About

What is Connect Reading?

Connect Reading is a unique collaboration of commercial, public and voluntary sector, in the Greater Reading area, whose core objective is to find innovative solutions to some of the challenging socio-economic issues facing Reading today.

Founder members of the Partnership include BG Group, Central Berkshire Education Business Partnership, Coffey International Development, Kyocera Mita, Prudential, Reading Borough Council, Reading Voluntary Action, Volunteer Centre Reading and Thames Water.

The Partnership works closely with local voluntary and community sector organisations to identify projects requiring support that appeal to members and meet the Partnership's support criteria.

Our key aim is to contribute to a better quality of life for all Reading's citizens and make Reading a better place to do business.

Connect Reading offers the following services to business members:

• Brokerage service between the greater Reading community and businesses who wish to invest in their community matching the skills, expertise and resource from business to the needs of the community sector.

• A signposting service for members, putting them in touch with successful community investment services already available in Greater Reading.

• Opportunities for staff development and training through introducing your employees to new challenges.

• Effective engagement in issues that affect your business such as crime, skills and labour shortages and tackling social exclusion.

• A platform to enable businesses to understand, debate and influence the decision-making process concerning key business issues and providing a link into the Reading LSP (Local Strategic Partnership).

• An opportunity to share best practice and learn from other businesses involved in community activity.

• Enhanced PR within your local community thereby improving your corporate image amongst customers, suppliers and employees.

Watch our video about why our members get involved

links to YouTube

Learn more about the aims and objectives. Read more..

Learn more about how you can help. Read more..

Learn more about the trustees Read more..

Connect Reading has brokered and facilitated over £650,000 cash equivalent value of community investment into the Greater Reading Community since our launch just over 6 years ago. This is a massive achievement involving Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell and Ascot businesses in projects and initiatives that help their local communities.

Read more..