Village Halls Week 2023 will celebrate the many ways these volunteer-run rural community buildings support local residents, groups and businesses, particularly during difficult times.

As the country endures a cost-of-living crisis, rural communities have come to rely on the humble village hall as a place to keep warm, access basic services and socialise without the expense of travelling elsewhere.

Halls across the country will be taking part in the national campaign week, showcasing what they are doing for their community, and the opportunities they provide to people locally that would not otherwise exist.

Activities beginning Monday 23 January will include open days at local halls and an engaging social media campaign that will include touching stories from users of community buildings.

Research conducted by Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), who organise the annual campaign, found that in 60% of countryside areas, community buildings are the only place for local people to socialise.

Aside from hosting a wide range of social and recreational activities for residents, they can also host vital services such as post offices, doctors’ surgeries and convenience shops, whilst supporting an estimated 50,000 people whose livelihoods depend on use of these buildings.

Tim Parry, CEO of Connecting Communities in Berkshire (CCB) said, “Village Halls Week is in its sixth year of existence, and we thoroughly support it as an important week in the diary to shout about all the fantastic venues that village halls provide their local communities. Village Halls are not simply places for social and physical activities, often they are the lifeblood of local communities and a real lifeline for people of all ages, offering essential services and at times emergency facilities. As such they’re a critical part of the national infrastructure.”

CCB provides support and advice to village halls across Berkshire, including advice on legislation, risk assessments, health & safety, licensing, energy efficiency, insurance and much more!

On Wednesday 25^th January to celebrate Village Halls Week local charity Connecting Communities in Berkshire (CCB) is running a useful webinar on Fundraising for Village Halls & Community Buildings – this will include information on the new Platinum Jubilee Village Halls fund, managed by ACRE. Anyone interested in attending should click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/392286217637

Village Halls Week takes place from Monday 23 to Sunday 29 January 2023.

Background

The Berkshire Digital Infrastructure Group (DIG), comprising all six Berkshire local authorities, are working with market providers and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s Barrier Busting Task Force to minimise barriers to Digital Infrastructure investments, reducing rollout costs and delays and leading to further investment into the county.

Last year, DiG ran their first Digital Survey, which was designed to help them identify where there may be gaps in the digital infrastructure by asking how residents and businesses across Berkshire access and use the internet.

The responses from the survey are being used to inform our Digital Strategy, and you can view the analysis of the results online.

Improving access to broadband, public access WiFi and mobile services is a key element of the Berkshire DIG work, and they are working with mobile operators and platform providers to provide better access in all Berkshire regions.

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Why we want your views

As more and more services move online we need to understand why some residents aren’t accessing them this way, whether that’s because it’s a struggle to afford internet access, data or a device, such as a laptop or phone, they aren’t confident or they don’t feel safe online.

We also want to understand what people can do online, whether that’s ordering food and gifts, online learning and job searching, or contacting friends and family or a healthcare professional.

Sharing your views and experiences with us, or helping someone who may not usually go online to do so, will help us understand where and how we need to focus resources to improve services and provide solutions.

We’d also like to know if your habits have changed since the pandemic e.g. has the amount of time you spend on the internet or streaming TV shows increased, or you have become more confident using online services such as banking or booking travel or holidays?

What people can, and can’t, do online is important to us and we want to hear about it.

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How to take part

If you’d like to share your experiences with them, please complete online theirr survey, which should only take about 5-10 minutes.

Complete our survey

You can download a version of the survey for someone who doesn’t go online here [394KB] .

Please send the completed survey to Berkshire DIG Digital Inclusion Survey, Ground Floor (ICT Area), Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5LD.

Alternatively, call 01635 503894 to request a paper copy.

The closing date is midnight on Sunday, 19 February 2023

For any queries about the survey, please email ContactUS@BerkshireDIG.Org.UK

We are thrilled to see that new Warm Spaces are popping up across the county this winter (2022-23). We know that what is on offer can very much depend on which of Berkshire’s six Unitary Authorities you reside in. We pulled together what is currently out there so you can check out your local warm space depending on where in the county you find yourself.

What is a Warm Space?

Warm Spaces are places where people can gather for free in a warm, safe, welcoming place and maybe enjoy a hot drink and some company.

