ORGANISATIONS in Reading are now able to apply for funding as the council opens the latest round of support.
Reading Borough Council’s Small Grants Fund has opened for another round of applications, and is open to community and voluntary groups in Reading.
Organisations can apply for £5,000 in support, or £10,000 for partnership funding, to help them deliver activities and services for those who need it most.
The latest round of funding sees a further £100,000 of support made available, the second Small Grants Fund this year.
While bidding criteria is non-prescriptive to encourage a variety and range of recipients, there is a particular invitation for activities which support residents to become more self-sufficient, and promote educational attainment, strong skills and practical knowledge.
Groups which were successful in the first round of Small Grants Fund bids earlier this year can bid a second time.
Applications close on Tuesday, January 30, next year.
Councillor Jason Brock, Reading Council Leader, said: “Reading remains a town of contrasts. Our powerful local economy can belie the challenges existing in some communities that we know create barriers to progress.
“The ongoing cost of living crisis has only widened the gap and, as a Council, we rightly feel the weight of responsibility to help tackle this inequality by opening up new opportunities for residents.
He explained that the grants will do so via: “provision of funding to a range of community and voluntary groups across Reading who have the skills, knowledge and experience to reach those residents who will benefit the most.”
Councillor Liz Terry, lead for corporate services and resources, said: “It is incredible to see the array of activities and the sheer number of residents benefitting from the Council’s funding pots and the new life opportunities which may open up as a result.
“This place-based approach recognises that each local community has different needs and that the most effective way to reach residents is often through groups or organisations based in those communities who are best placed to engage with them.
“All of this would not be possible of course without Reading’s amazing voluntary sector who will no doubt step up again.”
Previous rounds of funding saw support for Children with disabilities and sensory needs through Berkshire Deaf Children’s Society, which received funding to provide British Sign Language Interpreters for its events last year.
Assisting Berkshire Children (ABC) to Read received funding to train and support 10 new one-on-one mentors for literacy and confidence tutoring.
The fund has also support events such as the Reading Mela, outreach work with Rabble Theatre, and English speaking classes for Reading Ex- British Gurkha Association.
Full details of the funding scheme, including information about how to bid, is available via: reading.gov.uk/SmallGrantsFund
