Join our Team!

Job Opportunity: Project Development & Research Officer

Connecting Communities in Berkshire (CCB) is an independent charity with a focus on developing strong communities. Our team is dedicated to achieving our vision for all communities in Berkshire to be strong, resilient, sustainable and able to take control of their own futures. We are looking for the next member of our highly committed team.

Location: Berkshire (hybrid working available)
Salary: Competitive, based on experience
Closing Date: 5pm Thursday 30th October 2025

Are you passionate about rural communities? Do you have a knack for turning grassroots insights into impactful projects? Join us at Connecting Communities in Berkshire as our new Project Development & Research Officer and help shape the future of community spaces across the county.

About the Role

This exciting and varied role sits at the heart of our 21st Century Community Halls programme, supporting village halls and community buildings to thrive. You’ll analyse evidence of need, develop innovative projects, secure funding, and lead research that informs our strategic direction.

What You’ll Be Doing

  • Developing and delivering community-based projects based on local action plans.
  • Leading research and evaluation activities to understand rural challenges.
  • Writing compelling funding bids and securing income for new initiatives.
  • Building relationships with stakeholders across sectors.

About You

We’re looking for someone who is:

  • Educated or experienced in community development or social sciences.
  • A confident communicator, both in writing and in person.
  • Analytical, proactive, and able to manage a dynamic workload.
  • Experienced in working with diverse communities and committed to Equality Diversity and Inclusion.
  • Knowledgeable about rural issues and passionate about making a difference.
  • Familiar with research techniques and able to translate findings into action.
  • Able to travel to rural locations (access to a car insured for business use is essential).

What We Offer

  • Hybrid working arrangements for better work-life balance.
  • 25 days annual leave (pro rata) plus public/bank holidays.
  • An extra day off for your birthday.
  • Contributory pension scheme.
  • Free office car parking.
  • Staff training and development opportunities.
  • A supportive and inclusive team environment.
  • The chance to make a real impact in Berkshire’s rural communities.

Want to know more?

Click here for a full job description

If you have questions or concerns about the working hours related to this role, please raise them in your covering letter and we will do our best to address them.

Please note this role requires a Basic DBS check.

Ready to apply?

Send your CV and a covering letter that clearly explains how your skills and experience fit with the requirements of this role, to admin@ccberks.org.uk or by post to:

Connecting Communities in Berkshire, Wyvols Court, Swallowfield, Berkshire, RG7 1WY

Initial interviews to take place week commencing 3rd November 2025.


Funding Opportunities in September

National Lottery #iwill Fund 2025

About Us: This funding is for projects that help young people in England take part in place-based youth social action. By place-based youth social action, we mean young people playing an active role in addressing the issues of a specific place or area that matter most to local people.
Criteria: We’re particularly interested in projects that include young people from low-income communities.

In your application, you must show how your project:

creates place-based youth social action opportunities for young people
will help young people get involved in social action. This should be throughout their life, even after the funding ends.
will reach young people who have not taken part in regular social action activities
will continue, even after the funding ends
involves the voices of young people. They should also be a part of your organisation.
We expect projects to support young people aged up to 20, or up to 25 for those with additional support needs.

Grant Size: We expect you to match the funding we give you. The minimum amount we can match fund is £200,000.
Deadline: 24th September 2025

The National Lottery – Million Hours Fund

About Us: This funding is for organisations to give extra support to young people in areas with higher rates of anti-social behaviour. We’ll fund extra hours of youth work to give these young people more places to go and positive things to do.
Criteria: We can only fund projects in certain parts of England. The work you want us to fund must take place in, or benefit young people living in, one of the eligible ward areas. You can check the eligible ward areas for the Million Hours Fund (2025 to 2027).

To apply, your project must:

benefit young people aged 10 to 18, or up to 25 if they have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND)
effectively engage with young people at risk of taking part in anti-social behaviour
deliver more hours of youth work than you provide now
involve young people in deciding how you work
deliver youth work that is open to as wide a range of young people as possible (known as ‘open access’)
be run by trusted adults such as qualified youth workers, youth support workers, or experienced volunteers
The extra youth work you deliver must help young people:

have improved emotional wellbeing
have improved life and practical skills
feel safer and have access to trusted relationships with adults
Grant Size: £30,000 to £100,000
Deadline: 12pm on 22nd October 2025

WCIT Charity

About Us: Our purpose is to use the power of tech for impact through digital inclusion, education, charitable, and public engagement initiatives across the entire UK.
Criteria: For educational establishments and constituted not-for-profit organisations across the UK to support IT projects and activities.

