READING Borough Council has announced that bidding for small grants is once again open to community projects.
Voluntary groups and community projects from across Reading are now being invited to submit their applications for funding grants as the council has made another £150,000 available as part of its Small Grants Fund.
Groups can apply for grants of up to £5,000 to deliver activities and projects which focus on attaining skills, education, and employment training for residents, or to create volunteering or participation opportunities, particularly in parts of town in greatest need.
Grassroots voluntary sector organisations who have received less than £20,000 in support from the council during 2023/24 are eligible, as the council is aiming to provide support for some of the smaller-scale local projects.
The council is also focusing on projects which address unmet needs of Reading residents and the initiative is not funded, or able to be funded, through other sources.
Reading Council Leader, Councillor Liz Terry, said: “Our priority as a Council remains enabling everyone who lives here to have the opportunity to share in Reading’s success.
“This year’s Small Grants Fund therefore focuses on helping to build self-sufficiency in some of our communities who do not have access to the same opportunities as others.
“The practical route to access those opportunities is through skills, education and training, as well as opportunities to volunteer or participate in activities, and we welcome bids from groups across Reading who operate smaller scale activities in our communities.”
She explained: “The Council’s Small Grants Fund delivers a huge array of activities and benefits to Reading and, despite the obvious financial challenges facing every council, we have again set aside this funding in our budget because we know it brings real benefits to people’s lives.”
Councillor Ellie Emberson, Lead for Corporate Services and Resources, said: “Reading boasts an unrivalled community and voluntary sector who retain the ability to reach individuals and communities which the Council would otherwise find difficult to.
“Within the sector we know there are smaller groups which may not have necessarily accessed these grants previously and this year’s process has been especially tailored to invite bids from them.
“You only need to look at the incredible breadth and variety of activities which were delivered as part of last year’s Small Grants Fund scheme to understand why it remains such an important project, particularly in parts of the town where need is greatest.”
The deadline for applications is Friday, December 13, and groups will be notified whether they have been successful by the first week of March next year.
Applications can be made using the Reading Small Grants Fund 2024/25 Grant Application Form, available via: www.reading.gov.uk/SmallGrantsFund.
