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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 4pm

Connect Reading

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Bringing sectors together for mutual benefit to build a better Reading, for everyone. Companies and organisations of all sizes are members of Connect Reading.
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Connect Reading brings sectors together for mutual benefit, building a better Reading for everyone. We identify bespoke connections and information to enable a cross-sector circular economy. The result? A better environment, better community and better economy. We started in 2003 as the business community partnership, brokering cross-sector partnerships and initiatives. Since then we've grown our impact and developed our innovative, cross-sector approach. Blending in-kind support and skills-sharing with our fundraising and awareness raising projects whilst also offering businesses insight into local priorities and social value through our presence on statutory and cross-sector strategic groups. Our high profile projects include:
• The Eggscellent Easter Egg Appeal
• The Giving Tree at Christmas
• Reading RESCUE - an environmental clean-up in Spring & Autumn

We provide information and expertise on community involvement opportunities for organisations of all sizes, and support our corporate members in the delivery of ESG and CSR. We also work closely with Connect Reading members from charities and voluntary organisations to identify projects that need support with time, resources or skills, and then match them with an appropriate organisation or business.

13/10/2026

A quick reminder about our next session this Thursday(14th).

Dr Trisha Bennett from Whitley CDA will be leading a taster workshop on Community Development. Dr Trisha Bennett is a Community Development Coordinator for the Whitley Community Development Association, and is a living example of and an expert in her field.

Lorraine Briffitt and the Connect Reading team will be delighted to welcome our members... and if you're interested but not yet part of the network, do get in touch to find out how you can attend and

Discussion topic:
𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵

Join us:
📆 Thursday 14th October, 10:30-11:30am
📍 South Reading Leisure Centre

Registration is essential: ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/mtz36s8u

06/10/2026

We took Connect Reading on the road today! 👋

This afternoon, our delightful Dorothy headed over to Imperium Building, Reading to meet tenants and chat about the different ways businesses and their teams can get involved with Connect Reading - from The Giving Tree and volunteering to skills sharing and Resource Xchange.

There were plenty of good conversations, and lots of interest in finding ways to get more involved locally. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello and have a chat with Dorothy.

And a big thank you to Guzel, Bianca and Savills for welcoming us to Imperium Building and helping make the pop-up happen.

🎄 And if The Giving Tree has caught your eye, there’s still time to get your team involved this Christmas. Find out more here https://connectreading.org.uk/thegivingtree/ or get in touch to find out how you can take part!

01/10/2026

Last chance to join for this lunchtime's Giving Tree Info Session 🎄

Join us at lunchtime TODAY to find out how it works, how you can take part, and how you can help make sure people receive gifts they’ve specifically asked for.

There's still just enough time to join us - so if you’ve been meaning to sign up… this is the sign you've been waiting fir 🌲

Book your place now: https://tinyurl.com/yuhtb464

29/09/2026

Why networking matters

Our recent networking event at Apex Reading brought together organisations from across Reading’s cross-sector community - and one of our lovely attendees summed up something we hear again and again: sometimes the hardest part for smaller organisations is simply being seen.

That’s one of the reasons Connect Reading exists.

Our network brings together organisations from across Reading’s business, charity, education and community sectors - from small grassroots organisations to major businesses - creating opportunities to build connections and raise awareness.

A big thank you to everyone who came along and shared what you’re doing.

And now The Giving Tree is getting underway, we’re looking forward to seeing some of those connections turn into Christmas collaborations too!🎄

25/09/2026

🎄 Thinking about getting your organisation involved in The Giving Tree this Christmas?

It’s nearly October, which means our Connect Reading Christmas elves are getting busy!

The Giving Tree brings local businesses together with Connect Reading member charities and schools, who ask the people they support what they’d like for Christmas.

Those specific requests become Giving Tree tags, which we provide to participating businesses. Your team can take a tag and buy the requested gift, with collection or delivery arranged through your charity partner.

The Giving Tree isn’t about guessing what someone might like or simply buying everyone socks just for the sake of it. It’s about knowing exactly what someone has asked for and making that specific wish happen.

Although, if anyone is wondering what to get The Giving Tree's Head Elf, Lorraine, we’re reliably informed that socks are needed. 😂

Sometimes socks ARE the answer! And that’s the beauty of The Giving Tree - you ask, you find out what someone really wants, and you can make that particular Christmas wish happen.

For businesses, it’s a chance to get your team involved, support a local charity and give gifts that you know have been specifically requested by local people.

The Giving Tree is always a popular part of Reading’s Christmas calendar, so if you're thinking about getting your business involved this year, now is a good time to find out more.

🎄 Giving Tree Information Session

📅 Thursday 1 October 2026
🕧 12.30–1.15pm
💻 Google Meet

We'll talk through how the Giving Tree works for businesses, what taking part involves and how you'll be matched with a local charity or school, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions.

👉 REGISTER NOW: https://connectreading.org.uk/events-2/

Whether you're thinking about taking part for the first time or getting involved again this year, we'd love to see you at the session.

Know another Reading business that should be part of the Giving Tree? Tag them below or share this post with them. 🎄

22/09/2026

AMPLIFIED | FROM OUR NETWORK

Free training for Connect Reading members during ADHD Awareness Month this October.

