Two groups in Berkshire receive the King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2023

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Congratulations to the two Berkshire groups that have been awarded the Kings Award for Voluntary Service 2023!


My Cancer My Choices, based in Wokingham.

My Cancer My Choices (MCMC) provides complementary therapies and support, to empower cancer patients, in Berkshire, to make active choices to improve their well-being, as they come to terms with their diagnosis. Specialists volunteer their time to offer a range of one-to-one and group therapies, which help manage the side-effects of conventional treatment and improve the mental health of patients. Uniquely, these choices are offered to people from the time of first diagnosis, and are not restricted by individual’s finances
nor are they confined to those in the advanced stages of cancer.


The Ceremonial Wardens, based in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead

Ceremonial Wardens were established to support Thames Valley Police with event management at the Guard Change in Windsor, with particular reference to the supervision
of the crowds who attend these events. Guard Change occurs at least three times a week, and there are many other significant public events in and around Windsor at which
members of the royal family are present; often there are also local, national and international dignitaries. The Wardens provide an invaluable service, both assisting the
police with general supervision and providing a non police presence to manage the crowds and provide local information to the visitors. Their presence ensures increased security for
every event, reducing the risk of threat to the public.

There are 262 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups receiving this prestigious award in 2023. Their work, along with others from across the UK, reminds us of all the ways fantastic volunteers are contributing to their local communities and working to make life better for those around them. The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to benefit their communities. Recipients are announced annually on 14th November, The King’s Birthday. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse and include volunteer groups from across the UK.

Could you be part of our team?

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Berkshire based rural charity seeking volunteer Trustees

We are an independent charity with over 50 years’ of experience in community development work, originally founded in 1973 as a Rural Community Council. CCB’s vision is for all communities in Berkshire to be strong, resilient, sustainable, and able to take control of their own futures.

Our purpose is to inspire action at a community level that improves people’s quality of life. We work across Berkshire, with a particular focus on rural areas. We run projects that provide advice, support and training that improve rural health & well-being, reduces poverty & rural disadvantage and increase digital inclusion & social connectedness. To find out more about us please take a look round our website.

We are seeking enthusiastic individuals who have an interest in working to improve community life in Berkshire to join our Board of Trustees. This is a non-remunerated post however out of pocket expenses are payable. We are particularly interested to hear from people who have a background in human resources, experience working on a parish/town council, or someone who is a great communicator and loves attending events/networking on behalf of our charity.

The benefits of becoming a Trustee on our board include an opportunity to learn about the most important issues affecting people living in rural communities, experiencing great teamwork with a stable staff and trustee team working together, ensuring good governance of the charity and developing connections & confidence. If you’d like to be sent details of the posts please email admin@ccberks.org.uk

21st Century Community Halls – Rural Halls for the future

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Connecting Communities in Berkshire has completed the first year of a 5-year project undertaking research into the condition of rural community halls in Berkshire and offering hall management committees support to improve and develop their facilities.  The 21st Century Halls project, seeks to understand the condition of these important community facilities, and the needs of the volunteers who run them, helping rural halls to become more energy efficient, environmentally friendly, financially sustainable, and better connected with the communities they serve.  

Since the start of the project in October 2022, CCB has conducted 37 audits across Berkshire and aims to audit at least 80 halls in total.  The audit covers 5 themes that capture a wide range of information about the hall and its place in the community: The Organisation,  Sustainability, Environment, The Fabric Of The Building, and Energy.  After an audit, CCB offers support to committees to create an action plan detailing how they intend to address issues identified and helps them enact the plan with one-to-one support and access to training.  

Although 37 is a relatively small sample size, the results of the audits so far are giving CCB useful insights into the challenges halls face and ways to overcome these.  For example, there is a huge variation in levels of energy and thermal efficiency in rural halls. Around 70% of halls have walls and ceilings which are not insulated to modern thermal standards – most of these are not insulated at all.   At the same time, 85% of halls have reported that they are concerned about rising energy costs, with some really struggling to pay their energy bills.  

Only 4 of the halls that have been audited ask for feedback from their hirers or have done any consultation in the past 5 years, although several use Facebook comments and ad hoc interactions with local people to find out their views.  Many of these same halls are struggling to recruit new trustees and have gaps in their hiring schedules.  

Although most trustees are aware of environmental impact issues, only 10% have an environmental policy and most do not encourage hirers to recycle or discourage them from using single-use plastics.  Around 50% of halls have a switch-of policy of some sort for lighting, and it is clear there is lots of scope for improved environmental impact and reduced energy use through behavior change, as well as through structure and system improvements.

There are themes emerging from the audits that are helping CCB develop new approaches and services. For example, over the next 2 years, they are looking to support 12 rural halls to try new ways of bringing a wider range of local residents into the halls.  