The WCIT Charity will support activities within the themes of education, inclusion, IT for charities, and understanding of IT, such as the development and delivery of new services, solutions, training, apps, analytics, AI, robotics, or accessibility features/hardware.

Projects that are more likely to be funded include:

Projects where WCIT is a material or sole funder
Projects where WCIT is the sole funder of the IT component of a larger project
Organisations that could benefit from pro bono support
Proposals should demonstrate an innovative use of IT, be scalable for wider replication, and be sustainable over time
Grant Size: up to £15,000
Deadline: 22nd October 2025

Congregational and General Charitable Trust Grants

About Us: The Trust’s objectives are:

To make grants for the overall care, upkeep and extension of churches
To make grants towards the capital costs of church community projects
To promote the Christian religion and, in particular, the United Reformed and Congregational denominations, and other churches of the Protestant tradition
Criteria: Grants are available to support capital works on church buildings or towards the capital costs of church community projects in the UK. Applications are accepted from all churches of the Protestant tradition in the UK, but particularly those of the United Reformed and Congregational denominations.
Grant Size: up to £25,0000
Deadline: 24th October 2025

Greggs Foundation

About Us: As a grant-giving organisation, we understand the difficulties many charitable organisations face in accessing grant funding to meet fixed costs. Greggs Foundation Community Grants are a core funding grant to help organisations manage the financial requirements to keep their services running.
Criteria: To receive a Greggs Foundation Community Grant you must be a not-for-profit organisation and based in one of our geographical focus areas. Our focus areas will change from round to round and we will publish where these areas are on our website and highlight via social media in each round. We give priority to organisations in geographical areas located near to a Greggs Outlet or in an area of need. In addition to being based in one of our geographical focus areas we are looking for organisations that are delivering activities outlined in our Theory of Change.

Organisations successful in receiving funding are focused in the following areas:

Addressing direct needs in the local community
Providing food and support for individuals
Reducing social isolation and widening networks
Building knowledge, confidence and opportunities
Grant Size: £20,000 per year
Deadline: Rolling programme

Zurich Municipal Diversity and Inclusion awards

About Us: The Zurich Municipal Diversity and Inclusion awards are provided by Zurich Charity Insurance which insures not-for-profit organisations of all sizes within the UK.
The awards aim to celebrate the initiatives that small organisations put in place to promote inclusivity and celebrate diversity within their communities.

These awards are designed to honour the achievements made by organisations as they strive to make their communities a welcome, safe and happy place for everyone.

Criteria: The competition is only to charities and not-for-profit organisations based in the UK who fall within the definition below of a Small Charitable/Not-for-Profit Organisation:
“An organisation which is either registered as a charity at the Charities Commission or a non-profit, is a non-governmental legal entity that operates for a collective, public, or social benefit, rather than to generate profit for private owners with an annual income of up to £100,000.”

Grant Size: Prizes from £3k-£10k
Deadline: 30th September 2025

Arnold Clark’s Communities Support Fund

About Us: We want to give back to the communities that we serve.
Criteria: UK registered charities and community groups who provide services that are widely accessible to their local community and are located within a 50-mile radius of an Arnold Clark branch can apply now for a Community Support grant. Preference is given to smaller voluntary and community organisations.
The funding must be used for charitable or community purposes that address at least one of the following categories:

Pet welfare (to help cover costs for pet bills, animal shelters, therapy animals – reviewed on case by case basis.
Arts and culture (music, books, art and theatre groups looking for money for transport, resources, venue hire, and special licences at arts and culture.
Community enhancement (enhancing community, defib installation and replacements, play parks, community gardens, community galas and events).
Disability (sensory group resources, equipment and adaptations, this could be from groups or hospitals, trips for disability groups).
Educational training / advancement (extra resources for a PTA, school/education fayre/gala, uniform poverty. Extra curriculum resources).
Sustainability enhancements / projects (community clean-ups, recycling programmes, urban gardening, eco-friendly initiatives).
Mental health support (local support groups, networks end events that focus on mental wellbeing support).
Relief support organisations (emergency service aid, cancer or illness support groups).
Equality and diversity (programmes that promote equal access and opportunity, address discrimination and inequality and foster community cohesion).
Youth clubs and groups, such as Brownies, Scouts, Guides, Sea Cadets, Cubs, amateur sports teams, dance groups and gymnastics can apply for up to £750 for community trips, club costs materials, venue hire, transport.
Grant Size: up to £1,000
Deadline: Rolling programme

