with hand mobility issues.
Before
After
£3,650
Nature Nurture requested funding to support the Holy Brook Nook Wellbeing Garden Project.
This project provides the Coley community with opportunities to get involved with food growing and reap the health and wellbeing benefits of spending time in nature and of being able to harvest food for free.
Our grant of £3,650 was used to buy gardening tools and equipment, including an irrigation pump, and educational resources, interpretation signs and publicity materials. Watering the garden had been a challenge. Although the garden had permission to draw water from the Holy Brook the only way this could be done was with a bucket on a rope, which was simply not possible for most of the garden users.
Having the irrigation pump means the whole community can help with watering. The garden is now a thriving, fully functioning space for food growing and wildlife. One passer by commented: “I unintentionally walked past the garden at the weekend, not realising exactly where the site was. It looks amazing!”
Reading Male Voice Choir
£3,000
We were excited to support Reading Male Voice Choir’s new initiative to establish the Gwyn Arch Young Singers’ Competition with a grant of £3,000.
The competition, in memory of the choir's founder, aims to promote singing among young people aged between 10 and 21, and gives them the opportunity to perform on a public stage and a platform to further their singing ambitions.
The competition culminated in a grand finale concert in June 2023 at which the winners were announced.
British Islamic Gardens
£1,800
This community gardening group runs gardening sessions to promote sustainability, mental health and reduce isolation. They wanted to create a covered area for volunteers to engage in activities on site irrespective of the weather.
With our grant of £1,800 BIG has added an all-weather canopy with solar lighting and rainwater harvesting to the garden, giving shelter and helping to extend the working hours outside the typical bright daytime. Sessions can now continue whatever the weather.
Close Partners
We provide regular grant funding to a small number of organisations in support of projects closely aligned with our priorities. These close partners are:
Organisations Supported in 2022
We supported the following organisations in 2022
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1st Lower Earley Scout Group
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3rd & 1st Shinfield Guides
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ABC to read
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All Yours Period Box CIC
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ARC
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Aspire2
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Autism at Kingwood
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Autism Berkshire
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Becoming Mums
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Berkshire County Blind Society (Berkshire Vision)
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Berkshire Record Office
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Berkshire Women's Aid (BWA)
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British Islamic Gardens (BIG)
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Chapter2
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Cianna's Smile
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Coffee and Craft
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Dingley's Promise
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Earley CResCent Community Association
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EASI (Earley Adopt a Street Initiative)
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Food Parcels
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Graft Thames Valley Ltd
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Hope into Action: Reading
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Lower Earley Baptist Church
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Macular Society Reading Group
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Map Club Ltd
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Me2 Club
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Nature Nurture
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No.5 Young People
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Parenthesis
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Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC)
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Reading Male Voice Choir
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Reading Samaritans
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Reading Voluntary Action (RVA)
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Rockets Sport and Educational Foundation
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Sadaka
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Shinfield Baptist Church Senior Citizens Afternoon Teas
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Sport in Mind
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Stepping Forward
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The Engine Shed
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The Rising Sun Arts Centre
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Trinity Concert Band
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University Of Reading - Internships 2022
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Weller Centre
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Wesley Methodist Church