Plans for a pilot project supported by the Energy Team at Wokingham Borough Council are also underway. The proposal aims to better understand how Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) reports could help halls understand their energy use, leading to structural and behavioural changes that can reduce energy use and environmental impact. EPC surveys at the start and at the end of the process will benchmark the impact of improvements, leading to a greater understanding of how best to improve these often unique buildings. The 21st Century Community Halls project is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and the Royal Countryside Fund.

What can I do to limit mould and damp?

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Damp and mould can be caused by structural, design or disrepair problems although there may be things that those of us living in homes affected can do to lessen or reduce the issue.

What is mould and damp?

Mould is a fungus that grows in areas where damp air condenses on cold surfaces. Damp is when an area of the property doesn’t seem to dry out, usually because it’s cold – it can be caused by structural issues like bad insulation or a leaking roof.

What can you do to limit damp and mould problems?

  • Keep the property reasonably warm, if possible
  • Open windows to let steam out after showering/bath or cooking.
  • Keep bathroom doors/kitchen doors closed when bathing/cooking.
  • Only dry clothes on radiators if you have adequate ventilation like an open window nearby.
  • Leave windows/vents open when drying washing indoors.
  • Check trickle vents are open and not blocked.
  • Repair and check extractor/ventilation fans
  • Pull wardrobes and furniture away from the walls and keep tops of wardrobes clear to allow to circulate.
  • If possible, use a dehumidifier if problems persist, these extract moisture from the air. Electric dehumidifiers can be very effective when drying washing indoors, and cheap to run (but you do have the cost of purchase to consider).
  • Wipe down surfaces affected by condensation regularly to prevent mould growth.
  • If you do see mould on your walls or ceiling clean it off – one effective, way is to clean off the mould with a spray containing bleach, this can be followed by an anti-fungal wash (be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and consider wearing a face mask)

If you are looking for tips on how to save money on your energy bills click here.

Sources; centre for sustainable energy, citizens advice

November Funding Opportunities

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Branching Out Fund – the Tree Council

The Branching Out Fund is now accepting applications towards the costs of community planting projects.

Branching Out supports applications ranging in value from £250 up to £2,500, with specific criteria for those under £500, and those above £500.

Schools, community groups, residents’ associations, Parish Councils, charities and many others are eligible to apply,

The deadline for applications is 3 December 2023.

Branching Out Fund | Grants towards trees and hedgerows (treecouncil.org.uk)

Bernard Sunley Foundation grants

The Foundation offers grants in the categories of Community, Education, Health or Social Welfare.

They offer three levels of grants. These are large grants of £20,000 and above; medium grants of up to £20,000 and small grants of £5,000 and under. Grants can be used for:

Capital projects which include new buildings, extensions, refurbishments and recreational spaces.
New minibuses and other vehicles that provide a vital service to those most in need in their local community.
Churches and other places of worship with a strong, secular community focus.
Charities or CIOs (Charitable Incorporated Organisations) registered in England and Wales.
Certain organisations with exempt status such as specialist schools, scout and guide groups, housing associations, cooperatives, and community benefit societies.
Applications are accepted all year round.

What We Fund – Bernard Sunley Foundation

Small Grants Programme – Sport England

The Small Grants Programme seeks to develop opportunities for communities to get more people physically active. New projects from not-for-profit organisations will be supported through providing National Lottery funding of between £300 and £15,000.

They want to support projects that bring communities together and provide sport and physical activities for people who may be less physically active.

They also particularly want to support projects focusing on environmental sustainability.

They believe that communities that work together and share resources provide a stronger and more sustainable impact. Therefore, Sport England want applications from projects that demonstrate how they connect with their communities, make best use of the existing skills and assets in an area, and will provide the biggest possible impact to those who need it most.

The closing date for applications is 31 March 2024.

Small Grants Programme | Sport England

Football Foundation grants

The Football Foundation provides grants for building or refurbishing grassroots facilities, such as changing rooms, 3G pitches, fencing, portable floodlights, pitch improvements and clubhouse refurbishment. The Fund is available to football clubs, schools, councils and local sports associations and gives grants for projects that:

Improve facilities for football and other sport in local communities.
Sustain or increase participation amongst children and adults, regardless of background age, or ability.
Help children and adults to develop their physical, mental, social and moral capacities through regular participation in sport.
Grants are available for between £10,000 and £500,000.

Looking for funding | Football Foundation

The Million Hours Fund

Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations, schools and local authorities to provide extra support to young people (aged 11 to 18 years, or up to 25 years with disabilities and special educational needs) who are at risk of anti-social behaviour in eligible areas of England. We want to fund extra hours of youth work for additional activities that give these young people more places to go and positive things to do. Find out more.