Moto Foundation Community Grants

About Us: The Moto Foundation makes a positive difference to the communities around our network of Motorway Service Areas
Criteria: You are a charity, school, not-for-profit or CIC within a 15-mile radius of a Moto site and
you have the endorsement of a Moto colleague.
Grant Size: up to £1,000
Deadline: Rolling programme

The Allen Lane Foundation

About Us: Our aims are to fund work within each of our funding programmes which:
will make a lasting difference to people’s lives rather than simply alleviating the symptoms or current problems;
is aimed at reducing isolation, stigma and discrimination, and;
encourages or enables groups that experience marginalisation and/or discrimination to share in the life of the whole community.
Criteria: We will fund work in the following areas:
Asylum seekers & refugees
Gypsy, Roma & Traveller communities
Offenders & ex-offenders
Older people
People affected by violence or abuse
People with mental health issues
Young People
We aim to help organisations to become sustainable, supporting running and core costs to enable them to have flexibility, security and longevity. We can contribute to project costs or salaries.
Six of our funding programmes are focused on funding for adults only.

The Young People’s Programme can support people aged approx 12-21 from across a broader range of backgrounds.

Grant Size: up to £15,000
Deadline: Rolling programme

The Kelly Family Charitable Trust

About Us: We’re interested in funding charities whose activities involve all or most family members, where possible, in initiatives that seek to tackle problems facing one or more of its members. We’ve funded charities working in fields including early intervention, mediation, prison services and services for families affected by sexual abuse, physical abuse and domestic violence, among others.
Criteria:
The trust has decided to prioritise its funding in favour of charities whose activities involve all or most family members where possible, in initiatives that support and encourage the family to work as a cohesive unit in tackling problems that face one or more of its members. The objective is to reinforce the benefit and support that family members as a unit can give to each other.

The three areas of activity that the charity wishes to support are:

Interventions that support families and help them in ways that prevent the fracture of the family unit, eg practical family support, relationship counselling, mediation
Families where sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, alcohol abuse and drug abuse threaten the integrity of the family unit
Prisoners and in particular their families, during and after the period of imprisonment
The trust prefers to support charities whose income is below £500,000.

Grant Size: up to £5,000
Deadline: Rolling programme

The Macaulay Moat Foundation

About Us: The Macaulay Moat Foundation is an independent grant-maker supporting charities and social entrepreneurs (including Community Interest Companies) who focus on Autism and Church Outreach.
Criteria: Grants are available for charities, community interest companies (CICs), charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs), and other not-for-profit organisations across England and Wales to deliver projects and activities around the themes of either Autism support or Church outreach.
Grant Size: Grants of up to £5,000 per year for up to three years are available
Deadline: Rolling programme

Electrical Safety Fund

Grants are available for charities, community safety organisations, and other not-for-profit organisations across the United Kingdom to support projects and activities that will contribute to a reduction in electrical risks in UK homes.
Application deadline: 12 October 2025

Rewilding Challenge Fund

Large grant for one large-scale rewilding project based in England, Wales or Scotland that is at least 1,000ha/10km size with particular interest in community-led/co-designed approaches to rewilding that brings lasting social, economic and ecological benefits for local communities.

Application deadline: 10 October 2025

Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust

Grants are available to registered UK charities that work with communities in the UK for projects that address specific categories set out by the Trust each year.

Application deadline: 30 September 2025

The Thames Valley PCC Community Fund

About Us: The Community Fund supports voluntary and community groups that help to prevent crime and keep communities safe.
Criteria: To qualify, your organisation must be based within the Thames Valley Police (TVP) area. The majority of applications for the Community Fund are received from Community and Voluntary Organisations, Not for Profit companies limited by guarantee, or Social Enterprises but the fund is not limited to these. We will not accept applications from commercial organisations, for profit organisations, community owned commercial organisations such as village shops or Public Houses.
Grant Size: up to £10,000
Deadline: 12pm (noon) on 22nd September 2025

The Miller Homes Community Fund

About Us: The Miller Homes Community Fund gives you the chance to apply for a grant towards improving your community.
Criteria: Grants from the fund can be used in a variety of ways to meet the needs and aspirations of people in the area where you live. The fund will focus on causes that are
linked to education
promote wellbeing
promote the environment
encourage participation in sport
Grant Size: up to £2,000
Deadline: 5th October 2025

