Supporting the ambitions of the Communities Vision
 Over 1,000 children helped with discounted uniform
Imagine providing school uniform for an entire secondary school.
First Days Children’s Charity spent the summer kitting out 1,180 children from across the borough with primary and secondary school uniforms through its shop.
For many families, the charity is a lifeline. While household bills grow, children do too, needing new clothes, shoes and essentials.
To meet demand, the charity also took their support out into the community, visiting Woodley, Bracknell, Finchampstead, Shinfield and Spencers Wood throughout the summer.
These visits helped a further 300 local children with items such as school uniform, shoes, coats, toiletries, daily essentials, books and crafts.
Beyond providing practical items, they also lent a listening ear to parents and carers, offering guidance and signposting to further support services.
 Thanking event honours committed locals
Daisy's Dream has honoured the volunteers, trustees and supporters who work to support children and families through the process of bereavement at a thank you event.
Amongst those being thanked were volunteers Sarah Beckett, Amy Axworthy, Helen Warren and trustee Kate Green.
Thanks also went out to Tesco Warfield, which supported the charity with donations and a community bookshelf, and Thames Valley Chorus.
Meanwhile keen crafters, Jenny Harding and Alma were praised for providing handmade donations for the children. Lillian from Project Linus was also thanked for making beautiful quilts for those the charity supports.
Sophie Carter, fundraising officer at Daisy's Dream, said: "It was such a lovely opportunity to bring together some of the wonderful people who support Daisy’s Dream and to celebrate the incredible difference that our community makes to the children, young people and families we support."
Daisy’s Dream provides free, professional support to children and families who are facing, or have experienced, the death of someone they love. The charity was chosen as Wokingham Borough Mayor, Cllr Rob Comber’s, charity of the year.
 Shinfield comes together for community celebration
Residents, volunteers and local organisations came together at High Copse Pavilion on 19 September for a day of food, music, creativity and conversation.
Shinfield has changed and grown significantly in recent years, with new homes bringing more people into the area. The event was held to help newer and long-standing residents meet, make connections and find out more about their local community.
Highlights included a community meal, music and dancing, and a joint piece of artwork about Shinfield. Residents could also meet local groups and organisations and hear more about activities and support available nearby.
The event was organised in partnership with and our , which both work to bring people together, reduce isolation and help residents feel connected to their communities.
The Ofgem energy price cap is set to rise from 1 October, meaning many households could see their bills increase. If you’re struggling with the cost of living, visit our cost of living support pages. Alternatively, our Lightning Reach portal can connect you to personalised support, grants and discounts.
 Pooches help raise money for charity
My Cancer My Choices stole the show earlier this month when it held its first-ever dog show as part of the annual Charvil Village Fete at East Park Farm Playing Fields.
Organised entirely by volunteers, the free community fete brought together local charities, groups and businesses, with live music, community stalls, classic cars and activities for all ages.
The fun-filled dog show raised £380 to help fund complementary therapies for people living with cancer. Visitors of all ages took part, with many children proudly showing their dogs.
Congratulations to all the category winners, especially Wren, who was crowned Best in Show.
This year Charvil Village Fete raised an incredible £2,059 for four chosen charities: Smart Works Reading, Me2 Club, Share Wokingham and Camp Mohawk. The latter was selected by the children at Charvil Piggott Primary School.
Visitors were also able to browse a wide variety of stalls run by local businesses, charities, community groups and independent makers, while enjoying food and refreshments throughout the afternoon.
 BBC Children in Need to support young men
BBC Children in Need funding will be used to ensure young men and boys have good male role models.
Chapter 2 is a local charity that supports young people across Reading and Wokingham by matching them with adult mentors.
The charity formed to tackle the fatherless crisis and provide a shoulder to lean on for so many young people who grow up in households without a father figure.
There is evidence to suggest that these individuals are statistically more likely to end up failing at school or going on to have a criminal record.
One mentor said: “A few months after we started, I asked him (the mentee), where do you see yourself in five years? Without hesitation, he said ‘in prison’. And then a year or so on, we had the same conversation, and he told me that he sees himself in a stable relationship, things going really well.”
The grant funding from BBC Children in Need will help Chapter 2 support more young people.
The charity already has a growing waiting list of boys in need of a mentor who will benefit from the new support.
Chapter 2 is always looking for more male volunteers to be mentors, with training days available for those interested in learning more. The next training day is on 3 October. To find out more, visit Chapter 2’s website.
 Could you help Wokingham Foodbank?
Wokingham Foodbank is looking for a social media specialist to join their team to support with raising awareness of what they do online.
Wokingham Foodbank is part of the Trussell network of foodbanks. It aims to offer a service that is accessible to all and provides a positive experience for the people it support.
The role would involve sharing why the foodbank operates, how it supports the community and encouraging residents to take action and provide support.
The role may involve talking to the community about the foodbank and what it does to support local people experiencing financial hardship.
The charity is asking for a commitment of five hours a month.
For more information, visit the volunteer advert or contact Karam Nijjar on engagement@wokingham.foodbank.org.uk.
For information on other volunteering roles in Wokingham Borough, please contact the Wokingham Volunteer Centre on 0118 977 0749, email volunteer@wok-vol.org.uk or visit the website.
 Swimathon returns for third year
Fundraisers took to the water for Wokingham Lions Club’s third swimathon on 20 September.
Over 120 swimmers took part at the Nuffield Health Club, making up 18 teams representing schools and charities from across the borough.
Since its inception, the swimathon has helped raise nearly £27,000 for local good causes. It is not a race. Teams set their own challenge, then swim in relay for 50 minutes to try to beat their goal.
A spokesman for the Wokingham Lions said the day was 'remarkable' and 'quite humbling'. “It’s amazing what people can achieve when they work together towards a common goal.”
The Jessica Project, a charity supporting individuals recovering from sexual violence and domestic abuse, took part as ‘Team Reclaim’, made up of women, men and teenage girls.
Priya Dawkins, founder of The Jessica Project, said: “We had the best time taking part in the Swimathon. We managed to complete 91 laps and managed to raise £625.”
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