Reading Borough

Reading Museum
Reading Museum, in Reading Town Hall, is free to visit and currently has an abstract art exhibition alongside the regular displays in the other galleries.
Open 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 5pm on Saturday.

Libraries
There are seven libraries throughout Reading, open for free book lending with no late fees, free computers, free wifi, and free study spaces – as well as free rhymetimes for preschool children.

Central, Southcote and Tilehurst all have free on-site tablet lending.

Your free library card allows access to thousands of free ebooks, eaudio and emagazines. We have purchased a range of physical and e-titles to help with cost of living issues.

East Reading
LifeSpring Church, Café 12, Tuesday to Friday 10am to 2pm, Thursday lunch for the over 60’s. The Pavilion, 143-145 Oxford Road Reading RG1 7UY

Family Warm Hub, Monday to Friday 3.15pm-6pm, term time only. A light meal will be provided. Families need to register in advance.

Tel: 0118 983 9080

For more information contact warmhub@lifespringchurch.org.uk

Greyfriars Church Monday 10am to 5pm, Tuesday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am-4pm and Sundays 9am-12pm and 5:30pm-8:30pm.

They also have various events running throughout the week.

Friar Street, Reading RG1 1EH
Tel: 0118 951 6700

Wycliffe Baptist Church Community Cafe Tuesday 9:30am to 3pm and Wednesday 4:30pm to 9pm. Warm and welcoming space. Normally £1.50 for a drink but have a pay-it-forward system for those that can’t afford it.

233 Kings Road, Reading RG1 4LS
Tel: 0118 929 9911

Weller Centre Monday to Friday 9:30am to 12pm. Use Wi-Fi, catch up on the news, make new friends and maybe grab a hot drink starting at 20p (pay if you can).

110 Amersham Road, Reading, Reading, RG4 5NA
Tel: 0118 947 5828

West Reading
Norcot Mission Church, Oasis Cafe, Fridays 10:00am to 3pm, Warm and friendly with light refreshments. Brockley Close, RG30 4YP
Email: info@norcot.org

Salvation Army, Tuesday 10:00 to 13:30, Coffee morning/lunch club. Wednesday 1:30pm to 3pm, Cameo/chatter craft.

522 Oxford Road, RG30 1EG
Tel: 0118 957 5394

St Catherine’s Church, Tuesday get together 10am to 12pm, coffee and chat, free, all welcome.

St Catherine of Siena Church, Wittenham Avenue, Tilehurst, RG31 5LN
Tel: 0118 942 7786

St George’s & St Mary Magdalen’s
St George’s Tilehurst, St George’s Road, Reading RG30 2RG, Fridays from 12pm to 4pm.
St Mary Magdalen’s Tilehurst, Kentwood Hill, Reading RG31 6DR, Wednesdays from 10.30 to 11.30am.
Tel: 07753 411989

St Matthew’s Church, 12:30pm to 3:00pm Fridays. Soup and bread in a warm space.

205 Southcote Lane, Southcote, RG30 3AX
Tel: 0118 954 7964

St Michael’s Church, The Morlais Room, from 12pm to 5pm Thursdays. Soup and bread, hot drinks and biscuits will be available, there will also be board games to play for anyone who fancies a bit of fun. No charge, but donations appreciated. All welcome.

New Lane Hill, Tilehurst, RG30 4JX
Tel: 0118 942 7331

All Nations Christian Centre, Warm Welcome, Tuesdays 10:30am to 3pm. A warm welcome space that is free, welcoming, and safe for our local community.

1 Berkeley Ave Reading RG1 6JE
Tel: 0118 950 5661

Whitley CDA – Wednesdays 12pm to 2:30pm. Winter Warming Wednesday
Over 50s (open to all), unlimited tea and coffee £1, free soup, board games and chat.

Whitley Community Café 252 Northumberland Avenue, Reading RG2 7QA
Tel: 0118 374 0052

West Berkshire

Take a look at this article from the Penny Post which lists all known warm spaces in West Berkshire at the time of publication: https://pennypost.org.uk/2022/11/local-warm-spaces-for-winter-2022-21/

St George’s Welcome Café –
Monday, Wednesday from 8.45am – 12noon

St George’s Church has opened a Welcome Café, Welcome Cafe is a warm hub where everyone is welcome to drop by for fresh coffee or tea and biscuits, a chat, or to use the WiFi. Everything is complimentary.

