BetterPoints

“The foodbank was there when we really needed it, it was an absolute lifeline.”

We don’t think anyone in our community should have to face going hungry. That’s why we provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis. We are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

“The foodbank was there when we really needed it, it was an absolute lifeline.”

We don’t think anyone in our community should have to face going hungry. That’s why we provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis. We are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

1 to 3 was founded by Meg Lyon and her late husband Ken in 2000 after a holiday trip to Gambia in November 1998. They visited a nursery school in Wellingara where 150 children between the ages of 3 and 7 years were working in tiny, hot, dark classrooms with few learning resources and poor sanitation. Meg and Ken were so affected by what they saw that they felt moved to do something to help improve the situation. They decided to raise money to build a new nursery school at a different site and sponsor a child. This was the beginning of 1to3, which registered as a charity in 2000. Since then it has grown and grown and the Wellingara Community Nursery School now provides education and support to over 400 children from the village.

Later, the need for some health facility became obvious and after four years of fundraising in UK, a purpose-built community clinic opened for just one day a week in November 2008.

The charity is run by six Trustees: Meg Lyon, Marj Jawo, Greg & Celia Keevil and Peter & Pam Nevill. Meg and Marj visit Wellingara every year at their own expense to monitor progress, visit the school and clinic and to meet the sponsored children and their families. This gives them the opportunity to monitor how the money is being used and the progress that is being made on the different initiatives organised by Wellingara Community Initiative Support, (CIS) the partner organisation of 1to 3.

​The Oxford Road Scout Group is the community scout group for the local area and is part of the Reading Central District The catchment area runs from either side of the Oxford Road between Chatham Street and the Norcot roundabout: north of the railway line. We offer Scouting for both boys and girls from 6 to 16 years old and have recently opened 2 new sections to meet the growing demand for Scouting in our area. We now run Scouting activities 5 nights of the week catering of all our age ranges. We meet at our Oxford Road Scout Headquarters.

The Beaver Colony delivers a balanced training programme to 6-8 year olds to help them to achieve their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential in order to make them good citizens.

The Scout Association provides adventurous activities and personal development opportunities for 400,000 young people aged 6-25. Internationally, we have over 28 million young people enjoying the benefits of Scouting across 216 countries. Personal development means promoting the physical, intellectual, social and spiritual well-being of the individual, helping them achieve their full potential. In Scouting, we believe that young people develop most when they are 'learning by doing,' when they are given responsibility, work in teams, take acceptable risks and think for themselves. Beaver Scouts is the youngest section of the Scouting family,catering for 6-8 year old boys and girls. Their activities are based around making things, outdoor activities, singing, playing games, going out on visits, investigating nature, listening to stories, learning how to be safe and most importantly, making new friends. We also run Cub Scout groups for boys and girls aged 8 - 10 1/2.

The aim of the Association is to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spirit potential as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local national and international communities. The method of achieving the aim of the Association is by providing an enjoyable and attractive scheme of progressive training based on the Scout promise and law and guided by adult leadership.

4Me blurb

4thechildren is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) UK registered Childrens Charity. No:1166434 (4TC) seeks to promote sustainable economic and social development. (4TC) is a children’s charity primarily concerned with the safety, welfare and human rights of children. Activities to include a UK context and to specifically work as a children’s charity. By working with local communities & Schools through relief and development programmes, (4TC) works wherever the need is greatest, irrespective of colour, creed, status or religion.

A Rocha is a Christian environmental charity which encourages people to take practical action to look after the earth - via practical projects,  Education,  and advocacy.

Abbeyfield Reading Society provides a residential, registered care home for the elderly: 28 en suite rooms, full care including meals, laundry, medical care.