What we achieve

What we achieve

Helping the Elderly

Stroke Care for Newbury and West Berkshire
Many mobility issues stem from a lack of confidence and so we can help people suffering from strokes to build up confidence.

The Berkshire Community Foundation has funded hydrotherapy sessions. The improvements and progress in some people receiving hydrotherapy has been quite astonishing. Brad Bradford (pictured in the pool and after a session in the hydro pool) says:

“The hydrotherapy sessions are wonderful! The warm water is really relaxing and it really helps my movement. I suffer from stroke on my left side, but I have managed to swim across the pool and so my mobility is really improving. The support of the water means you can push yourself more and force more movement. Coming to the centre allows my wife to have some time to herself; she can do something she likes while I enjoy my hydrotherapy sessions.

Readibus – providing subsidised transport for the elderly & disabled
Each year the Berkshire Community Foundation distributes the income from the Blagrave Fund for the Elderly to Readibus. The beneficiaries are referred by voluntary groups on the basis of the individual’s restricted mobility, limited income and isolation.

During the year there were 77 beneficiaries of the Travel Scheme. These individuals were referred by 5 referral agencies and were enabled to make 2,065 journeys.

The introduction of the new “escort” scheme also enabled 5 particularly vulnerable individuals to make 59 shopping trips.

Peter Absolon, General Manager of Readibus said:
“The support from the Berkshire Community Foundation has provided invaluable assistance to particularly vulnerable elderly people on low incomes. The support has enhanced each beneficiary’s quality of life in a very real way by enabling them to make journeys that they would have otherwise not been able to make. The support is very targeted, thereby making the best use of the funds available.”

Helping Children and Young People

Berkshire Youth Games
Berkshire Youth Games is an event for children of all abilities covering 11 sports. Children with severe learning difficulties and physical difficulties are encouraged to take part. A number are able to participate in conventional sports, but those unable to do so participate in Boccia, an adapted sport for children with special needs. The Foundation, through a Sport Relief Grant, supported over 40 children by providing a grant for Boccia sets, a hoist and protective flooring for the gymnasium.

Particularly Handicapped
The group runs a club outside Reading for children from 8 – 18 years of age with significant special needs and disabilities. They were desperately short of games and equipment for those young people and wished to undertake more activities to instil more confidence in those attending. A grant of £800 was provided by ‘Give a Child a Chance’ to support the group.

Helping Disabled People

West Berkshire Mencap
For 10 years the Foundation has been supporting West Berkshire Mencap with a number of grants. One of the most recent awards was a Sport Relief Grant of £1,240 to enable the children at their Newbury centre to undertake exercise. A specially adapted trike and a go-kart were funded and have proved very popular with the children.

“The children love the trike so much that we have to devise a rota so everyone gets a go; it has given the children a great opportunity to get some physical exercise while having fun”
- Leila Ferguson WEST BERKSHIRE MENCAP

Helping Communities to Develop

Fairclose Day Centre, Newbury
Fairclose Day Centre provides a thriving, friendly local point for anyone over retirement age in Newbury. A main focus of the centre is the provision of healthy, freshly prepared meals on a daily basis – both at the centre or delivered to people’s homes. Sue Kitchener, manager at Fairclose Day Centre says “Funding from BCF has helped us to upgrade the equipment in the kitchen. We needed some new units, repairs and upgrades to plumbing as well as a whole range of other requirements.”

Wrightchoice Community Sports Association
Wrightchoice is a charity whose aim is to help ethnic minority and underprivileged young people become more involved in their local community. Based in Reading, Wrightchoice provides more than a chance to play team sports; it works with teenagers to give them better access to IT training to improve their job prospects, and offers healthy eating programmes and education. Sophia Corbin, a co-founder of Wrightchoice says “Without help from BCF we wouldn’t have been able to move forward as well as we have.”

Support Horizons
Support Horizons (based in Wokingham) had a Global Grant to help start up this new community interest company. It is run by, and for, people with disabilities, providing temporary support workers for people with learning disabilities.

Tim Holland from Support Horizons said “We are pleased to be able to offer jobs in this exciting new venture. Support Horizons is committed to providing employment opportunities to local people with learning disabilities in all aspects of our business.”