The café is initially running on Monday and Wednesday mornings, from 8.45am – 12noon and from 3rd Feb will be also open on Fridays, same time and is meeting in the church building, on the hall side. All are assured of a warm welcome.

Burghfield Warm Spaces

Wokingham Borough

Earley and Lower Earley

Monday – Salvation Army, Chalfont Close (RG6 5UG), 10am to 12 noon – tea, coffee, biscuits, games and chats
Monday – St Nicholas Church, Sutcliffe Avenue (RG6 7JN), 2.15pm to 3.30pm
Tuesday – St Nicholas Church, Sutcliffe Avenue (RG6 7JN), 10am to 12 noon
Tuesday – Trinity Church, Chalfont Close (RG6 5HZ), 1pm to 4pm and 4pm to 6pm
Wednesday – Lower Earley Baptist Church, Maiden Place (RG6 3HE), 11.30am to 1.30pm – hot drinks, chance to chat, games and more
Wednesday – Brookside over 60s club, Brookside Close (RG6 7HG), 2pm to 4pm
Thursday – Salvation Army, Chalfont Close (RG6 5UG), 10am to noon
Thursday – St Nicholas Church, Sutcliffe Avenue (RG6 7JN), 2pm to 4pm
Thursday – Trinity Refresh Café, Chalfont Close (RG6 5HZ), 2pm to 4pm – wellbeing café
Thursday – Brookside Youth, Brookside Close (RG6 7HG), 7pm to 9pm
Friday – St Nicholas Wellbeing Café (RG6 7JN), 10am to 12 noon – wellbeing café
Friday – Brookside Church, Brookside Close (RG6 7HG), 3.30pm to 6pm
Saturdays – Trinity Church, Chalfont Close (RG6 5HZ), 10am to 12 noon (second and fourth Saturdays of the month only)

Shinfield
All weekdays – School Green Centre Warm Hub, Shinfield School Green Centre (RG2 9EH), 10am to 4pm – TV, games and free hot drinks
Fridays – St Mary’s Church Hall, Church Lane (RG2 9BY), 12 noon to 4pm – free soup and a roll

Spencers Wood
Wednesday – St Michael’s Café at St Michael and All Angels Church, Basingstoke Road (RG7 1AP), 10am to 2pm – free soup and bread roll (other options on offer with fee)

Twyford
Tuesday – Twyford and District Youth and Community Centre, Loddon Hall Road (RG10 9JA), 12noon to 2pm – free hot drinks and free soup and roll, as well as the opportunity to join in with some games (from 13 December to 28 March)

Wokingham
Monday, Wednesday and Friday – Wokingham Salvation Army, Sturges Road (RG40 2HD), 10am to 1.30pm – free food and drinks, internet access, charging points, a shower room and a warm place to be
Monday – Café Mosaic at Wokingham Methodist Church, Rose Street (RG40 1XS), 10.30am to 1.30pm – hot drinks, soup, biscuits and charging points available (until 27 February)
Tuesday – The Cornerstone at All Saints Church, Norreys Avenue (RG40 1UE), 3.30pm to 5pm – for families after school drop in (term time only)
Wednesday – Kings Church, Station Road (RG40 2AD), 11am to 3pm, – The Well on Wednesday – hot soup meal and place to be
Thursday – Wokingham Baptist Church, Milton Road (RG40 1DE), 4.30pm to 7.30pm – hot meal, activities for children, homework, teas and coffees (excluding 29 December)
Friday – St Paul’s Parish Room, Reading Road (RG41 1EH), 2pm to 4pm – hot drinks, games and cake

Leisure centres
Our leisure centres are open to the public as places to go to be warm this winter.

