Real stories. Real people. Real impact.

Dingley's Promise

Dingley’s Promise support children in the early years with special educational needs and disabilities to achieve their full potential. The £5,000 funding from BCF has enabled delivery of 195 hours of ‘Learn Through Play’ sessions with children in key areas impacted by the pandemic across 39 weeks (3 full terms) within the Reading and Wokingham Centres. This activity focussed on children with the most severe needs, hard hit by the pandemic and were overseen and managed by the 2 centre Deputy Managers for maximum developmental impact. Target areas were: ‘Listening and Attention’ including communication and health and personal care. These areas of development have been the most affected by the isolation and lack of access to support services and social groups during the pandemic.

One service user, L, is a young boy who was referred due to his developmental delays, in particular his delayed speech, language and communication skills. He follows a visual timetable in order to help him transition from one thing to another and currently uses a communication book to help him develop the key skills of communication. L has now developed his communication skills not only verbally but also with the use of Makaton and a communication folder to continue to support him during times where he may not have the vocabulary yet or that he may not be fully understood by all. This enables him to have the tools he needs to continue his journey. He has fewer frustrations now that he can communicate effectively. His Mum has also reported that L listens and responds more to instructions and this has enabled them to join in more activities as a family, such as soft play, swimming and even go on a holiday, all things that they would have avoided in the past.

The Baby Bank

The Baby Bank based in Holyport collect good-quality second-hand clothes, equipment and furniture for families in need who rely on items like nappies, toiletries, formula and buggies being donated through food-banks and general public donations. They help individuals and families from all backgrounds, regardless of their personal situation. A £1,000 grant was used to purchase double buggies and adapter clips to make single buggies into doubles or buggy boards which help to make a single buggy into a double buggy option. Several families don’t have the means to take a new born and a young toddler out together safely. The Baby Bank has supported at least 21 individuals, enabling at least 7 parents, on these occasions they were all female, to get outside safely with two young children or a baby and a toddler.

The Baby Bank was able to provide a new buggy to a mum who had experienced domestic abuse. She had fled her hometown with nothing for herself or her children; she was also left with a broken arm. She went into premature labour whilst in a safe house. The Baby Bank was able to provide a Moses basket, clothing, nappies and a light weight side by side, double buggy. She was reluctant to apply for benefits because she did not want to be found. The team supporting her ensured that she got everything she needed before being relocated again for their safety. The buggy meant that she could take all of her children out safely and confidently ensure that they were safe.

SHARE Wokingham

As people are struggling with the rise in the cost of living for basics such as heat, light and food, SHARE has been able to support the local community with providing access to fresh food every week, in localised sites. Clients do not need to receive a referral and instead can come along and fill a basket of food which includes fresh produce and frozen or fresh meat. Everything collected is ‘end of day’ or surplus food stocks, so not only are they supporting clients with the cost of living, there also is an environmental impact in reducing food waste. SHARE has seen a 25% increase in the people attending SHARE and now support around 500-600 households a week which equates to an average of about 1,500 people on a weekly basis.

The £5,000 funding has helped support SHARE to expand to other sites, not just across Wokingham but also into Bracknell. They have a second van so running costs have increased and the second van now focuses on the food distribution whilst the larger van is used to support the distribution of furniture to households in need locally. SHARE now have 15 sites and support around 2,000 people a week. SHARE salvage 40 tons of food waste each month. Through the furniture project they have supported over 250 households with various items, from full house refits, to smaller items for those being moved from emergency accommodation. There are people in the local area who have had to choose between heating their home or eating. One lady going through treatment for cancer had been advised to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, which she simply could not afford to purchase. However, having access to SHARE has meant that she has now been able to access the much needed fresh produce

FLAG DV

FLAG DV is a free legal advice group for victims of domestic violence. It offers free family law legal advice appointments to enable people who have experienced domestic abuse to make informed decisions that empowering them to leave abuse safely. As well as providing legal advice appointments, it also acts as a bridge of support by providing a clear pathway into other support organisations. This ensures a more holistic network is established to enable a better outcome for clients. As a result of the £4,940 funding from BCF, FLAG DV secured seven new solicitors, five of whom are closer to the project’s geographical area. By securing solicitors in the area, FLAG DV are able to ensure that clients who need a face-to-face appointment can be better accommodated. One client with a long history of domestic abuse and harassment during her marriage entered the service via an agency referral. The abuse had continued during this time which resulted in significant police involvement and the client had to move locations. “Thank you so much. I have been looking for years and you resolved it in a matter of seconds. Massive thanks for the team efforts. Only if this was given to me a couple of years ago, I probably would have finalised everything by now. But better late than never. My health has been severely suffering due to these complexities and I didn’t know who to turn to.”

Together As One

Together As One With support from BCF, teamed up with Berkshire CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) to help young people facing long waits for therapy. The Boost project offers one-to-one support, helping young people build coping strategies and tackle challenges like housing and education. In its first year, 95% of young people engaged, with 80% achieving positive outcomes. Creative approaches built trust and set goals. One young person moved from isolation to reconnecting with family and therapy. Boost eased pressure on CAMHS, supported families, and bridged the gap between assessment and treatment. Together As One meets young people where they are in life and helps them move forward.

No5 Young People

No5, a mental health charity for ages 11–25, expanded its outreach across Reading with new funding from BCF. It engaged students at Emmer Green and Highdown schools, laying the foundation for a ‘Safe Space’ Hub at St Barnabas Church. At Reading FC’s Kicks sessions, counsellors played football while offering support. Young Voices led an Online Safety Summit, co-curated a museum exhibit, and hosted a youth safety roundtable. Young Ambassadors created digital resources for peers awaiting counselling. No5’s trained staff support vulnerable groups, such as LGBTQ+, boys and Black and Asian young people. No5’s strength lies in its ability to connect meaningfully. Their Lived Experience Young Leaders, supported by youth counsellors and ambassadors, continue to lead the way. For one young person, involvement with No5 marked a turning point: “This is a chance for me to do something about issues I face regularly as a young person. I can now do something productive for my community, and it has given me confidence as I believe my voice matters and is being heard.”