Age UK Reading wins £5k grant

Age UK Reading receives £5000 from Berkshire Community Foundation to support our Information and Advice helpline.

 Age UK Reading has received a £5000 grant from Berkshire Community Foundation in its latest round of funding.

The money will go towards the running of a dedicated information and signposting service. The service has been helping people in Reading for over 30 years and takes around 500 calls every month.  Calls may be simple, straightforward requests for information or signposting to other services.

Others are more complex, when repeated calls and many hours are needed for our staff to help clients reach informed decisions. For some callers, it is the human voice at the end of the telephone that is of most value.

Matt Taylor, CEO at Age UK Reading, said: “the service is well used, respected and essential for the people in Reading. We help a range of people, from someone who wants a plumber, to someone who is experiencing a huge multi-layered crisis. We walk with people, giving them high quality information and support until they can move on. If we do not help them ourselves, we ensure to pass them to an expert who is better placed than us to get results”.

Jon Yates, CEO of Berkshire Community Foundation, said: “At Berkshire Community Foundation, we work to enable vibrant, caring and resilient communities by directing philanthropic funds towards charities that perform vital functions for local people. We are delighted to support Age UK Reading in its important work and look forward to the positive impact enabled by this grant.”

Age UK Reading provides emotional, well-being and practical support through community-based services for older people and their carers. Some are one-to-one, in the client’s own home; some in group settings, creating opportunities for social connection and interaction. We provide a telephone helpline weekdays, through professional information and advisory staff. We provide trusted gardeners, personal shoppers, therapeutic and well-being support for those living with dementia; footcare clinics. All services are dedicated to reaching older people who are at risk of loneliness and isolation, empowering them to live their best later life, whilst remaining at home for as long as possible.

Berkshire Community Foundation works across Berkshire to raise, then distribute, funds to charities and community groups in the County.