Reading Borough Council Grant Support for Voluntary and Community Sector

Reading Borough Council will again back Reading’s voluntary sector in 2014/15 with a total of £3,092,904 in direct grants – maintaining last year’s figure of £3,092,884.

Reading has a particularly strong and active voluntary sector and the proposed grant support for next year is in recognition of the significant benefits voluntary and community groups bring to communities across Reading, and in helping the Council to tackle key issues in the town.

The Council’s proposed grants budget for 2014/15 has been maintained for a number of reasons, not least to support the important work voluntary sector groups do to help people in times of hardship. These groups have again reported a major increase in requests for support locally from changes arising from the Government’s programme of welfare reform. Readifood, the town’s food bank, is set to have their grant increased from £10,000 to £15,000 due the threefold increase in demand for emergency food parcels.