What we’ve Funded
Here we highlight some of the projects we funded in 2024 including two supported through our Capital Grants Programme. To see a full list of all the organisations supported in 2024 click here.
Daisy’s Dream
£4,784
Daisy’s Dream provides vital support to children and young people in Berkshire who have experienced bereavement or are preparing for loss.
Following their move to new, more spacious and accessible premises at the start of 2024, Daisy’s Dream was able to offer a wider range of group events. Our grant of £4,784 funded four additional groups giving bereaved children the opportunity to communicate about their experiences, develop coping strategies, feel less isolated and face the future in a positive way.
The four new groups funded were: an informal art group to bring bereaved youngsters together for mutual support; a support group for children who have been bereaved of a sibling; a bereavement course for teenagers allowing them to explore their grief over an extended timeframe and develop vital support networks; and a parent support group to bring parents together who are caring for bereaved children.
These additional groups allowed Daisy’s Dream to reach a greater number of children and young people in need and provided ongoing support over a longer period, fostering stronger connections and promoting long-term well-being.
Greater Reading Nepalese Community Association
£3,000
The Greater Reading Nepalese Community Association (GRNCA) works to promote the welfare of the Nepalese community in Reading through activities that contribute to the local community, integrate the Nepali community and improve lifestyles.
A recent addition to GRNCA’s programme is a Children’s Development and Wellbeing project that supports children in enhancing their social, educational and health needs. They requested funding to run two activities under this programme – a Dance Club and Health and Educational Improvement Club – and received a grant of £3,000. These clubs have provided children from ethnic minority communities with opportunities to engage in community activities, supported the improvement of their physical and mental health, helped develop leadership skills and created opportunities to interact with peers and form new friendships. In response to strong demand from both children and parents, GRNCA continues to run the clubs.
Citizens Advice Wokingham
£4,950
Citizens Advice Wokingham received a grant of £4,950 towards a project to upgrade their IT infrastructure with new equipment, including laptops, desktops, tablets, and associated peripherals such as monitors, keyboards, and mice. Their existing equipment had become outdated, unreliable and was no longer in line with cyber security requirements. Our grant funded five full workstations enabling staff and volunteers to deliver services more efficiently and effectively.
As well as being used by staff and volunteers, the new equipment will form part of an ongoing development and implementation of volunteer-run digital inclusion sessions designed to improve the digital literacy of community members, particularly targeting those who are currently digitally excluded.
Pakistan Community Centre
£20,760
Two trustees used their Trustee-Led Grant allowance for 2024 to support the Pakistan Community Centre with a refurbishment project. A grant of £20,760 was awarded for refurbishment and redecoration of the halls and toilets as well as replacing damaged doors, window frames and lockers.
The Centre provides an important focal point and meeting place for the Pakistan community in the Greater Reading area and is used more or less every day for social, community and leisure activities. Many of the events held there are attended and enjoyed by local people from various other communities as well as those of Pakistani heritage.
Reading Gateway Church
£1,500
Reading Gateway Church was seeking funding to set up a food pantry with café at their St Barnabas site. This new project is part of their vision to see the St Barnabas site become a local community hub and to let people know that the church building is there for everyone.
Our grant of £1,500 was used to purchase a commercial fridge and freezer for the new pantry. This was the largest expense in setting up the service, which opened in November 2024, and is essential to running it.
The food pantry is run by a team of volunteers and aims to tackle the injustice of food poverty with compassion. They provide subsidised food to families in need and crisis. Members pay £5 and can select a shopping basket of goods worth £25. As well as tackling food poverty, feedback from members has highlighted that the service has reduced their loneliness and sense of isolation.
Ruth Ascher Piano Masterclass
£1,000
A grant of £1,000 was awarded to support the Ruth Ascher Piano Masterclass, which gives local young talented piano students the opportunity to perform before a substantial audience and then be coached by a celebrity piano teacher and performer.
Four talented young students performed a variety of classical pieces, and were then each coached in front of an audience of over sixty people by celebrity piano teacher and performer, Anthony Williams.
The role of the coach is to inspire and teach the students, while communicating at a non-technical level to help the audience understand and appreciate the music being played.
Reading Abbey Division (R S Achilles) Ranger Guide Unit
£655
The Ranger boathouse was in urgent need of repair to both improve the safety of all using the site and to increase the resilience of the site against flooding and generally wetter winters. Our grant of £655 contributed towards replacing the old rotting and dangerous wooden steps, handrail and balustrade that provides access to the boathouse, with non-slip galvanised iron steps, galvanised handrails and galvanised mesh balustrade with an additional handrail beside the steps to the person door platform.
The extra handrails mean that small children, such as Brownies, now have a handrail at a suitable height for them, and adults with limited mobility and balance issues have more sturdy rails to hold on to.
People can now feel confident going to the site with their Brownies and Guides.