Linnean Society

About Us: The Linnean Society is offering grants for community organisations linked with young people to deliver projects and activities that engage young people with local nature and natural spaces and improve their understanding of local biodiversity.
Criteria: Community groups and other organisations working directly with children and young people aged 16 and under can apply for funding for a variety of activities, such as:
Running a school festival about nature.
Painting community murals showcasing biodiversity in the area.
Building or restoring a community garden.
Creating a nature walk.
Hiring a speaker to come and talk about local foraging.
Grant Size: up to £1,000
Deadline: midnight on 25th October 2025

Thank you to Slough CVS, West Berkshire Volunteer Centre and Wokingham & Bracknell InVOLve for the funding information shared above.


Funding Opportunities in May

Energy Saving Trust – Roots and Routes Fund

The Roots & Routes Fund is now open for applications from youth-led organisations in England seeking grant funding for their climate justice projects.

The Fund is dedicated to supporting youth-led climate projects and encourages applications from young people in underrepresented groups.

Potential applicants can register for a webinar on Monday 28 April, 5.00PM to 6.00PM. This will provide additional guidance on the fund and application process. 

Applications for this first round of funding, with grants of up to £20,000 available, will close at 11.59PM on Monday 2 June.

The Roots & Routes Fund webpage includes information about:

How young people and youth-led organisations can apply to access the fund.
The eligibility requirements for the fund.
The criteria that applications are assessed against and when applications will be reviewed.
Expected timeframes for decision-making.
Updates on the webinar on Monday 28 April that will support applicants through their application.
FAQs and contact details for enquiries.
Roots & Routes Fund opens for applications – Energy Saving Trust

Deadline: Monday 2nd June

Turning Point – Community Innovation Fund

Our Community Innovation Fund is open to Turning Point services and the organisations, enterprises and groups that we are connected to in areas where we are located. If you have an idea for a project that would improve wellbeing for people in your local area, you can apply for up to £2500 to bring your idea to life.

For general queries or to learn more please contact us at: innovations@turning-point.co.uk

Barclays New Community Sport Fund

About Us: This new fund, delivered in partnership with Sported, aims to reduce inequalities in sport – with a focus on football, tennis, and cricket. The three-year funding programme, running from April 2025 to December 2027, will provide £1.4 million each year.
Criteria: The funding supports community groups and grassroots sports organisations who are working within the most deprived areas of the UK and are making sport more accessible to women and girls, as well as engaging people from other under-represented groups including people with disabilities, from racially diverse communities and from the LGBTQ+ community.
Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations including community groups, youth groups and traditional sports clubs.

To be eligible, applicants must:

Deliver football, cricket, or tennis activities for women and girls – or are applying for funding to start.
Operate in an area of high deprivation. Only organisations located in or supporting people from IMD areas 1-3 are eligible to apply.
Disability applications from groups that sit outside of IMD areas 1-3 will be considered as long as they groups offer activities for women and girls.
Grant Size: £1,000
Deadline for applications: 22nd June 2025

Mortgage Advice Bureau Foundation

About Us: Crowdfunder and Mortgage Advice Bureau Foundation have teamed up to make £100,000 available for sustainable community projects based across England, Scotland and Wales. Eligible projects will be supported by Mortgage Advice Bureau staff or their customers.
Criteria: To access the match funding, you must:
Be located in England, Scotland or Wales
Have a Sponsor who is a Mortgage Advice Bureau member of Staff, customer or approved business partner.
Be an existing registered Charity or Community Interest Company
Grant Size: up to £5,000
Deadline for applications: Rolling programme

Tesco Stronger Starts – Cooking For All Fund

Tesco Stronger Starts Cooking for All Fund offers grants for organisations and schools educating children and young people on the importance of healthy food and how to cook. 150 grants of £1000 are available nationally.

Application deadline: 30th May (noon)

Pets Foundation – Pets Assisting People Grants

Provides funding to charities who help children and adults through the provision of specially trained assistance animals, or through the provision of structured animal assisted learning and therapy.

Application deadline: 31st May 2025

The Hugo Burge Foundation – Creative Grants

The Foundation’s first round of grant funding this year will support projects, people, and organisations that align with three key areas: Creative Education, Creative Communities, and Creative Individuals.