McCarthy Stone Foundation

About Us: McCarthy Stone Foundation’s Christmas Connections fund awards grants to support with the running of activities for people over 65 in their community over the festive period.
Criteria: UK registered charities, community groups and CICs (annual income under £250,000)
Grant Size: up to £1,000
Deadline for applications: 30 November 2023

Find out more about McCarthy Stone Foundation

The Ocado Foundation for Good

About Us: The Ocado Foundation is the charitable arm of Ocado Group, working for good in the community. We focus our efforts in three core areas, skills for the future, natural resources and responsible sourcing.
Criteria: Supports charities, CICs and community projects.
Grant Size: up to £1,000
Deadline for applications: 31 December 2023

Find out more about The Ocado Foundation for Good

Gardening with Disabilities Trust

About Us: The Gardening with Disabilities Trust awards small grants to help people continue to experience the joy of gardening, despite disability.
Criteria: Individuals and community groups/gardens supporting people with all kinds of physical or mental abilities, in all parts of the UK, to continue to actively garden are eligible to apply.
Grant Size: £1,000
Deadline for applications: Rolling programme

Find out more about Gardening with Disabilities Trust

Abri Community Fund

We believe the best ideas often come from the people who know and live in our communities. And we’re committed to supporting and investing in our communities. Which is why we have a £90,000 Community Fund available to help make your community a better place to live.
You can apply for up to £3,000 to support a project in one of our communities across the south of England. We know that the rising cost of living is having a big impact on our customers and communities, which is why we’re prioritising projects that focus on this type of support.
We recommend you submit your application as early as possible along with all the supporting documents. Applications will be considered by our funding panel, which is made up of customers and those living in our communities. And we’ll share whether you’ve been successful within four weeks of the closing date.
We welcome applications from local, voluntary organisations and community groups. We can also consider those from small charities and not for profit organisations. Our priority is to support those projects that encourage good use of community assets. The panel are looking for projects that bring communities together to support each other, find companionship, comfort and essential information that will support our communities during the cost-of-living crisis.
We’re proud of the difference our Community Fund makes. It’s one way we can help drive change, transform our communities, and provide opportunities.
It’s what our Community Strategy and five-year £15m community investment is all about – empowering communities, improving health and wellbeing and securing employment opportunities.

Community Funding (abri.co.uk)

Deadline: We open the Community Fund for applications four times a year:
• 1-30 April 2023
• 1 – 31 July 2023
• 1-31 October 2023
• 1-31 January 2024

Adamson Trust

Grants for voluntary and community organisations and charities to help with the cost of holidays or respite breaks for disabled children (aged 3 to 17 years) with physical, mental, or emotional impairments. Click here for more details.
Application deadline: 31 December 2023

Crowthorne Parish Grants

Applications close on Friday 15th December.
Each year Crowthorne Parish Council considers requests for grants to assist organisations involved in delivering valued services to the Crowthorne community. Organisations which are successful in their application will normally be presented with their cheques at the Annual Parish Meeting of Crowthorne Parish Council held between March and April each year. Applications must be accompanied by a copy of your organisations most recent accounts and if available the budget for the forthcoming year. Find out more.

The Henry Smith Charity – Holiday Grants

About Us: The purpose of the Holiday Grants programme is to provide access to recreational trips or holidays for groups of children who experience disadvantage or who have disabilities. In particular we are interested in contributing to trips that would not take place without our funding.
Criteria: Schools, youth groups, not for profit organisations and charities are all eligible to apply.
Grant Size: £500-£2,500
Deadline for applications: 31 December 2023

Find out more about The Henry Smith Charity – Holiday Grants

Sandhurst Community Grants

Applications close on Sunday 31st December. Sandhurst Town Council wishes to acknowledge and foster a sense of community spirit in the town and wishes to invite non-profits based in the area to apply for our community grants. Please complete the application form fully and return to Sandhurst Town Council before the end of this year to be included in our selection process for 2023/2024.

John Ellerman Foundation

Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
We aim to advance the wellbeing of people, society and the natural world by focusing on the arts, environment and social action. We believe these areas can make an important contribution to wellbeing. Relationships are important to us across every aspect of our grantmaking, and in the ways in which we work with others. We are a responsive funder, listening and responding to what applicants and our wider stakeholder network judge is important. We have well developed and regularly reviewed funding guidelines, enabling us to be discerning in our decisions about whom and what to support.
On our main grants programme, we generally make grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 per year, for up to three years. Learn more.

Thank you to Slough CVS, Volunteer Centre West Berkshire and Wokingham & Bracknell InVOLve for the information contained in this article.