Loddon Valley Leisure Centre café, Earley (RG6 4GD) – open Monday to Friday, 7am to 3.30pm
Bulmershe Leisure Centre café, Woodley (RG5 3EU) – open Monday to Friday, 10am to 11am
St Crispin’s Leisure Centre function room, Wokingham (RG40 1SR) – open 10am to 2pm on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, open 6.30pm to 10pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

Libraries
All our libraries are places you can go to stay warm during their current opening hours. You can visit one near you now:

Arborfield Library
Finchampstead Library
Lower Earley Library
Spencers Wood Library
Twyford Library
Wargrave Library
Winnersh Library
Wokingham Library
Woodley Library

Bracknell Forest Winter Hubs:

For an up-to-date list of Bracknell Forest Winter Hubs please click here: https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/cost-living-support/community-winter-hubs

Slough Borough

Slough: The list of current Warm Spaces, operating now or soon to be, is below.

• Slough Baptist Church, Windsor Road: Mondays 3-5pm starting on 9 January and Wednesdays 11am-2pm starting on 4 January
• Slough Community Support Café, St John’s Church, Stoke Poges Lane, Tuesdays 5-9pm
• Slough Community Support Café, St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Merton Road, Thursdays 3.30-8pm
• Cippenham Carers Group, Cippenham Baptist Church, Elmshott Lane, Third Wednesday of the month from 1-3pm
• Ujala Foundation, Manor Park Pavillion, Villiers Road, Tuesdays 10am-2pm and Thursdays 12noon-2pm.
• Home Slough is offering a warm space during their WOW Slough winter programme. All events will be held at The Curve. For dates and times visit HOME Slough – Creative arts in your community
• The Salvation Army Slough, Stoke Road. Offering a warm space and refreshments at a coffee morning on Wednesday mornings 10am – 12noon. Offering a warm space, refreshments, food, clothing and showers at their drop-in on Friday mornings 10am-12noon.

Royal Borough: Safe, warm spaces map
Over the winter, a number of community organisations are opening up warm, safe spaces and running coffee mornings and other activities for residents.
Click link to find out where these are: https://rbwmtogether.rbwm.gov.uk/warm-safe-spaces-map

Civic Power Fund – Community Action Fund

Grants are available to local not-for-profit groups that are building the power of their community and campaigning for long-term change in the UK.
Application deadline: 26 February 2023. For more information please click here.

BME Youth – Together Fund

Grants are available to local not-for-profit groups for the delivery of sports and physical activities to culturally diverse communities, disabled people, lower socioeconomic groups and people with long term health conditions to improve their health and wellbeing across England.
Application deadline: 31 March 2023. For further information click here.

Tesco Community Grants

Grants are available to non-profit making, constituted groups and organisations for local good causes that focus on supporting children and families in the UK
Application deadline: N/A For further information.

Newly Opened: Joseph Rowntree – Grassroots Movements Fund

Joseph Rowntree excited to be open for applications in our first ever funding round aimed at grassroots groups. We need to put more power into the hands of those working to address inequality and injustice, and create new systems that put equity, justice and peace first.

The Grassroots Movements Fund has around £1 million which they are aiming to redistribute over two funding rounds in 2023. The fund will make grants of between £10k and £70k to every successful application. Grants can cover up to a two-year period.

To apply, organisations must:

1. Be based in the UK with work primarily focused in the UK
2. Be a not-for-profit organisation
3. Have systems for making decisions and managing money
4. Be able to demonstrate they are part of a grassroots movement
5. Be able to demonstrate they are working towards transformative change.

Deadline: 19th February 2023. For further information click here.

Newly Opened: Civil Power – Community Action Fund

The Community Action Fund exists to support grassroots campaigning and community organising in the UK. It will provide one-off grants between £2,500 and £20,000.
These grants are available to grassroots organisations that are building the power of their community and campaigning for long-term change.
All successful applicants will be offered support beyond funding. This will include the Civic Power Fund Governance Hub and optional, bespoke cohort and capacity building opportunities. Applications should be:

1. Rooted in and accountable to their community.
2. Hoping to achieve long-term change on issues affecting the lives of their community.
3. Addressing injustice by building the power of their community. For example, through community organising, campaigning, or democratic engagement.
4. Lacking the resources to take their vision to the next level.
5. Seeking to build a larger us and resisting the politics of division
   The Community Action Fund prioritises organisations led by people with lived experience of the injustice they are trying to overcome.
   Community Action Fund (civicpower.org.uk)