Application deadline: 31st May 2025

The Eloise and Katie Memorial Trust

Awards grants to: Make a real difference to young people including education, disability, recreation, music and sport. Support causes important to Eloise and Katie’s family – particularly cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

The Albert Hunt Trust

Core funding for areas such as family support eg Home Start, children and young people counselling services, suicide prevention, specific carers support, cancer support, prisoner support and rehabilitation,community centres, food banks and debt advice.Typical grant sizes range from £1,000-£5,000.

Deadline for Applications: 30th May

Grants for Good

The Mathews Good Foundation – Grants for Good is designed to direct funding only to small and growing local charities, voluntary groups or social enterprises that are making a big impact on communities, people or the environment.

Deadline for applications: 15th June

Asda Foundation – Local Community Spaces Fund

Grants from £10,000 – £20,000**

We know accessible community spaces can be a lifeline for local people, and many of these spaces require funding to repair, renovate and develop them so that they can continue delivering vital activities and services. In addition, loneliness and isolation continue to be highlighted through our Community Insight Survey as top areas of concern for local communities throughout the UK.

To be eligible to apply for this fund, your community space must be an accessible place where members of the community can interact, seek support and access a variety of services and activities.

Through our Local Community Spaces Fund, we will continue playing our part in helping to fund safe and welcoming community spaces that bring people together, connect communities and address loneliness and isolation. We have invested £2.5million in community hubs since 2022, and for 2025, will commit a further £1.25million.

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


Meet our newest team member!

David Jennings joined our team at the beginning of the month (July 24) as our new Project Development Officer (taking over from Maria who recently switched roles to Rural Housing Enabler).

David’s work will focus on developing new projects and initiatives that support implementing action plans created through the 21st Century Community Halls programme. Here we ask David to introduce himself and tell us more about his background.

Can you tell us what made you interested in the role of Project Development Officer at CCB?

I admire the purpose of CCB to inspire community action and to deliver projects and services to improve rural health and wellbeing, reduce rural poverty and disadvantage and increase rural digital inclusion and social connectedness. I am already one of the recipients of these as a member of CCB for both Chaddleworth and Great Shefford village halls. As a customer, I have benefited from the 21st Century Community Halls programme so I was excited to be able to use my own professional skills to support and develop the project for CCB.

What are you hoping to achieve in your first six months in the post?
That’s what I’m working out at the moment…only in day three of the role!

What are you most excited about in your new position?
I am passionate about improving quality in local Berkshire communities: to improve our communication, resolve the issues we are facing, increase our collaboration and to get stuff done.

What do you enjoying doing outside of work?
I like to walk the dog, cycle and garden. I have also recently started paragliding again. I am a trustee for four Berkshire charities as their treasurer (Chaddleworth Village Hall, GreatShefford Village Hall, Chaddleworth and Shefford Schools PTFA, The Bakers Trustcovering fuel poverty), I edit the Chaddleworth News parish newsletter and I am the Clerk and Responsible Finance Office for Chaddleworth Parish Council.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
I would like to provoke and reward people’s empathy towards each other and for our ‘pale blue dot’ (Carl Sagan). ‘When we have the wisdom to use mercy and compassion instead of force…we human creatures will finally be on the right path’ (Leslie Thompkins, DC Comics).


Green Spaces Fund for Rural Communities

Our network body ACRE is aware of a future government grant fund that may be of interest to rural community groups

In March, the Minister for Rural Affairs Robbie Moore MP announced the government’s intention to establish a new grant fund, “creating and enhancing […] green spaces at the very heart of rural communities to preserve and protect their essential character”.

Up to £7 million will be available to rural community groups to fund projects that aim to create, restore, and enhance green spaces.

It is envisaged that funds will be available for capital expenditure such as landscaping, planting, installation of natural play facilities, paths and seating.

Richard Quallington, ACRE’s Executive Director said, “We welcome the government’s commitment to supporting rural communities so they can make the most of green spaces. The fund has the potential to support a wide range of initiatives that contribute to Net Zero and biodiversity net gain, as well as improving the health and wellbeing of local residents.

We know from our experience of administering recent grants to village halls that the availability of capital funding can catalyse new projects, many of which have had an environmental focus. We stand ready to support this new scheme.”

Rural community groups interested in the fund are encouraged to register their details with ACRE so they can receive more information about the fund when this becomes available. Click here.