Community charities get boost with University support

The University of Reading will launch a major new scheme to support community charities and projects across the region today (Monday 15 April).

The ‘University For Reading’ initiative brings together multiple community-based projects and is part of the University’s aim to work more closely with the people and communities of the Thames Valley. The University is today announcing:

• Applications for the new Charity of the Year Scheme are now open
• Applications for the University’s Community Fund are now open 
• A new staff volunteering scheme, which will launch later this year 

The University’s Charity of the Year Scheme is launching for the first time this year. This new initiative will see the University select a single charity to work with and support, in a variety of ways, throughout an academic year. The charity must be active and supporting local people in the Thames Valley region – anywhere in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire or Oxfordshire.

The Community Fund initiative is running for the fourth consecutive year. This scheme allows University staff members to apply for one-off funding grants for community projects they are involved in either as part of their job or in a voluntary capacity, across the Thames Valley region, defined in the same way as above.

Local charities and University staff members are urged to apply for the Charity of the Year and 2024/25 Community Fund schemes respectively.

In addition, the University has approved a new staff volunteering scheme, which will encourage the University’s 4,500 academic and professional staff to take up to two days of paid time off work, per year, to volunteer in the local community. This will be in addition to current holiday allowances. More details of the volunteering scheme will be shared with University colleagues ahead of the scheme launching later this year.

Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: “As a University, we are rooted in our local community. We exist because of the people of Reading, and as we approach our second century we want to strengthen and build new links across our region.

“I am looking forward to taking days away from campus myself to volunteer for good causes, helping to raise funds and the profile of our new Charity of the Year, and supporting colleagues to do more good work through our Community Fund.”

Charity of the Year Scheme

The Charity of the Year Scheme aims to create positive impact for the selected charity, with clear outcomes and benefits for the local community, at the same time as supporting the University’s charitable objectives of advancing education, learning and research for public benefit.

Examples of ways in which the University could support the chosen charity over an academic year include:

• Awareness raising among the large University staff community about the charity and the services it offers in the local community
• Staff fundraising opportunities
• Opportunities for the charity to benefit from staff volunteers – and to promote opportunities for student volunteering
• Opportunities to undertake collaborative research in areas of mutual interest 

Charities across the Thames Valley are invited to apply for the University of Reading’s new Charity of the Year Scheme. The closing date for applications is 3 June. More information about the Charity of the Year Scheme and how to apply, can be found online.

The University’s charity of the year will be selected over the summer. An initial panel meeting will create a shortlist of charities, which will then be put to a staff vote. Communication between the University and the chosen charity will begin in August, with official activity starting from September.

Community Fund

Up to £30,000 is available for use in the forthcoming academic year (2024/25) as part of the University’s Community Fund initiative.

The Community Fund will provide one-off, small awards (in the region of £1,000 per year), as well as larger awards (up to a maximum of £10,000 per year), on a one-off or multi-year basis. 

Awards will be made that support projects undertaken within and for the benefit of community groups in the Thames Valley. The projects must also further at least one of the University’s charitable objectives of advancing education, learning and research for public benefit.

All funding proposals that meet the criteria will be reviewed by a panel, which will meet over the summer.

Awards were made last year to support 18 community projects. These included:

• Supporting Whitley Amateur Boxing Club to put on a local competition for young boxers;
• enabling the Reading Street Pastors to provide a Safe Hub for their service users;
• a project designed to tackle mould in households in Whitley, Reading;
• supporting an Oxfordshire charity to launch an accessible cook book for people with learning disabilities.

Image: Left to right: Sian Walsh, Launchpad team leader; Kirsti Wilson, Launchpad Head of Fundraising; Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading. Launchpad has previously benefitted from a Community Fund grant.