Deadline: 26th February 2023. For further infromation please click here

National Lottery Community Fund – regular funding programmes

The National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) has has three rolling funding programmes:
Awards for all (for applications under £10,000)
Reaching Communities (for applications over £10,000)
Partnerships (for applications over £10,000 for organisations that work together with a shared set of goals to help communities to thrive)
The aim of the programmes is to support communities to thrive by funding activities that:
* Build strong relationships in and across communities.
* Improve the places and spaces that matter to communities.
* Help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage.
Organisations can apply for funding to:
* Continue to deliver activity – whether the community needs crisis response, recovery or business as usual activity.
* Change and adapt, becoming more resilient to respond to new and future challenges.
Applications for all three programmes are accepted on an ongoing basis and further information on these programmes and how to apply can be found through the links above. For further information please click here.

Children In Need: Core Costs and Project Grants

Not for Profit organisations can apply if they are:
• Working with children and young people aged 18 years and under
• Working in the heart of their communities, particularly in times of crisis
• Putting children and young people at the centre of everything they do, from design to delivery
• Addressing challenges faced by children and young people, building their skills and resilience
• Empowering children and young people, and extending their choices in life
• Keen to keep learning about and developing their work with children and young people
• Committed to making a difference in children and young people’s lives

.Further details can be found here.

Sport England – Small Grants

We welcome applications from a wide range of not-for-profit organisations, provided your organisation has a minimum of three unrelated/non-cohabiting trustees or directors. Eligible types of organisations are:
• a community amateur sports club (as registered with HMRC)
• an unregistered voluntary and community organisation with a not-for-profit constitution
• a registered charity
• a not-for-profit company (limited by guarantee without share capital or charitable incorporated organisation)
• a community interest company (CIC) or other social enterprise
• community benefit society
• a school using their facilities for wider community benefit.
• local authority bodies (including town, parish and community councils).
We want to support projects that bring communities together and provide sport and physical activities for people who may be less physically active. For further information please click here.

Alpkit Foundation

We make small awards to people, groups and schools that work to remove the barriers in getting outdoors and experience wild places.
Spending time outdoors is good for the mind, body and soul. But generally people are spending less time outdoors. That is a problem we’re helping to solve. We support grass-roots direct action projects that tackle issues such as diversity & inclusion in the outdoors, participation, education, conservation and protection of our natural environment and health & well-being. For further information please click here.

Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund
Capital grants are available for village halls in rural areas across England to enhance, upgrade, extend, improve, and construct halls so that, as a result, new activities can take place bringing communities together.
Application deadline: 20 January 2023. For more information click here.

Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities Grant Programme
Capacity building grants are available to support the restoration, reopening or revitalising of community theatres on the Theatres Trust’s Theatres at Risk Register.
Application deadline: 10 February 2023 For more information please click here.

FCC Community Action Fund – England

About Us: The FCC Community Action Fund provides grants to not-for-profit organisations for amenity projects eligible under Object D and Object DA of the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF).
Criteria: Registered charities, churches, parish councils, local authorities and CASC registered sports clubs can apply for grants for the provision, maintenance or improvement of community facilities. This can include village halls and community centres, public play areas; publicly available multi use games areas, skate parks and BMX tracks; sport and recreation grounds including pavilions and clubhouses with full public access; churches – community spaces only; nature reserves; public gardens, parks, country parks and woodlands with at least dawn to dusk access; and Museums. Projects must be located within 10 miles of an eligible FCC Environment site.

Grant Size: £2,000 to £100,000
Deadline for applications: 5pm on the 8 March 2023. For further details click here.

Heathrow Community Trust – Communities Together Small programme

About Us: Funding for communities near Heathrow
Criteria:
The following themes apply for this programme:
• S1 Protecting and enhancing our local environment
• S2 Bringing communities together and increasing community cohesion
• S3 Improving quality of life through increasing social inclusion
• S4 Improving community facilities

Grant Size: up to £5,000
Deadline for applications: 28 February 2023

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the team at hct@groundwork.org.uk

Find out more

Information contained in the article is source from Berkshire’s fantastic VCS’s – Wokingham & Bracknell Involve, Slough CVS, Reading Voluntary Action & West Berkshire Volunteer Centre.