Reading Civic Society
£3,000
The trustees awarded a grant of £3,000 in support of Reading Civic Society’s LOOK DRAW BUILD @ Reading Station 2025. This creative learning programme uses the transport terminal of Reading Station to introduce children to the history and functionality of train stations, encourage awareness of railway safety and highlight key issues around accessibility and sustainability in public buildings. A strong emphasis is placed on teamwork, creativity and inclusive learning, with a particular focus on encouraging interest in STEM subjects and for girls to consider future careers in engineering.
The programme consisted of a visit to Reading Station followed by modelling workshops at which the children working in teams of three followed a set design brief to build their station using a wide range of materials. Sixteen classes from ten primary schools, including two SEN, from across Reading took part.
(Images Chris Forsey)
Each class selected one model to go forward for judging by a panel of professional engineers and architects with the top three designs receiving Gold, Silver and Bronze Plaques. The winners were Hillside Primary (Gold), Calcot Primary (Silver) and Micklands Primary (Bronze). Our congratulations go to the winning teams.
The three winning model stations went on display at an exhibition about the project held in the Oracle Shopping Centre.
Silver
Calcot Primary
2025 Winning Models
Gold
Hillside Primary
Bronze
Micklands Primary
(Images Chris Forsey)
Hope and Vision Communities
£2,000
Hope and Vision Communities provides supported, move-on accommodation for people who have successfully completed residential rehabilitation from substance addiction. As well as a place to live, they provide a supportive community, help with education and training, and assistance to secure and maintain employment.
Employment prospects for those recovering from addiction are impacted by stigma and criminal record. Seeking to resolve the barriers to employment Hope and Vision was piloting a peer led project creating employment and income for their residents through self-employment in painting and decorating, gardening and home maintenance. The pilot provided training, supported practice and tool-share as well as external bookkeeping and contracts secured by Hope and Vision. They used our grant of £2,000 to buy tools and equipment.
Following completion of the pilot, Hope and Vision Communities is continuing the programme with a few changes to better meet their residents’ needs and aspirations.
Capital Grants Programme
Launchpad Reading
£50,000
Launchpad is Reading’s leading homeless prevention charity, providing vital information and support for individuals, couples and families who do not have a stable place to live, or are at risk of losing their home. They applied to our Capital Grants Programme for funding to support a large-scale refurbishment of their drop-in centre at the Stables on Merchants Place in central Reading.
The existing facilities could not meet the changes in services being delivered and lacked a number of key features. The environment was also in poor condition and needed to be remodelled to provide a safe comfortable working space for service users, staff and clients. The trustees were pleased to award the final £50,000 to complete this £300,000 refurbishment project.
The refurbishment has created a welcoming and safe reception room and waiting area, improved client meeting areas offering flexible meeting rooms better suited to confidential conversation, enhanced staff facilities to support staff well-being and morale, and potential safe space for community group use at evenings and weekends.
YMCA Reading
£40,334
YMCA Reading had a number of serious leaks in the roof of their sports hall at Parkside Road, which was having a negative impact on their ability to provide the usual standards of safety and service to the local community. They commissioned a survey and received the unfortunate news that the roof was beyond repair and a full replacement was needed.
After months of restricted use and the local community not being able to enjoy the usual benefits of the space, there was an urgent need to get the work done. Our grant of £40,334 covered the full cost of the replacement roof, which was installed in the autumn of 2024.
The Centre provides a balanced programme of activities such as exercise classes, dance sessions, martial arts, gymnastics and children’s play session as well as offering spaces for other charities and support groups.
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 2024
We supported the following organisations in 2024
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Alfred Sutton Primary School
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Alliance for Cohesion & Racial Equality
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Aspire2
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Assisting Berkshire Children to Read
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Berkshire Women's Aid (BWA)
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Berkshire Music Trust
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Chattertots
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Citizens Advice Wokingham
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CLASP
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Connect Reading
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CultureMix Arts
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Daisy's Dream
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Dialogue Society
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Earley CResCent Community Association
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Friends of Reading Abbey
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Graft Thames Valley Ltd
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Greater Reading Nepalese Community Association
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Green Health Thames Valley
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Headway Thames Valley (HTV)
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Home-Start Reading
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Hope & Vision Communities
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Junction Arch Heritage and Arts CIC
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Launchpad Reading
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Loddon District Scouts
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Pakistan Community Centre
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Parenthesis
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Parents and Children Together (PACT)
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Park United Reformed Church
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Progress Theatre
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Rainbow Trust Children's Charity
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Reading Abbey Division (R.S. Achilles) Ranger Guide Unit
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Reading Civic Society
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Reading Gateway Church
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Reading Hospital Broadcasting Service
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Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC)
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Reading Refugee Support Group
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Reading Rep Theatre
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Reading Voluntary Action (RVA)
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Readipop
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Redlands Primary School
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Rockets Sport & Educational Foundation
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Ruth Ascher Piano Masterclass
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Starting Point (The Mustard Tree)
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Swings & Smiles
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The Engine Shed
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University of Reading – Internship Scheme
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Weller Centre
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WhitArts Community Group
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Whiteknights Indoor Bowls Club
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Wokingham In Need
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YMCA Reading