We're sharing this opportunity from one of our members, Reading ADHD Group, which is offering free sessions delivered by Jamie Gordon to Connect Reading members during ADHD Awareness Month this October.

We think it sounds like a great practical session to help businesses better understand ADHD and create a more supportive workplace for neurodiverse employees.

Here's what they say:

"A workplace presentation on the rise of ADHD, what it is, what gets misunderstood, and what to do if someone on your team tells you they have it."

The 15-minute presentation, plus Q&A, covers:
- What is ADHD, including busting myths, misconceptions and media narratives
- The rise in ADHD and why self-identification matters - why so many more people now recognise it, and why not everyone will have a formal diagnosis
- Executive function: what executive functions are, how they affect performance and how to support people experiencing executive dysfunction
- What to do if someone on your team tells you they have ADHD, including what reasonable adjustments are, how to ask questions and how to negotiate

The presentation can be delivered on Teams or in person and is free to Connect Reading members.

Interested in finding out more or making a booking? Email [email protected]

🧡

31/08/2026

Back to School is expensive.

For families with children starting or returning to secondary school, September brings a fresh wave of costs – uniform, PE kit, shoes, bags and equipment, often at a size and price point well above primary school.

Our Summer Giving Appeal doesn’t stop when the bags of essentials do. We’re now extending the appeal to help secondary school families across Reading meet some of those costs.

£10 provides a supermarket voucher for a family who needs it, distributed through our partner charities.

If you’d like to support a local family, you can donate here:

👉 https://donate.givetap.co.uk/f/connect-reading/summergiving

Or, if your business would like to buy vouchers directly, get in touch with us.

27/08/2026

AMPLIFIED 📣 | FROM OUR NETWORK

We saw this really worthwhile opportunity from one of our lovely members, -Start Reading, and wanted to help get the word out. Giving a little time each week to support a local family can be such a worthwhile thing to do, and we thought this was well worth putting in front of our network. 🧡

Could you help a local family through challenging times?

Home-Start Reading is looking for home-visiting volunteers to join its friendly team. The next training course starts at the end of September, and the commitment is around two hours a week.

If you're looking for a new challenge and would like to support a family, contact Marion on 07483 113681 or Julie on 07483 113679 to find out more.

Know someone who might be interested? Please pass this on – we'd love to help Home-Start reach as many potential volunteers as possible.

🧡

11/08/2026

Do you know what we love most about Summer Giving? 🧡

Hearing where the Bags of Hope end up - and knowing they're reaching people who really need them.

We've had some really lovely feedback from people who've received the bags, and we've loved hearing the different ways they've helped.

One little comment really stayed with us, shared through Together for Mental Wellbeing:

"It was very helpful and improved my mood. It was the highlight of my day."

Such a simple thing. But what an impact it can have. 🧡

Honestly, that made our day too.

Because you never really know what a small act of kindness might mean to someone. A bag of everyday essentials might not sound like a big thing. But when you're having a difficult time, having something useful at home - or simply knowing that someone thought of you - can mean an awful lot.

And this is what we love about Connect Reading.

Businesses give. People give their time. Charities help make sure that generosity gets to where it's needed.

This summer, that meant around 150 Bags of Hope, packed with more than 1,000 everyday essentials, making their way out into our community.

And it’s the same lovely idea behind our Giving Tree. 🎄🧡

Different time of year. Different kind of giving. Same thing at heart:

people looking out for people.

If your business would like to get involved with this year's Giving Tree, we'd love to hear from you.

And now we're curious - what's a little thing that made your day recently? 🧡

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Another huge thank you to the lovely Coca-Cola Europacific Partners apprentices, who gave their time, got stuck in and kept smiling through a heatwave! 🥵🧡 And to all of our wonderful charity partners who help make sure that generosity reaches the people who need it.

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Good Things Happen When We Connect. 🧡

27/07/2026

More than 1,000 everyday essentials. Around 150 Bags of Hope. One incredible community effort. 🧡

Last week, apprentices from Coca-Cola Europacific Partners joined us at De Vere Wokefield Estate for a volunteering morning organised with Winning Events Ltd as part of our Summer Giving Appeal.

The morning was about much more than packing bags. Volunteers heard first-hand from local charities about the people these donations would support, before packing around 150 Bags of Hope with more than 1,000 everyday essentials. Many also added handwritten messages of encouragement for the people who will receive them.

The bags are now with local charities across Reading, ready to support individuals and families throughout the summer.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered and helped make Summer Giving 2026 possible. Together, you've shown what's possible when our community comes together.

🧡 Could your organisation be part of something like this? We're already looking ahead to the Giving Tree and Summer Giving 2027. If you'd like to become a Connect Reading member or create meaningful volunteering opportunities for your team, we'd love to hear from you.

With thanks to Sharon Blyfield OBE, Lucinda Winning, Sam Elliot, Winning Events Ltd, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, De Vere Wokefield Estate, and our charity partners: Sadaka, Faith Christian Group, DigitAll, Chapter2, Launchpad Reading, Dingley's Promise, Children Heard and Seen, EHSL Supported Housing Charity, Home-Start Reading, Together for Mental Wellbeing and The Cowshed.

Address

Co-Space, Quadrant House, Broad Street Mall
Reading
RG17NE

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 4pm

Telephone

+441189952960

Website

http://www.connectreading.org.uk/

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