The Hardship Fund

The Hardship Fund will deliver long term, high value projects designed to give a much greater value to our residents than the cost of the initial seed-funding investment.

This is a £250,000 fund which has been allocated to boost delivery of the Tackling Poverty Strategy.

Projects supported

More than £100,000 has already been awarded to voluntary organisations to support residents in the borough who are experiencing hardship.

Details on the funded projects can be found below. Many are being run in partnership with voluntary organisations, based on expertise and knowledge.

Extra curricular fund

Wokingham United Charities has been awarded £25,000.

The charity will award and administer funding to lower income students across the borough to enjoy extra-curricular activities.

It includes experiences such as school trips and after school clubs, or items such as musical instruments and specialist equipment.

Should you wish to apply for this fund, please get in touch with Wokingham United Charities.

You can call 0118 403 2980 or email grants@wokinghamunitedcharities.org.uk to request an application form.

Removing Barriers Grants

£8,000 is being available for the voluntary, faith and community sector to support people on low income in Wokingham Borough by summer 2024.

The Removing Barriers Grants help people with a low income in Wokingham Borough by removing financial obstacles, ensuring that every resident has an equal chance to participate in the activities they are interested in. 

Seven organisations have received £500 each to help people locally. These are:

• Me2Club – supporting more than 100 children with disabilities to take part in leisure activities
• Twyford District Youth and Community Centre – a day out for at least 30 young people who would otherwise not be able to take part
• Woodley Lunch Bunch – travel support for families to events where they are not supported by public transport
• The Link Visiting Scheme – transport costs to attend events for people in rural communities
• Pinewood Football Club – discounted club memberships for children from low income families
• Berkshire Youth (Wokingham Young Carers Service) – helping cover travel costs for young carers

Roots Community Store

Roots Community Store opened as a pilot in February 2024. We'll have more information as it opens more widely later in the year

£32,000 was awarded for this community food project by Wokingham Foodbank, SHARE and First Days Children’s Charity.

This will be a community pantry with a base and outreach across the borough. It will provide fresh foods, canned/dried goods and other household essentials. It will create new and innovative ways for residents to access low cost, healthy food. 

School Days - Affordable Uniform For All

£35,000 has been awarded for School Days – Affordable Uniform For All. This will improving access to no/low cost uniform and other essential learning tools, run by First Days Children’s Charity.

The project will improve access to no/low cost uniform and other essential learning tools for students at schools in the borough. 

This will ensure students from low-income families can access free or low-cost accessible learning materials, including textbooks, stationery, digital devices, and specialised equipment, to ensure that all children have full access to learning opportunities. 

School Days – Affordable For All

£37,000 for School Days – Affordable For All - a project to poverty proof the school day by First Days Children’s Charity

will deliver an innovative pilot programme with local schools to lower the cost of school day. The council will be funding more projects with our voluntary and community partners to support local people in the coming months.

Future projects

More projects funded by the Hardship Fund and the Household Support Fund (which is funded by central Government) will be launched in the coming months.